Stila - One Step Correct

I really like this one step corrector.

This is a one step corrector, "triple-swirled helix serum that instantly colour corrects, brightens, primes, and nourishes the skin. On top of the immediately gratifying benefits, the infusion of Stila's exclusive Youth Revival Bio-Available Mineral Complex—improves skintone, evens out the complexion, and helps smooth fine lines and wrinkles." (from the Sephora website www.sephora.com). This contains 30mL of product and it took me 3 months to use (using it 5 times a week).

Reasons why I like it:
- The packaging is really nice. I like how you can see the serum and the three correcting swirls. You can also see when you're running out as it's a pump and the inside bottom part moves up to the top as you keep using the product.
- It goes on smoothly, since it's a serum, as a nice base before foundation.
- I believe it does make a difference to my skin which is noticeable once I apply my foundation. It helps create a more flawless look.

Areas for improvement:
There aren't too many. If you expect this product to help conceal zits or if you have very red patches on your face then this product won't fix these problems and you should invest in an appropriate concealer. If you have some light uneven skin tone then you'll like this product. I'm not sure if it improved my skin tone in the long run as it claims.

Price: US$36.00. I bought this in Sephora in Hawaii when the AU$1 was something crazy like... US$1.10! So I was super happy. If you buy it here in Mecca (at Myer in Sydney CBD or the Mecca store at The Galleries Victoria just to name a few) you'll pay AU$58.00! Ah! It still amazes me how much we pay on make up here in Australia!

If this product was cheaper in Australia, I'd buy it again. However, it's not and sometimes I just can't be bothered to try and find a cheap one on eBay etc. I've also been told that on some websites, the products aren't genuine.

Laters,
Ivy

P.S - I am currently trying out some South Korean products I picked up from Alice's Diary (in World Square, ground floor near the Pitt St & Liverpool St exit). They sell a bunch of South Korean beauty products, make up and clothes.




Lancome Haul

Yeh! I found my camera cable! I can now go back to uploading my own photos! Yeh!

So as promised a few weeks ago I spent AU$193 at the Lancome counter in David Jones on Elizabeth St Sydney.

Here's what I bought -

Lancome Teint Idole Ultra 24 hour foundation

Shade No. 045

AU$68

I have just finished the 14 hour version which is no longer available and it was a good foundation so I'm looking forward to trying out this new and improved version! I purchased this as a friend of mine from the US recommended it! :)

Lancome Rouge In Love Lipstick

Shade No. 351B

AU$45

I tired this out last Friday and it's a lovely long lasting vibrant lipstick! Love it! It looks quite red in the below photo, however it's more of a really pink red rather than red red.

Lancome Genifique Pack

AU$80

Includes - Genifique Mask, 20mL Genifique, Renergie Multi-Lift and a sample of Visionnaire.

I was originally thinking about purchasing the 30mL of Genifique except the price is AU$115 (from memory) so I told the sales assistant that I would have to give it a miss this time since I had already made up my mind to purchase the foundation and the lipstick. Then they advised me that they have this special gift pack which includes 20mL of Genifique and the rest! I have been using this for 7 days now and I truthfully I can't see a huge improvement... I will stick with it and see.


Laters,
Ivy

Lancome L'Absolu Nu Lipstick

Are you looking for strong colour in your lipstick?
Maybe long lasting?
Or perhaps a lipstick that will condition your lips at the same time?

Well, look no further! Go out and check out Lancome's L'Absolu Nu lipsticks!

http://makeup411.com/products/id/3958/

I love these lipsticks (I really like most of Lancome's lipsticks... but I'm not a fan of their Juicy Tubes). You can use them in conjunction with a lip liner, but they look great on their own as well.

The colour is long lasting and I only need to re-apply after eating. Also, the formula conditions my lips and stops them from flaking and drying out. There is only a slight fragrance, which is fine by me. Others who rather a fragrance free product my find this a little annoying.

I purchased mine from the Myer Lancome counter and I think they're about AU$48.

Also, I thought I'd let you know what I purchased at my last Lancome visit in David Jones (full haul to come).

- One 'Rouge In Love' long lasting lipstick

- Teint Idole Ultra 24H long lasting founding

- Gift pack of Genifique (20mL Genifique, 1 mask, sample size of Visionnaire, and moisturiser)

The gift pack was great value at only AU$80 and is available in lieu of Mother's Day. If you've always wanted to try Genifique but could never justify the +AU$100 for 30mL then this is a great way to purchase it.

Laters,

Ivy

Clio - Waterproof Brush Liner (Kill Black)

Firstly... apologies as I have been M.I.A for the past three weeks. I really need to find my camera cable so I can download my pics... I guess I could use my phone... but the photos aren't as good. Excuses excuses! For the time being I will use some pics from the Internet.

Today's review is on Clio Professional, Waterproof Brush Liner in 1 Black.

Pic used from eBay

http://icyabstract.onsugar.com/Goodies-CLIO-Professional-Contest-win-Girls-Generation-Tickets-20537896

I was previously using some MAC Gel Liner in black however, I then had pink eye and had to bin it in case it contained the bacteria. Sad I know. So when I was at my local Korean make up store I picked up this Clio liner. The liner also contained a mini mascara however, I haven't used it yet.

Purchased from Konad on George St. It's on the same side as the Event Cinemas but a block heading south. They sell lots of Korean clothes and BB Creams etc. You can also buy some Clio products from S A Hair Nail & Beauty Suppliers, level 8 in the Dymocks Building on George St. Other Korean shops along Pitt St and Sussex St also sell Clio products as it's quite popular in Korea. I mean Hyori Lee is the face of Clio (if you don't know who this is youtube her... like now, U Go Girl).

Price - AU$20 approx. I think I may have received a discount when I purchased this so I'm not sure how much I paid in the end however, looking on the net it appears the average price for the eyeliner alone is around AU$20.

Quality - Nice and black, superfine tip, doesn't run out of liquid during application, long lasting (therefore, doesn't fade half way through the day) and it is waterproof.

Usage - I use this every day I apply make up, on my top lid. I usually wing my liner up at the ends.

Verdict - I love this liner. I was almost going to buy the Lancome Artliner however decided against it as many beauty reviews complained about having to drip the brush back into the container to pick up more product. The lid of the Clio liner keeps the brush nice and moist with black liner. Hopefully this liner will last at least 3 months and if it does I'll be happy with that.

I'm still a huge fan of gel liners, however in the morning when I'm applying my liner I want to be super quick cause I've probably woken up late. This is the perfect way to apply liner in a quick and precise way. Not bad Clio!

Laters,
Ivy

P.S - Lancome haul to be posted soon as I just spent AU$193 last Friday at the Lancome counter at DJ's. ^_^

UPDATE - 6 May 2012
I have found my camera cord so I have updated this post with my pics of the product.
Also the packaging has the cost on it! So, this product is AU$28.90 from Konad on George St. This is for both the eyeliner and the mascara.

Make Up Store - Cyber Shadow & Glitter eye shadows

Eye shadow! Today's review is on the Make Up Store's Cyber Shadow in Metallic Wave and Glitter in UFO.

Let's look at the Cyber Shadow in Metallic Wave first!
I quite like Metallic Wave. It's very bright and highly pigmented, which is nice. I usually use this on the outer corner of my lids and then I use a lighter blue on the inner corner. It doesn't crease (I always prime my eyelids with urban decay lid primer when using strong colours) and I really like the application. You only need a little bit of product on your eye shadow brush as a little goes a long way!

Price AUD$32

Now le'ts move onto the Glitter in UFO.
I originally wanted this particular glitter combo after looking at some make up pictures in the Jemma Kidd make up book. When using this product you'll need to apply a cream shadow or cream pencil first so the glitter can adhere to your eye lid. I usually apply a MAC paint pot (painterly) to my lid and then apply the UFO glitter on top in a patting motion with an eye shadow brush. This really looks amazing if you're going out paired with some nice big lashes.

Price AUD$26


Where can you buy Make Up Store products.... you can buy them at Myer in Sydney City as well as other locations around the county. (http://www.makeupstore.se/auen/stores.php)

Check out these products online - http://www.makeupstore.se/auen/home.php

Laters,
Ivy

MAC Lipstick - Viva Glam V

Yeh... LIPSTICK!!!

Not just any lipstick ... it's a MAC lipstick!

Today's product is the MAC Viva Glam V lipstick.. affectionately known as the "bridal lipstick".

The great thing about the Viva Glam lipstick and lipglass is all money received goes towards the MAC AIDS Fund.



Here are some photos of the Viva Glam V lipstick.

It's a great subtle rose/pink colour which is a great colour for bridal make up, and is the lipstick I wore at my wedding. The Mac Makeup Artist dubbed it "the bridal lipstick" as every bride wears it (this could be a passing phase, but was very popular according to the makeup artist at the time).

I usually wear this on its own during the day (without lip pencil or lipgloss) and it's a great colour which will go with everything.

Cost is AU$36.00 and can be purchased at any MAC counter. I bought mine at David Jones.

Like any lipstick, I usually have to apply this after eating. The formula is lovely and smooth, and it keeps my lips moisturised.

Overall I'm a big fan of this shade and it's a staple in my makeup bag.

Laters,

Ivy

Baby Wipes - to assist the reduction of zits/spots/pimples

Baby Wipes?!?!??!

I know what you're thinking. Strange... how is this going to help clean up zits? My husband told me about this as he suffered from teenage acne. Basically he had acne along his chin and on his forehead as he would lean his face on his hands at school. He then used baby wipes (the cleansing ones) after all his meals as it was an easy way to remember to keep the cleansing up. He saw improvement within days... and a month later most of the zits had cleared up and all that was left were scars. Over time these also faded.

Key - consistently keeping your face clean and free of bacteria.
This means that your pores won't become infected and cause zits!

I know that this isn't the ultimate way to clear up your skin, as there are many different types of acne and you should consult your doctor or skin care specialist. It's a good start though.

My experience -

Background - At the moment, I lean my chin on my hands when I'm sitting at my desk. Result - zits all over my chin.

As a teen I had them on my forehead and it would have been due to hormones. At the time I just used Clinique's 3 step system and they ended up going away once my hormones settled down! Phew!

These days my chin zits are due to the bacteria on my hands. I generally think of myself as a clean person, but we all have bacteria on our hands even if we wash and sanitise them all the time! So my husband reminded me of his baby wipe trick! It worked! Thank goodness!

Method - Buy some cleansing baby wipes. I bought the below pack from Priceline as it's a good size to fit in my bag. They're only AU$2.99!!!!

I still keep to my regular morning and night cleansing, but during the day I would wipe just my chin with a baby wipe after each time I ate. This meant that any food that was wiped on my chin from my napkin would also be cleaned off at the same time as removing the bacteria that was already on there from my hands.

Results - This combined with me no touching my face has resulted in a huge reduction of zits on my chin. I currently have one right near my bottom lip but other than that I am only left with 48 (yes I counted them for this post) zit scars! At any one time I use to have 3-5 zits on my chin but not anymore. I noticed an improvement after just 3 days. My zits dried up and then vanished!

Note - This isn't going to work for everyone and is just my experience. There are many great cleansing systems out on the market to help you with your zits as everyone has different skin and reasons for developing zits in the first place. If you have any concerns about your skin you should consult your doctor.


So go out and buy some baby wipes if you want to help your skin battle bad zit cause bacteria!


Laters,
Ivy