Beauty

Lou Loves – July 2017

 

Chanel Perfection Lumiere VelvetChanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet (Smooth Effect Makeup SPF15)

I don’t want to love this coz it was $90 for bloody 30ml. Shiiiit. This makes this item one of the most expensive items of makeup I’ve ever bought. 

This foundation was, fessing up time, an emotional “make me feel better purchase”.  I’ve been a bit down in the dumps lately.  I didn’t expect to love, love, LOVE it… But I do.  It’s perfect for my oily skin. Did I mention it goes on like velvet? This pricey liquid foundation delivers a stunning sheer to medium coverage. Great news: It’s totes buildable so it’s great for me for day wear as well as a night out. Brace yourself for this next comment: It’s the best foundation I’ve ever used. My skin looks flawless.

Chanel perfection lumiere foundation review
Foundation on my mug. Taken in my car, coz, you know, lighting is always better in the car.

Brownie points deducted for alcohol being in the ingredients list, not a huge amount, but potentially unnecessary, so worth a mention. Also it’s quite fragranced: I love the smell, personally, but this could put some off. As for the SPF, who the hell relies on sunblock in their foundation these days? Not me. That’s why the folk at Skinnies invented their sungel.

Will I be replacing this foundation when it, gulp, runs out? Hell yes. Bring on Duty Free I say.

Note: If you’ve got normal to dry skin, I’d check out Chanel’s Vitalumiere. I received a tester of this: Gorgeous, but when push came to shove, the lady at Chanel’s counter suggested that Perfection Lumiere would be better on my oily skin. She was right.  My Mother-in-law text me last night from Duty Free saying “I need to get a foundation, what should I get?” I sent her in Chanel’s direction. (more…)

Pin It

Lou Loves – June 2017 Faves

I was going to write a full on, full noise blog post for Lou Loves – June 2017.  But life in the last week has been CRAZY busy and I’ve been zooming around the North Island. Subsequently I had no capacity to sit down and write a post (well, I did, but I prioritised my family life)! So here’s a video. Again.

Now, I have worked REALLY hard to not say ummmm. I also tried really hard to look at the camera more. I tried really hard to not talk too fast. 

How did I do?

Products rambled on about in this vid

(more…)

Pin It

Lou Loves – April

Cough. I skipped my March Faves… I don’t reckon anyone noticed (anyone?!) Here’s April’s Loves. Let’s not sweat the small stuff…

Elf Brow Kit

ELf Brow Kit dark

I’ve mentioned this product before, nearly 100 years ago. This is a cheap and cheerful brow kit that I got from Kmart for the pricely sum of ten Kiwi buckaroos (good price, yes, but it’s only US$3 if you bought it in the States… Grrr). There’s a brow wax in the kit and a powder. The idea is to set your brows in place with the wax, which is coloured, then touch them up with the powder. Bugger the powder, that’s unnecessary faffing around.  There’s four colours: Ash (good for blondes), Light, Medium and Dark. I’m a darkie… So I’m dark.

How does it work? I shape my brows with the dark brown wax, using my Billion Dollar Brows brush and I’m done, I don’t even bother applying the powder on top.  The wax formula is pretty grippy and sticks around all days on my brows, which is slightly miraculous as I have oily skin and struggle to keep makeup on my face post lunchtime.  

If you are too far to get into Kmart in person, hop online to iHerb – you’ll get this cheaper than Kmart ($4.36 at the time of writing this post) however, you’ll pay shipping on top. By the way, the brow kit comes with it’s own brush, but it’s shit (IMO). Invest in a good one – ELF do a specific, standalone, brow brush which is cheap and temporarily decent. I say ‘temporarily’ as the one I bought lost it’s shape after a few months and went floppy and it went to Beauty Heaven (in the bin). I recommend getting a decent one. Which brow brush tickles my fancy? Glad you asked. Keep reading. (more…)

Pin It

Primal Earth – Manly Skincare Review

primal earth skincare review
Shhh: I snuck into my neighbours’ garden to take this pic

I had high hopes about hubby reviewing these manly skincare products that he was (kindly) sent from Primal Earth. 

Yes, I had thoughts about us becoming #thebloggingdreamteam. You know, he could become a become a regular, manly blogging influence/contributor,  testing stuff then informing me with quality intel so we could write regular reviews of manly skincare.  You see, I reckon I spotted a gap in the market. Which NZ blogger is blogging about manly skincare?  Exactly. Nobody (or is there?).  Besides. The Boy’s ‘skincare’ video review of Pineapple Heads went down well, didn’t it?. Why not expand our options to have a wife/hubby duo this time? It’d be like a dream! I had lofty ambitions, dreams of seeing him review a number of products, from lotions and moisturizers to private label skin care products, and all else in between. It would have been perfect!

Alas, this is what happened…  (more…)

Pin It

Max Factor Masterpiece Rose Nudes Eyeshadow Palette Review

 yemax factor masterpiece rose nudes eyeshadow palette review

I did a quiet little geeky dance when Max Factor’s Masterpiece Rose Nudes Eyeshadow arrived. How lucky was I to get sent this? Thing is, I’d already eyed the palette up TWICE in Farmers and resisted it. Yeah, I know, we all know I was going to fold like a cheap pocket knife and buy it anyway…  Especially as it is, you know,  #specialedition.   So, when I was contacted by Max Factor to ask if I’d like to review this vision of rose coloured beauty, I tried to be cool, calm and collected with my enthusiasm (snort). Max Factor are, increasingly, a brand whose makeup stand I linger by in Farmers. Perhaps because of special memories: My first ever mascara was a Max Factor (2000 calorie). I used it for over a decade, if not longer.  Additionally, I also like what they are doing: Their colour range is impressive, their marketing catches my eye and the price is well positioned.

Anyway, eyeshadow palettes. Max Factor.  Focus. If you stretch your mind back a little while, I obsessed over another Max Factor eyeshadow palette, this one, the golden nudes version (basically brown/gold shades). This palette is still a firm favourite of mine and is always in my ‘top makeup drawer’ (as opposed to the other four drawers). So, when this pinky, dusky pink, shimmering rose gold and sexy dark purple palette popped up on my radar – yeah… Lust kicked in. (more…)

Pin It

Farmers Beauty Week – My Goodies

So, it’s Farmers Beauty Week. Here’s the pic I posted on Facebook with my bag of goodies, alongside a caption that said “Who wants to see what I got?” I’m such a tease. #sorrynotsorry.

Farmers Beauty Week

In case you missed the memo, it’s Farmers Beauty Week (here in NZ, this post will be utterly uninteresting if you aren’t on NZ shores). I got some super awesome beauty scores last year, so I was excited to get my bum in there this week. In my experience, it’s worth holding out for.  (more…)

Pin It

Lou’s Faves – February

I’ve been in two minds about writing this blog post as I’m mindful I haven’t done my usual favourites post for 2016, yet alone January or February.  Frankly, I’ve been experiencing fatigue on writing these monthly favourite blog posts, so I think I needed a break. My mojo is back though, have no fear!  So, sod the backlog: I’m abandoning that otherwise we’ll never get back on track. Here’s Lou’s Faves for February!

Replenish Wonderlift Serum by World Organics

world organics wonderlift serum
This is organic botox. I pat this serum on all over my face morning and night after cleansing and toning, including on my under eye area. It’s a one hit wonder for replenishing and renewing skin. I can bloody SEE the difference after nearly 6 weeks of using this premium organic anti-aging product.  My buddy Philly got some a couple of weeks ago and she reckons she can already see fine lines slightly abating.  #winning.

This  serum feels like a super luxurious product – and to be frank, by a country mile, this is the best serum I’ve used. Ever.  I’ve got a quarter of a container left and I’m getting anxious: This is a no brainer for repurchasing. LOVE.

Price: $75 or $60 (Jasmine Club members – click here to find out about Jasmine Club, it’s a cracking deal)
Available from: Click here (more…)

Pin It

World Organics Soft Buffer Brush – That’s a foundation brush?!

I spontaneously purchased a new foundation brush, World Organics Soft Buffer Brush, a few weeks ago.  The uniqueness of this soft buffer brush totally caught my attention, it was unlike any other brush I own (in my,errr, large stash!).  It was $25. What can I say, I was caught at a weak moment. I’m a naturally curious creature with an insatiable appetite for beauty. But, you know, I kind of needed it.  

I’ve showed a few friends my World Organics Soft Buffer Brush and they all said the same thing….

“What the heck is that?” “How does that work?”

Yes, there were raised eyebrows. What sceptics! That immediately made me think that a demo video was a good idea. Boom.

(more…)

Pin It