Review Archives - Page 19 of 32 - Violet LeBeaux

Benefit The Porefessional Review… Currently Using

by VioletLeBeaux | Nov 7, 2011 | Beauty, Review

Benefit The Porefessional

Price: $53 from Myer

Obtained: From ABC giftbag

Thoughts:

Pores are something I’ve never really thought about. When ever I think of pores I imagine Daria’s sister Quinn voice in my head from the 90’s cartoon ^_^ So I didn’t think this product would be something I would ever use but after trying it for a while I can admit I might have been wrong.

It is lightly coloured but transparent when rubbed in and feels like velvet. It dries super smooth and has a matt finish, I used it in place of a primer over my t-zone. When looking closely I couldn’t see much of a difference but after actually applying foundation over the top it certainly looked a lot smoother than usual. That said, because pores are not a thing I’ve ever been self conscious about I don’t know if this is something I would think about enough to use again other than as a primer.

I do think it works, I tested it on James’ nose and I could see a difference on his skin but at around $50 I wouldn’t buy it again if I was just going to use it as a regular primer. You only need a tiny amount to go a long way so if it was an area I was concerned about it would probably be cost effective. I would recommend it for those who are self conscious about their pores.

Would I buy Benefit The Porefessional again: I wouldn’t because I don’t have problems with my pores and it makes an expensive primer… but I would recommend it for people who are concerned about their pores.

Disclaimer: All reviews are my honest opinions whether product was provided for review or bought. I am not an expert, just a girl who likes beauty products. Click here to read about my personal preferences or for more information on “Currently Using” mini review posts. Click here for my Editorial and Ethics Policy.

Carmex Moisture Plus Review… Currently Using

by VioletLeBeaux | Nov 6, 2011 | Beauty, Review

Carmex Moisture plus ultra hydrating balm

Price: Around $5

Obtained: In a gift bag

Thoughts:

My lip balm obsession continues. The container is quite a nice pearly colour, kind of classier than most other plain lip balms. Slanted tip is a nice touch, I mean it doesn’t actually make a difference to application but it does look nicer! Fairly large container considering the amount of product inside. Goes on just like butter, very silky and not at all sticky. Has a tiny bit of a minty feel. Having SPF15 is a big plus. On top of matte lipstick it provides a really nice satin finish. Have been using it since ABBW and my lips do feel softer directly after use but I haven’t noticed anything long term

Would I buy Carmex Moisture Plus again: Yes, it’s a very nice SPF15 balm.

The Face Shop Pearl Collagen Mask Review… Currently Using

by VioletLeBeaux | Nov 5, 2011 | Beauty, Review

The Face Shop Pearl Collagen Mask

Price: $6.95

Obtained: Bought from The Face Shop in Melbourne Central

Thoughts:

I had this sitting in my drawer for a good couple of months before I got around to using it. It was an impulse buy as I was in the store picking up another couple of products and the sales assistant mentioned the new range. I am so glad I listened!

This is probably the best mask I’ve ever used, I took the advice of the sales assistant and mixed it with some nice yoghurt in a bowl rather than water/milk and it felt like heaven on my dry, tired skin. The last few weeks have been nothing but stress so this is a welcome change!

It mixes into a nice thick paste and there is quite a bit in there so it could easily be mixed into two or three batches. These was a refreshing smell but nothing strong enough to bother me. After being on for around 20 minutes it dried (though not completely because I had it on thickly) and I washed it all off. My skin has hasn’t felt that good in a long time, it looked clear and fresh. I felt very smooth and no longer had all the little dry flakes.

I will be stocking up on these and buying more in the same range.

Would I buy the Pearl Collagen Mask again: Yes, so very much yes.

My New Pink Hair Dye Routine and Paint Box Dye Review

by VioletLeBeaux | Oct 26, 2011 | Beauty, Hair-Tutorials, Review, Tutorial

So as I’ve mentioned here before, my Wakk Stain pink dye was discontinued so I had to switch. The brand I switched to was Paintbox which is made by Fudge. I’ve been using the “Pretty Flamingo” pink to trial different types and techniques to find what was the best replacement. In fact when I decided to keep using it I may have panicked slightly and bought several tubes just in case *it* was discontinued too because that’s the kind of luck I’ve been having lately!

I coincidentally met the PR rep for the company at the Secrets Shh event and apparently they had been sending my photo around their office because they liked my hair so much XD She offered to send a couple of the other colours for me to try out and that was how I came to my new gradient routine!

So these are the colours which arrived in my mail box, left to right: Whiter Shade of Pale, Pink Moon, Gold Finger, Pretty Flamino (which I was already using).

And this is my result using them all:

They also sent a handy mixing guide which shows which shades you can blend to get different colours.Previously my routine had consisted of twisting and manually blending the pink into different shades like in the video I did on it. Works like a charm as long as you have a very forgiving colour. When I switched to Paintbox it became harder to do because the dye is a different consistency and stains the second you get it on the hair. I found I had to dilute it with conditioner to make it easier to work with for the gradient. Still worked very well but because Pretty Flamingo was such a bright colour, making the fade effect was a bit more effort than I was used to from the others.So I was interested to see the different in using “Whiter Shade of Pale” than conditioner for diluting, I’m not really sure what I was expecting but it worked really well and made it a lot easier to blend the 3 colours together as well as move them around on the hair while controlling how much stain actually went on. I would definitely repurchase it because I found it better than conditioner. That said, if I didn’t have the money or I ran out and desperately needed to do my hair I would still use conditioner as a stop gap solution because the dye goes on so much better than by itself.

Lasting power is longer than the Wakk Stain too. Previously if I was washing my hair every 3 days the dye would have noticeably faded within 7-10 days. Now it lasts 2-3 weeks before I feel I need to redo it, it also fades to nicer pastels so I could easily leave it longer and still like the colours.

Affordability-wise the tubes are around $14 from Priceline and considering how much I dilute them to get the pastel effect they last forever. Even when I was using just one colour, and with my gigantic amount of hair, a tube would last me around 4 months+ so I think it’s reasonable.

So more importantly, how did I mix up the colours together? I wanted to do my same gradient but just give it a bit more depth so I basically touched up the orange at the bottom and used the Pink Moon so smooth the lines of the gradient. This was the colour order:

And crappily Photoshop blended so you get the general idea:

I won’t be taking you into the shower with me so here’s a step by step example using a hair extension 😉

Squeeze some of each of the colours and some of the mixer on to a plate. I just use my hand when I’m in the shower.

Wet and brush through the hair so there are no tangles.

Mix the orange into a pastel tone, it should be bright but not too bright, I used 1/3rd dye to 2/3rds mixer. Apply the orange to the bottom.

Mix the Pretty Flamingo with mixer, it’s already really bright so 1/5th dye to mixer. Blend it into the orange really well with your fingers and continue upwards. These extensions aren’t my colour so it all looks a bit dark but you can get the idea!

Repeat with the Pink Moon but because this is a fairly pastel colour use 1/3rd dye to mixer. Apply and then do the section about it diluting the pink a bit more. Mix it all in with your fingers so there are no harsh edges and then wash out.

So you should have a nice smooth gradient like this. Of course these extensions are synthetic so the dye just washes off but in real hair it looks much better! Speaking of dying synthetic extensions, tomorrow’s post is how I actually coloured these ones permanently ^_^

And here’s the end result on real hair…

So overall, the stand out colour for me was Pink Moon, it’s a much bluer pink and so when it’s diluted it gives the most beautiful colours. I didn’t fall in love with Gold Finger but that was just personal colour preference. I’ve decided going forward that I want to keep a small amount of orange at the tips but mostly concentrate on the pastel of Pink Moon and use Pretty Flamingo to deepen the shade and give definition to the bottom half. So I would definitely continue purchasing Paintbox colours, yay for finding a good replacement!

That said, everyone and their dog has pink hair these days so maybe I’ll do something completely normal and go dark brown or something 😉

Actually what I *really* want to do once in my life is dye my fringe into a pastel rainbow! That’s something I’m a bit too scared to attempt myself though so I’m waiting until I can actually afford to go to a salon. Sometimes I think it would be totally nice to actually go to a salon for everything and have a whole pampering make over XD Do you guys cut/dye your own hair too or do you get yours done at a salon?

Groomy Travel Set Review And Tetris Packing

by VioletLeBeaux | Oct 16, 2011 | Beauty, Review, Travel In Style

I’ve travelled domestically more this year than since I was a kid but unfortunately none of it has been for holidays >_< The plus side of this is that because we don’t have any large luggage I’m now adept at packing several days worth of stuff into an overnight bag haha!

I posted years ago about traveling in style but I never got around to doing the packing follow up. Well here’s how I packed for the 3 day IMATS trip 😀

You can see the overnight bag we took in the top left and then my handbag and James’ camera equipment bag at the bottom left.

Not including my hangbag, James’ camera bag or the two pink make up bags next to them the rest is made up of:My clothes:

2 pairs of shoes
5 dresses (for 3 days plus a night event and one emergency change)
1 scarf
Pajamas, underwear and a singlet
Belt

James’ clothes:

1 pair of shoes
2 pairs of jeans
1 suit jacket and pants
3 shirts (two 2 shirts and 1 button down)

Now on the the interesting parts, make up and toiletries!

I took two small bags with me, one for make up/bathroom stuff and one for accessories and anything else that didn’t fit.

The make up one:

Inside was:

Brush
Travel straightener
Toothbrushes/paste
Moisturiser
Eyelashes/glue
Brown shadow palette
4 Shadows in pink/purple/white shades
Mascara
Eyeliner
Lipstick/gloss
Hair ties
Plastic bag to put wet toothbrushes in
Mini containers of foundation/primer/hair spray
Face masks for de-stressing at night (so important!)

My biggest tip for traveling with make up is to take mini versions of things if you can. For things like foundation I use old contact lens cases 😀

On to the jewellery:

Packing_DSC_2277_1323_JimmyAmerica.com

I didn’t want to take much jewellery for the trip because I always end up losing small items like this when I travel so I take versatile things which can be worn with anything…

1 hair bow
1 headband
1 peal chocker which can also be worn in the hair or as a bracelet
2 pairs of earrings
2 bracelets
1 brooch
1 ribbon thingy which can be worn in the hair or as jewellery

To save space I only packed things which could be squished up with no problems, below you can see the headband squished into a bracelet.

I learned the hard way many years ago to pack anything that can’t be replaced into carry on luggage when one of my suitcases was lost so this is what comes in my bag…

Packing_DSC_2287_1328_JimmyAmerica.com

Inside:

iPad
Tamagotchi (Hat)
Phone
Camera
Headphones
Microphone
Money
Pens
Tissues
Make up bag for doing my look on the plane
Sunglasses
Business cards
Mini brush roll/toiletries
Scarf (which can be used as a heap of different things in an emergency

Inside my make up bag and mini brush roll…

There are:

Mints
Nail glue
Perfume oil
Handkerchief/face washer
Jewellery I’m planning on wearing that day
Comb
Cuticle stick
Lip glosses/sticks
Mirror

In the brush roll:

Mini travel brushes (duh…)
Eyeliner
Tissues and cotton buds
bobby pins

Now that I’m traveling a reasonable amount for work the one thing I actually wanted to splurge a bit on was a good bathroom travel set. I spent quite a while looking for a cute one which held a good amount and in the end I didn’t have to splurge because I was contacted to review a local business called “Groomy“. To be honest I almost said no because it didn’t sound relevant for me to blog about… then I saw that they had an entire range which was pink with carousel print *_* So freaking cute!

Groomy_Review_VioletLeBeauxDSC_3737_8452

The large set I received came with one gigantic bathroom bag which I would use when going on longer trips, 3 smaller bags (which I used at IMATS), the mini brush roll and a good old fashioned tissue holder. It’s been so long since I’ve seen tissue holders anywhere and I love this idea!
I really want to make a bunch of them so I have one to match every outfit/handbag now haha! You can see below a better shot of the cute fabric it’s all made of too.

Groomy_Review_VioletLeBeauxDSC_3757_8470

The large bag is very large. It wouldn’t fit in my overnight bag but I could definitely see myself taking this overseas for an extended trip where we actually have a suitcase. All of the other bags fit comfortably inside it for storage in the mean time which is a plus. There are pockets on both sides of the main compartment as well as 4 elastic bottle pockets on the lid and an elastic strap for other things.

The main bathroom bag I took to IMATS was the second biggest one. It’s basically a smaller version of the above one with more pockets. 3 on the right and 3 with another elastic strap on the left. There is a huge amount of space in the center too even with all the pockets filled so I was really surprised that I could fit all my make up and have my brush/toothbrush/straightener in the middle! I also really liked all of the pockets and things as it made it much easier to get things out without spilling everything else everywhere.

The two smaller bags were useful for accessories and random things. They are very square so they hold a lot while also stacking easily in the bags. Everything (other than the tissue holder) was covered in clear plastic so spills etc were easily wiped away with no problems, it wasn’t the kind of super shiny plastic though so they didn’t look at all cheap. It looks a bit shiny in the photos but that was from the flash being so close.

The absolute best out of the bunch though was the mini brush roll/ beauty tool roll. Best idea ever! It fit my mini travel brushes easily but it was also the *perfect* size for cotton buds, bobby pins, eyeliner and cuticle sticks. I loved this one so much that I now keep it in my handbag regularly too.

So verdict, the set is probably in the more expensive price range but if you travel a lot I think good luggage is something worth splurging on and they are very good quality materials and very well sewn while still being adorable. With that in mind and knowing I’m probably going to be traveling a bit more often now, I’m currently saving up for the other items in the set. It’s a change (here in Aus at least) to see such cute girly prints too so if that’s up your alley definitely check out the Groomy website because they ship worldwide and have a lot of other cute items.

Do any of you have any awesome travel tips? I would love to hear them, especially if it involves being able to sleep on the plane because I suck at that!!

Outfit Of The Day and Mini Maos Review

by VioletLeBeaux | Oct 6, 2011 | Outfit Of The Day, Review

So we’re back to regularly scheduled programming now that most of the year’s events are over, I’m feeling much better and I’m ready to get back to my routine and post properly again!

This review has been a long time coming because I wanted to get some good photos with James’ new camera to do it justice!

Mini Maos contacted me a while ago to organise a review and having been a fan of theirs for quite a while via Cheesie’s blog I agreed. I love the idea of reasonably priced resellers outside of Japan and considering the conversion from the Australian Dollar to the Malaysian RM it’s another +1 in terms of shopping XD

Yay for reasonably priced Japanese brands and world wide shipping!

Shop: Mini Maos

Mini Maos sell imported Japanese clothing and carry brands such as Liz Lisa, WC, Dolly Wink, Duffy, Murua and the like. They also carry some other general gyaru brands from cheaper stores.

Shipping:

I picked out a couple of items I liked from the store and they sent it via EMS. The shipping time was longer than usual because one of the items I wanted was out of stock and then it got stuck it Australian Customs for a few days. Boo to Australian Customs delaying my love of shoes.

This is what arrived:

It was a thick black bag within another bag taped up with packing tape. I personally prefer boxes just in case there are delicate items but nothing was damaged in transit so no problems here.

Inside the package:

So let’s start with the blue dress, this is actually my favorite of the two because it’s so springish!

Dress name: Denim One Piece Original

Brand: LizLisa

Price: 189RM (around AU$61)

Thoughts:

LOVE this dress, it’s exactly my current style coming into Spring. I have the lighter colour and it’s a thicker denim than I was expecting. It’s also quite short. In this picture you can kind of see the bottom is the lace attached to the blue, I found I had to wear another draped skirt underneath it to feel comfortable. With the other skirt though it looks so cute!

As with most Japanese clothing it only comes in one size. It’s a tiny bit big for me as usual but the back has shirring so I imagine this could fit a variety of sizes and still look great. The lace detailing is nice and soft quality lace not scratchy nylon. This is the kind of quality I would expect from a brand along the level of Liz Lisa.

Really like this one and would definitely buy more from Liz Lisa!

Next on to the shoes.

Name: Mui Mui x Lena Inspired Vintage Heels

Price: 119RM (around AU$39)

Thoughts:

The design of these shoes is so cute, they are super high and remind me a lot of a cuter version of school shoes. They come in black or tan and the tan is this nice creamy shade:

They have a nice high platform and make me feel like a giant without feeling like I’m going to topple over. The actual heel isn’t very high when you take into account the front platform so I found them to be fairly comfortable for walking. I wouldn’t wear them for standing up all day but they are super cute for a night out.

The construction here was so much better than I was expecting for the price, in Aus $40 would most likely get you pretty crappy shoes unless you knew where to shop, these are better made than most of my other shoes and feel very sturdy on. I like that the heel is quite thick and not at all wobbly.

The material they’re made of is nice and shiny and doesn’t scuff easily. I scuff shoes like crazy but even after wearing these several times there’s nothing at all on there. Very happy with the quality.

Now my absolute favorite part of the shoes: the buckles. They are functioning buckles so you can adjust size for your ankle but you don’t actually have to undo them to remove. You can see in the photo below that the strap before the buckle slides through a hook and is kept in place. That means you can put them on super quickly and easily even if you have ridiculously long nails 😀

Product: Spring Kago Bag

Brand: Liz Lisa

Price: 199RM (around AU$65)

This one comes in white or pink but I picked white so it would go with more of my clothes and specifically the blue Liz Lisa dress.

It’s a nice sturdy woven bag which fits a surprising amount in it. The inside is lined with a very thin floral cotton and the straps are detachable. There are quite a few cute little details like the branded charm, inside pocket and detachable flower key chain.

The bottom has protector feet so the basket weave doesn’t get damaged or dirty when you set it down. The stap easily come off so if you’re like me and don’t like chain you could easily change it to something else.

I was surprised how often I actually use this bag, when I got it I thought it would be a fun thing for Spring but it’s actually really handy. I can cram a lot of things in there but not so much that it gets heavy so it’s become my everyday bag for when I don’t need to take the ipad with me.

There were a couple of little details that were odd to me such as the white part of the strap being longer than the chain so it poked out a few places and the metal parts needing a bit of a clean when it arrived but other than that I think it’s a great little bag. Very happy with it!

Last item!

Item: Victorian Cape Dress

Brand: Bebe Rose

Price: 189 RM (around AU$60)

Mini Maos actually suggested this one to suit my current love of everything chiffon, and I think they were right ^_^ It’s a basic dress with a detachable cape that goes over the top. With the cape it reminds me of Little House on the Prairie .

Without it, the style is more something I would wear day to day. Again this one is quite short (remember I’m only 151cm tall) so when I wore it out I tended to add an underskirt. It was a little big again for me but the waist is elastic and gathered around the back so it could fit a lot of shapes.

The lace detail was again very pretty and good quality. The sleeves were quite see through but the body of it is lined so not transparent at all.

Lace details around the bust:

I think with the cape this is quite a versatile dress. I wore the cape a few times around my waist to give it extra shape and add another layer to the skirt, super cute!

The only problem I had with this one is that the buttons weren’t sewn on super well so the first time I wore it out one of them unraveled. Not a particularly big problem and easily sewn back on.

From the back with the cape. I actually prefer the dress without the cape but I like the cape with several of my other outfits.

So overall experience with Mini Maos?

Very good! The prices are really reasonable, in stores here in Aus we would pay at least double for imports like this so very happy in that regard. The quality is what you can expect from Japanese brands, shipping was quick once the things I wanted were in stock and their online store has heaps of brands and variety. Overall very happy and I would definitely order from them. In fact I’ve started making a Christmas list from there to pass on to my family haha XD