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Apple blossoms & Sleek Mono Eyeshadows

June 10, 2019

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I’m taking the week off—long days, fresh sea air, and dripping with humidity. These photos are from two weeks ago, with a bit of Sleek and The Organic Skin Co. (The Sleek Mono Eyeshadows are stellar, and The Organic Skin Co.’s Cheek and Lip Cream is just perfect in Spice.)

There’s a feeling that sits in the early summer, when the weather just won’t settle. It’s always dry in Edmonton, through the smog of neighbouring forest fires and the provincial heat; rain comes in spurts, and the thermostat clicks on and off all day. Everything sits just off-kilter: queer bubbles in a toxic oil pit, a bright orange shock of colour. A thick sludge covers everything, where bugs crawl in and out of dim sum restaurants and all of the gutless pickup trucks have balls.

In the hot days at the beginning of summer, there’s a bit of relief. An ease brought on by dense lilac bushes and short little apple trees, tiny spiders hiding in the corners of your office. The shift is detailed in these soft textures; caramel highlights.

I am here, apart from you, and I am forever incandescent with rage. With growing sentiment, I cannot sympathize with anyone who isn’t constantly furious here: small, and helpless, and soft-hearted.

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This post contains press samples: Sleek Mono Eyeshadows in Impatient, Always Right, Play Thing, and Queen Complex; Sleek Highlighting Elixir in Poppin’ Bottles; Kiss Faux Mink Eyelashes in Boudoir; Guerlain L’Essentiel Foundation; The Organic Skin Co. Cheek and Lip Cream in Spice. Also, the tree is not mine.

Tags: /Eyes, Sleek Makeup, Spring/Summer 2019

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Seven silicone-free eyeshadow formulas (+ swatches!) worth buying

May 30, 2019

Rae Chen

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A recent email from a reader opened my eyes up to a whole new field of silicone-free that I haven’t looked at yet on the blog: silicone-free eyeshadows. I tend to wear an eye primer with silicones, so this hadn’t applied to me until now! (I’d rather clean meticulously and hope for the best than have my eyeshadow crease by lunch.)

With new technology and better products, the need for silicone-y primers is diminishing. I’ve recently started wearing The Organic Skin Co. cream eyeshadows as my eyeshadow base — and they could not be better. I get a solid 9 hours of wear (7 hours crease-free) when I use them, and they’re so easy to blend and apply. Their creamy formula is the perfect texture to make my powder eyeshadows more intense, but unlike every single other cream eyeshadow I’ve ever tried, they actually keep my eyelids free of creasing and fading.

(And I’ve tried a ton of cream eyeshadows that haven’t been ‘cone-free. MAC, Bobbi Brown, Lise Watier… you name it. The Organic Skin Co’s silicone-free cream eyeshadows are the first to really work for my monolids!)

1. The Organic Skin Co. “The Eyes Have It”

Let’s start with the important stuff. The Organic Skin Co.’s eyeshadows are pricey (here’s a US link for you, too!), but they’re worth it. The brand’s The Eyes Have It Cream Eyeshadow Pods ($29 CAD) are blendable and pigmented, with enough oomph to create an intense eyeshadow look and enough stickiness to act as a silicone-free eyeshadow primer that’ll give you all-day wear. Their eyeshadow pods are drier than their lip and cheek pods (always a good sign), and they’re wonderfully intense for a naturally-based product.

From left to right in the swatches, Silhouette is a subtle, medium-sheer grey with fine shimmer. Silk Purse is a sophisticated, salmon pink with medium-opaque shimmer. Day Dreamer has a ruddy, brown cream finish. Finally, Deep Purple pops with electric silver, plum, and pink reflects on a dark grey base.

The Organic Skin Co. eyeshadow swatches

2. The Organic Skin Co. “Meet the Press”

As delicious as their cream formulas are, the brand’s Meet the Press Pressed Eye Shadow Pods ($29 CAD) are (somehow) equally as good. You’ll see two sets of pink and brown swatches in these photos: the first is Orchid and Nutmeg overtop Silk Purse and Day Dreamer; the second is Orchid and Nutmeg on their own, on moisturized skin.

Each of the eyeshadows corresponds well with its cream counterpart, which is either a good or a bad thing depending on your preferences. Orchid maintains the fine, uniform shimmer in Silk Purse, with a little more of a peach hue. Layered, the colour is maintained but intensified, and the wear time increases—these formulas mix to form an almost putty-like wash of colour that even resists being scrubbed at with a tissue, until you introduce a little cleanser or makeup remover to the mix. Nutmeg is a cream finish as well, but runs cooler than Day Dreamer.

I’ve been wearing a mix of Silhouette, Silk Purse, and Deep Purple as a base, with Orchid and Nutmeg overtop. To brighten up the inner corner and ease the red undertones of Silk Purse, I take MAC Blanc Type around the edges and add a bit of ivory shimmer to the inner corners.

3. Clean eyeshadows from The Detox Market

Every eyeshadow from The Detox Market is going to work for someone on a “silicone-free skin diet.” That’s right; you heard me. Every eyeshadow at The Detox Market is silicone-free, from their cult-followed RMS Beauty Eye Polish to their bracingly-expensive Kajer Weis Eye Shadows.

For affordable silicone-free eyeshadow options, I’d recommend going with Alima Pure ($14 USD/$17 CAD). Loose eyeshadows are a bit of a hassle, but Alima is one of the brands that hit it big during the 2010s’ mineral makeup craze and still continued to flourish when it ended. Their eyeshadows are offered in Satin Matte and Shimmer finishes, and are available in Pressed Eyeshadow format elsewhere.

If you’re on the hunt to build a silicone-free eyeshadow empire in your bedroom, mineral makeup companies are a great place to start. Many indie brands will press their eyeshadows with dimethicone, but if you can find a company that uses Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (my favourite ingredient!) instead, you’ll likely be good to go. BareMinerals comes to mind as a mass-market brand that makes truly exquisite silicone-free eyeshadows.

4. & 5. Easy-to-find silicone-free eyeshadows from MAC and Urban Decay

After years of being exhausted by each new MAC collection, the brand has fallen off of my radar. I forget about MAC when I’m writing posts, and haven’t purchased from them in years. But I love their basic eyeshadow and blush formulas… enough to get over their silly domed lids! I still use my last pan of Blanc Type religiously, and loved Full of Joy for years before Milk Makeup launched.

MAC gained its popularity for good reason, and it did so with relatively simple formulas. Their classic MAC Eye Shadow ($17 USD/$19 CAD) lists a silicone-free formula for with matte, satin, and shimmer finishes. For a little more pigment, the brand’s creamy Extra Dimension Eyeshadows ($20 USD/$26 CAD) are similarly silicone-free.

And for anyone who loves a great eyeshadow but isn’t a fan of MAC, there’s always Urban Decay. Like MAC, not all of their eyeshadows are silicone-free, but their singles are. Look to the poker-chip discs of Urban Decay Eyeshadows ($20 USD/$25.50 CAD) for another option that’s easy to find.

6. Awesome, budget-friendly silicone-free Sephora eyeshadows

As I mentioned, I’m kind of over MAC. Many of their products are truly great, but on the whole… well, I’m just not a big fan of any company that pushes out that many collections a year. After a certain point, the appeal of consumerism just becomes a little farcical.

The Sephora Collection makes a ton of products that I love (their Cream Lip Stains come to mind), and these are no exception. I was one of the first bloggers to try their eyeshadow singles when they relaunched years ago, and I’ve been a fan ever since. Instead of releasing 54 collections every year, Sephora does a big summer push and a big holiday push, but their eyeshadow range stays mostly the same. I last tried this formula around 2016, so make sure to read Christine’s updated reviews before purchasing!

For $10, the Sephora Collection Colorful Eyeshadows ($8 USD/$10 CAD) are stellar. They’re crazy pigmented and very blendable, and they pack a major punch. Their textures are a little more MAC (read: smooth mattes), but their finishes are more Urban Decay (big shimmer).

7. The cream of the silicone-free eyeshadow crop

I’ve never tried anything from the Pat McGrath Labs line. But I do lust after them at a distance, and I’ve read dozens of reviews for each and every product.

While I stay on my eternal makeup no-buy, Pat continues to churn out cult-followed products. One of the many is her EYEdols Eye Shadow formula ($25 USD/$35 CAD). These shadows are rumoured to be gloriously pigmented and buttery, with a foil-like finish on dry skin.

And yes, dear reader. They’re formulated with my fave: Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride.

—

This post is a reader request, with PR samples from Urban Decay, Sephora, Annabelle, and The Organic Skin Co. Many of these links are affiliate links, which help support theNotice when you use them.

Tags: featured/Eyes, Grouped reviews, Indie brands, Paraben-free, Product Photos, Product Review, Product Swatches, Silicone-free, Silicone-free lists, The Organic Skin Co

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Sleek Highlighting Elixir review, swatches: Poppin’ Bottles, She Got It Glow, SUN.LIT

May 20, 2019

Rae Chen

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The product: Sleek MakeUP Highlighting Elixir in Poppin’ Bottles, She Got It Glow, and SUN.LIT

The Sleek Highlighting Elixir formula

The Sleek Highlighting Elixir Illuminating Drops formula is, to put it simply, very lovely. It’s difficult to find illuminating drops that are silicone-free, but Sleek makes it look easy. These drops are silky and intense, with a liquid-crème formula that feels like nothing once you blend it in.

I like these best as pure highlighters, dabbed onto the back of my hand and then applied sparingly to the face. Each elixir is super intense, not with pigment but with luminosity. One dab of the dropper (not one drop from it) is more than enough for your cheekbones, nose, and cupid’s bow. This is the kind of formula that is super cute in a dropper bottle, but that doesn’t actually necessitate a dropper at all. You need so little product that a spatula, doe-foot, or squeeze-tube would work just as well.

(But the dropper is cute!)

These are also completely non-sticky and non-tacky once blended in. They diffuse gorgeously and light you up so intensely — I feel like I have an Instagram complexion when I wear Poppin’ Bottles, and my glow lasts all day with very minimal transfer. (You won’t end up with glitter covering your entire face unless that’s what you were aiming for!) I’ve wanted to find a ‘cone-free liquid luminizer for ages, and these were well worth the wait.

Sleek Poppin’ Bottles, She Got It Glow, SUN.LIT swatches in indirect sunlight

Sleek Poppin’ Bottles, She Got It Glow, and SUN.LIT swatches & shades

Because these blend out (like any highlighter) to luminous translucence, I think most people will find that they can select a shade to suit their tastes. I, however, love Poppin’ Bottles — in more than one way.

Like my favourite bottle of bubbly, Poppin’ Bottles is big, bold, and effervescent. One bottle will last for ages, and it makes me feel glowy and ready to go out. It never makes me look greasy, but instead highlights my brow bones, cheekbones, and cupid’s bow, thinning out my nose more than contouring ever has. Like any great highlighter, it’s full of dense, finely-milled shimmer and has an almost wet-look finish.

She Got It Glow is similarly glorious, offering a softer pink glow to the high points of your face. It’s more glittery (pink and silver reflects) and less dense. SUN.LIT sits on the opposite end of the spectrum, with a bronze hue and the least shimmer of these three. It’s the most pigmented of the lot by far, and mixes with moisturizer or foundation to glow-up your entire body.

What are Sleek’s Liquid Highlighters a great dupe for?

So many things!

These are a budget-friendly alternative to the often-lauded Cover FX Custom Enhancer Drops. They’re a silicone-free alternative to Dermablend’s Glow Creator Drops and L’Oreal’s True Match Lumi Drops.

They’re also so, so, so much better than Benefit High Beam — which I’ll give points to for being a true OG, but let’s be real: that formula is a hot, siliconey mess. (And the packaging still sucks!)

The Sleek Highlighting Elixir verdict?

I wholly and unabashedly adore these. The Sleek Highlighting Elixirs are the perfect liquid highlighter, and come silicone-free and budget-friendly as an added bonus — but I’d love them even if they weren’t. Poppin’ Bottles is the single best highlighter I have ever tried, and it somehow looks both natural and super intense when worn.

Availability: $9 USD/$12ish CAD. Available at Ulta and other drugstores.

Tags: /Cheeks, Product Photos, Product Review, Product Swatches, Silicone-free, Sleek Makeup, Spring/Summer 2019

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Guerlain L’Essentiel Foundation review, swatches (00N, 01N)

May 8, 2019

Rae Chen

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The product: Guerlain L’Essentiel Natural Glow Foundation in 00N and 01N

Guerlain’s new foundation is a bit of a big deal. It’s not because of the slightly-askew packaging, or the creamy formula, or the luxury price point. No—it’s that their new Guerlain L’Essentiel foundation is silicone-free, and that’s a bit of a rarity in the luxury makeup world.

Out of all of the big luxury brands, this is the first foundation that I’ve noted to be silicone-free. There are a few available from artistry-centric brands like Make Up For Ever (I really like their Water Blend foundation) and Pür Cosmetics (their 4-in-1 is dreamy), but none that deliver on the luxury experience. That means that you’ll be seeing a price point that’s quite a bit higher, but that your packaging and ingredients should make up the difference.

The L’Essentiel bottle is lovely, with a design by Mathieu Lehanneur. It feels solid in the hand, and its pump mechanism smoothly offers half-pumps for lighter coverage.

The Guerlain L’Essentiel formula

The texture: The L’Essentiel Natural Glow Foundation is thicker than any other that I own. It’s rich and creamy, with a texture that’s almost reminiscent of pudding — in the best way possible. I find that it applies best when put on the back of the hand, transferred to the face with a flat brush, and buffed in with a fluffy brush (natural or synthetic fibers). It’s a little heavy, with a weight that varies with intensity; a little less than a half-pump is more than enough to provide light coverage for my entire face. A full pump provides medium opacity, verging on full, but feels a bit like a mask or a sunscreen.

Where I believe this foundation excels is in its layerability. I’ll apply this for light coverage everywhere and buff it in, and then go back where I’d usually use concealer and apply a bit more. This masks my undereye circles just as well as any high-coverage concealer ever has, and provides about 90% coverage to even the nastiest of blemishes — all while blending in perfectly with the rest of my face.

The finish: I have incredibly dry skin that’s been peeling relentlessly for about 6 months. This foundation doesn’t mask my dry patches, but it does fare a lot better with them than anything else that I own. I like it best without powder overtop, which really makes its radiant, semi-matte finish glow.

(How is a semi-matte finish radiant, exactly? I haven’t the slightest, but somehow, this one is.)

See it in action!

Guerlain L’Essentiel before & after. Note the red patches around the nose and the discolouration in the undereye and on the sides of the nose. See also the texture across the chin and forehead, which are maintained upon application.

Wearing L’Essentiel in 00N Porcelaine. Eyes are The Organic Skin Co. with Kiss “Little Black Dress” lashes; lips and cheeks are The Organic Skin Co. “Spice”; highlighter is Sleek Makeup Highlighting Elixir in “Poppin’ Bottles”. All silicone-free.

Guerlain L’Essentiel wear and scent

This formula has a strong, powdery scent, but looks extremely skin-like when applied. It settles into the skin slowly, and I find that its wear kind of peaks: at 0 minutes, it looks flawless, but seems almost too perfect. At 15 minutes, it looks good, and begins to take on a glow. It looks best from around hour 1-6, maintains until the evening, and then begins to show through around hour 12.

The finish of this foundation holds up as well. My t-zone doesn’t get greasy throughout the day, and though the L’Essentiel formula doesn’t mask my dry patches, it also doesn’t encourage more of them to become visible as the day wears on. I prefer it on its own, directly overtop my suncreen or moisturizer — no need for primer, setting powder, or a setting spray.

Guerlain L’Essentiel swatches: 00N Porcelaine vs 01N Très Clair (indirect sunlight)

L’Essentiel Natural Glow Foundation in 00N vs 01N

I definitely thought that 01N (swatched at left) would be a match for my skintone, but it’s a bit dark for me! Guerlain’s PR was kind enough to send a second bottle after my mistake, and 00N (used in these before & afters) melts seamlessly into my skin. The N shades have neutral yellow undertones, and 00N looks…

Well, it looks the way that the rest of my skin suggests that my face should look, honestly. It’s about a half-shade darker and yellower than the skin on my face, which is a little cooler, lighter, and pinker than the skin on my neck. I definitely don’t mind the half-shade difference!

The Guerlain L’Essentiel Natural Glow Foundation verdict?

The Guerlain L’Essentiel foundation fills a heavy-coverage-foundation-shaped void in my makeup collection. For that reason, I couldn’t be more besotted with it. It’s not the perfect foundation (the shade range is limited, and it feels heavy), but it’s shockingly good. Silicone-free foundations are desperately hard to come by, and the way that this foundation layers is nothing to shake a stick at.

If you’re looking for a semi-matte foundation that glows, then this is the one for you. It lists light to medium coverage, but with good technique, I find that it easily ranges from sheer to full coverage.

Availability: $65 CAD at Sephora, Hudson’s Bay, Holt Renfrew, and Shopper’s Drug Mart. Permanent.

Tags: /Base, Guerlain, Product Photos, Product Review, Product Swatches, Silicone-free

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Physicians Formula Butter Eyeshadow review “Sultry Nights” & “Tropical Days” swatches, photos

April 29, 2019

Rae Chen

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The product: Physicians Formula Butter Eyeshadow review in Sultry Nights and Tropical Days

Edmonton may be experiencing a spring cold snap right now, but my eyeshadow looks have been swiftly moving towards summer. The new Physicians Formula Butter Eyeshadows offer a moment of tropical bliss. My world is otherwise pretty grey and snowy right now, so it’s a nice little break!

(Has anyone else ever noticed that it’s “Physicians Formula” and not “Physician’s Formula”? That seems weird to me.)

Physicians Formula “Sultry Nights” Butter Eyeshadow review

The Physicians Formula Butter Eyeshadow formula

While we’re talking about Physicians Formula, we may as well talk about the formula of their butter eyeshadows. I had a mixed experience with these: some shades are chalky and talc-y; others are buttery and pigmented. It’s an experience that’s common in eyeshadow palettes, and especially in drugstore eyeshadow palettes, but I was a little disappointed.

Physicians Formula makes some of my favourite products from the drugstore, so my expectations were high. Their eyeliners and lip products are great, and their base products with SPF are really innovative and well-done. But at $16.95 USD each, I think I’d have liked these palettes to feature more pigment and less talc.

Physicians Formula “Tropical Days” Butter Eyeshadow review

The Physicians Formula Butter Eyeshadow palettes smell like a tropical drink or a sunscreen-filled beach day. It’s unique and a little weird, but it doesn’t bug my eyes at all—even though they’re sensitive. The formula contains murumuru butter, cupaçu butter, and tucuma butter. It’s just as “incredibly soft and ultra-creamy” as promised, but I definitely find that these eyeshadow apply better wet over primer, rather than “wet or dry.” On me, they fade throughout the day, but don’t crease as long as I use a good primer. However, they have a rather massive amount of fallout (especially for the shimmery shades), so take care to apply before finishing your base layer and clean up the skin in between.

The Physicians Formula Butter Eyeshadows are lovely, but they rely heavily on a high talc content. Apply wet and blend gently, or use a super-tacky primer for best results.

Physicians Formula “Tropical Days” Butter Eyeshadow swatches (primed skin, indirect sunlight)

Physicians Formula “Tropical Days” swatches & photos

The Physicians Formula Butter Eyeshadow Palette in Tropical Days is the warmer of these two, with lots of rich, red hues to set it apart. It’s best, I think, on medium skin with a bit of a bronze to it. (Luckily for us, Physicians Formula also do a Butter Bronzer! I haven’t tried it, but I do think this kind of creamy, pressed powder formula is suited well to cheek products.)

These palettes are just over $16 USD, or about $21 CAD. I think that price is a little high for what you get, but Physicians Formula tends to price their products just a bit higher at the drugstore—which they make up for with awesome sales every season or two.

If you can wait to purchase these, I would; they have a considerable amount of fallout, and blend away with too much ease. But they’re far from a bad product, and I love Ready for Rio in Tropical Days. It’s the bronze shade in the upper right hand corner, and I swear, it’s like someone took metal and melted it down into a butter. The amount of fallout it produces is over the top, but it’s so creamy and rich—I really like it.

Physicians Formula “Sultry Nights” Butter Eyeshadow swatches (primed skin, indirect sunlight)

Physicians Formula “Sultry Nights” swatches & photos

Both of the Physicians Formula Butter Eyeshadow colour palettes have shades that call to me, but Sultry Nights is special. With a bit of extra effort, it really shines, despite its more finicky nature.

Reservation for Two, the flakey taupe on the right hand side of this palette, is the exact kind of transparent shimmer that I love. Rainforest Queen, in the centre, is equally as gorgeous. But both need proper care: the flakey taupe needs to be patted on top of other eyeshadows to really shine, and the centre shade needs to be applied over a black base to look as intense and gold-black as it can.

After Dark (bottom right) is also done well. It’s a simple black, but its formula is free of the tiny issues that pop up in other shades of this palette. Instead, it’s intense and blendable, with the perfect amount of pigmentation for a soft eyeliner accent.

The only place where these eyeshadow suffer is in this palette’s beiges, as in Tropical Days. Moonlight Beige (top right), Sun Down (centre left), and Bae-Cation (top left) are all pretty chalky and sheer. If you’re hoping to get a lot of natural makeup looks out of this palette, I think there are better options out there—even within the Physicians Formula line. But for a bit of summery fun, this is nice!

The Physicians Formula Butter Eyeshadow verdict?

Honestly? The scent of this formula is so unique, and there are a couple of shades in these palettes that are knockouts. But despite all of that, I don’t think I’d recommend these palettes. Their talc-heavy formula is thick and chalky, and most of the shades blend away to nothing in two quick flicks of a brush.

Physicians Formula do so many amazing products, but their Butter Eyeshadows get a pass from me. Instead, I’d recommend the Physicians Formula Eye Booster Gel Eyeliner Trio ($11.95 USD), which are some of the least smudgy pencil eyeliners I’ve found for monolids at the drugstore. I know Chelle of Makeup Your Mind loves their 2-in-1 Eye Booster Brush-Tip Liner as well, and they’re doing some really cool things with their skincare line at the moment!

Availability: $16.95 USD at Physician’s Formula and Ulta.

Tags: /Eyes, Physicians Formula, Product Photos, Product Review, Product Swatches, Spring/Summer 2019

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How to grow your blog & get press samples

April 15, 2019

Rae Chen

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This past week, I talked on Twitter about how to get grow your blog & get press samples. It’s a simple premise, and it follows the same guidelines that I live my own life by: be good, do good, and spread good.

(Yes, I’m well aware of the fact that I’m some sort of yuppie-hippie blend. Now do you want to get on this train & laugh at the Live, Love, Laughers or not?)

Why SEO isn’t the answer in growing your blog

Great SEO will help you start your blog, but it won’t necessarily help you grow your reader base. It makes sense; if you’re one of the first bloggers to get a review up on Google, you’ll get thousands of extra hits a day from that one post… for a while. But over time, only a percentage of those new readers will stick around and read your content for more than a couple of minutes. To keep your page hits up, you have to churn out new content every single day (or even multiple times a day). To grow your ongoing reader base, you need more.

I’m a traditionalist, and I believe in the effectiveness of real relationships. Creating relevant content & making blogger friends is what’s going to grow your reader base — which will translate into sustained page views. Find people in your niche who make content you relate to, and then engage with that content on a regular basis. Leave high-quality comments that specifically refer to the piece in question, because trust me: us bloggers know who cares & who’s just in it for the clicks.

In order to grow your blog, don’t just create content. Become a part of the community. Your friends will direct their longtime readers to you, and one day, you’ll be able to direct your readers back to them in order to repay the favour.

A Google hit gives you one click; maybe two or three if you’re lucky. But a longtime reader will visit your site every day, enrich your life with their responses, and share your work with their friends.

Grow your blog by sharing knowledge

A big part of why people want to run review blogs is that they know there will always be a demand for product reviews. It’s a solid way to ensure clicks for as long as your content is updated, but it can be an exhausting (and expensive!) way to run your blog.

I absolutely agree with many small bloggers that the expense of buying products is a barrier to becoming a full-time blogger, but I don’t think that that barrier is impenetrable. Readers don’t actually want products — if they did, they could visit a brand’s website or just pop by a store. What readers actually want is knowledge. If you can give them more than the brand can, then you can grow your blog.

I joke that I started theNotice with $50 in startup cash and a shitty camera, but the reality is that I actually used far less than that. I didn’t buy a single product for theNotice for years, and didn’t purchase my own domain until long after I eclipsed 50 000 views/month.

Anyone can afford a free blog on Blogger or WordPress if they have access to the internet. If money is a barrier to letting you grow your blog of your dreams, then get a library card, learn as much as you can from their reference books, and condense that knowledge into bite-sized portions for your readers. Humans are lazy — we love being handed information in its most accessible form. What makes bloggers special isn’t our access to products, but rather our eagerness to teach you things you might not already know.

(Within every blogger lies a “well, actually…” that’s waiting to be unleashed in its punniest form.) Build the reader base first, then invest in your blog once you can afford to.

The intricacies of product samples

I’ll let you in on a little secret: the freebies that bloggers get are actually being delivered right to our readers. We add years of knowledge to each sample, dedicate a few hours per post to creating something worth sharing, and then deliver it all to the reader for free.

I like to think of the Picasso napkin analogy when I read negativity about blogger samples on the internet. To paraphrase from Creating the Vital Organization (Brooks and Saltzman, 2016), Picasso was once asked for a drawing at a restaurant. He makes a quick sketch on a paper napkin, then asks for a hundred thousand dollars for it. The man is baffled that he would charge so much for something that took mere seconds to draw, but Picasso responds by telling him that it didn’t take him seconds to draw — it took him over forty years.

When an artist charges you for their art, you’re paying for the years they spent learning how to do the thing that you’re asking them to do. Similarly, when a blogger produces content, they’re sharing skills with you that they took years to hone. The brand often provides the product not to entice them to do so, but rather to help them do so while still keeping the service free for the reader.

How to get press samples as a small blog

Blogging is a creative business, but at the end of the day, it’s still a business. In order to get a brand to send you products, you have to prove to them that there’s something you can give back.

So take it from me, someone who’s blogged for years but never been a mega-influencer (or even, in the age of Instagram, a micro-influencer!) Brands need bloggers to either have a massive reader base or a unique skill set, but rarely both. PR reps want to create as much buzz for their brand as possible. If they had bottomless budgets, I truly believe that brands would send product to every damn person on the face of the planet. They’d rain it on our heads like rice at an eco-friendly wedding.

But they have bosses that they have to justify their purchases to, so help them do it. Whether your “thing” is an interview series that’s run only on your blog, or a curious photography style that no one else can mimic, let it be truly yours. If you can show a brand that your 10 000 readers buy just as much product as someone else’s 100 000 readers, or that they comment 5x as often, or that they’ll get hooked and read for three hours every weekend, then create a media kit that highlights that fact & let your blog speak for itself.

You don’t need to be the biggest fish in the sea to get press samples. You just need to provide an aesthetic or a service so unique that a PR rep can brag about it to their boss!

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The products photographed here were submitted by PR for editorial consideration only.

Tags: /Beauty blogging

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Desavery review: Stellar, Smooth, and Dream | Canadian skincare with a twist

April 8, 2019

Rae Chen

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The products: Desavery Stellar Daily Serum, Smooth Hyaluronic Acid with Clary Sage and Bergamot, and Dream Oil Cleanser

It’s rare that you find a skincare range as beautiful as Desavery’s. Simple packaging is easy to achieve — just ask brands like The Ordinary and MAC. But designing simple packaging that’s truly beautiful is much more difficult, and it really sets this Desavery review apart.

Bright green pop against moody greys in dropper bottles, and damn, it works. I’m instantly cheered by this super-sharp packaging. It’s the only skincare line I’ve ever intentionally left out on my countertop, and somehow, it makes my counters look cleaner rather than messier.

The Desavery review you’ve waited for

Desavery is a 100% natural, organic, vegan brand. It’s formulated to be intense: each product is packed with active ingredients and sustainably sourced components. You get what you pay for here, which doesn’t always happen in the skincare world. Each ingredient is sourced in small batches from socially-responsible producers and shipped to Desavery within days of being pressed, so your fresh product is actually fresh.

I’m always thrilled to find another Canadian brand, and this one was no exception. Not only are these products gorgeous, they’re also one of the only skincare regimens that have made a difference for me overnight.

I have crazy dry, flakey skin, as I’m sure you all know. (That’s why I have an entire section on extremely dry skin!) But when I use this cleanser, serum, and oil, I wake up with flake-free skin every morning. The combination of active ingredients is a little too much for my skin—my skin tingles and breaks out after a few days—but using each part separately gives me great results without overloading my sensitive skin.

Desavery Stellar: A “hero” product

Stellar ($95 CAD) is the flagstone of the Desavery lineup, and it’s easy to see why. This serum highlights prickly pair, rosehip, and camellia oils to “brighten skin tone and improve elasticity.” It’s rich and hydrating, with a golden yellow hue.

These hydrating oils pair alongside clary sage, bergamot, and frankincense. They’re intended to balance the skin and “induce calm,” so it’s important to note that this one is quite scented. Stellar is the product that made my skin tingle at first (it’s so intense), but it’s amazing when you build up to using it at full strength.

If you buy only one Desavery product, let it be this one. It’s gorgeous and effective, and 5% of its profits go back to the women in the co-op that sources its prickly pear seed oil.

Desavery Dream and Smooth

When I started prepping for my Desavery review, I knew that Stellar would be the highlight of the post. But more and more, I found myself using Smooth ($55 CAD). The key ingredients (botanical sodium hyaluronate and salicylic acid) are the same in each, so I recommend picking one based on your scent preference. Mine smells herbal and hydrates generously, although I do find that I go through it rather quickly. (I’m a monster with my hyaluronic gels. I wish this came in a bottle as big as the Dream!)

I’ve never been a fan of oil cleansers, so the Desavery Dream Oil Cleanser ($57 CAD) was more of an obligated-by-my-conscience-to-try than an excited-to-try. It’s what I expected. Dream smells like a day at the spa, and it’s a thick oil that is best removed with a warm washcloth. The formula features spikenard, bergamot, and ylang ylang in a base of sunflower, camellia, and castor seed oils.

If you have truly dry skin, I absolutely recommend trying a product like Dream. It washes away my makeup without stripping my skin in the least; I just find that I can’t use it on a regular basis because my skin cells are so reluctant to shed. (You can get a similar effect by cleansing with jojoba oil and a hot cloth.) Unlike cleansing oils that you’d find in Sephora or the drugstore, this one doesn’t turn milky or foam upon contact with water — it really is an oil. For those who love a nourishing product, this one is great.

(But for those who think that cleansing oils are kind of slimy, I’d recommend sleeping on Dream and going for Stellar and Smooth instead!)

The Desavery review verdict?

I don’t prioritize all-natural skincare products, but Desavery makes me feel like I ought to. These products are good for the skin and the environment, and each bottle of Stellar gives back to the community.

I’m very happy with the Stellar serum, but less enthusiastic about the Dream cleanser. Smooth is another great find at a reasonable price point — I don’t like it as much as my favourite hyaluronic acid serum (SkinCeuticals Hydrating B5 Gel), but at $55 CAD, it’s sustainably-sourced and half the price.

Availability: $55 CAD and up. Permanent at Desavery.

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Press samples. No affiliate links. Check out other silicone-free moisturizer and serum reviews at theNotice.

Tags: /Canadian beauty, Cleansing, Extremely dry skin, Grouped reviews, Indie brands, Moisturizers, Paraben-free, Product Photos, Product Review, Silicone-free, Silicone-free moisturizers and serums, Skincare, Small Business Saturdays

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Lise Watier Rouge Fondant, Rouge Gourmand The Nudes review, swatches

March 28, 2019

Rae Chen

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The products: Lise Watier Rouge Gourmand “The Nudes” in Cotton Candy, Dragon Fruit, Panna Cotta, and Peach Crumble; Lise Watier Rouge Fondant Suprême in Amelia and Chloe

I put out a longer post on Monday about the Lise Watier Rouge Gourmand lipsticks (AKA my favourite lipstick formula), but let’s chat for just a little while longer about the range. I’ve been lucky enough to try a lot of Lise Watier’s lipsticks throughout the years, and while they’re all good, they’re not all great.

Lise Watier Rouge Fondant Suprême in Amelia and Chloe

Lise’s original Rouge Fondant formula is… lackluster, in my eyes. These lipsticks are sheer and shimmery, and honestly? That’s just not me. My mom would have LOVED these in her 30s, and even in her 40s, but I’m not a big shimmer fiend.

Amelia is a light coral with a lot of shimmer, but on my lips, it reads as a bubblegum pink frost. The slippery formula isn’t very forgiving of my dry patches, and the amount of shimmer really lifts the colour a shade or two brighter than what you’re expecting. Chloe is a lot easier to work with. It’s just as slippery, but thanks to the darker shade, the resulting lip is just a really lovely pink. It looks quite dark in the tube, but it applies sheerly, and its micro-fine shimmers add a blue sheen to the lip—not a white frost.

Because there’s so much variation in these lipsticks, I’d recommend buying them in person at a Shopper’s Drug Mart Beauty Boutique, if you can. It’ll help you distinguish the frosty lipsticks from those with a beautiful, subtle duochrome, which makes it worth the trip.

Lise Watier Rouge Fondant Suprême lipstick in Chloe with Electric London C-5 Volume Liquid Mist in the hair. (That’s just a round brush and nothing else!)

Lise Watier Rouge Gourmand “The Nudes” in Cotton Candy, Dragon Fruit, Panna Cotta, and Peach Crumble

Lise Watier’s Rouge Gourmand line is one of my top five lipsticks ever, but “The Nudes” are a little bit different. The variation is intentional, and they’re still really good lipsticks, but I’d prefer if they were just the original formula in nude shades.

These lipsticks are significantly more sheer, and their finishes are drier. It makes a big difference on the lips: while the original Rouge Gourmands are comfortable and creamy, these are a little less lustrous. I find that I have to vary their wear with a hydrating lip balm, which is a bit of a hassle.

But it’s far from a deal breaker. I wear these more often than the originals despite my own protests, and their medium opacity makes them easy to apply on the go. I’m a big fan of Dragon Fruit, a soft coral, and really enjoy Panna Cotta with a bit of a pink gloss on top to soften its strong orange undertones.

There’s also Peach Crumble, a light nude with a bit of warmth, and Cotton Candy, a whisper-soft pink. Cotton Candy and Peach Crumble are two sides of the same nude coin: they’re similarly light and sheer, with soft cream finishes that look completely natural. Where Peach Crumble is warm and orange, Cotton Candy is cool and mauvey—but both are sheer enough that I can pull off either.

Lise Watier Rouge Gourmand “The Nudes” review. This one is Cotton Candy.

Panna Cotta swatches, review

Dragon Fruit swatches, review

The Lise Watier Rouge Fondant Suprême and The Nudes verdict?

Lise Watier’s Rouge Fondant Suprême and Rouge Gourmand The Nudes lipsticks aren’t no-brainers the way that the brand’s original Rouge Gourmands are, but they’re still very good. Both need a little bit more care (in selection for the Rouge Fondants and in lip prep for The Nudes), but as long as you pick a shade that you know you’ll love, I find these to be very enjoyable.

I wear The Nudes most often—usually Dragon Fruit–but Chloe is rising up in my lipstick roster with the start of spring.

Availability: $26 CAD Rouge Gourmand The Nudes and $28 CAD Rouge Fondant Suprême at Sephora and Lise Watier.

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These lipsticks were gifted to me by the brand in 2018 with no promise of a post.

Tags: /Canadian beauty, Grouped reviews, Lips, Lise Watier, Product Photos, Product Review, Product Swatches

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Lise Watier Rouge Gourmand lipstick reviews, swatches

March 25, 2019

Rae Chen

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The products: Lise Watier Rouge Gourmand in Açai Berry, Cerise Noire, and Red Delight

I’m re-watching Avatar: The Legend of Korra again. It’s my fifth or sixth re-watch, but I still find something new to examine every time. Right now, it’s the sibling bonds that drive the show. Even though it’s a bit of a stretch, I’m going to do my best today to set up Korra as an analogue for lipstick collections: any good collection acts like a “family,” sharing similar genetics but deviating just enough to create a complete picture. The Lise Watier Rouge Gourmand lipstick “family” is no different.

Korra’s story arcs change every season, but each one is propelled forward by a relationship between siblings. I’m partial to seasons three and four, which focus on the family of Korra’s airbending master (season three) and Toph’s daughters (seasons three and four). The writers behind the series manage to blend a coming of age story in season three with some pretty heavy undertones about PTSD and trauma recovery in season four, which are really gutting to watch as a viewer with a chronic illness.

Obviously, a makeup range isn’t going to go into that much detail—but there are still “threads” running through it. Lise Watier’s lipsticks all very clearly come from the same brand: they have a similar texture, packaging, and scent. Even the formulations are clearly derivations of the same values; they take about the same amount of time to settle, and most of the brand’s products will emphasize the same ingredients. (Lots of Labrador tea extract!)

The Lise Watier Rouge Gourmand formula

The Lise Watier Rouge Gourmand formula is the cornerstone of their lipstick range, so I thought I’d focus on it first. The Rouge Gourmands are the brand’s “traditional” lipsticks: cream finish, strong opacity, and bullet formula. I’ve tried most of the brand’s lip products (with a review of two other lipstick formulas coming on Thursday), but this one is my favourite.

The Rouge Gourmands smell a little bit waxy and floral, but not enough to both me. They’re on the thicker side, with a formula that just feels… right. It’s not drying, but it’s not slippery, either. Instead, Lise Watier Rouge Gourmand lipsticks fill a textbook-perfect middle ground, with complete opacity in just one swipe and an incredibly comfortable finish.

I eat a lot of small meals throughout the day, so I’m not sure how long these wear for—but I know that when I remove my lipstick after two hours to have a snack, it shows no signs of wear. On my lips, this formula does not feather, and it clings very well to the inner rim of my lips, too. All three of these shades have a soft, low-shine cream finish.

Lise Watier Rouge Gourmand “Red Delight” swatches, review

Rouge Gourmand Lipstick review: “Red Delight”

Lise Watier Açai Berry, Cerise Noire, and Red Delight swatches and review

I’m completely in love with all three of these shades for different reasons. They’re all variations of red, but different enough to justify owning all three.

Lise Watier Rouge Gourmand in Açai Berry is the shade that caught my eye first, with its deep purple undertones and moody finish. It’s slightly sheerer than the rest, which makes its purple lipstick bullet wearable in the workplace. Cerise Noire came next, with its almost brick-red colour and drier, more matte finish.

Finally, Lise Watier Red Delight is what stole the show for me. It’s the one I can’t stop wearing—and I’ll have it on for hours without noticing that it’s even there. It’s so lustrous and bright, with just the tiniest bit of warmth that makes it pull just to the right of a “true” red.

Lise Watier Acai Berry swatches

Lise Watier Cerise Noir swatches

Rouge Gourmand The Nudes, Rouge Gourmand, and Rouge Fondant Suprême lipstick swatches

The Lise Watier Rouge Gourmand lipstick verdict?

The Lise Watier Rouge Gourmand lipsticks are my favourite lipstick formula of the moment. They offer a simple formula that does it all: flattering shades, full opacity, and zero feathering or bleeding around the edges. They’re extremely comfortable to wear, and make even my super dry lips look and feel hydrated and plump.

Availability: $26 CAD at Lise Watier and Sephora.

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These lipsticks were gifted to me by the brand in 2017 and 2018 with no expectation of a review.

Tags: /Canadian beauty, Lips, Lise Watier, Product Photos, Product Review, Product Swatches

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How to pick a lipstick in a cream finish

March 4, 2019

Rae Chen

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I’m working on a big lipstick review right now, and from beneath my neck-high pool of lipstick photos, I just keep thinking… How is the average consumer supposed to know what to do when faced with this many options? Who teaches anyone how to pick a lipstick in a cream finish, a shimmer finish, a dries-matte liquid? How do you know how to translate an arm swatch to a lip swatch?

This is a different post style than I usually use for theNotice, but it covers some of the main thoughts that I’ve had recently about lipsticks. Let me know in the comments or @theNotice if you’d like to see more posts like this!

How to pick a lipstick formula that suits your needs

The beauty industry has changed SO much since I started writing in 2007, but lipsticks are one of the categories that I think have changed the most. When I got into beauty, the big lipsticks of the moment were Maybelline’s Color Sensationals and Revlon’s Super Lustrous Lipsticks. The bold pigmentation of the Color Sensationals and the comfort of the Super Lustrous lipsticks (we all called them “SL”s on forums like MakeupAlley) were the peak of lipstick technology in the drugstore.

Nowadays, you have more to choose from. Traditional lipstick bullets have gotten creamier, more pigmented, and more hydrating. But the lipstick formula options available have really changed, too. Innovations like gel stains and glossy water-stains (which were first seen in the YSL Glossy Stain) came and went—although there are still a few brands who do great versions of this, like Shu Uemura with their Laque Supreme.

Glosses fell somewhat out of favour with time, and oh boy, were liquid lipsticks ever revolutionized.

Older liquid lipstick formulas often came with a gloss end, like this 4-in-1 version from Pür Cosmetics. (They also do a “regular” liquid lipstick!) But most modern liquid lipsticks are a mono-phasic matte, with opaque pigmentation and a kiss-proof finish.

For matte colour that won’t budge, opt for a liquid lipstick. I really like the ones from Colourpop (review), Maybelline (review), and Smashbox.
For creamy, wearable colour, try a traditional lipstick bullet. My favourites right now are Lise Watier’s Rouge Gourmand, which I’m reviewing soon. You can’t go wrong with YSL or Bite, either, but remember that a traditional lipstick will transfer.
Sheer lipsticks are the easiest to find. They’re available from pretty much any brand, and are usually nice and hydrating. For high-end, I always trust YSL (theirs are more hydrating than the cult-followed Dior Addict) and Clinique. Revlon and Burt’s Bees are great drugstore options.

How to pick a lipstick shade

There are very few things that I try to “force” on readers, but this is one of them. If you like it, wear it. Any lip colour instantly becomes the right shade for you the second you decide that you love it.

Beauty is fragile, and subjective, and largely racist anyways, so fuck it. Enjoy the lipstick. If you still want to pursue today’s western beauty ideal, I won’t judge you; I do too. Try adding false lashes or foundation if you’re wearing a really bold or jarring lipstick. A noticeable lipstick is the real-life equivalent of turning up the contrast on your face, so oftentimes, you just need to make the other components a little louder and everything will balance back out.

On the flip side, to pick a lipstick shade that melts into your colouring, simply stick to your colour families.

For warm-toned skin, reach for yellow and red undertones. Choose nude shades that are a little more orange, and red lipsticks in bright, poppy shades. For cool-toned skin, look for blue undertones and “clear” colours. Choose nude shades with a bit of pink in them, and for a red lip, try either a blue-red or a berry-red. Finally, if you’re trying to find out how to choose a lipstick shade for olive skin: go for neutral-leaning lipsticks. Look for nudes with brown (yes, brown!) in them, and bluer reds. Enjoy berry-toned lipsticks, and simply avoid anything really ashy.

When choosing a bold shade…

I love Maybelline Super Stay Matte Inks and Smashbox Always On Liquid Lipsticks for bold colours that won’t budge.
If you prefer your big pops of colour in a thicker formula, try the Make Up For Ever Artist Rouge Lipsticks. Their shade range is so much fun, and the texture of the lipsticks helps to hold them in place.
My absolute favourite lipstick formula right now is the Lise Watier Rouge Gourmand cream-finish formula. These lipsticks are creamy, hydrating, and pigmented—they’re the perfect middle ground. I find them to be a slightly less sticky version of Bite’s Amuse Bouche lipsticks, which are also fantastic!

What makes a great “everyday” lipstick

Growing up, my favourite aunt wore bright red lipstick every single day. She started with really vibrant orange-reds—applied straight from the stick—and switched to MAC Dubonnet through her 40s. Her lipsticks of choice are sheerer and more varied now, but they’re still iconic and red.

She’s an intense person, so her everyday lipsticks have always been equally intense. Mine are more subdued. I’m not a vibrant person; I’m happy staying at home and eating food I haven’t grown myself and not getting clay under my nails.

For an everyday lipstick, choose something that matches you and your lifestyle. For me, that means picking something with medium pigmentation and lots of brown undertones. I tried wearing shades like Burberry Kisses Pink Peony for a while, but even though I’d love to wear Burberry every day (that case! I die), I just can’t do a lot of pink.

The lipsticks and balms that I’m reaching for right now include KISS’ The Scandal Lipstick in Temptation, Dior’s Lip Glow Color Reviver Balm in Berry, and an old YSL lip balm (this is the updated version). They’re absolutely not the lipsticks that I thought would end up living in my purse, but they’re the three that have endured the past six months!

A lipstick’s colour and formula are really what’s going to determine if it’ll work for you, but don’t let these tips act as your sole resource. Check out theNotice’s lip product category for more tips, swatches, and lipstick reviews.

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This post contains affiliate links. The products mentioned here are PR samples, with the exception of the Smashbox, Bite, and Colourpop lipsticks.

Tags: /Lips, Lise Watier, Product Photos, The Edit

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