review

The Beauty Bargain: The “True Nude” Lipstick

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Following the usual theme here at beautylitandramblings, I really intended to bring you the second post in this series much sooner than this but obviously I agonized over what product deserved to be featured next and got distracted – at least I’m honest with myself. Like future-editions-to-come, I’m talking about a product that I’ve reviewed before but I believe still deserved its own mention in this new category of affordable beauty purchases. While the Maybelline ‘The Buffs’ Colorsensational Lipstick in Blushing Beige ($9 CDN)is a little bit too pale and too much of a true nude to be one of those less-traditional nude shades with more colour to them that can be even flattering with even the most minimal makeup (a la MAC Patisserie) but nevertheless, it’s the ideal shade to pair with an authentic smoky eye for that classic vibe.

I’m sure I said this in the initial review here, but I’m mentioning how similar (yet improved) this shade is to the classic MAC Creme d’Nude yet again; it’s not quite as pale and has a much more forgiving and flattering formula on the lips but has that same strong peachy undertone that keeps things from looking ghastly or washed-out in the slightest. However, the scent is not nearly as nice as instead of that classic vanilla scent, you have to deal with that play-doh one but I don’t mind too much. The smooth formula doesn’t dry out my sensitive lips either and lasts for a good amount of time. If I were a lip-liner kind of girl (read: if I had the ideal my-lips-but-nicer shade in my possession), I would be tempted to go for it to add some definition back between the lips and the skin but it’s not completely necessary, if you ask me. And as one might expect, this warm-toned nude is not going to provide any teeth-whitening sort of favours.

P.S. I’m in shock that I managed to write this post without going overboard, actually hitting at just 300 words. I’m aware of my issues with rambling and concision…

What’s your favourite affordable drugstore lip?
Maggie, x.

 

 

Dior 5 Couleur Eyeshadow in Grege

 

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Although I will admit that I have a tendency to display fanaticism towards one product for a month or so after picking it up, declaring it to be the most essential palette, foundation, etc. in the universe, only to forget it one month or so later, moving onto another thing but my initial awestruck thoughts towards the Dior 5 Couleur Eye Shadow in Grege haven’t change since picking it up and declaring my devotion for it in the least concise manner in my May Favourites. While I know I’m far too fickle and inconsistent to declare this quint my favourite palette ever, with certainty I can say that for me it’s the best versatile small palette without question and that it’s valuable as an essential for me. It may seem rather expensive, costing $61 for five full-sized shades totaling 0.21 ounces, especially in comparison to the much-larger palettes (the Naked Palettes etc.) but in truth, a palette that is compact, housing versatile staples with no excess such as this one, containing both matte and shimmery shadows are worthwhile. I’ve come to expect fantastic quality shadows from Dior, smooth and pigmented without any sort of fallout and this palette makes good on those expectations of mine and then some. They also have the best longevity on top of that.

In a nutshell, this palette is a versatile but interesting everyday one that has the ideal mix of finishes, as said above. There’s a shimmery ivory highlighting shade, a satiny warm caramel shade that might be my favourite thing ever in the crease, a lighter pearly taupe sheeny shade, a subtly shimmery grey that leans slightly warmer than one would expect with its taupe undertones and a rich matte chocolate brown that is quite possibly the most impressive eyeshadow that I’ve ever tried. Overall the palette leans slightly warm but unlike other palettes with prominent warm tones, it’s not too far away from neutral. As I’ve said before, this palette is unbelievably versatile in the sense that it has every shade necessary to create an overall ‘eye look’ but also can be used to create a variety of different ‘looks’ by mixing up the shades. Here, I’ve shown the palette used without the grey shade but that shade is a lovely one as well. If you’re curious, the ivory is in the inner corners, the caramel was blended loosely through the crease and outer portion of the lid, the taupe was placed on the inner potion of the lid and the chocolate brown was placed and blended out in the outer corner. This might sound somewhat complicated as it makes use of four shades but it’s really quite simple, requiring little time to do while achieving the optimal effect.

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My swatch photos were all rather out of focus — I’ve yet to master the new camera in any sort of way as of yet — but I figured they would be useful nevertheless. Also, these swatches were light ones and when applied on the eye and layered they can easily be built up to full opacity, regardless of how they might appear. Now that I have this beauty in my collection, it’s unfathomable to do everyday makeup without it.

Have you tried any Dior quints?
Maggie, x.

 

The Acquisition: Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet

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Being as foundation obsessed as I am (with hoarding tendencies to match), it is rather shocking that I haven’t added a Chanel foundation to my stash until the last week but I assure you, it was merely an oversight on my part due to the fact that it isn’t sold at my usual beauty shopping spots and that I assumed that the luxurious foundations, toted by Lisa Eldridge (our makeup idol) as those new generation second-skin bases, would be a whole lot more expensive than they actually are. The Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet Smooth-Effect Makeup ($48 CDN) contains SPF 15 but neither irritates my sensitive skin or causes the dreaded flashback effect and I picked up the latest offering in the lightest shade of the beige range, ’10’ which I would say is a good match for my moderately fair skin with yellow-beige undertones year round (with the addition of some bronzer as I gain a wee bit of colour). The shade range does leave much to be desired considering that I’m by no means the fairest of the fair and they don’t exactly cater to those with deeper skintones either. And before I get onto the good (there’s a lot of good to be said, by the way), I feel compelled to mention that the formula contains potentially problematic fragrance and alcohol — although much less alcohol than its sister foundation. I have skin that becomes irritated at the drop of a hat and it doesn’t seem to be bothered by it even currently in its sensitized state.

Not that this isn’t a fabulous everyday foundation year-round, this strikes me as the perfect summer foundation, being absolutely weightless on the skin providing good oil control on my normal t-zone and somehow gliding over the dry patches (that I have plenty of at the moment courtesy of returning to using retinoids and purging). While looking almost undetectable on the skin, the foundation provides medium buildable coverage and the luminous yet velvety semi-matte finish glides over imperfections. This sounds absolutely ridiculous but the foundation ticks all of the boxes and is noteworthy for its ability to look like skin on drier complexions while being on the more matte side of things.

Although the compact black-packaged beauty gets dirty quickly, its practicality and aesthetic appeal grants it my sign of approval. As I’m sure you’ve heard before, this is the kind of foundation that is on the runnier side of things and therefore must be shaken before use and does tend to be best applied with fingers, especially considering that before long it sets to that velvety finish. I’m kind of in love, if you can’t tell already and have been reaching for this one above all others in my plentiful stash

P.S. I’m only wearing concealer underneath my eyes and on one random red spot on my forehead and there’s no powder involved here.

Have you tried the foundation?
Maggie, x.

Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation

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After the month or so that I’ve owned the Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation in 103 True Ivory ($9 CDN) and wearing it frequently, I feel confident enough to say that not only is it a foundation that is exceptionally good for being so budget-friendly but it also is a fantastic foundation in its own right. Looking for more proof? By the narrowest of margins, this was edited out of May’s favourites post but only because I had been adoring so many other fantastic products and the post was getting excessively long.

Ingredients: CYCLOOPENTASILOXANE, DICAPRLYL ETHER, WATER, ISODECANE, TALC, TRIHYDROXYSEARIN, DIMETHICONE CROSSPOLYMER, SILICA DIMETHYL SILYATE, ETHYLHEXYL METHOXYCINNIMATE, POLYGLYCERYL-3 BEESWAX, SORBITAN SESQUIOLEATE, TRIMETHYLSILICATE, KAOLIN, TRIBEHENIN, ALUMINUM STARCH OCTENYLSUCCINATE, PROPYLENE CARBONATE, PEG-10 DIMENTHICONE, CAPRYLYL GLYCOL, POLYPROPYLENE, PHENOXYETHANOL, METHYL METHACRYLATE CROSSPOLYMER, SODIUM CHLORIDE, DIMETHICONOL, LAURETH-4, BHT, TOCOPHEROL

The packaging of the product describes the foundation with the following description: “Feather-light, liquid mousse blends flawlessly for natural-looking all day shine control… [s]ilky smooth formula leaves a perfectly matte, baby-soft finish… [l]ightweight texture won’t feel heavy or greasy”. While some of its claims correspond in a spot-on fashion to how the foundation applies in my experience, I wouldn’t describe this as a foundation that controls oil effectively. I’m someone on the drier and more dehydrated side of things with maybe a normal t-zone at this time of year and I find that regardless of whether I powder this foundation or not, it develops some shine — nothing ridiculously greasy-looking or anything — after three hours which is on par with how well glowier foundations control a wee bit of oil coming through on the forehead and such. All of the other claims are spot on and although it’s not advertised as such, this is a fantastic high coverage formula on drier skins as it actually doesn’t highlight dry patches in the slightest. The texture is a mousse and therefore sheers out into what appears to be merely perfected skin unlike other cream foundations without compromising on the coverage front, providing skin with buildable medium-to-full coverage that looks like skin. I’ve kind of mentioned it in previous posts but I’ll be more overt about it this time, I’m convinced that this is the more affordable and better alternative to Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation as it does the same thing but feels more lightweight on the skin and sits upon it in a much more natural way, especially for those of us who are more normal to dry. The only difference for me is that the Rimmel offering is a touch less radiant, instead providing a flattering semi-matte finish that glides over any texture-issues in the skin without leaving it dull and flat. Like the Laura Mercier offering, it wears a long time on the skin – (I showered with this on and it survived) – but will develop some shine during that time and unfortunately does tend to transfer.

The fragrance-free formula is a silicone-based one and lays more on the moisturizing side of things than not and doesn’t irritate my skin in the slightest. It doesn’t contain spf either and as you would expect, this foundation photographs fantastically, leaving the skin looking perfected but still with some subtle inner glow. I’ve worn this in extremely hot weather (with a separate sunscreen underneath) and although it does hold up impressively well, you can start to feel it on the skin in comparison to super-light foundations such as my new acquisition, the Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet.

As I’ve said before, foundation sticks to my skin like glue so I tend to get insanely long wear out of most foundations but if you’re interested I would put this in the 12 hour category and add that unless you’re submerging your face into water it will remain intact – in other words, it seems to me to be water resistant. The lasting power of this one is fantastic but it doesn’t control oil particularly well like say MUFE Mat Velvet + would so it may require some powdering or oil-control products in the heat if you are oilier complected but I woudn’t skip this offering altogether if you are plagued.

As mentioned above, I wear the shade 103 True Ivory, which appears to be the fourth lightest shade in the range of eight that the foundation offers – however, most places only seem to stock 5-6 shades at any given time around here, the darker shades generally found in Shoppers and the lightest shade only to be found at Walmart and such around here. This shade matches me without any sort of tan (artificial or natural) but works with a bit of colour too but I’m fortunate with this shade range considering my moderately fair skintone. This foundation actually comes in a truly fair Light Porcelain shade so unless you’re absolutely porcelain-complected, you should be able to find a match, however those who have darker than a medium-toned skintone most likely wont be so fortunate. If you’re curious, I found the Ivory shade to be rather pink in comparison to its counterpart in my staple Wake Me Up so I went to the next shade that instead featured beige undertones.

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From returning to using my tretenoin-antibiotic gel for nearing three weeks, my skin isn’t at its clearest with the purging still evident on my visage, as you can probably tell from the before picture FYI but I still wanted to include the makeup-free image for comparison. Also, if you’re wondering why I look a little different, I’ve foregone the eye makeup in light of the little bump I had on my inner rim that’s almost gone – not to worry anyone, they’re harmless and I’m prone to them. And I’ve applied the foundation with the Real Techniques Buffing Brush, going for a light good medium coverage layer all over and building it up on the lower cheek that’s quite scarred and on my red chin. I haven’t applied any concealer anywhere other than underneath my eyes and no powder either.

And finally the flash photo:

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Have you tried this foundation? What did you think of it?

Maggie, x.

 

Everyday Essentials #2

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This is certainly not the most unique sort of post by any means — understatement of the year — but when I spot posts of this variety in my daily Bloglovin feed, I tend to salivate over them, hanging onto every word so it seemed prudent to give another one a go; if all goes well this may turn into one of those regular things. Thoughts?

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John Freida Frizz-Ease Dream Curls Daily Styling Spray ($11 CDN):This is more of a recent addition to the daily routine as far as these things go but since giving this another go (a few weeks back) to refresh my curls after being slept on, this has become a daily product staple. At first it seemed to be a pear-scented spray that did nothing but wet the hair but since I’ve discovered that the wet sensation dissipates after a few minutes and without drying out my hair, it adds a good deal of life and definition back to my second third and fourth day curls.

Bobbi Brown Corrector in Light to Medium Bisque ($30 CDN):Although this hasn’t received many raves from me since I discovered it in April, the pinky-toned creamy concealer has remained a firm love of mine. Without needing to be topped up with a more neutral concealer, the creamy-textured corrector neutralizes my dark circles like a champ, all without looking or feeling heavy on the skin.

Dior 5 Coleur Eyeshadow in Grege ($62 CDN):Although in the last month or so, this palette has proven itself as a daily compact palette that houses the shades for several versatile looks, it also lends itself extremely well to be used with other eyeshadows to provide high-quality basic shades. The caramel shade is one that I find myself constantly reaching for as a transition shade, the highlighting shade is a nice staples as is the rich matte chocolate brown. I really ought to dedicate a post to this quint soon as it’s so long overdue….

Avene High Protection Mineral Cream SPF 50 ($30 CDN): With the rapid emergence of the hot sunny days of summer in the past few weeks, sunscreen has become a must on a daily basis and considering that I’m allergic to most chemical sunscreens, I reach for this one. The cream is tinted to minimize the impact of the white-cast and hydrates my hypersensitive skin without causing any sort of reaction in the realm of irritation. By no stretch of the imagination is this greasy but I will admit that my face develops a bit more dewiness in my t-zone while wearing this but I’m satisfied with paying this price for a sunscreen that doesn’t irritate the skin with its alcohol content whilst never making the skin burn with its protection and never running into the eyes either.

MAC Eyeshadow Quad ($10 CDN) with All That Glitters, Coppering, Coquette and Sketch ($12 CDN):This self-created quad of shades houses my essentials, especially for this time of year and as usual, the quality of these shadows are fantastic and you can’t beat the versatility of creating your own palette. All That Glitters is that gorgeous peachy golden shade that has to be my favourite lid colour of all time (and most repurchased) so I can’t be without it obviously, the grey-brown Coquette remains my favourite shade for filling in my brows and it doubles as a great crease shade given its pigmentation and the workable texture, the deep plum Sketch serves its place as that almost-matte shade that adds definition to the outer corner of the eye while still being a little bit interesting and flattering and Coppering (obviously) has been a staple as of late for when I want to go for something a little more intense and warm than ATG either mixed or on its own.

L’Oreal Lineur Intense in Carbon Black ($9-10 CDN):I’m aware that I’ve raved about this affordable felt-tip liner more times than I can most likely count but its just the easiest effortless liner to use on a daily basis to create the subtle winged eyeliner in well under a minute. On top of this, the liner remains wet and pigmented for months and the felt tip remains precise. It lasts like a dream until you remove it but isn’t a hassle to remove either.

No 7 Beautiful Skin Hot Cloth Cleanser ($12 CDN):This affordable offering ticks all of the boxes as the ideal cream cleanser for me. Although it does have some fragrance, (pleasant and luxurious-smelling, if you’re curious) the cleanser not only doesn’t irritate even the sorest skin in the slightest, it removes face makeup like a dream while leaving the skin soothed and nourished. I’m not sure if I like this more than the Cleansing Balm from the same line, but at the very least it is equally as good and the pump dispenser is increasingly practical for daily use. I’m not a fan of the included muslin cloth so I don’t use it exactly as advertised.

Sonia Kashuk Undetectable Creme Bronzer in Rich Bronze ($10-11 CDN): I mentioned picking up this shade of the affordable creamy bronzer recently in my last post and ever since doing so, I haven’t been able to resist putting this one down. It has the same blendable skin-like texture and longevity as the other shade in the formula does but the darker shade has much less obviously warm (orange-y) undertones and instead lends itself well to sculpting the cheekbones along with adding a bit of bronziness; it’s a dream to contour with because you can just swipe a stripe above the hollows of your cheek and blend it out with ease.

What are some of your daily staples?

Maggie, x.

 

 

 

 

 

Spring Essentials

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As fun and entertaining as the generic full-on ‘Spring Edit’ kind of posts are to read, I decided to hold off on doing one at the beginning of spring and thought that instead I would share what my essential products were over the entire duration of Spring as these longer-term favourite products tend to be left without mention around here. So these products have most likely been rambled on here before (some more than others of course) but I thought I would share these staples regardless…

When I discovered the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Ethereal Glow ($41) in April and fell in instant love, I may have mentioned my love for it one or 224 times but considering that it hasn’t left the daily rotation stash since and I still find myself reaching for it over most of my blushes it deserved a wee bit more mention. The luminous-satin cooler-pink toned blush seems to actually kind of blur imperfections (sounds like crazytalk, huh?) while leaving the cheeks with that subdued rosy glow that seems to suit any sort of makeup combination. Considering the severity of my blush addiction, the fact that this has made its way into my top two or three blushes of all time is incredible. Who knew, a cool-pink would rise above the gorgeous corals in my books? 

Although the Diorskin Nude Skin-Glowing Makeup ($48) only made its way into the final cut of one of my monthly favourites posts, it was easily my staple foundation for Spring. With its lightweight texture and ability to blend seamlessly into the skin while offering medium coverage, the radiant satiny foundation was perfection. Unfortunately with the whole faux-tan situation, the foundation is too light for me (I have shade 11 which matches me at my palest) but prior to this it was my everyday foundation. Being radiant but not overly dewy or ‘shiny’, this fit the bill for when the weather began to warm up and my skin turned into more of a dry combination skin type, with more of a normal t-zone compared to my usual all-around dry complexion. I may have to actually pick this up in a darker shade…

Although it is a bitch to remove, especially considering that it is not a waterproof formulation, the L’Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes Excess Mascara ($9-11) appears to have replaced Maybelline The Falsies in my heart as my favourite mascara over the last few months – shock-horror. The mascara produces dramatic lashes, both in the volume and length department but the separation offered by the brush keeps the lashes looking natural and defined, away from that clumpy mess. And, the separation from the brush allows this mascara to deliver for both top and bottom lashes. This mascara makes my lashes look ‘pretty amazing’, as in I’ve been complimented in real life for my lashes numerous times while wearing this one and this was while I was wearing glasses if you’re interested.

My love for the Maybelline The Buffs Colorsensational Lipstick in Nude Lust ($9 CDN) didn’t occur overnight — in fact, it’s neutral beige-almost-shadowy undertones put me off originally but over the past few months this shade has become one of my absolute go-tos with its non-drying formula that glides over dry patches, nice longevity and comfort as well as its status as a slightly darker non-ghastly nude that doesn’t pull brown. I don’t normally go for beige undertones in nude lipsticks but this one has convinced me to change my mind on that front; this is the perfect nude that can be worn on an everyday basis, regardless of whether you’re wearing a heavy smoky eye or just minimal makeup.

In general, I’m a real failure when it comes to documenting my nail polish trials and obsessions and this is evidence of one of them. I might not have always had this on my nails but the rosy-tan hue, namely the OPI Nail Polish in Tickle My France-y ($9 CDN) that I got for Christmas in the lovely Take Ten Mini Set from one of my favourite people ever, Lauren, who lets me talk her ear off about beauty products without getting annoyed, has been on my nails the most and I’ve been happy with the way they’ve looked. The formula isn’t the longest lasting ever but it does last above average on my nails and it does take a few coats to build up but the shade isn’t streaky so I can’t complain and it is pretty much foolproof, going with everything and adding some flattering warmth to my nails. I never would have expected to like this hue as it seemed kind of dull but I have to say that this amped-up neutral shade has its merits.

I mentioned the OGX Kukui Oil Frizz-Defying Curl Cream ($9-11 CDN) before in my March Favourites for good reason but as the weather has been getting warmer, I’ve fallen a little bit more in love with the lightweight but hydrating curl cream for my loose curls as it keeps them hydrated whilst keeping them as bouncy as can be and defined. I have the kind of hair that does well with glycerin-heavy lightweight curl creams as the weather gets warmer and this one delivers on that front for a bargain with a luxurious spa-like scent to boot!

I may have only discovered the Garnier Clean + Nourishing Cleansing Oil ($9-12 CDN) at the beginning of April but it’s proved its merits, joining the nightly rotation to remove makeup. Whilst it is mineral-oil heavy, – which is not necessarily a cause for concern – the slightly messy cleansing oil removes everything in seconds without irritating the skin in the slightest (and rather nourishing and soothing the skin) and when emulsified rinses clean. It’s one of those rare affordable cleansers that removes makeup and all that jazz gently (but effectively) while keeping with that luxurious feel, leaving the skin soothed even after its removal.

I have dry skin, to state the obvious but since the weather has become warmer and such, my forehead and t-zone have began to itch closer to behaving like a more normal skin type and the lightweight and fast-absorbing REN Evercalm/Hydracalm Global Protection Day Cream ($54 CDN) has been ideal for soothing the skin and providing hydration without feeling heavy. Although this moisturizer is not necessarily holy-grail material, I think its brilliant on someone with even combination skin to hydrate and soothe without feeling heavy or promoting shininess.

What have your spring essentials been?

Maggie, x.

 

 

 

 

An Apology to Rimmel Kate Lipstick in 08

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I’m afraid that I misjudged this one — and that I shortened its name in the title for the sake of rhyme and rhythm — when I picked this one up fairly early into the new year. I had already tried the matte formulation and was impressed and I wanted to give the original formula a go; the my-lips-but-deeper hue of the Rimmel Kate Moss Lasting Finish Lipstick in 08 ($7-8 CDN)seemed like it would fit the bill. I fell in love with the formula but was disappointed with the shade as the rosy hue of the shade was dominated by its brown undertones, looking a little to ‘mature’ and brown on the lips – so despite it’s comfortable creamy texture and beyond-tolerable vanilla-fruity scent it was a bit of a failure, tossed towards the back of my drawer.

After this particular failure I kind of abandoned the whole quest of finding that neutral-albeit-slightly-deeper lip shade and convinced myself that the MAC Patisserie Lipstick and Bobbi Brown Rose Pot Rouge were as close as I was going to get but when I decided to binge-watch Tijan Serena’s videos and spotted the very same lipstick in her March Favourites, I tried again. I was having quite a ‘meh’ day so I wasn’t expecting much but I discovered that when applied with a lip-brush rather than straight from the tube, it was a flattering rosy hue that not only didn’t emphasize uneven texture on my lips and lasted ages but it didn’t have a bothersome smell or any other bothersome side effects. In other words, when the intense pigmentation is toned down with a lip brush, the strength of the brown undertones diminish, leaving the lips with a flattering rosy shade.

This might sound a bit familiar as I tried to get into this rediscovery in my Lip Product Addict post but then restrained myself somewhat – but of course I left some extraneous details in, you know me… It’s safe to say that I’ve been reaching for this one quite frequently lately and of course, the inanimate object was begging for an apology, heartbroken from it’s lack of written love from me. It’s up there for my favourite lipstick formulation at the drugstore (with the Revlon Lacquer Balms), the formulation is that fantastic and if you haven’t I’d recommend giving these a go, especially this neutral everyday kind of shade.

Have you tried either of the Rimmel Kate Moss Lipstick formulations? As I love the formula, I would kill for a shade recommendation or 394882…

Maggie, x

 

My Skincare Saviors

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Tuesday’s post covered a description of my skin and what in my experience is essential for caring for the skin so I’ll spare you the long ramble; I already shared my general advice for skincare so I thought it was about time to discuss my specific hero skincare products. I’ve already said this last post but thanks to these products in particular, my skin is the clearest it has ever been in terms of texture and brightness and is the least red as well.

Clinique Mild Clarifying Lotion ($16)
I’m a wee bit passionate about the chemical exfoliants and this is why it is completely rational – for me – to include multiple products in this category here and to be honest, I was tempted to include one more but I tried my best to narrow it down… This offering remains one of my favourites and in constant although I haven’t mentioned it as much in light of my discovery of more intensive chemical exfoliants. This offering might look just like another clarifying lotion within the Clinique 3 Step System but unlike those belonging to the system, this one does not include any irritating alcohol or anything of the sort and is not the strongest BHA, as its only 0.5 % – because of this it is a gentle acidic toner for everyday use. It did not have crazy results overnight but after consistent use, it really has helped with the overall texture and clarity of my skin. It never irritates my extremely sensitive skin and if anything actually reduces irritation and inflammation.

Indeed Laboratories Pepta-Bright Intense Brightening Treatment ($40)
This is the other chemical exfoliant that I attribute to the improvement of my skin but this one contains AHA’s and is more concentrated, focusing intensively on brightness along with texture. Unlike the acidic toner, this one is more of a concentrated treatment so I tend to use it less often, say four times a week at night — while there aren’t instant results with this, this cream-serum over the span of a few months of continuous use radically improved the brightness, evenness and texture of my skin. The cream texture actually is impressively hydrating on its own — I tend to follow with something but I don’t have to, which is impressive and it doesn’t have irritating ingredients or fragrance within it. I adore this serum and I wrote much more on it here when I reviewed it.

Organic Rosehip Oil                                                                                                                                                                                                 While my product is produced by the brand By Nature, I don’t think that the brand is significant in any shape or form as it’s just a pure oil. This oil does what its hyped to do, nourishing and deeply hydrating the skin with its non-greasy dry oil texture, soothes and calms the skin while helping to fade hyperpigmentation and promoting overall clarity. Also, I find when I have a blemish coming up underneath the skin, if I apply this on the area, it not only goes away much sooner but it also doesn’t leave any angry marks or other sources of irritation — this sounds kind of strange but it is true. However, I should mention that the oil has sort of a brassy tinge so if you’re wearing it during the day you probably should be wearing something on top.

Kiehl’s Skin Rescuer Daily Hydrator ($45 CDN)                                                                                                                               While I’m not quite ready to classify this moisturizer as holy grail or anything of that declarative sort, I must admit that this rich moisturizing treatment that remains lightweight and at the same time contains skin-soothing ingredients such as squalane and chamomile is impressive. While doing the above things in a practical pump container with a sufficient amount of product, it protects the skin against the elements and can quickly get my skin out of that cycle of irritation, itchiness and flaking. And it’s fragrance-free which is a nice change of pace.

Neutrogena Ultra-Gentle Daily Cleanser ($10-12 CDN)                                                                                                                    To be honest, it was rather difficult to chose whether to include this cleanser or the extremely similar Neutrogena Extra Gentle Cleanser but ended up going for this offering because while it wasn’t quite as creamy and as hydrating, this gentle fragrance-free cleanser also has the ability to remove makeup completely. This cleanser never leaves my skin feeling stripped and is a lightweight creamy-gel kind of texture – similar to Cetaphil but notably superior in my opinion – and is the perfect cleanser to go in for the second cleanse at nighttime – or first for that matter – but it’s a great one for the mornings as it applies and rinses without the aid of a washcloth with ease.

Boots No7 Beautiful Skin Cleansing Balm ($11 CDN)                                                                                                                                 This appears to be another one of those products that I actually have evidence of my adoration of here in review form. To be honest, I’ve actually just finished this product – after using it daily for a good ten months – and have moved onto the very similar Hot Cloth Cleanser from the same line but regardless, this nourishing and creamy cleanser removes makeup like a dream and leaves the skin soothed but cleansed like no other. I wouldn’t actually describe it as a balm cleanser but rather as a rich cream; I’m not complaining though, here. I occasionally use it in the mornings as well but this is my go-to cleanser for the first cleanse at nighttime to remove the bulk of my makeup gently.

The Body Shop Aloe Protective Restoring Mask ($22 CDN)                                                                                                               When I discovered this product a few months back, it was a riskier purchase as I tend to be skeptical of stores like The Body Shop as they tend to overload their products with fragrance and call them skincare but as I stated in an earlier post here, I was pleasantly surprised. Not only is this moisturizing mask packed with the soothing and healing aloe, it doesn’t contain any sort of fragrance or irritating ingredients either. This might not be the most groundbreaking moisture mask in existence, simply loaded with calming aloe that truly nourishes the skin but it does what it sets out to, calming down the skin overnight, adding intensive hydration without feeling overly heavy on the skin. And the next day, you wake up with brighter more radiant skin. I’ll warn you, though, this is the first moisture mask that I’ve tried so I haven’t really got anything concrete to compare it to.

What are your top skincare saviors?

Maggie, x.

 

 

 

 

 

 

An Affordable Curly-Hair Styling Duo

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If you have hair like mine — fickle, naturally difficult, tangly and long with a variety of curl patterns and limited coherence — a styling cocktail is a difficult feat to discover in itself and it’s even more difficult to find one that doesn’t beat the bank so when I discovered this duo of products that leaves my wavy curls looking their best without breaking the bank due to ridiculous hair porosity. Err, I don’t know if it’s like this for any of you with a similar texture but I have hair that soaks up product like a sponge and I require loads of it to get the intended result so I can get frustrated with pricy products fast.

What are the two products in question, one might ask? Well, they are the OGX Kukui Oil Frizz-Defying Curl Cream ($8-11 CDN)and the Dove Style + Care Nourishing Curls Mousse ($6-8 CDN) and together in my warm-weather hair, create texture and bounce in my hair in a nourishing and controlled manner and I scrunch a moderate amount of the light cream and a much more generous amount of the whipped mousse through my mass of soaking-wet hair when exiting the shower and I later haphazardly diffused it with my ancient hair-dryer and these are the results.

Curl creams are a difficult thing for my hair as they don’t seem to work throughout the cooler months of the year and can seem to not really do anything productive but in pictures where I like my hair, there is always some sort of curl cream going on and this one is a nicer one that I’ve tried, especially at this price point. Rather than being heavy and greasy, this cream has a hydrating but lightweight texture that helps to define curls whilst keeping the hair hydrated and less of a tangly mess. Paired with the Dove mousse as the holding product in the duo, I’m left with texturized, bouncy wavy curls that don’t just hang there. This mousse offering won’t be for everyone, I’m afraid, as it has that creamy texture that does contain some silicones; I’m not usually a fan of silicones but in this product, they seem to keep the hair soft and nourished whilst providing hold and some lift at the roots, rather than leaving the hair a little bit parched. The results aren’t perfect but my hair has been the best I’ve seen it in a while with these products so I can’t complain even slightly.

Do any of you share in my hair woes?

Maggie, x.

 

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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.