At the time posting this post it is actually more of Using...Used...Used, but let me continue:
Using: Lotree Luminious Moisture Tinted SPF30 PA++
This lotion functions as a moisture-adding and glow-enhancing step. Oilier skins or skins that are hydrated enough can use it as a moisturizer. At this time being, the temperature has risen and the extra SPF30 PA++ provides me protection.
When blending in with my Adesign foundation brush, it provides me a gorgeous glow with a tint of peachthat has the correcting ability to brighten up a sallow complexion. Not something uncommon after this long winter period.
USED 1: Nude Pro-Genius Treatment oil (sample)
I liked this oil but not enough to purchase a larger sample. It smells slightly like macademia nut and has no essential oils or other fragance additives. That is perhaps the reason I will not purchase: Sometimes I prefer a facial oil to smell like an essential oil, e.g. Pukka Ayurveda Nourishing Face Oil smells like Rose Geranium, and an essential oil that speaks to you helps you to relax at nighttime when you are most likely to use a skin-oil.
I am still baffled that Nude skincare took out their brilliant and beloved Cellular Renewal Serum. According to Londonmakeupgirl they are reformulating it and will launch it on the market again, but why take the fantastic older version of the market?
Used 2: L'oreal Pro-Keratin Refill Mask
I have discussed it before over here and here. I am enthousiastic about it and feel it works in reconstructing my hair, but I am not really fond of the ozonic scent. I will repurchase it, ofcourse.
I have been delightfully surprised by NARS spring range for 2012. Not that I have bought a lot, yet, but I really like the zest that comes from the colours.
Quite unexpectantly, for me at least, NARS released some other products as well. Actually, I already saw a promotion of the tinted moisturizer in some British glossy, so I wasn't completely surprised.
What did I get:
The Pure Radiant tinted moisturizer:
The 143 BLKR eyeshadow
NARS threw in the freebie with the discount code: the Blush Super Orgasm in a mini size and their latest Pro Prime Pore Defining Primer
Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer in St. Moritz
Clearly, I went for the tinted moisturizer: I really like their Sheer
foundation but I have days that less-is-more and I do not want to go out
completely barefaced but still polished.
As for the colour, I went slightly darker because I wear my tinted moisturizers the most during summer. In summer I have a slight tan (mostly from faux-tans, my dears). Actually, I got another one than I initially ordered: I'm quite sure I decided to go for Annapurna (medium with peach undertone) and gotten St. Moritz.
St. Moritz has been described as a
Still, it looks matching on the browner tone of my arms (the colour I will resemble most in summer).
I haven't been trying it that much because I just got it. According to NARS it "helps reduce the appearance of hyperpigmentation and dark spots for a brighter natural glow".
I'll keep an eye on that claim and hope to see the results on that one.
As for the finish: It really reminds me of my favourite Urban Decay
tinted moisturizer. It smoothes down some irregularities without masking
the face. I actually prefer it over Urban Decay right now, because it
absorbs a bit faster into the skin.
2. Freebie Pro Prime Pore Defining Primer
A NON-silicone emulsion that feels like a moisturizing milk. It feels really nice on the skin and I don't feel that too-present feeling that some silicone primers have.
Also, I just tested it once. I think it defines some of the larger pores and slightly contracts them. It isn't, like the silicone ones, a spackle buster (putting silicones in your pores to fill them up). I think more of it as a temporarily tightener for pores.
3. 143 BLKR eyeshadow
NARS' compacts looks so beautiful when just out of the box
I have read tons of raves about Lhasa and it looked really good in
swatches. I also had seen 143 BLKR online and seen them compared with
Lhasa.
Lhasa looked like the easiest, to go for taupe. That made it also a
bit too similar to a couple of other taupes I have. Seeing the lavender
undertone of 143 BKLR I decided I needed that one. Also, the fact that
it is more difficult to get from other websites than the official NARS
website. I'm a sucker for difficult-to-get, limited edition stuff: call
it the hoarder and collecter in me :D
So beautiful, this dusty lavender
Yes, I have been trying it and I really like what it does to the greenness of my eyes. Also, as a bit of a fashion-lover, I like how it is a sort-of pastel colour without going sugar rush on me. It's like a grown-ups woman ticket to a bit of pastel on the eyelids and defining the colour.
I have read some reviews about bloggers regretting going for 143 BLKR over Lhasa and I believe it is a more complicated colour. It actually veers to the cool side and some eyecolours do not really come to live with a cooler hue. In general, I think reading a couple reviews of women who have similar colouring/eyecolour and makeup-strategies as you do can help you to decide if you need/want this shade.
I won't review the mini blush Super Orgasm. I would never use it on my cheeks because Hello Glitter but I actually like it as a peach colour on my eyes. It is pigmented as an eyeshadow too.
He he, nice one NARS. Still considering the Mexican Rose lippencil...that colour looks too good to pass away.
Before doing my beautyblogger's job to add new makeup/cosmetic collections to my beauty-closet, I decided to try and finish up some things.
1. Christophe Robin Shade Variation Mask in Chic Red
Bijschrift toevoegen
Actually, I prefer the French name Rouge Vénitien that stands for Venetian Red...it sounds more sultry and Italian.
So, didn't we see this before? Yes, you have, only I reviewed the Warm Chestnut shade (here)
I have been using this one continuously for 3 a 4 weeks and it has improved the state of my hair. I used it as a conditioner and you have to see it more as a conditioner than a mask, but still good enough to make hair-improvements.
As for the colour, I thought nothing RED was going on, untill my boyfriend noticed me that my hair looked like a blondish red on top of my head. I have lighter hair there, so I kind of had a deep strawberry blonde thing going on....Wow, I always wanted to be a strawberry blonde without too much maintainance. Now I should only draw in some freckles with an eyebrow pencil and I'm good to go.
But seriously, I loved the scent and I will probably repurchase this when I finish up it's sister the Chestnut Brown.
2. Sophyto Omega Daily Moisturizer sample
I like my organic skincare for the fact that it has fewer additionals to upset a sensitive/reactive skin. I do use some more chemical based products too, but for comfort I often go for the organic varieties. And it's winter again so the skin is just more reactive.
This has been a lovely and neutral moisturizer that is more a basic than a product that would target specific aims (anti-ageing/depigmentation/etc). It is the kind of moisturizer that leaves the skin slightly mat and not with that sheen that some product have, which makes it attractive for people with oily/combination skin.
My only gripe was its scent: It smells like Omega capsules (the ones that still smell) and therefore I am still on par if I would go fullsize. I am testing some other organic skincare too at the moment, and that one is rose-scented and scentwise a bit better.
3. Själ Serum 1 liquid vitamin lift
Let's go a bit Swedish with Själ. I received this sample by choosing it myself with my last Zuneta order.
I haven't been using it long enough to say something about the results but I found the texture to be incredibly watery. In Asian skincare it would be seen as one of those water/toner products with additives against a certain skin-problem. I am not too sure about it. Still, during the time of usage it didn't irritate me and it smelled neutral.
4. Rouge Bunny Rouge Sketches on Water Tinted Moisturizer
You know you really love your sample when you treat it like your own baby and scrape the last tiny bit out of the jar: it's exactly with this tinted moisturizer.
Somewhat a smidge too light for my skintone at the moment, but so foolproof for days you want people to think you are not wearing foundation but actually are having a good skin day!
That will be a purchase in the full size, soon....
A few days ago I posted a kind of wish- and doubtlist of the new things I would possibly like to have for fall. The Madara Sun Flower Tinted Moisturiser was one of them. Looking at my yes-factors compared to the no/maybe-factor, I was quite sure that I probably would enjoy this product.
Well, it is a product that is available in the Netherlands, so I was able to swatch it a couple of times and contemplate deeply if I needed it. After writing everything on the blog, I concluded that I had to try this product.
Shortly, I was lured in by the whole natural connection talk of the company...let's see what they have to say about Madara's philosophy:
Our perception of beauty is enshrined in our motto - deeper than skin. It means beauty that goes beyond external appearances. It is beauty wrought from health, love of life, warmth and summer, which you carry with you and is seen by everyone you meet on your way. Beauty is genuine emotions, a sincere smile, a kind and loving disposition towards people and nature. It is femininity and beauty in its deepest sense. It is a beauty which would not offend meadow flowers. It is the wisdom and force of nature.
I believe that this phisosoply is absolutely beautiful: a form of beauty that is lit from within.
But ofcourse, Madara's promotion picture does not go for a 'girl with a nice personality' and inner beauty (which, as most people know, when someone say that you have 'nice personality' they often mean that they say 'do not count too much on your appearance').
They opted for the beautiful girl surrounded by grass...
I do like her choice of lipstick, though...she has a bit of red in her hair and she has freckles, so the bronzy/orangy lipstick looks perfect on her. I also like the peachy-terra blush on her cheeks, although it would not look so good on my cooler skin.
Opening the package, the tinted moisturizer has a pump dispenser that is hygienic to use.
The ingredients look promising:
The tinted moisturizer is darker than my own skintone. I deliberately picked the darkest colour: Sun Flower. I could have picked Moon Flower, but I wanted a sort of faker product to use when I feel a bit pasty.
It takes a long, long time before it finally seems to blend into the skin. It stays on a bit too long for my liking.
Testing the product at home, I felt a bit insecure about my purchase. It looks a lot more like a highlighter product, such as MAC strobe cream, than a tinted moisturizer. In this swatch, you can see that it looks glowy and bronzy from afar:
However, close up.....
Ooooh my G...how did I missed that during swatching? It has fine glitters in them!
(you can click on that picture to see a more close, and scary view of my skin and Madara Sun Flower applied)
Shortly, I had applied this product all over my face when going outside on a day with sunshine. I should not have done that, because I was a semi-kind of disco-ball.
Ok ok, it was not that dramatic, but I did not find it subtle enough to qualify for a 'unmade-up' look that I normally want from a tinted moisturizer.
It makes a wonderful night-time product, though. But for me at daytime, it looks a bit unnatural to me. At least, when applied to the whole face.
Moreover, I am not too charmed of its scent: it is a herbal garden gone psychedelic and it lingers quite long under my nose. It was ok when I swatched it on my hand, but under my nose it was absolutely too scented. With this O.D. on herbal scent, I also had the feeling that my skin itched a bit...I am not sure if that is psychological, or physical. But whatever reason caused the slightly itchy skin, it was related to wearing the tinted moisturizer.
Uhoh, I am always aware when reviewing something that the cosmetic company will not be to happy about it. But hey, I aim to make honests review based upon my personal opinion, and not for the sake of promoting products and receiving things for a good promotion..
Moreover, it proves that not everything natural will always work like a charm. Sometimes, the beautiful and natural ingredients can be even more hindering to the over-sensitive skins.
Overall, after all my serious contemplation I thought I would be absolutely happy with this, but I threw another € 24.95 down the drain.
24.95 euros...and it did not work for me
I probably can still make someone happy with it during a give-away, but boohoo, I wanted to make myself happy with this purchase.
Overal, I asked myself the question if this product would qualify for the normal girls with flaws, instead of models and gorgeous women only...?
Answer: Mmm, well...it perhaps can work on someone else, but it did not work for me.
