Reviews | Lipglossiping

Category: Reviews

Tuesday, August 31st, 2010

Arbonne Sheer Finish Tinted Moisturiser

The day that I get my concealer application down to a fine art is the day that I go ALL out on tinted moisturisers. I love the more natural finish, but hate compromising on coverage.

Arbonne are quite new to me and I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the quality of the products I’ve tried. I’ll probably never feel comfortable with the way in which you need to purchase the products through consultants but that’s just because I’m an old fashioned girl who’d much rather be able to pick up her makeup whilst out shopping!

I received a sample of Arbonne’s Sheer Finish Tinted Moisturiser in Fair. Arbonne offer an impressive 6 shades within their tinted moisturiser range. I’m used to seeing Light, Medium and Dark… so such a wide selection caught my attention early on.

Packaging is SLEEK! I know they’ve recently revamped their entire cosmetics line and the dirty pewter finish is lovely!

The texture of the tinted moisturiser is quite fluid… which makes it easy to spread and blend, there’s plenty of slip which makes for quite a fool-proof application. It’s definitely more like applying a moisturiser than applying a foundation.

It’s a dewy finish that would benefit from a little powder over areas that are prone to shine. I usually powder my nose, chin and forehead after applying this. It evens out my skintone nicely but doesn’t provide any coverage for blemishes. It also doesn’t completely cover redness, but as a tinted moisturiser, it probably isn’t meant to.

It moisturises well (something that most tinted moisturisers actually fail to do!) but the flipside to this is that it leaves my skin feeling slightly tacky to the touch, another reason to set with powder.

At £24 for 50ml, this is high end. Not as expensive as Laura Mercier’s cult offering or Bobbi Brown’s tinted balm, but more expensive than many high street alternatives including Clinique’s Almost Makeup (which I love for the winter).

Longevity is good, it does slip around my nose by mid-afternoon… but that’s where I’m at my most oily and I don’t use any kind of mattifying products in this area.

Final Verdict – If you’re looking for a sheer tinted moisturiser in a wide variety of shade choices, Arbonne’s Sheer Finish Tinted Moisturiser may be for you. If you’re prone to oily skin or don’t need so much moisturisation… consider other options first.

Posted in Arbonne, Foundation, Reviews | 5 Comments »

Monday, August 30th, 2010

Inglot Cream Concealer – Review

I bought this cream concealer from Inglot earlier in the year (around the same time as I picked up the MUFE full cover concealer). I was hoping to do a comparison, but they’re really quite different.

I tend to use this around my nose and on blemishes. It’s a little thick to use under the eyes, though I have had some success if I apply with a small fluffy brush. Coverage is medium/full and I find that it dries quite quickly, so rapid blending is essential to achieve a flawless finish.

Compared to my MUFE, the texture is thin and gives less coverage, it’s easier to blend but doesn’t produce quite the same effective results.

I also find it a little drying. Having said a few negative things about the Inglot Cream Concealer, it’s only fair to also point out a major positive. This doesn’t seem to highlight or sink into my pores. Some concealers leave my pores feeling rather ‘out there’… but this blends in nicely. It will sink into fine lines around the eyes unless you use a very light hand during application. I think that perhaps thin layers may be key with this concealer.

Shade #32 is a good slightly pink toned match for my cool pale skin. I wish I could remember how much I paid for this but I can’t. If anyone knows how much the Inglot Cream Concealers retail at, holler and I’ll update.

You can buy Inglot in the UK at the Westfield in London and Liffey Valley Shopping Centre in Dublin.

Posted in Concealers, Inglot, Reviews | 2 Comments »

Friday, August 27th, 2010

Marc Jacobs goes Bang

It’s not uncommon for a fragrance to give you a swift kick to the guts… nowadays it’s all about the impact and it’s all about capturing a modern audience with that initial “scentsation” (see what I did there, huh huh?).

Marc Jacobs’ Bang can certainly be included in this category. It’s pepper-heavy top notes demand a reaction, there’s no ‘growing on you’ with this fragrance. You choose your camp and you better stick with it.

I love it. I’m absolutely in love with it.

I often prefer men’s fragrances over ones aimed toward the female market, they make me wanna breathe deeper and hold onto the scent just that little bit longer.

Bang’s packaging is fabulous… I dare you to see it in store and NOT want to reach out and hold it, it’s has that whole curio thing going on and with it’s crumpled metallic exterior, is a clever interpretation of it’s title.

I wasn’t keen on the campaign image… but it fits. It fits with the product. It’s brash, attention-seeking and evokes an instant gut reaction. Personally, I prefer MJ in his quieter, geekier days… but if that were still the case, perhaps he wouldn’t be producing BIG scents like this one.

Those peppery notes hang around for a while before mixing into some deeply masculine woody tones. The fragrance becomes more conventional at this point, though never dull.

Below, you can watch Marc Jacobs talking about the ideas and development of Bang.

Final Thoughts – Marc Jacobs Bang is a modern top-note heavy fragrance for a man looking for something different. It’s a grown up scent with no hints of citrus or fruit. If you’re looking for that locker-room sporty type fragrance, move away from the bottle now. Bang is sexy in an entirely different way… unlike the ad, it’s subtle. Those strong pepper notes ensnare you without being overtly sexual and then it softens down into something deeply masculine but less aggressive. Screw “Cool Water”, this is the fragrance Sawyer would wear.

Marc Jacobs Bang is available to buy now priced at £48.50 for 100ml

Posted in Fragrance, Reviews | 3 Comments »

Wednesday, August 25th, 2010

Urban Decay The Black Palette – Photos & Swatches

The soon-to-be-released Black Palette from US eyeshadow maestro’s Urban Decay is an altogether darker affair than the recent Naked set…

The Black Palette includes 6, 1g eyeshadows, 1 mini 24/7 eye pencil in zero and a mini eyeshadow primer potion in new ‘shade’ Eden. We haven’t seen Eden on these shores before so I was excited to be able to take a look when I received this sample last week.

The packaging is compact. There’s been complaints about how cumbersome some of Urban Decay’s palettes are and they’ve clearly listened to the fans. There are no hidden drawers or slots for your car keys. Barely an inch of wasted space… infact, the included UDPP (Urban Decay Primer Potion) sits seperately from the palette once taken out of the exterior packaging. The Urban Decay Black Palette is thoroughly portable if you need it to be.

Posted in Eye Shadow, High Street Brands, Palettes, Reviews, Urban Decay | 64 Comments »

Tuesday, August 24th, 2010

Revlon Grow Luscious Mascara Review

The new Revlon Grow Luscious mascara had me all confused. It promises to promote stronger, longer lashes and with all these ‘lash enhancing’ products entering the mass market, I initially wondered if we were looking at another one of these.

We’re not.

Revlon’s Grow Luscious incorporates into it’s formula something that it calls unique fibres and phytopeptides complex which it promises will enhance the condition of your lashes thereby enabling them to remain strong and intact right to the end of their natural growth period. This tries to prevent premature breakage, not grow your lashes ladies.

There’s no real way for me to accurately quantify those claims, but I don’t see any reason why a good balance of lash conditioning agents wouldn’t in some way help to keep your lashes in good condition in the same way a conditioner can keep your hair feeling softer and stronger.

It’s attractively (if rather simply) packaged in a green metallic-looking tube, minimalist in appearance.

The wand is VERY large, larger infact than my Benefit Bad Gal’s wand which is kinda my benchmark for large wands. Those with smaller eyes or short lashes may struggle with application issues.

The formula is quite thick and perhaps a little dry but that’s a-ok with me. I can’t stand ‘wet’ mascaras… I make a terrible mess with them and although the Revlon Grow Luscious does seem to attract a little gloop on the tip of the wand, it’s nothing I can’t wipe off on the edge of the tube.

The tips of my lashes are a little out of focus here… but I’m showing a comparison between the new Revlon Grow Luscious (on the right) and Boots 17 Wild Curls (on the left).

Boots 17 Wild Curls seems like a good comparison as a fellow high street offering that’s proving to be the one to beat at the moment.

It’s not so easy to tell in this image… but the Revlon does have the edge in the length stakes. Not by a huge amount…. just by a whisker an eyelash It also smells kinda lovely… I know some of you laugh at me commenting on the smell, but some mascaras STINK! It’s always nice not to have to hold your nose everytime you lift the wand to your eyes.

However, the Boots 17 Wild Curls takes the lead in the definition stakes… it defines each lash with greater precision and has an overall less clumpy appearance.

Final Verdict – The new Revlon Grow Luscious mascara is a nice, solid high street offering. It hasn’t blown me away with incredible results and I’m not gonna tell you I love it. I like it. I’d like it more if it was a couple of pounds cheaper.

Revlon Grow Luscious Mascara is available in most high street chemists (Boots et al.) and online, priced at £9.99

Posted in High Street Brands, Mascara, Reviews, Revlon | 7 Comments »

Monday, August 23rd, 2010

DHC Velvet Skin Coat Primer Review

“Don’t sit on that cold step, you’ll get piles…”

“If you sit too close to that TV, your eyes’ll turn square… ”

“You’ll catch your death if you go out without a coat on…”

That’s my Nan talking up there incase you’re wondering. My beautiful Nan… she’s not with us anymore, but you can be sure that wherever she is, she’s got a glass of Guiness in her hand.

Oh, she’ll also have a bag of fluff-coated cough drops somewhere in her handbag (the white Maggie Thatcher-esque one that never left her side).

But what does any of that nonsense have to do with a skin primer that hails all the way from Japan from one of my first-discovered ‘exotic’ (for me) brands?

Absolutely sod all.

Sorry for wasting the last 30 seconds of your life. It was just the words Skin Coat made me think of not leaving the house without your coat on…

DHC’s Velvet Skin Coat was sent to me for review consideration a little while ago.

It’s one of those silicone, skin-smoothing primers like Smashbox Photo Finish. In this instance, you get 15g for £12.50 which puts it a nose ahead of the Smashbox version in terms of value.

I find the packaging of the DHC Velvet Skin Coat preferable to Smashbox’s pump action bottle which always used to spew out too much product. The (rather plain) squeezy tube from DHC offers complete control over how much I’m dispensing without any wastage.

So far, it’s looking good for the DHC… But what does it actually claim to do?

Prepare your skin for pristine make-up application. This transparent silicone gel helps temporarily fill in fine lines and promote a more even-looking, refined skin texture – creating a perfect, silky-smooth make-up base. Just slide our primer between your skin and foundation to absorb excess oil and encourage longer-lasting wear. If you prefer a more natural look, use it on its own for a truly gorgeous matt complexion that is velvety-soft to the touch.

Pretty much everything then *rolls eyes*

From personal experience, it achieves about half of those things… It creates a matte texture that feels velvety and soft. It doesn’t pill, ball-up or interfere with my other products when I’m applying it alone or in conjunction with foundation.

If I’m applying my foundation with my fingers, then I can definitely feel my foundation gliding on more smoothly… as for longevity… hmmmm… undecided. As for filling in pores? hmmmm, not really. In fairness though, Smashbox doesn’t do these things for me either.

Can you make out much difference between the 2 sides of my face?

Because of it’s clear texture… it also sadly doesn’t do anything to disguise the redness in my skintone and neither does it offer any SPF protection.

The only primers I’ve found that work well for me are the less silicone-y ones… the Shu Uemura UV Underbase and Paul & Joe’s Moisturising Foundation Primer (which gave some great longevity). But having said that… so many people swear by Smashbox Photo Finish (c. £28), L’oreal’s Studio Secrets (£12.99) and other silicone-heavy offerings that just because I haven’t found it working wonders on me, doesn’t mean that you won’t love it.

Final Verdict: If you’re a Smashbox Photo Finish fan, try this purse-friendly alternative! Hell, it’s even cheaper than L’oreal’s Studio Secrets (and it’s far better than that!)

DHC Velvet Skin Coat is priced at £12.50 for 15g and available online from DHC. While you’re there, pick up a bottle of their Deep Cleansing Oil… you’ll thank me for it.

Posted in DHC, Reviews | 2 Comments »