February 2013 Non-Beauty Favorites

February is such a weird fellow - it sneaks up on you with its dreary weather counteracted by pink hearts and chocolate-dipped strawberries, and then it's all gone before you know it. I think I'm glad it's over though; it was quite a challenging month for me and I'm getting really, really ready for springtime showers & sunshine.

As you may remember (and I'm sure you do, I'm just being annoying), I decided not to make any beauty purchases during the whole month; it helps a little that February is so short, right? I'm pleased to announce that I persevered and that my stash not only did not grow but actually shrank considerably within the last couple weeks, thanks to a more scrupulous pruning and generous gift-giving I resorted to. I've also worked on better organizing solutions for my collection and that's definitely a big favorite for the month. I've revamped my jewelry organization too using a good ol' corkboard method; while I dislike having all my accessories clutter on display, it really works in terms of my utilizing my things more and freeing up some space in my vanity drawer.

I'm very sorry to inflict my skeletal hand on you - I could not be a hand model to save my life. Still, this photo was the best of the bunch...

The only thing that I did buy for myself in the entire month was a sterling silver Count Me Healthy bracelet by Chelsea Charles. I will admit that they are quite overpriced for what they are (although I purchased mine with a discount) but it's a really universal basic piece that also has a practical function apart from just looking pretty; it does actually remind me to drink my water more often. Hurray for staying hydrated!

Possibly the biggest highlight of the month was seeing Cirque du Soleil's Amaluna; ever since we saw their classic show Mystère in Vegas last year, we've been big fans of the troupe. Amaluna was a wonderful 2-hour experience tha made me feel like a little girl again, devouring the wondrous acts with my own saucer-sized eyes; although I have to admit I'm never a big fan of the clowns. The costumes, stage, music, choreography and acrobatics, of course, were all first class though. If you're in the Seattle area, book your tickets, you won't be disappointed!

For some more entertainment favorites, in January we started watching a classic 90's sitcom series, 'Frasier'. It's an incredibly funny and smart TV show, even more so for Seattlites, as it pinpoints the little quirks of the city's inhabitants amazingly well. If you've never heard about it, 'Frasier' is centered on the life of Dr. Frasier Crane, a radio psychiatrist, and his family. The show manages to capture the beauty of 'intellectual hypocrisy': while Frasier, with all his psychiatric background, is able to provide great advice to his radio callers, he fails to follow those same principles in his everyday life. Both me and Mr. love it!

Also, thanks to Sandra from '15 steps, then a beauty blog', I discovered a new EP album I've been listening to a lot this month: 'Sea' by Roosevelt. The second song on the album, Soleil, is definitely a firm favorite, and I wish the band came out with a full length album so that I could listen to more of their music. I've also taken to drinking a sleepy time tea this month before bed, and so far, Yogi's Bedtime is the best I've tried: it has a hint of sweetness to it and it feels relaxing and refreshing at the same time. Great for winding down at the end of the day.

I'm already looking foward to March as I'll finally be able to purchase a small but luxurious beauty bit I've had my beady eye on for a long time now, and we have also planned a weekend getaway to San Francisco in a couple weeks time. How has February been for you? Care to share any favorites?

Band-Aid in a Tube: Avène Cicalfate Repair Cream

Continuing with the concept of a skincare wardrobe, Avène Cicalfate Repair Cream ($23 for 40 ml/1.4 fl oz.) is a basic pair of blue jeans of the skincare world - something safe to fall back on when everything else fails. Or, well, a Band-Aid in a tube (ok, enough methaphors for now, I promise)...

As you may know from my last dermatologic update, I've been using a tretinoin gel (or Retin-A for those who have no idea what I'm talking about, although I was prescribed a different brand name) for over a year now to help with my acne. I should add that I've also been simultaneously battling the side effects of using tretinoin, which include sensitivity, redness and worst of all, peeling. This is where our French friend comes to the rescue...

Think of Avène Cicalfate as a skin barrier repair - wherever there's some irritation and/or dehydration, Cicalfate acts as a layer sealing in the skin's water reserves and keeping environmental nasties out. It also actively gets down to business to repair and soothe with micronized sucralfate, copper sulfate and zinc sulfate. Additionally, the formula includes Avène's thermal spring water to rehydrate and further minimize irritation.

On the downside, as with Avène's Soothing Moisture Mask, the ingredients include mineral oil; to me, it's a necessary evil as this component will actually help to seal in all the goodness and prevent water evaporation from the skin. There's also quite a bit of zinc oxide thrown in (yes, as in mineral sunscreen!), which is an anti-irritant as well but can cause some white cast to the skin (not that you can notice on my winter white face). The texture is thick and on the greasier side; oilier/combination skin types won't be too impressed with this for daytime although it sinks in quite fast into my dehydrated skin with no tackiness and just a little bit of shine. Even so, I still prefer to slap it on as a night/ stay-at-home treatment.

Now, this isn't some miracle product that will solve all of your skin woes - I believe in this case my skin agreeably follows whatever my mind tends to believe and remains a sceptic as to any skincare product's magical powers. Cicalfate is however a solid staple for when I'm too scared to experiment with anything else in the face of a cutaneous catastrophe, like when my tretinoin gel makes me peel like I have a bad sunburn on my chin or my skin is acutely dehydrated from a 17-hour plane ride. It's nothing glamorous or innovative but hey, it works for me.

Have you tried Avène Cicalfate or a similar barrier repair product? Which skincare item do you fall back on when everything else fails?

Spring Make-up Update: Buxom Lip Cream in Cherry Flip

I'm ready for spring make-up, my lovelies; I haven't touched my vampy lipsticks in over a month and I even experience a slight penchant for bronzer some days - quelle horreur! This year, due to my 2013 challenge stipulations, I am not going to buy my weight in Spring 2013 Limited Editions; instead, I'm planning to pick up a few key pieces that I think my collection might be lacking and subsequently present them to you in the Spring Make-up Update series.

The first installment shall focus on the Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Cream in Cherry Flip - I'm sure you've all heard by now about the merits of the shades White Russian and Creamsicle but I felt like I had similar pretties in my gloss drawer and picked up the reddish coral instead. The Buxom Lip Creams ($19 for 4.2 ml/0.14 fl oz.) are touted as creamy and lip-perfecting glosses with a velvety smooth texture and no shimmer, which is what I prefer in a lip product anyway. They feature hyaluronic filling spheres and vitamins A&E to make the lips more supple and moisturized, as well as some tingly action for a plumped-up effect.

On my lips, the Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Cream feels like a thicker, extra smooth gloss with a very distinct and rather long lasting cooling effect, which will be awesome for summer but can be a bit much in the lower temperatures we're still experiencing here in WA. One dip in the tube covers my entire top and bottom lip, giving an intense, mirrored shine with no tackiness - once I distribute the gloss evenly, it seems to sink in and envelop my pout in an almost protective layer. To my nose, it smells very similar to MAC lipsticks but the delicious vanilla scent dissipates quite quickly anyway. The wear time with little drinking/ no eating is in the 3-4 hour range.

The shade 'Cherry Flip' is a reddish coral, definitely more on the warm side than most of the red coral shades in my collection. Still, since the pigmentation is more translucent than that of a lipstick (but pigmented enough to show up well), it works with my cooler, mauvey lips. As you can see in the face shot, the gloss settles a bit into my lip lines but the slight unevenness is definitely something I can live with.

L-R: Buxom Lip Cream in Cherry Flip, Wet'n'Wild Silk lipstick in Hot Paris Pink, YSL Rouge Pur in Pink Grenadine, MAC Viva Glam Cyndi lipstick

Apart from the sheer loveliness of the shade, the most important advantage of the Buxom Lip Cream is that it actually moisturizes my lips and makes the most of my natural...errr... poutiness. I've begun to notice more and more that most of my lip products actively shrink and dessicate the delicate skin of my lips and not even Nuxe Reve de Miel is able to repair overnight the daytime lipstick damage. With the Buxom gloss though I get my favorite texture and pigmentation level, awesome shades and a moisturizing action all in one. What's not to love? I'm already thinking of sneaking the shade 'Berry Blast' into my collection (thanks, Suka&Spice!).

Have you tried the Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Creams? What is your favorite moisturizing lip gloss formula?

My Face Mask Wardrobe

If you've been reading my skincare updates for a while, you know that I'm a devoted follower of the Hirons' school, and whatever Caroline preaches, I try to bastardize adhere to. A big part of Caroline's skincare wisdom is developing a good, working skincare wardrobe consisting of staple products to suit the changing needs of our skin. As much as I aspire to women whose beauty regime consists of a face wash and a moisturizer, unfortunately, I just can't be counted among them as I do need a (much) wider selection of products to satisfy my fickle skin.

Towards the end of last year, I'd decided to work on my perfect face mask wardrobe I could call on in the times of need, that is, when my skin is congested, dehydrated or dull, or oftentimes all of the above all at once. Here are three products I've found which tick all of the boxes:

Eau Thermale Avène Soothing Moisture Mask for Sensitive Skin - this light cream mask, elegantly scented with white florals, is a perfect pampering treat after a long work day. It contains 70% of Avène thermal spring water to soothe as well as safflower seed oil for a more intense moisturizing action. Oponents of both mineral oil and parabens in skincare would be appalled but Avène's mask really reduced redness, alleviates surface dehydration, softens and plumps up my tired, sensitized skin - plus, it's a joy to use. In the US, Avène skincare is readily available at drugstore.com.

Dermalogica Gentle Cream Exfoliant - I've already extolled its virtues in my January Favorites post but let me repeat myself annoyingly for the sake of having all the useful information in one place. This smoothing face mask contains 4 different exfoliants: 2 fruit acids and both salicylic and lactic acids, plus a base of diatomaceous earth that gives it the typical clay mask appearance and feel on the skin. I'm not sure if it's the combination of different exfoliants or simply the formula but Dermalogica's Gentle Cream Exfoliant works like no other on my face: it brightens, tightens the pores, smoothes out little bumps all without irritating my skin. Go get a sample now if you haven't already!

Origins Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask to Clear Pores - how genius of Origins to offer some of their masks in the 50ml travel size?! Clear Improvement is definitely your go-to if you have some noisy children or nosy neighbors around who need to be scared to death, as it features a rather thick consistency that dries to an attractive charcoal (duh!) grey color on your face. Other than being a perfect choice for Halloween, it absorbs oils, shrinks spots and brightens the skin without feeling awfully dry and stripping; it's also much more comfortable to use and keep on your face than something like the Aztec Healing Clay. While I do think it's quite effective, it's probably my least favorite out of the bunch, and I'm still on the hunt for my HG clay mask.

Do you also keep a wardrobe of different face masks? What are your favorites?

Rocaille Swatches: Annabelle Twistup in Kinky Pink

My thoughts these past couple of days have been inching closer and closer toward spring: sunshine, warmth, vibrant colors... Which is why I whipped out a little Canadian treat from my lip stuffs drawer: Annabelle Twistup Retractable Lipstick Crayon in Kinky Pink. And no, I'm not really getting kinky with it, just before someone asks.

Annabelle Twistups ($9.95 CAD for 0.05oz / 1.5g) are, as you probably guessed, lipsticks shaped like thin crayons - a lot thinner than, say, Clinique Chubby Sticks or Revlon Balm Stains and more similar to the fatter eye pencils like the Make Up Forever Aqua Eyes or Laura Mercier Caviar sticks. As a little side note, I'm feeling a bit over the whole 'chubby stick/fat crayon' trend that seems to be popping up everywhere now, but these pencil/lipstick hybrids do come in handy on the go when you need a more precise application without having to use a liner. Also, props for being retractable - NARS, take note!

The shade 'Kinky Pink' is a true hot pink leaning neither too cool or too warm. Compared to some of my other hot pinks with a redder undertone, it swatches lighter and pinkier than my Inglot no. 58 gel lipstick or Revlon Cherries in the Snow Super Lustrous lipstick. It is however decidedly warmer when compared to a blue fuschia like Revlon Balm Stain in Smitten (not included in the photo).

(L-R): Annabelle Lipstick Crayon in Kinky Pink, Inglot Gel Lipstick in no.58 , Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Cherries in the Snow

On the lips, Annabelle 'Kinky Pink' takes a couple swipes to build up the color and has a slight tendency for unevenness when applied on top of lip balm. Texturally, it is slightly waxier than most lipsticks and again, reminds me a bit of Revlon Balm Stains. While it does look glossy and feels moisturizing during the first two hours (the product is enriched with nourishing shea butter and Omega 3 and 6), it fades into more of a satin finish and then a stain towards the 3-4 hour mark. It is also when it starts feeling a bit clingy and drying, which is why for me, a lip balm underneath is a necessity.

All in all, Annabelle Twistup in Kinky Pink is a great, refreshing burst of color for this dreary February but I am not madly in love with the formula - I think I prefer the Revlon version, which can also be quite drying but retains vivid color for longer.

What is your favorite lip crayon formula or are you over the whole trend?

December-January 2013 Empties

Back with the empties progress in the new year! I'm officially resetting my empties count now to be able to calculate a grand total for this year. I'm hoping that together with keeping a running count on new purchases, I'm going to finally see some stash-dwindling results. I'm excited!

Before I start off with the mini reviews of my beauty trash, I will say that towards the end of last year, I gave away to various work friends a total of 16 products I'd been hoarding in my stash: 3 fragrances (2 body mists and 1 solid), 1 hair spray, 2 skincare and 3 bodycare items, 2 lip products and 2 lipbalms, 1 mascara and 3 nail polishes. To be more precise, I simply brought the whole bunch to work, set it in a box with a little note stating it was all for grabs, and saw it melt day by day - I believe there were one or two things left in the end that I just tossed in the garbage. It was immensly satisfying for me to see that what I'd been unnecessarily holding on to could still be of some use to others and I definitely recommend a similar process! It worked so well, in fact, that I may or may not have repeated it since...

Now, for my personal achievements - let's start with full-sized products. I finally finished my bottle of Redken Body Full Shampoo, which is a volumizing formula for fine and flat hair. While this cleansed very well and had a pleasant, citrusy scent, I didn't like the intense, SLS-induced lather and it did in fact strip some of my semi-permanent hair color; definitely would not recommend this for color-treated hair or any hair type that has even a touch of dryness to it.

The Origins Checks & Balances Frothy Face Wash could aptly be renamed as a 'Facial Cleanser That.Would.Not.Die' - I swear I'd been using it for the past year and a half! Ultimately though, it felt too drying, even though it's supposed to balance more oily areas while moisturizing the dry patches. I also wasn't a fan of a large amount of essential oils thrown into the formula; I've started to suspect that any additional fragrances in facial cleansers may be responsible for the redness I've been experiencing after washing.

The Reviva Labs Hyaluronic Acid Serum has been discussed in depth here, if you're intested; one additional point to make is that this was leaving a bit of a sticky residue on the skin that I thought might have interfered with the absorption of other products layered on top. The Peter Thomas Roth Max Sheer All Day Defense Moisture Lotion SPF 30 (a big deluxe sample that I'm counting as a full size) is a chemical sunscreen that felt greasy, sticky and not very moisturizing at all, so I'm glad to see it go. Dove antiperspirant stick is just a staple for me.

Among my deluxe samples (wait, there are two full-sized items here: L'Occitane Shea Butter pot and Covergirl clear mascara/brow gel!), three have really stood out. Laura Mercier Full Blown Volume Lash Building Mascara in Black was a fantastic product to try, and the DHC Deep Cleansing Oil got me really hooked on oil-based make-up removers; I promptly bought a similar but more natural alternative (review to come). In short, I'd never seen a make-up remover tackle my eye make-up so easily and effectively. Lastly, a sample of Origins Drink Up Mask also led to a purchase of the travel size product.

To round up, my foil/'one-time use' samples: Dermalogica Gentle Cream Exfoliant, talked about in more depth here, Dermalogica Multivitamin Power Recovery Masque, which I really want but already have too many facial masks on the go, and Dermalogica Overnight Repair Serum, which smelt heavenly and felt very luscious and moisturizing on the skin - good product to try if you love Clarins facial oils. I've also used up two sachets of Aura Cacia Mineral Bath, a LUSH Ma Bar bubble bar and an unknown bath bomb in the attempt to use up my old bath products so that I could go and buy some fresh ones. I still have a couple left but I think next month I'll be ready to hit my local Lush store! There's also an unknown perfume sample in the photo, the perfume inside just evaporated into thin air :) I have also used up a couple more deluxe skincare samples during my Holiday trip but since some of them were actually part of the stash at my parents' house, I'm not counting them towards my total.

And there you have it! Hopefully you enjoyed my empties progress report; the new total is as follows:
7 full size products used up plus 16 more given away (grand total of 23)
8 deluxe samples
6 one-time use samples
I'm feeling very optimistic about my stash-reducing abilities this month too so you can expect a really big empties post next time! I'm also going strong on my February no-buy so far - doing pretty good all in all, if I dare say so myself! How are you doing on the empties front in the new year? Any big achievements?

Primer Pragmatics: Laura Mercier Foundation Primer

It's always a bit difficult to review a cult classic without hurting anyone's feelings, you know? In case you've never heard this story, Laura Mercier released her original Foundation Primer in 1995 as an industry's first, and has since added four more varieties to the range: the Mineral, Radiance, Hydrating and Oil-Free primers. If you're further interested in the story of how this product came about and Laura Mercier as a person, there's a really good interview with her on Into The Gloss that you can read here (click!).

Anyway, my second review in the Primer Pragmatics series is going to focus on the original version of her Foundation Primer ($32 for 1.75 oz.). The Foundation Primer is a vitamin-infused, water-based product that is supposed to create smooth canvas for base application while shielding the skin from the elements. If like me, your adventure with make-up primers started with the likes of Smashbox Photo Finish, you'd be very much surprised by the texture and feel of the Laura Mercier primer. As far as I can tell, there are absolutely no silicones in the formula; instead, it feels like a lightweight, watery gel on the skin without the siliconey slip that I was very much expecting to experience. It's a good thing though - Smashbox never worked for me, making me a shiny mess in a matter of two hours, and my skin felt like it might suffocate any minute.

I find that due to the thin consistency, I only need a very small amount to cover my entire face. The primer sinks in fairly quickly, leaving a soft satin finish behind; not completely dry/matte like the Murad Skin Perfecting Primer Matte Finish discussed previously but not dewy either, just very skin-like. Although it's not silicone-based, it still somehow manages to fill in and conceal any textural issues on the skin, like dry patches, enlarged pores, fine lines thus providing a blank canvas for the foundation.

In terms of prolonging the actual wear of the foundation, I find that it gives me an extra two to three hours of shine-free skin but it's not the most mattifying product under the sun, nor it is meant to be. It also seems to stop the foundation from breaking down on my more dehydrated areas. I really enjoy wearing it under lighter coverage, more dewy foundations (like Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum) as I find the finish smoother and more long-lasting. If you'd like to see how it works on my skin, I've used it in my last Valentine's Day post.

All in all, I was very pleasantly surprised by the Laura Mercier Foundation Primer, so much so that I would really like to try the Oil-Free version now, especially that it's also supposed to relieve surface dehydration around active breakouts while matiffying the skin at the same time. Have you tried any of the Laura Mercier primers? Which one is your favorite?

What a Man Wants: Lipstick Bandits Valentine's Look

And not just any man - my husband, that is! For our February Lipstick Bandit collab, we decided to either feature a Valentine's Day inspired look or a pink lip product. Since I haven't really had anything in store pink-wise (shocking, I know), I've settled on a look based on what a man wants for his woman to wear, specifically what Mr likes me to wear, as discovered by careful fishing around.

Coincidentally, I've also recently stumbled upon an article in the Self magazine on beauty trends men love and hate. Setting aside the sheer stupidity of the piece ('Side-swept bangs make him want to go bang-bang', or some such nonsense), I felt very rebellious at the very idea of a woman choosing a look because men seem to like it. Frankly, my dears, I just wouldn't give a damn. I dress the way I want to, I style my hair the way I want to, and lastly, I make myself up the way I want to. I may, if such is my fancy at the time, sport a make-up look my husband likes more than some of the others but honestly, most of the time, he doesn't give a damn either. So this post is essentialy a bit tongue-in-cheek but hey, I desperately needed an idea for Valentine's look; hearts and Cupids are just not my thing.

So, having spent a couple minutes interviewing my very puzzled other half, it seems he prefers a make-up that is a) noticeable, b) more glamorous than daytime, c) with a darker lip and some smokey action on the eyes (this has been translated into technical terms from cave speech by yours truly). From these simple outlines, I've decided on a fresh, flawless complexion achieved by layering a couple of base products rather than using one high coverage foundation, an understated but glowy cheek, a medium brown smokey eyes and a sheer but darker lip, applied by patting the lipstick on with a finger for a pretty wine stain. I've also wanted the look to have an easy, comfortable feel - a bit more dramatic than any other day but still quite effortless and feminine, so no fiddling with false lashes, no lip liner and gloss on the lips. The result is a look he likes on me, and a look I feel pretty in.

Here's the breakdown of the products used; they're some examples from my collection but you could very easily replace them with whatever you have. I've used a foundation primer to give my Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum a bit more staying power on my combination skin, and to diffuse any uneven texture. I finished off the face by using Laura Mercier Mineral Powder for added coverage and to set the liquid foundation. The medium and dark browns from the Stila E! Live on the Red Carpet palette have a soft, satin finish and supreme blendability, which made them a perfect match for this look. There isn't a whole lot of shimmer going on here, apart from a subtly glowy baked Accessorize blush in Diva and a dab of Stila 'Kitten' eyeshadow on the inner corners. Lips are, of course, my beloved Sleek Make-up lipstick in Cherry.
Don't forget to check out other Bandits' picks for the Valentine's Day:
Beauty Reflections
ChloeAsh‎
Eye Heart It
Getting Cheeky
Glitter Geek
Makeup Morsels
Messy Wands
Musing on Beauty
My Funny Valentine
My Women Stuff
theNotice: a beauty blog‎

And new to the Lipstick Bandits this time around:

• BellaChique‎
• Mostly Sunny‎

Do you know what is your man's favorite make-up look on you? Any exciting plans for Valentine's?

January 2013 Beauty Favorites

I won't really bore you this time with exclamations proclaiming my surprise at the passage of time ('My goodness, is it February already?!) because frankly, I've had enough of January. It's been cold, it's been grey, it's been tiring and confusing. I'm ready for a new month - not for Valentine's, though. But more on that later.

Anyway, largely due to my New Year's resolutions and the self-restraint versus beauty products I seem to dispose of presently, my beauty routine for January has been increasingly simplistic. Let's start with the skincare bits, since there's actually something to write about there.

I've been testing the Dermalogica Gentle Cream Exfoliant for a couple weeks now and every time I use it, I'm surprised by the results. It's a chemical exfoliant with two fruit enzymes (papain and bromelain, the former of which is derived from pineapples, yum... Anyway, I digress) and two hydroxy acids, a salicylic and a lactic. It's all suspended in a base of diatomaceous earth, giving it a texture highly reminiscent of a clay mask. And this is essentialy almost a marriage of a clay mask with an exfoliating mask - it gives me not only the instant brightening and smoothing effect but also seems to absorb the oils and slightly tighten the pores. It gets a big seal of approval from me.

The two other products, DDF Amplifying Elixir serum and Nuxe Reve de Miel lipbalm, are a bit more straightforward. The DDF Elixir is a very liquidy potion full of niacinamine, a miracle ingredient for a whole slew of skin conditions, including acne. I was using it in conjunction with CeraVe PM moisturizer when on holidays in Poland and for some reason, my skin was blissfully clear and less oily yet moisturized for at least two weeks. I will continue testing but I feel that niacinamine works well with my skin (if only it didn't smell very faintly of cigarette smoke!). Similarly, Nuxe Reve de Miel is a wonderful, wonderful lipbalm that feels very lush and conditioning before bedtime.

Onto the make-up: nothing terribly exciting here, I'm afraid. I've been liking my liquid foundation a bit more and the base of choice has been the Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum (see the original review here). On my eyes, I've been very fond of a one eyeshadow look, and NARS Pro Prime Smudge-Proof eye base has been keeping my shadows looking perfect throughout the day. A good coat of mascara is a must for this shadow laziness, and my Laura Mercier Full Blown Volume Lash Building Mascara has been a pleasant surprise amid my mascara samples. I've enjoyed pairing the simple eye with a brighter cool pink cheek and lip, with La Femme Pink Flamingo and Revlon Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie keeping me company most days. Here's the look in action, with Inglot eyeshadow no. 153 on the eyes.

How did January treat you? Were you more adventurous or more basic with your look? Let me know in the comments!