Korean goodies: Etude House Blotting Paper Pact review

I was superexcited to receive this blotting sheet compact by Etude House in my Memebox. I love blotting sheets as they are a lifesaver for my oily skin. They take off all excess oil without ruining my make up and make building up powder unnecessary. Most of my blotting sheets came in simple paper envelopes so this pink compact made me go wow.  

Blotting sheets aren't a product I'm patricularly demanding about. Although they tend to differ in softness, size and packaging and some of them are dusted with powder, all of them do the same good job for my skin and the decisive factor when selecting mine is the price tag. So in terms of quality the Etude House Blotting Paper Pact was on a par with all other blotting papers I've used. They're soft and flexible and absorb my oils really well. Of course there is a selling point to them, like traditional Koream paper made from mulberry trees, but I personally wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

What I don't like about this product is actually the same compact that made me gasp upon arrival. The pink compact looks really cute, it contains a full size mirror and a sponge that successfully imitates a powder sponge. The adhesive strip on the bottom of the sponge makes it possible to pick individual sheets without effort. 

The problem is that first of all it's just another heavy and sturdy addition to my brimming make-up bag. Secondly, the stickiness of the adhesive strip disappeared half way through the product. 

All in all this was a fun product, but, I don't feel compelled to repurchase. The product was bulky and the dispenser didn't actually work. The papers were absolutely fine, but there are thousands of others that do the same job equally well.  

China Glaze glitter nail polish in Fang-Tastic mini review

One of my favourite glitter polishes of December was China Glaze Fang-Tastic. 

This is a dense composition of small and medium size blue, red, purple and green hexagonal glitter. 

What you can see in the picture above is one coat of Fang-Tastic over China Glaze Velvet Bow but it would match any base colour perfectly or with a bit of effort and layering this could be worn on its own.

The only thing is that it's a bit gritty and two layers of top coat didn't prevent catching my tights on my nails.

December 2014 favourites

I'm really erratic as far as my monthly faves are concerned, I try to mention them every month but this doesn't always work out. 

This month, however, there were a couple of items I discovered or stuck to incessantly and I thought they deserved a mention.

1. Unni Recipe Makes Your Skin smooth Firming Pact (what a mouthful of a name!) is a Korean cream to powder foundation that is nothing like the foundations I've used before. It goes on sooo smoothly and leaves a powdery finish that needs no other setting powders and my face stays matte for a very long time.

2. Armani Maestro's made its triumphant return this month. I really like this foundation for how it applies and feels on my skin. Never looks heavy or cakey, always soft and natural.

3. Estee Lauder Double Wear is my heavy duty foundation I reach for on those days when I spend 8h+ at work. I don't always have the possibility to touch up, so I go for something I can rely on, even if the coverage is a bit too heavy.

4. MIGUHARA B.P. Cream is an excellent primer from Korea which primes my face, mattifies and fills in the pores and makes the foundation go on supersmooth.

5. Because I suffered from some allergic reaction under my right eye which resulted in terrible dryness and wrinkling, I returned to the most moisturising concealer in my possession, which is Skinfood Salmon Concealer. This worked wonders on parched and peeling skin.

6. To mask those horrible veins on my lids I used MAC Paint Pot in Painterly practically every day. It does excellent job concealing them and any redness or discolouration without drying out my lids.

7. Urban Decay Naked on the Run palette was my favourite supply of matte brown crease shades or slightly shimmery base eyeshadows. It also brought a lovely brown eyeliner under my roof.

8. December was a month when I discovered the benefits of wearing lip liners under my lipsticks. The picture doesn't present my favourite shades, but the best brands. Their lip liners set and don't budge throughout the day, prolonging the weat time of any lipstick substantially. My all time favourites are Make Up For Ever Aqua Lip and Urban Decay 25/7 lip liners, but I've discovered perfect budget-friendly alternatives from Revlon and Gosh, the main difference being a much narrower shade range.

9. Nars Audacious Lipstick in Anita is an amazing mauvey nude and the quality is second to none.

10. Essie Ridge Filling Base Coat evens out the porous surface of my nails perfectly. I've found my Holy Grail base coat and I'm going to continue repurchasing till it's discontinued.

11. December is a festive month so I can't do without glitter, especially on my nails. My favourite glitter polishes and top coats were: China Glaze Fang-Tastic, Claire's I'm a VIP, Sally Hansen Glam Fest and Sephora Silver Fever.  

Like I've said before, I suffered from some allergic reaction to I don't know what which as all my allergies manifested itself by red and swallen right undereye which later turns dry and wrinkled. The three creams I'm about to mention did an amazing job restoring moisture to my eye area and smoothing out the wrinkles.

1. Pro You Lip&Eye Wrinkle Spot Cream is a very successful moisturiser which absorbs quickly, but its results are truly long-lasting.

2. Kiehl's Creamy Avocado eye cream is the thickest and the most effective of those three. I used one tub up in December and instantly ordered another one.

3. DHC Concentrated Eye Cream is the lightest of those three, feels almost like water, I didn't appreciate it much in my extreme dryness days but when those passed this worked heavenly!

And finally a non-eye cream item. 

4. Derma House Peeling Gel is a fantastic exfoliator for everyday use. The beads are small and soft enough to be non-abrasive, but scruby enough to be fully effective. 

And finally an epic fail:

Topshop Lip Bullets turned out to be the most horrible patchy, drying, gritty, lip-destructive lipsticks I've ever used. Shamefully overrated by British reviewers.  

Korean goodies: Pure Smile Muddy Girl Charcoal face mask review

I regularly wear sheet masks because they're so quick and easy to use but what suits my skin type best are mud masks.

My all time favourites are mud masks by The Body Shop and Eve Lom but I'm always happy to give some new ones a go. 

Pure Smile Muddy Girl comes in a single-use packaging that resembles continental breakfast jam or butter. The charcoal mask is very smooth, with no particles or exfoliating beads. It applies effortlessly, there's some tingling in more sensitive areas of the face. After wearing the mask for 15 minutes sheerer areas dried to a crust, while those where I packed a thicker layer remained wet. The mask was relatively easy to remove, except for those places where I let the mask dry out completely.    

Unfortunately I noticed nothing extraordinary after I removed the mask. Nothing at all, to be more specific. My skin looked and felt exactly like it did before. Notmally mud masks make it feel cleansed, exfoliated, smoothed and sebum-free, but this time I observed absolutely nothing. 

So I suppose you've already guessed my verdict: not worth the effort. 

Urban Decay Naked on the Run palette review & swatches

I'm a massive fan of Urban Decay eyeshadow palettes and I hardly give any a miss. Their new, limited edition Naked on the Run palette appealed to me with its variety. This relatively small palette contains basically everything you need to create a complete look: 5 eyeshadows, a blush, a bronzer, a highlighter, an eyeliner, a mascara and a lip gloss, all locked in a gorgeous case with a lid that looks like a 3d precious stone which hides a high quality full-size mirror.

As I've said, the case all this stuff comes in is pretty sturdy. Its size is comparable to the size of both palms of my hands and it's quite heavy, so even though it's designed to give you everything you need on the run, I don't think it's the best companion of a woman's handbag. And if I needed to travel light, I could definitely find a more lightweight solution. But if the weight of your luggage isn't an issue, this palette could be pretty useful as it locks securely, so there's no risk of incidental opening and it also seems quite shock resistant. 

The eyeshadows that come in the palette are a set of neutrals with their warmer and cooler varieties and a number of different finishes.

Drive is a kind of rosy copper shade that would fit in the Naked 3 palette pretty well. This shade is very shimmery.

Fix is one of my favourite items in this box and also one of my favourite mattes ever. This is the perfect transition colour that blends so well and makes all other colours blend well too. I reach for this everyday and it has replaced the mattes from my Naked basics palettes because it's less dry and blends better on ageing lids such as mine. It's a light brown with cool, taupey undertones.

Resist is a very pretty neutral, mid-toned taupe with more sheen than a shimmer.

Dare is a lovely matte brown that is neither too cool nor too warm.

Stun is the warmerst shade in the palette, this is a mid-toned brown with golden shimmer.

The blush and the bronzer are unnamed, so I cannot tell whether they come in other palettes or not.

The bronzer isn't exactly right up my alley because it's way too warm for my complexion, but it's not bad either and the good thing about it is that it's matte. Lightly dusted in 3-shape it gived my face a nice sunkissed warmth without looking too orange. 

The blush, on the other hand, is very nice. It's a cool-toned matte pink which I like, particularly in winter. Makes my cheeks look fresh, as if I've walked in from the cold.

The highlighter is called 50/50 and can be used both to add some glow to the cheeks and high points of your face and as an eyeshadow. It's a light skin-coloured shade with some shimmer in it. This underdog of the palette is probably my favourite and most reached-for item in the palette.

This is not a highlighter that will give you a mirror plate sheen on the cheeks, but it's so appropriate for any daytime look.

I've been  using it every single day ever since I got it as my eyeshadow base. I apply it with a large fluffy brush all over my lids to make the blending process easier. It evens out the skin tone without accentuating any dryness or causing wrinkles to appear on my ageing lids. It also doesn't make me look like a star of the 80s. This is perfect!   

I'm also very satisfied with the Naked lip gloss. It comes in a shade called .Sesso , which is a kind of mauvey pink, it's pigmented enough to give my lips a hint of colour, that looks fresh and suits my skin tone well. This is a high sheen gloss that makes your lips look wet, stays on longer than average glosses and has this lovely sweet mint scent to it. 

The 24/7 Glide On Eye pencil in Stag is also a hit. I've already used up half of it and I'm planning to get another one when it joins the permanent line. I'm a big fan of UD 24/7 eyeliners in general and this one is no exception. It's a dark brown eyeliner with some very, very slight shimmer to it which glides on smoothly on the lid, without tugging or pulling and then sets to stay put all day long and makes a perfect, softer alternative for black.

Perversion mascara is something I'm not overwhelmed with. It comes here in deluxe sample size and I'm definitely not getting its full size version. 

Theoretically it's wand is exactly what I like, but somehow it does nothing spectacular to my lashes. There's no volume, no length, no definition and certainly nothing perverse about my lashes. But on the positive note, I've noticed no clumping, neither fallout nor smudging, but still this doesn't make it better than many drugstore mascaras. 

1. Self sufficiency: The palette definitely lacks a very dark shade, preferably a matte brown or black to make any eye look complete. But it definitely is self-sufficient.
4/5
 2. Variety of shades: Even though we get here a nice selection of neutrals, they're not terribly diverse.

3/5

3. Variety of finishes: The variety of finishes is just right, you get here a selection of mattes, shimmers and sparkles.

5/5

4. Variety of looks is very, very limited. This is a palette that will offer you a basic, office-friendly look. 

2/5

5. Pigmentation is great, all products are highly pigmented.

5/5

6. Uniqueness: This palette is unique in terms of its packaging and the variety of products it contains. But the shades are most certainly dupable, their dupes can be found in other UD palettes, just ever so slightly different and functioning under different names.

3/5

7. Performance: These eyeshadows are some of the best eyeshadows UD has ever made. They're pigmented, creamy, blend like a dream with miminum fallout and last from dusk to dawn. The eyeliner is excellent and the blush and the bronzer are also pretty good.

5/5

8. Packaging is to die for. The compact is luxurious, stylish and pretty. I like the look of it on the dressing table. It's also very practical, with its well-fitting lid and a mirror.

5/5 

9. Availability: limited edition

2/5

10. Value for money: This palette isn't cheap by any means, but it's a great value for money, considering what you get.

5/5

Total: 

3.9/5

Korean goodies: Nasarang Jasmu Eye Serum review

I got this Nasarang Jasmu Eye Serum in one of my very first Memeboxes and have been using this ever since.

I suffer from terrible dryness under my eyes which causes wrinkles and is my main concern. That is why I'm always excited to try a new eye product out.

I'm relatively new to eye serums, so I may be lacking a reasonable point of reference, but I must say that the Jasmu Eye Serum satisfies me completely. 

Here's what I learned about it from the information sheet:

The serum is a lightweight, yet not watery substance that gives my skin a boost of moisture without making the area greasy or sticky. It could be worn on its own on non-dry skin, but I prefer to use this under an eye cream.  This combo makes my undereye look nice and fresh throughout the day, I don't notice symptoms of dryness when staying in overheated or over air conditioned rooms. This serum improves the performance of eye creams which I find not moisturising enough and which fail to prevent my undereye from dryness. 

I've been using this product day and night for a couple of months now and, even though my wrinkles haven't disappeared, I've noticed an improvement in my skin condition and comfort. 

A little goes a long way so after a couple of months of using the product I've managed to use up less than a half of the 30ml bottle.

The serum is perfect under make-up, it's non-greasy so it doesn't make my concealer crease neither does it smudge my mascara.

Disclaimer: I bought the product myself for my personal use and I am not affiliated with any company. I am not paid to do this review and everything I said here is my genuine opinion.

Tanya Burr Everyday Flutter false lashes review

My experience with false lashes is minimal. The I've used 3 pairs so far, two of which were Korean and now I've added a pair by Tanya Burr to my tiny collection.

There are a couple of styles in her range and I've chosen those which seemed the easiest to apply for beginners and they seemed the most casual of them all. I hoped  Everyday Flutter lashes wouldn't make me look like an ageing drag queen. They are the half lashes that go into the outer corner of the eye and the problem is that they're pretty long and don't blend all that well with my natural lashes which I've never thought to be particularly short. I'm not a massive fan of that look and I'm considering trimming thm a bit.
But apart from that I must admit that they're the most comfy lashes I've worn so far. As I've said I've no experience and the Korean ones I've got are my only reference and now I know how big a difference in the comfort of wear can be. You can actually forget you're wearing Tanya Burr's lashes. They're soft, flexible and lightweight.

What's more, being a complete novice, I never realised what difference good quality glue can make. A couple of days ago I spent an entire evening practicing applying Korean false lashes with the glue attached and I ruined my make-up completely, but failed to glue the lashes to my eyelids at all. They moved, came unstuck, didn't get close to the lashline. Today, I applied the very same pair of lashes using Tanya Burr's glue and was astonished at how effortless it turned out to be. The glue looks white with some kind of holographic sheen, but dries completely transparent. It doesn't create much build-up on the strip of the lashes, so there's hardly any need to clean the lashes before returning them to their box. Excellent!
The only thing I didn't like about Tanya Burr's lashes is that the strip they're attached to is white, which was very hard to conceal and looked very noticeable.

Nonetheless, I think this super positive experience with Tanya Burr's Everyday Flutter lashes encouraged me to get a couple of good quality false lashes for special occassions. I'm definitely getting one more pair by Tanya and some by Ardell and Eyelure.

The worst lipsticks of the year: Topshop Lip Bullets in Wine Gum, Motel and Get Me Bodied review & swatches

Today I'm going to write about the major make-up fail of the month. I'm kicking myself in the butt because I broke my golden rule never to buy clothes chain store make-up and secondly I was once again fooled by the opinions of British beauty bloggers who are obviously crypto-sponsored by their native brands and sometimes rave about products which definitely aren't worth the hype.  What I'm complaining about is not a question of my personal preference or inappropriate shade description but simply the quality of the product which is so bad that it cannot serve anybody's purpose and certainly doesn't deserve a recommendation.     

When I saw that feelunique.com now stock Topshop products I just couldn't resist trying out products I'd heard so much of and which had been inaccessible for me for quite a while. From the wide selection of products on offer only lipsticks called my fancy or seemed something that would suit my taste and skin type. I picked 3 mini-size items cause I need more lipsticks like a bullet in my head and not much money would be wasted in case I didn't like them. 

They arrived a couple of days later, the feelunique service being as excellent as ever, gorgeously packed in a classy cardboard box and a pyramid trinket shape, looking absolutely stunning at first sight. The packaging of the Lip Bullets themselves was also both fun and very good quality sturdy plastic with nicely designed product name on its side.

The first set contained 2 Lip Bullets, one in the shade called Wine Gum and the other one Motel.

Wine Gum is a very dark wine colour, much darker than it looks in the bullet. It's a supervampy blackened shade that is actually quite unique.

Motel is a warm-toned neutral nude, kind of toffee-peanut butter shade which is pretty nice for day wear. 

The problem lies not in the shades themselves, but in disastrous quality of the lipsticks.They have a kind of weird consistency which melts upon contact with the lips and keeps moving around dangerously close to smudging and feathering. Motel applies decently, but Wine Gum holds all records for patchiness, which is particularly annoying in when using a dark lipstick like this. 

The worst thing is that there's something gritty about the formula, as if some kind of flour was or powder was one of the ingredients, when it gets into your mouth it feels like small particles of sand on your teeth.

In spite of their semi-matte finish, the lipsticks don't last long, even over a lip pencil, and they tend to fade unevenly ( especially the dark one). 

They dry out my nourished and groomed lips, giving them dry pathes and causing skin to peel.  

Also the transparent cap cracked after a couple of times I used the product. 

Generally, I think anyone raving about these is either insane or dishonest cause there's absolutely nothing good about these.

Another one, which came locked in a transparent pyramid, is their Matte Lip Bullet. This one is slightly better, but still not great at all.

The shade Get Me Bodied is similar to Wine Gum, but not as dark. When applied sheer, possibly just patted on with my fingers, it looks like a deep berry shade, which is actually quite pretty. 

Unfortunately, this lipstick is very hard to apply evenly, it accentuates all drier areas and gathers in blackened patches everywhere when the skin is dry or peeling. When patted on it feels very dry and makes my lips appear parched, even though they normally aren't, so a lip balm underneath is a must if you don't want your lips turned into Sahara desert.

I like its matte finish and the shade, but there are so many better performers, both drugstore and high-end that I see no point struggling with this one.

Below you can see how similar Wine Gum (left) and Get Me Bodied (right) are. 

Korean goodies: Pro You Multi White & Wrinkle Ampoule Dual Set review

Pro You brand seems to be one of my top Memebox discoveries. When I saw this scientifically packaged set of whitening and anti-wrinkle ampoules, I couldn't resist giving it priority even though I was using some other serum at that time. 

I must say that I love this set, but not without strong reservations.

I really like the packaging. There are 4 vials on each side of the box that can be opened and resealed. Each vial contains enough product for at least 4-5 applications. It's travel friendly, you can keep one of these in your handbag if your tends to get dry during the day and reapply during the day. Each of these closes securely and there's no chance of its active ingredients oxidising. 

I also like the non-watery consistency of these ampoules. They're half way between toners and oils. They glide on smoothly and absorb super quick, leaving my skin moisturised but neither moist nor sticky. My face feels super smooth and plump when I use these. 

This is a lovely product, however, there are some concerns I'd like to express, most of which are of, say, ideological or conceptual nature.

First of all, neither the box nor the info sheet offer precise information of what these do ampoules do and how they differ. Which is better during the day, which should be applied at night time, which addresses which issues etc.

Secondly, I personally didn't see any difference between the white and wrinkle ampoules except for the fact that the white ones were yellow tinted, but as far as their consistency, fragrance, results are concerned, they're exactly the same. They didn't also differ from the S Wrinkle SC Renewal Ampoule I got in my Daily Dose of Beauty box. 

And finally, however much I like the product, I must say that it doesn't live up to many of  the claims. The information sheet mentions sebum control and pore tightening. Well, I can only laugh at this. I have oily skin and large pores and neither of these ampoules did anything to improve my skin condition in this respect. 

So, overall, it's a lovely product, but the description seems inappropriate. But if I was offered this product for blind testing, I'd recommend this as a bedtime serum for all skin types or to be used during the day on dry skin.

Korean goodies: Pro You Wrinkle SC Renewal Cream review

Pro You is a brand that I learned about thanks to Memebox and so far I've enjoyed every single item I've received. All their products come in simple and unfanciful packaging, which brings pharmacy or dermocosmetics to my mind.

I got my Pro You S Wrinkle SC Renewal Cream in Anti-Aging 3 Superbox and the first thing I noticed was that it was huge. The 100g tub resembles body butter ones more than these typical of 30-50ml face creams.  

The information sheet didn't stir much interest in me. The same claims and promises are repeated in product descriptions of every single face cream that I get in Memeboxes and the info focuses on what the cream doesn't contain instead of its active ingredients.

I don't know exactly why I gave this cream a green light, perhaps because I could pair it with the ampoules by the same brand which tempted me with their scientific packaging and I felt desperate to try them out.

This cream turned out to be one of the greatest Memebox discoveries. It has a very soft and lightweight cream consistency that glides super smoothly when applied. It absorbs quickly and leaves a kind of film on the skin surface.  I find this cream highly moisturising without being sticky. It's results are long lasting, I use this mostly at night and when I wake up my skin is plump and fresh. I have oily skin which isn't very demanding as far as moisturisers are concerned, but I feel this cream would be a good pick for drier skin types as well. It has a faint scent that I would compare to savon marseille.    

I was using this cream daily for almost two months and I hardly used anything at all. I absolutely loved the cream, but I simply got bored with it so I gave whatever remained in the tub to my mum, who loves the cream even more than I do. If I'd resolved to use this up till the last drop, it would have taken me a year or so. 

I believe the size is the only disadvantage of this cream. According to the leaflet it costs $96, which is outrageous and definitely getting this cream, however lovely it may be, at such price is out of the question for me. But if it was sold in 50ml tubs for about half the price, I would definitely consider repurchasing it one day as it's a perfect moisturiser for all skin types and will stay in my mind for longer.

Miss Sporty Funtasy Holographic Effect nail polish review & swatches

In my search for chrome silver polish I came across This Miss Sporty Funtasy Holographic Effect polish.

This is a silver base with sparse holo glitter. The polish distributes surprisingly evenly and smoothly and is  almost fully opaque in 2 coats, though you could add one more to achieve full opacity. 

The holo particles seem to stick out, but on the surface they don't feel gritty at all.

This is an excellent quality polish for very little money, but I don't see myself wearing it often as to my surprise daylight revealed a duochrome nature of this polish and the other shade it leans to happens to be baby pink. And  I'm not a fan of the shade at all. 

But if you fancy a sparkly silver polish with pink sheen, this one is strongly recommended. 

The quality is fantastic and the polish cost less than a pound. 

Korean goodies: Mi Click Manuka Honey Treatment review

I love Korean skincare, like some of their make-up but don't care about Korean hair care. 

It seems too gimmicky, time consuming and not well suited to my short fine hair. I would never order any Korean shampoo or conditioner myself but I get them every now and then in my Memeboxes and I see no reason why I shouldn't try them out. 

Today I'd like to review Mi Click Manuka Honey Treatment which came in my honey Superbox.

Here's what the blurb says about this product:  

True to every single claim, this hair mask makes my hair feel incredibly silky soft and smooth, very  manageable and looking healthy and undamaged. It has this gorgeous sweet scent of honey that I absolutely adore. 

The only thing is that it doesn't add any volume to my hair and tends to weigh it down. My hair can be described as normal, but it's very fine and frizz controlling products tend to makre it look flat and greasy the next day so I either need to wash my hair daily or use a dry shampoo in the morning.

I feel this is a great product to use before a party to make my hair look so shiny and frizz-free, but too fussy to use on daily basis. 

Sephora Nail Designer top coat in Silver Fever review & swatches

When December comes I become obsessed with all things sparkly and shiny and that includes glitter polish. Good glitter polish is surprisingly difficult to find, that's why I'd like to share with you my recent find from Sephora. 

Their Nail Top Coat in Silver Fever is a stunner. It consists of a combination of tiny and medium size mirror-like glitters that distribute evenly, lie flat on the nail without feeling gritty and look pretty and sparkly  both in artificial light and in daylight. 

The short-bristled, flat brush makes the polish easy to apply in thin and even coats. 

And the Sephora top coat is not expensive at all. 

In the picture above you can see 2 coats of Silver Fever applied over OPI Road House Blues and topped with one coat of Mavadry top coat. I really love the combination and can see myself wearing it regularly during the festive season.   

Morgan Taylor nail polish in Under the Stars review & swatches

For the past couple of months I've noticed an increased interest in glitter nail polish. That's why I topped up one of my nail polish orders with Morgan Taylor polish in Under the Stars, mainly to see what this brand's polishes are like as it seems to be a shooting star in the nail polish world in 2014.

Under the Stars is a beautiful polish, but not without its flaws. It's dark blue, almost black, yet not black at all. It's full of small holo glitter that distributes evenly and richly. The polish looks stellar as the glitter comes to play in artificial lights. It's perfect for dark winter nights, but doesn't look flat during sunless days. Formulawise it's dense and opaque, 2 coats are more than enough. It's also very quick drying.

The problem is that the glitter feels very gritty on the surface and the polish isn't shiny at all without a top coat. I applied a number of layers of Mavala Mavadry and not much has changed. Probably Seche Vite would finally do the trick, but I don't currently have it in my stash. 

What's more the polish chipped very badly withing 2 days of application, but I'm not sure whether to attribute this to the polish or the thickness of polish on my nails.

It's a pity cause the polish itself is gorgeous and suits my taste perfectly well. 

Christmas decor

Christmas is just around the corner so if you're looking for some decor inspirations, check out my Christmas Decor Galore series of posts on the other blog of mine here.

Hourglass Ambient Blushes in Dim Infusion and Ethereal Glow review & swatches

I have mixed feelings about Hourglass, I sometimes feel the brand is overpriced and overhyped, but one thing is certain: their powders and blushes are absolutely incredible. That is why my collection of blushes keeps growing and today I'd like to introduce these two little beauties.

For those who aren't familiar with the product, Hourglass Ambient Blushes are a marbled combination of the infamous Ambient Lighting Powders and blush. They come in beautiful pewter-taupey shiny compacts  which look so classy in spite of the fact that they're made of plastic.

They apply smoothly, without patchiness, may offer a sheer wash or colour or be build up to achieve more intensity or definition. The pigmentation very much depends on what kind of marble you get, if the blush consists mostly of powder, it is obviously going to be less pigmented. The wear time is above average and when these start to fade, they do so evenly. The blushes are neither matte, nor shimmery and their finish can be described as soft satin sheen. They do not accentuate pores nor make oily skin look greasy.

The two newest arrivals are Dim Infusion and Ethereal Glow.

Dim Infusion is a marriage of Dim Light powder and a warm-toned coral or salmon blush. This blush is neither sparkly nor shimmery but offers the most gorgeous healthy sheen. This blush is soo pretty and enlivens dull complexion within seconds. It screams spring to me, it's so optimistic and bright!

The other one is way lighter and unfortunately it barely shows on my skin. Ethereal Glow is a very fair milky pink which I found really hard to build up. I'm not entirely sure whether to use this as a finishing powder or a blush. I like its texture and the soft finish it offers to my face, but I wanted a blush, not a rosy powder. 

I'd read so many contradictory reviews about this blush, people with much darker skintones than mine expressed their love for this powder, so I thought it would work for me as well. 

So, if you're NW/NC15 or darker I wouldn't recommend getting this blush. If you do, remember, you have been warned! 

But I'm not giving up and trying to find some use for this product.

Disclaimer: I bought the product myself for my personal use and I am not affiliated with any company. I am not paid to do this review and everything I said here is my genuine opinion.