Experience with the Apivita Propolis Mask

I think I may have found a prod that works to soak up the oil on my skin and stop me from looking like a hot mess by mid-morning. The product in question? Apivita’s Propolis mask. Here’s a pic of ½ the duo (the mask sachet is cut/perforated in two so you get two uses!):

Shithouse pic courtesy of my dead digital camera and my Samsung Galaxy S

I think the consistency of the mask is worth noting as it’s like no other mask I’ve used before. It’s like a semi-opaque chocolate-coloured jelly with bits of stuff in it. Very eloquent, Ange. The stuff looks a bit like grass. That’s all I can say about it, really. Whatever the hell it looks like/actually is (uhh, maybe it’s propolis?!), it felt really nice and cooling on my skin. When it came off, my skin felt fresh and soft, but that’s not really diff to my experience with other masks.

HOWEVER, the next day (and the one after!), when I put on my makeup and set out for the day, I didn’t get nearly as oily as I usually do. Not even close. Was it the mask working its magic? Perhaps. I’d like to think so because that means I’ve finally found something that works on oil. Woo!

So, fellow oily gals, check this thing out because I think it may be quite good. Quite.

Adios!

P.S. Let me know what works on your oily mugs.

MAJOR UPDATE: It’s been nearly a week since I used this mask and when I put my face on yesterday, my skin was a mess. It was so incredibly dry that it was scaly. Even my under-eye area was a dry mess. What the fuck. I've never had anything like that happen to me before. Since I’ve used nothing else new recently, I’m pretty much certain that the mask is to blame. *sigh* Back to the drawing board… 

Christmas wishlist (beauty edition). Come ooooon, Santa!

Snow Globe by China Glaze
I love glitter polishes. I need more. This one especially. COME TO ME.

Too Faced Beautiful Dreamer set
Saw this at Kit and died a little. In a good way. I want this. The quad and blush/bronzer duo is to die. Plus, look at that damn bag! NEED YOU.

Prada Candy
I've been using my Gloi stuff for a while now and I adore it. However, this perfume needs to welcome itself into my life. It smells sweeeeeeet and sosososo good. WANT.

Mac Cremeblend blush in Brit Wit and Something Special
Brit Wit is a weird-toned blush (imo) but I feel like it would look interesting on the mug. Something Special is just a plain pretty peach. The texture and look of these is nice. Real nice. NEED MORE CREME BLUSH.

Sleek blush in Rose Gold, Pomegranate, Pan Tao and Life's a Peach
Shit, these look good. I was *this close* to buying Rose Gold and Pomegranate from CrushCosmetics a few weeks ago but backed out when I realised I already have enough blush to last a decade. Whatevs. SLEEK PLZ.

Too Faced Cheek and Lip Color in Prim & Poppy
Was all set to buy this stupidly-good creme blush a couple of weeks ago but they were out. Bastards! I also need this. Can you tell I'm becoming a creme blush fiend? GIMME.


What's on your Christmas beauty wishlist?

Collective haul! WOOT.

I made another video. Enjoy the awkwardness and the hilarious screen-cap!

Here are some pics of the goodies.

Byeeeeeeee!

PRODUCT REVIEW: Taut Gold Standard Collagen Orange Drink & Taut Gold Standard Collagen Infusion Mask

Hey peeps!

Today I have a review on a couple of prodz that really impressed my mum/guinea pig – Taut’s Gold Standard Collagen Orange Drink and Taut’s Gold Standard Collagen Infusion Mask.

                      

Here’s the golden duo in all its glory:

The mask claims to penetrate the skin and dramatically tone, hydrate, revitalise and brighten. It's suitable for all skin types (including sensitive) and claims to work wonders on ageing skin. It can also be used on younger mugs, too.

The drink claims to provide a big ol’ dose of concentrated collagen (13,000mg worth) and get the skin looking plumper and just plain better. And younger, too, of course.

Okay, let’s start with the masks. You’re provided with 5 cloth masks in the box which are completely saturated in goodness. We all know there’s nothing worse than bone-dry cloth masks (and makeup wipes!) so the fact that they’re almost dripping in product is fab. Here’s a pic of the back of the box so you can check out exactly what these masks promise:  

My mum’s a bit of a cloth-mask fan so she adored these. She said they felt incredibly lush and hydrating and she loved to rub the mask down her neck and along her décolletage after she had it on for 15 mins (the sit-time for these is 7-10 mins but mum enjoyed these a little too much).

Here are pics of her forehead before and after using the mask:

 

As you can see, her skin looks hydrated, healthy and fresh after using the mask. Plus, her lone forehead wrinkle looks slightly less pronounced. WINNER! She thinks these would be especially fab for a pre-event pep-up. I concur. 

Honestly, I cannot tell you how much my mum enjoyed these. Since she finished her box, I will more than likely buy her another as a nice, little stocking filler for Christmas. I’m sure she’ll be stoked.

Now, onto the orange drink. Here’s a slighly crappy pic of the back of the box:

Let’s start with the taste – it’s not bad, according to mum. It’s definitely orangey (duh - it’s got orange juice in it!), but there’s also something else which she couldn’t pinpoint. It's also got a very slight tinge of bitterness. She was a bit nervous about how it would taste (and so was I!) but all-round, she didn’t mind it at all. Phew! Oh, and she also fell in love with the packaging. She said they reminded her of ol’ skool medicine bottles. Cute.

As for the results, I couldn’t tell you. She drank it as directed, as well as using the masks, and her skin does look better, but we’re not sure if the drink made an impact. Still, she can’t deny that her skin looks better after using both these products.

All up, she adored the masks and enjoyed the drink, but thinks she’d like to stick to the masks on their own. She told me to HIGHLY RECOMMEND the masks to my readers. Can you tell she’s a fan? Oh, mother.

If you’re interested, you can purchase these goodies at GNC stores across Oz. The 5-pack of masks sits at $44.95 and the 8-pack of drinks sits at $84.95. You can find more info at www.taut.com.au.

Thoughts?

P.S. These prodz were provided by a lovely PR company. However, this fact didn't impact on my review. Mum and I speak the truth! 

MAC's Fix+ vs. Australis' Make-Up Finishing Spritz

Today I’m going to be comparing two ‘refresher sprays’. Well, that’s what I’m calling them anyway! Let's welcome the contestants: 

Okay, so let’s start with the Australis Make-Up Finishing Spritz. I’m not going to ramble too much about it as I’ve already reviewed it here.

Now, while this stuff claims to keep your makeup on for longer, it doesn’t. At all. I don’t really know how it could considering it’s made up of Aloe and Rose Water (and other bits and bobs). However, that’s not what I bought it for. I bought it to refresh my skin after I put on a full face of makeup, to give me a hydrating boost during the day and to just plain cool me down when the sun is being a relentless bastard. For these uses, this stuff rocks. It also helps to piss off little flaky bits of skin when I have healing blemishes and get me looking fresh and non-cakefacey. Good stuff. The bottle you see above is my fourth so for me, it’s clearly a winner. It’s not a miracle spray but it works just fine. Plus, it’s cheap. $15 for the full-size, 150ml bottle. As for the smell, it’s okay. Not my fave smell in the world but it’s fine. It’s subtle so even if you don’t like it, it’s not too POWINYOURFACE!.

FYI, this is what Australis says about the stuff:

What is it

A light breathable spray that can be used anywhere anytime. The mini hydration-saver-mist provides an invisible shield over the face that sets make up perfectly for that ‘big’ night out and acts as an invisible barrier against temperature and environmental changes throughout the day. Formulated simply with rose water and aloe vera to maintain moisture and soft and supple skin.

Why we love it

Keeps your make-up in place all day! Revitalises and hydrates your skin on a make-up free day as well as allowing for fewer trips to the bathroom for retouching. A handy on the go revitalising pick me up!  This fine mist is non-irritating and safe for all skin types.

Now to MAC’s Fix+. In Oz, this stuff is $27 for 100ml. Nearly double the price of the Australis stuff and 50ml less. Boourns. Let me start with the smell. I love it. Apparently it’s because of Sugi, which I discovered, through the power of Google, is a Japanese cedar. Interesting. Scent is a total individual thing but the smell of this stuff rocks my socks for some reason. Fix+ refreshes my face but it also feels heavier/less watery than the Australis spritz. Maybe because it’s got more goodies in it? I don’t know. Despite it’s slight ‘heaviness’, it feels nice on the skin and also successfully peps up my mug, makes me look less powdery and keeps the flakies at bay. I also like to spritz my foundation brush with this stuff before I put on my foundation. Not sure if it makes any diff but I enjoy doing it. Now, I’ve also been told this stuff works really well to ‘foil’ shadows and make them more vibrant but I haven’t tried that myself so I can’t say much about it. I also know that people spritz this on before and after makeup for a dewy finish. Must try that also. All in all, I like the stuff.

Here’s what MAC has to say about it:

An aqua-spritz of vitamins and minerals, infused with a calm-the-skin blend of green tea, chamomile, cucumber, topped off with the fresh, natural, energizing scent of Sugi. Adds radiance. Finishes makeup. Skin drinks it up.

In conclusion (essay stylez), while I do like the Fix+, I think the Australis Make-Up Finishing Spritz will do me just fine. It’s cheap and effective - can't argue with that. Who knows though, I may change my mind later down the track. If I do, I’ll let you know.

So, what do you think? Are you a Fix+ lover or does the Make-Up Finishing Spritz rock your boat?

Update on losing kaboose, getting healthy and clearing up my skin

Gyme? What's a gyme? ...Ohhhh, a gyme. I love you, Homer.

I haven’t updated you all on my weight/skin issues for a while. First there was the madness that was the ABBW and then I had some health issues that really fucked up my shit.

So, how am I going? Good! Now. The ABBW proved to be dangerous when it came to eating healthy. Picture a hotel room with an abundance of chocolate, chips, cheese and fizz. Eek. Was insanely fun though! Love the #sweetnsalty girls and all the other beauty babes I met. Once the incredibly fun madness was over, I continued to eat like shit. Then I ran into a health issue that scared me shitless which then, in turn, made me eat even worse. Guess I was trying to make myself feel better. Fail.

The result of eating like shit? I put on nearly all of the weight I had lost previously. Foolish. Oh well.

I’m now wrapping up my 2^nd week of changing my lifestyle and eating habits and I feel fucking awesome. I have an insane amount of energy and I just plain feel good about myself. Nice change from wanting to beat my head against the wall for eating Maccas. The other week I lost 3kgs. Some of you might think that’s way too much but for my size, it’s pretty normal. I have aaaalot to lose. Hopefully when I weigh myself on Sunday, I’ll have lost a bit more.

Some days are hard and some days are easy as pie (mmm...pie). I just keep reminding myself how great I feel, where I want to be and what I want to get out of it i.e. good health, better skin and a wardrobe filled with nicer clothes.   

I'm basically eating low-GI and have completely cut out bullshit like Coke, fast food and copious amounts of crap like chocolate and chips. Oh, and I've cut down on my coffee intake, too.

As for my skin, it’s okay. Some days I feel like I see improvements but then a few more zits crop up and BAM!, I feel crap again. Woe. Btw, my routine has changed. This is what I’m now using:

Cleanser: Cetaphil (so boring and meh - not a fan)

Treatments: Retin A 0.05% and a homemade Kinetin and Niacinamide serum made by the lovely Sarah aka dempeaux

Moisturiser: Rio Rosa Mosqueta rosehip oil and Simple Kind to Skin Hydrating Light Moisturiser

Here are some pics of my skin. There’s no real diff compared to these pics but I've made it a habit to attach new pics every time I update. Sorry about the different lighting. I was standing in the same spot for both pics but it’s a real bitch to get the lighting exactly the same. *sigh*

So, there it is! If you’ve made it this far in this mammoth post, I applaud and thank you. Cheerio!

Hello Kitty!

The other week, I got a pleasant surprise in the mail. By pleasant, I mean WOOOOO!!!!11 OMG YES!!!1 RU SERZ?!?! WOOOOO!!1!. Here’s a clue:

Pretty big clue, huh? I got some Hello Kitty cosmetics!

Now, I’ve gotta admit, I’m not one of those hardcore Hello Kitty fans. You know those chicks that cart around Hello Kitty bags, phone covers and other cutesy bits and bobs? Not me. Not my thing. TBH, I’m not really a fan at all. However, I am a total sucker for cute packaging and let me tell you, the packaging for this new range is just damn adorable. Cuteness to the max. Take a squiz at my lil' pile:

You can’t deny the cute!

Here are some swatches if you want an idea of what the prodz are like before you go out and buy.

1. Mate (how it’s spelt!) & Kiss lipstick in Bollywood

2. Shine & Kiss lipstick in Violetta

3. Lip balm in Kawai Kiss

4. Magnetic Lip Gloss in Baby Lip

 

1. Blush in Venise

2. Eyeshadow in Desert Dore

3. & 4. Shadow duo in La Dame Au Camelia

5. Diamond Stars Roll-On Glitter for Face & Body in Angel Rain

Top black swatch is the Kohl liner in Black and the bottom swatch is the Pretty Eyeliner (liquid liner) in Black.

Initial thoughts on the stuff I’ve tried so far?

* The Intense Kohl pencil is amaze. Very smooth and very black.

* The Pretty Eyeliner is awesome! It’s not only superduper black but also stays put all day long. BIGTIMEWINNER.

* The Mono Eyeshadow in Desert Dore is pretty. Great as a highlight (along the brow bone and/or on the cheeks) or as an all-over wash on the lid. I’ve been using it on my cheekbones as a highlight and I’m loving it. P.S. My cam sucked at showing just how pretty this is in natural light. Apologies.

* Both the Shine & Kiss and Mate & Kiss lippies are gorgeous. Great pigmentation and smooth on the lips. However, the Mate & Kiss lippie in Bollywood isn’t matte. It’s not as glossy-looking as the Shine & Kiss but it’s defo not matte. Just so you know…

* The Magnetic Lip Gloss in Baby Lip is just plain lovely. The colour is stunning but my stupid cam didn’t pick it up well at all. It’s a peachy-pink gloss with mostly gold shimmer and other coloured flecks. So much love.

* The Lip Balm is not only a great balm (moisturises well!) but also has a great punch of colour. Plus, the tin is incredibly cute. I imagine these will be a big hit.

* The Blush in Venise is just dandy. I looove the colour (totes me) and the formula is unbelievably smooth and blend-friendly.

From what I can tell, this range has some real treasures. You must go and swatch immediately! Immediately.

Prices range from $9.95 - $14.95.

Available now at selected Priceline stores. Call 1300650981 for stockist info.

Are you a big Hello Kitty fan? Are you planning on buying anything from the range?

P.S. These products were sent to me by a lovely PR person. Oh, and if you’re thinking this is all a big brag post, it’s not. I just thought you guys would like to see some swatches and hear some thoughts before you go out and buy. That’s what we beauty bloggers like to do, right? Right. 

Shopping the stash

I haven’t shopped my stash in ages. I keep buying and buying and I’ve gotten to the point where I kinda have no bloody clue what I’ve got. I did a little clean-out the other day and came across some pretty pigments I bagged a couple of years ago that I had completely forgotten about. I got them around Christmastime from good ol’ Target and truth be told, when I got them, I pretty much put them in my makeup storage tower thingy and then forgot about them. Well done, Ange. Well done.

Here are some swatches for the sake of pretty photos. 

Aren’t they lovely? So glad I came across them!

The point of this post? I wanted to show off my find. The other point? To ask you all about shopping your stash. Done it? Do it every now and again? Need to do it? What beauties have you come across when shopping your stash? Discuss!