L'Oreal Sublime Soft Micellar Solution VS Bioderma SensiBio Micelle Solution

Hello there! Today's post is going to be about cleansing waters! Specifically, I am comparing a new drugstore product to the oh-so-popular (but pricey) Bioderma Micelle Solution. If you are interested to see the new product and how it compared, please keep reading!

Last week, I spotted the L'Oreal Sublime Soft Micellar Solution at Wal-Mart when I was grocery shopping. I have seen mentions of this product from European beauty videos and blogs quite a few months back, so I kind of guessed that this product will eventually show up in Canada. The list price was $10.99 at Wal-Mart, not on sale, and I felt that was a bit too expensive of a product, considering it is from the drugstore. The next day I was perusing the aisles of Shoppers Drug Mart and found the same item on sale from $12.99 to $7.99! So as you can tell, the price of this product has quite a bit of a range depending on when and where you find it.

 A quick rundown of both products:

L'oreal Sublime Soft Gentle Micellar Solution
Price: $7.99 - $12.99  at various drugstores
Amount: 200mL
Claim: "In one step, this solution cleanses and removes all traces of makeup from the face, eyes, and 
lips. So gentle, it is suitable even for sensitive skin."

• Removes makeup and soothes
• No Rubbing, no rinsing
• Fragrance free, hypoallergenic
• Dry and Sensitive Skin

Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micelle Solution

Price: $22.00 for 250mL or $33.00 for 500mL (only available ~2 times per year) at Shoppers Drug Mart

Amount: $22.00-$33.00 depending on size

Claim: "[...]gently cleanses and removes make-up from face and eyes. The micelles contained in its formla effectively micro-emulsify impurities while maintaining the cutaneous balance. Soothing active ingredients prevent the skin feeling irritated. Excellent cutaneous [skin] and ocular [eyes] tolerance." 

• For sensitive skin
• Cleanses, removes make-up, soothes
• Non-Rinse, Fragrance Free

So far it's quite clear that both of these products are very similar in terms of what they claim to be and claim to do. I have been using the Bioderma on a daily basis for over a year now as my first step to removing make-up. Although I know the product itself is meant to be used alone and does not necessarily require a second step to cleansing, I personally prefer to go in afterwards with a cleanser of some sort (which I do in the shower, HG product is Philosophy's Purity Cleanser!). I will admit, I am a huge fan of the Bioderma, have not planned to go a day without it since I started using it, and genuinely believe it will be very hard to replace it with another product.

The Test

To test the L'oreal Micellar Solution against my beloved Bioderma, I've decided to go with the "half-face" test. 

Step 1: Soak 1 cotton pad with the tested cleanser, then cleanse half of my face. Repeat with the other cleanser on the other half of my face.

Step 2: Soak 1 more cotton pad with L'Oreal Micellar Solution for each side of the face and compare the amount of residue left from the first cleanse

Step 3: Soak 1 cotton pad with the test cleanser, then hold over eye for 10 seconds and proceed to cleanse off eye make-up. Repeat with the other cleanser on the other eye.

Results 

Aftermath of cleansing! I apologize for the mess :)

At first glace, it does indeed look like Bioderma did a lot better than L'Oreal. However, I would like to point out that that is not necessarily the case, and here is why: The answer lies in the packaging of the product. While both micellar solution comes with a plastic flip-top lid that has a simple hole to dispense the solution, the stream is much more controlled with the Bioderma (i.e. not as fast out of the bottle). With the Bioderma bottle, I feel that I can direct the stream of product easier to where I want it on the cotton pad. In this case, majority of the cotton pad was soaked on the top left hand corner, so that is where all the makeup is concentrated during the removal. On the other hand, I found the solution came out of the L'Oreal bottle much quicker, so my cotton pad was soaked through much faster than I expected (prone to wastage) and therefore the makeup was removed more or less evenly by the cotton pad and looks less concentrated. 

The second pad from the top is the one soaked with L'Oreal Micellar Water, used for the second rinse. As you can see, the amount of residue from the first cleanse on either side of the face was pretty much the same, so it seems the drugstore product is holding up well at this point on the comparison test. 

The third pad is from removing eye makeup. For this, I was able to find a difference between the two micellar solutions. The Bioderma did indeed remove more of my eye liner and mascara and was able to do so in less swipes. On the eye where I used L'Oreal Micellar Solution, I was not able to achieve quite the same amount of clean, and it felt more difficult to remove my mascara.

For the record, I do not use waterproof eyeliner or mascara so I do not know how either of these will do if used to remove those.

Final Thoughts

Since the initial experiment, I have been using the L'Oreal cleansing solution every single day, and I found to be very very similar to Bioderma in terms of its ability to remove my make up. The overall texture of the products are very similar too. The L'Oreal Micellar Solution did not leave my skin feeling dry or tugged at all, although I would always follow up with my Purity Cleanser in the shower right after, I feel that I will be comfortable enough to leave my skin as-is after if I was pressed for time (i.e. tooooo sleepy...), just like I can with Bioderma. Also, I experienced no irritation to my eyes when I used the L'Oreal Micellar Solution to remove my eye makeup, good news!

Scent-wise, the two are not the same. While both claim to be "frangrance-free", Bioderma has the slightest ever sweet scent, whereas L'Oreal smells a teeny bit plastic-y, but it's not too unpleasant. 

As a whole, I would recommend the L'Oreal Gentle Micellar Solution for anybody who has been interested to try Bioderma but hasn't because of the price. I think it is a great alternative to Bioderma, especially because it is much more accessible! Because of the bottle design on the L'Oreal bottle, I would personally not recommend it for heavy-duty travelling, since the flip-top isn't as secure as Bioderma's flip-top, so it may be a risk for leakage. Other than that, I am very happy with my bottle of L'Oreal Micellar Solution and it may very well be something I will continue to repurchase! :)

Rimmel Lasting Finish Colour Rush Lip Balm - Swatches & Review!

Hello there! It's certainly been a while since I last posted...and I'm slowly trying to get back into the swing of things :)

Today I wanted to bring to you one of my most recent finds in the drugstore that was personally quite exciting. Rimmel London joined on the "Chubby Lip Crayon" trend and released its "Colour Rush Lip Balm" as part of its new Lasting Finish collection in UK towards the end of 2013. A couple weeks ago, I finally spotted them at Shoppers Drug Mart! However, the price tag of $6.99-8.99 (different Shoppers Drug Mart prices varies slightly) was bit high for my liking, so I decided to wait until Target or Wal-Mart stocked them in hopes that their price will be lower.

The waiting did pay off (sort of)! About a week later I found the display at Target for $5.99 each and I was able to purchase with my Target RedCard for another additional 5% off, so I picked up the following 4 colours:

L to R: 120 All You Need Is Pink // 220 Rumour Has It // 300 Viva Violet // 200 Keep Mauving

This product is your standard twist up jumbo crayon, packaging look and feel is basically identical to the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain, Jordana Twist & Shine, etc. It contains 2.5gm (0.095oz) of product, just slightly under Revlon's 2.7g, so there is hardly a noticable difference. The colour of tube is more or less an accurate representation of the lip balm so that's certainly handy.

The full display consisted of 10 colours in the range, apparently that's 3 more colour's than UK's original release of 7 colours.

Permanent display found at Shoppers Drug Mart

Let's jump right into the colours that I picked up :)

120: All You Need Is Pink: Originally I thought this colour was going to be more red because of the colour of the tube, however, once it is applied to the lips it becomes this bright pink colour. It is not a type of barbie pink, it is more like a muted hot pink colour but still carries a hint of fuchsia to deepen it slightly. This colour is definitely one that I will reach for often during the summer months because it alone does such a good job of brightening my complexion, perfect for when I want to keep my makeup to a minimum. Creamy colour with no shimmer particles.

220 Rumour Has It: Everytime I see this shade name I can't help but start humming Adele's awesome song...anyone with me? Anyway, because of its undeniable tie to the famous tune, I imagined this to be a deep dark red colour. But nope, it's still a pink colour, just deeper than "All You Need Is Pink", definitely more opaque lips. This pinky red colour is rather blue-based, and in general can make your teeth appear whiter, which I love. This is one that I'd reach for on a night out :) Creamy colour with no shimmer particles.

300 Viva Violet: A pinky violet/purple colour. Usually these colours, once they have too much purple tones in them, becomes a tad bit too dramatic for me to where on a regular basis. However, because the pink tones are much more prominent in this shade, this colour compliments wintery makeup trends beautifully. Perhaps I will not wear this much during the summer season, but as we are still in the Winter months here in Vancouver, this colour pairs beautifully with my smokier eye shadows and neutral tone cheek colours. It hasn't left my makeup bag in my purse since the day I got it! Creamy colour with no shimmer particles.

200 Keep Mauving: This colour is one of the more neutral in the line up. For myself, my natural lip colour is quite pigmented so this colour perfectly deepens the natural tones of them becoming a great "my lips but better" shade. For people with lips that are less naturally pigmented, this colour leans brown with hints of pinks that I think will be very appropriate for school or work because it's not such a bright colour, but rather able to help achieve the put-together look. Creamy colour with no shimmer particles.

Texture: These lip crayons are very comfortable to wear! They feel light and thin, but the colour payoff is amazing. It glides nicely on the lips with no tugging. However, it does tend to become patchy on any overly dry places on your lips so if you happen to have any of those you might want to add a basic lip balm underneath. All the colours applied creamy and shiny without any detectable shimmer or sparkly particles. I did not find that these dried my lips out at all, but don't expect them to be able to hydrate your lips if they are feeling a bit dry.

Scent & Taste: Straight from the tube I can detect a very faint but distinct sugary sweetness on the product, but it is not quite noticeable once you apply it on your lips. There is no minty scent or tingly feeling to these, so all in all I find them very comfortable to wear.

Colour Payoff: I would have to say colour payoff is perhaps one of the most impressive feature of these lip crayons. Even the light colours that I tested out at the store were able to provide opaque colours in one swipe! I don't have to go over the lips again and again to achieve the colour in the tube for any of these.

Lasting Power: These are not necessary advertised to be super long lasting, but the darker colours did leave a stain on my lips. Wear time is normal, most likely it will need to be reapplied if you were to eat and drink. Without eating or drinking, the original shine wore off in about 30 minutes but the colour was around for about 1.5 -2 hours. Again, because the darker colours do give a teeny bit of a stain effect so you can likely get away with not reapplying until after the 3 hour mark if the lack of shine doesn't bother you much.

Overall: I think these are great value for your money in terms of the amount of product and the quality of the product! I am very happy with the colours that I chose, however I wish the colour range did include one that was more of a true blue-based red. The overall colour range leaned quite pink, even the neutral colours were pink based. That kind of limited the selection of colours so perhaps Revlon still wins in the shade selection department, especially since they added a matte (very impressive) and super shiny line to their chubby lip crayons not that long ago. I say give these Rimmel Lasing Finish Colour Rush Lip Balm a try if you are one who enjoys lip colours that feels almost weightless on the lips but still provides shiny full-on colour in a single swipe :)

NEW! Maybelline Electric Neon Baby Lips - Swatches & Review

Hello everyone! It's been a while since I last posted...I've been busy with other things and a bit lazy too.. :( Anyway, today I would like to bring you a quick look at Maybelline's recent expansion to their Baby Lips line, with 6 new electric neon shades!

These have surfaced in the United States a couple months ago and since then I've been on a small but constant lookout for them to start appearing in our drugstores. I spotted these at my local Wal-Mart last week and have played with them for the past few days. They were in the permanent display along with the original shades and there is no indication to these being limited edition. Read on to find out my thoughts on how they compare to the original release of Baby Lips!

If you are not familiar with the Baby Lips formula, here is a quick blurb to get you up to speed. They are marketed as tinted moisturizing lip balms that provides 8 hours of moisture and gives a sheer wash of colour. The Baby Lips are lightly flavoured and it more or less related to the name and colour of the particular shade. So yes, each as a unique flavour! They are also lightweight and non-sticky.

These new shades in the range appear to be fun, bright, neon colours that seem like an awesome idea for summertime. The tubes are black for all but the writing on the cap corresponds to the colour of the lip balm inside. I find them so fun to carry around in my purse and there is a teeny bit of excitement that I get everytime I pull one out to use :P On the package it states that these are made "with shea butter & vitamin E". Both ingredientshave a reputation of being moisturizing. However, these new shades do not have SPF (sun protection), whereas the original shades do have SPF 20. **Fun fact: The limited edition shades also did not have any SPF.**

70 Pink Shock: This is a sheer hot pink shade, no shimmer. Perhaps the most pigmented of the bunch, it definitely gave the lips a pretty layer of pink that may replace the need for lipstick. This shade is slightly cherry candy scented, quite pleasant to me. The scent does linger on the lips for a while.

75 Fierce N Tangy: This shade appears "highlighter"-kind of neon yellow in the tube but swatches pretty much clear. It does not produce any colour on the lips and might as well be a clear lip balm. It is still very moisturizing and smells like lemons. However, the scent and taste is reminiscent to lemon-scented dish soap so that wasn't quite as enjoyable...

80 Berry Bomb: This is sheer purple shade with no shimmer. Even though it's name is Berry Bomb, I found the scent and taste resembling more that of grape than berry. A light, sweet kind of grape, nothing overwhelming and I quite enjoyed this one. This colour does not come off very strong on the lips, but it managed to give it just enough purple tinge that my natural lip colour deepened, but also enhanced the natural pink undertones.

85 Oh! Orange!: This one is pretty obvious, it's the orange shade! I also think the name of this shade is rather cute :) Unfortunately, this colour was not flattering on my lips or my skintone, it also seemed to accentuate my dry skin on the lips. The colour payoff is there though, so if yo're in the market for a fun sheer orange lip balm, this could be the one for you. It has a light minty orange scent.

90 Minty Sheer: So another one with no colour! This is the green one and true to its name, it's super sheer and it has a minty scent. However, this type of mint comes with a touch of "plant" to it...so not my favourite kind of mint. I personally much prefer the Peppermint scent of the original baby lips (clear balm in the green tube) over this one.

95 Strike A Rose: This is a great sheer red-pink colour, also no shimmer. Compared to Pink Shock, this looks more neon in the tube but comes off less neon on the swatch and on the lips. The end result for me was a healthy shade of pink with a lot of shine and a sweet fruity scent. I can't pinpoint it to a certain kind of fruit on this particular shade. I enjoyed this shade and I like how it gives colour but still sheer enough that your natural lip colour shows through.

Overall Impression: I think I enjoy most of these new Baby Lips shade! The texture of these new ones are even more soft and less sticky/slick than the original so I find that a great improvement on the formla, making me love it even more than the old. The colours aren't the most exciting thing ever but they work. Nothing would be scary to wear out of the house, however, for most of these you won't want to be caught applying them without a mirror because if you miss your lip lines, they are pigmented enough to let everyone know :P Also, it would be advisable to still use some sort of light lip balm with SPF prior to applying these Baby Lips, especially in the summertime with lots of sunlight, becase your lips get can get sunburned too! Lips are the most common place on the body that is neglected when it comes to applying sunscreen and there are a number of cases of pre-cancer being diagnosed from the lips. So please don't forget to shower your lips with some sun protection love too!! These were purchased at Wal-Mart for CAD$3.96 + tax, so the price is not too bad. I think these are a great option if you want something light, quick & easy, and affordable! 

Have you picked up any? Interested in trying them out too? Let me know below! :)

Joanne

Maybelline Color Tattoo Pure Pigments - Swatches and Review!

One of the latest and possibly most highly anticipated drugstore items are these Maybelline Color Tattoo Pure Pigments! Ever since Maybelline uploaded a sneak peak picture on instagram I've been on the lookout for when these pigments will land in the drugstore. I finally came across them last week and I picked up all 10 shades that are offered to play with them.

Perhaps one of the biggest reasons why these pigments are so anticipated by drugstore makeup enthusiasts is because pigments are quite rare in the drugstore makeup department. There really aren't many brands that have ventured into pigment/loose eyeshadows. More over, Maybelline has some pretty impressive claims for its new product, as follows: "Double-dipped pigments create intense eyeshadow colour intnsity. Superior staying Power, for crease-proof wear all day long." -maybelline.ca

Well, doesn't that just make it sound like these pigments are a must-try product? Let's see some swatches below.

Part 1: The Neutrals

3 swipes, no primer

(L to R)
1) 30 Black Mystery - The darkest colour of the entire range. This is a blackened deep charcoal colour that could be built up to an intense black if several layers are used. The finish has a subtle sheen to it, but the most notable feature of this particular shade is that it contains a fair amount of deep blue glitter/shimmer in it that catches the light. The overall colour reminds me of a star-filled night sky.

2) 45 Downtown Browm - A brown colour pigment that leans toward the cool end of the specturm. This is a very easy to use neutral colour that can be incorporated into almost any eye look. There are a small amount of pearl color shimmer in this pigment but it is not super noticable, so the overall finish is simply a pearly brown colour. Colour is buildable, and will definitely work well as an outer corner or crease colour. It will come in very handy for a wearable daytime smokey eye look.

3) 35 Breaking Bronze - A colour that is very true to its name; this is a straightforward bronze colour. Nothing fancy to spice it up, but this colour itself will be able to create for you as fancy a look as you would, or as toned down as you like. I personally think this colour would compliment a tanned complexion beautifully for the summer, or it will look great even on fair skintones for a spiced up night look.

4) 60 Buff and Tuff - This is like a lightened version of downtown brown, and also a bit warmer in tone. There are noticable gold shimmer flecks in this particular colour, which I am personally not a fan of. I would have liked this shade more if they did pearl/silver shimmer instead.

5) 55 Barely Brazen - This is the lightest colour of the entire range, and it's a classic nude champagne-y colour that is perfect as an all-over lid colour to add some sparkle to your eye. Or for a more intense look, this colour can be used as an inner-corner highlight and browbone highlight. There are not mch shimmer/glitter specks noticed in this shade because the entire finish of this colour is just so reflective already.

Part 2: The Brights

3 swipes, no primer

1) 25 Wild Gold - A true-to-pot, solid yellow-gold colour. I personally would consider using this colour as an under eye liner right beneath the lower lashline to add a fun pop of colour. If you have too much yellow tones in your skin already this would not work too well as a main lid colour as it would accentuate the yellow tones too much.

2) 20 Pink Rebel - Unfortunately, this colour did not come off as pink and vibrant as I expected from just looking at the pot, but the colour is still very pretty. The colour is more like a toned-down hot pink, with purple undertones, almost like a fuchsia pink colour. It does have a small amount of silver glitter specks incorporated in it, so it gives a sparkly look when the colour overall catches the light.

3) 15 Potent Purple - A grape-toned pruple colour. This one is almost like the dud of the entire range because it was the hardest to swatch with intense colour, and was also quite patchy and uneven when I tried to swatch it on my arm for the above photo. The colour is pretty, and the finish has a nice sheen, bit it is not easy to work with.

4) 10 Brash Blue - A truely intense cobalt blue colour. The colour payoff on this shade was excellent, true to pan, and brightly intense. Although this colour is definitely not for the faint-of-heart and can't really be used for "every day looks" , I know I will be having lots of fun using this colour to create looks for halloween makeup this year! This is also a great colour that I can consider using under my lower lashline as an eyeliner.

5) 05 Never Fade Jade - This is a type of forest-y pine green colour that isn't really that close to the colour of actual jades. This type of green has quite a bit of blue undertone to it so that it appears cooler and darker. Still this is a gorgeous colour and is considerable for anyone who enjoys using greens often, especially because it compliments brown eyes beautifully and really makes them pop. This is also a great colour that I can consider using under my lower lashline as an eyeliner.

Overall Thoughts...

As exciting as these are to the drugstore makeup world, after playing around and experimenting for one week, I don't think these are a groundbreaking product by any means. The following breakdown will likely explain why that is.

Texture: The texture for most of these pigments are very smooth and forgiving. The exceptions would be Potent Purple and Pink Rebel, as they came off quite uneven and splotchy. The ones that have noticeable glitter in the pigments did not feel gritty on the eyelids either.

Fallout: YES, these pigments will be a major fallout pain if you don't prepare a sticky base for them. Therefore, an EYE PRIMER is a must in order to use them because otherwise you will find a fair amount of the colour on your cheeks. Also, to further avoid fallout, do not use the swipe motion with your brush to apply them. Instead, the pigment should be patted into the eyelid with a flat eyeshadow brush, sponge-tip applicator, or even your fingers to ensure minimal fallout.

Pigmentation: Pigmentation is strong for most of these colours, again with the exceptions being Potent Purple and Pink Rebel. However, I don't think it's as exceptional as what Maybelline appears to claim it being. When compared to the minimal track record of drugstore pigments, Maybelline has done a really good job with these already, but by no means will it be turning be away from my MAC pigments any time soon. Using these pigments on top of an eyeshadow base definitely intensified the colour payoff for me, and another great way to get strong colour payoff is actually to use a Color Tattoo Cream Shadow in a corresponding colour (i.e. Never Fade Jade & Edgy Emerald, Wild Gold & Bold Gold, Breaking Bronze & Bad to the Bronze, etc etc) as its base, because that is also a nice and sticky, long lasting base trick! I really believe Maybelline meant for these pigments to be paired with the Color Tattoo Cream shadows...what do you think?? :)

Lasting Power: I needed to use a good base underneath the pigments on my eyelids in order for them to last most of the day and remain crease free. Without a base, the colour started fading quite fast and also started to fallout onto my face o.O" So I would have to deem the claim of "for crease-proof wear all day long" to be another fail, as that was not possible unless extra measures were taken. When a primer type of product was used prior to the application of the pigment, the performance of the pigments were significantly better than without.

So overall, I enjoyed trying out these new pigments but I don't think they are an absolute must-have by any means at this point in time. The colours are nice and I like how the range is separated into neutrals and brights, so there will be something for everybody :) If you enjoy using loose, mineral eyeshadows and pigment type of eyeshadows, you will likely enjoy trying these out. If you prefer something that is less messy to work with then I'd say stick to the regular eyeshadows in pan-forms, because these can be quite a disaster if not used carefully.

These pigments retail for $7-10 each for 1.3g of product depending on which drugstore location you get yours at. These are new, permanent items to Maybelline's lineup. I imagine we may be seeing new, limited edition colours in later Maybelline collection launches.

Have you spotted these are your local drugstore makeup departments yet? Will you be trying them out? Let me know! :) Thanks for reading~

Joanne


Disclaimer: Products mentioned in the above post were all purchased by myself with personal funds. This post and its content are not sponsored in anyway and all are my personal, honest opinions. 

NEW! CoverGirl Flamed Out Shadow Pencils - Swatches & Review

Hi there! Today I bring you a new drugstore product that I personally did not hear about beforehand, and was pleasantly surprised to find it in a store! These are new eyeshadow pencils that are by Covergirl and the line is called "Flamed Out Shadow Pencil".

On the display I found there were about 10 shades in the range, a few staple neutrals and others fun bright colours. For myself, I picked out 4 that were my type of everyday colours that I feel like I will get quite some use out of after this review :)

These are jumbo pencils type of stick shadows, but is not the automatic type. This will require sharpening with a cosmetics sharpeners. However, these are skinnier than most other shadow pencils on the market currently, namely NYX, Rimmel, Make Up Forever, etc, so it should be easier to find sharpeners this can fit into.

Of the 4 colours I have, they are mostly all the standard frosty shade that makes excellent bases for your eyeshadows to cling onto for some extra pop of intensity. The khaki colour has some chunkier glitter flecks in it but nothing unmanagable. Overall, the texture of all these are smooth and pigmented; they feel gentle on the eyelids and did not cause any tugging.

L-R, top-bottom: Crystal Flame, Ginger Flame, Ashen Glow Flame, Melted Caramel Flame

Swatched with 2 swipes

1) Crystal Flame: A classic frosty white shade that works great as an inner corner highlight on its own, or to prime the area for a powder shadow as a highlight to increase wear-time, as the tear duct area tends to be an area of fast fading.

2) Ginger Flame: A very cute pink shade with a slight warm golden undertone. There is a small amount of sliver glitter specks in this that reflects light nicely, but not enough to cause any fallout. This is a shade that I can consider wearing alone all over the lid on days when I am pressed for time. Of course, this is an excellent powder eyeshadow base as well.

3) Ashen Glow Flame: A rather unique khaki color that is not very common for drugstore cream shadows, so I was glad that CoverGirl decided to include one in their line. This colour is the only one that I currently own that contains, relatively, larger specks of silver glitter, but it does not feel gritty after applied to the eyelids. This is a colour that I would prefter to use more as a base for my green eyeshadows to increase the intensity of the colour.

4) Melted Caramel Flame: This is a beautifully rich chocolate brown colour, and I found that this is the most pigmented of the 4 that I own. This brown could make any of your brown shadows pop with intensity, I also find it to be an excellent choice of base for a smokey neutral eye on the outer-V, or smudged upwards from the top lashline. Another way I applied this was smudged beneath the bottom lashline, to create some smokey definition for the overall eye makeup.

Overall Impression: I think these are a good addition to the selection of drugstore products as cream shadow pencils used to be a novelty that were mostly high-end products. Those that used to be available at the drugstore tends to lack wear-able shade selection and quality. That being said, the CoverGirl Flamed Out Shadow Pencils are not without faults. The colour, although relatively pigmented, does require a couple swipes for full opacity, but at least they are acceptably buildable. If worn without a primer on my eyelids, creasing did happen within a couple hours. Worn over an eyeshadow primer, creasing significantly decreased, and topped off with a powder eyeshadow, the total wear-time was excellent.

Within the range, there are several other colourful shades that may be interesting for those of you who enjoy using brighter and bolder colours for your eye makeup as those will serve as a good choice for bases. On a regular basis I enjoy using shadow pencils to outline a shape for my powder eyeshadows because I have much more maneuverability and precision with the placement of the colour using a pencil form than with my fingers from a pot, so cream shadows in a stick/pencil form are definitely my first pick with it comes to creating a detailed eye look!

Disclaimer: All products in this post were purchased by myself with personal funds. This post has not been sponsored in any way, shape, or form. I have not, and will never, accept monetary contributions for reviewing products.

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter - 4 NEW SHADES for Spring 2013 - Review & Swatches

Rejoice, Revlon Lip Butter lovers! :) Revlon has released 4 new shades in their The Pacific Coast by Gucci Westman Collection for Spring 2013!

L to R: Juicy Papaya // Pink Lemonade // Sorbet // Wild Watermelon

These 4 shades have very yummy names that are quite fitting for their corresponding colours, all of which appear to be excellent transition shades from Winter to Spring. I personally really enjoy the Revlon Lip Butter line of products because of the excellent colour payoff despite a relatively lightweight formula. I don't find that these lipsticks dried out my lips or emphasized lip lines much, so I have pretty high hopes for these 4 new colours. Consistent with the original line of lip butters, these 4 do not have much of a scent at all.

Let's take a closer look at each of the shades :)

027 Juicy Papaya: Juicy Papaya is the obvious coral colour in the bunch and it contains no detectable shimmer. The swatch on the arm was made with 3 swipes and the resulting colour is rather sheer, especially compared to my previous experience with the Revlon Lip Butters. When used on my lips, it managed to tone down my natural lip colour but the coral/orange colour is not too strong. The colour payoff disappointed me on this one but it still wore comfortably on my lips.

047 Pink Lemonade: Pink Lemonade has such a cute name and it appeared to be such a cute (almost)baby pink colour in the tube. However, once swatched on the skin it was obvious that this is another very sheer colour. If looked at closely, you will notice sparse specks of micro glitter in the tube but it is almost undetectable once applied on the lips. Instead, the finish is a nice glossy sheen of sheer pink. Pink Lemonade is still on the sheer end of the spectrum, but with its non-drying formula, I'd consider this a nice on-the-run, fool-proof, lip product. If you happen to have less pigmented lips than I do, the pink will definitely show up more true to colour of the tube.

053 Sorbet: Sorbet is one of the two bolder shades in the collection; it looks like a bright blue-based fuchsia in the tube. It has a slight see-through jelly-like finish to it, so although not as bright as it appears in the tube, it actually becomes quite wearable! It is a cream finish with no detectable shimmer or glitter, and once applied to the lips, not too heavily, gives a very fresh and healthy look to your lips. It's a great pick-me-up colour, and also pairs nicely with a soft eye makeup look, wonderful for Spring :)

063 Wild Watermelon: Last but not least, we have the final colour of the collection, Wild Watermelon. The name, again is quite fitting to what the colour looks like in the tube. This colour appears to be quite similar to Sorbet, especially on the swatch. Comparing the lipstick bullet side-by-side with Sorbet, Wild Watermelon is evidently more red-based. The extra hint of red is what makes Wild Watermelon appear different on the lips. The colour can also be built up to be stronger than what I have done in my photo, so that in itself makes it quite a versatile colour. This shade is also a cream finish with no detectable shimmer or sparkle.

Overall, I enjoyed these new shades although they are quite different from what I have come to expect from Revlon Lip Butters. Evident in my swatches and lip photos, these 4 shades all run on the sheer side and that was almost unheard of for the 20 original shades released. Those of you who are expecting the colours to be as bright and bold as they appear in the bullet may be disappointed with at least 2, if not all 4, of the new shades. However, I think the fact that the colours are a bit more sheer than the original releases actually made the two bolder shades more wearable and unique as compared to the old Revlon Lip Butters.

Formula-wise, these are all on par with the 20 original releases. Lightweight, glossy, non-drying, and lasts an OK amount of time. The lighter shades, Juicy Papaya and Pink Lemonade tend to be weaker on the staying power, one problem being once they fade a little bit, I can hardly tell if they are there anymore, so I'd say probably 1.5 hours tops for those. The two bolder shades, Sorbet and Wild Watermelon, lasts about 2-3 hours without eating.

Finally, I'd like to mention that as far as I know at this time, these 4 colours are NOT limited edition, as they have been spotted with its own designated slots in permanent displays in the US. Although currently these are still only found with the special collection displays, I'd expect them to reappear in the Canadian Revlon permanent wall displays soon :)

Thanks for reading! What your favourite Spring time lip product?
Joanne

Rimmel London Wake Me Up Instant Radiance Shimmer Touch - Swatches & Review!

Of the several drugstore new products I've picked up lately, the new "Wake Me Up Instant Radiance Shimmer Touch" by Rimmel London is one of the ones that I am most excited to discover and try out. Of the available drugstore brands currently, I do not remember any brand has any liquid highlighter type of product available right now.

This new product is available in 4 different shades, and is sold for about $7-8, and is a permanent item in the Rimmel lineup.

Each tube contains 14ml of product, and the initial impression I get is that this is strikingly reminiscent of the NARS illuminator. Could this be the $36 (30mL) illuminator's drugstore dupe?

 "Lightweight, ultra-blendable mousse formula gives an instant touch of radiance. Wakes up skin with a halthy-looking glow. Long lasting flush of colour." - Rimmel London

As the claim suggests, the formula is quite mousse-y and blendable! But the fact that the product is housed in a squeeze tube means that controlling the amount of product squeezed out can be quite an art.  I find that often I squeeze out too much and end up wasting a bit of it... :(

L to R: Flush of Pearl // Radiant Rose // Peach Glow // Shimmering Sand

Flush of Pearl: This shade is a shimmery cream-pearl colour. I find that this is the most classic highlighter shade, and is best used on the high points of the cheekbone, down the nose bridge, and at the cupid's bow for that elevated look of your features.

Radiant Rose: This shade is a shimmery rosey-pink colour. This shade is the most pigmented of the four after blending out. This colour can be paired with powder blush to give an added glow to the cheeks.

Peach Glow: This shade is, as the name suggests, a glowy peach colour. This is a good alternative to "Flush of Pearl" if you have medium to darker skin tone, since the former could appear a bit ashy (from being too pearly-white) on deeper skin.

Shimmering Sand: This shade is a shimmery bronze-pearl colour. Absolutely gorgeous on people with medium-dark skin tones, or those who are tanned. The shimmer in this product is slightly more golden compared to the other ones, and is perfect for those who are looking for that "bronzed goddess" look, but may appear too orange for those who are in the lighter skin-tone spectrum. 

Overall, I find that this product, while the idea behind it is great, is just a little bit too shimmery for what I prefer in a highlighter. The consistency is also a bit too liquidy, as opposed to the "mousse" claim, which makes me expect it to be more creamy. The application is super easy, it is a good product for those who are just starting out to try out highlighters. I do really enjoy the shade "Flush of Pearl" for everyday use. I find the best way to apply it is squeezing a tiny pea size to the back of your hand, and then gently dabbing three small dots onto the area you wish to apply it (i.e. cheek bones, nose-bridge, etc) and gently blend out. Don't overblend! As it will rub off eventually all back onto the fingers and you end up with no colour but a bunch of shimmer on the face.

Lasting power is not strong, they do tend to fade quite fast if you don't set it with a powder product or a makeup setting spray. Without one, they lasted about 2-3 hours on me before it pretty much all disappeared, and I do not have oily skin by any means. 

As for whether or not they are a NARS illuminator dupe, I would have to, sadly, report that they are not quite there yet. If the colour can be a little more pigmented after blending out, consistency a bit more creamy, and the shimmer less sparkly after blending out, then it would be a great dupe. For now, I'd consider it an acceptable alternative to NARS, if you really must own a liquid illuminator. 

Another way to possibly make use of these liquid highlighters, especially the lightest shade, would be to use them as your brow-bone highlight. 

If you already have a good liquid highlighter you are currently using, I'd say you can probably skip this new product from Rimmel. If now, perhaps give one or two a try and you may be surprised at what it can do for you :)

Have you tried these out? Or let me know what your favourite highlighters are! Thanks for reading :)

Joanne

Rimmel London Kate Moss Matte Lipsticks - Review & Swatches!

Another Rimmel product and another lip product to talk about! Today it's about the newest addition to the Rimmel London Lasting Finish Kate Moss Lipsticks line, the MATTE lipsticks!

The packaging is so cute with the red tube and Kate's signature! The previous launch of the Kate Moss lipsticks brought us 15 new colours, in black tubes with Kate's signature in red. I really enjoyed those lipsticks because the colours were gorgeous, pigmentation was so amazing, the lasting power was good, and it didn't dry out my lips much at all. That being said, I had high hopes and expectations for this new line. However, since they are marketed at "matte", meaning no shimmer or shine, I do expect them to probably be a little bit more drying than its predecessor.

There are currently 10 shades available for sale, as part of the permanent display (these are NOT limited edition!), but I only purchased 7 of them because one was sold out that the time, and two are colours that I will not make any use out of (beige-nudes, almost concealer type of shades).

Packaging: The lipsticks are housed in a bullet that is the same shape and size as the standard lipsticks from the Lasting Finish line-up. I personally find that the Rimmel Crown logo imprinted that the top of the slanted lid is quite a classy touch and I really like it. However, for those of you who happen to store your lipsticks standing up (i.e. in lipstick holders) will not be able to stand these upside down to see the label on the bottom, since the slant top does not allow the lipstick to balance properly. The shade names are on a sticker at the bottom of the bullet. The twist part of the bullet feels a little flimsy but it is nothing major and nothing will break apart on you; I just mean that there seems to be less resistance to the twist than do other lipstick tubes. One thing to note is that the twist-able part is the black section, and that is exposed even when the cap is on, which means that there is a chance the the lipstick may be twisted upwards and be damaged against the closed cap. The red matte finish of the lipstick bullet brings a very feminine touch overall and the lipstick becomes quite eye-catching, which is nice :)

Scent: The lipsticks have a very typical and signature "lipstick" scent to them, which nowadays are somewhat associated with the "old lady lipstick" scent; a type of deep floral, non-sugary scent. However, the intensity of the scent is very low and comparatively, less and more toned-down than L'oreal lipsticks, if you happen to be familiar with those. The scent lingers for a little while after applying the lipstick to the lips and fades away within 15 minutes.

Pigmentation: I can not complain about the pigmentation of these lipsticks at all, because they pack such a punch! One swipe is pretty much enough to give full-coverage colour that is true to colour in the bullet. If you enjoy a bold lip look then apply one more layer and you are good to go. Or, an alternative would be to first apply a lipliner all over the lips and then apply this lipstick and you get instant opacity. The colour also applies fairly evenly, I did not notice much patchiness, which is always a plus.

Texture: As I mentioned before, these lipsticks run a bit on the drier side of the spectrum. That is partly due to the formula of the lipstick, for it is a matte finish. In my previous experience with the "Lasting Finish" line, they are not too moisturizing, since it does claim to have a longer weartime than others (too much hydration in a lipstick makes them slip and slide and therefore decrease weartime). So with a matte finish on top of a long-wear aspect, I do suggest prepping your lips well before applications. Using a good lip balm prior should be enough to do the trick for you. If you happen to have chapped lips with some dry skin, it would be best to give them a quick scrub before adding lipbalm because these lipsticks WILL ACCENTUATE DRY PATCHES. Provided that your lips are nicely primed prior to application, this lipstick will dry down to a non-shiny matte finish within 2 minutes and sits quite comfortably without feeling too heavy, however, I would not classify these as lightweight lipsticks.

Staying Power: The colour will definitely not last you thoughout an entire 8-hour work period, but it's nothing shabby and will last at least 2-3 hours provided there is no heavy eating involved during that time. However, when fading happens, I found that it faded from the center out, leaving a kind of an odd ring of colour around the lips. But, what I found was that if I applied a lip liner of a similar colour all over the lips first, before applying the lipstick, the fading effect diminishes quite a bit, and also the "ring of colour" from the fading becomes much less noticeable. Transferring of colour still happens after 1-2 hours, but it doesn't take off your lip colour completely.

Swatched with a single swipe from the tube.

As you can see from the above swatch, made with just one swipe of the lipstick, the colour intensity is great and the pigmentation is distributed relatively evenly. Pretty awesome for a $7 drugstore lipstick!

101: Matte - A true pink, with hint of blue undertone, slightly less bright than a barbie-pink.

102: Matte - A brighter pink than 101, with a definitely coral undertone

103: Matte - Pinky-mauve colour, a great noticeable colour without being too red. Could be a my-lips-but-better (MLBB) colour for those with more pigmented lips.

105: Matte - A brown-nude colour with slight hints of red. This is a very natural colour despite the way it may appear next to all the pinks and reds, it is a MLBB for me that evens out my natural lip colour and gives a polished look without being overdone.

107: Matte - A beautiful berry red colour. This colour is the deepest shade of the entire line. Not for someone who doesn't like bold colours on the lips, but those of you who can, or are looking to venture into the berry lips trend, this is a great colour for you! And perhaps better make the most use out of them while winter is still around, since the colour maybe a little too deep for the upcoming Spring season :)

109: Matte - An orange-coral colour. With a light hand at application (i.e. gentle dabbing across the lips rather than swiping) this colour mixes nicely with your natural lip colour to create a flush of healthy colour. Apply heavier and this becomes a really fun summer colour!

111 Kiss of Life: This is the only colour in the entire line that has an actual shade name. This is the colour that is worn by Kate Moss on the display and promotional pictures! This is a true primary red, it has no obvious undertones, perhaps just slightly leaning more towards the warmer side of reds. However, the red is so bright and fiery that the tone of it will likely be ignored after application. This is a beautiful. classic shade of red that is best paired with a simple eye look and even complexion.

Overall I think these are a line of great lipsticks that are could be worth checking out :) Thanks for reading and definitely let me know what you think of them by leaving a comment! I'd love to know your thoughts!

Joanne

Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer - Review

If I had to choose the one makeup product that can almost instantly fake the look of more sleep for myself, it would definitely be an awesome under-eye concealer. Imagine all those days that we all run short on time and the usual makeup routine has to be slashed into the bare necessities...I know that I will always reach for my concealer to cover up those panda eyes!

Which is exactly why I'm quite inclined to try out new drugstore concealers, as I'm always hopeful that one day I would hit a real gem for a fraction of the price of high end products. Wake Me Up Concealer by Rimmel London is the latest one that I have tried.

My shade is the second lightest. in 230 Very Fair/Light

The "Wake Me Up" line has been available in the UK for at least several months now but I have not seen a trace of them until several weeks ago when I was perusing the cosmetics department of Wal-Mart. That day I found a newly re-organized Rimmel London permanent display section which included this new concealer, the corresponding foundation, brand new cream highlighters, jumbo eye pecils, and eyeliners. It was a really exciting find for me, and I picked up several products to try out! Reviews of the others will be coming soon, but today's spotlight lands on the concealer, which just so happens to be really quite awesome!

The claim on the tube reads: "Our first full coverage concealer that visibly reawakens and illuminates under the eyes. Completely conceals spots and other blemishes. Instant anti-fatigue effect with peptides and a Vitamin Moisturizing Complex." - Rimmel London

Reading the blurb on the tube definitely makes this product sound heavenly, and to be honest it really performs quite well for my under-eye area. The above picture I'm hoping to capture the tiny shimmer that can be seen in the product. Normally, the fact that I can see shimmer would've been the first warning sign for a concealer, because often the shimmer/sparkle becomes quite obvious after applying and it really is quite weird to look at. However, there is no visible shimmer particle on the face after application! Instead, once the concealer is blended out, the finish is indeed a radiant glow that looks natural, I'm very happy with it :) (Btw, I've returned the "Wake Me Up" Foundation because the shimmers were just TOO noticeable, both in the bottle and on my skin.)

The product comes with a standard doe-foot applicator that makes applying the concealer simple and accurate, right to the spot you need it to go and no more than that. The amount of concealer that is deposited could be a little too much if you forget to wipe off the excess at the edge of the tube, so beware of that. The sponge on the applicator is quite fluffy and soft, thus it is quite gentle with the delicate under-eye area. I also use it around the sides of my nice that tends to get a little red and the applicator gets into the area quite perfectly.

The consistency of the concealer is of a creamy-liquid, by that I mean that it is not a liquid that would run down your skin after you apply it, because the creamy aspect keeps it held together nicely. It almost feels like a mousse or a gel. It blends out really smooth and even, and does not feel heavy on the skin at all.

And now here is a demo of the performance of the "Wake Me Up" concealer on my eyes:

Before

The above picture is of my eye area with absolutely no makeup on (I hope it's not scaring you away!). As you can see, I do not have much of an eye bag, but I do have visible redness (almost a purple colour, sometimes) under the inner 1/2 of my eye and some bluish veins that are trying to peek through. My primary problem is under-eye discolouration (a.k.a. panda eyes) brought upon mostly from the lack of sleep.

After

Voila! Here you are seeing the same eye after one layer of "Wake Me Up" concealer. I really do think that the difference is quite noticeable here! The skin tone is evened out and the redness is pretty much all covered. All the while, it looks natural without the look of makeup being caked on. One of the best aspects of this concealer is that there is NO oxidizing throughout the day, NO collecting of product underneath the eye  and NO settling into fine-lines. The product really do last over 10 hours, faking the look of good sleep! The concealer also performs beautifully on top of a foundation as well! :)

I have not really tested the concealer on blemishes around the face, because I currently don't have anything that really needs to be covered up. I usually just let small acne spots slide and just hide underneath the foundation.

Overall, I highly recommended giving this drugstore concealer a try, especially if you haven't quite found a good under-eye concealer yet. For $6, it really gives good bang for your buck (7mL is a lot of product for the average concealer!). The staying power of the concealer is really good and the consistency almost rivals those from high-end brands. The shade rage is not too shabby, either; there is one shade lighter than the one I have, and at least 4 other darker shades. What I enjoy about this range of concealer is that the colour is not simply skin-toned, but also has that slight peachy salmon-tone that is so important for correcting discolouration under the eyes. Good job, Rimmel!

Have you tried the "Wake Me Up" concealer, or which is your favourite product to cover up those panda-eyes? :)

Joanne

Covergirl LipPerfection Jumbo Gloss Balm - Swatch & Review!

Today's post is about a new lip product release from Covergirl that was announced a few months ago. I found this on a new end-cap display last week while browsing leisurely at London Drugs and I thought I would pick one up for review! It is the Covergirl LipPerfection Jumbo Gloss Balm and I chose the shade 225 Rose Twist.

Looks like Covergirl is one of the latecomers when it comes to releasing some form of "jumbo lip" product, as it's preceded, already, by numerous products like LipSurgence by Tarte, Chubby Sticks by Clinique, Lip Gloss Stick by Pur Minerals, and (most recently, i.e. summer 2012) Revlon JustBitten Kissable Balm Stain. All these products share similar packaging - a chubby pencil case with a cap and a twist-up bottom for the lip colour. Here is the CG gloss beside the Revlon Balm Stain:

Doesn't it look so similar? Haha! Covergirl gloss balm also appears to be a little bit shorter than Revlon's Balm Stain but actually, CG offers 3.8gm of products where as Revlon only offers 2.7gm, so CG wins this round for generosity.

As previously mentioned, the shade I chose was 255 Rose Twist, which compared to the others on the rest of the display, appeared to be the most natural and wearable shade. Seemed like a good tester products that's more on the safe side. The shade name is printed on the wrapper, but once that is removed, no where else on the packaging are you able to located the name anymore. This is one of my pet peeves...I'm likely to forget this name if I didn't take this picture! On a (small) plus side, there is a small sticker on the bottle of the pencil that has the number printed, so at least it's not ALL gone.

The tip of the product is nicely tapered to a point, and twists up from the bottom - no sharpening!

Swatched - 5 swipes across

The claim of the product is printed right on the tube, concise and precise - "sheer color, soft shine". I couldn't agree more. The claim is neither under-spoken nor exaggerated; it is quite an accurate description of what Covergirl's LipPerfection Jumbo Lip Gloss Balm will do for your lips. The colour is indeed on the sheer side - it's kind of like 40% lip balm, 25% lipstick, and 25% lip gloss, if you get what I mean. It's moisturizing on the lips, but it looks even better with an actual lip balm as the base layer first. That being said, my lips did not dry out after applying, which is always a plus :) The colour payoff is not the strongest amongst other similar lip products, Revlon's JustBitten Kissable Balm Stain is indeed the stronger contender in this department. CG Gloss Sticks are also NOT a stain, therefore it doesn't leave any lasting colour behind after it fades. This may be preferable to those who loves to change lip colours several times a day, and likewise not as desirable to those who enjoy minimal reapplication of lip products through the course of a day. The shine that it gives is quite noticeable upon initial application on the lips, bit wears off relatively soon. However, the colour definitely lingers longer.

The CG Gloss Balm is minimally scented; what little scent/taste it has is very similar to a typical lipstick. That is something that stuck me as odd, as I was half-expecting to find a minty scent similar to the Revlon JustBitten Kissable Balm Stains (likely because I've been using that for so long now!).

Wear-time is moderate, the color lasted through about 2 hours of chatting and drinking. I pretty much didn't remember I had on any lip colour until I wiped my lips with a tissue to prepare for the main course! The gloss balm has a very light-weight feeling on the lips, which is quite nice.

Lip close-up!

All in all, I think this is a nice little product to have, especially for those who are just venturing in the the lip products category, it's easy to apply and is pretty much fool proof. If you are looking for a product that has better lasting power and a stronger colour payoff right from the start, then a better candidate would be the Revlon JustBitten Kissable Balm Stains. I paid $8.99 + tax for this at London Drugs, it was not on sale, and in my honest opinion I don't think it's really worth that price tag. However, if I spot it on sale next, I think I will try one more of the bolder colours and see how it performs! :)

Until next time,
Joanne