Ultraceuticals Ultra A Hydration Booster with AHA, Retinol, and Vitamin E
Sep 1st
The only contact I’ve hand with the Australian company Ultraceuticals until now is a quick browse in David Jones on my way to the MAC counter. My interest was piqued when I was sent this product, as I’m a big fan of retinol in skincare because of the big results it delivers. Moreover, despite the sunny days we’ve been having lately, I’m always on the lookout for something that will help my skin combat winter dryness. Ultraceuticals Ultra A Hydration Booster with AHA, Retinol, and Vitamin E is a product designed to increase hydration, plump the complexion, and add radiance.
It applies to the face like a normal mask or can be left on the face overnight for maximum effect.
The first thing I noticed when I applied this was that I didn’t experience the stinging sensation that you can sometimes get with retinol products, but there was a slight tingle which let me know that retinol was definitely present in the formula. It sat on the skin in the same way a thick moisturiser would.
I left it on overnight, and when I woke up I was mightily impressed with the results. My skin was plumped, hydrated, radiant, and the fine lines around my eyes had become less noticeable. Next time I fly, this is definitely coming with me. The retinol and AHA’s really refine the texture of my skin beautifully.
Any retinol product creates increased sensitivity to the sun, so wear a sunscreen for a few days after you use this. As I wear a sunscreen every day using this product didn’t cause any change to my routine.
Ultra A Hydration Booster is available from ActiveSkin.com.au for AUD $66.30 plus $10 shipping. I’m definitely buying another tube of this.
ELF Studio Warm Bronzer
Aug 30th
A few months ago I was doing my usual smokey eye, and even after I’d added blush and gloss to ‘balance’ everything, I still looked really pale. So I started looking into bronzers.
I enjoy pale skin, but sometimes I need something to take the edge off. I’m never going to be a bronzed goddess, but something that makes me look less like I’ve just spent the last three months sitting in a basement listening to The Cure would be good.
My collection of bronzers is modest. I’ve tried using Hoola a number of times, but it just makes me look dirty, so it languishes in my makeup collection unloved. Brilliance Pur by Chanel, on the other hand, is an astonishingly good product that is made for pale-ies like me, but is sadly limited edition. I know that Armani has something very similar, but I’m yet to get my hands on it.
When I first bought this ELF Studio Warm Bronzer, I used it a couple of times as a blush, and then moved on to something else. I recently rediscovered it and am really surprised at how amazing this product is. It definitely gives a sheen, but in a flattering way. Where Hoola left my skin looking dirty and flat, this gives my skin dimension and vitality.
Here is the way it appears in the pan:
Excuse the sad nature of my bronzer – it’s been thrown into my handbag a few too many times. You can see that there are four colours that you can use seperately or together. Personally, I just swirl my 168 through all four colours.
The colours even look pretty swatched seperately. The colours are acutally not that pigmented on their own, but when swirled together for some reason I find myself having to use a light hand.
Together, you get a clearer sense of what the bronzer looks like on the skin.
Colours blended on the back of my hand.
Cure fan
Bronzer applied
The sun disappeared when I took the second photo so there’s a slight change in light between these before and after photos, but you get the general idea.
I also find that ELF Studio Warm Bronzer lasts all day on me, despite my penchant for throwing it into my handbag incase I need to touch up.
The best part? You can buy this on Ebay from sportygirl121 for USD $5.95 plus USD $5.25 shipping. Whether you are a bronzer fanatic or are just starting out, I strongly suggest you pick up one of these to add to your collection.
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Stereo Rose
Aug 25th
So my MAC Mineralise Skinfinish in Stereo Rose finally turned up in the mail. I was so happy to finally get it, and really curious to see whether it was worth all the positive reviews and MAC website stalking. Stereo Rose is all I ended up purchasing from the famed ‘In the Groove’ collection. I think I’m at the stage in my makeup-collecting life where a product has to either be different to anything else I have, or really impress me with it’s quality before it will go on ‘the list’. Stereo Rose fits that description.
As you can see by the pictures above, this is a coral-bronze blush, and I can imagine that this would be stunning on summer tanned skin. However, when I started testing out Stereo Rose, and I kept reading all the gushing reviews about it, I found myself looking for a reason not to like it. Surely it can’t actually live up to the hype?
Too orange?
Too frosty?
Doesn’t last?
Actually, none of the above.
This is a really beautiful blush. I don’t find that this leans too orange on my skin, the frost is just enough to make your skin look in great condition, and it lasts for about 4 – 5 hours (which is about standard for a MAC blush on me). I think it is worth owning, because you will find yourself reaching for it more often than you think you will. Even if you’re a ‘bronzer instead of blush’ girl, you will like it, as it gives a subtle bronze warmth to the skin:
This is also highly pigmented, so a light hand is needed in application.
I bought mine on Ebay, and it seems that Stereo Rose is still hovering around the $50 – 60 mark. Jump in and get one while you can.
Evolve Multi-Action Double Cream
Aug 22nd
I was so pleased with Evolve’s Radiance Boost Body Cream that I was dying to try this facial moisturiser too. Evolve is an organic, natural, paraben free at a pricepoint that is suprisingly affordable. The packaging is made from recycled milk bottles too, which I love.
The name ‘double cream’ conjures up images of something you can eat, but it also implies that this is a very moisturising product. I was surprised at how quickly this sinks into my skin when I apply it of a morning, and I was surprised that I actually found this a bit frustrating. I do use primers, but I don’t want to use them every day, so moisturiser is the way to make sure your base goes on smoothly. Evolve Multi-Action Double Cream disappears so quickly I’m left with nothing to ensure easy foundation application.
The smell is very ‘natural’ and makes me think that I’m actually rubbing almond milk into my skin, which I quite like. However, even when I use liberal amounts of this, I’m not convinced that Multi-Action Double Cream is moisturising enough for my winter skin. I get some dryness on my cheeks by mid-afternoon. To be honest, I think my Cetaphil moisturiser does a better job, is also paraben-free, and only cost AUD $8 for a tube from my local Priceline.
I purchased Evolve Multi-Action Double Cream from Asos.com for £9 plus £10.50 shipping to Australia.
Live Native Handmade Organic Skinfood
Aug 18th
I bought Live Native Handmade Organic Skinfood from BeingContent.com a few months ago now. I ordered this because I was intrigued. The ingredients of this skin cream are unrefined and unpasturised, and the creams are blended without heat so you can benefit from natural anioxidants, essential fatty acids and healing plant ingredients. Moreover, all the Live Native products are handmade on the Isle of Skye. All of the skinfoods they offer are naturally liquid at 24 degrees, but as it’s winter here in Australia it has more of a mousse or paste consistency at the moment.
So why did it take me a while to get around to using this? It stinks. Really. Every time I open the lid I get a whiff of cheese that’s been sitting in the sun for three days. But, being the intrepid beauty blogger that I am, I perservered. No coward soul is mine. And anyway, the smell might disappear after a few minutes on the skin.
This moisturiser is described as a “gentle all-over moisturising skinfood”, which in my mind equals body moisturiser. But the pot is only 30mls! Hardly enough to cover your whole body. Well, onward I went, and after my shower I slapped this on my whole body as I would a traditional body moisturiser. The product turned into an oil when it was rubbed onto the skin, so it was absorbed without any problems.
Gosh, the smell! Lucky I was planning to spend the morning working on my thesis, because the smell lingered for about four hours. Even when I finally went out that afternoon, I caught wiffs of it and tried to identify in people’s faces whether they knew the smell was eminating from me.
The strange end to this story is that I woke up the next morning, and my skin was still buttery soft. I have never used a product that has kept my skin in this kind of supple condition for 24hours, and was mightily impressed. But given the size of the pot and the nature of the smell, I’ve taken to using this as a treatment. I will apply the product to my legs, arms, or hands, leave for half an hour, then wash off. Great for skin that’s looking a bit flakey or neglected, and a super effctive moisturiser. I imagine this would be a godsend for anyone suffering from bad sunburn, as it’s also created for sensitive skins.
Live Native Handmade Organic Skinfood is available from BeingContent.com for £15.85 for 30mls plus £15.00 shipping to Australia. It is suitable for vegans.
Clarins Gentle Exfoliating Refiner
Aug 17th
The current exfoliant under scrutiny in my bathroom is Clarins Exfoliating Refiner, a product that I used to use all the time when I was a student. I’ve fond memories of using this and the smooth skin it reavealed. I’ve been using Peter Thomas Roth’s Unwrinkle Peel Pads as my regular exfoliator of late, so when this was sent to me I thought it would be interesting to compare a glycolic product to a good old fashioned scrub.
When I used this on my face, I found it quite scratchy, despite the beads being quite small. After massaging this product around my face and neck for 30 seconds, this scrub took off the top layer of dead skin cells, no problem. However, there was also no moisturising, no particular softness to the skin, and strangely, no brightness – all properties I prefer in an exfoliant (and that I get with Peter Thomas Roth). I had high hopes for this product, firstly as it seemed to work so well in my youth, and secondly because it’s a Clarins product, and Clarins rarely leaves me very disappointed.
I think this would be a good product for you if you’re after a straight up scrub. Just as some people prefer body scrubs that just scrub with no moisturising imparted, this would be good if you just want to slough off dead skin cells and nothing else.
As for me, I’m happy to keep this around, as it works wonders on the back of my hands and is great for smoothing out any healing pimples (ew!) on my face.
Clarins Gentle Exfoliating Refiner is available from ActiveSkin for AUD $39.36 plus $10 shipping.
Zoya Ibiza and Nubar Night Sparkle
Aug 16th
So I bought my first Nubar polish, and I love the quality. Nubar Night Sparkle has a great name, looks a great colour, and lasts for 3 to 4 days on the nails.
The only problem is, I’m not mad on the colour:
The colour on the nails seems washed out and bland compared to the colour in the bottle. I think it’s too light for my skin, and the sparkle seems to look more like tinfoil than actual sparkle.
I was after something like Zoya Ibiza, but with a bit of glitter or shimmer:
This is a really interesting colour. It’s a deep navy with a violet undertone that looks almost black in certain lights. Beautiful for winter, and as with any Zoya polish, it lasts for 3 – 4 days on the nails and only requires one coat.
So why not put the two together?
In daylight the effect is quite pretty, but at night the colour looks even better:
I love how Zoya Ibiza adds depth to Nubar Night Sparkle.
So, I’ll probably keep looking for a deep navy glitter polish, but in the meantime this satisfies the craving.
Zoya Ibiza is available from cleopatrastyle-usa for USD$9.98 and Nubar Night Sparkle is available from enchantedbeautyspot for USD $9.25. Both prices include shipping.
Priceline Discoveries: Lanolips Handcream and Maybelline Mineral Blush
Aug 14th
I went to Priceline today, and this is what I found.
Firstly, I finally found that my local Priceline has started stocking my Lanolips Handcream that I can’t do without. For some reason they were stashed on a low shelf right at the back of the store where staff enter and exit the shop. I took this photo wondering if I might be thwacked by a door in the side of the head any moment; but hey, at least I found them, right? No more paying for shipping!
I spent ages looking for this handcream at the front of the store with the rest of the Lanolips range, thinking that they would introduce another rack or something:
And does anyone else baulk at the price of L’Oreal moisturisers these days? It seems that ‘drugstore’ prices are not that ‘drugstore’ in Australia any more.
Anyway, my other discovery was that my much-coveted Maybelline Mineral Blushes have been marked down again. A few weeks ago on my last visit to Priceline, this was the scenario:
But today, the markdown was considerably more:
Fantastic! I’m kicking myself that I bought Soft Mauve a few weeks ago at $14.80, but never mind. I think I might head in next week and pick up Gentle Pink and Original Rose. I encourage everyone to pick up one of these – these blushes are pigmented, flattering, and very natural on the skin. They also last all day. A serious bargain!
French Connection Jerry Wedges
Aug 14th
I ordered these French Connection Jerry Wedges from French Connection’s UK website. As you’re no doubt aware by now, I love high heels and wear them everywhere. But for days when I just need to walk for miles and don’t feel like wearing trainers or similar, I needed a stylish compromise.
These suede wedges were on special for £35.00 and looked comfortable and stylish. I’m happy to report that they fit me perfectly (I’m an Australian size 9, European size 40, and UK size 7) amd are super comfortable to wear. If they’d had my size in the camel colour I would have bought that too! These shoes go with skirts or jeans equally well.
As I was buying these shoes from outside the UK, I was not charged VAT (which from memory is around 10% – 12% of the price of an item), so I paid £26.09 for the shoes and £35.00 for shipping. This works out to around AUD $105 or USD $95 in total. Not a bad price for good quality shoes. I can see I’ll get lots of wear out of these.
Ebay Fashion Haul
Aug 12th
My focus lately has changed from makeup to fashion. I’m heading to a wedding in Texas at the end of this month and needed a few things to wear, as well as a few additions to my winter wardrobe here.
As I live two and a half hours away from the nearest department store, and I’m not flush with cash at the moment, I thought I’d dip into the murky world of clothes shopping on Ebay.
The first thing I noticed was that most items are sold as auctions, whereas most makeup has a ‘buy it now’ tag. This means that you need to be monitoring your potential purchases quite a lot. You also need to be prepared to trawl through pages and pages and pages of clothes in order to find the styles you like. You can narrow your searches with the words you use, but I still find that you need a lot of time and a keen eye to find the things you’re after.
Strangely, I found that overseas sellers were more vigilant about lisiting the measurements of the item being sold, whereas Australian sellers were more likely to list just the size. This didn’t bother me too much though, as a know what size I am at Portmans, Esprit, and so on, but it did mean that I had to message sellers about length more than once.
So here is the haul. If an item is ‘new with tags’ I have noted it (NWT), but if not, I’ve said nothing. I don’t really differentiate between ‘new without tags’ and ’second-hand’; to me they’re the same. For reference, I’m an Australian size 12, US size 10 and shoe size 40 (9).
Portmans cotton dress NWT (Australian seller)
Isaac Mizrahi for Target 100% Cashmere knit (US seller)
Review Dress NWT (Australian seller)
Alannah Hill silk skirt NWT (Australian seller)
Isaac Mizrahi for Target cotton dress (US seller)
100% Cashmere v-neck knit (US seller)
Review dress (Australian seller)
Portmans cardigan (Australian seller)
Review bolero NWT (Australian seller)
Then, the shoes:
Michael Kors shoes New No Box (Australian seller)
L.A.M.B. shoes NWT (US seller)
I particularly love the shoes. I’ve been after some L.A.M.B and Michael Kors shoes for some time now, and these are perfect. Both pairs are comfortable and well made.
Overall, this has been a really good experience. The only item above that didn’t work out was the brown and black patterned Review dress, which doesn’t really match my colouring. However, given the amount of items that I purchased, I think I’ve achieved quite a reasonable hit rate.
Decleor Iris Balm
Aug 8th
In my continuing war against dry winter skin, I ordered Decleor’s Iris Balm, a rich night balm with anti-aging properties. With its blend of plant and essential oils, this little pot promises to hydrate, stimulate, and tone the skin. It is preservative free, mineral oil free, and contains no colourants.
All I want from a moisturiser is an adequate amount of hydration and not too much greasiness. I typically rely on serums and treatments to provide my skin with serious toning, plumping, and anti-wrinkling benefits, so for me anything else that happens along the way is a bonus.
On the first night that I used this, my skin was beautifully hydrated and soft. Job done, I thought. Good product.
But on the second, third, and fourth night, and every night since, I’ve seen a big improvement in the tone of my skin. My skin is so much smoother, plumped, and my winter redness has almost disappeared. As I don’t usually turn to moisturiser to deliver these sorts of benefits, I was really surprised to see that this night balm was doing so much for my skin. On day three, I was so pleased with my skin tone I actually went without foundation, which is unusual for me. I usually wear foundation every day, even if I’m not leaving the house. Even though my hyperpigmentation was still there for the world to see, I spent most of the day examining my skin close up in mirrors incase I’d just imagined the change. The smoothness and radiance to my skin is something to behold.
In terms of application, this is a product that needs to be rubbed between your hands and pressed into your skin. I remember being told to use this technique with moisturiser many years ago by a sales assistant, and I recall losing more into the palms of my hands than was actually deposited onto my face. However, in the case of Decleor Iris Balm, this is the best way to work the product into the skin and ensure that you don’t apply too much. I just take a pea-sized amount with the spatula they provide, emulsify, then press into my face, neck and chest.
I am so pleased to have found this. It has really made a huge difference to the state of my skin, and is the best night balm I’ve ever used. Please bear in mind, though, that my skin is quite dry at the moment, so those with a more normal or oily skin may find this over the top. However, if you are prone to periods of dryness, I would definitely recommend using this as a treatement for times that your skin feels tight and uncomfortable.
I bought Decleor Iris Balm (30mls) from beauty-trade on Ebay for USD $42.99 plus $ 10 shipping.
Maybelline Mineral Blush in Moonlight Mauve and Soft Mauve
Aug 7th
I’ve had Maybelline’s Mineral Blush in Moonlight Mauve for some time, and it’s one of my favourite blushes. Super pigmented (a light hand is essential), so finely milled that you can apply with a brush and do the final blending with your fingers, and imparts a healthy-looking glow. This blush also lasts all day.
I bought this blush on Ebay some time ago, and have always wondered whether the mauve Maybelline family of blushes I routinely walk past in Priceline are any relation to my blush. We all know that names of products (and even brands) can vary between countries, so I set out to find whether Soft Mauve and Moonlight Mauve are infact the same blush.
They are not, as you can probably already tell in the images above, but nevertheless I’m very happy to have another one of these blushes in my collection.
On the skin, Moonlight Mauve has a pinkish undertone and adds a slight sheen to the cheeks which is barely discernable. It’s incredibly natural looking:
Soft Mauve has a matte finish and is a rosier colour. You can see that there’s just a little more warmth and depth to this blush:
Can you tell the difference? Oh well, you get the general idea.
I think Moonlight Mauve is still my favourite, but not by much. I love the quality of both these blushes and may be tempted to buy more.
Moonlight Mauve can still be found on Ebay UK from a range of different sellers, including delladonut, for USD $6.32 plus $3.96 shipping. I bought Soft Mauve from Priceline on special for AUD $14 (gah!) but you can also buy it from wheelspin! on Ebay for USD $3.00 plus $4.00 shipping.
ASOS Offers Free Shipping Both Ways to the US Until the End of August
Aug 7th
A great offer at ASOS.com: free shipping to the US until the end of August! No code needed.
I just hope that Australia’s turn is next!
ASOS Mini-Haul and Fashion Website Recommendations
Aug 5th
My order from ASOS arrived a few days ago, and I love everything! However, whilst I can take reasonable photographs of makeup, all my pictures of the haul were terrible. The one posted above was the best! I’ve included the glam pictures from ASOS below to show you what I bought:
Fiorelli Lynhurst Large Hobo Bag £55: This bag is really soft and comfortable, and even fits an A4 file!
ASOS Frill Front Deep Waitband Dress £28: This dress will be great for summer, as the cotton is so light. Very flattering too.
ASOS Tassel Detail Suede Look Waist Belt £10: I’m not mad on the tassel, which will shortly meet with a pair of scissors, but the belt itself is a good purchase.
Evolve Multi Action Double Face Cream £9: So I had to get one beauty product in there, right? I haven’t started using this yet, but a review will certainly follow.
So that’s my mini haul. Other online fashion websites that I’m currently stalking are:
ShopBop.com (free shipping)
Jcrew.com (watch this space, they may be starting international shipping very soon. In the mean time, you’ll need a package forwarding service)
RevolveClothing.com (free shipping)
FrenchConnection.com (you can shop from the UK or US websites by changing the region)
All of these sites ship to Australia apart from JCrew.
Suqqu Liquid Foundation Aqua
Jul 30th
When I first used this foundation without a primer, it promptly sunk into every pore on my face. However, strangely, the finish when I checked my reflection in the rear vision mirror that day was absolutely stunning, and persuaded me to try it again. With a primer, this really is a beautiful, light foundation, which stays out of pores. Shade 15 was a little too dark for me, but 10 is perfect.
You only need the tiniest amount of product to cover your whole face, and it feels exactly like applying a tinted moisturiser. As it’s so pigmented, this foundation covers everything it needs to cover (probably light to medium coverage) but still looks like skin. What I really love is – unlike some foundations and tinted moisturisers – it leaves a great lively finish to the skin without looking too dewy. I can’t stand the look of a dewy face and a matte neck and chest. This foundation makes your skin look alive, healthy, and natural, without looking like your face and chest don’t match.
I apply my trusty Chanel Poudre Universelle Libre over my t-zone when wearing this, which is standard procedure for any foundation or tinted moisturiser I wear. I’m looking forward to trying this out in summer. With such a small amount of product needed and such great, long-lasting coverage, I think this might be a winner.
Girls in England can check out their local Suquu counter, but for the rest of us, Suqqu Liquid Aqua Foundation is available from Ichibankao.com for around USD $100 including shipping. I’m really interested in trying their Suqqu Foundation too, which provides fuller coverage.
MAC Pigment in ‘Viz-a-Violet’ and a Word About the Chanel Eyeshadow Quadra ‘Dreams’
Jul 23rd
I bought Chanel’s ‘Dreams’ Quad some time ago, and to be honest it hasn’t had much use. It looks so pretty in the pan, but when you actually start using the colours, you realise that all is not as it seems:
Now there are Chanel quads in my collection that I love: Winter Nights, Smokey Eyes, Demure, Spices etc. But I’ve always felt as if this limited edition quad just didn’t measure up to the rest. Add to this the fact that even heavily applied makeup on my eyes and face can turn out a ‘natural look’, and you have a quad that I don’t reach for that often.
The lavender colour is pretty, but so sheer that you can barely see it. It also fades after about an hour’s wear, even with a primer. The yellow is a very subtle highlighter, but I prefer a stronger highlight most days. The brown is the standout shadow of the bunch for me. It’s creamy, easy to work with, and works well on my blue eyes. The black, however, needs to be handled with caution. It makes a good liner, but if you’re trying to use it in the crease, you can end up looking like you have two black eyes if you’re not incredibly careful.
Fortunately, Holly (Beatideas) recently sent me Viz-a-Violet pigment by MAC:
Oh how grateul I am for this pigment. Used on the lid and the crease before I use this quad, these Chanel shadows behave as they should. They are vibrant, have great staying-power, and have more shimmer than they did before.
I’m sure some of you looking at the swatch above think that Viz-a-Violet pigment is far too strong to take the place of the humble lavender in the quad, but trust me, my eyes have a way of making quite bold colours look muted. Observe:
MAC’s Viz-a-Violet pigment applied all over the lid, crease, and lashline.
You get a clearer sense of the colour of Viz-a-Violet pigment here.
The rest of the Chanel Dreams quad shadows added. Brown in the crease, yellow to the browbone and black to the outer v.
Revlon Colorstay Liquid Liner in Blackest Black and Covergirl Lashblast in Very Black.
See? All that makeup and everything still looks so lightly applied! Gah.
I’ve added Maybelline’s Mineral Power Blush in Moonlight Mauve, Dior Amber Diamond Highlight, and MAC’s Angel lipstick.
So there you have it. I can finally use my ‘Dreams’ quad, and I’m pleased about it. I love collecting makeup, but I like to use everything I have as much as possible.
You can still buy Chanel’s Dreams quad on Ebay from beauty-e-scentuals-826 for USD $42.99 plus $14.99 shipping, and MAC’s Viz-a-Violet pigment is available from cmalaika for USD $24.88 plus $9.00 shipping.
Evolve Products on Sale at Asos.com!
Jul 17th
Perusing Asos.com, I noticed that six of the Evolve products on their site are on sale at the moment, including one of my favourites pictured above, the Radiance Boost Body Cream (was £14.00, now £7.75). You can read my orginal review here. It is one of the best body creams I’ve ever tried.
For those of you unfamiliar with this brand, Evolve is an English skincare line which is certified organic, natural, and has no nasties at all. The packaging is made from recycled milk bottles for a low carbon footprint.
On top of this, if you buy any product on sale on Asos.com (including this one) between now and midnight on Sunday 18th July (UK BST) you will receive a further 10% off. Just enter the code ‘ASOSTreats’ at checkout.
Edit: This code and offer has been extended until midnight on the 22nd July. The same code applies.
Australis Duo in Rosy Bronze
Jul 16th
I’ve been making a concerted effort to examine more Australian brands of late. It’s easy to lose track of Australian makeup amongst all the YSLs, Chanels, and Diors, so I want to see if there’s anything local that I’m missing.
Australis has always been a brand I’ve avoided. Everything I ever purchased from them as an undergraduate was appallingly bad, so I haven’t bought a product of theirs for at least ten years.
Shopping for an electric blanket in Target a few days ago, I noticed that the Australis Duos were on special: normally AUD $12.95, now $10. As I’m currently investigating bronzers, I thought this might be a good product to play around with. I chose this one out of the three on offer because I thought I might be able to use it as a blush if the bronzer turned out to be a dud:
The options were Luminous Gold and Sunkissed Glimmer, but as both were bronzers paired with matte highlighters, I wasn’t really that taken with them. Rosey Bronze sounded a bit more promising.
I thought the brush in the compact was a nifty idea, until I used it. Completely useless. It just places the product in a ‘c’ shape on your cheek.
However, the product itself is not bad. As you can see in the images below, the compact is divided into a blush and bronzer, even though the back of the box claims that the pink section is a matte highlighter too. I think it would be fairly unsuccessful for this purpose on me.
The product isn’t matte, and isn’t shimmery. There are some very, very small particles of glitter on the blush side, but all you get is a slight luminosity on the face once it’s applied.
You can also see that whilst the bronzer is nicely pigmented, the blush is a bit harder to work with. It took quite a few attempts dipping into the blush then swiping my hand to get the photo below. However the products work better when swirled together.
Both the blush and the bronzer are surprisingly finely milled; so much so, that I was able to apply both the bronzer and the blush to my cheeks with a 168 and buff them into my skin with a kabuki or my fingers. It was actually very similar to the way I work with creme products.
What I also liked was the bronzer. Once again I found the best brush to use with this was the 168, as it fitted into the bronzer side of the pan and allowed me to place the product exactly where I wanted it. The colour was fantastic for my pale skin: not orange, not muddy, not matte, and not shiny. As the blush doesn’t have much pigment, it took a while to apply the blusher to the apples of my cheeks. Once I got it on there, is was a flattering colour.
The only down side is that this bronzer didn’t last very long on my skin at all, even with a primer. Four hours wear is all I could get out of this, which is a shame because the effect is really flattering.
Australis Duo in Rosy Bronze is available from Target for $10.
Perhaps I’ll try their Jumbo Bronzers next:
hmmmmmm…
NYX Round Lipsticks in Orange Soda, Power, and Christie
Jul 14th
I saw a good deal on Ebay for three NYX lipsticks for AUD $11.90 including shipping, so I went ahead and ordered. I wasn’t impressed with my last NYX purchase of Tea Rose, but thought I might try out a few other lipsticks before I write off the brand. This time I ordered Orange Soda (nude, even though it doesn’t look it in the swatch below), Power (lilac-pink), and Christie (frosted pink). Tea Rose is included for reference.
The first thing that struck me about these lipsticks is that they didn’t have the strong, chemical smell of Tea Rose. In fact, they really had no scent at all.
All of them were quite emollient to apply, but these lipsticks do dry the lips after around 30 minutes wear, so a lip balm underneath is a must. They also don’t last a very long time – perhaps about the same as your average lipgloss.
Here they are applied to my lips.
Orange Soda -
On me this is more of a peachy nude – there’s no orange to be seen. I find this nude very wearable.
Power -
A lilac-pink colour that I imagine would be very flattering on a variety of skin tones. Not as lilac as Barry M’s LipPaint in 129, but headed in the same direction.
Christie -
In real life Christie is a much brighter blue-pink, but it just doesn’t seem to show up in photos that way. A great summer lipstick.
I’ve been much happier with this NYX order than the last. I can see myself wearing Orange Soda and Power as part of my normal rotation.
Remember that if you order these, you will not get a Rouge Allure quality lipstick for the price of a NYX lipstick. What you will get is a very reasonably-priced lipstick with great pigmentation to update your look or experiment with a colour you don’t normally wear.
I bought Orange Soda, Power, and Christie from angelstemptation on Ebay for USD $5.99 plus $4.41 shipping to Australia. This seller has great deals on other NYX products too.
Clarins Hydra-Care Tinted Moisturiser SPF 6
Jul 12th
Now that my skin is looking quite good, I’ve been venturing into the world of tinted moisturisers. It’s as much an adventure into my own self-confidence as it is about cosmetics. Foundation is such a security blanket to me, and it is rare that I leave the house without wearing it.
The colour Bisque is the lightest colour in Clarins Hydra-Care Tinted Moisturisers. It is a little darker than my natural skintone, but not in a way that’s unflattering or artifical. If I could tan, it would probably be the colour I would turn. It does mean that good blending is a must though.
Clarins Hydra-Care Tinted Moisturiser is very good at covering redness (as you can see from my pale, winter-bitten hands above), but it does little to cover the hyper-pigmentation on my cheeks. I do find myself having to add concealer (read my Kryolan TV Paintstick used as concealer) to my under-eye area and around my nose too.
This tinted moisturiser gives quite a dewy finish, and sits well on the skin. It doesn’t escape into fine lines by the end of the day. It doesn’t do anything to control oils on my face, so powder is a must. Also, if you don’t powder, it does stay rather tacky througout the day, which is a little annoying.
This is an amazing tinted moisturiser. It goes on easily, stays all day, and moisturises your skin. However, I don’t think I’m about to make the leap to tinted moisturisers yet. I can see myself using this on the odd day that I’m ’schlepping’, or perhaps in summer, but I think foundation covers my imperfections quickly and effectively in the morning. I think this assertion says more about my own perceptions that the quality of this product.
Clarins Hydra-Care Tinted Moisturiser SPF 6 is available from AdoreBeauty.com for AUD $58 excluding shipping.
