Friday 29 May 2009

Revlon Matte Eye Shadow


In the last few months I've had a hankering for matte eye shadows and realised that I didn't own any. So naturally, when Revlon had a buy two get one free offer I couldn't resist getting some of the new matte eye shadows. I've heard mixed reviews about them so didn't know what to expect. Some people have said they're chalky, other people said they didn't have good colour payoff and other people loved them.

I tested these out in the store before I bought them, and they seemed okay, so I bought them. I've been using them daily for about four weeks now and I love them. They have great colour payoff, they last all day and don't crease. I've been using them as an eye shadow and eye liner and they work great both ways.

The colour payoff with these is great. They can be applied sheerly or layered on for an intense colour. They don't look crepey and when I use them as eye liner they don't fade or disappear.

I'm wondering if these work well for me because I don't have oily eyelids? I'm not sure, but if you do get them, just beware that they don't work for some people, so maybe test them in the store if you can.

Would I buy these again? Yes, I really like them.

Thursday 28 May 2009

Phytomer Seaweed Soap

This is the best, gentlest exfoliating soap that I've ever used. In fact I'd even go so far as to say that it's the best body exfoliator I've ever used. I bought this at the same time I bought the expensive Phytomer body lotion. The body lotion wasn't worth the money, but the seaweed soap is worth every cent.

It's a large 150g bar of soap that will last for ages. I've been using mine for four weeks and and it still looks brand new. Why I love this soap so much is the exfoliating scrubs. They're really gentle and don't irritate or scratch my skin at all. After I've used this my skin doesn't look red, it's soft and smooth.

This feels like scrubbing myself with sand. That might sound a little strange, but that's what it's like and it's really effective.

Would I buy it again? Yes, it's worth every cent.

Ingredients: sodium palmate, sodium palm kernelate, aqua, chondrus crispus, parfum, glycerin, palm acid, sodium thiosulfate, sodium chloride, palm kernel acid, sodium dehydroacetate, methylparaben, propylparaben, tetrasodium edta, tetrasodium etidronate, benzyl benzoate, geraniol, limonene, citronellol, citral, linalool, benzyl salicylate, hexyl cinnamal, ci 77891, ci 77007, ci 77289.

Wednesday 27 May 2009

Clarins Gentle Eye Make-Up Remover Lotion

For the last few months I've been using the Clarins Gentle Eye Make-up Remover lotion as my L'oreal eye make-up remover has run out and I'm trying to use up all the sample products that I have lying around. I'd never thought that there would be much of a difference with the effectiveness of an eye make-up remover, but there really is. I still love my L'oreal, but the Clarins product works a lot quicker and easier than the L'oreal does.

This product works with just one wipe. I soak a cotton pad in it, sit it on my eye for about 30 seconds and all my make-up is gone. As easy as that. No irritation, no redness or dry patches and no need to rub and rub to get everything off. If this was cheaper it'd be my new holy grail eye make-up remover.

Would I buy it again? No. It costs $40 a bottle. If it was cheaper I would as it's a great product.

Ingredients: aqua, rosa centifolia flower water, centaurea cyanus flower water, polysorbate 20, caprylry/capryl glucoside, sodium chloride, phenoxyethanol, disodium edta, chlorhexidine digluconate, hydroyzed soy protein, potassium sorbate.

Tuesday 26 May 2009

My favorite pot Lip balms

The Body Shop Lip Butter - These are great, they're really hydrating, taste good and come in really nice flavours. I've always got a pot or two floating around the house somewhere. My favorite is Papaya.
Carmex - I've been using this for over 15 years now, it's the first thing I reach for when my lips are cracked, it heals them so quickly. Out of all the balms I've tried, I've been using this for the longest, it's one that I'm never without.
Le Couvent Des Minimes - This is a recent favorite. It's moisturising and has a lovely, creamy texture that feels amazing on my lips.
Shizen - This is more like an ointment. It's got a lovely glossy finish and smells like lemons. It does a great job of keeping my lips in good condition.
Perfect Potion - Another great balm, with a beautiful creamy texture. I have it in Rose Petal, which is a gorgeous scent.
Lush Whip Stick - Even though this is the colour of poo, it smells and tastes like chocolate, and is really moisturising.

Monday 25 May 2009

Laura Mercier Thickening and Building Mascara

I've never used a Laura Mercier mascara before, so when I received one with a gwp I was very interested to see what they were like. I got the Thickening and Building mascara in black.

I've been using my Thickening and Building mascara for three months now and I'm really happy with it. It does what it says it will, thickens and builds. It makes my eye lashes look thick and long. The colour is great, a very dark black. I don't have any problems with it clumping or flaking and it even stands up to a little water (but not a lot).

This is very similar to one of my favorite mascara's ever, Maybelline's Full n Soft, the only difference is that the Laura Mercier mascara is a lot more expensive.

Here's what Laura Mercier has to say: Thickening and Building Mascara is a luxurious, non-clumping mascara that gives lashes a magnified, voluminous look without any clumping. Brush is designed to beautifully curl & separate the lashes. Contains no fibers or fillers. Contains vitamins A, E, C & Glycerin for conditioning. Safe for contact lens wearers.

Would I buy it again? If I found it on sale for a reasonable price, yes. But otherwise, no.

Ingredients: water (aqua), beeswax (cera alba), PVP, glycerin, stearic acid, copernica cerifera (carnauba) wax, PEG-100 stearate, glyceryl stearate, nylon-12, cetyl alcohol, triethanolamine, ascorbyl palmitate, retinyl palmitate, tocopheryl acetate, panthenol, VP/eicosene copolymer, phenoxyethanol, magnesium aluminum silicate, simethicone, methylparaben, propylparaben, iron oxides (ci77499). May contain: iron oxide (ci77491, ci77492).

Friday 22 May 2009

A totally unnecessary purchase



On Wednesday I made a totally unnecessary purchase. Now I know that a lot of my purchases could be called totally unnecessary, but this one truly is, because I bought a product that I don't think I'll ever use. Normally I buy products with the intention of using them, but when I bought this I knew that wasn't going to be the case. Regardless I still bought it, purely because it's so pretty that I just want to be able to look at it.



Isn't it beautiful? It's MAC's Beauty Powder, part of the A Rose Romance collection. I got Summer Rose, which is the colour on the left. It's a gorgeous soft pinky violet. I'm seriously considering getting another one to use, cause at the moment I just can't bear to use mine, it's way too pretty.

The MAC website doesn't have any decent pictures of the Beauty Powder, I found these great pictures on Temptalia's blog.

Thursday 21 May 2009

My Favorite Online Stores

Moon Haven - Moon Haven sell the most amazing soaps and natural skin care.

Skincare store - Cheap products, free shipping and if you find the same product cheaper they'll refund you 115% of the difference between what you paid and the cheaper price.

Strawberrynet - Cheap products and products that aren't available at Australia.

Bare Naked Beauty - A great range of natural and organic skin care.

Adore Beauty - A great range of products with excellent customer service.

TVSN - They have some great specials and a money back guarantee.

My Lip Stuff - My favorite lip balm store.

Every Day Minerals - A lovely range of mineral make-up. Reasonably priced shipping to Australia.

Pure Luxe - Another lovely range of mineral make-up and reasonably priced shipping also.

Ikigai - A beautiful range of natural and organic skin care. They also have great information available about skin care and what to avoid.

Wednesday 20 May 2009

Burt's Bees Lip Shimmer


For those of you who love Burt's Bees lip balms but are after something with a bit of colour to it, you need one of these balms. The colours that I've tried are all very pigmented, they have the colour of a lipstick with that great tingly feeling that I get from the Burt's Bees original balm.

Other than the colour, these are exactly like the original Burt's Bees lip balms. They leave my lips feeling soft and hydrated and work really well when my lips are cracked. The texture is a little waxy so the colour lasts for at least 3 hours before I need to reapply. As with other Burt's Bees products Lip Shimmers are petrolatum free.

I'm not quite sure why they're called Lip Shimmers as most of the colours are not shimmery. They're matte with a very slight gloss to them. They have a very slight peppermint flavour and fragrance.

Would I buy this again? Yes, I always have a few of these floating around.

Ingredients:
ricinus communis (castor) seed oil, helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil, cera alba (beeswax, cire d'abeille), candelilla cera (euphorbia cerifera, cire de candelilla) wax, mentha piperita (peppermint) oil, lanolin, theobroma cacao (cocoa) seed butter, cera carnauba (copernicia cerifera, cire de carnauba) wax, tocopherol, rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf extract, glycine soja (soybean) oil, canola oil (huile de colza), limonene.
May contain: ci 77491/77492/77499 (iron oxides), mica, ci 77891 (titanium dioxide), ci 75470 (carmine), ci 778161(tin oxide).

Tuesday 19 May 2009

Dermalogica Concealing Spot Treatment


I'm quite disappointed with this treatment. I had high hopes as all the Dermalogica products I've tried in the past have worked really well for me, but I'm really not a fan of this.

Firstly it's too light, it looks like I have a pale patch on my skin and it's really obvious. I have pale skin so it's quite unusual that it's too light for me. Secondly, it's really watery so quite difficult to get enough coverage as it's not thick enough. And thirdly, it doesn't really do much to hide my spots, it just seems to highlight them.

I've resorted to using this as a night treatment. It does seem to calm the pimples down, but doesn't make a huge difference.

Here's what Dermalogica has to say: An intense treatment with a natural-looking tint that quickly targets, conceals and helps clear breakouts and is ideal for day time use. Upon contact, concentrated Sulfur and Zinc Oxide help clear skin by eliminating bacteria associated with acne while clearing excess oil and congestion in the follicle. Niacinamide, Zinc Gluconate, Yeast and Cinnamon Bark extracts, Caffeine and Biotin purify and inhibit overactive sebaceous gland activity while soothing irritation. Salicylic Acid sloughs off dead skin cells that contribute to clogged follicles, helping to prevent future breakouts. Contains no artificial fragrance or color.

HOW IT WORKS:
Concentrated Sulfur and Zinc Oxide help clear skin by eliminating bacteria associated with acne and clearing excess oil and congestion in the follicle.
Salicylic Acid sloughs off dead skin cells, helping to reduce congestion and prevent future breakouts.
Niacinamide, Zinc Gluconate, Yeast and Cinnamon Bark extracts, Caffeine and Biotin purify and inhibit overactive sebaceous gland activity while soothing irritation.

Would I buy it again? No.

Active ingredient: sulfur (5%).
Other ingredients: hamamelis virginiana water, zinc oxide, butylene glycol, titanium dioxide, silica, salicylic acid, niacinamide, yeast extract, aesculus hippocastanum seed extract, cinnamomum zeylanicum bark extract, ammonium glycyrrhizate, panthenol, propylene glycol, zinc gluconate, caffeine, biotin, capryloyl glycine, sarcosine, peg-40 hydrogenated castor oil, camphor, phenoxyethanol, caprylyl clycol, chlorphenesin, iron oxides (ci 77491, ci 77492, ci 77499)

Monday 18 May 2009

LipFusion Colour Shine Lip Plump

I love lip plumpers and have tried heaps of them. Most of them don't work, but I like the tingle so happily use them even when I don't think they do anything. However, one of the ones that does work is LipFusion. When I first got it I put it on half my lip to see if it worked and there was a noticeable difference, one half of my lip looked swollen and the other half looked normal.

I was pretty surprised that it actually worked, so kept on using it to see if this was a temporary thing or not. I'm happy to say that it's not a temporary thing and it still works. I'm halfway through my first tube and I'll be buying more when this runs out.

It doesn't keep my lips plumped for 48 hours, but it works for a few hours. I've noticed that since I've been using it more regularly my lips don't stay plumped for as long as when I first started using it, maybe because my lips are in better condition now, they look a lot brighter and a little plumper than they used to.

When I first apply LipFusion I notice a light, pleasant tingling sensation that lasts for a few minutes. I purchased Sweet, which is a pretty pink that looks clear on my pigmented lips. The gloss lasts a few hours before I need to reapply and has a subtle, sweet flavour.

Here's what Fusion Beauty has to say about Lip Fusion: The next generation of lip plumpers has arrived. LipFusion is moisturizing treatment gloss infused with revolutionary technology to plump lips instantly – no kidding.
How it works: Tiny, dehydrated, marine collagen microspheres are instantly absorbed by the lips, and seek out the body’s natural moisture. As soon as the spheres become re-hydrated, they plump and hold onto the moisture they’ve collected, creating a mild "swelling" of the lip tissue. The result is fuller, smoother, perfectly plumped lips in seconds. Results can last for up to 48 hours.

You can get LipFusion from Mecca, however I usually buy mine from ebay or strawberrynet as it's much cheaper.

Would I buy this again? Yes, it's a nice gloss and it actually works.

Ingredients: Polybutene, Mineral Oil, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Silica Silylate, Triisostearyl Citrate, Mica, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Flavor, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Sodium Chondroitin Sulfate, Atelocollagen (fish source), Butylene Glycol, Sodium Saccharin, Titanium Dioxide, Propylparaben, Isopropylparaben, Isobutylparaben, Butylparaben.

Friday 15 May 2009

Clarins One Step Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser

I'm really starting to like Clarins products, everything I've tried has been lovely, and they have great gwp's too. The gwp's are a great way to try new products as the sizes are really generous, the cleansers are 75 ml's and the face creams are at least 15 mls.

Clarins says: Better than just clean skin, achieve 'new' skin! It removes makeup, gently cleanses, exfoliates and removes deepset impurities in one simple step all while respecting the skin's hydrolipidic film.

I've been fairly happy with this cleanser, although it's really more an exfoliator than a cleanser. It's not the type of product I'd use to take off my make-up as it feels quite scrubby and I prefer to use cream or oil cleansers to remove my make-up.

As an exfoliant I'm very happy with this. The beads are gentle, when I've used this my skin feels soft and smooth. It's gentle enough to use every day, however when my skin is in good condition I'll use it every second day. If my skin is playing up I'll use it every day. It has a lovely subtle orange scent that I really like.

Would I buy it again? Probably not. I like it, but find it very similar to Olay's Total Effects cleanser for blemish prone skin, so if I wanted something like this I'd get the Olay as it's a lot cheaper.

Thursday 14 May 2009

Lancome Juicy Crayon


Every few years Lancome put out a Juicy Crayon. It's a lip gloss in pencil form. I know that sounds strange, but it works. It has the staying power of a lip pencil with the shine of a gloss. The colour pigment is halfway between a gloss and a lipstick. If you see them, get one! They usually appear around christmas as a limited edition release. There are still some floating around on the net, so if you really want one they aren't difficult to track down.

I absolutely love these crayons. I apply mine over lip balm in the morning and at lunchtime I still have a stain of colour, which is pretty amazing considering how glossy they are. They also have a lovely fragrance. I've tried glossy lipsticks (which I love), but find that the lasting power isn't very good, whereas the lasting power of Juicy Crayons is great. It's pretty rare that a lip product lasts until lunchtime on me.

Would I buy it again? Yes, I get one every time they are released.

Wednesday 13 May 2009

Miessence Jaffa Lip Balm


I'm a firm believer that it's better to use lip products that don't contain petrolatum. Since I've switched to non petrolatum lip balms my lips have been a lot healthier. Switching was a little difficult though, because for the first two weeks my lips peeled constantly. They weren't sore, but they just peeled constantly. But once the peeling had finished my lips looked and felt great.

Miessence Jaffa lip balm stick is the newest balm from Miessence. It has the same fragrance as the squeeze tube balm does. I prefer the wind up balm to the squeeze tube as I find that the squeeze tube balm tends to get lumpy, whereas the wind up tube doesn't.

Now onto the balm. I really like it. It's moisturising, slightly glossy, has a nice jaffa scent and does a great job of hydrating my lips, even when they're dry. The texture is soft, smooth and lasts a few hours before I need to reapply.

Would I buy it again? Yes, it's a lovely balm.

Ingredients: certified organic citrus dulcis (sweet orange) essential oil, certified organic vanilla planifolia CO2 extract, certified organic persea gratissima (avocado) fruit oil, certified organic rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf extract, certified organic helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil, certified organic butyrospermum parkii (shea) fruit butter, certified organic unrefined cera alba (beeswax)

Tuesday 12 May 2009

Pangea Organics Ecocentric Lipcare

I've been having a bit of a blank on what to review lately so I thought I'd go back to my favorite topic and start reviewing some lip balms and glosses. I'm kind of ashamed to admit (actually I'm not really) that I have two bags of lip balms, one bag is full of balms that I've reviewed and the other is full of the balms that I haven't reviewed. The 'haven't reviewed' bag is starting to get too full, so it's high time that I start testing and reviewing.

For the first day of using my Ecocentric Lipcare I wasn't sure if I liked it, but now that I've been using it for a while it's grown on me and I've decided that I do like it. I don't love it, purely because it's flavourless. If it had flavour then I'd be telling you how much I love it.

This is a huge 7 gram stick of balm, the same size as the Badger Cocoa Butter balms, so it'll last for ages. I purchased the Egyptian Fennel With Grapefruit and Sweet Orange fragrance. Grapefruit is an antioxidant and euphoric and Sweet Orange is soothing and vitamin rich. The scent is soft and subtle but I do find that it lifts my mood when I'm wearing it. I wouldn't say that I'm euphoric, but it is softly cheering.

This would be a good lip balm for men as it lasts well and is barely noticeable on the lips. It has a smooth, creamy texture and it hydrates well. I like this for a light, daytime balm.

You can buy Pangea Organics products from Ikigai and David Jones.

Would I buy it again? No, but only because it's not flavoured.

Ingredients: sunflower seed oil, beeswax, jojoba oil, lecithin, hemp seed oil, shea butter, white grapefruit oil, pink grapefruit oil, sweet orange oil, ylang ylang oil, tamanu oil, aloe vera gel, vitamin e, fennel oil.

Monday 11 May 2009

L'Oreal Paris Gentle Make-Up Remover for Eyes and Lips

The only reason I bought this make-up remover is because it's two toned and I thought it looked cool. Thankfully it works really well and I've been using it for years now. I've got no idea how many bottles I've gone through but as I've been using it for at least 10 years I'd say it'd be a lot.

There's not really a lot that I can tell you about this product other than that it works well. It's a remover that works for waterproof eye and lip make-up. The top layer is oily and when mixed together the layers produce a gentle, non drying make-up remover.

To use you shake it until both layers are mixed together. Then after it's been sitting there for a while the layers separate again. I always leave this on my bathroom bench top cause I think the two layers are cool and I like to play around with them (small minds, hehe).

Ingredients: water, cyclopentasiloxane, isohexadecane, isopropyl palmitate, sodium chloride, dipotassium phosphate, poloxamer 184, potassium phosphate, panthenol, polyaminopropyl biguanide, ci 61565/green 6 (fil b4885/3).

Friday 8 May 2009

My Lip Stuff Tinted Gloss


I've told you my thoughts on the My Lip Stuff untinted Lip Gloss, so thought I'd also tell you about the tinted version. It's identical to the untinted version other than the very pretty tint that it has. I got this in Butterscotch Sundae, which is another great scent. That's what I love about My Lip Stuff balms, they are available in so many amazing flavours and fragrances.

They have a shimmery red tint that looks quite bright in the bottle but goes on sheer and leaves a pretty wash of red that looks quite natural. One of the disadvantages of the tinted balm is that the colour tends to settle, so needs to be mixed up again to get the colour out. I don't find this to be a problem though as I usually warm it between my hands before I use it anyhow, so I just give it a few shakes and then it's all mixed.

Would I buy it again? I'm not sure. I do like it but as it's a bit difficult to use I probably wouldn't but it again.

Ingredients: castor oil, sunflower oil, shea oil, mica oil, essential oil and/or flavour.

Thursday 7 May 2009

Phytomer Hydracontinue Moisturising Body Milk

I got talked into buying this when I was at the beautician one day, they had an offer where I could get the soap and the body moisturiser together, so of course I couldn't resist and had to try it.

I should have known better than to spend so much money (it was around $50) on a body moisturiser. Really, a body moisturiser is just that, it moisturises. It's never going to do anything amazing that makes it worth spending a lot of money on.

Here's what Phytomer says: This fresh, light milk generously moisturizes and protects the body. Enriched with Pheohydrane, a 100% natural active ingredient, it maintains and regulates the skin's natural moisturizing functions. Your skin is left feeling silky, more supple, more comfortable, and more beautiful.

And here's what I say: it's a nice moisturiser with a pleasant scent. It sinks in quickly but is very moisturising. I've been using it when my skin is really dry, itchy and irritated and it's slowly getting my skin back into good condition.

Would I buy it again? Nope, there are moisturisers that are just as good for a fraction of the cost.

Ingredients: awua, cetearyl ethylhexanoate, glycerin, isopropyl palmitate, cyclomethicone, dimethicone, zea mays (corn) oil, potassium cetyl phosphate, c14-22 alcohols, behenyl alcohol, pentaerythrityl tetraisostearate, parfum, glycine soja (soybean) oi, butyrospermum parkii (shea butter) extract, phenoxyethanol, stearoxytrimethylsilane, stearyl alcohol, c12-20 alkyl glucoside, hellianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil, methylparaben, triethanolamine, acrylates/vinyl isodecanoate crosspolymer, caprylic/capric triglyceride, butylparaben, disodium edta, ethylparaben, hydrolyzed algin, isobutylparaben, propylparaben, xanthan guym, maris aqua (sea water), chlorella vulgaris extract, citric acid, propyl gallate, tocopherol, hexyl cinnamal, alpha isomethyl ionine, citronellol, linalool, geraniol, coumarin, limonene, hydroxyisohexyl 3-cyclohexene carboxaldehyde, benzyl benzoate, eugenol, isoeugenol, evernia furfuracea (tremoss) extract, citral hydroxy citronellal, cinnamyl alcohol.

Wednesday 6 May 2009

KMS California Silksheen Leave In Conditioner



In an effort to use up some of the products that I have hanging around (instead of just using and repurchasing the products that I love), I've started using my silksheen again. It's nice, but not amazing and I won't repurchase it. There's nothing wrong with it, but there's nothing great about it either. I don't notice a huge difference in my hair when I use it.

One thing that I do like about it is that it's two toned, so it looks good, hehe. As you can see in the picture above, the bottom half is pinky apricot coloured and the top is clear. For some reason two toned products always amuse me.

Here's what KMS have to say about silksheen: Infused with almond and basil this light weight spray leaves hair instantly tangle free, soft and silky. Formulated with advanced IOPS (inside out perfecting system) technology it's perfect for long or fine hair.

It has an almond basil fragrance which I find a bit strange. It's not unpleasant but at the same time it's not pleasant. It's more basily, which is not the sort of fragrance that I'd choose for my hair.

As far as leave in conditioners go this is okay. It doesn't weight down my fine hair and doesn't leave it greasy either. I use about 5 to 10 sprays on wet hair and like I said, it's okay. It makes my hair feel a little more hydrated. I don't notice any detangling effects.

Ingredients: water, dimethicone, alcohol denat, steartrimoniumchloride, peg/ppg-14/4 dimethicone, panthenol, prunus dulcis oil, ocimum basilicum extract, ethyl ester of hydrolyzed silk, tocopheryl acetate, pca, lactic acid, citric acid, malic acid, glycolic acid, glycerin, di-c12-15 alkyl dimonium chloride, propylene glycol, isopropyl alcohol, cyclopentasiloxane, dimethiconol, polyquaternium-11, sorbitol, ammonium hydroxide, benzophenone-4, fragrance, orange4/c.i 15510, red 33/c.i 17200.

Tuesday 5 May 2009

Nars Laguna Bronzing Powder


I've been wanting Nars Laguna for ages but never bought it because of the price. However, when the stimulus payment came through I decided I'd go and buy it. I've never had much luck with bronzers as I'm so pale, but I know that other pale skinned girls really love Laguna so I figured it was worth a try.

I'm so glad that I bought this, it's a beautiful product. It's one of those products that was love at first use. There's something about the Nars packaging that I love too, it looks so sleek and luxurious, I really enjoy using my Nars products.

Anyhow, enough about the packaging. This is a great bronzer. I've been using it all over my face to brighten up my skin and give me a healthy glow. It's nice and subtle, so it's not obvious that I'm wearing a bronzer, but I look healthier. Since I've been using it all over people have been telling me that I look really healthy. One layer gives me a nice subtle glow and more layers gives a more obvious tanned look. It's also great to use as you would a traditional bronzer.

Would I buy this again? Yes, it's a great, versatile product, perfect for pale girls like me.

Ingredients: talc, polymethyl methacrylate, nylon-66, ptfe, zea mays, polyethylene, dimethicone, silica, neopentyl glycol diethylhexanoate, zinc stearate, disodium edta, tocopherol, ascorbyl palmitate, methylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben.
May contain: mica, ci 77891, ci 77491 ci 77492 ci 77499, ci 77288, ci 77289, ci 77007, ci 77163.

Monday 4 May 2009

Olay Total Effects Cream Cleanser

In the past I've been lucky and had good, blemish free skin, but in the last few months my hormones have been going crazy and so has my skin. Because of this I've had to totally change my skin care routine to try and help things a little.

I'm sure you're all familiar with Olay's claims about their Total Effects range, but in case you aren't here they are: visibly diminishes the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, smoothes skin texture - visibly and to the touch, evens skin tone for younger-looking, more balanced colour, improves surface dullness, giving skin a radiant, healthy glow, minimises the appearance of pores, visibly reduces the appearance of blotches, soothes dry skin, hydrating with Olay moisture. Plus its Salicylic formula helps reduce the appearance of blemishes.

I've used the whole tube of my Total Effects cleanser and I've been pretty happy with it. It's a creamy cleanser with tiny little exfoliating beads in it. I was a little concerned that the salicylic acid might be too harsh for my skin, but I didn't have any problems with it at all.

As for all the claims made by Olay, the only ones that their cleanser lived up to is improving skin surface and possibly reducing the appearance of blemishes. Whilst I was using this cleanser I still got pimples, but the cleanser did seem to help clear them up quickly.

Would I buy it again? Yes, it's a nice exfoliating cleanser. I'd use this a few times a week as a deep cleanser.

Ingredients: water, ppg-15, stearyl ether, glycerin, stearyl alcohol, cetyl betaine, salicylic acid, distearyldimonium chloride, sodium lauryl sulfate, oxidized polyethylene, cetyl alcohol, alcohol, steareth-21, sodium chloride, behenyl alcohol, ppg-30, steareth-2, fragrance, sodium glycolate, disodium edta.

Friday 1 May 2009

My Lip Stuff Lip Gloss


It's no secret how much I love My Lip Stuff lip balms, they're favorites of mine, one of the balms that I always have in my drawer. I also quite like their glosses. They're not the traditional tube glosses, they're roller ball glosses, which I love because they remind me of being a teenager. The first gloss I ever remember getting was a mint flavoured Maybelline roller ball gloss that tasted really yummy, I think more of it ended up in my stomach than on my lips.

My Lip Stuff Roller ball glosses are quite runny and so don't last very long, but they taste great so I'm quite happy to reapply every half hour. I got CoCarMel Kick which is a heavenly tasting mix of coconut, caramel and marshmallow. The gloss goes on very sheerly and gives a very gentle, soft shine. These would be great for people who don't like the feeling of anything on their lips, when I put mine on I don't even notice that I'm wearing it.

The only problem I have with these glosses is that sometimes the roller ball gets stuck so it can be difficult to get the gloss out, but I find that if I warm the gloss between my hands first it goes on easily.

Ingredients: castor oil, sunflower oil, shea oil, essential oil and/or flavour.