[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.

[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

Cynthia's Beauty Favourite of 2012

FOUNDATION (FLUID)
Giorgio Armani "Luminous Silk Foundation"
This foundation creates a natural-looking complexion that really brings out the luminous sheen. It gives a medium coverage, but it is buildable to create a full coverage. The result is quite flawless: it covers visible pores, redness, and even faded acne scars. Moreover, it feels quite light and soft. It may, however, require an additional step of powdering for those with oily skin.

FOUNDATION (CREAM)
Innisfree Mineral Melting Foundation SPF 32 PA++
This foundation gives a medium to full coverage with dewy finish, but it feels amazingly moisturizing at the same time. The product comes in a compact that contains a compact-sized mirror along with an "air cushion puff" that helps to pat on the foundation to the face. The "air cushion puff" contains rubicell, the element that helps creamy-textured foundation to create better coverage and more luminous look.

EYESHADOW (SINGLE)
Nature Republic "Crystal Smoky Shadow #4 Smoky Dia(mond)"
This loose eyeshadow is highly pigmented and stays on all day with the help of an eye primer. It comes in a container with a sponge-tipped stick applicator, so it is quite easy to carry around.

EYESHADOW (TRIO)
Wet n Wild "383B Knock On Wood" 
Not that this fact matters, but a vampy look has been in high demand this year and this trio makes a perfect fit for this trend. Especially the dark plum eyelid colour really brings out the vampiness of this look. Aside from the chat about this year's trend, all shades are highly pigmented, long-lasting, and inexpensive.

EYELINER (LIQUID)
Estee Lauder "Double Wear Zero-Smudge Liquid Eyeliner"
This is one liquid eyeliner that I swear by that is highly oil resistant and somewhat water resistant at the same time. Compared to Lancome's Artliner, this one is more oil resistant, slightly more water resistant, and, most importantly, cheaper.

EYELINER (GEL)
MAC "Glitz & Blitz"
This is a smooth and easy-to-use eyeliner that really intensifies the look. It hardly smudges and lasts up to 8 hours without touch-up's. For a more defined look, avoid Glitz & Blitz and go for Blacktrack.

MASCARA
Maybelline "The Falsies Volum'Express Flared"
This mascara does not lengthen much and smudges a bit, but it can give a perfect amount of curl and thicken the lashes.

Maybelline "The Falsies Volum'Express Black Drama" 
This mascara can really lengthen and hold curls, but it fails to thicken the lashes at all and smudges a bit as well.

L'Oreal Paris "Voluminous Mascara #395 Carbon Black"
This mascara is quite capable of thickening, lengthening, and separating lashes, giving a dramatic and "false lash"-like result. It, however, does not hold the curls very well.

*FYI: If you have straight, pointing-down Asian lashes like mine, I would advise to use Maybelline Volum'Express Flared or Volum'Express Black Drama and then use the L'Oreal Paris Voluminous mascara next to thicken the lashes.

**FYI: I apologize for not having a single pencil eyeliner. I haven't found a pencil eyeliner that does NOT smudge.

LIP BALM
Jack Black Lip Balm in Natural Mint & Shea Butter
This product contains mint that "freshens breath" and Shea butter that "conditions and moisturizes the lips, keeping them soft and supple". It has minty cooling effect and nourishes the lips, keeping them soft and moisturized all night. For a more in-depth review, click here.

LIPSTICK
Lancome Rouge in Love 230M Rouge Rendez-Vous
This is a rose-scented rose-pink lipstick that is appropriate for everyday, especially for Spring and Summer. This can be worn by the ones with both warm and cool-toned complexion (neutral tones too). Because it leaves a semi-glossy finish, it obviously does not last long, but it is a long-wearing lipstick for its texture.

NAIL POLISH
Essie "#928 Don't Sweater It"
This is a taupe-brown shade that is closer to brown. It is almost opaque after one coat and did not chip for three to four days.

FRAGRANCE
Dior "Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet"
This fragrance is a limited-edition fragrance. While Dior's fragrances are intended for matured customers, Miss Dior perfumes are for everyone. This fragrance is definitely worth trying.

Dior "Dior Addict Eau Sensuelle"
Dior describes this fragrance as "an 100% addictive elegant floral" and "a fragrance that unfurls like a bouquet of extremely noble flowers". It contains "[t]he stiking encounter between a sparkling rose, a vibrant jasmine and white musk".

Bath & Body Works "Twilight Woods"
This fragrance mist smells quite sweet but it seems to suit slightly more matured customers because it is quite overpowering for first few minutes. Bath & Body Works describes this scent as "[w]oody notes like Tuscan Cyprus and sandalwood give Twilight Woods its rich and warm scent. Notes of vanilla and coconut make it sweet and comforting" (click here to read more).

REMOVER (EYE MAKEUP/LIQUID)
Clio "Fresh Lip & Eye Remover"
The remover is a cheaper alternative to Lancome's "Bi-Facil", only it is in light pink shade. It is extremely gentle but still works well on all types of mascaras, eyeliners, and makeups, including waterproof products and makeup's. On top of that, it has subtle hint of rosy scent that is not overpowering. If Lancome's "Bi-Facil" is considered overpriced, try Clio's "Fresh Lip & Eye Remover".

REMOVER (FACE MAKEUP/CLEANSING FOAM)
Laneige "Mild & Thorough Cleansing for Clear & Bright Skin Multi Cleanser"
This product is a thick lotion-textured makeup remover that has micro-beads for gentle exfoliation. It is not as harsh as scrubs (it's very gentle and mild), so it is perfect for everyday use. The result is amazing: it does not leave oily residues behind and gives a clean face to work with.

REMOVER (FACE MAKEUP/LIQUID)
Bioderma Sensibio H2O 
This product is a god-sent product that really helps cleanse sturdy makeups off. Despite its strong metal-like scent, it is quite capable of removing even the waterproof makeups off without much effort. It is also gentle and soothing. The only downside is its price.

REMOVER (NAIL POLISH)
Skinfood Lavender Nail Polish Remover
This product does not damage nails too much but it really can remove nail polishes quite easily. It also has an amazing scent. I also used the Grapefruit Nail Polish Remover from the same brand and, although it has stronger scent, it works just as well.