Monday, October 28, 2013

Korres Lip Butter review + swatch

Lip butters are really great for anyone that wants something moisturizing that also gives some colour to lips. The first lip butter I ever tried was of course the Revlon Colorstay Lip Butters! I loved it so much that I got 3: Pink Truffle, Sugar Plum and Brown Sugar! My favourite is Pink Truffle and although I still use it often, I wanted something that was more sheer and bright colour for summer/fall. After much research, I decided to try the Korres Lip Butter! (I was debating between that and a tinted Sugar Rose Lip Treatment but those were too expensive). Since I wanted it for the summer, my choice was Pomegranate which is a "sheer coral".

Korres - Lip Butter

"A rich, buttery lip balm that melts on the lips and offers a shiny, tinted finish."

My lips are already a little bit pigmented so when I apply this butter, I think that it shows up a bit darker than it should but I like it that way! It applies on sheer, but not too sheer that my natural lip colour shines through. This shade is very good for an everyday lip colour and can probably be used in the winter too. In terms of moisturizing, it makes lips feel very smooth and seems like it would be sufficient for the winter too. I use it as a lip balm sometimes if I can't find mine and it feels very moisturizing. As the description says, the finish is a bit shiny, however it is not as shiny as a lip gloss and is a very light shine.



It is very easy to apply and will go on lips very smoothly. The staying power seems okay, I'd say about 2-3 hours or so, but some of it will come off when you eat or drink. This is in my makeup bag for work so it is easy for me to just touch up when I am lacking some colour.

Lastly, unlike Revlon's lip butter, this one comes in a little jar so you have to use your fingers to apply. That would have to be the biggest con of this lip butter, but other than that, I am very pleased with it and will probably try another colour whenever I finish this one :)

You can buy this at Sephora for $16.

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Friday, October 4, 2013

Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer Light



This product was probably one of my first big purchases from Sephora and was also the most disappointing. After I started getting more into makeup (about a year ago), I read all about primers and this one seemed to have really great reviews. This was also around the time that I started my co-op work term so I needed something that would help make my makeup last and help control shine. Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer Light was supposed to be the one for oily skin so I decided to give it a go! Something that really enticed me to buy it was that I noticed that the Sephora website was selling both the 1.7 oz. and the 1.0 oz. for $44 so I decided to take advantage of this and order the 1.7 oz. online! Although it was still very expensive, it seemed like it would be very worth while since it was such a large tube that was supposed to last for a long time.


Smashbox - Photo Finish Foundation Primer Light

"A water-based, lightweight foundation primer. Perfect for oily, acne-prone, or sensitive skin, this oil-free, 60% water based primer refreshes on contact while oil absorbers provide a smooth, matte finish all day."

Although it says water based, I have heard that it is silicone based, so I'm not entirely sure what the 40% is. Whatever the base, it squeezes out like a thick white cream and is quite easy to spread.There is a light chemical smell but this goes away quickly. It takes about 2 minutes to disappear into your skin but I've heard that you should wait about 5 minutes for primers to fully sink in :S After it is absorbed, it makes skin smoother, allowing for an easier foundation application. After a few weeks of using it, I realized that this product really doesn't do anything. It did not really make my skin any smoother, pores look any smaller, or help control oil :( It seems more just like some expensive cream, but it doesn't moisturize very well! This was a product I definitely regretted and have tried another primer since then, that I am actually quite content with.



 

Conclusion: This is a product that performs too little for the price you have to pay.

EDIT: I have since then returned this for store credit because I heard of Sephora's awesome return policy! Yay

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel review + swatch

Here is the first of the many reviews I will do for Clinique products. I used to use their foundation and would only get it when it came with the bonus from the Bay/Sears so I have accumulated quite a few of their samples over time.

First up is the Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel. I decided to buy this after reviews said that it would be good for oily skin. It is a nice yellow colour and has a gel texture which makes it feel a bit cool when you first apply it to your skin. The back of the bottle says: "This oil-free formula works to soften, smooth, and improve the texture and condition of your skin. Apply twice a day. For best results, use after Facial Soap and Clarifying Lotion." It is meant to be for Combination Oily to Oily skin.

When first applied, it becomes this yellow gel on your skin and seems to take about a minute to get absorbed into your skin. There is a light scent but this apparently comes from the ingredients (since Clinique does not use fragrance to cover up the smell). I purchased it in the 125 ml size for $32 about a year ago and I still have about 1/4 left! It has been my daily moisturizer for most of that time (aside from the occasional samples I used). The packaging is a frosted plastic rectangular bottle that comes with a pump!



In terms of moisturizing, it does a good job but doesn't really make my skin soft like the bottle says :P It also doesn't have an affect on my skin's oiliness, since my skin is still just as oily as when I use other moisturizers. One difference I did notice is that sometimes my nose gets flakey, dry skin and I think it might be because of the DDMG :S Because of this, I don't think I will be repurchasing and may just go back to using Vichy. Another downside I forgot to mention is that it doesn't have SPF, which is something I definitely need.





In conclusion, this product is OK but I do not think it lives up to it's name of being 'Dramatically Moisturizing" and wasn't anything special to me.
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