cosmetics – Page 8

Ipsy Glam Bag – April 2015

April 21, 2015April 21, 2015Beauty, ShoppingLeave a Comment

I was undecided whether to stay with Ipsy after my first bag but since I was too on unsubscribing I received the April glam bag. This month’s theme was Beautifully Bohemian. The products came in a cute straw-like bag.

Like last time, I’ve never heard of most of these brands. I am excited to try the Hikari blush which I received a full size of and retails around $15 according to their website. That alone was worth the Ipsy bag.

I received a Jorel Parker fragrance. I was really disappointed to receive this since I am sensitive to fragrances and occasionally allergic to them. There’s actually nowhere on the Ipsy profile page where you can specify your distaste for fragrances. Birchbox at least has an option to limit the amount of fragrances you receive.

I am excited to try this sample of Starlooks lipgloss which is supposed to be non-sticky and long lasting.

I also received this Hey Honey Good Morning honey silk facial serum. It’s like a light cream that goes under makeup.

Lastly was this Nude Dude eyeshadow from The Balm Cosmetics. I thought the packaging was rather hilarious!

Besides the fragrance, I was happy with the rest of my Ipsy items this month. I also subscribed to Birchbox for April but haven’t received it yet. I’m excited to compare the two in the same month.

Use my referral link: https://www.ipsy.com/r/tv6b8 to earn a extra 200 points towards free products when you sign up!

OROGOLD

April 9, 2015Beauty, ShoppingLeave a Comment

I bought these OROGOLD products 6 months ago. It was October and we were celebrating something at the end of the work day so I had had some drinks. For some reason I decided to go shopping afterwards at Yonge & Bloor. The sales lady outside the OROGOLD shop handed me a sample and I took it. Before I knew it, I was taken into the store and offered a demonstration. I was there for at least 30 minutes and I really needed to pee so I told her no thank you to the price she offered. Then she gave me a final offer of $60 for the 24k Deep Peeling Mask and Renewal Night cream so I said FINE. Whatever. I just really wanted to leave and pee. According to the prices on their official site, I actually got a decent deal.

I’ve been using the products twice a week for 6 months now so I’ll give you an honest review despite their semi-annoying sales tactics.

Both products came in little spheres in a fancy box with a certificate of authenticity. They definitely looked like they were luxury products.

The 24K Deep Peeling mask had the consistency of glue with little gold flakes. To be honest, I don’t really know the advantage of having gold in facial products but it looks nice. I used it mostly in my T-zone, and around my lips. It did a good job of rubbing off dead skin and my face did feel smooth immediately after. The trick is to leave it on for 45secs-1 min before rubbing it off. The sales lady recommended I only use this once a week, but I decided to use it twice a week and it seems fine. I think any more would probably dry your skin though.

Each time I used the peeling mask, I would immediately follow with the night cream. On the box it says you can use this every day but I also have other products at my disposal and did not want to waste this pricey cream. It also had gold flakes and a smell that was faint and not too strong.

After each OROGOLD routine, my skin did feel softer and smoother but it wouldn’t last more than a day or two which is why I decided to use it twice a week. Another thing I have noticed is that I used to have occasional breakouts but have experienced a lot less since using this. I can’t if it was OROGOLD or a combination of different products though.

Would I recommend this? While I like the feeling of my skin after the peel, I don’t know if I would purchase again at regular price. I would also stay away from the store as the sales people are way too aggressive!

My First Ipsy Glam Bag

March 12, 2015Beauty, Shopping2 Comments

I finally received my first ipsy glam bag. It’s like the competitor of Birchbox that is affiliated with make up guru Michelle Phan. The service is only $10 a month (but since I’m in Canada it is around $20). Unlike Birchbox, many of the items are full size or bigger samples.

It arrived in a hot pink envelope that certainly good not be missed.

Each month the products also come with a mini make up bag. The March theme was Floral Fantasy so the floral printed bag was fitting.

The first item was this Pixi by Petra mineral eyeshadow duo.

Next was this Glow Oil Treatment to get shiny and hydrated hair.

This NYX butter lipstick in POPS EXPLOSIF came in full size ($7.99).

I forgot to take a photo of it but I also got a full-sized Chella Ivory Lace Highlighter ($18).

Lastly, there was an Oval concealer brush from Crown Brush ($6).

People like to compare ipsy and Birchbox but I find that they are two very different services. Ipsy provides bigger sizes and great value, but I find that Birchbox delivers higher end products that you can try before you spend money on the full sized costly products. It’s really up to you to decide which service you like better.

Use my referral link: https://www.ipsy.com/r/tv6b8 to earn a extra 200 points towards free products when you sign up!

Dollarama Reviews: Style Me Up Chalkboard Nail Kit

February 11, 2015March 4, 2015Dollarama Reviews, Shopping1 Comment

Thanks everyone for all your support in my first Dollarama review. Today I am going to review this Style Me Up Chalkboard Nail Art thing. Like the Easyfeet, it is also a premium item for $3. If you hate reading, I also made a video of me trying this for real.

Anyways, doesn’t this look like a super fun thing to do when you are bored? Even when I’m in my 20s? At $3 it seems like a steal for black nail polish, 3 decorating markers and a top coat. They even give you a mini catalogue of all the other style me up nail kits and hair kits available.

When I opened the pink marker (after shaking it for a while), it did not look like there was any ink. I tapped on the table for a while and everything but it was definitely dry.

I found the exact same thing with the green marker. This was making me sad.

Lastly the blue marker had colour. When I pressed it to paper, it made blue markings! However, when I applied it on top of my black nail polish, it did absolutely nothing. The blue markings were not bright enough to show up on top of the black.

In the end, I was left with a matte black nail polish and a gooey top coat. This was definitely a Dollarama fail. The product either sucks, or the ones that they sell there are way past their due date.

Lancome Grandiose Mascara

August 29, 2014Beauty2 Comments

My latest Influenster Canada Voxbox was Lancome’s new Grandiose Mascara. It was presented beautifully in a black box.
There’s a certain elegance to the bottle that gives it a luxurious feel. The top has a lovely rose decal inside the clear plastic.
The want itself touts a “swan neck”. The greatest thing about this wand is that it allows for easy application to the second eye with my weak hand. I can change the angle of the brush so that mascara doesn’t end up on my face.

Here are some diagrams to demonstrate the ways the wand really helps.

I enjoyed this mascara a lot because it thickens and lengthens my lashes. There’s also no clumping so I don’t end up a racoon by the end of the day. This is definitely going in my daily make-up bag.

Tony Moly Appletox Honey Cream

March 18, 2014Beauty, ShoppingLeave a Comment

As you know, I’ve been obsessed with the Tony Moly store recently because of their adorable packaging and affordable prices. I recently picked up this moisturiser which came in a container shaped as an apple. It doesn’t have much branding on the outside or much information other than a sticker in Korean at the bottom.

Inside, the cover of the cream did say Tony Moly. It also came with a tiny spatula to prevent contamination of the product by dirty fingers.

The cream itself was yellow, and had a fresh apple smell, which I really enjoy. Upon doing some research, I found out it’s an AHA moisturiser, meaning it also exfoliates the skin. At the time of purchase, I had a giant pimple, but now it is gone and no new ones have appeared since using this product. It does a lovely job of keeping my skin smooth and minimalising wrinkles. A little goes a long way with this cream. I usually just dip the spatula (without scooping) and use what it catches for my face. It will probably last me for a couple of months even if I use it every day.

What other cute cosmetic products do you guys have in your collection? I’d love to know!

First Impressions: Tony Moly Latte Art Milk- Cacao Pore Pack

February 11, 2014June 14, 2016Beauty, ShoppingLeave a Comment

As you may know from previous posts, I’ve been obsessed with Asian beauty products because of their adorable design and affordable prices. Plus, Asian people never seem to age so they must work right? Recently, I picked up this Cacao Pore Mask thing from Tony Moly. It came in an adorable mug shaped container!

The product inside was multi-coloured and reminded me of the chocolate and vanilla soft serve mix from ice-cream trucks. It smelled like chocolate and Baileys Irish Cream.

The directions said it had to all be mixed together before using. After mixing, it turned into a greyish brown. The mask is to be applied and left on for 10-15 minute before washing off. When I applied it there was a tingling and almost burning sensation for the first minute or so but it went away. I could feel my pores tightening and within 10 minutes, the mask was fully dry.

After I washed it off, my face was soft and smooth. I felt like it also lightened my skin and hid the redness that I usually have on my cheeks as well as temporarily hid my pores. Not bad for a product that was only $10! You can watch my live first impressions on Youtube. My favourite part was its chocolatey smell that was good enough to eat.

TONYMOLY Kiss Kiss Lip Scrub

November 27, 2013Beauty, Shopping2 Comments

I rarely post about products (unless they are social media or internet obtained), but lately I’ve had an obsession with Asian beauty products because of their adorable designs. In addition, they are super affordable. This lip scrub from Tony Moly comes in a lip shaped container.

The cream itself is white with little sand-like beads. There weren’t really any English instructions, or room for any, (since there wasn’t a box) so I figured it out by reading other people’s reviews of the product. I took a tiny amount and rubbed it on my lips for a minute or two and felt the granules rubbing off the dead skin. It didn’t hurt or anything. After washing it off, my lips felt much smoother!

I recommend this product for dry lips, or any one who is a chronic lip biter (like me). It makes lip stick and glosses last much longer the next day too.

Lovely Me:ex Masks from The Face Shop

October 27, 2013October 27, 2013Beauty, ShoppingLeave a Comment

I bought these masks from The Face Shop mainly because of the adorable packaging. There’s a third, but it’s mainly for breakouts which rarely happens nowadays. Both were very affordable at $6 each.

The Pore Ghassoul Mask is made from Moroccan ingredients and supposed to remove dirt as well as smooth and even skin tone.

The bottle inside was just as cute as the packaging! When you open it up, the product inside is not so appealing in colour (it’s grey). It’s a wash-off mask that is left on for 15-20 minutes. I found it worked very well at removing any oil on my face. I didn’t really notice a difference with blackheads but my face definitely felt clean and smooth.

The Waterful Grapefruit Mask is a sleeping mask that moisturises dry skin.

It also has a charming monkey container. The product is pink like the packaging and has a citrus smell. I found my skin totally sucks this up over night and does feel smoother but doesn’t stay hydrated for that long. Therefore it’s not that skin clogging and I use it a couple times a week. You don’t need to put a lot on your face so one package can last a very long time.