Sunday 27 January 2013

Review: Kate Moss Lasting Finish Lipstick

When I come across reviews on a certain product over and over again, it makes me want it just that little bit more. I guess it is exactly how advertising works- the more you see something, the more familiar you are with it and the more likely you are going to purchase it! Well, this was the case with the Kate Moss Lasting Finish Lipstick. After hearing so many great things about its formulation, longevity, finish, selection of shades and even its scent- I knew it was something I had to try. 

Lipstick in Shade 07
In  a bed of floral patterns! Haha
I picked this up with 50% off its full price, so it only cost around $6! To be honest, I wasn't intending to purchase this but being at half price was definitely the factor that swayed me to buying it. I love how its matte black packaging looks sleek and simple but doesn't feel too cheap either. It is definitely nothing super fancy, but it is quite nice- and I'm a sucker for nice packaging.

I had no clue what shade to choose, but I decided on Shade 07 after swatching a few different shades instore, however I was choosing between 07 and 14. Shade 14 was a little more nude/beige-like, so I decided against it, in the fear it would not be wearable on my lips! Shade 07 is a natural pink colour, leaning almost to a salmon pink in the bullet. Kate Moss Lasting Finish lipsticks are described as having a unique formula with "light-reflecting power" to add depth to your pout and having a lasting finish.


The shade looks slightly nude!
Application was a breeze, it was smooth to apply and I love its semi-matte formula! Matte formulas are much too drying on the lips and require the lips to have been prepped with exfoliation prior to application; and the shiny/sheen finished (haha what is the proper name for the lipsticks with finishes opposite to matte...) lipsticks are much too glossy on my lips and tend to exaggerate the yellowness of my teeth (sob!). Shade 07 was beautiful and perfect! It was a "my lips but better" shade which was a surprise! I didn't expect my lips to have been such a light shade but I am so happy with the colour choice. In terms of longevity, I didn't find it to last that long, maybe only a couple of hours at the maximum however it wasn't too much of a deal for me as I would happily apply this lovely lipstick!

I've taken a picture of a swatch I have done, but somehow I still can't manage to take beautiful photos of swatches like some people can- so have a look here at a much better version of 07, and a few other shades too!

Looks slightly more darker and orange-like than in real life
Was the Kate Moss Lasting Finish Lipstick worth all the great reviews? Definitely! I wasn't disappointed at all (which I usually am after reading lots of reviews) and love its formulation and shade selection. A great buy as well, especially if you take advantage of a 50% offer!

Have you tried the Kate Moss Lasting Finish lipsticks? What shades do you have and what do you think?


Saturday 12 January 2013

Review: Korres Smoky Bronze Antioxidant Eye Collection

I swear I wasn't meant to write about Korres products in two posts in a row but I've been too lazy to take pictures of my other recent buys! One day as I was browsing through StrawberryNET I came across what I thought was a great deal- an eye collection by Korres which included two eyeshadows, a small tube of mascara and an eyeliner pencil. I kept telling myself that I did not need this collection but I convinced myself that $10 for 4 products was great value. So there it was, this Korres Smoky Bronze Antioxidant Eye Collection was in my shopping cart.

The Korres Smoky Bronze Antioxidant Eye Collection ft. my floral t-shirt :)

Sunflower and Evening Primrose Eyeshadow in Brun and Bronze Brown
The two eyeshadows in this collection were from the Sunflower and Evening Primrose range- a velvety, easy to apply pressed eyeshadow with sunflower and evening primrose oils that care for the delicate eye area. The two shades I got were Brun and Bronze Brown.



L-R: Brun, Bronze Brown
The retail price of these cute eyeshadows are $29.95 a pop in Australia, from kitcosmetics, so I must say I am very pleased with the price I paid for the eye collection with these in it! The photo above I have to admit is quite misleading, the colours of the eyeshadows are a little off and I tried my best to capture their true shade but it was difficult given the lighting- but both these shades appear much lighter than they actually are. The texture was nice, no fall out and easy to apply. In terms of pigmentation, they were just decent, nothing really amazing.

L-R: Bronze Brown, Brun
L-R: Brun, Bronze Brown single swatch- a better representation of the colours. Also forgive me for this bad photo, I am yet to master taking pictures of swatches!
The Brun shade actually worked well as an eyebrow filler, the colour was perfect for my eyebrows! I quite like Bronze Brown as it is a nice wearable, neutral shade. The formulation is nice, albeit I wouldn't spend $29.95 on them.

Provitamin B5 & Rice Bran Mascara 3.55mL in Black
I have far too many mascaras to be used but a small travel sized one will always entice me! Described as an easy-to-layer, creamy mascara for volume, extra length with provitamin B5 and rice bran to to strengthen the lashes and intensify the colour for a rich finish, who could resist? The full size of 9mL retails in kitcosmetics for $35.95.


Simple brush
To be honest I haven't tried this mascara yet as I have quite a few others to finish off first. I have a feeling it might not be anything special, but don't take my word for it until I try it.

Eyeliner Pencil in Black
Last item from the Antioxidant Eye Collection is the smooth cedar wood pencil. The key ingredients are 100% natural based, rich with herbs and vitamins with a lead diameter of 4mm. This surprisingly retails for $29.95 from kitcosmetics and I'm definitely face-palming at the ridiculously inflated Australian prices for cosmetics. From an instant look, I knew I wouldn't be too fond of this eyeliner- purely because traditional eyeliner pencils smudge like mad on me, no matter how much primer I put on beforehand and however much I surround it with concealer.

Simple black eyeliner pencil
After a trial, I indeed was right. Smudged like crazy and gave me panda eyes all day. Disappointing, and to think this eyeliner is retailing for basically $30 is insane! Application was terribly, dragged across my eyelid and pigmentation was mediocre. Nothing really good to say about this eyeliner. A much better option for a black eyeliner choice would be the Revlon's Grow Luscious Lash Liner which is absolutely creamy, super pigmented, doesn't smudge and retails for $23.95 which definitely can be cheaper if you buy it on offer.

Despite being on the fence about buying this Smoky Bronze Antioxidant Eye Collection, and the disappointing eyeliner pencil that was included, I am still quite satisfied with the purchase as the eyeshadows make the $10 I paid for (an otherwise quite expensive collection) worthwhile.

Have you tried any of these Korres products? Any tips that I can do to make the eyeliner pencil work?


Friday 4 January 2013

Review: Korres Lip Butters

I finally got my hands on the much coveted Korres Lip Butters about a month ago from StrawberryNET- a trio pack with the shades Mango, Pomegranate and Guava. After seeing many reviews praising these little pots of buttery goodness, I just had to have them!



Retailing for $18.95 in Australia, I definitely wasn't too eager to pay that much for one small pot of lip butter no matter how great people said it was. I had a look around, and considered the $11.90 price for each pot from asos. But luckily I did pick up a great offer from StrawberryNET and got these three for $18!


L-R: Pomegranate, Guava, Mango
Described as a buttery lip balm that melts on the lips, the Korres Lip Butters offer a beautiful tinted finish,  hydration and a healthy shine. Each flavour has its own individual scent and colour which I love! The whole range includes Quince, Wild Rose, Jasmine, along with the three I have, Pomegranate, Guava and Mango.  My favourite from the trio I have are Mango and Guava, and then Pomegranate. This is probably mainly because of its butteriness- Mango and Guava seem to be much more thicker in texture and melt into the lips much better than the Pomegranate which I find quite strange! These lip butters definitely moisturise the lips well and lasts quite well. In terms of scent, Mango wins, but I quite love the scent of Guava too- it doesn't smell like guava, but a vanilla-like scent. Poor neglected Pomegranate! I absolutely love the cute packaging of the lip butters too- adorable little pots- although I agree with everyone else that it is not very hygienic to use (imagining dunking dirty fingers into it, ew!).

Mmm buttery, colourful goodness
Guava- smells like vanilla!
Mango- smells like mango! :P
The Pomegranate hadn't been touched yet in this photo!
In terms of colour pay off, I wasn't really expecting much and was not too fussed about it. Guava provides a creamy sheen to the lips; Mango, a beautiful coral colour; and Pomegranate, a pretty pink. I would have loved to have the Jasmine lip butter too (a sheer pink) but I think three of these lip butters are enough for now!


Overall, I am very happy with these Korres Lip Butters. They deliver creaminess and a nice sheen to the lips, while keeping them hydrated as well as smell amazing! It doesn't hurt that they are in cute little pots which are presented beautifully too. Another plus side is that Korres makes products which are environmentally friendly and have formulations based on natural ingredients. I was so impressed with these beautiful lip butters that I went and purchased the Korres Lip Butter Glazes which I will review soon, keep an eye out for it!

Have you tried the Korres Lip Butters? How about other products from the Korres range?