Product Review - CoverGirl Outlast Lip Stain

So, you know that although I love my natural products, not everything I use is 100% natural, simply because not everything I want comes in 100% natural form!
I LOVE my makeup - and unfortunately, the natural cosmetics industry is renowned for being a little slow to catch up with its commercial counterpart.

One thing I've been excited to try on the not-so-natural side of the cosmetic counter is the new range of long-wearing lip stains that are flooding the market.

To begin, I decided to try out CoverGirl's 'Outlast' Lip Stain. I chose shade 420 (Sassy Mauve).

When I swatched it on my hand in-store, it looked like a subtle, slightly-pink nude shade. The other nudes in the collection were a little orange-y, so I went with this one.

I'm just going to get straight to the point here. I'm disappointed.
Despite the swatches on my hand still there after around 3 days and nights (and lots of hand washing), the lasting power of this product on the lips doesn't even come close.
To demonstrate, I took a picture of my lips right after applying the stain this morning, and then again around an hour later, after I'd had a cup of tea and a few bites of muffin.

As you can see,... it's all but disappeared. Long-lasting, this is not. The idea of long wearing colour is that it is, as the adverts quip, 'smudge-proof, drink-proof, kiss-proof' colour - nothing a cup of tea and a muffin should be able to remove. Let alone a lusty pash!

I've been using this product for a full 3 days now, observing its staying power with and without eating and drinking - and it just hasn't impressed me. I have to reapply so often that I may as well be wearing an every-day, run of the mill lipstick - at least that would be creamier and more flattering.

Which brings me to my next complaint. (Sorry, CoverGirl!). These lip stains seem to 'settle' into the fine lines on the lips. I'm in my early 20s, so I don't have much in the way of fine lines - but somehow, this lip stain manages to find them. And, I should add, I applied a lip primer before swiping on the stain this morning - so there's no excuse for the product settling into lines.

Lastly, the felt-tip stain itself seems to 'dry out' extremely quickly. Like I said, I've only had this product for 3 days, and already it's looking like an over-used texta pen. I'm not too confident it'll last me much longer.

On the positive side, these stains come in a variety of colours (personally I think Sassy Mauve is a gorgeous one), and are very easy to use - and they're a fantastic concept. I just wish they lasted a little longer and lived up to their 'Outlast'-ing claims!

** Update **
Since writing this post, I've swatched Max Factor's new 'Lipfinity' Lip Stains (just on my hand in-store), and compared them with some CoverGirl Outlast swatches I applied at the same time.
The Max Factor ones seem to last much longer on the skin - I can't speak for their effectiveness on the lips, but once I get my hands on one I'll let you know!


... Until next time....


B xx

Cute 'n Quirky!

............Hi everybody! (Hi Dr Nick!)
Short post today - I just wanted to share some uber-cute finds I found on MadeIt.com.au - an 'online marketplace' where sellers can showcase their handmade goods. It's one of my favourite sites. I'll be putting new items up here every now & then when I find something really special or cute!
Today I stumbled across these super-sweet heat bags, from 'Choochie Bubble Designs'. They're made with corduroy, cotton & felt, and filled with 100% Australian wheat. Heat bags are great for sore or aching muscles, and especially helpful for period pain! And these ones are just so cute!

Choochie Bubble Designs has their own page on MadeIt - you can find them here.
Let me know what you think!

Until next time..

B xx

I found a new cleanser! And it rocks!

Hi all,

I'm really excited today because I've stumbled upon a brand new cleanser, which I'm loving already! I've been using Suki's Sensitive Cleansing Bar for about a year now, but I decided a little while ago that I was going to shop around for an alternative because it was becoming expensive to keep using it - to get the product in Australia, I've been paying $26 a bar (including postage) - which isn't expensive when you consider the quality and effectiveness of the product - it really is beautiful, and still one of my faves. But, I decided I needed something new, so I shopped around for a while and ended up purchasing one from Eve Organics - It's the 'Invoke Creamy Cleanser'. I've only purchased the small size to start out with, which set me back a very purse-friendly $10.95 - but I'll definitely be buying the larger one later on - it's impressed me already.

The first thing you'll notice:the smell, and the consistency. The smell, because it's absolutely divine. It's creamy, but botanical - a really refreshing, reviving scent. It just smells like it's filled with lovely, natural things - which it is, of course! You'll notice the consistency because it's different. Especially if you're used to soaps or foaming cleansers - Invoke's Creamy Cleanser is smooth, white and creamy - and it doesn't lather at all, which might make you feel like it's not quite 'cleaning' your face. Think Again.
This cleanser is fantastic. I have combination skin, and for the last week or so I'll admit, I've been a bit slack with my cleansing routine and have even worn my makeup (mineral of course) to bed on occasion - so I've developed a number of little blemishes over the past few days. I used the cleanser yesterday morning, night, and this morning - and my spots have calmed down and, honestly, just about disappeared - already. Now that is cool. This cleanser is doing something seriously good to my skin! It feels clean, smooth, but moisturised - there are no surfactants or foaming agents in the Creamy Cleanser so it doesn't strip the skin of its natural oils - it just leaves it smooth, bright and glowing.
Simply gorgeous.
Okay, so down to the nitty gritty.

What's in it?
The ingredients list reads:

Purified water, sweet almond oil, vegetable emulsifier, vegetable glycerine, sunflower oil, citrus seed extract, essential oils of cold pressed lemon, lavender & may chang.

Can you get any simpler, or purer? I approve! There's nothing in here i'm worried about - which makes me even more pleased to be using it.

Where to get it: Eve Organics - www.eveorganics.com.au .

The verdict: Great value, simple ingredients, gorgeous to use, gentle, & effective.
I'm sticking with this one!

B xx

Healing Anthropology Rejuvenating Day Cream

Hi again beauty addicts!

Today I'd like to review one of my favourite ever products - Healing Anthropology's Rejuvenating Day Cream.
This everyday moisturiser is SO much more than an everyday moisturiser! It's a huge advance in natural skincare, because it has 100% natural SPF 30+ built in. Yes, 100% natural. (For those reading who aren't aware, it's incredibly hard to make a totally natural sunscreen product!) This cream is simply divine, being a moisturiser and a sunscreen all in one, and doing both brilliantly. That's a big achievement!

The first thing you'll notice is the savvy packaging. Clean and fresh, it looks great on the bathroom shelf. And after that, you'll notice the smell. This one smells like marzipan, the yummy almond paste that's used in cakes & sweets. That'd be because almond oil is listed in the ingredients.

Application-wise, I really, really like this one. It's thick, as you'd expect any sunscreen to be, so when I first used it, I put lots on because I thought it wouldn't spread very well due to the thickness.
I was wrong. It spreads beautifully - you need the tiniest bit to cover your whole face. When it first goes on, it'll look ever-so-slightly greasy - but give it a minute or two, and it sinks right in to the skin. I wore it without any make-up on top today, and I actually thought it gave me a bit of a 'glow' - my skin looked really healthy and vibrant.
Okay, so down to business -

what's in it?

The ingredients list reads:

Purified spring water, organic olive oil, aloe vera gel, orange blossom water, active sunscreen ingredients [zinc oxide, jojoba oil, African shea butter, organic hemp seed oil, neo heliopan (from cinnamon oil)], beeswax, mimosa flower wax, lecithin, vitamin E oil, grapefruit seed extract and essential oils of almond & ylang ylang.

No complaints here. Nothing remotely nasty in there at all - and some truly gorgeous ingredients - like olive oil, which is a truly wondrous skincare ingredient, aloe vera to calm and soothe, vitamin E, hemp seed oil (another winner for all skin types, particularly sensitive skins), and orange blossom water, which is balancing and great for combination skin.
So, really, not much else to say - a really beautiful product. It's become a staple in my skin care routine. I love that I just put moisturiser on in the morning & then I don't have to think about putting sunscreen on as well. Great for lazy girls like me. :)

Where to get it: I bought mine from Eve Organics = www.eveorganics.com.au.

Enjoy everyone, and good on you for being sun-safe!

B xx

Suki Sensitive Cleansing Bar

The first product I'd like to blog about is one that I've used for some time, and love. It's Suki's Sensitive Cleansing Bar.
This cute little solid-cleanser is marketed by Suki as a face and body cleanser - but personally I think it's too divine to use anywhere but your face! That's how I use it - as a face cleanser.
Suki are an organic skincare company who sell a range of high-potency, scientifically-based products - all natural and with some beautiful and very well-picked ingredients. According to Suki's website, the Sensitive Cleansing Bar is a solid version of their Exfoliate Foaming Cleanser, which is a cult product and supposed to be excellent for acne-prone and problem skin. I haven't tried it, so I can't comment - but it's solid sister is an absolute beauty.
The first thing you'll notice is the smell. It - smells - gorrrgeous. Containing shea butter and lemon grass as its two primary ingredients, it's a creamy, but fresh, citrusy scent - perfect for waking you up in the morning.
In terms of storage and ease-of-use, the product is fantastic - there's nothing simpler than a bar of soap. (Although it isn't to be confused with soap - this is a different product entirely!) I would suggest keeping it in some kind of soap container, one of the plastic ones - to extend the bar's life. When you have a product in solid form, it's best to keep it away from dripping water, and avoid having it sitting in water between uses, because the product goes soft and simply melts away. It's the same with this one. Keep it in a container!
The bar lathers beautifully, so it's really quick and easy.
As far as effectiveness goes, I'm a fan of this one. It cleanses the skin very well - it'll remove make-up with one wash... but it's also suprisingly moisturising. That would be the shea butter. Instead of leaving the skin feeling squeaky-clean like a lot of foaming-cleansers tend to, it leaves it feeling very clear, but soft, and balanced. It's not drying at all.
Now. Let's get down to the nitty-gritty.
What's in it?
Here is the ingredients list:
sodium palmate from organic palm oil, sodium cocoate/sodium palm kernelate from organic coconut/palm kernal oils, water (agua), vegetable glycerin, lime (citrus aurantifolia) oil, camel grass (cymbopogon schoenanthus) oil, ginger (zingiber officinale) root oil, titanium dioxide, organic fair trade shea butter (butryospermum parkii)
So, in other words - a coconut and plant oil base, with key ingredients of lime, ginger and shea butter. Pretty friendly - nothing nasty in here.
The Final Word: If you're looking for a cleanser that cleanses well, is balancing and non-drying, and is easy to use - this one is a winner. It's not cheap though, starting at $10.95US a bar from the Suki US site - Suki do have a nifty little tool though which will tell you where to buy it on your shores - hit up https://www.sukiskincare.com/v2/pages/store+locator.

Until next time,

B xx