Introducing / Arbonne

Few weeks ago, I had the chance to try some Arbonne products; a friend of mine is an Arbonne representative and asked for an honest and unbiased opinion about their ranges. 

If you're not too familiar with the brand, Arbonne was born in the USA and they are celebrating 35 years this year.

They were one of the first, back in the eighties, to really look at the science of nature and how to harvest the power of the plants.

The FC5 range is named like that because it encapsulates fresh cells from  5 fruits & vegs: kiwi, strawberry, carrot, mango and pumpkin.

The Arbonne FC5 Moisturizing Night Creme is suitable for every skin type; it has a cooling gel consistency, light on the skin and a fresh scent.

The Arbonne FC5 Exfoliating New Cell Scrub is a creamy face exfoliator that is gentle enough that can be used daily; I was actually amazed how effective it was from the first use: I used it before bed and the morning after my skin was incredibly soft to the touch. It's now become an addiction to use it every evening!

The Arbonne FC5 Ultra-Hydrating Hand Creme is a lovely hand cream with the refreshing signature smell of this line, absorbs quickly and doesn't leave any sticky residue.

Arbonne FC5 Ultra-Hydrating Hand Creme

Arbonne FC5 Exfoliating New Cell Scrub

Arbonne FC5 Moisturising Night Creme

From their make up selection, I tested the Arbonne MakeUp Primer which is a primer (doh) that create a smooth surface to apply your base on. 

It reminds me of the Daniel Sandler Retexturing Face Primer, but with a better INCI; I love these silicony-feeling type of primers - I find they work really well to fill in pores, fine lines and prolong foundation wear.

The Arbonne It's A Long Story Mascara has a plastic, spiky type of wand that is my favourite kind and it's bendy so you can easily grab the small lashes too; it wore well for the whole day, I was just not too keen on the floral scent (but I'm renownedly very sensitive to smells)

Arbonne MakeUp Primer

We also tried their baby products.

First off, the Arbonne Baby Care Hair & Body Wash was my favourite of the lot!

I especially loved it as a shampoo; it rinsed easily and left my baby girl hair super fluffy and soft.

In the bath also, you need the tiniest amount.

Following the routine, the Arbonne Baby Care Body Lotion is light and absorbs quickly - soooooo important with a squirmy baby that doesn't enjoy massages ;)

Then, the Arbonne Baby Care Nappy Cream has a thick consistency to create a protective barrier, but it spread easily and has a lovely 'baby' scent. Definitely a staple of any nursery!

Arbonne Baby Care Nappy Cream

 Arbonne Baby Care Body Lotion

Finally, I couldn't resist to place a cheeky order too.

I got the Arbonne Seasource Detox Spa Renewing Body Gelee - a body cream that contains ocean's natural ingredients and minerals for an extra pampering and beautifying care for the body.

It's super fresh on the skin and ideal after a late night gym session, to hydrate the skin and sooth sore muscles. I find I definitely sleep better too.

I also bought the Arbonne Calm Soothing Eye Gel that comes with a roller ball applicator to help de-puff and it's super quick to apply; as a busy mum, I definitely appreciate that and I like to keep it in the fridge to enhance the cooling effect.

So, have you heard of Arbonne before? Please, feel free to check my friend Gillian Facebook page for more insight and tips about this brand. Happy discovering! :)

Review / Living Nature Fragrance Free Thickening Mascara

I think we all agree that mascara is one of those beauty steps that you can't skip; even when you are short on time, you may pay less attention to a flawless complexion or perfectly blended eyeshadows but nothing will make you look more 'done' than a few coats of mascara.

... now, having said that - I also have sensitive eyes  that can react badly to some chemicals and don't thank me for the make-up removing sessions at the end of the day.

The new improved Living Nature Thickening Mascara* is now also fragrance-free and one step closer to nature!

It is completely free from synthetic and animal derivates and Lavender Oil which can be a trigger for sensitivity.

It includes halloyside clay to amplify the glance, candelilla and carnauba waxes, jojoba esters, manuka honey and Vitamin E to provide a smooth application and nourish and protect the lashes.

It is available in Jet Black - for an more intense effect - or Blackened Brown - or a nude look.

I like the long and 'old-school' fat wand that coats the lashes with one swipe and it's also impressively lengthening; the formulation is not too wet - just how I like it - and doesn't leave any clumps. Personally, I found that even after few coats it gives a natural effect, with separation and holding the curl all day... but most importantly NO MORE compromises between itchy, streaming and torturing eyes or wearing eye make up! Yay!

Have you tried Living Nature before? Do you also have sensitive eyes?

Manga Fever!

I’m sure you have noticed the Manga trend in make up, recently.

The imagery accompanying the products are definitely charming, cartoonish and fun. Bigger is better - in some cases - like mascara and brows in this instance.

Neve Cosmetics Manga Brows* - This brow pencil comes in 3 shades: ash blonde & cold brown, warm blonde & soft brown, rich brown & black brown.

The double-ended pencil has 2 different colours, both complementing your colouring and that will let you create a natural, yet  tridimensional and expressive look. You can use the light colour to map the shape of the brows, then add definition, drawing hairs with the darker colour; finally, comb the hair with the spoolie brush that is also included. This technique is really easy, even if you're not an expert.
 The product feels waxy on application and last all day. It's also free from parabens, silicones and petroleum derivatives; suitable for vegetarians and vegans.

L’oreal Paris Mega Volume Mis Manga Mascara - The wand reminds me of the Lancome Hypnose Star mascara: it has the same conical shape but rounder. I don’t feel that the pivot makes that big of a different and I was actually pleasantly surprised that it's not too flexible and easy to manoeuvre.

I quite like it! It does grab even the smallest lashes and it’s the perfect compromise between fibre and plastic wands. 

It's extremely lengthening and works well on lower lashes too; it does tend to clump after few coats but that helps achieving the 'promised' Manga look. 

The product itself is also easy to remove, it’s not the wettest formula - although still too wet for my liking (but I’m sure that that will improve in a matter of weeks). All in all, I would recommend it.

Empties / December 2013 + Mascara Round-Up

Happy New Year lovelies!

I hope you all had a blessed Christmas and a wonderful start to 2014.

I didn't finish many products this month, however I decided to add an end of the year mini mascara reviews.

Yes To Cucumbers Soothing Eye Gel: I'm actually falling in love with Yes To… ranges; this eye cream is no exception. It feels fresh and hydrating and  I also think my concealer looks better when applied above this gel. I like to keep it in the fridge to enhance the cooling effect of the gel.

Repurchase: Yes 

REN F10 Smooth And Renew Mask: I like all the masks that I have tried from REN but I think they are all very similar; like the Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask (which is my favourite), this is a chemical exfoliant that eats at the superficial layer to reveal a smoother skin.

Repurchase: Maybe 

Lavera Hand Cream: at first I loved this cream but soon the scent started to annoy me; It's just too herbaly for my liking, I wish it would just smell like almond & shea butter - the main ingredients. It's a shame because I like the fresh consistency: it really feels like a splash of water and dries super fast.

Repurchase: No

First Aid Beauty Gentle Body Wash: this wee bottle had been sitting in my cabinet for far too long. Scent-free and nothing special in my opinion.

Repurchase: Nope

I'm definitely guilty of not changing my mascaras enough but I recently bought some new ones and I kept these for this post; as a rule of thumb, I don't like wet formulas and I prefer volume to length.

THUMB UP: 

One of my favourite mascaras of all time is Clinique High Impact Mascara; I usually prefer a plastic wand to the fiber but this one is super soft and flexible and create amazing volume effortlessly. 

L'Oreal Volume Million Lashes Mascara does exactly what it says on the tube - create tons of volume! As mentioned above, I like the short plastic teeth of the wand that are great to coat even the shortest lashes.

Benefit Bad Gal Blue Mascara: not a big fan of the huge brush and it dried out pretty fast but I always got loads of compliments for the colour.

t-b: Benefit, L'Oreal, Clinique

NEUTRAL: 

These mascaras didn't particularly impress me but I didn't hate them either. ;)

Ellis Faas mascara is impressive to hold the curl but the wand is too long, which makes it awkward to apply; I like the brush of the Lancome Hypnose Star Mascara which is flat on one side; I'm not a fan of scented mascara tho and this one has a strong floral smell.

t-b: Ellis Faas, Lancome

THUMB DOWN:

I know that many people like the Revlon GrowLuscious Mascara but it just didn't work for me: I think because the brush is too big and I couldn't really get in there at the root of the lashes; it also stung my eyes when removing it at the end of the day. Similar experience with the Soap & Glory Thick & Fast Mascara that has an even bigger brush.

The downfall of the Collection 2000 Extreme Coloured Lenghtening Mascara is the quality; maybe mine was faulty but it was completely dry from the beginning… and I like dry mascaras so enough said. The colour simply didn't transfer and was flaky - shame because the brush looks good!

t-b: Revlon, Soap & Glory, Collection 2000

Anyway, I enjoyed having a wee break from the blog and just spend the holidays with the family… but now I'm looking forward to another year filled and shared with beauty with you! :)
xxx

Review / Magnifibres Lash Extender

I was never blessed with luscious lashes... or with the skills to apply false lashes effortlessly.

I usually just put a couple of coats of mascara in the morning but can't say that I'm always satisfied with the results; I'd love to be able to achieve big lashes with just the stroke of a brush.

I've heard of fibre mascaras before but also read mixed reviews of fibres falling off during the day or travelling into the eye with quite uncomfortable consequences.

 Magnifibres* is made of 100% natural eyelash fibres that you brush-on on and it amplifies your regular mascara, adding length and volume.

I can only describe it as 'fluff on a stick' - which I realise doesn't sound all that appealing - but it's very effective.

I found it surprisingly easy and fast to use, that I can apply it on a daily basis. You use it as a regular mascara and you can build it up to the desired effect, just adding more coats. 

First step would be to apply your own mascara and then immediately a coat of Magnifibres;

the fibres are dry and they need to stick to the mascara so I recommend to use quite a wet formula. Then wait about 30 seconds and finally, seal with another coat of your normal mascara.

As I said, it's really fast so I can easily finish off my blush and lips - in between steps.

I need to say that I was worried that I would end up with white bits showing on the lashes, but the fibres are so fine that the second coat covers them with pigment and you can't really tell that they are there.

Of course you're wearing make up, but the lashes are simply enhanced in a glamorous, yet natural way.

Anyway, proof is in the pictures: 

bare lashes

1 coat of mascara

with Magnifibres

What do you think? I'm really pleased with the effect - especially for such little work - and I find that it really opens up the eyes.

I like the fact that I can keep using my favourite, trusted mascaras and, because it's a dry formula, it also minimises the risk of infections or bacteria spreading.

Have you heard of Magnifibres before? Would you give it a try?

Review / Pür Minerals Big Blink Mascara

I already raved about Pür Minerals cosmetics here - I totally fell in love with the 4-in-1 Pressed Mineral Make Up and I'm going through my wee compact quickly. It's one of those items that I KNOW will be a staple of my beauty bag for a long time.

So I was super excited to try more from this brand and I was kindly sent the Big Blink Mascara* to test.

All Pür Minerals products contain no harsh chemical dyes, petroleum-based oils, fragrances or fillers but only pigments and nourishing ingredients making them suitable for all skin types.

The Big Blink mascara is loaded with vitamin E, antioxidants 3 and 9 fatty acids and Argan oil.

This revolutionary formulation hydrates, protects and repairs lashes.

Also, it's water-resistant but I didn't find it any more difficult to remove at the end of the night; especially pleased with that since I'm always terrified to pull off all my lashes whilst cleansing.

Oooooohhhh WOW! This mascara is amazing! I haven't been impressed by a mascara in ages, the application is easy and lengthening for high impact.
Definitely high impact in volume too and buildable - if you like big doll eyes look, this is the mascara for you!
The wand is one of the plastic spikey ones - which I like - and also got a ball at the top to grab small and bottom lashes.

I think the packaging is really cute too - I really like the clear packaging with the pink encased tube and it's surprisingly light too.

Definitely thumbs up for this mascara, especially for being green and still performing so exceptionally well... and of course, it's cruelty free - for all bunnies loving people like me out there! ;)

Introducing / Neve Cosmetics

Neve Cosmetics is a young Italian brand founded in 2009 very close to where I'm from, in the north of Italy. They specialize in mineral make up and It's very exciting to see such an interesting and up coming brand, so close to home. :)

Their philosophy revolves around creating vibrant, exciting colours but using clean and simple formulations and cruelty-free.

Also if you look at their ingredients, the list is short - only minimal high quality ingredients, no frills and consequently cutting the risk of allergic reactions, too.

Recently, I've been testing out their new mascara: Occhioni*

Occhioni literally means 'big eyes' in italian and, in this case, a name is a guarantee!

I love the wee pouch I received it in - it's the perfect size to store make up brushes, whist travelling.

Also, I really like the funky coloured tube: mint is one of my favourite colours, after all. ;)

Lisa Eldridge is actually using a natural mascara in a recent video so I was super excited to try one and see how it performs, for myself.

Neve Cosmetics formula has no silicones, no parabens and no petroleum derivatives; also, it's fragrance-free and vegetarian. All the ingredients are targeted to nourish the lashes like natural bee wax, cherry oil and vitamin E.

The wand is made of 5 spheres and I find it really easy to use; you can use the top ball to really get in the outer corner and lift even the shortest lashes and It works very well for bottom lashes, too.

The formulation is beautiful: it's a  deep black, easily buildable and no matter how many layers you put on, it never get hard (I really can't stand crispy lashes)!

It probably goes without saying but It's also easy and quick to remove.

I'm converted: I get the same results as an ordinary mascara but without suffocating my lashes with chemicals - Definitely a winner in my eyes!!!

You can get Neve Cosmetics from www.cutecosmetics.co.uk in the Uk or the official website