Jane Iredale Mineral Makeup

As I'm sure many of you are aware, there is a kind of giddy excitement when trying a new make-up line. Will it be a new love? The discovery of a holy grail product?

So thanks to the lovely people at Facial Co.I recently had a dabble at the Jane Iredale mineral make-up cosmetic line. To put it plainly, I was very impressed. Not only was the pigmentation there, but the products felt luxurious and blended seamlessly. Something also to mention is that the line is extensive; from primers to cream eyeshadows to brow products. Plus if Wayne Goss, from Goss Makeup Artist, raves about Jane Iredale, it has to be something special.

I would say that my favourites were the Quad Bronzer in Moon Stone and the Silk Cream Eyeshadows.

You can read the full post here and also three summer looks you can create using the Jane Iredale cosmetics.


Have you tried Jane Iredale? What are your thoughts?

Ellen Rozalia xx



**Disclaimer: I am being compensated for my blogs only on Facial Co., but this in no way affects my opinion or honest intentions/reviewing process.

NOTD

In today's NOTD I'm featuring Bangle Jangle by Essie with Seche Vite being the top coat. Now this colour by Essie is a favourite of mine. It's a sort of pastel lavender with a hint of grey taupe and I think it's a rather chic, understated colour. I'm also wearing my Oroton Qing ring.

Ellen Rozalia xx

Lust Have It - November

Another month, another Lust Have It box and I'm glad I have it. Everything in this months box is something I will use and have mostly not tried before.

Sadly I think my annual subscription is soon to end *tears*, so I'm debating whether I should buy a new subscription or try to curb my addiction to monthly subscription boxes....

With that aside, what was in this months box?

 
Aveda - Botanical Kinetics Gel Cleanser and Hydrating Lotion (Sample - both 7ml)
RRP $54.95 and $79.95 respectively for 150ml
I find Aveda products always smell incredibly good and these are no exception. Although I have never really found that their products live up to their claims, these will nether-the-less be fun to try out.

Davroe - Well being Treatment Replenish (Full Size)
RRP $11.95 for 50ml
Coming into summer, hair treatments are always a must to ensure your fro' is frizz free and healthy, so I'll be interested to see how this treatment works on my fine hair. I often find treatments can be either too much that they leave my hair feeling greasy or flat, so often just resort to a light spritzing of Argan oil.

Palmers -  Cocoa Butter Formula Gentle Exfoliating Facial Scrub (Sample - 15g)
RRP $9.99 for 150ml
This is probably the least exciting product for me in this box. Firstly I have sensitive skin and secondly I'm not a huge fan of exfoliating beads that could end up doing more harm than good. It does state that it has "Micro-fine Cocoa Beans", but I have a feeling they won't be quite as fine as the Philosophy Microdelivery Exfoliating wash that I use when I'm after a more manual exfoliation. Worst comes to worst, I'll just use it on my body.

Lonvitalite - C3 Collagen Firming & Moisturising Facial Mask (1 Mask)
RRP $32 for 5 Masks
I love these sheet masks! They are just so great for holidays and traveling or simply when you are at home and want a mess-free mask. You may have to warn those around you of temporarily looking a little horror-movie-esque whilst wearing the mask, but I'm sure you'll find the end result will speak for itself (and they won't mind too much!). 

Benefit - They're Real Mascara (Sample - 3g )
RRP $38 for 8.5ml
One of my Holy Grail mascaras, so definitely a win product for me. I find this mascara is just perfect for creating volume and lash separation and is my go to for long luscious lashes.

Mary Kay - Brow Definer Pencil (Full Size - Soft Black)
RRP $17 for 1.13ml
Currently using the Pixi double ended brow pen (used by Lisa Eldridge), so this product will need to perform well to live up to the Eldridge name to be a winner in my books. I'm hoping this pencil is not too soft, with a slight waxy feel for a long lasting brow. Time will tell!

Mary Kay - Thinking of You Eau De Parfum (Sample x2)
RRP $30 for 29.6ml
Noted on the Lust Have it card as being a "fruity floriental fragrance", I'm not sure I'm a real fan. To me it smells a bit on the cheapish side and reminds me of those body sprays I used as a teenager. Quite sweet and a bit musky with slight floral notes.

Mary Kay - Soothing Foot Balm (Full Size - 85g)
As part of a Pedicure Set - RRP $38       
The last of the bunch and it smells like rosemary and mint. Which could potentially be quite nice on the feet, but for some odd reason reminds me of a Sunday roast lamb.... ? Please tell me I'm not the only one with this smell association? Besides the smell, it sinks into the skin quite well and feels quite moisturising.

I also received a $30 gift card to Hello Fresh. I'm thinking this is a VIP addition? I have heard of this company for some time now, so will be looking forward to seeing if they hype and convenience lives up to the claims.




So overall, I'm very pleased and happy with this months box. Some interesting new comers that I will certainly look forward to trying out. I will say that for a November box, I only just received it on the 25th of this month. That's only a slight peeve though.


What did you receive in yours?


Ellen Rozalia xx

Lime Crime - Velvetines - Swatches and Review

After hearing all the rave reviews about these lip products,  I thought it was time I checked them out for myself. I'm afraid I'm easily drawn into the hype and hoorah about products these days and sadly, for me anyway, they don't always reach my expectations. I guess everyone isn't the same and we all come with our unique skin quirks and in essence what we are looking for in a product.


Claims:
From the Lime Crime website directly:
"Inspired by the Rose, the Queen of all flowers, Velvetine Lip Stain goes on like a gloss and dries down to a matte, velvety finish - like that of a rose petal. Kiss-proof, long-lasting, and utterly addictive!"

Ingredients: 
Isododecane, Dimethicone, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Polybutene, Petrolatum, Mica, Synthetic (Cera Alba) Wax, Kaolin, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Silica Silylate, Silica, Cyclopentasiloxane, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Propylene Carbonate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Alcohol Denat, Hexylene Glycol, Flavor. [+/-] Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), FD&C Red 7 Calcium Lake (CI 15850:1), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77499, CI 77492), FD&C Yellow No 5 Lake (CI 19140), FD&C Blue No 1 Aluminum Lake (CI 42090:2), Red 6 Lake (CI 15850), Tin Oxide (CI 77861). VEGAN/CRUELTY-FREE.

Shades: 

I have the two shades which were available at the time:
Suedeberry - A matte Strawberryesque Pink with a touch of Coral about it
Red Velvet - A matte deep true red

I think there is also a new shade available called Pink Velvet, which from the photo's looks like a brighter more candy-like pink.

Swatches:
 

In Natural Light L-R: Suedberry, Red Velvet.

 
So here's the run down:

Price: I purchased mine from Model Rock Lashes for $23.95 each.

Weight: 3.0g

Packaging: A plastic tube with doe foot applicator 
 
Consistency: Not overly thick in consistency, so able to be blended and smoothed onto the lips

Fragrance: Quite sweet smelling, but not overpowering.
 
Application: Due to the pigmentation of this product, if you are after a sharper lip it was best to apply from the doe foot applicator to the middle of the lips and then with a lip brush smooth the excess to the edges of the lips.

Longevity: It did last very well I have to admit, but what I wasn't too keen on was how drying it felt. This tended to make the product wear off in patches and stick to any dryness on my lips.

Colour Range: Obviously not for you if you are after a "natural" look, however I did quite enjoy just patting some product onto my lips for a hint of colour.

Finish: As promised it was a matte finish.


Overall impressions: Feeling a bit eh about this product if I'm being honest. I thought I would be set to love it, but overall I feel it's very much like the Stila Stay all Day Liquid Lipsticks - a great longwearing formula, but not so good if you have dry chapped lips. I highly recommend applying a lip balm liberally before using this product, as even the next day my lips still felt like they had been sucked dry and required SOS treatment. I will probably be using these Velvetines are more of a Special Ocassion lip product, or tap a little of the product onto my lips for a hint of colour.

On a side note, I'm interested to see how the NYX Matte Creams compare, which if you aren't aware, NYX is now available both instore at Target and online! Finally a win for Australia in the drugstore department..?


Ellen Rozalia xx



*Disclaimer: All products mentioned were purchased with my own money and all opinions are my own

Bourjois - Java Rice Loose Powder - Swatches and Review

It's true I've tried many powders. Setting powders, powder foundations, translucent powders, illuminizing powders etc. etc. (you get the gist). So when I heard that Bourjois had relaunched/reintroduced their Java Rice Loose Powder I had two thoughts. Firstly, if they resurrected it, it must be good right? And secondly, do I really need another powder...? But as ASOS lured me in, I added it to my shopping basket and clicked order. So was it worth it?

Claims:
From the Bourjois UK website:

"Bourjois celebrates its 150th anniversary with a reinvented vintage edition of its first historical best-seller*: Java Rice Powder.

Luminous complexion
A delicately scented feather-light powder that lights up and smoothes complexion in one step. Its radiant and velvety finish immediately creates a youthful glow.
One translucent shade is universal and lights up all skin tones."

Ingredients: 
MICA, SILICA, TALC, CI 77891 (TITANIUM DIOXIDE), BORON NITRIDE, CAPRYLYL GLYCOL, PHENOXYETHANOL, p-ANISIC ACID, CI 77491 (IRON OXIDES), PARFUM (FRAGRANCE), POTASSIUM SORBATE, HEXYLENE GLYCOL, ORYZA SATIVA (RICE) STARCH, CAPRYLIC/CAPRIC TRIGLYCERIDE, CI77492 (IRON OXIDES), LAUROYL LYSINE, CI 75470 (CARMINE), HYDROXYCITRONELLAL, TIN OXIDE, CINNAMYL ALCOHOL, EUGENOL, BENZYL SALICYLATE, LINALOOL, EVERNIA PRUNASTRI EXTRACT, CITRONELLOL, GERANIOL, AMYL CINNAMAL, ALPHA-ISOMETHYL IONONE, HEXYL CINNAMAL, ROSE EXTRACT, 12BMT010-1

Shades: 
Just the one translucent shade



Swatches:

 Both Swatches in Natural light L-R: Heavier swatch, blended out.

So here's the run down:

Price: Once again purchased from ASOS for $18.47

Weight: 3.5g

Packaging: A cute round pot with screw top lid. Inside there is a twisty cap on the loose powder to open and close the holes. I have to note I did find this a little messy and controlling the amount to get out was a tad difficult.

Consistency: Oh so dreamy. Soft, finely milled and a joy to wear.

Fragrance: A noticable musk scent, so if you don't enjoy musk, you won't enjoy the smell of this powder.

Application: I either used a Real Techniques Setting Brush for more pinpoint application or a Powder Brush

Longevity: Surprisingly this has lasted all day in warmer weather, without shine, but a luminous glow.

Finish: There is a noticeable touch of fine shimmer running through this powder and I was worried I would end up looking like a glitter ball. But alas, this adds a luminescence to the skin instead and looks very lovely.



Overall impressions: Overall, I'm admittedly more impressed than I thought I would be. It's really a lovely powder and is my current go to. I wear this over all foundation and BB creams to add that gentle glow to my skin, without looking too much. I highly recommend giving this a go if you are looking for a luminous powder, or like me dying to try the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder, to tide you over.


What is your go to powder?



Ellen Rozalia xx



*Disclaimer: All products mentioned were purchased with my own money and all opinions are my own

Bourjois - Blush Exclusif - Swatches and Review

After loving the Bourjois Cream Blushes, I thought I would give this other Bourjois blush offering a go. It's the same as their pH reactive lip gloss, in the sense that the formula and pink colouring adjusts to your skins natural pH. It's a nice change and adds that little bit of suspense as you watch the colour adjust on your skin.

Claims:
From the Bourjois UK website:
" Self-adjusts into a bespoke personnalised pink when applied.


Bourjois launches a unique made-to-measure blush!
Thanks to its pH-reactive pigments, it self-adjusts into a bespoke pink for a fresh complexion and made-to-measure healthy glow.


Blush Exclusif uses Bourjois unique cream-to-powder technology, offering unrivalled blending quality and a buildable result."

Ingredients: 
CAPRYLYL METHICONE, TALC (CI77718), MICA (CI77019), METHYL METHACRYLATE CROSSPOLYMER, TRIETHYLHEXYL TRIMELLITATE, C30-45 OLEFIN, ETHYLHEXYL HYDROXYSTEARATE, TITANIUM DIOXIDE (CI77891), POLYBUTENE, ISONONYL ISONONANOATE, PENTAERYTHRITYL TETRAISOSTEARATE, ISOSTEARYL ALCOHOL, ALCOHOL, ISOPROPYL TITANIUM TRIISOSTEARATE, RED 27 (CI45410), CITRIC ACID, TRIETHOXYCAPRYLYLSILANE, FRAGRANCE (PARFUM), IRON OXIDE (CI77491).

Swatches:

In Natural Light L-R: Heavy Swatch, Blended Out

So here's the run down:

Price: Again this is from ASOS which I purchased for $9.97, however I can't find it on the website anymore. It is, however, available at Priceline for $20.00. A slight price inflation in Australia...?
Weight: 2.5g
Packaging: The quintessential Bourjois blush packaging. Magnetic closure and mirror on inside of lid.
Consistency: Creamy and smooth. Perhaps a little firmer in texture than the other Bourjois cream blushes
Fragrance: A delicate musk sweet smell. 
Application: I simply tap it onto my cheeks with my finger and blend further with a dense Kabuki brush
Longevity: No issues with this rubbing off or disappearing in the day.
Colour Range: Just the one product that changes with your skin pH.
Finish:Velvety smooth finish.

Overall impressions: I very much enjoy this cream blush. It's smooth, easy to blend and gives that subtle and natural flush of colour to your cheeks. Also would be lovely softly patted into the lips. If you can get your hands on it I suggest you do, it will make for a lovely soft colour come summer or winter.

What's your go to blush? Have you tried pH changing products before?



Ellen Rozalia xx


*Disclaimer: All products mentioned were purchased with my own money and all opinions are my own

Lord & Berry - 20100 Lipstick Pencils - Swatches and Reviews

Coming into summer, I'm looking for that bright, bold lip colour that has longevity and is also highly pigmented. Add to that easy to apply and you have the Lord & Berry 20100 Lipstick Pencils. These pencils have been around for quite a while and I guess the reason Lord & Berry continue to keep them in their collection is because they  just work. Having them in a pencil form seems simple enough, but particularly for bold and bright colours it means not having to take the lip brush out and touch ups on the go a lot easier!

Claims:
From the ASOS website:
"Lipstick pencil by Lord & Berry

• Easy-to-apply, creamy formula
• Lightweight yet densely pigmented
• Long-lasting and waterproof
• Can be used as a liner and lipstick"

Shades: 
15 lovely shades, which can all be viewed on the Lord & Berry website.

Swatches:

In Natural Light L-R: Nudo (7265), Fucsia (7272), Plum (7278), Scarlett (7263), Tulip Red (7279)

So here's the run down:


Price: $14.79 on the ASOS website

Weight: 3.5g

Packaging: Pencil like form, that is able to be sharpened to create a fine tip.

Consistency: Very creamy and smooth

Fragrance: A faint delectable vanilla scent.

Application: I apply directly from the pencil itself and sharpen to create a finer tip.

Longevity: I find this to be quite long wearing. Obviously the intensity of colour fades with time, after about 3 hours, but due to the intense pigmentation of this product, it leaves a stain on the lips.

Colour Range: With 15 shades to pick from you will undoubtedly find one that tickles your fancy.

Finish: A highly pigmented, slightly glossy finish that looks lovely on the lips.



Overall impressions: Absolutely love these lipsticks and can not wait to buy more from the 15 shades they offer. It applies very creamy and smooth and feels lovely on the lips with none of that sticky icky feeling. If you aren't after that subtle gloss this lipstick imparts, you can place a tissue gently over your lips and slightly dust your lips with a translucent setting powder through the tissue to take down the gloss. This will also slightly increase the lasting power of this product. Overall I highly recommend this product and for around $15 you can't go wrong.


What are your go to summer lip products?



Ellen Rozalia xx



*Disclaimer: All products mentioned were purchased with my own money and all opinions are my own

Rimmel London - Wake Me Up Instant Radiance Shimmer Touch - Swatches and Review

Coming into summer now in the Southern Hemisphere, I'm aiming for that glowy, natural radiance look. Particularly with my pale skin, I find in summer I can look a little flat, unless I have a bit of enhancement (thank goodness for make-up right?). I was looking for a cheaper alternative to my Kevyn Aucoin Celestial Powder, or the Illamasqua gleam in Aurora, so Rimmel's offering of the Wake Me Up Instant Radiance Shimmer Touch *inhale* seemed to be the way to go.

Claims:
From the Rimmel UK website:
"It's time to make you glow!

Lightweight, ultra blendable mousse formula gives an instant touch of radiance and illuminates the skin.
Wakes up skin with a healthy looking glow and a long lasting flush of colour."

Shades: 
As far as I can tell there are 3 shades:
001- Flush of Pearl - Opalescent with a touch of peach
002- Radiant Rose - Shimmery warm pink
003 - Shimmering sand - Shimmery bronze-like shade



Swatches:
 

In Natural Light L-R: 001 Flush of Pearl Heavily Swatched and blended out; 002 Radiant Rose Heavily Swatched and blended out. 

So here's the run down:


Price: I purchased mine from ASOS for $9.22

Weight: 14ml

Packaging: Plastic tube with screw-up lid on bottom

Consistency: Creamy

Fragrance: Not a particularly strong fragrance, but pleasant none-the-less

Application: I blend this in with my fingers, as I find this way I can get the most seamless result. If I do over do it a bit, I use my foundation brush to take off and blend the excess.

Longevity: It lasted all day for me without an issue

Colour Range: Only three in the range, but I believe there is one, if not all of them, to suit everyone.

Finish: This product sinks very nicely into the skin and imparts a glowy finish, however there is shimmery presence, so best to go for less rather than more.


Overall impressions: Overall this is a nice product. You can either blend this in with your foundation or strategically place on the high points of your face for that dewy/glowy look. I'm sure as you can see from the swatches that this product is a shimmery, not a sheeny product (if you know what I mean). So don't be too heavy handed otherwise your face might end up looking more on the side of glittery than natural glow. This would also be gorgeous placed onto your collar bones and shoulders, particularly coming into summer in the southern hemisphere. I particularly enjoyed using the shade 002, Radiance Rose, which is a lovely subtle pink shade which looks great on my pale skin, but might not show up so well on darker skin tones.


Have you tried this product? What are your thoughts?


Ellen Rozalia xx



*Disclaimer: All products mentioned were purchased with my own money and all opinions are my own

Lord & Berry - Soft Touch Concealer - Swatches and Review

As always I'm striving for that Holy Grail concealer. You know that one dreams are made of; that glides onto the skin, has the perfect amount of coverage, doesn't crease, doesn't cling to dry patches and finally matches your skin tone PERFECTLY. Well, I've been sussing out the Lord & Berry Soft Touch concealer for a while and thought, why not?

On a side note, I will have a review of the Lord & Berry 20100 Lipstick Pencils (which I love), so keep an eye out for that one also ;)

So onto this concealer. I was hoping to find a dupe to the raved NARS Creamy Concealer, which I have played around with in Mecca Cosmetica, but am yet to part with my cash....

Without further ado, here's the run down:



Claims:
From the ASOS Website:
"Soft Touch Concealer by Lord & Berry

• Long-lasting lightweight fluid concealer to correct discolourations
• Medium to full coverage with a comfortable, natural matte finish and velvet feel
• Enriched with raspberry oil and date extract to combat signs of ageing"

Shades: 
Sadly only three shades in this product, which are:
- Ivory (the shade I picked)
- Nature
- Honey

Swatches:

L- R In Natural Light: Heavily Swatched, Blended out 

So here's the run down:


Price: I purchased from ASOS for $20.33

Weight: 6g

Packaging: Plastic tube with screw off wand with doe-foot applicator

Consistency: A very creamy smooth texture.

Fragrance: A pleasant, non-offensive smell. Reminds me a little of Clinique products.

Application: I will say this product is very easily blended into the skin. I dab the doe-foot applicator either directly onto the area I want to conceal or onto the back of my hand and transfer from there. I blend it in with a crease brush for that smooth "airbrushed" look or the Real Techniques Deluxe Crease Brush.

Longevity: I can tend to have oily skin, however didn't have any issues with this smearing or coming off.

Colour Range: Obviously with only three shades in the range, it could be better.

Finish: It has a skin-like finish. On the website it states that it has a matte finish, but happily this wasn't the case, as I can find concealers with a matte finish to look quite unnatural and stand out against the rest of your face.



Overall impressions: Overall I would say I like this product. I particularly enjoyed using this under my eyes. Now one thing I need to point out is that it states it is medium to full coverage - this is definitely not the case. I would say it is light to medium coverage at best. However, if you are looking for more coverage, the best way to achieve that from this product is to either let the product sit on the back of your hand for a little bit, or on the targeted blemish. In doing this I found the concealer became slightly thicker and covered much better. This concealer can also tend to stick to dry patches on the face a little bit, so use a primer on spots to ensure the best effect. So after all that is said, am I still glad I purchased it? Yes, it will make a lovely addition to my collection. Is it my Holy Grail concealer? Not quite. Am I still going to strive for that golden prized concealer? Without a doubt!



Have you found a Holy Grail Concealer? What do you use?



Ellen Rozalia xx




*Disclaimer: All products mentioned were purchased with my own money and all opinions are my own