Monday, March 26, 2012

[St. Ives] Naturally Clear Green Tea Cleanser Review


Size: 200mL
Price: C$3.49+tax (on sale; this is usually $7.09)
Type: For acne-prone skin

Availability
This product can be purchased at your local St. Ives stores and drugstores (ex. Shoppers Drug Mart). 

Ingredients
Active ingredient: Salicylic Acid 2%
Other ingredient: Water, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Glycerin, Cocomidopropyl Betaine, Propyle Glycol, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Disodium Laureth Sulfasuccinate, Epilobium Angustifolium Extract, Olea Europaea (olive) Leaf Extract, Ascophyllum Nodasum Extract, Afteramonos Ferment Extract, Yeast Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Sodium Hydraoxide, Menthyl Lactate, PEG-150 Distearate, Disodium EDTA, PPG-2 Methyl Ether, Phenethyl Alcohol, Methylisothiazolinone, Fragrance (Parfum), Green 5 (CI 61570), Yellow 5 (CI 19140), Red 33 (CI 17200), Red 4 (Cl 14700), Blue 1 (Cl42090)

Container/Packaging
It does not come with any packaging but the container itself has a 3cm-long tape to ensure the twist-top cap from coming off (or to ensure anybody from taking the product out although it looks quite unnecessary). The container, as I mentioned, has a twist-top cap with a pump.

Product
St. Ives claims that this cleanser, "with soothing green tea (extract), gently fights blemishes and allows skin to heal". For those who have acne-prone skin, this sounds rather interesting as it is "hypoallergenic, oil free, and non-comedogenic". Moreover, it's "formulated without parabens and phthalates", reducing much of the chance for the acne to form.


The product comes in a very thick lime-green liquid form. While it leaves the skin ever so slightly smooth, the cleanser, just like what all the breakout-preventing products do, causes the skin to dry out after use (products with salicylic acids do). Therefore, it requires some heavy hydration process.


Scent
It has a very nauseating melon scent which is quite overpowering and stays on for a long period of time. 

Would I Recommend This Product? 
YES. But:
1. This product is not meant to be a make-up remover (FYI).
2. I would not recommend using this product too frequently since it dries out your skin. I would use other types of gentle cleanser for most of the time and come back to use this product every 2-3 times a week. For some reason, if you need to use it everyday, I would recommend to use it at night (instead of morning), so that you can have some time to apply more products to hydrate your skin enough. If you are drying out your skin, your skin will get more oily and thus produce more blemishes. 
3. Do NOT expect a miracle out of this product; using am acne-preventing product does not mean you do not need to exfoliate anymore. You still need to exfoliate your skin to unclog your pores.
4. This is still a very strongly-scented cleanser although I'm fond of using scented products.


Pictures



Sunday, March 18, 2012

New Haircut :D



I was trying to grow out my hair but I couldn't bear it anymore and got a haircut :(
....and I ended up looking more mature than I already am.... oh no.....



xoxo
cynthia :'(

Saturday, March 17, 2012

[LOTD] Tough as Taupe & Hustle from Naked Palette Look



I was in rush to my lecture and it took me less than two minutes to complete this look. 
I never wore the same look but after this one, this became my most favourite!


Products Used:
MAYBELLINE Colour Tatto 24h Eyeshadow : Tough as Taupe 
URBAN DECAY Naked Palette - Hustle
MAC Blitz and Glitz

xoxo
cynthia.

Sunday, March 4, 2012

[Hits&Misses] January/February 2012

I frankly feel as if I only had a week of February but I was surprised to know that it is already March :D For the lack of posts, my excuse has to be the fact that I'm a fourth-year undergraduate so this time of year really matters to me; but without any further due, I'll get right into my January & February hits & misses.


Hits 
LANCOME Genifique
Lancome promotes this product as "Youth Activating" serum and such term is definitely unexaggerated. As it touches the surface of your skin, it instantly absorbs and gives the smoothness that you experience when you exfoliate your skin. After a week of using this product, I've experienced a visible sign of both improved skin tone and even texture. Personally, I didn't get any blemish problem with this product although my cheeks are dry and my T-zone is oily.

As for the negative aspects of this product, it comes in a thick liquid form which has its significant scent which I do not find quite pleasant. It also falls into quite expansive side as for the skincare product but, despite these facts, this product instantly became the most important part of my skin care regimen.

DEBORAH LIPPMANN Wicked Game Nail Polish
If you can tell from my past few videos, you would know that I'm not a fan nail polishes but love definitely began to grow on me and I purchased a few. While China Glaze nail polishes dominate most of my collection, I think I'll make more purchases from Deborah Lippman after this purchase. It applies in a very thin coat but comes opaque after two coats (maybe depending on the application). Moreover, it didn't chip off until the fourth day of application and most lasted for six to seven days (until I had to remove the nail polishes to try new ones). I love this nail polish so much that I think $22.00 + tax from nailpolishcanada.com was definitely worth it. I am willing to give up three China Glaze nail polishes to purchase one Deborah Lippman.

LANCOME Tonique Comfort Re-hydrating Comforting Toner (Dry Skin)
In comparison to other toners available in the market, the texture of Tonique Comfort is quite thick to call it a "toner". However, it definitely meets its purpose of both hydrating and comforting the skin. I have a full review on this product so I will not discuss this product in detail but please check out the link below for more information.
http://benefitter.blogspot.com/2011/07/lancome-tonique-comfort-review.html

BIOTHERM Aquasource 24h Deep Hydration Replenishing Gel
I know how much I talked about this product pretty much for every Hits and Misses but I really love this so much and I'll have to run to grab my third one real soon. If you want more information about this product, you can also follow these links.
http://benefitter.blogspot.com/2011/07/miscellaneous-junes-hits-and-misses.html
http://benefitter.blogspot.com/2011/12/collective-haul-yesstyle-ebay-ardene.html

REVLON Colourstay Foundation
This product give a medium coverage so if you have blemishes or under-eye circles, then you would need an additional touch-up with your concealer. It gives a nice sheen to your skin but as the time passes by, it turns to matte texture with powdery finish. It slightly creases but still an amazing product for drugstore foundation (probably one of the best foundation I've used from drugstore). As for the downside to this product, one of them would be the fact that the price of this product was $21.99 + tax in Canada which falls into the pricier side as for the drugstore product. Also, it has no pump which can get a little unsanitary if you are constantly getting the product out with your finger. However, this is still an amazing product and I highly recommend this foundation.

LANEIGE Water Bank Long-lasting Hydration Essence
Before I mention anything about this product, I would like to inform you that "Essence" refers to serum. Thus, this product is a serum and I tend to apply this product after Lancome Bienfait Aqua Vital Continuous Infusing Moisturizer. I don't know why I abstained from using Water Bank Essence since my first year of university but I began to use this product again this year. After using this product, I grew a habit of touching my face a lot to feel how smooth it is (it's not a good habit!). It instantly smooths the surface of your skin and keeps it smooth and long-lastingly moisturized.

NEUTROGENA All-in-One Make-Up Removing Cleansing Wipes
I tend to fall for foam or lotion-textured cleansers because they cleanse the face without irritating the skin. I used make-up removing wipes from several companies but I haven't found a great cleansing wipe and Neutrogena's cleansing wipe would be one of the best cleansing wipes I've ever tried. It contains 25 of 190mmx185mm wipes which is "gentle on eyes". To mention its positive aspect, it does its job of removing make-up including eye make-up without irritating the eyes. However, I still think the surface of this tissue is not soft enough. Yet, I'll have to say this is the best cleansing wipe I've tried so far. So this one would be both a hit and a miss.


Misses
URBAN DECAY NAKED Palette (original)
There was the time when Youtube fans wildly confessed their love for the original Naked palette and I completely understand why such palette became so viral: this palette has twelve full-sized, highly-pigmented eyeshadows that is perfect to carry around. I've been using the palette everyday since I purchased this product (therefore I tried to incorporate every look with this palette for more than three months, hoping to understand why Youtube went wild with this product) but I still indicated this palette as one of the "Misses" because it has some fall-out especially for the glittery shades. After I use Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion Long-Lasting Eyeshadow Base, it seems to work better but I still get fall-out. If I pay for $50+ eyeshadow palette, I would obviously expect less of such problem so that's why this would be a miss.

BIOTHERM Aquasource Nuit High Density Hydrating Jelly
As you can tell from the number of Biotherm posts that I've made, you may be able to tell that I really love Biotherm. Despite my disappointment with Aquasource Skin Perfection 24h Moisturizer, I still used their skincare products nonetheless. Therefore, my recent purchase of Biotherm Aquasource Nuit High Density Hydrating Jelly also happened without hesitation. The first few days of my experience were full of wonders and praises. It made my skin feel heavenly: as smooth as a baby's buttocks :D.... however, I feel as if my skin is getting used to this product and my skin does not feel as smooth as the first experience with this product. I wasn't sure whether this product should be listed as a miss but I don't think it was worth paying $48 for 50ml product.

L'Oreal Magic Smooth Souffle
I remember the time when I posted a haul including this product, talking about how much I will enjoy it etc etc. However, I don't think I do. The shade 516 Nude Beige matches my skin (the foundation itself looks really yellow when first applied but it seems to match perfectly as it sits on my skin). However, it, for some reason, feels grainy to me and I started to abstain from this product. Besides, this is one of the more expansive drugstore product and this did not meet my expectation.

MAC Black Line Pearlglide Intense Eye Liner
This is a black-brown shade with gold shimmer that does not smudge nor budge on me and, while I was satisfied with this purchase, it burned my eyes after application and had to remove it immediately. I gave it a try about three to four times but I cannot mention much about it since I couldn't have it applied for a long period of time. What's good about an eyeliner if you cannot apply it?

That's all I have to say for January and February. I made many purchases but I'm still trying one after another so please stay tuned for more reviews and tutorials!

xoxo
cynthia.

Thursday, March 1, 2012

[Review] Jack Black Lip Balm in Natural Mint & Shea Butter


Size: 7g (.25 oz)
Price: C$7.50 + tax

Availability
This product can be purchased at Sephora (Canada).

Ingredients
 
Container/Packaging
Since this product is intended for men, it appears to be very "male-intended-product-like". It comes in a navy blue tube with a black twist-top cap. The applicator is turned slightly around from the tube (which seems to ease the application).

Product
*PLEASE NOTE THAT THE PRODUCT THAT I'M REVIEWING IS NOT JACK BLACK INTENSE THERAPY LIP BALM SPF25 BUT JACK BLACK LIP BALM IN NATURAL MINT & SHEA BUTTER*
This product, just like Jack Black Lip Balm in Lemon & Chamomile (to see the review for Lemon & Chamomile, please click here), comes in a gel texture (thicker constancy compared to lip gloss) which doesn't give a glossy finish but a semi-matte-looking texture just like other lip balms.

While Jack Black claims that mint "freshens breath" and Shea butter "conditions and moisturizes the lips, keeping them soft and supple", there is definitely a noticeable, minty, cooling effect. The effect fades away after few minutes but keeps the lips conditioned and moisturized.

Scent
It contains a cooling minty scent which may be irritating for some. 

Would I Recommend This Product? 
As a Jack Black lip balm lover who, even before finishing the first Jack Black lip balm, purchased six of their lip balms, it is truly the best lip balm available in the market. I previously expressed my anger towards this product after first couple of experiences and impressions, but it was my misunderstanding. I totally recommend this product.

Pictures