Review: Marcelle Hydra-C 24H Moisturizing Gel-cream for Dry Skin

Price: 22.95$ for 1.8 OZ / 50 mL

What is it?

Gentle, effective treatment for moisture starved skin.

Especially designed for dry and dehydrated skin, it soothes that tight, uncomfortable feeling plus fights the visible signs of ageing. This gel-cream deeply moisturizes the skin for 24 hours.

We’ve added key active ingredients to this nourishing gel-cream that restore and maintain the skin’s lipidic and moisture barrier, and provide it with its daily ration of essential oils and amino acids. Aloe extract and Shea butter heal and sooth while the dynamic duo of vitamins C and E protects against free radicals.


Hypo-allergenic and perfume free.

Ideal for dry skin.

The claims:

Especially formulated for dry skin, it nourishes and calms tight, dry skin. It provides it with essential moisturizers and oils to re-establish its lipidic barrier. Its non-greasy formula is quickly absorbed and leaves your skin feeling cool and refreshed. 

 How to use:

Apply on a clean face using fingertips. Massage upwards and in circular motions making sure to avoid fragile eye area. Then, apply over neck and chest with the same circular motions in a downwards movement. Use morning and night.

Pros:

• light texture perfect for day wear 
• instantly absorbed into skin
  
• makes skin feels fresh
• a little goes a long way
• non-greasy
  

Cons:

• when you rub or scratch your skin, little gel residues fall off (?!?)
• it's recommended to it use morning and night, but it's not heavy enough for a night cream
• expensive!
  

What I think:

This is my first experience with a Marcelle skin care product, and I'm pretty happy with it. At first, I was skeptical that a gel-cream would cure my dry skin, but if it didn't heal it completely, it definitely helped it a lot. But as it's a gel-cream, I would recommend this for summer as it might not be moisturizing enough for the harsh winter's weather. I would totally repurchase it, if only it was less expensive!


Repurchase or recommend? yes

Rating: ★★★★/5

Disclaimer: This product was sent to me for review purposes, and the fact that it was free absolutely does not influence my opinion.

GILTY Pleasures Weekly Blog Tour: Vol 6, 2010

Hi everybody,

This week's blog tour comprises a variety of makeup and beauty tips, tricks, and tutorials. I hope you'll enjoy our effort to give you the best of this week.

Alison of the Advice Sisters has picked her favorite show of fashion week (so far, more to come on the advice sisters blog). It is "THE BLONDES" runway show featuring everything from sexy dresses with golden spikes and glittering, sky-high Louboutin pumps, to a gorilla suit!

Talented hair and makeup artist Altjana Banja created the hair look for emerging designer Carmelita Martell a sophisticated, braided bun.

Lisa from Bridalease has great skin protection advice during these crazy cold and windy days of winter.

Ageless Elaine explains cosmeceuticals and why you want them.

Gio from Beautiful With Brains talks about the benefits of olive oil in skincare.

Missy of Luxury Beauty Products reviews Sun Botanicals SunScreen with SPF 30made by women for women specifically designed to protect against the sun’s harmful UV radiation from damaging the skin.

Beauty and Fashion Tech reviews DHC Skincare, including DHC Olive Oil Cleanser.

Dao from My Makeup Blog found an easy and fool proof way to apply false lashes that guarantees an eye opening result!



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Review: TRESemmé Fresh Start Dry Shampoo for oily/straight to normal hair

Price: around 6$ for 161 g

The claims:

TRESemmé Fresh Start Dry Shampoo is the perfect solution to clean hair without water anytime. The unique formula, with Mineral Clay and Citrus, refreshes your hair by removing oil and odour while injecting volume. Just a quick spay transforms lifeless, limp hair into clean, fresh hair full of bouncy body. It also helps to maintain hair color with less washing. With TRESemmé Fresh Start, refresh your hair anytime, anywhere.

How to use:

Shake vigorously before use and in between spray bursts. Spray lightly and evenly on dry hair, holding 8-12 inches from head and leave in for 1-2 minutes. Brush out, then style as usual.

First of all, here are some pictures of my hair before using the product:

While I had the dry shampoo on my hair for about 2 minutes:

And here is the final result:

 Pros:

• subtle and fresh scent
• quickly absorbs oil
• adds texture to hair
• adds volume to hair
• I like that it's an aerosol instead of a spray
• inexpensive!
• excellent alternative to wet shampoo, especially if you have colored hair

Cons:

• it's annoying to always have to shake during the process
• hair didn't feel totally clean (it doesn't replace a good shower)
• if you don't cover your shoulders, you will end up with powder all over your shirt and arms
• you have to thoroughly brush your hair after letting the product stand for 2 minutes, otherwise you will end up with white powder residues
• the package is smaller than a normal bottle of shampoo, so it will not last long (I have already almost finished my can of Algemarin Dry Shampoo)

What I think:

I know I might be repeating myself, but overall, it's a good dry shampoo. I would definitely repurchase it, because it's a great time saver, and as I stopped washing my hair everyday about 2 months ago, I absolutely don't want to go back to this bad habit. Maybe there's better dry shampoos out there, but this one does what it is claimed to do, and it's so inexpensive!

Repurchase or recommend? yes

Rating: ★★★★/5

Fun with Black and Red FOTD

Hi everybody,

New York Fashion Week is gone but its essence still lingers in the air. This year, the colors are stronger in both eyes and lips, which makes it my favorite fashion week ever! For every woman out there, once you master the art of painting the smokey eyes, you are set for life. Seriously, clothings can get in and out of style but every single season, the smokey eyes are there to stay. You can play it up for a sultry date night or play it down for a fun day at school. There's no limit to the smokey eyes.

Normally, smokey eyes are paired with nude lips. But not this year, sisters! People go all out for strong and bright colors these days. I like my smokey eyes with cherry red lips. The combination reminds me of the 50s, or Angelina Jolie. Brad Pitt's baby mama pulls this combo extremely well.

But so can I :)

Look, I can do sultry, too!

 The hand trick was an attempt to cover a flaming zit. Watching "America's Top Model" did pay off.

 

I've done the smokey eyes so many times in this blog but for those who are curious, here's the link to a tutorial. What's different this time around is I use more matte eye shadows from a limited edition L'Oreal quad called "Starlet". I doubt you can find it anywhere now. Also, I brought the black eyeshadow up a lot higher. For my original tutorial, the dark eyeshadow just hovered around the lash line.

Difference number 2: the silver eyeliner (L'Oreal HiP chrome eyeliner in Silver Lightning, good stuff!)

I drew some fake lashes to the bottom lash line and did a kind of Egyptian eye

Close-up at the semi-close eye

I also dabbed a bit of the silver liner to the inner corner of my eyes

The eyes have it

But then, I had some fun: I painted my lips geisha style

Red lipsticks: NYC Retro Red and NYX Gardenia

Blush: EDM Snuggle

And wiped it off for some paler lips

Played with my hair and had a Snookie moment :)

And went down the rabbit hole to be Alice in Wonderland

Lipstick used: Quiet, Please!

Red lipstick is very addictive. Everytime I removed my red lipstick, I felt naked and empty. It's like the allure was being washed away or something. It is a strange feeling. Don't you feel the same, too?



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Fun with Marie Louise Restoration Clear Gel

Hi everybody,

At the end of last year, I got a chance to sample Marie Louise Restoration Clear Gel from Japan. Marie Louise Aberdein, the mother of modern beauty, created the first beauty creme in Japan to become a favorite in the Imperial Court. In 2004, Marie Louise skincare was debuted and sold only in professional spas and salons. Now, it is available online for everybody and I was very honored to try their exfoliating gel.

Marie Louise Restoration Clear Gel

I have always been fascinated by Japanese skincare since Japanese people have the most beautiful skin in the world. Also, since my skin does not exfoliate itself very well, a little help goes a long way. This exfoliating gel is a novel product to me since it does not use mechanical (tiny exfoliating beads) or chemical (AHAs or BHA) exfoliators.

I pumped once to my finger

It is just a clear gel, there's nothing special about it. Or so I thought. After washing my face, I dispensed 3 pumps to cover it. After that, I massaged the gel gently to my skin. Dead skin started to slough off and mingle together...

...like this!

It was the day my skin felt congested and a lot of dead skin cells came off my face.

The whole process was interesting! The first time I used it, the dead skin cells came out in tiny balls. Once the gel dried, nothing came out anymore and I washed my face one more time to remove the gunk. The direction indicated to use 2-3 times a week but since my skin became sensitive this winter, I use once a week to maintain. After exfoliating, my skin felt smoother and more radiant.

Ingredients: water, glycerin, acrylates/C10-30 alkyl acrylate crosspolymer, dicocodimonium chloride, steartrimonium bromide, butylene glycol, sea salt, sea water, algae extracts, isopropyl alcohol.

Since it contains glycerin, this exfoliating gel is moisturizing. Also, isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) was included to make it vaporize faster. Sea salt, sea water, and algae extracts add a nice touch to this product and they are quite common in Japanese skincare products. It is targeted to all skin types except for sensitive skin. While my skin is still sensitive from the cold weather, I can use it once a week with gentle pressure to my skin. It is very addictive to rub harder once you see the beads forming.

The price is $51 USD for a 100ml bottle, which is not so affordable to some of us. However, a little bit goes a long way and if you use once or twice a week, a bottle does last a long time.

And now, a disclaimer: the above products were sent to me from a kind representative of Marie Louise Cosmetics for reviewing purposes. For more information, please visit Marie Louise Cosmetics website. Click here to read My Makeup Blog disclosure policy.

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How to Apply False Lashes

Hello beautiful people,

When I did the Baby Doll tutorial, I got some comments about false eyelashes and how to apply them. Gee, you guys made me feel like I am an expert in applying falsies or something. Or maybe it's the result of me pulling MAC editorial's leg? (Lookie here if you don't know what I mean.)

Truth be told, I was scared of falsies for years. Applying eye shadows: yes; wearing mascara: yes; grooming my eyebrows: yes. Applying falsies: heck to the NO! There was something about the fake lashes that made me feel uncomfortable and one day, I found out I was not afraid of wearing fake lashes. I was afraid of the application process, precisely of being poked in the eyes.

After doing my own research online and watching an episode of Rachel Ray repeatedly, I concluded there's nothing to fear but fear itself. So, I went to Sally's Beauty and bought my first pair of Ardell lashes and a tube of lash glue. The rest was history. While I don't wear falsies on a daily basis, I prefer to use them when I need to take pictures. They make a huge difference and today I am going to show you how to apply them, too!

First thing first: the necessary items

You will need an eyeshadow primer (I use Bare Canvas paint pot), an eyeliner (I use Blacktrack gel liner), an eyeliner brush if you use gel liner, mascara, eyelash curler, and a pair of falsies of your choice.

Also, don't forget the lash glue

For those who read palms, that's my left palm :)

First step: curl your lashes

That's me with intense concentration

Then, apply a thick line of eyeliner

This step is crucial to conceal the backbone of your falsies

And then, apply two coats of mascara

I prefer a mascara that can hold the curl and somewhat flexible to curl after it is dried.

Now, the fun part starts here:

Get your false lashes and flex them a couple of times. Then, place the lashes near your lash line to see if they fit your eyes. If they are too big, trim from the outer corner of the lash.

Then, apply lash glue to the backbone of the lash strip

Some people prefer to apply lash glue with a toothpick, I just apply directly from the tube. Wait for the glue to get sticky. This may take 30 seconds to a minute, depending on what brand of glue you use.

Once the glue gets sticky, carefully apply the lash strip from the inner to the outer corner of your eye. You can use a tweezer to hold the strip and the end of a brush to apply pressure to the backbone of the falsie.

If you make mistake, it's time to correct it when the glue is not dried.

Note: does this look familiar to the MAC editorial picture? Ya?

The lashes are not blended together

But don't worry, we can fix it...

With an eyelash curler!

It would be easier if you have a heated lash curler, since it is designed to use to lashes after mascara. If you don't have it, a mechanical lash curler works as well. It just takes a bit more work.

Curl both your real and false lashes together and voila...

No double lashes!

Two becomes one, yo!

But on the other note, I should have removed those clumps of mascara.

Oh well, we keep it real around here!

End up looking like a deer with falsies :)

Note: practice does make perfect. You should have seen my first few attempts of applying false lashes. They were "epic failures" (words used by my nephews!) Also, the types of false lashes I used made a big difference. For starters, shorter and smaller lashes are easier to work with since they don't need a lot of trimmings. Ardell "Baby" lashes at Sally's Beauty is the best set for starters since they look so natural and pretty.

From what I've gathered, Ardell, E.L.F, and Revlon make good and comfortable lashes that are less than 5 dollars a pair. Ardell and Duo glues are favorable among makeup enthusiasts. If you just want to make your lashes look a bit fuller, shorter lashes are perfect (and they do look more natural, too!) However, they may not show up very well in films. Longer lashes can look scary in real life but in films, they look so whimsical. I like criss-cross lashes since they look more natural than the other types, but that's just my preference.

So, what do you think? Do you wear falsies? Or have any extra tips and tricks? Comments, ok?

P.S: Concrete and Nail Polish has their first giveaway, please join them!

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Winners mini haul + EOTD

I went to Winners today becaue I wanted to check out their "final sale". I didn't really need anything, but I bought two things anyway xD

(unbuttoned)

(buttoned up)

 FOX Girls hoodie. 39,99$ (instead of around 80$). I usually don't pay this much for a single piece of clothing, but this hoodie is so soft and will keep me warm (I don't own a lot of hoodies and it's always freezing in my classrooms).

Hurley jacket. 12,00$ (instead of 60$). I think this would be perfect for spring or fall. It's not really warm, but it should be nice with my FOX hoodie underneath it LOL.

I also have a quick EOTD to show you (it's not a FOTD because my hair wouldn't behave so the pictures were very bad xD):

Annabelle Smudgeliner Eyeliner - Armour

Annabelle Cosmetics Glitter Studio Pigment - Aurora

Maybelline Unstoppable Eyeliner - Onyx

Maybelline Lash Stiletto mascara - Very Black

I wanted to try to pair this neutral shade of Smudgeliner with something that would give it some "oomph!". It's too bad my camera don't pick up the glitters in the pigment -_-

Also, be sure to check out Victoria's giveaway:

Prize #1:

Prize #2:

Prize #3:

Prize #4: