Swatches - NARS blushes

I don't have  a good reason for a post like this but a friend of mine is going blush shopping so I promised to swatch NARS blushes I have so she can see how they look and I decided to put swatches here because some of you might find it useful too.

I like NARS a lot. I like NARS blushes especially. They are long lasting and pigmented, blend well and look beautiful on. My taste in blush is weird  as I go from super neutral, everyday wearable colors that compliment my complexion to out there crazy colors because I like the look of them. My NARS collection of blushes reflects that. Only thing I don't like is packaging. It looks sleek and nice but it attracts all kinds of dirt and gunk like magnet. It is just not practical.

So here it goes my NARS blushes with swatches.

Top row: Deep Throat, Orgasm, Luster, Sin, Douceur
Second row: Coeur Battant (limited edition), Exhibit A, Boys don't Cry (limited edition)

From left to right: Deep Throat, Orgasm, Luster, Douceur, Sin, Boys don't Cry, Exhibit A (much redder in real life) and Coeur Battant

Deep Throat (some of the names are... I don't know if François Nars was making a wish list or a list of things he likes when naming some of those but.. yeah) is described as soft pink with golden sheen. I would describe it as soft peach. It is much less shimmery and less pink than Orgasm and ultimately more wearable. This is one of the universally most flattering blushes on so many skin tones. I guess everyone likes a Deep Throat ( I should stop, really). 

Orgasm is the iconic NARS blush shade, described as peachy pink with golden shimmer, and shimmer it does. For me, it is more pink than peachy.  Seems people either love this one or want to love this one but it does not look good on them (try Deep Throat in that case). I love it. 

Luster is described as sheer golden apricot. It has lovely golden sheen but no shimmer. I am of a firm belief that every pale girl should own this blush. It is such a flattering, wearable shade  for pale skin. It livens up the complexion beautifully. It is one of those weird blushes like Douceur that looks like nothing in the pan but once applied it is beautiful. 

Douceur is described as soft pink brown. A matte shade that is perfect neutral blush to pair with a strong lip. Pale girls could even contour with it. 

Sin is all that is gorgeous. My favorite autumn and winter time blush. It is described as cool berry with a golden sheen. Pale girls can wear it using a light hand and it looks beyond gorgeous on medium and deep skin tones. 

Boys don't Cry and Coeur Battant are both limited edition blushes but I've included them here to show the consistency of NARS's matte blush formula. These are smooth, very, very pigmented with great color payoff. If you are pale like me you can still wear them  but you must use supper light hand when applying or you will end up looking like a clown. Boys don't Cry is a grapefruit pink and Coeur Battant is a cool fuchsia. 

Exhibit A -is another matte blush but this is a permanent one. It is imaginatively descried as matte red blush, and that is what it is - a pure red blush. Looks scary as hell in the pan but can look beautiful on cheeks. Gives you that Snowhite look if you are pale like me, but for the love of God use a light hand a preferably a dual fiber blush brush. Pigmentation on this one is no joke. It looks marvelous on medium to deep skin tones. 

This is just a small fraction of colors NARS has on offer, literally any skin tone can find a flattering blush in their range.  NARS blushes in my opinion are gorgeous and although really costly I am not sorry that I bought them. 

Review - I'm from Ginseng Mask

First few times I tried this mask I was completely unimpressed. I was about to write it off when I finally read the instructions on the box. I was using it wrong!!!! It is not a standard wash off mask but a massage mask. So I decided to try it while actually following the instructions on the box and WOW!! The difference was evident. So I am starting this review with a cautionary tale. Don't be dumb like me and read the instructions. 

Usage directions I did not read because I am above it (dumb).

Mask comes in a brown cardboard box with ingredients list and instructions (READ THEM!) in both Korean and English. The mask itself comes in a glass jar with a seal. 

Much like the serum from the same line this mask contains a bunch of hanbang ingredients, most notable being Red Ginseng Extract (3.97%) and Panax Ginseng Seed Oil as well as one of my favorite herbal extracts Licorice Root Extract. It also contains various moisturizing agents and Ishohexadecane that softens and smooths skin without leaving a greasy residue(source: Beautiful with Brains blog). 

Mask has the honey in summer consistency (liquidy) and it is amber in color like the serum. It applies easily with a silicone mask brush and goes on the face clear. It has a very strong floral scent, much like the serum, a scent which I personally don't like but it is not a deal breaker for me. I would prefer if it smelled like dirt in true ginseng fashion. I'm a bit weird, I know. Mask begins to warm up once you start to massage it. When I say warm up, I mean warm up, nothing unpleasant or burning like but definitely noticeable. The heat from the mask helps open up the pores and thus better remove dirt and sebum from it.  After massaging it you leave the mask on for some 10-15 min and the final result is very satisfying. My skin was soft and even, pores looked smaller and it felt well moisturized.

This mask was very quick and easy to use (once I properly read the instructions) and immediate results were really nice. I am really liking this mask. 

Little tip: I prefer removing my masks with a flannel face towel soaked in warm water. It removes it easily and completely, Just don't scrub your face with it like crazy. 

Review - The Ordinary Colors Coverage Foundation

The Ordinary is a skincare brand under the Abnormal Beauty Company umbrella. It provides functional no nonsense effective skin care for more than reasonable prices. So when they announced they will come out with base products, a Serum Foundation and a Coverage Foundation, I was super excited and ordered them immediately. However due to enormous demand I had to wait more than a month to get my products (still waiting on Serum Foundation) but let me tell you it was worth the wait.

Claims:
Coverage Foundations are full-coverage formulations available in a comprehensive shade range across 21 shades. These foundations contain higher pigment levels than our Serum Foundations but still offer a smooth finish that avoids the heavy makeup look that can make skin appear more aged. The texture is that of a lightweight, non-oily cream. 

The pigments used in these formulations are treated for a rich, highly-saturated effect. These pigments are suspended in our proprietary spreadability system that allows pigments to look natural on the skin, resist collecting within fine lines and stay on for longer. The foundations offer a semi-matte finish and are compatible with most primers and are designed to work exceptionally well with the primers offering from The Ordinary. 


Each foundation format is available in 21 shades. The shades are divided into three categories: 1 for fair to lighter tones, 2 for medium tones; and 3 for darker tones. Each category is then classified further by a second digit from 0 to 3 to indicate depth within each category. Finally, a letter is added to the shade code to identify the undertone: P (Pink) and R (Red) indicate cool undertones for lighter and darker shades respectively; N indicates a Neutral tone; Y indicates a Yellow undertone. 

I have two colors in the lightest range 1.1 N and 1.2N (my summer color). Currently I am wearing them mixed to get my perfect shade.  As with all the Ordinary products package design is very minimalist and clean, in fact making the product look far more expensive than it is. Outer packaging is thin cardboard with instructions for use and ingredients list.  

Foundation itself comes in 30 ml plastic bottle with a pump that has a lock system. Packaging is compact and travel friendly and pump is excellent as it allows for a perfect control in dispensing the product. Foundation colors are true to description provided on site. 

The Ordinary Coverage Foundation in 1.1N and in 1.2N (sorry for the ugliest swatches ever).

Application wise it goes on smooth and you can use a brush or a beauty blender to apply it but I found that I get the best results using my fingers. It does not oxidize but it is one of those foundations that looks better the longer it stays on the skin. After some 15-20 min after application it completely melds with the skin for flawless but natural appearance. It feels weightless on the face as well, like there is nothing there. Coverage is good medium but buildable without going cakey and it has velvety/semi-matte finish. It last on the face the entire day with minimal wear in the usual places, like chin and around the mouth. It does not collect in wrinkles and fine lines or around the nose, it does not emphasize pores. I found that I got the smoothest application and the best look and wear when using a silicone based primer underneath. All in all a 7 EUR foundation that behaves like an excellent 40 EUR foundation. Color me impressed.

You can try and order the foundation on DECIEM site (they have a backlog of orders) for 6.90 EUR. In my experience with The Ordinary and how popular and in demand their products are what works is just order the product or ask for e-mail notification to be sent when the product is in stock and than wait and wait. Trust me they are worth the wait. I am looking forward to my Serum Foundation arriving...eventually. 

Note: text in italics is taken from the DECIEM site 

Budget Wednesday - Skinfood makeup mini reviews

Skinfood is an affordable roadshop brand in Korea whose philosophy goes along the " You are what you eat" line. Their products are all mostly food based and they have some well known and well loved kbeauty products  like their famous wash-off masks in Black Sugar and my favorite Rice Mask. Somehow I always thought of Skinfood as a skincare brand although they have a very extensive make up offering, so for "educational" purposes only I decided to try some make up from their relatively new Vita Color and Fresh Fruit lines.

An absolute hit of the things I tried was the Fresh Fruit Juice Extraction Blush No.1 Fig and Plum

This color does not look like much when swatched but it gives the most beautiful wash of watercolor like neutral blush on your cheeks. Blends easily, does not have a sticky finish and last some 5 to 6 hours on its own. This particular shade is very light and subdued and although buildable I would recommend it only for pale folks, however the line consists of three additional colors that are brighter and more intense than this one so there is something for everyone. I love the formula and finish of this blush. It has a slight floral scent, but nothing overpowering. Blush costs around 10$.  5/5

I also tried some lip products to varying degrees of success. Those are Fresh Fruit Juice Extraction Tint in No. 5 Berry Fine Day, Vita Color Fruits Roll Stick in No.2 and Vita Color Delicious Oil Rouge in No.2 Apricot.

Fresh Fruit Juice Extraction Tint in No. 5 (3.5g) - It comes in the tiny container, so it is convenient to carry. It goes on smooth and shiny, feeling comfortable on the lips. Color gets darker as it dries. It leaves a stain that can go patchy. Longevity is decent unless you drink or eat than it is gone. it is easy to reapply. 3/5

Vita Color Fruits Roll Stick in No.2 (3.7g) - It has a darker color center in order to achieve gradation look. However the contrast is not very evident and ends up looking like one color. Formula is nice and creamy and goes matte if it is blotted or after some time. Longevity is nice for a creamy product, some 6 hours unless you eat, it also leaves a very light stain. I liked it the best out of three lip products I tried. 4/5

Vita Color Delicious Oil Rouge in No.2 Apricot (3.2g) - I liked this one the least. Not that anything is especially wrong with it but there are many products of this type on the market that have a better, more comfortable formula. This one is supposed to give that wet, shiny lip look and it does to an extent. However formula is a bit thick and goes on thick on the lips so it can feel and look a bit cakey, which is weird for such a product. Pigmentation is nice for a lighter product, longevity is typical as well a few hours unless you drink and eat and than it is gone in a second. 2.5/5 

All three lip products cost between 7-10 USD depending where you purchase them.

Colors are quite nice: Fresh Fruit Juice Extraction Tint, Vita Color Delicious Oil Rouge and Vita Color Fruits Roll Stick. Second image is stain they leave after being wiped. 

To conclude this look at Skinfood makeup  I say go for the blush it is awesome as lips products go, if you really like the color go for it otherwise there are nicer budget options out there in my opinion.

Review - UNIK Black Snail Restore Serum

Snail slime on your face does not really sound like an attractive idea, but than again neither is facial injections, various ways of hair plucking and many other things that we still do in order to look better and younger. We do go to interesting lengths for the sake of beauty so as Frank Zappa said in a song long time ago  "Beauty knows no pain..." it still rings true. However, fear not snail goo is painless and to seasoned users of Korean beauty products snail mulcin or its fancy name used in cosmetics "snail secretion filtrate" is not an exotic ingredient anymore but more of a staple.

You might ask yourself why put snail on my face ? Well let me tell you.  
Snail slime is packed with good stuff such as hyaluronic acid, glycoprotein, proteoglycans, and antimicrobial and copper peptides, all of which are commonly used in beauty products and proven to be beneficial for the skin. These elements help to protect the snail’s skin from damage, infection, dryness and UV rays. 
Snail mucin is best known for its anti-aging properties. It reportedly  helps to stimulate the formation of collagen and elastin, restores hydration, protects skin from free radicals, soothes skin and repairs damaged tissue . It can be used to treat dry skin, wrinkles and stretch marks, acne and rosacea, age spots, burns, scars, razor bumps.
I personally like snail in my skincare because I find it very moisturizing and soothing and very helpful in tending small burns and cuts. It also helps speed up the healing process after a break out. 

I was kindly sent UNIK  Black Snail Restore Serum by the eBay seller blueprint21 after reviewing UNIK Propolis Vitamin Synergy Serum. 

UNIK Black Snail Restore Serum is a serum that claims to strengthen the skin barrier and make skin supple and smooth by providing nutrition and calming ingredients.

Star ingredients are Black Snail Extract 70% and Centella Asiatica Leaf Water 10% as well as 5 black super food extracts (Black Rice, Black Bean, Black Sesame, Eggplant, Sea Tangle).

Full ingredient list:

Snail Secretion Filtrate, Centella Asiatica Leaf Water, Methylpropandediol, Glycerin, Niancinamide, Glycereth-26, Water, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Saccharomyces/Viscum Album (Mistleto) Ferment Extract, Lactobacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract, Laminaria Japonica Extract, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Seed Extract, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Extract, Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Extract, Solanum Melongena (Eggplant) Fruit Extract, Saccharomyces/Imperata Cylindrica Root Ferment Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Allantone, Centella Asiaitaca Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Artemisia Vulgaris Extract, Vaccinum Angustifolum (Blueberry) Fruit Extract, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Carbomer, Arginine, Pentylene Glycol, Adenosine, Ethylhexylglycerin, Xanthan Gum, Aspalathus Linearis Extract

  

 CosDNA analysis is very clean. 

The ingredient list is full of calming, moisturizing and anti ageing ingredients. Also presence of Centella Asiatica and Licorice Root Extract as well as no added scent makes me think acne prone skin and sensitive skin might enjoy this very much. 

As snail serums go texture of this one is not overly snaily/slimy, it does have that typical snail secretion slip to it which is good as it makes application smooth. It is not a very moisturizing serum so I would not use it as sole source of moisture for dry skin, but it layers well with other products and sinks in fast. What I can say is that it does help the wound-healing process as I used it on my daughter's hands that have patches of skin so dry it breaks. This serum was soothing and helped her heal faster. 

 A really solid snail serum and if  you are new to snail products this is a good place to start.

Review - Goodal Camellia Lip Oils

Camellia oil is obtained by cold-pressing the seeds of the Camellia japonica flower. It has a long tradition of use in Asia for the care of skin and hair.  It is an oil rich in linoleic and oleic fatty acids as well as numerous anti-aging antioxidants. It is an remarkable trans-dermal carrier and very effective in enhancing skin's ability to retain moisture. It is no surprise that camellia oil is one of my favorite oils and whenever I see a product containing it I am immediately intrigued.

Goodal recently came out with their own version of increasingly popular lip oils and I could not resist to try them both out and I am glad I did.

Goodal lip oils come in two versions, camellia intensive lip oil and camellia vital lip oil. 

 Packaging: They come in beautiful simple cardboard packaging enhanced by a drawing of camellia flower that contains basic information about product in both English and Korean. Lip product itself is in a round plastic packaging convenient for travel. Applicator is rather big and sturdy but applies the products on lips very easily and evenly. Both come with 5.5 ml of product.

Camellia Vital Lip Oil

It is light pink in color in bottle but colorless on lips and it has a sweet fruity/flowery scent. Main ingredients are Camellia Japonica Seed Oil and Retinol (Vitamin A). This is the lighter of two oils. It is very nourishing and lasts a long time on lips. Even after eating a meal you can still feel it on the lips. It is very shiny, oily even (duh, it is a lip oil after all) when first applied but the shine vanishes after some time. I prefer using it during the day as it is not sticky. You can even use it under other lip products. I like to apply it at the beginning of my skin care routine in the morning and by the time I apply my makeup and lipstick it has sunk in pretty well into lips. I just blot excess with some tissue and apply my lipstick on top. Works like a charm.  

Camellia Intensive Lip Oil

It is yellow color in the bottle but colorless on lips and it has a very light/barely there flowery scent. Main ingredients are Camellia Japonica Seed Oil, Sunflower Seed Oil, Sweet Almond Oil and Macadamia Oil - all  of them oils rich with oleic fatty acids. Oleic acid makes oils richer and heavier, so they are extra-occlusive and can seal in moisture really effectively. This makes this lip oil perfect for use at night as a lip mask. It is of heavier, thicker consistency than the vital lip oil and it is sticky. I like to put generous amount on my lips before going to bed and I wake up with well nourished, moisturized lips. 

Top one is vital lip oil and bottom one is intensive lip oil. Both are colorless on skin.

I like both of these oils and would recommend them to anyone who suffers from dry and chapped lips or just wants to maintain their lips in good condition. 

I purchased them for approx. 10$ each at Jolse. 

Review - Holika Holika Hard Cover Glow Cushion

Holika Holika Hard Cover Glow Cushion 

I've never used any base products from Holika Holika so I decided to give their new cushion a go. Cushion comes in two versions Holika Holika Hard Cover Perfect Cushion and the one I bought Holika Holika Hard Cover Glow Cushion. 

Picture taken from www.seoulcheap.com

Hard Cover Glow Cushion, as the name suggests has has a glowy/luminous finish and is meant for dry, combination and oily skin.  Product description on the box states "Hard Cover Glow cushion makes skin look flawless and luminous with its moisturizing effects and radiant glow finish."  It comes in three colors, I have purchased 01 Warm Ivory.

Picture taken from www.seoulcheap.com

The cushion comes with 14 g of products + a refill. This is the first budget cushion I have seen that comes with a refill. Price depends from seller to seller but it is around  USD 17. 

Cushion and refill 

Packaging is the standard cushion packaging with a puff and a mirror. Design is quite nice and clean with its beige cover. Quite grown up and classy looking. Cushion has SPF50+ PA+++.

Holika Holika states:

Cushion has  whitening, anti-wrinkle and UV protection function.

Strong ampoule moisture, power moist cushion - Contains high moisture double moist serum and aloe vera leaves water ingredients to provide strong moistness on skin and with pollubarrier™ prescription to protect skin from UV rays and external harmful environment. Care for healthy and moist skin without dryness.

Flawless cover lasting, long wearing cushion - With the combination of hybrid clear powder which has gentle application to brightens skin tone and absorbs sweat and sebum, keeping skin glow and moist for long time without darkening and stickiness.

Clear and transparent luminous moisture, water glow cushion - With solid dual effect of air touch powder and glossy up oil to create moist, lively and luminous skin texture for another level of clearer looking skin tone.

Source: www.seoulcheap.com

Ingredients

Ingredients list from the box

The following are listed as main ingredients by Holika Holika:

• Aloe Vera leaves water
• Raspberry extract
• Argan tree kernel oil
• Allantoin
• Centella asiatica leaves extract
• Silk amino acid
• Pollubarrier

Pollubarrier™ - Protect skin from fine dust, city pollution and other external harmful causes.

• EXO-P™ - Block harmful ingredients.
• T-NMF™ - Enhance moisture.
• Cera-Barrier™ - Strengthen skin barrier.

Source: www.seoulcheap.com

Hard Cover Glow Cushion in Warm Ivory

And now to important stuff how does it look on skin and how it wears.

Color is a nice fit for my NC15/20 skin and it did not oxidize.

Swatch of Warm Ivory

Finnish is truly luminous, it gives this kdrama like glow that is on the border of but not crossing into greasy looking territory.While you can definitely feel like you have something on it is not too heavy feeling.Cushion has a  rather strong floral scent which you cannot smell once it is applied.  Despite being glowy and moisturizing it sets fast and does not transfer.It wears for 6 hours or so before starting to fade evenly. Coverage is quite nice, a good medium to full coverage that covers redness and sallowness really well. It is somewhat buildable but not too much because it can turn cakey.

 Sounds really good does it not? Well, we are done with the good part and are moving on to the ugly part. It settles into pores and fine lines like nobody's business. If you take it under the eyes it will crease and gather into fine lines, same around the mouth and nose and god forbid you have proper wrinkles because this base will gather in them like it plans to party. It  also emphasized pores on my cheeks something horrid. Now you can work around this if you use a pore filling primer like Benefit's Porefessional and make sure you use a light hand on parts with pores and wrinkles and if you set it with powder. But you know what, that is a lot of work for a cushion foundation and I don't want to work that hard. This is a form of makeup that is supposed to be convenient and easy to use on the go and this one is not. I assume that on a younger, less textured skin these things would not be a problem but on my ageing skin it was. Shame this, cause I really liked the glow it gave. 

Considering the oil control, my skin is normal but I noticed I got a bit more oilier using this than my other base products, nothing alarming but I am not sure how much people with oily skin would like this. 

You can see how it settles even into tiny lines on my hand

To summarize:

The good:

- affordable and comes with a refill

- nice coverage and luminous finish

- good lasting power and does not transfer

The bad:

- it settles into fine lines and wrinkles

- it emphasizes pores

- not great oil control