Jeunesse's Luminesce Daily Moisturizing Complex & Essential Body Renewal | Review

If you're like me and in the winter season now, there's nothing more needed then a super hydrating moisturizer to combat the dry skin that winter seems to cause, whether it's your face or body.
  I was lucky enough to be asked to review a couple of products from Jeunesse, the Daily Moisturizing Complex & Essential Body Renewal from their Luminesce line, which are targeted for dry skin which makes them both perfect winter products to restore your skin.

Daily Moisturizing Complex 

This daily moisturizer is best suited to dry or mature skin, with properties meant to be effective for anti-ageing by reducing fine lines & wrinkles and promoting the production of collagen & elastin, while restoring moisture levels in the skin. Even if you don't have mature skin starting early for preventative measures are always easier than having to try and fix it once the damage is done, such as using an eye cream for the same reason.

I've found this to absorb quickly into my skin, leaving behind the feeling of a radiant & hydrated complexion & allows me to follow up with makeup shortly after as there is no down time while waiting for absorption. It also provides sun protection with the aid of an algae extract, which means I don't have to worry about the extra application, which I'm usually too lazy for anyway!

Key Ingredients & benefits:
Apple, Lentil & Watermelon extracts- prevents trans-edpidermal water loss by locking in hydration
Red Seaweed extract- Absorbs quickly into the pores to provide a natural, superior moisturizing barrier
Green Algae extract- Rich in proteins & amino acids that enhance the natural production of collagen & elastin
Blue algae extract- Naturally protects against the harsh sun
Luminesce rejuvenation factor complex- restores skin's natural protein levels with an exclusive patent- pending formula.

I love the pump on this bottle, you have to twist the lid anti-clockwise for it to appear which clicks into place, making it a great moisturizer for traveling because you wouldn't have to worry about any product coming out unexpectedly. It is easy to control the amount of product you need but if you do get too much out you can't put it back.

The Daily Moisturizing Complex  is $69.95 for 30ml
Essential Body Renewal

 The Essential Body Renewal cream is perfect for applying after the shower to lock in moisture & stimulate cellular renewal with antioxidants that work similar to the Daily Moisturizing Complex by promoting the production of collagen & elastin. It works to rewind the effects of photoageing which is caused by environmental damage with wrinkles, age spots & a dehydrated, sagging complexion while underneath the surface of the skin the aging process is accelerated. Not only that but it nourishes & restores all skin types,and is especially good for rough & dry areas.

I find this lotion easy to smooth into the skin & it leaves me feeling very hydrated. I've also had a couple of dry patches on my legs appear in the last couple of months which can sometimes look red & flaky, and this cream has helped settle them down. It has a very refreshing clean smell & I can get two mid-sized squirts to cover my whole body.

Key Ingredients & Benefits:
Suproxide Dismutase- a patented super powerful ingredient that helps protect cells from radical damage
Apple, Lentil & Watermelon extracts- prevents trans-edpidermal water loss by locking in hydration
Luminesce rejuvenation factor complex- restores skin's natural protein levels with an exclusive patent- pending formula.
Passion Fruit Extract-  very high in vitamin C & polyphenol entioxidants that neutralize free radical damage & improve skin elasticity
Black Elderberry Extract- contains properties that soothe & soften your skin

The packaging is in a long squeezy tube, with a twist cap with a small opening, making this another good choice for traveling.

Essential Body Renewal (150 ml) at $59.95

You can see how the texture of the moisturizer & body lotion compares.

Overall I am really pleased with the results I've been getting from both of these products, as my skin feels a lot more supple & hydrated after application & it feels lovely all day. Obviously I cannot comment on the improvement of fine lines/ collage/ environmental damage but I feel that the quality of these products & their ingredients will be effective for these purposes. I love that the ingredients work with the skin & it's natural processes to improve the outside, unlike many other brands where they don't delve below the surface of the skin.

These products are quite pricy but if your budget allows it, it's worth it. You do not need a lot of product these would last a long time so they would be good investment products instead of wasting your money on cheaper products that do nothing for the skin.

Visit the Jeunesse website for more information & a look at different products.

What are your favourite winter products?
xx
Products sent to me for review,  this review is 100% my honest opinion, and I am not affiliated with any of the brands mentioned.

Youtube Inspiration #2 | Lilpumpkinpie05 Tropical Paradise Eyes

Lilpumpkinpie05 or Jackie O, aka Makeup Game On Point on facebook is an amazing MUA on youtube with an awesome, fun personality  and she makes you feel a part of her tutorials. I've recently mentioned her in another recent look but I wanted to do another one specifically for this series.
She does some amazing makeup looks but I have recently recreated her Tropical Paradise eye look, which is actually my second attempt since my first one just came out as my same old peacock eyes as I forgot exactly what she did so it turned out the same as my others.

 Face | I am still using my Rimmel Wake Me Up foundation with my Rimmel Stay Matte powder, and I contoured with my Nars Laguna Bronzer & highlighted with MAC's Cream Colour Base in Pearl & MAC Lightscapade. For blush I wore Bourjois 16 Rose blusher over Nyx's Stick blush in Tulip.

Eyes | After priming I used Maybelline's Colour Tattoo in Tenacious Teal all over the lid & along the lower lash line. Over that I used Sugarpill's Loose Pigment in Darling on 3/4 on the eyelid with a damp brush and then I went in with Inglot AMC 68 on the other 1/4 of the lid staying underneath the crease. To define the crease I mixed Inglot's 439 with a darker purple from the Bh Cosmetics Day & Night palette and also applied it on the lower lash line and blended out the crease with a nude & a hot pink from the D&N palette as well. In the inner corner I applied a light green eyeshadow pigment that I bought from eBay & highlighted the brow bone. And then I finally lined my eyes with Maybelline Master Precise eyeliner & a Bourjois Kohl & Contour eye pencil in the waterline, and finished with mascara.

Lips |Nyx lip liner in Mauve, MAC Myth lipstick with Nyx butter gloss in Apple Strudel.

Overall I like how mine turned out but it's obviously not exactly the same, I wish the green was a bit brighter and used a matte purple in the crease with a more defined line that would have been more like hers.

My inspiration!

Anyway I hope you like this look and that you go and have a look at her videos.... No affiliation but I hope y'all go to check out her talent if you haven't already!

xx

Nyx Wonder Pencil

Something I've been needing for a little while is a nude eyeliner. I have a brow highlighter from Prestige Cosmetics that I was using every now & then but still wanted to try something else. I also wanted to try Rimmel's Scandal'eyes Waterproof eyeliner in Nude but it is always sold out on Priceline online and I am not able to get it in any stores near me. So when I saw the Nyx Wonder Pencil on Cherry Culture it sounded like an interesting 3-in-1 product to test out.

 Product: The Nyx Wonder pencil claims to be a concealer, eye brightener & reverse lip liner all in one. You can get it in the colour Light, Medium & Deep but I choose light so I could use it essentially as a brightener in the waterline but it would only highlight my blemishes so I wouldn't use as a concealer.
I also like to use it under the eyebrow & in the inner corner and blend out as a base for my highlighter colours, and I've tried it as a lip liner, but you don't want to go outside the edges or it will make your lips look smaller.

Pigmentation: It is pigmented on the skin, but but I do need to go over the waterline a couple of times for it to show up properly. It is creamy & easy to blend out on the skin.

Longevity: In the waterline I will probably only get a couple of hours wear out of it as my eyes are usually pretty teary anyway so nothing lasts really long there, but this is something you can chuck in your makeup bag to reaply throughout the day if you wish and if you get the right colour it would be good to touch up any blemishes that may be showing but I'm not sure how long it lasts because I haven't tried it like that.

 Price: $4.50 on Cherry Culture but prices may vary depending on where it's purchased from.

Overall I'd recommend this pencil for something you can chuck in your makeup bag and get 3 uses out of if you wish to use it for those purposes, and for a nice nude eyeliner colour that will make your eyes appear more awake & fresher! But I'd only rate it a 7/10 because it does take a bit to appear in my waterline.

Have you tried this eyeliner before?
xx

Caviar & Bubbles | Review & FOTD

I hope everybody is doing well! Firstly as Google Reader is closing down in a couple of weeks, I would appreciate it if you were able to follow me through Bloglovin so you can keep updated! It sucks how hard everybody has worked to gain followers to have it taken away! Anyhow, let me know if you have followed & I will make sure I have followed you.

In a previous post I showed one of my newer purchases, the Caviar & Bubbles (AKA Champagne & Caviar) palette from Nyx, so I've been playing around with it in the past couple of weeks and here's what I think of it!

The Palette
Packaging: In a sturdy compact palette with a large mirror, perfect for traveling.

Colours: 5 matte & 5 shimmery neutral eyeshadows which mostly leans towards a cool tone. Most of the light shimmery colours are very similar to each other in the swatches/ pan but come out different on the eyes.
Pigmentation: Fairly pigmented with one swipe but I'd still recommend a base to make the most of the colours. The matte colours can come off a little bit chalky & not as pigmented so a base would prevent that.

Swatches done without base & one swipe

Longevity: I always use a primer anyway so I find these last well on me but I think they would fade easily without one!
Price: $10 from Cherry Culture but prices depend on where you're buying from.

FOTD

 Face | Rimmel Wake Me Up & Stay Matte powder, Nars Laguna & MAC Lightscapade, Nyx Angel blush
Eyes | Nyx Caviar & Bubbles palette: Lid: 1 Crease: 2 Blending: 3 Outer V/ Slightly under eyes: 4 Highlight: 5
Sleek Gel liner, Nyx Wonder Pencil, Maybelline One by One mascara
Lips | Sleek Pout Paints in Pinkini & Peachykeen

Overall I really like this palette, but I'm uhmming & ahhing over whether I really need any more neutral colours that I can easily get from my Naked 2 & Day & Night palette, but for the price the quality is pretty good, so I would definitely recommend this. 

Have you tried any of the Runway palettes from Nyx before?
xx

Elegant Night Time Smoky Look | FOTN

I loved wearing this on a night out for an elegant smoky eye look, I basically copied it from Lilpumpkinpie05 on Youtube from her Mila Kunis Smoky eye look which I have admired for a while now & I would say it is a relatively easy go-to glam look.
Oh & is any body else having trouble with some photos looking squished when uploaded to blogger through your computer files? Anyway I hope you like this, thanks for looking!

My hair was a bit of a fail, I've recently gotten a new hair straightener that I got through a sale (post coming soon) and was trying to create waves but it wasn't going in my favour but I still don't mind how it turned out, I like the messy look anyway!

Taken before I was finished with the eyelashes, hair & outfit.

Face | Australis Paparazzi Perfect foundation mixed with Garnier BB Cream, The Balm Time Balm concealer in light, Nars Laguna bronzer, MAC Lightscapade highligher, MAC Peachykeen blush
Eyes | First I used tape on the outer corner for a sharper edge, Nyx Jumbo Eye Pencil in Black Bean {lid}, Urban Decay Naked 1: Creep {Outer v into crease}, Naked & Buck {blending} Toasted {lid}, Smog {lower lashline}, Naked 2: Verve {pressed with finger on center of lid} Foxy {brow bone} Nyx Jumbo Eye Pencil in Cottage Cheese with Urban Decay's Bootycall, {inner corner highlight}
 Maybelline Master Precise eyeliner, Nyx Eyebrow Cake Powder, Maybelline The Falsies mascara, Carie lashes.
Lips | Revlon matte lipstick in Smoked Peach, Nyx Glam Lipgloss Aqua Luxe in VIP (unfortunately this must have fallen out of my bag when I was out! I'm always so paranoid if I bring makeup out I try to make sure it's cheap and easy to rebuy if I need to!)

So I really loved how this turned out and I think it would look so nice for any night time occasion,
I also would have taken an outfit picture if I had decent lighting at night time but it is a tight fitting nude dress with a lace overlay and sort of like a tank-top type sleeves (bad way to describe but you can kind of see anyway).

What is your go-to glam eye?
Thanks for looking!! xx

Please make sure to follow with Bloglovin before GFC closes down!

Bourjois Volume Fast & Perfect Rotating Mascara

If you're like me & like to layer mascaras with multiple coats it can take a good couple of minutes to complete the finishing touches of your eye makeup.
The Bourjois Volume Fast & Perfect Rotating Mascara claims to take only 30 seconds for "Instant & even 360 degrees lash coverage."

There are only a coupe of rotating mascara brushes on the market so the brush of this Bourjois mascara is the main selling point of this product. It rotates clockwise or anti clockwise to cover the eyelashes with a faster application. Depending on the way you hold the wand, you flick the switch either upwards or downwards to get right into the roots of the lashes, which is where you want to focus the mascara for volume, and pull it through the ends for length. I then flick the switch the opposite way and let it glide over the top of my eyelashes.

  When I apply mascara I swap the way I hold it in my hand from one eye to the other and as I do that I have to change the direction of the brush otherwise it will go the opposite way I want it to. A trick with the bottom eyelashes is to hold the brush underneath the lashes and rotate the brush so it is pushing away from them. However if you prefer only slightly defined lower lashes I would advise to use a different mascara as the rotary brush gives a more dramatic effect.

Packaging & Brush: This is actually quite heavy due to the battery that sits in a cap at the very top of the wand. It makes the top half a lot longer than the bottom half which feels weird to hold at first. As you can see it is a bristle brush which some people prefer over plastic combs. It doesn't taper off and it is a medium size so you can use it for medium-long eyelashes but I don't think it would be good for short eyelashes as you would probably get it all over your eyelids if you're not careful.

Formula: I've found the formula to be quite wet so I need to brush off the excess mascara on the inside of the tube to avoid clumping which is quite hard to avoid if you're not careful. It can be hard
to avoid the eyelids as well but it is usually disguised by my eyeliner so it's not that bad to me. My eyelashes still feel soft to the touch & not crunchy like some mascaras do.
As for wear, I do not find it flaking off throughout the day.

Road Test
Sorry for these unflattering close up pictures of my eyeball & unfilled eyebrows & discolouration haha.

 Before, and then curled.

Before & after, lashes from non existent to well defined & very black. This is with two coats on the upper lashes & one coat on the bottom.

 Overall I really like this mascara in terms for an easy application with the rotating brush, it makes getting more dramatic lashes so much easier without needing to use falsies all the time!
I was lucky to buy this on sale for $10 as it retails for $26 (in Priceline) but if you were wanting to spend extra money on a good mascara I would recommend this one!

Have you tried this mascara or any other rotating mascara brushes?
xx

First Impressions of The Balm | Blush & Concealer mini review

After so long of hearing about The Balm through the YouTube & Blogging communities I finally have my hands on a couple of their products.... and I am so glad I didn't go overboard with their sale on Ozsale in April because I'm sure I will finally be able to look at the products in person soon.

 Ozsale didn't have the hugest range of colours for every product, I think they only had 2 for blushes so I had to decide between Cabana Boy & Down Boy I think it was... I choose Cabana Boy because I didn't think I had anything too similar to it already.

I really like it, and I've worn it a fair few times already because I think it is quite a universal colour, a pretty mauve-pink colour with shimmer.

I've also been wanting to try different concealers, mainly something that I can also use to highlight underneath my eyes. I chose the Time Balm concealer in the colour Light. Unfortunately at the moment it basically matches my foundation colour anyway so there is only a slight highlight but if I get more tanned I'm sure it will stand out more. I also like this concealer for covering pimples & scarring. It has good coverage & I like to use it with my Real Techniques Deluxe Crease Brush. It is  not essentially creamy so you have to work it into your skin fast before it sets.

This is my FOTD using Cabana Boy as my blush and the Time Balm concealer under my eyes, I hope you can see how good the coverage is. I'm also wearing on the eyes Nyx Caviar & Bubbles palette, Sugarpill's Hysteric under my eyes & Bite Beauty's High Pigment Lip Pencil in Pomegranate.
 
What products have you tried & like from The Balm? The next thing on my list is the Mary Lou-Manizer because it looks like a stunning highlighter!

xx

April & May Empties/ Producs I'm chucking out

I decided that I need to put together at least 2 months worth of empties/ products I'm chucking out instead of every month because I feel like I do not go through enough in a month but if I leave it too long like I have been doing I have way too many to go through. I know I may have hoarder tendencies but it annoys me to leave them hanging around for so long when they belong in the bin.
Anyway here are the products I'm throwing out since April & May.

   Nivea Daily Essentials Facial Cleansing Wipes: I'm not a fan of Nivea wipes, I feel like they just push around on my skin making me work harder to take my makeup off at the end of the day. I always cleanse after anyway & it leaves my skin feeling refreshed but I feel like there is still quite a bit of makeup on. I much prefer the Garnier Wipes, so would I repurchase? Only if there was no other choice at the time of looking.
  Cutex Moisture Guard Nail Polish Remover: When I pick up NP remover it's usually just whatever is there when I'm looking for it. I've used this brand before and it's pretty good, the nail polish comes off easily and it doesn't feel like all the natural oils have been stripped. Repurchase? More than likely
  Sex & The City Lust Body lotion: I got a couple of these lotions in a kit from Christmas, I've just been trying to use them up as quickly as possible but there's nothing special to them. Repurchase? Nope as it came in a kit.

   Wella Sp Colour Save Shampoo: I've been using this shampoo for ages and really like it, as my hair colour has an infamous tendency to fade fast, using this along with rinsing my hair with cold water & using a colour protectant spray afterwards probably prolongs the life of my hair colour, but it's had to tell because I wouldn't want to go without using this. Repurchase? Again & again!
   Joice Moisture Recovery Conditioner: My hair is quite dry and as I use conditioner I always leave it in for a couple of minutes & my hair always feels super hydrated afterwards. Repurchase? More than likely, I'm using another one at the moment but I would def. buy this again some time down the line.

 Colgate Optic White Toothpaste: I forgot to include this in the main pic & toothpaste isn't normally included in these posts haha but this was something different that I started using a couple of months back. It is meant to whiten your teeth over 4 weeks but I only found a slight improvement at first but then nothing. Repurchase? Only if it was on special, to give it another try.

   Smashbox cream liner duo: I bought this off a blogsale a few years ago and only really used the black side, and I tried to start using the brown side more but I just find myself never wearing brown eyeliner. It had also started to dry out a bit. Repurchase? No.
  Maybelline Line Allure eyeliner: I bought this in Thailand a couple of years ago and while there was still product it was quite dry & hard to work with although I like the matte finish it had. But whenever I used it some would go in my eyelashes & become quite hard, ruining my mascara. Repurchase? No, you can't get it over here anyway.
  Prestige Brow Gel: This used to be clear, trust me, but after dipping it back in after using it on my filled in eyebrows just made it look a lot grosser although I'm sure the actual product is fine. I just never bothered with brow gel anyway. Repurchase? No
  Max Factor False Lash Effect: Really liked this mascara, I had it for about 10 months until I decided I should finally throw it out as it had dried up quite a bit anyway. Repurchase? I already have a back up so not for a while!
  Too Faced Shadow Insurance: My first proper eyeshadow primer I had ever used, and I had been using it a couple of years. This is my second tube and I could still cut the end and dig a lot of product out so I am not officially just throwing it out, but by the time I come to my next empties post it should be well & truly gone. Repurchase? Definitely, just trying out others for a bit.

   Physcians Formula concealer stick: You can see that I have officially finished this product! I liked it but the coverage wasn't the best, but it was a good colour for over the top of my foundation to cover blemishes. Repurchase? No, trying out others.
  Bourjois Touche Healthy Mix Concealer pen: All the writing has completely rubbed off but this was a nice sheer concealer for underneath the eyes, but you would want to use a full coverage one underneath. Good for brightening & reflecting light. Repurchase? Maybe one day, I want to try the Maybelline Lumi Magique or the Clarins one next.

These are two other random things I'm just going to throw out, the top one is an old school eyeshadow kit thing I think my mum used to use, I got it from my Great Aunty years ago before I really had any other makeup so I used it a little bit then, but now I have a larger range I never use it.
The bottom one is clearly fake MAC that I got from Thailand because I was curious of the quality, it swatches well but that's about it. These were just wasting space so I want to get rid of them!!

*Phew* that was a lot more than it seemed like at the time haha. I might just leave it a month in between if I can finish any products until now & July!

How well do you do with finishing products?
xx