Friday, October 28, 2016

Brand Focus: Estee Lauder Review Swatches and Makeup Demo



Happy Friday everyone!! HOW EXCITING :D

Friday evening is my favourite time of the week, I feel like I've done a hard week at work and now it's time to kick back, relax and plan my weekend. But when Saturday comes, I'd feel lazy and tired... although makeup always get me out of bed and out of the house.

So I am REALLY excited to review some Estee Lauder products that I have been testing for the past couple of months, I have never actually tried any Estee products before (I know, I am a mad woman!!!).


ESTEE LAUDER DOUBLE WEAR NUDE CUSHION STICK RADIANT MAKEUP

I was absolutely ecstatic to receive this little gem as I have heard SO many great reviews about Estee Lauder's Double Wear Foundation, this product was definitely a highlight. Let's go through some of the key points to make this product different to others:

- Provides a radiant flawless healthy glow that lasts for 8 hours.
- Key ingredients includes SkinSync Complex, Quench Complex and Glow Enhancing Optics
- This product is a makeup + pro-tool in one, the cushion sponge is easily removable for cleaning.
- Non-streaking, non-poring and non-settling, colour true shades.
- Oil free, dermalogist-tested and suitable for all skin types.
- Available in 16 shades

Price: RRP $58 (Available from Estee Lauder counters at Myer, David Jones, Sephora and selected Pharmacies)

MY VERDICT

  • Before you use the product, I highly recommend taking the sponge off to give it a wash, there was a distinctive new sponge smell which I initially thought was the foundation.
  • I absolutely love the actual foundation, was smooth, covered my pores, I looked healthy and radiant.
  • My shade is in 2N1 Desert Beige which is good for winter and a little bit light for summer (For reference: I was matched as a MAC NC25, but I like to go a shade darker and use NC30). I have dry skin and the finish is dewy - this foundation is PERFECT for those with dry skin.
  • The mechanism of the foundation requires you to twist to dispense the product and buff/blend using the sponge applicator. I found that one and a half twist will cover your entire face, two twists if you want to layer your coverage. There will be residual products emerging onto your sponge applicator so I find myself to spend more time blending, in all honesty, I prefer
  • This foundation is approximately half the size of a regular 30ml foundation. However, I do think that this is a great touch up or travel product. I don't like to keep foundation brushes in my bag and if I am on the train, my hands are probably too dirty to use. Either way, this product is quite versatile in the sense that you can use it with or without the removable sponge applicator.


 ESTEE LAUDER SET + REFRESH PERFECTING MAKEUP MIST

A perfect on the go companion to makeup. This is a refreshing mist infused with electrolytes and caffeine, bringing an instant boost of radiance while providing moisture. Lets take a look at it's perks:
  • Help makeup to look fresh and luminous
  • Apply before and after makeup to help it set, skin will feel supple, fresh and soothed
  • Uplifting scents of green mandarin, grapefruit and orange with floral notes of blooming freesia and cyclamen petals
  • Diminishes powdery look and adds immediate hydration

Price: RRP $50 (Available from Estee Lauder counters at Myer, David Jones, Sephora and selected Pharmacies)

MY VERDICT
  • I am a lover of sprays, this is a particularly refreshing mist that did prolong the wear of my foundation and my skin did feel more nourished and hydrated after use. The scent of the mist is very subtle, fruity with a twist of floral notes, very uplifting. This is a big differentiating factor from other finishing sprays, which often smell like chemicals.
  • This bottle will last for ages, my only complaint is the spray nozzle, I found myself to be spraying tiny droplets of content onto my face rather than a fine mist. Would absolutely love this product if the spray produced a super fine mist that will cover my entire face with a couple of sprays.


PURE COLOUR ENVY VINYL LIPCOLOUR

Estee Lauder welcomes a gorgeous lip colour infusing hydration with vibrant colour. It's a bold and bright lip stain with reflective high vinyl shine finish.
  • Highly moisturising and long lasting colour impact
  • Lips will be beautifully amplified with high shine and wet finish
  • Lasting up to 8 hours of wear
  • Key ingredients include volume boosting complex and advanced true vision technology with colour pigments and pearl.
  • Available in 5 shades
Price: RRP $52

MY VERDICT
  • This lip colour is INTENSE, the applicator is perfect in the sense that you don't need to use a lip liner and it will perfectly contour your lips.
  • The colour.... urgh, it's magical. The shade is a beautiful deep blood red (my camera somehow seemed to have toned the colour down a smidge in the photo below).
  • High shine and hydration, it's true!! The formula is non-sticky and ridiculously hydrating. A go-to product for when you want to glam up.
  • If you don't eat and drink, it would probably last for 8 hours, however the longest I've worn it was for approximately 5 hours with a lot of drinking and eating. I was careful so a good amount of the lippie remained on my lips.
  • I love this lip stain to the core, if you are wondering about scent, it smells like vanilla.

PURE COLOUR ENVY HI-LUSTRE LIGHT SCULPTING LIPSTICK

Pure colour envy is designed to saturate lips with colour and sculpt your lips with light. Here are it's perks:

  • Vibrant colour and brilliant shine
  • Medium coverage with a shimmer finish
  • Available in 12 shades
Price: RRP $52

MY VERDICT
  • When it comes to lipsticks, I firmly believe that you pay for the quality - especially for a dry lipped gal like me. I've used a fair share of pharmacy branded lipsticks, they are great for when my lips are not chapped and dry.
  • This is my first time trying Estee Lauder's Lipsticks and I found the lipstick to be of high quality, the texture is creamy and the formula is hydrating. It doesn't dry up my lips after a couple of hours and doesn't leave my lips chapped.
  • I am a lover of orange, but I found it difficult to wear this particular shade with my skin tone. So what I like to blot some of it off (you can see this in the video below) and the colour turns into the most gorgeous coral! I personally feel that this shade is best for those with very pale, sun kissed or darker skin tone.
  • The formula is highly pigmented, with a single swatch (and due to the shine) it can appear slightly sheer, but colour is definitely there!
  • Wear time is pretty standard, without eating it will last for most of the day.



VIDEO DEMO (Psst there's food at the end)


*All products featured in this post were provided for editorial purposes, all opinions are my own.

Thursday, October 27, 2016

The Body Shop WILDEST Christmas Showcase @ La Porte Space


With only 58 more sleeps till Christmas, I'm getting the Christmas jitters in my toes. My family stopped celebrating Christmas the minute I turned 18, that's when I got a job at Myer and listened to Christmas Jingles and put up decorations every year. I love the festivity and gift giving season!

This year The Body Shop is bringing us some fantastical Christmas items perfect as presents, stocking stuffers or a little treat for yourself! The theme is WILD because it's The Body Shop's 40th anniversary campaigning against animal testing. This Christmas, The Body Shop continues with their project to protect endangered species in Vietnam and launching TWO new projects in Malaysia and Indonesia.



The Body Shop brings you a fruitful Christmas this year, from Frosted Berries (with cranberries from North America), Vanilla Chai (with handpicked vanilla from Madagascar) to Spiced Apple (with cold pressed apple seed oil from the Alps). Products from all three ranges smell delicious, my favourite is spiced apple, it smells like Christmas!

Below is the Intensely Revitalising gift box RRP $89.95




Welcome some limited edition makeup from The Body Shop this year! Including eye shadow quads ($34.95), eye colour sticks ($19.95), matte lip liquid ($14.95) and colour crush matte lipsticks ($24.95).

These makeup products are 100% vegetarian, no gluten, no carmine, no petrolatum and no mineral oil.





Above we have the classic British Rose Gift Box RRP $64.95



Saving the best for last, a very cheeky ADVENT CALENDAR (RRP $159)!!! Get excited guys!!

As always, a look at the delicious breakfast foods served at the event, breakfast is my favourite meal of the day and we were very well fed! A MASSIVE thanks to The Body Shop and the Dream Team for having me!!






*Lily not Louise attended this event as a guest of The Body Shop

Sunday, October 23, 2016

Spring Skin with Thursday Plantation


As much as I love spring, my skin always play up during this season of blossoms. This yo-yo effect weather is taking a toll on my skin and immune system! It seems to be the season for dry chapped skin, irritations and occasional breakouts. I am still trying to figure out whether my recent under eye incident was a case of bad retinol reaction or.. just spring.

My under eye skin condition is now treated, however I became very cautious of the products I'm using. Thursday Plantation has been a trusted brand to me for many years. It was my go to brand for acne as a teenager. My partner is a lover of Thursday Plantation as well, he told me the tea tree scent in many Thursday Plantation products reminded him of something his mother used on him as a small child.

Today we will talk through some Thursday Planation products perfect for Spring.

THURSDAY PLANTATION OIL CLEANSER

Thursday Plantation Oil Cleanser is a multitasking cleanser that will remove makeup, excess oil and impurities.
  • Deeply cleanses and purifies the skin
  • Supports the skin's protective barrier and improves skin condition
  • Tones the skin
  • Encourages skin rejuvenation and hydration
  • Contains a mixture of oils: Castor oil, sunflower oil, macadamia oil, rice bran oil, grapefruit oil, tea tree oil, lemon oil and aloe vera extract
Price: $17.99 for 125ml (from Priceline)

MY VERDICT
  • I've added this oil cleanser in my double cleansing routine recently, substituting my gel cleanser. As claimed, this cleanser melted away my facial makeup (ensure to avoid the eye area). The best way to use this cleanser is in the shower at night, the hot steam will open up your pores during the cleanse.
  • You may feel some oil residue on your face after your wash, I have personally been using a foam cleanser as the second step to my double cleansing method.
  • My face feels extremely hydrated following the cleanse, the natural properties and oils are perfect for my sensitive and dry spring skin. I use a lot of sunscreen on a daily basis and I have previously learned that a lot of sunscreen can only be washed off completely with oil cleanser.
  • I am overall happy with this cleanser, the only thing I need to mention is this disclosure on the bottle "Application to the skin may increase sensitivity to sunlight", citrus oil in general (in this case it's grapefruit oil - purifies skin - and lemon oil - assists with brightening) can cause photosensitivity. So my recommendation is to use this as a night time cleanser and avoid using if you are about to go out in the sun.


 THURSDAY PLANTATION ALMOND OIL

As you may know almond oil is full of Vitamin E and fatty acids, for many centuries, almond oil has been used to sooth the skin and treat minor wounds and cuts. Product benefits as follows:
  • Replenish dry skin
  • Soothe skin redness
  • Improve the appearance of uneven skin tone
  • Nourish and soften the skin
  • Great for massages
  • Gently remove eye makeup without the use of chemicals

Price: $14.99 for 125ml

MY VERDICT 
  • I have been using my Almond Oil as I would with Rosehip Oil by applying the content onto damp skin. The absorption rate is faster than rosehip oil leaving my face soft and hydrated the entire evening.
  • Almond oil is super versatile, it can also be used on your body, hair, as a scalp treatment or mixed with foundation. 
  • This is a fantastic product to remove eye makeup with!! I was surprised by it's effectiveness in removing general eyeshadow and waterproof eyeliner without any heavy oily residue creeping into my eyes. I can't comment on whether it's effective in removing waterproof mascara, I don't generally use waterproof mascara anymore (since discovering tube mascara).


THURSDAY PLANTATION TEA TREE ACNE GEL
This gel treatment penetrates into the skin and helps to dry out acne and pimples. Ideal for whiteheads, blackheads, pimples and acne.
  • Penetrates into the skin to dissolve blackheads and whiteheads
  • Concentrated formula to dry out pimples
  • Contains 100% pure Australian Tea Tree Oil, a natural antibacterial ingredient to help control acne.
Price: $11.99 for 25g

MY VERDICT
  • Thankfully, I haven't had the pleasure of dealing with a significant amount of pimple in the past couple of years, I only tend to experience hormonal acne during that time of the month. Once per month, I take out my acne fighting products. This gel works, it doesn't miraculously make your pimples disappear but it is effective in fighting and reducing redness/swelling. With persistent application, you will find your acne to improve significantly.
  • The texture of the product is lightweight, non-sticky and easily absorbed. It did not leave any white residual on my face like some of the other acne treatment creams.
  • There is a very distinct Tea Tree scent, I love the smell of tea tree oil so it doesn't bother me, but it might take some time to get use to if you don't use tea tree products on a regular basis.
*All products featured in this post were provided for editorial purposes, all opinions are my own.

Friday, October 21, 2016

Bobbi Brown Wine & Chocolate Showcase @ J&M, Sydney


I have been extremely lucky to have attended Bobbi Brown's Wine and Chocolate Showcase, this gave me the opportunity to play around with some of Bobbi's newest products - let me tell you they are absolutely GORGEOUS.

My first encounter with Bobbi Brown was many years ago, I just started to wear makeup and decided to start collecting some high end products, after graduating from my bachelors, we went overseas and where else to shop than Hong Kong? I went a bit crazy thanks to the spectacular conversion rate.

I told the sales consultant that I was after a high end brand that is affordable and of quality, she recommended Bobbi Brown.

That moment sprouted my long term relationship with Bobbi Brown products and I haven't looked back since.

Ok I'll stop talking and let you guys go through some of the beautiful releases below, and in case you are wondering, we were fed wine chocolates at the event!































Anything in particular takes your fancy? I am blown away by the lipstick set above - a beauty lover's dream! However, I am forever a shimmer brick fan and will keep wearing it until I'm 100 because no one will take the shimmer out of my life.



*Lily not Louise attended this event as a guest of Bobbi Brown.

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

So...? Eternal Body Fragrance and Eau De Toilette


I had a bake day on the weekend - I got nice and early to make two batches of butterless (yes, there's no butter in this household) Banana Nutella muffins/cupcakes (with oats, maple and walnuts), it was a super healthy treat that's quick and easy for those who don't have time for breakfast in the morning.

I find myself being attached to things that's involved in my memorable past-time; baking, tamagochi, art attack, Dolly magazine and So...?

So...? will always be a brand that's close to my heart and forever hold more significance and meaning to me when compared to other brands because it's a fragrance I grew up with.



Top notes:
Amalfi Lemon, Clementine

Heart notes:
Violet, Orchid,  Pink Peony

Base notes:
Vanille, Amber, Sandalwood

So...? Eternal screams fun and elegant youth to me, it's a sweet fragrance, if you love vanilla you will love So...? Eternal. This is my first 100ml So...? fragrance, I've only ever had the smaller size and that really add the excitement!

I have been reaching for this on a daily basis, the fragrance itself is long lasting and by the end of the day you can really smell the woody base notes.

Thanks to So...? I have also recently experienced my first body fragrance use and it's perfect to carry in your bag, although it's bigger than the perfume, I always feel weird taking out a bottle of perfume and spraying myself in public (is it just me?) despite, the size, I'd much prefer to carry a body spray/fragrance. The mist is fine and reaches more surface area than the perfume. I haven't had any issues with longevity and can still smell the body fragrance on me (especially on my clothes) at the end of the day.

So...? Eternal Body Fragrance is available for $4.95 (WHAT A BARGAIN!) and So...? Eternal eau de toilette is available for $14.95 (30ml) or $24.95 (100ml)
*Products featured in this post were provided for editorial purposes, all opinions are my own

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