TAG: Lip Product Addict (featuring the new NARS Audacious Lipstick!)

Hello lovelies! For this entry, I decide to do a Tag.. A Lip Product Addict Tag! A fellow Malaysian blogger Sabby Prue recently did this tag and I got curious. I automatically got tagged for reading her post (sneaky sneaky!) So here I go!

Lip Product Addict Tag Questions:

1) Favourite lip balm/treatment
2) Best eye-catching red
3) Best luxury & best drugstore 
4) Best MAC lipstick 
5) Most disappointing
6) Liner - Yes or No
7) Best gloss
8) Something extra - you can talk about anything lip product/care related

Since my favourites and bests change often, my answers are on my current rather than all-time favs/bests.

1) Favourite lip balm/treatment

Still a fav! Using up my second ball. ^_^

I am still faithful to the EOS Lip Balm. Mine is of course in Sweet Mint. I absolutely love the cool minty feel it gives to the lips - have yet to find another lip balm that gives a similar or stronger mint sensation. The level of hydration and moisture it gives are also up to my standard. 100% natural, cute and easy to use I apply it religiously at bedtime. You can find a more in-depth review of this lip balm here.

2) Best eye-catching red

Red is the least number of lipstick shade I own. Amongst all the “reds” in my collection, only 1 is a true-to-red shade and that is not my fav red. So if I have to choose the best eye-catching red lipstick I own, it will be Leslie from the latest Nars Audicious Lipstick collection. Oh-My-God. The formula of this line of lipstick is hands down my fav thus far from ANY brand I have tried. I prefer a more matte/semi-matte/satin/creamy finish on my lips.

I tend to stay away from glossy/shiny lip colours. Most non-glossy lipsticks I have tried are not the most hydrating. The Leslie shade I am loving gives a satin to semi-matte finish on my lips and so far has not given me any dry lips on the side.

3) Best luxury & best drugstore

At CAD37 + tax (thats CAD41.81 for me since I live in Ontario -  yikes!), I consider the Nars Audacious Lipstick a luxury and is my current best luxury lip product.

NARS Audacious Lipstick - Best Luxury

As for the best drug store lip product, it will currently be the  Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Moss Lipstick in the shade 08. The colour is  rosy-mauve with a satin finish. Not the most hydrating or long wearing lipstick, however I do love the application and feel of the lipstick on my lips. The packaging is also beautiful.

Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Lipstick - Best Drugstore

   
4) Best MAC lipstick

Best MAC Lipstick - Amorous

MAC is a brand that I have stopped purchasing lately due to a personal cause. I have purchased many of their lipsticks in the past and the best one for me during this transitional season of Fall is Amorous (A93) in the Satin finish. On my lips, the colour is deep berry with a tinge of purple  - perfect for a dark lip look for fall without looking gothic.

5) Most disappointing

Recently I bought a pack of Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar Test Tubes. The Test Tubes are smaller versions of the originals- like testers I guess. Sephora often sells them in pack of 3’s. The pack I bought is called Pink Prism which contains a tube of Lip Tar Primer, Lip Tar Metallic in Lovecraft and Lip Tar Matte in Pretty Boy. I have used OCC Lip Tars in the past and love them. However, their Metallic formula doesn't seem to agree with my lips. On applying, it separates into small patches and looks awful. I was so disturbed by this that I returned it. So yea.. OCC Metallic Lip Tars - Most disappointing Lip Product.
  
6) Liner - Yes or No

Yes. I use lip liners mostly not as a liner but a full lip colour- either on its own, or to modify the colour of a lipstick.

Liner - YES please!

Lip liners tend to be too dry to be used over the entire lip but the one by Shiseido called the Smoothing Lip Crayon is quite creamy for a lip liner. The shade that I love is RD708 Mahogany.
  


7) Best gloss Best Liquid Lipstick

As mentioned earlier, I tend to stay away from glossy/shiny lip finish. So it is no surprise that I don’t really have a current Best Gloss product. I do however love the newer liquid lipsticks that has been coming out a lot recently.

So I shall share my current Best Liquid Lipstick instead which is another lip product from Shiseido called Lacquer Rouge. The shade I am loving at the moment is RD702 Savage - a rich earthy brown colour.
 
8) Something extra - you can talk about anything lip product/care related

Looking at my current fav lip colours above, you may have noticed that I am into bolder lip colours at the moment. In the past, I have always gravitated towards neutral lip colours. With more matte/semi-matte/satin formulations now available from many different brands, I think it personally makes it easier to experiment with bolder colours. Shinier, glossier bold colours on my lips weirdly make me feel uncomfortable and very self-conscious. I see myself buying and using a lot more darker lip colours in the next few months for Fall/Winter of this year. Ending this tag with pictures of 2 bolder lip colour products I recently purchased and love.

Chanel Rouge Allure in Envoûtante (116)

Chanel Precision Lip Definer in Amarante (54)

(Now I tag YOU! Let me know what your answers are for the 8 questions above. Leave me a link or you could do this tag in the comment box below! xoxo)

Selfie with NARS Audacious Lipstick in Leslie. ^_^

Reminder: Product that works for me may not work for you, and vice versa. =)    

August/Summer 2014 Favourites

Hi readers! I know it's been a long time since the last entry. Hope everyone is well and had a great past few months. I would like to start posting again and will begin with my August/Summer 2014 favorites!

1) Skin Care

REN Clean Skincare - Rosa Centifolia Hot Cloth Cleanser

This has been my only evening cleanser since I bought it in mid May 2014. The wash cloth it comes with gives the skin a good clean without feeling too rough. I bought this cleanser specifically for my trip to London, England. I had wanted a cleanser to give my face a thorough cleanse after a day's worth of sightseeing and using the underground train. If you are living in London or have visited London, you know how sooty the air could be. Using the underground train often could stain your exposed skin black at the end of the day (on days when I was using strappy sandals, my feet had black sooty stripes when I took the sandals off). As someone who loves a dewy supple finish on her face, I fear to even imagine the amount of soot and other stuff that would have easily attached onto my face by the end of the day! This cleanser has helped me maintained my skin throughout my visit in London and I have loved it soo much that I had continued using it for the rest of summer.

The wash cloth was still in good condition by the time I finish the product. As mentioned, I used this only in the evening. Applying 2 pumps to dry skin, massage the product in circular motion to gently remove dirt and makeup (I always recommend using a make-up remover first especially for any eye makeup and full coverage foundation. I do this step regardless of the cleanser I use). Then wet the cleansing cloth with warm water (I often use very warm, almost hot water), squeeze any extra water out, and lay the cloth flat out to cover the entire face. Leave it for 15 seconds (longer if you have the time and patience). The heat will open your facial pores. Next, use the cloth to wipe off the cleanser along with all the dirt. Lastly, rinse your face with cold water to close back the pores. 

Thorough cleansing without drying the skin - definitely a keeper in my book of summer cleansers!

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream

This cream is a life-changing product for me. I honestly think I have found the best cream thus far for my dry, eczema-skin. Like any new product I was trying, I was initially very very skeptical. So glad I gave this cream a try. Great moisturizing property, no harsh chemicals, and I do believe it aids with repairing and building a protective barrier on the skin. On applying, it gets absorbed easily and leaves a comfortable layer on top - not greasy but you could definitely feel a slightly slippery consistency - if that makes sense?

This is an all-over body cream. I use this cream on my hands after each wash and on my face at night as a night cream. Love how my face feel in the morning. I don't use it on my face in the day as I prefer something lighter to apply underneath my sunblock. (Just purchased the lighter lotion version of this product which may work better for me as a daytime moisturizer).

Note: Product contains colloidal oatmeal. Avoid if you are known to react to this ingredient.     

2) Make-up

Urban Decay All Nighter Long-Lasting Makeup Setting Spray

For the month of August (or really this past whole summer), nothing particularly jumps out to me in the make-up department. I am however loving the Urban Decay All Nighter setting spray. This is yet another purchase I had made just for the London trip. I don't really set my concealer/tinted moisturizer/foundation and what-have-you since I prefer a dewy finish and using powder (no matter how light and finely milled they are) always leaves my skin cakey and flaky. So I start looking into setting spray instead and went first for the Urban Decay All Nighter Long-Lasting Makeup Setting Spray.

Happy to report that I did not need to look at other setting spray product. Works like a charm on my skin. Keeps my skin looking fresh for longer and maintain the dewy-ness I love. Even with only sunblock on, I will still spray some over my skin just to lock everything in.

3) Hair Care

TRESemmé Split-Remedy Sealing Serum
 
One issue I've had for a while with my hair is split ends. I try to get them trimmed every now and then but often not long after a trim I see split-ends again.

"Glue" for split-ends!

                                          

"Reduces up to 80% of split ends after 3 uses". This hair serum from TRESemmé has definitely reduced the amount of split ends I have. The texture is seriously non-greasy, non sticky - many hair products I have tried claim to be non-greasy and non-sticky but they really are! I apply 2 pumps onto my palm and work it through my damp hair 3/4 of the length to the ends. Blow dry or air dry after.


4) Clothing/Footwear 

Michael by Michael Kors Fulton Moc Flats  

I have been gravitating to this pair of flats from Michael Kors a lot this summer. Bought them in 2010 and honestly they were never really very comfortable at first. I almost gave them away but glad I did not because over the years, the leather had softened and molded themselves to the shape of my feet. Now they are one of the most comfortable pair of flats I own!

5) Random

Psycho-Pass

If you enjoy watching anime and love a thriller, give Psycho-Pass a shot.

     "In a futuristic world where criminal intent is analyzed by the Sybil System, a new top of the class recruit, Akane Tsunemori, joins the police force; however, she always puts her own sense of justice above the judgment of Sybil. Police are helped by Enforcers (latent criminals disposed to high criminal intent), one of which is a former inspector who supports Akane's method of action." (from IMDb)

I thoroughly enjoyed the first season. Some scenarios got my hair standing with their stomach-churning plot. There are definitely layers as you go through the episodes. Watched them all on Netflix.

Thank you for reading till the end! Can't believe summer is coming to an end. It has been barely a full summer here in Ottawa this year. Regardless, I hope that you have had a wonderful past few months!

Reminder: Product that works for me may not work for you, and vice versa. =)   

Bobbi Brown Extra Tinted Moisturizing Balm with SPF 25 + Demo Video

Hello readers!
Today I would like to share my thoughts on one of my favorite tinted moisturizers - the Bobbi Brown Extra Tinted Moisturizing Balm with SPF 25.  This entry will also have a product demonstration video towards the end. ^_^

Packaging:

This tinted moisturizer comes in a heavy glass jar with a plastic cover. The top has the classic Bobbi Brown brand name printed nicely across the diameter of the cover. I appreciate the quality of the print as I've had my jar for almost 7-8 months now and none of the letters show any signs of fading/peeling. (I have a compact powder from Bobbi Brown in a white plastic compact case with "Bobbi Brown" printed on it in black and the letters started to peel off after just a week! =_= ).

Product:

In the jar, the product looks thick. On my fingers, its consistency feels very gel-like. It is quite heavily scented but I love it. The smell is very plant-based, very organic. Each time I use it, I feel like I am giving myself almost like a mini spa treat! Also, the fact that it has an SPF of 25 is definitely a plus.
Those who prefer fragrance-free products may not like it. It does linger for about 5-10 minutes after application.

There are 7 shades in total. Alabaster, Extra Light Tint, Light Tint, Light to Medium Tint, Medium Tint, Medium to Dark Tint, and Dark Tint.

I use Light to Medium Tint during winter and switch to the Medium to Dark Tint in the summer.

Application:

A little bit goes a long way. I have tried using both my fingers and a flat top foundation brush to apply this tinted balm. Personally, I prefer to use my fingers (clean fingers of course!). The heat from my fingers helps smooth out the product nicely and smoothly across my face. This tinted moisturizing balm feels simply luxurious. It is hard to describe but with its consistency, smell (if you like the smell that is) and of course to some extend its price, you know you are applying a high end face product.

Coverage:

The coverage of this product is light. Period. I personally don't think that it is even possible to build the coverage up as I find the product simply melts onto the skin and gives it a light but dewy finish. This works very well with my skin type which main concerns are dehydration, dry, and dull.
Not a good choice for those who are looking for even slightly medium coverage. It does help with skin hydration and gives a nice dewy glow.

Staying power:

As with any tinted moisturizer or foundation, I never ever set mine with powder. Maybe I have not found the right powder or my powdering technique sucks, but setting my tinted moisturizer or foundation leaves my skin looking flaky and feeling dry. Yup. I have TRUE dry skin dear readers. Having had dry skin all my life, I do not mind at all some shine or dewiness. In fact, I search products that claims to leave the skin dewy. Matte finish is just not my cup of tea.

On my skin, even without any setting powder, this tinted balm lasts all day. Even during summer I had no issue with it melting off my skin. That being said, I did a sweat test (i.e. exercising in the gym) and on blotting with some facial tissues, there was some product transfer onto the tissue. Other than that, it has great staying power.

Value:

The Bobbi Brown Extra Tinted Moisturizing Balm with SPF 25 retails for USD54.00 before taxes. There is 30ml or 1oz of product in each jar. I am still on my first jar for each of the 2 shades I own since almost 8 months ago. Do note however that I do not use this on a daily basis since I am not a daily tinted moisturizer or foundation user. (I do use sunblock everyday). I do believe a jar should last at least 6 months with more frequent use since you only need a small amount each time. Remember, this is NOT the product to go for if you want/need more than a light coverage.

Demo:

As promised, the following is a video of me demonstrating how I apply this tinted balm. Forgive me for the beginner's feel of the vid. The audio is a tad off  =_= Bear with me! =)

Conclusion:

I love this Bobbi Brown Extra Tinted Moisturizing Balm and will definitely repurchase mine. Unfortunately, this product is no longer available in Canada. I was told by a few sales associates that Bobbi's exporting-importing license with Canada only allows her to bring in a limited number of products which has SPF. Since she wanted to bring in her beauty balm which also contains SPF into Canada, she apparently chose this Tinted Balm as a sub. =(  Residents of Canada now have to go across the border to get their hands on this wonderful product. What a pain!

As for my Malaysian readers, the last time I check in early 2013, this product was not available in Malaysia. Hopefully Bobbi decides to bring this to Malaysia soon if not already. =)

Reminder: Product that works for me may not work for you, and vice versa. =)

Eczema Care: Hand Washing Tips

Today I would like to share three tips on hand washing, specifically for those with hand eczema like myself.

Nothing irritates me more than dry, itchy hands. (Well dry itchy feet are no fun too). Many have said that people with dry skin should limit the number of showers they take daily since showering too frequently could lead to the skin loosing more moisture. How about hand washing? Yes, this is true too for hand washing. However, it is difficult to limit hand washing especially if you are working in certain fields (such as health care, food preparation and etc.). Frequent hand washing is also advised to the general public to help reduce and prevent certain illnesses such as the flu, cold, food poisoning etc.

So how does someone with hand eczema handles frequent hand washing? I personally find the following 3 pointers helpful.

1) Do not foam with your hands

Using soap-free cleanser is better. However, I have yet to find a soap-free cleanser that completely removes oily dirt and grease. With soaps, the foam helps with cleansing. I find foaming up soaps with my hands very harsh. It could either be because of the friction from rubbing my palms together (sounds ridiculous but people with eczema do have thin, weaker skin) or because of direct contact of my skin with non-lathered soaps (similar concept with applying shampoo directly to the scalp without lathering it up first. I was told by a bunch of hairdressers that one should always try to lather up shampoo first before applying it on the scalp/hair). Or both.

Solution: Use self-forming soaps. Soap which pumps out as foam directly from the bottle. I was surprised at how big a difference it makes switching to self-foaming hand soap. The one I am using is by Bath & Body Works.

No surprise that I chose the Eucalyptus Mint scent - I LOVE MINT! ^_^

"Anti-Bacterial Gentle Foaming Hand Soap is enriched with an exclusive blend of moisturizing honey, coconut milk and olive fruit extracts to help nourish and soften skin. It is further enhanced with Mango Fruit extract, leaving hands lightly scented, gently cleansed and conditioned while effectively fighting germs."

This soap is definitely a good option to try.
Bonus: They come in so many different great scents.
Cons:

• Not suitable for those who are allergic to honey, coconut, olive or mango. 
• Some scents may be overwhelming. Your hands will definitely be scented for at least 10 minutes. 

2) Wash away all the soap

Don't rush. It doesn't take much additional time to wash away all the soap from your hands. Any soap residues left on your skin may dry it out. No matter how gentle a soap is, it still contains cleansing ingredients. (Soap-free cleansers may be more forgiving).

3) Moisturize after each wash - ALWAYS

Tedious, yes, but applying a good hand cream after each wash is very beneficial. I was lazy myself but my skin did suffered. It was drier and cracked. Cracked skin on your hands are just terrible. It hurts with movement and stings a lot with further hand washing. 

To avoid it, I religiously apply hand cream after each wash. Finding the right hand cream could also be tedious and pricey. I have tried a few and most either gave me a reaction (because they contained Vitamin E) or they did not moisturize my hands enough. It is very dissatisfying when hand creams leave my hands superficially moisturized - they are just greasy on application and once dry, my hands also feel dry.

My current favorite hand cream is the Make A Difference Rejuvenating Hand Treatment by Origins.

"Origins clinically-proven plant complex helps hardworking hands recover from dramatic dehydration. Scutellaria Extract helps even out skin tone. Leaves an elegant, silky, undetectable barrier on hands."

I love how my hands feel with this cream. A little greasy at first but not for long and I can feel its moisturizing ingredients effectively absorbed into my skin.

Those are the 3 tips I find helpful and hope that they are helpful to you as well. I know they are nothing new but hey, in case you didn't know. ^_^

Reminder: Product that works for me may not work for you, and vice versa. =)

NARS Brow Gel vs. Bobbi Brown Natural Brow Shaper

Happy New Year!!
Yes, I know. We are 2 weeks into 2014 and here I am still wishing all my readers a happy new year. Hope you all had an awesome New Year's and those who celebrate Christmas, hope it was a jolly one! ^_^ I apologize for the period of inactivity...

As I have mentioned in my past post, I am very particular about having my brows done. I could (and do) walk out of the house without having anything done on my face EXCEPT for sunblock application AND groomed eyebrows. In particular, I LOVE bold, distinct eyebrows. They frame my round face and give it some structure (or so I think ^_^).

For the past 3 years, I have been faithful to Bobbi Brown's Natural Brow Shaper. Mahogany (the darkest shade available) is my go-to shade and I had also tried Rich Brown on days I want lighter but still bold brows. Prior to this, I was using Benefit's Brow Zings Brow Shaping Kit. I switched and stayed with the Natural Brow Shaper just because I find it simpler and quicker to use. (click here for a comparison review on both the Natural Brow Shaper and the Brow Zings Brow Shaping Kit)

Recently, NARS came out with their own version of the brow gel/mascara. I was excited! Do note that I was 100% happy with the Bobbi Brown's Natural Brow Shaper and there was no reason at all to look out for another brow gel/mascara. However, NARS IS one of my favorite high-end skincare and make-up brands that I could NOT resist trying their Brow Gel... And I am glad I did!

Packaging:

NARS' packaging is simple, clean and modern. As with most of their make-up containers, the Brow Gel tube also has a matted, rubber feel to it - similar to some mobilephone cases, if that makes sense.

Product:

The gel consistency is similar to that of the Natural Brow Shaper. I bought the Nars Brow Gel in the shade Kinshasa (named after the capital city of Congo). Nars are also know for their cute, exotic, or expressive names for their make-up shades. Kinshasa is very close to the Mahogany color that I love from Bobbi Brown.

Shades comparisons between the 2 Bobbi Brown (bb) brow gels I own and Nars' Kinshasa.

So far, both the consistency and shade are to my liking and both criteria were already fulfilled by the Natural Brow Shaper from Bobbi Brown. So what is it about the Nars Brown Gel that, personally, gives it an edge above the Natural Brow Shaper? Its applicator!

Application:

Top: Nars Brow Gel.
Bottom: Bobbi Brown Natural Brow Shaper.

As you can appreciate from the picture above, the brush head of Nars Brow Gel is slimmer compared to the Natural Brow Shaper from Bobbi Brown. This is the reason why I will be using Nars Brow Gel from now on. The slimmer brush gives you more control and precision, especially on the outer thinner ends of your eyebrows. ^_^ Both products are buildable to your preferred intensity. 

Staying power:

This product pretty much stay on your eyebrows until you wash them off. I once took a nap with it and woke up with intact nice eyebrows. ^_^  Does it stay on longer than the Bobbi Brown's Natural Brow Shaper? No. Both dries up nicely and stay put though out the day (unless you scratch an itchy eyebrow!) I never find myself re-doing my eyebrows through the day with either products.

Value:

Bobbi Brown Natural Brow Shaper 4.2ml/0.14oz
Nars Brow Gel 7ml/0.21oz
Both products retail for CAD25.00 (before taxes) in Canada.
With my daily usage, on average, one tube of Bobbi Brown Natural Brow Shaper lasts 4 months. I am still on my first tube of the Nars Brow Gel and would expect it to last at least if not longer than 4 months since it has more product. We shall see. ^_^

The Nars Brow Gel is available at Nars counters at The Bay or The Bay online in Canada.
For my Malaysian readers, Nars is now available at Pavilion KL! Yeay!

Reminder: Product that works for me may not work for you, and vice versa. =)