She Said Beauty Box August 2012



She said Beauty Box August 2012... Did I hear anybody say 'yet another beauty box'? Lets see...



                                 From L to R: Papier Poudre
                                   Redken Color Extend Radiant-10
                                  Balance Me Rose Otto Intensive Lip Salve

                                  4711 Eau de Cologne
                                  Nails Inc Nail Polish

                                  White Glo Professional Choice tooth paste
Papier Poudre
An oily skin girl like me could never have enough of blotting sheets and more so blotting sheets with powder are a bonus. I hereby gladly welcome the Papier Poudre to my handbag.


Redken Color Extend Radiant-10 HairsprayHmmm... dont have color treated hair. I thought I said it already in my beauty profile, if its ever considered ;) juz kidding. This one would be given away to someone who will use it.

Balance Me Rose Otto Intensive Lip Salve
I have been on a lookout for non-petroleum based lip balms. I am currently using the clinique one and looking to change next so here comes at the right time Balance Me Rose Otto Intensive Lip Salve. Happy about this.

4711 Eau de Cologne
I am not one for applying alchohol kinda things onto my skin. So the best purpose of this supposedly original eau de cologne for me is to use is as a bath elixir. Looking forward to nice long bath on hot a summer day.

Nails Inc Nail Polish
I got a beautiful pink color Nails Inc nail polish. Although unsure of how its gonna look on me, cant wait to have a try this one :)


White Glo Professional Choice tooth pasteOkay... toothpaste in a beauty box is definitely worth talking. The mini toothpaste would be in my travel essential for my next trip.

When I started writing this post I thought the She said beauty box August 2012 was just another box but now I see it has atleast 3 products that are useful to most people. I take this opportunity to applaude She Said Beauty once again.... :)

Which beauty box did you like? do tell me people....

Review: Dermalogica Oily Skin Kit


I had completed using the Dermalogica Oily Skin Kit sometime back and almost forgot to about the review. For pictures and details of the kit, please read my previous blog post here and the review now:

Dermal clay Cleanser
From the name somehow I was expecting a clay-based kind of thing to come out of the tube.. silly me…  actually it is a thin white liquid. The smell is definitely strong – minty, tea tree kind of. When I put it on my face, it felt little more tingling sensation than a minty cleanser would. It is quite liquidy so very easy to work with. It leaves the skin fresh and dry. Be careful not to get into the eyes and it has been advised to use pre-cleanse before this cleanser.

Multi Active Toner
I stuck to tea tree toners mostly till now (from Lush, Bodyshop). This one was little less tea tree/astringent feeling but almost did the same job as a tea tree toner would do. This has done the job of rebalancing my skin after the cleanser. Thumbs up!

Oil Control Lotion
The lotion is clear light liquid which is absorbed into skin immediately on application. It did not leave any mattifying effect but definitely has done its job right. I might replace my MAC oil control lotion with this one next.

Mircofoliant
This was the first product I tried on. This smelt salicylic acid + citric acid. The texture is grainy powder. Unfortunately my skin bombed on using this. I had eruptions all over my face and took almost a week to cure. I was wondering if one usage could make such impact, imagine what it would have been if it was a positive reaction… sad that I had a negative reaction.
Pre-cleanse (sample) 
This one I find it certainly interesting – the washable oil. Pre-cleanse is a light oil and has a herbal /aromatherapy kind of smell. I don’t really use it for makeup removal coz I cant stand the idea of massaging makeup all over my face, feels like sure shot way to block my pores and break out. So I clean my makeup with a usual makeup remover or a wipe and then pamper myself with a nice massage using the pre-cleanse. It does leave a slight sticky oily feeling  but then the smell wins me over. I would love to try more cleansing oils next.

Skin Refining Masque (sample) 
This felt like just an extension of the cleanser. It has the same look and feel. It is a white cream that applies onto skin wet… While on, gives a tingling sensation and the freshness after washing like most tea tree masks would. No fireworks here.
Skin Prep Scrub
This is the gem of this kit. Due to large pores on my cheeks, I am extra careful in exfoliation and not many scrub products impress me… Dermalogica skin prep scrub has toothpaste like consistency and fine grainy texture – enough to exfoliate without harsh rubbing. The scrub is very easy to work with and the whole experience of exfoliating with this scrub felt divine, I would say.
Total Eye care
I am not being pessimistic when I say my dark circles wouldn’t go.. its simple.. they are hereditary. I end up using eye creams for cooling/moisturizing my eye area. Due to my oily skin I stuck to eye gels mostly. Dermalogica Total eye care is a nice eye cream – non-greasy, easily absorbed. It felt like water-based and dint creep down my cheeks. I have worn it under make-up as well I did not notice any extra creasing because of this. It definitely moisturised the eye area better than the usual drugstore eye creams that I tend to use.
Re-purchase From the kit…
Cleanser – No
Toner - Yes
Scrub – Yes, yes, yes
Oil control lotion – Yes
Total Eye Care – Maybe

From the samples…
Pre-cleanse – Yes
Skin Refining Masque – No
Microfoliant - No

Conclusion: The kit is a great way to determine which of the Dermalogica products do you want to buy in full size.. Ok… My result is more number of ‘No’s  is very personalized… I am sure it will be different for different people. On the whole this kit is worth a try without doubt and is definitely worth the money!
P.S. Needless to mention my review is not biased in any way and am not affiliated to any company although that would not affect my review J

She Said Beauty July 2012 Box Review


Another beauty box and more excitement... I love beauty boxes like most girls around. Even more I love to read and know from other bloggers. Posts about the same beauty box by multiple bloggers actually show which one of us have similar skin type and similar taste. On that note, here’s my review of the She said Beauty Box for July 2012.

Murad Time Release Acne Cleanser
After hearing great reviews about Murad cleansers, got to try one. The Murad Time Release Acne Cleanser is an interesting cleanser. With oily skin, cream cleansers leave skin feeling supple and smooth but don’t do the tea tree job and tea tree/mint cleansers cleanse thoroughly but feels like take out all . the moisture off the skin. This murad cleanser is a perfect trade-off between the two. It has a lotion like consistency and is white in color.. almost like moisturizing lotion. After use, it leaves the freshness of tea tree cleanser without the drying effect which is amazing. This one is the best product in this box.

Layla D Honey Moisturiser
I gather that Layla D is a new organic skincare company based in the UK. Their products are chemical, paraben and sulphate free.  This cream is indicated ‘for dehydrated, dry and irritated skin’. This moisturizer does its job right. Period. I got to use it one night when my skin felt dry after series of spot treatments. Other than that it is my kind of moistursier as it is not oil-free.
Miners Cosmetics Love Phat Liner
A girl can never have enough black eyeliners I guess. I thought I will add this MINERS cosmetics Love Phat Liner to my array of eyeliners. The eyeliner is a good black color and smudges very easily. Black smoky eye is passé for me as I moved onto purples and blues these days but when I do I will try to use this eyeliner. It was ordinary eyeliner on my eyeliner.. faded in about 30 mins and hard to work with when applying. That’s a thumbs down actually.

Styfile S-file
I have the keyring version of the styfile which is awesome and I wanted to buy the full version and here I have it in the beauty box. Sometimes little things make you so happy… J

Freeze 24.7 Ice Crystals Anti-Ageing Prep & Polish
I tried Freeze 24.7 Ice Crystals Anti-Ageing Prep & Polish with no expectations. The exfoliant was  white in color with toothpaste like consistency and sparsely grainy in texture. It felt cooling on my skin and gave the gentle exfoliation effect with the exfoliation beads spread across. I used it after the Murad cleanser following with a mint mask so that completed a cooling facial J
EDEN Natural nailpolish remover
This was the first product I used from the kit. In the first week of this month I was wearing a passion pink nail polish and I tried to clean that with this. I tied to clean the polish with the EDEN Natural nail polish remover and it has actually done the job fine. I wouldn’t say easier than the existing acetone-free remover but just as right. The fact that the EDEN Nail Polish remover is from all natural ingredients definitely draws me to purchase it. I am so glad I received this in my beauty box otherwise I would have never given a thought to my nail polish remover.

The box also has a 'Debenhams Beauty Club Reward Card'. Anybody who doesn’t have the Debenhams Beauty Club Reward Card yet should be happy to receive this one I suppose.
So that was it from me. Do leave your experiences with this month’s beauty boxes in the comments below…. See you around!! :)

MUA Lip Boom - Bring It (Swatches & Review)

If you have read my previous posts you know I have been waiting for MUA Lip Booms. I could not get them in Oxford Superdrug so picked 'em when I went to Milton Keynes. I got the MUA Lip Boom in the shade 'Bring It'.

 

The packaging is attractive with the covering around the lipstick. But the outer packaging of the actual lipstick is not great - owing it to the low price I guess.



The shade 'Bring It' is a maroony red. A good red shade that matches most skin tones well. The gloss is pinky red with big chunks of glitter. Th gloss was not to my taste but I used the lipstick and the shade lasted a good 4 hrs on me without any touch-ups. Not sure for other shades though.


                                                    MUA liptsick Bring It swatches
                                     L to R: lipstick and gloss side-by-side,
                                      lipstick with gloss on half of it,
                         close-up of lipstick with and without gloss and gloss alone




Pros:
- Good Matte lipstick (without gloss) and long-lasting.
- highly pigemented, not sure if its with just this shade
- Quite inexpensive
- Good color range (waiting to try others)


Cons:
- The gloss is too much glittery
- The packaging is plastic-ky

Conclusion: The MUA lip boom definitely reached the expectations, for all the hype surrounding it. Good shade range, decent lasting power and price will make this best-selling soon.


So those were my thoughts. Do share yours in the comments below. :) I am sure some of you have used the MUA Lip Boom. Please suggest other shades I should buy.

Spa Facial: Do's and Dont's

Over the years I have had facial treatments a number of times with treatments ranging from fresh fruit facial to Gold facial. A good facial costed about INR 2000 (25 GBP)  and was well worth it. The common steps of a facial routine are –Cleansing, Exfoliation, Steam, Massage and Face Pack.
There are pre-set facial kits that could be used for a particualr facial. A facial could also be custom made. For instance most aroma facials are – the oils to be used on client are chosen specific to the client skin type and concerns.  Today I want to jot down do’s and dont’s of a spa facial from my experience.
Cleanse - Most spas store their cleansers in fridge to give that relaxing feeling on the first touch of cleanser.
DONT worry if cream cleansers are used, even on oily skin. Next step will balance it.
DO
1)      Notice if the aesthetician is massaging the cleanser. It is just needed to smooth over the face for surface cleansing, not absorbed into the skin.
2)      Leave the cleanser on the skin for few mins and removed with cotton wool before the next step.
Scrub – After cleansing, exfoliation is the next step. The type of scrub used would ofcourse depend on the type of facial. I have had facials where scrubs were very fine to huge chunks.
DON’T be afraid if rough chunky scrub is used, once in a while as part of the facial regime.
DO –
1)      Let the exfoliation step last around 5 mins ( but not more)
2)      Take care that the massage is not hurting your skin
3)      Make sure to pay attention to your problem areas like corner of the nose
Steam - After the scrub is cleaned, steam is given to the face. This is not a mandatory step for all facial recipes but is done in most.
DON’T worry if the steam is left on different times for different people. Generally oily skinned people steam is given for more amount of time, about 5 mins.
DO
1)      The eyes should be covered from steam with wet cotton before giving it
2)      Black/white head removal is best to happen at this stage
3)      Steam should be always followed cold compression to close the pores before the massage.

Massage - Facial massage is the best part of the facial and THE step that makes it different to at-home facial. A good massage is not only nurturing but relaxing as well. This phase should be of about 15-20 mins.
DON’T
1)      An ideal massage would be from hands which are naturally warm and soft.. do not have grooves on them. Not everybody is eligible to give a massage. J
2)      Don’t let the cream clog your pores. This happens if previous steps aren’t done properly.
DO
1)      Choose the right thing for you – it is ideal to use a gel or mild cream for oily skin and good cream for others. Good facial kit would provide this choice.
3)      Good amount of cream/gel is used (about 15-20 gm) and is absorbed well into the skin over the massage.
4)      Leave the skin for 2 mins to let it absorb before cleaning up any extra cream.

Face Pack -The final step of a facial is the face pack. Although we use them at home more so often, nothing can match the one which is part of facial.
DON’T
1)      Let your skin be left and forgotten with the face pack on. No pack needs to be dry more than 85% in actual (except some thermo packs).
2)      Speak and go around with pack on. Sit back and feel it working.

DO
1)      Let the eyes be covered with cotton pads dipped in cucumber/rose water or some eye pads.
2)      Check and confirm that the pack balances rest of the facial. For example if you have oily skin and a cream was used for massage, the pack would be clay-based to draw out any excess oils the cream has left on the skin.

Pre-facial
Selecting the facial right for your skin is the most important step. It is based not just on your skin type (oily, dry ) but also skin needs at the moment (like nourishing, deep clean). Generally the aesthetician should assist and advice in this regard.  Do mention any known allergies to help the decision.
Wrong decisions could be like –
An ‘orange peel facial’ disturbed my friend’s skin and caused eruptions because she was allergic to citrus things.
The famous ‘gold facial’ that works wonders and is used by almost every bride made me more oily and break-out because of the cream. A gel with gold oxide worked perfect the next time I had this facial.

Post-facial
Sometimes the skin might produce more oil after a facial routine than it usually does. Do not panic; it could be the skin’s way of adjusting to that particular facial and should settle in 24 hours. Pay attention if it continues.
After a facial it is important to stay away from make-up and any other treatments. It is advised use a mild cleanser and good moisturiser. Any treatments like facial hair removal, facial bleach should be performed before the facial routine.
A gap of 4 to 6 weeks can be left between two professional facial routines. Just like many treatments, a facial every other day would not do any miracles.
Ok I am really pepped up for an at-home pore refining facial and let me show you my facial kit I would be using this time:
                                       From L to R: Soap & Glory Fab Pore Hot Cloth Cleanser
                                        Soap & Glory The Greatest Scrub
                                        SKIN DOCTORS gamma hydroxy resurfacing cream
                                        Soap & Glory The Fab Pore Peel

Hope this post helps you people and do let me know your facial treatment experiences J

And the winner is....



I have tried to update the original post and get in touch with the winner but guess it was not working. So here it is.... the big way :)

I take immense pleasure in announcing that the winner of 50-follower giveaway is: Sophiax
Congratulations Sophia... Please get in touch with me with your address :):):).

Once again zillion THANKS to all my readers for encouraging me...  and keep looking for my 100-follower giveaway...  :):):):)

P.S.: the fine print is if the chosen winner is not responding in a week's time I will ask my excel randomizer to choose new winner.

Revlon Colorstay Eyeliner (Navy)


Revlon Colorstay Eyeliner in Navy is my latest obsession. Since my sleek pencils post (here) I have been looking for a dark blue eyeliner... I picked this up for the shade.


My expectation from eyeliner is easy to apply, smudge-proof, water-proof, long stay ( it feels odd to transform from faded eyeliner to fresh/dark eyeliner during lunch break ). Yap.. that seems to pretty much cover all one can ask for under the sun from an eyeliner :)



Now this eye liner put to test...

Packaging is convenient... retractable with tight cap. I have been going around with this in my handbag and no tragedies like breaking of the pencil or misplacement of cap.

Coming to the product... the shade is exactly what I have been looking for.... no glitter... not light and not dark but more like Navy blue. I have to say that the pigmentation is not good enough.. I do 2 coats of this to get the desired color and the swatch shows 3 layers of application...


It is truly smudge-proof, when I apply over my oily lids (with a primer) it doesnt move all day. It is water-proof. At the end of the day I use oil-based makeup remover to clean it. But like almost all long-stay eyeliners from UD to Sleek, even the revlon colorstay eyeliner fails to stay on my waterline. I have really watery eyes and irrespective of the weather conditions I end up with panda eyes even staying indoors.... :)

Pros
- smudge proof, water proof, very good to wear for 8 hours
- problem free packaging
- retractable pencil is convinient to use. comes with a little sharpner in the end.
- No warming is required


Cons
- Not pigmented enough for me. I apply 2 coats.
- gets little weird sometimes... the eyeliner gets kind of powdery.


Conclusion: It is a great eye liner in all aspects and everybody should give it a go. Despite my watery eyes not keeping it in place this is my new favourite eyeliner.

Has anyone else used this shade of this eyeliner? Also please recommend eyeliners that could stay on waterline.

Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream




Maybelline as a brand has always been hit with me so I was really waiting for this BB cream to release.  As early as I could, I picked up the Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream in Medium. I have used it multiple times and here’s my detailed review…

Lets look at the claims and what I have to say -
• Protects with SPF 30: Yes. It has an SPF so it must be protecting from sun.
• Oil free, non greasy: Yes. This is 100% correct. Although I have had a failure with No.7 BB cream which was exclusively meant for oily skin (Read full review here), the Maybelline dream fresh is ideal for oily/combination skins. J
• Imperfections look blurred: Yes. This BB cream is very pigmented (more than the No.7 one). So it is like a toned down version of foundation in coverage.
• A natural looking glow: Hmmm… I don’t quite know what to say. I did look made-up but definitely better than the look of foundation.
• Fresh feel: Yes… I know this sounds quite like an ad… but the feeling is true. It felt non-greasy which is fresh J
• Compliments skin tone: Ok.. now we got a problem… As the BB cream is highly pigmented it does not really disappear into the skin like a simple moisturizer, the tint shows on the skin so if the shade does not match you well then it might not complement the skin tone.
• Skin looks smooth: Yes. As I said, this works like light coverage foundation.
• Hydrates: Ok now I have oily skin so I can’t comment of how hydrating it was. But it was definitely not drying.

                                  
The shade range is the bane. I thought ‘medium’ would be a match to my NC42 skin but the BB cream oxidized on me to almost NC45 L which was quite dark. Then I tried light, no luck. I am in between the shades ‘Light’ and ‘medium’. As seen in the swatches, the BB cream seems to have pink undertones.
It is not really long-wearing. After 4 hours I could see it almost disappeared. Ofcourse I did not use a primer because my idea was an all-in-one cream for on-the-go. Maybe primer would make it better.
I would not suggest using it as a foundation primer as the Maybelline BB cream in itself is very pigmented. It might work well under powder foundations for better coverage.
Conclusion: This BB cream is definitely good. Oily skinned people can be also look at it as it is non-greasy and did not break me out…JJJ . I am glad I found a BB cream and I am hoping I would be able to use the BB cream in light in winter.
Has anybody else used this BB cream? Or any other BB cream suggestions for me?