Lipstick -Unlisted Brand - Ulta3 Matte Lipstick in Harem Pink
luckylouie 5/11/2013 11:22:00 PM
Ulta3 is a cheap brand of makeup available in some Australian chemists. Hard to find but if you see it somewhere, check out the range. The moisturising lippies have no lasting power, but their small range of matte lippies are definitely worth trying. Harem Pink is a very bright, clear pink with no hints of mauve, lavender, orange, peach or coral - straight up PINK! Very bright but suprisingly wearable if sheered out. I like to apply it fairly generously, wait a few minutes and then blot a couple of times. This way it almost looks like a stain on me. If you use it at full strength it will stain your lips regardless. Will I rebuy? Possibly not as I don't wear pink lippie all that often, but this is definitely a good summer pink to wear with bright coloured clothing on a bright sunny day.
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Lipstick -Unlisted Brand - Ulta3 Matte Lipstick in Misty Mauve
luckylouie 5/11/2013 11:16:00 PM
Ulta3 is a cheap brand of cosmetics available in some Australian chemists. It can be somewhat difficult to find so good luck. Their moisturising lipsticks come in a wide range of pretty colours but are really quite sheer and wear off very quickly. However they also have a small range of matte lipsticks available for around $4 each. The colour Misty Mauve is a true mauve. If you liked Maybelline Windsor Rose or Revlon Mad about Mauve, that's basically the colour you're getting here - except in a matte finish. Lasting power is okay, and the lippies do have a fruity smell and taste, but it goes away quite quickly. The matte finish makes it look more expensive than it is. The colour is easy to wear without a liner and it will be flattering to a wide range of skin tones. I look better in warm toned lippies but still look good in this. Packaging is sturdy with a black cap and a clear base so you can see the colour - handy for those of us who have multiple lippies. All in all good value for the price.
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Lipstick -Revlon - Color Stay Ultimate Suede Lipstick
luckylouie 5/11/2013 11:03:00 AM
Very unflattering finish. Personally I found this made my lips look dry and lined. The finish is fairly sheer for a long wear lipstick and even after it dries the lips feel tacky when they press together. I find it wears quite unevenly. The longer I have it on the more it looks patchy and lined. Some of the colours are good but the overall look is very unflattering. Sorry Revlon, you've lost me with some of your latest offerings.
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Sunscreen -Unlisted Brand - The Cancer Council Kids Sunscreen SPF 50+
luckylouie 5/4/2013 8:37:00 PM
I'm always on the hunt for a good sunscreen that contains phsyical and chemical ingredients. The best of the physical ingredients is zinc oxide, but up until now it has been impossible to find it in a combo sunscreen that didn't contain octyl methocinnamate (which I am allergic to). Australia has recently allowed sunscreens to be labelled 50+ instead of 30+ and this means that many companies are now reformulating their products, including the Cancer Council. They have now released a Kids Sunscreen that contains 5% zinc oxide with 3 chemical sunscreen ingredients. It is fragrance free and developed for sensitive skin. The 110ml tube costs under $12. I've been using it for three days now and my skin is fine with it. It really does have no fragrance, it doesn't even smell like sunscreen. White cast on my olive skin is fairly minimal. It is very slightly drying on the skin, but many zinc oxide sunscreens are. It is very very runny, so be careful when squeezing it out. In fact this is the only downside.As the weather is somewhat cool in my town right now, I don't know how well it will stand up to perspiration, but it is 4 hours water resistant so my guess is pretty well. I remove it with an oil based cleanser because zinc oxide can block pores, but you could probably get away with any good foaming cleanser and a face cloth. All in all a very good product and one that I will probably repurchase. Edit - we've just had a few very hot days and I can say that this is definitely sweat proof. However I have to be careful to remove it really thoroughly as I came up with a pimple on my right cheek after sweating my way through a day in the bush. This is easier to remove than sunscreens with a high percentage of zinc oxide, but it is still harder to get off than those based on titanium dioxide. Also in hot weather it felt somewhat greasy on my combination skin.
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Lipstick -Rimmel - Lasting Finish - Kate Moss 05
luckylouie 3/14/2013 2:03:00 AM
This is a pretty cool toned pink that looks suprisingly good with my warm complexion. Normally I have difficultly with pinks because I look best with warm toned lippies. Oddly enough I can get away with this pink quite easily and I don't know why. Maybe it's the satin finish, maybe because it looks fairly sheer rather than thick, who knows? If you are warm toned and jave difficulty with pink lipsticks like me, then give this one a go. I have to admit I only bought it because a store was getting rid of all its stock for $2, but I'm awfully glad I did. Wears well, leaves a bit of a lip ring as it comes off but I can live with that.
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Lotions/ Creams -Unlisted Brand - Priceline Everyday Body Lotion
luckylouie 2/6/2013 9:50:00 PM
Priceline Pharmacies have recently revamped their own range of products and now have three body lotions. The Everyday Body Lotion is the only one of the three which does not contain mineral oil, which is why I purchased it. It also is paraben free. It's a pretty useless product though. it contains water, sunflower seed oil and the rest is simply thickeners. There are no vitamins, antioxidants or skin conditioning ingredients. Towards the end of the list is papaya fruit extract, but I doubt it is in a large enough amount to do anything. Apart from that, the cream is light textured and sinks in quickly. it has a very old fashioned powdery floral perfume which isn't overpowering, but still takes a couple of hours to fade. Because it is such an old fashioned fragrance, I think a lot of people will be slightly turned off by it. Cost is $6 for a 500 ml pump bottle. This really doesn't do much at all, except very lightly moisturise. If you have normal skin and love to use a body lotion every day this might be okay, but really there are better products out there.
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Moisturizers -Unlisted Brand - Dr Lewinn's Tone Up Body Moisturiser
luckylouie 12/30/2012 2:12:00 AM
I've put this in the face section of the database because I use it as a facial lotion at night. This has got to be one of the best value Dr Lewinn's products available due to the sheer number of proven active ingredients, most of them fairly high up in the ingredients list, including: Alpah Lipoic Acid Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate Palmitoyl Oligopeptide Palmitoyl Tripeptide Ascorbyl Palmitate Retinyl Palmitate Tocopherol Acetate There are also herbal extracts such as centella asiatica and ivy, jojoba oil and wheat proteins. It's a light, non greasy lotion, as opposed to a cream which is perfect for my combination skin that's prone to blocked pores. Personally I don't think it would be mosturising enough for most people if used as a body lotion. Price is $40 for a 200 gram easy to use squeeze tube. Really the only downsides are the strong fragrance and the fact that there is no airless delvery system to keep active ingredients fresh. The fragrance is quite pleasant, but I prefer unscented products, and airless delivery systems are proven to keep active ingredients fresh for longer, but considering the price, I really don't care. This subtly firms my skin and provides just enough moisture. Edit - I've been using this for about two months now. So far I've noticed that my skin is better hydrated and smoother and the tone is more even. the areas that have not improved are my pores still look huge and my neck/chest area still get blotchy and red sometimes. however this is a definite repurchase. I love the fact that it is inexpensive enough for me to use all over my hands, arms, shoulders and chest and that it is light enough in texture to use around my eyes. It certainly simplifies my evening routine. Now I apply this all over after washing, wait half an hour and apply retin a. That's it. I don't need to use an eye cream and it buffers the retin a just enough so that I never get any irritation but still seem to get most of the benefits. Now if only it didn't smell like tinned fruit salad!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Sukin - Pureley Ageless Replenishing Night Cream
luckylouie 12/29/2012 6:20:00 PM
This is a light but rich cream based on macadamia oil, cocoa butter, argan and jojoba oil, candellia wax, along with goji and acai extracts. It also contains some vitamin e and a peptide called acetyl tetrapeptide 11. This peptide has been shown to improve cell cohesion by increasing the synthesis of a protein in the skin called syndecan. Basically this means a bit less sagging and wrinking. Creams with a 3% concentration have been shown to do this. Sukin wouldn't tell me the exact percentage in their cream but did email me back that it was less than 1%. Given this information is it worth buying? Well I guess it depends on your skin type. It blocked my skin, but then again cocoa butter and any waxes tend to do that, so I was taking a chance buying it. Also I have no idea whether goji berry and acai berry extracts do anything when applied topically to the skin. I would prefer the herbal blend used in their other products, along with vitamins a and c in an airless delivery system. If you have oily, normal or skin that's prone to breakouts, stick with the lighter textured Moisture Restoring Night Cream instead. The cost for the Replenishing cream is double at around $20 for a 60 ml jar. Full ingredients list for all Sukin products are available on their website.
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Deodorants -Unlisted Brand - Crystal Roll-On Body Deodorant
luckylouie 12/23/2012 4:39:00 AM
From the moment I hit puberty I've needed to use a deodorant. For years, the only one that really worked was Mitchum. God I love that stuff. I don't care about an antipersperant, after all, everybody sweats so I'm not worried by that. But I really needed something that would stop me stinking. I've tried the various natural deodorants over theyears, all without success, so when a friend gave me this three weeks ago I was very sceptical, but it works. I no longer smell. It works for a full 24 hours. I just put it on as soon as I've towel dried off after a bath and I'm good to go. It doesn't leave marks on clothing, and it has worked even in high summer heat. Two thumbs up! Edit: 4 January 2013. Most of Australia is currently experiencing a heat wave with temperatures around 30% above average for this time of the year. The deodorant is still holding up well. I'm a very happy camper.
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Lip Gloss -Chi Chi - Dramatic Lip Lacquer in Hot Mama
luckylouie 12/22/2012 5:38:00 AM
The Dramatic Lip Lacquer range is new. Chi Chi don't even have it on their website yet. There are about eight colours, most of them very bright in your face colours. Hot Mama is definitely bright and in your face! It's a hot orangey tomato red with a really high shine. It has above average staying power for a gloss but lower than a tube lipstick. I like to wear it over the top of a red liner. If you decide to wear it without a liner, my suggestion is leave it to set for a minute or so and then blot off the excess to stop it sliding all over the place and wearing off unevenly. As I only wear it with a liner, I don't really know how long it would wear by itself, but worn over a liner and lightly blotted, it lasts a good four hours before needing touch ups. Cost is $17 and even though this isn't cheap for a gloss, it is a generous size and very good quality. Also it's so hard to get a gloss that's actually red, that I'm willing to pay retail, and I hate paying retail. Edit: I forgot to add, all the colours are cream, no sparkles anywhere, yay!!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
BB Cream -Unlisted Brand - Priceline Beauty Essentials BB Cream
luckylouie 12/22/2012 5:17:00 AM
Priceline in Australia has come out with a new range of its own beauty basics, including day and night creams, cleansers, body lotions, eye cream, makeup remover and bb creams. Everything is under $10 and the bb creams are $10 for 50 mls. There are two colours: light/medium is a light neutral beige which is bit chalky looking on my light olive skin, and medium/dark is a medium tan colour. Coverage is medium. These are NOT bb creams. Marketing hype!!! They are a very basic tinted moisturiser, nothing more. They contain no antioxidants, no brightening ingredients, no anti aging ingredients, and worst of all, NO SUNSCREEN INGREDIENTS. The whole point of a bb cream is to cut down the number of products we use, by treating and protecting the skin at the same time as evening out skin tone. Even though they cost $10 for 50mls you're still going to need to buy a sunscreen or a moisturiser with sunscreen as well. No bargain here. There are plenty of tinted sunscreens or supposed bb creams available in Australia that have a minimum spf 15, and in many cases spf 30. Palmers Eventone BB Cream is the same price, has brightening ingredients, including vitamin c and an spf 15. Natio has just brought out a bb cream in three tints for $15 and Face of Australia has a tinted moisturiser with SPF 30. These are just a few of the better choices available in Australian stores right now. This product is very basic. If you want a tinted moisturiser at a reasonable price without added sunscreen, try the Savvy by DB line (also available at Priceline) which costs about $8. Alternatively, Face of Australia has recently brought out a really nice light coverage liquid mineral foundation that really adds a touch of luminosity to the skin, and comes in four shades. Priceline should be ashamed of itself for calling this products a BB Cream.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -Unlisted Brand - Savvy by DB Classic Blush
luckylouie 12/9/2012 12:55:00 AM
Savvy by DB classic blushes are fairly good quality with a decent selection of colours, although there's really nothing for someone with really fair skin. Colour payoff is good, the powder is finely milled and easy to blend. The two main downsides are that coverage only lasts half a day before needing a touch up, and the container doesn't have room for a brush or powder puff. I have two colours: Nude - not the best name, this is actually an orange/peach colour and looks great on olive or tanned skin tones Cherry - not as dark as the name, it's more of a natural dusty rose, very pretty and would work with most skin tones. All the blushes are satin finish, so no big chunks of glitter.
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Crème -Unlisted Brand - Savvy by DB Smooth Creme Foundation
luckylouie 12/9/2012 12:32:00 AM
Savvy by DB is Priceline's own range of cosmetics available in Australia. The line was recently revamped and the new lipsticks and mascaras are a joke, but their eyeliners, lipliners, foundations, powders and blushes are excellent. The Smooth Creme Foundation comes in 6 colours, is lightweight in texture and easy to blend. It offers medium coverage and certainly won't cover major imperfections, but it does a good job of evening out skintone overall. It is non greasy and has very good staying power if you set it with powder. No fragrance. Also on the Priceline website, ingredients are listed for ALL their products. Save your eyes, look up ingredients online.
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Eyeliner -Unlisted Brand - Savvy by DB Waterproof Eyeliner Pencil Chocolate Brown
luckylouie 12/8/2012 11:32:00 PM
Excellent quality, long wearing, decent colour payoff. Like the other reviewers, I too wish it came in automatic container and in more colours. Other than that, two thumbs up.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Unlisted Brand - Savvy by DB Soft Glide Eyeliner
luckylouie 12/8/2012 11:30:00 PM
I have to agree with the reviewer below. These glide on creamy, set quickly and then don't budge. No flaking, no smuding and no fading. The colours are fantastic.
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