affordable

The Beauty Bargain: The Revlon Colorburst Lacquer Balms

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This might be surprising but as far as I’m aware, I haven’t given the Revlon Colorburst Lacquer Balms ($9-10) the credit (through rambling form, of course) that they deserve; I mean I’ve mentioned before that I love them but they really are among the best of the best formulas in my opinion and I wear them constantly. Of all three of the Revlon lip pencils, they are easily the most moisturizing and forgiving on the lips along with having the most subtle mint-induced tingly sensation on the lips that can irritate some. The formula of these strikes me as a slightly amped-up version of the MAC Lustre’s in pigment with the same general characteristics — buildable pigmentation, actual hydrating quality on the lips and forgiving texture. The darker shades of the Revlon offering might have more longevity than the MAC options as well and they tend to be much more pigmented to boot! The brighter/deeper shades that I have do tend to stain the lips slightly and wear for a good 4-5 hours through some light drinking but nothing too strenuous the lighter shade that I have wears more at the 3-4 hour range but this doesn’t bother me as these lip products are so low-maintenance and fuss-free.

Others seem to complain about the visible shimmer/glitter found in these shades, especially as the colour of the product wears off, but I only notice the flecks in my lightest shade, 105 Demure, and even then I don’t find the flecks to be overly noticeable or problematic. Being one of the paler shades in the lineup, this one has the least pigmentation — beginning with sheer payoff but buildable to medium opacity — but at the same time it’s one of those foolproof natural-looking hues. It reminds me a great deal of my lipstick love, MAC Patisserie, but it has slightly more pink in it and a bit less brown but it doesn’t lean pink in the slightest, allowing those like me who cannot pull of pink usually to wear it in a flattering way.

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120 Vivacious is a stunning punchy fuschia shade with some corally undertones to it but in all honesty I wear it the least because it’s such a statement lip on me – It pulls bolder than Ruby Woo on me! — but it is a stunning one and doesn’t resemble a cool-toned pink in the slightest. Along with the next shade, there is no sheerness to the opacity in this one by any means – without compromising its balmy texture, the lip crayon gives off vibrant payoff.

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150 Enticing is easily the shade I’ve talked the most about as it was the one that was my gateway into the formula and I’ve had it since last year and this isn’t just by chance; it’s a neutral-toned deep red that seems to suit my colouring to a t. Because it’s a deeper hue, it doesn’t have the same dramatic punch that brighter shades do without stepping into vampy kind of territory and it seems to be that effortless dark lip. It’s certainly more of a Fall/Winter kind of shade but I’m known to wear it throughout other seasons…

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Have you tried any of these – what were your thoughts?
Maggie, x.

 

Garnier Clean+ Nourishing Cleansing Oil

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I’m fairly – no scratch that – undoubtably certain that I began my last skincare review post here with the admission that I’m hesitant to write reviews on skincare products especially before months and months of use as it can be difficult to ascertain the effects over such a short period of time and skincare can be such a subjective thing but I’m compelled to do so again. Regardless, here I am giving a more detailed account of my thoughts on Garnier’s newly-released cleansing oil offering:

Ingredients: Mineral Oil, Zea,Mays/Corn Germ Oil, Polysorbate 85, Carthamus Tinctorius,Oil/Safflower Seed Oil, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate,,Sorbitan Trioleate, Simmondsia Chinensis Oil/Jojoba Seed,Oil, Glycerin, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Squalane,,Parfum/Fragrance, Water, Propylene Glycol, Tocopherol, Linalool, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl,Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Hexyl Cinnamal, Isopropyl, Myristate, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Alpha-Isomethyl, Ionone, Imperata Cylindrica Root Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Carbomer, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

The product is actually formally/technically called the Garnier Clean + Nourishing Cleansing Oil and in my experience at least, it seems to retail for $10-12 in Canada and for a few less dollars in the US and contains 125 mLs of product. It is marketed to instantly dissolve impurities and long-wear makeup and impurities whilst replenishing the skin’s moisture balance with the macadamia and jojoba oils and all insignificant marketing details aside, I agree that it achieves on the claims. Although the formula does contain some fragrance, it removes every little last bit of makeup on my face without irritating my skin in the slightest and instead soothing it. When this is massaged into my dry skin with my fingertips, later emulsified with water and removed gently with a damp washcloth, my skin does not require a second cleanse and is left already calmed and hydrated once removed – I wouldn’t say that this is a residue of sorts as it doesn’t feel heavy on the skin or anything of that sort and it does not clog in the slightest but I supposed the moisture and nourishment left behind could be a bother to someone with an oilier skin type and then i would be prudent to follow up with an additional cleanser to remove the residue. However, the main ingredient in this cleansing oil is mineral oil, so don’t assume otherwise because the other oils are discussed in their claims; mineral oil is said to make some break out but it is generally classified as non-comedogenic and removes makeup gently and effectively, avoiding irritation. Since using this nightly to remove makeup, I can say that my skin is less irritated and that it has not caused any sort of adverse reaction in my easily-irritated skin. Also, it is gentle enough to remove eye makeup without stinging my sensitive eyes but it does blur my vision so I opt for Bioderma and just use this on my face.

There is definite room for improvement with the whole packaging situation at hand. The packaging leaks like nothing else which is extremely inconvenient even when it remains in the bathroom, as oil can kind of gather around the container in notable quantities over time. Presumably in part due to mineral oil in the formula, the product has a really runny consistency that can easily slip out of your hands and into the drain if you’re not careful. All in all, this is an excellent cleanser for those of us on the drier end of the spectrum and while it’s not ‘holy grail‘ for me, it has turned into a nice staple especially at its price-point. The bottom line: This cleansing oil is nourishing, removes makeup like a dream whilst soothing the skin effectively.

What cleansing oils have you tried and what are your thoughts on them?

Maggie, x.

 

 

 

The Bold Lip Strikes Again: Playing With New Products

the mess that is my desk
the mess that is my desk

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Being a Canadian, I have always lusted over the beauty that is Target and finally we got one (and two more on the way) and I couldn’t resist picking up some goodies. Of course, I couldn’t wait to try them myself and therefore this look happened – not very time consuming (maybe it took five minutes) and probably more than anyone ever needs on a lazy Saturday.

Face: MUFE HD Foundation in 115, Rimmel Match Perfection in 010 Ivory, Sonia Kashuk Undetectable Cream Bronzer in 41 Warm Tan 
Eyes: Nyx HD Eye Shadow Base, Maybelline Eyestudio Quad in Fall Temptation, Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal in 003 Brown, Maybelline One By One Mascara in Black, Urban Decay Naked Palette – shades Buck and Naked (through brows and not shown)
Lips: Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Lipstick in 107
 
Make Up For Ever HD Foundation
This foundation is a longtime favourite of mine (I’ve had this bottle for about eighteen months and have used it many many times, however I picked this product up before my realization that although I suffer from redness on my face, my undertones are more yellow so the shade is a bit pink for me (and slightly pale… but irrelevant). It is a medium-full coverage foundation with phenomenal longevity and a satin finish. It’s a nice albeit expensive foundation.Sonia Kashuk Undetectable Cream Bronzer

This is the first time I used this product and I was impressed. I always have wanted to try the Chanel Bronze Universalle as I thought it would be nice and glowy on my perpetually dehydrated skin and I tried this as an alternative. I picked the lighter shade of the two (warm tan), which is a warm light-medium bronze without shimmer with true terracotta undertones – it does have a bit of orange in it. I believe the darker shade is notably darker and slightly less orange but i don’t have a huge problem with it. I just would not recommend ever using it as a contour and those with fair skin such as myself do have to be careful with it but I really appreciated how it seamlessly blended with my skin, adding warmth. I might be slightly wary of this shade if I was a cool-undertoned fair person but I think they could wear it with caution.

Rimmel Kate Moss Lipstick in 107

This was the second product resulting from my target shopping trip and was equally as impressive as the bronzer. The last thing in the world I needed was another red/berry lipstick but after hearing such great things about this one I couldn’t resist. It’s an opaque, matte-but-not-particularly-drying dark red berry and is cooler in tone. It smells suspiciouslly like the candies called Nerds that I recall enthusiastically from my childhood. It’s a dark shade that can be worn without looking too over the top and I will definitely wear this to classes and such.

Maybelline Fall Temptation Quad

This is a fairly recent purchase and I’m very impressed. It’s a limited edition quad that actually contains a high-quality matte shadow. They are creamy and relatively pigmented. The four shades are a shimmery cooler-toned pale gold, a light orange-y gold with some shimmer running through it, a medium chocolate shimmery shade and a cool dark brown that is completely matte but smooth and pigmented. I expect to have a review with swatches up on this soon as its impressed me so much.

Rimmel Match Perfection Concealer

This is the third product I bought yesterday from Target, although I can’t give it a definite review slash opinion as its a face product and my opinion on those takes time. It’s supposed to be a highlighting concealer that is designed for use underneath the eyes and the applicator is a pen. I found it brightened and covered well but I’ll have to get back to you on my true thoughts of it.