Beauty Grail

picture: Adore Beauty

There are two products I absolutely can’t do without. 1 is a lip balm. Yes, having full lips do have it’s cons in that it’s susceptible to wind/sun burn!! I may never have to get lip injections but dry lips is a constant battle for me.

The 2nd is sunscreen. I think we all very well know by now the importance of slathering SPF!!

As a day sun protection, I used to use Clinique’s Super City Block SPF 30+, a gift from my sister in law. On its packaging, City block claims that it has a “remarkable sheer and weightless formula”, it is great for sensitve skin, contains antioxidants, is oil free, safe to use near the eye area and can be worn as a makeup primer. Sounds fantastic, no? I did find it agreed with my rather sensitive skin. However, it did make my skin go rather shiny by midday. It also had a whitish tinge when applied to my skin and I found it difficult to blend with makeup.

I made a special trip to my local David Jones, determined to find a better than good SPF. That’s where I came across Megan Gale Tinted Day wear Sunscreen. This is not the first time I’ve come across the product. My best friend, Orchid, already uses the product and the book I’m currently reading, “The Skin Type Solution” by Dr Leslie Baumann, actually recommends this product for my skin type (which turns out to be Sensitive, Oily, Pigmented and Tight - more on this later).

I paid about $30 AU and put it to use right away. It’s been about a week since using this product and I found some ++ over Clinique City Block.

• I found it to be be more sheer to apply
• No more whitish tinge
• It felt less tacky on my skin
• It’s moisturising wich is great for the fine lines around my eye area
• The tint provides enough hint of colour for me to forgo foundation (for days where ‘minimal’ is my choice of look. Perfect for giving my skin a break from heavy makeup)
• On the days that I do want a more ‘made-up’ look, I can mix a little (or as much) of my foundation with it without having to worry about blending

I give it a BeautyGrail rating of:

I’ve done something which I haven’t done in a long time- picked up a fashion magazine. In this case, the July Issue of Madison. There are reasons why I’ve resisted the urge for so long and the very back cover seem to say it all (if not most).

On the back was the full page glossy ad for Dior’s Black Out Mascara. I have nothing against Dior, or the stunning woman who graces the page. What irked me was, correct me if I’m wrong, the glaring false eye lashes!!

I can’t help but feel deceived each time I see a mascara ad that promises to lengthen lashes and features a model or actress wearing long, luscious, FAKE lashes.

A case in point is L’Oreal’s Telescopic mascara featuring the actress Penelope Cruz . Rimmel’s MAGNIF’EYES mascara is debatable. The company maintains that Kate Moss was not wearing false eye lashes in the shoot which leads one to therefore believe that Photoshop was at hand here.

Fake lashes or Photoshop, fine, use them if must but if so, I think putting disclaimers is fair (I’m still trying to spot the disclaimer on my magazine).

image credit: Temptalia

It wasn’t long ago that I have mentioned about SPINLASH™, the rotating mascara wand. Now I’ve learnt through Temptalia about more moving mascaras bound to hit the cosmetic market. These are Estee Lauder’s Turbo Lash mascara and Lancome’s Oscillation mascara.

I’m not really sure what the difference is between the two. Both claim to extend, curl, shape and thicken lashes. One via vibrations(Estee Lauder’s) whilst the other through oscillatations(Lancome’s). As far as I know both words are synonymous, unless you start delving into Physics. However, this is makeup science so I think we can safely say that they’re very similar.

Estee Lauder’s TurboLash All Effects Motion Mascara is a battery-operated vibrating mascara. It will be launched on July 17 at Saks Fifth Avenue exclusively and will retail for around 30USD.

I’m not sure when Lancome’s Oscillation mascara will be launch or for how much but I’m sure it won’t be far behind Turbo Lash.

What do you think of these vibrating/oscillating mascaras? Do you have a preference?

picture: WomensWearDaily

I am all for Mass Class (luxury for the masses) or ”Design for all”, so I was very happy to learn that makeup artists Jemma Kidd, Napoleon Perdis and Petra Strand of Pixi Cosmetics have collaborated with Target to bring to consumers affordable and slightly different versions of their existing prestige range!

The Jemma Kidd for Target range will include lip, face, eye and cheek items, as well as makeup tools. Prices start from $14. The colour items are said to be of strong pigment to produce bold statement colours. (Hmmmm….inexpensive eye makeup with much pigment? That I’ve got to see. From experience, eyeshadow that is cheap often does not contain as much pigment and requires heavier/multiple application).

The Napoleon Range for Target will include items such as Memory Foundation, a tinted moisturizer (available in seven shades); Liquid Veil, a lightweight liquid tint and lip glosses with a brush.

Pixi Cosmetics for Target ranges from $12 to $39.

The beauty products are scheduled to sell from US Target stores at the end of August. I do hope similar plans are held for Australian Target!