My Lipstick Diaries

Or: learning to embrace makeup.

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Orly BB Creme (2 coats)

Quick review since I didn’t get to earlier:

I’m not sure I like this - mainly a problem with the shade as I think it looks quite yellow under certain lighting conditions. Not exactly ‘beautifying’, I don’t think!

It does tend to chip off pretty quickly (minor chips by the end of day 1!) but I think that is par for the course with these treatment/polish type products. It‘s quite good at camouflaging my nail ridges, and the application isn’t too bad; the second coat self-levels to an extent and it dries relatively quickly.

If only it came in a different colour...

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Pond's Angel Face Natural Mattifying Face Powder

Overview: Fine powder with a light blue tinge. Cheap and cheerful - prices vary but probably not more than 3 SGD per 50g bottle. At this price you can slap whole handfuls on your face - the best part is, you won't even look like you've slapped whole handfuls of powder on your face.

Mattifying: Yes. Does a good job without making skin look flat.

Coverage: None whatsoever. Essentially a translucent powder.

Where to get it: You won't find it in Watson's or Guardian, but easily available online or possibly at your local independent cosmetics stockist.

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Swatches: Rimmel Kate Lasting Finish Lipstick (Shade 30)

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Left: with flash

Right: without flash

Swatches: Perfect Formula Gel Coat Color (Perfect Pink) - 2 coats

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Review: Avon True Colour Glazewear Lipgloss - Fiery Red

What it is: super-pigmented, warm pinkish-red lipgloss

I’ve had red lipgloss before, but most of them are so sheer that they hardly have any colour on the lips. This one is a brilliant exception! Below, some comparison swatches:

Top to bottom: 1. Max Factor lipgloss in Captivating Ruby; 2. Avon True Colour Glazewear Lipgloss in Fiery Red; 3. Rimmel Moisture Renew lipgloss (shade unknown)

Left to right: 1. Rimmel Moisture Renew lipgloss (shade unknown); 2. Avon True Colour Glazewear Lipgloss in Fiery Red; 3. Max Factor lipgloss in Captivating Ruby

Texture comments: Has a slightly thicker/stickier feel than either of the alternatives presented above, but a) this works well to keep the colour from moving around too much, and b) this is still not as sticky as some others on the market e.g. Soap and Glory Sexy Mother Pucker. 

Lipgloss has no discernible odour or flavour. 

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Hair review: LUSH No Drought dry shampoo

Hello hello! I hope everyone is well and enjoying the start of the new year (because I’m not - Eeyore is my spirit animal, LOL).

Today I bring you a LUSH hair review - no pics sorry, you’re just going to have to take my word for it ;)

Product: No Drought dry shampoo

Price: £4.95/50g

Ingredients: Cornflour, Magnesium Carbonate, Talc, Perfume, Grapefruit oil, Lime oil, Citral, Geraniol, Limonene, Linalool

Claims: “grapefruit and lime scented oil-absorbing powder”

I have very dark hair which I don’t think is particularly oily - I do generally wash my hair every day, but I use dry shampoo on the occasions I feel like skipping a day. This is probably the most effective one I’ve tried!

Pros: no white cast, does not leave gritty/tacky residue, pleasant scent not typical of dry shampoo so the whole world doesn’t know you haven’t washed your hair

Cons: messy application, scent really does not last beyond initial application, cost

I notice the main ingredient is cornflour, so the price seems a little bit cheeky! (In contrast, Batiste seems to run £0.60-£1.00/100 ml.) Since I use dry shampoo so little, my bottle is going to last me ages. Granted, I will probably find a fiver to replace it when I run out, but that could add up...

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Empty/Review: L’Oreal Skin Perfection Soothing Gel-Cream Wash

(If you haven’t figured out already, my photography skills are terrible and I also have no idea how photos on Tumblr work.)

Do they even still make this? Wow, this is old. 

It was OK. Did a decent job of cleansing, did not remove makeup, did (like many cleansers) leave my cheeks feeling dry. Didn’t lather up significantly unless used with a bubble net (those things are awesome). I’m pretty darn impressed that I used it all up - am I doing something wrong/why do my cleansers seem to last for ever?

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Sunday Facial/mini-reviews

1. Tony Moly Egg Pore Blackhead Steam Balm (30 g) - prices vary; available at TonyMoly stores, or online at places like cultbeauty.co.uk and Qoo10.sg

Clear, greyish balm with orange and white scrubbies in it, that heats up on being rubbed into the skin. I gather that you’re supposed to rinse it off when the balm has turned white. I forget the theory, but it’s supposed to open up and detox pores. I haven’t encountered any other products like it (so far) and I think it works pretty well. 

I have no idea what it would do to somebody who was allergic to eggs, though...

Ingredients:

Glycerin, Isopropyl Myristate, Polyglyceryl-3 MethylglucoseDistearate, Polysorbate 80, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sea Salt, Onsensui, Charcoal Powder, Vinegar, Egg Shell Powder, Cellulose, Hydroxypropylcellulose, Panthenyl Triacetate, Zea Mays (Corn) Starch, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Ascorbic Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Egg Yolk Extract, Xanthophyll, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Mannitol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Shellac, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Powder, Iron Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Iron Oxides, Fragrance.

2. Asty Gabaiyoka Horse Oil Peeling Pack (Lemongrass) (90 g) - prices vary; available at Watsons, Sasa, and I imagine online as well

Lemongrass-scented, violently yellow peel-off mask supposedly infused with horse oil (mayu) to help moisturise the skin. I guess the horse oil bit might put some people off, but since animals have to die I am all for getting the maximum use out of them. Supposedly removes dead skin cells, sebum plugs - which lead to blackheads and comedones - and fine facial hair. It also comes in a charcoal (black) version, which I haven’t tried.

The only peel-off mask I’ve encountered that visibly does anything, although this comes at the price of extremely harsh removal. The manufacturer cautions to use this only once a week and not on sensitive or damaged skin - I agree wholeheartedly with that statement and would encourage a patch test beforehand. Also be very careful to keep it away from the delicate eye area!

The ingredients list is fascinating to me - it’s basically someone’s chemistry lab experiment, isn’t it? I’ve done a very little bit of labwork with PVA, and yes it is a sticky, film-forming, tenacious mess. I would imagine that this contains PVA at a somewhat higher concentration than, say, the Beauty Formulas/Freeman peel-off masks (which are much easier to remove, but don’t seem to do much). 

Also, very much not vegan.

Ingredients: 

Water, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), alcohol, butylene glycol, phenoxyethanol, acrylates/steareth-20 methacrylate copolymer, methylparaben, PEG-60 hydrogenated castor oil, tetrasodium etidronate, cymbopogon schoenanthus oil, sodium hydroxide, onsen-sui, sodium lauryl sulfate, CI 19140, arbutin, glycerin, propylene glycol, placental protein, hydrolysed hyaluronic acid, horse fat, protease, sodium chloride, hydrolysed collagen, tocopherol

3. Tony Moly Egg Pore Tightening Cooling Mask (30 g) - prices vary; available from all the same places as (1)

An “interesting” texture. The “scrambled egg” consistency is supposed to make it more gentle on the skin; in practice, it seems to just make me drop it all over the place. Has kaolin clay to draw out oils and impurities; is supposed to tighten pores immediately and gradually over time. Not so much a quick-fix/must-have for me as the steam balm. 

Ingredients:

Water, Kaolin, Butylene Glycol, Bentonite, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Acrylates Copolymer, Sodium Hyaluronate, Zea Mays (Corn) Starch, Vinegar, Egg Shell Powder, Sea Silt, Glacier Water, Glacier Water, Perfluorohexane, Tromethamine, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Cellulose Gum, Perfluorodecalin, Potassium Alginate, Pentafluoropropane, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Fragrance.

What’s your face mask regime?

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First Impressions: L'Oreal Nude Magique BB Powder for Light Skin Tone

Product label:

Discover our ultimate 5 IN 1 BB POWDER: a VELVET SKIN BEAUTIFIER, that mimics the 5 DIMENSIONS OF VELVETY NUDE SKIN:

No shine

Smooth resurfaced finish

Undetectable coverage

Fresh look

8h matte complexion

BUILDABLE LIGHTWEIGHT COVERAGE

I finally used up ALL of my L'Oreal True Match powder in R1 and this was the replacement I’d lined up. As you can see, it makes some pretty ambitious claims! I don’t think it lives up to all of them, but let’s start with the good points.

Pros:

Like the True Match powder, this is very soft and finely-milled. Is it undetectable? No (and I have to say I should hope not), but it does seem to leave a less “cakey” finish on the skin.

Cons:

First off - while this powder isn’t orange by any means, it is darker and yellower than the True Match in R1. Applied on top of my MAC Mineralise Satinfinish (which I’m trying to use up), which is quite yellow-toned, it can actually make me look slightly ill. Also, I’m convinced that this oxidises more than the True Match, which seems to stay the right colour once on. Bear in mind that this is the lightest shade as well, so this powder would probably not work for anyone paler than me (which is quite a lot of people!). 

I do think this gives a nice “velvety matte” finish when applied. However, on my combination skin this definitely does not live up to its claim to mattify for 8 hours - I’m lucky if I can make it to midday without blotting, which happens much less consistently with the True Match.

I feel like this is a good powder, but would probably be more ideal for someone who has dry or combination-dry skin. The yellowness, oxidation and midday oil-slick mean that I don’t see myself wanting to repurchase this.

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Update (30/5/17):

Ever since my skin started to lean towards the combination-dry side of things, the shine thing is no longer an issue. It is very finely-milled (maybe more so than the True Match) and does give a very "velvet" finish to the skin. It really doesn't​ have much coverage though, so I wouldn't consider this as an alternative to a powder foundation.

I have a slight tan right now and am enjoying this over top of the very pinkish-grey Skin79 VIP Gold Super BB cream. It blends in really well, setting the BB cream and giving a very smooth finish. It also wears nicely - doesn't wear off in patches or settle into pores. At the end of the day, it looks like skin rather than makeup that's been lived in.

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Hi folks

You will probably have worked out by now that I've given up trying to blog with any kind of regularity. This is partly a result of laziness, work/study demands, and a series of personal events that have made me rather reluctant to make my presence known on social media. That said, I do come across the occasional thing I'd like to share. While I won't promise to provide consistent updates or to be a comprehensive beauty resource by any means, I hope yous won't mind the occasional tidbit :) (and the unique voice/perspective that comes from being between different markets and cultures). Sincerely, Stella

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Review: Benefit The POREfessional Face Primer

Price: £24.50 at time of writing

Claims: UK’s No.1 best-selling primer, “pro balm to minimise the appearance of pores”

I’ve had a tube of this sitting in my makeup bag for a really long time, and the other day when I opened it up to use it, it had gone bad - like separated and all liquidy. 

Confession: I’m actually not too cut up about that. It means I don’t have to use it up!

Appearance: orangey-beige paste, doesn’t appear to colour the skin

Feel: slippy, powdery, silicone-y (didn’t particularly enjoy this)

Performance:

Frankly, I did not like this product. There’s a reason it sat unused for so long!

I didn’t think it did what it claimed to do (minimising pores). I felt like it just sat in them, “filling” them maybe, but my pores actually seemed more obvious due to this as my makeup wore throughout the day. I daresay it did improve the wear of my makeup on my cheeks and forehead (where my pores are not so visible), but that’s not why I bought it! 

I don’t know if the problem’s with the product, or me. Disclaimer: I have crater-sized pores on my nose. Literally the largest pores I have ever seen on a human being except for my dad, which I guess is where I get them! (Thanks, pops.) Based on how it performed on the more “normal” regions of my face, I daresay this would perform well for most normal-to-combination skins. I don’t know about oily skin types - despite my pore problem, my T-zone is not particularly greasy these days. I also can’t speak for how it would feel/look on dry skins, although I imagine it wouldn’t be uncomfortable.

For me, though, this didn’t live up to its promises. Given that, I really can’t justify the price. 

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Review: Neutrogena Hydro Boost Mask

Price: $31 SGD (approx)/5 pieces - currently on “buy 2 get 1″ at Guardian (30/12/15)

Ingredients: Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Polyacrylate-13, Methylparaben, Benzyl Alcohol, Xanthan Gum, Polyisobutene, Ethylparaben, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Triethylhexanoin, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Sodium Citrate, Polysorbate 20, BHT, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Myristoyl Glutamate, Cetearyl Olivate, Citric Acid, Sorbitan Olivate

Claims: Clinically proven to help achieve hydrated, luminous and bouncy skin. “Progressive Release Technology” replenishes and retains hydration all day long. The active ingredients supposedly are an “anti-oxidant Olive Extract Formula” (repairs skin barriers), “CMZ Mineral Ions” (”recharges” skin and enhances absorption), and purified hyaluronic acid (moisturisation).

I’m back in Singapore at the moment, so I thought I’d review some locally-available products. This is the mask my mum swears by (bless her beauty-obsessed heart). I was skeptical, because as “drugstore” sheet masks go, this is all the way up there in terms of price. 

Well, Mum had some sitting in the fridge, and when I was informed by a sales associate that my skin was dehydrated - how could I not?

Usage:

I really like the material and shape of this mask - you know how some sheet masks don’t cover the tip of your nose? This one does. (Although the cut of it makes you look a bit like Voldemort!) It does feel like it adapts really well to your face, and it’s just the right size for me. I don’t know if I have an average-sized face though! Also, the material isn’t rough at all, and the mask doesn’t seem to be fragranced - both good things for my currently hypersensitive skin.

The instructions say to leave the mask on for 15 minutes. I left it a bit longer than that (25 minutes) and didn’t feel it starting to dry out.

Results:

This is one of those rare sheet masks (at least in my experience) that made an immediate, visible difference to my skin. The dehydration lines on my forehead were plumped, and oddly enough my pores looked smaller - maybe because the surrounding skin was plumped as well. There was minimal irritation around my mouth (the skin there tends to be very sensitive and react to new or highly fragranced products). 

The best part? The effects lasted through to the next morning.

Conclusion:

Fabulous. I absolutely would buy some for myself. I wouldn’t pay full price, perhaps, because I’m cheap like that, but when it’s on offer? Yes. 

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Review: Blistex MedPlus for lips

Price: £2.30 (Boots), I got mine in Poundland!

Ingredients: Petrolatum, Lanolin, Cera Microcristallina, Cera Alba, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Myristyl Myristate, Menthol, Camphor, Diisopropyl Adipate, Menthyl Lactate, Benzyl Alcohol, Menthoxypropanediol, Daucus Carota Savita (Carrot) Root Extract and Seed Oil, Saccharin, Parfum, Aroma, Coumarin, Eugenol, Limonene

It’s chapped-everything season at the moment, and I might talk about some other dry skin products in the future...but at the moment, I want to give a mention to one of my current favourite lip balms.

This is one of those lip balms that, annoyingly (to me), comes in a little pot. Now, I don’t know about you, but I apply lip balm constantly and I don’t always want to stick my grubby fingers into a product! I take extra-long going through these little pots of balm because I only use them when I’m getting ready in the morning, or when I’m sat in bed reading or something.

I’ve been using this balm at night and first thing in the morning, and I really do think it’s made a difference to my lips. I like the texture, too - it’s thicker than, say, the Vaseline lip tins and I find that just helps it stick around longer on my lips. I know Vaseline works really well for lots of people, but I feel like my extra-dry lips just need that extra bit of protection! It’s also not too soft, so your fingers don’t feel sticky and gross after dipping into it (thinking of the Body Shop Born Lippy balms here).

It does contain fragrance, and it has a bit of a scent to it but nothing that lingers for too long. As with your typical medicated lip balm, it’s quite tingly, so I don’t know that it would agree with sensitive lips! Also do note that it contains lanolin, which some people might be allergic to. 

I don’t know that I would run out specially to get another of these when I’m done (and I’m pretty close to being done, unusually for one of these pot-thingies) - I just have so many other balms to work through! Would I pick up a backup if it was on offer? Absolutely.

Disclaimer: Trying to stop breathing through my mouth has probably helped too. Really - it sounds strange and silly but if you have perpetually chapped lips, mouth-breathing could be a contributor! Of course there’s not much you can do about it if you genuinely can’t breathe through your nose, but I’m one of those people who just lets their mouth fall open out of habit. Eek.

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Skincare review: Essentials Complete Care Day Lotion SPF30

Product page here

RRP: £9.99 at time of writing

Provides both UVA/UVB protection

This is an extremely belated review of a product I first heard about through the lovely Katie Snooks (do check out her blog, I’ve read it for years and it’s a good mix of beauty-related stuff and other things. Also a really great source of reviews for pale foundations!). I’ve used up one bottle that I found in a Tesco’s, but sadly I have not seen it since. And, well. I like it, but not enough to stockpile crates of the stuff via Amazon.  

I have a bit of a special fondness for Olay. My grandma uses an Olay moisturiser, and a bottle of Olay beauty fluid was one of the first skincare purchases I made for myself. Since then, I’ve gone through multiple jars of Olay day and night creams and have enjoyed them all. Naturally, then, I was a bit excited when I discovered this. One of my favourite brands and a higher SPF? Sounds like a match made in heaven.

Sadly, it wasn’t so. Don’t get me wrong, I have no issues with this whatsoever - I just don’t think it’s anything special. Formula-wise, it works well on my dry-combination skin. The product does claim to be suitable for all skin types, but I don’t think it would be rich enough for someone with truly dry skin. It might work for oily skin in a pinch! It has a more fluid texture than the Simple moisturiser I reviewed earlier and I think would be less likely to leave a white cast on the skin. Like the Simple moisturiser, it also contains niacinamide and is fragrance-free. It does not, however, come in a vacuum pump, but in one of those old-fashioned pump bottles that make it hard to get out the last of the product.

I suppose the main difference is that the Simple product is primarily marketed at sensitive skin, whereas this is more targeted towards anti-ageing. Paula’s Choice has an interesting review of this product which opines that it may not be suitable for really sensitive skin, given that it contains a mixture of chemical suncreens. I personally haven’t had issues in this department, although I should also note that my sunscreen allergies appear to be highly brand-specific (Banana Boat, Neutrogena). Those with more pronounced allergies should probably take note, however.

From my point of view, this is a perfectly serviceable sun protection option, at least for those who don’t have a sensitivity to chemical sunscreens. For some people, it could certainly work better than the Simple option. I think Olay should be given credit for producing such a wide variety of day creams with SPF15+, and £9.99 seems a fair price for sun protection. However, I wish Olay would put this in a better pump bottle for the price. I would also be much more inclined to buy their product if I could actually find it!

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Skincare review: Simple Kind to Skin Protecting Moisture Cream SPF30

Product page here

RRP: £6.99 at Superdrug at time of writing

Provides both UVA/UVB protection.

I haven’t always been hyper-vigilant about sun protection (I shudder to think about how much time I spent sunburnt as a teenager), but lately a day cream with SPF has become an absolute essential for me. I’m happy to go about with SPF15 in the winter, and indeed I used up two whole jars of an Olay day cream with SPF 15. This summer, however, I decided to try something a bit stronger. (As a bit of a PSA, I should add that I count on these to provide protection during my daily 40 minutes or so of outdoor sun exposure in Northern Ireland. If you’re in a sunnier climate or spending longer in the sun, you might want to consider a dedicated SPF50 sunscreen.)

Now, I’ve always liked the idea of Simple products, but they haven’t tended to work well for me in practice. (I’m thinking of their Hydrating Light Moisturiser, which was pore-clogging while not being especially hydrating, and their eye makeup remover, which stubbornly fails to remove much of anything.) But I saw good reviews for this online. It also helps that it’s one of the few SPF 30 day creams I can think of on the high street - two products by Olay also come to mind, but they are both more expensive and one of them is much harder to find. This, however, can be found on the shelves of my local Superdrug, quite often on Better than 1/2 Price. 

The texture of this cream was, initially, daunting. It’s as thick as you’d expect of a regular sunscreen (certainly thicker than any day cream I’ve ever used). However, on rubbing it in, I was pleasantly surprised by how quickly it absorbed, leaving my skin feeling silky-smooth. (The second ingredient after water is dimethicone, which may account for this.) I have enlarged pores and a slightly shiny T-zone, and this product didn’t aggravate either of those problems at all. It also provides a really good base for the mineral makeup I’ve been using lately. However, the texture might be an issue for those with oilier skin types (I’m dry combination).

I should also note that this product is just as stark white as the container it’s in. It does blend in against my skintone - but I’ve read some reports of it leaving a white cast on darker skin. 

This cream contains niacinamide (vitamin B3), which is supposed to be helpful in anti-aging, and to improve skin tone and texture. I know that it’s in Olay’s highly-rated Total Effects and Ant-Wrinkle lines, both of which I also enjoy (but do not offer SPF 30 moisturisers). It’s a fair way down the list of ingredients, however, and I don’t know if there’s enough of it to be effective.

As with everything from Simple, it’s sensibly fragrance-free, though it does contain parabens.

I also really like the packaging. The vacuum pump keeps everything hygienic and also helps minimise waste.

Overall, that this is an affordable and accessible product in what appears to be a niche market. It may not work for everyone, but it’s been pretty much perfect for me. 

True to form, I’ve also just discovered that it’s currently Better than 1/2 Price at Superdrug, so this is a good time to grab a bottle if you’re interested in trying it!

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Review: Rimmel Scandaleyes XX-Treme

Product page here

I know, I kind of fell off the face of the earth. Sorry about that. Life has been busy and makeup hasn’t really been one of my priorities. But I’m back - for now - with another mascara review.

So. Good ol’ Rimmel, catching me at the checkout. I know I complained about the excessively large brush on the regular Scandaleyes mascara, so it’s a bit baffling even to me why I thought this one would be a good idea. Hey, it was on offer. How was I supposed to resist?

This mascara has one of those fancy-schmancy double-sided plastic wands. It says that the “curved side” provides volume, while the other side provides length and definition. I don’t know if the two sides are there to allow you to customise your lash look, or if they’re meant to be used in conjunction with each other, but I thought it sounded like a great concept. 

Unfortunately, as with other mascaras I’ve encountered that have made similar claims, things didn’t work out quite so nicely in practice. I have, mainly, just one big issue with this product:

1. The “straight” side of the brush. This is supposed to provide definition, but I don’t really think the spacing of the “bristles” allows it to function in this way. Rather than providing separation, it seems to clump my (sparse) lashes together. It does do a good job of lengthening, though. Perhaps others with thicker lashes would have better luck. 

I have used this mascara by applying with the straight side first and then following up with the curved side. This worked quite well in the beginning and I was very impressed. However, I started to see clumping with this method as the mascara dried out. As a result, I’ve mostly applied this using the curved side only - which still gives a very satisfactory result. However, it annoys me that the product doesn’t function as stated.

As usual with Rimmel, I’ve had no issues with the formula. This wears well despite being non-waterproof - I haven’t experienced any flaking whatsoever, and while I sometimes get smudging (hayfever, watery eyes...) it’s nothing that can’t be fixed with a damp tissue. 

Overall, I’d say this mascara is worthy of a try. However, I’ve encountered products that perform better on me and so I won’t be buying this again.

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Boots haul!

I had two coupons for £3 off No7 makeup, so guess what I did?

I got the limited edition blush palette from their Spring 2014 collection and an eyelash curler.

Is the blush not the prettiest thing ever? Here's a swatch comparing it with some other face products I've been wearing lately:

It's probably a touch cooler and more lilac than Iced Lotus (and slightly less frosty? although there's definitely still some shimmer to it), but much along the same lines. I'm still mostly using Iced Lotus but I can see this getting more use in future - I'm especially interested to know if the peonies are a surface spray or whether they run through the entire pan.

As for the eyelash curler, I've never used one before so this is probably not the most reliable of reviews. I do think that it makes a difference, but I'm not yet convinced that eyelash curling is an essential step! It may interest you to know that the No7 curler comes with two replacement rubber pads as well - awesome, provided I don't lose them :/