April's farewelled products (and beauty diet update)

Here we are again with another load of empties.  Let's see if I can talk about these without getting too wordy...

 

Skin care

 

34) Kirkland Daily Facial Cleansing Towelettes (15 towelettes) - Something happens to me whenever I go to Costco.  I always get caught up in the multi-pack mentality so without ever trying them before I bought a massive box of these!  They're not the best wipes I've tried but they're not the worst either.  They actually smell quite refreshing and one wipe is usually enough to take off the day's makeup base.  They seem to be quite heavily laden with moisturiser which my skin will probably appreciate more as the weather gets colder. Expect many more of these empty packs to pop over the months because as I said, I bought an entire box!

 

35) Montagne Jeunesse Cucumber Peel-Off Masque - I bought this on a whim to treat my slightly oilier than usual skin and it worked! My post-vacation skin was a little oily and congested so I spread this on, and (very easily) peeled it off 20 minutes later. My skin immediately felt cleaner and the next morning I noticed my forehead bumps were visibly diminished.  I've bought some more of these to keep on hand for those times I need a more clarifying mask - and when I just feel like a little bit of fun!

 

 

 

36) La Clinica Gly C Refine Gentle Facial Cream Cleanser (10ml/0.35 fl.oz sample size) - One of my travel bag products.  This cream cleanser is a great balance of rich creaminess with skin smoothing Glycolic Acid and Vitamin C.  First impressions of this product is it felt gentle enough on my skin and rinsed off easily. 

 

37) Lancôme Bi-Facil Non Oily - Sensitive Eyes Instant Cleanser (30ml/1 fl.oz travel size) - Another travel bag item.  It's been a long time since I've used this Lancôme version and now I grudgingly have to admit I think this might be the best dual-phase remover out there because it removes the most stubborn mascara (Benefit's They're Real! anyone??) formulas like nothing else. What a shame I'm a cheapskate when it comes to removers but $60AUD is a bit too much for me even for 125ml.

 

38) Face of Australia Gentle Make-Up Remover (125ml/4.23 fl.oz) - Another dual-phase remover and much more affordable than Lancôme as it only costs $8.95 for 125ml.  Okay, so this will take a little more elbow grease to remove the most stubborn eye products but at the price it doesn't matter if I need to use more product.  This is a repurchase and I will continue to repurchase because it's great value for money and is oil and paraben-free.  

 

39) Bioderma Crealine H2O (250ml) - So don't shoot me but after all the hype I just couldn't 100% love this product.  Sure part of me wanted to bathe in it because it felt so soothing and refreshing when removing makeup from my face - however...  It just didn't cut it with waterproof eye makeup removal.  I even tried leaving Bioderma-soaked cotton pads on my eyes for 60 seconds as I'd heard somewhere but it was still to no avail. I can't tell you how many times I woke up with residual mascara smudges! My verdict is obvious:  a great alternative to makeup wipes for cleansing my skin but not tough enough for waterproof mascara.  I won't be rushing to buy another bottle.

 

Hand and body care

 

40) OPI Expert Touch Lacquer Remover (120ml/4 fl.oz) - My fourth bottle for the year and counting. 

 

41) MOR Passionfruit Body Butter - I threw this into the travel bag too because the little tub (around 50ml) was just the right size for a week away.  These are now discontinued.

 

42) La Roche-Posay Lipikar Baume AP (400ml/13.5 fl.oz) - This massive bottle of anti-irritation body balm lasted me months!  I used it as a soothing lotion for my dry sensitive skin and loved how easily it absorbed and how well it soothed any itchy or flaky skin - a must have for winter skin and I can see I'll repurchase this in future.

 

43) Ecoya Body Exfoliator (200 ml) - I won this gorgeous jar in a giveaway.  I loved the rich scent of white lotus flower, vanilla and patchouli and this really felt like a luxe body product with its creamy texture. My criticism is that it was a little too gentle an exfoliator for me - I like to feel instant results - and the exotic floral scent faded away very quickly.  I guess it's just an excuse to layer really because Ecoya do have the matching body cream!

 

Cosmetics

 

Here are this month's additions to my beauty diet empties.  Don't forget you can also check in with Anissa and Norlin to see how they're progressing too!

 

44) L'Oreal True Match Blush (Nude Pink) - I've posted about this blush before (here) as it's an everyday staple which adds glow as well as natural colour to the cheeks. It's a great choice for fairer skinned women and I'd buy it again if I didn't have so many other options! 

 

45) Models Prefer Lip Gloss Pencil (Perfectly Polished) - These pencils provide the optimal mix of shine and colour.  Perfectly Polished was my first MP Lip Gloss Pencil purchase but I've added a few more since then because I love these!

 

46) MAC Lip Glass (Viva Glam VI) - I remember loving this so much that when I lost my original tube a few years ago I was so distressed I had to replace it then and there! I've gone off and back onto it a few times but recently I was really loving it layered over MAC Modesty Cremesheen lipstick.

 

 Culled...

 

 BYS Lash Fibre Pre-Coat - My one fail for the month.  Now that I have a much safer lash primer option (thank you again blinc!) I can toss this scary dry fibre product out.  I was always paranoid of those loose fibres falling into my eyes so out it goes!

 

 

That's it for another month...



Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure: Peachy Keen

When we went on our beach vacation I really wasn't sure if I would have the time or inclination to change my manicure so I decided a pale nude polish was the way to go.  Cue Sally Hansen's Peachy Keen.

 

Peachy Keen is a warm peachy nude cream which almost seamlessly blended into my pale skin - the perfect low-maintenance shade for when I didn't want to be worrying about the usual manicure wear and tear.  It reminds me very much of one of my old, old OPI favourite nudes:  Coney Island Cotton Candy.   This polish is one of Sally Hansen's 7-in-1 formula Complete Salon Manicure range, with inbuilt base coat, strengthener, growth treatment, colour, top coat, featuring gel-like shine and chip resistance. 

 

I found application quite easy with the flat brush although with the lighter shade I needed 3 coats to get sufficiently even opaque coverage.  Out of habit I'd used a base coat so perhaps because of that mistake I found my manicure was taking a longer than usual time to dry and I caved in to finishing off with a quick dry top coat.  Wear time was fantastic though and my manicure easily lasted the 10 days I wore it, looking fresh and glossy with only a few little chips which didn't appear until around day 8.  I have a few more autumnal shades from this range to try so I'll make sure to remember to FORGET the base coat and top coat next time!

 

All pictures taken in indirect daylight:

 

 

 

Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure is available from Priceline, Priceline Pharmacies, Target, K Mart, Terry White Chemists, Chemist Warehouse, Good Price Pharmacies and independent pharmacies nationally.

 

Have you tried Sally Hansen's Complete Salon Manicure polish?

 

 

(This product was provided for my consideration.  All comments and opinions are my own.)

 



Face It Nail Polish: PP409

I've been wearing a lot of cream polishes lately so it's time to mix it up with a bit of glitter!

 

Face It nail polish is from Korean brand The Face Shop. I love venturing in to their Melbourne Central store from time to time for skin care - in particular sheet masks -  and to "incidentally" check out their affordable nail polish as the range is largely made up of bright colours and some pretty glitter mixes.  PP409 is one of two Face It glitters I bought around a year ago and it's a medium-dense mix of round pink glitter with blue and purple micro-glitter in a clear base polish.  I applied two coats over my L'Oreal Flaming Lilac base then sealed it with a thick layer of top coat for a glassy finish.

 

All pictures taken in indirect daylight:

 

 

 

I hope you enjoy this combination :)

 

Until next time.



REVIEW: Blinc Cosmetics (Eye Shadow Primer, Lash Primer, Mascara Amplified, Liquid Eyeliner)

 

Blinc Cosmetics have recently launched in Australia and I've been trying out a number of their much raved about eye products. Going on a Queensland beach holiday came in very handy for this little exercise because I was able to seriously put them to the test for myself to see if they really do "...combine ease of use, with the performance no other product can match".  Are blinc eye products really sweat-proof, flake-proof, run-proof and water-proof?  Grab yourself a cuppa, glass of wine, or whatever happens to be your beverage of choice and get comfortable for a mega review because I have four products to get through here!  If you're in Melbourne I'd suggest you get your blanket out too because it's suddenly very cold down here...

 

Let's set the scene with this excerpt from blinc Australia's website: 

 

"Our Life Proof promise

Is to help beautify your eyes by continuously introducing technologically superior eye cosmetics, such as the 'tube-forming' mascara, 'peelable' eyeliner and eyebrow mousse.

ALL blinc products offer complete performance worthy of a prestige cosmetics brand. Namely; ease of application, endless wear, and effortless removal.

ALL blinc products offer our Life Proof properties being smudge-proof, sweat-proof, water-resistant and flake proof, so you can exercise, cry, swim, hit the beach and do everything else you want to do in your busy schedule feeling confident your eyes look as good when you take your blinc makeup off, as you did when you first put it on!

That's the blinc Life Proof promise that women around the world have grown to love and trust."

 

Eye Shadow Primer

After reading the intro above you shouldn't be surprised to hear blinc claim this primer holds eye shadow in place without creasing, smudging or fading through a sweaty workout or even in "harsh weather conditions".  I have very oily eyelids so I need a good primer to prevent my eye shadow from the inevitable creasing even without extreme conditions - some primers just don't cut it for me at all, particularly cream products posing as eye shadow bases because they never quite dry on the eyelids and can sometimes give me a worse result than going without. That said, I'm a good candidate to put eye shadow primer to the test!

 Blinc also call this primer a fountain of youthful colour, as aside from anchoring eye shadow in place the claims include a "53% increase in skin's moisture after just one week" and a "63% decrease in fine lines and wrinkles after six weeks".  Okay, I have almost 48 year old eyelids so I'll welcome anti-aging in that area!

My impressions:
  As you can see above the primer is applied with a doe-foot applicator and is quite an opaque formula, so only a little dab is needed which I patted gently over my lids to even out then allowed to dry for a few seconds.   The shade I've tried here (Light Tone) is quite light but I found it good as an eye brightening base, although a darker shade (Flesh Tone) is also available. 

This primer most definitely held my eye shadow in place no matter what I did! I put it through 3km runs (where the rest of my face melted off in a hot, sweaty mess yet my eye shadow looked 100% freshly applied), humid weather, swimming in the resort pool, and long 16 hour days.  It stayed on until I decided to take it off with remover.  As a point of further amusement for me the primer I patch tested on the back of my hand stayed there for nearly two days - yes I did shower and wash my hands - until I used some makeup remover! This stuff really, really works. 

Okay - so what about the anti-aging claims?  It hasn't been six weeks yet so I can't assess overall wrinkle reduction, however this product immediately provides a smoother base for my eye shadow so my eyes do look fresher when made up.  My eye shadow seems to glide on more easily when applying over blinc primer and of course the pigment looks more vibrant too.  So far I am pretty impressed on all fronts with blinc eye shadow primer and I'll continue to use it every day on my lids.


Lash Primer

Blinc Lash Primer has been developed to "...nourish and enhance lashes..." with its Vitamin E enriched formula while adding "...incredible volume and length that amplifies your mascara's effect." Multiple coats may be applied for desired volumising, lengthening effect and removal (even when topped with mascara) only requires a "generous dose of warm water".  It can be used alone as an overnight treatment for the lashes or beneath mascara for immediate oomph.  This primer can also be brushed onto eyebrows.

My lashes are already rather long but I liked the idea of pampering them (I never thought of conditioning my eyelashes!) and thickening them without using scary dry fibres which I'm forever terrified might fall into my eyes. 

My impressions:
The brush is made up of soft, flexible bristles in a spiral pattern which easily pick up the creamy primer and evenly sweep it through the lashes.  I've been getting away with a single coat on my lashes as a daytime volumiser but I've applied two coats here (waiting the recommended 30 seconds setting time between coats) for full effect. 

I like the idea of controlling the amount of volume and the primer certainly delivers a good amount of volume even with one coat and emphasises the length of my lashes.  My lashes are visibly thicker but still defined and feel super soft and conditioned - I hate crunchy, brittle feeling lashes -  and there are no nasty fibres to worry about so this product should also be a safe choice for contact lens wearers. 

Removal is as easy as blinc say and I either remove this primer (usually worn under my mascara) with cotton pads soaked in warm water or in the shower. 

Naked eyes with lash primer.  Yup my lashes are up to my eyebrows:

Mascara Amplified

Blinc have quite a few rave points about their Mascara Amplified:  It makes all of the "Life Proof" claims outlined in this post intro (smudge-proof, sweat-proof, water-resistant and flake proof), coats lashes with a "glossy, volumizing and extending" coat that forms tiny water resistant “tubes” around the lash, and differently from the traditional tubing mascara the Amplified formula allows for "buildable, glamorous volume and length" as multiple coats may be applied.  Blinc also promise this mascara removes as easily as the traditional tubing formula, with only warm water and gentle pressure from fingertips or a cloth.

I've heard of tubing mascaras but had never tried them myself until now.  I'm one of those people who wears mascara 365 days a year, through all life's daily demands including exercise so I was totally armed to test something which promises to hold fast - and then removes with just warm water and a little gentle rubbing!

My impressions:
I've tried Amplified alone and over blinc lash primer.  The soft bristle brush is very much the same as the lash primer so it easily sweeps through to coat my lashes.  The Amplified formula is glossy but not too wet so it is easy to build up coverage with multiple coats (I've applied two quick coats below) as the mascara glides on without clumping. 

This mascara really does wear as well as it claims too as I wore it through sweaty exercise sessions, swimming and even dared to leave it on overnight just to see what would happen (not something I normally do!) and it stayed put with no flaking whatsoever. 

Despite the budge-proof wear I was amazed at how easily and thoroughly Amplified removes with warm water and a little gentle rubbing.  It's a bit weird seeing the little tubes, which look disconcertingly like lashes on my fingertips in the shower but of course my lashes were all still there and 100% bare afterwards.  Absence of panda eyes is guaranteed with this stuff (unlike more traditional waterproof formulas which can sometimes resist the even most effective makeup removers - I go to bed thinking I've done the job only to find tell-tale smudges in the morning).   I'm impressed with Amplified because I just love the ease of it. 

Amplified is available in black or dark brown.

Lashes dressed with two coats of Mascara Amplified.  Yes they really ARE up to my eyebrows:

Liquid Eyeliner

 

Blinc say their Liquid Eyeliner is different from traditional liquid liners as rather than performing like a paint this liner applies a water-resistant "layer of colour"  which "cannot fade, run, smudge or flake, even if you cry or rub your eyes". 

If you've read from the top of the post you know what I'm going to say next:  when you're ready to remove it blinc liner should "slide off" with the combination of lots of warm water and a little gentle pressure applied with fingertips or a wet cloth. 

 

 My impressions:
The soft fine-tipped brush allowed the liner to glide on smoothly and precisely so liquid liner-phobe me found it quite easy to get a straight (well not too shaky!) line and I was able to build up it up for glossy looking definition along my upper lash line.  It does set quite quickly so once it's on it's on - although you can make refinements with a warm water dipped cotton bud if you do need to.

I loved the glossy, vinyl looking black line. It stayed looking freshly applied and didn't bleed, fade or transfer from my lids all day, including through an exercise session.  It didn't budge until I decided to make it budge with warm water soaked cotton pads - it didn't necessarily slide off my lids when I rubbed them but it did thoroughly remove without any residue left behind.  No panda eyes!

Blinc Liquid Liner is available in four colours:  black, dark blue, medium brown and grey.


*********************************

If I had to pick my "wow" blinc product from the four I've reviewed I'd cheat and pick two - Eye Shadow Primer because it provides a smooth eye shadow base which stands up to my oily eyelids with zero creasing and Mascara Amplified because I rely on waterproof mascara and I love how gently and thoroughly Amplified removes with warm water. 

Of course all of the four products do as they say so there are no fails here in terms of performance - this range is worth checking out if you need your eye makeup to go the distance.  Blinc products are safe for contact lens wearers.

Click here for your nearest blinc stockist.


(Products were provided for my consideration.  All comments and opinions are my own.)

 

L'Oreal: Flaming Lilac

Hello again!
 

My mini vacation/hiatus is over and I'm easing back in to the blogging routine with a quick nail swatch post before I launch into any detailed product reviews...of which I have a few up my sleeve...

 

L'Oreal's Flaming Lilac is a vibrant neon lilac from their Color Riche Neons collection released late 2013.  This shade is bordering on Radiant Orchid for me with its distinctly pink-purple hue - and that makes it instant love for me!  Flaming Lilac was very nearly a one-coater and was easily applied with the broad flattened brush. 

All pictures taken in cloudy conditions

 

 

 

Thanks for looking as always!

 

Time for a vacation...

Hi again!  Posting twice in one day must be an all-time record for me!

 

After the flurry of posts I thought I'd let you know as of the 10th of April (tomorrow down here) I'll be taking a little break because we're heading up to the Gold Coast in Queensland for a family getaway. Things might be quiet around here for the next couple of weeks depending on little things like wifi availability and how busy (or lazy) we are.  Normal posting will resume from 19th of April.

 

Hopefully the weather will be a little something like this:

 

 

Speak to you all soon!

 



OPI: Where Did Suzi's Man-Go?

I'm still in the middle of my orange/tangerine kick so Where Did Suzi's Man-Go? is right up my alley...

This juicy looking tangerine polish is another vibrant shade from OPI's current Brazil Collection, where they cheekily describe this cream shade as "mango smoothie" - Yes, I'll agree with that too, definitely when viewed in the full glare of the sun! This was another two-coater, which applied beautifully and was my choice to cheer up the working week.  This is probably the most trans-seasonal of the vibrant shades I've tried from the collection as I think it works well for spring, summer and autumn.

Shade

 

 

Sun

 

 

And that's it for my current round of OPI Brazil swatches.

 Which was your favourite?

 

 

(This product was provided for my consideration.  All comments and opinions are my own.)