Bronzed Up!

Perhaps this post would have been better suited for when summer was starting instead of ending, but then I thought of all of you in the Northern Hemisphere who are approaching spring and summer- so I guess I am not completely out of sync! I dug out all the products I could think of that had to do with bronze, and yes, it's not a huge collection. And how is it that I do not have a powder bronzer in my makeup collection? I am looking at the Bourjois Delice de Soleil Bronzing Powder but any other suggestions are welcome. Anyways, here we have my bronze coloured products.

Dove Summer Glow Body Lotion, Bonne Bell Sunblush Bronze in Sunkissed Copper, Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze, Korres Sunflower & Evening Primrose Eyeshadow in Bronze Brown,  Australis 10 Hour Wear Pencil in Bombastic Bronze, L'oreal Studio Secrets Eye Pencil in 531 Brown, Clarins Crayon Yeux in 02 Brun

I'm very certain that the Bonne Bell Sunblush Bronze cream and L'Oreal Studio Secrets Eye Pencil are discontinued, hence it is hard to find much information on them now. I did get the Sunblush Bronze 8 years ago, so perhaps it shouldn't still be my collection... oh well. Moving onto the products themselves now.

L-R: Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze, Korres Sunflower & Evening Primrose Eyeshadow in Bronze Brown

Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze $11.95
Not much needs to be said about this cult favourite eyeshadow cream gel. With a creamy and smooth texture, this is a beautiful everyday shade which applies nicely and stays on the eyelids. The colour is longlasting and intense and I absolutely love it. Quality is very high with a very affordable price, and these little jars of colour have even been dubbed as having a formulation comparable to MAC's Paint Pots. Definitely one of my favourite eye products.

Korres Sunflower & Evening Primrose Eyeshadow in Bronze Brown $29.95
I got this little cute eyeshadow from a part of my Korres Smoky Bronze Antioxidant Eye Collection which I reviewed here and bought for only $10 from StrawberryNET. Bronze Brown is a very wearable shade, and I absolutely love nude and brown eyeshadows (yes I am boring). Pigmentation is decent but nothing amazing, and does apply well. To the naked eye the Korres Eyeshadow and Maybelline Color Tattoo shades are very similar, but when swatched (see below) they are quite different.

Bonne Bell Sunblush Bronze in Sunkissed Copper $N/A
As I mentioned earlier, this is a very old product, roughly 8 years old. Since this was a product I didn't use very often, it still looks like it is in good condition! The packaging is quite practical, as it allows just the right amount of product to be dispensed out of the soft tube which is easy to squeeze. The bronzer cream is very pigmented, and a little goes a long way. This definitely has orange undertones so it is best used for a nice sunkissed look.

Top to bottom: Australis 10 Hour Wear Pencil in Bombastic Bronze, L'Oreal Studio Secrets Eye Pencil in 531 Brown, Clarins Crayon Yeux in 02 Brun

Australis 10 Hour Wear Pencil in Bombastic Bronze $9.95
One of my favourite eye pencils ever, I am so glad it is so accessible and affordable! I reviewed this here last year. Absolutely amazing texture, smooth and creamy and such a breeze to apply. Smudgeproof and stays on for the day! I love the colour as I'm not a huge fan of black eyeliner, and I find that brown and bronze shades are very natural looking. I find that its formulation and colour are extraordinarily similar to the Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal Eyeliner in Bronze (oh what a mouthful!). The Australis pencil rivals my Clarins Crayon Yeux in Brun for my favourite eyeliner, yet at a fraction of its cost. My only qualm? That it runs out too quickly and needs to be sharpened regularly (mainly due to its creaminess).

L'Oreal Studio Secrets Eye Pencil in 531 Brown $N/A
I purchased this from a clearance bin at Priceline for $4. I wasn't sure what to expect from it but it did impress me with its colour. This is a very neutral and modest shade, I can even use it for a "no makeup" look as it is very subtle. Doesn't apply as smooth as the Australis pencil but does the job. Not very longlasting and does fade throughout the day.

Clarins Crayon Yeux in Brun $36
I got this eyeliner free from work so calm down, I didn't buy it for the exuberant $36! Creamy, pigmented and glides on beautifully- what could I not like? It is slightly less shimmery than the Australis 10 Hour Wear Pencil so it makes it perfect for everyday wear. It also doesn't run down as fast as the Australis, which is something you'd hope for, especially in a high end pencil. To be honest I don't use the foam end at all for smudging, but being a smudgeable pencil, it isn't smudgeproof like the Australis. Phew that was a lot of "smudge" in one sentence.

Dove Summer Glow Beauty Body Lotion in Medium to Dark $6.95
Lastly, here is the Dove's offering for a gradual tan moisturiser. Easy to apply, smells a treat and gets the job done. Just make sure you exfoliate and don't pack on the lotion thickly... as you can get orange patches! Back in the day when gradual tan lotions were very popular, I remember the Johnson's Holiday Skin Lotion which was the leader in its market. I'm not sure what has happened to it, as a Google search doesn't bring much up. I haven't used this lotion in years, and don't plan to. Not sure what to do with it...

L-R swatches: Maybelline Bad to the Bronze, Korres Bronze Brown, Bonne Bell Sunblush Bronze, L'Oreal Studio Secrets Eye Pencil Brown, Clarins Crayon Yeux Brun and Australis Bombastic Bronze

After these swatches, I'm thinking that this post shouldn't even be called "Bronzed Up"! Oh well, too late now. Just look at Bad to the Bronze compared to Korres' Bronze Brown! What a huge difference. Bad to the Bronze looks more of a shimmery taupe than a bronze while the Korres is more true to a bronze. Bonne Bell's Sunblush Bronze in Sunkissed Copper is the most bronze out of everything else! See what I mean about its pigmentation? That was only a very tiny dollop of product too. L'Oreal's Eye Pencil is far from bronze, Clarin's Brown is less bronze than Australis' Bombastic Bronze and is less shimmery too, although it isn't perfectly depicted in this photo. In reality, Bombastic Bronze looks more appealing than Clarin's Brown when swatched.

Phew what a post, I don't usually do "long" posts due to laziness. But there you have it, my bronze products.

Have you tried any of these products before? What do you think?

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Review: Avene Thermal Spring Water

As promised, here is a review of Avene's Thermal Spring Water, otherwise also known as Avène Eau Thermale (oh how I love the French language). A very simple product, but essentially it is water in a can with a multitude of uses and is suitable for sensitive skin types. 

I've longed for this product for quite a long time but never really justified spending $10.95 for a 50mL can of water (other sizes include 150mL for $18.95 and 300mL for $23.95)! However thanks to Beautyheaven's Beautorium I managed to get a small can of the popular spring water.

I was going to go on about the history of Avene and why its spring water is so good, but instead of boring you with information you can easily Google, I'll get on to the review. Avene's Thermal Spring Water is sourced directly from the Avene Thermal springs and has a low mineral content, a neutral pH and a high proportion of precious trace elements such as silica. So that's all the facts listed down, but what does it actually do?

Great thing about the Thermal Spring Water is that it can comfort skin irritations (such as sunburn, eczema, itching, facial redness, razor burn or even after surgeries- which I assume mean facial cosmetic surgeries) as well as toning, and generally refreshing the face especially during hot days and while travelling. Having dry and irritated skin at times, I find that this spring water spray works a charm. The mist is beautiful, probably the best mist I've tried- don't you just hate ones that squirt at your face? It was extremely refreshing and a joy to use, and I found it perfect for these past hot days (37 degrees anyone?).

Despite it being quite a fun product to use and giving me a fresh pick-up when I need to, I do find the price of Avene Thermal Spring Water a little on the expensive side, especially for something that is "just" water. I would love to be able to compare prices and quality to another spring water spray though, but the only one I can think of from the top of my head is Evian's Facial Spray which I don't think is readily stocked here in Australia. Give me a bit of time, and I might eventually get my hands on a bottle (hooray for online shopping) and then I can compare.

Do you use Avene's Thermal Spring Water? Do you think it is actually worth its price?

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Review: Revlon Nail Enamel in Popular

The first time I set my eyes on this beauty, I knew I had to get it. A pale pink with just the right amount of silver hexagonal glitters and minute shimmers dispersed throughout, Revlon 230 Popular is quite the pretty one. At $13.95 a bottle, it isn't cheap but I did manage to get this at half price!

Most of you aren't strangers to the Revlon Nail Enamels, but to those who are, you are missing out on the beautiful shade varieties on offer (55 of them!) with smooth formulations which can be available at drugstores (haha yes, I am using American terminology). Revlon claims that their formulations are smooth, chip resistant and give up to ten days worth of lasting colour and shine. The nail enamels also contain a "silk-protein shield" which helps even out the surface of the nail while smoothing away bubbles, streaks and brush marks.

This photo doesn't do any justice to this pretty glittery polish!

Such pretty glitters

Revlon 230 Popular applied smoothly and quite nicely. One coat is quite sheer so at least two coats are needed to be able to clearly see the light pink base colour. I was quite happy with the formulation as I've been disappointed before with another Revlon nail enamel I have, Blue Lagoon. It was streaky, had brush marks, was difficult to apply and took a long time to dry. I took the chance with 230 Popular and hoped that the formula was much better and I ended up happy with it. 

How do some people take such nice photos of their nails?
Mine looks awful!

This polish did chip after a few days which was expected (especially since it is a glitter!) but did not last the ten days it claimed. I adore this polish though- the combination of pale pink and the two different glitters make it so pretty and girly. Revlon have a couple of more other glitter shades too which look amazing too! Even though people have raved about how great Revlon Nail Enamels were, I wasn't too impressed especially after my encounter with the streaky formulation of Blue Lagoon. I still think that OPI make the best nail polishes by far- they have an extraordinary range of shades and glitters, as well as having fantastic formulations- shame that they cost $20 a pop here in Australia though! All in all, Revlon 230 Popular is a joy to wear and has a beautiful smooth finish.

What do you think of 230 Popular? Have you tried Revlon nail enamels before?

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Beautyheaven Beautorium Feb 2013

When I heard there was going to be another Beautorium being held by Beautyheaven I was very excited especially after having gotten a few items from the first one last year! After some patience and waiting for a few weeks, I finally received all the products I got from the Beautorium.

Top to bottom, L-R: John Plunkett Multi Vitamin Moisturiser, John Plunkett Glyco Peel, Alpha-H Gentle Daily Exfoliant, Avene Thermal Spring Water, Sunsilk Straight Perfection Gloss Finish Serum Spray, Lady Jayne Bun Styl'r

The main thing I wanted from the Beautorium were the Alpha-H Gentle Daily Exfoliant which has won two awards from Beautyheaven and the Avene Thermal Spring Water which I have been wanting to try for so long but never gotten around to it (this has also won a Beautheaven award!). I have heard many comparisons between the Alpha-H Gentle Daily Exfoliant and Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant which is my favourite exfoliant product ever- so I am excited to see how the Alpha-H compares.

The John Plunkett products were add ons- they sounded quite good and I had never tried any of their products so I thought this would be a great opportunity to give them a go! Since I had some leftover points I decided to grab the Sunsilk Straight Perfection Gloss Finish Serum Spray which is from Sunsilk's new Co-Creations collection. The Lady Jayne Bun Styl'r kit was provided as a gift and thank you very much Beautyheaven! The only problem is that it is a size medium/large and is far too big for my thin hair :( The package also came with some Compeed samples- a blister patch and cold sore patch which aren't in any of these photos.

I will definitely review all these products soon once I've used them for a while and post my thoughts on them. Here is a list of all the things I received and their Australian retail prices too:

• Alpha-H Gentle Daily Exfoliant 50g $59.95
• John Plunkett Glyco Peel 15mL $28.95
• John Plunkett Multi Vitamin Moisturiser 60mL $28.95
• Avene Thermal Spring Water 50mL $10.95
• Sunsilk Co-Creations Straight Perfection Gloss Finish Serum Spray 120mL $7.49
• Lady Jayne Bun Styl'r M/L $ 9.99 

Very excited to try these all and thank you again Beautyheaven for such a wonderful event! 

Did you get anything from the Beautorium this time round? Or have you tried any of these products before?

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Review: Crabtree & Evelyn Hand Therapy

Who doesn't love freebies that come with magazines? When I found out that Women's Weekly magazine came with two Crabtree & Evelyn Hand Therapy creams when purchased from Coles, I couldn't resist and had to give them a try! Valued at $24 for two 25g tubes, they were worth paying only $8 for- and I was lucky and received the Rosewater and Pomegranate Argan and Grapeseed creams- the others that were available were La Source and Citron.

Love the packaging

The Crabtree & Evelyn Ultra-Moisturising Hand Therapy is described as an intensive conditioning cream formulated with shea butter, macadamia nut oil and botanical ingredients which moisturise and soften hands, nails and cuticles. I was so excited to try these hand creams out as I had heard that Crabtree & Evelyn make excellent products so I was really happy that I could try these out for a great price. It couldn't come at a better time either, since I was looking into buying L'Occitane's Cherry Blossom hand cream which is very similar to Crabtree's Hand Therapy! The packaging between these are also very similar which I just love, and formulations are just beautiful.

I have tried many different hand creams, and I know what I like to look for in them- something that absorbs instantly and doesn't leave any residue or greasiness, as well as having a nice scent or being unscented. This literally removes most drugstore hand creams (except the QV Hand Cream which I love) as many of them are sticky and greasy which I absolutely hate. I try to love the Neutrogena's Norwegian Formula Hand Cream but it is just too thick and greasy- although it is amazing at softening my hands (I might do a review on it sometime!).

The Crabtree & Evelyn Hand Therapy creams are excellent. Just like the L'Occitane hand cream formulations, it absorbs very well and doesn't leave any greasiness behind! I'm not a big fan of rose scented products but since the formula of the hand cream is so beautiful, I really can't complain. The Pomegranate Argan and Grapeseed is definitely my favourite, the scent is just lovely and refreshing. I love how the tubes are small and are a great size for the handbag- although I believe that you can only purchase it in the 50g tube or 250g pump.

Overall, I like these hand creams. Crabtree have done a great job for the packaging, which is luxurious looking; as well as having a formulation which sinks very well into the skin, moisturising the hands. Using these Hand Therapy creams along with my Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream is just heaven to my hands!

Did you take advantage of this freebie with the magazine? Have you tried Crabtree & Evelyn Hand creams before?

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Review: Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick

Sometimes a deal is just too good to ignore, even if it is for something we don't really need! Not only did I come across a "buy one get one free" offer for Revlon lip and nail products, I got my staff discount of 25% off on top of that! Needless to say, I walked out with two lovely lipsticks in hand at 63% off each (you don't get better than this for products that aren't discontinued!) from Revlon's Super Lustrous Lipstick range. After a long time swatching and admiring the amazing 48 different shades on offer, I decided to get Peach Me and Blushing Nude.

L-R: Peach Me, Blushing Nude

Shiny black packaging, so simple yet elegant

Before settling on Peach Me and Blushing Nude, the other shades I was contemplating on were Demure, Soft Suede, Teak Rose, Apricot Fantasy and Blushing Mauve (okay that listing was unnecessary but oh well...) but they all looked very similar to each other, moreso than the two I chose. If only I could afford to buy all these gorgeous shades!

Described as a lipstick enriched with moisturisers Aloe and Vitamin E which has a formula that seals in rich, luscious stay-true colour- I knew I wouldn't be disappointed with Revlon's Super Lustrous lipsticks. MakeupAlley averages reviews of a rating 4.3/5 which is amazing and on Beautyheaven a full 5 stars!

On application these lipsticks glided on like a charm, even with dry lips, and is much more moisturising than Rimmel's Kate Moss Lasting Finish lipstick which I reviewed here. Staying power is good, about a couple of hours too with eating and drinking in between. But what impresses me the most is the huge selection of shades on offer which are all absolutely gorgeous and appear flattering on me (perhaps not including Va Va Violent, a very scary and intimidating dark purple).

Peach Me

Blushing Nude

Yes, these two shades do look quite similar in the bullet but I swear they aren't! At least I didn't get the Soft Suede shade which is nearly identical to Blushing Nude. Peach Me has a pearl finish while Blushing Nude boasts a beautiful creme finish- and the pearl lipsticks do not look frosty or glittery at all which is amazing! I absolutely love the formulation of the Super Lustrous lipsticks as it is creamy with beautiful colour payoff!

L-R: Peach Me, Blushing Nude

Now you can see the difference between these shades! Peach Me is just like its name- a peachy orange shade that surprisingly looks more pink on the lips; and Blushing Nude a modest rosy pink that I convince myself that it doesn't look anything like my 07 in Rimmel's Kate Moss lipstick range... hehe.

I haven't really been a lipstick girl until quite recently, as I had never been able to find shades that flatter my skintone and lipsticks which have a lovely formulation- but the Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick has changed this! Even after purchasing a Revlon ColourBurst Lip Butter and reading many praises about it, I wasn't completely "wowed" with it. The Super Lustrous range just works and I think I might indulge in a few more shades...

Have you tried the Revlon Super Lustrous lipsticks? What shades do you have?

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Review: Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream

I'm so sick and tired of dealing with awful nails and cuticles lately- the condition of mine have been dry and uncomfortably sore. What is even worse is that my cuticles are dry to the point of peeling- yuck! At work I stumbled across the Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream and had a quick try of the tester available and fell in love! I didn't buy it instantly but I did go home and did a little search online about this cuticle cream. Having won Beautyheaven's Best Nail Treatment in its Best in Beauty Awards 2012, and having many 5 star reviews to boast about, I knew that this little tin of lemon butter cream would be worth every cent of the $14.95 I paid.

Waxy consistency

Presented in a small vintage styled tin, its simple packaging is attractive and easy to use. I was greeted with a "lemon butter" fragrance as I opened it which reminded me of lemon cheesecake, which was quite refreshing! Despite being called a "cream", the product inside is quite firm and waxy, similar to a balm.

The Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream is described as an intensive, natural treatment to nourish and moisturise the nails and cuticles, with a touch of lemon oil to make the nails smell incredible clean, healthy and beautiful. Vitamin E and rosemary leaf oil are to help condition the skin and assist with its repair while beeswax helps to seal in moisture, protecting the cuticles and nails from drying out. Sounds exactly like what I need!

100% natural, no animal testing and certified natural!

I've never had a good experience with a cuticle cream before- the only time I have used one was in a cheap nail kit I received as a Christmas gift some five or so years ago. It was a cream, and the scent was just overpowering and smelled of powder which was not pleasant! Needless to say I never used it again (it didn't even help with my cuticles). However the Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream is a different story. Non-greasy, absorbs instantly into the skin and does exactly what it claims it does! Just the right amount of product is picked up after swiping the waxy product with my index finger, and is lovely to apply- not much is needed as it is quite concentrated. The discomfort I had with my peeling cuticles was relieved- I couldn't even achieve this with a very thick hand cream! Just after one day of applying this cuticle cream, my cuticles and surrounding nail bed have never looked and felt better!  Here is a before and after shot after just one application of the cuticle cream (please excuse the awkwardness of my hand):

 You can definitely see a difference, even after just one application! I am very happy with this purchase (I seem to be quite happy with my recent purchases as of yet which is good) and have to say, I didn't really expect much from this humble tin of lemon butteriness. It has been very enjoyable to apply and the refreshing lemon scent doesn't hurt either and my cuticles are in a much better condition now!

Have you tried the Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream before? How about other cuticle/nail creams?

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