Showing posts with label Essence. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Essence. Show all posts

Monday, 30 April 2018

Current Beauty Favourites: First Edition 2018

Hi beautiful people,
I'm trying to be more consistent with my posts, but it's hard. There's plenty to write about but I haven't had the time to sit down and collect my thoughts about all the products that I've tried out over the last couple of months.
I tried my hand at monthly favourites last year but I think I lasted all of 3 months? So here we go again, this time I've titled the posts as "current favourites" because they don't necessarily change month-to-month for me.

#1 SVR Sebiaclear Crème SPF50 for combination to oily skin (50ml)

Anyone with medium to dark skin, knows the struggle of finding a high SPF day cream that won't gives that grey lavender tinge or make us look "casket-ready". I've been using this since January and one tube lasts about 4 months; which is not bad considering I use it every day. I've only just repurchased. This creme is thicker than the Body Shop Skin Defence Multi-Protection Essence SPF 50 (which was a favourite in 2017) but its not greasy. It has a neutral scent (not unlike other sunscreens), it's easily absorbed into the skin and it has a dry touch finish. I wear it on it's own or under my Lancome teint idole ultra 24hr foundation without any issue. This one is a keeper. It's available at most Clicks stores and online.

Never leave the house without suncreen.

#2 Missha Time Revolution First Treatment Essence &  #3 Time Revolution Night Repair Science Activator Ampoule
I have been in love with K -beauty since my first haul on holiday to South East Asia 5 years ago. I got this as free gift when I purchased the Time Revolution Night Repair Science Activator Ampoule at a Missha store in Singapore last July. I wish I was more conscientious in taking pictures of my skin when I start a new skincare product. I use this essence twice a day on most days after toning, but before moisturiser, serum or a sheet mask. This essence contains yeast ferment lysate and helps to
soothe texture, moisturising, balancing, brightening, and has anti-ageing properties. 

The Missha Night Repair serum has been touted as the cheaper dupe for the Estee Lauder Night Repair serum and the Lancome Advanced Génifique Youth Activating Serum; all 3 contain yeast ferment lysate. I alternate it with the Naruko Night Gelly and The Ordinary Vitamin C suspension. 
It has no scent and it's easily absorbed into the skin, without leaving any sticky residue or film. I've reached the pinnacle in my skincare journey: I no longer wakeup with a greasy face in the morning (That's a win for K-beauty right there).
My skin has definitely improved in terms of texture its much smoother and my blemishes fade away more quickly (I'll attribute this to the combination of this Essence and the night repair serum). I've gotten to the point where I can go out without foundation. Yay! 

It's available in South Africa from SAMIKA and Pink Cosmetics. Or you can purchase from YesStyle for really good deals but the wait time is ~2 months.

#4 My Natural Hair Edge Gel
I have never been one to "lay edges" maybe because I was yet to find the one. This edge gel is so good that it can slick down type 4 edges without a brush (Sorcery! I tell you). It's soft and flexible, so it's easy to manipulate. The fragrance is like the other products in the range, a light herbal floral scent. It's available from Beauty on TApp and Shop for Life.

sLay those edges

#5 Camille Rose Naturals Sweet Ginger Cleansing Rinse
Alert the media people, I have found my holy grail shampoo. It smells like cupcakes...I love cupcakes. This one is hyped up on YouTube  and I was curious if it would be THAT good. It is! It suds up like regular shampoo but it doesn't dry my hair out and I can detangle with it and leaves my hair soft and manageable.A little goes a long way so this current bottle should last me a year. It's available at Style Studio and Beau2you.co.za

Wash Day Heaven

#6 Juvia's Place The Festival Palette
I love all my palettes from Juvia's Place. This latest like the others is full of brights in mattes and shimmers. I can do so many looks with this palette; from neutral to bright and bold. Everyone should try at least one Juvia's Place palette.  Here's my full review for the palette
This palette inspired by West African festivals

#7 Stila Stay All-Day Liquid Lipstick in Beso
Stila makes my favourite formula for liquid lipsticks; they last through the day with minimal fading and no feathering. I got this in a mini/deluxe as a free gift for purchasing two Stila items at Woolworths. It's a classic red lip, not as blue toned as Fiery (another favourite of mine), it's a dupe for Ruby-Woo in terms of colour but not wear: Ruby-Woo feels more drying on the lips. This shade suits every skintone and I love that. 

The Classic Red Lip; Stila liquid lip in Beso


Have you tried any of the products? What are your current favourites? Let me know in the comments below. 

See you in my next post, 
xoxo, 



Monday, 3 July 2017

Hair & Beauty - June Favourites


Hello Beautiful people,
I can't believe half the year is gone 😱 I still have so much to do before this year is out.
Here are my favourites for the month of June.

Some of my favourites from last month 💜


1. Juvia's  Place Nubian II palette
If you follow me on instagram, then you know how much I love my The Masquerade palette from Juvia's Place. I decided to purchase this Nubian II (pre-loved from Janet Pink) for everyday toned down neutral looks. I love this palette, because I can the dark shades for eye shadow and as blush/contour and the light shimmer shades as highlight. This makes it perfect for travelling, I only have to pack one palette.
Here are some of the looks achieved with this palette:

Price: R 650.00 from SAMIKA, R 950.00 from Pink Cosmetics
If you live in the US (they ship to some other countries as well), you can order directly from Juvia's Place for $ 19.99.

2. Essence Lights of the Orient Bronzer 02 Oriental Beauty
For those with deeper darker skin tones will understand my point of view: I've never been sure of how to use bronzers, since the shades are usually too light to have the same effect as intended for those with lighter skin tones. But I've figured it out; instead of using bronzer to warm up my face, I use it as an under eye and forehead highlight powder. I love the finished effect I get with this bronzer from Essence. 

Price: R 47.95 (it was a limited edition, but I've seen a few in stock at Clicks Tygervalley).

3. My Natural Hair Strengthening Oil 100ml
I've already waxed poetic about the My Natural Hair range here; but I have to highlight How much I enjoy using this oil. I use it to seal when I moisturise on wash day and then 2-3 times during the week. It's also superb for sealing when installing braid and twist extensions. I love it because I don't end up with a greasy mess. It works great as a scalp oil.
Price:  R 79.99 on My Natural online store, R 99.99 at selected Clicks stores

4. Native Child  - Shea butter cream 125ml
I was in Windhoek for a while and it is super dry, just harsh on the skin and the hair. So I decided to pack this shea butter cream from Native Child for my hair instead of oil. It's thick mainly consists of shea butter along with avocado oil and aloe vera gel. I really like this one, #nogrease and a little goes a long way. Also, it's locally made, #proudlysouthafrican.
Price: R 79.99 from Native Child online store

5. The Body Shop Matte Lip Liquid in Windsor Rose, Mauritius Dahlia and Sicily Iris
The Body Shop recently launched matte liquid lippies in South Africa and I am here for it.
I've got 3 of the shades; one nude and two dark shades. I love how these wear, they're very smooth and velvety when applied. they don't dry down like the Colourpop liquid lipsticks, so they do transfer and fade after eating. I however am not complaining because they're decently priced. I will definitely be adding at least two more to my collection.

Matte Liquid Lip in Windsor Rose
Price: R 85.00 (but I made use of the sales; 20% off or 3 for 2 specials)

6. The Body Shop Spa Of The World Hawaiian Kukui Cream 350ml
I'm a sucker for a good body cream; I've been eyeing the ones from the Spa of the World range for years but the price though...
Clicks had a 30% off in May, so I took that opportunity to purchase one of them. This cream has a velvet butter consistency with a faint floral scent. I love it! It's not heavy at all and it's easily absorbed into the skin and the moisturising effect is long lasting.
Price: R 380.00 ( I got it for R 266.00).

And those were my favourites for the month. What prodcuts did you enjoy using last month? Let me know in the comments section below.

See you in my next post, 
xoxo
N

Friday, 31 March 2017

March Hair & Beauty Favourites

Hey loves,
I thought I'd start sharing my favourites with you all. I love trying out new products, but  I do have "Holy grail" favourites that I wll always repurchase becasue I love them that much.
Here are some my March favourites:

March Favourites*
1. Juvia's Place Masquerade Mini Palette 
This is one my favourite palettes of all time. I love jewel tones for eyeshadow, so this palette is just "errythang". It's super pigmented and versatile; I can go from neutral gold eyelooks to bright carnival eyelooks. It's just gorgeous. Here's a collage of some of the looks I've created with just this palette. Price ZAR 800 (from Pink Cosmetics)

Eyelooks I've done with the Masquerade palette from Juvia's Place.


2. Essence Lights of the Orient Matt Lipsticks 
The lights of the Orient range launched in Clicks stores in early March; most of the items sold out really quickly , but I did manage to grab two of the lipsticks in the shades 01 Bellydancing Queen (Wine red) and 02 Princess Jasmine's Choice (Mauvey pink). They're both gorgeous colours and are hands down the best lipsticks I've tried from Essence. Price ZAR 47.95
Lip Swatches for Essence Lights of the Orient Matt Lipsticks

3. The Body Shop Himalayan Charcoal Purifiying Glow Mask
I snagged a sample of this mask early in the month while replenishing my skincare products at the Canal Walk branch. I love it! It has kaolin clay, Moroccan lava clay, bamboo charcoal, green tea leaves and tea tree oil. It tingles for less than a minute after application and my eyes watered after the first time I used it. I've been using it once a week and my skin has improved quite a bit; I have far fewer blackheads and my hormonal breakouts along my jawline has clamed down. Price ZAR 300 [The Body Shop has 3 for 2 special on skincare and makeup, and Love your body members can get 30% off this weekend].

4. Lush Soak & Float Shampoo Bar
Lush products are definitely one of my guilty pleasures; everything smells so good.   Have you ever walked down the aisle in Canal Walk anywhere near the Lush store? The tempatation is strong. I especially love the bath bombs and soaps, and so I decided to try one of the shampoo bars. I have a dry flaky scalp, so I decided to try this bar that contains cade oil and Marigold. I've been using this to wash my hair while I have braids installed and it's amazing. It removes all the buuildup without drying, so it's a keeper. Price ZAR 115

5. Essence the gel Top Coat & Base Coat
I love doing my nails, but I can't stand it when my nail polish chips with in two days of application. I was really excited when I tried the top and base coat from the "the gel" range; my nail polish lasts at least a week before I see the first chip. That's not bad, considering the price, ZAR 54.95

6. Inglot AMC Eyeliner Gel 77
Where has this eyerliner been all my life? I feel like the universe has been keeping me in the dark. I purchased this eyeliner after reading rave reviews about how awesome this formula is. It is the TRUTH! It's easy to apply and it doesn't slide down my face or give me racoon eyes. I have found the ONE! Price ZAR 249

What are your curent favourites?

See you in my next post,

xoxo
 






 *Images used are from the following sites:
www.juviasplace.com
www.essence.eu
www.thebodyshop.co.za
www.lush.co.za
www.inglotusa.com

Sunday, 26 June 2016

Make-Up Review: Drugstore Foundation: Essence All about Matt!


Hey there, 
I'm doing another foundation review; this time I'm sharing my thoughts on a drugstore foundation. I must say that when it comes to foundations I prefer high end but it's nice to find something that's affrodable and able to deliver on promises. 

So essence has been on the South African market for a couple of years and up until a couple of months ago they didn't have foundations that cater to darker skin complexions. 

 

So, three weeks ago I was browsing the make-up ailse at Clicks and came upon the new essence foundation "all about matt!" It's only available in four shades: vanilla, beige, caramel and mahogany. I picked up the shade caramel (which looks more like a medium cocoa). It's a long-wearing foundation, meant to last for 12 hours but not transfer-free. It's oil-free and gives a mattifying finish. It comes in the standard 1 fl.oz/30ml flor foundations.



I decided to try it out for a couple of weeks before forming any conclusions. 

On to application: as I said earlier the foundation looks like a medium cocoa shade and the consistency is creamy and a little runny. I applied the foundation on my face following primer application using my beauty blender (a pea-sized amount was enough to cover my face for medium coverage). It isn't quick drying, so have time to blend and buff. I then applied the rest of my makeup and set my face with the M.A.C Fix+ spray. 

After 4 hours Ichecked my face to see how it was holding up: I had a bit of shininess on my nose but it wasn't oily and I didn't need to blot. It just looked like a natural glow. Towards the end of the day approaching the 8hr mark, there was definitely a bit a more shine on my T-zone and a little blotting was definitely required. But it still looked really good and my friends could not belive that I acieved my look with an inexpensive foundation. 




All in all, I think its a great foundation for oily and combination/oily skin. It feels like MAC Studio Fix on the skin (quite heavy, I don't like the feeling). My only gripe with this foundation is that it doesn't have any SPF (this is a dealbreaker for me). That being said, if you don't wear make-up everyday like I do, this might be one to consider for a night out or attending a function and want to make-up occasionally. 

Pros:
Inexpensive, it only costs ZAR 68.00 at Clicks (listed as 79.95 on essence website)
Mattifying and oil-free
Long-lasting 

Cons:
No SPF
There are only 4 shades available.  

Final Marks: 6.5/10

That's it for now, 

xoxo, 

N