March Samples & Empties

Time for the March Samples & Empties Post. Quick thoughts on each starting above left to right.

Tata Harper Hydrating Floral Essence: I love this stuff. It’s hydrating, has great ingredients and has a light floral scent. It’s not as strong as some of Tata Harper’s stuff. It has a pretty green glass spray bottle. It’s a little pricey for a toner/essence but I would rebuy it again. I talked about it here.

Bliss Body Butter Grapefruit + Aloe: I got this in my two years ago Lucky Bag. I wouldn’t have bought it, I’m not a big Bliss fan. It was OK formula wise, more like a heavy lotion. The scent is nauseatingly sweet.

Whish Shave Cream with Hair Inhibitor Coconut Milk: I had high hopes for this one. I was let down. The actual shave cream was OK, it glided well. It left a sticky residue much like soap, that have your fingers skip over your skin feel. I didn’t notice any difference in my hair growth. It was pricey and I wouldn’t rebuy. I’ll stick with my eos shave cream for $3 instead of this for $20 something.

Alterna Caviar Repair Rx Instant Recovery Conditioner: This was nice. I bought it before I moved to Texas and it is a touch too heavy for my hair now, but it didn’t weigh it down too bad. Hydrating and my hair felt great after.

Perricone MD Hyalo Plasma: I loved this. It was lightweight, like a gel cream. It adds moisture well with no stickiness like some gel creams. It felt like pure moisture. I would totally rebuy it again. I’m finishing a Sunday Riley Tidal sample, then I’ll finish my Zelens Z Matrix and Drunk Elephant B Hydra then I’ll choose one to be the extra moisture boost I use under my day lotion. I like layering in the day, keeps me from using heavy creams but I still get tons of moisture. I also noticed my forehead lines went away some while using this product so it did plump well. I talked about it here.

Zelens Stem Complex: I just recently reviewed this here. Pricey and ultimately too heavy for me. I would not repurchase.

Omorovicza Body Buffing Balm: Read my review here. Too expensive for my tastes. Nice overall. I just hate spending that much on my body. I know go figure since I’m a skincare junkie. I just can’t spend that dollar amount on a body product I’ll use up in one month.

Leonor Greyl Creme Moelle de Bambou Nourishing Shampoo: This was OK. Hydrating. Has that typical powdery floral Leonor Greyl scent that I can’t get past. But if you don’t mind that and want a gentle shampoo.

Hampton Sun Hydrating Aloe Mist: This is OK. I never use these water spray cans. I used to buy the Evian ones but I had to force myself to use them. If you like them then it’s something different than Evian.

Nuxe Masque Creme Fraiche: This was OK. Light cream mask. Was hydrating and non irritating. I have other hydrating masks I prefer more so I wouldn’t rebuy for that reason.

Pixi Glow Tonic: I was all excited to try this after seeing it pop up in Target because of Caroline Hirons blog. It’s hydrating, non irritating, smells like cucumbers. The acid doesn’t burn at all. It was subtle. I had two bottles to go through, after the second is gone I’ll have a few more thoughts.

Dr Brandt Needles No More Instant Wrinkle Relaxing Cream: I hated this stuff. Was a cream but you were to use it like a serum. Smelled like mint. I actually broke out wherever I put it and it did nothing for me. I went through two tubes day and night.

Darphin Stimulskin Plus Reshaping Divine Serum: Seemed nice. Always hard to tell on a small sample if it does anything. Texture is nice light lotion serum. No irritation or breakouts. No strong scent I remember.

Emma Hardie Amazing Face Age Support Cream: This was nice. It was hydrating, not too heavy, not too light. I used it on my neck. There was some overall improvement in my skin texture and plumpness while using. I might consider buying it one day.

Su-man Exfoliating Facial Polish: I used to love this stuff. Coffee grounds for an exfoliator. Sounded like a good morning wake up. It’s just too harsh for my skin. I talked about it here and here. I think I got more sensitive after being pregnant which is what changed this for me.

Rodial Pink Diamond Instant Lifting Serum: Eh, sparkles in a serum. Didn’t do anything near what it claims it should do especially at it’s high price. Added some moisture and I had no adverse reactions while using. I would not buy it.

OSEA Eye Gel Serum: I liked this lightweight eye gel. I need to write a review on this. But I feel it did help overall with puffiness, dark circles a touch, and a more awake rested appearance. I would rebuy.

Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief: I like this, it’s a great, cheap gel cream for hydration.

La Mer The Moisturizing Soft Cream: This and the regular lotion are my top picks from La Mer. This is a nice version of the regular cream which is too heavy for me. I used this and the lotion for years. Loved them. Made my skin soft as a baby’s butt and never any irritation or breakouts. Great moisture products. I just hated how every time I went to go rebuy it the price went up by some astronomical number. So I started venturing into other brands like Perricone and Renee Rouleau.

Nomaterra Malibu & Oahu Fragrance Wipe: The scents were not for me, too floral and sweet. I prefer vial samples and I wasn’t a fan of the wipes, felt like the scent faded quicker. I love the Nomaterra brand. Nice indie niche brand.

Omorovicza Blue Diamond Eye Cream: I’ve gone through a few samples of this now, this was the first. There’s just something about it when you use it. A sample packet lasts almost two weeks using day and night. It’s lightweight yet so hydrating. It gives visible lifting. A firmer and tighter eye area. I actually just grabbed a full size with my free Pengo Points(see my websites I shop at frequently page and scroll to Omorovicza for details). I haven’t started using it yet but I’m excited to.

Urban Decay Pore-Perfecting Complexion Primer Potion & Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Ultra Definition Liquid Makeup 5.0: The primer was one of those thick silicone based primers. It was slightly tinted. It was OK, made me feel greasy. I like Sunday Riley’s primer better as a tinted silicone kind. The foundation was OK. Able to layer from medium to full. Semi matte and a bit too heavy and drying for me.

Giorgio Armani Fluid Master Primer: I thought this would be thin for some reason. But it was a typical thicker silicone clear primer. Was a bit greasy for me. Pass.

Belief Hungarian Water Essence: This was OK. Thin hydrating gel liquid. Nothing really special about it for me.

Omorovicza Rose Lifting Serum: I recently reviewed this serum here. Read it for details but overall pricey, not worth it.

OSKIA Renaissance Cleansing Gel: I love this stuff. Talked about it here and here. I went nuts for it at first, and rightly so it’s a fabulous product. I’ve just got so many cleansing gel balms now and I have a few I like more right now. I have one more tube I’m going through right now.

Bare Minerals Skinlongevity Vital Power Infusion: I liked this. It’s small so it was hard for sure to tell how much it did. I felt it did start to make an overall effect so I grabbed two more sample tubes today at Sephora and I’ll give it a longer shot.

Hurraw! Vata Lip Balm: I’ve talked about Hurraw! balms in the past here. They’re organic, cheap, a good light to medium balm and best of all made in Montana. This one was Almond, Cardamom & Rose. I loved this scent/flavor. It had a warmth to it. For $4 I would rebuy.

Zelens Youth Concentrate Serum: Review

I love Zelens skincare. I’ve been slowly going through their whole line. The first serum I tested was the Youth Concentrate Supreme Age Defying Serum. It was my birthday present to myself late last year.

Per Zelens website: “A supreme age-defying serum developed by Dr. Marko Lens, inspired by a Nobel-prize winning discovery on the vital role of telomeres (cells’ biological clock) in controlling aging. Powered with a unique complex containing 8 potent peptides and encapsulated retinol, this concentrated formula helps significantly reduce all visible signs of aging. Perfectly hydrated, skin appears smoother, firmer and renewed with noticeably diminished fine lines and wrinkles.”

Benefits

• Promotes firmness and elasticity
• Plumps up and lifts the skin while reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
• Skin feels smoother and looks visibly younger

This was one of those serums where after using it for about 1-2 weeks I saw visible results. That’s usually rare. I test a lot of products and serums that add moisture. Some make my skin texture feel better. Others make my skin more plump and youthful. And some brighten or more my skintone more even. I have a hard time finding a serum that does all of those plus helps reduce the lines on my forehead. Youth Concentrate did it all. I actually put it in my Best of 2015 post after only using it for 2 weeks because I just knew. The texture is a thicker white liquid. Much like other Zelens products the smell is not annoying it’s a pleasant, clean, easy, minimal scent. That’s always a bonus and my preference.

So this powerful serum does come with a hefty price tag of $305 for 1 fl oz. It’s in a nice frosted glass pump bottle in which the pump actually got 99% of the product out without me having to turn it over the last few weeks. Another bonus. I found a bottle lasted me about 4 months using one pump nightly. Recommended use is day and night. I usually prefer to use my retinol at night only. If you use it twice a day it will go faster. I did break out a little the first week or so, all retinol does this to me. I found it best to start every other night, then increase to nightly after a week or so. I originally started every night, then I backed down to start more slowly after the breakouts started. This helped minimize that for me. This also helped minimize the irritation for me. I get a little irritation when I start a retinol serum, starting slow is always best. This is not a serum for pregnant ladies because of the retinol.

Is it worth it? Depends on how you feel about spending that kind of money on skincare. I would buy the serum again. I’m going to finish going through a few serums I still have around then I will add it to my nightly routine. I saw a difference in my skin quickly and the benefits diminished shortly after I stopped using it. That let me know it did it’s job and makes it worth it to me. Plus, why pay for and use multiple serums to tackle all those issues when one can do it. I would still use this with an antioxidant/vitamin C serum in the day, some type of acid serum at night for extra exfoliation. Don’t forget sunscreen in the day when using retinol it’s even more important, though you should be using it every morning anyway to avoid extra damage to your skin.

Active Ingredients per Zelens website:

“Youth Concentrate is fortified with 8 potent peptides that work in synergy with other active ingredients to provide a powerful anti-aging effect.”

Telomere Protection Complex
A potent complex containing 4 peptides to protect telomeres, support cell survival and extend their youth span.
Chronopeptide
A powerful peptide that promotes natural skin repair and regeneration through the expression of circadian genes.
Anti-Aging Peptide Complex
Contains 3 anti-aging peptides that boost collagen production to achieve a visibly smoother and younger- looking skin.
Encapsulated retinol
This slow-release retinol enhances cell communication, promotes collagen production and encourages the skin renewal process. Suitable for sensitive skin.
Hylauronic acid
An important natural component of skin. Zelens uses a low-molecular weight hyaluronic acid with unique moisturising properties. Hyaluronic acid boosts skin moisture, promotes skin elasticity and fills in wrinkles to help reduce their appearance.
Silanols
Organic derivates of silicones produced in the presence alginic acid extracted from brown algae. Stimulate fibroblast proliferation and activate collagen production and thus have an important role in wound healing and restructuring of the connective tissue. Silanols also demonstrate moisturising, anti-oxidant and anti-glycation properties.

Full lists of ingredients
Aqua (Water), Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Methylsilanol Mannuronate, Phytosteryl Canola Glycerides, Ethylhexyldodecanol, Glycerin, Methylpropanediol, Phenoxyethanol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Cetearyl Glucoside, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Parfum (Fragrance), Sodium Hyaluronate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Tocopherol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Triethanolamine, Teprenone, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Retinol, Geranylgeraylisopropanol, Hyaluronic Acid, Silanetriol, Citric Acid, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Sorbic Acid, Palmitoyl Dipeptide-5 Diaminobutyroyl Hydroxythreonine, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Tetradecyl Aminobutyroylvaylaminobutyric Urea Trifluoroacetate, Magnesium Chloride, L-Glutamylamidoethyl Imidazole, Linalool, Gryceryl Caprylate, Hydrolyzed Yeast Protein, Sodium Benzoate.

Surratt Surreal Real Skin Foundation Wand #5: Review & Swatches

I always wished Surratt would have launched a foundation with the initial line. I have been using the powder and concealer for maybe a year and half. I love both so I was pretty excited to see the Surreal Real Skin Foundation Wand launch. I was even more excited it launched during Sephora’s VIB sale a few weeks ago.

Per Sephora’s website: “A skin-perfecting foundation wand that’s a foundation and a brush in one. The Surreal Real Skin Foundation Wand leaves your skin looking flawless. Its innovative design makes application easy, and it instantly melts into skin, reducing the appearance of pores and fine lines. With a number of shades to choose from, it’s perfect for every skintone. This foundation features a self-setting, oil-free formula that provides an invisible, medium-to-full coverage and a long-wearing finish. It dispenses foundation through a brush for effortless application and quick touch ups.”

“My entire career as a makeup artist, I’ve always wanted to create the foundation of my dreams. I wanted my first foundation to be almost supernatural, a magic wand that makes fine lines and imperfections magically disappear. With the push of a button, and a wave of the wand, fantasy skin becomes reality.”—Troy Surratt, Surratt Beauty Founder 

The retail is $65 for a 1/2 oz of product. A little on the pricey end for a smaller size, but such is usual with Surratt if you have tried anything of his in the past. The products themselves while smaller than the average size on the market are always well done. Besides, if you’re like me you rarely ever finish a lipstick, or anything for that matter, before you’re onto the new thing anyway so bigger size isn’t always better. I prefer well done formulations. The packaging is a light plastic wand in the typical Surratt black with purple and green shimmer overspray. The brush is smaller, slanted, round and synthetic.

I chose shade #5 based on The Beauty Professor’s swatches. If you’re into foundation she swatches a ton of brands in most shades so I would check there if you’re looking into what shade to get. It’s an OK match for me. It’s a touch light. I’m usually in that NC 25-27 range and this is more NC 23-25. The other shades looked a bit too dark when I was picking which one to get. I would like to see #6 and #8 in person to see if they are more suited for me. Shade #5 works well enough for me.

I love the foundation, it’s a fabulous formula. Very lightweight and buildable. It’s between a satin and semi matte finish. It’s not as drying as Charlotte Tilbury’s Magic Foundation or Armani’s Maestro, but it’s not dewy at all. It lasts pretty well with no fading. I got 8-10 hours out of it easy. You can easily take it with you for touch ups as it’s so portable. It is not heavy or cakey looking at all. It does look like skin and feels like you don’t have anything on. I was able to build it on my cheeks to cover some redness easily. It does set itself as well. I tried it with and without primer. There actually wasn’t that much difference between using Sunday Riley’s Effortless Primer or not. Maybe a tiny hint of less pores using it. It didn’t change the wear all that much either, so the foundation does hold up well on it’s own. I can get lighter coverage out of it, it’s best at the medium level then adding to get full coverage around areas that need it. It does reduce pores fairly well, it’s not greasy feeling and didn’t break me out. I would say it lives up to it’s claims.

My main gripe, the package. While I like the idea of portability, ease and all that. I would much prefer to use the foundation brush I like, such as Tom Ford’s Cream Foundation Brush, or even a Beauty Blender. You could pump this out on your hand then use the tool of your choice, but you would waste a ton in the brush if you never used it. Plus it would be nice to be able to buy two shades and mix them if you needed a better match. Having to pay extra for a brush every time you replace this product is also a waste of money. The brush was my least favorite part of the product. It could be a touch streaky on occasion and it was smaller than I prefer. I also feel like the cap will eventually splay the brush when I try to snap it on. I had to be very aware and careful while closing it. Surratt please make this in a pump, otherwise it’s perfect.

Swatches Top to Bottom(These are all good matches for me currently as a NC 25-27): Omorovicza Complexion Enhancer, Urban Decay Naked One & Done Medium, Surratt Surreal #5, Zelens Youth Glow Beige, Charlotte Tilbury Light Wonder #6, Charlotte Tilbury Magic Foundation #6, Armani Maestro 5.5, Armani Luminous Silk 5.5:

Edit 5/27: So with summer coming shade #5 has became too light too quickly for me. I’ve been testing #8 and #9 as well. #8 seems to be too yellow and just a hair too light. I’ve noticed #5 and #8, the medium yellow undertone only shades, show my facial hairs and pores more than I like. They’re a touch too light or have more white in the base. I think I’ve realized I have a bit of a neutral or olive undertone in addition to being warm. So the strict yellow shades can be too light for me, I need more depth in a peach or beige fashion to match me. Shade #9 matches me the best right now. It seems so dark wet before it sets. Then it sets a touch lighter. I never pass a NC 30 in the summer so #9 is right around NC 30. I never thought being a medium skintone that a tan foundation shade would work for me, but the peachy tones make this fit better than the golden #8. I’ll try to get pics up later this week of all three.

Edit 5/29: Pics up here.

Charlotte Tilbury Instant Look In A Palette: Review & Swatches

As a lover of Charlotte Tilbury I got excited when I saw the new Instant Look In A Palette. Seemed like a neutral lovers dream.

It comes in the same burgundy compact like the eyeshadow quads. Charlotte states it’s a 5 minute face on-the-go. “The NEW! natural, glowing look in a palette enriched with, radiance-enhancing, color-correcting magic ingredients. – it’s the look that suits every woman and enhances the colors that nature has naturally blessed you with. An all-in-one, beauty palette that EVERY WOMAN NEEDS in her beauty kit for DAY TO EVENING makeup! You don’t need to give me an hour to feel the full force of my makeup magic. Just give me 5 minutes and I can show you how to get an instant, naturally gorgeous look. I have been working on this look for years and use on clients for anything from runway to the big day. It is the perfect a chic, effortless look on-the-go.” The retail is $75.

“Including 7 of my makeup secrets for a natural-looking You-but-Better:

1. Eye Brighten: A youthful brightening eye shadow in a color correcting , brightening pale rose hue to prime the surface of the eyelid for an all-day application.
2. Eye Enhance: Adds a dreamy dimension to the eye lid in a natural glowing champagne shade that illuminates the eyelid.
3. Eye Smoke: For softly defined eyes in a universally flattering taupe shade, that can be built up to a very natural smokey eye.
4. Face Bronzer: To define the cheekbone hollows, jawline and nose shape in an all-natural, all skin tone bronze color in my best-selling Filmstar Bronze & Glow formula.
5. Cheek Swish: For a healthy, happy glow in a tea rose hue to be applied on the apple of the cheek and blended out.
6. Cheek Pop: For a natural lit-from-within glow, an uplifting pretty pink to be applied to the apple of the cheeks.
7. Face Highlighter: Candlelight for the skin in a candlelit shade to be applied to the outer C-section of the cheekbones, down the nose, on the bow of the lips and inner corners of the eyes.”

Sunlight:

Top to Bottom: Eye Brighten, Eye Enhance, Eye Smoke, Cheek Swish, Cheek Pop, Face Bronze, Face Highlight:

The texture is awesome. It’s a really finely milled, silky, smooth formula. It blends effortlessly. It does go on sheerer, while it looks pigmented it blends down to be more of a sheer look. The Eye Smoke especially. I thought this was going to really dark but it sheers out. The textures can be a bit powdery especially the two matte eye shades.

Eye Brighten is a matte creamy neutral pink, Eye Enhance is a shimmery warmer rose gold, Eye Smoke is a matte medium to deep neutral brown. The Cheek Swish is a peachy rose, Cheek Pop is a bright pale pink. Both blush shades have a hint of shimmer to them, but a much improvement on how shimmery her normal blushes are. The bronze has some shimmer to it like the Bronze & Glow but this shade seems a touch less warm, more neutral. I personally like this one better because of the more neutral shade. The highlight it a shimmery champagne and it’s also less gold or warm than the Bronze & Glow. I don’t have the Bronze & Glow anymore to be able to compare so I’m going by memory.

Overall, I love the shades, minus the bright pink Cheek Pop shade I’m not into those really candy pinks. It’s so sheer it works OK on me. But I would prefer a double size pan of the Cheek Swish shade. I did notice that after ten hours of wear the eye shades were pretty much gone, faded away. The cheek shades were barely there. So that’s the only thing I notice with these new textures. I still need to try the eye shades on straight eye primer without the Eye Brighten shade to see if they last better. But I guess it doesn’t matter since it’s a travel palette and you should have it with you to touch up? I’ll post comparison swatches in a separate when I get around to taking them.

This photo is from Nordstrom’s site to explain the shades:

Koyudo Eye Brushes: BP029, BP033, BP032, BP035, BP034: Review & Comparison

After being turned on to Japanese brushes a few years ago I have replaced all my other brushes with Japanese brands such as Hakuhodo, Chikuhodo, SUQQU and Koyudo. Over the last year I’ve added in some Koyudo eye brushes and they have quickly become my favorites. The BP High Class Series is my favorite series from Koyudo, they have the white handles and are high quality hairs.

L to R: BP029, BP033, BP032, BP035, BP034:

The BP029 Large Shader Brush is made from gray squirrel. With the current conversion factor it’s around $39. It’s a large, long, fluffy eye brush. It’s good for a large more diffuse application. It’s very similar to the BP028 which was my first Koyudo brush purchase. I discussed it here. The Chikuhodo is about the same width but shorter and the most dense of the bunch. The Surratt Large Classic Brush is long and fluffy but more pointed in shape. I find the Koyudo BP028 pine squirrel to give a bit sheerer application than the BP029 gray squirrel. So the BP029 lays down a touch more product than the BP028 and Surratt. Overall, they’re all very similar. The BP028 is the least precise, the shape of the Surratt helps it be more precise. The BP029 is a bit less fluffy than the BP028 so it’s more precise. The Chikuhodo Z-5 is the most dense so it gives the best lay down of color and is the most precise of the bunch. You don’t need all of them, but I love large eye brushes so I do use them all frequently.

Compared with L to R: BP029, BP028, Chikuhodo Z-5, Surratt Classique Shadow Brush Grande:

The BP033 Shader Brush is made from gray squirrel. It runs about $32. It’s a longer, fluffy medium eye brush. Very similar in shape to MAC’s 217 or Hakuhodo’s J5523 except it’s in gray squirrel versus goat. So the BP033 is much softer. 

The BP032 Blending Brush is made from pine squirrel. It runs about $26. It’s a longer, fluffy medium eye brush. Both the BP033 and BP032 are softer than the Hakuhodo. The Hakuhodo gives the strongest application of shadow or the best blending being the densest. The BP033 and BP032 give a softer wash of color but they are easier to control than the BP029 and BP028 being a smaller size. Same as above the BP032 gives a slightly sheerer application than the BP033. The pine squirrel seems to give the sheerest look.

Compared with L to R: BP033, BP032, Hakuhodo J5523:

The BP035 Shader Brush is made from pine squirrel. It runs about $25. It’s a shorter, flat, paddle shaped medium eye brush. The Wayne Goss #18 brush or Hakuhodo B/J004 are similar in shape and size. The BP035 is less dense than both of those brushes so it does give a sheer application. It’s easier to control than the BP033 or BP032 because it’s shorter.

The BP034 Shader Brush is made from kolinsky. It runs about $33. It’s a flat, dense, paddle shaped medium eye brush. This is great for packing on shadow. MAC’s 242 is similar. You could use this for glitter or cream and liquid shadows. It’s dense and not fluffy like any of the above brushes. It creates the least fall out when applying, which is why it’s good for glitter.

Compared with L to R: BP035, BP034, Hakuhodo B/J004, Wayne Goss 18:

I buy all of my Koyudo brushes from CDJapan and I linked all the brushes to show their descriptions. They do have a rewards system for points too and if you plan on buying from them it’s worth signing up for the point reward system. It at least helps cover shipping the next time you order.

Once I grabbed these Koyudo eye brushes I found myself slowly getting rid of other Wayne Goss and Hakuhodo brushes that were similar as I liked these ones so much more. My only wish is that Koyudo put the brush numbers on the handles, they’re no where on the brushes so you have to look your order up or be able to magically remember the numbers.

Omorovicza Rose Lifting Serum: Review

I already reviewed the Radiance Renewal Serum and Blue Diamond Concentrate. I am currently working on the Gold Flash Firming Serum so that will be the last Omorovicza serum review. The Rose Lifting Serum is for a lifting effect and wrinkles.

Per Omorovicza’s website: “Botox-like, this serum relaxes facial muscles to inhibit the development of fine lines and wrinkles while a natural tenser gives the skin an instant lift. It acts on all layers of the skin to remodel and rejuvenate it. Key Benefits: Relax facial muscles, thus smoothing expression lines and wrinkles, with sea mayweed. Tighten the surface of the skin to visibly reduce the appearance of wrinkles with natural polysaccharide. Minimize the appearance of fine lines and imperfections with ruby crystal. For renewed elasticity and vitality, strengthen dermo-proteins such as elastin and collagen with polypeptides (palmitoyl tripeptide and caprooyl tetrapeptide). Leave skin firmer, more supple and younger-looking as Hydro Mineral Transference™ delivers minerals deep into the skin.” The retail is $185 for a 30 ml bottle.

The packaging is nice, it’s a frosted glass bottle with a pump. The texture is a thin liquid with an off white color and pink iridescence to it. I assume this is the ruby crystal they mention. It has a minimal pleasant scent like all the Omorovicza products. I didn’t notice any bad effects like breakouts or anything. It’s lightweight and absorbs quickly.

While it was easy to use and added some moisture to my skin, I really didn’t get any fine line improvement from it. There was a bit of the lifting effect. I normally love all things Omorovicza and it has some beneficial ingredients, but for the price and effect it gave me I can’t say I would repurchase it. I did prefer the Blue Diamond Concentrate over this as a moisture and radiance increasing serum. I’ve used better serums in the anti-wrinkle/fine line category for the same price. Zelens Youth Concentrate(review coming) and Cellese Ante-Age(reviewed previously) are some I liked better.

Ingredients:

Aqua (Hungarian Thermal Water), Glycerin, Corundum (Pro Ruby Crystal), Phospholipids, Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Pullulan, Saccharomyces (Hungarian Thermal Water) Ferment Extract, Carbomer, Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract, Mica, Sodium Hydroxide, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Chlorella Vulgaris/Lupinus Albus Protein Ferment, Pectin, Silica, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Tripleurospermum Maritima (Sea Mayweed) Extract, Rosa Damascena Flower Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Flower Extract, Sorbic Acid, Dextran, Caprooyl Tetrapeptide-3, Linalool, Geraniol, Citronellol.

Addiction Eyeshadow Reformulation Comparison Swatches

I posted a bit a go about the new Addiction eyeshadows here and here. Here is the comparison swatches for similar shades. 

Top to Bottom: Addiction Penny Lane, Day Trip, Magic Flute, Sand Bar:

Top Addiction Nostalgia, Bottom Addiction Marron Glace:

Top L: Surratt Soie; Below R: Surratt Idealiste; Below L: Addiction Penny Lane; Below R: MAC Vex; Below L: Addiction Tuxedo Moon; Below R: Makeup Geek Rockstar; Below L: Addiction Day Trip; R: Shiseido Trio BE213 Middle Beige Shade; Below L Addiction Sand Bar; R:Urban Decay Skimp(Gwen Palette):

 Top: Suqqu Trio EX-05 Brown Shade; Middle L to R: Addiction Marron Glace, Surratt Haute Chocolate; Bottom L to R: YSL Couture Mono #11, Natasha Denona Smoky Quartz:

Renee Rouleau Total Eye Repair Cream: Review

I went through a huge Renee Rouleau phase when I started getting adult acne at 33. Her line helped me immensely at the time and got me started into better looking after my skin, not sleeping in my makeup etc. Not that I was a stranger to skincare, I had used La Mer’s Lotion for a while and at the time I think I was using MAC’s Fast Response Eye Cream as well as whatever sample cleansers I had gotten in gift bags. I started an AM/PM more targeted approach to my skincare with her line, then kind of branched out more over the last 5 years.

The Total Eye Repair Cream was a newer product, this either came out last year or the year before. It has a nice airless pump so the packaging is great. The retail is $61.50 for a 15ml pump. Per Renee Rouleau’s website: “Total Eye Repair Cream by Renée Rouleau moisturizes very dry skin under the eyes while softening and plumping wrinkles. Safe for sensitive eyes. Total Eye Repair Cream by Renée Rouleau is a rich and luxurious eye cream formulated with the highest concentration of wrinkle-repairing ingredients to improve and correct the appearance of dryness, fatigue and expression lines. Line-filling peptides increase healthy cell communication to return cellular activity to its youthful state. The result? Radiant and smoother skin with less visible eye wrinkles by Renée Rouleau.” 

They also list other uses for the cream: “Skin creases between eyebrows – softens and corrects expression lines and will encourage longer-lasting Botox®. Lips – keeps lips smooth and plump.” I did not try it for any of these alternative uses.

The texture is a thicker cream, no strong scent. It’s not irritating and I had no issues using it. It’s really moisturizing. Definitely good for dry and mature skin, or overnight on a normal skintype. Might not be the best for oily or potentially combo skintypes, depends on your eye cream preference as well. Your climate and the season also affects whether or not something is right for you. So keep all that in mind. In essence, it’s not greasy and absorbs fast, it’s a thicker heavier eye cream that’s really moisturizing. I tend to be normal to dry in the winter and normal to combo in the summer. I used this at night only, as here in humid Texas, during the day it was too much for me and made my eye products slip around too much. That’s true of just about anything above a light lotion for me. 

So did it work? Yes. It’s not a dark circle corrector, nor does it claim to be. This is for wrinkles/fine lines and moisture. I found it made my fine lines look better with use. They were more plumped, less visible and I had an increased moisture level while using. I would buy this again as a night eye cream. It didn’t break the bank and gave results.

Key Ingredients(the website only lists key ingredients and by the time I got around to writing this I had already tossed the bottle, shame on me, that had the ingredient list on the back. If you email Renee Rouleau they will email you a detailed ingredient list on any of their products): “Palmitoyl Oligopeptide – line-filling peptide to encourage healthy cell-to-cell communication for deep wrinkle repair. Astaxanthin – powerful antioxidant to enhance skin’s elasticity and freshness. Snap-8 – a Botox®-like peptide to prevent and correct expression lines. Licorice Extract – reduces inflammation that leads to wrinkles. Hyaluronic Spheres – instantly fills and plumps lines from within.”

Addiction Eyeshadow Reformulation: Swatches & Review Part 2

I recently posted a Part 1 review with six shades of the new reformulated Addiction eyeshadows. Now onto Part 2.

I have left to right 50 Tuxedo Moon, 17 Day Trip, 29 Magic Flute, 68 Nostalgia:

These are all considered Pearl(P) shades and same as Part 1 the Pearl range varies quite a bit in texture. With the exception of Nostalgia, these four shades are all the more drier, powdery, satin texture. Nostalgia is the more almost creamy wet texture same as Swan Lake and Boy Toy in Part 1. I hesitate to say wet and creamy because they are powder and not a cream or cream to powder at all, but they have a more emollient feel.

50 Tuxedo Moon is a neutral grey beige with a faint pink pearl. It reminds me of MAC Vex. It’s a sheerer, powdery satin shade. The pearl is more faint in this one than MAC Vex, it’s less shimmery overall. It does however have a purple feel. It’s listed in Addiction’s Yellow/Green Category but it looks more grey purple beige. I’m not sure why this one isn’t in the Pink Beige or Black White Category. It’s not warm yet it’s not cool with the purple tone, it feels overall neutral. I’ll post a comparison photo in a future post.

Sunlight:

17 Day Trip is a satin light pink beige. It’s in the Pink Beige Category. The shimmer is similar to the base shade. This one has that drier more powdery texture.

Sunlight:

29 Magic Flute is a warm light to medium shimmery caramel nude with gold micro glitter. It’s that drier more powdery texture. There is some fall out with with gold glitter. It’s in the Yellow Beige Category.

Sunlight:

68 Nostalgia is from the Pearl Brown Category. It looks like a cooler medium shimmery brown with silver shimmer. It has a silver shimmer topcoat on it as well. This does rub off first few uses as you can see the middle shows the truer color with the edges still having that topcoat. While it looks cool in the pan it goes on warmer than you think. It ultimately looks like a warmer medium brown with silver shimmer and micro glitter. It gives a wet brown look. It has an emollient texture like I talked about above. While it’s the same texture as Swan Lake and Boy Toy it’s sheerer than the two.

Sunlight:

Top to Bottom: Tuxedo Moon, Day Trip, Magic Flute, Nostalgia:

I have some comparison swatches between the 10 shades and with other brands I own that I’ll post up later in the week once I get to editing them. Overall, I liked all but Magic Flute. I’m not into the micro glitter otherwise I would like it. Oddly, the micro glitter in Nostalgia is OK for me. It doesn’t have fall out near what Magic Flute does. It’s not my usual type of shade, but I like the look of it. I have a few more shades I want to grab from Addiction’s new line in the future.

Real Techniques Expert Face Brush: Review & Comparison

Even though I wasn’t a fan of the Sephora Pro x Hakuhodo synthetic face brushes, it opened me up to trying more synthetic brushes instead of just using real hair brushes. I love the shape of the Tom Ford Cream Foundation Brush and decided to grab the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush. For $8.99 is was worth trying and it usually gets good reviews.

The shape is fairly similar to the Tom Ford Cream Foundation Brush. Short, rounder oval shape and more compact. I found it performed pretty similar to the Tom Ford as well. It has a denser black synthetic hair base with finer white synthetic hair tips. It worked great for liquid products such as foundations, blush and bronzer. It also worked great for cream products. My favorite way to use it is with my Armani Liquid Summer Bronzer. This is a bit smaller than the Tom Ford and less dense overall. For the price this was an excellent addition to my brush collection, it’s a fabulous brush.

L to R: Real Techniques Expert Face Brush, Tom Ford Cream Foundation Brush:

Top View for size comparison: