theNotice

B to the L to the AAAAAH.

October 21, 2009

10 Comments

What is it? Aveeno’s Ultra Calming Foaming Cleanser.Why I tried it: After reading heaps and heaps of reviews, I decided this would be worth it to check out. I detest cream cleansers, but have unbelievably dry skin (especially in the winter!) So, I picked up a bottle of this when my old cleanser ran out. It was discontinued, and I didn’t like that the packaging was hurting the environment. I figured it was time for a change, and this, well, this was the change.

The packaging: Okay, so I know this makes me a bad person, but I’d take the polar-bear-killing packaging of my old cleanser over this one any day. I think I got a dud. When I pump down, foam comes out, but the pump doesn’t spring back! I have to pull it back up each time, and my LORD is it annoying. Honestly, if I was a teacher and this packaging was my student, I would fail the heck outta it.

The ingredients:
The product: So here’s where the title comes from. It’s not bad… I didn’t break out, and my skin didn’t get any drier. (It didn’t get any less dry, though, either.) But it’s boring. I don’t enjoy using this, there isn’t anything to draw me towards it. It just kinda… gets the job done. My skin feels the same before and after, the scent is negligible, blah blah blah. I want something that smells great, something that leaves me feeling clean, something with packaging that works! I want something that I can enjoy using.

Dear Aveeno cleanser,

This is how you make me feel.

The verdict? Don’t waste your time with this. I can’t even recommend it for those with dry or sensitive skin, because it really wasn’t incredible in those ways either — it didn’t harm my skin, but it didn’t soothe. There was nothing “ultra-calming” about it! The price wasn’t great but it wasn’t expensive (about $12) and it’s not paraben-free or for a good cause…

zzzzz.

Tags: /Cleansing, Product Photos, Product Review

10 Comments

Oh, Annabelle. You had me at "hello".

October 20, 2009

Rae Chen

18 Comments

I tried to wait as long as possible to post this, because after trying it out a couple times, I simply refused to believe anything could be this awesome. I figured that nothing (not even me!) is this perfect. There had to be some strange side-effect!

But it is. And it doesn’t even make your lips fall off. Which, bee-tee-dubs, is a total bonus.

The product in question today is Annabelle‘s Le Gloss Star in Flash Dance.

Texture: Can we say amazing? Because it totally is. Think Vaseline — plush but smooth. It’s not even the normal non-sticky kind of feel, where it’s slippery but somehow actually a little bit sticky if you open your mouth too fast or something. It’s as non-sticky as lip balm, I kid you not!

Wear: Though it is very slightly drying (though probably not for people whose lips don’t hate them, cracking and bleeding on a regular basis despite an obsessive lip balm habit,) this gloss wears like nobody’s buisness. It’s no Chanel Rouge Allure Laque, of course, but man is it impressive! I know I always say that you either get non-stickiness or long-wearing powers, but this has both — I can get probably three or four hours out of this with minimal eating (but lots of chatting!) The thing is, once the gloss is all gone, Flash Dance leaves the most incredible stain… MLBB to the max!

Bare lips

Stain
(what it looks like after four hours or so, or if you only put a tiny bit on)

Colour: Yah, so I kinda just went over this. But whatever, because it’s so incredible that I feel no guilt on covering the topic again. It’s a coral-y magenta-pink that has freaking amazing pigmentation… I can put a tiny dot of this in the middle of my lips and spread it out for a nice stain, or apply a “normal person’s” amount of gloss for major impact (below). It has similar undertones as my lips, but just looks… better.

What I define as a “normal person’s layer”

Load ’em up! It’s pretty major… love it!

Finally, packaging: Simple and sturdy! Normal doe-foot applicator, and I like that the tube mimics a squeeze-gloss rather than a lipstick — it means you can get out every last drop, which I promise you will want to do!The verdict? Holy grail, people. I absolutely love this! A tube is $7.95, but like a lot of other Annabelle products, is usually on sale for about $6. Let’s just put it this way to get the message across: I would hate Annabelle if they hiked up the price to $20, but I love it so much that I’d totally still buy it.

I have my eye on the regular Le Gloss (the “Star” part of the name indicates glitter) in Breathless. I’m always on the lookout for a nice baby pink nude, so here’s to hoping this is it!

Tags: /Annabelle, Canadian beauty, Holy Grail, Lips, Product Photos, Product Review, Product Swatches

18 Comments

Aren’t you just a doll — more avant-garde makeup

October 19, 2009

Rae Chen

14 Comments

So this is pretty much my favourite look since, um… ever. It was insanely fun to do, for some reason. I think because it’s so UNwearable, and I always get such a kick out of doing unwearable looks. All images can be clicked on to be enlarged, as per the usual. Enjoy!

Lips without, then with, gloss.

White base — NYX Milk jumbo pencil
Pink — MAC Pink Fuchsia lip liner
Light blue — Jordana Tahitian Blue eye liner, Coastal Scents Blue Diamonds
Green — MAC So There Jade eye liner, Senna Glo Green
Violet — MAC Mauve lip liner, Korres Plum eye shadow
Dark blue — GOSH Pretty Petrol eye liner, Senna Blue Note eye shadow

Full look — without gloss.

Blush: Iman Rubor
Eyes: Rimmel Lycra Lash Extender mascara, MAC Vanilla pigment
Base: TimeBalm concealer in Lighter Than Light

note: It is SO MUCH FUN to take photos pretending to be a doll. Look vacant, dah-lings. It’s VAhnder-ful!

Full look — with gloss.

Gloss: VS Beauty Rush Minty Lip Shine, MAC PRO 321 brush.

That’s all! Perhaps you can put a spin on this for Halloween or something… just be sure not to lick those lips! Try sealing with something like Benefit’s She Laq, if you do choose to try out a lip look.

Tags: /4. Makeup looks, GOSH, Indie brands, Lips, MAC, Makeup looks: colour, Senna

14 Comments

Hamlet + cookies = awesome.

October 18, 2009

Rae Chen

6 Comments

Anyone up for a little stop-motion Hamlet (act one scene four) with cookies?

Yah, I thought so.

This is what’s been making my weekend awesome, if by “making my” you mean “ruining” and by “awesome” you mean “completely”.

Tags: /Videos

6 Comments

ahem

October 16, 2009

Rae Chen

2 Comments

NEED TO GO TO JACOB. LIKE, YESTERDAY.I hope this doesn’t disappoint! Jacob is one of my favourite clothing brands, so I’m pretty darn excited. Three shades, $10 a pop, paraben-free, and a dollar from each sale in October (10%) goes to the CCS. Sounds good. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Tags: /Lips

2 Comments

Lazy friday — here, have some makeover photos!

October 16, 2009

Rae Chen

16 Comments

Alright, so this one wasn’t in RdL — but it was just shortly before! I had her pick two shades that I’d use, and went from there. (She went with a plummy colour and one that with red undertones). Without further ado, may I present… Katherine!

Perhaps next time I get to work on her face, I’ll be able to convince her to do a more dramatic look. I’m just dying to line those gorgeous peepers!

Before

Alas! At just over five feet, we’ll look twelve ’til we’re forty.

After

(I bought that fan brush with her, and she absolutely adored the look of it. Clearly, we had to use it on her!)

The photos after this text have gloss — the ones above do not. Why is it that I always leave it for the last minute and forget about it until I’m half-done taking photos?? (Besame Vanilla, I believe.)

Eye shots

Tags: /Eyes, Other faces

16 Comments

What is it with makeup companies and the name "Pink Lemonade"?!

October 15, 2009

Rae Chen

6 Comments

Everyday Minerals stick gloss/balm in Pink Lemonade (which was very recently repackaged.) It’s nice enough, but had that annoying waxy scent that some lip products do… so, of course, it was quickly dropped into my swap box and never thought of again.
Some products are nice enough that I get over my insane hatred of waxy lipstick smells. This one was not. It was just kind of boring. (You know, in that college-boy kind of way. He’s nice, you’d bring him home, but HELL you are not planning a future with him.)

Tags: /Everyday Minerals, Lips, Product Photos, Product Swatches

6 Comments

Here, have some photos… I have too many.

October 14, 2009

Rae Chen

6 Comments

e.l.f. Plumping Lip Glaze in Plum Pout. Surprisingly nice, but with a gross mentholated scent and only 3 or 4 uses in the tube! O.o

Tags: /Lips, Product Photos, Product Swatches

6 Comments

Apparently what we want does not exist

October 14, 2009

Rae Chen

4 Comments

The problem? You all know it well — I just finished a massive breakout, and I scar awfully. So, to deal with it, I’ve been working with different mixes and products and methods.

What I’ve come up with is a DIY recipe using foundation, moisturiser, and the non-sulphur-based acne treatment of your choice to create a zit-busting tinted moisturiser. I prefer to do this because a) I haven’t found a TM that also treats acne, and b) this way, I already know that what I’m putting on my face won’t break me out.

To start, put a small dab of foundation on the back of your hand. (I use minerals, so I just tap it carefully onto the flat part of my hand and try not to sneeze or trip).
Match this amount with some moisturiser. I like to keep it oil-free, lightweight, and with an SPF of at least 30.
Add a small dab of your acne treatment. I use 10% benzoyl peroxide and the treatment-to-moisturiser ratio is probably about 1:5. Don’t use too much, as it’ll induce the dreaded flakies!
Blend with your fingertips (of the other hand) and apply.

The exact things I’m using are Everyday Minerals Intensive Foundation in “Sandy Fair,” Bioré SkinPreservation moisturiser (review upcoming… once I’ve tried it for a while longer,) and Clean & Clear “Persa-Gel 10”. Feel free to go here to read more about how I’m dealing with suddenly having acne!

Tags: /Acne, Base, DIY

4 Comments

Because Black Honey only comes in one shade

October 13, 2009

Rae Chen

10 Comments

Y’know what product I loved? Clinique‘s Black Honey. Great product — Almost Lipsticks have the sheen of a glaze but the convenience of a lipstick. The problem was that it was too warm for me, and the darn thing only comes in one shade!

The answer to this problem: Annabelle‘s Le Gloss Stick. (This one happens to be Chocoholic, a sheer brown.)

The packaging: Sleek and sturdy, though I didn’t love the finish of the tube (enlarge the photo and look at the edges — you should be able to tell that the colour’s not 100% smooth.)The formula: Stunning! I love the smooth slip this gives to lips, just soft enough but not too soft. It’s like putting on a good lip balm: soft enough to go on effortlessly, but hard enough that it holds its shape, and you can control how much you’re applying. I’m a huge stick-gloss fan, so this practically calls my name from accross the room! The wear isn’t phenomenal, but is no worse than the wear of other products like this (the aformentioned Black Honey Almost Lipstick, or Laura Mercier’s Stick Gloss.)The colour: Okay, so I kind of hated this. I am so not a brown-lip-colour girl. It’s alright if applied sheerly, sort of like a nice dark nude, but it’s horrendous if applied thickly! I’ll have to check out something with a more berry/pink-sounding name, like Berry Bite or Pink Tease. With twelve shades, I’m sure I’ll be able to find something to suit me! (Hey, Clinique! Take notes!)

So like… who even wears brown lip products anymore?! Is there something I’m missing here?? They just seem so blah to me.

Bare lips

A thin layer. Y’know, it’s not so bad.

Other stuff: Well, for starters, it’s $7.95. Uhhh, can you say “awesome”? Even better is the $1 off coupon on their site, and/or the fact that Annabelle often goes on sale. And the scent! It’s not garish (hey, can a scent even be garish?) and lipsticky; rather, Le Gloss Sticks smell lightly of vanilla and lip product. Think MAC lippies.

On a one-to-ten scale from “not enough” to “too much”…
…this is a twelve.

The verdict? I think this is pretty clear — love these! Great product, great price… what’s not to love?

Tags: /Annabelle, Canadian beauty, Lips, Product Photos, Product Review, Product Swatches

10 Comments