Category: Beauty Review

Why You’ll Never Have To Buy Another Makeup Wipe Again

Published on by Lee5 Comments

Removing our makeup isn’t the most fun part of our self-care routine, but it is absolutely essential! If you’re a lazy girl, you likely rely on makeup wipes or micellar water on cotton pads, and if you’re into skincare you probably start with a cleansing balm or oil before going in with your water-based cleanser. Well if we told you there was a much easier, more effective and cheaper way to get rid of your makeup you’d probably be interested, right?

Say hey to Face Halo, a double-sided cleansing cloth that looks like a giant cotton pad, but just add water, and the cloth will remove ALL your makeup, just like magic. Well, it’s not magic, it’s some pretty clever technology!

The Face Halo works like a dream, it can be reused hundreds of times, and costs $22 for three, which means it’s about to save you A LOT of money. We’re going to quickly break it down for you: A pack of 25 Neutrogena Makeup Wipes costs $6.50, so if you use one every day of the year, that’s around $95 on makeup wipes (plus a lot of waste), and you’re not even removing your makeup properly. If you’re using a cleansing oil, you’re probably spending around $20 (minimum) and you’ll likely use at least three in a year – you do the math!

Not only is it great for your bank account, but it’s also a savior for the environment too! Face Halo calculated that on average, women use two makeup wipes a day, aka 113 billion makeup wipes a year! That means to date, Face Halo has replaced up to 375 million single use wipes from going into landfill – pretty great!

Here’s the breakdown on the Face Halo, how it works, and why it’s now a staple part of our cleansing routine.

How Face Halo works: Face Halo uses special fibers that are 100 times finer than a human hair, which are able to reach deep into pores to remove and trap makeup. All you need to do is add water and gently wipe the Face Halo across your face and it will remove everything, from foundation and liquid lipstick to mascara and eyeliner.

Once you’ve used Face Halo, you should wash it with soap (a bar of soap is super quick and easy), and every week you can chuck it in the machine for a deep clean. It can be machine washed up to 200 times, which means you can use one cloth for a year without needing to repurchase another. Just a reminder you get three in a pack, so you’ll essentially spend $22 on a makeup remover that could last you two to three years – not bad!

What we thought: Until you use the Face Halo, you kind of don’t believe it can work, because how can water and material get rid of makeup? But trust us, those little fibers know what they’re doing! The Face Halo removed our cake face super effectively in the same way our cleansing oil does. It even removes all traces of mascara and eyeliner quickly and more efficiently than most cleansers we’ve used.

However, we did notice (especially as we wear a lot of makeup) that there was still a little makeup residue left over, so we do recommend a second cleanse with a water-based cleanser after you’ve used Face Halo. But considering we always double cleanse – no makeup wipe or cleanser is enough to remove all makeup and grime in one go – that definitely didn’t deter us.

After we used Face Halo and did our extra cleanse, we washed it with a bar of soap, which took us around 20 seconds to get it back to its bright white shade. FYI, it also comes in black, but nothing is more satisfying than seeing what comes off on the white version! It also works really well as a gentle alternative to a muslin cloth for removing mud and clay masks.

The Face Halo is super handy for when you’re gyming or traveling (especially if you have a carry on) as it’s lightweight and easy to use anywhere.

We also tried the new Face Halo Body, $22, which we loved for exfoliating our body. On one side it has an exfoliating fabric and on the other side, the classic Face Halo fabric to polish and refine the skin on your body. Definitely worth a try if you’re looking for a new exfoliator.

What we didn’t like: TBH, there’s nothing to dislike, it’s a good price for what you get and it’s super-efficient at removing ALL makeup. The Face Halo doesn’t have any skincare benefits (other than efficiently removing makeup), which is why we definitely recommend following with a cleanser that suits your skin type, which will be able to target your specific skin concerns.

The verdict: We’ve used our Face Halo every day since we got it. Sometimes it replaces our oil cleanse and other times we use our oil cleanser and then a water-based cleanser and use the Face Halo around our hairline and neck and to get the last traces of mascara from around our eyes. Overall, it’s fair to say we’ll be keeping these in our routine for a long time to come!

Shop Face Halo products here.

HAVE YOU TRIED @FACEHALO OR OTHER MICROFIBRE FACIAL CLOTHS?

Does The NEW Fenty Foundation Deserve All The Hype?

Published on by Lee2 Comments

When Rihanna launched her makeup line almost two years ago, it’s pretty fair to say Fenty Beauty shook up the beauty industry. In her first launch, RiRi served up a 40-shade foundation range (now extended to 50), the Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation, which quickly became a beauty fave among editors and beauty lovers everywhere.

The original formula was a godsend for those with combo and oily skin – finally, a formula designed to keep midday shine at bay! Now, Fenty is broadening their range with a new formula designed for dry, normal and combo skin types, the Pro Filt’r Hydrating Longwear Foundation, $35, also in a whopping 50-shade range. We tried it for a week to give you guys the full DL…

Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Hydrating Foundation

The All New Fenty Beauty PRO FILTR HYDRATING FOUNDATION is everything you need in your make up cases!!

This foundation is HYDRATING, MEDIUM TO FULL COVERAGE FOR ALL SKIN TONES.  A hydrating, medium to full-coverage foundation packed with sodium hyaluronate and grapeseed oil that delivers long-lasting wear for normal to dry skin types. The formula is also designed to be humidity and sweat resistant like the Pro Filt’r Matte Foundation.

Rihanna’s groundbreaking 50 shade foundation is the first of its kind. The Pro Filt’r Hydrating Foundation offers serious staying power, comfortable coverage, and the perfect natural finish for normal to dry skin.

Why Did Rihanna Do It?

Recognizing Fenty Beauty needed a hydrating Pro Filt’r formula that normal to dry skin types will love, Rihanna created this foundation with Grape Seed Oil and Sodium Hyaluronate to give skin the nourishing hydration it needs to stay comfortable all day.

Fenty describe the finish as ‘natural – not dewy,’ and we would have to agree; it’s not super luminous and it’s not matte, and we really like the way it makes our skin look. Just like the original Pro Filt’r, Pro Filt’r Hydrating Long-wear Foundation has a sweat and humidity resistant formula that easily builds to medium to full coverage, instantly evening out skin without clogging pores or settling into fine lines. Plus, the long-wearing, light-as-air texture is undetectable on skin—so you always look like you. 

The Wear

The formula wears really well throughout the day and we’re super impressed with its staying power. We tested it on different skin types to see how it wore:

On dry/normal skin: The formula felt really hydrating on and didn’t cake up or emphasize any dry patches like some foundations can. It settled into smile lines a little (we tried setting it with powder and without) but it still looked good around our nose and eyes.

On oily skin: In case you’re a big Fenty fan and wanted to try this hydrating formula, then we can tell you that this foundation also held up really well on oily skin. We applied our usual skin routine, and then a mineral sunscreen, and it didn’t settle into our large pores or break up on our nose at all (v.impressive!), however, it did slightly gather in our smile lines a little more than we’ve seen from some other foundations. Our face did get a little shiny through the day, but much less so than with many other foundations.

Overall we were super impressed with how great this looked from morning till night!

Fenty Beauty Shade Finding Tips:

  • Pro Filt’r Hydrating Longwear Foundation comes in the same 50 shades as the original Pro Filt’r, so if you already know your shade #, you’re good to go!
  • Don’t know your shade #? Start with your shade range (Light, Medium, Tan, Deep), then narrow down your skin’s undertone. For more help, try Fenty Face Shade Finder.

Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation vs Pro Filt’r Hydrating Longwear Foundation

We did a wear test with the new and old foundations (half a face of each) and the matte formula definitely has a more matte finish and was also much more effective at keeping shine at bay throughout the day. The colors we tried were also a direct match, so if you’re shade 380 in the matte formula, you should also be shade 380 in the new hydrating formula. Both formulas gave very similar coverage, but the hydrating formula looked slightly more airbrushed.

Application

The hydrating foundation blended out beautifully, although it doesn’t melt into skin like some other foundation, so you do have to apply a little pressure to work it out across your face. For this reason, try dotting it across your face and stippling the formula on with a brush.

Application tips:

For maximum coverage: Apply two pumps and use a stippling brush or densely-packed foundation brush, then finish with a damp beauty sponge. Use a concealer to target any problem areas and blend again with a sponge.

For a natural finish: Apply one to two pumps and blend out using a damp makeup sponge.

To finish: If you have oily skin, set with a powder. For normal and combo skin types, set your T-zone with a dusting of powder. If you have dry or normal skin, you can get away with not setting this, as the formula does dry down.

What we liked: Other than being impressed with the formula’s shade range, finish, and wear, we would note that the foundation definitely has a scent to it – it’s hard to pinpoint the scent (maybe a little spiced?!) but we did like it and didn’t find it too intense.

What we didn’t like: The only thing we didn’t love was the new plastic packaging, which feels a little drugstore, although it is more convenient for travel. The original matte foundation formula comes in a glass bottle and we would have loved to see a return of the same glass packaging.

The Verdict

Overall, we’re super impressed with the new hydrating formula. It looked beautiful on the skin and held up really well on both dry and oily skin types – it even looked good after a sweaty spin class! The shade range is also amazing, so if you’re looking for a new foundation, we definitely recommend trying it out at the store no matter what your skin type.

Shop the Fenty Pro Filt’r Hydrating Longwear Foundation here.

Fenty Beauty Pro Kiss’r Lip-Loving Scrubstick + Luscious Lip Balm

1. Pro Kiss’r Lip-Loving Scrubstick: A fuss-free lip scrub in a twist-up stick, packed with apricot seed scrubbers to gently exfoliate and nourish for instantly smooth, soft kissable lips with every swipe.

2. Pro Kiss’r Luscious Lip Balm: A creamy moisture-lock lip balm with a plush doe-foot applicator that smooths, softens, and preps your pout for instantly luscious, kiss-worthy lips that last.

This set contains:
– Pro Kiss’r Lip-Loving Scrubstick: 3g/.1 oz regular $16 when purchased alone
– Pro Kiss’r Luscious Lip Balm: 0.4 fl oz/ 12 mL regular $18 when purchased alone

Beauties tell us all about your excitement for these new products and all that they can do for your makeup collection. We will definitely be making a Sephora run to update you guys on these products and let you know if they need to become staples in your collection. 

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Does Kylie Skin Live Up To The Hype? Our HONEST Thoughts

Published on by Lee4 Comments

Making the move from color cosmetics to skincare is no easy task – it’s a completely different ball game!

During the month of May, 21-year-old Kylie Jenner, the well-known youngest billionaire expanded her beauty empire by launching yet another brand under her name — Kylie Skin. She dropped seven skin care products, and all of them sold out within 10 minutes. There have been many praises as well as critiques, so my friends and I thought why not try the collection out for ourselves.

Our First Impression

When we saw the initial range of products, we were really impressed as it contains most of our fave skincare essentials (except SPF!). All of the products are also cruelty-free, vegan, paraben-free, and sulfate-free, which is a nice added bonus. The packaging is simple and cute, and of course, totally on-brand. Overall, it felt a little luxe, especially for the price point.

Step 1: Foaming Face Wash, $24

This is possibly our favorite product in the range. It honestly feels like velvet on your skin and it doesn’t leave it feeling dry or tight as it’s packed with hydrating ingredients like glycerin. It also boasts kiwi seed oil, a rich source of vitamin C and E, which are powerful antioxidants that help brighten your skin and protect it from damaging free radicals. It’s a very gentle cleanser, so although it should work well for most skin types, we recommend this as a second cleansing step if you’re removing makeup and SPF (or use this twice), to ensure all traces of dirt are gone.

Step 2: Walnut Scrub, $22

Ahh yes, the super controversial walnut scrub! Before this product was even released, the industry went crazy over the use of walnuts, which many skincare brands avoid due to the increased risk of over-exfoliation. Walnut shells cannot be ground to be completely smooth, they have a jagged edge and therefore could risk scratching and over-exfoliating your skin – hence, all the drama!

In the name of beauty, of course, we tried it! The result? Well, we didn’t break out, and our face definitely didn’t feel terrible! We used this scrub as gently as we could, and while some of us were left a little pink, some of us simply loved the smooth result. Ultimately, if you have sensitive or acne-prone skin, we wouldn’t recommend using this. If you do want to give it a go, be as gentle as possible and don’t use it more often than twice a week. Our personal preference when it comes to exfoliators is chemical exfoliators.

Step 3: Vanilla Milk Toner, $22

We instantly loved the idea of a hydrating milk toner. The formula is packed with hydrating ingredients like squalane, glycerin, jojoba seed oil, avocado oil, and apricot kernel oil to name a few. Interestingly, the milk toner was one of the few products that had a noticeable scent, and it really did smell good. This was definitely one of our fave products; we loaded up a cotton pad and it applied really well and felt luxurious on the skin. However, this isn’t the type of toner that will make a dramatic difference to your skin, although it is very hydrating and leaves your skin feeling soft and smooth. The formula is also very rich, so we wouldn’t recommend it for acne-prone skin as it could be too heavy.

Step 4: Vitamin C Serum, $28

Vitamin C is one ingredient that every skin expert loves and it’s one of the most powerful antioxidants on the shelves. Vitamin C helps brighten your complexion, and even out skin tone. Not only does the serum contain this key ingredient, but it also features camellia leaf extract and safflower oil to hydrate and replenish the skin.

We really like the texture of this serum; it glides onto the skin and sinks in quickly. We used one pump of this every morning (vitamin C can help boost the efficacy of SPF) to help protect our skin during the day, and although after just a couple of weeks we didn’t notice a huge difference, our skin was looking a little less dull. However, the packaging does recommend using it morning and night, so you may see better results with increased use. We also wish the 20ml bottle contained a little more serum (the standard is 30ml) as with twice-daily use this will finish more rapidly.

Step 5: Eye Cream, $20

The eye cream received rave reviews online and when we saw the ingredient list we were excited. Boasting vitamin E, C, caffeine, green tea extract, shea butter, jojoba seed oil, and pomegranate extract; it’s a beauty junkie dream list. The formula is very thick and creamy, as is typical of some eye creams, however, it could be a bit too heavy for some skin types, and would probably suit mature or dry skin best. As the formula is very thick, it didn’t sink into our skin easily, and there was a slight stinging sensation when we first applied it, although this wasn’t long-lasting. It’s not our fave eye cream, but it’s very hydrating.

Step 6: Face Moisturizer, $24

The moisturizer is super hydrating and nourishing and contains shea butter, sodium hyaluronate (aka hyaluronic acid), and glycerin (a humectant that draws moisture into the skin). It also packs antioxidants in the form of banana leaf, oat bran, and orange peel extract. The formula is also fragrance-free, so we did notice a slight pharmaceutical scent.

After trying the moisturizer consistently for a week, our skin was undoubtedly softer. The formula is quite rich, so if you have dry to normal skin this is perfect. Alternatively, it would be a great moisturizer for the winter months as it’s super hydrating. If you have oily or acne-prone skin, we’d suggest giving it a miss as it contains so many rich ingredients.

Makeup Removing Wipes, $10

As far as makeup wipes go, these do the job! We used two to thoroughly remove our cake face (we wish they were slightly ‘wetter’) and then we followed with a cleanser (not the best routine for the environment!). The wipes are packed with hydrating ingredients like aloe, chamomile, and cucumber so they don’t leave your skin feeling dry. With that said, they’re not the softest face wipes we’ve ever used, and if you have sensitive skin they may tingle a little. Overall, if you can’t quit makeup wipes, we do feel there are better, more affordable drugstore options available.

Our Final Verdict

The Kylie Skin range has your basic skin routine covered (although don’t forget SPF!), and we like that this range makes skincare feel easy. The website also has a helpful guide of when to use the products. Our favorite products are the vanilla milk toner and moisturizer; they’re simple and packed with hydrating ingredients (although they might not work for all skin types).

This is definitely a hydrating skincare routine so it’s a good all-rounder, but it won’t address any tricky skin concerns and it’s probably better suited to teens and 20s and normal to combo skin types. We’re looking forward to seeing what Kylie adds to the line, and hoping to see a face SPF, a pimple treatment, and a face mask that will get us ready for the ‘gram!

Shop KylieSkin Collection!

Would you guys try this range? Let us know in the comments.

This $12 Cooling Mask Is The Best Thing To Use Before Makeup

Published on by Lee1 Comment

If you’re anything like me, you find Amazon a little addictive – there are so many cool gadgets and unique beauty products that you won’t find anywhere else. My latest discovery that I’m totally obsessed with is this Hot and Cold Therapy Gel Bead Full Facial Mask, $12, which is perfect for wearing before makeup, and I love that you can use this over and over again!

I like to keep the mask in my fridge and use it cold for 10 minutes before I start my makeup routine. The cold from the mask helps depuff, tighten pores, and smooth the skin by constricting blood vessels and reducing the natural heat in the skin. I feel like it also really helps smooth out the appearance of fine lines and just generally has a tightening effect on my skin. In fact, applying something cold to your face is so good that the Victoria’s Secret models famously do ice facials before a show. And, although ice facials work so well, I feel like this cooling mask is just as effective and way less hassle than splashing your face in freezing water. You can also use this mask if you have sunburn, puffy eyes or a headache, to help calm and soothe.

I love that this can be used hot as well – if you’ve ever tried steam eye masks, you’ll know how therapeutic it feels. So, before you go to sleep, you can pop this in the microwave briefly, and then wear it while it’s warm. By using the mask hot, it helps improve blood circulation, relieve eye strain, and just generally helps majorly zen you out. If you get dry eyes in winter, the heat from the mask can help to moisten your eyes as well.

The best thing is the mask has a really soft lining to it, so it’s really comfortable to wear (although sometimes I wear it with the beads next to my skin, so it feels extra cold)! It also has two Velcro straps to secure it, which means you can basically do anything while you’re wearing it!

Would you guys try this? Let me know in the comments below.