August 2013 Favourites!

With another month gone by, here’s another post about my August Favourites! (And not so favourites…)

Check out my YouTube video, if you’re into watching rather than reading.
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Starting with the positive –

Favourites

Lancome Tresor Midnight Rose

So bare with me whilst I describe a perfume for the very first time.

This scent is sweet, bordering on sticky (like honey) with fruity notes under all that sugar.
Something comparable to a chocolate strawberry that lifts you up into the clouds with Katy Perry…!

I personally love sweet and floral scents, so of course I fell in love with this perfume.
Also, Emma Watson endorses this product – she was the face of the campaign, sot that’s an extra 10xmillion points added to the tally.

This might be a little strong for anyone that prefers a light perfume throughout the day. But it’s definitely perfume for a night out with your man (or man to be).
I myself wear this on a daily basis though. I just can’t get enough of it!

Beauty Blender

So before we get into the “screaming-fan-girl” mode, I just want to point out that this is definitely expensive for what it is.
Er… $30+ for a couple of foundation sponges is ridiculous. Even if they’re amazing.

Now. On to the mini-review.

*cue screaming fan girl*

This is the BOMB-DIGIDY. Fo’ sho this is expensive, but it definitely lives up to the hype of flawless coverage.
It’s easy to use and easy to clean (just introduce some water and soup, then rub); and blends foundation like a charm.

A couple of things to note though:

• It does thin out the foundation. So when a normal thicker foundation gives you medium to full coverage with another foundation applicator, the beauty blender will only apply it on as medium coverage.
  Of course though, you could opt-in to adding on a second layer. But then that’s time consuming and annoying.
  Which leads me on to my next point.
• It takes AT LEAST 1.5 times longer to apply foundation, than any other applicator. Any that I’ve tried anyway.
  It’s extremely tedious to continuously bounce the sponge against the surface of your face. And by the time you get through the whole face, that’s just forever.

Besides that though, I’m TOTALLY LOVING THIS.

Revlon PhotoReady Bronzer: Bronzed and Chic

I’m pretty sure this has been on a past favourites list before, but I’m loving it especially this month.
Reason being, I’m using a foundation that’s lighter than the rest of my body, so I need to match it up to the rest of my skin tone.
Not sure why it’s so light though, considering we’re in winter here…

This bronzer isn’t very pigmented, so that’s actually great for anyone wanting to opt-in for more of a natural wash of colour.
There are also 4 different shades of the bronzer – a quad of a bronzer if you will.

A lighter orange undertone in the top left, a lighter bronze with dark pink undertones in the top right.
The bottom 2 are darker versions of the top, with the lightest to darkest arranged in a clock-wise direction.

With this, it suits any needs of bronzing; whether you need a lighter or darker colour.

Australis Make Up Finishing Spritz

This is definitely another repeat favourite. I hope you’re not getting bored?
But seriously, this is good stuff!

This finishing spritz helps keep foundation on for longer and reduces the amount of slipping and sliding – all my oily skin sisters know what I’m talking about!

But this month, I’ve been trying to use up all my little foundation samples, and some have been sitting in my drawers for awhile, so they’ve started to dry up.
To battle the dry consistency, I just spritz a little bit of this after I apply the base and concealer to increase moisture, and then again after my setting powder to set the final look!

Alright, I’m done ranting. Moving on… sorry.

Revlon Lip Butter in Plum

So we all know how amazing these lip butters can be. Affordable, moisturising and comes in a ridiculous amount of colours that are sheer enough for a “light day look” but pigmented though to make a difference.

What I’m really loving this month is specifically the “Plum” shade.
it’s a pretty dark mauve – more purple than pink when you look at it from the bullet or swatch it on your hand.
When it’s applied to the lips though, the pink of my lips bring back the mauve and presents a beautiful magenta shade that is great for my skin tone.

So for relatively pale ladies out there with yellow undertones, take this baby out for a test drive. I’m sure you’ll love it!

The Body Shop Strawberry Body Wash

OH GOD. Thank you. No. THE BODY SHOP. Thank YOU.
This body wash smells ridiculously amazing!

If you’ve come across The Body Shop products before, you’ll know what I mean.
This body wash has the most delicious, sweet smell of strawberries that makes you want to sing whilst in the shower!
The lather that builds up from this body wash is simply heavenly. And a little goes a long way.

It’s so good, you’ll never want it to end.

La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo

I’m sure you’ve all been hearing the hype about this product. If you haven’t, you’re either not on the right social networking groups, or you live under a rock.

This has been raved about ridiculously and is appearing on every girl’s wish list.
In the recent 40% off skincare sale at Priceline, my local store was left with barren and beaten shelves where once this product stood…

There was no way I could’ve gotten my hands on one of these, if I wanted to avoid a pack of raging hyenas that once were friendly women.
But I found a sample in my draw from a Bellabox a couple of months ago. And the angels sang…

Okay, I guess it wasn’t that dramatic. But I do not kid you, after using this product twice, the blackheads on my face has visibly reduced.

I haven’t been able to try it for longer since I only have a small smple of this goodness.
But I’m pretty sure that when I get around to having a full-size version, I’m going to start looking like Miranda Kerr!

Just sayin’.

Orofluido Beauty Elixir

Here’s my last favourite of the month, the Orofluido Beauty Elixir hair oil!

I’ve never tried hair oils prior to this, assuming that it’ll be a disaster for my already oily hair.
After a lot of great reviews on hair oils though, I decided to give this a try. And lo’ and behold, it is amazing!

After using this product, my hair feels extremely soft and silky, and doesn’t have an oily residue (not even on my hands)!
I’ve also noticed that it helps with my dry scalp and keeps my hair feeling cleaner and fresher for longer.

Also, another plus is a little goes a long way. A small amount drizzled onto the tip of my finger can blend and hydrate my shoulder length hair.

Ladies, hair oil is definitely worth looking into.
Take the plunge!

Misses

Maybelline Baby Lips

So… I might lose some viewers. And you might be scrolling down to type up some hate mail in the comments section below.
But I really am not enjoying my Maybelline Baby Lips this month.

This has been the one and only Baby Lips I’ve tried – the Anti-Oxidant Berry. So that might be a contributing factor.
Maybe it’s a dud.
But excuses aside, this lip balm just isn’t doing it for me!

When applied, the formula is so greasy that I look like I have an oil-slick on my lips.
Though there’s really no colour, the amount of product that transfers to my lips in one swipe is impossible. Making the concentrated product look white, and hence making me look dead.

Granted there’s a nice berry smell to the balm, but that doesn’t justify the ghostly slick that also comes with it. And on top of everything, I haven’t found it to be very moisturising at all; defeating the purpose of a balm.

If I needed to describe the texture, I would say it’s TOO buttery.
if that’s possible.

Batiste Dry Shampoo

I’ve used up a couple of these, and I still don’t think it’s done much for my hair.

Not only does it give me a white cast that can’t be brushed or blended in, it doesn’t really keep my hair fresh throughout the whole of the second day, post-wash.

I love the scents of the products. Definitely a plus. Oh that and the affordable price.
But then it doesn’t really work for me, so technically it’s not that affordable if you think about it…

There’s better dry shampoos out there.

Garnier Heat Styling Spray

Effectiveness-wise, I’m sure this product works.

I didn’t feel my hair get any drier and more brittle when I used this before heat styling, so I guess it’s done its job at protecting my hair.
But the nozzle of the bottle is horrible!

There’s only one spray setting, which is a strong linear spray rather than a mist. Which means that the product is concentrated on certain areas of your hair and you’ll need to go through the trouble of massaging it into the rest of your hair to disperse the product.

Plus, as mentioned, I didn’t notice a difference in the state of my hair. So even if it’s working, it’s just maintaining rather than improving my hair condition.
And I’m sure there are other products out there that do both.

Clinique Lash Power Mascara

We all know how much I love Clinique, so it really pains me when something I try from the brand is bad.
Well my heart is aching because this is one of those cases.

This mascara lengthens – but not very much.
This mascara volumizes – but not that intensely.
And it also clumps – which is not cool.

Overall, if you take away the clumping, it’s an alright mascara after a couple of coats.
It extends my lashes a little and makes them bold, so my eyes are framed and more striking.
The problem though is the clumping.

It’s ridiculous, the amount of care and caution I use to apply this mascara to reduce clumping.
It’s a pain in the butt.
It also takes a light year to try and separate the damage with a fresh spoolie. Which only reduces the clumping a little might I add.

If all these precautions and steps aren’t taken, I’m left with about 5 lashes per eye.
With these steps, I end up with about 8.

So that’s it for my August Favourites guys!
Thanks for sticking around and let me know whether you want me to do any in-depth reviews on the above products or anything else!

Lovelove,

Rean.

Coupon code:
Lust Have it – enter ‘REAN’ at the checkout for $5 off your first box!

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Priceline HAUL! (40% Off Cosmetics)

Hi again guys!

So recently Priceline did a 40% off all cosmetics sale, causing me to plunge myself into the closest store and buy everything that was sitting on the shelves!
Okay that’s a little exaggerated. But I did end up getting quite a few items – most of which were things that I was previously eye-ing, waiting for the purrrr-fect opportunity to jump on to.

On top of that, I purchased over a certain amount of money, making my transaction eligible for a complimentary tote filled with $220 worth of goodies!
Hence why you’ll find a whole lot of products down below.

First off we have the products that I purchased with my own hard earned cash $$.

Australis Make Up Finishing Spritz

Australis Make Up Finishing Spritz

This was a surprise for me when I spotted it in the Australis shelves. I’ve been hearing so much about the Urban Decay De-Slick Spray and how it’s helped keep make up on those that have really oily skin.
I’ve been wanting to try it, but it hasn’t been a priority and breaking the bank for a finishing spritz doesn’t really ring the emergency bell.

So when I saw this sitting on the shelves I was instantly intrigued!

I can’t wait to try it – it’s supposed to set make up for all day wear so it’ll be perfect for lengthier days that don’t allow much time for touch ups and big occasions like weddings etc.

Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Anti-Chip Top Coat

Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Anti-Chip Top Coat

I really needed a new nail top coat since I’m running out of my existing one. But I had to find something that was quick drying (considering my impatience once the job is done).

Sally Hansen is a company dedicated to nail polish. They produce a small range of other beauty products, but their polishes are priority.
So hopefully the quality of this Insta-Dri Anti-Chip Top Coat is great and really does set any nail colour in 30 seconds!

Sally Hansen Salon Manicure Smooth & Strong Base Coat

Sally Hansen Salon Manicure Smooth & Strong Base Coat

Again because I am running out of a base coat, I wanted to try something new and reliable that’ll keep my nails protected whilst testing other not-so-reliable nail polish brands.
With Sally Hansen being a dedicated polish company, I knew that picking a base coat of their range will be a good choice!

This particular one is supposed to fill any ridges and imperfections on the nail surface to create a smoother base before colour application.
AND it’s supposed to be keeping the nails strong whilst you torture it with lack of sunlight and artificial substances in polish form…

Therefore I just had to get it… 🙂

Sally Hansen Salon Manicure in 675 Mermaid’s Tale & L’Oreal Color Riche in 305 Dating Coral

Sally Hansen Salon Manicure in 675 Mermaid’s Tale & L’Oreal Color Riche in 305 Dating Coral

So I’m evidently in a nail polish phase right now – I picked up this really cute Sally Hansen glitter polish that’s a essentially a sheer royal blue with green and blue glitter particles.
The L’Oreal polish is also a sheer coral colour that’s really bright and fun.

A couple things to note: I’ve tried out these two polishes already and the brush for the Sally Hansen polish is amazing! It’s a flat brush with very controlled bristles so I perfectly coats the area which you want to cover (and not get everywhere). The L’Oreal brush on the other hand is less notable with a traditional round brush that makes it a little difficult to paint perfectly within the lines.
This L’Oreal brush in particular is not as good as other round brushes I’ve tried – the bristles flare out a lot more than others and the level of control you can have is relatively low. You’ll need to get that cue tip ready to clean up the mess you’ve left behind with this polish.

Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl in Nude

Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl in Nude

I don’t quite remember who suggested this – I follow too many beauty guru’s on YouTube. But I’m pretty sure this has become a cult product!

I’ve been suffering with a harsh white eyeliner for way too long. When trying to open up the eyes to make them look wider and more prominent (especially against dark eye make up), it’s great to place a light coloured liner in the waterline.
In the “old days” white liner would’ve sufficed. But heading to a new age of fresh beauty tips and tricks, it’s realised that white liner now creates a distinct harsh effect that makes on-lookers double take to see why your eye make up looks a little odd.

Nude liner though works a treat as it also opens up the eyes and creates contrast against dark eye make up, but is obviously less detectable as it’s… nude.

I’ve tested out this Rimmel Waterproof Kohl, just to see what the hype was all about.
It glides on well, applies like a charm and stays put in that moist eye area to continuously create magic!

Definite thumbs up for me. I’ve jumped on the bandwagon.

L’Oreal Telescopic Liquid Eyeliner in Black

L’Oreal Telescopic Liquid Eyeliner in Black

I’m running out of a black eye liner so I thought I’d pick up something different that I haven’t tried yet.

The telescopic range has been raved about a lot lately – especially the mascara. It’s supposed to be great for lengthening but not suitable if you want volumised lashes.
Either way though, having not tried anything from the range before, I thought I might just give the liquid eyeliner a chance.

It’s usually pretty expensive, but with the 40% discount there was no chance for a second thought before I grabbed it off the shelf and tossed it in amongst the mountain of products already sitting in my carry basket.

Natio Brow Kit

Natio Brow Kit

Okay this definitely looks like a winner.
I have pretty thick eyebrows that don’t need much help getting by, so I’ve just been putting up with a brown eyeliner pencil with the help of a spare spoolie.

When I noticed this all-in-one kit though, I got so excited a glow started emanating from the product.

Not only does it come with two shades of brown eyebrow powder and a setting eyebrow gel, it’s accompanied by 3 travel size tools as well!
The powders for a first is not only great shades for my dark brown/black hair, the powder itself is a much better alternative to my harsh eyeliner pencil.

The clear eyebrow gel setter is also perfect for those special occasions were complete grooming is necessary.

And last but not excitingly least, the 3 travel sized tools: a spoolie, a dual ended small angle brush for both colours and a tiny set of tweezers. It just made my day.

This is a perfect little kit for those who are starting out and don’t have much to work with – and all within an afforable price range too!

The only thing I will note is the lack of colour range.
From what I could see, this was the only colour palette that was available, so it’ll definitely not be suitable for those who have fair blonde hair or red heads.
Other than that though… GO NATIO!

Australis 4-in-1 Conceal Corrector

Australis 4-in-1 Conceal Corrector

Another great product from Australis!

This is a 4-in-1 conceal corrector palette that contains shades of green (for redness), purple (for dark circles and pigmentation) and two skin-tone colours (for general concealing).

I have only seen such palettes at Napoleon Perdis and Make Up Forever, but nothing amongst drugstore brands like Australis!
This is a second impressive product!

Maybelline Color Sensation in 515 Coral Crush

Maybelline Color Sensation in 515 Coral Crush

And last but not least, I purchased a new lipstick!

These Maybelline Color Sensation lip sticks aren’t particularly long lasting, but it’s moisturising and a little more sheer than other lip sticks making it more balm-like than other lipsticks.

This particular colour has been calling out to me since I tried out the range months ago! This beautiful coral red is perfect for any warmer toned make up look and outfits and it’ll perfectly fit amongst the red, orange or pink colour palettes! Definitely a great all-rounder lip colour.

FREEbies…!

Now on to the freebies that I received.
Because I spent $60 amongst various brands (including Rimmel and Sally Hansen), I was not only eligible for the 40% cosmetics discount, I also received a complimentary tote bag filled with goodies!

It was all packed into the leopard print bag below that is not only a great size, but has no branding located on the outside of the bag – which means it won’t look like a freebie! PERFECT!

Complimentary Tote

Ecotools Loufa

Ecotools Loufa

The first thing out of the bag was this great big EcoTools Loufa.
It’s quite dense and soft in comparison to other loufas I’ve had in the past, so this is definitely a nice little addition to the collection.

EcoTools also holds a place in my heart – I’ve previously blogged about loving their blush brush. It’s environmentally friendly and soft and great to use.

Savvy Make Up Remover Wipes

Savvy Make Up Remover Wipes

Having cracked into this packet already… I can confirm that these aren’t the best remover wipes on the market.

They get the job done – don’t get me wrong. But when trying to take all this make up off, it’s best if the wipe doesn’t expand and rip into smaller pieces…

Manicare Cuticle Therapy Nourishing Polish

Manicure Cuticle Therapy Polish

This sounds like a good product.
Not only do I have a good impression of Manicure products (since it’s been on the Australian market for as long as I can remember), it’s always good to take care of your cuticles so you can achieve the best looking manicure possible.

I’ve suffered from horrible cuticles that don’t team well with what I call my “man-hands”.
Only recently though did I start using cuticle oil (also from Manicare but not this particular product), and it’s improved the skin GREATLY!

They used to peel and look completely horrible even with a fresh coat of polish. But now – even without pushing them back, they look perfectly fine hanging out with my latest nail colour.

Nude by Nature Undercover Airbrush Mineral Primer

Nude By Nature Undercover Airbrush Mineral Primer

UM… So I know Nude by Nature is the bomb here in Australia. And plenty of people have raved about it non-stop.
But… *confession* I have never used anything from the brand before…

Okay now now! Don’t start moving that mouse to the ‘x’ button on your browser!
There’s no need for negativity just because I am still comparable to a new born baby with Nude by Nature products.
I’ve just never had the urge to step towards that section of Priceline and pick something up!

With saying that, I’m quite excited to try out this primer because I have the most ridiculously oily skin available to (wo)man-kind, and a primer will help me keep my face on throughout the day.

Only problem. I did do a little swatch when I dug through these goodies and noticed some sparkle in the product.
So lets just hope that this product doesn’t make me shine like the sun (or Edward Cullen) whilst sporting a nice slick gleam of oil over my face.

That’s the last thing I need.

Press & Go and Kiss False Nails

Press & Go and Kiss False Nails

Okay… I’m all about a nice manicure, but I’m definitely steering clear from these. I don’t even know where they are any more!
They only lasted the time it took to take this photo before I tossed it into the back of one of my “never-go-there” drawers.

As I am completely professional though, I will tell you that there is adhesive included in these packs.

The Kiss Everlasting French has a small glue included in the packet whilst the Press & Go actually has a sticker surface on the underside of each acrylic nail, allowing you to simply “press & go”!

But enough said.

It’s still going to the dungeon and never seeing daylight again.

Australis Paparazzi Perfect Concealer

Australis Paparazzi Perfect Concealer

I hadn’t really heard much about the Australis Paparazzi range before getting all these products in this haul. So I’m not sure how I feel about having this.

But I guess, it’s something else to try. And if it turns out to be a good product than I would’ve found an affordable, drug store option! So… yes. Can’t wait to try it!

ModelsPrefer Brow Highlighter

Models Prefer Brow Highlighter

This looks pretty nice. I currently only have eye shadows that I use as brow highlighters, so it’ll be good to see whether this pencil version compares against to what I have.

I must say though, this product comes up as a pearlescent glow – which is something I don’t normally like. And whilst swatching, it did drag a bit against my skin, so it’ll need some warming up before being applied to the delicate eye area.

But we’ll see how we go 🙂

Bourjois Volume Glamour Max Mascara in 51 Noir Black

Bourjois Volume Glamour Max in 51 Noir Black

OKAY. On to the exciting stuff! I cannot wait to try this!

I love Bourjois mascaras. They are SOOOOOO volumising, it’s CRAZY.
I have no idea why YouTube hasn’t hyped over these mascaras even more because it’s seriously waterproof, va-va-voom lash creators!

Just check that brush – it’s huge and full. I already know I’m going to flutter my lashes a little bit extra when I have this mascara on.

Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Polish in 670 Midnight in NY

Sally Hansen in 670 Midnight in NY

YAY! Another Sally Hansen polish! These are amazing!

The brushes are flat and so smooth during application. The quality of the polish itself is great.

I love the sparkles in this sheer black polish – it just glams up the usual plain black polish.

What more can I say? These are definitely great quality polishes with drug store prices.

Rimmel Wake Me Up Instant Radiance Shimmer Touch Illuminator in 001 Flush Of Pearl

Rimmel Wake Me Up Illuminator in 001 Flush of Pearl

Hmmmm….! I’m actually looking forward to trying this out!

This illuminator is from the Wake Me Up range, which holds a foundation that is now officially a cult product.

On the other hand though, this illuminator has glitter pigments in it – I’m not sure whether you can see it in my swatch, but it does give a sparkly glow.
And as someone who’s unfortunately sporting an oily skin type, sparkles is not always my first choice.

It will make my complexion more dewy and can therefore translate to super-mega-oily…

But you never know. That’s the rule of thumb, but it doesn’t apply to everything. There’s always exceptions.

Revlon Lip Butter in 085 Sugar Plum

Revlon Lip Butter in 085 Sugar Plum

Another lip butter! I already have a couple of colours from the range, and I’m loving the sheer wash of colours that this lip product gives.

With my super dry lips though, it does dry a bit against my lips and isn’t the best product when it comes to moisturising. But it’s definitely a great “lip tint” drug store option!

Natio Lip Colour in Flutter

Natio Lip Colour in Flutter

I LOVE lip products. I think I get most excited when shopping for these.

This colour looks like a nice deep red on the bullet, but after swatching, it’s more of a rusty red that might not suit everyone…

I might be reaching for it less, considering the brown undertones, but it’ll be great to add to the collection – I don’t normally buy lip products in this colour range!

Well that’s it guys!

Finally we have reached the end of the haul.

My GOSH that took awhile.

And I KNOW it’s been ages since I’ve blogged – I always have things that stop me when I’m on a roll!
But NO. That is no excuse. I will persevere and deliver consistently! … I hope.

For now though,

Lovelove.

Rean.

YouTube: reanspeaks
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HAUL: StrawberryNet & Priceline!

And here we go again!

I’ve done a couple of hauls recently – both cosmetics and clothes. So I’ll post up all the goodies separately in a make up post and clothing post.

For now, here’s what I got from StrawberryNet!

Korres Rice and Olive Oil Compact Powder in 52N

This Korres compact powder was a complementary gift and comes in a combination/oily skin and normal/dry skin formular . I think I might be discontinued unfortunately, but after a quick browse on the internet, it seems as though plenty other sites still have stock.

So you might be able to find some if you like.

It’s supposed to nourish and soften the skin whilst creating a flawless and healthy looking complexion… well we’ll see about that shall we!

Mac Powder Blush in Frost

*ahem* May I please present you my first MAC product!

At first, I was a little sceptical about why MAC was such a talked about brand. They can’t really be that magnificent that people would be willing to spend tens of dollars just for a brush for example!

But out of curiosity (and the need of a coral/peach blush) I got wrapped into purchasing one for myself.

First things first, out of the hand full of times I’ve tried it, staying power isn’t that magnificent. By the day’s half time, the colour would’ve faded and all that was left was a memory. But I must say that I love the colour. It brings life into the face without the dolled “pink” look to the cheeks.

I am intrigued though. I think I’ll be keeping an eye out for any MAC products I might want to try in the future.

Drop a comment if you think there’s any outstanding products that shouldn’t be missed.

Smashbox Soft lights Highlight

And finally I purchased a Smashbox highlight from StrawberryNet.

Needed a new highlighter and came by this one so I thought I’d try it out. It’s not too fantastic though. After application, it provides a metallic pearl kind of highlight rather than a nice glow.

I haven’t tried to test it with different methods of application or before/after blush to see whether the results will be different.

But so far, not so good…

Now for my Priceline haul!

Did I ever mention that this store will be the death of me?

The constant sales, the convenience of locations all over Sydney and Australia. The lure of bright colours and pretty cosmetics!

My money has been pouring into this store, so see what I used it on!

Australias Lip Liner in Lady In Red

I really needed a cheap red lip liner just for those occasions when you really need that defined red lip. I didn’t feel justified paying over $15 for any other brand, and whilst looking for something a little less expensive, I found something closer to home.

Have yet to try this though so I’ll have to get back to you on how well (or not too well) it works.

Nivea Invisible For Black & White

Nivea deodorant is the only deodorant I ever use now – especially their sensitive range. Not only is my face a princess and requires more time than anyone else to get it happy and looking fine, my skin in general is horrible to deal with as well.

All past brands that I have tried with deodorants has made my skin rash and burn just with a couple of sprays. And considering we all know where the spray is going, rashy sore skin is not the best thing to deal with under your arms.

Nivea though has saved my life and made me odour-free! And now also has an invisible range that doesn’t stain clothing.

Fantastic.

I approve Nivea.

Maybelline Cover Stick Corrector Concealer in Yellow

Just out of curiosity, I wanted to know whether a yellow concealer really made such a difference to under eye circles.

Thought I’d give this one a try, but I’m not sure whether it’s the consistency of the product or the dry skin under my eyes, it ends up causing a cakey unattractive result that should not see daylight.

I might try this again when I finally find an eye cream that works well with hydration (Clinique All About Eyes is only good for puffiness!). Hopefully then we’ll see some improvements to results.

L’Oreal Base Magique Transforming Smoothing Primer

And here is another free gift!

Don’t I love free gifts. 🙂

When purchasing $30 or more under the L’Oreal range, I could get a full size of this L’Oreal Smoothing Primer for FREE!

Great deal. I bought 2 lipsticks from their range but due to excessive compulsive purchasing of lip products lately, I’ve decided to feature them in a separate post.

So far I haven’t tried this primer yet, so I can’t comment. But I will let you know when I do!

Revlon PhotoReady Powder in #20 Light/Medium

Again another powder, and again another product that I have yet to try.

The Revlon PhotoReady range is a much talked about one, and I had to get my hands on this whilst it was on sale (see what I mean by Priceline being the death of me)?

I can’t comment too much about how well it works, but I’m looking forward to seeing the results considering I can spot a little gold shimmer mixed in with it.

Should be interesting!

Obviously I have been spending way too much money lately and managed to haul half of Australia back home.

So look out for more haul posts in the near future where I’ll detail my clothing expenses and recently grown lip range!

For now though…

Lovelove,

Rean.

REVIEW: Foundation/Concealer Update

Time for another review!

I’ve been recently buying a couple of new complexion related products – foundations, BB creams and concealers. There’s a couple that have struck me with either strong positive or negative thoughts. So please see below for an update on what I’ve found!

Revlon Colorstay: Fresh Beige

After hearing plenty of good reviews and raves about the Revlon Colorstay foundation, I decided to pick up a bottle at my local Target whilst it was on sale.

Though I bought the wrong colour – Fresh Beige is too light for my current tanned complexion, after using it for a long day it definitely did what it was made for! After a 19 hours, my foundation was still sitting strong on my face. I had blotted my face a couple of times and still there was no disturbance to the look and consistency of the formula. And considering it was a record breaking 45 degree heat in Sydney (that’s 113 Fahrenheit!), it didn’t budge at all!

The only problem I found was the lack of oil control. I have very oily skin especially around the T-Zone, and this foundation didn’t help to reduce that at all. I’ve yet to find a foundation that does control oil any better than my current products, so please do drop a suggestion if you know of one.
But nevertheless, Revlon Colorstay did exceed expectations with it’s staying power!

Another thing I noticed was the consistency. It’s quite a fluid liquid foundation rather than having a thicker formula, which was great to apply to the face. I find that when using a thicker formula with a stippling brush, the time it takes to blend in the foundation and make it flawless increases dramatically to the point of annoyance!

Revlon Colorstay was definitely fluid enough to make the application process very easy.

This foundation beats the current one I have been hanging onto – The Body Shop, Oil Free foundation.

The Body Shop: Oil Free Balancing Foundation in #2.

Apologies for the messiness of the bottle in the image. This tube has been with me for awhile.

This foundation not only comes in a very thick formula, it settles into the lines of your skin throughout the day and does NOT help with oil control at all. Coverage isn’t bad and I would describe it as medium to full – same as the Revlon Colorstay foundation above. But it’s definitely a far cry from the results received from Revlon, considering the dear price.

I would not recommend this foundation at all unless you’d like to go for something that doesn’t work too well… but then you’ll be able to find plenty of those with a much lighter price tag.

Maybelline New York: Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles Treatment Concealer

Another complexion product I’ve recently picked up is the Maybelline New York: Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles Treatment Concealer. WOW. That was a mouthful.

I’ve heard SO MUCH about this concealer from Youtubers and through the great vine, so I had to try it when there was a sale at Priceline.

With sky high expectations, I sponged this product all along my dark eye circles hoping to find a miracle in a bottle. But what I experienced was an enhancement of my flaws!
My fine lines were much more obvious and my circles weren’t lighter at all. In fact the product made my lower eye area very cakey, causing more attention to be drawn than before!

I’m not sure why so many people love it – if there’s a specific way to use the product please let me know. It might be a case of a confused consumer. But by using it the only way I can figure out how, I don’t find good results at all.

It’s actually made it onto my “never ever ever getting back together” list – and I’m sure Taylor Swift will agree with me on this one!

I don’t know – try it if you guys want. It’s not very expensive so you won’t be losing out on much. But I definitely didn’t have a good experience with it. So I suggest giving this a go last if you can’t find anything else you’d like to test first.

Well that’s it for my complexion products update. I have purchased a few other things that fall into this category, but none of them have been notable enough to spend time writing a review on. Either that or I haven’t gotten around to trying it yet.

I will post any updates if any of the above opinions change.

And if you have any suggestions on oil controlling foundations or any comments about the products and reviews above, please drop in a line below and let me know you thoughts!

For now though…

Lovelove!

Rean.