MAC Blue Eyeshadows Continued - Plumage Review and Swatch

Do you remember in my last post I mentioned that I think I was forgetting to include one of my MAC blue eyeshadows, but I couldn't remember for sure? Well sure enough, I forgot one. I forgot Plumage, which is sad on my part since I just used it the other day and that is why it wasn't with the rest of my MAC collection. This is a matte colour which I would describe as a very dark teal grey or navy. It is a very unusual colour. I like it, but I never reach for it. When I used it the other day, it was to remind me of what I thought about it. When I bought it ages ago, the MAC artist I spoke to at the counter told me that it works well with Surreal. I was buying Surreal, so I thought, "what the hell?". I have never worn the two together. Maybe I should one of these days.....

I like to make a wedge with this on the outer corner with neutral eyeshadow on my lid and some black gel liner along my lash line. It's quite flattering and I have been complimented on this look. It looks classy and work friendly but gives it a bit of mystery.

Since I seldom reach for this colour, I was thinking to myself that I should do a blog on MAC eyeshadows that I never reach for. Some I never reach for because I don't like them and others because they don't work with a lot of looks. So that will be coming up shortly!

Back to Plumage. I find the formula is smooth enough and is fairly easy to work with. I should wear it more and I will make an effort to do just that. I swatched Plumage next to Contrast by MAC so that you could er see well a contrast......lol

Plumage is on the left and Contrast is on the right. My skin looks yellow here and I had just put makeup remover on my arm to remove other swatches so the colours look streakier than they should. Sorry! Also, sorry again for forgetting this one with my last post. Hope you all had a Happy Easter!

ALL MAC EYSHADOWS

Packaging: 10/10
Price: 7/10
Ingredients: 8/10
Travel Worthy: 9/10

Plumage

Pigmentation: 8.5/10
Easy to Work With: 8/10
Longevity: 8.5/10
Texture: 8/10
Attractiveness of Product: 9/10
Do I get a lot of use of this Product? No, but maybe I should!
Would I buy this again? Maybe

Overall Rating: 8.5/10

MAC Blue Eyeshadows - Review and Swatches

I have really let blogging about my MAC eyeshadow collection slip. So I am back at it. I have a stack of eyeshaow palettes that I am busy trying to get through for you guys and review. So more about that coming soon. In the meantime...here are the MAC blue eyeshadows that I own. I have a bad feeling that I have forgotten one. I will let you know if I have.

From left to right - Swan Lake, Moon's Reflection, Tilt, Electric Eel and Contrast. I really like Swan Lake, but I must confess I never wear it. It is a light blue grey and it is a bit unusual. Swan Lake is from the MAC Danse Collection circa 2006. I think it along with French Grey are the first limited edition MAC eyeshadows that I ever bought.

I have no love for Moon's Reflection. This is a regret purchase for me. I bought it to add a light blue to my inner corner when I am doing a blue look. When I wear it with Tilt, the two look almost identical on. You can't tell where one ends and the other begins. Tilt is the better of the two. Whenever I wear Tilt, my husband usually comments that he likes the colour on me.

From left to right here are the swatches - Swan Lake, Moon's Reflection, Tilt, Electric Eel and Contrast.

I love Electric Eel. This has to be one of MAC's best eyeshadows and this is not a colour you see very often. Because it is so loud, I seldom wear it, but when I do, I remember how much I love it. It looks awesome in the outer corner with light green eyeshadows on the lid. It's smooth and super easy to work with. Finally, we have Contrast. I want to love Contrast, but I just don't. The colour is a nice navy purple, but I find it to be a bit rough, slightly chalky and a pain in the ass to work with. At the end of the day these are MAC eyeshadows so like pizza, even when it's not so great, it's still good!

ALL MAC EYSHADOWS

Packaging: 10/10

Price: 7/10

Ingredients: 8/10

Travel Worthy: 9/10

 

Swan Lake

Pigmentation: 7/10 

Easy to Work With: 8/10

Longevity: 7/10

Texture: 8/10 

Attractiveness of Product: 10/10

Would I buy this again? Maybe (but can't since it is Limited Edition)

Overall Rating: 7.5/10

Moon's Reflection

Pigmentation: 6/10

Easy to Work With: 8/10

Longevity: 9/10

Texture: 6.5/10

Attractiveness of Product: 7/10

Would I buy this again? No  

Overall Rating: 6.5/10

 

Tilt

Pigmentation: 9/10

Easy to Work With: 8.5/10

Longevity: 9/10

Texture: 8/10

Attractiveness of Product: 8.5/10

Would I buy this again? Yes 

Overall Rating: 8.5/10

 

Electric Eel

Pigmentation: 10/10

Easy to Work With: 9/10

Longevity: 9/10

Texture: 8.5/10

Attractiveness of Product: 10/10

Would I buy this again? Hell Yes

Overall Rating: 9.5/10

 

Contrast

Pigmentation: 8/10

Easy to Work With: 4/10

Longevity: 4/10

Texture: 4/10

Attractiveness of Product: 9/10

Would I buy this again? No

Overall Rating: 5.5/10

Illamasqua Nail Varnish in Mottle - Review and Swatch

My favourite ice cream of all time is Mint Chocolate Chip. Never did I think that would look good in a nail polish colour, but then I saw an ad for this nail polish and I fell in love. This is Illamasqua's Nail Varnish in Mottle. I had to hunt this down. Sephora was sold out online when I checked and so was the Toronto Eaton Centre. I finally nabbed the last bottle at my local Sephora. The black bits seem really sturdy if that is the right choice of word. They are well embedded in the nail polish and do not flake or chip off. My nails almost remind me of a green Robin's egg (I know they are blue but this is close). I think the colour is so cool. What do you think?

This is the first Illamasqua purchase that I have ever made. I am interested in their blushes, but I need another blush like I need a hole in the head. If any of you can recommend the Illamasqua blushes or a particular colour, please let me know. I will keep it on the radar. This nail varnish also came in a purple, baby blue, pink and tan colour with the black specs. A bottle is $16 U.S. and $18 Canadian. The purple and the blue were also very nice in opinion, but I fell in love with the green in Mottle.

I have had this on for a couple of days and I must say that I don't see much in the way of chips. Usually, a manicure (I did this one myself) lasts me one day tops and then it is chip city. So this seems to be holding up as well as the next nail polish. The formula is pretty thick and goopy. It does not glide on easily, but I think the formula is that way to keep the black specs in it and not slide away. Because of the look and texture of this nail polish, it's hard to screw up painting your nails with this. Even if you overdo a swipe, you can easily make it look good and no one will know you messed up.

**UPDATE: After three days of wear, I had huge chunks chip off. This is standard for me with nail polish, but I thought I would mention that this polish is not any more long lasting than any other brand. Also the black specs are a bitch to remove.**

Packaging: 10/10

Pigmentation: 7.5/10 

Easy to Work With: 7/10 (not super easy but can fix mistakes easily enough)

Longevity: 8/10

Texture: 6/10

Price: 6/10 (it's overpriced)

Ingredients: 7/10

Travel Worthy: 10/10

Attractiveness of Product: 10/10

Would I buy this again? Yes

Overall Rating: 7.5/10  and it's super cool!

Urban Decay Feminine Palette - Review and Swatches

Hello! Today I am going to review the Urban Decay Feminine Palette. There is also a UD Dangerous and UD Fun palette that is in the same format and product line as this palette. I bought this at Sephora and in my mind, this was the best looking one of the three. There are 6 eyeshadows in here and a mini Lip Junkie lip gloss in Wallflower which I have nearly finished already.

The eyeshadow colours are Bordello, Skimp, AC/DC, Gunmetal, Hijack and Lost. If I am not mistaken, all of these colours are from their permanent eyeshadow line except Skimp. The palette is $40 Canadian and $36 U.S. Considering an individual UD eyeshadow is $18 U.S. and $22 Canadian, this is a good deal if you like most or all of these colours. Each eyeshadow in the palette is 0.3 oz. and the individual eyeshadows that UD sells are 0.05 oz. Sometimes I find Urban Decay palettes to be a bit hit and sometimes a miss, but I have to say I love this one. I like every single colour in here. Some of them look good together and they all blend really nicely. UD has really upped their game. These colours are colourful, but what I like about them is that they are wearable, even during the day.

 

 

Bordello, AC/DC and Lost look great together. All of the eyeshadows are smooth, creamy and are quite pigmented with the exception of Skimp. Looking at Skimp in the palette, I thought to myself that it would be a dud, but it actually works well with all of the colours in here and it transfers better to the eye than it did on the swatch on my arm below. I am not saying I would run out and buy Skimp if it was available on its own, but it has a nice place in this palette. I love the Lip Junkie Wallflower colour and product which is a creamy nude pink. They are so moisturizing and comfortable. It gives off a great glossy look and the ingredient list for the Lip Junkie and this palette is not bad at all.

 

 

 

The colours are from left to right and from top to bottom - Bordello, Skimp, AC/DC, Gunmetal, Hijack and Lost. As you can see, Skimp is a bit lacking in pigment on my arm. Overall, I am really happy with this palette and the packaging is super sleek and cute. Excellent work UD!

 

Packaging: 10/10

Pigmentation: 9/10 (no issues except with Skimp)

Easy to Work With: 10/10

Longevity: 9/10

Texture: 9/10 (Skimp is a tiny bit gritty)

Price: 8/10

Ingredients: 8/10

Travel Worthy: 10/10 

Attractiveness of Product: 10/10

Would I buy this again? Yes

Overall Rating: 9.5/10

 

 



Target "Tarjay" Canada Haul

I'm not one to do "haul" blog posts, but today I am going to! Target or "Tarjay" if you prefer opened some stores in Canada for the first time this month. One of their first pilot stores opened up a few blocks from my house 4 days ago. I had to check it out. I was hoping to get my hands on some ELF, Milani or Wet n' Wild products, but they didn't have any of those brands. They did have Sonia Kashuk brushes though! I showed some restraint and only bought 4 things.

I purchased a big bottle of Burt's Bees Milk & Honey Body Lotion, two L'Oreal Infallible eyeshadows in 015 Flashback Silver and 033 Tender Caramel, and an Essie nail polish in Muchi, Muchi. I have been staring at the L'Oreal Infallible eyeshadows in drugs stores for months so I finally broke down in Target since they were $7.99 Canadian there and most other drug stores are charging around $12. I didn't get the colours that I wanted though! I would like to get Smoldering Plum, Bronzed Taupe, Amber Rush and Liquid Diamond, but no store in Canada seems to sell those colours. What is up with that??? I have also had a hard time finding Muchi, Muchi by Essie and ta da Target came through. So that was my small haul. Reviews of the L'Oreal Infallible eyeshadows coming soon. I am so sick and tired of everyone praising them online, I have to test them out for myself and see what the fuss is all about.

Back to MAC!

First of all I want to say thank you to all of my readers! I hit 50,000 page views today. Not bad for the little blog that could!

I am not in the habit of doing blogs on my "empties" as many of you know. Maybe I will do some at some point, but I always think I don't go through enough stuff in a month to make it worth your while. Anyway, I have been meaning to get some of my MAC empties back to MAC because I have them and also I am jonesing for a new eyeshadow. I think I will see if they still have Brown Down or perhaps Beautiful Iris. So my MAC empties (which I have been working on for over a year - yikes!) consists of 3 empty bottles of Brush Cleaner (love the stuff), a Zoom Fast Black Lash Mascara (very decent mascara), a Studio Tech in NC25 (hated this and have a blog post on it) and finally an empty MAC Paint Pot in Painterly. The first Paint Pot one I have ever finished. I am more than half way through my second pot of MAC's Painterly by the way!

Hope you are all having a great Tuesday. I have a stack of eyeshadow palettes that I am trying to get through testing for you guys so I will have lots of good reviews shortly!

Makeup Geek MUG Eyeshadows in Beaches & Cream, Bada Bing and Goddess - Review and Swatches

Hi Everyone! Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I ordered a bunch of Makeup Geek Eyeshadows a couple of months ago and I haven't gotten around to trying them until lately. Too much makeup, too little time. Today I am going to review Beaches and Cream, Bada Bing and Goddess. All three are very nice, have good pigmentation and blend well. Out of the three I like Beaches and Cream and Bada Bing the best. Goddess is nice, but the colour is just not my style as it is on the warm side. Makeup Geek suggests that Goddess is a dupe of MAC's Coppering and I would have to agree. If you are like me and you don't wear a lot of warm colours or rust coloured eyeshadow, but you like to have that colour in your collection, I would skip MAC's Coppering and just get MUG's Goddess to save some cash. That was part of the reason behind the purchase of that shade for me anyway.

What I like about Beaches & Cream is that it is smooth and not chalky at all. I find some of the MUG eyeshadows that are on the lighter side can be chalky and this one is not at all. I wish I would have gotten this shade over say Vanilla Bean. Beaches and Cream is great at blending out warm crease colours or wearing as a brown highlight. I would wear this colour as an overall wash personally.

Bada Bing is a bit unique in a way although there are similar colour out there in the same family of sparkly browns. I like it though and find it a lot easier to work with than a lot of the browns in my collection. Each eyeshadow is $5.99 U.S. and Makeup Geek has very reasonable shipping rates even to Canada! These three are thumbs up!

Here are the swatches:

Rating Below Applies to All Three Shades

Packaging: 9/10 (small and convenient providing you have a Z palette)

Pigmentation: 9/10 (Beaches & Cream could be a bit more pigmented)

Easy to Work With: 10/10

Longevity: 10/10

Texture: 8/10 (Bada Bing is a bit gritty but that is not an issue)

Price: 10/10

Ingredients: 9/10 (parabens are now on the may contain part of the ingredients - kinda odd)  

Travel Worthy: 9/10 (small and convenient providing you have a small Z palette

Attractiveness of Product: 10/10

Would I buy this again? Yeah   

Overall Rating: 9/10

Friday Fun - Owl Earrings

Without Flash

I sort of promised myself when I started this blog over a year ago that it would be strictly for makeup and beauty products and that I wouldn't branch off into other areas like some bloggers do. I have decided to kind of go back on the promise I made to myself just a smidge. I vow not to make this a frequent habit, but I might show you guys a thing or two over the next little while. Earrings are an accessory which is a beauty item kind of right? Ahem.

So I saw these earrings last week in Reitmans of all places and I had to have them. I love owl stuff and these were so cute!!! I can't tell you how many compliments I got on them. They were $8 Canadian but look much more expensive.

                                         With Flash

Finally, me wearing them. I am sorry I couldn't seem to get a fabulous picture of them....

Sigma Spa Brush Cleaning Glove - Review

 

 

The moment I saw this product, I had to have it. In my mind's eye, I have been dreaming about a product like this and Sigma has come very close to nailing it. I have a lot of brushes. I am talking about 50 or more. I take my brushes very seriously as an investment. I own a lot of MAC brushes and I also own a bunch of Sigma, Real Techniques, EcoTools, Louise Young, Sonia Kashuk etc. These brushes overall cost me a lot of money. I take good care of them and their longevity is paramount to me. Yes, this "oven glove" as some people have called it, is $39 U.S. I got 10% off of course, but this is still a pricey tool. No bones about it. I have been blown away by how reviled and trashed this product is online by some blog readers. I swear there are more haters of this glove than there are PETA members! A common thread of the "haters" seems to be those that don't own this glove. Surprise, surprise.  As I always say, "don't knock it until you've tried it".

 

Emily from Beauty Broadcast was practically lynched on YouTube for giving this glove a positive review. Insane! Let the woman say her peace and if you want to buy it, do, and if you don't, don't. It's that simple. Hello, it's a silicone glove people, not the plague! I am not a Sigma affiliate and maybe one day I will consider it, but I am not at present. I paid for this glove with my own hard earned money and this, I swear, is an honest review.

 

I hate washing my brushes. I always get dish pan hands when I do and I HATE that! Also, I never feel like I am really getting a good, deep down clean just by swirling my soapy brushes in my palm over and over again. This process takes forever and I usually only do a few at a time. I have better things to do than stand over a sink half of the night cleaning makeup brushes. I kept thinking over the years, there has to be a better way. Enter Sigma's Spa Brush Cleaning Glove.

 

There are two sides to this glove. One is for face brushes and one is for eye brushes. The nubs are different sizes appropriately. Each side of the glove has a special place for washing, rinsing, refining and shaping. As you can see, I got the black glove. Figured it would show the least wear and tear over the years. This glove really works well I think. I washed about 20 brushes tonight in less time than washing 10 brushes usually takes me. The nubs really concentrate the brush cleanser and get in there for a complete and fast clean. You wear the glove on your right hand for doing eye brushes and your left for face brushes. The refining sections are really fantastic. I love this product and it will change the way I wash brushes forever. No more dish pan hands!

I only have 3 issues with this product. One, the price is ridiculous. I bet this didn't even cost Sigma $10 to make. It was likely less than $5! Still, for me, it is worth the money with the time I am going to save alone. I do think Sigma should be charging $20. Second, the inner white glove is cheap and is scratchy as all hell! Make sure your hands are well moisturized before you put this on or you are in for a nasty treat. Finally, my third issue is with the thumb area for the "shaping". I don't really find that it gets out a lot of the water, especially on the smaller brushes, and I don't think it does a great job of shaping my brushes.

If you only own 5 brushes or your total brush collection cost you less than this glove, than by all means pass on this purchase. You likely don't need it. I love this glove for saving my hands and for doing a better job than my hands do in a fraction of the time. I would only recommend buying this glove if you have an extensive brush collection or you hate washing your brushes with a passion with your hands or you have money to burn. If 2 or 3 apply, I think the choice is clear. Most palettes cost more than $39 so I fail to see why people are so up in arms about this product. I can't tell you how pleased I was to finally get this in the mail. It will change my world and I can guarantee that it will be on my Best of 2013 when the time comes (as long as it doesn't fall apart). Consider giving the glove some love! That sounded cheesy.....sorry!

Packaging: 8/10

Price: 4/10

Works Well: 9/10 (would be a 10/10 but the thumb/shaping feature isn't great)

Easy to Work With: 9/10 (switching hands is a bit annoying and the inner glove itches)  

Travel Worthy: 7/10 (it's a bit big but light and compact - don't think I would travel with it though) 

Would I buy this again? Hope I never have to but I would.   

Overall Rating: 8.5/10

 

MAC Archie's Girls Veronica's Blush - Review and Swatch

I only ended up getting one thing from the MAC Archie's Girls Collection. Bummer. As usual with a MAC Limited Edition Collection, the products flew off of the shelf and hardly anything was left within a few hours of its release. I wanted to get some of the Veronica lipsticks, but they were long gone. I debated whether or not to get the Veronica eyeshadow palette called Spoiled Rich but I decided against it. At $52 Canadian or $44 U.S., it is quite expensive for what you get. I read a lot of mixed reviews on the eyeshadow palettes too so I just said no.

I have always loved Veronica and disliked Betty. I think it's because I am a brunette. To me, Betty was always so homely, boring and a goody goody. Not my style. That being said, Betty's blush from this collection, Cream Soda, was supposedly quite nice, but it too was gone in a flash.

So I was able to pick up one thing like I said, the MAC Archie's Girls Pearlmatte Face Powder in Veronica's Blush. This stuff was expensive but I wanted to get something from this collection and this seemed like a good choice. It was $35 Canadian and $30 U.S. which is um ouch. I don't regret getting it though. It is a very nice powder and the packaging and look of the product is sooo cute. The blush is described as a silvery deep pink base with deep pink hearts. Apparently the hearts are MAC's Frankly Scarlet blush.

When I swirl my brush around in the pan, I find the blush comes off quite reddish. I would use a light hand with this. It's comes off a lot darker than it looks. If you avoid the hearts, it would be more pinky peach. I can't say that this will be a blush that I frequently reach for because the colour doesn't go with everything (I think it is more suited to winter too) but it is nice and the packaging is adorable! You get 10g if product here which is a lot so MAC at least did that for us. Here is a swatch on my finger. It looks a lot more dark and red on the cheek. Sorry I haven't taken a pic of that but I will soon and will add it to this post.

The packaging is very sturdy and does not feel cheap.The product has no smell really.

Packaging: 10/10 (props for the big mirror)

Pigmentation: 9/10

Easy to Work With: 8/10

Longevity: 7.5/10

Texture: 7.5/10

Price: 4/10

Ingredients: 7.5/10

Travel Worthy: 8/10 (sturdy but big) 

Attractiveness of Product: 10/10

Would I buy this again? I can't since it is limited edition but maybe I would if I could 

Overall Rating: 8/10

Quo Brush Cleaner - Review

Hello! I am afraid that this blog post may not be much fun to read for my non-Canadian readers. Quo is a brand that is put out by Shoppers Drug Mart here and I don't think you can find this brand outside of Canada, but I could be wrong.

I recently ran out of my MAC Brush Cleaner and just haven't gone to a MAC store to get more yet. I also ran out of my Quo Purifying Brush Shampoo. I went to Shoppers and grabbed this Quo Brush Cleaner for kicks, just to tie me over until I can get to MAC. I hate this stuff. It smells of tea tree oil and I can not stand that smell. Also, it doesn't work well. I spray and I spray and hardly any makeup comes off of my brushes. This works better on my eyeliner or small eye brushes, but forget about trying to clean a foundation or blush brush with this stuff. It's useless. Sorry, but there it is. The Quo Purifying Brush Shampoo is 100x better. I think the Quo Brush Cleaner cost me around $14 Canadian.

I got so frustrated with this the other night that I literally grabbed an old bottle of Dove shampoo out of my cupboard and washed some of my brushes with that. It worked really, really well by the way at getting all of the makeup off of the brushes! I didn't feel that the Dove conditioned the fibres though so I wouldn't highly recommend this practice. Quo, this was a total bust!

Packaging: 8/10

Price: 6/10

Ingredients: 6.5/10

Works Well: 0/10

Easy to Work With: 0/10

Travel Worthy: 3/10 (not unless you packed some in a separate leak proof container or stood the product upright)

Moisturizing: 2/10

Smell: 0/10

Would I buy this again? HELL NO  

Overall Rating: 1.5/10

Smashbox Blush Rush in Radiance and Flush - Review and Swatches

I own two Smashbox blushes - Radiance and Flush. Smashbox makes some very nice blushes and in my opinion, these two colours are their best two. I have a friend who has Chiffon and Heartbreak and she really likes those a lot. I think Smashbox only has 6 blush colours although they have come out with a new type of blush I believe. I will have to check that out. I have my eye on Passion and may get it one of these days.

I have to say that Radiance and Flush are two of my favourite blushes. Flush makes my Top 5 and Radiance is easily in the Top 10. I have hit the pan on so few blushes in my life. In fact, I have never finished an entire blush pan. As you can see, I have hit pan on Flush above.

                                          Radiance, Flush

Radiance is not as wild as it looks, but I would still use a light hand when applying it. It instantly brightens your face. It is a loud fuchsia pink. Flush is unusual. It is a very muted, shimmery, pale pink. When I don't want to wear an obvious blush colour or I want to look fairly neutral, I reach for Flush. It gives you a lovely shimmery, youthful glow and it goes with any outfit, makeup look or hairdo. It makes you look awake. It's great for work or an afternoon out shopping. Also works for clubbing. I'm just saying.

There are two things that I don't like about these blushes. The first is the amount of product that you get. They contain 3.7g of blush. MAC's blushes are 6g. That is right, nearly double the size and a MAC is cheaper. Smashbox blushes are $24 U.S. and $29 Canadian. I think that is expensive for 3.7g. You wonder why I have hit the pan? Me, the girl who seldomly does? It's because you don't get much blush here. There is a handy mirror that swivels out from underneath the pan. That is handy and neat.

I find these blushes to be a bit dry. They are not as soft or as creamy as some other blushes out there. I do find them long lasting though and the colours are unique and gorgeous. They apply well and blend easily. Overall though, I really like the two that I have. I usually wait until I have a coupon at Sephora or have points I can use at Shoppers Drug Mart before I buy one of these. The price is just painful for what you get.

Packaging: 9/10 (props for the mirror)  

Pigmentation: 9/10

Easy to Work With: 8/10

Longevity: 7.5/10

Texture: 7/10

Price: 3/10

Ingredients: 7.5/10

Travel Worthy: 10/10

Attractiveness of Product: 10/10

Would I buy this again? Yes and it pains me to spend the money

Overall Rating: 8/10 (if only they were cheaper or you got more product)

Boscia MakeUp-BreakUp Cool Cleansing Oil - Review

Tiffany D recommended this product a little while ago so I thought I would try it. I always have issues getting all of my stubborn mascara off. The first time I used this, it was a disaster. I got some in my eye and it burned! It was messy and seemed like a hassle to use. I checked the information online and it said nothing about whether or not you can use this to remove eye makeup. I got the impression that other people and bloggers were using this to remove their eye makeup so I was a bit confused. I emailed Boscia and they got back to me quickly and confirmed that I could absolutely use it to remove my eye makeup.

Now the ingredients in this product are pretty good. With that in mind, I gave it another try and have used this quite a few times to remove my eye makeup since. Since this is not a cheap product, $31 Canadian and $26 U.S., I usually save it for when I have lots of eye makeup on to make it worth my while. Since the first time I used this, I have not gotten it in my eye again. Thank goodness. That was unpleasant. This really does work well and gets rid of my stubborn mascara. I do find though after you wash it off that in order to get whatever eye makeup remains post rinse, it helps to used a wet cotton pad or even one with a little eye makeup remover on it. That gets rid of any remaining makeup residue in usually a wipe. The longer you leave this on your eyes, the better it works. It feels nice on your skin and leaves your skin comfortable and soft.

I am a bit lazy when it comes to removing my makeup. Bad habit, I know. I always take it off before bed, but I really should remove it when I get home. I like to quickly wash my face and then use toner on my face and makeup remover to get anything off of my eyes. Quick wipes for me! I find this product to be a bit labour intensive and it certainly is not for a lazy person. You have to apply it with your fingers to dry skin and then gently push or massage it over your face. I find it then helps to wait a few moments. Then you have to wash it all off and you might still need to quickly go over an area with toner and/or makeup remover just to remove what the "wash off" didn't. I do like this product, I think it is unique, but I only have patience to use this on the weekends when I have some time to spare. That being said, I only really wear a good deal on makeup on the weekends, so it makes sense then and works out fine. I would love it if Boscia could event this product in a more convenient format.

Packaging: 8/10

Texture: 9/10 (it's like a thin gel)  

Price: 5/10

Ingredients: 9/10

Easy to Work With: 4/10  

Travel Worthy: 0/10 (not unless you packed some in a separate leak proof container) 

Moisturizing: 8/10

Comfortable/Softening: 9/10

Would I buy this again? Maybe 

Overall Rating: 7.5/10 (labour intensive but works!)

Algenist Overnight Restorative Cream - Review

I got a large sample of this from Sephora back in the Fall. I had never heard of this brand, nor had I any idea how much this product cost. I started running low on night cream shortly before Christmas so I dusted this off and decided to try it. I checked online first and saw that the ingredients were pretty good. I have been using this on and off for a couple of months and I must say that I quite like it. It is very moisturizing and it makes my face look glowy in the morning. It leaves my skin soft and smooth. This is definitely one of the better moisturizers that I have ever used. I still like my Origins ones and Clinique makes a good one too by the way. There is a catch with this product.

I never looked at the price tag until today. I hope you are all sitting down. It is $108 Canadian at Sephora and it is $90 U.S. Wow! That is not chump change. I usually splash out $50 or so for a good cream, but I think 3 figures is getting pricey unless it works miracles. Maybe if I was older, I would get a lot more out of this cream, and see a huge difference if I had more lines etc. but given my skin and age I can't really justify this price.

The large sample I got was 0.5 oz. which was very generous considering that the full size is 2 oz. You don't need much of this cream when you use it and I still have lots left in my jar. I think I better enjoy it, considering what it costs. If you have a ton of money to spare, I would suggest this, but I can't say I will run out to get more. I won't rule it out, but I doubt it.

Packaging: 8/10  

Texture: 9/10

Price: 2/10

Ingredients: 9/10

Travel Worthy: 10/10

Moisturizing: 10/10

Look of Skin: 10/10

Would I buy this again? Not Likely

Overall Rating: 7/10 (price weighs heavily here)