NARS Contour Blush in Olympia review & swatches

I have a round face and no matter how slim I am, which I'm not, but I used to be, I look chubby. That's why  the discovery of contouring has turned out to be one of the milestones in my make-up. But the art of contouring isn't easy when you're cool-toned and fair. Many products turn orange or muddy or look too obvious.

Last year I bought a number of contouring products and NARS Conrour Blush in Olympia turned out to be one of my ultimate favourites. 

 The compact consists of two powders, one is an ivory matte highlighter and the other one is a fair rosy taupey contour shade. 

The highlight shade consistently receives good reviews, but I fail to notice what it does. I have fair caucasian skin and it's simply invisible on me. It's matte and I have oily skin, so I thought this would be a perfect alternative for those shimmery highlighters which accentuate pores and make me look like I'm sweating, but no, this does nothing to me. This is a nice setting powder, but doesn't seem to highlight, shape and sculpt anything.

But the real winner is the contour one, which is a perfect match for my skintone. It's fair, but not fair enough to be invisible. It marks the contour, but without looking too ashy, dirt-like, reminiscent of Michael Jackson's Thriller like many other contour shades do. It allows me to create the shadow which makes a good contour without looking too obvious. 

This powder is a no-brainer. Just apply with a narrow or pointed brush, blend slightly and you're good to go.

Korean goodies: WondeRuci Cacao Brightening Mask review

I got this WondeRuci Cacao Brightening Mask in one of my first Memeboxes around July. I've been using this since then and now I'm almost done with it and I'm about to discard whatever is left there because I'm quite fed up with it.

This mask contains cacao and smells like chocolate, tastes sweet too (no, no I wasn't trying to eat it, some of it just got into my mouth when I was washing it off). It promises to cleanse away  dirt and impurities that accumulate in pores while moisturising and brightening the skin.

The mask has a dense, gooey consistency, I can sense some exfoliating micro particles in it, and it feels quite warm on the face, which may help open the pores and unclog them. During the application it feels very pleasant on the face which can mostly be attributed to the gorgeous chocolate scent and also to the fact that it doesn't dry to a crust and never feels tight on the skin.

What I absolutely hate about this mask is the removal process. It stubbornly clings to my face and refuses to come off. It leaves this weird, slimey residue, which I'm not sure if is meant to be left on the face or rinsed, I wipe it off my face with a cloth, otherwise it stays on my face together with some particles of cocoa which look like dirt.

This tedious, messy and time-consuming process would be more bearable if the results were worth the effort and I don't think this mask does anything particular to my face. I do notice that my skin is softer, but is it really brighter and cleaner? Are my pores properly taken care of ? Not really.

This is not a bad mask at all, but a busy person like me, who doesn't have time to wear a different mask each day and has to make choices based on effort:effifiency ratio, will pick something other that guarantees more spectacular all-in-one results.    

MAC Pro Longwear Concealer review & swatches

Year 2014 marked the opening of MAC online shop in Poland which gave me a chance to try some more MAC products without hauling them like crazy. Free shipping on all orders made it possible for me to buy just one item at a time and test it before ordering some more.

One of such products was MAC Pro Longwear Concealer, which, after I learned how to use it, turned out to be my favourite concealer of the year. 

I love it because: 

• it comes in a tiny little glass vial with a mini pump
• it's insanely pigmented and opaque
• I need less than a pump to conceal any redness under my eyes and on my jawline or any blemishes I might have
• lasts all day without creasing or budging
• doesn't dry my undereye out if I use the tiniest amount

The downside is that a single pump is too much for me, when I need the tiniest little drop to conceal my undereyes I end up dabbing most parts of my face cause there's so much product left. I've seen girls on Youtube use one pump under each eye and I must say I can't imagine doing that as first of all such amount of product isn't necessary for anyone and secondly this looks like plaster under the eyes, it cakes, creases and is horribly drying.

Another thing is that you can't use very little due to the pump, I can see the level of the product go down after each use, so even though a little goes a long way, I just waste all the excess product.

I've got shade NC20, which is too light for my skintone in winter, that's why I'm about to purchase a lighter shade like NC15 or NW15 perhaps for some brightening effect and I will return to NC20 in the summer. 

But all in all this product is definitely worth the hype and everybody who has something to conceal needs this in their stash.

Korean goodies: False lashes from Memeboxes overview

For the past couple of months I've been receiving quite a lot of Koreran false lashes, mostly by the same brand, Secret Star Girl, but also one pair by Revecen. I don't wear false lashes, but I've been feeling festive recently so I gave them a go and I also bought 2 pairs of eyelashes by  Eyelure and Tanya Burr, so I have something to compare these with. I'd also reviewed a pair of Etude House lashes here.

Well, to be honest, Korean lashes are far from being my favourite and while I'm generally hooked and I'm about to start experimenting with false lashes on special occassions, but not with those Korean ones.  

It's not a problem of style as 2 out of 4 pairs are quite cute and wearable and the other 2 are preposterous and I can never wear them unless I want to look like an ageing drag queen.

The thing is that they're generally very plasticky. The strip is wide plastic, which isn't as flexible and bendable and thus not as comfortable as I'd wish them to be. The lashes are also stiff and plastic, not tied in small knots but melted together. The glue attached is useless, it never got tacky enough to stick the lashes in place, they kept migrating and getting unstuck at the edges and ruined my make-up. When I used the glue attached to Tanya Burr or Eyelure lashes, they applied nicely.

My favourites here are Secret Star Girl Cutie Lash no.10 which form a criss-cross pattern of longer, thicker lashes and smaller, shorter lashes along the lashline. They add volume and length without looking too unnatural. I really like the style and would wear them more often if the strip was more bendable and generally thinner and softer to match my eye shape better. I needed to trim them as well as they were far too long. 

On the positive note, those sturdy plastic lashes are easy to clean. They don't get deformed during the process of picking glue from the strip or removing traces of mascara from the lashes. I think they're indestructible, while on my European lashes I can see symptoms of wear after a single use.  

So, to recap,  I must say that I very much prefer my western lashes in almost all aspects, they're softer, more flexible and comfortable, lighter, more natural, blend better with my own lashes, the glue is more efficient and doesn't ruin make-up, they feel weightless on the lids etc. but unfortunately they're not as durable as their Korean counterparts.  

Korean goodies: Memebox Global #18 unboxing

Today I'd like to unbox one of the last Memeboxes I've ordered so far. There's one more Memebox Global to come, probably being shipped today, but I'll certainly be getting at least one more to spend my Memepoints on.

Memebox Global #18 was a solid skincare box. As usual I liked some items more than other, but overall I believe this is a pretty decent box that should suit everyone's taste. 

1. Purederm Shower Jelly is a total novelty for me. It's a piece of soap that comes in a pot, looks like jelly, but is actually quite solid. It comes with its own mesh bag, which will come in handy for other soaps that I've got. I'm actually quite excited to give it a go.

Product no. 2 is another Dr. MJ cream, but I continously hear good opinions of this brand, so I'm not disappointed. This cream contains bee venom, propolis, tea tree, rosemary and calendula extracts. Promises to rejuvenate and create protective moisture barrier. Sounds great! 

3. echoice Hand Therapy is a hand cream with shea butter and rose extracts. I don't have dry hands and I'm not demanding as far as my hand creams are concerned. More often than not I forget to use them, so I wasn't terribly excited when I got this, especially that I've still got about 10 other hand creams from Memeboxes waiting their turn.

4. Puresmile Animal Point Pad is a repeat product. I've already used up 2 sachets of these. They offer extra moisture boost to dry and flaky areas of your skin. They're a kind of sheet maks that can be applied in places in need. I cut them in half and wear under my eyes when I'm doing my make-up. They function as shields protecting the area from fallout and moisturise nicely at the same time.

Product no.5 is 3 deluxe samples of Derma Lift Intensiderm Aqua Rich Cream, which totalled almost reach the amount of a full-size product. I've tried a bit of this cream and I really liked it! It's sooo moisturising, yet fast-absorbing and smoothing! This was perfect for my oily skin, but I suppose those of us who have dry skin, but don't like heavy creams to sit on their faces, could benefit from this one as well. 

And finally, product no.6, which turned out to be the gimmick of the box. Touch By Lee Kyung Min Extreme Shield Master is a 2.2 ml concealer-like tube of super dense and heavy oil which is so sticky that feels like syrup to me. 

It's supposed to take care of white flakes and visible dead skin, hence it's weird spiky rubber applicator I suppose.

The thing is that there's barely any product inside and this thing costs $46!!!!! What's more the packaging is flimsy, rattling, made of bad quality plastic with click mechanism which doesn't work is so unrevealing of the high price tag. It takes approximately 30 clicks to get a tiny little drop out of this pen. It's more frustrating than  beneficial. 

Korean goodies: Pure Smile Choosy Lip Scrub review

I got this Pure Smile Choosy Lip Scrub Chocolate in one of my first Memeboxes and I've been using it ever since. This product has probably as many advantages as disadvantages, but on the whole it's not bad if I keep returning to it daily. 

This product is a chocolate coloured and scented lips scrub that comes in a rather large tub, which is both good as you get tons of product, but it's impossible to use this up before it goes bad. 

The balm is quite thick and hard and it's strangely difficult to get the exfoliating granules out cause when you press your finger onto the surface of the product, you push them deeper and what stays on your finger is the lip balm alone.If you dog harder, you end up with excessive amount of product on your finger and lips.

The granules themselves aren't granules of all but large particles of sugar, which are rather harsh on the lips and I don't think that such sparse, large chunks are as efficient as sand-size grains would be.

But, I like the product nonetheless. It has a nice, sweet chocolatey scent and tastes sweet. It's one of the best lip balms I've used. Although it's thick and not easy to spread, it makes my lips soo smooth and soft and it doesn't seem to sit on my lips in a thick fat layer without ever absorbing.  What's more, a thin coat of this balm can replace a 'so 90s' kind of lipstick that is so in these days. 

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.

Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Multi-Colour powder No.02 review & swatches

This review is loooong overdue as I bought my Les Beiges Healthy Glow Multi-Colour powder such a long while ago, not long after purchasing the original Les Beige powder and before getting bitterly disappointed with the latter. 

At first it seemed a kind of a 'meh' product for me and went to the bottom of the drawer, but now, after incidentally coming across it when searching for something else, I feel I'm falling in love with this contour trio.

The product comes in the same off-white compact as the original Les Beiges powder with a full-size mirror and a good-for-nothing brush located most inconveniently on a removable plastic tray which covers the powder itself. They're obviously meant to be discarded straightaway, but I don't quite understand the point of having such a gimmick in a classy compact like this.

There are two variations of this product, one is a combination of a highlighter, a bronzer and a blush, but the one I picked ( No.2) may be described as a contour palette as it consists of a highlighter, a bronzer and a contour shade. These can be swirled together for an overall glow, but can also be applied separately, with a smaller brush, to serve different purposes. 

When swirled together with a large kabuki brush (my all time favourite is the one by ELF) the powder serves as a warm toned, subtle bronzer which adds nice glow to the complexion.

The highlight colour is a fair ivory shade with some shimmer to it, which creates some glow, but no obvious sheen on the face.  Looks good as an element of day make-up, but there's certainly nothing life-changing about it.

The bronzer shade is the kind I normally try to avoid. It displays a kind of mustard-toned warmth which I don't find flattering at all, but somehow, probably because the powder is rather sheer, this weird tone managed to blend in and offer my skin a very nice, naturally warm, slightly sunkissed look. 

The contour shade is a matte taupey reddish brown which I like to use when shaping my face. 

All the powders are sheer and finelly milled, which makes them blend well with my fair reddish skin tone, but I suppose they wouldn't do much to a deeper skin tone. They offer a sophisticated finish which is never over the top. The bronzing powders are matte, but there's a certain healthy glow, a kind of silkiness to them. The product is not powdery, the brush picks a minimum amount of product which means you can have more control over the appplication, you use less product and there's less chance of getting cakey face. 

So far I haven't noticed the issue I had with the original Les Beiges powder which was a crust forming on the surface of the powder. 

And there's this gorgeous scent that Chanel powders are consistent with and which attracts me to their products like a bee!

I've been using this powder daily for the past couple of weeks and I seem to have fallen in love with it! Better late than never, haha!

Korean goodies: Pure Smile Yogurt Mask Mixed Fruits review

I've said it countless times before that I love sheet masks for their convenience, but I hardly see any difference between them no matter what brand or ingredients. 

This time, however, I found a mask which stands out of the crowd and is well suited for my skin needs.

The Pure Smile Yogurt Mask Mixed Fruits arrived in my Yogurt Memebox and immediately caught my attention with their playful packaging. I gave them priority over other sheet masks and here's what I found.

What I immediately noticed was that these are well saturated with liqid, but not dripping wet. The sheet itself is too small and too round for my face, the eye openings don't fall exactly where they should. It's wearable, but not as comfortable as it could be.

It has a pleasant fruity scent to it, doesn't sting or burn, so it's a pleasure to wear.  

These masks are made from a blend of yogurt and mixed banana, kiwi and pineapple extracts. Like all sheet masks they promise to deliver moisture and prevent dehydration. 

My skin felt nicely moisturised and refreshed after using these masks, and to my surprise the remains of the essense absorbed fast, leaving non-sticky matte finish. This mask constitutes a lovely make-up base for those of us with oily skin. If I had more of these I'd reserve them for special occassions like giving my skin a good prep before a night out as it nourishes and smoothes the skin without making it tacky or shiny. 

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.

Best of 2014: beauty

I'm terribly late with my selection of the most amazing products I had the opportunity to use in 2014. Not all of these products were released or bought in 2014, but there definitely were the most loved ones throughout the year.

FACE

My choice of my go to foundation mainly depended on the number of hours I was to spend at work. Two foundations I could rely on were Guerlain Tenue de Perfection and Estee Lauder Double Wear. However, their coverage is way too heavy for my needs, so on good skin days I used my favourite super lightweight foundations like Armani Maestro and YSL Fusion Ink.

My favourite concealers were Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer and MAC Pro Longwear Concealer. They may be drying but they're so pigmented that I can get away with blending a droplet of the product so tiny that it doesn't manage to dry my undereye area much. The good thing is that I don't need to set these with powder.

I used a number of excellent powders throughout the year, but the award goes to this unsung hero I got in one of my Memeboxes. In spite of its numerous flaws, Dewytree Mineral Healthy Sun Cut Loose Powder SPF36++, impressed me with its velvet finish, superlightweight feel and incredible oil control. 

In 2013 I discovered bronzers and highlighters and now I reach for them on daily basis, mostly to contour my chubby face.

My favourite contour/ overall bronzer was Soap & Glory Solar Powder which consists of a lighter slightly shimmery bronzer which goea all over my face and a darker powder which makes a perfect contour shade. Neither of these leans orange, I would describe them as neutral tan to slightly cool, red undertoned. The bronzers aren't too powdery, they never look chalky or muddy on my face.

Nars Olympia contour palette contains a contour powder I reached for almost every single day since I got it during the holiday. It matches my fair, cool-toned complexion perfectly and offers a soft contour which is perfect for everyday occassions. 

I grabbed my Illamasqua Cream Pigment in Hollow on those days when I chose not to set my foundation with powder. Blended well,  it casts a seemingly natural shadow and gives me those chiselled hollows in my cheeks. 

The photo above represents the blushes of the year but the shade selection is random. Le Blush Creme de Chanel (top right) and Benefit Majorette are lovely examples of the cream-to-powder trend which was so in last year and which finally made it possible for my oily skin to indulge in cream blush. 

Hourglass Ambient and Clinique Cheek Pop blushes had the greatest formula I've ever seen in a blush. They are powders, but applied creamy, they are glowy but not shimmery, pigmented but not clownish.

The story goes that drugstore highlighters are hard to find. And that was true until last year or perhaps my expectations are different from most people's. My oily skin needs more subtle highlighters than, say, Bobbi Brown Shimmer Bricks which only accentuate my pores and make my face look as if I was sweating.

Those I reached for on a day-to-day basis were Flormar Terracota Blush-on, Dax Cosmetics Cashmere Powder Pearls (in spite of the superclumsy packaging and the fact that the pearls barely cover the bottom of their container) and Maybelline Master Highlight. All three of them are rose tinted and offer very subtle illumination which may not be appreciated by extreme shine lovers, hence their lack of popularity among make-up reviewers.

But I must say I also fell in love with one highlighter which gives this metal plate sheen to your cheeks. The Balm Mary-Lou Manizer is gorgeous top to bottom. Starting from the cutest packaging ever, through the creamy texture of this powder product and its suit-all shade to the mirror-like finish which doesn't look like sweat or sebum, everything is perfect about this little beauty. I use this sparingly on special occassions, combined with a rather matte foundation and blush.

EYES

I have oily lids and I can't live without a good make-up base. So far my love has gone to Urban Decay Primer Potion and Too Faced Shadow Insurance, but throughout almost all last year I used a deluxe sample of Lorac Behind the Scenes eye primer (1) which was attached to one of my Lorac Pro palettes. Can you believe that this little tube lasted for almost the whole year? It did what it was supposed to do, prevented my eyeshadows from creasing and fading and it did so exceptionally well. I haven't repurchased because Lorac is unavailable in Poland and since our Seprora introduced Urban Decay into their range, getting Primer Potions is definitely less fussy and expensive than ordering Lorac from e-bay.

Throughout the whole year I also keps using MAC Paint Pots (2), especially the one in Painterly, to even out my skin tone or to boost or tone down my eyeshadow colours. Maybelline Color Tattoos may be close dupes, but they're less creamy and much more drying on the lids and they also dry out faster in the jars.

As for single eyeshadows, I absolutely loved a number of cream to powder eyeshadows, but today I'd like to mention two greatest examples of that formula which are Clarins Cream to Powder Matte Eyeshadow  and Dior Fusion Mono Eyeshadow (3). They're incredible in terms of pigmentation, colours, blendability, finishes, packaging and everything else. These just scream perfection to me! I'd love to have every single shade from their ranges, but I can't have it all, can I? 

2014 was certainly a year of great palettes for me. I hardly bought and used any small palettes, but the full-size ones were a really big thing for me (4). The winners this year were both the Lorac Pro palettes for their equaly proportion of matte and shimmery finishes, the shade selection and the incredible formula, especially as regards matte eyeshadows which are creamy instead of being chalky. 

Too Faced Chocolate Bar is not only a beautiful selection of supreme quality shades but it also smells like chocolate! It's such a pleasure to use! It's just as addictive as real chocolate!

Urban Decay Naked 3 palette is something I underestimated at first, but I returned to this palette in autumn and fell in love with how well these shades suited my complexion and how easy it was for me to conjure those smoky sultry looks I love so much.  

To accentuate my eyes I used different kinds of eyeliners (5). Just like last year my favourite cream eyeliners were NARS Eye Paints and Kryolan Gel Eyeliner which are super pigmented, creamy, smooth and last all day.

I absolutely loved Zoeva Graphic Eyes eyeliners for how soft and smooth they are and how intense results they deliver. 

The greatest discovery of the year was a tiny, unknown product I got in one of my Memeboxes. Cat Girl Waterproof Eyeliner is an alternative for felt tip liners which dry out within a month or two and can be a pain to apply. This one has a tiny brush instead of a felt tip which delivers a super thin line without any effort. It's just beautiful! I've never had anything like this before!

The eyeliner which offered the most beautiful pop of colour was Lancome Art Liner in Sapphire. 

The queen of all mascaras, and I used quite a few last year, was definitely L'Oreal False Lash Wings mascara (6). In spite of its suspicious weird wand this mascara, waterproof or not, delivered unheard of volume to my lashes and volume is all I'm after. Haven't repurchased it yet as I've got too many mascaras going on, but it's on top of my 'to buy' list for 2015.  

2014 was the year when I found many fantastic brow products (8). I really loved Benefit Gimme Brow for its small brush and light taupey shade and for how quick and easy it is to use. When I started running low on that I experimented with a number of other products and found L'Oreal Brow Artist which is a hard pencil on one end and a brow wax on the other and there's also a brush to comb through the lashes which is always handy, though I personally prefer spoolies. I really love how this works, fast and easy. And of course Anastasia Brow Wiz was a irreplaceable tool to create natural-looking well-groomed brows non-drawn brows.  

LIPS

Throughout most part of the year I used long-wearing lipsticks that would last at least six hours of speaking. In this case matte or semi-matte lipsticks stood guard. Nars Audacious lipsticks and Rimmel Provocalips made a late surge and I used Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvets all year long.

When I fancied a more glossy look I went for Tanya Burr lip glosses (especially during the holiday) or Dior Addict Fluid Sticks or Revlon Colorstay Moisture Stains for a much more prolonged wear time.

I also discovered the power of lip pencils and I loved how incredibly they prolonged the wear time of all kinds of lipsticks. Again, I'm not going to list my favourite shades but brands which delivered creamy and soft, yet budgeproof foundation for my lipsticks. I absolutely loved my (bottom to top in my picture) Gosh Velvet Touch , Urban Decay 24/7 and MAC Pro-Longwear lipliners. And very late, towards the end of the year I discovered my absolute favourite Topshop clear liner which goes well with any shade you want, but makes all lipsticks budgeproof.

NAILS

In 2014 I was obsessing about nail polish. I delved into the realm of bright colours and pastels, but the picture above represents my favourite nail polish ranges. I really loved gel formulas of Maybelline Super Stay 7 days and Bourjois 1 Seconde. Revlon scented polishes appealed to me with their scents, shades and amazing packaging and Sephora glitter top coat over some dark polish turned out to be my favourite festive nail combo. 

TOOLS and BRUSHES

My unquestionable make-up tools were Zoeva brushes. I've got MAC brushes and Sigma brushes and I wouldnt't be able to tell the difference in blind testing exept for the crucial fact that Zoeva brushes are infinitely cheaper. The two crease brushes in the picture are amazing, but their image stands for every single brush for eyes or face, no matter if they are made of natural bristles or synthetic. They are all perfect!

HAIR

I searched high and low for hair products which would tame my frizz without weighing my hair down and takind away the volume. I found perfevtion in L'Oreal Ever Sleek Smoothing & Moisture Range. Have just used the shampoo up and I'm definitely going to repurchase, but I'm tempted to explore the range a bit further, so I probably won't be purchasing the exact same set of products.

Nizoral anti-dandruff shampoo was my life saver last year. I get terrible dry, peeling scalp from using dry shampoos and hair powders to revive my second-day my hair and I've tried a wide variety of different scalp treatments and shampoos and nothing did a better job than Nizoral. I buy 2 sachets (about $1 each) from any pharmacy, use them during two subsequent washes and it does away with dandruff for weeks. I suppose it would do away with peeling scalp completely if I was able to give up using dry shampoos. 

TANNING

Just like last year my favourite self -tanner for the body was my beloved St. Tropez mousse, but this year I discovered something that I could use on my face without the risk of turning myself into an Oooompa -loompa. Clarins Radiance Booster comes in a form of essence which you add to your daily moisturiser, you can control the amount of the product you use, thanks to which the chances of overapplying are low. It generally made my skin look very naturally tanned, without going over the top.

DISCOVERIES OF THE YEAR

In 2014 I became obsessed with false lashes, lip pencils and Memeboxes. While my love for Memebox is waning, I can visualise myself stashing a couple of new lip liners and perhaps some lashes in 2015!

Korean goodies: Ladykin Vanpir Dark Repair Cream review

I won't deny that what attracted me to this Ladykin Vanpir Dark Repair Cream was its packaging. It comes in a heavy black glass jar with vampire teeth printed on it. The design is an interesting combination of fun and class, which is hardly ever successful, but in this case it is. It comes with its own spatula, which I haven't used... too much fuss for me.  

You can read what this cream promises to do in the picture above. I must say that it fulfils most of the claims perfectly well. As an owner of oily skin, I'm not particularly enthusiastic about products which are suitable for all skin types. They are more often than not meant to satisfy dry skin's need which is obviously more demanding. However, this cream really does work for me as well. It does what it promises: absorbs quickly and moisturises without feeling greasy. It makes my skin feel super soft and leaves a sort of smooth film on the surface. I use this mostly at night, but I feel I could get away with wearing it under make-up.

I also loved the scent which somehow reminds me of my beloved Chanel Coco Noir perfume.

As far as all the other claims are concerned, well... the situation isn't as good as it seems. 

Although I've been using the cream for well over a month and am scraping the remains off the bottom, I haven't noticed any reduction of redness, blemishes, facial spots, whitening nor diminishing the appearance of pores. 

So, if you're looking for a great moisturiser in a lovely glass jar, this is what you're looking for. But if you're after any of these added benefits, keep searching and give this one a miss!

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.

Paula's Choice Clear Ultra-light Daily Mattifying Fluid Broad Spectrum SPF30+ review

 

I'd heard soooo much about Paula's Choice about how good the brand is for troubled skin and how it targets all kinds of concerns, how carefully they pick all ingredients to resolve problems without irritating sensitive skin etc. that when I saw that they have opened a Polish online branch, I instantly jumped at the opportunity to test some of their products. 

My main concern is oily skin, so I picked 2 creams from Clear and Resist lines that promise to matify the skin and today I'm going to review the one I've almost used up, Clear Ultra-Light Daily Matifying Fluid Broad Spectrum SPF30+.

Having read the description on the website, I was under the impression that the fluid was supposed to keep my face matte and mininize the appearance of pores and protect my skin from the harmful influence of sun rays. Upon arrival, when I read the description on the product itself, I arrived at the conclusion that this is actually a sunscreen more than anything else. And after testing the product my fears were only confirmed.

This fluid does have a lightweight consistency indeed and it goes on very well, absorbs quickly and leaves a sort of semi-matte finish. However, I haven't noticed any sebum control nor smaller pores. My oilies broke through within minutes, nothing dramatic, but I expected better results from a mattifier.

What's more, the fluid has this characteristic sunscreen smell that I hate so much.

If I had been looking for a good sunscreen, I would have picked a Korean or a Japanese one from my stash. This product doesn't offer any skincare properties, it's anti-aging claims clearly result from the sun protection thing. 

This may not be a bad product, but it's marketed in the wrong way. I wouldn't be so disappointed if I had bought this as an oily skin appropriate sunscreen. 

From a mattifier I expect something more.

Korean goodies: Tosowoong Body Scrub Wash review

Korean body products aren't what Korean skincare is famous for and to be honest, I'd never order any shower gel or body butter from Korea if I were making my own conscious choice. However, being a Memebox addict I regularly get all sorts of products, including bathroom essentials. 

I welcomed the arrival of this Tosowoong Perfume Body Scrub Wash with pleasure as I'd just run out of my previous body scrub. Although I'm still not planning to order my body care from Korea, simply because I don't believe my body needs such an effort, I must admit that this product is one of the best multitaskers I've ever used. 

There's nothing not to love about this scrub. The packaging is simple and basic, definitely lacking in the typical Asian cuteness factor, but it's practical and handy when you use it both in the bath and shower. It combines the properties of shower gel and body scrub. The product lathers well and washes my skin while exfoliating it with small and non-abrasive, yet fully effective ground apricot stone pieces. On top of that it has this lovely scent which is fresh and zesty and sugary sweet at the same time. 

Being a real  multitasker this product saves a busy woman like me plenty of time and it's also a great pleasure to use. I normally hate repeat products in Memeboxes, but I definitely wouldn't mind getting this particulat one again.

Gosh Velvet Touch Lipliner in Antique Rose, Nougat Crisp and Cardinal Red review & swatches

I've recently reviewed my new drugstore lipliner discoveries from Revlon here and today I'd like to continue with the same theme and rave for a moment about other excellent low-budget finds from the drugstore. 

I've taken advantage of a 40% off all Gosh offer and brought home 3 new pencil lipliners.Their regular price is about $9 but I managed to grab them for about $5. 

L to R: Antique Rose, Cardinal Red, Nougat Crisp

I must say that I'm amazed at their quality to price ratio. They are pro-looking pencils which are very soft and creamy when applied but they instantly set to a budge-proof finish. 

Compared to Revlon ColorStay lip liners the advantage of these is that there's a wider shade range and they go on more smoothly, but they need to be sharpened. I actually do prefer traditional pencils, they also suit my purposes better as it's easier to fill the entire lips with these than with a pointed tip of a twist-up liner. 

L to R: Antique Rose, Nougat Crisp, Cardinal Red

I picked 3 shades but there are at least 4 more to choose from which I'm also going to grab, just waiting for another 40% off offer.

Antique Rose rose is a dusty mauvey rose nude which matches a number of mauve pinks in my collection. 

Nougat Crisp is a peachy caramel nude that works well with a wide variety of nudes.

Cardinal Red, which is a dusty, dark but not vampy, cool-toned red, is my absolute favourite, especially when worn under Too Faced Melted Lipstick in Ruby. I don't have a large collection of lip liners, but this shade seems very unique to me.

These are comparable to MAC Pro Longwear lipliners, but cost a fraction of the price, so if there's a Gosh counter nereby, go and grab some of these, you won't regret it!