This sample size Benefit Roller Lash mascara was a freebie with my recent Sephora.com order. When I first read about Roller Lash and its "hook'n'roll" brush that supposedly catches, lifts and curls the lashes thus doing away with the need for an eyelash curler, I put it down to Benefit's usual over-the-top marketing tactics. While their bestselling They're Real mascara (earlier review here) did work well for me, the claims for Roller Lash seemed too good to be true, especially when it comes to stubbornly straight and weak Asian lashes.
The slightly curved brush has a row of shorter bristles on one side, which is not that revolutionary. The mascara formula strikes a good balance between not being too stiff/gunky and not being too wet/gloopy. After testing this out for a week, I have to say that I'm truly impressed at its lifting power. I've used this several times without curling my lashes in advance, and each time, Roller Lash adds noticeable curl to my lashes and lifts them up from their usual downward pointing position. Both looks below were done without using an eyelash curler.
With its jet black formula, Roller Lash provides good definition, lengthening and volumising effects, although it does start to clump if over-layered. I also liked how easy it was to use on my extremely sparse lower lashes. My lashes stayed curled for the whole day without any flaking or smearing. It was easy to remove with my current Neutrogena eye makeup remover, although there was one incident in which five lashes came off on the cotton pad and caused a minor panic. I haven't noticed any other lash loss since then, so it could just be a one-off thing.
Overall, I'm still sufficiently impressed to consider purchasing this once my sample dries up although I probably will not as I still have a massive stash of mascara samples to work my way through. Like virtually any mascara, this generates a serious division of views as reflected in the MakeupAlley reviews so your mileage may vary (but that is pretty much the case for any cosmetic product).
What I'm much less impressed by are the trio of palettes released by Suqqu for Spring 2015, which I ordered from Selfridges. These looked so beautiful in the pan with glorious shimmer but when applied, the color payoff of some shades is completely sub-par. Take for example, the periwinkle blue in #19 Awafujisukashi which pretty much fades to a muddy, washed out grey, regardless of the base. #18 Sakuraori is the best of the lot but its orange shade can be a tad hard to pull off. EX25 Haruhinata was also disappointing in its sheer level of pigmentation. Both Wondegondigo and Color Me Loud have more positive reviews of the quads, if you're considering them. Sara of Color Me Loud has also posted swatches of the new summer trios on Instagram and they look really promising.
Below is a second look done with Awafujisukashi. For this look, I'm also wearing Ellis Faas Skin Veil S102, which has received rave reviews from some of my favourite bloggers. I received samples of this in four shades with my last B-Glowing order (another e-tailer that I highly recommend). I can see why this is so beloved, as it blends effortlessly, with good coverage and does not show up dry patches or look mask-like.
This is the first FOTD post I've done in over a year, so I hope it's helpful! I would like to resume posting product reviews but can't promise that I can do so with any regularity. We've been in Illinois for about a month now, but we are going home for the summer and then moving to another apartment after we return here. I'm looking forward to finally settling into a more permanent (and nicer) place, and getting all of my stuff out of boxes. Right now, I'm mainly focusing on using up stuff, burning through all my candles (which have gone around the world with me only to end up back in the country that they originated from), taking Lush baths every other day and also trashing all the products that have expired. I should do a no-buy but that never lasts for long.
Here's the most recent batch of products that I used up over the past 1.5 months. Hopefully, this year will finally see my stash of bodycare products return to some semblance of sanity. At least until the next Lush holiday collection!
1. RMK Super Basic Liquid Concealer EX01: For a product that contains a paltry 0.06oz/1.8g, this has been in my stash since March 2009 - yikes! This helps to cover up the worst of my dark circles and is easy to blend without feeling cakey, although it does crease slightly later in the day. It's pretty pricey though so I probably will not re-purchase it as it did not quite hit holy grail status for me.
2. Lush Whoosh Shower Jelly: Reviewed earlier here, this wonderfully zesty jelly is great for refreshing the senses. Always use a shower lily with these, otherwise the slippery jelly will just end up in bits on the floor.
3. Lush Rehab shampoo is designed for damaged hair. Most of Lush's hair products have been disappointments for me, and sadly, this was another miss. It has a clean, bracing scent but leaves my hair slightly tangled and dry. Ingredients list below.
4. Lush Twilight Shower Gel is a deeply unusual blend of soothing lavender mixed with malt, that makes it a headier scent than L'Occitane's lavender range. This has a sprinkling of silver shimmer, which does not linger on the body. The scent takes some getting used to, but I grew to like it eventually. Ingredients list below.
5. Aromatherapy Associates Renew Rose Body Cream does a good job of moisturising my skin and leaves a nice soft rose scent. This was a deluxe sample that came in a UK Glossybox. At £32.50 for 200ml, it's too expensive for me to purchase.
6. Korres Basil Lemon Shower Gel smells a bit sharp. It lathers easily and does not strip the skin. Doubt I will re-purchase this. Ingredients list below.
7. Bliss Lemon + Sage Conditioning Rise does a decent job of detangling my hair and leaving it soft. The lemon scent is not particularly memorable, unlike their Blood Orange range. Ingredients list below.
8. Berber Oil is yet another argan oil-based serum that also contains silicones like cyclomethicone and cyclopentasiloxane. This was another sample box product. It worked fine for temporarily relieving the dryness of my hair ends and keeping them frizz-free but it wasn't special enough to warrant tracking down to purchase.
9. RMK Skintuner Smoother Moist leaves my skin feeling slightly sticky and makes it get shiny pretty fast, even in the depths of winter.
10. Lancome Tonique Eclat Clarifying Exfoliating Toner did the opposite and dried out my skin without having much of an effect on combating acne. Need to avoid purchasing toners that contain alcohol so high up on the list of ingredients (below).
11. Avene Cleanance Mask is also designed for oily, blemish-prone skin. However, this stings my skin and leaves it red so I would caution ladies with sensitive skin to avoid it.
12. L'Oreal Gentle Eye Makeup Remover is a staple that I keep re-purchasing as it doesn't sting my eyes.
13. Benefit It's Potent Eye Cream does a nice job of hydrating the eye area without leaving a sticky, obvious film. It also does not irritate my eyes. The only drawback is the pot packaging which is less hygienic than pump packaging.
14. Phyto Phytophanere is a dietary supplement for combating hair loss. The hard water in Switzerland results in quite a lot of hair fall for me, so I started taking this a couple of months ago. It does seem to have helped slow down the rate of hair fall. The recommended dosage is two small capsules per day.
The Sephora store in France was having a post-New Year sale with 50% off on several By Terry products, so naturally I ended up purchasing a few. As By Terry's price points are cringingly exorbitant, I rarely indulge at full price.
This Laque de Rose #4 Infernal Rose is packed with the hydrating qualities of Baume de Rose and the "vibrant color of an armful of roses". It contains regenerating rose essential wax, lipid-replenishing floral oils and anti-aging ceramides, plus SPF15.
Although it states "intensive shimmer" on the box, the gloss is actually shimmer-free and applies as a glossy translucent watermelon red tint with a slick texture that feels very comfortable on the lips. I purchased this for €17.50, which is still not cheap but the amount of product is quite generous at 7ml.
This lasted about 2-3 hours on my lips without significant feathering. I liked the soft rose scent which doesn't come across as being too artificial.
Next are the Eclat de Teint Color Skin Enhancer #2 Glowing Rose and #10 Sweet Melon. These emulsions are designed for combating skin dullness and also act as a smoothing correcting veil. I haven't played with these yet.
Most beauty aficionados know Terry de Gunzburg as the creator of YSL's iconic Touche Eclat correcting highlighter pen. It's little surprise that her own line features a number of similar products. The Eclat de Teint Pinceau is a multi-correction radiance brush that is a travel-friendly version of Eclat de Teint. I purchased this in #1 Flash Rose (neutralises dullness) and #2 Tungsten Mauve (for anti-redness). The glowy fluid is dispensed by pushing the button at the end. This was easy to control. I use Flash Rose mostly around the eye area (after applying concealer) to help my eyes look less tired. The effect is very subtle.
Benefit 10 was on clearance at 70% off. This is a bronzer and highlighting powder duo. It's not something I would purchase at full price as I hardly ever use bronzers but with the price reduced to just €9.60, why not?
With all the grey rainy weather over here, I'm impatient for spring to get here. In the meantime, I'm adding some much-needed color to my house with a new table cloth from Zara Home's sale.
Also picked up this sofa throw weaved in a cheerful rainbow of colors.
From Etam, I also picked up these two pairs of room shoes which should serve well through the rest of these chilly days. If you visit France, I highly recommend Etam for their inner and homewear ranges.
My dear sweet husband just brought me an armload of goodies from London!
UK magazines give out the best beauty product freebies and this month brought another bumper crop. Glamour teams up with Benefit every summer to offer deluxe sample sizes of their bestselling products. The July issue comes with a choice of Benefit Badgal Lash mascara, That Gal brightening face primer or the Porefessional. I went for That Gal as that was the only one that I had not tried yet.
Marie Claire offered a full sized Ciaté nail polish worth £9 in three new shades for summer.
The pic below shows Purple Sherbet (left) and Jelly Bean.
The May edition of Glossybox celebrates their one year anniversary. Glossybox has been phenomenally successful in several countries. It just launched in the US while a Singapore version is in the works as well.
This was a pretty good box with two Lolita Lempicka fragrance samples, a Noble Isle Summer Rising Bath & Shower Gel, HD Brows Eye Smoothing Serum, Berber Oil Hair Treatment, two sachets of Apvita Anti-Wrinkle & Firming Mask (mistakenly included in the Joliebox photo below), a Glossybox compact mirror and balloon. These are all brands that I have not tried before, except for the Lolita Lempicka fragrances, so that made the box interesting for me.
The May JolieBox contained just four products: Essential Care Organic Rose Moisturiser, China Glaze Luxe & Lush, RMK Make Up Base and Talika Eye Therapy Patch.
It was an amazing stroke of luck that I scored Luxe & Lush, which was part of the Hunger Games collection, as it was the only shade in that collection which appealed to me. China Glaze nail polishes usually retail at around S$30 in Switzerland, so this bottle alone made the £13 price of the Joliebox worthwhile for me.
My husband also helped me pick up the new Lily Cole collection from the Body Shop and the three new limited edition Paul & Joe eyeshadow singles.
I was initially interested only in the Puff On Radiance, but since the Body Shop had a 3-for-2 promotion, I decided to get the Shimmer Cubes #24 and purple liquid eyeliner as well.
The plush feathery puff with the pink bow reminded me of Lavshuca. The pot contains an extremely generous 46g of product (versus 30g for Guerlain Meteorites).
The highlighter balls apply as very fine gold shimmer, perfect for adding a subtle radiance to the décolletage.
These ethereal Paul & Joe Self Select Eye Colors are inspired by the delicate wings of fairies that transform into otherworldly tones when layered over other colors. These, along with the rest of the Paul & Joe summer collection, are also available on BeautyBay.com, which offers free international shipping.
001 Under The Stars
002 Love-in-idleness
003 Moon Beam
Thanks for reading!
