Labour & Makeup????

Happy Sunday morning to everyone!

 

As I type this, I am 38+3 weeks pregnant.  I'm still working full-time (from home) and am all round pretty uncomfortable and grumpy waiting for my youngest arrival.

 

Even though I'm still working, I find it very hard to concentrate on work - my mind wanders about everywhere.  Mind you, I think that because my baby could arrive at any stage, I'm find it hard to concentrate on anything.

 

So my mind got to wandering about what, if any, makeup I'll be wearing when the day finally arrives.

 

When I had my eldest, I went into labour in the early evening and went off to hospital sans doing anything to myself (no makeup, hair piled on top of my head in a bun), because frankly I was in too much pain to worry about faffing about with makeup.  The most important part of that day was the safe arrival of my daughter.

 

I treasure all those first pictures with her and my husband as our new little family.  But, there's no getting over the fact though that I was pale as a ghost in those photos after giving birth - its really quite strenuous and tiring (couldn't be a greater understatement if it tried)

 

I have packed a BB cream and mascara for my hospital bag so when I have visitors I'll have a bit more colour in my face.  But I'm thinking while I'm waiting to go into labour, even if I'm not going anywhere during the day, just to put a light BB cream and some mascara on each day, so I'm not completely bare - that way in those first few pictures, I won't look so ghostly.

 

Even as I type that, I think it sounds really vain - but its not.  I don't usually go down the shop unless I have foundation/BB cream and mascara on - I've done it for so long I almost don't feel like myself if my face is completely naked when I leave the house.

 

All that being typed, if I go into labour in the middle of the night all bets will be off.  All efforts will be towards getting dressed, getting my eldest to my parents on the way to the hospital, and getting to the hospital in time - makeup and what I look like will be the least of my worries!

 

Have a great day!

 

 

Ruby Wing Color Changing Nail Polish - Rose

Hiya

I'm a bit of a nail polish hoarder - I've got about 60 odd bottles which probably isn't too bad really.  And up until recently, I ONLY had O.P.I nail polishes.  I'm trying to make myself stop being such a nail polish snob and try some other brands.

My first foray into nail polishes that aren't O.P.I are the Ruby Wing Color Change nail polishes (I have spelt it per the bottle).  I love a gimmick - and a nail polish that changes colour in the sunshine is right up my ally.

I was quite surprised with how drastic the changes can be.  Todays review is an example of a fairly drastic change.

Important Info 

Name:   Ruby Wing Color Changing Nail Polish

Shade:   Rose

Size:     15ml/0.5oz

What is it?

A nail polish that changes shade when exposed to the sunshine/UV - which is a bit different to the usual heat activated change.

 

The colour change is from a soft pink to a deep rosy shade.  Rose is part of the Champagne and Cupcakes collection.

 

This shade is also scented.  I've never really understood the theory of scented nail polishes.  Once it dried it smelled okay, but the smell was completely gone the next day.

 

Packaging

The glass bottle is rectangular shaped, and the brush handle is circular shaped gold.  The Font on the bottle is really pretty and whimsical.

 

 

 

 Picture courtesy of www.rubywing.com 

First Impressions

The brush was a good width and nicely cut making application easy.

The particular formula I used was of the micro-glitter variety.  The polish applied evenly without any patchiness.  The glitter did bunch up every so slightly at the tips of my nail, but nothing that was noticeable once it levelled out.  
 

Was it Any Good?

The colour change was really dramatic and happened almost instantly when exposed to UV - I was expecting it to take a couple of minutes, but it must have been less than 15 seconds for a full colour change.  The change back from dark to light, took longer - I think a minute or so.

In the pictures below, only 1 coat was applied - so I'm not sure if that's why my indoor shade isn't as rosy as the picture from the Ruby Wing website.  I'm not too fussed though, because I like the light pink shade I got.

 

I'm not 100% sure about wear time, as I removed it after 2 days to reapply my missing gel nail.  I have fairly weak nails, and wore it for 2 days without any chipping - and that's with a single coat with no base or top coats applied.  I don't know if the colour change aspect would be inhibited by a top coat - wish I'd thought to test that!

I think the only thing I would do differently in the future is the try and paint my nails in the sunshine where possible, so I can see how the darker shade will look.  Light colours are much more forgiving for an uneven application - but darker colours less so.  My theory is if I can make it look nice when darker, it'll look nice light by default.  This shade looked nice enough indoor, but I could see a little messiness when the darker shade was visible.

 

Oh, please excuse the different colour nail polishes - the day this polish arrived I had lost a gel nail, so I took the opportunity to try it out on a single nail.

 

 Indoor - window lit

 



Outdoor - direct sunlight 

Rating

4/5

 

Where Can I Get It?

I bought mine from EBay, but the polishes can also be purchased directly from Ruby Wings website.

 

 

Hanskin Bio Origin Royal Ampoule BB SPF 30PA++

Hiya Everyone

I had always hated BB creams - at least the ones I would buy here in Australia.  They seemed pretty pointless; the coverage was rubbish, the finish was rubbish, and I'm pretty sure it took me longer to apply them, than how long they actually stayed on my face.

Enter Asian BB creams...... now these are products that have coverage, lasting power, and a great finish (at least the ones I've just anyway).  My first foray into the land of Asian BB creams was the Liole Triple the Solution BB cream, and I absolutely love it.  I have been using it consistently for well over a year, and I haven't' finished it yet.  I think it cost me about $20 for a 50g tube off of Ebay, so it was definitely a great buy.

Anyway, I digress.......  today's review is of an Asian BB cream that is a little different - it comes in the form of an ampoule and dropper - the kind of packaging you'd normally see for a serum.  I was intrigued........
 

 

Important Info 

Name:   Hanskin BIO Origin Royal Ampoule BB SPF 30 PA++
Size:     35ml
Price:    $51.02USD from www.koreadepart.com

What is it?

Description from the Memebox information card
 

Hanskin's famous Royal Ampoule BB cream is packed with rich nutrition from royal jelly extracts and it lightly glides over your skin when applied, leaving a visibly silkier, brightened complexion.

Oh, if you're wondering what PA++ means, its a ranking system of how protected your skin will be from long term damage caused by UVA rays.  The more "+" the product has, the greater protection for your skin.
 

Packaging

I received a 5ml sample of this, so I can only speak to the sample packaging - though the picture of the full size product (with the exception of the shape, which is more pear shaped) I've seen seems to be pretty much the same thing.

This BB cream comes in a eye dropper form, with the product itself contained in dark purple sturdy plastic.  The packaging itself is luxurious looking and would look really nice sitting on any vanity.

Unfortunately, I don't think an eye dropper style packaging is the best for this product.  While it is a lot thinner than the average Asian BB cream, the eye dropper just doesn't seem to work - perhaps it's cause this is a sample size?  I think a squeeze tube would work a lot better - functionality over flashy.

I found that rather that expelling the BB cream out of the eyedropper, I actually have to wipe the sides of the eyedropper on my hand to get any product.

I have also found that the bottle got messy really quickly (2 uses) - I'm one of those anal people that keep their makeup really clean, so this irritates me :).

 

 

 

 

First Impressions

As noted above, this BB cream has a thinner consistency than other Asian BB creams I've used.  It has a lovely silky feel, which glides onto, and blends into the skin effortlessly.  My skin felt really velvety after application.  This BB cream did not feel the least bit sticky, and my skin felt like it had nothing on.

The colour match was really good for my skin - I'm light/medium on my face, but significantly paler on my inner forearms where the below was swatched.

Oh, I should probably add that I applied the BB cream to my face with my fingers.

Dabbed on my skin, and once blended.

 

Was it Any Good?

The texture and feel of the product was lovely, but it was missing the one thing I really look for - coverage.  The information on the Memebox card does specifically state to apply to the face, and then add extra to areas that require more coverage.

I'm not the sort of person who puts on one layer or product, and then will add layers until I'm satisfied with the coverage - I don't have time for that getting ready for work/going out with a toddler running about.  The coverage needs to be there from a single application.

I also found the product started to break down on my nose at around the 3 hour mark (not set with powder).

Despite this, this BB cream still runs rings around any BB cream I've purchased from Australia - but the coverage was just too sheer.  My husband even remarked that he wasn't used to still being able to see my freckles when my face is "done" - he didn't know I was trying a different product - he just came out with it. 

If you like a sheer BB cream, or are happy to build layers of product until you are satisfied with the coverage, then I think you'll really like this BB cream.  If you're time poor and like medium to full coverage, you might want to give this one a miss.

 

Rating

3/5

Pure Smile Non-Silicon Snail Treatment

Hiya Everyone

Another hair treatment review this week, and this one contains snail slime!

I love me some snails - not the annoying ones that cause havoc in my herb garden, but the types that are applied to my face.  Snail creams, serums and masks - I'm all over them..... or rather they're all over me. 

 

But until this week, I'd hadn't ventured into the world of snail hair treatments.

 

Important Info 

Name:   Pure Smile Non-Silicon Snail Treatment
Size:      250g
Price:    $8.00USD from www.imomoko.com

What is it?

Description from the Memebox information card
 

This non-silicon hair treatment is enriched with snail slime extracts which helps maintain the right moisture/oil balance and deeply nourishes dry, damaged hair for a shinier, youthful texture.
 

Packaging

The hair treatment comes in a large pink squeeze tube - not dissimilar to toothpaste.  It has a really cute motif of a snail on it, and some pretty font, and lots of little snail cartoons all over the bottom half od the tube.

I think it is a really good style of packaging for the thickness of this treatment, because I should be able to get every last drop out of it.
 

Picture courtesy of www.imomoko.com

 

First Impressions

The consistency of the hair treatment is of a thick conditioner - and its not at all slimy.  It has a  rose scent, which isn't that overpowering nauseating rose smell, but a pleasant rose scent.  Oh, and its really bright white - it almost looks blue tinged.

I used a large marble size of product in my hair, and massaged it in from about 3 inches from my roots down to the ends (my hair is 3/4 way down my back - its not thick, but I have a lot of it).  I wrapped in a bun on top of my head, and left it on long enough to cleanse my face with my Clarisonic, and brush my teeth.
 

Was it Any Good?

The treatment rinsed out of my hair completely, meaning my hair didn't feel exceptionally heavy after use.  Immediately upon rinsing my hair felt really nice and soft.

I removed the excess water from my hair, and applied an oil to the ends, and a curl cream and then left it to dry.  Once my hair had dried completely, it did not have any frizz, and the ends were nicely curled up - they didn't look dry and dead which long curly hair can have a tendency to do.

As I type, I am on day 3 hair (because of my curls I only wash my hair every 4 days or so, otherwise my curls are unmanageable), and my ends still feel lovely and moisturised, and my hair is not the least bit oily.  I think this could be a really good product to use before heat styling because of the amount of nourishment it seems to give my ends.

On the first day, and still today, my hair has a lovely healthy sheen.

This treatment is definitely going to remain in the shower for continued use.

 

Rating

4/5

Things that made the most difference to my skin

Hiya Everyone

Today I thought I might share the things in my skincare routine that have made the most difference.

I am in my mid 30's, and have never had ache prone skin (luckily).  I have normal/combo skin (oily t-zone).  I've also got quite sensitive skin, and am prone to eczema.  I've got a little bit of pigmentation, but nothing too bad.  Unfortunately there a few wrinkles too  - mostly expression related.

Glycolic Acid

I have seen a significant improvement in the clarity of my skin since I started using chemical exfoliants including Alpha-hydroxy acids (AHA) - particularly glycolic acid.  A lot of people freak out at the thought of using a "acids" of their skin - thinking they must be very irritating and synthetic.

Glycolic acid is actually a natural substance which is derived from sugar cane.  The great thing about ingredients such as glycolic acids, is that they unbind the dead skin cells that get stuck on the skin, and allow them to be removed, revealing fresh skin.  It also helps other products (such as serums) get better absorbed into your skin because the product isn't blocked by the dead skin cells.

The only caveat is because fresh skin is being revealed, the chance of sunburn (and therefore skin damage) is increased when using AHA's.  I only use AHAs at night.

My favourite glycolic acid product is Alpha-H Liquid Gold.

Clarisonic Mia

Keeping with the exfoliating theme, next is my favourite manual exfoliant.

Between using glycolic acid's and the Clarisonic, I have pretty much completely gotten rid of all the little bumps I used to have on my forehead - they weren't active red bumps, just bumps under the skin.

I probably use my Clarisonic 3-4 times per week - with the sensitive brush head.  I don't use it more, mainly because I use glycolic's, and I don't want to over stimulate my skin.  

There was recently a sale of Ozsale where I purchased a sensitive, normal, delicate and deep pore brush heads for $35 including postage - that's a bargain considering I recently purchased a new brush head from David Jones for $32!!

Toners

I used to think toning was such a pointless thing to do - little did I know!  

Toners can help to remove any residual cleanser, re-balance the skins PH, and just freshen  up the skin in general.  I love the tingly feeling on my face just after I apply toner.  

There are lots of different types of toners with lots of different functions, but I try to avoid toners that have stripping ingredients, such as alcohol.  Stripped skin is only going to lead to oilier skin.

Since using toners I've noticed my skin is less oily, and makeup adheres better to my skin.

I have been using the Michael Todd Cranberry Anti-oxidant toner - that thing was enormous and took over 12 months to get through!

Hyaluronic Acid

I know, more acid.  Hyaluronic acid is something that naturally occurs in the skin.  It is a humectant, meaning it attracts and stores moisture up to 1000x's its weight - more moisture for the skin!

I can get dry under eyes from time to time, and I have found since using Hyaluronic acids on my entire face (including the under eye area), that the dryness has declined.  I definitely notice a significant difference in my skin if I don't put hyaluronic acid on my face each day.

My favourite hyaluronic acid product is Hydraluron - but I have recently purchased the Mizon hyaluronic acid - keen to see how that goes!

Masking 

I am trying to make an effort to use face masks at least a couple times a week - be they sheet masks, clay masks, or glycolic based masks.  I've never been a fan of peeling masks, so they are probably the only type I stay away from.

Sheet masks are definitely my favourite at the moment.  I think because although I can continue to do things whilst wearing them (read: housework), I am more inclined to just relax while they are on.  I find sheet masks to be particularly hydrating.

I have seen an improvement to the brightness of my skin since using masks a couple of times a week.  I have also noticed an improvement in the general level of moisture in my skin.

Well, that's about it.  I'm on a huge Korean skincare kick at the moment, but I don't see the above changing - the brands might, but the components won't - though they might grow!  From what I have read, the average Korean woman's skincare consists of at least 10 products - I'm not sure I have that much time in the morning! oh well.

Thanks for dropping by

25cc Hairbooster

Hiya Everyone

Todays review is of a peculiar (packaged at least) Korean hair product.  I am typically pretty particular what I put in my hair.  Why? well because my sister is a hairdresser, and I'm a qualified make up artist (although professionally I'm an accountant lol), so I can purchase professional salon quality hair care products at wholesale.

This is yet another item received in a Memebox (#9 to be exact).  I may as well come out with it now - I am a Memebox-aholic, and I very much doubt there is any hope for me.  Mind you, Memeboxes seem to induce some type of insane addiction in everyone who purchases from them, so I know I'm in good (as well as enabling) company.
 

Important Info 

Name:   25cc Hairbooster
Size:      25g
Price:    $8.25AUD from www.gmarket.com 

What is it?

Description from the Memebox information card
 

25cc Hairbooster is absolutely the best hair care system that will nourish your hair from the scalp and repair damaged hair and increases strength against breakage.

 

Packaging

The cardboard is satin black with silvery/grey writing and pattern.  Its about 20ish centimetre's long, so its reasonably big for a product containing only 25 grams!.  The name and description of the product are in English, but all other writing is in Korean.

The product itself is in a clear plastic syringe - which is a bit weird - but I guess it goes along with the whole medically themed "25cc" thing. The opening of the syringe has a little plastic cap on it that fits snuggly.
 

Picture courtesy of www.gmarket.com

 

First Impressions

I didn't think there was very much of it!  I should say, I have a lot of hair - its curly and goes 3/4 of the way down my back and when I saw this product, I doubted very much that there was enough there for a single treatment on my hair!

The treatment itself is a pale yellow colour and is pretty thick when "syringed" out of the packaging.  The scent smells like a nice hair product - I'm terrible at describing scents - but the smell of it certainly wouldn't be out of place at any hair salon.

After I shampooed my hair, I squeezed the water out of it and applied about a big marble size (anyone remember Jacks?) of the product to the ends of my hair, and distributed it about 3/4 up the hair shaft.  I did not bring it all the way up to my roots, as this is something I never do (with normal conditioner or a treatment).

The instructions say to leave it in for about 3 minutes and then rinse, but I probably left in closer to 7 minutes (I didn't read the instruction card before I got in the shower so I was winging it).
 Oh, I should probably pop in here that my hair is in pretty good condition - my ends are dry because of its length, but I rarely colour or heat style it, so there isn't much damage.
 

Was it Any Good?

Well firstly, I was wrong about there not being enough product to give my hair a treatment - I probably used 1/5 of the product.

 

After rinsing it out, my ends felt nice and soft, but not weighed down.  I couldn't find an English ingredient list, so I have no idea if it contains silicones.

 

I had no problem brushing through my hair with my tangle teaser when my hair was still wet, and after brushing my hair felt almost light and bouncy - not bad for hair that is pretty long and wet!

 

I went to bed with my hair still damp (yes I know that isn't very good but it was late), and it the morning my hair felt really nice.

 

Styling wise (if you can call it that) all I did in the morning was run a small amount of oil though it (my hair still wasn't knotty despite sleeping on it damp), and out the door I went (daughters ballet class).  My curls didn't have any frizz, and there was a nice soft definition to them.

 

I was really impressed with this product, and I think it holds its own against my beloved Macadamia Hair Treatment Mask. I would definitely consider buying this item again.

 

Rating

4/5

TonyMoly Shiny Foot Peeling Liquid

I live in Australia, and its been well over 30 degrees everyday for the past 6 months (note - its now finally cooled down - yay!!).  As a result of this, my feet have taken an absolute beating!

Feet masks are pretty new to me.  I looked at all sorts of different ones, and decided to purchase a TonyMoly peeling feet mask - as a said my feet have taken a beating and I needed something pretty heavy duty.  

The idea of these masks are you place your feet in these plastic bootie type socks, and pour in a solution, usually made up of various acids (lactic, glycolic, salicylic), and other liquids which are supposed to gently, but effectively cause the feet to peel off the old, rough skin, revealing new soft feet.  The peeling should commence after 4 to 6 days, and should be completed in approximately 2 weeks.

I'm not going to show any actual pictures of my feet because...... well..... nobody needs to see that!

Important Info 

Name:   TonyMoly Shiny Foot Peeling Liquid

Price:    $12.99USD for 2 pairs from beautynetkorea.com

 

What is it?

Description from the BeautyNetKorea website

This special treatment for foot calluses contains plant derived extracts, and will make your feet soft and supple.  it removes rough dead skin cells from your feet, leaving your feet smooth and silk soft

Ingredients List

Packaging

The 2 sets of booties come in a laminated box with a picture of what appears to be a sparkly pair of baby's feet.

The peeling solution comes in a foot shaped foil pouch, which is a pre-measured dose to be poured into each booty (no guessing of how much is half - yippee!!)

Each pair of booties is packaged in clear plastic wrapping with a sticky closure.

The back of the box contains not only instructions written into Korean, but also English - thank goodness because with this type of product I wouldn't really want to guess what I need to do.

First Impressions

As I bought a 2 pack of booties, I gave one to my sister to try out (she's a hairdresser so is on her feet all day).  She tried them first.  It says on the instructions to cut the peeling solution packet across the dotted line - but when she did that the solution spurted all over the floor - I'd recommend just cutting off the big toe (which is what I did when I tried them the next day)

I have size 10 feet (Eu41), and the booties still fit me fine and did up around my ankle without any issues.  There is a paper type of insert inside the plastic bootie that you put your feet into.  Once my feet were snuggly in the boot, I cut off the big toe of the peeling liquid and poured it into each bootie. I liquid was really cold!  I then tied up the booties to make sure none of the liquid escaped.

The instructions say to keep the booties on your feet for an hour to an hour and a half (or until the feet have absorbed all the liquid).  I kept them on for about an hour and three quarters.

A bit of a side note, my sister had a 2 week old gel manicure of her toes which was removed by the peeling liquid!  I had normal nail polish on my toes and it had no effect. 

Another unexpected benefit was after using the booties, my sister noticed a significant improvement in the corn between her little toe and the one next to it - who knew???

Day 1 Results

After I removed the booties and thoroughly rinsed my feet of the solution, I can tell you my feet have never looked so clean!  No change to the feel or texture of my feet on day one.

Day 6 Results

It look about 2 days for my feet to start to peel.  At day it, it kind of looked like I had walked in some baby powder, and it was stuck in the lines of my feet.  Later that night I had a bath, and when I got out of the bath, a significant amount of peeling had started - initially more so on the softer area of my feet (arch, under my toes), but by day 5 the more calloused parts of my feet had started to peel, and I could see a significant difference.

By the end of day 6, there was only minor peeling still occurring.  

After 2 weeks

My feet didn't peel any further from day 7 to day 14.

 

Was it Any Good?

Although my feet aren't completely baby soft, I think the peeling mask did a really good job.  My feet are pretty battered - between the Australian Summer, wearing nose-bleed inducing high heels, and pretty much thongs only now that I'm heavily pregnant -  the singular use of a peeling mask was never going to fix all.  But there is definitely a huge improvement - particularly on my heels.

 

Would I buy it again? I already have, and its only its way to me (yay!).  I don't think I'm able to use it straight away though.  I think I read somewhere to give a 6 week break between treatments - d'oh!

Rating

4.5/5
 

Where Can I Get It?

I purchased mine from beautynetkorea.com as they offer free shipping, and ship to Australia