Month: November 2016

Categories
Beauty

Lip Combo: Pink

Despite Kylie Jenner’s lip kits getting mixed reviews here and there, they’re still one of the most coveted beauty products around. Admit it, they’re on your wish list too. I know they’re on mine.

However, lip kits – or lip combos – are not a revolutionary idea. I’ve been coming up with mine (quite probably inspired by the others) for years now. Below is my go-to pink.

lip-combo-pinks-bourjois-oriflame

Products, top to bottom:

  • Bourjois Levres Contour in Flamboise Exquise
  • Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet in 11 So Hap’pink
  • Oriflame The One Colour Unlimited Lip Gloss in Pink Boost 30643

Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvets are easily one of my most favourite lip products out there. True, there are formulas that are more matte, more pigmented, longer lasting, just more – but there’s something about the Bourjois offering that draws me back to them every time. They are very easy to wear, completely non-drying, and feel very natural on the lips. The finish is matte but not powdery matte that makes every line on your lips stand out. It’s also very easy to apply, and is scentless. Always a big plus in my book.

Although you don’t need a pencil when using Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvets, I love lining and filling my lips with a pencil first and then filling them out with the colour. I find that it does prolong the wear of the lipstick and makes reapplication that much easier. Although Rouge Edition Velvets do not bleed outside the lines and absolutely do not feather, it’s easier to slip a bit outside the line on the reapplication if you don’t go in with the pencil first. Bourjois Levres Contour in Flamboise Exquise is a nearly perfect match for Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet in So Hap’pink. I bought them together, and have been using together ever since.

Oriflame The One Colour Unlimited Lip Gloss in Pink Boost was on my wishlist for a while until I finally bought it. I try to limit the amount of glosses I own at any particular time, because they tend to go bad five times as quickly as lipsticks do. I wear it both on its own, over the pencil, or over slightly worn lipstick when I just can’t be arsed with fixing it properly or I know it’s going to get ruined in the next hour anyway. Applying it over freshly applied lipstick tends to look cakey.

lip-combo-pinks-swatched

Left to right: Pencil, lipstick, gloss.

What’s your favourite lip product combination?

Categories
Beauty

AVON Body Lotions and Oils

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AVON Care Rich Moisture Body Lotion

The best part about this product is completely auxiliary – it left my room smelling amazing after I would apply it, and it would leave it that way for a long time. I swear it does not last on the body as long as it lasts in the room. I would apply it, I would sleep, I would go to work, and I would come back home to a deliciously scented boudoir, for fuck’s sake. For that point: Bravo, Avon.

Everything else: a rather thin lotion (I like them that way), applies easily, absorbs quickly – but unfortunately does not moisturise enough. I would need to apply it every 12-16 hours to feel fully comfortable.

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AVON Skin So Soft Mineral Gems Glamorous Gold

A typical Skin So Soft scent. Kind of a whipped texture, with shimmering particles in it. Not a lot in terms of skincare properties – left a filmy residue on the skin, but wasn’t sticky and felt okay. I got this as a gift, and unfortunately the tube was rather old, and started separating and smelling rancid after about 3 uses. As you can see in the photo, it is almost full.

avon-skin-so-soft-firming-and-restoring-dual-oil-spray

AVON Skin So Soft Firming and Restoring Satin Sheer Dual Oil Spray

For a product that calls itself an oil, this has no nurturing properties at all. It goes on easily and absorbs relatively quickly, and my legs would look almost plastic after using it (which I absolutely do not mind), but it is all on the surface, and it did nothing to the quality of the skin in the long run.

… Plus the run itself wasn’t that long – the product lasted me maybe two weeks. Maybe.

Categories
Beauty

Lip Product Empties

Let me quickly walk you through some lip products I have either finished or discarded recently.

veryme-gloss-tester-sosusan-lip-dome-ofra-lipstick

Oriflame VeryMe Mirror Lip Gloss is a perfect cool-toned pink lip colour for me. I loved using this in combination with OFRA Cosmetics Laguna Beach, but also on its own. The scent of the product was lovely, and the application was relatively OK (it’s a squeeze tube). The formula was a bit sticky. It was fun while it lasted, but I had to let it go because it started separating and smelling funny.

A sample size of one of the Oriflame Pure Colour lipsticks. I’ve written a post about them here, if you fancy a read. This one had to go because I dropped it on the office floor. A grimy dirty dusty icky yucky office floor. *shudder shudder*

So Susan Lip Dome was a lovely crayon. Not fully opaque, but it gave my lips the nicest bordeaux tint. It also felt nice and wore very comfortably. Unfortunately, it went bad before I could use it more. I received it via a Lip Monthly subscription, and I figure it was old.

OFRA Cosmetics Liquid Lip Colour in New Orleans also had to go – it was patchy and dry as all hell. And although I adored this colour, it made my lips look ridiculous, so I had to let it go.

You can read my post on OFRA Cosmetics lipsticks here.

oriflame-lip-balm-devine-lip-balm

Oriflame Beauty Lip Balm, although intended transparent, did give a bit of a pearlescent pale pink hue to the lips, so at times it made me look rather dead. It also didn’t moisturise my lips enough – matter of fact, sometimes the product felt drying. This is an old formula, and Oriflame updated it. I haven’t tried the new one.

Look DeVine Pinot Noir balm I loved. I received this one through Lip Monthly as well. It had a great scent and made my lips really moisturised, soft, and plump. I had to be careful with accidentally building up the colour with it, as a couple more strokes than necessary, and it would make me look a bit on the undead side.

Categories
Beauty

An Overview of Oriflame Activelle Deodorants

oriflame-activelle-deodorant-line

The main line of Oriflame antiperspirants, called Activelle, comes in six versions – four roll-on deodorants and one cream deodorant. I tried them all, and although the line itself is pretty homogeneous, I’ve got my own preferences.

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Oriflame Activelle Pure Care comes in two types – roll-on and cream. The roll-on I find too weak for me. I’m not a sweaty lady, but with the pink Activelle I haven’t felt protected enough. However, it is soothing and goes on well right after shaving.

If you are especially sensitive, then I do recommend the cream version. At first I had thought I wouldn’t like it and that the application would be too messy and the entire thing too much of a fuss, but I was wrong. The top of the tube spreads the product evenly, and it really is moisturising. By softening properties it is quite comparable to my favourite ever Dove deodorant (Green Tea & Cucumber). If I am honest, it might even beat it.

oriflame-activelle-48hr-and-green-tea

Activelle Extreme Protection 48 hours is the strongest of the six. It will not give you 48 hours of protection, but it certainly lasts longer than the others. I am not giving you any precise times here, because it depends on your system. For me it was a little over 24 hours.

Activelle Green Tea Fresh is the second strongest in the line.

These two also have the harshest scents, for me.

oriflame-activelle-cotton-dry-and-invisible

Activelle Cotton Dry comes second after the Activelle Pure Care when it comes to the softness of the feel. I am currently using it. However, I have to say that it had started smelling differently, to me at least. It used to have a powdery scent, but now it’s much harsher. Could be just me, though.

Oriflame Activelle Invisible is not, in fact, invisible. A standard roll-on deodorant that will offer you adequate protection.

Regarding the formula of all of these deodorants, they take a while to fully dry. It is a product that should be applied the night before – however, I never feel secure enough not reapplying it in the morning.

I honestly cannot tell you how long the bottle will last you. My current Cotton Dry is – I believe – a month and a half old, and is still going strong. You can also store these upside down, as the cap has a flat top. This is always a plus for me, as I love using up every last bit of the product.

I know I will repurchase at least some of these deodorants when they are on offer. My preferences are Pure Care cream and Cotton Dry, followed by Pure Care roll-on and Invisible. Activelle Extreme Protection and Green Tea Fresh, although strong, have scents that do not fully agree with me.

Categories
Beauty

Manicure Monday: Oriflame, Inglot

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Oriflame The One in Night Orchid 30527

I’ve mentioned before that one of my superficial ‘goals in life’ is to own every single polish from Oriflame’s The One line. I just love them, and am really sad that I’ve missed several LE colours here and there.

This colour is in the Oriflame’s permanent line of nail colours. It’s a really cool-toned really deep fuchsia, a bit on the dark side to be truly considered one. The photograph is brightened, so it doesn’t give a true representation of the shade.

I have two coats on, but could have got away with just one. Dried quickly and well. The application is OK, but the formula is rather thick and the brush is wide, so you will need to clean the cuticle up a bit. No streaks. The longevity is not as formidable as they promise – about two-three days.

inglot-matte-pale-pink-polish-718

INGLOT Nail Polish in 718

A pretty perfect pale pink (what’s with all the p’s) that I quite enjoyed looking at. The colour is just so… girly. It dries semi-matte, with a bit of a sheen still left to it. The formula is a bit streaky – but hey, for a polish that’s both light and matte, I say it fared very well. Needed three coats, dried pretty quickly. The longevity is so-so. On my right hand it chipped on the first day, and on the second I had to remove it. Left hand remained unchanged by then.