theNotice

Six lip shots to paint a picture of this love | theBalm “Prom Queen” Stainiac review, swatches

November 24, 2011

14 Comments

Have a bit of a re-review for you today, rather than an… actual review. Of, um, new things. That we haven’t already covered to death. (Stay with me, I promise this’ll start making more sense in just a sec.) Anyhow, I’ve been wearing theBalm Stainiac more or less every other day, for the past few months, and I wanted to give it a re-review in time for this weekend’s US sales! So, um, yes.

The product: theBalm Stainiac cheek and lip stain in Prom Queen. (Which, incidentally, is phenomenal on the lips but only sort-of-okay on the cheeks.)

I fall in and out of love with lip products on a pretty frequent basis, so when I find something that I actually stick to, through multiple seasons? It’s a pretty big deal.

Prom Queen, described as a “light rosy pink,” gives just the perfect natural flush of colour to my lips. It looks rather coral in the tube, and even in the swatch, but for whatever reason – it really doesn’t read coral on my lips. The colour is very much just an intensification of my natural lip colour, and it’s by and far the most natural-looking lip product I own, both in the shade and the bare-lip finish.

theBalm Stainiac swatch: Prom Queen on dry, bare lips

With the number of stains on the market today, I guess the most important part of this review is not how is the formula? but, rather, how does the formula stack up?

In short: it stacks up well. Very, very well.

Of all the lip stains I’ve tried, be them gel or liquid or cream, this one measures up the best in all categories. There’s no flavour, scent, dryness, or stickiness in the resulting colour; it’s never a fight against the clock to get it on in time (I accredit both the formula and the the doe-foot applicator for this one); and, of course, the colour looks really natural – not overly bright, like many lip stains.

Oh. And did I mention: it barely catches on my dry bits, and fades like a watercolour? That is: it fades in the centre first, of course, but does so in a very ombré sort of manner. There’s never a hard line of demarcation, and it can bet me from breakfast to lunch without touchups, no problem.

L: theBalm Prom Queen only // R: theBalm Prom Queen + Annabelle Coralicious (seen also in: this pink lip comb)

How to apply

(or, “if you’re not doing it this way, you’re not allowed to bitch about the results!!“)

To start, I’ll 1. exfoliate my lips, making sure they’re free of any lip balm or gloss. Then, I’ll 2. carefully apply a layer of product with the doe-foot applicator. After maybe 10-20 seconds, I’ll 3. take a damp q-tip over the entire lip area. It picks up a lot of the colour, yeah, but it’s integral in 4. leaving you with an incredibly even, long-wearing wash of believable colour.

To finish the lip, 5. top with some lip balm, sheer lip stick, or gloss (petroleum-free works best to keep the colour on), and you’re good to go. (The formula isn’t stripping, but it’s like having bare lips! You’ll want something on them, for sure.)

theBalm Staniac in Prom Queen + Annabelle Volumelip gloss in Coralicious

A few last-minute notes…

Stainiac usually retails for $17US, but theBalm is doing 40% off sitewide for Black Friday. Use code BLACKFRIDAY from 9AM PST to 11:59 PST to pick up your Prom Queen for a measly $10.20. That’s practically drugstore prices, people! (Actually, in Canada, I’m pretty sure we have some drugstore lipstains that cost more than that.)

The ingredients: Water, Glycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Triethanolamine, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Propylene Glycol, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract, Methylparaben, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Parfum, Benzyl Alcohol. (+/- pigments and dyes)

(P.S. Check out this theBalm Stainiac review for more photos, swatches, plus my initial impressions!)

Tags: /Lips, Product Review, Product Swatches, Silicone-free, TheBalm

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Two midweek launch rambles

November 24, 2011

Rae Chen

1 Comment

(To keep you occupied while I try desperately to get my arse in gear and finish a post with actual!content in the meantime…)

Essie, at Nordstrom

No real reason for including this one. I just really, really like that they’ve sorted them into such easily-accessible colour families and wanted to share :P (Oh, hello there, OCD! I didn’t see you there. OCD, meet theNotice’s readers. Readers, please meet my OCD.)

Gareth Pugh x MAC

This year’s MAC Holiday collection features the dark, lacquered colours and slightly “off” vibe typical to fashion designer Gareth Pugh’s collections. To me, Pugh’s work feels rather like a very structural interpretation of the dominatrix look: clean, unapproachable lines and a sort of space-punk atmosphere.

The collection is (thankfully) more wearable than the runway looks, and sees the re-release of Strada, which was discontinued from the regular line a year or two back (though it is still available through PRO shops).

Tags: /Holiday 2011, MAC, New This Week (& etc)

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No need to rush for these Tokyo Future Cream Illuminators | FaceFront Gold Rush, Rising Sun reviews

November 23, 2011

Rae Chen

11 Comments

The product: FaceFront Cream Illuminator in Rising Sun and Gold Rush

I was a bit iffy about these illuminators from the get-go, but I gave them a try nonetheless. No matter how I wore them, though – sparingly or sheerly, high on the cheekbones or mixed into my cheek colour, – I just couldn’t get the an appropriate effect out of either shade.

I’m not crazy about the formula of these Cream Illuminators; on one hand, they feel a little greasy when being applied, but on the other, they somehow seem too “solid” to blend out easily. Which – I mean, hello, physics. Aren’t greasy things supposed to have more slip?

If I was behind the formula (which I’m not) and I had to guess the problem (which I don’t), I’d say that it’s probably an issue of a a slightly skewed silicone-to-carnauba ratio. Actually, I’d probably recommend taking out the carnauba altogether. Maybe blending in some organic coconut oil; include it in a summer collection and really play up the coconut appeal. Y’know. If someone asked. (Which they didn’t.)

Gold Rush

Rising Sun

Gold Rush, described as a “super pearled white gold cream with bright 24K-colored refleks [sic],” runs a too green to impart a believable luminosity. Rising Sun, on the other hand, is supposed to be a “warm peachy-gold withs subtle golden reflecks,” but I feel like it got sidetracked in transit, missing the turnoff for Peachtown and ending up in Copperville. Perhaps running over a wild Subtlemon on its way.

In other news, I am starting to doubt FaceFront’s ability to discern what is gold and what is not. These, as you may have guessed, are definitely not.

The large flecks of glitter (in both, but particularly in Gold Rush) transfer and migrate throughout the day, and are easily identifiable even without a 20x magnifying mirror or direct sunlight. Perhaps on someone with strong olive undertones, a medium-dark skintone, and tiny, perfect pores, they would work… but I am none of those things, and quite frankly, neither are most human beings.

FaceFront Tokyo Future swatches: Gold Rush

FaceFront Tokyo Future swatches: Rising Sun

The verdict?

Though they’re just $11 each, I can’t find a single thing I like about either of these illuminators. (Well, I guess, the formula is scent- and paraben-free. That’s good, right?) They’re just extremely disappointing, in general, but the fact that they’re FaceFront (who have created some of my absolute favourite shades in the past) makes it even worse.

It’s sort of like – well, okay. Let’s say that you read about a new lipgloss that was coming out in three months. And you got all excited, and you waited, and you waited, and you checked out the promo photos and went yes, this is the one, and it was supposed to be a really lovely sheer plummy-rose with just a subtle, ethereal gold sheen to it.

And then it came out, and you bought it online, and you waited, and you waited, and you waited some more, and finally, at long last! it arrived on your doorstep and you unboxed it AND IT WAS GREEN WITH SPARKLES AND THE TEXTURE OF ROSIN.

This? This feels feels a bit like that.

Ingredients and additional photos »

Tags: /Cheeks, FaceFront, Fall/Winter 2011, Indie brands, Paraben-free, Product Photos, Product Review, Product Swatches

11 Comments

Hair Pad Giveaway: now open to comment entries!

November 21, 2011

Rae Chen

Holiday Shopping | Assorted sets and products

November 20, 2011

Rae Chen

6 Comments

Morning, beauty junkies! This is the last instalment of our Holiday Shopping series (links below to the other parts). But don’t fret, because we’re not nearly done with the holidays yet! Over the next few weeks, we’ll be doing a Gift Guide, some holiday product reviews, and more, so keep your wallet ready and your eyes on your monitor :P

More Holiday Shopping

Part one: BE, Benefit, and Bobbi Brown,
Part two: Dior, Laura Mercier, and NARS, and
Part three: MAC, Sephora, and Tarte.

Tags: /Holiday 2011, New This Week (& etc)

6 Comments

Coming up on theNotice | FaceFront Tokyo Future

November 17, 2011

Rae Chen

2 Comments

Features should be going up over the next few weeks ;) I don’t have the entire collection on hand, but you can find a full product listing below!

Reviews and swatches will start in a bit, and I’ll see if I can get a look up soon, too – I’m not over the moon about all of the textures (more on that in upcoming posts), but the colours are all absolutely breathtaking. FaceFront honestly outdid themselves on a couple of these shades; they’re stunning!

How FaceFront describes Tokyo Future…

Tokyo Future has been inspired by the vivid colour, lights, fast pace and ever-changing technology of modern Tokyo, Japan: characterized by its electric purple, mature, deep oceanic blue and refreshing magenta pink. However, it is also a collection remembering Tokyo’s tradition and past. The warm hues of earthy brown and green as well as an inspiring, crimson red lip color celebrate the fusion of past and present.

In short, Tokyo Future is a collection perfectly suited for Fall/Winter, but best for the imaginative soul to create, repurpose and renew into his/her own colorful canvas for years to come.

Product listing + more images behind the cut »

Tags: /FaceFront, Fall/Winter 2011, Indie brands, Product Photos, Teasers

2 Comments

A Few Canadian Beauty Product Must-Haves | Contributor post on: Temptalia.com

November 17, 2011

Rae Chen

4 Comments

Good morning (er, afternoon) beauty junkies! Just a little heads-up; we have a post up on Temptalia today: A Few Canadian Beauty Product Must-Haves.

Hope you enjoy the post! I’m not sure how much time I’ll have to write something else for theNotice today (it’s one of those weeks, ugh), but I’ll definitely try to find time ;) Talk to you soon!

Tags: /Link love

4 Comments

Sephora Favourites Fragrance Sampler + PREPKIT

November 16, 2011

Rae Chen

6 Comments

Eee! The Sephora Favourites Collector’s Edition fragrance sets are out again. I always get so excited about minis; it’s ridiculous >.<

The collection includes ten tiny bottles of perfume, plus a voucher for a full-sized bottle. It’s (ugh) US-only, but still very much squee-worthy. (Canucks, check your local Shopper’s or Murale for similar samplers!)

This year’s “for her” set features:

0.05 oz Calvin Klein euphoria Eau de Parfum
0.21 oz CLEAN Warm Cotton Eau de Parfum
0.17 oz Dior Addict to Life Eau de Toilette
0.24 oz DKNY Golden Delicious Eau de Parfum
0.13 oz Givenchy Ange Ou Demon Le Secret Eau de Parfum
0.25 oz Jennifer Aniston Eau de Parfum
0.17 oz Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy Eau de Parfum
0.17 oz Paco Rabanne Lady Million Eau de Parfum
0.33 oz Philosophy Amazing Grace Eau de Toilette
0.17 oz Thierry Mugler Angel Eau de Parfum

P.S. US girls – have you read up on the PREPKIT promo? I’m ridiculously jealous – it’s your choice of one of four sample sets with any order over $25: Smoky Eye, Flawless Foundation, Beautiful Skin, or Fragrance Sampler. (We never get the good deals up here in Canada! :P)

Tags: /Fragrance, Sephora, Steals and Deals

6 Comments

“Velcro,” for your hair | Dariya Hair Pad review & giveaway

November 15, 2011

Rae Chen

39 Comments

The product: Dariya Hair Pad (Magic Hair Pad dupe)

So – hair pads? A little strange. But at the same time, you kind of look at the pad and go “huh. Why hadn’t anyone thought of this sooner?”

For those of you who haven’t heard of them before, hair pads (or “fringe holders”) are pieces of velcro-like material designed to keep your hair out of your face. It’s so simple, but for whatever reason, they just haven’t really taken off the way that hair elastics and headbands have!

Unlike elastic-based hair accessories, they don’t squish your hair to your head – so if you’ve, say, already curled your hair, they won’t wreck your curls. I use mine when I wash my face, but they can also be used for things like putting on your contacts or doing your makeup; anything that you’d need to hold your bangs or front layers back for, really.

The Dariya pads are $4.99 for a pack of two (reg $7.99) through AJHairPad.com, who were kind enough to send these in. Each piece is 6.5x10cm, and features little bristle-like hairs: unlike velcro, there aren’t hooks and loops, so they slide into and out of your hair with ease (but have just enough hold to stay in while you’re using them). I think they’re probably best for shorter layers or bangs, but they do a more than decent job in my long layers, too.

Win it

The Dariya pads aren’t too costly to begin with, but we do have a pack (in pink) to give away! You have until next Saturday at midnight to get your entries in, and we’ll contact the winner by email during the week of the 27th.

This giveaway is open internationally, and will be opened to comment entries in one week’s time. Good luck!

Pink hair pad photos »

Tags: /Giveaway, Hair, Product Photos, Product Review

39 Comments

Fall favourites with the Lipstick Bandits | MAC Desire lipstick review

November 14, 2011

Rae Chen

60 Comments

Happy Monday morning, my dears! We’re about to start this week off with a Lipstick Bandits feature – each blogger will be posting her favourite perfect-for-autumn lip colour, and this is mine.

Up until late last week, I wasn’t sure what I was going to write my post on. I’ve always had an idea in mind of what my “perfect fall lipcolour” would be, but I’d never taken the time to find it.

That is, until now.

The product: MAC Lipstick in Desire (Lustre finish)

The shade: Desire the exact shade I’ve been looking for in an autumn lip colour – just the right mix of brown, berry, and plum. MAC describes it as a warmed burgundy wine, which I’d say describes it pretty well. Like most sheer shades, it looks deceivingly dark in the tube, but it goes on with a surprising richness of colour.

The red tones of Desire are balanced out quite well with brown and plum notes, keeping it from looking too bright or too orange on my lips. (And trust me, my lips are difficult to work with! A good 3/4 of the shades I try on look too orange against my complexion.) The result is an effortless, muted burgundy – far from “barely there” but still coming across quite naturally.

MAC lipstick swatch – Desire (heavily, then lightly)

MAC lipstick in Desire

The Lustre finish: I was pretty sure I’d walk out of MAC with either a Sheen Supreme (my second choice would have been Good to be Bad) or a Lustre, and needless to say, I was right about that! I’m not a fan the way really “obvious” lipstick looks on my lips, so I wanted to go with a darker, glossier shade that I’d be able to wear really sheerly.

Unfortunately, the slip of the Lustre formula means it settles into lines and catches on dry bits if layered on thickly, so keep that in mind if you (like I,) have dry lips. Additionally, despite the slip, I don’t find MAC lipsticks to be very hydrating – and this formula is no exception. They’re not stripping, per se, but I do need to keep a good lip balm on hand if I plan to be wearing a MAC lip product.

Bare lips (not even lip balm!)

MAC Desire lip swatch (applied sparingly) – this is how I’d wear Desire

MAC Desire swatch (applied more heavily)

The verdict?

It’s not “the perfect lipstick,” but I adore the effect created by Desire. It’s exactly what I was looking for – a shimmer-free, slightly glossy, muted wine, with just the right amounts of brown, burgundy, and plum to balance each other out. The wear time is definitely the cherry on top: despite the sheerness and the slippery formula, Desire leaves behind a gorgeous just-bitten stain that lasts just as long as a more traditional (read, heavier) lipstick formula.

All in all, I’m quite a happy camper about this one. And I’m tempted to go back and look for the Desire Tinted Lipglass! The swatches on the MAC site look quite similar (though the descriptions differ), so I’d be curious to see just how close of a match they really are.

Edited to add: See a full-face swatch of Desire here, & see it in a look here.

Keep reading! »

Tags: /Lips, MAC, Paraben-free, Product Photos, Product Review, Product Swatches, Silicone-free, The Lipstick Bandits

60 Comments