review – Page 7 – A Cosmetic Affair

Wild Ferns Manuka Honey Antioxidant Facial Serum

The Wild Ferns Manuka Honey Antioxidant Facial Serum is a product that has really become a favourite in my skin care routine. It is a serum made from Manuka Honey and I use two pumps of the serum for during the night before I put on my night time moisturizer. I find using a serum has really improved the texture of my skin.

I have never used anything else from the brand, Wild Ferns, but decided to give this a try since my skin seems to react well to honey based products.

Starting off this product is a lightweight serum that you pat into the skin and immediately sinks in leaving the skin looking plumper and brighter. It has high levels of antioxidants, combined with the beneficial properties of AAH (Antibacterial Antioxidant Honey) which helps tired and dull looking skin. It also contains Vitamin A and E which help reduce fine lines and against everyday stress.

The serum is made in New Zealand and made with New Zealand Manuka Honey. It contains 50ml of product, is in a simple plastic container and has a pump. It has quite a distinct scent to it, which took me a couple applications to get used to. It smells sweet and now I’m addicted to the scent. You can get it from feelunique.com for €14.82. I got mine during a 10% off Sale during the holiday time.

Do you use any serums? What are your favourites?

Pink of the Week: Catrice Welcome to RosyWood

This week on my nails I am wearing Catrice #780 Welcome to RosyWood which is a mauve pink colour that looks really polished and clean on the nails.

I applied my trusty Sally Hansen’s Base Coat, two coats of the Catrice polish and another Sally Hansen Top Coat. The colour is opaque and usually stays on for a good week. With the price being around €4 and 10ml of product you cannot really go wrong.

This particular shade is a little thicker than some others I’ve tried but still does not apply streaky.

What is your favourite colour nail polish during this time of year?

Face Base – What to Apply under your Foundation

The secret to gorgeous makeup is gorgeous skin! But if you don’t have the perfect skin that everyone craves, then here are a few simple steps to help you get a smoother application and longer-lasting makeup.

Clarins Pore Minimizing Serum

My skin is Combination/Oily and I have rather annoying pores round my nose, chin and forehead. This Serum is a miracle worker. It is described as a ‘lightweight serum, with purifying Alpine Willow Herb, instantly tightens, purifies and minimises enlarged pores, promoting a fresh, flawless complexion.’

I apply this right after my Toner and before putting my daily cream on, all over my face and it acts to mattify my skin and reduce the size of my pores. It creates a gorgeous base to layer on my makeup on. I get mine from Escentual.com.

Bioderma Sebium Pore Refiner

For a cheaper alternative try the Bioderma Pore Refiner, which Lisa Eldridge has raved about so much. This is also a serum which refines the texture of skin and controls excessive oiliness. I usually apply this round my nose, on my chin and forehead and on the rest of my face I apply my daily moisturiser. For me it also acts to control oiliness on t-zone. I also get this at Escentual.com.

Clarins Beauty Flash Balm

Now this one is a cult beauty product, that’s been around for ages and I’ve heard many Bloggers and Beauty You Tubers rave about it. I must say I was a little wary to try this product but I have fallen in love with it.

You can use this product as a primer. This means you apply your daily moisturiser and then apply a thin layer of this on your skin for a glowy (not oily) look and a smoother application. I find that in the Summer, since I use more long-lasting foundation, they can then to look a little too matte and fake. So applying this balm helps the foundation to go on smoother and you actually end up using less.

A warning, use only a small pea size amount or your face will end up looking greasy. Also tap it onto the skin and don’t rub it or else it will flake away. To be honest it took me a while to like this product until I found the correct way to use it.

This product also works great applied straight on the skin when you’re having a no-make up day. Tanned Summer skin looks tighter and brighter. I also get this from Escentual.com.

Rimmel Fix & Perfect Pro Primer in 002

This is the cheapest of the lot but still works brilliantly. This is the one that has no colour to it unlike the original which I didn’t like at all. I wear it on top of moisturiser, beneath my foundation to balance my skin town and to give more staying power to my foundation.

Use a pea-size amount, all over the face, tap it in gently. Leaves skin prepped for your favourite foundation. I got mine from Ebay.

The Skincare Chronicles: Nivea Double Effect Make-up Remover

Since this is the first post of The Skincare Chronicles series I will do a little introduction. As the name implies I will be writing about products that I have come across that I think are amazing. I have very problematic skin that is combination/oily and that frequently breaks out namely because I stress myself. This is my journey through skin care products at affordable prices to help my skin without being too abrasive, harsh or cause even more damage in the long run. Any suggestions are truly appreciated as always. Also I will be reviewing some products that maybe are not so known or raved about but which I think are worth mentioning.

Last week I was shopping at my local supermarket when I came across the Nivea Double Effect Make-up Remover. As can be seen from the photo this is one of those products where you have two different liquids that you have to mix together to use. Namely you have an oily liquid and a less dense liquid that you shake together and use to remove make-up. Now I have seen many expensive brands coming out with these kinds of products and I’ve always been very curious as to how much they are effective. So when I saw this product for about 4 euros, I was all over it!

Nivea Double Effect Eye Make-up Remover

I am one of those persons who always removes their make-up before going to bed. I am also one of those persons that believes in the power of mascara and so tend to apply quite a good amount of it. This leads to me needing a good make-up remover especially for the eyes because we all know how harmful mascara can be if you don’t remove it all and that the lashes can suffer from this. So I was on the prowl for a good make-up remover that will take care of my eye make-up removal problems. As we all know products containing some oily substance are the best to break down the make-up and make it easy for you remove it. This is where the Nivea Double Effect Make-up Remover comes it.

The product coming back to its original state

It is easy as 1, 2, 3… to use! You just shake it, apply some to a cotton pad or as I sometimes do to a face wipe and wipe away all your make-up in a few simple swipes. The description for the product on the Nivea website describes this product as a “bi-phase formula enriched with Cornflower Extract” and that is helps to remove waterproof make-up. This product does not leave any greasy residue behind however I do suggest you wash your face to make sure that no product is left on your face. Now to tell the truth I am not a big fan of the Nivea visage products, I have never had much luck with them and they are either feel like they do nothing or they irritate my skin because they have abrasive chemicals. However, I was very pleasantly surprised with this product and would definitely recommend it and will re-purchase in the future.

Hope you find this review helpful and that you will try it out.

What do you think about this product? Have you tried it or something similar?

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MAC MSF Dupes!! NYC Chroma Face Glow Review

Recently I was browsing through an online makeup site and came across the NYC Chroma Face Glow and they immediately reminded me of the MAC Mineralize SkinFinish. They were available in two lovely shades; Sunstone and Moonstone, and obviously I had to get my hands on both of them. Sunstone is the corally/warmer shade and Moonstone is a pinkier/rosy shade.

The products come in very simple but
sturdy packaging which allows you to see the product
without having to open the case which can sometimes be a little
bothersome. From Left to Right: Sunstone and Moonstone

The products have veins in them that provide great
effect in the Summer. They are both not overly pigmented and
very shimmery. These products work great for a very sheer blush or
as a highlight shade! I find these perfect to apply on tan skin for that sunkissed look

NYC Chroma Face Glow in Sunstone
A gorgeous corally shade with veining of brown and mint,
gives a glorious dewy finish to a tanned face together with a
bronzed or warm eye look

You get 0.36oz/10.2g of product
I got mine from The Cosmetic House for 2.25 pounds
I love how the back of the packaging is so fun and bright!

NYC Chroma Face Glow in Moonstone
A delicious pinky/rosy shade with plum and gold veining
Gives a nice light shimmery sheen that goes well with light shades on the eyes

You get 0.36oz/10.2g of product
I got mine from The Cosmetic House for 2.25 pounds

From Left to Right: Moonstone and Sunstone
I find that once applied to skin they may look very similar,
however it also depends on how I use them.
If I use the product just as a highlight shade then the difference is not very noticeable,
but if I just use bronzer on the face and a touch of the NYC Chroma Face Glow on the
cheeks the product color shows up more

I love how this product although it gives a gorgeous sheen, doesn’t have big glitter chunks that end up all over the skin. The product is not too powdery either so that it doesn’t end up all over the face and makes you look like a disco ball. The sheen as you may notice is really amazing and on the face the effect looks even better. If I were to recommend this product I would say that you can get away with just getting one shade, however I really love this product and for the price I am really glad to have gotten them both. You really end up using a small amount of product so I am sure these will last a long time!

Have you tried the NYC Chroma Face Glow? How do you think it compares to the MAC MSFs?

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Product Review: Constance Carroll Blush in Mystic Rose

This blush is gorgeous for Summer with glamorous tanned skin. This is another of my favorite blushers by Constance Carroll in the shade Mystic Rose which is a gorgeous mauve/reddish shade. This shade is also gorgeous in Winter months as it gives paler skin a nice glow to the cheeks.

The packaging contains the blush and a
little blush brush which is not practical for use.
Simple and sturdy packaging!

The shade is 23 Mystic Rose and
the brand is Constance Carroll

The blusher has very little shimmer
so you don’t end up looking like a disco ball!
It usually looks like its matte when applied
to the skin which is my favorite type of blush!

The color payoff is really great as you can see
and the shade looks gorgeous on the skin!
It has great lasting power on the skin too.

Do you like this shade? What is your favorite Summer blush?

Smokey Grey Eyes and False Lashes

I am so sorry for the lack of posts lately but I promise I will be making it up to you in the future, just had some personal issues that I had to sort out! Today I will be showing you a smoky eyes featuring these lovely lashes that were sent to me by KKCenterHK for reviewing purposes. This company is situated in Hong Kong and specializes in selling false lashes and wigs but also offer a wide variety of makeup palettes with eye shadows and face products. They also have a wide variety of nail polish and tools and various brushes and accessories for your makeup application. You can check their website HERE.

They are the A 155 lashes and they are a little more dramatic
and fuller than what I am used to.
However the quality is amazing as always and they will
look great for a glamorous night out!

They come in a pack of 10 pairs so you
get 20 lashes to play around with!

They give you really nice length and volume!
For this look I made use of the Inglot AMC 18 Silver Shade
and the Elf Beauty Encyclopedia the Natural Eye Edition.