Challenges

This section of the Blog is where I show options or loosely termed “dupes” or alternatives to higher-priced products. Whether a product is a good “dupe” or whether it is deemed a budget buy depends on an individual’s budget. This will be updated as I go along, and as I come across products that may do a similar job for a smaller price tag.

Cushion Foundation Week 3 Day 1 : Shiseido Synchro Skin Glow Cushion Compact blows away its competition!

March 26, 2018 Paris B 28 Comments

Last week on Instagram, I told you I was prepping something huge for this week. Well, here it is – Cushion Foundation Week 3! Honestly, I can’t believe I’m doing this again LOL! I undertook Cushion Foundation Week 1 and I did the K-Beauty edition in Cushion Foundation Week 2 back in 2016 and honestly, I thought I was done.

However, since then, a few new cushion foundations have found their way onto my desk. So, I decided it was best to just deal with them all together. So you get Cushion Foundation Week 3! Brace yourselves for a whole WEEK of blog posts, and all about cushion foundations! Yay! Or maybe Nay! LOL! To catch up, find all the cushion foundation reviews here and look out for the round up at the end of the week!

Today is Day 1 of Cushion Foundation Week 3. This week, the cushions are a mixed bag, featuring a Japanese brand, a couple of Western brands, and featuring some Korean brands too. The categories will be kept as per previous posts, so you can refer back to them all and it’ll look fairly familiar. The difference will be in the products featured. Also, I will do a round up at the end of the week, just to give closure to this week.

Alright then, here we go!

Cushion Foundation Week 3 kicks off with the Shiseido Synchro Skin Glow Cushion Compact. This was launched back in 2016 I believe, but I received it only fairly recently. Do correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t see many Japanese brands on the cushion foundation bandwagon. (I discount Shu Uemura as a Japanese brand because their direction isn’t very Japanese – but that’s just my impression. That said, I did try their first “cushion“)

Well, blow me down. I’m IN LOVE with this Shiseido Synchro Skin Glow Cushion Compact! Seriously, I am! Well, you would too, if what you’re looking for is coverage, because boy! Do you get some serious coverage with this one! 😀

Let these 7 Illuminating Primers lift your lacklustre complexion : A recent discovery, but one of my favourite makeup products

February 28, 2018 Paris B 17 Comments

I’m not a big user of makeup primers. For the most part, I’ve found them useful when I want my makeup to stay on longer for something special, but otherwise, I’m quite happy not to use them. I just don’t notice any other benefits.

But recently, I’ve been experimenting with some makeup primers that offer more than just a surface for your makeup to sit on. These primers add that much needed glow to lacklustre skin, and I have to confess that I am a convert! I love these primers!

I have quite a few, as you can see above, and I’ll share my thoughts with you on each of them. This is of course, a non-exhaustive list. I could well find another one later that I love, but I thought it would be useful to have them all in one place for now 🙂

These are primers I have been playing around with for a while, and didn’t realise how many I’d amassed till now 😛 My complexion has been a little off in recent times. I’m not sure if it is due to poor sleeping patterns, skincare, or just festive season food that is too rich. But I haven’t been feeling and looking my best, and it shows on my complexion. So, every little help is welcomed!

But out of all of them, I have my favourite. Oh yes I do, and I credit it for picking up my complexion when I am fatigued, making me look chirpy and perky when I really look like I should be crawling under a rock. Take a guess which 😉

Why pay 3 times the price for a peach blush when you can get this Mamonde Flower Pop Blusher in Peony instead?

January 8, 2018 Paris B 4 Comments

I love a deal as much as the next girl, and I think I’ve found, not only a steal, but a dupe for a product THREE TIMES the price of this gem. I kid you not! And you know how fussy I can be!

I first received the Mamonde Flower Pop Blusher a little while ago. Mamonde, as many of you know, is a fairly affordable brand of Korean cosmetics under the very large Amore-Pacific umbrella. While I have been rather vocally disparaging about Korean cosmetics, I have found myself finding an affinity in this, rather understated brand!

Isn’t it strange how we can find an affinity to a brand in the most unusual form? 😀 While most of you know that I revel in my luxuries, to find an affordable brand that I personally find effective, is quite a boon. Both your and my wallets thank me! LOL 😀

One of my surprise finds of 2017 is the Mamonde Flower Pop Blusher. Pictured here is the shade 05 Peony. There are 8 shades available, and believe me, they are affordable but pretty! 🙂

Let’s get your oil on! The Facial Oils I love, like and am on the fence about

September 8, 2017 Paris B 24 Comments

Facial oils are really hot right now. So many brands are coming out with their version of facial oils, and you know it’s a hit product when even mainstream brands get in on the act. I’d actually used rosehip oil many years ago, as a teen, but wasn’t quite educated on the best way to use it, so I really hated it because it was so damned sticky! I returned to facial oils a few years back, when I found that my skin was turning drier, and with a little trial and error, have worked out the best way to use them. I now love facial oils, and I’m always looking out for the next one to try!

I thought I’d give you a run down on the oils I’ve used (some older ones won’t be included as I no longer have or use them, so I can’t talk about them) to give you an idea of what sort of oils I like, and how I use them. It is non-exhaustive, as I have more to showcase in time to come!

Just briefly, despite what we might think, oils are actually good for our skin, not only dry skin, but even oily or combination skin types can benefit. You just have to find the right oil for your skin and that you feel most comfortable using. Naturally, drier skin types will benefit more from using facial oils, as it helps to rebalance your lipids and nourish your skin, so it stays more supple and moisturised.

Does it take the place of a moisturiser or a serum? Personally speaking, I’ll say no. I use a moisturiser or cream over my oils to seal them in. Opinions vary on this, where some people say that the oils go on last, but I’m sticking to my way, because it works for me both physically, and logically. If you have oily skin however, you may just want to end off with the oil and skip moisturiser, as anything else on top may feel heavy.

So, here are some oils that I use and how I use them, to give you an idea of where to start. Settle in 🙂 Please feel free to ask or share in the comments. I’m happy to talk about facial oils to anyone! 😀

Challenges

I tell stories on Instagram @parisbmws

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