Benefit: Hoola Bronzing Powder

Todays review is going to be about the Benefit Hoola Bronzing Powder!
I've heard so much about this one and I remember the fuss all the way back to around 2009. I never really have it much thought, but as a makeup beginner I'm trying to collect all the basic makeup products - so at some point I needed to acquire a good bronzer. I immediately thought about the Hoola because: yes, you guessed right - it's matte!

It has a pretty and neat packaging. It reminds me so much about Hawaii and long summer nights. Perfect.

I know that an earlier version of the Hoola was different in such a way that the "lid" could come off completely. At the makeup counter, I didn't know that they've changed it and I automatically tried to take it off. Same did the salesassistant, the same thing Ayesha did when she tried it out at my house :P Haha. It doesn't, and that's because as you can see in the picture only four sides are open while it's stuck at the top part where it is part of the whole package. So there is actually no lid.

Also - the Hoola comes with a simple brush. I had a bit of trouble with it. The brush is better used if you want a light, sun-kissed, very very very subtle look. The brush is soft as a feather and that means that not a lot of product will come off from it. That's why it takes a lot of product (using this brush) to build up anything visible. The brush is therefore not good at all for contouring. You will need to use a contouring or a blush brush for that matter.
After the first time I cleaned it, the brush started to shed horribly. It didn't stop and if I try use it I will have a couple of the brush hairs on my face. Very unfortunately.
The bronzer itself is very good. If you have pale skin, you will be able to achieve any desirable, subtle look with it. People with a tan or a lightly darker skin might need to built it up a look. I doubt it will work for dark skin. I have NC20 skin and I need a good deal of build up before I have a contoured look. I still like it because it doesn't look any cakey or fake. Because of the need to build up a lot I doubt you can get a highly dramatic look with it.

MAC: Cream Colour Base in Pearl

The websites states that this is a multi-purpose cream base. Therefore, they can be used as eyeshadow, lip colour, blush etc.
For me, I bought it for the sake of using it as a highlighter and it really looks amazing that way too. Now I really want to warn people because, even though it's stated that it's a multipurpose product: people should be aware that many of the colours are NOT recommended to be used in the eye are and some other few not to be used in the lip area. That's why they put a safety insert (which I was surprised to find, because MAC usually don't put these in the product packaing - but they have a good reason this time) due to some chemicals that might be harmfull for mentioned area but not the rest.


I got MAC Cream Colour Base in Pearl. The jar comes in a net weight of 3.2g or 0.12 oz.


The colour is very easy to use, and the results of it can very from subtle to a very dramatic effect depending on whether you layer it a lot or not. In the following pictures, I gave it around 3-4 layers to make sure it came up on the camera. One layer is possible and lightly visible. It looks really beautiful actually. 

I don't know but it kind of looks a bit chalky on the picture? I'm not sure why that happened but that's not how it looks. It has a soft metallic shimmer to it (a reflective one) that didn't show up and can look very dramatic if it's layered up. Amazing product. Defintely and essential and a stable product!

Sleek MakeUp: Face Contour Kit

A few days ago, we acquired the Sleek Makeup Face Contour Kit. It is a set that contains a bronzer and a highlighter. There isn't much to say about it, but I would actually like to add how much I like it for being able to use it to put on a natural and an inconspicuous look. Therefore, you can actually make it look really really natural. You can also choose to put it on more visibly, which works best as an evening look. Both looks can be achieved easily. It all depends on how much you want to add. I just have one complaint, which is that the palette might require a lot of build up, yet it contains so much product that it will defintely last for quite some time.

I also like that the highlighter do not have any specks of glitter on it like many many other highlighters. One I have come across is The Body Shop's Vitamin E Illuminator that I have mentioned early in one of my earlier posts. That one had specks of glitter that you could actually just brush off. But it was really hard to get it off your skin and your clothes. Haha. That's my reason for not buying it. It also worked as a moisturiser, but still. It wasn't very practical. 

Product file:

- Contains a bronzer

- Contains a highlighter

- Comes in 14g

- Comes in three shades: light, medium and dark.

- Comes with a mirror.

Sleek MakeUp

As you can see, the shade chosen is LIGHT.

I'm really sorry for how the pictures turned out. I wasn't at my usualy place, and it seems like the light turned even more orange than how it looked like. The highligher is not even this colour. It has a really nice, reflective light beige/creamy colour. It's a bit hard to explain because you need to see it to understand it.
So.. Yeah, I first realized how seriously serious it was when I got home and uploaded the pictures. Therefore, I've put up a picture from the Sleek MakeUp website on how the palette actually looks like. It's the last picture in the post.

Say Hi to my friend Ayesha. She's the one I experimented the palette on. Natural beauty, isn't she? :) 

You can check out her YouTube channel here: http://www.youtube.com/user/BeautyLoveAffair101/videos

The kit did it's job wonderfully and gave her a very natural contoured look. Nothing too extreme. I've applied the bronzer on her jaw line, neck, cheekbones, sides of her nose. The highlighter was applied along the nose, apple of the cheeks and below the brows. 

It is different from one person to another person as where to highlight the face, because everyone has different bone structures. Therefore the best tip is to apply on all the places in the face that reflects the light. 

Where to get the palette? I know of two places:

- The official website: http://www.sleekmakeup.com/en/products/face-contour-kit-dark-393.aspx

- The online site we bought it from: http://www.laylam.ae/Sleek-Makeup/Face-Contour-Kit-Light.html

About Laylam, it's a very nice shopping service that makes it easier for some people to buy products so that they don't need to worry about large shipping expenses in case they want to buy something from overseas and far away. We recieved the packaging and it was very clean, nothing was broken and in excellent condition, as seen in all our pictures. So we are very happy with the service and will defintely buy more from them in the future.

* Prices can vary

I'm giving the palette: 8½ out of 10

Dita Von Teese Classics Makeup Line Launch

"For the first time Dita Von Teese, the beauty icon with the unmistakable look, is presenting the secrets of her glamorous appearance in a timeless, classic make-up collection. Seduction, elegance, and a touch of mystery are her signatures. Famous for her porcelain complexion, signature red lips, and her cat-eye liner, she is the modern face of retro Hollywood glamour. With her motto of “Beauty is Art”, Dita invites all women to feel beautiful with her"

Art Couture Lipstick Velvet
 
The Art Couture Lipstick velvet in the matte collection contains the perfect shade for any woman. The unbeatable new generation of lipsticks offers seductive, sensuous, rich colors that are combined with feminine elegance and softness. There is an ideal balance between long durability, complete opacity and satiny color quality. High pigmented color creations tie together with intense luminosity and depth of the color. The silicon-free texture of cadelilla, bees and carnauba wax protect the lips. "Classic red lips are always the height of glamour, and the most chic beauty statement a woman can make!" Dita Von Teese

Ceramic Nail Lacquer

This Nail Lacquer has a patented, revolutionary formula. Ceramic particles in the combination with a patented plasticizer and Polymere give this lacquer optimum consistancy, perfect coverage, good durability, high color brilliancy and makes it more resistant against chipping. The brush is made of nylon fibers that cares for an even color. Formaldehyde-free.

Lip Liner

Lip liner is essential for the perfect red mouth. The specifically developed formula of the Lip Liner makes it extremely long-lasting and it prevents the lipstick from bleeding. The pleasantly creamy texture assures a simple and precise application. The Lip Liner can be shaded out directly after application and is characterized by an especially good color coverage and high opacity. Contains natural antioxidants and Vitamin E. Fragrance-free.


Blusher

The blushers are available separately and so can be combined individually. They provide brilliant colors, stay in place for ages and have a pleasant texture for soft application. The blushers are very gentle and can be applied intensely or softly at will. 


Glamour Eyeshadow

Extremely fine glitter particles reflect the light and conjure an incomparable display of colors with shimmering effects on the eyelid. A special eye-catcher for every occasion. The eyeshadows in high color brilliance are supple and soft in application and are available separately, so they can be combined individually. The eyeshadows can be stored in the practical Limited Edition refillable magnetic beauty boxes.


Eyeshadow Matt

Thanks to their new, particularly smooth and silky quality, the matt colors adhere perfectly to the eyelid and can be applied especially even. The brown shades are ideally suited for the accentuation of the eyebrows. The eyeshadows are available separately, so they can be combined individually.

The mascara contains rice bran wax nourishes the lashes with every use. Suitable for sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers. Fragrance-free.

Compact Powder

In contrast to conventional powders, due to their coarse-grained texture, on closer inspection they're often visible, but the Compact Powder flatters the skin and invisibly coats it. The powder is characterized by an extremely silky soft feel and feather light gliding application. Shiny skin is matted perfectly thanks to oil-absorbing properties.

Beauty Box Quadrat

Eyelashes

Eyeliner Brush and Styler

This is actually a great collection. Very timeless and defintely something I will get. All the colours are colours I see still able to wear by anyone even 20 years from now. They have a retro vibe about them, but most defintely classical and almost natural.

But ArtDeco is german as far as I know and... I just checked and found out that they sell in many countries worldwide! So it won't be a problem. I am a bit perplexed though, that I haven't heard about this brand before, since Germany is nothing but my neighbouring country! Alas. Here is a link to those interested i knowing where to get it:

http://www.artdeco.de/en/store-search/worldwide.html

TBS: Lily Cole Makeup

Remember my post about a new makeup launch that will be coming out towards the end of May/start of June? Well, by now it's out everywhere! Let's take a look.


The Body Shop Statement: "We are proud to launch a new, special-edition make-up range: cruelty free make-up. Celebrating out against animal testing ethos, out cruelty-free make-up range is so great that Lily (Cole) put her name to it."

Products that has been launched:

Lily Cole Cosmetic Bag - 10$  

Lily Cole Shimmer Cubes - 22$

Lily Cole Nail Buffer - 3$

Lily Cole Lip & Cheek Dome - 15$

Lily Cole Nail File - 3$

Lily Cole Liquid Eyeliner - 13.50$

I think this one comes in only a violet colour

Lily Cole Hi-Shine Lip Treatment - 5$

Lily Cole Compact Mirror - 8$

Lily Cole Pearl Radiance Primer - 22$

Lily Cole Puff On Radiance - 22$

Looks on Lily Cole produced using the products:

Support The Pledge Today:

The Body Shop encourages people all around the world to sign the cruelty-free international pledge. They are calling on governments to ban on animal testing for cosmetics in every country around the world. 

They have provided the following link to anyone who is interested. It IS a great cause actually. Click here * The link will open in a new window. 

My brush broke!

This is the Lancome foundation brush 3, so if anyone tried to search on the official website for it: they won't find it. Because there is a new one called foundation brush 2.

Sleek black brush handle with the signature Lancome rose logo on it. Grey area at the top of the brush indicates that if it becomes invisible because of the foundation applied, then it means you have put too much! Pretty clever huh?

 

Let me state first that it already started wobbeling from the first time i started using it. And the place I bought it from never returns anything you buy from them, unless it's still in it's packaging and plastic cover and all that which is pretty impossible to try and put back like that. A policy that sucks very badly. It applies no matter what even though the product is broken once you bought it or not. A zero tolerance policy as they call it.

It's very clear in the picture that there is glue on only one part of the whole thing so that didn't hold it well. Especially since there is no trace of glue on the brush head's inside as well which means it's not even good quality at all. Honestly, I only used it less than 5 times in overall because I do not wear foundation every day. I was never happy for this brush, and I kind of became happy once it broke because I will finally get rid of it. Let me state that the reason it broke was because I washed it. And no, I know very well how you should wash your brushes in a special was so that it won't shed etc.

Let me state the points for all the reasons I hate this brush (yes, a strong word indeed):
- Very expensive - website states it's 35 dollars, I got it for 44 dollars. Irk.
- Very poor quality
- Streaks too much: my skin looks like an oil painting with visible brush marks.
- Incredibly hard to clean: after the second wash there is still a ton of product that have penetrated in the brush.
- Graduated tip is not smooth: it somehow annoyed my skin because some hairs were in microsize a bit longer than others which made my face itch. Wow...

I'm giving it 2 out of 10 and I can't even apologize for that for the reasons stated above. Did anyone come across such or a similar and unfortunate purchase? :(