Essence Gel-Look Topcoat Review - Dupe for Seche Vite??

Hi there! Today's post will be about a new nail polish topcoat that I recently came across from the super affordable European brand, Essence. Sold for $2.49 +tax at Shoppers Drug Mart, and promises to be a "topcoat that adds glossy shine and leaves a gel-like finish on nails", it was just too hard for a nail product junkie like myself to pass up; I simply had to try it out. The first thing that came to mind when I got home was "will this topcoat be a comparable dupe for my absolute favorite topcoat of all time, Seche Vite?"

So did I find a dupe??

Sadly....not quite.

The Essence gel-look topcoat, despite not be being an exact dupe for Seche Vite, is still a great topcoat that would not break the bank. It actually was able to deliver exactly as it claimed: a gel-like finish and glossy-ness for your finished manicure.

The biggest issue I had with it was DRYING TIME. The Essence polish simply took way too long to dry down before it can come into contact with anything, otherwise it would smudge or dent and ruin your manicure. One of the biggest winning points for Seche Vite is not only the finish it gives your nail polish, but also the amazingly short time that it requires to dry and therefore, it takes a lot less time to finish a manicure session. Sometimes I even put seche vite on top of my nail colour when I know it hasn't dried completely because I know that Seche Vite will actually help the polish dry faster.

For those of you who have a taste for nail art would probably be aware that Seche Vite may very well be the most reliable topcoat you can have for after you've done your nail art, because it doesn't create any smudges. Unfortunately, the essence gel-look topcoat caused a bit of smudging on my nail art and konad stamped designs when applied to it after it has become dry to the touch.

Overall, I would suggest giving the Essence new topcoat a shot if you either 1) have a lot of free time to sit around without moving your hands (with something to keep you from being bored) after your manicure, or 2) have a drying lamp/fan that you use regularly after painting your nails. Otherwise, the dry time maybe too overbearing for most of us who wanted to get moving quickly after doing our nails. A viable alternative to this and Seche Vite maybe the Sally Hanson MegaShine Topcoat. It gives a great shiny finish, lacks the "gel-like" finish, but much faster than Essence Gel-Look Topcoat.

Have a happy manicure!
Joanne

(Products shown and discussed are all purchased with personal funds)

EMPTIES! - Products I've Used Up Vol. 1

Hi everyone! It's been so long, too long, since my last post. Ever since Chinese New Year rolled around I've been really caught up with things happening at home and busy with work so I've neglected this blog for a while. The entire time, though, I've had so many ideas of posts I want to do so I'm going to try my best to get back to the flow of things :)

And today the first thing I will talk about is TRASH. Yep.

Otherwise known as "Products I've Used Up / Empties!" haha

I actually get a sense of satisfaction every time I use up something, especially since these past few years I've been purchasing more and more things to try out. So when I use something up, I can recycle/throw out and it's a way of decluttering and I love it! Posts like these are also kind of like mini reviews because I can talk about whether or not I liked the empty product or not. I really enjoy reading other posts and watching videos like these so I hope you will enjoy this post by me also :)

Let's jump right in.

Bath products:
1) Neutrogena Body Clear Body Wash: This body wash is supposed to clear your body of any acne because it has 2% Salicylic Acid (SA) in it. SA is a really common ingredient used in skin clearing, acne-resolving products out on the market, both in drugstore AND high-end products. I do suffer from some acne that tends to appear every now and then on my decollete and upper back so I thought this product might be able to help. I found that even though I didn't notice any immediate clearing of the acne that's already grown, there was definitely a decrease in the amount of new acne appearing, so that's always a welcome :) And if nothing else, this body wash is part of Neutrogena's Grapefruit line of products so just the grapefruit scent is worth the time :)

2) Dial Antioxidant Body wash in Cranberry: This is one of my all-time favourite (inexpensive) body washes because it smells absolutely divine. The so-called antioxidant beads suspended in the body wash is more or less a gimmick they do not pop as you lather the shower gel up, and it would take forever to try and pop them all yourself to get that "antioxidant" out of them, so I don't bother and just focus on enjoying the scent!

3) Vitabath Moisturizing Bath and Shower Gelee in Fresh Citrus Twist: I got this shower gel as a sample in a previous GlossyBox (from November?) and it lasted for a good 2 weeks at least, despite appearing a little small here. Overall, the scent was ok, but I wasn't impressed by it. I'm happy to use it up because I can get back to using the shower gel I really enjoy and it's a good feeling knowing that I didn't waste the sample. However, I won't be looking around for this one to repurchase.

Hair Product:
1) TRESemme Heat Tamer Spray: I heat-treat my hair almost every single day, either blow-drying, straightening, or sometimes curling. I know it's bad for my hair but unfortunately I don't have hair that can be presentable if left all to itself so I have to help it out a little! Up until last year, I've totally neglected heat protectant products for hair, but as soon as I heard about it, I immediately started trying it out. I do find that it helps and this Tresemme brand really does a good job :) However, if you use too much at once and don't spread it through out your hair, or heat-treat your hair before it's had a chance to dry down a bit on your hair, it will cause your hair to end up a little slick. It has a really nice smell, though, which I really enjoy. Lately there has been an updated version of this spray that has keratin in it, and I've been using that one and really loving it too!

Makeup Removing Products:
1) Maybelline Clean Express Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover: I had previously made a blogspot about this remove and how I was not impressed by it. After using up the entire bottle I still stand by my opinion from before. The remover gets the job done, but it takes several swipes back and forth and often I end up rubbing out lashes, and I don't have too many to begin with already :( It is, however, very gentle on the eyes and didn't cause me any irritation the times I got it in my eyes, so that's a plus for people with really sensitive eyes :) I will not be repurchasing this one.

2) E.L.F. Makeup Remover Cleansing Cloths: These wipes were inexpensive as they were only $3 for 20 wipes. They aren't the best quality out there but the cloths are really moist with the remover and it gets the job done. I don't like to use removing cloths or wipe for my eye makeup but I do use them to take of most my face makeup before moving on to using a cleanser. These are handy for travelling as well and I like to take them with me on trips in place of my entire skin cleansing stash. I still have a couple more packs to go through at home as I tend to stock up with ELF has a 50% off sale on their website. I find that these perform similarly to the Neutrogena makeup wipes that I also love using.

3) MAC Cleanse-off Oil: This cleanse-off oil by MAC is seriously hardcore! It takes off everything, including waterproof liners and mascaras, so effortlessly and I really loved the product. This is an oil that you first pump out of the bottle onto the hands and then spread all over your face and eye. Give it a good rub and then start adding water. The oil instantly emulsifies and becomes a bit of a lather. It doesn't lather too much because it is not a soap. And then just rinse your entire face with water and all of the makeup is gone! Unfortunately this can't replace your regular skin cleansing routine, but it's just such an easy way to take off all the makeup. It's a good product to have, only the price tag is really steep at $36, so I really have to think about whether or not I will repurchase.

Skin Cleansing Products:
1) Biotherm Biosource Tonifying Cleansing Gel (for normal and combo skin): This is one of my favourite everyday cleansers. It is very gentle and even though it has exfoliating beads inside, it doesn't feel abrasive and doesn't make my skin feel tight afterwards. I like to use this first thing in the morning and it really wakes me up :) The scent is fresh and pleasant so I really enjoy that too. $19 for 150mL may seem a little expesive for a cleanser, but this bottle lasted me nearly 6 months and I really use it every. single. morning. lol It only takes a little bit to lather the entire face, so there is very little wasted product. I will be repurchasing this cleanser next time I drop by a Biotherm counter!

2) Biotherm Biosource Instant Hydration Toning Lotion: This is in the same line as the cleanser, and has been the only toner I've used for the past year. It does exactly as it says without irritating my skin or having any weird scents. (I love the way it smells, actually lol) I used to have really enlarged pores and I really think that every since using this toner, and actually remembering to use it after every face wash, the size of my pores has really shrunk down. I love this and don't plan on venturing into other toners at this time. One bottle lasts about 2 months for me, so I always have at least one back-up at home :)

Nail Product:
1) Sally Hansen Maximum Strength Strengthing Nail Polish Remover: This is polish remover has added vitamin E and wheat protein that is common amongst polish removers that claim to be able to strengthen nails. I love this polish remover because it gets the job done well and quick. It also works really well with the tin-foil method for removing glitter polish. It is super affordable as most places that have it available sells it for $3 or less, and this is a big bottle! I change up my nail polish so often that I make sure to remember purchase a backup bottle as soon as I'm down to about 1/3 of it left.

Fragrance:
1) Chloe Eau de Parfum Rollerball: Hands down my favourite perfume of all time. I currently have a 50mL bottle I'm using, a backup 75mL bottle, and this rollerball I keep in my purse for touch ups. However, the staying power of Chloe EDP is so impressive it rarely requires touching up, also the scent that it drys down to I love a lot too. Therefore, it actually took me a long time to finish up this rollerball, and I would not be repurchasing because rollerballs are really expensive! It was $30 for this 6mL rollerball but a 50mL bottle was only $90.

2) Secret Body Spray Fresh Effects in Fresh Water Orchid: This was a nice body spray with a good scent, but at times I found it quite overpowering and the lingering vanilla scent stayed too long on my clothes. I don't think I will repurchasing this particular scent, although I find body sprays are nice alternatives to perfumes.

Makeup Products:
1) Urban Decay All Nighter XL Makeup Setting Spray: This is a makeup step that I NEVER skip for my routine. I do notice a difference in the staying power of my makeup throughout the day. Another lovely thing I like about using makeup setting sprays is the fact that they really help take away the powdery look after applying setting powder to your foundation! I currently am more than half way through using my second XL bottle of this and I'm getting a little anxious because the XL version has been discontinued and it was such a good value!

2) KATE by Kanebo Liquid Eyeliner in Ultra Black: This is a japanese brand liquid eyeliner that I pick up every time I travel to Hong Kong. The tip of the eyeliner is so fine and small that it makes drawing a precise line absolutely effortless. I'm surprised that this one doesn't get as much hype as the DollyWink eyeliner because there is hardly any difference as far as I can tell and this one by Kate is less expensive :)

3) Physician's Formula Eye Booster 2-in-1 in Ultra Black: This is the eyeliner I use alternatively to the KATE one when I run out and it's quite nice too! The tip is a bit bigger but it really tapers down to a fine point that I can still draw very precise lines with it. The black formula is really as the name suggests, ultra black and it stays all day. I can't vouch for the lash boosting claim it has, as I haven't noticed much difference in my own lashes. Also this is quite pricey (nearly $15) if you were to purchase it at regular price, so I usually only buy it when Shoppers or Rexall has Physician;'s Formula for 40% off, or when they come out in the bonus double pack (2 for the price of 1) offers, which happen about twice a year.

4) DIOR DiorShow Extase Mascara in 090 Black:  This is my holy grail mascara, no joke. I never would've thought to try it out because the price tag of $35 is pretty scary. However, I won a giveaway on MALLVIBES (www.mallvibes.com), a great shopping and many other fun topics forum in which most members are Canadian and majority are from Vancouver. One super generous member hosted a small giveaway for the mascara and I won it! I was super excited to try it out and I wasn't disappointed. This mascara volumizes without clumping and at the same time it gives awesome length. I've decided I cannot be without this mascara. Although I will still be experimenting with other mascaras, especially new drugstore ones, I will always have the Dior one with me because I know it's fool-proof for me :)

Well that was one heck of a long post! Thank you so much for sticking all the way through and made it to the end and I really hope you enjoyed my ramblings!

More posts will be coming soon, I'm really excited to be back and writing posts. So, until next time, take care!

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

Maybelline Color Whisper Lipsticks - Review & Swatches!

I'm so excited to be able to write this post today. Ever since the very first sneak peaks and news of Maybelline's newest lipstick line has surfaced on the internet, I have been waiting eagerly for them to finally land in the drugstore. Here is what Maybelline has to say about their newest lip product in Spring 2013:

"Pure color pigments suspended in a weightless gel. No heavy waxes or oils. Soft, sexy gel-color." - maybelline.com

I purchased these for $7.96 + tax at Wal-Mart, which also happens to be where I found the new permanent display. Up until now I have not found a trace of these lipsticks at other drugstores yet, but I'm sure they will surface soon.

Today I share with you the 12 shades I have of the 20 available shades :)

Packaging: The lipstick tube of the Color Whispers are very sleek and pretty. They have the same build as all the other Maybelline lipsticks, BUT it's a teeny bit taller and quite a bit skinnier when compared side by side. I especially love the cursive logo on the side of the cap and I find it to be a very pleasing visual to the overall look. The cap is secured nicely at the bottom with grooves yet is still removable easily. I do not feel like it would accidentally pop open in a makeup bag or purse.

Color Whisper lipstick is noticeably slimmer than the regular lipsticks...

...and a bit taller!

The "Bright and Light"; swatches below

45 Who Wore It Red-er: Cream. This color is the most "red" color of the entire range, and it still transcribe to the lips with a strong hint of pink. The more it is built-up, the less pink it appears and becomes more red.

50 Cherry On Top: Cream. Similar in color tone to #45, but it is about 1 to 2 shades lighter. It gives a beautiful just-bitten look to your lips and is a great intro colour for anybody who is looking to venture into bright lipsticks. 

65 Pink Possibilities: Cream. A sheer mid-tone pink. It is a great my-lips-but-better (MLBB) colour. Very similar to #60 if worn sheer, but when it is built up it becomes redder than #60

60 Petal Rebel: Cream. This is the most "Barbie-pink" color of the entire range, and also happens to be the colour worn by the model in Maybelline's promotional poster. However, this one is difficult to show true to colour if you happen to have pigmented lips that are redder in tone, because the colour of the lipstick is pretty sheer. However, if you have lighter colour lips, about 3 swipes across should give you a nice pastel pink.

70 Faint For Fuchsia: Cream. This is pink with purple undertones. If you use it sheer it is definitely an MLBB colour, but it can be easily built-up to become a brighter colour that is eye-catching yet not overwhelming.

90 Oh-La Lilac: Cream. Don't let the lipstick tube scare you! This really is not as purple as it looks...if you wear it sheered out :P Because there is enough pink tone in it, when worn sheer there is hardly much purple that is noticeable and the colour becomes one that can give a healthy flush of color to your lips. 

The "nudes and darks"; swatches below

95 Mad For Magenta: Cream. Borderline purple berry colour, quite a bright pink if worn with several layers.

75 Rose of Attraction: Cream with sparkles. This is the only lipstick in the range that I have seen so far that has actual sparkles inside. The sparkles are noticeable in lights but I couldn't feel it on my lips; it had no gritty feeling to it at all. The base color is a rosy coral color.

80 Made-It Mauve: Cream. Sheer brick red. It ventures into the brown tones but still has enough red to make sure your lips are still healthy looking.

20 Mocha Muse: Cream. A sheer brown colour with a hint of red-undertone. It is quite sheer and doesn't really build up easily to show up on my lips, which are pretty pigmented on their own. 

25 Lust for Blush: Cream. Pinky-nude colour. I thought I would really love this particular one, but unforunately it, again, doesn't really show up on my lips, just gives it shine but that's about it.

85 Berry Ready: Cream. Berry Colour, just as the name suggests. This one is amazing, the pigmentation is so great. The swatch was just ONE swipe, where as all the other ones were 2 swipes. Of course, to get the colour on the lips it does require a couple swipes back and forth, but the opacity it produces rival that of lipsticks!

Scent: The Color Whisper lipsticks has no detectable fragrance as far I can smell. It has a very very faint sweet barely-there smell, but nothing more.

Taste: Similar to the scent, there is hardly any detectable taste to the lipstick after it is applied to the lips.

Texture: I feel these lipsticks really lived up to the claims of being lightweight. Wearing them, my lips felt hydrated without the feeling that I'm wearing a lip colour; I had no dry lips as the product wore off. There is just a very slight stick to the product that I can feel at the center of my lips when I talk. The texture and feel of these lipsticks are definitely on par with Revlon Lip Butters, L'Oreal Balm, and L'Oreal Caress Sticks, I may even like the Maybelline best out of the four.

Coverage: The coverage of these lipsticks are awesome! They are MUCH more pigmented than Maybelline Baby Lips without sacrificing to a dry texture. These are not to be confused with tinted lip balms, because they are much better than that. Maybelline Color Whispers are light lipsticks with strong color payoff and excellent moisturizing properties. Some shades, especially those lighter one and those leaning more brown and nude, will require multiple swipes across the lips to achieve the color in the tube. 

Wear-time: Wear-time is rather short for Color Whisper lipsticks. Since they are so lightweight, they hardly cling to the lips. Therefore, it wears off after about 2 hours, or 1 hour with lots of talking, or about 30 minutes if eating is involved. The shine is maintained quite well. The dark colours wear better than the lighter colours, likely because it is easier to still see it as it starts wearing off. I do not find that these produce a stain on my lips after wearing off, even for the dark colours. However, one downfall is that they do ACCENTUATE DRY LIPS, so make sure your lips are nicely moisturized prior! Also, because the product is so lightweight, it is actually quite slippery too and will move around the lips and is especially obvious with the light pinks.

Final Thoughts: Overall, I really enjoy this new line from Maybelline. I know that I love the deeper shades a bit more than the lighter shades. There are about 2 shades from the range that I know will be just TOO light to show up on anybody's lips and will just end up serving more of a shiny lip balm, so I will not be purchasing those shades. With most of the colours, a mirror is not necessary for application which makes reapplying on the go very easy. The lipstick feels so nice on my lips that I really don't mind having to reapply about every 1-2 hours. If you enjoyed the Revlon Lip Butters or L'oreal Caress Sticks, or found L'Oreal Balm underwheming, I HIGHLY recommend trying out a couple of the Maybelline Color Whisper Lipsticks! Favourite shades so far: BERRY READY, WHO WORE IT RED-ER, PINK POSSIBILITIES, CHERRY ON TOP.

Have you tried these? Let me know!

Joanne

Maybelline CLEAN EXPRESS! Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover Review

Today I would like to introduce to you one of my many recent new finds at the drugstore - a new eye makeup remover by Maybelline! The brand has offered eye makeup removers for many years now, but personally I have never paid much attention to them, because they've been around for so long it's not promoted much anymore, it is always housed at the very bottom of the Maybelline wall displays, and most importantly, I already have a couple makeup removers that I am very content with.

However, when this new one came along I found it in Wal-Mart in one of those small cardboard displays that most new products are first introduced in at drugstores. (The have now been moved to the permanent display, as of 3 days ago) The shape and colour of the bottle first caught my attention...The oval cylinder shape of the bottle was slim and compact, and (most importantly) it was PINK! How cute is that? :) It wasn't price-tagged at the time but when I was rung up at the registered it was only $4.96 + tax, and I had a "what a steal!" moment.

It claims to have a "QuickBreak Technology", to be "Ultra-Gentle - Express-removes even waterproof mascara", and is an oil-free water proof eye makeup remover. The bottle contains 120mL (4.0 fl. oz.) of product, which runs a little under the typical 150mL mark for most other drugstore eye makeup remover, but don't forget its low price point!

On the back it says the following:
"Shake to activate dual phase formula. First phase instantly breaks up stubborn makeup, even waterproof mascara, while the second washes it clean...Because of its quick dissolving powever, no harsh rubbing is necessary. Oil-free, the formula leaves no greasy residue."

A look at the opening of the bottle.

Sounds like a dream but how did it actually perform?

After using this remover for the past 3 weeks, I am now ready to share my thoughts with you :) I agree wholeheartedly with its claims of being ultra-gentle. I have not experienced any burning or stinging sensations near or on my eye when using it to take off my eye makeup. There is, indeed, no feeling of greasy residue, or any residue for that matter, after I finish using it. It also leaves the eye area with a feeling of being slightly hydrated.

Unfortunately, this product falls short of its "Quick-Break Action" claim. First, I do not wear waterproof mascara, so when I got this product I expected it to perform quite well for taking off my non-waterproof mascara since it's suppose to take off waterproof ones with ease. But nope, even after soaking my lashes with this for 30 seconds on the cotton pad, it takes a little too much extra rubbing to get all my mascara off than I would like for my already-kind-of sparse lashes. I really don't need more to fall out everytime I take off the makeup. to be honest, the remover is really good at removing all the eyeshadow in one swipe, and the eyeliners come off in a little more than 2 swipes. So if you happen to be one of those girls who don't wear mascara regularly, this is likely a great product for you to try, and it won't break the bank.

Overall, it's not a bad remover, and I will continue using it to take off my eyeshadows and liners. But I will defer back to my baby oil to take off my mascara to minimize the rubbing and tugging.

Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for more reviews on my other recent drugstore new product finds!

Joanne