Last week, my friend sent me a picture of a finished jar of foundation. It was scraped clean. Every last bit had been used. I was very impressed. So I got to thinking – What was the last foundation I finished?
What impressed me further, was when she told me that she would repurchase it, because she was so happy with it. And I wondered again. Was there a foundation I loved so much I’d finish it AND repurchase?
Well, actually I have! And you have to tell me yours 😉
Not long ago, I came across a new product from one of my favourite brands, Antipodes. It is a fairly new brand in the market and new to me, but thus far, most of the products I’ve used have been a positive experience. However, they aren’t moved to churn out new products so often, so a brand new product in their range made me take notice.
It was the Antipodes Manuka Honey Skin-Brightening Light Day Cream, which is quite a mouthful, so I’ll just refer to it as the Manuka Honey Light Day Cream. What interested me, aside from the Manuka Honey (their Aura manuka honey mask is a gem!) is the inclusion of bee venom alongside their signature ingredient of Vinanza grape and kiwi fruit. The last is fitting, since it hails from New Zealand.
But bee venom! I knew bee venom, as a skincare ingredient, was a thing for a while, after snail slime. But I’d never tried anything with bee venom. Not because I’m squeamish about it, but simply because I just never got around to it. Apparently, bee venom is supposed to give skin a mild stimulating effect, to give a tightening and firming feeling to the skin. Personally, I can’t say I’m sold on the ingredient, although the cream itself is quite nice.
As much as I enjoy my masking nights, when I indulge in layers upon layers of face masks to treat my skin, there is something to be said about the quick and easy sheet mask. I dare you to disagree!
For many of us, sheet masks are what got us into the habit of using a mask often, or at least, weekly. It’s easy to just lay on the skin and there’s usually no need to wash off, which makes the routine even more simple. But I haven’t really come across a sheet mask that is certified organic, have you? Better yet, how about a certified organic AND halal product?
Naveen is a new brand in the market that hails from Taiwan. I was introduced to it some time last year, and was told that not only did they obtain their organic certification from Cosmos Organic via the Soil Association, they went a step further, and got their products certified halal by the Taiwan Muslim authorities (you can read about it on their site).
Both certification bodies have very stringent criteria as to what constitutes organic and likewise, for what constitutes halal which is an important consideration for Muslims. While neither certification affects me personally, I was curious because the award-winning Naveen Hydrating Mask is made of organic cotton. No, not paper, not some bio-cellulose, but cotton! I had to take a closer look.
Truth to tell, I haven’t been very excited about many new makeup items for a while. But for some reason, this, rather unassuming, eyeshadow palette from Chanel grabbed my attention. It is the Codes Subtils 278 Les 4 Ombres Multi-Effect Quadra Eyeshadow Quad (RM230 | US$61), and it is part of the Coco Codes collection for Spring 2017 and is, rather unfortunately, limited edition.
I managed to hunt down one very recently (it was sold out when I first wanted it, but if you call around, you may still be able to find one) and I just knew that I’d have to give it a very quick shout out, because if you love neutral eyeshadow with just a hint of smokiness, you will be head-over-heels for this one.
Like all the post-2014 Chanel Les 4 Ombre eyeshadow palettes, the quality is sublime. The texture is soft, pigmented and easy to blend without fall out. The shimmer is understated and flattering, and the colours are rich (or as rich as they can be). Like Poesie, I can see myself wearing this nearly everyday and if I were the sort to hoard back-ups, this is a palette I’d have multiple back-ups of.
I suppose you could say that I love it! 😛 I don’t have a lot to say without gushing, so I’ll be sharing a quick look I did to show you why I love this palette so much.