Bourjois Délice de Poudre (Review & Swatch)

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I’ve yammered on about my love for the Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum foundation before and yet that’s just about the only thing I’ve tried by the brand. Wanting to expand my knowledge of Bourjois a bit more, the lovely Natalie of Ivory Avenue was kind enough to pick up the Délice de Poudre for me while she was in England recently.

Bourjois Délice de Poudre
Bourjois Délice de Poudre

So, why did I want this? Let me count the ways!

  1. It looks like a slab of chocolate.
  2. It’s supposed to smell like chocolate. (It doesn’t though – it smells like coconut to me!)
  3. The cardboard packaging is freaking adorable.
  4. I’ve seen YouTubers using it for years.
  5. I freaking love bronzer.
Bourjois Délice de Poudre
Bourjois Délice de Poudre

I mean just look at it? How can you not love that bronzer? As it turns out, Délice de Poudre actually comes in a few shades! Natalie picked up the lightest shade for me which is pour les peaux claires/medianes (light/medium) and it retailed for £7.99.

Bourjois Délice de Poudre
Bourjois Délice de Poudre

The powder itself looks fairly brown with a hint of warmth. So imagine my surprise when I swatched it and got this:

Bourjois Délice de Poudre
Bourjois Délice de Poudre

That is straight up orange, and yet the powder does not look nearly that warm in the compact. I tried fussing around with the colour but no matter what I did, that’s actually how it looked on my skin in a swatch. I was a little skeptical how this was going to turn out on my face.

No bronzer
No bronzer

Alright so here we go. This is my face with foundation (Revlon ColorStay in 200 and 220 mixed together), eyes are done except for mascara and my brows are not filled in. The lighting is a bit bleak because I took this early in the morning when the sun was just starting to peek through the thick clouds.

Wearing Délice de Poudre
Wearing Délice de Poudre

And here I am wearing Délice de Poudre. It’s applied (heavily) to the backs of my cheekbones and jaw line and more lightly along my forehead and nose. You can definitely see that this leans very warm on me.

Side by side comparison - with and without bronzer
Side by side comparison – with and without bronzer

Although the side shot looks very heavy handed with the product, I do *really* like how it looks in a full face shot comparison. My face looks slimmed out and nowhere near as pasty pale as the foundation made me look. It adds an aliveness to my face that I wasn’t really expecting considering the overwhelming warm tones in the product.

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And just so you can see a fully made up shot, I’m wearing Délice de Poudre here along with the Kat Von D Mi Vida Loca Remix palette.

Final Thoughts

Although I wasn’t expecting Délice de Poudre to be as warm-toned as it is, it still worked out really well to add some depth to my skin after I’ve applied foundation. I do feel that, on me, this is best applied with a lighter hand, so  I’ll know to be a little less generous with the product next time I wear it! I’ve been wearing this bronzer on and off for about two weeks and I enjoy the overall experience of it (which sounds hilarious, but you makeup lovers will get me!). The compact is adorable, the scent makes it fun to open and swirl your brush in and the application is fairly flawless since it’s easy to blend. This product is definitely worth your money, even moreso if you can pick it up in the UK since it’s quite a bit cheaper there than in Canada!

Softlips LUXE Lip Moisturizers (Review & Giveaway)

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It’s hard for me not to fall continuously in love with new lipbalms. There’s always new packaging, new scents and new brands. And as an avid lipstick wearer, I’ve got to keep my lips moisturized somehow!

Softlips LUXE lip moisturizers in Silky Shea and Creamy Coconut
Softlips LUXE lip moisturizers in Silky Shea and Creamy Coconut

The most recent additions to my collection are the new Softlips LUXE lip moisturizers. Last year they came out with the CUBES, and this year we have the LUXES.

What They Say

  • Hydrates – with nourishing butters & coconut oil
  • Replenishes – with antioxidant vitamins A, C & E
  • Smoothes – Rough, chapped lips with light-weight and non greasy formula
  • Protects – Moisture barrier that protects against dryness
  • Adds shine – for a perfect radiant finish
Softlips LUXE lip moisturizers in Silky Shea and Creamy Coconut
Softlips LUXE lip moisturizers in Silky Shea and Creamy Coconut

What I Say

The Softlips LUXE balms are a very soft lip balm formula. INCREDIBLY soft. They melt onto my lips like butter! Although the product comes in a white bullet, both flavours went on my lips clear (bonus! No whitecast!). They’re quick and easy to apply thanks to the bullet and they leave a behind a moderate sheen that’s fairly typical from a stick balm.

I’ve been wearing them overnight to test them out and I do notice that they seem to heal my lips inordinately fast when they’re a bit chapped. For example, I didn’t apply any balm before bed last night, woke up with rough lips this morning, applied some of the LUXE balm (I’m writing this on November 8th by the way) and within thirty minutes my lips are almost back to normal. I was a bit shocked since I wasn’t expecting fast acting results like that!

If you’re looking to pick these up, it seems the Softlips LUXE can only be found at Walmart with a price tag just shy of $5 CAD.

Giveaway

Softlips Prize Pack ($50 value)
Softlips Prize Pack ($50 value)

Softlips was kind enough to sponsor a giveaway for my Canadian readers. Read on for detail and the entry form.

Softlips Prize Pack

  • 1 Softlips LUXE lip moisturizer Creamy Coconut
  • 1 Softlips LUXE lip moisturizer Silky Shea
  • 1 Softlips CUBE lip moisturizer Fresh Mint
  • 1 Softlips CUBE lip moisturizer Peach Mango
  • 1 Purse Mirror
  • 1 Cosmetic Bag

Giveaway Rules

  • This giveaway is open to Canadians only.
  • This giveaway starts on November 18, 2015 and runs for two weeks.
  • Please be aware that all entries will be double checked to ensure fairness.
  • Once the winner has been contacted, they will have 48 hours to provide me with their mailing address. If the winner fails to respond within that time frame, I will pick another winner. (And so on.)

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This post features press samples and a giveaway provided by PR.

Guerlain Météorites – Flocons Enchantés

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Something magical and ethereal has landed this holiday season by Guerlain

Guerlain Météorites - Flocons Enchantés
Guerlain Météorites – Flocons Enchantés

Encased in an opulent snowglobe-type packaging, the Guerlain Météorites – Flocons Enchantés (directly translated, Flocons Enchantés is “Enchanted Snowflakes” in English) are one hella expensive item. At $89 CAD (BEFORE TAX!), this is easily the most expensive singular item in my makeup collection.

Guerlain Météorites - Flocons Enchantés
Guerlain Météorites – Flocons Enchantés

And why on earth did I “need” it? I don’t even have a good answer for that, but I can try to tell you my excuses! I first saw Steph post about these special edition Météorites on Fun Size Beauty during a pre-launch event in September, and it was obsession at first sight. I’d never owned anything by Guerlain, although I had lusted after their regular Météorites for quite some time. I guess you could say I had been waiting for the perfect opportunity to purchase some. (Although I’m not sure how $89 equals the perfect opportunity…)

Guerlain Météorites - Flocons Enchantés
Guerlain Météorites – Flocons Enchantés

Let’s take a look at the packaging. Les Flocons Enchantés come in round ball that mimics a snowglobe. A lovely embedded gold Guerlain logo peeks through the top of the frosted sides. The cap twists off to reveal a mirror in the lid and a powder puff with a gold bow.

Guerlain Météorites - Flocons Enchantés
Guerlain Météorites – Flocons Enchantés

When you pull off the powder puff, you might gasp. And you might gasp from either the gorgeousness that is les Flocons Enchantés, or maybe from the scent. I WAS NOT PREPARED. A lot of people had forewarned me that Guerlain was very “old lady makeup scented” and man, were they ever right. Supposedly this is scented like violets. To me, it smelled like a thousand old ladies pulled out their makeup bags from the 1950s and went to town. I was not impressed with the scent AT ALL. That being said, the scent does not transfer to the skin, so you’re pretty safe in that respect. (Major, MAJOR relief on my behalf there.)

Guerlain Météorites - Flocons Enchantés - macro
Guerlain Météorites – Flocons Enchantés – macro

Scent aside, les Flocons Enchantés are absolutely breathtaking. The slightly iridescent gold and champagne balls are shot through with handcrafted white-beige stars. I own a lot of makeup products, but nothing as gorgeous as this one. Just looking at the macro shot above is enough to make me swoon. There is nothing about this product that isn’t gorgeous and luxurious.

Guerlain Météorites - Flocons Enchantés - macro
Guerlain Météorites – Flocons Enchantés – macro

So what is it about this product that made me NEED it? I knew from Temptalia’s review that it was nothing extraordinary, and yet I wanted it so desperately that nothing was going to stop me from getting it. To me, this is a product that sings of winter’s crisp air and the sun’s reflection on the snow. It reminds me of winters past when I used to go to figure skating practice at 7 am during the dead of winter (which was definitely not glamorous at the time, but as with everything, nostalgia adds glamour and a hint of remorse to anything in our past). It makes me feel like a fairy princess, and for that, the price tag was worth it.

Guerlain Météorites - Flocons Enchantés - on the face
Guerlain Météorites – Flocons Enchantés – on the face

Here’s a full face shot so you can see how it appears on my skin. I’m only wearing Bourjois’ Health Mix Serum foundation in 51 Light Vanilla. There is no bronzer, no blush and no other highlighter applied to my face. I applied les Flocons Enchantés all over my face, packing on even more on my cheekbones.

Guerlain Météorites - Flocons Enchantés - on the face
Guerlain Météorites – Flocons Enchantés – on the face

Close up, you can see a bit more of the texture of the pearls on my skin. There’s definitely a white shimmer on my cheekbone, although it’s subtle. You can even spot some shimmer particles in my eyebrow from when I had applied it to my forehead.

I mean come on... they're so gorgeous I turned them into a desktop background!
I mean come on… they’re so gorgeous I turned them into a desktop background!

Final Thoughts

Do you need this product? No. Especially not at that price point.

Should you get if it makes you feel wonderful? Absolutely, yes. Although the scent isn’t my cup of tea, I love adding this step into my makeup routine. It’s the kind of product that I’ll reserve for special occasions because it makes me feel special.

Is this something you’d pick up? If not, what’s the most expensive makeup item in your collection?

Swatch Sunday: Smashbox Double Exposure

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The Smashbox Double Exposure palette contains 14 eyeshadows that can be used wet or dry. In most cases, applying the product wet slightly intensified the shadow. There was only one situation where adding water significantly altered the appearance of the shadow – look out for Midnight below to see what I mean.

Smashbox Double Exposure palette
Smashbox Double Exposure palette
Smashbox Double Exposure palette
Smashbox Double Exposure palette

I’ll have a Challenge Week featuring the this palette coming up in the next few weeks or so. For now, please enjoy the swatches!

Smashbox Double Exposure Swatches

Smashbox - Silver
Smashbox – Silver
Smashbox - Mauve
Smashbox – Mauve
Smashbox - Peony
Smashbox – Peony
Smashbox - Blanc
Smashbox – Blanc
Smashbox - Quartz
Smashbox – Quartz
Smashbox - Flushed
Smashbox – Flushed
Smashbox - Veiled
Smashbox – Veiled
Smashbox - Midnight
Smashbox – Midnight
Smashbox - Temper
Smashbox – Temper
Smashbox - Haze
Smashbox – Haze
Smashbox - Noir
Smashbox – Noir
Smashbox - Copper
Smashbox – Copper
Smashbox - Fig
Smashbox – Fig
Smashbox - Espresso
Smashbox – Espresso
The product featured in this post were provided for review.

Skincare Saturday: Dermalogica Precleanse

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Today’s skincare post features Dermalogica‘s Precleanse, a makeup remover that’s intended as step one in a two step cleansing process.

Dermalogica Precleanse
Dermalogica Precleanse

Fancy names aside, Precleanse is a makeup remover with an oil base. The idea behind Precleanse is that you use it before  your regular cleanser in order to make your skin extra squeaky clean. I know plenty of people do that, but I’m more of a “remove makeup and moisturize” kind of person.

Dermalogica Precleanse is a clear, oil-based makeup remover.
Dermalogica Precleanse is a clear, oil-based makeup remover.

Precleanse has a “deep-cleansing oil that melts impurities and makeup from [the] skin. Thoroughly melt[s] away layers of excess sebum, sunscreen, waterproof makeup, environment pollutants and residual products that build up on skin throughout the day with skin fortifying Borage Seed, Kukui and Apricot oils”.

I’ve found the best way to use Precleanse is to squirt a few pumps into my hand, rub my hands together and then rub it all over my face; focusing heavily on the eyes since that’s where I apply the bulk of my makeup. Once I’ve rubbed it around and it’s started to break apart my makeup, I’ll splash a little water on my face and start using it as more of a destructive cleanser. Continue rinsing until it’s removed everything, then pat dry. (Sidenote, applying it to a cotton round and then applying it to my face worked WAY less efficiently than my hands did.) Because it’s an oil based remover, it also won’t leave your skin feeling dry – huge bonus for me!

Dermalogica Precleanse
Dermalogica Precleanse

Final Thoughts

As far as makeup removers go, the Dermalogica Precleanse is a solid choice. My preference for a remover is always going to be an oil-based one because they can rip through anything you’ve put on your face. I know oil removers aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, but they certainly are mine!

The only downside for me is that the bottle will get oily. As you’re pumping up the oil through the spout some of it will escape through the crevices and ooze out the side. That’s not THIS product’s fault though as I’ve had this occur with almost every single oil I’ve had that’s come with a pump dispensing mechanism.

The Precleanse oil has a slight savoury smell, akin to rosemary and tea tree oil, that I love. However, it’s formulated without artificial fragrances , colours or parabens so I expect that it wouldn’t aggravate those with sensitive skin. If you’re looking for a makeup remover that will cut through everything you throw on your face, the Dermalogica Precleanse will definitely deliver!

This post features a press sample sent for review.