John Plunkett Glyco Peel and my Crazy month in October

Haroo!

It's been a couple of weeks since my last update and I've been a busy bee. I've filed 4 tax returns for the family (with still another 3 to go ><), almost bought a property,  finalised the mortgage of and sold a property (for deceased estate) and got through the presentation and evaluation process with a tender at work. It's been such a stressful month in October that it's my neck, shoulders and arm started to play up with constant pain over the past few weeks.

Anyhow, things are looking a bit brighter now and it's only 4.5 weeks until I'm off to Asia for a much needed break in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Japan. Yes I'm getting just a tad excited now.

And even though I've not had the time to write as frequently as I like, I've been using a few new products lately and this one I'm reviewing today had me so impressed with its efficacy, I wished I had found out about it years earlier - particularly during my teens.

John Plunkett Glyco Peel - 25% Glycolic Acid 

The reason this home grown product piqued my interest was when I read about it  on a forum a while back about how it does amazing job of controlling blackheads. Since blackheads are a 'permanent' fixture on my nose, I decided to give the product a go and see if it would remove this 'unwanted' guests.

With 25% glycolic acid in a buffered solution, it acts as an intense night exfoliating treatment to accelerate the removal of top layer dead skin cells and unclog any blocked pores. It also helps to fade any superficial marks and discolourations from blemishes and helps reduce the appearance of fine lines. It also contains lactokine (milk protein) and aloe vera extract to help reduce skin inflammation and perfect for speeding up healing of blemishes.

Glyco Peel is a clear watery liquid that I use on freshly cleansed skin at night. I spread a very thin layer over my nose, cheeks and chin (basically the T-zones where I'm prone to blackheads and congestion on the skin).

I have fairly tolerant skin but this product can still cause a slight stinging sensation as the product is absorbed, especially when you have any broken skin from popping a whitehead but as long as you are able to tolerate the sting, it was fine to use (even though it's marketed for all skin types, if you have sensitive skin or can't tolerate stinging sensations, I suggest doing a patch test or washing the product off if it stings too much). I wait for the liquid to dry on my skin which take only a minute or two and then proceed to apply other skincare (usually a whitening serum, and a night moisturiser) which also helps to calm down the sting cause by the Glyco Peel.

The word peel in its name is deceptive as it doesn't cause the skin to peel, which was good news to me as I wouldn't use the product if it caused visible flaky skin.

Within a day's use, my skin is less oily. After 3 night's of use, I see that the pores on my cheeks are reduced and refined. I also noticed that underlying blemishes under the skin and congestions are calming down and disappearing. The blackheads on my nose take the longest to see results with over a week's use before I notice fewer black dots on my  nose and they were easily dislodged during a scrub in the showers. 2 weeks later, I almost have a clear nose again.

As for fine line reduction claim, I've not noticed this in the 3 weeks I've used the product so won't say it meets this claim, unless it's delivered after long term usage but my skin is softer and smoother with its use along with other skincare products.

I'm rapted with the results of the product and now use it every night when I'm having a bad skin week or every second night to just help control my sebum levels. I still experience the slight tingly/stinging initial sensations, but it doesn't cause my skin to flare up so I continue to use it as I think I've finally found a winning product in combating pore and blackhead problems. Just keep in mind that glycolic acid is an AHA so will cause photo-sensitivity so be sure to slap on the sunscreen during the day to keep the new skin protected from sun damage.

John Plunkett Glycol Peel 15ml  - RRP A$28.95 at selected pharmacies and online at Plunkett Pharmaceuticals.

Perricone Blue Plasma for a non-irritating face peel

Given our skin is the largest organ of the body, when it's not at its best, the first signs of that will often surface on our skin. Which is why we sometimes have bad skin week. It generally comes around whenever we are run-down, didn't get enough/proper rest or are just plain stressed.

That's been happening to me of late. Aside from the hormonal break outs on my chin, my skin just looks a bit sallow and dry, lacks vitality and is very reactive with any strong product (which my skin normal tolerates well) causing sensitivity, redness, and additional break outs on my cheeks and around the temple area.

So in search of something that can help clear my skin whilst I de-stress my body and mind, I found it in a blue bottle of liquid from Dr. Perricone which promises to give me smooth soft radiant skin without causing inflammation, abrasions or micro-scarring, irritation or redness, photo-sensitivity or requiring any down time.

Perricone MD Blue Plasma

Blue Plasmas seeks to increase the skin's natural renewal produce by increasing the rate of cell turnover - this sounds pretty much like a exfoliator, yet it isn't one. It appears to act like a peel and it isn't that either, not in the traditional sense anyway.

Here is an excerpt from the official marketing of this quirky product:

A non-acidic daily peel for brightness and radiance. The revolutionary technology of Blue Plasma reinvents the action of more traditional peels or exfoliators. It bio-specifically peels only dead skin cells, micro-purifies the pores and hydro-fuses the skin with nutrient rich water.

Slightly sticky with a faint but unremarkable scent, this blue (it's blue because of the dye but it's supposed to replicate the blue of the copper gluconate in the product) fluid  is meant to be used after on cleansed skin once a day (either morning or evening is fine).You apply the product into skin (I dispense a dropper for each side of the face and another one for the forehead and nose, chin area) and use the patting motion to pressed it into skin until it's absorbed before continuing with your regular skincare routine of serums and/or moisturisers.

The first thing I notice is that skin is immediately re-hyrdated thanks the the hyaluronic acid and aloe combination. It's other key ingredients list is also impressive - the enzymes in the hydrolised salmon egg roe attacks only the dead skin cells on the surface level to help gently speed up the shedding of skin. The amino acid L-carnitine unclogs congested skin and bring to surface impurities within skin, magnolia bark extract to sooth irritations, copper ions to promote skin cell healing and  ptersostilbene provide anti-oxidant functions to give skin radiance and clarity.

look how dry my skin is lately - immediate hydration after applying just one dropper of Blue Plasma

When using Blue Plasma, the irritations and flare ups on my skin often will die down within 15 minutes after application, which makes it great for those for sensitive skin who normally wouldn't consider any peel products as those can be too harsh on sensitised or reactive skin. Other than that, I don't really notice anything different in this product than any other serums.

I didn't experience any flaking skin with its use, yet it looked like I have renewed skin after 4 days' use. I notice that my skin tone is clearer - the sallowness has disappeared. In fact, Blue Plasma helped to rid me of flakes around my blemishes that were being dried up by acne creams and accelerating the healing of the blemishes. My skin is now calmed down and smoother again.

After 2.5 weeks of almost daily use, I am more than impressed by its ability to speed up healing of minor blemishes, and ability to gently exfoliate skin without any irritation and causing further flaking during the process. The fact that it doesn't cause photo-sensivity like many other 'peel' products is a winner as we head towards the summer months.

My skin is now softer, smoother, clearer and more even in tone. I can't say that the result is entirely from using this product alone as I use other skincare products on top of Blue Plasma and also use a cleansing brush (Clarisonic) to wash my face, but I definitely see that without it's addition, the results just isn't as efficient and I don't get the clear skin as quickly as I do with its use.

Blue Plasma is really a mini facial in a bottle and the new generation of home face peels; you don't need to go to salons to get the coveted radiant clear skin if you have this bottle in your beauty cabinet. And best of all, it is effect for all skin types so anyone can use it for clear and bright skin. The only downside is that once you've discovered it, you may become addicted like I am and fear you will run out of it.

Perricone MD Blue Plasma RRP A$130 for a 59ml dropper bottle at Mecca Maxima stores and Cosmetica online in Australia. Internationals can try their Sephora stores.

This product was provided for editorial consideration. 

Modern Muse EDP by Estee Lauder

Modern Muse is the newest fragrance from Estee Lauder since it's last offering Beyond Paradise, launched a decade ago in 2003 which I adore and currently own two bottles of.

Modern Muse is Estee Lauder's most grown up floral fragrance - it embodies independence, confidence and with a firm feminine touch from the jasmine and woody accords, a exemplification of the modern women and the multi-roles she plays in today's society.

Sleek and tall, the bottle's curved edge and clean and clear straight lines houses a light grapefruit pink juice, complemented by the rectangular geometric gold and black top to gives it a bold and strong presence, representative of a strong  feminine woman standing tall and holding her own.

Upon first spray, the highlights of fresh citrus makes a brief appearance before waltzing off to give way to the belle of the ball - the sambac jasmine accord which have been cleverly enhanced by mandarin and the light sweetness of honeysuckle. The woody aspects don't really project strongly in this Modern Muse. Here it plays more of a supporting role - gently wrapping around the white floral scent to enhance it with notes of amber wood, soft musk over a vanilla back drop. Modern Muse also features patchouli but I can't say its very discernible to my nose.

Modern Muse may be floral and feminine, but it is no wall flower. Being able to come off as very clean, fresh and cool, I see myself putting Modern Muse on during a spring or mild summer day, as it it imparts to its wearer the confidence to get through whatever challenges she may face on her given day.

RRP A$85/ A$115/ A$155 for 30ml/ 50ml/ 100ml
Modern Muse  EDP is available now at Estee Lauder counters and online.

Lengthen your lashes with 1000 Hour Eyelash Enhancing Serum

For those of us who are not naturally blessed with luscious thick and long lashes, we go to great lengths to gain fluttery looking eye, whether it be done by piling on copious coats of mascaras or going down the path of false lashes or lash extensions.

There is also a growing market out there for eye lash serums that promises to promote lash growth naturally. I’ve never really thought much about lash serums to be honest as I didn’t think it would work for me but when I had the opportunity to trail a lash serum recently, I decided to find out once and for all whether they actually improve lash growth.

1000 Hour Eyelash Enhancing Serum - 2.5ml 

1000 Hour claims:

97% natural based ingredients that is loaded with vitamins and minerals to condition lashes. It is also paraben and fragrance free so is less likely to irritate eyes. 

Conditions lashes and help provide strength, improving its flexibility and elasticity so that it is less prone to fallouts.

Increase thickness and volume of lashes. 

My view:
This is a gel based product in a tube like you would find of any mascara. I like that it’s The wand is has a fine tip brush at the end like you would find in eye liners and you pretty much use it like one- applying the lash serum along the lines of the eye. I like to get as close to the lash line as possible so use the brush in a tight lining fashion which means applying the gel along my water line where the lash base is on my top and bottom lashes.

The lash serum not only helps with the health of your lashes, but can also help with sparse brows as well, so I applied some on the ends of my brows hoping that it could work miracles as well.

Fast forward a month later of regular use (I admit, I wasn't good with daily twice a day use as I may have forgotten during some late nights to use the serum), the verdicts are in.

I definitely experience fewer lash fall outs, in fact within the first week. I’d have fewer and 1 lash fall out in a week when I normally have one a day.

I haven’t notice much volume or thickening of my lashes but I would dare say that due to the fewer fallouts, I've got more lashes on my eyes than before I've started out as  the serum promotes hair growth. This appears to be the case with the sparse ends of my brows as well which is now slightly more filled than before (it is still pretty sparse).

I’ve also noticed that my lashes were slightly longer as well. This was most noticeable for my bottom lashes which I barely have any of that are visible and now, I have some very fine lashes growing on my lower lash line.

In summary, I’m quietly very pleased with the results. They are not dramatic and I certainly still need the help of a coat or two of mascara, but now, I can create a more doll eye look with mascara as there are more lashes for me to coat products with. If you’re looking for ways to naturally enhancing your lashes, do give lash serums a try.

1000 Hours Eyelash Enhancing Serum RRP A$39.99 at selected Price Attack stores and online at The Beauty Office.

This featured product was provided for editorial consideration. 

Calvin Klein Dark Obsession for Men

Today I have a review of Calvin Klein's latest mens' fragrance to share with you. To get an impartial view from the stronger sex, I've enlisted the help of a male friend to give me his view of this latest juice offering.

Calvin Klein Dark Obsession for Men

Official marketing description and packaging
Branded as a bold, modern oriental fragrance that is powerfully masculine and intensely sensual. Its sleek and matte black bottle with silver writing gives it an edgy feel and helps to portray the essence of bold, powerful and sexy.

He says:
At first, there is a slight fruitiness and sweetness smell I can't quite put my finger to. Actually, the overall scent is fairly light with a bit of spiciness and musky intonation that remind me of some sort of fresh potpourri.

I'd say this is not a winter scent as it's very light - more like a spring or autum scent that wears well for a 3 to 4 hours on the skin before becoming a light nice soapy smell.

The name Dark Obsession seems to be a misnomer because this fragrance is not dark - it's a light vibrant scent that is that too sweet to be dark.  And even though I'm not obsessed with the scent, if my girl digs it, and she gave it to me, I'd wear it to keep her obsession with me going.

She says:

The first scent that comes through are woody and green pines notes with just the just right level of aromatics zing that is refreshing to the nose. It seems to also be infused with a warm vanilla undertone that softens the sharpness and suggest a complexity and sophistication and softer side of this fragrance.

Normally, I'm not a fan of aromatic scents but the light sweetness here have made me changed my mind on aromatics. Once the intensity comes off,  Dark Obsession transform into a smooth blend of sensual smoky warm notes over a light sweet base that comes together harmoniously.

Dark Obsession promises exhibits a fine balance of masculinity and gentleness. Contrary to its name, it isn't a dark perfume as it is not heady or overpowering. The boldness and power isn't strong here but it is definitely sexy  with its smoky aromatics and I can see myself becoming obsessed with its wearer.

The official notes:
Top: brazilian green mandarin, guarana, absinthe
Mid: : french clary sage, fir balsam, white vetiver
Base:  madagascar vanilla bean, labdanum, suede
Family: aromatics oriental

Calvin Klein Dark Obsession for Men EDT - 75ml | 125ml  for  A$69 | A$99 at Myer, David Jones and selected pharmacies.

This featured product was provided for editorial consideration.

L'Oreal Shine Caresse & YSL Glossy Stain Comparison

Whenever a successful product is launched into the market, it generally isn't long before others try to emulate its success by coming up out with similar products (think the plethora of BB creams we now see in the market). Sometimes it’s even the same company who come out with similar/competing product to cater for a different demographic/segment of the market.

Such would appear to be the case with today’s product review. L’Oreal is the parent company for both L’Oreal Paris and YSL but have different target market; one being more drugstore or budget friendly and the other caters to the high-end prestige market - but undoubtedly they would share many R&D findings and outcomes between both companies and their products would contain similar formulations which would be tweaked enough to provide differentiating factors to justify the two separate markets.

So with the success of YSL Glossy Stains since its 2012 launch, it wasn’t long before a more budget friendly version of the product was brought to the market by L’Oreal to fill the gap. This is how I think L’Oreal Paris Shine Caresse lip gloss/stain came to existence.

I couldn’t help myself the other day when there was a 40% off sale in Priceline and picked up a couple of shades to try out and do a comparison with my much loved Glossy Stains (reviewed and swatched here).

L'Oreal Paris Shine Caresse - 6ml 

This hybrid gloss/stain is marketed as:
"The next generation lip colour, that combines the texture & shine of a gloss with the long wear of a stain. Delivering a lasting colour with a subtle glossy shine". 

It’s touted to contain a unique formulation with 30% water and 60% oil, that delivers real hydration for up to 6 hours after application. To me it sounds very similar to the Glossy Stain.

Packaging –  this comes in a clear tube showing the shade of the product and has a gold base and a tapered gold applicator lid. Initially I thought the base was the lid, but it was the tapered end that holds the tear-drop applicator.

Scent – it has a sweet sugary scent that reminds me of cotton candy at a carnival. Love it or hate it, it goes away after a few minutes on lips

Texture, finish & formulation – Shine Caresse feels feather-light and goes on lips with a watery feel and a vinyl gloss finish. The shine wears out to a subtle sheen after a few hours of wear but is still very flattering. The formulation can gives slightly patchy application of the colour as it doesn't always spread evenly, so may require a second coat to get an even opaque coverage. It is initially hydrating but on me, it does feel a bit sticky/tacky as time goes by and the only way to avoid this is to not layer on the product and rather slick on a lip balm for added hydration afterwards.

Colour -  a decent amount of pigmentation is present in the deeper shades but it can be a bit patchy on application for the lighter shades with its lower pigmentation levels. An extra coat of product is required to achieve good even coverage. As with stain products, the initial colour oxidises and deepens over the first 2 minutes of wear. But once developed it stays true and wears for hours and hours on end. I had #300 and that lasted me more than 6 hours of wear (it did fade to a lighter stain after eating).

Lasting power -  lasts through food without smudging. In fact, this is the stand out feature of Shine Caresse, along with its lightweight formulation which gave very comfortable all day wear (save for the slight sticky feel at times).

Colours 
#200 Princess is a coral red on my medium pigmented lips. I find the colour goes it slightly patchy and my natural lip colour shows through slightly (especially at the edge). It is a very pretty shade that compliments all skintones, particularly warm and medium skins.

#300 Juliet is an oranged based red when swatched on skin but a deep red on my lips and in certain light (especially after the colour develops), it looks like a deep bruised berry colour. It is definitely one of the most changing shades I've encountered in a while which goes to show some shades are just unpredictable on individual lips.

Shine Caresse v Glossy Stain
The most visually obvious similarity for me between the two products is in the sponge tip applicator - the slight difference in shape doesn't detract from the fact that they are fundamentally teardrop shaped. The initially watery feel, the light-weight texture and likeness in shine finish is also quite uncanny.

Ingredients listing comparison
YSL Glossy Stain: Octyldodecanol, Aqua / Water, Trimethylsiloxylphenyl Dimethicone, Ethylcellulose, Sorbitan Stearate, Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Sucrose Cocoate, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Hydroxypropyl Guar, Calcium Aluminium Borosilicate, Silica, Benzyl Alcohol, Limonene, Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, Polyethylene Terephthalate, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Alumina, Benzyl Benzoate, Anise Alcohol, Acrylates Copolymer, Tin Oxide, Parfum / Fragrance 

L’Oreal Shine Caresse: Octyldodecanol, Aqua / Water, Trimethylsiloxylphenyl Dimethicone, Ethylcellulose, Sorbitan Stearate, Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Sucrose Cocoate, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Hydroxypropyl Guar, Calcium Aluminium Borosilicate, Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, Hydroxycitronellal, Alumina, Silica, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Linalool, Polyethylene Terephthalate, Citronellol, Acrylates Copolymer, Benzyl Alcohol, Tin Oxide, Parfum / Fragrance

As predicted, Glossy Stain and Shine Caress can pass off as siblings as the main ingredients are the same for both products. But this is where the parallels starts to end. The difference are in the trailing ingredients gives Glossy Stain (pigment and fragrance being a main difference) the advantage in pigmentation and comfort during wear.

Glossy Stain shades doesn't change colour as much during its development stage so what you see in the tube colour is more representative of its end shade. It is also much more pigmented, especially so for the lighter shades where one coat is enough for a decent colour payoff whilst with Shine Caresse, its sheerness means multiple coats to achieve the same level coverage.

Scent wise, Shine Caresse comes across as being more synthetic but I don’t mind it at all. In short, Glossy Stain wears better, doesn’t feel sticky after long hours of wear and has more sophisticated colours selections.

Obviously the price points between the two products are also very different. Shine Caresse is less than half the price of Glossy Stain in Australia so you can buy two for the price of one.

The price difference makes L’Oreal Shine Caresse an excellent alternative for many and I have to agree. But my lips are quite snobby and whenever possible, I’d take the YSL Glossy Stain for a bold shot of colour and only supplement with the Shine Caresse when I want to wear sheerer lip shades.

L'Oreal Shine Caresse - RRP $23.95 Available in 8 shades in Australia at pharmacies, Priceline, Kmart and Target stores. Note that the shade numbers and names differ from region to region (Asia and North America seems to have different number and colour releases for the same shades compared to Australia).

Go to Hair Heaven with Muk Spa Argan Oil Haircare

It's not often I get excited about hair care products - particularly shampoo and conditioners. However, when I was recently introduced to this range - let me tell you it was pure hair romance and love at first wash. And the adoration just continues every time I use it.

So what is this amazing range? Well it's none other than the latest Argan Oil Repair range from MUK.

For those not quiet acquainted to the brand, MUK is actually started by 3 passionate entreprenurs 6 years ago in Melbourne with the philosophy of creating great market leading hair styling products with attitude. They have since gone from strength to strength, branching out from the original "Hard Muk" hair styling product to now include haircare and hair styling tools as well as expanding into international markets in the UK, Western Europe. USA, and Taiwan.

Their latest additional to the current 23 haircare product line is the Muk Spa range.

with the core ingredient being the now ubiquitous Morroacan Argan oil we see in almost all hair care products, Muk's philosophy and point of difference is to only use ingredients that are actively beneficial to the health of hair. That means that the range is free from sulphates, parabens, phosphates, mineral oils and are full of nutrient giving and conditioning ingredients that nuture hair back to full health. Not only work on all hair types, its also colour safe so your pretty hair colour doesn't fade due to its use. Ok - that's enough talk, lets get straight into the range shall we?

Argan Oil Repair Shampoo 300ml - RRP A$26.95

 This has got to be my favourite shampoo to-date. It is gentle on use yet, smells divine with is warm sandalwood and aromatherapy based scent and gives hair and scalp a good clean. Not the stripped-of-all-oil but the nice-but-still-have-a-bit-of-moisture clean.

My hair doesn't feel stringy and even during the rinse, it is already smooth and untangled. I don't know how one can describe freshly washed and dried hair can be fluffy and soft, healthy, full of vitality without frizz or fly-aways, but that is exactly what this shampoo (together with the conditioner) does to my hair. I feel like I've created volume from the roots and the unruliness that my thick wavy hair is well renowned for is tamed.

That is definitely saying a lot without the aid of any styling products or tools. It's almost like magic really and hair feels light without being weighed down by residues or silicones (yes, you can tell I'm very much enamoured by this shampoo.)

Argan Oil Repair Conditioner 300ml - RRP A$26.95

Thick, and nourishing, this conditioner has the same aromatherapy scent as the shampoo but is richer and just adds moisture back into hair, effectively treating the dry ends that we're all prone to with all the hair styling and hair dying that hair is subjected to these days. It conditions, smooths and add shine back into hair - the perfect pair with the shampoo as is almost as effective as a hair treatment.

Argan Oil Repair Repair Mask 250ml - RRP A$26.95

I use this luxuriously rich masque once a week in place of conditioner to help add extra moisture back into hair, reducing dry ends and helps to improve brittle damaged hair. Make sure to leave this for 5 minutes or more so that the conditioning agents can penetrate into hair. Results are tangle free, smooth straight glossy hair every time after blow drying.

Argan Oil Repair Shine Spray 100ml - RRP A$34.95

A range cannot be complete without some post-washing hair care product and this has got to be one of my favourite products in the current market. It spray a fine mist to just lightly coat hair for a lustrous shine and reduces hair hair drying time when sprayed onto hair that is 40% dried. It also helps to keep any stubborn fly aways at bay and doesn't add weight to hair. I love how this shine spray also conditions and nourish hair to imrpove its health with the argan oil rather providing a temporary shine solution with heavy silicone based products.

Argan Oil Repair Treatment 100ml - RRP A$34.95

This is a viscous gel serum that is good on damp hair as it is on dry. The dropper dispenser makes it easy to dispense the right amount onto hands to use every time. On damp hair, it helps to tame and provide straighter hair once blow dried. On dry hair, it acts as a shine serum to add shine, and protect against heat damage, making it an ideal heat protectant product (I wouldn't advise to rely solely on this for heat protection as it would require too much product to provide the protection and be too heavy on hair).

I can honesty say I love washing my hair these days thanks to the MUK Spa Argan Oil range. I am already scouting for a local MUK salon so I can refill when I finish my shampoo and conditioner (I've been using them for 4 weeks and so am only halfway through them).

MUK haircare products are available at MUK stocklists. Call 1300 768 264 for stocklist info. International stocklists can be found at Muk Online.

These featured products were provided for editorial consideration.

DIY Gel Polish with Sally Hansen Salon Gel Polish Starter Kit

Today I have guest blog from a dear friend of mine - Stef. She is as much of a beauty lover as I am and we have enabled each other to a countless number of beauty purchases! One of Stef's great love is getting her hands manicured and today, she shares with us a review and tutorial of her latest nail haulage.

* *

I’ve always loved finishing up my gym workout session with a manicure session at a local salon. And ever since I found out about gel nail polishes, I was hooked! I love that it dries instantly and doesn't chip; is still glossy and shiny even after 2 weeks. For me, gel polishes are the best things since sliced bread because I can still wash dirty dishes (I don't use gloves) and not have to worry about my nail colours fading or chipping!

But each gel polish manicure costs $35-$40 - do I really want to spend that amount every 2 weeks - especially when I realise that I could probably do it myself (though probably not as well as the salon manicurists, but practice makes perfect right?).

So when I found the Sally Hansen Salon Gel Polish Starter Kit, it was Hallelujah! I ordered my kit from eBay, which was the best way to source the product from the US to Australia.

Sally Hansen Salon Gel Polish Starter Kit

The kit contains:

• 1 base coat 1 colour coat in “Wine Not” 
• 1 top coat (I love the glossiness of this coat) 
• 10 cleanser pads 
• 1 nail buffer 
• 1 gel polish remover 
• the LED lamp

The application is really simple:

1. You apply a very thin coat of  the base coat. This is important! If you apply a layer of slob, it won't set properly. Trust me - I've been there before :( 
2. Then you cure it for 30 seconds under the LED lamp.
   
   
3. Apply the colour coat thinly. Depending on the colour intensity that you want, you can either apply one or two coats of colour. 
4. In a single coat, “Wine Not” looks like a bright red with shimmer. In two coats, the red looks a bit deeper, sexier, and richer. Cure it under the LED lamp for 30 seconds with each coat.
   
   
5. After curing the colour coat, apply the top coat thinly; cure it under the LED lamp for another 30 seconds. This is my favourite part. As soon as you layer that top coat, it lifted up the whole polish to show this glamorous glossy colour. 
6. Use the cleanser pad provided to rub over the nail colours to remove the tacky residue from your nail polish. 
7. The last step is to apply the CND Solar Oil - a sweet almond oil base cuticle oil. Brush a good amount on your cuticles and gently brush it in with your finger. Not only is it nourishing to cuticles, it also helps the nail polish to stay on longer. 
   
8.  I purchased another gel polish last week: CND Shellac in “Hollywood”. Below is the comparison of the two colours. My nails are polished in “Wine Not” - 2 coats and my toe nails in “Hollywood” - 1 coat.
   

   

   On hands: Sally Hansen "Wine Not", on feet: CND "Hollywood"

The Verdict:

I think this at-home Gel Polish kits make a good investment and Sally Hansen has come up with a value-for-money kit. However, I find that their gel polish are not as long-lasting as those from the CND Shellac range. So, once my current Sally Hansen gel polish runs out, I'll be getting CND Shellac or Harmony Gelish gel polish replacements. 

RRP US$64.15 at major US drugstores or you can source this online at Amazon.

Do you like doing your own nails or prefer to visit the salons?

Thanks Stef for writing for the blog - hopefully she will be making more regular appearances!

Guinot Biological Peeling Radiance Gel for Baby Soft Skin

I'm always looking for a good cleanser to add to my morning routine. Usually I look for products that are AHA (alpha hydroxy acids) based as I find that those products are more effective in removed dead skin cells that build up over time that can dull skin complexion and a cause of dry flaky skin.

One such product that I've recently had the opportunity to try out is now on my favourite list.

Guinot Biological Peeling Radiance Gel - 50ml

Guinot Description: 
A gentle facial peel the exfoliates by softening the keratin kinks between dead skin cells. Fruit acides dissolve the dead skin cells.

My View: 
This is a light gel with a pearlescent sheen when it comes out of the tube.  It also has a pleasant floral scent that can be a bit strong for some but I personally didn't mind it.

It contains AHA made from can sugar, apple and citrus to gently exfoliate and Green Tea extract as an anti-oxidant to protect cells from being damaged through oxidisation. It also has shea butter and glycols to help soften skin.

You apply this onto dry skin on your face, contours of the eye and neck and then in circular motion, rub this  into skin until it becomes a clear liquid and with a slippery texture with an oily sheen on the skin (this takes about 2 minutes for the whole face). The product does rinses off completely away with lukewarm water without any residue.

Oily sheen texture after working the peel into skin. 

I find that this is a great exfoliator for gentle skin because its not a scrub which can irritate sensitised skin and can be use quite regularly.

As for result , immediately after use, my face feels as smooth as a baby's bum afterwards and looks clear and radiant. It is soft and velvety to touch and an improved in clarity where any rough or dull skin is removed as old cells are rubbed off and new skin cells are revealed.

I also found that using the peel helps with speeding up the lightening of the scar marks due to improved efficiency in the cell renewal process.

I use this facial peel 2 to 3 times a week in place of my normal morning cleanser depending on the condition of skin and it's my go-to facial cleanser if I suffer from flaking skin as it sorts out the problem out in the first go.

Tip- try use this peel once a while on the back of your hands for the smoothest paws in town- you'll see the layer of dead skin cells that gets rubbed off like magic.

RRP A$57 Guinot spas/salons or online at Adore Beauty.

This featured product was provided for editorial consideration.

Indulgent Timeout with L'Herboflore Facial Masks

Facial sheet masks have been a favourite of mine for a mid week pick me up or weekend chill out session for the face.

They are easy to use, don't need to be washed off afterwards (unlike conventional clay or cream based masks) and generally have enough skincare fluids on them that that you can skip putting on your regular skincare serum if you do it during night-time.

My latest sheet masks indulgence are from L'Herboflore (蕾舒翠), a Taiwanese brand specialising in sheet masks. I managed to get a few of these masks when they were sent over by fellow beauty blogger and good friend Tina from Chasing Elixir who now resides in Taiwan and has started working for L'Herboflore.

L'Heboflore Facial Sheet Masks 

Right off, I have to say the packaging is divine - each and everyone of them are colourful, unique and tell a story that relates to the range it belongs to - trust these clever Taiwanese artists to come up with such pretty and cute designs.

back of packaging - the recommended  application time is 15-20 minutes

Available in over 25 varieties, from the Aromatherapy range, Agean sea range, Garden of Venus range to the Clinical range. Each range has a few different masks to cater for different skin types and skin concerns (eg. extra hydrating, firming, whitening, skin refining etc).  I've only tried a few of the varieties, and apart from the differences in scent, I can't say I've noticed too much difference in terms of benefits - they all provide intense hydration and leave skin feeling velvety soft after use. I don't really notice any firming or but I guess you might have to use it on a daily basis to see that kind of benefit.

The sheet masks are gel-like and flexible and made of thin breathable materials, allowing them to stretch better and fit my face more - something that I struggle with in many other sheet masks.

typical ingredients listing - this one is for the Q10+ Marine Collagen anti-aging silk mask

The serums in each mask pack are also very generous - you are looking at 30ml from each pack, enough to apply the excess serum on your face after taking off the cloth mask and then some for your neck. If you still have extra juice, you can even slap the excess all over your arms or legs.

These sheet masks feel very indulgent and luxurious on but surprisingly, are quite hip-pocket friendly with prices ranging from T$50 to NT$250 a piece (that equates to A$1.65 to A$8.35 for the most expensive face mask).

In all, these sheet masks are one of the best I've tried to date in their price range (far better than those from My Beauty Diary, Kose and Laneige facial masks). In fact, they probably blow their competitors out of their water in this price range.

This sheet mask wraps around your neck and over your ears (Tranexamic Acid + Truffle Whitening Mask 3D)

My only lament about L'Herboflore sheet masks are that they are not available outside of Taiwan yet, so if you are travelling there (or know someone who is going there), be sure to stock up!

L'Herboflore facial sheet masks ranges from NT$50 per piece to NT$250 (equiv to A$1.65 to A$8.35) from L'Herboflore store in Taipei (address: Taipei 101 Floor B1, Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Xin Yi A11 Floor 2) or you can grab them online (note: it's a Chinese site so you might struggle to navigate around and they don't ship overseas)

P.S - I'm told by Tina that if you ask very nicely over at their Facebook page, they will arrange something for us international peeps! Thanks Tina for introducing me to these sheet masks.

This featured product was provided for editorial consideration.

Lift your Lids with Eye Define

As the years go by, I'm noticing that my lids are feeling the weight of gravity and drooping more than when I was in my 20s.

Having Asian eyes which are semi hooded doesn't help either. Short of having surgery to correct the problem, what else can I do?

In Asia, women have been using the hugely popular invisible tapes to create double eye lids or enhance the creases over the past few years.

This idea has now caught on in western market and have gone on to additional uses, they can also be used to lift droopy eyes and create better defined creases.

One such product in our market is Eye Define.

Results others achieved with using Eye Define

Eye Define eye lid tapes

Out of the packet

The product comes in a box with a set of 34 strips of medical grade tape strips and a little tub of wax gel to help it apply to eyes.

The lid tape itself are cut to a crescent shape to fit the eyes. These are transparent temporary stick on lid tapes that you use to create deeper crease and hold the droopy lids in place.

The Eye Define lid tape 

To use, simply use a pair of tweezers to lift the lid tape from its backing paper, wipe on a bit of wax gel to create a and then apply onto the lids of eye according to your eye shape.

Don’t be afraid to use a pair of scissors to cut the tape to size to suit your eye shape if it is too thick, not curved enough etc. Play around with it until you find what works for you.

The Pros of Eye Define 

• Instant results of lifted eyes and better defined creases, creating bigger eyes. Stays put and lasts all day long without irritating eyes and is very comfortable on eye lids.
• Cost effective and great for special occasion are perfect for those Kodak moments where you want to look fresh and at your best for the camera. 
• Can be used over or under eye shadow. I find that the fading of eye shadows gives obvious lines around the tape so regular touch ups will be required when using shadow on top. 

The Cons of Eye Define

• Can be fiddly to work out the angle of which to apply the strips to create desired result. This means it can be time consuming unless you perfect your application of it. 
•  Depending on your eye shape and crease depth, they may not be as invisible as you like them to be. It will not be noticeable in photos but from speaking distance, people will be notice – just as they would with extravagant false lashes.

For me, the lift not only created a wider eye look, it also helped to remove the hooding of my eye lids so I have proper double eye lids, like what the Asian eye lid tapes could help me achieve.

A pleasant surprise I had from using Eye Define was that after a couple hours of wear, and then after taking off the tape, my enhanced creases were maintained and I still had the benefits of enlarged double lids for a few extra hours longer. This meant I could have wider eyes without the tell-tale signs of the tape.

Wider Eyes: one done (on the left). You can even use eye shadow over these lid tapes

Eye Define on both eyes

Although I get gorgeous wider and lifted eyes using Eye Define, I'm not too excited about using it due to the the amount of time needed for me to get the angle right to create natural looking enhanced creases. If you have deeper creases, you will properly have fewer issues than me as you have more lid space to play with.

In any case, practice makes perfect so if you are looking to use the product for a special event, make sure you do this a few times before you actually want to wear this out as you will need plenty of practice to know what angle you need to apply these eye lid tapes on.

RRP A$29.95 from Eye Define online.
This featured product was provided for consideration.

Review & FOTD: Rimmel BB Cream

During the 2nd half of 2012 - the beauty market exploded in the number of non-Asian BB cream launches (the non-Asian version prefer the abbreviation BB to be known as Beauty Balm creams whilst Asian varieties are known as Blemish Balm creams).

Being a popular staple in the Asian markets over the past 10 years, it's little wonder that the BB cream mania been as wildly embraced once released in the non-Asian market. Today, you definitely need your own version of a BB cream if you want to be taken seriously as a makeup company (Clinique, Dior, Estee Lauder, MAC, Garnier, Natio and L'Oreal are all on-board!).

So what makes a product a BB Cream as opposed to being just a tinted moisturiser? Well they have the following properties.

• is a all-in-one primer, concealer and medium coverage foundation product to provide a natural and flaw finish to skin
• has a gel-like texture and have a dry to touch finish. 
• is a moisturiser and has additional skincare benefits depending on variety (whitening, healing, anti-ageing)
• has UV protection often means you don't need a separate sun block 

But even though there are skincare benefits in BB creams they are not to the same level as targeted skincare products so I would still apply my serums and skincar  as they are more effective in addressing the my specific concerns.

Till recently, my interactions with BB creams have only been the Asian varieties, so I was excited to get introduced to the western versions with my first one being none other than the Rimmel London BB cream.

Rimmel Londom BB Cream - 30ml 

Boasting 9 benefits claims:

• Skincare benefits: 1 -prime, 2 - moisturise, 3 - minimise appearance of pores and 4 -helps protect against environmental damage;
• Makeup benefits: 5 - conceals, 6 - covers, 7 - smoothes, 8 - mattifies, 9 - brightens 

Available in 3 different shade, this BB cream caters to a wider varieties of skin tones. This is a plus as alot Asian BB creams only come in 1 shade. The light, and medium version are neutral tone and both suits me (summer and winter shade) and when blended out gives a very decent colour match.

Rimmel BB cream on NC30 skin, natural light

Being SPF 25, it gives decent sun protection so that you don't need a separate sunscreen if you are only going to be in incidental sun for a short period of time (which is adequate for those of us who doesn't get outdoors much during the day).

There is a light citrusy floral scent that is not over bearing and in fact quite pleasant. It definitely has a rich gel-like texture but is very easy to blend on skin to give a velvetly smooth finish.

For those with normal/oily skin, this BB cream would also provide adequate hydration on its own but if you have dry skin, I'd defintely layer a separate moisturiser rather than solely rely on this for hydration.

The claims of being a primer is substantiated as it does a good job of evening out the skin and mattifying it for a 4 hours (after that, my oily skin just shines through).

As a concealer, it provides medium coverage so that discolourations, redness and marks are all evened out but any large blemishes will need stronger coverage as this won't cover them as well. It also gives a radiant natural finish that looks like you've applied a soft-focus lens over your face so it temporarily brightens skin as well.

As for minimising appearance of pores, I found that my pores looked the same but it didn't accentuate it so this was a moot claim for me.

Verdict
Rimmel has put out a great BB cream as has pulled off 8 of the 9 claims - a pretty good result and I'd happily incorporate this BB cream into my everyday makeup repertory.

Skintone is even and complexion brightened with Rimmel BB cream

In fact, I do so most work day or casual weekend when I'm after a natural finish that covers my uneven skin tone, dark circles and what not but don't have me looking too cakey or heavily made-up. I normally would apply a translucent powder on top to set the product and a little blush, lippy and minimal eye product and I'm ready and out the door. This is an example of my not too made up look I sport on weekends.

Fresh look FOTD with Rimmel BB Cream. Full product lists used are

• Rimmel BB cream in M111vb11edium
• Face of Australia Translucent loose powder
• Bobbi Brown Blush in Apricot
• YSL Glossy Stain in #14 
• Kiss Me Heroine make smooth liquid eyeliner 
• Lancome Hynose Star mascara
• Daiso Dark brown brow pencil 

Rimmel BB cream RRP A$1295 at Kmart, Target, Big W, Priceline and David Jones stores as well as Woolworths and selected pharmacies nationally.

This BB cream was provided for consideration. Other products featured were purchased by me. 

Going Gaga over Revlon Colorstay Whipped Creme Makeup

When it comes to the one makeup item that I’m very fussy about, it would be foundation. It is after all a base makeup that goes across my whole face and need to sit well for the entire day on my skin so texture and wearability is important. Add to that the complexity of finding the perfect colour match, it’s like traversing a jungle to find the perfect product for foundation.

So when I recently tried a new foundation that meets all these criteria, I just couldn’t wait to share it all with you.

Revlon Colorstay Whipped Creme Makeup SPF 20

First up, the whipped creamy texture is thicker than liquid foundation, but lighter than traditional cream based makeup. In fact is has a gel like consistency and is similar in texture to some of the thicker Asian BB creams (which is not to be confused with the western BB creams which are thinner in consistency and generally more like tinted moisturisers).

The gel consistency allows it to glide easily over skin and make it a dream to blend and buff with the use of a synthetic buffer brush (I use the Signma F82 brush but any dense synthetic buffing brush would do, just don't use the flat paddle varieties which will leave streaks and need more blending effort). Even fingers will give an amazingly even and flawless finish with this makeup.

#320 Warm Gold(en) depending if you are in the US or Australia

You can easily build up the medium coverage formula to full coverage and achieve this without your skin looking like it’s being caked-on with product. It will easily help hide small blemishes, pigmentation and dark circles in a cinch. It imparts a soft natural finish, not glowy but not completely matte either so your skin don’t look flat after base application.

It’s also a very hydrating formula and my face doesn’t feel dry nor does it accentuate dry patches when used along my usual mositurising regime (serum then moisturise) despite the fact that that I usually suffer from dry skin the side of my face. The sun protection factor is also great even though I already use a separate sunscreen.

on NC30 skin, no flash in fluorescent light. See how well it blends and matches my skin it is almost invisible

As for colour match, I found my perfect match in #320 warm gold(en), which is a warm medium shade with a slight yellow undertone and is slightly darker than the same shade name in the ColorStay liquid foundation that’s been in my makeup rotation for the past 4 years. The other thing I like about this foundation is that it doesn’t oxidise and change its colour during its life on my face, ensuring that I don’t turn an weird orangey colour

I honestly cannot find any fault in this foundation. It boasts a time release formula to keep it looking fresh for up to 24hrs but in honestly my longest single period of wearing it was 15 hours and by the end of it, I’d say that 50% of it has faded but because it wears so well, there are fewer makeup crease marks around my nose and laugh lines thanks to the flexible technology, it still looked good on my skin. After 12 hours, the makeup is still farily intact so that if you do a quick oil blot and powder touch up, you can still look quite fresh at the end of a long day if you are heading out into the evening.

Yes, I’m gushing about this makeup as I didn’t think a whipped product would work for me because I’ve previously tried a few mousse foundation varieties (remember Maybelline dream smooth mouse foundation?) and didn’t like them. Revlon has really blown its competition out of the water and beats many high end products this time to come out with such an amazing foundation.

I cannot ask for more from a soft natural finish foundation that is so comfortable and long-wearing. I think it this is my 2012 holy grail status foundation. It's a big call I know, but I can't see many other foundations beating it. If you can find one in your colour (there are 7 shades available in Australia compare to 10 in the US), then you’d be silly to not try it.

RRP A$34.95 for 23.7ml at selected Priceline, department stores, Target, Kmart, Big-W and pharmacies.
This featured product was provided for consideration.