I've been hooked on Fresh Sugar Tinted Lip Treatments since I first tried them back in 2011; their buttery, highly emollient, moisturizing texture combined with a yummy lemon vanilla scent makes them one of my favorite everyday lip products. While I do think they're very pricey for what they are, luckily Sephora is pretty generous with including the Fresh Sugar Lip Care range in various little sample pouches or as coupon codes with an online order - which is how I've managed to accumulate four different products in the range. Shall we take a look?
I think the Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment SPF 15 ($22.50 for 0.15 oz, both in the clear and tinted versions; here's my review and swatches of the Tulip shade) is the best known product in this range via Sephora's Beauty Insider Birthday Gift a couple years back. I really like this lip balm, either on its own (especially in harsh weather conditions) or in a thin layer under a lipstick. However, Claire recently pointed out that the chemical sunscreen ingredient in these balms is oxybenzone, which is highly controversial due to its toxicity in larger doses - and let's be honest, in a lip balm, you really are ingesting the stuff. On Sephora's website, the sunscreen composition for this balm is avobenzone and octinoxate, so I'm thinking the formula must have been updated at some point; mine still have the oxybenzone though :(
If you'd rather skip the whole sunscreen debacle, the Sugar Advanced Therapy Lip Treatment ($25 for 0.15 oz) may be something worth looking into. Frankly speaking, I can't detect much difference in texture or performance between Advanced Therapy and the regular Lip Treatment, but if you compare both ingredients' lists, they do vary slightly, the most significant diference being the inclusion of cocoa butter and hyaluronic acid in the former (Advanced Therapy claims to have age-delaying properties from 'hyaluronic spheres'). However, sodium hyaluronate is towards the very end of the INCI list, suggesting there's a very, very small amount of it in the product, so I'd say the claims are rather far-fetched. I've been using Advanced Therapy on my lips before bedtime, and I do think it keeps my lips moisturized throughout the night, but I don't think it's as effective as my all-time favorite night time lip balm, the Nuxe Reve de Miel - which at $19 for 0.52 oz, is also significantly cheaper per ounce than the Fresh balm.
I was however pleasantly surprised by the Fresh Sugar Shine Lip Treatment ($18.50 for 0.2 oz, I have the Clear shade). What I thought would be just a mediocre lip gloss designed to increase the profits from the popular Sugar range turned out to be a lovely liquid lip oil type of product. The Sugar Shine actually seems to contain more hyaluronic acid than the Advanced Therapy balm, in addition to cocoa, mango and cupuaƧu butters. I don't know if it necessarily keeps my lips moisturized for 6 hours as it claims to do, but because of its thicker, viscous but unsticky texture, it cushions my lips in a protective layer, and helps to disguise dry flakes and vertical lip lines. One gripe I have with my mini size is that the stopper takes off too much product from the wand, so I have to dip back two or three times to coat my lips - I don't know if that's an issue with the full size as well. I would consider purchasing the Shine Lip Treatment in the future, maybe in a fun bright shade like Cherry or Berry.
Lastly, we have the Fresh Sugar Lip Polish ($22.50 for 0.6 oz), a (you guessed it!) brown sugar lip scrub enriched with shea butter, meadowfoam & grape seed oils and Vitamin E. I don't have huge experience with lip scrubs apart from Lush and I've said in the past that I think them a somewhat superfluous concept, but I think the Fresh version is a really solid product: scrubby enough to get rid of the flakes but in a more emollient base that provides a good slip and a moisturizing layer on the lips afterwards. So if you like lip scrubs, I would definitely recommend giving this one a go - it's definitely superior to Lush Mint Julips that I had in the past, but it's also a lot pricier.
Are you a fan of Fresh Sugar lip products? Beauty fanatics seem to be somewhat divided in this respect - I know many of you enjoy the range as much as I do, but it seems a lot of folks dislike that heavy, slippy texture in a lip balm. What is your current go-to lip conditioning product?
Sunday, July 19, 2015
Thursday, July 16, 2015
Mixed Feels: Products I Don't Know What To Think About
I've never featured any of these five products in any of my posts - the simple reason being that I really don't know what to think about them. Mind you, this is different from a non-disputable case of shitty products I regret buying; none of these are bad, really. They're just... not here nor there, maybe? As a long-time blogger, I usually have lots of clear-cut opinions about every beauty product I try, but these five give me very mixed feels:
1. First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream. I'm a huge fan of FAB Radiance Pads, but their cult extra-moisturizing Ultra Repair Cream doesn't really do it for me. You may be surprised why, as a combination-skinned gal, would I even have this in my stash, but I was actually hoping to use it on my eczema-ridden hands. But nope, it does very very little to moisturize my severly dry, flaking and cracking fingers, and even as a regular hand cream, it's just alright. Is there something I'm not getting about this, you guys?
2. LORAC Front of the Line Pro Liquid Eye Liner in Black ($23 for 0.02 fl oz). I'm not a massive liquid eyeliner user, usually prefering the convenience of a pencil, but I can appreciate the precision of a good pen. This LORAC liner seems to gather a lot of great reviews, having both beautiful pigmentation and a tiny brush (not felt!) tip. However, I can't make it work - I dislike its shiny/vinyl finish on the skin, and whenever I need to go over my line to thicken or even it out, it seems to really drag on itself, making it time-consuming and unpleasant to apply. I'll use it up, but I won't repurchase.
3. Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Flawless Wear Concealer in Light ($24 for 0.24 oz, I have a mini that came in a set). This is a really weird one: sometimes I really like how it works on my skin, sometimes I hate it. The big pros of this concealer are its longevity (really stays put, and I would even call it water-resistant) and how well it covers discoloration and redness. The cons are the finish on the skin (dry, accentuates lines and flakes) and not enough coverage to be used for spot-concealing. It's definitely not my favorite, but perfectly matches the foundation I'm currently trying to use up, the Estee Lauder Double Wear Light in Intensity 1.
4. Benefit Gimme Brow Volumizing Fiber Gel in Light to Medium ($24 for 0.10 oz). Are you shocked? I know this is a must-have for a lot of people, but for me it just didn't hit the mark. I bought it hoping to use it on its own on lazy make-up days, but I dislike how my brows look with it on: the shade is too ashy, making my brows look like they're greying (I guess that's my fault for choosing the wrong color), the texture is quite crispy, but most importantly, it just doesn't give me the definition I was looking for. I have quite good brows naturally, but there's just a couple of sparse areas that I like to fill in to give them a better shape, and for that purpose, using a good eyebrow pencil is undoubtedly superior to this gel. I can wear it paired with my Shu pencil - but that's more, not less effort on my part when getting ready in the morning. On a different note, I think I'm done with Benefit products for a while; I just can't stand their marketing strategy and constant hype. From what they say about their own products, you'd think it was the second coming of Jesus - but from my own experience, the products are mostly overpriced and mediocre. So. You won't see much of Benefit on this blog any time soon. I've had enough.
4. Shu Uemura Anti/Oxi Skin Refining Cleansing Oil ($77 for 450ml, mine is in LE Mika for Shu packaging). Shu's oils are like the big daddy of cleansing oils on the Western beauty market, but I think in this day and age, we can all do better than splurge nearly 80 bucks on a bottle of predominantly mineral oil. Does it remove my make-up? Yes, but not all of my mascara, and it always clouds my vision - so I think after I'm done with this giant and awesomely designed bottle, I'll switch to something like The Body Shop Camomile Cleansing Oil, or an Asian drugstore oil.
Have you tried any of these products? If so, what were your thoughts? Have you been using any products recently that gave you very mixed feels?
1. First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream. I'm a huge fan of FAB Radiance Pads, but their cult extra-moisturizing Ultra Repair Cream doesn't really do it for me. You may be surprised why, as a combination-skinned gal, would I even have this in my stash, but I was actually hoping to use it on my eczema-ridden hands. But nope, it does very very little to moisturize my severly dry, flaking and cracking fingers, and even as a regular hand cream, it's just alright. Is there something I'm not getting about this, you guys?
2. LORAC Front of the Line Pro Liquid Eye Liner in Black ($23 for 0.02 fl oz). I'm not a massive liquid eyeliner user, usually prefering the convenience of a pencil, but I can appreciate the precision of a good pen. This LORAC liner seems to gather a lot of great reviews, having both beautiful pigmentation and a tiny brush (not felt!) tip. However, I can't make it work - I dislike its shiny/vinyl finish on the skin, and whenever I need to go over my line to thicken or even it out, it seems to really drag on itself, making it time-consuming and unpleasant to apply. I'll use it up, but I won't repurchase.
3. Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Flawless Wear Concealer in Light ($24 for 0.24 oz, I have a mini that came in a set). This is a really weird one: sometimes I really like how it works on my skin, sometimes I hate it. The big pros of this concealer are its longevity (really stays put, and I would even call it water-resistant) and how well it covers discoloration and redness. The cons are the finish on the skin (dry, accentuates lines and flakes) and not enough coverage to be used for spot-concealing. It's definitely not my favorite, but perfectly matches the foundation I'm currently trying to use up, the Estee Lauder Double Wear Light in Intensity 1.
4. Benefit Gimme Brow Volumizing Fiber Gel in Light to Medium ($24 for 0.10 oz). Are you shocked? I know this is a must-have for a lot of people, but for me it just didn't hit the mark. I bought it hoping to use it on its own on lazy make-up days, but I dislike how my brows look with it on: the shade is too ashy, making my brows look like they're greying (I guess that's my fault for choosing the wrong color), the texture is quite crispy, but most importantly, it just doesn't give me the definition I was looking for. I have quite good brows naturally, but there's just a couple of sparse areas that I like to fill in to give them a better shape, and for that purpose, using a good eyebrow pencil is undoubtedly superior to this gel. I can wear it paired with my Shu pencil - but that's more, not less effort on my part when getting ready in the morning. On a different note, I think I'm done with Benefit products for a while; I just can't stand their marketing strategy and constant hype. From what they say about their own products, you'd think it was the second coming of Jesus - but from my own experience, the products are mostly overpriced and mediocre. So. You won't see much of Benefit on this blog any time soon. I've had enough.
4. Shu Uemura Anti/Oxi Skin Refining Cleansing Oil ($77 for 450ml, mine is in LE Mika for Shu packaging). Shu's oils are like the big daddy of cleansing oils on the Western beauty market, but I think in this day and age, we can all do better than splurge nearly 80 bucks on a bottle of predominantly mineral oil. Does it remove my make-up? Yes, but not all of my mascara, and it always clouds my vision - so I think after I'm done with this giant and awesomely designed bottle, I'll switch to something like The Body Shop Camomile Cleansing Oil, or an Asian drugstore oil.
Have you tried any of these products? If so, what were your thoughts? Have you been using any products recently that gave you very mixed feels?
Monday, July 13, 2015
The Subtlest Sheen: Makeup Revolution Vivid Baked Highlighter in Radiant Lights
Highlighting seems to be a big trend right now, what with the rising popularity of 'strobing' (is strobing the new contouring? Lol) or the release of BECCA's Champagne Pop. As much as I have absolutely zero interest in both of those things, I have to say that I've been enjoying highlighting a lot more than I used to, mostly because my skin's been getting more even-textured and less oily than it was even a year ago.
I've been ogling many powder highlighters online for months, and I particularly had my eye on baked powder compacts from a very affordable UK brand Makeup Revolution, known for duping many of the high-end brands. I actually first heard about these Vivid Baked Highlighter Powders from Polish YouTubers, and had a beautiful pale lavender shade called Pink Lights on a wishlist for my mom to pick up for me online. But recently, when Makeup Revolution became available at Ulta.com, I hopped over there and, in the absence of Pink Lights, chose Radiant Lights (now $6 for 0.375 oz, weirdly enough, two weeks ago I paid $6.99) instead, which is an icy pink shade. Ulta has it described as a 'unique lilac perfect for fair to medium skintones', so I'm thinking this is Pink Lights after all but the name's been changed in the US for some reason.
I have to admit that the packaging disappointed me a little right from the start; it just feels like a very lightweight, cheap and not very durable plastic, the rose gold lettering starting to disappear already. But the actual raised design of the powder, reminiscent of sand dunes and MAC Extra Dimension products, looks quite beautiful indeed, and suggestive of a much more expensive product.
From all the raves on Polish YouTube, I had quite high expectations for the texture and performance of this Baked Highlighter. I find that drugstore highlighting products often suffer from two major problems: either they're chock-full of actual glitter particles, or the particles are so subtle/ inexistent that they don't show up on the skin at all. But Makeup Revolution has got it exactly right: the shimmer in Radiant Lights is smooth and refined, but packs enough power to illuminate even the dullest of complexions.
The actual texture in the pan is quite firm and not at all powdery, but my brush picks up product very easily, and I don't need to either tap my brush off or build it up in layers to achieve a beautiful finish on the face. You'll hopefully be able to see it in my close-up arm swatches, but the level of glow of this Vivid Baked Highlighter is the most comparable to my beloved (and much pricier) Laura Mercier Matte Radiance Baked Powder in Highlight 01. I would say the main difference is that the Makeup Revolution has a bit of a harder texture in the pan (Matte Radiance can kick up quite a bit of powder) and maybe feels a bit less creamy - but if you've been lemming after Laura Mercier's but couldn't stomach the price tag, the Vivid Baked Highlighter seems to be an excellent alternative (not a dupe, mind you - Highlight 01 and Radiant Lights are two very different shades).
As for the actual shade Radiant Lights, it's a very cool pink with a silver opalescence, and as such I think it would be best suited to fair and light skintones with a cool or neutral undertone. Compared to other highlighters in my stash, it's the most similar to Benefit High Beam, although I think it shows up subtler on the skin, which I personally prefer. FYI, despite synonymous name and similar look in the pan, the shade Radiant Lights is nothing like Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Luminous. In the swatches on my arm, Makeup Revolution Radiant Lights looks like nothing, but on the face it performs very well indeed - see that gorgeous glow on top of my cheekbone? I've also used it on my browbone and inner corners of the eyes, and it's just as stunning in that role.
All in all, I'm very pleased with this new addition to my highlighter rotation, and because the packaging is less bulky and the price easier to swallow, I can easily see Makeup Revolution Radiant Lights becoming a staple in my travel make-up bag. It compliments my skintone well (which is not that easy to find for us fair folk!), doesn't exacerbate my pores and is easy to work with, making it damn near perfect in my book. As for longevity, this baked powder wears all day on my face (I have normal skin type on my cheeks for reference).
Have you tried anything from Makeup Revolution already? What is your current favorite highlighter on your skintone?
I've been ogling many powder highlighters online for months, and I particularly had my eye on baked powder compacts from a very affordable UK brand Makeup Revolution, known for duping many of the high-end brands. I actually first heard about these Vivid Baked Highlighter Powders from Polish YouTubers, and had a beautiful pale lavender shade called Pink Lights on a wishlist for my mom to pick up for me online. But recently, when Makeup Revolution became available at Ulta.com, I hopped over there and, in the absence of Pink Lights, chose Radiant Lights (now $6 for 0.375 oz, weirdly enough, two weeks ago I paid $6.99) instead, which is an icy pink shade. Ulta has it described as a 'unique lilac perfect for fair to medium skintones', so I'm thinking this is Pink Lights after all but the name's been changed in the US for some reason.
I have to admit that the packaging disappointed me a little right from the start; it just feels like a very lightweight, cheap and not very durable plastic, the rose gold lettering starting to disappear already. But the actual raised design of the powder, reminiscent of sand dunes and MAC Extra Dimension products, looks quite beautiful indeed, and suggestive of a much more expensive product.
From all the raves on Polish YouTube, I had quite high expectations for the texture and performance of this Baked Highlighter. I find that drugstore highlighting products often suffer from two major problems: either they're chock-full of actual glitter particles, or the particles are so subtle/ inexistent that they don't show up on the skin at all. But Makeup Revolution has got it exactly right: the shimmer in Radiant Lights is smooth and refined, but packs enough power to illuminate even the dullest of complexions.
The actual texture in the pan is quite firm and not at all powdery, but my brush picks up product very easily, and I don't need to either tap my brush off or build it up in layers to achieve a beautiful finish on the face. You'll hopefully be able to see it in my close-up arm swatches, but the level of glow of this Vivid Baked Highlighter is the most comparable to my beloved (and much pricier) Laura Mercier Matte Radiance Baked Powder in Highlight 01. I would say the main difference is that the Makeup Revolution has a bit of a harder texture in the pan (Matte Radiance can kick up quite a bit of powder) and maybe feels a bit less creamy - but if you've been lemming after Laura Mercier's but couldn't stomach the price tag, the Vivid Baked Highlighter seems to be an excellent alternative (not a dupe, mind you - Highlight 01 and Radiant Lights are two very different shades).
As for the actual shade Radiant Lights, it's a very cool pink with a silver opalescence, and as such I think it would be best suited to fair and light skintones with a cool or neutral undertone. Compared to other highlighters in my stash, it's the most similar to Benefit High Beam, although I think it shows up subtler on the skin, which I personally prefer. FYI, despite synonymous name and similar look in the pan, the shade Radiant Lights is nothing like Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Luminous. In the swatches on my arm, Makeup Revolution Radiant Lights looks like nothing, but on the face it performs very well indeed - see that gorgeous glow on top of my cheekbone? I've also used it on my browbone and inner corners of the eyes, and it's just as stunning in that role.
| L-R: Makeup Revolution Vivid Baked Highlighter in Radiant Lights, Benefit High Beam, Laura Mercier Matte Radiance 01, Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Luminous |
Have you tried anything from Makeup Revolution already? What is your current favorite highlighter on your skintone?
Friday, July 10, 2015
A Cure for Nail Ennui: Glossique Deco Nail Wraps*
I've been so bored with my nails lately that I've been going a couple weeks before redoing my manicure. I don't know if that's a side effect of not buying any nail polishes (but I don't even want any new shades - I like what I have!) or just being very lazy, but here it is: a nail ennui, weltschmerz, lassitude, whatever you want to call it, has officially settled in.
Which is why I was doubly excited to be shaken out of my blahs by an email from a reader and a fellow Polish expat in the US (Hi Magda!), who recently started a nail wrap company called Glossique. I'm sure what I experience must be common to most bloggers and writers at large, but whenever I hear from a reader I get this fluttery feeling, equal parts joy and surprise. Yeah, after six years of beauty blogging, I'm still quite surprised that actual living breathing humans read my blog, and that sometimes they are kind enough to drop me a line to say they enjoy my writing, or to ask for advice. You guys, please write me more often - it's the ultimate blogging reward.
ANYWAY. Magda very generously offered to send me a couple of Glossique's
wrap designs to try out, and review for you if I cared enough to share.
I do care - it's very important for me personally to support the Polish
community, and I think most of us like to support small businesses and
women entrepreneurs. Glossique's site bursts with over 150 different
patterns ranging from simple to whimsical, neutral to bright, abstract
or designed around a theme. One sheet of Glossique Nail Wraps contains 19 stickers, which equals 3
manicures or pedicures, and retails for $13 on their website (free
shipping on orders $50+). I chose four that I liked (although it was
VERY difficult to make a decision, they are all so cute!), and Magda
sent them to me in two sizes: petite to fit my fingernails, and regular
to fit the toes.
For my first time application, I decided to go for Cherry Dots* - it just seems like the perfect summer mani, and I like that it comes with an accent in a different color. I'll be honest with you, despite clear instructions, it wasn't easy for me to apply the wraps evenly. It even says on the instruction card: 'As with anything new, there is a learning curve'. Like, no kidding. I more or less got the hang of it by the fourth nail, and my right hand, which I did after the left, turned out much better - which is why it's the one in the close-up shots :)
What I struggled with the most was getting the right size for each nail (I really dislike having gaps on the sides), and then getting the sticker to apply smoothly - I got lots of little air bubbles/ ridges on the sides and at the tip. I'm a bit of a perfectionist, and that annoyed me enough to want to reapply the especially uneven nails. One of my nails is especially ridged because of eczema, and on that one, the sticker just wouldn't lay nicely - I tried three times, and it still looked like, well, a badly applied sticker. I also had some trouble filing away the excess; these wraps are much thicker than another brand I've tried in the past, and my crystal nail file wouldn't cut through these easily. I was also provided with the Glossique Nail Scissors for trimming the wraps (in the photo), which are very sharp and worked great, but I still found it necessary to file for a more seamless edge.
The application difficulties aside, I think Cherry Dots look beautiful on the nails. I wish the accent sticker was a bit wider as to fit my ring finger, but even on the pinky it looks rather cute, if I may say so myself. I found that the wear on the Glossique wraps really depended on how well I applied them to each nail in the first place; if I had a bit of an uneven edge at the cuticle, it would just get bigger as the days went on, resulting in the sticker lifting slightly from the nail. None of these came off completely though when I wore them for 6 days - I actually found them a bit challenging to remove. After taking the stickers off, my nails unfortunately seemed a bit worse for wear with some nails peeling slightly, but it was nothing a good buff and base coat couldn't fix.
I think these wraps are a really fun option to wear once in a while, but I don't believe they can completely replace nail polish for me. I'm sure that if I had more practice with the wraps, they would be quicker to apply than polish, but I will say that I found the first application to be a bit of a challenge, and my nails were a bit damaged by wear, making them more of a 'once in a while' treat. Do you enjoy wearing nail wraps, or are you a nail polish-only type of gal?
Disclaimer: Products marked with an asterix (*) are press samples I received from the brand's PR for review consideration. All links are non-affiliate. All opinions are 100% honest and unbiased, no matter if the products featured were purchased with my own monies or provided as free press samples. Thank you for reading, and thank you to Magda for kindly sending these to me to try!
Which is why I was doubly excited to be shaken out of my blahs by an email from a reader and a fellow Polish expat in the US (Hi Magda!), who recently started a nail wrap company called Glossique. I'm sure what I experience must be common to most bloggers and writers at large, but whenever I hear from a reader I get this fluttery feeling, equal parts joy and surprise. Yeah, after six years of beauty blogging, I'm still quite surprised that actual living breathing humans read my blog, and that sometimes they are kind enough to drop me a line to say they enjoy my writing, or to ask for advice. You guys, please write me more often - it's the ultimate blogging reward.
| Glossique Cotton Candy* (left) and Purr-fect* (right) Nail Wraps in Regular |
| Glossique Fly Away Nail Wrap in Petite* |
What I struggled with the most was getting the right size for each nail (I really dislike having gaps on the sides), and then getting the sticker to apply smoothly - I got lots of little air bubbles/ ridges on the sides and at the tip. I'm a bit of a perfectionist, and that annoyed me enough to want to reapply the especially uneven nails. One of my nails is especially ridged because of eczema, and on that one, the sticker just wouldn't lay nicely - I tried three times, and it still looked like, well, a badly applied sticker. I also had some trouble filing away the excess; these wraps are much thicker than another brand I've tried in the past, and my crystal nail file wouldn't cut through these easily. I was also provided with the Glossique Nail Scissors for trimming the wraps (in the photo), which are very sharp and worked great, but I still found it necessary to file for a more seamless edge.
The application difficulties aside, I think Cherry Dots look beautiful on the nails. I wish the accent sticker was a bit wider as to fit my ring finger, but even on the pinky it looks rather cute, if I may say so myself. I found that the wear on the Glossique wraps really depended on how well I applied them to each nail in the first place; if I had a bit of an uneven edge at the cuticle, it would just get bigger as the days went on, resulting in the sticker lifting slightly from the nail. None of these came off completely though when I wore them for 6 days - I actually found them a bit challenging to remove. After taking the stickers off, my nails unfortunately seemed a bit worse for wear with some nails peeling slightly, but it was nothing a good buff and base coat couldn't fix.
I think these wraps are a really fun option to wear once in a while, but I don't believe they can completely replace nail polish for me. I'm sure that if I had more practice with the wraps, they would be quicker to apply than polish, but I will say that I found the first application to be a bit of a challenge, and my nails were a bit damaged by wear, making them more of a 'once in a while' treat. Do you enjoy wearing nail wraps, or are you a nail polish-only type of gal?
Disclaimer: Products marked with an asterix (*) are press samples I received from the brand's PR for review consideration. All links are non-affiliate. All opinions are 100% honest and unbiased, no matter if the products featured were purchased with my own monies or provided as free press samples. Thank you for reading, and thank you to Magda for kindly sending these to me to try!
Tuesday, July 7, 2015
Project 10 Pan 2015 Intro: All Make-up & Nail Polish
I've been thinking about this Project 10 Pan Introduction post for months now, and finally the time has come to reveal my products. As you probably know, I'm still continuing my Project Make A Dent, which is a yearly challenge, but since five of the products selected for it have already been finished, I decided to go ahead and start another panning project. I hope it's not too boring and/or confusing for you; if you're not so much into that type of content, please feel free to skip it in the future; for my part, I'll be doing my best to space these posts out with reviews or what have you to keep things interesting :)
Without further ado, here are my products: it's all make-up and nail polish! Starting with the face, we have Estee Lauder Double Wear Light Stay in Place Make-up in Intensity 1 (I'm estimating there's between 1/3 and 1/4 of the tube left) and Revlon Colorstay Foundation for Combination/Oily Skin in Ivory (1/2 of the bottle left). These two give me a range of shades to work with, as well as different levels of coverage. To set my base, I've chosen the MAC Pressed Blot Powder in Medium Dark.
For the eyes, I've only added in my Pixi Endless Silky Eye Pen in Copper Glow (click here for a review and swatches). The reason there aren't more eye and no cheek products included is that I want to keep this Project quite realistic; from doing my Projects Make A Dent, I know that it takes me absolutely ages to use up eyeshadow, blush or bronzer. I'm actually really counting on completely finishing my selected products and thus moving them out of my collection.
For the lips, I've opted for a variety of choices: the Elf Mineral Lipstick in Rosy Raisin (click!), a sheer nude, the Revlon Lip Butter in Peach Parfait (lip-swatched here), a shimmery pinky peach, the Covergirl Jumbo Gloss Balm in Watermelon Twist (click!), a lightweight but bright pink, and the Buxom Full On Lip Polish in Dolly (click!), a neutral mauvey gloss to pair with all of these or wear on its own.
I've also never attempted to use up an entire bottle of nail polish before, so I'm starting slow by adding in these two mini Orly Nail Lacquers in Gumdrop, a mint green, and Rage, a metallic rose gold. Both have about 2/3 of the bottle left.
I'm quite excited about this new Project, and I'm looking forward to playing with these products on a regular basis - well, I've had a head start on some of these after finishing items from my Project Make A Dent, so I know a few of these should go pretty quickly and hopefully motivate me to keep going. I haven't quite decided how often I should update you on my progress; I'm giving myself till the end of this year to complete this challenge, so let me know your preferences on the frequency of updates.
Are you doing a Project Pan this year? If so, please link your posts in the comments, I'd love to follow your progress and cheer you on!
Without further ado, here are my products: it's all make-up and nail polish! Starting with the face, we have Estee Lauder Double Wear Light Stay in Place Make-up in Intensity 1 (I'm estimating there's between 1/3 and 1/4 of the tube left) and Revlon Colorstay Foundation for Combination/Oily Skin in Ivory (1/2 of the bottle left). These two give me a range of shades to work with, as well as different levels of coverage. To set my base, I've chosen the MAC Pressed Blot Powder in Medium Dark.
For the eyes, I've only added in my Pixi Endless Silky Eye Pen in Copper Glow (click here for a review and swatches). The reason there aren't more eye and no cheek products included is that I want to keep this Project quite realistic; from doing my Projects Make A Dent, I know that it takes me absolutely ages to use up eyeshadow, blush or bronzer. I'm actually really counting on completely finishing my selected products and thus moving them out of my collection.
For the lips, I've opted for a variety of choices: the Elf Mineral Lipstick in Rosy Raisin (click!), a sheer nude, the Revlon Lip Butter in Peach Parfait (lip-swatched here), a shimmery pinky peach, the Covergirl Jumbo Gloss Balm in Watermelon Twist (click!), a lightweight but bright pink, and the Buxom Full On Lip Polish in Dolly (click!), a neutral mauvey gloss to pair with all of these or wear on its own.
| I've marked my progress with a sharpie on the more liquidy products for future reference. |
I'm quite excited about this new Project, and I'm looking forward to playing with these products on a regular basis - well, I've had a head start on some of these after finishing items from my Project Make A Dent, so I know a few of these should go pretty quickly and hopefully motivate me to keep going. I haven't quite decided how often I should update you on my progress; I'm giving myself till the end of this year to complete this challenge, so let me know your preferences on the frequency of updates.
Are you doing a Project Pan this year? If so, please link your posts in the comments, I'd love to follow your progress and cheer you on!
Saturday, July 4, 2015
A Tall Drink of Water for Your Face: Laneige Water Bank Serum*
I admit to secretly (well, not so secretly anymore) loving quirky translations of Korean product names: 'Dear My Jelly Lips Talk', 'Downy Cheek', 'Wonder Pore'... I love the name of Laneige's best-selling Water Bank range as well - I don't know, it just conjures images of waterfalls drenching my poor parched face, lol. After my fantastic experience with the Water Sleeping Mask* (reviewed here), I wanted to see if the Laneige Water Bank Serum* ($35 for 60ml at Target) would live up to my high expectations; read on to find out my thoughts!
Similarly to the Sleeping Mask, the Water Bank Serum comes in a pretty cardboard box coveniently printed with an ingredients' list, and the bottle itself is hefty glass with a pump dispenser and a plastic cap. While glass packaging may not be the most travel-friendly, I really like the look of this serum in my medicine cabinet - it may have something to do with my penchant for this bright shade of blue :)
The consistency of this serum is somewhere between a lotion and a gel - it's definitely not too liquidy, which makes it easier to spread the product on the skin without losing half of it between your fingers. The product has a similar floral scent to the Sleeping Mask; it can smell a bit perfumey upon application, but I find that it dissipates quickly on the skin.
Remembering the beautifully lightweight texture of the Water Sleeping Mask, I expected the Water Bank Serum to be completely absorbed into the skin within seconds without any product feel. Both products contain similar ingredients: glycerin, mineral salts, willow bark extract, but in addition, the serum also features meadowfoam seed oil. And while the serum still soaks into my combination skin easily, it's a bit more emollient and slightly tacky on the face after application. It doesn't bother me nor did I find it to be an issue when applying other skincare or foundation over the top, but you do get a feeling of a nourishing layer on the face, and it leaves the skin looking a bit dewy.
As for my results, I do think that the Laneige Water Bank Serum hydrates my face effectively. As soon as I smooth two pumps of it on, my face feels soothed, refreshed, plump and happy. I have noticed a decrease in dehydration lines on my forehead and around my mouth. I don't get any irritation or redness after application; quite the opposite, my face has been looking a lot more even lately. I also haven't noticed any congestion or breakouts since I started using the serum.
I don't know if I'm as impressed with the Water Bank Serum as I was with the Water Sleeping Mask, but that's definitely not because the serum doesn't perform well - it's a good hydrating product for the price, so if you're in the market for a simple, no-fuss hydrator, you can't go wrong here. If you're very oily, I think you may not appreciate the glowy finish of this serum, and I unfortunately can't vouch if it would be enough for the driest of skins, especially considering that it's a product meant to be layered with an emulsion and a moisturizer (I have kept the rest of my routine as is during the product testing to be able to judge it on its own). Which serum do you currently use? What is your favorite hydrating skincare range?
Disclaimer: Products marked with an asterix (*) are press samples I received from the brand's PR for review consideration. All links are non-affiliate. All opinions are 100% honest and unbiased, no matter if the products featured were purchased with my own monies or provided as free press samples. Thank you for reading!
Similarly to the Sleeping Mask, the Water Bank Serum comes in a pretty cardboard box coveniently printed with an ingredients' list, and the bottle itself is hefty glass with a pump dispenser and a plastic cap. While glass packaging may not be the most travel-friendly, I really like the look of this serum in my medicine cabinet - it may have something to do with my penchant for this bright shade of blue :)
The consistency of this serum is somewhere between a lotion and a gel - it's definitely not too liquidy, which makes it easier to spread the product on the skin without losing half of it between your fingers. The product has a similar floral scent to the Sleeping Mask; it can smell a bit perfumey upon application, but I find that it dissipates quickly on the skin.
Remembering the beautifully lightweight texture of the Water Sleeping Mask, I expected the Water Bank Serum to be completely absorbed into the skin within seconds without any product feel. Both products contain similar ingredients: glycerin, mineral salts, willow bark extract, but in addition, the serum also features meadowfoam seed oil. And while the serum still soaks into my combination skin easily, it's a bit more emollient and slightly tacky on the face after application. It doesn't bother me nor did I find it to be an issue when applying other skincare or foundation over the top, but you do get a feeling of a nourishing layer on the face, and it leaves the skin looking a bit dewy.
As for my results, I do think that the Laneige Water Bank Serum hydrates my face effectively. As soon as I smooth two pumps of it on, my face feels soothed, refreshed, plump and happy. I have noticed a decrease in dehydration lines on my forehead and around my mouth. I don't get any irritation or redness after application; quite the opposite, my face has been looking a lot more even lately. I also haven't noticed any congestion or breakouts since I started using the serum.
I don't know if I'm as impressed with the Water Bank Serum as I was with the Water Sleeping Mask, but that's definitely not because the serum doesn't perform well - it's a good hydrating product for the price, so if you're in the market for a simple, no-fuss hydrator, you can't go wrong here. If you're very oily, I think you may not appreciate the glowy finish of this serum, and I unfortunately can't vouch if it would be enough for the driest of skins, especially considering that it's a product meant to be layered with an emulsion and a moisturizer (I have kept the rest of my routine as is during the product testing to be able to judge it on its own). Which serum do you currently use? What is your favorite hydrating skincare range?
Disclaimer: Products marked with an asterix (*) are press samples I received from the brand's PR for review consideration. All links are non-affiliate. All opinions are 100% honest and unbiased, no matter if the products featured were purchased with my own monies or provided as free press samples. Thank you for reading!
Labels:
Asian Beauty,
Dry & Dehydrated Skin,
High-End,
Reviews,
Skincare
Wednesday, July 1, 2015
Project Use Up Those Freakin' Samples: Favorites & Finale
It's the end of my Project Use Up Those Freakin' Samples! Frankly speaking, I'm not only excited to share my progress and final empties' counts with you, but I'm also stoked to at least temporarily get rid of the little foil packets that have been littering my bedside table, vanity, bathroom sink, shower and medicine cabinet for the past two months.
Anyway, here's my progress update for June!
Deluxe samples: 10
I did just a bit better on my minis this month compared to May, and overall I'm seeing a good progress in minimizing my collection of deluxe samples. Previously, I had them stashed away in at least two different spots, but thanks to my Project, I was able to combine them together in one box for easy access (I shared a photo of it on Instagram, so follow me if you haven't already!).
Foil packets: 39
Yay, that's 10 more than last month! I actually thought I was going to have less this month because I slacked a little at the beginning of June, but I really pulled through at the end. These samples come from a lot of different categories: bodycare, haircare, skincare, even make-up (a couple primers and liquid highlighters). I still have a few stragglers that aren't completely empty yet, so expect to see them in my regular empties round-up.
Purged (expired & not interested in trying): 7
By challenging myself to use my samples, I've also realized that I have been hanging on to samples that are either already expired (farewell, REN Glycolactic Radiance Peel - it's in the deluxe sample group shot by error), I'm not interested in trying, or have tried in the past and disliked (the Eve Lom Rescue Mask is too harsh for my skin as it contains both alcohol and camphor, while the immensely popular GlamGlow Youthmud contains polluting polyethylene microbeads - who knew, right? I only realized after having already used one packet, and I thought the performance was nothing to write home about either).
As for my sample favorites, I haven't really discovered anything absolutely mindblowing that I need to run out and purchase right away (thank God! Like I need any more products...), but I would consider buying the Aesop Parsley Seed Cleansing Masque and the Tata Harper Purifying Cleanser in the future; they're both quite pricey, but still in my budget. While I did really enjoy my sample of the glycolic-heavy Murad Active Radiance Serum, at $90, I consider it to be too expensive for an exfoliating treatment. The belief Peat Miracle Revival Eye Cream was fantastic to wear under concealer during the day, the Maison Martin Margiela REPLICA EDT in Beach Walk smelled lovely but was rather short-lived, and speaking of fragrance, I always enjoy the bergamot-scented Living Proof line; while I wouldn't repurchase Prime Style Extender necessarily, I have my beady eye on the Full Thickening Cream.
Overall, over the course of this 2-month Project, I used up 68 foil sachets, 19 minis, and tossed 6 sachets and 1 deluxe sample: that's 94 altogether. I think that's a lot, and I'm very happy to have these samples out of my posession. You may think that with so many samples gone, I don't have any left in my stash, but that's not the case at all; even though I was able to consolidate my sample organization and free up some space, I still have a lot of samples left to get through. Which is why I've decided to now aim at finishing at least 5 samples a month - that sounds doable, right? In July, this should be especially easy for me, as we're headed out of town for the extended 4th of July weekend and I'm intending to take quite a few sachets with me.
This challenge also made me realize how long it takes to use up certain samples: as an example, most of my deluxe minis of eye cream contain 4-5 ml of product, but then a foil sample of the belief Peat Miracle eye cream contained 4ml as well, and lasted me over 3 weeks. Most haircare samples contain between 7 to 10 ml of product; for a hair oil for example, that can constitute up to 1/3 of the full-size bottle. So if you take into consideration those little samples in your stash, it may turn out that yes, you do have a back-up of a serum/ face mask/ hair styling product waiting to be used before needing to purchase a replacement. I'm intending to try and treat all of my samples as an integral part of my stash from now on, and going back to that eye cream example, while I currently don't own any full-sized eye creams, I will not buy another one before most of my deluxe and foil samples of eye cream are done.
I hope this was interesting and maybe inspired you to reach for your samples on a more regular basis; thanks to Emma and Vita for joining in on the fun on Instagram, you guys are the best! If you're still working on your samples, please tag me with #useupthosefreakinsamples, I'd love to see your progress. Thank you for cheering me on, and stay tuned for my new Project Pan Introduction in a couple days!
Anyway, here's my progress update for June!
Deluxe samples: 10
I did just a bit better on my minis this month compared to May, and overall I'm seeing a good progress in minimizing my collection of deluxe samples. Previously, I had them stashed away in at least two different spots, but thanks to my Project, I was able to combine them together in one box for easy access (I shared a photo of it on Instagram, so follow me if you haven't already!).
Foil packets: 39
Yay, that's 10 more than last month! I actually thought I was going to have less this month because I slacked a little at the beginning of June, but I really pulled through at the end. These samples come from a lot of different categories: bodycare, haircare, skincare, even make-up (a couple primers and liquid highlighters). I still have a few stragglers that aren't completely empty yet, so expect to see them in my regular empties round-up.
Purged (expired & not interested in trying): 7
By challenging myself to use my samples, I've also realized that I have been hanging on to samples that are either already expired (farewell, REN Glycolactic Radiance Peel - it's in the deluxe sample group shot by error), I'm not interested in trying, or have tried in the past and disliked (the Eve Lom Rescue Mask is too harsh for my skin as it contains both alcohol and camphor, while the immensely popular GlamGlow Youthmud contains polluting polyethylene microbeads - who knew, right? I only realized after having already used one packet, and I thought the performance was nothing to write home about either).
As for my sample favorites, I haven't really discovered anything absolutely mindblowing that I need to run out and purchase right away (thank God! Like I need any more products...), but I would consider buying the Aesop Parsley Seed Cleansing Masque and the Tata Harper Purifying Cleanser in the future; they're both quite pricey, but still in my budget. While I did really enjoy my sample of the glycolic-heavy Murad Active Radiance Serum, at $90, I consider it to be too expensive for an exfoliating treatment. The belief Peat Miracle Revival Eye Cream was fantastic to wear under concealer during the day, the Maison Martin Margiela REPLICA EDT in Beach Walk smelled lovely but was rather short-lived, and speaking of fragrance, I always enjoy the bergamot-scented Living Proof line; while I wouldn't repurchase Prime Style Extender necessarily, I have my beady eye on the Full Thickening Cream.
Overall, over the course of this 2-month Project, I used up 68 foil sachets, 19 minis, and tossed 6 sachets and 1 deluxe sample: that's 94 altogether. I think that's a lot, and I'm very happy to have these samples out of my posession. You may think that with so many samples gone, I don't have any left in my stash, but that's not the case at all; even though I was able to consolidate my sample organization and free up some space, I still have a lot of samples left to get through. Which is why I've decided to now aim at finishing at least 5 samples a month - that sounds doable, right? In July, this should be especially easy for me, as we're headed out of town for the extended 4th of July weekend and I'm intending to take quite a few sachets with me.
This challenge also made me realize how long it takes to use up certain samples: as an example, most of my deluxe minis of eye cream contain 4-5 ml of product, but then a foil sample of the belief Peat Miracle eye cream contained 4ml as well, and lasted me over 3 weeks. Most haircare samples contain between 7 to 10 ml of product; for a hair oil for example, that can constitute up to 1/3 of the full-size bottle. So if you take into consideration those little samples in your stash, it may turn out that yes, you do have a back-up of a serum/ face mask/ hair styling product waiting to be used before needing to purchase a replacement. I'm intending to try and treat all of my samples as an integral part of my stash from now on, and going back to that eye cream example, while I currently don't own any full-sized eye creams, I will not buy another one before most of my deluxe and foil samples of eye cream are done.
I hope this was interesting and maybe inspired you to reach for your samples on a more regular basis; thanks to Emma and Vita for joining in on the fun on Instagram, you guys are the best! If you're still working on your samples, please tag me with #useupthosefreakinsamples, I'd love to see your progress. Thank you for cheering me on, and stay tuned for my new Project Pan Introduction in a couple days!
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