Pretty in pink with Bobbi Brown's French Pink Blush Set

French Pink Set (Mini Face Blender brush not pictured)

I've always been a pink girl. Ballet slippers, lips, cheeks, nails, bedroom walls -- I'm pink through and through. And I don't think I've ever come across a shade of pink I didn't like.

Bobbi Brown's offering for Breast Cancer Awareness month is a cotton candy sweet blush and guess what, a portion of the money spent on this set will be donated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Swatch of French Pink

Wearing French Pink

French Pink gives you a rosy, healthy flush. For a soft touch of pink, tread lightly, because French Pink can come on strong.  The delicacy of the texture allows for ease of use. 

I am smitten. 

The Bagful breakdown:

Total amount for the Bobbi Brown's French Pink Blush Set:

• $85.00 AUS / $45.00 USD

Value for money spent (performance and quality):

• 10 out of 10 bags — the blush alone retails for $26.00 USD and the full-size brush costs $48.00 USD. This set is a steal.

Would another purchase be on the horizon?:

• I splurged earlier this month and bought a shimmer brick. Whee!

Bring your under eye area back to life with Clarins Instant Concealer

Clarins Instant Concealer

I thought I had things in the bag with NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer, turns out Clarins has brought their A game as well.

Clarins Instant Concealer banishes puffiness, quells dark circles and brings your eyes back to life, even if you only got two hours of sleep last night. 

How does Clarins Instant Concealer do this? Well, the aloe, caffeine and corrective colouring work in tandem to help revive, smooth and conceal what ails your under eye area.

Shade 02 - Medium

For me Shade 02 / Medium (pink beige) is a perfect match and works well at  neutralising the blue cast near the inner corners of my eyes. If 02 isn't for you, there are two other shades to choose from, 01 and 03, and for those living in the US, there's shade 04 as well.

My only gripe about Clarins Instant Concealer is the tube. The concealer escapes quickly and more often than not I get more product than I need or want -- I really hate wasting product. Clarins, please consider repackaging your Instant Concealer.

Wearing Shade 02

The Bagful breakdown:

Total amount for the Clarins Instant Concealer:

• $42.00 AUS / $30.00 USD

Value for money spent (performance and quality):

• 8 out of 10 bags — a lovely perk me up for the eyes

Would another purchase be on the horizon?:

• Their Crayon Khol Eye Pencil looks like a must-have!

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

Sisters are doin' it for themselves: Too Faced Beauty Blogger Darlings Collection

Loved, finished and purchased again.

That is what Too Faced Beauty Blogger Darlings offers (on the cheap, to boot).

The lineup: Primed & Poreless, Shadow Insurance, Better Than Sex Mascara and Chocolate Soleil

This sweet trial-sized set hit Sephora shelves in late September -- of course I scooped it up whence I spotted it at the checkout counter in Waikiki.

It is super amazing to see how far some of my favourite beauty bloggers have come and the opportunities they've been able to experience. I only hope to be as successful as them some day.

My main motivation for picking up this set was to see what Too Faced is all about. 

Chocolate Soleil Medium/Deep Matte Bronzer

Better Than Sex Mascara

Primed & Poreless (left) and Shadow Insurance (right)

Swatches from left to right: Chocolate Soleil, Shadow Insurance, Better Than Sex and Primed & Poreless

My thoughts.. 

Chocolate Soleil: Love the scent, it's as if I ripped open a packet of Swiss Miss. The colour is true to pan and easy to apply. To enhance my post-holiday glow, I used a fluffy skunk brush. Chocolate Soleil is my personal favourite of the bunch.

Better Than Sex Mascara: Good/OK, not great. Keep a clean mascara wand handy for clean up, because this particular formula likes to clump -- I had to work extra hard for even coverage.

Shadow Insurance: A slightly cheaper version of NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base. 

Primed & Poreless: Silky soft and easy to apply. 

Wearing Too Faced Beauty Blogger Darlings

The Bagful breakdown:

Total amount for the Too Faced Beauty Blogger Darlings Collection:

• $20.00 USD

Value for money spent (performance and quality):

• 9 out of 10 bags — it was a lovely getting to know you experience.

Would another purchase be on the horizon?:

• I think I might buy a full-sized compact of Chocolate Soleil.

A sensory moment with Calvin Klein's Downtown

Downtown

Calvin Klein's latest scent, while pretty, soft and floral, has left me wanting more. I had high hopes since getting reacquainted with Calvin Klein -- for years Obsession was my Dad's staple scent. A tiny dab would do after allowing us (my brothers and I) to doodle upon his shaving cream covered face.

Calvin Klein's masters of spin state... 

 "a signature classic for a real woman, sophisticated, distinct and unique…with attitude, this fragrance empowers with a classic brightness"

While I do get that captured essence of "classic brightness"; it is, however, a fleeting moment which fades in an instant. Initially, I gave myself two spritzes, because I wasn't sure of Downtown's gusto. 

Hey, I don't ever want to smell like I got hosed down at a perfume counter.

With Downtown I don't think it matters how many times you spray yourself. Word to the wise, grab a tester and test its longevity for yourself.

*Notes:

Neroli Tunisia, Fresh Green Pear, Watery Plum, Gardenia Petals, Pink Peppercorn, Violet Leaf, Texan Cedarwood, Vetiver, Benzoin Laos Orpur, Musks. 

*Style:

Urban. Original. Real.

What I get: 

Understated. Quiet. Forgettable. 

In the meantime, I'm the weird girl sticking her nose inside her collar in order to catch just one whiff.  

The Bagful breakdown:

Total amount for Calvin Klein's Downtown (50ml/1.7 fl oz):

• $90.00 AUS  / $65.00 USD

Value for money spent (performance and quality):

• 3 out of 10 bags — points for the scent itself, but not for its strength

Would another purchase be on the horizon?:

• Can I trade my bottle of Downtown in for Euphoria, please? 
  

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

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