Banila Co Color & Stripes lipstick PR652 Cape Cod

Wow, it has been a long time since I swatched and reviewed a lipstick for my beautyblog.

I hope I haven't neglected the lipstick-lovers in that field. :D. It is just that I have found the Summer 2011 collection of Asian cosmetics a bit underwhelming. Which, on a different note, is not the only underwhelming aspect of summer 2011: ha ha, but I won't start that weather-complaint again you propably encountered among quite a few Northern-European based bloggers.

What I did like and blogged about earlier is the summer range of Banila Co. At least, I have only bought their baked bronzer/blush (should we call such items bLonzers?) and really like how it turned out. So it was time to add a lipstick of their range to my collection.

I picked one of the colours I would normally shy away from: Cape Cod. Well, used to shy away from, because If have been into some brighter colours lately. It is funny to see how the right shade of pink actually makes my eyes look more bright. And I seem to like some pinks for its non-serious effect: you know, a red lipstick often has that idea of seriousness, either wanting to be sexy/sensual, or business-like, or sleek. A wonderful Fuschia-pink actually says something like: "I like to highlight my lips but I can be quite happy and carefree".

All this talk about pink lips, and I actually picked a purple toned colour.

How did that work out for me?

First I will review the service I received at Banila's shop on gmarket. Which has been quite good: I only bought one small item from them (the lippy) and got three samples.

Which is a lot better than the stories (and own experience) I have with Etude House lately...measly bunch they have become! That is the reason I skip Etude House on gmarket these days. Also, I haven't found anything from their new released that made me curious, unlike last year, when I really loved one of their lipsticks so much I bought 3 different shades of them!

Banila Co is always punctual about a wonderful and original packaging. The cool pink and cherry stripes are cute without venturing in the Tween territory.

So, colourwise I took it even a step further than my fuschia pinks:

I was not really sure how the colour would turn out based on the swatches online. I had seen the colour chart that Banila provided:

Also, this Korean blog has some swatches of the lipsticks. So I had an idea that it would absolutely be a purple toned lipstick.

My first swatch on paper:

It really is that purple lipstick with a bit of pink in it. What I found striking is that the pigmentation is quite strong and good. Perhaps a bit too good for my liking. I really covers the redness of my lips and the colour in the tube is almost the colour how it looks on the lips.

When I say pigmented, I do not mean it is matte. It is absolutely a lipstick with sheen, which, personally, I find more flattering for me.

I thought it would resemble my Mac Girl About Town a bit:

But boy, was I wrong about that. They are not even distant cousins!

However, I compared them because lots of beautybloggers know how Mac Girl About Town can look on, and compared to that one the Banila Co. Cape Cod is even more purply and cool.

I hope (and think) the next photo gives a good impression of the level of opacity. It resembles the texture and opacity of the YSL Rouge Volupte line.

Similarly as YSL Rouge Volupte, this lipstick is scented. I cannot quite describe the sort of scent, but it is pleasant enough and in the grown up range.

Personally, I find the texture, formula and form of the lipstick quite nice. My only drawback is that the purple colour is not really flattering on me. It has the ability to work for me when I sheer it out a bit, but on full intensity it is quite too....ehm, Lady Gaga? Or an early Cindy Lauper, perhaps. Quite 80s.

However, I do think about reordering this one in a different colour.  I was already hesitating about buying Victoria, which will probably be that happy pink I like. Or I could go for another peachy addition with Miami. Not sure yet.

You can find these on Gmarket for $12.74 over here, itemno. 212435691.

Mid Weekly Quirkologies

Aw, it has been a full week since I wrote something over here. In that time I have been:

1. Fascinated by Marimekko fabrics:

I really like the colour composition, history and decoration of Marimekko fabrics and goods (more info here). The quintessentially recognisable motives are being sold on clothes, fabrics, homewear, mugse (etc) and in collaborations with other brands. E.g. They have been collaborating with H&M before, and I still have a tshirt from that collection. Also, Marimekko had a recent collaboration with Converse.

Not really related to that, but somewhat, I would love to be able to manage a sewing machine, so I can create something clothes-like with Marimekko-fabrics and other quirky fabrics.

2. Shocked by the unsummery upheaval of the news.

I am not going into details because most of you know what has been going on. I still decide to focus on the lovely things in the news (there are still lovely things) and learn from the shocking things.

Mid Weekly Quirkologies

1. Reading Magazines:

The British Cosmopolitan had a wonderful freebie: a selection of 3 nailpolishes. I picked the greenish one, ofcourse. And I love Rihanna on its cover.

2. Hair pampering:

With a zillion of hair-oils available these days, I wanted to try the L'óreal Professional Nature Oilixir. It is not like Morrocon Oil or its peers, because it makes your hair seriously oily and greasy. However, it is a fab pre-wash treatment, and I can see it being a protective barrier for when going to swim in the sea or pool.Not that I have tried it like that so far, because the summer has been quite unsummery over here so far.

Patriotic Purchase: Ellis Faas Skin Veil Foundation

I got myself a pretty new pen, albeit an expensive one!

Living in a smaller country, the amount of cosmetic products that come from Dutch grounds are not as elaborate as to say the UK or the US.

The one that really is quite undutch because of its niche-ness and high quality (with a price that includes that) is the makeup from Ellis Faas.

I skipped Ellis Faas for that specific reason, quite expensive and niche. Also, the lipstick-colours and blush did not really shouted out to me.

One product that wowed me lately has been their fluid foundation:

I would have skipped this foundation half a year ago because it is quite sheer, and almost like a tinted moisturizer. During summer I could use a lighter product.

So now I could venture on a thin foundation that is not a complexion hider, but a complexion embellisher!

Comes in Ellis Faas Skin Veil:

The beauty of its foundation is that is functions as that extra bit of candelight glow effect, or that bit of softening effect that you can do with your photoediting tool.

From Ellis Faas site it says the following:

SKIN VEIL FOUNDATION
ELLIS FAAS believes that foundation should illuminate the skin without feeling or appearing like a mask. With an exceptional balance of high-quality ingredients, Skin Veil glides on in a thin layer, blending into the skin.
Skin Veil minerals diffuse light across the skin’s surface, reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. ELLIS FAAS foundation incorporates moisturising ingredients which nourish the skin as well as up to SPF 15 PA+++ for ultimate protection.
  ELLIS FAAS Skin Veil is recommended for all skin types.

I had the choice between the pump-disposer product, that on economic base would have been a better deal. Nevertheless, I opted for the silver pen for practical reasons: to take it on the road!

You can argue about the hygiene of this product, but similarly as cult-product YSL touche éclat, it is as hygienic as you can keep it: you can cleanse and desinfect the brush as much as possible. (which I intent to do).

I also got an extra ink-bullet, ehm, foundation-bullet for when the first one runs out. So it is a reasonable deal.

Duh, I am already talking about deals without even saying anything about its price. I purchased the pen for 45 euros and that will give 14 ml of product in total. The pump would give you 30ml for 65 euros.

I think there are quite some places to buy this, but I will give the link to Ellis Faas site. I personally bought mine in a brick-and-mortar niche Dutch Shop, but they were too cheapskate (or skint) of samples so I will not give you that link. Ha ha, at least something can be typically Dutch (although a shame on them, for a niche shop)

Finished Business

Last month I have finally been able to finish up some of the products I had lingering in my beauty box:

Left: Haus of Gloi Selicie bubbling Scrub:

The first one is a continuing favourite of mine. I simply enjoy Haus of Gloi scrubs a lot. I often order the sample size for the simple reason that I am always curious about their regular update of new scents. Sometimes I hit an all time favourite and then I order something larger...

Middle: Kerastase Resistance Bain de Force Shampoo

I kind of stick to the rule I once read that 'things you rinse off can be the cheaper variety, as they do not do so much for you' in contrast to the things that are leave-on/in. I normally do not go for the more expensive variety of Shampoos, but splurge on conditioners etc. This one was in a set, so I wanted to try it out.
Lovely fresh scent, a bit of a combination of grapefruits and chemicals.

Still, I would not repurchase. It is expensive and does not do so much extra for my hair.

But as I said before, most shampoos wouldn't. It's best to have a non-stripping one, and for the persons that have coloured their hair in a certain hue to have one that targets or is gentle for your colour. There are lots of cheaper variety that can take care of that need too...

Right: Caudalie Vinosource Sorbet Creme

How much that I love Caudalie and have been the greatest fan of their Pulpe Vitaminée for a long time (and I would repurchase that one), I just do not think this one was that brilliant. First, they claim it is suitable for sensitive skin:

This ultra light cream immediately hydrates and soothes sensitive and dehydrated skin. The cream restarts internal hydrating mechanisms and restores water reserves. Fortified and protected from free radicals, the skin is left luminous, velvety, and lastingly soothed.

Well, it is quite perfumed, although in a fresh, fruity way, but still perfumed. That meant that my skin did not really liked it when it had one of its sensitive moments. I DID use it up, but only when my skin was fairly normal.

As for the hydrating properties...meh, I had better (eg the Pai cream I will discuss later in this post). It is fresh and moisturizing but I would not recommend to really hydrated skins.

So, I would not repurchase this one either.

Boscia Enlivening Amino-AG Eye Treatment:

I use this one up, or not quite, asI threw away some when I was in the middle of it. It works nicely as a eye-PRIMER, but not so much as a cream. Reason for that: silicone-valley. I have the feeling this cream is loaded with silicones: a good thing for primers or for mature eyelids to have that illusion of a wrinkle-less skin, but not completely suitable for day/nightcare product.

So, I would not repurchase this one either.

Pai Organics Lemongrass Moisturizer:

I have to say that I completely LOVE this one. It came in a set with some other PAI organics products and I have been using it a lot. The scent is so fresh and so natural and it gives a ton of moisture to the skin.

Probably a bit too much for oilier skintypes, but I just blotted some of the moisture off with blotting sheets and had a plump and dewy skin for a large part of the day.

This one I would absolutely repurchase, but it is quite expensive so I have to reconsider it for a while and finish up something more.

Mid Weekly Quirkologies

This week I have been:

1. Jumping on the mightly crowded Sleek bandwagon and ordering their Divine Mediterranean Palette and their Pout polish in Sugar May.

I seriously do not think I have to post any swatches of them, because they have been reviewed and swatched until the whole blogosphere almost collapsed out of Sleek-ness. However, I was surprised how Nude-Bardot-esque the Sugar May pout-polish looks on my lips. I kind of like it as the antidote to my brights-antics I applied lately.

For the occasional Dutch readers: I've ordered my palette at boozyshop.nl and it arrived within a day: instant gratification! I will order from them more oftenly.

2.  With the Mediterranean palette I can create looks as this brightly coloured girl on picture 2.

Actually, there is no vacation in store for me this summer and I get serious wanderlust. I really want to leave this place for something bright and colourful, but for the moment I just have to dwell in Dutch irregular weather and flat landscapes.

Mini review: Kiss Me HEAVY ROTATION long volume dynamic mascara

In my last venture on the mascara front I told you I wasn't completely overwhelmed with the Kiss Me Heroine latest mascara (post here). I still wanted to try another one, just for the heck of it and because of my eternal search for longer, fluttering lashes.

I think I mentioned I was curious about the Kiss Me Heavy Rotation one? At least, I was...so I purchased this one with my last Adambeauty order.

In general, I already noticed that the brush would probably the most standard of brushes: the old-fashion hairy brush that I actually find soft enough for my sensitive eyes. Yeh, you actually coat your lashes instead of your eyes ;P, but the plastic brush types sometimes poke in the border between lash and skin.

The title says minireview, so I am going to be really short about this. One of the reason I buy Japanese mascaras is because they understand the need to keep the curl that girls with straight lashes carefully apply to their lashes before applying mascara. Lots of Western girls, me excluded, already seem to have fluttery and curly eyelashes by themselves, and their Western mascara just fits them.

So I need a formula that keeps the curl...and basically, this mascara doesn't keep any curl at all.

For the rest it is a ok mascara, quite black, although not pitch-black. It only volumises a little bit and it doesn't really do so much lenghtwise. It will be one of those mascaras I have to wear with either my Kanebo Kate base or the Fairy Drops base in order to be noticed and keep the curl.

But overal, I can get similar type from the Western brands and that is not quite the reason I bought this one, in order to get a mediocre, Western-type mascara.

For my goal: it doesn't fit the bill. However, I love Kiss Me Heroine Gel eyeliner, so do not abandon this brand for just this mascara, their eyeliner (the pot one) is really ace.

I bought mine over here for about $12.

Mid Weekly Quirkologies

A simple week:

1. I've been going bananas (and strawberries) with Hello Kitty showergel.
 It's a lovely fruity concoction that is pleasant for washing away the summer dusties...

2. Colour-blocking my nails and matching them to my sweater.
 Only this time I took a vertical colour block instead of the ones horizontally I see on blogs a lot. I figured that I do  not have skinny nailbeds, LOL, so I did the same thing as the fashion-advisors would advise when a non-skinny person wants to wear stripes, that is 'only vertical and not horizontal' to 'give the illusion of a longer, skinnier whole'.

Ps. after all this fashion-blah blah I want to add that I used Nails Inc Fashion Fawn (taupy brown) and Butter London Bumster (the greyish yellow) for the colour scheme. The crotchet sweater is a Gmarket beauty...

Banila Co. Summer 2011 Colors &Stripes Secret blush in Sahara

Every year since I buy something from Banila Co.'s summer range.

Why? Simply because I love their products and they have such clean and original summer themes, especially based on wanderlust (the desire to travel) and that really appeals to me.

For this year I picked up an addiction on their Secret Marbling blush/highlighter products from their Stripes range.

As you can see, Banila created such a beautiful design. The pink stripes decorate a rose gold pact. It is so aesthetically pleasing!

This year they picked South Korean singer and actress Min Hyo Rin to be the spokesmodel for their summer range:

Mn Hyo Rin in Banila Co.'s 2011 Summer campaign

I like this choice, although I have no idea about South Korean celebrity life and preformances. I simply like that, in contrast to some earlier years, they did not picked a Western model for the campaign. With all respect to Western models and people (I'm one myself, ehhh, clearly not a model but just a woman, LOL) but I think a variety of beautiful faces come in all ethnicities and clearly Min Hyo Rin must be a familiar face towards the public the product is targeted for: South Korean girls and women.

And yeh, without knowing her, I think she is beautiful and the face has an appeal on my consumer behaviour, LOL, because I bought the product as well.
The name of the product is Sahara, and, as far as I know, it is Banila Co. first bronzing-inspired Secret blush.

The compact is even prettier than the box itself. Pretty without being too kawaii for grown-up women:

The highligher/blush is quite in style of similar mineralized products such as MAC mineralizes and Banila's previous Secret ranges: They have this glowy, metallic look. Sahara is a rose-tinted coppery brown:

The first swatch I did on a tissue. It shocked me a bit for being a bit too metallic. However, I do love the colour that has that bit of rose in it:

Actually, the metallic glow is not so obvious on the skin, that is why I included a skin-swatch as well. Mind that this swatch is not blended or buffed in the skin yet!

I actually really like how it looks on my skin. It is like a rose-gold colour. Best part is that it gives out a GLOW without a hint of glitter in sight....perfect.

I have to blend and buff it into my skin to keep it natural, but it proves that you have to test some products directly on the skin to see how it will look in real life.

The compact also has a sweet, florally fragance which is not obtrusive at all, just beautiful.

Overal, a big hit for this summer (and next summers) in my opinion!

I bought mine on, guess where....gmarket over here: productcode 212439241 for approximately $19.

Banila Co. gave me three samples of their new sunscreen BB cream, which is pretty amazing as well, and I normally do not like any BB creams.