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21 March 2013

Product Review: David Babaii Supreme Smooth Shampoo & Conditioner

I have long hair which is thick, and due to its length it is a little heavy and although it is straight, it does have a bit wave, so I am always looking for new products to not only help maintain my hair, but also help make it smoother and straighter, so I can avoid using my hair straightener. Here are my thoughts of the *David Babaii Supreme Smooth Shampoo & Conditioner;


 
What They Say:
This smoothing duo will gently cleanse the hair, while weightlessly smoothing frizzy, unruly hair. Soothing camomile extract protects the scalp and smoothes the cuticles, while sunflower seed oil adds vibrancy to dull hair colour and seals ends. A phytenso soy complex is a natural hair relaxant that will leave the hair glossy and smooth.

RRP: $19.95 each (300ml) – available from Priceline, Select Pharmacies and David Babaii Online


What I Say:
I really like the David Babaii Miracle Oil, and in spite of having tried quite a few hair oils, it remains one of my favourites. But that also meant that I had very high hopes and expectations for the David Babaii Supreme Smooth Shampoo & Conditioner.

The Supreme Smooth Shampoo & Conditioner contain soothing camomile extract to protect the scalp and smoothe the cuticles, sunflower seed oil adds vibrancy and shine to dull hair colour and seals ends, and phytenso soy complex for glossy and smooth hair. Both the shampoo and conditioner have also been formulated without any of the chemical nasties, and hence does not contain sulphates, parabens or petrochemicals.

My long hair is generally it is quite healthy, but due to its length, needless to say that it has been through countless summers, hair colourings and heat sessions, so it is a little dry at the ends with some split ends.

I usually wash my hair every second day, and rarely do I feel that I need to wash it more than once. When shampoos do not contain sulphates I often find that it can often be difficult to get the shampoo to lather properly, but that was not the case with the Supreme Smooth Shampoo. It easily lathered up into soft foam, and just one shampooing was needed to make my hair feel clean, but without my hair feeling squeaky or stripped for moisture.

Afterwards I used the Supreme Smooth Shampoo & Conditioner, which my hair absorbs instantly. After a few minutes I rinsed out the conditioner, which was very easy and quick to do, unlike other conditioners where you keep rinsing and rinsing and keep feeling there is residue left in your hair.

Combing my hair afterwards is so easy as it is free from knots and tangles, and once dry, my hair is left soft, and is so easy to manage. My hair looks so shiny and healthy, and feels deeply nourished from roots to end yet without being weighed down. Both the shampoo and conditioner come in half-moon shaped bottles bottles with a flip lid at the top. The bottles are brown in a soft suede’ish soft touch feel, which I really like. The look simple and stylish, and actually match the décor of my bathroom.

The bottles have a small pale blue bar on the middle of the bottle with the name Supreme Smooth, and then either Shampoo or Conditioner in quite small writing – and wearing glasses, it is actually rather difficult for me to distinguish between the two in the shower when I am not wearing my glasses!

Another thing that I have found a little annoying is the fact that the shampoo bottle seems to be leaking at the top, so that after you have used it, shampoo runs down the front of the bottle, not only making the bottle quite greasy, but also making a mess of my shower!
 
 

Both the shampoo and the conditioner have a nice floral scent, which is very pleasant and far from overpowering. And once my hair is washed and dry, it smells absolutely gorgeous, yet again without being too intense or overpowering. 

All in all I have enjoyed using the David Babaii Supreme Shampoo and Conditioner, and how the products make my hair feel and look so healthy and shiny, so at just $19.95 each they are a great buy!
*This product was kindly provided for consideration, and it has been reviewed in accordance with my Disclosure Policy.

 


Babaii? What’s your favourite shampoo and conditioner?


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20 March 2013

Product Review: Lancome Baume in Love in Rose Macaron

A while ago I told you about the new Lancôme spring/summer2013 In Love collection fronted by the lovely Emma Watson. The collection intended for the European summer has a vibrant mix of spring inspired pastels including coral, violet, fuchsia and orange hues. A part of the collection is the Lancôme Baume in Love, here are my thoughts;





What They Say:

"Baume in Love is a limited edition in 4 neon translucent shades. This comfortable new texture enhances lips' natural beauty providing a "just bitten" look effect, perfect to suit all lip tones".

RRP: $36 – Available at Lancôme Counters

What I Say:
When I first saw the Lancôme Baume in Love in Rose Macaron, I was a little chocked. It was a neon pink lipstick. No way that I was ever going to wear that. But then I remembered that Lancôme described it as a translucent neon lip balm, so I figured that being translucent it surely couldn’t be too bad.

And as soon as I applied it to my lips I was in love. It is such a contemporary take on lip balm, since the element of surprise is the translucent neon bullet. It is so bright in the tube but does not translate that way on the lips, making it ideal for daily use. Lancôme claims that the Baume in Love is sheer and will give a ‘bitten lip effect’, but the colour payoff is very minimal. Even when applying several layers, you only get a little colour.
 


I like the fact that the formula of the Baume in Love is filler-free, as well as its high content of light oils delivers a very smooth, thin and gliding film on the lips that provides a comfortable, lightweight feeling, and adds shine to lips. The lip balm contains shea butter, which provides a naturally moisturising effect and leaves the lips feeling soft.



The sculpted metal packaging, which is nearly identical to the Rouge in Love lipsticks, clicks closed securely, so it’s safe to keep in your pocket or handbag, without risking that it will pop open.

The Baume in Love has no scent or flavour, which I actually really like. Sometimes I just feel too old for a flavoured and sweet scented lip stick!

In the end of the day, this is not a lipstick, it is a lip balm, and although it cost a fair bit more than a lot of the other slightly tinted lip balms currently on the market, this beautifully packaged lip balm is fantastic for those on hunt for the best luxurious tinted lip balm in bullet form for daily use.

The conditioning effect lasts throughout the day, while the shine lasts for about an hour before you will need to reapply. I also found that the lip balm worked perfectly on top of other lipsticks, giving them the nice moisturising effect and shine as well.

All in all, in spite of being so sheer and giving my lips so little colour, I really like this as a lip balm. It is great quality, and it moisturises my lips well, and leaves them feeling soft, hydrated and comfortable, while giving them a nice shine, which is still subtle.
*This product was kindly provided for consideration, and it has been reviewed in accordance with my Disclosure Policy.

 
What do you think of this new Baume in Love from Lancôme? Keen on trying it? What is your favourite tinted lip balm?


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18 March 2013

Product Review & LOTD: Innoxa Lovely Lips in Pink Frangipani

I have to be quite honest and admit that I am a little conservative, and mostly wear a quite neutral lipstick shade. But when I go out for special occasions, I do like shake things up a little and wear a bolder lipstick. Here are my thoughts on the *Innoxa Lovely Lips in Pink Frangipani;




What They Say:
Innoxa Lovely Lips are lipsticks that contain natural ingredients and are infused with minerals and sunscreen. The lipsticks nurture and protect lips, while providing a deep condition to lips. Available in 12 colours.

RRP: $14.95 – Available from Myer, Priceline, Terry White Chemists, My Chemist, Chemist Warehouse and leading pharmacies nationally, as well as Innoxa Online.

What I Say:
To tell you the truth, I have not tried many makeup items from Innoxa, so  was very excited to be trying the Innoxa Lovely Lips. The Lovely Lips in Pink Frangipani is a blue-toned pink/red lip colour. And as soon as I put it on, I like it! The thick and creamy lipstick simply glides on, and instantly feels nice and moisturising on the lips, and it is not sticky at all. It is highly pigmented, so the colour is rich and dramatically bold, which also means that it lasts several hours, although after a greasy lunch I do need to touch up a little, although my lips still have a nice wash of colour left.

 
 
It is also possible to create a stained look by just dabbing a touch of lipstick onto your lips with your finger and blotting with a tissue, and even so, it lasts quite a long time.

The Innoxa Lovely Lips Lipstick comes in a simple and stylish black case with the name Innoxa written in silver on the lid. The actual base of the lipstick is clear allowing you to see the colour of the lipstick, which I really like as it makes it easy to find the lipstick colour you are looking for without having up open it up first.
 
 

All in all this is a fantastic lipstick that is so comfortable to wear and the Pink Frangipani colour is very wearable, even for every day wear – that is, if you are a little less conservative than I am!! It really is lovely, and at $14.95 it is an absolute bargain for such a high quality lipstick. I will most definitely look into other colours in this range, as well as the rest of the Innoxa makeup range!!
*This product was kindly provided for consideration, and it has been reviewed in accordance with my Disclosure Policy.

 
Have you tried any of the lipsticks from Innoxa? What is your preferred lipstick? Do you wear bold lipsticks for everyday wear?


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17 March 2013

Product Review: Lancome Teint Visionnaire

Starting to see beginning lines, wrinkles and increasing pigmentation, I am always on the lookout for new and great anti-ageing products, so I was very excited when I was asked to trial the new *Lancôme Teint Visionnaire Foundation. Here are my thoughts;





What They Say:

Lancôme Teint Visionnaire combines a coverage corrector and make-up in one foundation to reconcile perfect skin coverage and natural finish. The high-coverage corrector seeks to correct spots, dark circles and imperfections. The liquid foundation naturally evens out the complexion, visibly improving pores and wrinkles, providing full coverage with a natural finish. Available in 12 shades.

RRP: $65 – Available from Lancôme counters.

What I Say:
The new Lancôme Teint Visionnaire not only combines a corrector and a foundation, it is a treatment foundation which is enriched with the perfecting power of Vissionnaire Advanced Skin Corrector's star molecule (LR 2412). The (LR 2412) is designed to activates the skin's defences and healing process, and  Lancôme claims that day after day, it refines the surface texture, smoothes and improves wrinkles and pores, and fades irregular pigmentation and naturally evens out the complexion flawlessly. The foundation contains a 2% concentration of the (LR 2412), while the serum contains 4%.

In other words, a product that works on your wrinkles and pores while covering covering imperfections. What’s not to love!
 
 

Having combination skin, increasing pigmentation as well as some scarring from past acne, I need a foundation that stays matte and doesn’t slide of my face half way through the day, as well as one that provides sufficient coverage to hide my pigmentation and scarring. And as soon as I applied the Teint Visionnaire, I was instantly impressed.

Step one of the Teint Visionnaire is the Targeted High Coverage Corrector, which is housed within the lid of the foundation – how handy is that!

The corrector has a good level of coverage, and blends easily with the foundation. To be able to blend out the corrector, I found that the corrector was easier to apply if I warmed it slightly between my fingers first. The corrector is enriched with Vitamin CG, known for its brightening action. The corrector easily helped disguise the appearance of dark circles under the eyes, and also effortlessly cover any blemishes or imperfections.
 
 

Step Two is the Complexion Perfecting Foundation. I found that the foundation glides over the skin and blends effortlessly giving it a medium to full coverage, while visibly smoothing out wrinkles and fine lines. It leaves my skin with a satin finish, super soft, smooth and hydrated and looking radiantly glowing and youthful, without looking 'overdone'. The Foundation is very lightweight considering the coverage it offers.

Even on my combination skin, the foundation lasts quite well, and while I do need to powder powder my T-zone in the early afternoon, I certainly do not need to reapply. When used in combination with a primer, it easily lasted all day, no touch-up required. The foundation stays true to its colour, and does not change during the day, which is sadly often the case with some foundations. And what’s even better for ageing skin, is that it doesn’t ‘fall into the creases during the day, and hence not accentuating any lines and wrinkles.

The Teint Visionnaire is easily applied with fingers or a sponge, although I found that I got an even nicer finish when I applied it with a foundation brush.

In terms of coverage and staying power, I found that the Teint Visionnaire is very similar to the Teint Idole Ultra 24H Foundation.

I tried the colour 04, which I have to say was sadly a touch too dark for my skin, even in spite of a bit of a summer tan. However, I use colour 04 in Teint Idole Ultra 24H Foundation, which is a perfect match to my skin tone, so I think it is thereby fair to say that the colours in the Teint Visionnaire are slightly darker, so just a word of caution before you order one.

The Teint Visionnaire has a little bit of a chemical scent, which is however still quite subtle, and disappears almost immediately after application. As an added bonus, the foundation comes with an SPF of 20.

The foundation comes in a 30ml glass bottle with the large compact concealer held in the lid, along with a mirror. The design of heavy glass jar makes it look very luxurious, although the packaging itself is rather bulky, and so in spite it being very user-friendly, it is not so handy for bringing with you for touch-ups on the go. The foundation comes with a pump, which I do like, as it is easy and also very hygienic.
 
According to clinical trials, Lancôme claims that after 4 weeks of use, wrinkles are reduced by 10%, dark spots are reduced by 17% and pore size is reduced by 8%, while after 8 weeks of use, wrinkles are reduced by 22%, dark spots are reduced by 29% and pore size is reduced by 17%.

Have I noticed any of these improvements in my skin after using the foundation for a few weeks? Well, I haven't been using it long enough to see any major improvement, although in the end  of the day when I removed my makeup, my skin felt so soft and hydrated, almost as if I had just removed moisturising mask.

So all in all, I think that this is a fantastic foundation that for me ticks all the boxes, and I really like the included corrector, but even more so the inclusion of the anti-ageing benefits, and that it thereby is concealer, foundation and skincare in one. So if you like me are looking for an anti-ageing foundation, with a medium to full coverage, then I’d definitely recommend that you try it!!
*This product was kindly provided for consideration, and it has been reviewed in accordance with my Disclosure Policy.

 
What do you think of this new corrector and foundation from Lancôme? What’s your favourite foundation and corrector? And what’s your favourite Lancôme product?
 
 
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16 March 2013

Sex and The City Arrives at the Fashion Capital

The other day I went to Chadstone shopping centre (which I believe is the largest shopping centre here in the Southern Hemisphere), for a little retail therapy.

Although I was never a massive fan of the TV show, I did enjoy watching the two movies so I thought I’d also take the opportunity to have a look at the Sexy & The City Exhibition which was held in a large square in the Luxury precinct around the shops of  Chanel, Burburry, Jimmy Choo, Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Tiffany’s.

The Sex & The City Exhibition is a world exclusive exhibition, with the costumes curated by the show’s own Academy Award nominated and Emmy Award winning costume designer Patricia Field.

The exhibition showcases 20 iconic outfits from Carrie’s voluminous Vivienne Westwood wedding, Samantha’s slinky black CD Greene dress she wore to Carrie’s rehearsal dinner, Charlotte’s Oscar de le Renta Mexico maxi and Miranda’s amazing Julien Macdonald frock she donned at Stanford and Anthony’s wedding.
Sorry in advance for the picture heavy post..
 
Charlotte
 
Pregnant Charlotte in Oscar de la Renta dress (SATC Movie)
 
 

Left: Charlotte in Gianfranco Ferre (SATC2 Movie - Flight to Abu Dhabi)
Right: Charlotte in Oscar de la Renta (SATC Movie, in Mexico)

 
Samantha   
 
 
Samantha in CD Greene Dress (SATC Movie - Carrie & Big's engagement dinner)
 

Left: Samantha in CD Greene Dress (SATC Movie - in New York)
 
 
Samantha in Keith Haring Collection by Patricia Field (SATC Movie - in Abu Dhabi)

 
Miranda 
 
 
Miranda in UAE Designer (SATC2 Movie - in Abu Dhabi)
 

Miranda in Maggy London (SATC Movie - in New York)
 
Carrie
 
Carrie in Vintage Dress (SATC Movie - in New York)
 
 
 
Left: Carrie in Halston Dress (SATC2 Movie - in Abu Dhabi)
Right: Carrie in Vintage dress (SATC Movie - in New York)
  
Carrie in Versace Haute Couture Dress (SATC, Season 5, episode 20, in Paris)
 

And finally, of course, The Wedding:

 

Carrie in Vivienne Westwood (SATC Movie - in New York)


The dresses were certainly amazing. Although I was a little disappointed with Carrie’s wedding dress…and to quote to women who stood next to me at the time "it looks like an unmade bed"….LOL, what a funny comment. But in all honesty, while the dress was obviously lovely, I personally did not think it was that nice, and worth the more than likely huge fortune it is worth!
Which dress was my favourite....well the Versace Couture dress is obviuosly gorgeous, but I also have a thing for the monochrome, so I really like Miranda's Maggy London dress..

The Sex & The City Exhibition will be at Chadstone Shopping Centre until 31st March 2013.

 
What do you think of this exhibition? If you are in Melbourne, do you plan to go have a look? Which dress is your favourite? What do you think of Carrie’s wedding dress? And were you even a SATC fan?
 
 

 
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