[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.

[Hits & Misses] November/December Hits & Misses

hey everyone! I now posted my November/December Hits & Misses video on Youtube. I'm trying to become video-friendly but I just don't want to be on a video yet so I apologize. I will be on my video in a near future....but until then, here's the video :)
(Sorry for the blurriness. I'm filming with my digital camera and I have to stop the video and zoom in / out so it was a lot of hassle for me to do that for each product (but I guess I have no choice...).

For more detailed pictures and explanations, please check below. If that's not what you're looking for, thank you so much and I'll see you soon in the upcoming post or video!

Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm in Lemon & Chamomile

Container: Since this product is created for men, it appears to be very "un-female-product-like" but you will thoroughly enjoy the product nevertheless. In terms of the size, it only contains 6ml of lip balm with definitely leads people to think how pricey it can be ($7.50 + tax in Canada) but I would say that this was totally worth it.


Product: This product is in a gel texture (ticker constancy compared to lip gloss) which does its job of moisturizing and hydrating. I had it on for 8 hours or so since I applied it just before I go to bed and I still could feel the product on my lips. My boyfriend, however, didn't like this product since he was expecting rapid absorption and instant smoothness (instead of moisturization). If we are still talking about moisturzation, it has great consistency for sure. I think it is a great replacement for Vasline (not price-wise though). One thing that I haven't mentioned in the video was that, since it is in gel form, I thought many would confuse this product with lip glosses. However, it doesn't give a glossy finish like lip gloss. Rather, it gives that semi-matte-looking texture just like other lip balms.

Scent: strong lemon candy scent which I consider to be perfectly fine but I found it to be too strong when I felt sick.

Would I Recommend This Product? Definitely. I bought five more of these to give it to my brother, boyfriend, and friends as a mini-Christmas gift.

Dior Addict Lip Glow Color Reviver Balm

Product: While Dior asserts that this product is "a customized balm that lastingly enhances and embellishes the natural colour of the lips", the pay-off of this balm is quite unnatural: it gives cool-toned pink colour that you may not be expecting from the product. It also gives that glossy effect but it doesn't seem to last all day (although the colour stays). However, I agree that it gives fresh and radiant appearance to your lips. It also doesn't become sticky. Although I complained about this product quite much, I actually enjoy using this product.  

Scent: There's that scent that I cannot quite explain but it has a very unnoticeable but pleasant scent to it.

Would I Recommend This Product? Yes but it falls on the pricier side.

Biotherm Aquasource 24h Deep Hydration Replenishing Gel

Container: Replenishing Gel comes in a warm emerald-green round-ended rectangular jar with a white opaque rounded lid. It has another lid that you can simply lift up to protect it from dust that may sit on top. 

Product: It has an emerald green gel with fresh scent that smells quite pleasant. I feel that instant enhancement as I roll and pat it on my skin. It feels moisturized as the skin absorbs the product, leaving the surface smooth. It doesn't leave the surface sticky, giving that perfect condition to move on to base and/or foundation. However, I DO think that it is overpriced indeed. I think I paid around $40 CAD and it was too much for such small jar that only lasts for 6 months or so (if used daily).

Scent: It is not too strong but it smells quite fresh and pleasant. 

Would I Recommend This Product? Yes.

Biotherm Source Therapie Skin Perfection 7 Catalyzing Serum

Container: transparent navy blue glass container with a mini-pump on top. I purchased two for $150 from Duty Free.

Product: It has a gel to cream texture which applies really smooth. I always get blemishes but this product never gave me any trouble. Instead, with its "7 ionized minerals", I feel the instant "velvet-smooth"ness that Biotherm has promised. Moreover, it minimizes the sizes and the visibility of the pores. I don't get break-outs but I definitely avoid applying this product around my nose and forehead since those are the oily area.

Scent: It has Source Therapie 7's signature scent which I totally am in love with but I advise you to test it out first before you actually purchase the product because it may be a bit too overpowering for some.

Would I Recommend This Product? I definitely would but this falls onto the pricier side and may be oily for some.

MAC Dazzlesphere! Smokey Blue Crushed Metal Pigments 

I made a detailed video for these pigments so please follow the link below for more information:
http://benefitter.blogspot.com/2011/11/review-mac-dazzlesphere-smokey-blue.html
Would I Recommend This Product? NO.

Missha M Perfect Cover B.B. Cream

Container: The BB Cream conviniently has a pump attached to the tube so that you don't have to struggle to get the BB Cream out. It also has a lid of which helps to keep the product sanitary.

Product: This product has anti-aging, whitening, sunblock effect which sounds more attractive than foundation. In terms of coverage, it feels light and gives little to medium coverage which I'm definitely a fan of. However, I want at least my blemishes to be covered and it lacks in such ability (although the product promises to do so!) but still covers some redness of the face. Since most of the BB Creams aim to achieve dewy finish (and yes, it gives very nice glow to your face), it only lasts about 4-4.5 hours until it requires another touch-up in terms of consistency. I would advise to apply concealer if you want perfect coverage of blemishes and/or redness. Also, there's not a wide range of selection in terms of shades so that's another downfall.

Scent: It has a baby powder scent :D

Would I Recommend This Product? Yes. I forgot to ask my mom to purchase one in Korea so I'm getting mine shipped from Korea. I know I mentioned quite a bit of downfall to this product but I prefer BB Cream over foundation because it has the ability to continuously give a dewy finish without becoming powdery. I mean, I'm still in search for the perfect BB Cream (or the perfect foundation) so please give me a recommendation if you got the perfect "it" item.


And I know I had the original NAKED palette in the beginning of the video but didn't include it to review since I haven't played with it enough. To give you an idea, I'm not enjoying it as much as other Youtubers or Bloggers praised butlet's see how it goes and I'll include that for my January Hits and Misses.

If anyone came from the Youtubeland where I said I'll post this Hits & Misses post a week ago, I sincerely apologize. I'm in Las Vegas and really didn't have enough time even to visit my own blog for three days.

This is all I got to say and... Merry Christmas!

xoxo
cynthia

[Miscellaneous] June Hits and Misses

Hey ladies and gens! I've been using a lot of drugstore products in order to share some thoughts about the ones that are easier for everyone to get hold of. I hope these thoughts help and please leave a comment below about what you think, in order to enhance the quality of the upcoming posts. Thank you!




MISS: Revlon's Moonlit Jewels

   

I bought Moonlit Jewels because I was thinking of creating a Californian sunset look and I thought I definitely needed all of those colours except for green. However, the colours were not what I was expecting; the orangish-red colour turned out to be orangish light brown and light peach turned out to be beige (due to our local drugstore's extra-bright lighting I guess...?). These palettes had no testers at all (and I can tell the reason why: the tape is sooooooooo freakin' sticky), so I'm not going to trust those palettes unless someone leaves one open. I didn't like those two colours at all :( Green and blue were better though. Overall, I think this was a miss. They are cream shadows but they don't seem to last very long. It was a horrible missssssssssssssss. 

HIT: Biotherm's Aquasource 24h Deep Hydration Replenishing Gel

I never tried using hydration gel but still had  the utmost trust for this item since I've seen many other bloggers praising the item. I DID visit Biotherm twice to test the product: the first visit was to test whether I get irritations or not & whether the product is mosturizing enough for my EXTRA dry skin. The second visit was to actually go and buy the product. Before I begin, I want to show you the pictures of the dramatic result that I got within minutes!

BEFORE (this picture came out a bit blurry...) 

AFTER

* COMPARE THE SIZE OF THE PORES & REDNESS, ESPECIALLY AROUND THE CENTRE OF THE PICTURE*

Do you see how the redness disappeared and the size of the pores are less visible? Trust me, I didn't photoshop those pictures and they are within taken from the same day, 1-5 minutes apart from one another. I suffered from the tightening of the skin around my mouth and forehead area before I used this product (it feels like my skin is dehydrated and even ripped apart), but I don't have that problem anymore. As you can tell, my skin feels hydrated, smooth with less visible pores. Overall, I would say that Deep Hydration Gel works AMAZING for dry to combination skin. It still works great for extra dry skin like mine but I didn't find it lasting for 24h as advertised :'( Yet I haven't found better one and I'll definitely stick with this one for sure. This product deserves an honour roll!


HIT: NYX's ES62A Deep Space

 My boyfriend has been asking me to do a smokey eye make-up, so I purhcased this greyish-black eyeshadow to encorporate the look along with Remmel's 700 Silver Moonlight (the next product I'm going to talk about).

This eyeshadow has gorgeous sparkles. Even if you are not a huge fan of sparkles, you may still like this one because the particles of the sparkles (unintended rhyme right there xD) are not too big to scare your men away from you but they still succeed to create a nice 3-D look that creates dramatic depths to your eyes (besides, why would a product be called "Deep Space" if it fails to conture?) You would definitely LOVE this one for maximizing your sexiness xD! One problem, though, would be the fact that it does not last quite as long as I would expect. If the surface of your eyes is oily, it would be a great idea to put on some eye primer before you begin to play with the eyeshadows. It was definitely a hit for me.

HIT: REMMEL's 700 Silver Moonlight

I was one of the people who thought drugstore make-up products are not worth their prices (sorry :P). However, after three-month-long trip from hither to fro, I finally found a product that has huge shimmer particles IN THE LOCAL DRUGSTORE! Hehehe :) 

The silver-coloured eyeshadow is Silver Moonlight and the black eyeshadow is Deep Space.

The sparkles would satisfy your need if you are a person who is comfortable with large sparkles (compare the size of the sparkles with Deep Space) and this eyeshadow lasts quite long. When you blend it out, it gives an highlighter effect, so you can put it in the corner of your eyes as well. I wasn't a huge fan of sparkles (and huge sparkles of course) but Silver Moonlight has taken my heart. ABSOLUTE HIT!

HIT: MAC's Blitz & Glitz 

    

This was my second time purchasing Blitz&Glitz. It is really fixed to your eyes once it is dry. As I said, my eyes are pretty oily but the corner of each waterline is the worst enemy; otherwise, B&G is PERFECT. I tried Bobbi Brown's and MAC's gel eyeliner and I think I would stick with this one for sure.

Please check out the link below for more details about Blitz&Glitz:

http://benefitter.blogspot.com/2011/06/mac-eye-liner-gel-blitz-glitz.html

It's already 4:38AM right now and I'm planning on a month and a half long trip to Korea (South, of course) so I rushed through the post but I hope this helps! Good luck everyone!

Cynthia.

http://benefitter.blogspot.com/

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