Skincare baby haul

I just couldn't help myself. I went to pick up my contact lenses today and thought, while I'm here, might as well pop into Priceline to pick up a dye set to refresh my hair. Turns out, I was a day too early for my hair dye (20% is starting tomorrow for Solfine), but I was just in luck to browse the 40% all skincare and my eyes zoned in on a few products.

The first thing I came across was the ever-popular nanoblur by Indeed Laboratories. I have not really looked into this much, but the claim is that it's so amazing, one is sold every nine seconds in the UK. Which, fair deuce, if something gets enough hype, yeah, it's going to sell. So I thought I would give in and give it a go. I may be young, but I love smooth skin and would do an immense amount to achieve it. In the same section, I was considering the eye cream by the same company, but decided I needed to finish my current one (okay, two) first. So my eyes trailed over to hydraluron. I can't quite remember whether it was a video or a blog, but I remember someone saying that they applied this under their makeup and it worked wonderfully as a moisturizing primer. Due to it being winter, I'm getting a bit of case of the dehydrated oilies on my T-zone, so I'm hoping that this product will give it a bit of pep. And finally, as I was wondering around the aisles, wondering what else I could possibly add that I also didn't need, I saw a single shelf of La Roche-Posay products. I've heard this brand mentioned a number of times, but again, have not really looked into their products; I didn't even know that I could purchase them from Priceline. So I picked up the one that I've heard of most about: Effaclar Duo. I thought that this was a product pretty much just to help sensitive skin, which intrigued me, but as I read the packaging of the product, I had to have it, considering "corrective and unclogging anti-imperfection care" and all. 

So far, my first impression of La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo is that it smells... herbally. I have not tested this on my face as of yet, but the product is an almost-clear gel that feels very smooth when blended into your skin (at least on my hand). I've got high hopes for this product, corrective, anti-clogging AND anti-imperfection? This baby better live up to its hype. Especially considering on the back, this product is for "skin with severe imperfections". Tear. 

Okay, biggest claim out there, "look up to 10 years younger in 40 seconds" given by nanoblur by Indeed Laboratories. With that, you would assume there are some silicones in there, and, I checked, yes, there are. So who knows whether this is just superficial and won't do a whole lot in the long run. But if that's the case, it would probably at least smooth out your face a bit, maybe acting as a primer...

...Which is why I purchased hydraluron, also by Indeed Laboratories. This one is a "moisture booster with the purest hyaluronic acid" which basically translates to increasing the hydration in your skin as hyaluronic acid can hols up to 1000 times its weight in water. It seems a bit of a pain to have to do a couple layers of moisturizer in the morning, though I love the finish it usually gives me; hopefully this product will knock out a couple steps and keep my face fresh all day long. We'll see.

But for the time-being, I thought I would include a little demo of using nanoblur. I just had to test it out as soon as I got home. A little tip that I learned from a Benefit sales assistant, was when trying some product that is to smooth out your skin, apply it on the (wrinkly) skin between your thumb and forefinger. Most people are unlikely to have wrinkle around their wrist or the top of their hand, which is where swatches are generally done, so this is an effective way of actually testing out the smoothing claims of the product.
 

Before. No Product.

Little dab of nanoblur

Blended in. After.

Soooo, I am quite pleased with this texture. So smooth, so easy to absorb, and just based on the hand test, it seems to work pretty okay as you can see in the pictures. The name is very telling, it quite looks like it blurred the lines and wrinkles. Can't wait to test this out on my face, just curious as to whether this will have a long-term effect.

And that's my little skincare haul for the day! I should probably stop spending. Coming up soon. 

Tantalizing glow

I absolutely love bronzer. It might actually surprise some people that know me that I am actually a lot paler than what I appear to be; I just happen to wear bronzer everyday. I have quite sallow skin in my opinion, and I always need a tinted moisturizer or a bronzing product in order to perk my face up and maybe not look so ghostly. Despite already owning a number of beloved bronzers, I decided I that the Lorac TANtalizer® Baked Bronzer would be a wise addition, which I attained with purchasing the Lorac TANtalizer® To Glow Go Collection.

 

In the kit, the baked bronzer is about half the full size at 0.35oz, but still a nice hefty amount. Absolutely beautiful marbling of gold shimmer, bronze (of course) and thin veins of rich brown, this applies on the face quite sheer for my NC25-30 skin. It adds just the right amount of bronze and shimmer to make your face glow. I like to apply this high up on the sides of my face, just under where I place my blush, but not quite in the contour zone, and perhaps the greatest thing about this bronzer is that you can wear this bronzer alone.

Left to right, without flash: heavily swatched, single swatch

Same, but with flash

In the swatches, it looks quite pigmented, but I feel that this could work for quite a few different skintones, even those that are exceptionally light. I usually apply this with a very fluffy blush brush rather than a big bronzer brush so I can put more of the colour concentrated on my cheeks and then spread out the left over product on my forehead and rest of my face to give a nice overall glow. This bronzer comes in a number of sizes, the full size is 0.624oz, the "medium" size from the set is 0.35oz and Lorac even offers a mini size at 0.06oz, so depending on your preferences of bronzer use you can choose the size to suit. I think this bronzer is a definite addition to those that not only like bronzer, but those that feel they want a bit of colour in their face as well as a healthy glow. It's a very wearable and easy bronzer and definitely one of my favourites. 

MAC lipstick collection

My MAC lipstick collection is slowly, but steadily ever-growing and perhaps I now have just enough to make a blog post about it. I remember getting super excited/nervous when I approached the MAC counter in Myers, ready to purchase my first MAC lipstick, all I knew was the general shade of lipstick I wanted and the finish. But ever since then, I've been enamoured with MAC lipsticks (and MAC in general, I've never once had a bad experience), usually asking my dad to pick up a product or two for me while he's over in the States. I think acquiring your first MAC lipstick is kind of a moment in anyone that's interested in beauty's life and it's just so wonderful all the options that MAC offers, not only with the colour selection, but also the finish and just generally good quality.

Arranged by finish: matte, satin, amplified creme, lustre

left to right: ruby woo, russian red, cherish, brave, cyber, cosmo, morange, plumful

First four

Left to right: ruby woo, russian red, cherish, brave

Last four

Left to right: cyber, cosmo, morange, plumful

Ruby Woo (Matte : "Vivid brightly coral red")

I got this shade as a gift from my sister-in-law when she went to Malaysia last year. This one has a very strawberry feel to it and it looks wonderful on my NC25-30 skin. Super pigmented, though it a matte finish, so it can be a bit drying, but it lasts quite a long time, (might even stain some lips) and really pops. I reckon this is a very good winter shade.

Russian Red (Matte : "Intense bluish-red")

One of the first lipsticks I asked my dad to get me from the MAC counter in the US. I could not decide whether I wanted Ruby Woo (which, as mentioned above, I received it later on anyway, thanks, Ash!) or whether I would play it slightly safer with this one. Who knows why I thought this one was safer, but I loved (and still do love) this gorgeous red shade. This one looks brilliant with a coat of orange gloss on top, more cherry coloured than strawberry. 

Cherish (Satin : "Soft muted peachy-beige")

Ah, this is the very first MAC lipstick I ever attained. I really just went up to the counter and looked around at the lipsticks for a bit before a lovely sales assistant offered me a hand. I just told her I was looking for a neutral lipstick in a satin finish, and she immediately picked out two. The first one she tried on (I didn't grab the name of it) was a tad bit light, but she then tried out Cherish and I was in love. It was just what I was looking for. It's a satin finish so not quite as drying as the matte-finish lipsticks, but you'll still have to keep your lips damn moisturized before applying this one. Still one of my favourite lipsticks to wear, it bears the slightest pink/mauve tone to it. The sales assistant also applied this with an orange toned lipliner underneath to give it a more coral feel and that worked wonders too. 

Brave (Satin : "A muted pink-beige with a very subtle white pearl overtone")

I think this may very be my favourite lipstick. Well, at least for the time being (perhaps will make an appearance in my July favourites). I like wearing this lipstick for a nice, polished, everyday look. I don't know why, but this lipstick feels less drying than Cherish despite them having the same finish? I don't know, maybe I just like to apply this one a bit more often. This is a very neutral lipstick with a nice subtle pink (the "white pearl overtone" brightening it up a bit too), I'm considering purchasing a similar shade to Brave but in a lustre finish. 

Cyber (Satin : "Intense blackish-purple")

Now this one was a very coveted purchase. I dearly wanted a black lipstick, well, just cause. I was curious. But I thought black might be a tad too harsh especially with my slight tan. So I opted for the next darkest shade that MAC could offer me, and boy. Does this ever look clean. Because it is such a dark lipstick, it's better to apply this with a brush to get a super clean line and probably not for daytime wear, at least not to work. I also like to apply this after I put on a clear gloss to give my lips a bit of pout, darkness and dimension. 

Cosmo (Amplified Creme : "Pink Coco")

This is probably now my least worn MAC lipstick. There's something that just doesn't jive with my skin tone, maybe a bit too pink, maybe a bit too brown. It's pretty much the description of a "pink coco". I will say that I do love this finish though, super pigmented and moisturizing at the same time, my lips don't crack and you don't have to reapply this sucker a lot at all. 

Morange (Amplified Creme : "Loudmouth orange")

I, too, was caught up in the obsession with orange lips and desired this shade so badly. I couldn't wait when my daddy got back from the States so I could test this mother out. Unfortunately, with my pigmented lips, it turned a bit red on me, so it made an orange-red, rather than a true orange that I was hoping for. Still, this lipstick is an eyecatcher and great to wear out especially for weekends and at parties. 

Plumful (Lustre : "Blossoming rose-plum")

I think that lustres may be my favourite finish ever, even though I only have one! I couldn't resist jumping on the bandwagon and grabbing this shade after seeing this Essie Button video, she even says that everyone else was enticed by it and had to go out and buy it (glad I'm not the only one). I don't even know how to describe this lipstick. MAC has it pretty down with "blossoming rose-plum", but there is something special about this lipstick, and what with being a lustre finish, like Essie said, it's very easy to wear. Am so going to have a further look into lustre finishes. 

Left to right, no flash: ruby woo, russian red, cherish, brave, cyber, cosmo, morange, plumful

Same, but with flash

Left to right, with flash: ruby woo, russian red, cherish, brave

Left to right, with flash: cyber, cosmo, morange, plumful

Almost, but not quite filled up my lipstick organizer (by Model's Prefer), it won't be long until it is, though - I've already got in mind a number of lustre-finishes and amplified cremes. Might even branch out into glazes if a certain shade peaks my interest. Overall, MAC is a good step into easing your way into the higher-end cosmetics. Great quality, not too expensive and a very expansive range, any level of those interested in beauty can delve into MAC cosmetics. 

*Descriptions of lip colour taken from MAC website*

Cleanse your roots

I used to be quite a fan of Toni and Guy purely for their amazing purple shampoo, but they've apparently discontinued that line of toning products, as I found when I needing to pick up some supplies when I went blonde again. But they had a very good deal going on when I went to Priceline, so I thought what the hey, might as well grab something. So I picked up a heat protectant, a hair mask and this glorious Cleanse Dry Shampoo. 

Admittedly, I haven't tried a whole range of dry shampoos, the ever-so-popular one by Batiste, and the only other one was one by Tresemme. But neither of them really wowed me. The Batiste one was average to say the least, but it was light, much unlike the Tresemme one which felt like, although it made my hair less greasy, it felt... Sluggish. I adore the packaging on this dry shampoo, so clean, as it should remind you of fresh hair. This spray does as it says (and clearly I'm so impressed that I needed to dedicate an entire blog post to it). The spray is amazing, I absolutely love the sound; it feels like it's actually doing something, and because the spray is so fine, the product spreads really evenly and easily on your hair. It really refreshens your hair without that crunchy feeling I would expect from most dry shampoos but that could be my thinking of any spray hair products that isn't a conditioner. Even better, it gives volume to your roots, even with my heavy hair.

Action shot.

I don't know why I was so pleasantly surprised by this dry shampoo, remembering that I haven't actually tried many. But it works wonderfully, is not too expensive at all, easy to find and a nice 250ml size - all pluses in my book. I'm tempted to try other brands of dry shampoo still, but I can see myself coming back to this one.

Bourjois Affair

To say the least, I was not a fan of Bourjois. Granted, the reason being that my sole and first product that I owned by them broke me out (Blush Sculpting Duo Effect was the culprit), but this made me reluctant to try out anymore Bourjois products. However, with all the hype with their products and especially their foundations, I caved and introduced the Healthy Balance Unifying Powder into my growing collection when I decided I needed to have a new powder. (And they did have a lovely GWP that further convinced me that ended up including a damn good mascara and an eyeliner.) Unfortunately for me, I liked it. A whole lot. So I ended up purchasing the liquid sister Healthy Mix Foundation to use as an everyday foundation. Well, that would seem like an adequate amount, right? I couldn't help myself again, especially when I was lucky enough to find the Flower Perfection Youth Extension Foundation in my shade (one left!) at Target for almost half price.

Healthy Mix in Beige (54)

I'm quite pleased with this product, pretty much like everyone else that has bought it. I ended up not getting the serum version of this foundation as I have slightly oily skin, so I thought this would be more suited. It blends very nicely and gives a satin (more matte) finish and the coverage I would say is about medium. Very good for everyday wear, and smells good too!

Healthy Balance in Light Beige (53)

My first dip back into the Bourjois world after my terrible first encounter. I kept tossing up between shade 53 and 54 and in the end decided on 53, because, well, I would prefer a powder being too light rather than too dark. It would be easier to darken it to match with some bronzer. Really, really, really glad I got this product. When I first opened it, I, of course, took a whiff and I'm pleased to say it smells like fruity cake, but not too overpowering. The coverage on this powder is amazing and it lasts for ages. It looks so good on my skin and gives me that clean look without looking flat. Even better, it keeps the oilies at bay. Definitely a well worth it purchase.

Flower Perfection in Light Beige (53)

I'm pretty sure this is the highest coverage foundation with a matte finish that Bourjois offers. I will say it does dry out my skin the slightest bit, so it would definitely work better for summer, but nothing a bit of good moisturizing beforehand can't fix. This foundation feels incredibly smooth on the skin, and the packaging comes with a little sponge in the lid. I wouldn't recommend the sponge for application (germs and what not with not being able to chuck it), but I apply most foundations with my fingers anyway then blend a bit with either a brush or a sponge. The lasting power for this one, I feel, is even better than the Healthy Mix, given that the Healthy Mix can last a work day. This would be good for going out, especially where there are pictures due to the matte finish. If you were to purchase this foundation, probably go a shade up from your regular as I did, as this tends to run dark. 

left to right: Healthy Mix, Healthy Balance, Flower Perfection without flash

With Flash

Blended, without flash

Blended, with flash

It was very wise for me to give Bourjois another chance, but probably not so for my pocket. Bourjois is one of the more expensive 'drugstore' brands, if you count it as a drugstore brand (well, it's not high-end). As I mentioned in the intro, I've also tried their Clubbing Eyeliner and Volumizer Mascara and daaaang they are good. So I guess it can be better to give things a second chance. I've already got my eyes on some of their blushes.

Shining Prime Time

I love primers. I have about as many primers as I do foundations/BB creams/tinted moisturizers. Not only do they make your make up application smooth and the make up itself last longer than on its own, but now primers come in a wide variety of extra functions such as colour-correcting, pore minimizing and brightening. Now, generally, I'm a fan of the pore-minimizing ones, but I've started to branch out a bit more to indulge myself in this primer obsession. While all the primers in this post can be considered to be brightening primers, they each have a different effect when applied on the skin. 

Soap and Glory Hocus Focus Instant Visual Flaw-Softening Lotion

This one is probably my favourite of the lot, simply because the smell isn't overpowering and it absorbs easily into the skin. While not strictly a primer, it does have the same effect of smoothing out the skin, getting it ready for makeup application. While it doesn't offer any coverage, it does make your skin look quite smooth and healthy, so if you're feeling a good day, you could probably give foundation a miss when using this one.

Laura Mercier foundation primer in radiance

I don't own a whole lot of Laura Mercier products, a bronzer, a contouring palette and the coveted tinted moisturizer. But considering how much hype the tinted moisturizer gets, I was hoping that this one might have some appeal too. But I am not a fan of this one. It takes a bit of effort to blend it into the skin, and when it is blended, it's either a hit or miss. Some days, it will have little or no effect, but on other days, it will make my face look greasy and somehow sallow. So this one is probably not best to wear on its own, it works out better when you mix this into your foundation itself rather than applying beforehand.

Missha BB Boomer

This is the only product that I own by Missha. For some reason, everytime I go to purchase their ever so famous BB cream, I decide I don't need it, or maybe even be let down by all the hype. So on another whim to buy the BB cream, I ended up chickening out again and purchasing this primer. This product is actually made as a primer not for foundation but for BB cream. A lot of the BB creams I own tend to give a bit of a cast on my face, and sometimes end up quite drying and flat (these are the Korean ones, mind). So I was hoping this could give some pep, and it definitely does. I was not expecting much out of this primer at all, especially when I first applied it, it made my face feel sticky and good lord, the pink pearl in it was quite obvious. But, true to its purpose, this is a wonderful primer for BB creams. To be honest, I have not tried it with foundation, but with BB creams, it really makes your skin glowy and healthy.

Benefit "that gal" brightening face primer

I was excited when I first got this product, as it is the first brightening primer I ever purchased, and high hopes for this product, considering, well, its Benefit and all. However when I first applied it, it made my face feel sticky again and didn't really serve to "prime" my face, so much as it make it horribly pink and shiny. I will admit though that it did really make my make up last, as expected of a Benefit primer. Not a smidgen out of place at the end of the day, just imagine how their new primer is. This one comes in quite a unique packaging, it's a wind up tube that disperses product in a sort of sieve at the top, but it makes it easy for application on the face.

left to right: Hocus Focus, Radiance, BB Boomer, "that gal"

Without Flash

With Flash

From the swatches above, you can see the huge difference in the tones of each primer. The Soap and Glory one is the thinnest of the lot, probably why it was so easy to absorb into the skin. But you'll notice that it does indeed have that glowing effect it claims it does. It seems to have a bit of iridescence to it, I can see this looking lovely in photos (especially because I'm into that "other-worldly" look). The Laura Mercier one is quite dark, especially for a brightening primer, but this one feels the nicest on the skin when it's absorbed it. I do like the overall effect of it, if only it was more consistent. The lightest shade of all is the Missha one, and it does make sense that it is so light, considering it is meant as a base for a BB cream, what with BB creams generally being very light themselves. This primer is a brilliant primer, but I would not recommend it alone. I tried. It was not the best. I'm sort of on the fence with the Benefit primer though. It makes my make up last, but it is also very pink and quite sticky. Once covered with foundation though, it looks really good, it's just a bit of effort to get the right ratio.

I'm pretty glad I have these products in my collection overall though. It gives an opportunity to change up the look without having to get another foundation with a different finish. Probably the best key to keep in mind, is do not overdo it with the primer. Although they prep for foundation and help to add to the foundation (not only in longevity but also in effect depending on what type of primer), they are just that: to prep for it. So to overdo it unless you want the weirdest textured foundation that will never seem to set. I'm speaking from experience here.

Sally Hansen Fuzzy Coat: Wool Lite

I stopped into my local Priceline recently just to have a bit of a browse and see if there were any nice deals I could take advantage of, and this nail polish just happened to catch my eye. I'm usually a sucker for polishes what with all the lovely colours, but I never really get into consistently painting my nails so I usually force myself to resist adding another polish that might get a couple uses out of it before being rested to the collection. But this Sally Hansen Fuzzy Coat nail polish was just too adorable to resist.

I have a tendency, when I do paint my nails, to generally have them some sort of blue shade, but when considering the blue polish in this textured nail polish, I thought it would look better (and safer) to try out the light pink in Wool Lite. But I really should have gone with my gut feeling and resisted this nail polish. I only have a few Sally Hansen nail polishes, and, admittedly, I love their Diamond Strength line. But this polish was so very disappointing. Firstly, and probably unrealistically, I was expecting cute, fluffy looking nails. Almost like the velvet nails by Ciate, but not quite. More sheen and a bit rougher, and obviously not quite as much texture to the eye and to the touch. But despite realising that I wasn't going to get that effect out of just a polish (rather than a polish and texture added on top), I still hoped that it would give at least the look of fuzzy nails, as the name of the product implies. However, I got another let down instead. I'm not sure whether it was just the shade I chose or what, but this took a ridiculous amount of coats to even get my nails half covered in the tiny, confetti-like pieces.

In the pictures above, my thumbnail has (I kid you not) about 7 coats on it, and the rest of my nails have about 4-5 coats. Very disappointing to say the least. But I looked up what other people thought of this polish and swatches of different shades, and while, those that had the same shade as I fared much better, I noticed that the light blue shade (Wool Knot) looked pretty damn good. It seemed to be far more opaque than the other shades too, so perhaps, if I'm really determined, I would give that shade a try. Maybe if I tried a coloured base coat too, that would help bring this polish to life rather than it looking like I painted my nails then went crazy scratching at them. 

Overall, I do absolutely love the trend and the look of textured nails, but this polish simply did not cut it. I have tried caviar nails before (though it was a pretty cheap brand and did not last AT ALL) and loved that effect. So we'll see if next up will be the velvet nails I'm sorta maybe kinda coveting.