theNotice: a beauty blog

The products: Benefit They’re Real! Mascara and Watt’s Up! Luminizer

↳  as seen in Real Birthday Turn-Ons!, Sephora’s 2013 Beauty Insider birthday gift

It’s not my birthday, but this year’s Sephora BI birthday gift almost makes it feel like it is. I’ve been playing around with the highlighter and mascara duo, and (while I don’t love it quite as much as last year’s Fresh lip balm duo) it’s pretty great.

Honestly, though: the freebie consists of two best-selling Benefit products, shrunk down into miniature form, with puns in tow. How could it not be?

Benefit They’re Real! Mascara, $23 USD/#29 CAD

Described as “a jet-black mascara that lengthens, curls, volumizes, lifts, and separates lashes,” They’re Real! has a very cool applicator. Made out of a flexible plastic, it has staggered short-and-long bristles that go all the way around the tip of the wand – perfect for adding length and separation right down to the roots & the hard-to-get outer corners of the eye.

I haven’t tried the much-loved Benefit BADgal Lash, but according to this cool chart on Benefit’s site, They’re Real! is glossy and lengthening (both of which I can hands-down confirm) while BADgal is matte and volumizing.

The pitfalls: I really wish They’re Real! wore for longer on my eyes. Like with most mascaras, I start seeing some smudging after 4-5 hours, which (at $29 CAD for the full sized version) is pretty disappointing. My lashes could use a little more volume, too, but that’s easily excusable for a mascara made to focus on lengthening!

The high points: The applicator! You wouldn’t think having bristles on the tip would make much of a difference, but it makes getting picture-perfect outer corners a cinch. It does a great job at providing length, too (particularly on the lower lashes), and I really love the soft, glossy finish. 

Benefit They’re Real! ingredients:

Water (Aqua), Paraffin, Polybutene, Styrene/Acrylates/Ammonium Methacrylate Copolymer, Beeswax (Cera Alba), Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, C18-36 Acid Triglyceride, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Triethanolamine, Vp/Eicosene Copolymer, Acacia Senegal Gum, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Phenoxyethanol, Tetrasodium Edta, Butylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Laureth-12 Sulfate, Glycerin, Potassium Sorbate, Sericin, Calcium Chloride, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tilia Tomentosa Bud Extract, Citric Acid, Bht, Sorbic Acid. [+/-: Iron Oxides (Ci 77491, Ci 77492, Ci 77499), Ultramarines (Ci 77007), Chromium Oxide Greens (Ci 77288), Chromium Hydroxide Green (Ci 77289), Titanium Dioxide

L-R: Benefit They’re Real!, Benefit Watt’s Up! (straight from tube), Benefit Watt’s Up! (blended)

Benefit Watt’s Up! Soft Focus Highlighter, $30 USD/$36 CAD

Watt’s Up! is a cream-to-powder “luminous champagne” highlighter for the cheeks and browbones, which (in the full-size form) comes with a little “soft glow blender” to smooth out the luminizer into an even, diffuse sheen.

Honestly, my favourite part about Watt’s Up! is its adorable pun & packaging, but the product itself definitely has its merits, too!

The finish of Watt’s Up! is a tiny bit too shimmery for my tastes (I prefer a super-finely-milled sheen), but it does still create a gorgeous, noticeable glow. Unlike highlighters that depend on a mix of base pigment & shimmer to lift the complexion, this one is mainly based on peachy-champagne shimmer, which means that it’ll work well on a really wide range of complexions, right from NW15 through to NC42. 

It’s not too warm (orange-gold) or too cool (silvery-pink), either — I can wear this tone without a hitch, but my warmer, darker mother (around a NC35 in the winter) can pull it off no problem, too.

Keep reading! »

The product: Yves Saint Laurent La Laque Couture Tie & Dye Pearly Coloured Top Coat (Top Coat Coloré Nacré)

   ↳ in 01 Cool Coat, 02 Pop Coat, 03 Hip Coat, and 04 Ice Coat

The hardest part about writing this review wasn’t that the product was phenomenally good, or horrifyingly bad, or even incredibly surprising. Nope: the hardest part of writing this review was definitely, absolutely, hands-down the fact that I took almost two hundred photos of these, and all of them were stunning.

Not because of the lighting, or the camera, or the staging, of course. It’s just that the Tie & Dye topcoats are really, really cool — a four year old with a point & shoot could make these look absolutely riveting! 

YSL Tie & Dye Pearly Coloured Top Coats

YSL Tie & Dye Top Coats (partially mixed)

A brief overview of the effects

-01 Cool Coat reads as breathtaking blue-violet duochrome over a dark polish – perhaps because I swatched it over brown? On its own, however, Cool Coat is a dense white shimmer with pink reflects. 

-02 Pop Coat creates sheer veil of warmth (red), with a small amount of pink and gold shimmer. This one made my bare nails look a bit as if they’d been dipped in beet juice, but I can see it being a good “nothing” sheen on warmer, darker skintones!

YSL La Laque Couture Tie & Dye Top Coat swatched on bare nails

L-R: 01 Cool Coat, 02 Pop Coat, 03 Hip Coat, 04 Ice Coat

-03 Hip Coat translates into a cool pink sheen on the nails; more brightening and densely shimmery than Pop Coat. (I found this to be the most brightening “natural” shade for my hands’ colouring.)

-04 Ice Coat, finally, is a super-sheer blue jelly with strong blue shimmer. It’s a through-and-through shimmer (not a duochrome, like Cool Coat), and I think it would be the only one I wouldn’t wear on bare nails.

YSL Tie & Dye Top Coats 01-04 swatched overtop YSL La Laque Couture in 37 Taupe Mauresque ($25 USD), a shimmer-free brown from the Summer 2013 collection. [ flash ]

A bit more about the topcoats / I’d recommend… »

Musicalhouses tries out a summer staple (yellow nail polish), and thinks she just might like it!

Phyrra brings you all of the new Silk Naturals Chromatics Cream Eye Colors. Will you fall in love with them?

There’s makeup bases, and then there’s makeup bases. Don’t miss theNotice’s review of the super-cool shu uemura POREraser & Brightening Mousses — these are definitely the latter!

Jude reviews the WrinkleMD Eye Hyaluronic Filler Patch System. Is this really the No-Needle alternative to Botox and fillers?

Bun Bun Makeup Tips wonders why it took her so long to finally try, review, and swatch the awesome Maybelline Color Tattoo Eyeshadows!

Check out the beauty products that Krasey Beauty used for her first bodybuilding competition!

At Musing on Beauty, Mariella discovers a well-kept secret: Laura Mercier Secret Finish. Definitely a secret you want to know!

Addicted to Beauty is in love with these amazing New York-inspired nail art designs. I heart NY!

You don’t need to get all the latest and newest beauty tools. Handmade Reviews reveals the best type of kabuki makeup brush for your budget.

Have you ever written a fan letter expressing your love for a cosmetic? Read tofind out what mascara has Beauty Info Zone excited enough to do this.

Beauty Reflections has swatches and a review of the new Dior Pink Glow Nude Tan Paradise Duo for you!

Gouldylox Reviews loves this new palette from Too Faced. It’s developed by the Pro Artists at Sephora and each color is gorgeous. You won’t want to miss it!

Want sparkly clean brushes in no time? Check out Sophie’s cheap dupe for the Sigma Makeup Cleaning Glove!

Kim has joined the BB cream bandwagon & reviewed the Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector Oil-Free B.B. Cream in shade ‘Deep’.

Anita’s loving the new Laura Mercier Illuminating Eye Colours, they’re just perfect for the summer! Check them out over at Pleasureflush!

Jessika from polish insomniac falls in love with yet another stunning polish from butter LONDON.

Lisamarie from Beauty Crazed is now a Guerlain girl to the tips of her fingers thanks to the new Guerlain Colour Lacquers – check out her swatches and admire the luxurious shades!

Jenn from Spiced Beauty shows you her favourite lip gloss that costs under $3.00!

Do you change your beauty routine as the seasons change? Check out how Pammy Blogs Beauty tweaks her routine for spring and summer. Plus, enter to win $500 of Jergens products!

Want to take 10 years off your looks? Brighten that smile with the new Oral B Deep Sweep Electric Toothbrush and Crest Pro-Health Toothpaste.Prime Beauty is giving away 5 of them, so hurry and enter now!

The product: OB for shu uemura UV Under Base

   ↳ Brightening Mousse SPF 30 PA ++ in Pink Purple

   ↳ POREraser Mousse SPF 35 PA +++ in Beige

I’ve been trying to put together a review of the YSL Tie and Dye topcoats all week, but — no dice. (I think I took way too many photos; seriously.) In the meantime, here’s a review for something that really blew me away this month!

(how cute are these?!)

The POREraser UV Under Base Mousse in Beige

To start off with: shu’s Beige Under Base (SPF 35 PA +++) is made to even out skin tone and texture, reduce redness, and minimize the appearance of pores.

It’s kind of like — you know how makeup primers tend to be a clear layer of silicones, while paint primers are there for adhesion and tint? The POREraser is more like the latter, not only filling pores but creating a more even tone, too. I’d say its pore-filling prowess is less than a heavy “filler” (think Benefit The POREfessional), but it’s worth it for the lighter feel and silicone content.

Try this if: You’re looking for something to even skin tone without “flattening” the face. Use before your foundation —  or instead of, if you’re around a NW20-30!

shu uemura UV under base – POREraser/beige (L) and brightening/pink purple (R)

The UV Under Base Brightening Mousse in Pink Purple

Here’s the one that really steals the show for me. Like the POREraser Under Base, the Brightening Mousse was created to be a weightless way to even out skin tone and texture — but with a brightening benefit, too, both in immediate effect and long-term reduction of imperfections.

With SPF 30 PA ++, this primer is phenomenal at brightening up a fair to medium skintone (perhaps a deep skintone, too, if used sparingly), and works particularly well with yellow undertones. You definitely need to spread this one out (the shu website recommends applying a walnut-sized amount with their pentagon sponge) and make sure to cover all exposed skin, but it is absolutely, definitely worth it.

Try this if: You already have a sheer-to-medium foundation that you love, but want something to help “pick up” your complexion without relying on shimmer or sheen.

shu uemura UV under base swatches – beige (L) and pink purple (R)

The verdict?

shu uemura’s POREraser Under Base is great, but the Brightening Mousse – wow. From the spot-on Pink Purple shade (which really does have pink-purple undertones) to the wonderfully unique mousse format, it absolutely blew me away. 

I don’t feel like these are absolute must-haves (perhaps because I personally don’t wear an all-over base), but at $46 CAD, the shu bases are a very novel, wonderfully packaged product.

Availability: At Holt Renfrew & select Sephora boutiques (Canada); shuuemura.co.uk (United Kingdom). The bases are permanent, but the packaging featured here is limited edition!

See the brightening mousse: featured in this OB for shu uemura teaser post & used as a base for this blue eyeliner look.

Ingredients & more »

A launches from the past few weeks…

More importantly, Clinique just launched their Cinique ‘A Different Nail Enamel’ Nail Color ($16 USD). I think I speak for all of us when I say, “excuse me, but what?!” because I honestly did not see this one coming at all.

I don’t know if I should be incredibly pleased or extremely freaked out, but these 21 shades are available now alongside an ‘A Different Nail Enamel’ Top & Base Coat (also $16 USD).

Clinique 70s and Sunny, Really Rio, & Juiced Up

Clinique Fizzy, Indie Rock, & Made of Steel

See the rest of the shades! »