Makeup, Skincare, Fragrance and a Bit of Fashion
10th: Esprique
(image from www.cosme.net)
Esprique’s spring 2016 makeup collection features the new Glow Cheek. Four variations are available, and my favorite is PK-2. If you tend to prefer shimmerless blushers, do bear in mind that the product has quite a glowy finish with fine shimmer.
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(Clinique Cheek Pop in Melon Pop)
(images & info from i-voce.jp)
For me, Clinique‘s Cheek Pop, launched in spring 2014, is one of the more visually interesting items from the brand, and it is great to see four new shades for spring/summer 2015. Pink Pop is looking particularly lovely.
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10th: YSL
(image from www.urcosme.com)
YSL’s spring 2014 Flower Crush makeup collection features pink and purple, two of my favorite colors. The limited-edition Palette Flower Crush Eyes (pictured above) includes rose pink and dark cherry alongside lighter highlighting shades.
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(image from House of Fraser)
I stopped by central London a couple of days ago and had a look around the Oxford Street and Bond Street areas. Here are some of my beauty sightings:
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(Cheek Pop in 04 Plum Pop)
(images/info from www.cosme.net)
Here is a look at the upcoming Cheek Pop from Clinique‘s spring 2014 makeup collection. It comes in four shades, and I was instantly attracted by its pretty gerbera pattern, which goes well with the vibrant shades.
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(image from Clinique)
The product has a relatively lightweight gel-cream consistency. Some of the moisturizing ingredients that this product contains are glycerin, dipropylene glycol, astrocaryum murumuru (palm) seed butter, sorbitol, trehalose, squalane, and sodium hyaluronate.
It features antioxidants such as polygonum cuspidatum (Japanese knotweed) root extract, scutellaria baicalensis (skullcap) root extract, algae extract, betula alba (birch) bark extract, linoleic acid, and tocopheryl acetate (vitamin E). Skullcap root extract and linoleic acid also have anti-inflammatory properties.
The product does not contain fragrance or parabens.
Even though the product contains a variety of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory ingredients, it is hampered by the amount of alcohol it has (third on the ingredient list). It makes the product unsuitable for most skin types.
(Another ingredient that might cause irritation is coleus barbatus (part of the mint family) extract.)Without the alcohol, the product would have the potential to be a good night-time moisturizer for those with combination or oily skin.
Related posts:
Clinique Even Better Skin Tone Correcting Moisturizer SPF20
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Late last year, one of my readers suggested that I recommend items for a complete makeup look. I thought that I would recommend items that create a natural look that is suitable for daily wear. Today, I will focus on eye makeup items.
– Coffret D’Or 3D Lighting Eyes in Purple Variation (right)
Released in December 2007, it is still one of my favorite eye palettes. The dusky pink and the light lilac are a winning combination. The violet lining shade is one of the most beautiful lining shades I have come across.
– Coffret D’Or Trance Deep Eyes in Rose Variation (left)
Try this one if you want a palette that is similar to 3D Lighting Eyes in Purple Variation but with more warmth. (Do note that this palette is more shimmery.)
– Magie Deco Shadow Brilliance II in Foxy Lady (top)
This is my recent favorite. It includes soft warm neutrals that create a natural depth for the eyes.
– Clinique Naturally Glossy Mascara in Jet Black
It is one of the most natural-looking mascaras that I have come across. It creates subtle length and volume for the lashes, and it has never clumped on my lashes.
I think this is one of SUQQU’s finest creations. Use this brush with any eyebrow powder that suits you. I like the fact that the brush is able to enhance the structure of the eyebrows without leaving any hard edges.
More recommendations for cheeks & lips as well as the complexion!
(The SUQQU Eyebrow Brush L featured in this post is provided by SUQQU.)
Related posts (other wearable items):
Coffret D’Or 3D Lighting Eyes in Gold Variation
SUQQU Blend Eyeshadow in 10 Sakuragi
Chanel Irréelle Duo in Désert-Rose
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(image from www.clinique.co.uk)
Today I am reviewing Clinique‘s Redness Solutions Instant Relief Mineral Powder. It is from
Clinique‘s Redness Solutions range, which is mainly a skincare range that features products designed to calm down the redness of the skin. Instant Relief Mineral Powder is the only non-skincare item from the range.
As I mentioned in my review of ck Calvin Klein’s Subliminal Purity Mineral Based Loose Powder, in terms of beauty marketing (particularly with many mainstream beauty brands that are not traditionally associated with mineral makeup), a mineral or mineral-based powder is usually a talc-free powder (even though talc is a mineral ingredient) and it is usually not purely mineral. Instant Relief Mineral Powder is another example. It is talc-free and it contains non-mineral ingredients.
Purely mineral foundations/powders rarely suit me because they tend to be very drying and they usually don’t have a good staying power. Therefore, I have no problems with using powders that contain both mineral and non-mineral ingredients. Some non-mineral ingredients in foundations/powders add moisture to the products and help them adhere to the skin more evenly. Some of the non-mineral ingredients that act as emollients in this product are astrocaryum murumuru seed butter, isopropyl palmitate, lecithin, and squalane.
(The word “mineral” can mean “containing minerals”. (A mineral spring of course contains non-mineral substances.) However, I don’t think powders that contain non-mineral ingredients should be called “mineral” powders. They may confuse consumers since there are powders that are actually entirely mineral. Also, almost all foundations/powders contain some mineral ingredients anyway, and the word “mineral” in a product name, in many cases, does not necessarily differentiate one product from another.)
Instant Relief Mineral Powder is a yellow-toned loose powder that has a softly matte finish with no visible shimmer. The coverage is between sheer and sheer-to-medium. It has a fairly good shine control efficacy and the pore coverage is generally satisfactory.
I find that the yellowness of the powder does help even out the redness, but I also find that the yellow pigment goes on slightly too dark and too sallow on me. It does not have the brightening effect from some of the other yellow-toned products that I have tried.
(A yellow-toned powder from Kanebo Revue that I have works very well as a finishing powder that balances out my skin’s slight redness, which can sometimes make the skin look dull. Also, an Ettusais yellow-toned primer that I tried a few years ago had a very natural and long-lasting brightening effect.)
The powder does not contain parabens or fragrance. It contains bismuth oxychoride, which, according to Paula Begoun, may cause slight irritation but is not a toxic ingredient. (Some beauty companies, most of which are mineral makeup companies, claim that bismuth oxychloride is toxic, which, according to Paula Begoun, is not the case.)
If you are looking for a mineral loose powder, do remember that this powder contains non-mineral ingredients. Also, if you are looking for a matte shimmer-free loose powder with a decent oil control ability and would like to test out this product, do bear in mind that the yellow pigment in it may not suit all complexions.
(The product featured in this article is provided by Clinique.)
Related posts:
Clinique Even Better Skin Tone Correcting Moisturizer SPF 20
L’Oréal True Match Super-Blendable Powder
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(image from www.clinique.co.uk)
Clinique‘s Even Better range is one of the brand’s latest ranges of skincare and foundation products. It aims to help create a clearer, brighter and more even skin tone. Today I am reviewing Even Better Skin Tone Correcting Moisturizer SPF 20.
The moisturizer has a creamy consistency that is not overly thick, and it feels quite emollient on the skin. (It is more emollient than Clinique’s Youth Surge SPF 15 that I reviewed earlier.) Some of its moisturizing ingredients include octyldodecyl neopentanoate, myristyl myristate, and butylene glycol.
It contains butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane (avobenzone) as the anti-UVA ingredient. This makes it a suitable moisturizer to be used for daytime.
It features a nice array skin-benefiting ingredients, which are mostly antioxidants. They include (in the order which they are listed on the ingredient list) ascorbyl glucoside (vitamin C), betula alba (birch) bark extract, scutellaria baicalensis (skullcap) root extract, curcuma longa (turmeric) root extract, tocopheryl acetate (vitamin E), linoleic acid, and magnesium ascorbyl phosphate (vitamin C). Skullcap root extract and linoleic acid also have anti-inflammatory properties.
It also contains cucumis sativus (cucumber) extract (listed right after betula alba (birch) root extract). According to Paula Begoun, the lutein component in cucumber “can have an effect on suppressing melanogenesis, or the process that leads to skin discolorations”. (Please refer to this link on Paula Begoun’s website for more information.)
There is very little silicone in this product, which might please those who are looking for moisturizers that don’t contain silicones as major ingredients.
It doesn’t contain alcohol, parabens, or fragrance. One ingredient that may be a skin-irritant is sodium sulfite. (But It is further down on the ingredient list.)
Overall, this is a competent daytime moisturizer. It would be too emollient for most people with oily skin, and it should suit those with normal-to-dry or dry skin.
(The product featured in this review is provided by Clinique.)
Related posts:
Daytime Moisturizer Update: Olay Complete Care
Lancôme Génifique Youth Activating Concentrate
Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream
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(image from www.clinique.com)
The main moisturizing ingredients in this product are castor oil (ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate), cetyl ethylhexanoate, butylene glycol, glyceryl stearate and glycerin. The anti-UVA/UVB ingredient is titanium dioxide.
It features antioxidants such as polygonum cuspidatum (Japanese knotweed) root extract, algae extract, birch bark extract and linoleic acid.
It also contains phytosphingosine, which can be a cell-communicating agent. (Please see this post for relevant links.)One ingredient that might cause irritation is coleus barbatus (part of the mint family) extract.
As a moisturizer for combination and oily skin, it has a rich texture and feels quite emollient on the skin. It can initially leave a slight white cast on the skin, which is probably down to titanium dioxide, an active ingredient in this product.
Overall this is a competent facial moisturizer. It doesn’t leave the skin shiny but it can feel slightly filmy for those with oily skin. Even though this product is marketed for those with combination and oily skin,
I think it will suit people with normal and slightly dry skin a lot more than those with oily skin. Those who are sensitive to chemical sunscreen ingredients might also want to consider this product as titanium dioxide is less likely to cause skin reaction.{ 6 comments }
Fall 2024 Makeup Trend Spotlight: New Blusher Ranges & Lavender Blushers (image from www.cosme.net)
