Lipstick -Guerlain - Rouge G de Guerlain in 05 Gracieuse
Aneesa 3/23/2011 5:47:00 AM
I have previously stated my misgivings about the packaging - yes, its supposed to be lux, and unique and all things that make it Guerlain. However, in moving towards a modern world - lux does not necessarily mean heavy or bulky. I would have liked to see something more innovative which while keeping with the quality and pedigree associated with Guerlain, would also be practical for daily use. Anyway, packaging aside (and by the way, the mirror is great, but 2 of them is a bit of an overkill), the product is simply marvellous! The colour is deep pink that pulls towards apricot, but is still predominently pink. It is a warm-based tone (but pulling towards neutral) so most people should be able to wear it without too much difficulty. It is a very bold colour, so it tends to dominate the face - necessitating that the rest of the make up is kept to a minimum. The texture of the l/s is very creamy, but the pigment settles into the lip and the staying power is good. About 4 hours before needing to touch up - and after a hot cup of coffee.
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Lipstick -Christian Dior - Rouge Dior (Haute Couleur) 296 Beige Quadrelle
Aneesa 10/28/2010 7:14:00 AM
This is one of the new reformulated Rouge Dior lipsticks. They replace the old Rouge Dior, although the packaging remains substantially the same (distinguish between the old Rouge Dior and new by looking for the following: On the box - words "haute couleur". On the tube itself, instead of the silver "CD" logo, the logo is now encased under a layer of plastic and glows a bluey shade). Some of the lipstick shades remain the same as the old Rouge Dior, while others have either been given new numbers or new names. The formula is substantially different. It is definately more moisturising, but also stays on longer. I manage about 4 hours without needing to touch up (including a cup of coffee). The colour (Beige Quadrelle) is a pinky beige and looks fantastic on my NC35ish complexion. It is slighly frosty, with more plummy undertones. Intensity is light to medium. It is a very wearable everyday, slightly casual to office chic shade. This is not a full on lip colour, although it is by no means a sheer tone either. The colour is quite complex, and can be influenced by the shade of lipliner worn. It might be on a slightly cool side, but neutral/warm skin tones should have no difficulty wearing it. However, given the flood of extremely luxurious lipsticks that have been launched by other houses (Rouge G, Rouge d"Armani), I would have thought that Dior would have made a significant change to the packaging and moved away from the plastic casing to something a bit more luxurious. Also, as I mentioned, unless you look closely, this updated version looks almost identical to the old version. Maybe this was a deliberate choice on the part of Dior, but I would have liked something totally new. Overall, a very nice improvement on the Dior flagship lipstick.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Palettes -Giorgio Armani - Nude Contrasts Palette 2
Aneesa 3/9/2010 8:57:00 AM
I have read the review of the previous reviewer, and I must humbly disagree. Initially I thought GA had lost the plot in bringing out what is essentially a monochromatic palette. How this was supposed to make one's eyes pop, I wondered. But on a whim, I bought this palette (and the Nude Contrasts Palette 1 subsequently too), and began to play around with it. Yes, it is shimmer, boarding on sparkly. Yes, you have to be careful or live with fallout. But when it works, does it work! I used the white (which is a very warm white) as a highlighter on the brow bone, and the inner corner. The shimmery pink went all over the eye, except for the widest strip closest to the lash line. The sand colour went over half my lid (from lash line upwards). This effectively created a shimmery, pale understated smoky eye. But still fairly unassuming. Then (and I suppose this is the essential step), I tighlined my top lid with the black liner. Wow! The effect was truely amazing. With the focus being on lips this season, I find that this palette gives a very polished look to the eye, without detracting from a bold lip. I am alreadly looking around for a backup.
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Lipstick -Lancome - L'absolu Rouge - Nocturne 256
Aneesa 2/9/2010 12:26:00 PM
This lipstick was part of Lancome's Holiday 2009 collection. I bought it on a whim, because it looked like a lovely plummy-pink colour in the tube. It is described as a "beige" on some websites, but this is no nude, beige lipstick. This is a warm mauvy pink - basically, my lips, but much better. It has a distinctive gold shimmer running through it, and makes the lips look quite full. The colour is basically Nars Oasis blush (pink with gold glitter) in lipstick form. In fact, I usually pair these 2 items. The wear is average - about the same as other Lancome lipsticks, and the distinctive sweet/musky rose is present. But I like it, so don't have any issues with it. I hope that this becomes part of the permanent range - it is one of those colours that will work on a variety of skintones, and due to the shimmer, is suitable for evening wear as well. It can be dressed up or down, depending on the rest of the makeup. As mentioned, it pairs particularly well with Nars Oasis. I have already bought a back up in case this is a limited edition.
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Blush -Guerlain - Blush Éclat Cherry Blossom
Aneesa 2/3/2010 8:16:00 AM
It is perhaps the best pinky/peach blush that I have owned. On my NC35 skin, it shows up more peach than pink, fairly warm with a golden glow. Did not have to use too much effort to build up the colour. The overspray disappears after first use, but that does not seem to affect the colour of the blush on the skin. I would say that for me, this is bordering on HG territory. The wear was good over Guerlain extreme foundation, with a dusting of meteriorites to set. I would actually consider getting a backup of this. EDIT: I am taking a lippie off for 2 reasons: 1) when the overspray disappears (basically after the first use), the blush is nowhere as pretty; 2) the glow disappears with the overspray, and the finish is quite chalky. Comparatively, the effect is very ordinary, and the "lit from within" glow is gone. No - I won't be buying a backup after all.
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Eye Shadow -Dolce & Gabbana - The eyeshadow - CHAMPAGNE 100 (quad)
Aneesa 8/10/2009 1:57:00 PM
I managed to get my hands on this quad after seeing the pictures on the website. Overall, the quad is a warm-toned grey/black palette, aimed at creating smokey eyes. The colours: Top left: a warm white Top right: mattish flat black Bottom left: a (very) warm taupe Bottom right: flattish grey/taupe Although the colours appear to be neutral in the palette, once on they are very warm tones, so it might not be suitable for the cooler toned ones among us. Also, in the palette, apart from the 2 left colours (white and taupe), all the colours appear flat. However, once you start to apply, all the colours are shot through with gold microshimmer, which lends to the overall warmth of the colours. This would be a good smokey eye for an evening look because the gold microshimmer really catches the light and gives of gold sparks - the actual eyeshadow colours are actually more of a background for the gold shimmer. Personally, I think this might be much for day wear, and would really like to use it for cocktails or late night only. I used the Stromboli eyeliner from D&G to finish off the look (review for this has been posted), and it worked better with this palette than the Stromboli Palette (which I have also reviewed). The gold sparkles in the Stomboli eyeliner complimented this palette much better, and they harmoised quite well. The eyeshadows blended together quite well, and are richly pigmented. Its on par with other high end palettes (Dior, Guerlain, etc). Is it special enough for the D&G mark - frankly, I was expecting something much more special. To me, the packaging lacked a certain style that one would expect with D&G - something that would make it stand out from the rest. On this score, it misses the mark by a mile. Overall - good evening palette. Would not repurchase as I think that there better smokey eye palettes out there.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Dolce & Gabbana - The Classic Lipstick in Charm (140)
Aneesa 8/10/2009 7:26:00 AM
The colour is a rosey/mauve - slightly cool - medium toned pink. It has very fine gold microshimmer throughout (this seems to be a feature of the whole line from the products I've seen). This warms up the lipstick considerably and I would say its overall effect when applied was neutral, and both warm and cool toned ladies should be able to wear this colour. On my NC35 tone, I think it gave a good pop of colour and and was about 3 shades brighter than my natural lip tone. It seems to be more moisturising than the Bronze (reviewed previously), but this could be due to the fact that I put Clarins new lip balm on underneath. So far, my lips are moisturised, and feel comfortable. Will update if this changes. I don't think that I would buy this lippie again because there's nothing unique about it. Also, as is apparent from my previous posts on the D&G line, I don't get a WOW factor from this range - it seems like any other high end brand, but nothing that sets it apart from its rivals.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Dolce & Gabbana - Crayon Intense Eyeliner in Stromboli
Aneesa 8/3/2009 3:03:00 PM
This eye pencil has a medium to hard texture, but goes on fairly smoothly with no tugging. Because its not as soft as the Urban Decay 24/7 pencils, its possible to get a fairly thin line. The colour is a stormy grey, with microshimmer of gold and silver. I wore this today with the Stromboli Quad eyeshadow (review to follow) and I have now had my eyes on for about 12 hours, and the liner on my top lash line is still there with no fading. The line on the botton lash line (not waterline), however, has long disappeared. The microshimmer does seem to show up, but I can decide whether this is due to the fact that I put on the Stromobli Quad eyeshadows (which are very shimmery) first. The colour is nice, but I can't see this being an everyday staple. I also find that the colour might be a tad too cold to go with the Stomboli Quad (which has very warm shades), and I will pair it with the Champagne Quad to see if works better. I should note that I prepped my eyes with Too Faced Shadown Insurance, which is probably and essential step to ensuring maximum wearability of any eye product. Overall, a nice pencil, but probably not worth the price tag.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Dolce & Gabbana - The Classic Lipstick in Bronze
Aneesa 8/3/2009 2:49:00 PM
I really had great hopes for the whole D&G makeup line. But its been bit of a hit and miss for me (at this point, more miss than hit). I pulled in some favours and got 3 eyeshadow palettes, 3 lipsticks and 2 eye pencils sent to me. I hope to get around to reviewing all in due course. Now, onto my impressions of this lippie: COLOUR: The colour is a browny/goldy colour - thing milk chololate with a hint of satin and some rose-gold overtones. It looks quite satiny on the wrist, but on the lips its almost a semi-matte, and very little of the satin finish shows up. COMFORT I really expected a much more moisturising lipstick - this has to be one of the most drying lipsticks that I've worn for a very long time. It glides on fairly smoothly, but the the moisture seems to evaporate and my lips were bone dry. I must note that I had put Natura Bisse Lip fx underneath (as I usually do) and a lip primer, but neither of these managed to help lock moisture in. STAYING POWER The staying power was excellent - but that is probably due to the fact that once all the moisture had been leeched out, the pigment stained the lips. But this just ended up with me looking like I have thin dark lips - rather than the glowing lucious look I was hoping for. I have just put lip balm over the lipstick - the stain remains, but the balm is helping me get the level of comfort back into my lips. PACKAGING I really expected something more special from this designing duo. From a distance, the lipstick simply looks like an ordinary L'oreal lipstick - plain gold packaging. Up close, you can see that the D&G logo has been engraved on, and the tube is made of thin gold sheet metal, rather than plastic. However, unless you are a make up connessieur, you would mistake the lipstick for any other drugstore lippie. There is no WOW factor. OVERALL Overpriced, mediocre product. Will not repurchase
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Gels/Soaps -Crabtree & Evelyn - Aromatherapy Distillations Purifying - Deep Cleansing Body Wash
Aneesa 7/13/2009 10:31:00 AM
What its supposed to do: "When you crave that deep-down clean feeling, reach for this pore-cleansing body wash. Rich, refreshing lather infused with seaweed and sea salts helps flush impurities from your skin and pores as the clean aroma of eucalyptus and lime essential oils uplifts your spirits." Does it do it? Well, it does smell like eucalyptus and lime which is what prompted me to buy it. Yes, it lathers well, but I don't think that it flushed any impurities from my body (well, except that which any other shower gel will do). I usually buy my shower gels for their moisturising properties, or their fragrance. This one was not as intense as other gels (Molton Brown Eucalyptus for example), and the scent faded pretty fast. It did not linger in the shower and bathroom the way full bodied fragrances usually do. The shower gel was very average and does not support the $37 price tag (although its on sale at $25 at the moment). I think even this price is too expensive for this quality. Fortunately I bought the 50ml travel size for approximately $8, so that was far more manageable. In conclusion: glad I bought the trial size - will finish it, but not repurchase.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Estee Lauder - Double Wear Lipstick - Stay Mauve (05)
Aneesa 7/7/2009 4:29:00 AM
I generally seem to like the Double Wear range of products, so when I heard about a budge-proof lipstick, I was all for it. In passing, I should mention that I also purchased one of the new Double Wear Eye pencils (and hope to post a review for that soon). Back to the lipstick: Packaging: Similar to the usual EL scrolled package, but instead of the all-gold packaging, the bottom half of this is a metallic blue/purple. Looks quite chic and has a nice weight to it. Product: Unlike the usual lipstick which is tapered, this one is more in the nature of gloss-stick - the lipstick itself is cut at an angle similar to the Dior Hi-shine tubesm which means that the tube is angled and the lipstick itself aligns with the inner tube. But this one is quite wide, so if you have narrow lips, you might find application a bit tricky. Lipstick: Goes on surprisingly moist - almost watery (rather than oily), but then dries as it settles. However, this does not dry out like some long last lipsticks - rather it becomes tacky, so its not uncomfortable on the lips. Colour: This colour is midway between pink and fushia, but with a distinct mauve/lilac undertone. On my NC35 complextion, it is very flattering - bright without being overwhelming. The finish is matte/satin (really more matte than satin). Now for the million dollar question: Did it last? Longevity: I am posting this immediately after drinking a cup of fairly hot coffee. As I had my java, I noticed that the lipstick was almost "melting" on to the lip of the cup. There is a substantial amount of lipstick on the cup. I then whipped out my mirror, certain there would be nothing on my lips (but they still felt tacky). Surprise, surprise - my lips still looked totally made up. No need to retouch. There was slight fading in the middle of the lip, but not immediately noticable. This leads me to believe that this formula is part lip stain. Now I'm not certain what sort of alchemy is at play here, but so far so good. I will update if necessary. I should point out that I had hydrated my lips with Natura Bisse Lip FX prior to applying this (the FX had totally seeped in before application of the lipstick). I think in most cases, a non-greasy lip treatment underneath the Double Wear would be essential otherwise the product may be too drying.
9 out of 9 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Guerlain - Rouge G - No. 43 Ginger
Aneesa 4/20/2009 5:35:00 AM
Hi bought my first Rouge G last week, and am wearing it today. LASTING QUALITY: I have been through 2 cups of coffee, and the lipstick is still there, although fairly faded. The microshimmer has remained, and it faded quite evenly. MOISTURISING: As usual, I put on my Natura Bisse Fx before putting on lipstick, and it glided on. However, as the day has worn on, the lipstick seems to dry out the lips somewhat. I would have thought that this would be more moisturising. COLOUR: Ginger is a rosy-toned copper. It is fairly bright, and leans towards the brown spectrum (rather than orange). It has fine microshimmer, and lends the lips a foiled look, which I like very much. PACKAGING: I think the novalty of this packaging will wear off quickly. It is quite a chunky case, and will not fit smoothly into a jeans pocket. Also, it is very heavy - I think it weighs more than my mobile phone! I don't think that packaging is something that I would want to pay for lipstick after lipstick. I think if they sold the lipsticks in a refillable format (maybe the lipsticks - the bottom part - with a clear or similar cover cover that can be slipped into the mirrored holder) I would be happier. To pay time and time again for essentially a mirror (ok 2 mirrors) seems a bit of a waste. OVERALL: I think I would buy some of the other shades, because some of them are unique. However, for most of the other colours, I think similar shades can be found elsewhere for less of a price and perhaps even better moisturising properties. I also think some of the other high-end brands will soon launch their versions of luxury lipsticks, so I'd say keep your options open.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Loose Powders -Christian Dior - Dior Diorskin Nude Fresh Glow Powder SPF 10
Aneesa 3/6/2009 3:24:00 AM
I have never much been a fan of mineral make up. So when I saw Dior climbing on to the mineral bandwagon, I wasn't too excited. However, I first bough the fluid in my usual 030 colour. And voila, perfect everyday coverage. Easy blending and it stayed on pretty much for most of the day and into the evening. So I decided to try the Nude Powder, also in 030. Oh, the two together are fantastic. Velvet finish skin, and durability well into the night. Basically the foundation stayed put until I removed it. It also allowed my other make-up to grab on better, so the blusher also stayed on for longer than usual. I have since tried the powder over other foundations, and have achieved similar results. It goes on smoothly (although make sure to put a very fine layer on) and does not accentuate lines. It has a cooling sensation as its applied and gives an understated glow. Its everything that I had hoped for. So, unless something better comes along, I'm sticking with this one.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lotions/ Creams -OPI - Avojuice Skin Quenchers in Berry Merry Rose Juicie
Aneesa 2/13/2009 2:29:00 AM
Well, I got a sample of this, and I loved it. So I ordered the full version. The problem with AvoJuices is that after a while they don't seem to absorb as well. I have found that if I continuously use AvoJuice for about a month, at the end of the month it feels like the product just sits on top of the skin. However, if I leave it for a month or so, and then go back, for the next few weeks, it works like a dream again. I don't know if there is an element of product build up? Regarding this fragrance - well I love it! However, it gets cloying after continuous use. Anyway, given that I rotate the AvoJuice with other products, by the time I start using it again, I fall in love with the scent all over again.
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Liquid -Guerlain - Parure Extreme
Aneesa 2/10/2009 3:10:00 AM
I have used both this and the Aqua formulation. Both are excellent, but on days when I know I have to put in a 12 hour work day, I prefer the Extreme formulation because it just does not budge. 12 hours later, and my makeup is as fresh as when I put it on! (Mind you, the Aqua formulation is no slouch either - it too stays on and true, but just not as long). I am an NC35 and have found that 04 (Beige Moyen - Medium Beige) to be a perfect match. I also have the Aqua formulation in 03, which works well if a lighter look is required. It however, does not look unnatural. I find one and a half pumps more than enough to do my entire face, and have found using the fingers to achieve a perfectly smooth application. Finally, a foundation I love!
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No