Marcelle's Waterproof Liquid DIP-PEN Eyeliner Sticks Around

Eyeliner is such a big part of my everyday makeup routine; I wear eyeliner nearly every day, I think. Now, while I do enjoy using cream or gel liners, I'd still prefer wearing liquid as I find that it tends to last longer even without using primers.

The last liquid eyeliner that impressed me was Eyeko's Graffiti Eyeliner Pen, but it's only available to Canadians through Eyeko's online store and I wanted something that was more readily available to me. Enter Marcelle's new Waterproof Liquid DIP-PEN Eyeliner 10H+.

Blackest Black and Purple

I purchased Blackest Black and Purple, though it's also available in True Brown and Navy (I plan on purchasing the latter as well). Blackest Black is a matte black while Purple has a bit of shimmer running through.

The DIP-PEN is quite easy to work with, though I find that Purple is more liquid-y and has more slip -- possibly because of the shimmer? Regardless, they both apply effortlessly.

When I first started using this eyeliner, there was some very minor irritation. BUT, I definitely think it's due to the fact that I haven't used a liquid liner in so long. I had to adjust to using a felt-tip applicator again, but I experience absolutely no irritation now.

Blackest Black

Purple

The DIP-PEN Eyeliner lasts the entire day on me, which is what makes this eyeliner really impressive. I did dissolve a bit when I cried (I get emotional, kay?!) and saw some streaks down my face, but it was fairly minimal. Other than that, it just doesn't budge; not even on the hottest day we've had in Vancouver so far.

This eyeliner is definitely a winner for me. At $13.99 CAD, it is very reasonably priced, and while I may still be intrigued enough to purchase a similar product by a higher end brand, I could see myself purchasing this over and over again. Precisely because it's inexpensive.

What's your favourite liquid liner?

Thanking My Lucky Stars For Marcelle BB Cream-To-Powder

You know, I love me some Marcelle BB Cream... My only issue was that it wasn't really suitable for my combination skin. There is no oil control (not that it claims to have any) and I found that I lost some coverage throughout the day, even when I set it with powder. So I decided to just use it on my more low-key days when I still wanted to look polished, but wasn't too concerned about it fading away eventually.

But now, Marcelle has come out with the new BB Cream-to-Powder ($22.95 CAD) and it's everything that I wanted the traditional BB Cream to be!

First, the packaging... This BB Cream-to-Powder comes in a sleek, white compact; it contains a sponge and a sizeable built-in mirror. This compact feels quite sturdy and I really like that the sponge is stored on top of the product, instead of below.

This product comes in two shades, light to medium and medium to dark. Obviously, I purchased light to medium, which is the same shade I have in the original BB Cream. It contains "self-adjusting pigments," which means it's pretty much a perfect match for my skin.

For those of you who are kind of living under a rock ( :p ) and don't know what a BB Cream is, it stands for Blemish Balm and was originally formulated for people who have undergone any medical treatment that would cause skin sensitivity. BB Creams would provide them with enough coverage to even out their skin without causing an irritation, as these products are basically makeup and skincare rolled into one.

Marcelle claims that this BB Cream-to-Powder has "8-in-1" benefits: it evens out skin tone, hydrates, protects, regenerates, controls shine (!!!), soothes, corrects, and brightens. It also has a "photo luminescent diamond core complex" which means... Actually, I don't know what that means. But it sounds awesome, no? :p

To top it off, this product is hypo-allergenic, perfume free, paraben free, oil free, and non-comodogenic. Marcelle, you need to stop being so flippin' awesome! (I lied, don't ever stop)

(L-R: swatched & blended out)

(pre-blush face with some concealing underneath the eyes)

I love how easily this product smoothes onto my skin -- it glides on and blends so effortlessly. It feels really silky and sets to a satin finish. It evens out my skin beautifully while still looking very natural, as if my skin just happens to look that good. I would say this BB Cream-to-Powder has light, but buildable coverage; it layers on nicely, though it does require a bit more blending on my drier areas (around my nose). But the best part is that it stays with me through a full work day. There's definitely some shine coming through as the day goes on, but nowhere near as much as when I wear the original BB Cream. It probably does fade a bit as well, but I honestly haven't noticed. At least not during my workday when I'm more likely to catch my reflection in the mirror. 

As I mentioned before, this Cream-to-Powder compact is exactly what I wished the original BB Cream was; i.e. everything the original product already was, but with added oil control action. Ahh, I love! <3

Are you a fan of BB Creams?

Lipstick Bandits: Summer Sheers Make Me Feel Fine...

The Lipstick Bandits are back and this time, we're talking about sheer lippies!

Now, I've said it before on this blog - so much so that I probably sound like a broken record :p - but sheers aren't really my thing. That said, there are some sheer lipsticks that have caught my eye in the past year; but for this post, I thought I would resurrect a product that I reviewed at the beginning of June. The product in question? Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in En Vogue.

One of the things I love about this lipstick is that despite its sheerness, it's still pigmented enough that the colour shows up on my lips. And what a lovely colour it is! En Vogue is described as a "bright coral," but since it's a sheer formula, it won't frighten anyone who's scared of bright, vivid shades. There's also some slight shimmer shot through, which gives my lips such a pretty, glossy finish. 

(my face was not cooperating with me so you get this lame, cop-out of a full face shot)

(also went overboard with the blush... if there was an MUA card, mine would be revoked)

(Rae-Rae, I know you're gonna want to photoshop the shiz out of this :p)

Anyhoo... Although I love me some En Vogue, I can't say I'm fully on board the Sheer Train. Here's why: My lips are fairly pigmented, but there are some days where they're more pink and others where they're more neutral. When I took the full face shot yesterday, my lips were more pink, so the coral-y goodness wasn't as evident as it was on the day I took the lip swatch photo. 

Still, En Vogue is one of those lipsticks that is easy to wear ; you don't have to think too much about it, just slap it on and BOOM -- prettified. Such is the nature of sheer lipsticks, I suppose! :)

So now we come to my favourite part: checking out the other Lipstick Bandits' Summer Sheer picks! We're missing the beautiful Jenny of My Funny Valentine, but show her some love anyway and be sure to go check out each Bandit's post. I'm sure you will love what they're going to feature -- I know I always do!

• Beauty Reflections
• Bloomin' Beauty Blog
• Call It Beauty
• Eye Heart It
• Getting Cheeky
• Glitter Geek
• Makeup Morsels
• Messy Wands
• Musing on Beauty
• My Women Stuff
• Rocaille Writes
• theNotice: a beauty blog‎

What's your favourite sheer lipstick?

Skincare Week: Face Mask Friday + A Bonus Review

Ladies and gents ladies (are there any men who read my blog?), welcome to Face Mask Friday!

I've been doing my pampering on Friday nights for a few weeks now... I know, I'm wild like that. I normally do 2 face masks and a hair mask (The Body Shop's Rainforest Radiance Hair Butter -- this stuff is amazing!) before continuing on with the rest of my skincare regime. So I thought that doing a Face Mask Friday post would be the most appropriate thing to do today...

The skoah. aha mask was used on me when I got my facial at skoah. this past mother's day. I've tried cleansers with AHAs and BHAs (like this one from Murad), but it was a bit harsh for me, so I was really excited to purchase this mask because it felt lovely and seemed quite gentle on my skin.

I typically leave this mask on for 10-15 minutes and then I rinse off with warm water. You're allowed to have it on overnight, and it does dry a bit after a few minutes (you can pat your face and not remove any product), but I have yet to try doing that. 

Now, I'm no scientist, nor am I any sort of skincare expert. But if I'm not mistaken, AHAs (or alpha hydroxy acids) are supposed to exfoliate while simultaneously hydrating the skin. This type of exfoliant could be a better choice for people with sensitivity to physical exfoliants as there are no solid particles that can abrade the skin.

I did notice that my skin felt like I've lost a layer after using this mask -- presumably, those are the dead skin cells. It did feel a bit weird at first, but I've since gotten used to it. It's quite gentle, which is great for me since I've developed some sensitivity within the past year (what's up with that, skin?). My skin feels quite smooth afterwards and I follow up with the Caudalie mask for a more targeted treatment; I figure this second mask will work even better with no pesky dead skin cells getting in the way.

Still, it can't really replace that feeling of freshly scrubbed skin, so I still use my Olay Pro-X Facial Cleansing Brush once in a while.

I purchased this Purifying Mask from Caudalie ($40 CAD) along with the Vinosource hydrating serum because I wanted something that would help with my blemishes (those stubborn little buggers! >_<), but wouldn't dry out my skin. Caudalie does state that this mask is non-drying and I have to agree with that. 

But the best thing is that after using this product, my blemishes look much smaller and are less red. It doesn't completely remove them, unfortunately, I think I'll need something more potent than this mask for them to go away; but I do see a difference! 

Blemishes look smaller and my skin feels hydrated? I think we've got ourselves a winner! 

Bonus round...

This Embryolisse moisturizer has been lauded by makeup artists on YouTube, so of course I had to try it. I've been using it at nights because I like to use something more moisturizing at that time; but since it's summer, my go-to nighttime moisturizer - the Josie Maran Argan Oil - is much too heavy at the moment.

Lait-Crème Concentré, which I purchased for $30 CAD through Jordane Cosmetics, is not too thick and feels lovely on the skin. It has a light, but very pleasant scent; it kind of reminds me of a less intense version of the Wild Rose Moisturizer by Korres.

Embryolisse calls it a 24-Hour Miracle Cream and while I have yet to experience any skin miracles, I have to say that my skin has been feeling rather nice in the mornings whenever I use this at night. Combined with the Caudalie serum, it has made my skin softer & more supple, and my skin feels very comfortable (neither dry nor oily) when I wake up. It sinks in quite nicely as well and it doesn't make the surface of my skin feel tacky or oily at all, which is exactly how I like my moisturizers.





And thus ends Skincare Week, folks!

I hope you liked this series of posts... I know it was a lot of fun for me to crank these out. It was definitely a great way to get me to finally write about some of these products. Anyway, I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and if you've tried any of the products in this post, let me know how you like them in the comments! :)

Oh, and tell me...

What are your favourite face masks?

Skincare Week: Caudalie Vinosource S.O.S. Thirst Quenching Serum

Sometime last month, as I was sitting at my workspace, I started noticing that my cheeks felt really, really dry. I patted the skin in that area, but the surface felt really oily. I had my suspicions about what was going on, but I wanted to get other people's opinions. So, I turned to the best source of beauty news/tips/tricks/advice on the internet, TWITTER, and posed the question. The question being: "what the heck is going on with my skin, you guys?!"

A lovely Twitter follower (MakeupByNaomi) suggested that my skin was dehydrated (*dingdingding*) and suggested using a hydrating serum as opposed to a moisturizer, since my skin does tend to get oily throughout the day.

So after work, I immediately headed to my local Sephora so I could have a peek at their hydrating serums. A lovely SA took me over to the Caudalie section and recommended the Vinosource S.O.S. Thirst Quenching Serum. It's been a few weeks now since I've started using this serum and my skin has been feeling absolutely lovely!

From Caudalie: This high potency serum captures and continually diffuses water deep within the skin to restore its moisture balance and leave it feeling soft and supple. 


Ever since I've started using this serum, my skin has no longer felt dry; at least not when I use my regular skincare products. However, there are times when I test something new that turns out to be a bit harsher than I'm used to and this serum helps to keep my skin hydrated despite the drying effects of said products. But when combined with my regular skincare regimen, my skin feels absolutely amazing -- hydrated, smooth, and with no sign of the discomfort that dryness brings to your skin.

At $48 CAD, it's certainly not the most expensive of serums on the market and one pump is more than enough for my entire face as well as my neck. I like to pat this onto my skin, as opposed to rubbing it in; something I've been doing with my serums and moisturizes as of late. It sinks in after about a minute, at which point I apply my moisturizer (Kiehl's Açai Damage-Correcting Moisturizer during the day, Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré at night, and Josie Maran Argan Oil when my skin is particularly dry). Because this serum hydrates my skin brilliantly, I find that I don't need to use as much of my moisturizer. I do still get oily throughout the day, but I don't find that I'm getting oilier because of this product. No, my skin still behaves normally with regards to oiliness, but I no longer feel any discomfort in my skin due to dehydration.

When I wake up in the morning and feel my skin, it feels well smooth, moisturized, and supple... I think we'd all like a bit of that for our skin, no? So if you find that your skin is dehydrated, I definitely recommend the Vinosource S.O.S. Thirst Quenching Serum from Caudalie. My skin's loving it and I think yours will, too!

What's your favourite serum?

Skincare Week: Kiehl's Açaí Damage-Repairing Sérum & Damage-Correcting Moisturizer

A few months ago, I decided that I wanted to add a serum to my skincare regime. I did some research, as I am wont to do; but then I stepped into Kiehl's and upon hearing my skincare concerns, the SA recommended the Açaí Serum. Of course, she used many other products on my skin, and I also walked away with the Açaí Damage-Correcting Moisturizer.

The main ingredient in Kiehl's Açaí line is, obviously, the Açaí berry, which is "known to be one of nature's most powerful antioxidants." And we all know what a bid deal antioxidants are in skincare, don't we? I can't tell you why (free radicals and some such), I just know it's a big deal. :p

So what do I think about these two products?

Firstly, let's talk about the Damage-Repairing Serum... Or "Sérum" (potato, potahto).

From Kiehl's: Our ultra concentrated, readily-absorbent formula quickly penetrates skin's surface to repair the effects of visible damage to skin's tone, texture, and elasticity due to environmental oxidation, sun exposure, and other external skin stressors. Ecocert Organic Certified. 100% Natural Origin Ingredients. Paraben and Silocone Free.

Now, maybe it's because my skin wasn't really damaged to begin with, but I didn't really see much of a difference in my skin. It has a liquidy texture, which most serums have, and it sinks into the skin fairly quickly; nothing new in the serum world, I think. I guess I expected this serum to be a bit of a miracle worker, like I heard the Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair is. Perhaps it was that unfair comparison that made this serum a slight disappointment to me.

As for the Damage-Correcting Moisturizer...

From Kiehl's: This antioxidant-enriched, non-greasy moisturizer helps skin repair the visible effects of oxidative environmental stress while minimizing the appearance of fine lines and loss of elasticity. Skin is visibly renewed, smoother, and more even-toned. Ecocert Organic Certified. 100% Natural Original Ingredients. Paraben and Silicone Free.

Now this one, I really like. My concern has always been getting enough hydration but not too much that my skin becomes oily. This moisturizer is absolutely perfect for that! It feels like I actually have moisturizer on and it sinks into my skin enough that there's not much of a residue left behind. My skin feels moisturized and not just on top of the skin, but beneath the skin as well. Love this stuff!

As I mentioned above, the Serum was a bit of a disappointment to me, but I have to give it some credit. When used with the moisturizer, I did notice a more even skintone after a week or two of use. I guess because my skin hasn't suffered a lot of damage, it really isn't going to do that much. But I still like the fact that I'm doing something preventative with my skin so that when anti-aging actually becomes a concern, I won't be too badly off.

Still, I'm not entirely sure I would repurchase the serum, though I know that I'll definitely be repurchasing the moisturizer. It's exactly what I'm looking for in a moisturizer and it's been working wonderfully for me these past months.

Are you a fan of Kiehl's skincare products?

Bright Mattes With Joe Fresh!

I'm not sure I can think of anything sexier than a bright, matte lip...

Um, wellll... *pitiful sigh*

But I digress!

Bright, matte lips are über sexy and what better time to rock them than in the Summer? I mean, don't get me wrong, I would rock bright matte's any time I feel like it. But I just have this image of a white sundress, sexy shades, tousled hair, minimal makeup, and bright matte lips; it's très summer-y, no?

These two lipsticks from Joe Fresh have actually been in my possession for a while now, but I've only just gotten round to writing about them. Slacker beauty blogger likes to to slack off,  yo. But it's still Summer, so I'm counting this as a victory. *proceeds to lunge*

Joe Fresh makes excellent lipsticks, I think, and their mattes are no exception. I purchased Fuchsia and Melon (no colour descriptions needed here, me thinks), which are two shades that I'm quite fond of at the moment.

As all other matte formulas I've tried (which isn't that many, admittedly), the texture feels quite lightweight and it smoothes onto the lips easily. It does accentuate dry flakes, though; which, again, is something I find all my matte lipsticks do... Well, all matte lipsticks in general. I also find that I have to use a lip liner, otherwise it'll feather around the edge of my lips.

I purchased Fuchsia specifically for a performance I had back in June. It's been on my radar since I saw it on The Glitter Geek (there it is again... I told you, Arianne is a fountain of makeup knowledge!) and I have to say, I prefer how it looks on Arianne. It looks very blue-pink on me, which is not the look I was going for. It's also not quite as matte as Melon; as you can see in the lip swatch above, there is still a bit of sheen on my lips... It's still a very pretty shade, though!

Now, when I think of the word "melon," I think of something more pastel. As you can see, this shade is a bit more tangerine-y than melon, but I'm not really bothered; I just like to nitpick! :p

As with other Joe Fresh lipsticks, Fuchsia and Melon are quite pigmented and opacity can be attained with just a swipe or two. That said, like other lightweight lipsticks, it's really best to keep the layering to a minimum as it tends to not apply evenly the more you put on.

Unfortunately, because my lips are so insanely dry at the moment (I'm sure you can tell from all the lip swatch photos. And check out those crazy-dry corners, yo!), I can't wear lipsticks. But once in a while, I'll put it on when I'm at home and don't have to impress anyone because it makes me feel like a true Lipstick Bandit again. =/


And now for some fun!


Well, bright lips are supposed to be fun, aren't they? So I thought I would experiment a bit with Fuchsia and Melon. Here's what I came up with...

Colour-blocked lips, which I first saw in an editorial photo and was also done by The Notice and Getting Cheeky for the Summer Brights Lipstick Bandit post. 

Ombré lips, which has been all over the blogosphere at this point, I think. This is just my humble take on it. I actually really like this one -- it's subtle enough that I would actually wear it out.

What's your favourite matte lipstick?