[Review] Butter London Fiver

Size: 11ml - .4 fl oz

Price: C$20.00

Type: Nail Polish (Glossy finish)

Availability
This nail polish can be purchased at Holt Renfrew, Bay, and any other places that carry Butter London nail polishes.

Ingredients
Ethyl Acetate, Butyl Acetate, Isopropyl, Nitrocellulose Alcohol, Adipic Acid, Neopentyl Glycol, Trimellitic Anhydride, Copolymer, Trimethyl Pentanyl Diisobutyrate, Triphenyl Phosphate, Diacetone Alcohol, Stearalkonium Hectorite, Citric Acid, Dimethicone, Benzophenone-1.

Product Description

Opaque icy mint crème nail lacquer.

Container/Packaging

There is not a special packaging.

Product
This product is pale mint green with glossy finish applies quite thin and almost opaque. After two coats, it is completely opaque. Unless applied thickly, it was very streaky. It required thick coats in order to avoid any streakiness. 

It lasted for 8-10 days without chipping. After two weeks, almost all nails were chipped. With heavy duty labour (ex. moving boxes), it chipped within three days.

Scent
Its scent is very unnoticeable in comparison to other nail polishes.

Would I Recommend This Product?
If you do not mind the streakiness, I would definitely recommend this product. I tend to apply thicker coats to avoid streakiness (and yes, it does look thicker), so if you don't mind that, this product is yours.

Pictures

[Makeup Showdown #1] Bioré Pore Unclogging Scrub vs. St. Ives Fresh Skin Apricot Scrub

There are two easily-accessible and inexpensive face scrubs on the market: Bioré Pore Unclogging Scrub and St. Ives Fresh Skin Apricot Scrub. 

_____________

Exfoliator 1: 

Bioré Pore Unclogging Scrub

Weight: 140g

Price: C$8.99

_____________

Exfoliator 2:

St. Ives Fresh Skin Apricot Scrub

Weight: 150g

Price: C$4.79

_____________

Promises

The phrases that Bioré Pore Unclogging Scrub emphasize were "deep cleansing" and "pore unclogging". On the other hand, St. Ives Fresh Skin Apricot Scrub put much emphasize on its "natural exfoliants". 

Tubes

Both contain actual products in the tubes to be squeezed out. Bioré Pore Unclogging Scrub is actually translucent, so it makes it easy to check how much product is left. As for St. Ives Fresh Skin Apricot Scrub, it requires the cap to be opened in order to check the amount of product left inside.

Products

Bioré Pore Unclogging Scrub is a white cream-type scrub with blue beads. St. Ives Fresh Skin Apricot Scrub is also a cream-type scrub with apricot seeds. 

Method of Application 

*Please note that the following method is according to personal preference; therefore, this does not 

After wetting down the skin with warm water, Pore Unclogging Scrub was applied on the left and Fresh Skin Apricot Scrub on the right. Both were evenly massaged for 30 to 40 seconds and washed with cold water.

Facial Reaction

Beads in Bioré Pore Unclogging Scrub do not feel harsh at all even when massaged with pressure; they rather give a gentle but deep exfoliation. My face appeared neither red nor irritated, but there was a bit of cooling effect. The scrub left my skin smooth.

Although equal amount of pressure was given to massage with both Bioré Pore Unclogging Scrub and St. Ives Fresh Skin Apricot, apricot seeds on the apricot scrub was evidently harsher; I had to take extra caution not to pressure the seeds too much. The irritation experienced was also visible as I began to witness a bit of redness on the skin. 

Post-Scrubbing Experience - with Toner

Bioré Pore Unclogging Scrub and St. Ives Fresh Skin Apricot Scrub reacted similarly once wiping down my face with toner-soaked cotton pads. 

Post-Scrubbing Experience - with Moisturizer

There was a visible difference between Bioré Pore Unclogging Scrub and St. Ives Fresh Skin Apricot Scrub when it came to moisturizing. As for the left side of the face scrubbed with Bioré Pore Unclogging Scrub, it instantly absorbed the moisturizer and created a healthy and fuller-looking skin. It also felt smoother than before.

As for the right side of the face scrubbed with St. Ives Fresh Skin Apricot Scrub, the moisturizer was lingering on the surface of the skin a bit longer instead of getting soaked with it as the left side of the face did.

Recommendation

As the review exemplifies, I highly prefer Bioré Pore Unclogging Scrub much more than St. Ives Fresh Skin Apricot Scrub. However, I recommend: 

- Bioré Pore Unclogging Scrub to those who require a mild yet thorough cleansing and 

- St. Ives Fresh Skin Apricot Scrub to those who require a scrub with natural ingredients and cruelty-free products.

If there's any makeup challenge you would like to see, please let me know in the comment section below! If not, please tweet me @CDistrict9000212 with a hashtag #CDMS (stands for Cosmetic District Makeup Showdown)!

xoxo

cynthia.

Copyright © CDistrict900212, 2013. All Rights Reserved.

[Favourites] May 2013

I apologize for the late May 2013 Favourites :'( I moved back to Korea (permanently for now), so I could not upload this favourites until now. More will be uploaded soon, so please stay tuned!

Face

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser for Dark Circles in 20 Light Pale

This is a small thin concealer that has a sponge tip that pumps the product out as it gets twisted up. This was a concealer that has been abandoned for a long time, but it has become my absolute favourite. It can not only hides dark circles, but it is also capable of hiding pores completely. I mean completely. I was never in "absolute love" with a concealer before, but this product was worth mentioning first. I absolutely love this concealer.

Lips 

Lancome Color Design Stylista (Matte)

Stylista looks extremely similar to Lancome Rouge in Love 230M Rose Rendezvous which is slightly muted rose-pink. On the tubes, they look exactly the same. However, the difference shows up on the swatches: Rose Rendezvous has a glossy to satin finish whereas Stylista has a matte finish; yet, it manages to work well even on unprepared (not moisturized) lips.

After applying Stylista on the lips, take a Q-tip to fade out the edge of the lips. This additional and bothersome step gives a blurred-out and unfocused effect.

Maybelline Baby Lips #15 Cherry Me

This product can be used to prepare your lips but it can also be used on its own. It gives a rosy tinted glow that gives a slight glossy finish. Despite my chapped lips, this product succeeded in smoothing my lips within seconds. It requires a reapplication every three or four hours, depending on the amount of hours you talk and the food you may consume.

Nail Polish

Essie 752 Turquoise & Caicos (C$9.99--Sale) 

This product is a turquoise-emerald green nail polish with glossy finish. My only complaint (that goes with all the Essie nail polishes) would be that it is very sheer. Especially for this product, the first coat looked like I had a stain on my nail polish. Three to four coats were enough to achieve that full opaque colour--however, the good thing is that it was, despite the number of coats applied, very thinly coated. It lasted for 8-9 days without a single chipped nail. This is my most favourite drugstore nail polish of Summer 2013.

xoxo
cynthia.

[Haul] May 2013

Face

Lancome Teint Miracle BUFF 2W (C$45.00)

Lancome Teint Miracle is a lightweight foundation that gives a healthy and luminous glow. This is my second purchase of this product. It gives a medium coverage but it is buildable to full coverage--and the process of building up does not make this foundation look neither cakey nor heavy: it maintains its lightweight dewy look. This foundation is able to cover up redness, but requires extra concealing when it comes to dark spots and acne scars.

After three to four hours, the T-zone (oily skin) began to get oily. However, the entire face (combination skin) begins to look slightly oily after six hours.

Lancome Teint Idole Ultra 24H 100 BUFF (N)Lancome Teint Idole Ultra 24H 230 BUFF (W) (C$50.00)

This was my first time trying out the 24h version of Teint Idole (I tried to 14h version). Despite the fact that this judgement depends solely on my first impression, it is a full-coverage and matte finish foundation that feels much heavier than Teint Idole Ultra (feels like I was wearing a lot while it was only my foundation). It was capable of covering reddness and dark spots. It also succeeded in covering up acne scars. It was moisturizing, but not as much as Teint Miracle.

This product will be reviewed this week, so please stay tuned!

Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous Foundation 910 Classic Ivory

This is a matte long-wear foundation that claims to have "lasting power of primer, coverage of a concealer, and blendability of a foundation in one." It is true that it has the lasting power of primer; it didn't get shiny for 6-8 hours on my T-zone, depending on the weather condition. It also contains the coverage of a concealer. However, it does not have the blendability. It had to be blended quickly; otherwise, it settled right onto the face.

Eyes

Clé de Peau Beauté Boîtier (C$28.00) & Ombre Couleurs Quadri #209 (C$58.00)

This product will not be mentioned thoroughly here, so there will be an in-depth review about this product within a few days.

Covergirl Clump Crusher by Lashblast Water Resistant in Black

There is only one thing (and if not, two things) I look for a mascara: the ability to curl and to be fully waterproofed. This product failed in giving me the ability to curl, which I care about the most, so it was a definite no-no for me. It also flattened my lashes too. However, it really did not clump and was capable of separating each lash.

Cheeks

MAC Mineralize Blush Warm Soul

This is a warm reddish coral blush with shimmer. It looks great on light to medium skin tones. It will look nice on darker skin tones, but it may appear too light. Despite its shimmer, this product would be a great choice for those who hate shimmery products: the shimmer looks pretty fine that it appears to have a hint of luminous glow. The blush is also very finely milled, feeling soft and appearing natural.

Overall, I haven't expected much from this product, but it was a great blush.

Lips

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter 015 Tutti Frutti (C$7.99--Sale)

Revlon's Lip Butter collection has been must-haves for the beauty community last year. I was in love with 001 Pink Truffle in Spring & Summer 2012 (review can be viewed here). Although it is very muted shade for Spring & Summer season, it set a great impression that convinced me to gravitate towards other shades.

This product glides on and is applied as evenly 001 Pink Truffle. It is definitely moisturizing, but it is not as creamy as Pink Truffle.

The best description of this lip butter is that this product feels as if it is melting onto the lips: it is very hydrating and well-pigmented. It lasts three to four hours and requires a reapplication, but it also leaves a slight hint of tint.

Nails

Essie 988 We're In It Together (C$9.99--Sale)

This is a warm-toned baby pink nail polish with almost invisible purple micro-shimmer. There is a review on this product here, so please don't forget to check it out before you decide to purchase this product!

Essie 752 Turquoise & Caicos (C$9.99--Sale)

This product is a turquoise-emerald green nail polish with glossy finish. It lasted slightly over 8-9 days before minor chipping started. This is my most favourite drugstore nail polish of Summer 2013. There will be a slightly more in depth review on my favourites for May 2013, so please stay tuned for it!

Essie Luxeffects 958 Set in Stones (C$9.99--Sale)

This product is a simple silver glitter nail polish. One coat did not give enough glitters, but two coats were enough. However, this was not so remarkable from the regular glitter nail polishes. It lasted more than three weeks and chipping was very unnoticeable.

Quo by Orly 59337 The Blue Box

Quo is a Canadian brand that is slightly more expansive than the most drugstore brands. The products are actually high in quality too. 59337 The Blue Box is an emerald green shade. It is extremely similar to Revlon 580 Eclectic, Sally Hensen's 540 Jaded, Ceramic Glaze 110 Blueberry Bubblegum. Although it appeared to be muted mint green, it came out slightly bluer. It applied very thin without being streaky. I totally enjoyed using Quo by Orly product.

This product was not streaky at all, but I was not in fond of this shade. Although it looked like a light mint green shade (it looks exactly like the photo), it turned out to be a dark turquoise green with a glossy finish. It is also quite pricy. Nonetheless, it lasted for over a week before minor chipping began.

Revlon 040 Enamor 

This is a deeper pink nail polish. I haven't tried this product yet.

Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear 4860-33 Pacific Blue

This is a deep Azure blue nail polish. This shade seemed more pastel, but it was applied much darker than the shade the bottle showed. It chipped after three days and all nails were chipped after five days. I didn't like this nail polish overall.

Body

Vaseline Hydrant Spray & Go Moisturizer Dry Skin & Aloe Fresh (C$9.99)

This moisturizer is really different from the rest of the moisturizers that can be found in the market. For example, it has a mechanic pump that extracts the product out of the tin-canned bottle. The product feels quite fantastic; it absorbs quickly, feeling soft and gentle on the skin. It leaves the sense of hydration for 3-4 hours before you do not feel it anymore. Although I do not use them on my skin, they did not break me out once it accidentally attacked my face.


So that is it for my May 2013 haul. I hope you enjoyed and please do not forget to subscribe to my blog. Thank you!

xoxo
cynthia.

[FOTM] May 2013

I decided to do "Face of the Month" every Month, showing you what I prefer to wear. Although I do not wear the same products everyday, my list will be comprised of the products that I mostly wore. I also took photos when I wore the products that I listed here. I hope you enjoy!

________________________

Foundation: The Face Shop Face It Aura Color Control CC Cream 02 Natural Beige

Eyeshadows: Lorac Unzipped Palette (highlight: Undercover & shadow: Unattainable & Lower Lashline: Unbridled) -- I did not wear any mascara and eyeliner, but these are due to my personal preference.

Eyebrows: The Face Shop Lovely Me:ex Style My Eyebrow 01 Grey Brown
& Maybelline Great Lash Clear Mascara

Image Credit: http://international.thefaceshop.com/english/product/productView.jsp?ctgr=ctgr&search=ca&prdidx=7299&prdtype=0&pageno=1

Lips: Maybelline Baby Lips in 15 Cherry Me & Lancome Stylista

Share your FOTM!

xoxo
cynthia.

[Review] Essie Nail Lacquer in 988 We're In It Together

Size: 13.5ml (.46 fl oz)

Price: C$10.00

Type: 2012 Breast Cancer Awareness Collection

Availability
This product may not be available since this is from the collection from 2012. However, this product was available at the local drugstore.

Ingredients
Ethyl Acetate, Butyl Acetate, Nitrocellulose, Propyl Acetate, Tosylamide/Formaldehyde Resin, Isopropyl Alcohol, Trimethyl Pentanyl Diisobutyrate, Triphenyl Phosphate, Ethyl Tosylamide, Camphor, Stearalkonium Bentonite, Diacetone Alcohol, Stearalkonium Hectorite, Benzophenone-1, Alumina, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Silica, Citric Acid, Tin Oxide, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate,Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, Aluminum Calcium Sodium Silicate, Polyethylene Terephthalate, Dimethicone. (D44247/2). May Contain: Mica, CI 77891 / Titanium Dioxide, CI 77163 / Bismuth Oxychloride, CI 15850 / Red 7 Lake, CI 77491, CI 77499 / Iron Oxides, CI 15850 / Red 6 Lake, CI 15880 / Red 34, CI 77266 / Black 2, CI 73360 / Red 30 Lake, CI 75170 / Guanine, CI 77000 / Aluminum Powder, CI 77007 / Ultramarines, CI 77510 / Ferric Ammonium Ferrocyanide, CI 19140 / Yellow 5 Lake, CI 42090 / Blue 1 Lake.

Product Description

One out of eight women will fight breast cancer in her lifetime. Essie has made a charitable contribution to Live beyond Breast Cancer. Because if we stick together we can do anything. .46 oz. We're In It Together.

Container/Packaging

There is not a special packaging (not even a seal that prevents others from using the products before purchasing it. 

The container of this product is just like any Essie nail polish. The container is transparent with their Essie logo engraved on the bottle. The name of this product can be found on top of the white handle.

Product
Before anything, please note that the product is much darker than how it appears on the bottle. 

While the product looks like a sheer pastel baby pink shade with cool-toned pink micro-shimmer, the micro-shimmer is completely invisible. Rather than being a pastel baby pink shade, the product is actually a Barbie, bubblegum pink.

It was not only difficult to get a complete opacity even after three coats, but it was also very streaky. Due to the streakiness, the color looks very uneven too. Overall, this was not a fun nail polish to play around.

Despite all the negative comments, We're In It Together is surprisingly quite prone to chipping: it lasted 6-7 days without a single nail chipped (without base and top coats).

Scent

It smells just like any other nail polish, but it is very subtle. 

Would I Recommend This Product? 
Despite its longevity, the amount of time I spent to layer the coats was totally not worth the product. Therefore, I would NOT recommend this product (indeed, I wrote this review in order to prevent others from purchasing this product, despite the fact that this product was for the 2012 collection.

Pictures

[Haul] April 2013

Face Products

Lancome Visionnaire

This product really enhanced the condition of my skin: it minimized the acne scars, the number of acnes, and the tone of my skin. Once applied, it really hydrates my skin. This is the second (or third) repurchase and I am satisfied. 

The Face Shop Face It Aura Color Control CC Cream 02 Natural Beige

Unlike any other CC Cream, this is a CC Cream with medium coverage CC Cream that is buildable to slightly heavier coverage with dewy glow. It feels more like a BB Cream than a CC Cream.

Osèque High-End Touch SPF34 PA++ 21 Light Beige 

Osèque High-End Touch foundation gives sheer coverage with dewy finish. It feels heavy.

(From top to bottom) Sigma Tapered Kabuki - F86, Large Angled Contour - F40, 

Tapered Blending - E40, Short Shader - E20, Eyeliner - E05 

Tapered Kabuki - F86 is my most favourite brush above all. It is very densely-created brush, perfect for applying under-eye concealer and highlighting. Large Angled Contour - F40 is good for countering, but I also use it to apply blushes too. Tapered Blending - E40 was my least favourite brush above all. Although it feels and blends better than MAC 224 brush, it sheds a lot. Short Shader - E20 is perfect to apply and to blend on highlighters on the inner tear duct and on the lower lash line. Eyeliner - E05 works great to apply (but not to blend on) inner tear duct and lower lash line.

Lip Products

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain 045 Romantic

I purchased this product after purchasing the same product in different shade (001 Honey). This product runs smoothly with a glossy finish. It gives the purest blood red shade with very evident red stain.

Covergirl Lipperfection Jumbo Gloss Balm 215 Watermelon Twist & 245 Ruby Twist

(Top) 245 Ruby Twist (Below) 215 Watermelon Twist

Both give sheer to medium coverage. While it is very wet and quite similar to Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain, this product is not a lip stain; therefore, it does not transfer onto the lips. It also does not transfer. Please keep in mind that Watermelon Twist is quite vibrant and may make your teeth appear yellow.

L'Oreal Colour Caress Wet Shine Stain in 188 Coral Tattoo & 193 Eternally Nude

I fairly enjoyed using 193 Eternally Nude and thus bought 188 Coral Tattoo too. Both are fairly pigmented and wet. With an interesting-shaped applicator, the product glides on smoothly with it. 

MAC Mineralize Rich Lipstick Elegant Accent

It is a vibrant cool-toned pinkish coral shade with a glossy finish.

Nails

Deborah Lippman Rehydrating Base Coat

It is pretty hard to determine whether this product is really capable of hydrating my nails. However, I still favour this base coat anyways since it does not transfer nail polish colours onto my nails. It also makes my nail polishes to become less brittle. 

Butter London Fiver

This is the light pastel mint-green shade. Because it does not have neon shade within it, it really looks great even in yellow-toned skin: it does not make your skin appear to look yellower. It lasts around 6-8 days without chipping and peeling off. After that, almost all fingers chipped.

That is it for my haul! Don't forget to follow me on my blog and on Twitter :)

xoxo
C. 

[Empties] April 2013

REGULAR-SIZED PRODUCTS

Lancome Visionnaire (30ml | $90) 

This product functions as moisturizer and, although I am not a person who is very weary of the changes on my skin, I was able to tell that this product has minimized severe acnes and most of my minor acnes. ★★★★☆ 

Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer in Ivory ($12.99)

This product is used to brighten up under & inner corners of my eyes as well as my nose. While it definitely highlights and glides on the skin quite smoothly, but it fails to cover up much and settled in creases. The brush is slightly harsh too. ★★★

Bioderma Sensibio H2O (500ml | $30)

This product is effective even for base and waterproof makeup. I apply this product on two cotton rounds to remove the entire makeup. It leaves the skin hydrated. ★★★★☆

Purell Hand Sanitizer (236 ml | $?)

Hand sanitizing is the key in reducing acne problem; therefore, I usually sanitize my hand before starting my makeup routine. I've tried other brands, but this sanitizer moisturizes while sanitizing. It also dries fast. ★★★☆

Jack Black Lip Balm in Lemon (0.25oz | $7.50)

This is my Holy Grail lip balm that I use everyday. It is the only product that will melt my lips. ★★★★

Deborah Lippmann Rehydrating Base Coat (15 ml | $20.00)

I don't really agree with the hydrating part, but this base coat is still great. ★★★

Delon+ 100% Pure Cotton Premium Cotton Rounds ( 8 Packs of 100 Rs | $10.99)

It is just a pack of cotton rounds, but it has one piece/layer of slightly rough fabric attached on top of the cotton rounds. The rough side is quite helpful in removing nail polishes. If it is not used for the purpose of removing nail polishes, remove that fabric to use soft sides. It is hypoallergenic,  soft, absorbent, and used by cosmeticians. It also contains aloe vera and provitamin B5. It is also not tested on animals. ★★★☆

Macadamia Rejuvenating Shampoo (ml | $18)

(Image Credit: Amazon)

It is a shampoo that helps maintain my brunette hair colour. My hair tends to turn brunette/brown colour into lighter colour (ex. brassy blonde-brown), but this shampoo has helped me maintain the colour that I prefer. However, it is expansive, does not make my hair smooth in comparison to my other shampoos and fails to keep the scent last all day. ★★☆

SAMPLE & SAMPLE-SIZED PRODUCTS

Dior Miss Dior Cherie Blooming Bouquet (Sample Size | $0) 

This product is one of my Holy Grail perfume that I use everyday. It is very floral and fresh; but it does not last more than 2-3 hours, so I always keep a sample-sized container in my purse. Unfortunately, it was a limited edition perfume and it is no longer available. ★★★★☆

Clinique 3-Step Skin Care System (2ml each | $0)

(Image Credit: Sephora)

This skin care system contained 4 try-ons of Liquid Facial Soap, Clarifying Lotion 2, Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion (2-day supply). As for the Facial Soap, it was very mild, but there was not a factor that would attract me to purchase the actual product. Clarifying Lotion 2 felt like nothing but an alcohol. Although I avoided my eye area, it was burning and irritating. I tried it several times in order to see the difference, but it never got any better. Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion was definitely hydrating and made the surface very smooth. However, it was not enough for night time use. ★★★☆

Fresh Lotus Youth Preserve Face Cream With Super 7 Complex (Sample Size | $0)

(Image Credit: Sephora)

It feels like whip cream melting onto your skin. It sinks into the skin quite easily and smoothly too, leaving your skin very fresh and healthy-looking. It smells like freshly-cutted cucumber. ★★★★

Bobbi Brown Hydrating Face Cream (0.05 oz | $0)

(Image Credit: Sephora)

I enjoyed using this product at night. It was very smooth, keeping my skin extra moisturized overnight. ★★★★


I hope this empties/mini-review was helpful. See you tomorrow with my April Haul!

xoxo
Cynthia.