Review: ELF Mineral Infused Mascara

8g

ELF US: $3

ELF UK: ₤3.75

http://www.eyeslipsface.com/studio/eyes/mascara/mineral_infused_mascara

http://eyeslipsface.co.uk/en/restofworld/mascara/mineral-infused-mascara/invt/81411/

Found on eyeslipsface.co.uk

This mascara is advertised  as creating “fuller, healthier looking lashes” and add definition while still volumnising. The mascara is supposed to be long-wearing and clump-resistant. The brush is made of silicone, and has even sized bristles placed relatively close together and a tip that tapers off.

Ingredients:

Stearic Acid, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate SE, PVP, Triethanolamine, Triacontanyl PVP, Hydroxyethyl Cellulose, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate.

I love this mascara! It gives my lashes the most amazing doll-like effect, it separates them and lengthens them nicely. It does NOT stick my eyelashes together so it looks like I have about 5 total, which I do enjoy. The formula is nice and black, and doesn’t clump, flake , run, smudge, or anything on me, but isn’t too hard to get off when I want it off. The packaging is really nice and sleek, as with many ELF Studio or Mineral products it doesn’t look or feel cheap. This is one of my favorite mascaras and yes, it is 3 dollars. 3. You really cannot get much better than that. I would highly recommend this product and would definitely repurchase it!

Rating: A+

Review: Aveda Be Curly Conditioner

6.7 oz/200 ml

Aveda US: $21

Aveda UK: ₤18.50

Aveda DE: €24

http://www.aveda.com/product/5293/16724/Hair-Care/Conditioner/Be-Curly-Conditioner/index.tmpl

http://www.aveda.co.uk/product/7415/16724/Hair-Care/Hair-Concern/enhance-curls-or-waves/Be-Curly-Conditioner/index.tmpl

http://www.aveda.de/product/5218/16724/Kollektionen/be-curlyTM/Be-Curly-Conditioner/index.tmpl

Found on Aveda.co.uk

This conditioner uses wheat protein and organic aloe to “enhance curls, combats frizz, and boosts shine”. Apparently the wheat protein/aloe mix “expands hair is wet and retracts when dry to enhance curl or wave”. The fragrance is described as a “citrus aroma”, and the conditioner contains certified organic lime, lemon, bergamot and orange among other scents.

Ingredients:

Aqueous Extract: Aloe Barbadensis Leaf, Glycerin, Steryl Alcohol, Castor Isostearate Succinate, Cetearyl Alchohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Palmamidopropyl Trimonium Methosulfate, Behenamidopropyltrimonium Methosulfate, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Babassuamidopropyltrimonium Methosulfate, Tapioca Starch, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Tocopherol, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimomium Chloride, Fragrance (Parfum)*, Limonene, Geraniol, Linalool, Citral, Eugenol, Cintronellol, Sodium Gluconate, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol

*Aveda’s Own Pure-Fume Aroma with Certafied Organic Lime, Bergamot and Mandarin

I was really disappointed with this conditioner. It didn’t really emphasize my curls any more than other conditioners. It did hardly anything to combat frizz. It made my hair reasonably soft, but really not more than any other conditioner. I guess it didn’t make my hair really brittle or anything so that is something, but I think my hair was not as soft as it was before simply because it wasn’t getting the moisture it needed. It was sad because I really wanted to love this conditioner, because it smelled so darn good. It really reminds me of Rivella, a Swiss soft drink which I LOVE. I think it’s the bergamot in it. Anyway, it left my hair smelling really good, but it wasn’t enough to make me like it. Coupled with the fact that it is so expensive for a conditioner, I was not happy with this product and will not purchase it again.

Rating: C-

New brands added to the safe list!

A England

Coco Allure Nail Polish

Crabtree & Evelyn

Darling Diva Polishes

Elixir Lacquers

Enchanted Polish

Femme Fatale Cosmetics

HARE Polish

Lanolips

Lavera

Lise Watier

(MALIN+GOETZ)

Senna

Sexy Hair

ELF Haul!!

I ordered all this stuff ages ago but only got it now… sadly not because of ELF’s shipping, but because I sent it to the wrong address -.-

Anyway, I am super excited about everything I got, and can’t wait to really test it out!

 

Studio HD Blush in Headliner- $3

This blush seems to be a really pretty dolly pink color, I have only swatched it on my hand as of yet. I believe MUFE has a similar product, so I am really interested to see how this one works out.

http://www.eyeslipsface.com/studio/face/blush/hd_blush

 

Studio Contouring Blush & Bronzer Cream in St. Lucia- $3

I was never super excited by the powder version of this duo. But when they came out with a cream version, I was sold. The blush is a very pretty peachy color with almost a hint of terra-cotta in it. The bronzer is a bit orange, but when applied correctly is pretty wearable… if you are not super pale like winter-me. However, it does look really good on more tanned skin, I tried it out on my sister who lives in Houston, and it looks really nice.

http://www.eyeslipsface.com/studio/face/blush/contouring_blush_and_bronzing_cream

 

Studio Blush in Blushing Rose- $3

I have used this blush several times since opening it, and really love it so far! It is beautiful rose color with a subtle gold shimmer running through it. It gives a gorgeous flush to the skin, and looks really nice on my Caspar-like skin. I think this would also look really nice on darker skin as well, but you might have to use a denser brush (I use a stippling brush)

http://www.eyeslipsface.com/studio/face/blush/studio_blush

 

Mineral Eyeshadow Primer in Sheer- $3

I have really oily eyelids so I don’t really have high hopes for this primer (read about my experience with the famous Urban Decay primer here). However, I figured since it was $3 I could try it out before trying the more expensive primers. If it does work, then I have saved myself a fair amount of money. If it doesn’t, it was $3.

http://www.eyeslipsface.com/minerals/eyes/concealers_and_primers/eyeshadow_primer

 

Custom Eyes Eyeshadow Refill in Navy- $1

This looked like a really interesting color, so I figured I would pick it up. I think this would look really good as a smokey eyeliner with a defined upper lash line. I had ordered the color Aubergine too, but they were out of that, apparently. I can’t comment on the quality of the shadow yet as I haven’t done anything more than a quick swatch on my hand.

http://www.eyeslipsface.com/elf/elements/custom_eyes

 

Essentials Luscious Liquid Lipstick in Bark- $1

This is another product that I have worn some since receiving the order, and so far I really like it! It is a pink/brown nude, a very natural color. On my lips it is a very my-lips-but-better color. It seems to be reasonably pigmented. It is a strange texture, more like a gloss than a lipstick, but a very very thick sticky gloss at that. It smells strongly of mint and vanilla and has that tingling sensation you get with plumping glosses, even though this isn’t advertised as being plumping. These features are fine for me, but may put some people off.

http://www.eyeslipsface.com/makeup/lips/lip_stick/luscious_liquid_lipstick

 

**DISCLAIMER: all individual product pictures found on eyeslipsface.com**

Review: Hildegard Braukmann Honey Lecithin Beauty Pack

Rossman: ca. €1.70

http://www.hildegard-braukmann.de/en/Produkte/Care_Line/EMOSIE_FACE/Masks_and_Packs/Honey_Lecithin_Beauty_Pack

Found on Hildegard-Braukmann.de

 

This face mask is described as a “pleasing, creamy face pack with bee’s honey, soya lecithin and valuable wheatgerm oil”. It is said to “bestow an instant and enduring healthy look to the skin” by “improving the moisture content of the skin and enriching the lipid shield”. By that last bit about the lipid shield, I assume they mean it doesn’t strip the skin. Lastly, it is supposed to make the skin soft and supple, and is apparently good for stressed skin. This mask should be left on for 15-20 minutes, and is best for dry and/or mature skin.

 

Ingredients:

Aqua (water), Kaolin, Stearic acid, Caprylic/Capric triglyceride, Mel (honey), Sesamum indicum (sesame) seed oil, Triticum vulgare (wheatgerm) oil, Propylene glycol, Glycerin, Polysorbate 60, Triethanolamine, Tocapheryl acetate, Cetyl alcohol, Glyceryl stearate, Glycine soja (soybean) oil, Lecithin, Arachis hypogaea (peanut) oil, Sorbitan stearate, Parfum (fragrance), Methylparaben, Olea europaea (olive) oil unsaponfiable, Daucus carota sativa (carrot) root extract, Isopropyl myristate, Disodium edta, Propylparaben, Phytosterols, Persea gratissima (avocado) oil, Tocopherol, Hexyl cinnamal, Linalool, Butylphenyl methylpropional, Helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil, Limonene, Benzyl salicylate, Cintronellol, Beta-carotene

 

This face mask does everything is says it does. It is a lovely, creamy mask that leaves your skin feeling soft and refreshed. It is a really good deal for money, as the two sachets you get when buying one unit each contain about 2 uses, giving you 4 uses total for about  €1.70. Unfortunately it is not very clear to me where you can get this, I know Rossmann Germany carries it because that’s where I got it. I believe I have seen this in some apothecaries here in Germany, but I am not sure. The website does not seem to have any stockists listed, but it does offer the site in English, German, and Polish, so that leads me to believe that the products are sold somewhere in the countries where these three languages are spoken. Anyhow, if you have dry skin and want to give it a treat once in a while, I would really recommend it! If you can find it in the first place, that is…

Rating: A

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Review: Organix Renewing Moroccan Argan Oil Conditioner

385 ml/13 fl. oz.

Drugstore.com/Ulta.com: $7.99

Boots.com: ₤6.99

http://www.drugstore.com/organix-conditioner-renewing-moroccan-argan-oil/qxp336539

http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?productId=xlsImpprod2690025

http://www.boots.com/en/Organix-Morocon-Oil-Conditioner-385ml_1222258/

Picture found on Drugstore.com

 

 

This conditioner is described as “unique precious blend of Moroccan argan oil” that “instantly penetrates the hair shaft” to strengthen the hair and “restore shine and softness”. It contains no parabens or sulfates, and is apparently safe for color-treated hair. It also claims to protect against styling heat and UV damage.

 

Ingredients:

Water Cetyl alcohol Behentrimonium chloride Cetearyl alcohol Ceteareth-20 Glycerin Dimethicone Glycol stearate Parfum PANTHENOL-DL Persea gratissima oil Theobroma cacao extract Cocos Nucifera Aloe Barbadensis Argania Spinosa Oil Tetrasodium EDTA Dmdm hydantoin Methylisothiazolinone and Methylchloroisothiazolinone, in combination

 

This conditioner did leave my hair sufficiently soft and shiny, and was no less strengthening than any other relatively good conditioner. It also smelled quite good. However, I didn’t notice any particular differences between this conditioner and any other conditioner without argan oil. And the fact that there is “argan oil” written on the label probably made this product more expensive by at least a couple of dollars.

This conditioner is my no means a bad product, it was a thoroughly acceptable, solid conditioner, I was just expecting something a little more from a product containing argan oil. I suspect that this product doesn’t actually contain that much argan oil, as it is only listed as 11^th on the ingredients list. So basically what I am trying to say is that you shouldn’t get too excited about the argan element of this product, I don’t think there is much of one.

Honestly $8 is not too bad for a conditioner, and I might purchase this product again at some point, but I wasn’t overly stunned by its performance. I had quite high hopes for this, as argan oil is really great (as you have probably heard) and this product didn’t do anything exceptional.

 

Overall

A good, solid conditioner- works relatively well, smells nice, but fails to really wow. Being made from the holy fad oil that has hit the market (or containing it, I should say, there doesn’t seem to be that much of it in there) gave this product a standard it fell short of fulfilling.

 

Rating: A-

Christmas Gift Guide: Smaller Gifts

The holiday season is one of my very favorite times, and one of the reasons is I love gifts. Ok, I won’t pretend I don’t love getting gifts (I mean, who doesn’t?) but I really, REALLY love giving gifts. But sometimes, that perfect gift may be a bit hard to find, and that could cause some major stress. Hopefully this post will give you some ideas for that fabulous (beauty related) present for that special gal, be it your friend, girlfriend, or mom! These smaller gifts could be combined to make one gift, or used to supplement mid-sized gifts.

The Body Shop Mini Body Butters

Found on TheBodyShop-USA.com

These things are really the best! They cost $6  for 1.7 fl oz (50 ml), so they are a pretty good deal. I couldn’t find them on the German or British site, but I’m pretty sure they have them in store. They should be around the €5 mark, and they are often on 3 for 2 at my store! You can normally find a pretty good selection of scents, I know I see Pink Grapefruit pretty regularly at mine, as well as Shea and Olive. I have also seen Strawberry, I believe, as well as Coconut. And Moringa, as shown in the picture. As for picking scents, the Shea and Olive ones are pretty neutral but still smell quite nice, so I think you could hardly go wrong. Personally, I love the Pink Grapefruit one (click here to read my review), as well as the Moringa scent. Coconut is quite nice too (surprisingly, as normally I don’t like coconut-scented things), but Strawberry is just way too sickly for me. You can always smell the full-sized testers if you don’t know for sure.

http://www.thebodyshop-usa.com/gifts/stocking-stuffers/mini-body-butter-moringa.aspx

Crabtree & Evelyn Soaps

Found on Crabtree-Evelyn.co.uk

These soaps are so beautiful, really any of the scents would be fabulous. My personal favorites are the Summer Hill and Crabapple & Mulberry scents. They range in price from $6-$10.

http://www.crabtree-evelyn.com/eng/products/bath-body/bar-soap/french-milled-soaps/crabapple_mulberry_triple_milled_soap?79496

LUSH Bath Products

Found on Lushusa.com

There would be no Christmas related post, or gift post at all for that matter, without a LUSH bath product or 15 gazillion. Phoenix Rising (pictured above) is one favorite: it is available all year round, but I think is especially good for this time of year. It is very spicy and cinnamon-y, and is purple and covered with gold glitter. Basically, me in bath bomb form. The Sex Bomb bath bomb is a classic, and probably will be loved by everyone. The Rose Jam bubble bar smells divine, and the Melting Snowman bath melt is as scrumptious-smelling as it is adorable. These products all range from $3-10.

Hildegard Braukmann Face Masks

Found on Hildegard-Braukmann.de

These are a really good way to go- they are really nice quality skincare, provide a little treat, and are really, really inexpensive to boot! These come in all different formulations to suit most skin types.