review

The Review: NYX Butter Lipstick in Licorice

DSC_0202DSC_0206DSC_0210Beauty-wise, one of my greatest irritations of living in Canada is just how long it can take for drugstore products to emerge here after they have come to the US and Nyx is perhaps the worst drugstore brand for this in my experience – I’m not even getting into the ridiculous price inflation between here and the States. After checking my local drugstores that sell Nyx and Target ever since these creamy lipsticks were launched in January of last year, I finally spotted them right before Christmas at my Target and I couldn’t resist picking up the NYX Butter Lipstick in Licorice ($8.99 CDN), the darkest shade in the range. It’s definitely a vampy shade, leaning on the bordeaux side of things, a blackened berry sort of shade with a bit of red to it that makes it easier for me to wear than more plum-based shades.

As the formula promises, the lipstick is (somewhat) hydrating with a creamy texture and a satin or cream finish; the texture is lightweight, the pigment is impressively opaque and I would agree with the claim that it is longwearing. However, because this lipstick is so creamy, it has to remain on the lips without eating or drinking for a while to set on the lips, or it will just rub off because of their texture – after that, it will stain the lips and last through some eating and drinking for five hours or so. As a word of caution, I’m not certain that this formula would be long-wearing or as pigmented in a paler shade, especially considering that I’ve heard mixed things about the lighter shades in the line. In this colour, Licorice, though I feel confident to say that the lipstick reminds me of MAC Amplified Creme lipsticks in the best possible way. The formula is flattering and suitable to wear even on chapped lips with some drier patches going on and it feels pleasingly balmy on the lips.

There’s no way of getting around the truth that this is quite the bold statement colour, but I will emphasize that it’s not the most frightening of these vampy options and that my favourite way to wear this shade is in the daytime with a lower key outfit and subdued makeup rather than in the evening as a general rule. It’s lovely for nights out and all that jazz, though – I just tend to be too messy of an eater for most lipsticks to have a chance to last if there’s any sort of food available…

DSC_1392Have you tried any of the NYX Butter Lipsticks?
Maggie, x.

The Review: Becca Beach Tint Shimmer Souffle in Raspberry/Opal

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Being the blush lover and hoarder that I am, I was ecstatic to take advantage of November’s ‘Sephora VIB Sale‘ to pick up two blushes that I had been lusting after for months with the discounted price as justification. Now, I’ve been using both blushes a great deal and have been loving both tremendously – spoiler alert – so its about due time to get off my ass and start writing detailed posts on the loved products. The Becca Beach Tint Shimmer Souffle in Raspberry/Opal ($33) is a whipped texture cream blush that has the easiest texture to work with out of any cream-textured blush that I’ve ever tried, blending expertly into the skin with a dab of the fingers. The blush is housed into a compact silver pot but surprisingly does contain 0.20 ounces of product, which is a nice amount.

The basic premise of this range of blushes is that they combine their Beach Tints with their famous Shimmering Skin Perfectors within the mousse product, in a way that is very reminiscent of Hourglass’s aims with their Ambient Lighting Blushes, but instead of re-creating ideal lighting conditions the shades, these pots add more obvious glow, being swirled with a more overt highlighter than Hourglass’s counterparts. More specifically, Becca markets these souffle blushes as the fusion of four different textures, “a powder to add a pop of colour, a stain to give staying power, an illuminating highlighter and a cream for a flawless finish” intended to provide flattering buildable colour with a youthful glow and soothing hydration. I would agree with these claims even though they are, as expected slightly hyberbolic. Without having any obvious shimmer in the pot, – contrary to how the flash picture below might suggest – the muted berry shade offers the most intense natural luminosity to the skin that actually does replace the need for highlighter with its champagne glow that it adds. Although I would agree with the longevity of the formula, this shade at least, begins rather sheer – which makes for a much more foolproof application – but can be built up in the nicest way. Believe it or not, I might actually find these nice and hydrating and not irritating in the least, along with being flattering on those unsightly dry patches that I’m prone to at this time of the year.

Despite how the online images seem to suggest that the Raspberry/Opal is one of the bolder offerings of the line, the warm-toned muted berry is nothing to fear even with those of fair complexions so I wouldn’t be frightened of the colour if you are on the fence. I would say that they wear for around eight hours before beginning to fade but again, I have easy skin for face products to stick to. I’m definitely interested in trying another shade in the line but I think I’m even more impressed by the glow-factor of this product and therefore am most tempted by the allure of Becca’s famous Shimmering Skin Perfectors. In a nutshell, I love the glow and ease of this blush, along with how flattering and unique the muted berry tone is across the board.

DSC_0192Recently Updated49I would appreciate it if you would ignore the random flashed-induced shine patch to the right above my eyebrow – seriously, it is irritating me beyond words. Have you tried anything from Becca?
Maggie, x.

The Essential: La Roche-Posay Lipikar Baume AP

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I do apologize for bombarding you with posts featuring the La Roche-Posay Lipikar Baume AP Anti-Irritation Anti-Scratching Lipid-Replenishing Body Balm ($29.99/39.99) with this raving review after featuring it in my recent empties post but it’s due time that I share my intense love for this product in due detail. This is likely going to sound oxymoronic, however, the amazing thing about this body moisturizer is that while it doesn’t perform instant miracles, the ingredients are backed and the product as a whole does what it says; there’s no sort of ridiculous marketing gimmick. As the lengthy descriptive title would suggest, it’s supposed to provide anti-scratching relief to dry skin for 24 hours by replenishing lipids while having a fast-absorbing and rich creamy texture. I don’t agree that the intense relief after merely applying it once, but otherwise I do agree with the claims, as it presumably helps to stop the cycle of itchy skin through rebuilding the moisture barrier and it does certainly replenish and soothe severely, dry itchy skin. My only warning with the soothing thing is that it can really sting when applied over skin that you have already scratched and irritated because of the nature of applying cream on such skin but on the positive side, it’s a powerful way of trying to reduce the amount I scratch my eczema – knowing that I’m going to apply this cream later works as motivation. It should be noted that the soothing and anti-itching situation comes around over time and does not instantly remove all urges to itch ever – the itchiness becomes reduced over time.

Although this is a drugstore product, it’s not exactly the cheapest product but I think it’s certainly worth the extra few dollars because of the impressive ingredient list. It might seems no-frills at first glance, filled with basic emollients and nothing interesting like irritating alcohol or fragrance, but this is something that I look for. The nice concentration of Glycerin and Shea Butter is nice but the quantity of the antioxidant known as Niacinamide that has been proven to help tremendously in restoring the barrier that leads to irritation like eczema and serves as an anti-irritant. For my eczema at least, I’ve become dependent on this cream for nourishing the skin in typical moisturizer fashion as well as helping to treat the condition.

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Have you tried anything from La Roche-Posay?
Maggie, x.

The Review: Caudalie Vinosource Riche Intense Moisture Rescue Cream

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I didn’t think that last year’s discovery, the Caudalie Vinosource Moisturizing Sorbet could be beat, with its intense hydration packed within a lightweight base, gentleness and soothing ability. However, I couldn’t be more pleased to be wrong, finding its big sister product, the Caudalie Vinosource Riche Intense Moisture Rescue Cream ($40) superior after trialing it for a few months. It does everything that the Sorbet does and without being heavy on the skin at all, it offers even more hydration, soothing power and actually helps to repair the skin, keeping it from that cycle of irritated dry sore skin – as it promises. Let’s get on into the details.

“This rich hydrating cream provides must-have moisture protection to repair and cure dry, dehydrated skin. Grape oil and Shea butter deeply nourish and soothe to restore the hydrolipidic layer and strengthen the skin’s moisture barrier, resulting in soft, comfortable skin.”

INGREDIENTS : AQUA (WATER), GLYCERIN*, CAPRYLIC/CAPRIC TRIGLYCERIDE*, SQUALANE*, CETEARYL ALCOHOL*, VITIS VINIFERA (GRAPE) SEED OIL*, BUTYROSPERMUM PARKII (SHEA) BUTTER EXTRACT*, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, HYDROLYZED POTATO PROTEIN*, BORAGO OFFICINALIS SEED OIL*, HYDROGENATED OLIVE OIL STEARYL ESTERS*, POTASSIUM CETYL PHOSPHATE, PANTHENOL, CETEARYL WHEAT STRAW GLYCOSIDES*, TREHALOSE, POLYMETHYL METHACRYLATE, CETEARYL GLUCOSIDE*, TOCOPHERYL ACETATE*, DIMETHICONE, CARBOMER, PARFUM (FRAGRANCE), PALMITOYL GRAPE SEED EXTRACT*, CAPRYLYL GLYCOL, POTASSIUM SORBATE, SODIUM HYDROXIDE, PENTYLENE GLYCOL, TRICAPRYLIN, TOCOPHEROL*, LINOLEIC ACID*, CASTANEA SATIVA (CHESTNUT) BARK / LEAF EXTRACT*, PISUM SATIVUM (PEA) EXTRACT*, CYCLODEXTRIN*, LINOLENIC ACID*, SODIUM CARBOXYMETHYL BETA-GLUCAN, BHT, ACRYLATES/C10-30 ALKYL ACRYLATE CROSSPOLYMER, SODIUM HYALURONATE, HEXYL CINNAMAL, LINALOOL, LIMONENE, BENZYL BENZOATE, CITRONELLOL, GERANIOL, COUMARIN. (032/119) *Origine végétale – Plant origin

Despite how the ingredient list sounds, it’s actually a rather impressive one despite the somewhat unfamiliar names. Plus, aside from that there’s also the fact that this not only is an amazing moisturizer but also has aspects of a treatment or serum in it too at once. The lightweight but rich cream has a soothing and gentle base, made up of glycerin, squalane and the moisturizing cetearyl alcohol. It does have a little bit of pleasant fragrance which isn’t great for the skin but it doesn’t seem to bother my sensitive skin in the slightest, thankfully. The formula’s intense soothing ability would seem to be chalked down to the heavy concentration of antioxidants coming from grape oil, (as one might expect from the brand) along with squalane. It also must be mentioned that although the moisturizer only comes in a 40 mL tube, it actually is ridiculously concentrated and should last a good while in comparison to others.

Can you tell that I recommend this moisturizer? I think its suited to anyone with normal to drier skin and anyone on the combination to slightly oilier side might enjoy the lighter sorbet. It might just be holy grail material.
What’s your favourite moisturizer?
Maggie, x.

Another Round of Stash Shopping

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I’m fortunate enough to have a great deal more makeup than any ‘normal’ human being found outside of this obsession would deem justifiably normal, however it’s not like I have a dresser full like many others seem to. Lately my general daily makeup organization has gotten out of control and I’ve had no choice but to go through an impose some organization and I’ve rediscovered some neglected beauties that I’ve been excited to add back into the rotation. Plus, I kind of want to minimize extraneous beauty-related spending as much as possible and this seems to be my ticket.

Sonia Kashuk Undetectable Crème Bronzer in Rich Bronze ($10.99)

I remember picking this one up earlier this summer after really enjoying the lighter-toned Warm Tan shade for months previously but I know that I had cast the cream formulations aside during the time that I was suffering from stubborn breakouts along my cheeks that just wouldn’t leave me alone and I had just completely forgotten about it months since. About ten days ago, I randomly picked this darker but still warm-toned shade and have been enjoying sculpting and adding warmth to my face ever since, paired with the Real Techniques Contour Brush.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Ethereal Glow ($41)

Considering how I constantly waxed poetically on my love for this pale cooler-toned pink blush for the good four months after I bought it (more than) consistently, it seems outlandish that I could ever include this in a rediscovered products post – that would require me to stop using it, after all – but in my recent state of frightening makeup disorganization and rushing to the nth degree in the morning constantly, I had neglected this beauty. It’s so light and cool-toned that it appears deceptively light and chalky and even swatches slightly that way but somehow it translates onto the face with buildable pigment that reads as an angelic soft-focus flushed effect that’s especially stunning on fairer skin. I may or may not have another shade of the expensive blush line on the way, courtesy of the Sephora VIB Sale. I don’t regret it, at all.

Benefit Girl Meets Pearl ($36)

As obsessed as I am with getting that glow, highlighter tends to be an afterthought in the makeup routine, often neglected completely or thrown on haphazardly in the last few seconds remaining and the cream offerings tend to be completely neglected because I don’t want to think about using cream-powder interaction. However, I’m rather sad that I neglected this gorgeous and easy-to-use pale salmon-tinged pink offering that has the prettiest subtle golden duochrome to it. It’s cream but somehow easier to use than most of its texture.

Annabelle Lip Liner in Demure ($5.95)

This is one of those beauty bargains that I really got my mileage out of this summer and lead-up to Fall but then came my laziness, my obsession with much bolder lipsticks and the great makeup organization catastrophe – with my reorganization, I was more than pleased to spot this again and remember its existence. It might sound boring but this warm-toned dusty brown-tinged neutral pink liner works perfectly with my lips and my most neutral of offerings, adding longevity and a little bit of polish – with minimal effort or time involved, of course.

MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pot in Layin’ Low ($25)

I’m no stranger to the concept of the MAC Paint Pot and I’ve been a fan for numerous years but after discovering my favourite NARS primer this August, I had kind of cast these coloured cream bases aside for the most part, only reaching for the occasional more exciting hued Maybelline offerings. However, I forgot just how nice, gorgeous and most of all creamy (even after six or seven months) that this medium-toned warm brown matte shade is in recent months until I couldn’t find any other sort of base the other morning and dug this one out. It might be basic but it’s beautiful and requires extremely minimal effort.

DSC_1219From the top: Hourglass Ethereal Glow, Benefit Girl Meets Pearl, Sonia Kashuk Rich Bronze, Annabelle Demure, MAC Layin’ Low

Have you ‘shopped your stash’ lately? If so, what were your finds?
Maggie, x.

 

The Review: Beyond The Zone Noodle Head Curl Boosting Spray

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I really had the intent of putting up this post yesterday as my third one of the school-week (as promised) but that whole essay that I had to finish had gotten in the way and I had the rare blessing to have an actual nice well-needed nap and it was definitely put out of the question. Alas, here I come providing you all with a review of a product of the hair variety, significantly less sleep-deprived than I have been in ages.

I’m not fortunate enough to have hair that will hold its intended shape during the day, let alone after a night of sleeping on it but I’m not one to wash my hair any more than twice a week, therefore I’m looking for something to refresh my hair daily after it’s been slept on and this product that I picked up from Sally’s Beauty Supply has fit the bill like I had hoped. The Beyond The Solution Noodle Head Curl Boosting Spray ($6.99) does what it promises, – but perhaps with a little more effort and more product used than I might prefer – acts as a styling spray to revive lifeless curls, adding bounce to natural curls without any stickiness and giving them shape and separation along with light hold, anti-frizz protection and some shine. The only problem I have with this is that I would say that it can feel stiff in the hair before it has completely dried and it requires me at least to section through my hair and spray a great deal of the product through with precision. Nevertheless, I’m a fan of the stuff and would recommend it to others with a similar hair predicament.

Ingredient-wise, I’m rather impressed with the stuff. I could do without the silicones, but at least they are of the water-soluble kind and I have to admit that they can create a nice smoothing effect onto the hair but I rather enjoy the nice concentration of protein in the ingredients list along with some oil. I should note that my wavy curls thrive with some protein but I’m aware that others do not, so I would definitely bear that in mind when considering this product. I would chalk the instant vitality that this spray adds to the hair down to the nice protein content that in my view is impressive for a product of this price, especially without being laden with drying alcohols too.

To reiterate, I’ve been enjoying using this spray to refresh my hair and keep it refreshed with the hold it provides, but there are a few drawbacks, the heaviness that it can initially leave in the hair after application, the amount of product required to refresh my hefty head of hair and its inability to add volume to the hair in the vein that texturizing sprays and dry shampoos do.

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Have you tried any products from Sally’s that you would recommend?
Maggie, x.

The Essential: Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask

DSC_1110 To sum it up rather concisely (especially when you take my wordiness into account), the hype is real everyone. The Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask ($29/100 mL) is worthy of all the buzz that you hear surrounding it but I fear that I must make one thing clear, first this has nothing to do with it being so natural and ‘good for your skin’ and ‘free of nasties’ because there may be loads of natural extracts in this, but there are a good number of potentially irritating natural extracts and fragrance but luckily my temperamental skin does not get angry in the least with this one. If you’re interested in what I mean by the potentially problematic ingredients here, I’ll direct you on over to Paula Begoun’s analysis over here.

The mask boasts being able to quench the skin’s thirst overnight to compensate for how our skin loses water constantly throughout our busy lives and is described as an “intensive moisture replacement mask with Avocado and Apricot Kernel Oil” that “deeply and instantly quenches comprised moisture reserves and builds a reservoir for tomorrow” and “Japanese Seaweed repairs skin barrier to prevent future dehydration and signs of premature aging”. While I have to scoff at the claim that is builds a reservoir of moisture and their clever use of the word ‘signs’, this mask does what it promises. It’s intensively hydrating on the skin and my skin drinks it up almost immediately after the thick textured cream that smells strongly of peaches is applied. Ingredient-wise, you’re paying for the heavy concentration of rose flower water and chamomile flower water that both act as soothing antioxidants and the high concentrations of oils in the glycerin base; it’s worth it for me. Not only does it hydrate the skin instantly, I find this to be fantastic at soothing the skin and repairing/replenishing the dry irritated patches of skin that seem to persist throughout the colder weather. When my skin is looking a little dull and feeling more than a bit dehydrated, I slap on this one after removing my makeup and cleansing my skin and so without much effort -viola- my skin looks much better when I wake up in the morning.

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My skin type is naturally sensitive and easily-irritated, with general dehydration as well as texture issues and while I can get dry patches a plenty and do always suffer with dryness, I would classify myself as someone with a normal t-zone and dry skin everywhere else. I would easily recommend this overnight mask to anyone in the drier spectrum but I also think it would be suitable on more truly combination skins as its so effective with hydrating the skin and does not feel particularly heavy or greasy.

 

Have you given this a go?
Maggie, x.

The Review | MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Cheeky Bronze

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There aren’t many things – especially when thinking distinctly of the beauty variety – that I love more than one of those glowy highlighting blush shades so when you add a bronzy coral hue to the mix I’m hopeless to resist. Enter the MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Cheeky Bronze ($37). The texture and formula of the MSFs that I love found in such a gorgeous bronzed coppery coral hue ensured that I wouldn’t be able to resist and while it’s not the most unique shade in my collection, I can’t say that I’m anything but pleased with my purchase. It has that smooth, buttery and pigmented formula that I’ve grown to love but actually has been included in MAC’s permanent collection unlike my other shades from the line and I do appreciate this and assume you would too, seeing that you would not have to battle to get a hold of such a difficult-to-find product. The shimmer is the most refined, reading on the skin in a luminous and not glittery or over-the-top fashion and despite the texture of the product, it lasts for a full day on the cheeks.

I will admit that it’s not so different from the cult-favourite Stereo Rose shade that I have this slight tendency to go on and on and on some more about, but Cheeky Bronze definitely both swatches and appears on the skin in a different manner, coming out much less pink-coral and more of a bronzed coppery coral. In terms of the drugstore spectrum, I don’t think it’s miles away from my loved Maybelline Master Highlight Hi-Lighting Bronzer in Deep Bronze, either, but it’s not identical as it sits more coral and less outwardly bronze and coppery-hued. I suppose Cheeky Bronze is a shade that sits half-way in between both shades, having that bronziness and hint of copper that dominates in the Maybelline and the coral-hint of MAC Stereo Rose.

While it’s not quite as expensive as an Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush and significantly less expensive than a blush from any of the indulgent fashion houses like Chanel, this MAC product costs a pretty penny but I’m comforted that it comes with a generous 10 grams or 0.35 ounces that keeps things economical. I’m saying that I believe that this illuminating powder is worth the price and I’d say that its versatile because it works on anyone on the medium or lighter side of the spectrum as a blush shade and on darker skins as a highlighter.

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Have you tried a MSF before?
Maggie, x.
P.S. I have not dropped off of the face of the earth…. I’ve just been without a moment to spare in this midterm season!

The Review: OGX Kukui Oil Curl Cream

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You may already be aware that I have the kind of hair that by anyone’s standards is time-consuming and difficult to deal with, even with the best of tools but despite this, I’ve been getting back into hair lately. One of the products that I’ve been enjoying the OGX Kukui Oil Frizz-Defying Curl Cream ($9-12) as when used in addition to a holding product – my choice is the DevaCare Arc AnGel – it helps my loose wavy curls become defined, hydrated and manageable without weighing down the finer front bits that need as much help as they can get. I will emphasize, however, that it’s ot a great product to add curl that was not previously there; it’s more of one that I would deem suitable for those with wavy and curly hair naturally.

I wouldn’t necessarily agree with the absurd claim that the kukui oil would give the formula hair water-proofing abilities but it does help on the frizz front and otherwise does what it promises to. As with most curl creams, silicone is a bit higher on the ingredient list than even the oil itself (but not much and it doesn’t have that heavy feeling) and is paired with a good amount of glycerin that my hair seems to rather enjoy. The texture is lightweight but creamy with a teensy bit of of gelliness to the formula, which I rather enjoy. Unlike most of the more affordable curl creams (and a few of the higher end ones) that I’ve tried, this doesn’t weigh down the hair, coating it with that heavy sensation while still helping to do all that it promises on the smoothing and defining front.

Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Polyquaternium-69, Polyacrylamide, Fragrance (Parfum), Aleurites Moluccana (Kukui) Seed Oil, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Fruit Extract, Jasminum Officinale (Jasmine) Extract, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Laureth-7, Dimethiconol, Styrene/VP Copolymer, DMDM Hydantoin, Diazolidinyl Urea, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Yellow 5 (CI 19140), Yellow 6 (CI 15985).
Have you tried this curl cream?
Maggie, x.

The Beauty Bargain |Garnier Deconstructed Texture Tease Dry Finishing Spray

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Being someone who has finer textured strands but a huge heavy mass of lengthy hair, the roots of my hair in the front really tend to fall flat and limp and in consequence I’ve become quite interested in these volumizing and texturizing sprays as of late. However I’m fairly new to the game, only previously having tried the Dove Refresh + Care Invigorating Dry Shampoo and a smaller size of the pricy Bumble & Bumble Thickening Dryspun Finish, that I loved but went through far too quickly for my taste. After this experience, I decided that I would give the Garnier Deconstructed Texture Tease Dry Finishing Spray as it was a much more affordable offering that claimed to do the same thing that the Thickening Dryspun Finish did (in the short time that I had it). While I wouldn’t say that it’s an exactly exchangeable alternative or ‘duplicate’ product, it’s a product that offers similar results but with a little bit more hold and less of that airy refreshed finish. The Garnier seems to be a mixture between the Bumble and Bumble Thickening Dryspun Finish and the Cityswept Finish, although I admit that I have not tried the latter and am merely going off of what I’ve heard from others about it; it offers that bit added hold and control of the Cityswept but with more of that dramatic lightweight but buoyant mussing and texturizing effect that the Thickening delivers. However, I must acknowledge that I’m not as much of a fan of the scent of the $7 dollar offering — although it is a nice but strong fruity scent — and that it doesn’t operate as a freshening dry shampoo-like product in the same way, although I’m loving this stuff and am finding it to be a great alternative — but I don’t have hair that needs much refreshing action. And I should add that if you’re planning on spraying this liberally onto the roots from little distance away, you’ll see some amazingly huge voluminous hair but there may be some stickiness and crunchiness that you have to deal with.

TLDR? In short, I love this as a volumizing and texturizing spray, especially for the much-easier-to-stomach price, despite its extra hold and less airy hair refreshing ability.

 Have you tried any of these dry finishing sprays?

Maggie, x.