There are 24 wipes in a pack for £3.00 (altho there is a special at Superdrug for £1.49 each at the moment).
I still buy Kleenex tissues, so thought the quality of these must be of similar quality. I quite like the wipes. They seem a bit thicker than other wipes I've tried, and they have a very clean almost not there scent. I have found them to be gentle on my skin and I will definitely buy these again when I run out.
I'm also curious about the rest of the range that Kleenex has launched. Besides the facial cleansing wipes there are also: Eye Makeup Removal Wipes, Facial Cloths, and Shine Absorption Sheets.
Have you tried any of the new Kleenex range? What did you think?
Visée Meets Blondy is Visée's Glam Nude Eyes Limited Edition eyeshadow release this 'spring'. (I say 'spring' cos they actually came out in January 2012). I did a preview here.
It's worth reading my first post about these as it doesn't really make sense to repeat info too much, so have a look if you're interested!
However, I said I was going to get one of these 3 releases... but yep, I got all 3. I actually bought N-9 Classical Bitter Chocolate and loved it so much, decided to get the other two. Since they are limited editions as well, I was worried that I would love these shades so much and it would haunt me on missing out on the other 2 in the collection.
So here they are, all three in their glory.
They all come in an extra big packaging which is mostly just empty cardboard. I guess this is to make this product appear more special. As a drugstore brand Visée eyeshadows usually come in a small plastic clear/black case that just fits the product.
But what matters most of course is what's on the inside of the packages!
N-8 Nudish Peach (peach beige with a hint of pink)
N-9 Classical Bitter Chocolate (nude brown reminiscent of bittersweet chocolate)
N-10 Foxy Midnight (smooth smokey beige reminiscent of fur - I assume they mean fox fur here?!)
The palest shadow is actually a cream formula, but the rest are regular pressed shadows. I'm not really a fan of this kind of cream shadow, but the other 4 colours in the palette more than make-up for it! (oh, the puns...¬_¬;;)
I love all these palettes and to be honest, they are all wearable and natural looking. I had trouble telling the difference between them. I'd say it's slight in some cases. Yes, it's hard to see online, but just as hard to see in person. It really seems it's the 3rd colour that differs between these palettes.
All three together for comparison. From left to right: N-8, N-9, N-10
Do you love these colours or what? Well, I'd like to announce that my next *giveaway* will be for a brand new Visée Meets Blondy: Glam Nude Eyes Limited Edition Eyeshadow in N-9 Classical Bitter Chocolate! Are you excited or what?
Now to share a song from Rainie Yang (楊丞琳), a Chinese singer from Taiwan who I utterly adore. Mike He is also in this video, and well, he's just dreamy, isn't he?
I can't listen to this song and not feel happy! Enjoy.
Kiss is a Japanese drugstore cosmetics brand which has released some lovely blushes and highlighters to celebrate their 10th anniversary!
The model looks pretty excited! Actually, she kinda reminds me of Leah Dizon, but maybe that's just me?
Mix Heart Cheeks blush is on the left and Mix Moon Highlight is on the left. They look amazing. I know it's terribly girly of me, but I'm loving it! And yes, there's a little girl inside my head jumping up and down thinking Sailor Moon would love this makeup.
Chibi Usa and Usagi would be all over these compacts
The theme for this make up is a cute and happy face. Usagi-chan would approve whole-heartedly!
The Mix Heart Cheeks blushes are adorable! There are two colours in each compact and there's a heart with the brighter shade. There are 4 colours available:
01 Dolly Pink
02 Apricot Pink
03 Fruity Orange
04 Little Rose
Kiss suggests mixing the two colours and applying in two different ways:
Cute: in a circle on the cheek Lady-like: in a heart-shape on the cheek
The Mix Moon Highlight powder is available in two shades arranged like a crescent moon:
01 Pink Sherbet
02 Pure Beige
The picture speaks for itself, but here's where Kiss recommends you apply the highlighter powder.
I can't be the only one thinking of holding one of these compacts and shouting 'Moon Prism Power, Make-up!' Okay, maybe I am! ¬_¬
Both retail for 1,200 yen (before tax) in Japan, and are available from Ichibankao now.
I'm going to have order some of these, but I'm still deciding which ones. How about you?
I finally got my first A-England nail polish! I went with Tristam and it's so lovely!
Apologies for the messiness of my nails, it's a reflection on me, rather than the polish!
I found this heavenly. It applied very well, and I almost didn't want to use a top coat as it was so shiny. I also found this lasted a while before chipping (I believe it was 4 days before minor chips, but with touching up, or if I'd topped up the top coat it probably would have been longer).
Tristam and other amazing colours are available from A-England for £9.00 each.
I couldn't review a nail polish called Tristan without some music from Richard Wagner's Tristan und Isolde. Love this song!
I'm actually totally behind on Mad Men, but I was enjoying it on and off for a while. I have to admit I have no idea what's going on now, but the fashion in the show has drawn a lot of attention. (Banana Republic even did a Mad Men line!)
I think most of us have a character whose wardrobe we covet. I'm a Betty girl all the way! How about you?
Getting on to my Mad Men inspired makeup look. Okay, it was partially Mad Men inspired but really it was supposed to be a 1950s look for my work Christmas party. The theme obviously, was 1950s.
So yes, this is a look I wore out of the house! Apologies for the pics, I tried my best, but I was also trying to get dressed and out the door to the party.
It almost looks like I blurred this on purpose, doesn't it? Oh well, it reminds me of those old style photos.
My inspiration for this look was simple face, simple eye, with all the focus on red full lips.
There's a trick to the lips, I applied foundation over my lips as a primer, then drew red lips. That's right, I drew the lips that mother nature didn't give me. This was how they did it back in the day.
Apparently in the 1950s good girls didn't wear eyeliner or eye shadow, but I needed to define my eyes a bit!
Products used:
foundation: Lunasol Water Cream Foundation in OC01
Love the packaging. Classic Chanel, what's not to love?
(left to right): Liberte and Romance
The Rouge Coco Shines were a big hit earlier last year, especially the colour, Boy. I had seen Boy and swatched in store and wasn't so sure about it. As the sales happened, and I hit duty free, curiosity got the best of me and I picked up two of these that I'll review today:
46 Liberte (sparkly peach pink)
55 Romance (cream bright pink)
I liked Liberte the best, and wasn't as impressed with Romance. It may have been a colour issue for me. Romance I bought online without swatching (impulse buy!), but Liberte I actually picked out at the Duty Free counter.
(left/bottom to right/top): Liberte and Romance
I waited a while to review these. Mostly because I tried these while I was in the US in December and January. While I was there, my lips were much drier than they usually are, so I wasn't as impressed with these 'hydrating' lipshines. :/
I have to say wearing it back in the UK, where my lips are back to their normal selves, these lipshines do feel a lot more balmy and I wouldn't say they are drying.
I also found the colour pools in cracks! And I guess it's all in the name 'sheer lipshine' but I found it a bit too sheer and not enough shine. I guess I really just wanted a Chanel glossimer lip gloss. In fact, I think I'll stick to those.
I don't want to give them a totally negative review, but they kind of felt like really expensive lip balm. These might be great if you like a bit of colour and have pale lips, or if you go for one of the brighter and more pigmented shades. I'm not tempted to get anymore though.
And totally not related at all...
I've pretty much watched all of the Wizards of Waverly Place! Total sadness! What to watch now!?! I feel like there will be a big hole in my life. Luckily I still have the movie to watch. Phew!
Also been mesmerized by Gossip Girl lately. Poor Blair, seriously... but what is she thinking!?! I'm not sure I'm enjoying all the Blair and Lonely Boy action, especially when smouldering Chuck is right there! Come on! Did she hit her head *that* hard in that car accident?
Oh yes, and seriously, the most important question of the season so far: when is Dan going to get a decent hair cut?
I know I'm looking forward to Monday's new episode! How about you guys?
Back when I lived in the land of luxury (aka Santa Barbara) I used to love a good pamper and a wax. I've had it all over the years (well, not *everything* but I'm no stranger to the waxing table!) From bikini area, to eye brows, from legs to underarms, I've been there. I am lucky, in that I have not really had any bad experiences with waxing, and I also don't find it too painful.
When I moved to the UK, I looked desperately for a local salon to get my usual waxes, but it was hard and expensive to find. More expensive and inconvenient than I found it in California, so I started doing it myself with Parissa Wax.
For a long time I couldn't find Parissa in the UK. Recently I have seen it in Boots and on Amazon.co.uk. It's available in drugstores and Ulta in the US.
My fav is Parissa Chamomile Body Sugar Wax for legs, body, & face. It's pretty easy. Just heat the body sugar up in the microwave or with a wax warmer, dip the stick in, apply a thin layer of wax (check it's not too hot!), then use the washable strips to remove. You get it all in the kit!
What I love most about it is that it's a sugar, so it will dissolve in water, so if you get some on your floor or clothes, it's not a big deal.
It also has a relaxing scent.
I can't recommend this enough. I would literally not function without this in my bathroom!
Still not convinced you wanna try wax? They also have ready made strips. Just warm them by placing them between your hands, pull apart and use. Beyond easy. Give them a try.
I've used them a few times, but still find that altho the body sugar wax is a bit more time consuming, I find that I get better results and prefer it to the pre-made strips. (Note: The pre-made strips are plastic cellulose rather than fabric)
Update: The pre-made strips they are NOT plastic, they are cellulose. You can read more about it here!
I just watched a special live action/drama based on the manga Ranma ½ (らんま½), yep, called Ranma ½. For those of you who don't know it, it's a comic series based around a daughter, Akane, due to inherit her family dojo and her arranged fiance, Ranma, who turns into a girl when cool water is thrown on his head. Hot water on the head returns him to his male form. It sounds a bit crazy. It is. It's hilarious. Did I mention that Akane doesn't want or need a fiance and is kick ass on her own?
I really love it when they take a manga from my childhood and turn it into a live action drama. I suppose a lot of the martial arts and transformations in Ranma ½ make it difficult to turn this into a drama with actors, but I appreciated the effort. I was a bit let down by the villain who was not based on anyone from the manga. (Was it just me or were all his henchmen dressed like Hard Gay!?) Also, as it was only a one-off, sadly many of the characters weren't in it, most notably for me, Ryouga/P-chan.
Decided to include a couple of songs from Ranma ½ TV anime: the opening song to the first series (with English subs) and an opening song from the OVAs, which is actually my all time fav song from Ranma ½.
I read more of the manga than watched the show, but still loved it all the same. I also still have my stuffed animal P-chan! Ryouga/P-chan was my fav character and I was always routing for him to get Akane in the end! Did you like Ranma growing up?
When I hear Rococo I can't help think of Momoko's explanation of the Rococo period in European history from the film Kamikaze Girls (also known as 下妻物語, which is based on a book by the same titles). I really love this film and book, but for those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, I've dug up a clip below.
I think Momoko would approve of Pannier and Revolutionary Ball.
Pannier
Revolutionary Ball
Both of these were taken with flash, and you can see some of the colour as it has come off on the lids (international shipping, these things happen!)
swatches: (left) Pannier and (right) Revolutionary Ball
VDC describe Pannier as deep brownish taupe with violet and gold flecks and Revolutionary Ball as dark black with a deep blue sheen.
I think those are pretty spot on descriptions, altho I thought Pannier's shimmer almost looks like there's a light green, but I think this might be the gold colour playing off the taupe. Either way, they're both lovely and not bad at $4.50 USD for 2 grams of pigment.
Speaking of Kamikaze Girls...
makes me think of Anna Tsuchiya, who played Ichigo, the Yanki (think street punk) best friend of Momoko in Kamikaze Girls. Anna Tsuchiya is also pretty badass in real life as well. She's known for her outspoken opinions, and has an amazing career so far which includes modelling and singing as well as acting.
I hope it's true, but Wikipedia quotes her in reference to her difficult modelling days as saying:
"We were all teens at that time. I guess you guys expect some epic stories like — Anna did it, and those who laughed at Anna are now flipping burgers at McDonald's or distributing handbills at Jusco or especially, getting f***ed in porn videos — but sorry, y'all know God is such a balless mofo, now some of those who laughed at me have got bigger successes than me and are super rich... I sometimes feel frustrated with it, but yeah, they made me better."
That just cracks me up! Love Anna Tsuchiya, how could you not!? This girl rocks!
Here's a song from the anime NANA performed by her.
Okay, I'll admit it. I've got a case of the Winter Blues.
The days are short and busy, and it's freezing out. I feel like hibernating.
Snowy evening in my 'hood
I don't fight the feeling. I wrap up in blankets, curl up with a cup of tea in front of the TV or a with a good book (sometimes the book isn't good).
One of my favourite teas
I just read the latest English translation of volume 1 of the Sailor Moon manga by Takeuchi Naoko. I actually read this as a child in French translation (the Glenat release), and then later I read them all in Japanese. For those who were fans, the Mixx/Tokyo Pop translations were pretty disappointing.
The latest releases are by Kodansha, the Japanese publisher of the Japanese manga, and the translations are much better. Okay, to be fair, I don't have my Japanese manga with me to truly compare, but I'm pretty impressed. I love love loved this series as a child, a teenager, and well okay, I guess I never stopped loving it. I'm happy to see it being re-released in English with a better translation for more people to be able to read this amazing story!
I also like to light some candles to help me relax.
Coventry Creations candles
Even tho, I love to stay in when it's cold, I did venture out into the snow today and built a little snowman for one of my besties. And yes, it's supposed to be minimal, so he's not supposed to have a face. :P
Also I'm planning my next giveaway and really excited about it. I really want to know what my lovely readers want, so please vote in the poll (it's on the right hand scroll towards the top of the page/post). You can vote for more than one option, or leave me a comment, send me a tweet, etc!
Fear not, I will get back to beauty blogging! In the meantime, I thought you might like a sneak peak of some of what I've got coming up!
My first Anna Sui purchase is the lovely Rose Cheek Color in 100 Mystic Rose which was released this month (see a preview here).
I was so excited for this. Especially since it's my first Anna Sui experience. Don't get me wrong, AS makeup has always looked fairly enticing, and when I've seen their beauty counters, they're lovely, but I just never felt passionate enough about any of their releases to warrant a purchase. Also, this stuff ain't cheap. 6 grams of product retails for ... um... okay I couldn't find the price quickly, but Ichibankao have it for 4550 yen. Obviously that includes a bit of a markup and shipping/handling fees.
First a look at the packaging. Rose Cheek Color comes in a light-weigh black case. Anna Sui appears branded in metallic purple, I know it looks different above, sorry that was glare from the window. I think I expected it to feel a bit heavier. I guess I got used to Jill Stuart or Lunasol and was expecting something a bit more for the price tag. Don't get me wrong, it's not bad packaging, but I guess I was imagining more.
indoor with flash
It's also worth mentioning that it doesn't come with a brush, although hopefully the photos illustrate that! It is a mirror compact however.
close up of the palette in natural light
Anna Sui describes Rose Cheek Color and Mystic Rose as follows:
A dusting of rose blossoms create the soft sheen of new romance.
Use a single color or create your own original favorite color by mixing the shades.
Moist Powder Base enhances clear color development and a long-lasting pearly sheen.
A blend of highly transparent oil-mix and Clear Sliding Powder helps color to retain a dewy, glossy finish.
Promo photo from Anna Sui Beauty
100 Mystic Rose
A bright translucence and luminescence
a: Ice Blue
b. Pale Lavender
c: Orchid White
d. Misty Purple
Mystic Rose is a highlighter or illuminator rather than a blush.
When you open the package, you really get hit with the scent of roses. I love it! But then, I do love the smell of roses. One of my friends commented that it smelled like soap to her. ¬_¬ As with most scented makeup products, I found the scent was lost when it gets applied, so you don't go around with the scent of roses on your cheeks.
These are very pale and delicate colours, and really hard to capture with my camera. I tried to swatch each of the colours, but I'm not sure you can really see them all. I have to say they are lovely, and I like the slight shimmer to some of the colours, most noticeably the white orchid colour.
I am keen to try one of the blush colours in this collection, but I couldn't decide which shade! I'm still trying to decide! What do you think?
Ya know what all this talk of roses reminds me of?
Yes, Tuxedo Mask, obs, but also of this song from my high school days, バラ色の日々(Bara iro no hibi) by MAX, a Japanese pop girl group from Okinawa that started out in 1995 (thanks, Wikipedia!). You might ask why roses remind me of this song, well it's cos the song title means 'rose-coloured days' and it's actually a Japanese cover of 'Larger Than Life' by the Backstreet Boys (again, thanks Wikipedia, but you probably don't need to click to know that!)
