Disappointing Products

Apologies for being MIA for so long. Life happened and I just wasn’t able to find the time to actually post.

Last week, I was looking through my makeup stash to add some products into my daily rotation that I hadn’t used in a while. In doing so, I discovered some duds that likely fell out of rotation for the very reason that they weren’t working for me. So while I work on finishing the majority of these items, here are my thoughts on them. I have a couple of products here that have a cult following and are favourites of a lot of people so I feel the need to preface the post by mentioning that these are not bad products, they just didn’t work out for me.

Clockwise for top left: L’oreal Studio Secrets Professional Magic Perfecting Base, Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector 01 Rose Shimmer, Fusion Beauty Illumifill Line Filling Luminizer with AMPLIFAT, Chanel Illusion D’ombre in Ebloui and Mac Cream Colour Base in Fawntastic

L’Oreal Studio Secrets Professional Magic Perfecting Base claims to be a lightweight primer that smoothes out the skin texture, minimizes lines and pores. While it does smooth out the skin and minimizes lines and pores, lightweight it is not. It is a silicone base primer that has a very fluffy, mousse-y texture but once on the skin, it feels very heavy, clogs my pores and makes me oily within an hour, rendering the product ineffective as a primer for me. Since I can’t use this product as a primer, I do try to pat it in over my makeup sometimes to fill in some larger pores around my nose but only if I plan on keeping my makeup on for an hour or so. Used in this manner, it has a similar effect as the Benefit Porefessional or the NARS Pro-Prime Skin Smoothing Face Prep except they don’t make me super oily and feel way lighter on my skin. This may work as a good primer if you have drier skin and your skin deals well with silicon based primers.

Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector in Rose Shimmer (01) is a lip balm-gloss that I purchased purely due to the hype it has received in the past couple of years.The pink shimmer is so fine that I didn’t even notice it until I read the name and decided to examine the product under direct sunlight. I tried to capture the shimmer in the swatch but wasn’t very successful. It smells like créme brulée and has a vanilla-ish taste – that part about this product is not over-hyped at all. The scent lingers on your lips as well – it’s amazing! But beyond that – and I know I’m probably alone in this – it’s just a generic lip balm. It’s not bad but it’s nothing special and I’m not sure it warrants the higher price. It clings to the lips better than petroleum based lip balms but at the end of the day, it’s a milky pale pink, glossy balm that just sits on my lips. The Apricot Shimmer (02) and Nude Shimmer (03) all looked exactly the same on my lips, likely due to the pigmentation in my lips. Clarins has since added 3 more shades in the line. I still prefer my Nuxe Reve de Miel or the Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment. I really wanted to love this product but I just don’t get the hype.

Fusion Beauty Illumifill Line Filling Luminizer with AMPLIFAT is a liquid highlighter with a pale pink sheen. The product claims to have a plumping effect with a line filling formula. These are claims to which I cannot speak since I haven’t been able to use the highlighter often enough to see any plumping effect. The product feels oily on my skin, comes out patchy and is difficult to blend on the skin. My biggest complaint about the product, however, comes from the packaging. The product is housed in a tube with a roller ball that is used to dispense the product directly onto the skin, which seems fine in theory but in reality, takes off your foundation and whatever else you have on your face. This is not only unhygienic, it causes an even more patchy application of the highlighter. There hasn’t been a single time when I have been able to apply this straight out of the tube, blend it in and go. I always have to go back and fix whatever makeup I had applied underneath. I have a sample size of the product but the full size packaging seems very similar so I assume similar difficulties would be faced with the full size as well.

Chanel Illusion D’ombre in Ebloui (86) is a cream eyeshadow with lots of multicoloured shimmer. This is another product that I bought simply because I head so many people go on and on about it that I had to see what the big deal was. The colour is a reddish-brown that looks more on the reddish side on my lids so, for me, this is not a lazy day colour that I can sweep on and go. I definitely have to layer it with other colours to make it more wearable, which would be fine if it wasn’t for the shimmer in the product. The shimmer is beautiful and, as you can see in the swatches, definitely transfers to the skin when the product is applied but it doesn’t adhere to the lids very well. I don’t know how it happens but every time I wear this, I end with shimmer all over my face. Again, not a bad product but I just have other cream shadows that are cheaper and work better. I would love to find out if there is a way of using the Chanel Illusion D’ombre shadows that doesn’t allow the shimmer to transfer.

MAC Cream Colour Base in Fawntastic is a cream highlighter with fine shimmer that provides a subtle glow and can be used as a base for other products. It’s a bronze-y, rosy, taupe-y highlight. The colour is difficult to describe but the swatch below is pretty accurate. I It is a very emolient product that makes my cheeks oily and there’s something in it that causes me to break out. I have basically resigned the product to be used as a brow bone highlight since that’s the only place where it doesn’t make my look like an oilslick. This is the only cream colour base I have tried so I’m not sure whether I would have the same problem with other colours but my luck with MAC creme products gives me good reason to beleive that I likely would. I don’t see this colour on the website so I wonder if it has been discontinued.

L-R: Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector 01 Rose Shimmer, Fusion Beauty Illumifill Line Filling Luminizer with AMPLIFAT, Chanel Illusion D’ombre in Ebloui and Mac Cream Colour Base in Fawntastic

Have you tried any of these products? Did they work for you? What are some products that have disappointed you lately?

** Swatches are on MAC NC 35/NARS Stromboli skin.

NARS x Pierre Hardy Blushes – Rotonde and Boys Don’t Cry

It’s surprising that it has taken me this long to post about blushes. I’m a bit of a blush, let’s say, enthusiast. Since NARS is known for some of the best blushes on the market so, naturally, seeing the blushes in the promos,  I have been waiting with bated breath for the NARS x Pierre Hardy collection to be released.

The blushes come housed in a white box rather than the usual black NARS packaging. The actual product is in the traditional NARS rubberized matte black packaging that has the collection name on the actual product. Though I usually am not a fan of limited edition packaging, I actually quite like this one. The blushes are larger than the regular blushes with 13 g of product for $41 USD/ $48 CAD (as compared to the blushes in the regular line which contain $29 USD/ $32 CAD for 4.8 g of product), which is my only gripe about this product. Although, technically cheaper per gram, so little product is needed to achieve the desired effect due to the intense pigmentation of these blushes that it will be next to impossible to work your way through a regular sized blush, let alone one that’s almost triple in size. But hey, I still bought both so clearly, the rational side of my brain did not win that battle. The size difference can be seen in the comparison pictures below.

NARS x Pierre Hardy Blushes

NARS x Pierre Hardy Blushes

NARS x Pierre Hardy Blush

The blushes, Rotonde and Boys Don’t Cry, are bold, pigmented and blend easily (the swatches below were tru-to-pan in one swipe!). Rotonde is darkened orange colour and gives me a sunburnt-ish look (but in a good way) while Boys Don’t Cry is a brightened coral-ish pink-red that blend out to give a brightened snow white look to my cheeks. Both of the colours are matte. The gold pattern is an overlay and the pattern does not go through the product. It’s probably the thinnest overlay I have ever come across in a product (which is totally fine with me!). As can be seen in the photos below, the colour of the blush can already be seen through it and the overlay almost competely disappeared with a couple of swipes of the brush. Of course, the shimmer that does stick around did transfer to my cheeks and even though it’s not the finest of shimmers, I expect the blush to be completely matte in the next few applications.

L-R: NARS x Pierre Hardy Boys Don’t Cry and Rotonde

L-R (Direct Light): Rotonde, Boys Don’t Cry

L-R (Indirect Light): Rotonde, Boys Don’t Cry

Despite the colours being very saturated, they do blend out to give a beautiful natural flush. However, if you have a heavy hand with blush, you would definitely have to be careful with these. Even though the blushes are very blendable, they aren’t quite foolproof, in my humble opinion.

L-R: Rotonde blended, Rotonde heavy, Boys Don’t Cry heavy, Boys Don’t Cry blended

Here are Rotonde and Boys Don’t Cry in comparison to some of the other blushes in my collections:

Clockwise from top right: NARS Rotonde, NARS Taj Mahal, MAC Devil (PRO), NARS Gina

L-R: NARS Rotonde, NARS Taj Mahal, NARS Gina, MAC Devil (PRO)

NARS Taj Mahal is closest to Rotonde except its a bit more of a deeper orange and shimmery; next to Taj Mahal, Rotonde almost looks a bit more coral. NARS Gina is more of a cantaloupe colour and MAC Devil has significantly more red when swatched.

Clockwise from top right: NARS Boys Don’t Cry, NARS Exhibit A, MAC Frankly Scarlet (PRO), Tarte Natural Beauty

 

L-R: NARS Boys Don’t Cry, Tarte Natural Beauty, MAC Frankly Scarlet (PRO), NARS Exhibit A

Tarte Natural Beauty was the sheerest out of all the blushes swatched here. MAC Frankly Scarlet was similar but a touch more pink. NARS Exhibit A was a warmer red when swatched. Despite the detectable differences between the swatches, all the blushes provided a similar effect when blended out. Boys Don’t Cry and Natural Beauty were the most blendable out of the four while Natural Beauty is the easiest to use due to the sheer nature (pun intended!) of the product.

NARS x Pierre Hardy collection can be currently purchased on the NARS website and will be available at NARS counters on May 1st. These items are limited edition and will not be available at Sephora.

Rotonde and Boys Don’t Cry certainly live up to the reputation NARS blushes have earned over the years. Do you like to hoard blushes like I do? Will you be purchasing anything from this collection?

** Swatches are on MAC NC 35/NARS Stromboli skin.

Givenchy Le Rouge – 103 Brun Createur

Givenchy’s new lipsticks, Le Rouge, seem to be all the rage lately and I, the sheep that I am, have been patiently awaiting their release. I was told that there is one of the Givenchy Le Rouge lipsticks available as a 100 point perk so, of course, I ran out and picked it up. Upon swatching it once, all I can say is … oh man, is my bank account ever in trouble. I NEED more of these in my life.

Givenchy Le Rouge 103 Brun Createur

Givenchy Le Rouge 103 Brun Createur

The bullet is supposed to be covered in real leather but since this is a mini tester, this is just plastic and it doesn’t have the Givenchy monogram stamped into the bullet. I’m dying to get my hands on a full size bullet of this lipstick for the packaging alone.

The colour that is available is 103 Brun Createur. While Sephora’s website describes it as a “dusty rose”, I don’t really see too much dustiness in this colour. It seems more like a peachy rose with a hint of brown. Regardless, it is a beautiful everyday colour that will look good on all skintones. I can’t see anyone not being able to wear this colour.

Givenchy Le Rouge 103 Brun Createur

And this puppy is opaque and pigmented! All the blogs I have seen review Le Rouge have been saying that the swatches were done in one swipe and I’m always skeptical whenever anyone makes that claim but I can confirm – the swatches below were literally one swipe! And this is exactly how it goes on the lips – one swipe and you’re done.

Givenchy Le Rouge 103 Brun Createur (Direct Light)

Givenchy Le Rouge 103 Brun Createur (Indirect Light)

As for the texture, I would say the Burberry Lip Velvet has the closest texture to these lipsticks. It is a matte finish but this isn’t the matte from the 90′s. It’s very comfortable to wear and hydrating on the lips – it clings to the lips enough that the colour does not move on your lips but the tightness associated with matte lipsticks isn’t there. There is a bit more slip in Givenchy’s formula than in Burberry’s which translates to the Burberry lipsticks lasting slightly longer on the lips. This is not of any concern to me really since I enjoy reapplying my lipstick throughout the day but if you are someone who  does not like to touch up, that is something to consider.

Unfortunately, as is usually the case, their release in Canada is delayed and I have been told by 5 Sephora stores that it will likely be another 3-4 weeks before they will be available in-stores but once they are, I’m sure I will not be able to resist. My fingers are already itching to just order them online sight unseen.

Must….resist…urge…

Stay tuned!

Boob Cream! Lovely Jubblies by LUSH

Yep, we’re talking boob cream today, Ladies!

When I was 17, I came across a breast firming cream while perusing the Victoria’s Secret website and the concept of such a cream seemed so novel and piqued my interest enough that I went ahead and placed an order, and even paid the ridiculous international shipping fee. Why I thought I needed a breast firming cream at 17, I couldn’t tell you if I tried. Regardless, super excited upon its arrival, I slathered on the cream every night for weeks until the tube was finished, without any noticeable results. Frustrated and disappointed, I wrote off all breast creams and refused to even entertain the idea that they might work at all.

Well, as is almost always the case, I saw LUSH’s lovely jubblies get rave reviews by a couple of youtubers and the product junkie in me began itching to try it out. The cream is supposed to include a blend of organic oils that tighten the skin making it more firm supple. It’s essentially a firming cream that, despite its name, can be used anywhere on the body to tighten the skin.

So I headed to my nearest LUSH to get a sample of the cream and, very skeptically, applied the cream before bed. The results I saw the very next morning made me run out and buy a pot. The skin was actually firm and well… as LUSH describes it, supple! The LUSH sales associate advised that the cream should be massaged into the skin in and upwards motion all over the breasts and decolletage area. The cream has a very thin consistency and is very easy to spread but it’s downfall, for me, is the smell. Lovely Jubblies has a very intense floral scent that you cannot ignore if there is a jar open anywhere in your vicinity. I smell honey blossoms and lilies with a hint of roses – it’s not a bad scent but if you are like me and can’t stand floral scents, consider yourself warned. And it lingers. For a long time. The results I saw were good enough that I thought I could get past the scent but the scent got to be too much for me and it’s what stopped me from using the product on a regular basis. That, and I probably just got lazy to do an additional step in my nighttime routine that wasn’t absolutely essential.

Lovely Jubblies by LUSH

Lovely Jubblies by LUSH

Lovely Jubblies by LUSH

I noticed that as long as I was using the cream on a regular basis, I was getting good results but once I stopped using the cream for a while, my skin began to revert back to its original condition. I’m not sure if this product claims to provide permanent results. Perhaps with daily use for a prolonged period (I’m talking years), the results may become permanent? Regardless, this is an awesome product if you want firm and supple breasts, at least temporarily. In the attempt to finish the pot before the expiry date, I did try using the cream on other parts of my body once but didn’t notice any noticeable changes. A little goes a long way with this cream and you get a lot of product that should last a while. The expiration date on the product was approximately six from the date of purchase, which I think is a reasonable amount of time to use up a product such as this.

If you are in the market for a breast firming cream, Lovely Jubblies is one that I would definitely try. If you are sensitive to floral scents, however, I would strongly suggest trying out a sample prior to purchase, if possible.

Have you tried any breast firming creams? Any success?

Dior Addict Extreme Lipsticks: Délice Extreme, Diablotine Extreme and Spring Ball Extreme – Review, Swatches

Dior has new lipsticks out!!!  Dior Addict Extreme is definitely one of my top 3 lipstick formula, if not THE top lipstick formula.  Dior has not come out with any new colours (not that I’m aware of, at least) since the original release of the lipsticks, so when I heard about these, I headed straight to the Dior counter.

The new release has lipglosses, Dior Addict and Dior Addict Extreme lipsticks and nail polishes. All the products in this collection have the same names (Délice, Diablotine, Springball and Princess) and even have the same numbers. The Addict Extremes have “Extreme” added onto the name of the colour but since the SAs pull the product by the numbers, it can get a bit confusing and extra care is required to ensure that you get the right product. I was given the wrong items and had to go back and exchange them so just a word of caution on that point.

Dior Addict Extremes are my go to lipsticks since they deposit a healthy dose of pigment and cover the lips completely but the balm-like texture ensures that the lips are never dry – it honestly doesn’t feel like I even have anything on my lips. They are not as shiny as the original Dior Addicts but definitely have a sheen that lasts as long as the lipstick. These lipsticks tend to last 3-4 hours on me if I’m not eating. While the other items in this release have quite a bit of fine shimmer, the Addict Extreme lipsticks are a cream formula with no shimmer at all.

Dior Addict Extreme Lipsticks

Dior Addict Extreme Délice Extreme (433)

Délice Extreme (433) is a subdued orange. I do not see any coral tones when I swatch Délice but when on the lips, the pigment in my lips brings turns the colour a little bit coral but not to the same extent as Riviera (from the permanent lineup).

Dior Addict Extreme in Diablotine Extreme (643)

Diablotine Extreme (643) is a very wearable red. This is just the kind of reds that I absolutely adore and I have been wearing this non-stop since I got it. This is a colour I would have loved to see added to the permanent line – might need to get a back up of this. I can see myself flying through this one. In the pictures, Diablotine and Délice look very similar but there is a distinct difference between the colours which can be seen in the swatches.

Dior Addict Extreme in Spring Ball Extreme (343)

Spring Ball Extreme (343) is a neutral mid-tone pink. This is one that I think will show up differently depending on your lip colour (it turns a bit cooler on me).

L-R (Direct Light): Délice Extreme (433), Diablotine Extreme (643), Spring Ball Extreme (343)

L-R (Indirect Light): Délice Extreme (433), Diablotine Extreme (643), Spring Ball Extreme (343)

According to the Dior customer service (North American), the Addict Extremes are available at all Dior counters but will not be available at Sephora. The Dior Addict glosses and the 4 Dior Addict lipsticks released with this collection will be added to the permanent lineup but the Dior Addict Extreme lipsticks are limited edition.

Are you excited about this launch?
What’s your favourite lipstick formula?

* Swatches on MAC NC35/Nars Stromboli Skin