July 27, 2014

Giving back to my skin with a serving of Milk & Co.'s Face Cleanser

July 27, 2014/ Nicole McIntyre

To be honest winter can suck it right about now, because my skin is DOA -- my face has been so parched and flaky that makeup further magnifies this dire situation.

*waves white flag*

Blogging has its perks, you see this little tub of face cleanser landed on my doorstep last week; talk about kismet. Normally I'd be leery about introducing a relative unknown into my rather bland skin care regimen, but on this occasion I kicked my hesitance to the curb and lathered up.

The cleanser is lightweight, practically translucent and the scent is refreshing with its citrusy wave from geranium oil. While the scent works to heighten the senses, the cleanser works its spa-like magic. The feeling sandwiched between my hands and my face is plush, creamy, not overly sudsy and slightly magnetic. It's almost as if I can't pull my hands away from my face, because I don't want the thirty or so seconds of cleansing to end.

My skin is left properly clean (not the squeaky kind and that's ok), soft and ready for a helping of moisturiser.

It's been a solid week of repeated use and thankfully my skin hasn't decided to barf. Milk's Face Cleanser is gentle enough for the sensitive set, yet strong enough for those with normal to oily skin.

The only negative is the packaging as I find it a tad too bulky for my liking, but I'm willing to overlook this because it's what's on the inside that matters to me most.

About Milk & Co.

"Milk & Co. is a family company created by Olympic swimming champ Michael Klim, his wife Lindy Klim, and their three kids, Stella, Rocco and Frankie. Using their unique family and sporting experience, the Klim’s create products designed to make life more liveable. Full of the good stuff, they’re simple and effective, straight forward and good for everyone."

Michael and Lindy Klims' petite product range delivers a feel good vibe with its affordability, accessibility and simplicity.

Good stuff that works.

The Bagful breakdown:

Total amount for Milk & Co.'s Face Cleanser:

$16.95 AUS

Value for money spent (performance and quality):

10 out of 10 bags — My skin is finally happy.

Would another purchase be on the horizon?:

Lindy's Body Oil and Body Scrub will most certainly make their way into my basket next time I visit Priceline.

*PR sample provided – Thoughts and ramblings written here are completely my own.

July 23, 2014

First and final thoughts: Benefit's They're Real Push Up Liner

July 23, 2014/ Nicole McIntyre

We can thank Alexa Chung and Lauren Conrad for the never-ending chase of the elusive cat eye. I certainly haven't mastered it in one swipe and I don't think I ever will -- pointy ended Q-Tips and makeup remover have both been my saving grace.

I was hoping, no praying that Benefit had the solution with their latest release, They're Real! Push Up Liner. For starters, it took me 71 clicks (yes I counted) to get to the centre of the Tootsie Pop. Erm, what I meant to say is it took me 71 clicks to get the product to flow and it didn't really flow, it just kind of dispensed slowly like super thick icing busting to get out of a poorly snipped pastry bag.

File this phenomena under: things Martha Stewart doesn't find good.

The AccuFlex Tip with stopper still in place (you can toss this).

It does't really hug. More like graze gently by.

Before sitting down to write this review I dragged my weary self into the bathroom for one more go, because I didn't want this to only be about my first impression.

What I liked:

It's wicked black, as black as charcoal (complete with soot, more on that in a sec).
The applicator is soft and bend-y (helps with following along the contoured shape of our eyes).

What I didn't like (yes, there are more cons than pros):

Didn't swipe on as smoothly.
When you re-trace over the dry gel, disturbed bits will flake off.
One click of product isn't enough.
It takes a lot of work to remove. My eyes grew sore and red during the removal process.

Finally, here are a few tips I pinched from the Benefit Pros:

If you're not confident with applying liner in one go, stamp along your lash line and then connect the gaps.
Once you've initially dispensed a small amount of product after opening, wipe the tip on a tissue, click again and then apply. This will help reduce your chances of applying too much product.

My first attempt wasn't perfect and quite frankly I was annoyed because I still had to go back in and perform a small amount of clean up due to the aforementioned fall out and on account of my shaky, unskilled hands.

Touching back on removal for a moment, do me a favour by saving yourself $18.00 and don't buy the The'yre Real Remover. Simply soak a cotton pad with oil-free makeup remover, Neutrogena's version is one I can always count on.

Work slowly, patience is a virtue - just keep repeating that, Nicole.

The Bagful breakdown:

Total amount for Benefit's They're Real Push Up Liner:

$35.00 AUS / $24.00 USD

Value for money spent (performance and quality):

3 out of 10 bags — Benefit, you continue to disappoint me.

Would another purchase be on the horizon?:

Nope. I'll gladly fiddle about with MAC's Fluidline in Blacktrack and an angled eyeliner brush any day of the week.

July 21, 2014

Take two: Chanel's Les 4 Ombres Multi-Effect Quadra Eyeshadow in Tisse Vendome

July 21, 2014/ Nicole McIntyre

This isn't a review per se, but commentary on performance troubleshooting. You see I dropped a pretty penny for Tisse Vendome and I am not one to throw in the towel.

The creasing issues I experienced were equivalent to having the bird flipped at me. General frustration doesn't even begin to account for the wave of emotions that fell over me. Again, never one to give up, perseverance is my only friend in this sort of situation.

Wearing Tisse Vendome over NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base

On me NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow never fails, period (or so I thought). Without hesitation, I reached for it prior to applying Tisse Vendome a few weeks back; by hour seven the creasing was abysmal.

Tisse Vendome and I took a much needed break in order for me to figure out a way to make this relationship work.

Wearing Too Faced Shadow Insurance Primer and Urban Decay's Eyeshadow Primer Potion

Going the two birds one stone route worked when it came time to test Tisse Vendome over my two travel-sized primers from Too Faced and Urban Decay. P-Cakes suggested forgoing primer altogether, but my oily eyelids wouldn't have given Tisse Vendome a chance in heck.

Did Tisse Vendome and I skip off into the sunset?

We sure did and I have Too Faced and Urban Decay to thank for that. All told, our skipping session lasted well over eight hours last night and there was no creasing in sight.

July 20, 2014

Beauty in a tick: Diorshow Fusion Mono in Chimere

July 20, 2014/ Nicole McIntyre

For me Chimere almost embodies two of the best and basic MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pots, Bare Study and Painterly. However, Chimere is a touch more transformative without being too in your face. To boot, I manage to avoid having to fiddle about with two cream eyeshadows. Trust me when I tell you it's my least favourite thing to do when it comes to applying makeup.

According to Urban Dictionary, Chimere is defined as "a dream that you cannot touch." Dior's version of Chimere (a metallic tinged pink) delivers a touch of Chandon Rose without even having to take a swig of champagne; but, if you're offering please do hand me a flute -- sparkling wine will even do.

Chimere looks lovely on its own and even plays well with other eyeshadow formulas.

To create the look above I first applied a chocolate brown shade from Le Metier De Beaute's Silk Road Kaleidoscope Eye Kit to the outer half of my eyelid with an angled eyeshadow brush (I swear this particular brush cuts my work in half). I then blended out the hard lines and carried excess eyeshadow into my crease to create depth. Finally, I dabbed on Chimere with MAC's 239 on the inner half of my eyelids and lined the lower lash line with Chimere as well.

Black mascara and brown eyeliner (tight lined) tied the rest of this look together.

On my lips I'm wearing Dior Addict Fluid Stick in Mirage. Perhaps, my favourite lip formula ATM.

Chimere isn't a creeper, it stays put like a good eyeshadow should.

The Bagful breakdown:

Total amount for Diorshow Fusion Mono in Chimere: