Sparkled Beauty

I have been very diligent on the Glycolic Acid train this year with Pixi Glow Tonic exfoliating toner, Nip+Fab Glycolic Fix Night pads Extreme (both with 5% Glycolic Acid) and Reversa Solution for oily and acne-prone skin (8% Glycolic Acid).

Joining that train is the brand new L'Oreal RevitaLift Bright Reveal brightening peel pads with 10% Glycolic complex.

Described as an anti-wrinkle plus brightening treatment for skin darkening pigment below the surface from aging and past acne marks, these pads could potential do more than exfoliating. The Glycolic complex in the formula is a combination of Glycolic Acid, Citric Acid and HEPES (a buffering agent) to promote enzyme activities to encourage cell turnover, brighten the skin and reduce wrinkles.

The question is because it is a complex, would the 10% indicated mean for all 3 ingredients? I have no way to figure out what exactly the percentage of just Glycolic Acid itself, thought I should mention that. Still, the product sound like something I have to hunt down to try for myself, doesn't it?

The tub is quite large and holds 30 of the multi-ply textured pillow pads (half the amount in Nip+Fab Glycolic Fix) for almost the same price ($14.97 at Walmart vs. $16.99 for Glycolic Fix). I would assume we are paying more for higher concentration of Glycolic Acid in the formula, but my original question remains.

Unlike Glycolic Fix, suggested to be used 2-3 times a week, RevitaLift Bright Reveal pads can be used nightly, which I do. They are quite thick, slightly larger than a cotton round, one side is textured and the other is smooth (I use both). They do not sting my skin and do not have much of a scent.

Like I mentioned with other glycolic products, I count on their promise to exfoliate, resurface dead skin cells but the effect is not easy to detect. For Bright Reveal, it is also said to brighten and reveal youthful and glowy looking skin, which I can't say I see after a week or two of use.

One more thing that I question with this product is the alcohol being the second ingredient in the list after water and Glycolic Acid quite further down.

Ingredients: Water, Alcohol Denat., Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid, Propylene Glycol, Glycerin, Glycolic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Benzyl Salicylate, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene, Linalool, Peg-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Ppg-26-Buteth-26, Fragrance, F.I.L. # C186330/1.

Overall, I appreciate the 10% Glycolic complex in Bright Reveal but for the amount of pads vs. the price, and the ingredients, I think I will stick with the other alternatives.

The key word for this week on the blog has got to be "subtle". Fitting the theme today is L'Oreal Colour Riche La Palette lip in Nude.

This was actually a surprise to me. Knowing how great L'Oreal Colour Riche lipsticks are in colour choices and pigmentation, I did not expect how subtle the colours in this palette are. You will see what I mean in a minute.

Technically, this La Pallet lip includes 5 "iconic" shades of nude that can be worn alone or layered for different colour effects, including ombre lips.

The packaging stays with the black/ gold theme of Colour Riche lipsticks. The palette is compact and thin enough to fit in your purse, includes a lip brush and a mirror under the lid for touch ups.

Normally I would not care much about the brush, but considering these are lipsticks, the brush is handy for mess-free application. And it is of decent quality, gets the job done.

The untouched surface of the lipsticks in the pan does look matte but turns glossy the moment the brush touches it. And that satin finish does transfer to the lip nicely without bleeding outside the lips and does not feel greasy. No scent detected either.

The colours fit the nude theme in the pans but swatch quite similarly, which is an unfortunate. I mean the Colour Riche line has so many colours to choose from, why pick some that are so close to each other?

These swatches are built up to show you the colours. Shades 3 and 4 are pretty much the same, and 5 is just slightly more brown than 2.

The only shade that is different enough is 1, and even then, it hardly makes a difference on my lips, colour wise. Because they all are lightweight and moisturizing on, these are great as toppers for a matte lip liner or lipstick.

I only recommend this Nude palette for those who need very subtle looks for work, or have naturally pink lips already and only if it is on sale - 0.15oz/ 4.2g for $20 vs. a single Colour Riche lipstick 0.13oz/ 3.6g, $11. Also available in Ruby with red toned shades.

L'Oreal celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Colour Riche lipstick line last year with a collection of 30 best selling colours (LE which are long gone, and core, still around):

- Collection Privee (Nudes): Freida's Nude, J.Lo's Nude, Doutzen's Nude, Julianne's Nude, Liya's Nude and Eva's Nude.

- Collection Exclusive (Pure Reds): Julianne's Red, Blake's Red, Eva's Red, Freida's Red, Zoe's Red and  Liya's Red, and 3 LE shades:  Doutzen's Red, J.Lo's Red, Laetitia's Red.

- Other reds: 297 Red Passion, 315 True Red, 350 British Red.

- Oranges: 163 Orange Magique, 293 Orange Fever, 342 Crystal Cuivre, 417 Peach Fuzz, 444 Tropical Coral, 800 Fairest Nude.

- Pinks/ Berries: 165 Tickled Pink, 266 Rose Saphir, 287 Sparkling Amethyst, 288 Intense Fuchsia, 453 Rose Creme and 580 Peony Pink.

I slowly collected the Pure Reds over a few months, not much for new trend blogging but for my stash record :)

The shades I have so far: Julianne's Red, Blake's Red, Eva's Red and Zoe's Red.

I am glad I did not overlook this collection, as these semi-matte reds are incredible - pigmented, not drying and long lasting. They are hidden gems in the drugstores for sure.

Julianne's Red is a traditional red, neutral toned while Blake's Red has more of a  blue base, more vibrant. Eva's Red has the orange undertone that is flattering on medium skin tone. Zoe's Red is the darkest in the bunch but still very wearable.

Can't you tell I could not pick a favorite among these 4? The line is on sale quite often at Shoppers, so have a swatch fest and pick a few to add to your red collection.

My Shoppers still has a small slot on the permanent shelf that shows the "30 Years lipstick collection" and I grabbed the 2 that, you know me, are bright and bold - 293 Orange Fever and 297 Red Passion (both from the Intense Blondes line).

I sure did overlook the Colour Riche core shades in the last year or so, being carried away by the latest/ more exciting new releases. Mind you, my stash has more than enough Colour Riche shades that last me a lifetime, but also for that reason, I did not give them enough attention.

Orange Fever is the most intense and shimmery orange I have come across in a long while. One swatch and I wonder why I never tried it before. Too much for work for sure but extra fun for weekends, once it gets warmer.

Red Passion would fit right in with the Pure Reds above, except for its finish. I would say it is between Julianne's Red and Blake's Red and not satin matte.

Final words: Get all the bright lipsticks, 30 years or not :) The Colour Riche lipsticks sell for $10.99 each normally, could go on sale as low as $6.99.

One more cushion foundation review to compare with my first - Physicians Formula ABC cushion foundation SPF50 and to have a fair judgement of the trend.

This is L'Oreal True Match Lumi cushion buildable luminous foundation. Similar format - a cushion drenched in liquid foundation with sheer to medium coverage (no SPF), applied with a puff applicator held in a plastic tray on top of the cushion.

Shade selections are much better. Canada gets 8 shades in the range:- W2 Light Ivory, W3 Nude Beige, W5.5 Suntan
- N2 Classic Ivory, N3.5 Classic Buff, N4 Buff Beige, N5.5 Perfect Beige
- C3 Creamy Natural.
US has 4 additional shades: W8 Creme Cafe, C4 Shell Beige, C5.5 Natural Tan and C8 Cocoa.

N3.5 Classic Buff (right) matches me better than Physicians Formula ABC cushion foundation in Light/ Medium (left).

Coverage is slightly better in the L'Oreal cushion foundation but still sheer. Application is, however. much better, very easily to go on and blend out. I also enjoy that light hint of luminosity on then skin.

And lastly, still the same "smaller size - higher price tag" issue. This Lumi cushion is $25 (0.51oz/ 14.6g, while the standard Lumi liquid foundation is $15 for 1oz/ 30ml), vs. the Physicians Formula version is $21.50 for 0.47oz/ 14ml, with $9 rebate.

It even gets crazier when you branch out to higher brands: Sephora $30 (0.53oz), The Face Shop $39 (0.52oz), MAC Matchmaster $43 (0.45oz), Pur Minerals $49 (0.34oz) and Lancome $49 (0.5oz). Laneige offers the best value - $44 (1.05oz), and even that, cushion foundations are not a stand-alone product for my skin unless the coverage is improved.

Despite the tittle, this post is more of a value comparison, with 2 mini reviews thrown in as the starting point. So let's start!

You all have probably seen it - Maybelline Brow Drama pomade crayon. Yes, a chubby (but short) pencil of brow pencil. What's new, you asked?

The answer will depend on how you plan to use it :) The way I do, this pencil gives me a lot of product - creamy and pigmented at that - to fill in my brows (and not to shape it). And it works well for that purpose, but you still need a brow gel to set though.

I like the fact that the pencil is safe in the sealed-in packaging, no contamination. But that also means I bought the shade blindly, and Deep Brown turned out to be pretty dark for me. I might go with Soft Brown next.

The brand says the pencil is meant to help create bold and beautiful brows, and I agree with that. But since you need to go over the brow hair a few times with the pencil, the colour gets dark very quickly. Go with shorter strokes and light hand, unless you want bold brows.

There is also Blonde shade in Canada, and Auburn in the US. The pomade crayons are 0.04oz/ 1.1g, $10.

I also bought L'Oreal Brow Stylist definer to pair with the pomade.

Also sealed inside the packaging is the tiny pencil with precise little core (0.5mm) and a brow spoolie on the other side. Not much product in the pencil so I save it specifically to shape the brows only and leave the filling work for the chubby "guy" above.

Very new in my stash but it is a good one. The texture is just right, not too hard on the hair but not super soft to wears off too quickly either.

Also available in Dark Brunette and Blonde. The pencil is 0.003oz/ 0.09g, $11.

Good colour match between Maybelline Brow Drama pomade crayon in Dark Brown (left) and L'Oreal Brow Stylist definer in Brunette (right) if you use the same amount.

Now the fun part: what we pay vs. the amount of product we get :)
Examples: Jumbo brow pencils:
- Maybelline Brow Drama pomade crayon, 0.04oz, $10
- Annabelle Brow Show brow liner + highlighter: 0.07oz, $10
- Elf eyebrow lifter & filler: 0.16oz, $3 (US).

Micro brow pencils:
- Anastasia brow wiz: 0.003oz, $27
- MAC brow pencil: 0.003oz, $19.50
- NYX Micro brow pencil: 0.003oz, $12
- L'Oreal Brow Stylist definer: 0.003oz, $11.

The jumbo pencils are at least 10 times the weight for the same price or a fraction of it in some case! If you are after the precise edges and tails for your brows, sure, use a micro pencil but don't fill them in with it.

Not terribly new but took me a while to collect was L'Oreal Infallible Pro Matte glosses.

I could have got all 10 shades in the last Super Point redemption at Shoppers but decided on only 4: Bare Attraction, Nude Allude, Rouge Envy and Forbidden Kiss.

You might think of these Pro Matte glosses as another line of matte liquid lipsticks, and you are not too far off.

However, as many of them as I tried, I would not get tired of the light/ comfortable wear, good pigmentation and lasting power. And when they are just right at my finger tip (i.e. drugstore shelves), the more the merrier.

The tear drop shaped applicator has a hollow center to supposedly hold the product for better colour payoff upon application.

The flexible wand proves to be a little hard to manipulate for me, results in the slightly messy swatches below when I could not decide if I want to use the tip or the side of the applicator.

Shade names are printed in white on top of the black rubber cap, very easy to see.

As hinted above, I love almost everything about these glosses. They dry down to matte, so less messy transfer onto cups/ straws/ bowls, etc. and do feel slightly drying after about 5 hours of wear. Nothing uncomfortable though.

Bare Attraction is more nude and works better as a liner top-up while Nude Allude is sufficient on its own. Rouge Envy is the bold one in the bunch, a pinky red and Forbidden Kiss turns out to be a fuchsia pink, not a darker plum as expected.

The Pro Matte glosses are 0.21oz/ 6.3ml, reg. $11.99 each, which, in "$ per oz" perspectives, are cheaper than Colour Pop (0.1128oz/ 3.2g, USD6/ CAD8) but pricier than LA Girl (0.17oz, $5). Catch them with a sale!

So Canada completely missed out on the first (LE) launch of 8 L'Oreal Colour Riche Le Matte and La Lacque full coverage lip colours back in the Fall of 2013.

The original lineup (I got 3, on the top, through a US friend, marked with a *):

- 4 La Lacques: Never-Laque-ing*, Laquer-ized*, Laque-onic* and I Laque You a Lot
- 4 Le Mattes: No Matte-r What, Matte-r of Fact, She's So Matte and Matte for Me.

The brand relaunched the line with 10 shades in the US in June and now Canada receives 8. Heads up: some shade names are recycled from the first launch but for totally different colours, as noted below with the swatches.

Again, the ones I got are marked with the * sign:
- 3 La Lacques: Lacque-y Charm*, Lacque-y You* and Lacquerized (recycled name)
No Lacque and Roll nor Choco-Lacque for Canada :(
- 5 Le Mattes: She's so Matte*, Matter-r of Fact*, Matte for Me (3 recycle names), Game Set & Matte and Mad for Matte.

The caps are now clear but tinted, and the tubes only have one gold "ribbon" wrapped around near the bottom instead of 2.

The La Lacque finish is probably what sets these apart from Maybelline Color Blurs, and generally with slightly less product (0.03oz/ 0.9g vs. 0.04oz/ 1.25g) and without the smudgers, retail about the same price ($10 - $12).

Blog reviews of the first launch favoured the Le Lacque formula. I am glad I got some to try for myself and found the formula that great.

Here are (LE) 2013 Lacquer-ized (a purple tinted pink vs. a red in 2015 release), Never Lacque-ing and Lacque-onic.

From the 2015 line, L-R: Lacque-y Charm, Lacque-y You, She's so Matte (a nude vs. a coral red in 2013 release) and Matte-r of Fact (a dark fuchsia pink vs. a dark red in 2013).

What caught me by surprise the most was how much smoother the Le Mattes go on compared to the (new) La Lacques. And since the finish is more of a satin matte, they are so easy to wear and not drying.

Colour wise, Lacque-y Charm (far left) is just a tiny bit more red than She's so Matte (second from right), so pick the better formula one (Le Matte).

The colours are not super long wearing but last a few hours, through breakfast and a few tea. Both La Lacque and Le Matte lines do have a candy-like scent, which is noticeable at application but does not linger.

If you prefer no scents, go for the Maybelline Color Blurs.

L'Oreal launched Color Riche L'ombre Pure shadows last year in the UK and North America has been lemming over them since.

It was a surprise to find out Canada now gets 4 (LE) shades in the range in 2 different displays at Shoppers.

I am always drawn to that 3D wavy pattern, so the 2 Lumiere shades are a natural choice - 505 French Riviera and 507 Pin Up Pink.

A note on the naming system: the sticker/ safe seal has the collection and shade number (e.g. Lumiere 505), and the sticker at the back shows the shade name.

First set of closeup and light swatches with two quick swipes of my finger. I can confirm the smooth and creamy texture that the products claim to have.

A different lighting angle here. I used a damp brush and built up the colours to show intensity. The eyeshadows show up more metallic IRL.

I like the texture and finish of these eyeshadows. They last through a work day, with a base. These remind me of a more subtle version of Makeup Geek Foiled eyeshadows, with gel infused, creamy texture (not as soft/ fragile) and less intense colour payoff.

I found this picture on pinterest (@Prune Page, click to enlarge) showing the insanity of the range - 42 shades. No further information was available though.

There are over 25 shades listed on L'Oreal UK website (some are LE). 6 collections in the range: 100's Matte, 200's Nude, 300's Smoky, 400's Pop, 500's Lumiere (wavy pattern) and 600's Cameleon (checker pattern).

The other 2 shades Canadians can get their hands on are from the Pop collection - 410 Punky Turquoise and 412 Rock the Blue, $7 each. I hope we get dark and matte shades next.

It was a while back that L'Oreal brought the Dark Sides of Grey collection to Canada. Turned out, we got the Europe version of it. No Masked Affair!

The bottles were the tiny thin 5ml size with different "effects" (Spiky, Wax, Latex, Metallic) instead of the regular Colour Riche bottle shape. Shade selection was different too.

I was a little upset and skipped the entire collection until I found Totally D'Accord in a clearance bin.

It looks dark navy in the bottle but brings out that green sheen on the nails at certain angle. Not a full-on duochrome but a complex base colour. The Spiky Effect texture is quite mild, and the shiny flakes are similar to those of Zoya Pixie Dusts.

This is 2 coats with no top coat to show you the semi matte finish of the base. The glitters have no problem to shine through.

This second pic was taken in the sun. The colour shows up lighter than with flash (above) but I like it either way.

I am going by memory here, but it seems the whole collection in Canada only had 6 (instead of 8) shades, in which only 3 shades are the same as the US collection - Aux Chandelles, Power Potion and Totally D'Accord, plus a name variation between Mademoiselle Grey (Canada) and Miss Grey (US).

It might be a little quiet on the blog this week. I am in Toronto enjoying the best sunny and warm weather I have had this year and did not get around to prep posts in advance. Have a great week!

Would you look at that gorgeous aqua and hot pink packaging!

This trio of L'Oreal Hair Expertise Fibralogy line was sent from the Influenster Vox Box program for review. I couldn't stop oh-ahhing for a long while :)

The idea of thicker hair both excites and cats a shadow of doubt in me.

I normally look for cleansing properties in my shampoo, conditioning work in my conditioner (obviously) and leave the thickening effect to the treatments. If this trio together can do all that, I am all set!

The essence of the line is Filloxane, a molecule proven to increase the section of the hair fibre, supposed to penetrate and diffuse the hair and remain up to 10 shampoos, creating a cumulative thickening effect.

Let's look at Fibralogy thickening shampoo and conditioner first.

I gotta say right away, the shampoo, leaves my hair with, instead of the squeaky feeling when you can hardly run your hand through the strands, the light and fluffy feeling, like it has been deep conditioned already. I am not used to this lol.

The conditioner enhances that feeling, being a nice companion to the shampoo. They both feel creamy coming out of the bottle and smell really nice.

Now I haven't strayed from the regular routine and tested the conditioner alone (the no-shampoo routine, adopted by quite a few ladies out there), so I can't confirm if it can perform the job for the whole line but, it is promising together with the shampoo.

The trick to bring that light thickening effect to the next level is the Fibralogy thickness booster, with L'Oreal highest concentration of Filloxane (5%).

Like a primer for your conditioner, it is a runny clear gel that goes on with no rinsing required. You apply a dime-sized amount of it from root to tip after rinsing out the shampoo and before applying the conditioner.

It also works like a primer - enhancing the volumizing effect and making it last for days. Mind you, it is not going to make your hair look like you just teased it like crazy but save you from that flat hair look without too much effort.

So if you have heard some raves about this line, you will hear them again here. Of course, hair products are just as personal as fragrances, but I hope you would give it a try if you are looking for volume.

I am so sleep deprived today but won't complain as we had a really nice (but busy) weekend. I missed Super Redemption at Shoppers but did manage to grab a few things here and there. 

Our local Marshalls opened on Thursday, I went check out the beauty section. It was not as big as I wanted but I still came home with a bunch of stuff I couldn't find at my Winners.

Start off with 2 UK skin care brands. Dirty Works had almost the whole facial skin care line on the shelf. I grabbed the Pore-fect facial Hot Cloth cleanser, $6.99 (reg. $12). The muslin cloth was included in the box too, very convenient.

I heard good things about Good Things products (see the pun? lol), so I picked up the Deep Clean Blackhead exfoliator with fruit extracts (Papaya & Licorice), $6.99 (reg. $12).

Originally decided to skip on this Good Things Manuka Honey creamy cleanser with Royal Jelly & Beewax, $5.99 (reg. $10) but I went back and got it after realizing how many UK bloggers raved about it.

Product selection from the brand is also quite extensive - masks, facial wipes, face creams, etc.

A little lonely on the side is Bourjois Rouge Edition lipstick in 08 Rose Studio, $8.99 (reg. $20). Most lipsticks in store were still untouched, considering it was the opening day, but I am scared for their fate as time goes on. No seals to protect them from swatchers in store.

Moving on to the higher-end skin care brand that I haven't tried anything from - Rodial.

There were about 5 different products from the brand on the shelf. I chose Glamtox cleansing balm, $24.99 (reg. $50) and Dragon's Blood cleansing water, $14.99 (reg. $36).

Not that I need more face cleanser/ makeup remover, but I couldn't help wondering if these rival the products I have and love in my stash. At a discount, the idea of testing them out seems to be better justified :)

A number of Laura Geller Blush-n-Brighten baked cheek colors were there too. Can't say that I came across the brand before around here.

Most boxes were sealed so I had to shop blindly, in terms of colours. Came home with 3, don't know if I will keep them all, but for now, here are Boysenberry (the only "Sugar free" shade, i.e. matte), Golden Apricot and Berry, $14.99 each (reg. $31).

If you have any of these shades, please let me know how they are and if I should keep them. If you tried others, let me know your favorite shade too.

I did well at Lawtons too. It turned out to be a L'Oreal-extensive haul with the 40% off sale and a few products on clearance for half price (marked with a * below)

I got:
- Infallible Silkissime silky pencil eyeliner in Cobalt Blue, reg. $11.99
- Miss Manga mascaras in Indigo and Turquoise*, reg. $10.99 each
I heard the colours are not very visible on the lashes but still fun to have
- Glossy balms in Baby Berry and Pink Me Up*, reg. $11.99 each
- Pop balm in Wild Lily, reg. $10.99, and
- Color Riche Fixing & Unifying eyeshadow primer, $11.99
Primer in the pen form? Exciting!

I am playing catch-up with L'Oreal new products right now, you see?

Last but not least, the hard-to-find Sonia Kashuk (LE) 15-piece brush set at Target, $39.99.

Sonia Kashuk 15th Anniversary collection was supposed to hit Canadian Target stores a few weeks ago but it took me 3 trips to see the price tag up on the shelf. A SA found one for me from the back room.

Other hauls include a few Illmasqua blushes from the 25% off sale on The Bay, OCC lip tar sets from Sephora sale page and a Makeup Revolution order. What did you haul last weekend?