Lips -Rimmel - Apocalips Lip Lacquer
mizzcindy 3/19/2013 6:29:00 AM
I haven found any reviews about this product, and I really believe it deserves one, so here we go: Apocalips were a big hype at European beauty blogs in January. Everyone was talking about it and reviewed them. Those reviews were very different, some loved them to death, others didn't liked them at all. I think that had something to do with the expectations. I've just found out about these beauties, I didn't have any expectations about them, but I tried them in the store on my hand. I was very surprised about the colour payoff and pigmentation, and also about the colour range. Apocalips go from nude to neon. I bought the one that stood out the most for me, which was Stellar. It's bright neon coral pink. Apocalips goes on very easy, with a doe foot applicator that has a slight dip which contains some extra product that comes out when you apply the lip lacque. The smell is not so nice, a bit like paint but that scent is gone after you've applied. As for the lacque itself, it's very glossy, pigmented and quite thick. The bright colours have a big impact, they are very fierce, especially in the first hour when the gloss is still there. So it's necessary to keep the rest of your look understated or else you will look like a drag. The glossy shine disappears within an hour, leaving a nice satin finish. By that time the lacque looks like a regular lipstick. Apocalips are not extremely longlasting, more like regular lipstick, but the brighter colours stay on for quite some time, and stain very nicely. The lighter ones like Celestial don't hold that long. I didn't have any problems with bleeding or lipstick on my teeth, but I use as little product as possible. I was very impressed with the versatility because you can put them on glossy and get all the attention, but you can also blot them to a nice matte stain, which stays on for hours and gives a very chique look. My favourites are the brighter ones: Apocaliptic (a bright fuchsia pink) Stellar and Big Bang (which is the most gorgeous bright true red, makes your teeth look very white) because they stain so pretty and the colours are outstanding for a drugstore brand. Especially for this price, they are €10.99 in the Netherlands but I got them on sale for €7.99. I do miss some darker berry colours in the range, but I'm sure they'll be added to the range when summer ends. I got four of them within the last two weeks, that's how much I love them.
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Fragrances -Serge Lutens - Sa Majesté la Rose
mizzcindy 6/21/2012 9:09:00 AM
A very lovely fresh rose scent. I love rose but i don't think this smells different enough to warrant the high price. It's nice, smells very natural and fresh but it's nothing special and I think there are similar scents out there for a fraction of this price. Also, on me this doesn't last very long.
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Fragrances -Serge Lutens - Jeux de Peau
mizzcindy 6/21/2012 9:03:00 AM
No, no, no, no.. this is not good on me. I love SL but this one's a big miss. All I can smell is buttered caramelized popcorn, a note I really dislike and therefor I can't appreciate any of the other notes in it. This one reminds me a lot of BPAL's Shill, a popcorn scent and I actually canlt smells nothing more than that. It smells cheap, a bit off. The so- called "bread note" is not subtle and I can't imagine why anyone would want to smell nutty and greasy. Maybe it's a ph thing and lucky for me there are plenty other SL to love.
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Fragrances -Serge Lutens - Vitriol d'oeillet
mizzcindy 6/21/2012 8:56:00 AM
This is actually one of the softest carnation scents I've tried. I love florals, and I love the spiciness of carnations, and this version is really really nice. Carnation can make a fragrance smell a bit old-fashioned, but here the carnation is very subtle and there's nothing dusty about it. On me it's not sharp, I actually find this very soft and floral and the carnations give the florals a little bit of spice and creaminess, but nothing too much. It's very nice, office-friendly even. My favourite carnation scents are: BPAL Carnation single note, Alice, LUSH Potion, Ava Luxe Oeillet Blanc, Oueillet Rouge and Madini Oeillet. They are all actually rather sweet and spicy and the SL is much more soft and wearable. I love this, and I'll be purchasing a FB in the future.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Balenciaga - L'essence
mizzcindy 5/17/2012 5:36:00 AM
This perfume is the follow-up fragrance to Balenciaga Paris and features vetiver, patchouli, violet, violet leaf, green notes, sandalwood and cedar. I've smelled the original and I prefer this one far over the other. Overall I like green perfumes, and I like mossy and woody scents. This istarts off more green than the original but dries to a more sweet, comfortable and woody scent. It starts rather fresh, with a green violet scent (I love violet perfumes like TF Violet Blonde or Violetta di Parma) but when it dries down it gets more sweet and woody, some have described this as vanilla musk or maybe this is the sandalwood. On me it's a very comfortable skin scent, great during the day and appropriat for summer of winter. I also like that it has a slight masculine feeling to it, I think my boyfriend could wear this as well, but I'm keeping this for me :) I love this!
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Highlighters -Essence - Sun Club all over shimmer for eyes, face & body
mizzcindy 5/9/2012 9:19:00 AM
Another great drugstore find! In the summer I love to use highlighters, especially more bronzy ones. So when I saw this one from Essence for less that €4 I'd immediately took it home with me to try it. And I was really impressed. These shimmers come it two colours: Blondes (lighter skin) and Brunettes (daker skin) and they are shimmer strips, with 6 different stripes of lighter and darker bronzes, browns, a pink and a golden highlighter. They look a bit like the Bobbi Brown shimmer bricks, only for a fraction of the price. Sadly I can't compare them, because I've never used the BB ones. I've bought the Blondes version, which is lighter than the Brunettes but still rather dark. The powders are very soft and shimmery, you really need a light hand with these and that's why I think they resemble the Estee Lauder powder gelees. Yes, I've said it! The intensity of the shimmer is comparable, just a bit more muted maybe, but they even feel the same when swatching them. The powders are very soft and they glide onto the skin, almost a wet feeling. I've compared the colours in this strip to the EL Topaz Chameleon and this is much more reddish/ tanned and the darker strips are making this darker all over. The EL is more orange coppery. I'm very fair (NW15) and I can use the seperate stripes as an eye shadow or swirl the brush all over for a glowy bronzer on the highlighting points of my skin. I need to use a stippling fibre brush like the MAC 187, otherwise I look like a disco ball, but I'm very impressed with the effect this powder has. And you only need a bit, so this powder will last a lifetime. Love!
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Eye Shadow -Essence - Sun club (glamour to go eyeshadow)
mizzcindy 5/9/2012 8:51:00 AM
I love my high end stuff, like Dior and Guerlain e/s palettes. But once in a while I really get intrigued by drugstore brands, especially when they get really good reviews. I've tried a lot of things from Essence, and some are hits, other misses. This e/s palette is my latest find and it's defenitely a hit! I've bought this one for summer to take this with me on the go and I loved the colour scheme. They have two different ones, 01 South beach with bright fun and summery colours, and 02 Long Beach with a more warm neutral theme. I have lots of neutral palettes and I know the ones from Essence could never measure up to them (Urban Decay, Dior, Guerlain), so I've decided on the fun summery colours. This is a review for no 01 South Beach. The reason I also chose this palette is because I've been lemming the two Dior Croisette palettes from summer 2012, and this looks like the perfect marriage of both those palettes, with warm bronzes and bright aquas. I love Dior palettes but I already know I wont be using the colours that much so this is a great alternative! It has eight colours, all satin or shimmery ones: bright turkoois, warm yellow, camel tan, shimmery warm champagne, dark more muted aqua/ sea blue, pastel mint green, warm dark brown (this one had a few loose glitters) and a light shimmery taupe. My faves are the bright turkoois, camel tan and the taupe colours. Quality isn't super, but very decent, especially considering the price (less than €3). Some e/s have great pigmentation (turkoois, dark brown), others need a bit more work (mint green, muted sea blue, yellow) but they can be built up. The powders are a bit crumbly and can make a mess, but if you use an e/s base and tap off the excess powder you should be fine. I have the same problems with more expensive e/s as well. The palette is made of very sturdy plastic, very small an cute and (as always) the brush that comes with it, is useless. I love this, especially considering the price and this is certainly coming with me on holiday. pros: - small and convenient palette, looks very cute - a lovely summery and beachy colour theme that gives options for neutral as well as bright eyes - decent quality, but you need to use an e/s base - price (dirt cheap) cons: - some colours are difficult to work with - there is fall out, a bit crumbly - useless brush Overall: Great drugstore find!
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Bronzers -Christian Dior - Nude Tan Healthy Glow Enhancing Powder
mizzcindy 5/5/2012 4:33:00 PM
In Europe, there are four shades to choose from: two suitable for cool toned skin (more pink): 001 Aurora (all year round) and 002 Sunlight (summer) And two for warm toned (more peach): 003 Zenith (all year round) and 004 Sunset (summer) It's technically not a bronzer in the pure meaning of the word but an all- over face powder that "warms the natural skin tone and adjust to ambient light for a healthy glow all year round". The powder comes as always with Dior in a dark blue velvet pouch, but this time it also comes with a mini kabuki brush (in a seperate velvet pouch) which actually is very nice, soft and cute. The compact is round and silver and looks very classy. The powder is sectioned in four parts, every part has a letter imprinted that spells 'NUDE" together. This is a review for no. 001 Aurora, released for Summer 2012 (and thankfully will be permanent), which is different from the Aurora powder from 2011. In Aurora, the lightest shade available, two parts are light nude with pink letters, the other two are more peachy tan with darker tanned letters. You can use the colours blended together or use the pinkier ones as blush and the darker ones for contour or bronzer. You can use the powder all over the face or only on 'the big three'. I've swatched Aurora next to Sunlight, and to me Sunlight is the summer version of Aurora, deeper in tone with a a bit more brown and tan in it, less pink. I use this powder mainly as a bronzer, on the big three on my face (temples, cheeks/ nose, jaws/ chin), just to give my skin a bit of a tan and a 'healthy glow'. I'm nw 15 and Aurora is the most foolproof bronzer I've ever had. I've tried Guerlain, MAC, Benefit but this is the easiest to work with and the most natural one of all. Even the lightest shade from Guerlain Terracotta no. 00 (matte) is darker than this. You can never go over the top with this one, it always looks subtle, even if you have zero skills. I really think that in the summer when I'm a bit more tanned (not much: nw20) this might be too light to work as a bronzer, it is that light. I love that I can use this and never look really bronzed, just healthy. I love it's satin finish (the shimmers on the products either don't transfer on my skin, or they blend in very nicely) and I love that it looks very natural on my fair and cool toned skin. The product is very pricy, but it comes with a very nice mini kabiku brush that is actually working, and the powder is of superb quality: finely milled, blendable and easy to work with. Plus I love the Dior packaging, so chique! I'd definitely buy this again, and I'm seriously considering buying the Sunlight one for summer.
19 out of 20 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Pressed Powders -Christian Dior - Diorskin Poudre Shimmer - #003 Copper Diamond
mizzcindy 5/5/2012 3:45:00 PM
So this isn't available anymore but the reason I still wanted to review it anyway is that I got this in a swap and I really want to give this product the praise it deserves. Mainly because of my latest highlighter lemmings and all these Dior Diamond shimmer powders turning up as everyones favourites, I had to try at least one of them. So because I have a serious problem with decision making and I couldn't choose, I ended up buying the two regular ones (Rose and Amber Diamond) from Strawberrynet (my lemming started with the discontinuation of the powders over here in Europe; always late to the party). | And after that this one popped up for swap and I was mainly curious about its's difference to Amber Diamond. But in the end, this turned out to be my fave of the bunch. It's the perfect marriage of Rose and Amber Diamond and for me (nw15) this is THE perfect highlighter/ bronzer combo for summer. It's more tanned and less golden (and yellow) than Amber, and equally rosy but less (pale) pink than Rose. It's like a warm bronzer and peachy highlighter all in one, and the shimmer never looks over the top. Come to think of it, if Rose Diamond is the pale winter version, this one is the warm summer version. I can't imagine that this wouldn't look good on any skintone, whereas the Rose suits cool toned best and Amber suits warmer toned better. This one would suit everyone. When your fair, this could work out as a subtle bronzer (no orange, just a really pretty glowy sheen) as well as highlighter, so you get 2 for the price for one. I also think that these shimmer powders by Dior are very high quality and soft, easy to work with and you never look like a discoball. Only thing is, you would have to likethe glowy effect, because this is definitely not matte! I would highly recommend that if you get the chance to swap for or buy this, go for it. I love this, Dior please bring this one back!
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Tinted Moisturizer -Estee Lauder - Day Wear Sheer Tint Release SPF 15
mizzcindy 5/4/2012 8:19:00 AM
So I got a generous sample of this product, and because I'm very fair in winter and I'd like to get a bit of a (sunless) tan for spring I'd thought I should try this. Well, I kinda liked the product itself: nice scent, I love the lightweight moisturizing effect and scent, overall another great daytime moisturizer from Estee Lauder. But... the colour of this sheer tint on me is really way off! I'm NW15 and on me this turns way too orange. Nothing like sheer tint, I looked like I'd overdosed on spray tan. I can get away with it when applying a foundation on top of it, to tone down the orangeness, but the reason I was interested in this product in the first place was because I'd like to use this in the summer instead of a foundation or tm. So, I like the product, that's why I'm giving this 3 lippies, but this does not adapt to my skintone. You really need to try this one before buying. I think this might work much better on darker/ warmer skintones.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -La Femme - Powder Blush
mizzcindy 4/11/2012 10:00:00 AM
Here's another one who's bought the palette from makeupmania. So I got 12 blushes and I am still working on trying them all, but my here are my first impressions: They look a bit cheap and powdery in the pan. Also, because they are very powdery, after swatching them the palette was a mess. Not a big thing because you can blow the powder away and it looks fine again, but I wanted to mention this anyway. I also saw that the texture of the blush is different on the matte and the shimmery ones. The matte are more powdery. In the range I miss some lighter and nude/ neutral colours and some warm peach/ oranges/ corals that aren't too dark. I have Peach and this looks rather brown on my first swatch. I've tried several of the blushes, and because they are very pigmented (and most of them are very bright or dark) you need to be careful with your brush and applying, especially when you'r pale (like me, nw15). But I do think they blend our very easily. But I use a priming powder before applying the blush, especially after liquid foundation. On me, the blushes darken and change slightly in colour, the lighter colours all look darker on me than they appear in the pan. Also, some colours appear to last longer than others. One last thing: it probably has something to do with the colours I chose because some of them look very much alike on me (Dusty Rose, Chrystal Cafe, Mocha), even though they don't in the pan. I tried to get all kind of different colours and finishes but it's a shame you have to buy unseen. My colours: Rose, Misty Plum, Mocha, Mauve, Grape, Dusty Rose, Chrystal Cafe, Mandarin Red, Heather, Peach, Soft Beige and Scarlett. Overall: nice blushes and for a great price, but as a self-confessed blushaholic I have to say they aren't that special and I prefer my more expensive blushes. They really are a great option if you're on a budget.
4 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Lancome - Ombre Absolue Radiant Smoothing in 113 Erika F
mizzcindy 4/11/2012 9:16:00 AM
So I got this after reading numerous raving reviews about this little pot of e/s, mostly out of curiousity. We can buy this everywhere in the Netherlands, but I've never been a big fan of Lancome e/s. To me, it looked like a really pretty and extremely sparkly silvery green, it reminded me of MAC Smoke and Diamonds (LOVE) and also Chanel's Epatant. These colours are totally up my alley, so I didn't hesitated to buy it, even though I didn't think it was all that different from what I already owned. I actually forgot about this but then when I was in a hurry one morning (being a mum of three toddles I'm always in a hurry) I slapped this on my lids, put on some mascara and blush and left it at that. When I drove my kids to daycare, I almost crashed into another car just because I couldn't stop staring at my eyes in the back mirror and the effect this e/s had on my eyes. And I tell you, I am really not a person who loves looking at herself, especially in the morning with just a few hours of sleep, so this says a lot! The colour of this very hard to describe... greenish, goldish, silvery shimmery (pewter maybe) e/s makes my eyes pop and almost bright green. I have blue/ grey eyes with tiny brown specks which can make them look green when wearing certain colours, but I've never seen this huge transforming effect. Also, the shimmer doesn't make my eyes look wrinkled or old, even though I'm thirty-something (well... actually almost-forty) and gravity starts to have an effect on my features. But this makes my eyes shine and diffuses the light in a way that my first wrinkles are almost invisible. Yay, I actually look younger! It's in the same colour family and as sparkly as Chanel's Epatant but darker and therefor easier for me to wear. Smoke and Diamonds turned out to be more brown and purple and I am very happy that this is really a unique colour. Because it's so sparkly maybe some of you find this more appropriate for evenings, but I love this so much on me so I wear this all the time. As for packaging and texture: nice packaging, I love the little rose imprint. The powder is very smooth, good colour payoff and great to apply. No need for a primer, etc. This is great e/s and the colour is phenomenal, at least I think it is. I'd defenitely buy this again because I this is HG for me!!!
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Bronzers -E.L.F. - Studio Golden Bronzer
mizzcindy 4/2/2012 10:42:00 AM
Together with the E.L.F. Studio Cool bronzer this is my ultimate summer complection kit. I use the Cool bronzer for contouring and bronzing, and this one for extra glow. They work so beautiful together. I love that you can use the colours seperate or swirl the brush together to give an all over glow. I use the different colours for highlighting and as eye shadow, and the all over method when applying an allover dusting on top of my cool (and matte) bronzer for extra glow when I'm in the mood for that. Love the combo, I'm so glad I've found out about these just before summer. And the best part, they are very inexpensive so I can trow them in my bag to take with me and not worry about getting scratches on my very expensive make up items. I think this will go with me on holiday :)
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lips -Yves Saint Laurent - Rouge Pur Couture Glossy Stain (All Shades)
mizzcindy 3/14/2012 10:58:00 AM
So I've heard about these new lipstains from YSL because I haven't lived under a rock for the last few months. And when the lovely Lisa Eldridge started blogging about these babies, I just had to try them. Personally, I've never been a fan of those lipstains with the felt tip. I prefer lipsticks and sometimes glosses, depending on my look. But I do I like a longwearing lip. And these glossy stains are totally different from those markers that paints your lips. Actually I think I've never seen a lip product like this before, they really are an invention. The YSL glossy stains are packaged like a nail polish, in a square black with golden bottle that looks really chic. You apply the gloss with a heart shaped applicator that has not my preference. I think these are a bit too big to paint my lips very precisely, I prefer a smaller tip. But the product itself is really lovely. I've bought two colours, no. 8 (bright orange) and 12 (bright pinky coral). They apply very light, almost like water and then turn into something thicker, but not sticky. I've never had a gloss that didn't stick, so that was a surprise. Also, the glossy effect really last very long, not as much as the stain does, but they last at least a few hours on me. And if you're a bit careful when eating or drinking, the stain stays on all day. Then the colours: they come in a variety of colours from pale pinks, brights to vampy purples and everything in between. There is a colour for everyone. But you need to know something about the colours before buying them unseen. Some colours can look rather intimidating at first when you swatch them on your hand or on a paper, but they darken when dry. I don't know if that has something to do with the staining effect or with oxidizing, but the colours change a bit. Also, please try them on your lips first, because the colour of your lips can change the look of the colour as well. On me (nw15 with pigmented lips) the bright orange (no. 8) tones down to a more wearable orange, and the bright pinky coral (no. 12) turns into a darker coral, almost red. So they aren't as bright on me as on the swatches, but they are really beautiful and extremely flattering. It's like they use your personal colouring to achieve a colour that truly suits you! I just love that! When you apply one layer, it looks a bit sheer like a gloss/ stain, and when you apply two layers they look more opaque like lipstick with a gloss on top. Throughout the day the glossy effect wears out, and leaves a beautiful stain. It looks just like when you apply a lipstick as a stain, only these stay on much longer and I think they feel much more comfortable than lipstick. They actually are quite moisturizing as well, so that's a plus too. But the best part is that they DON'T budge and they DON'T creep into fine lines around my mouth. When using a colourful lipstick I always need lipliner and powder to prevent that from happening, but I don't need any with these. So yes, I've bought two and I really would love to buy some more. Right now I have my eyes on a few reds and bright pinks as well, let's see what they'll do on me ;) I'm sorry if I sound like a commercial but I can only say: Believe the hype, these lipstains aren't just a novelty, they are a revolution.
10 out of 11 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Christian Dior - 5 Colour Shadow - Mystic Jade 390
mizzcindy 3/8/2012 10:02:00 AM
I received this palette in a swap because I was on a Dior e/s palette rush and I wanted to have them all :) At first I regretted the swap because the colours looks a bit strange together in the palette. They are an unexpected set of colours: a taupe brown, a almost chartreuse light green, a shimmery peach, a dark green brown duochrome (very pretty, a bit like MAC's Club but more subtle) and a light sky blue in the middle. I shopped my stash and I rediscovered this palette when looking for pastels and light e/s colours that are so on trend this Spring. The light green, blue and peach in this palette are very pastel looking, so I decided to play around with it before making a decision about putting this on swap again. I used the pale pastels and added the taupe in the crease and every combo I tried was very pretty imo. The green with blue, the green with the peach, all three pastels together. I used the taupe in the crease, or the darker green/ brown in the outer v to give a more smoky look. So the palette that looked a bit odd at first glance, now turned out to be quite versatile. The colours can make you look fresh and subtle or they can give a more dramatic look by adding more of the darker colours. I agree on the pigmentation: Dior e/s are not compareble to MAC or UD in pigmentation, but I think they are not meant to be. They have a totally different quality: they make you look good instead of your make up. You don't want to pack the colours on, because then they can look chalky, but when you use them with a light hand, they look absolutely fresh and gorgeous. If you're looking for lots of pigment in your e/s, I don't think you can find this at the Dior counter, but if you're looking for a nice, fresh and pretty colouring, this is great. I don't regret swapping for this and I would have bought this if I had the chance.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No