Lancome L'Absolu Rouge Lipsticks Lacewood and Rose De Ville Review & Gift with Purchase

This review is quite belated as I got these lipsticks a few years ago, but figured better late than never? I purchased the Lancôme L'Absolu Rouge lipsticks in Lacewood (a brownish pink) and 305 Rose De Ville, mainly out of desire to get the free gift with purchase that Bloomingdale's had at the time (see the set above). I have to say the gifts with purchase are always quite worthwhile, with the above coming with a primer, lipstick, blush, face cream, eye cream and a handy bag (Lancome's tend to be good quality).

As a caveat though, in retrospect I would probably not make this purchase, as I find a lot of European brands like Lancome tend to feature cheap ingredients and spend most of their money on nice packaging. For instance, the lipsticks are definitely made of petroleum jelly and has that very distinct petroleum scent and feel. Personally they make my lips flake and peel after long wear as well, which is never great. 

They're also pretty pricey at $30.50 each, which is in line with typical high end lipsticks but in my opinion not worth the splurge.

The lipstick featured above is Rose De Ville, which is a straight pink and very flattering on my olive-toned skin. 

The one above is Lacewood; you can see the more muted tone.



Left is Lacewood swatched, while right is Rose De Ville. I love that Lacewood has almost a coral pop mixed in when you apply with a light hand.

The set came with a choice of blush, and the above swatch is for the color I chose, Shimmer Mocha Havan, which is a brownish pink that's surprisingly flattering on the skin.

It also came with a free lipstick which I got in the color Pale Lip (Nude), which while clearly lower quality and in simpler packaging, is still useful. It's just a bit subtle for me but it's nice nonetheless.

Tea Obsession: Tea Pigs Superberries & Trader Joe's Berries & Cherries

I generally love teapigs, despite their rather exorbitant price point ($10 for 15 satchets of tea is a bit egregious). Posting this up for those who love berry flavored teas, as what could be better than an antioxidant rich, tangy and flavorful cup of hot tea while resting at home? I also adore the teapigs licorice and peppermint, which is so delightfully sweet and perfect for afternoons at home.

That said, as much as I love the Teapigs, I found a very similar, much cheaper dupe at Trader Joe's, featuring a mix of berries and cherries and with a indistinguishable taste.

It features large pieces of dried fruit and florals, including apples, hibiscus, rosehip, cranberries, bing cherries and beet root. The flavor is rich and tangy and it also has the bonus of coming in a reusable and very aesthetically pleasing tin for your kitchen.

Hope this gives you a few options if you are similarly a major fan of fruity teas! 

Sunscreens Review: Avene SPF 50+ Body

I'm at a point where I've tried so many sunscreens in my life that I in fact have a hard time recalling all the brands. Today I thought I would share a few European brands (French specifically I believe) that are fairly popular and which I generally enjoyed. Note that I used these predominantly on my body rather than my face as they were labeled for this.

The one downside of many European sunscreen names is that they are pricey. They can easily be multiple times an equivalent (and in my belief better formulated) Korean sunscreen brand. That said, the upside is that you can easily walk into your neighborhood drugstore to pick them up, and they do have a luxurious packaging and brand vibe. 

Vichy Capital Ideal Soleil SPF 60

The first product I'll review is the Vichy Capital Ideal Soleil. This is the lotion version, although I also tried the spray on version (which I bought while I was traveling through Europe and used in my time there). 

The lotion is quite smooth and easy to spread. All the Capital Soleil products have a very pleasant scent, which is true for their spray and lotion. 

Eau Thermale Avene SPF 50+ Body

The second product I tried is the Avene SPF 50+ body. This spray is fairly thick (as you can see from the shot below), almost like a very thin lotion that you can smoothly spread easily over your body. I enjoyed using it, although I think it's since been discontinued. 

Overall I enjoyed using both but think they're overpriced and in this day and age you can find much better sunscreen brands.

Guerlain: Lingerie de Peau Invisible Skin Fusion Foundation

Back in 2015 I purchased my bottle of Guerlain Lingerie de Peau, which is still to date the most I've ever spent for a foundation. While high-end foundations (and skincare in general) is no longer my thing as I've since realized there are many high quality and more budget friendly options from Korean and other international brands, I figured I would post up my impressions of this in case anyone was debating whether to buy this.

I posted up a video with me trying out the foundation live, so feel free to watch to get a better feel of the consistency.

To start with, the packaging is quite typical of high end brands, in a transparent and hefty glass bottle. The price is certainly not for the budget seeker, as a 1 oz bottle runs for $63. That said, what always drew me to this foundation is the incredibly smooth and natural coverage it gives my skin, without causing flakes and other issues (which I too commonly experience with other foundations due to my dry skin.)

The reason I haven't reached for it as much as hoped (I mean I've had this now for 5 years, but just can't bear parting with given how much I paid...) is because of the relative lack of skincare benefits and SPF vs the many Korean alternative BB creams I have, which also give good coverage. It feels unnecessary as well for me to wear such a high coverage cream in my day to day, as while I want to impress people, I'd rather do it while wearing something that's better for my skin.

I've included the ingredients snapshot below - indeed, a lot of stuff in there featuring chemicals (as I find to be true with most classic Western brands) and also SPF 20 is quite insufficient for daily use. As an aside, if your tinted moisturizer or foundation contains greater than SPF 30, you can usually use your FSA funds towards its purchase, as it qualifies for SPF benefits (at least for me that's been the case). Thus, it's always a shame when foundations shirk us with not only less protection but remove that option (and especially when they're as pricey as this one!)

That being said, the finish is undeniably beautiful. The consistency of the product is fairly runny, enabling an even application, and it never feels drying on my skin unless I've worn for the whole day (in which case, I do sometimes see some cracking). It's not the most moisturizing though, and I find my skin generally reacts better to hydrating BB creams and such. 

I keep this product sealed up in my fridge for now, which I hope will help it preserve its efficacy and strength. My recommendation for you? The landscape of face creams / foundations is so broad now, so venture out beyond the big names. It's a good foundation, but if I could go back in time I would not repurchase, as you could get 2-3 other great options for this price. 

 

Ipsy: August 2017 Glam Bag Unboxing

[Belated post] As of Aug 2017 I had been a loyal Ipsy subscriber for almost 2 years, and for good reason as each bag provided a plethora of worthwhile items. This month's bag contained the following:

First Aid Beauty

Skin Rescue Deep Cleanser with Red Clay

 

I haven't used many First Aid Beauty products, but this cleanser is surprisingly effective. It squeezes out a translucent red color, and is something between a cleansing milk and a traditional foaming cleanser. It doesn't foam up per se, but it definitely gets soapy, yet manages to be non-drying (and I have very dry skin, so am normally extremely sensitive to this. It also gets out all of my makeup, which I was surprised by - seriously, even eyeliner. 

The only thing I'm not a fan of is that it contains Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate as a top ingredient, which accounts for the slight foaming action. I'm not a fan of any Sodium Lauryl type product, as they can be very damaging to the skin. But I do like this and find it fun to use.

Eyeko

Black Magic Mascara

 
All Eyeko eye products, be they mascaras or eyeliners have generally impressed me, as I have historically experienced very little smudging (which is always a concern with monolids). To be honest, I unfortunately wasn't able to give this product a fair shake, as it dried up in its packaging before I had a chance to use it (this was about two years later). That in itself is a down mark for this, as I would hope that unopened mascaras could last longer. But alas.

LXMI
LXMI Crème du Nil Pore-Refining Moisture Veil 

 

This is definitely my favorite product of the month. I just feel like moisturizers are the most worth the money, especially when they are all natural like this. It squeezes out as a white cream, and is not heavy yet still moisturizing. I would definitely take their advice and use it together with a facial oil.

Ingredients

water, butyrospermum parkii (shea nilotica) butter, glycerin, squalane, octyldodecyl olivate, caprylic/capric triglyceride, candililla jojoba/rice bran polyglyceryl-3 esters, glyceryl stearate, cetearyl alcohol, aloe barbadensis leaf juice, hibiscus sabdariffa (hibiscus) hydrosol water, vanilla planifolia (vanilla) hydrosol water, hibiscus sabdariffa flower extract, sodium hyaluronate, gluconolactone, sodium stearoyl glutamate, stearoyl lactylate, xanthan gum, sodium benzoate, fragrance*. *natural.

 

I sadly lost details of the remaining two products (an eyeliner and stencil face brush), I think the brush was quite good but the eyeliner isn't super memorable

Ou; Glo

High Collagen Face Mask

I received this with my bonus points; to be honest I have no memory of it, although at this point all face masks seem interchangeable to me (all are hydration focused and to be honest not something I'm the biggest fan of since they make my hair greasy)

Petite Bunny Gloss Bar Review: Shade No.05 - Juicy Peach

Wanted to share photos of the Petite Bunny Gloss Bar I purchased (shade Juicy Peach) for ~$4.00 off YesStyle.

Overall, it smells and tastes faintly of peach which is nice, and the color payoff is super subtle (a bit too subtle for my liking, which is more related to the shade than the opacity of these lipsticks.

I find them to be generally moisturizing thought nothing really stands out. Photos after the break.

All about suncreens + a few of my favorites

I've been a religious wearer of sunscreen since I hit my early 20s, once the research started coming out on just how linked sun exposure is to not only skin cancer but also photoaging, wrinkles, spots, and other sorts of things that are better off avoided. As such, I've probably spent thousands of dollars on both hyped upscale and conventional drugstore sunscreens, and wanted to pass along some of my knowledge. If you click on the sunscreen label you'll also find some of the older reviews I've done on specific sunscreens.

General tips

1. Chemical formulations are a must for lighter, lotion-like clear formulas with no white cast. That said, the challenge with chemical sunscreens is like many of the common ingredients like oxybenzone have known issues, causing skin reactions and functioning like an estrogen. For kid-safe nonchemical formulations, physical sunscreens are an absolute must. For me, as a time matter I don't like dealing with thick and goopy physical formulations, though if I do have those I'll use them on my legs / arms where the thickness doesn't bug me as much as on my face.
   
   
2. Use your FSA funds to reimburse purchases of suncreens with SPF 30+: This is huge, and something I only just realized this year (doh!). Basically, any sunscreen related product, INCLUDING foundations / tinted moisturizer / BB cream with an SPF of 30+ when clearly shown in the product name etc. can be submitted to your insurer to reimburse from money you set aside tax-free for health related purchases in an FSA. Seriously, this means you can essentially buy tax-free, and you do not need to get your sunscreens from any specific source
   
   
3. More expensive sunscreens do not mean better - look at the SPF, check the ingredients, but at the end of the day sunscreen is sunscreen. I've fallen to the ploy of $50 tiny bottles of sunscreen marketed by big high end cosmetics shops, and honestly a lot of those probably aren't even as good as your basic drugstore brands. My go-to recommendation for high quality and value are Korean sunscreens, which I purchase through Yesstyle (much better prices for any Asian beauty product, do not be overcharged at more hyped up places like SokoGlam or Sephora, which I've checked are and always pricier for the same items). You can also find sunscreens at TJ Maxx or other outlets (but check expiration per next point)
   
   
4. Check expiration dates: Most sunscreens expire after 12-18 months, particularly chemical ones as they denature and become ineffective. Physical ones you can get away with longer (as it's literally there are a physical block), but they do tend to start smelling and feeling less nice after they age too long. Point is, there's not much point to hoarding sunscreen since it will go bad if you don't use it up
   
   
5. Makeup with sunscreen is not enough: Put it simply, to get the labeled SPF, you need to use a full teaspoon of product on your face. Most of us are not putting on that much make-up, plus most make-ups only include low SPFs of 15.  
   
   
6. Layer your sunscreen after moisturizer and before makeup: It makes intuitive sense, as you want to go from thinnest to thickest formulations as a general skincare rule. Skincare products should go directly on your skin, then sunscreen will go on to protect (give it a couple mins to sink in) followed by makeup which is for coverage.
   
   
7. Look at the PA rating - this is a Japanese system, hence you're likely to find more on Asian beauty products. The more +'s, essentially the more UVA protection and hence anti-aging / cellular damage benefit there is. PA++++ is as high as they go and is what I always try to opt for in my facial sunscreens
   
   
8. Reapplication is critical: Most sunscreens denature or wear off after a couple hours, so if you're out in the sun throughout the day, be sure to reapply every few hours
   
   
9. The morning and evening light is heavy in UVA: So yes it may be dusk and the sun may seem to be faint, but UVA rays are long and are strong in the morning and evenings.
   
   
10. Protect the lips: It took me years to get good about this, but I've realized that the lips are every bit as important, if not more so, than the skin. Additionally, if you are prone to cold sores, the number one cause of them is unprotected sun damage to the lips. So pick up a zinc-based lip protectant and reapply often (after eating and drinking especially).

Recent favorite sunscreens

These are the current ones in my arsenal, though chances are I've tried any sunscreen you're looking at. Leave a comment if you want a review on anything specifically. Note for the Yesstyle items you can use my code PSWCKU for a discount on the products (disclaimer, affiliate link).

1. MISSHA - All Around Safe Block Aqua Sun Gel SPF50+ PA++++: This is my current daily sunscreen. It's light, it's got a very high protection factor, and it applies so easily into the skin (a common theme you'll find in all of the sunscreens I'm showing here. It has a light and fresh scent
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

   

   Post-application - totally clear

   
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. JMsolution - Marine Luminous Pearl Sun Stick SPF 50+ PA++++: The stick foundations from this brand have really impressed me. You can't feel it on your skin at all, and it rolls on so easily. I have the flower one as well, but between the two I think the Marine one is a better value and just as nice. They have a very light scent, with the flower version smelling like rose (which is lovely)
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

   

   Applies completely clear and can't feel a thing

3. Trader Joe's spray sunscreen: I don't love this, and the ingredients aren't by any means clean (has oxybenzone sadly), but nothing beats a spray sunscreen when it comes to applying to the body quickly in the summer. This is one of the few sprays I've found, and as I used to live close to Trader Joe's it was convenient and a good price (about $6 a bottle). Does the job.
   
   
4. Etude House - Sunprise Must Daily Lotion SPF50+ PA+++: This one I remember being pleasantly impressed by, as one of the other formulations was dry and chalky (think the natural version of this).
   
5. TONYMOLY - Intense Care Gold 24K Snail Sun Cream SPF50+ PA++++: This was my go-to sunscreen for the better part of a year, because who can resist the claims of anti-wrinkle with snail and gold extract? Can't say I noticed a difference while using it, but it has a very pleasant texture and lightly tart scent. 
   
   
   Hope this review is helpful to folks!