Reviews and Other Stuff

Month: August 2018

Benefit Cosmetics Brow Contour Pro Review And Swatches

benefit brow contour pro brown-black light

 

Benefit recently released their Brow Contour Pro ($34) products and I couldn’t resist getting my hands on them. The Brow Contour Pros are brow colors that are pretty much contained in a multicolor pen type. Each fat pen houses four shades: A lighter shade for the inner part of the brow. A deeper shade for the outer half part of the brow. There’s also a definer shade to define the brow’s edge, and the last is a highlighter shade to clean and shape the brow’s arch.

benefit brow contour pro review

Personally, I’ve been waiting for a product like these. I usually use two brow shades in order to do my eyebrows since I like to create depth and dimension on them. I learned the technique from makeup artists who advised me to do my brows in that manner so they won’t look so flat. Normally, I tend to pick brow colors that are a shade lighter than my brunette hair, then I’d pick another color lighter than that brow color to use on the inner half of my brows so as to soften my look. Lately, I’ve been using the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz (Soft Brown and Medium Brown) or the Benefit Goof Proof Brow Pencil in shades 3 and 4. I love them a lot, however, I thought it would be kinda easy if I don’t have to lug around two brow products in my makeup bag all the time. I could go with one, but I really love the look of having a contoured ombre-like brow, since it just looks more natural and less harsh to me. So with these Benefit Brow Contour Pros, I feel like my prayers were answered.

 

There are five available shades of these new Benefit Brow products. Three of them are swatched below. The shades/pens I picked are based on what would look good on my hair color and skintone.

benefit brow contour pro swatches

Brown Light – was worried this would be too light for me, but I actually could pull this off, and this softens my look.

 

Brown Medium – this complements well with my black hair color and this also makes my brows look less harsh. The definer and the highlighter shades look pretty identical though.

 

Brown-Black Light –ย thought this is very much the same color as my hair and this makes my brows look a little too harsh, given my light-medium skintone. This would be great if your complexion is very warm to deep. Also, the deeper and lighter shades are quite similar to each other.

 

benefit brow contour pro swatch

 

These Brow Contour Pros are meant to be waterproof and long-wearing, so there’s definitely no worries about them fading so soon. The pigment of these is really good. They apply easily like a cream and set well on my brows after a few minutes. They even stay put after I workout or after I sweat. They can pretty much withstand heat and humidity especially in this Summer and I love that they’re easy to correct or blend. You just use your own pinky finger to sorta correct any smudges or blend the shades perfectly to achieve a natural look.

brow contour bro benefit

As much as I love these brow products, I’m sure you noticed that there’s one thing missing – The Spoolie! There’s no spoolie attached to this multicolor brow pens, it’s actually sold separately (available HERE). So that’s kinda inconvenient, especially since I’m used to having spoolies at the other end of my brow products, which really makes things easier for me. Another thing I wanna point out is that since the pen is thick, it tends to rub against my brow bone which makes the application a little less precise. Other than that, I really love the diversity of shades in these Benefit Brow Contour Pros. They are convenient since you get all the shades you need to create the perfect multidimensional brow, but you’re really going to need that Spoolie with you all the time.

 

benefit cosmetics brow contour pro review

 

Have you tried these already? What are your thoughts?

 

The Benefit Brow Contours Pros are currently available at Sephora, Ulta, Nordstrom, JCPenney

 

Favorite Body Oils

top dry body oil

 

Hey All! One of my latest skincare obsessions are the dry body oils. I’ve been crazy about them that I pretty much hoarded every single body oils I could find, LOL. I tested several and a lot of them are really good, but I do have some personal favorites that we will be talking about today.

A lot of these dry body oils are great for the summer and are also perfect for the coming Fall and Winter. They’re not the typical oils you commonly associate with massage oils or some other oils that are wet, shiny, greasy, and sits on top of the skin. Dry body oils are different, they’re very lightweight, quick-absorbing, non-greasy, and they moisturize the skin very well, even better than most body lotions. Some of them can be also used as hair oils. They’re basically ideal for those who cannot stand the feeling of using body creams and lotions on their skin. Speaking of body creams, check out a review my favorite body creams, lotions, and body butters HERE.

Back to dry body oils, they’re relatively a new trend though they’ve been out for quite some time. A lot of them have been popping out lately in several different packaging and ingredients, and they’ve been well-received by the general public. So for this review, let’s take a closer look at the dry body oils I absolutely adored.

 

With Shimmers

Tom Ford Soleil Blanc Shimmering Body Oil review, Darphin Soleil Plaisir Sultry Shimmering Oil

Darphin Soleil Plaisir Sultry Shimmering Oil (1.7 oz: $55.00) – This body oil gives a nice subtle shimmer that makes your skin glow. It has a soothing floral scent like a rose and something herb-like. The kind that makes you imagine you’re in a spa. This oil sets well on the skin and it hydrates well. It’s not greasy and it’s not sticky. The packaging is small enough to fit inside a purse, but for its price, it’s a little too small. However, you don’t really need to use a lot.ย 

 

Tom Ford Soleil Blanc Shimmering Body Oil (3.4 oz: $100) – What can I say? this is one sexy and sultry body oil. I love the shimmers of this and it’s really hard not to notice it. It makes the skin glow and sparkle in a gorgeous way. The formula doesn’t feel sticky, it’s quick absorbing, and it’s also not greasy. The scent is alluring like a warm beachy tropical fragrance. On top of that, this body oil’s bottle looks so luxurious and so pretty, you can’t help but stare at it all the time. There is also the Rose Gold version/shade of this which has been recently released, and I can’t wait to try it.

 

Tom Ford Soleil Blanc Shimmering Body Oil, Sol De Janeiro Glow Oil in Ipanema Sunset swatch

 

Sol De Janeiro Glow Oil in Ipanema Sunset (2.5 oz: $35) – This body oil will definitely give you that extreme glow and sheen, and it has a nice scent that lingers for several hours up to the next day. The scent is similar to the Bum Bum Cream, only it’s a lot stronger and kinda pungent at first. I love this body oil for its massive amounts of micro shimmers, but it can feel a bit sticky and thick if you use a lot, and it may transfer and stain the clothes as well. However, if you apply just enough product on the skin, then this oil can moisturize and sinks in the skin quite well. Apart from the pungent scent, I think the packaging could be improved by using a pump so that it’ll be easier to control the amount of product dispensed from the tube.

 

Without Shimmers

Fresh Fresh LifeBody Oil

 

Clarins Sunscreen Care Oil Spray SPF 30 for Skin & Hair (5 oz: $36) – I love this oil especially when I spend a lot of time outdoors and whenever I don’t feel like wearing the usual sunscreens or even the cream ones that tend to get sticky on my skin. This is one of the few body oils with added SPF that doesn’t feel sticky and greasy on the skin even after hours of staying under the sun. There’s not a lot of this type of body oil formulation nowadays, and this one sets on the skin immediately and it can also be used for the hair. It also smells amazing. I have a lot of love for this body oil and this is my fourth bottle already since last Summer.

 

Fresh. Fresh LifeBody Oil (3.3 oz: $48) – This oil is probably the thickest and warmest oil of all the body oils mentioned in this review. This also doesn’t feel so “dry”, but a bit sticky and it takes a while for it to set on the skin. This has a nice sweet lemon scent that moisturizes the skin but its formula is a little too moisturizing for this Summer. This is more like a made-for-Winter type of body oil. Additionally, this has a nice beautiful heavy glass packaging that looks sleek and simply pretty, especially the marbleized cap.

 

Clarins Tonic Body Treatment Oil (3.4 oz: $64) – This is the body oil my preggo friends swear by. They said this basically tones the skin and reduces the appearance of stretch marks. You’re supposed to apply this while in the shower and then rinse thereafter, but with me, I apply this right after showering while my skin is still damp and this oil feels so soothing and relaxing since it smells like lavender. I haven’t noticed any improvement on my stretch marks yet, but I did notice the firming and toning effect on my skin, which is amazing.

Nars Monoi Body Glow II, Moroccanoil Dry Body Oil review

Kiehl’s Creme de Corps Nourishing Dry Body Oil (2.5-5.9 oz: $17.50-$34) – This has got to be one of the best-scented body oils I’ve ever tried. It has vanilla and something else I cannot quite discern, but it’s good. The performance of this body oil is just perfect, from its non-sticky, non-greasy, and lightweight formulation, to its hydrating ability, I cannot say anything off about this. I love its easy-to-apply packaging, it’s quick-absorbing texture, and I can only wish that it comes in a shimmery formula as well.

 

Nars Monoi Body Glow II (2.5 oz: $59) – I was so curious about this body oil before trying it, and when I finally did, I felt like I didn’t really like its strong gardenia/jasmine-like scent. However, after a few hours of using it, I seem to like its drydown, which became something like a light floral tone that stays on the skin and to the clothes even up to the next day. The oil itself doesn’t feel greasy or sticky and it moisturizes my skin excellently. Also, its packaging looks simple yet unique and beautiful.

 

Moroccanoil Dry Body Oil (1.7 oz-3.4 oz: $29-$48) – This body oil is as good as Kiehl’s and it has argan, avocado, and olive oil. The scent is kinda fruity and floral and this pretty much sinks into the skin immediately. It’s a very good body oil that doesn’t feel heavy, sticky, or too shiny. Instead, this has a nice silky texture that leaves skin feeling soft and hydrated throughout the day.

 

Caudalie Divine Oil (3.3 oz: $49) – This is another great body oil with grape, sesame, hibiscus, and argan oil, plus antioxidants. I love its floral fruity and woody fragrance. The bottle of this feels really robust and it has a sprayer that throws a very fine mist of oil, perfect for a more controlled application. I love that this is fast-absorbing, light, non-greasy, as well as non-sticky. This is even great for the hair.

 

dry body oil review

 

Overall, I love dry body oils. They’re just so easy and so quick to use. I love that they set fast into the skin and that unlike most body lotions, I no longer have to worry if they’ll transfer to my clothes, or whether they’d feel sticky, greasy, or too warm. If I have to choose my top 3 of all the oils reviewed here, it would be first – the Tom Ford Soleil Blanc Shimmering Body Oil, second- the Clarins Tonic Body Treatment Oil and the Sunscreen Care Oil SPF 30, and third would be the Kiehl’s Creme de Corps Dry Body Oil or the Caudalie or the Moroccan body oil.

 

What’s your fave dry body oil?

 

 

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale 2018 Beauty/Skincare Haul

Hey guys, in today’s review, I’d like to share this mini (beauty and skincare) haul from the last Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. Well, as you all know, the Nordys yearly sale is finally over and it took a long time for my order to arrive. I did order some stuff online and I’d like to show you what I got.

 

nordstrom anniversary sale haul 2018

 

Actually, I didn’t really purchase much clothing stuff, as well as some beauty stuff. For whatever reason, I didn’t get so excited about the selections of sale items this year, but I did want to get something as a gift for some family friends. To be honest, I kinda liked the items that were on sale last year compared to this year. Also, this year, Nordy’s shipping is terrible. By the time I got my stuff, the sale was pretty much over. Anyway, the beauty and skincare sets I got were some of the items that took my interest. There were some sets that got sold out immediately but thank goodness since there were several decent sets left to choose from. The sets that I’m about to review might be gone now but you can still purchase the products individually in their regular sizes at Nordstrom or in any other beauty or skincare stores.

 

bobbi brown shimmer brick sunset pink

 

Bobbi Brown Mini Glow Set $32 – It comes with a Mini Shimmer Brick Highlighter in Sunset Pink and a Mini Face Blender Brush. I’m totally in love with the shades of this particular highlighter even though the packaging looks really tiny. It has this perfect blend of slight shimmer, with a hint of peachy blush and a bit of bronzer. The glow I got out of this is really beautiful with a natural diffused effect. It’s not too blinding and it’s not too bronzey. Not too pinkish either. It manages to be light enough to make it glowy and buildable at the same time. I love that it really defines the face and it’s very versatile to use. You can pretty much use it as a bronzer, a highlighter or as a blush. You can even put it on the lids. For me, this is a perfect bronzer/blush, hands down, and I’ll definitely look into the larger version of this because I love this so much. On the other hand, the Mini Face Blender Brush is amazingly precise and easy to use. I was kinda doubtful about its small size when I first saw it, but it actually can cover my whole cheek and can even be used as a highlighter brush. It’s so soft and it gives me a nice control when applying my blushes and bronzers. Overall, this is a very good affordable set.

 

bobbi brown shimmer brick highlighter in sunset pink

bobbi brown shimmer brick highlighter sunset pink swatch

bobbi brown shimmer brick sunset pink

 

Stila Good To Glow (Liquid Eyeshadow Set) $35 – This set has one full-size shade from the Shimmer & Glow (Metallic)Kitten, and two full-size shades from Glitter & Glow: Gold Goddess and Smoky Storm. I’ve always wanted to try these Stila liquid eyeshadows since I’ve heard good things about them, and since they’re the liquid type, I thought they might be practical and easy to use. However, ever since I got these and had been practicing with the application, I find these liquid eyeshadows to be quite a challenge to use. The application is tricky and they seem to be way too glittery for my taste. The Glitter & Glow shades (Smoky Storm and Gold Goddess) have chunky glitters that are too vivid and too blinding for my taste. Even the Shimmer & Glow (Kitten) is still too bold for my taste, but perhaps using a different more muted or deeper shade could have probably worked for me. Also, the formula of these conspicuous eyeshadows is too fluid that they can be hard to blend. Their brush applicators tend to put a lot of products on the lid, so I guess the technique of using them is basically not to put a lot, and just use a brush to spread and blend the liquid evenly and quickly on the lid since the formula does set immediately. I wish Stila would reformulate these into something creamy, however, being as they are, these eyeshadows do feel light as if nothing on the lids. Perhaps, with more practice, I could make these work better.

 

stila liquid eyeshadow in kitten, golden goddess and smoky stormstila liquid eyeshadow in kitten, gold goddess, smoky storm swatches

 

stila liquid eyeshadow kitten, smoky storm, gold goddess

 

Kiehl’s Fuel Your Adventure Set $35 – Comes with several minis: Kiehl’s Facial Fuel Face Wash, Ultimate Brushless Shave Cream-White Eagle, All-in-One Energizing Wash for Hair & Body, Energizing Non-Oily Facial Moisturizer, and No-Shine Moisturizing Lip Balm. This is an affordable men’s set that will be useful for traveling. I can’t speak for any of the individual products inside this set since I will be gifting this soon, but I could see that this is such a good deal since there’s a little bit of everything from the Kiehl’s Body Fuel line for men.

 

kiehls body fuel for men

 

Diptyque Candle & Fragrance Set $72 -This set has three Mini Diptyque Signature Candles (1.2 oz each) in Tubereuse, Roses, and Baies. There’s also three Pen Sprays/Eau de Toilettes (0.2 oz each) in L’Ombre dans L’Eau, Do Son and Eau Rose. I’m so excited about this set, but unfortunately, this won’t be mine since this will be gifted soon as well. I also prefer to have my Diptyque candles in large sizes so I could burn them for a long time. I did manage to sniff the Pen Sprays and OMG, they’re awesome! My first impression with L’Ombre dans L’Eau is that it smells pretty much like the Baies Candle, and Do Son has a Jasmine-ish scent, which smells kinda strong at the beginning, then it fades nicely into a light floral scent. Eau Rose has a light rose scent reminiscent of Rosa Mundi. Overall, the candles and pen sprays in this Diptyque set are perfection.

 

diptyque candle and fragrance set: baies, roses, tubereuse, do son, eau rose, L'Ombre dans L'Eau

 

That’s it, you guys. I’m pretty much satisfied with the stuff I bought from this year’s Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, even though I didn’t really buy a lot. I wish Nordy will improve their shipping next year and will have better selections of sale items as well. I’m looking forward to finding some exciting and unique deals next year. ‘Till then.