theNotice

Clinique Chubby Lash Fattening Mascara review, swatches, photos

September 17, 2015

19 Comments

The product: Clinique Chubby Lash Fattening Mascara in 01 Jumbo Jet, 02 Portly Plum, and 04 Massive Midnight

The collection that I have, without a doubt, fallen the most in love with this fall is Clinique’s. Usually, when I’m testing makeup products, I really go at it for about a week and then let them fall by the wayside as the next big thing comes along. But with these Clinique launches…

I mean. I’ve had these mascaras since July, and I’m still wearing them almost every single day this September. In the words of ’90s Posh Spice, they are major.

The shades: The new Chubby Lash mascaras are currently available in a few different shades, depending on where you are. If you’re at Nordstrom, for instance, you can pick up Jumbo Jet (black), Massive Midnight (blue), and Two Ton Teal — but if you’re at a Sephora, you have at your disposal Jumbo Jet and Portly Plum (eggplant).

I’ve tried this mascara in black, blue, and eggplant, and I love them ALL — but Massive Midnight is by far my favourite. It’s a beautiful royal blue that shows up even on my black lashes, and it’s perfectly done: in some lighting conditions, my lashes just look black; in others, the blue is so evident that I can see it in the mirror from a meter away.

Clinique Chubby Lash Fattening Mascara in Portly Plum (1 coat, plus the Pretty Easy liquid liner)

Clinique Chubby Lash Fattening Mascara swatches (L-R): 04 Massive Midnight, 02 Portly Plum, 01 Jumbo Jet

The formula: If the allure of perfectly-tinted lashes wasn’t enough, Clinique hit it out of the ballpark with the Chubby Lash formula and packaging, too. These feature a chubby silicone brush tipped all around with short, thin bristles, and they really deliver.

All three of these mascaras give me completely clump-free, voluminous lashes, and the formula holds a curl well. They wear for a good 10-12 hours (!!!) without dropping the curl, flaking, or smudging, and give me results that are extremely similar to the Charlotte Tilbury mascara ($29 USD) at a fraction of the price.

The verdict?

For once, I can’t think of a single way that I could improve these mascaras — and that’s saying something. They’re well-priced, come in a beautiful range of colours, and deliver a voluminous, clump-free lash that wears for 12 hours with zero smudging.

These are some of the best mascaras that I’ve ever tried, and I think it’ll be a good, long time before something replaces them as my favourite!

Availability: $17 USD/$20 CAD at Sephora, Nordstrom, and Clinique. New permanent items, available in different shades depending on where you buy from!

Keep reading! »

Tags: /Clinique, Eyes, Product Photos, Product Review, Product Swatches, Spring/Summer 2015

19 Comments

L’Amourose Rosa Rouge Rechargeable Heated G-Spot Vibrator review | Incredibly chic temperature play

September 15, 2015

Rae Chen

11 Comments

The product: L’Amourose Rosa Rouge Rechargeable Heated G-Spot Vibrator

It’s been a while since theNotice’s last toy feature. Missed the last couple? Check them out here! { Je Joue Uma G-Spot Vibrator / We-Vibe 4 and Tango }

L’Amourose’s Rosa Rouge is, I think I can fairly say, a vibrator like no other vibrator that you’ve ever tried before. Its shape, design, and heating element (yes, you heard that right) are entirely without compare, and the not-so-hidden tech geek in me gets a little thrill every time I pull this one out.

The heated vibrator difference

What makes the L’Amourose Rosa Rouge so utterly unique is that it’s a heated toy. As in, “designed to heat to a perfect 42 degrees Celsius,” (104 – 107˚F) which is a far cry from the usual, “accidentally heats up sometimes during use,” seen in most vibrators.

An upgraded version of the brand’s un-heated Rosa vibrator–which is otherwise identical–the Rosa Rouge maintains a steady 40-42˚C (normal internal body temp is about 37 degrees), warming up within a minute to skin temperature and reaching its final, toasty destination within 4 minutes.

The warmth of the Rosa is focused on the g-spot ridge and is limited to the insertable portion, leaving the base only barely warmed no matter how long it runs for — which I think is quite a shame, because temperature play is typically most effective at skin level.

That said, however, the Rosa is lovely both in and externally. (I guess 42 really is the answer to life, the universe, and everything.) For those who have never experienced temperature play, I would absolutely urge you to! For me, warm objects feel like satisfaction–not even sexual satisfaction, but like… that feeling you get when you step into a hot shower on a cold day; that’s just calm and quiet and good. Like a little moment outside of time, or a really great ~~massage~~ ~~facial~~ totally above-board spa treatment.

L’Amourose Rosa Rouge motor and settings

Umpfgh. Oh my god. You guys, the motor on this thing is so rumbly — like, MiMi Soft levels of rumbly, but without the rattling. It’s a constant, demure ruh-ruh-ruh, and it goes up HIGH, too: L’Amourose has tricked this baby out with a whopping 12 speeds and 9 vibrating modes.

And y’know what? I’m usually a pattern-hater, but I have to give L’Amourose credit for these ones. They let you use only the internal or only the external motor (yup, this vibrator has two motors; it’s that high-tech), alternate between the two, or slide from one to the other in a slow, hypnotic transition.

The motors totally aren’t “whisper-quiet” as promised, but they’re still very quiet. Despite this being one of the most powerful vibrators I own, it’s near-silent under a blanket!

Design

Apart from a super-sexy, gemlike silhouette, the Rosa Rouge is equipped with all the good stuff, too. It’s made from silicone and ABS plastic (for the shiny, multifaceted base), is fully waterproof, charges by simply sitting on its pedestal (LITERALLY A PEDESTAL), and has a battery that’ll last for 3 hours at medium speed on a 2 hour charge.

What makes the Rosa design truly brilliant, however, is the fact that, once inserted, it’s basically a hands-free toy. It pairs well with clit vibes like the We-Vibe Tango, but it stays in place easily on its own, too.

And, finally, in terms of its g-spot design, I find the Rosa Rouge to have quite an intense curve to it. The flexible shaft keeps things relaxed, however, so no matter how filling it may be, the Rosa’s shape is never bruising or sharp. I find that it’s best used in a nudging/rocking motion (like the Tex), and if I pair it with the Tango, I can get off in an unbelievably short timeframe–the two together are a dirty, efficient, mind-blowing dream.

The verdict?

As a big fan of rumbly vibrations and temperature play, I can’t not recommend the L’Amourose Rosa Rouge. It’s an absolutely beautiful piece of technology, covered in velvety-soft silicone, and it is by far my favourite internal vibrator.

At 4.5″ insertable and 1.5″ around, the Rosa Rouge is something of a work of art. It’s not something that I reach for all the time and it’s not a toy designed for thrusting, but when I feel like I’ve been very, very good, the Rosa Rouge makes me feel simultaneously like a princess and an–actually, nope, it pretty much just makes me feel like a princess.

So… my final recommendations. A $240 toy isn’t feasible for all of us (I was lucky enough to have mine given to me by the lovely folks at SheVibe), but the Rosa and Rosa Rouge offer things that other vibrators simply don’t: a comfortable hands-free design, temperature play, and (and!) 3+ hours of near-silent play on a single charge. If you can do it, I say do it.

Availability: $239.99 USD at SheVibe, or $179.99 USD for the non-heated Rosa (currently available at SheVibe in Emerald or Cerise). To help take the sting off of the price tag, L’Amourose pieces come with an 18 month warranty and a lifetime quality guarantee (50% off any replacement piece if yours breaks, even 25 years down the road), as well as a beautiful storage box and a satin-lined velvet pouch.

Keep reading! »

Tags: /Feminism, Other, Product Photos, Product Review, Sex

11 Comments

BISC Vol. 15: How do you overcome blogger’s block?

September 13, 2015

Rae Chen

Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré review | The BEST primer for dry skin

September 10, 2015

Rae Chen

5 Comments

The product: Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré Nourishing Moisturizer

I don’t typically buy products due to hype, but when the Pixiwoo sisters say something is really good… I have a tendency to believe them & buy. (What? Anyone with that much makeup prowess and standards high enough to make my favourite brush range is to be trusted implicitly.)

The Lait-Crème magic

I was pulled to the Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré because it was one of the only cult-followed, silicone-free moisturizers that I had left to try, but the real magic (and the thing that pulls most people in) is how brilliantly it works as a primer.

This “milk-cream” formula is the silkiest skincare product I’ve ever tried, and creates a gorgeous, hydrating veil over my dry skin. It does a better job smoothing over my dry patches than even the popular Korres silicone-free primers (available at Beautylish), and multi-functions as a moisturizer and primer in one.

Embryolisse says the Lait-Crème Concentré can be used on all skin types as a moisturizer, makeup remover, mask, after-shave cream, or baby-care product, but I think where it really shines is as a moisturizing primer. I use it on my “bad skin days” and whenever I feel like giving my skin a bit of a treat; with its French pharmacy packaging and subtly perfumed formula, it feels simultaneously utilitarian and luxurious.

The verdict?

Embryolisse’s Lait-Crème Concentré is French pharmacy goodness at its best. I love the silky, glossy texture of this moisturizer, and it is both the best primer I have ever found for dry skin and the best silicone-free primer I’ve ever tried.

To top it all off, the Lait-Crème Concentré is delicately scented and extremely affordable, and currently ships free at both Look Fantastic and Birchbox (US)!

Availability: 30 ml for $16 USD at Net-A-Porter, $20 with free shipping at Look Fantastic (use code LFNEW for 10% off); $16 USD with free shipping at Birchbox; $16 at Beautylish.

Keep reading! »

Tags: /Base, Embryolisse, Holy Grail, Moisturizers, Paraben-free, Product Photos, Product Review, Product snapshots, Silicone-free, Silicone-free moisturizers and serums, Skincare

5 Comments

Make Up For Ever Ultra HD (shade Y225=117) foundation photos, launch party

September 8, 2015

Rae Chen

17 Comments

While I was in Toronto this summer, I got to check out a pretty cool new product: the new Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Invisible Cover Foundation ($50 CAD), which launched this July in liquid format, and the Ultra HD Invisible Cover Stick Foundation ($50 CAD), which launches this month.

I wanted to share a really quick little recap of the event, because (a) blogger love!, and (b) the new foundations are pretty darn cool.

Make Up For Ever Ultra HD liquid & stick/cream foundations

I’ll just be over here, pretending to be one of the cool girls… | with Zubie, Steph, and Jenn

Amy (who just started Bratty B)! I can’t even put into words how much I love this girl.

Made for use with 4K camera technology, the new Ultra HD foundations are an update on Make Up For Ever’s original HD foundation, which has been the top selling foundation at North American Sephoras since it launched in 2008. (Unfortunately, like the original, both of these foundations contain silicones!)

The key makeup artist at the event demonstrated both of the new “invisible” foundations on his model Ashley, pairing them with the brand’s correcting primers — the translucent Skin Equalizer primer in the centre of the face to reflect and bounce light, plus the yellow primer to add brightness.

The technology: the new Ultra HD foundations use hyaluronic spheres to make the foundation blend automatically, so the makeup artist at the event recommended a bit of a traditional application method: apply (2 pumps of the liquid is enough for full coverage), let bake, then blend.

The foundations also include light-diffusing sericite, made to “act like an Instagram filter!” as well as amino acid coated pigments, which blur flaws as they cover. They pair well with the brand’s matte skin equalizer, too: just pat it on top (yes, on top!) of your foundation when you’re finishing up your makeup.

The utterly gorgeous Chelle, from Makeup Your Mind

Jenn, as in “A Beautiful Zen Jenn”! (The beauty blogging world has more Jenns than we know what to do with.) I’m so sad that this girl isn’t gonna be there the next time I go to TO :(

Zubie is pretty much the coolest cool girl. She basically always (ALWAYS) looks like she’s just fallen out of a photoshoot.

Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Liquid Foundation in Y225 (117 shade match)

The formulas: Make Up For Ever recommends their Ultra HD Liquid Foundation for a natural finish in a lightweight, oil-free formula, and their Ultra HD Stick Foundation for medium-full coverage, touch-ups, and contouring.

The liquid, which is lighter than the original HD liquid, is supposed to be better for normal to oily skin, while the super-smooth stick formula is targeted toward normal to dry skin.

Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Stick Foundation in Y225 (117 shade match)

The shades: The new foundations have a wider shade range than the original, and a new shade numbering system to go with it. I was matched to Y225 Marble (the old 117) in my summer tan, which was the brand’s lightest yellow-based shade… until now.

Y225 is still the lightest shade in the stick foundation, but for the super-pale guys and gals out there, Make Up For Ever now also offers Y215 Yellow Alabaster and Y205 Alabaster in liquid format! (The pink-based equivalents are R210 Pink Alabaster and R220 Pink Porcelain.) The stick foundation will be available in 15 shades, and the Ultra HD liquid is available in a whopping 40 shades.

Additional photos & more »

Tags: /Base, Event recap, Fall/Winter 2015, Make Up For Ever / MUFE, Product snapshots, Spring/Summer 2015, Travel

17 Comments

Maybelline ColorBlur Cream Matte Pencil lipstick review, swatches, photos

September 3, 2015

Rae Chen

12 Comments

The product: Maybelline ColorBlur by LipStudio Cream Matte Pencil & Smudger

↳ in 10 Fast & Fuchsia, 25 Cherry Cherry Bang Bang, 35 Plum Please, 40 My-My Magenta, and 50 I Like to Mauve It

This summer, Maybelline launched a new take on the matte lip that caught my eye immediately: their ColorBlur pencils, which, while perhaps not singular in formula, are entirely unique in execution.

The concept & packaging: The ColorBlur Cream Matte Pencils are twist-up matte lip pencils packaged in thin, matte packaging (which feels surprisingly chic for the drugstore).

On one end is a tapered lip pencil; on the other, a dual-sided, asymmetrical silicone smudger that does a delivers a softly or sharply defined lip without getting a single fingertip dirty. The smudger comfortably creates a “softly blurred look” by blending the pencil from the centre of the lip outwards, and is not anything like the sad little smudging ends you sometimes see on eyeliners — you know the ones.

Maybelline ColorBlur silicone smudger

Maybelline ColorBlur Cream Matte Pencils (L-R) in I Like to Mauve It, My-My Magenta, Plum Please, Cherry Cherry Bang Bang, and Fast & Fuchsia

The shades: There are ten ColorBlur shades currently available, and I got to try five of them. First, two gorgeous pinks: 10 Fast & Fuchsia, a vivid coral pink, and 40 My-My Magenta, an intense, blue-based pink. Next, 50 I Like to Mauve It, a pretty MLBB lip colour that I’ve been getting a lot of wear out of — it’s been living in my purse for weeks.

Finally, there’s the orange-red 25 Cherry Cherry Bang Bang, and 35 Plum Please, a dark plum/red… but more about that in a minute.

Maybelline ColorBlur Matte Lip Pencil swatches in 10 Fast & Fuchsia, 25 Cherry Cherry Bang Bang, 35 Plum Please, 40 My-My Magenta, and 50 I Like to Mauve It

The formula: The ColorBlur formula is vivid, super-smooth, and easy to work with, but after an hour or two (like with all mattes, and many non-matte lipsticks), I do find it to be too drying for me.

However, the formula applies very evenly, without catching on lines or migrating when I press my lips together. The exception to this rule is no. 35 Plum Please, which catches on everything — you can even see it in the swatch. But don’t fret! There’s a fix to this problem.

Maybelline ColorBlur swatches in Fast & Fuchsia, Cherry Cherry Bang Bang, Plum Please, My-My Magenta, and I Like to Mauve It

Maybelline ColorBlur Cream Matte Lip Pencils, from top to bottom: Fast & Fuchsia, Cherry Cherry Bang Bang, Plum Please, My-My Magenta, and I Like to Mauve It

The ColorBlur secret: For some reason, the ColorBlur pencils play very, very nicely with petroleum-based moisturizers. It makes them comfortable, softly glossy, and in the case of Plum Please, both even and absolutely gorgeous.

I couldn’t get quite the same results with lip balm as I could using German Nivea Creme, which seemed to disturb the formula just enough to make it forgiving and hydrating while leaving the colour vivid and opaque. (For a still-matte finish, I bet they would work brilliantly with a silicone-based mattifying moisturizer, too!)

Maybelline ColorBlur in Plum, Please swatched (L) and swatched with Nivea overtop (R)

I snapped a quick shot of Plum Please before and after the Nivea (above), as well as a full-face shot of how gloriously it pairs with Nivea. My apologies for the graininess; in my excitement, I took these photos late at night!

Also wearing: Annabelle EyeInk2 MistakeProof Eyeliner in Black ($10.95 CAD), Clinique Chubby Lash Fattening Mascara in 04 Massive Midnight ($17 USD/$25 CAD — I am obsessed with this mascara right now!!), Lise Watier Ombre Velours Suprême in Pêche Velours and Rose Thé Velours ($25 CAD); Senna Matte Eye Color in Sphinx and Intrigue to contour ($18 USD), applied with the Make Up For Ever 150 Precision Blush Brush ($40 USD/$46 CAD — I swear, this brush gives the most killer cheekbones).

Wearing Maybelline ColorBlur in Plum, Please with Nivea overtop — I was surprised by how much I loved this lip!

The verdict?

From the one-of-a-kind smudger to the super-smooth formula, I’ve really enjoyed using the Maybelline ColorBlur lip pencils. They’re not flawless (I wish they were more hydrating), but all matte pencils are at least a little bit drying, and Maybelline totally nailed the colour range with these.

My opinion? Unless you have really dry lips, the ColorBlur lip pencils are definitely worth checking out — if not for the forgiving formula and great colour range, then for the fact that they’re so unique.

Availability: $11.99 CAD at drugstores and mass market retailers. Available online (US) at Ulta & Amazon.

Keep reading! »

Tags: /Grouped reviews, Lips, Maybelline, Product Photos, Product Review, Product Swatches, Spring/Summer 2015

12 Comments

Klorane Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk (dark hair) | Two in, one… still in

September 2, 2015

Rae Chen

12 Comments

This summer has been a major month for re-buying, and I’ve carefully taken the time to snap & document each time it happens. In my soon-to-be eight years as a beauty blogger (I think theNotice started on the 23rd of September? I’ll have to look it up later), I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve re-purchased an item — so when it happens, the product has to be pretty darn good.

I’ve been lucky enough this year to find not one, not two, but four products worth re-purchasing this summer alone. The first, of course, was Odacité’s Pomegranate & Rose Geranium Serum Concentrate; the second is this one!

Klorane’s Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk for Brown to Dark Hair is a product that I really like, but ~~unlike my other re-buys,~~ I probably wouldn’t sell my soul for a bottle. My firstborn, maybe, but probably not my soul. I reviewed the spray originally this May, and when my bottle began to run out, I began to wait patiently for a Klorane sale.

Shopper’s had them on for about $11/each in July, which is fantastic (compare to $17.29 CAD at well.ca), so I picked up two: one to replace my bottle, and one to leave at my partner’s place.

As I said in my original review, Klorane is, by far, the best dry shampoo I’ve found so far. (Unless you care more about white casts than scents, in which case, Colab all the way.) It works well to absorb oil and smells subtle and clean, but it can get a little chalky-looking if you over-spray, and the regular $15-20 USD price tag is way too high. (Sephora really marks up; I think they’re regular $14.95 CAD at Shopper’s!)

But, well. I can make it to day three hair with my trusty bottle of Klorane, and even though their Oat Milk formula isn’t perfect… I own three bottles. I think that tells you all you need to know. At $15 a pop, I would hesitate, but at $10 or $11, they are definitely worth the re-buy!

Tags: rebuy/Hair, Holy Grail, Klorane, Product Photos, Product Review, Product snapshots, Silicone-free

12 Comments

The Body Shop Virgin Mojito collection review, photos

August 28, 2015

Rae Chen

9 Comments

The products: The Body Shop Virgin Mojito collection ($9 CAD-$22 CAD)

When I was fifteen, surgery was a cakewalk. Sleep it off in the hospital, grab a burger on the way home, ready for a road trip by Friday. But at 23, and when you find out after the operation that you might not be able to eat normally for up to six weeks? I’m going nuts over here. Telling a Chen she can’t eat is like telling a dog it can’t pee on things. Eating is where I get all of my joy.

So, I mean, I’ve been hitting the mojitos pretty hard to help cope. Virgin skincare mojitos, that is. (I don’t want to find out what happens when you mix rum with open wounds and morphine.)

The scent: I was told that you either love or hate The Body Shop’s new Virgin Mojito scent, but I mean… I love it; my boyfriend loves it; Julie from Swatch and Review and her boyfriend love it; Zoë from Writing Whimsy and Steph from Fun Size Beauty both totally love it.

It’s summery and fresh, and smells like taking a sip of a delicious wall of lime with just a hint of mint and that tart bite of citrus peel. (It’s totally 100% deserving of the cheeky little “NOT FOOD!” labelling.)

In the shower

The Body Shop has offered up two ways for you to get your mojito on in the shower this summer: the Virgin Mojito Shower Gel ($9 CAD) and the Virgin Mojito Body Scrub ($22 CAD).

I’m still trying to figure out if the beads in the mojito body scrub are regular beads or micro beads (the latter of which end up in lakes and rivers, basically just hangin’ out and killin’ fishes), but I have to admit defeat, here: I’m not eco-knowledgeable enough to tell the difference, and I need some help to figure out if I can indulge or if I need to pitch this!

I’m hoping for the former–didn’t The Body Shop swear off micro beads a few years ago?–because that jelly-like texture looks like waaaay too much fun not to use.

On the other hand, I’ve been guiltlessly indulging in the Virgin Mojito Shower Gel pretty heavily. The Body Shop’s Shower Gels are possibly my favourite product from the brand — they just always smell so good, and at $9 CAD (or less; a bunch of them are on for $5 right now), they’re so cheap.

I love being able to get a Body Shop scent fix at a price tag that I don’t have to think about (I mean, it’s not exactly Byredo, but is far from drugstore stuff). This tall glass of deliciousness is no exception!

After the shower

Coming out of the shower, you have three options: The Body Shop Virgin Mojito Body Butter ($20 CAD), a classic that has too many ‘cones for me to touch (I used to adore these), the Virgin Mojito Body Splash ($20 CAD), which is delightfully splishy-splashy but honestly kind of a pain to apply (splashes, man. We should have left them behind in the ’90s), and the Virgin Mojito Body Sorbet ($15 CAD).

The Body Sorbets are a product that I’m split on. On one hand, they’re $15 (sometimes even less!), and they all, without a doubt, smell awesome. But on the other, they’re just not hydrating — like, even when I get other people to use them, they don’t find them to do a thing. And they pill up like a bad primer if you try to make them hydrate more by applying extra.

Buuut (and there’s always a but) they’re $15. And silicone-free. And I guarantee you, they are the only tasty-smelling ‘cone-free body lotions that you’re going to be able to find for that price — believe me, I’ve looked.

So, you know. I hate them… and also, I own three. (This was, for interest’s sake, the only one of the three that was a press sample. I bought the other two with my own money and darn it, I was happy to.)

The verdict?

Out of all of the limited edition collections that The Body Shop has come out with recently, the Virgin Mojito one has been, by far, my favourite. I love the delicious, limey fragrance (it’s so summery!) and I’m quite happy with the product offerings.

My recommendation? Get the shower gel for sure. Then, if you can use silicones, buy the Body Butter. But for those who can’t… get the Body Sorbet instead. You’ll probably hate me for it, but at the same time, you’re totally not going to regret it in the least.

Availability: $9 CAD & up at thebodyshop.ca and The Body Shop stores. Limited edition.

Keep reading! »

Tags: /Cleansing, Fragrance, Grouped reviews, Other, Product Photos, Product Review, Silicone-free, Skincare, Spring/Summer 2015, The Body Shop

9 Comments

Reversa Anti-Redness Soothing Care moisturizer review, photos | Currently obsessed with…

August 26, 2015

Rae Chen

1 Comment

The product: Reversa Anti-Redness Soothing Care moisturizer

So, right now, I’m super into Reversa’s Anti-Redness Soothing Care moisturizer. Made for sensitive/reactive skin (that’s me!), it’s formulated to hit redness on two fronts: one, to reduce flushing and overall redness, and two, to tone down redness with its sheer green tint.

The formula: Reversa’s Anti-Redness Soothing Care is formulated with Quassia amara extract and vitamin B3 to reduce the appearance of facial redness while replenishing the skin’s moisture barrier. And I… I mean, I really like it.

It’s thin, unscented, and hydrating, and it feels very “neutral” going on — there’s nothing heavy or irritating about it, and no matter how dry my face is, it never makes it sting. I do add a drop or two of oil to this when I use it, but for those with normal to oily skin, this texture will be perfect for you. (My oily-skinned partner really likes the texture of this one!)

Plus, as a few extra cherries on top, it’s silicone- and paraben-free, and it’s made in Canada.

The tint: Okay, okay, okay. So: what makes this moisturizer really special is the green tint that it has to it. And I know; a lot of brands do this, but Reversa has done it well.

The green tinge to this fluid knocks out some of redness in my skin (not all, but a good amount of it), and as an extra-super-bonus, it evens out all of my other imperfections, too. Plus, it never looks chalky, and it doesn’t change the overall hue of my skin — which can be tricky, as I’m already pretty olive to begin with.

The verdict?

I can’t remember the last time I said this about a treatment product, but Reversa’s Anti-Redness Soothing Care gets a nice, big, resounding YES! from me! It’s a lovely, lightweight moisturizer that will work well for all skin types and gently treats both the signs and symptoms of redness.

Plus, it very subtly evens out skintone, which I think all of us (redness problems or or not) can use. No, it’s not going to magically erase redness like a high-coverage foundation, but it does a great job of what it’s made for!

Availability: $34 CAD online at Reversa.ca and in Shopper’s Drug Mart locations across Canada. (Frequently on sale at Shopper’s — the last time I was in, it was on for $25.49 CAD all week!)

Keep reading! »

Tags: /Base, Canadian beauty, Moisturizers, Paraben-free, Product Photos, Product Review, Product Swatches, Reversa, Silicone-free, Silicone-free moisturizers and serums, Skincare

1 Comment

Unusual beauty finds | The Edit

August 24, 2015

Rae Chen

5 Comments

The beauty world has been coming out with some pretty cool new innovations this year, so for the newest instalment of The Edit, I’ve selected nine products that have something different about them. They’re mostly skincare (what? I’ve been on a skincare kick this month), but don’t let that fool you: there’s some really nifty stuff coming out of the makeup department, too!

click the links!

Beauty Essences

Beauty essences are far from new (they’ve been popular in Korea and the rest of Asia for years), but they’ve been tricky to get ahold of here in North America until just recently. I picked out two for this edit: a classic, the Cremorlab Mineral Treatment Essence ($42 USD), which is now easily accessible outside of Asia thanks to Peach and Lily (get a $10 off code here!); and a personal favourite, the Canadian-made MIYU Beauty Hydrate Mi Beauty Essence ($34 CAD), which touts all the benefits of a traditional beauty essence but applies conveniently as a spray.

Mask On, Mask Off

I also picked out two cool masks for this feature: one for oily skin, and one for dry. Clinique’s new Pore Refining Solutions Mask ($27 CAD) is one of three masks that the brand is putting out this fall, and targets problem skin with its charcoal-based formula — its muddy-charcoal texture looks super cool coming out of the tube.

On the total opposite end of the spectrum is Odacité’s Hydration Masque ($55 CAD; sample size pictured), which is bright white and is a great choice for dry skin. And, still working off of K-beauty trends, it makes an awesome sleeping mask for those inclined!

Make-Up Shake-Up

I love a newfangled makeup product, so I picked out the Shu Uemura Laque Supreme ($35 CAD) and the Annabelle EyeInk2 Mistake-Proof Eyeliner ($10.95 CAD) for this feature. I reviewed the Shu just last week, and have been playing around with the Annabelle — the formula hasn’t been working out for my oily lids, but I love the long, thin, reversible (!!) felt-tip applicator and the built-in double-ended touch-up pen!

Cutting-Edge Technologies

And, finally, the coolest of the coolest. NIOD (by Deciem) has a new Copper Amino Isolate Serum 1.00% ($60 CAD) available this fall, and it packs a major anti-ageing punch — most brands only bother to put a 0.01 to 0.10% concentration into their products, which doesn’t give you the same effects.

Also from Deciem is a range of drinkables from FOUNTAIN, including this bioavailable hyaluronic acid supplement, The Hyaluronic Molecule ($38 CAD). And, from Estee Lauder, something that’s (also!) altogether new: the New Dimensions Expert Liquid Tape ($70 USD), which creates a thin, flexible layer over the skin that tightens over the course of ten minutes to literally lift and smooth the area!

What’s the coolest beauty product you’ve tried this year?

Tags: /Annabelle, Clinique, Estee Lauder, Eyes, Grouped reviews, Indie brands, MIYU Beauty, Odacite, Other, Other, Product Photos, shu uemura, Skincare, Spring/Summer 2015, The Edit, The Ordinary

5 Comments