Ole Henriksen Grease Relief Cleansing Cloths review

Hi there! I'm not much of a makeup wipes person but they are definitely great for those lazy days. I purchased the Ole Henriksen Grease Relief Cleansing Clothes: Oil-Free Pore Refining in the April Sephora 15% off sale. Ole Henriksen has 2 other types of wipes but these are catered more towards combination/oily skin.

Deeply cleanse, exfoliate, and renew pores in one easy step. Uniquely textured cloths exfoliate while glycolic, lactic, and citric acids thoroughly dissolve dead skin cells. Purifying eucalyptus absorb pore-clogging dirt and oil for clarified, fresh-looking skin and AHA's exfoliate, remove dead skin cells, and smooth texture for a refined complexion. 

A great thing about this packaging is that there is a flap top as well as a seal to keep your wipes moist.

These wipes have this sort of medicine-like smell to me, but in a good way. I'm not sure if it's the eucalyptus part of the wipes but I'm fine with it. What makes these wipes different from the other 2 Ole Henriksen wipes is that they have both a smooth side and a textured side for exfoliation.

The plastic beads feel real nice on my skin because it's like a little massage. It exfoliates well and helps remove my flaky skin as well as my makeup. I sometimes alternate in between the textured and the smooth side because the smooth side is more gentle and makes it easier to remove makeup. After using these wipes, I'm left with this tingling sensation on my skin for the next few minutes. It doesn't leave any weird residue or dry out my skin so I feel fine not rinsing it off and immediately following with toner or moisturizer.

I'm really happy with these wipes but they are pricey so I think I will only be purchasing these when I feel like treating myself :P They sell at Sephora for $19 for 30 wipes and $10 for 10 wipes.

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion review + swatch

Sorry for the long hiatus! I've been suffering from midterms and multiple group projects/meetings :(

The product I'm reviewing today is yet another mini sized item. It is the Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion deluxe sample that I received from my Naked Palette.

Eyeshadow Primer Potion is an ultra-sheer, totally nude base that glides onto the skin. The original, award-winning formula disappears instantly and is the ultimate eye prep for smoother, more vibrant shadow and all-day wear with absolutely no creasing. 

 This comes with a wand applicator but has since been redesigned to be a squeeze tube.

Like the description says, this really does prep eyes for eyeshadow/eyeliner and helps my eye makeup stay on longer. It really helps create a smooth canvas for eyeshadow and make the colours really pop. This nude base provides light coverage so it would also be helpful for anybody that needs to cover any veiny eyelids or minor darkness. I use it taily to make my liquidy eyeliner last lnger but it works great with eyeshadows too.

The only downside is that it does not prevent creasing for me. Even when I just use it for eyeliner, I see that the primer by itself still creases on my eyelid. I'll finish off with a swatch of eyeshadow with the primer vs. without.

Without primer (left), with primer (right)

Tarte Pin Up Girl Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush Palette review + swatch

My favourite part about Christmas coming is that Sephora and other stores start to release their Holiday sets! I really regretted not getting the Tarte Off the Cuff Blush palette last year so as soon as I saw this, I snatched it up right away!

 

An exclusive blush set with five brand-new, Amazonian clay-infused blushes and two wearable hair pins—all encased inside of a Parisian-inspired clutch. 

The packaging isn't the greatest and could definitely be made more sleek, but it's the inside that matters ;) This is my first time trying their famous Amazonian clay blushes and they definitely life up to the hype. They are super pigmented and the clay really does help it last on my face longer than most blushes do. It doesn't really last 12 hours, but I'd say it lasts about 8, which is still pretty awesome. The formulation is good too since it is easy to pick up product on your brush but it also isn't too powdery.

From left to right: Breathless (pinky beige), Embraced (plummy rose), Whimsy (light pink), Bashful (rosy peach), Irreplaceable (mauve rose)

With flash

The colours of this palette are amazing and I can see them working with several different skin tones. Breathless too pale and barely shows up on my skin so that is the only one I have issues with. Irresplaeable seems like the most pigmented blush and I've been guilty by accidentally applying too much haha but the rest are easier to use. All in all, I think this is a wonderful palette, and would make an awesome Christmas gift for anyone :) It's also a great way to get someone started in makeup since they'll have all the colours they need right there.

Left to right: Breathless, Embraced, Whims, Bashfull, Irresplacable

With flash

Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3 in 1 Foundation review + swatch

Hey there! The Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3 in 1 Foundation has been my everyday foundation for the past few months. It was the first time in a while that I've decided to try a drugstore foundation so here's my thoughts on it :)

All-in-one foundation with a long-lasting formula that fuses primer, concealer, and foundation in one easy step! The 3-in-1 formula provides a flawless look that lasts all day long.

It is a water-based foundation so I use the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush to blend it in. It is a medium to full coverage foundation and is easily buildable without looking too cakey. It does a great job of evening out my complexion and blends in flawlessly. Even though it claims to also have primer and concealer, I still use them with this foundation. It lasts way longer on my combination skin with another primer and extra concealer really helps to hide my scars and spots. This also does an okay job with controlling oil because sometimes I find that I only have to blot after 6 hours (which is good in the summer my standards)

It has a slightly runny consistency but doesn’t seem super lightweight or heavy so it has been all right for summer weather. I use the shade medium beige 942 for my usual MAC NC25 skintone.One small pump is more than enough to cover my face so this foundation sure goes a long way. It comes in a somewhat heavy glass bottle that comes with both a pump and lid. The weight may not ideal for traveling, but the packaging design of it sure is. 

I'm on my second bottle now so that shows how much I’m liking it. It’s on the pricier side for a drugstore foundation ($12.97 at Wal-Mart) but it goes on sale sometimes and Covergirl occasionally has $1 off coupons available. If you're looking for a drugstore foundation, I definitely recommend this one!

Tony Moly Appletox Smooth Massage Peeling Cream review + swatch

Tony Moly always has super cute packaging! Today’s product for review is the Tony Moly Appletox Smooth Massage Peeling Cream. I received this as a gift and it is a peeling cream that is used to get rid of dead skin cells and reveal a brighter and clearer complexion.

Tony Moly Appletox Smooth Massage Peeling Cream contains keratin extracted from green apple, papaya and other fresh vegetables to provide moisture and to better eliminate waste and clean up old skin cells. The active fruit acids contained in green apples eliminate cuticles in pores, allowing the skin to have more effective absorption of the nutrients provided by masks and other daily skin care products. The keratin extract of papaya leaves the skin fresh, transparent and clean By giving a massage, you will make your skin healthier and livelier.

How to Use: After cleansing face, apply an appropriate amount to face. Avoid mouth and lip areas. Gently massage for 1-2 minutes. Leave it for about 30 seconds. Gently massage the face and rinse off with lukewarm water.

This cream smells just like granny apples! It seems to have some soft peeling beads in it so the cream itself is not a smooth texture. One thing I need to emphasize is that it must be used on dry skin because allows the cream to adhere to skin and enable the peeling. This is the first peeling cream that I’ve ever tried and it was very interesting to use at first. After following the instructions, I could definitely see little balls of dead skin while I was massaging the cream off. My skin did feel very soft after, but I still followed up with a moisturizer.

This apple comes with 80 g of cream so it should last very long. It costs $13.99 on prettyandcute but can also be found on eBay for similar prices.

Eco Art Fest

Hi readers! I'm taking a break from my usual reviews and doing a lifestyle blog! A few days ago, my mom and I went to the Todmorden Mills Eco Art Fest in Toronto. It's this small thing where they exhibit various pieces of art throughout the Todmorten Mills park :) I just thought it'd be nice to share some pics, so here you go!

My parents and I have driven by that park a lot but never been inside. It was very interesting to see the park and the art but there were only 8 pieces and it was a bit out of our way. It took us about an hour to just walk around and look at things. I think that if you're near Todmorden Mills, this is worth a look but if you're farther than that, plan to do other stuff in that area :)

Elizabeth Arden All Gone Eye and Lip Makeup Remover

This product came in an Elizabeth Arden bonus gift with purchase. The Elizabeth Arden All Gone Eye and Lip Makeup Remover is a product that helps remove stubborn waterproof eye makeup.

This two-phase formulation easily, gently removes even transfer resistant waterproof makeup.

To use, first shake it up to combine the oil and the other liquid. It has a milky layer and a green layer and turns very milky when mixed together.

I apply it to a cotton pad and hold it onto my eye or lips for a few seconds to let it break up my makeup before swiping. It actually takes a few swipes to get rid of my eye makeup so I wouldn't count this as a HG eye makeup remover (don't want early eye wrinkles) but it does get the job done. It removes waterproof and glittery eye makeup very effectively. It is very oil though so make sure to rinse with water afterwards :) Here's a few swatches that I cleaned using the remover to show you how well it works!

It is available for purchase at Hudson's Bay at Elizabeth Arden counters.