Makeup Wars ~ What This Beauty Blogger Packs for Vacation

February 18, 2013 By 19 Comments

Beauty Blogger Packing

So I’m not really going on vacation. Oh how I WISH I were going on vacation. Even just for a weekend. It is just not in the cards right now, nor will it be for quite a long time. Given that in years past my hubby and I have gone on a few tropical winter getaway vacations, including our wedding, I am not unfamiliar with how I pack for these things, so were are going to exercise a bit of imagination here.

Now when I go on vacation, and I mean a week long proper vacation, I don’t really concern myself with packing light when it comes to my beauty essentials. If I am on vacation it means I am going “out” far more often than in my usual life of drudgery. What better time to make the most out of all the beautiful makeup I own? So when I am packing for vacation I use these basic “rules”.

  • Pack my favourites (of the moment).
  • Make sure those favourites will create a variety of looks without a tonne of products
  • I (try t0) make sure those favourites aren’t limited edition.

What this means is I pack my favourites regardless of whether they are pricey or not. On my last vacation to Mexico I packed primarily Chanel. I will tell you that I did break the limited edition rule because I remember packing my Chanel Tentation Cuivree Quad because it was a favourite smoky eye look at the time. (I just had a massive meltdown realizing I sold this in a blog sale. What the heck was I thinking *sigh*). Since I like to bring my “good stuff” on vacation I do pack it in my carry on. maybe this isn’t the best use of space but really, makeup doesn’t take up a tonne of room right?

So lets say I won a vacation and had to pack up to leave tomorrow. Here are what my choices would be. These items would be packed in a makeup bag I purchased at Winners many years ago. We are taking possibly a decade. I used to use it to actually store my makeup collection before it got way out of hand. Hard to imagine most of my stuff fit in there at one point! Ridiculous really. How do people live like that? LOL It is from a brand called Murval. I never even really looked at the brand name on it before creating this post but it looks like they bags, apparel, and home products. I absolutely adore this bag because it is so compartmentalized and keeps all my things well organized, visible, and easy to find. There are multiple removable, and fixed, mesh zippered pouches. There is also a section for makeup brushes but I prefer to keep them protected in one of the zippered pouches.

Most of these products have been linked to their original reviews, (which took me forever!) so I encourage you to click on them to see why I find them travel worthy companions!

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The first zippered pouch holds some compacts to offer a variety of eye looks and colourful cheeks:

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The second removable zippered pouch holds an assortment of brushes (mostly MAC, Real Techniques and bdellium). I should have took a picture of them all out to show you as most are hiding.  It also holds any eye and brow pencils.

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The center zippered pouch holds:

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The final large zippered pouch contains most of my face and skincare items:

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I weighed my packed makeup bag and it weighs 4 pounds. Quite a hefty portion of my carry on luggage but that is a sacrifice, as a beauty lover, I have no trouble making. There is actually still room in my fabulous travel makeup bag so I can guarantee you that there would be some last minute additions before I left. The one item I would likely add is the Yves Saint Laurent Y Facettes Eye Palette from Spring 2013. It breaks my LE rule but it is so colourful and perfect for a tropical vacation. I also would likely throw in some nice skincare samples. I also forgot fragrance so some of my decants and samples would be added as well. It may seem like I packed an excessive amount of lip products and I should probably cut back given I packed more things than days I will be on vacation…but I would probably throw a few more in my handbag including my Lancome Baume in Love in Urban Ballet.

Well I hope you enjoyed my emotionally scarring experience of packing for an imaginary winter getaway and having to take photos of said imaginary packing outside in -20°C/-4°F weather. I’m off to go warm up with a hot coffee and Bailey’s and try to forget about my longing for a beach.

Make sure to check out the Travel Picks of the other Makeup Wars members. Just click on the thumbnails below or use the Previous and Next buttons at the top of this post. If you have missed out on the previous Makeup Wars be sure to check them out, including some of my favourites like our Valentines Day Look, Holiday Look, Holiday Wishlists, Favourite Mascaras, Favourite Fall Look, Favourite Red Lip, Favourite Makeup Brush, Favourite Fall Nail Polish, and Most Expensive Makeup Look.

Filed Under: Anastasia, benefit, Chanel, Dior, Giorgio Armani, Hourglass, KORRES, Le Metier de Beaute, Make Up For Ever, Makeup Wars, Maybelline, Random, Real Techniques, Rouge Bunny Rouge, Urban Decay, Yves Saint Laurent

Korres Yoghurt Body Butter, Yoghurt Instant Soothing Gel, and Milk Proteins Foaming Cream Cleanser Review

January 3, 2013 By 2 Comments

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Ah KORRES. How do you do it? You never fail to impress. I really don’t think there has been a KORRES product I have tried that I haven’t loved. They really know how to develop high quality, result oriented products that offer the user a pleasurable experience. It’s thanks to them I am now starting to feel hooked on body butters and no longer feel my standard, unscented moisturizers are good enough. Yes they work well but I now yearn for a more pleasurable experience thanks to KORRES.

The latest group of products from KORRES that is perfect for our dry, winter ravaged skin is the Yoghurt line. It’s development took over three years and still remains their global first as the first products incorporating edible yoghurt into a cosmetic formula. Yoghurt is a natural source of lactose, proteins, minerals, and vitamins instantly hydrating and relieving dry skin. I have been testing out the Yoghurt Body Butter, Yoghurt Instant Soothing Gel, and Milk Proteins Foaming Cream Cleanser for probably about a month now and I have been loving them and will continue their use until they are empty. I love hitting “pan”!

Yoghurt Body Butter ($33 for 235ml/7.95oz) Deeply moisturizes to help improve skin elasticity and smoothness. This moisture-rich, luxurious cream is enriched with shea butter to soften, smooth, and nourish the skin and has a fresh, pure scent. Can be used all over the body, or is ideal for dry elbows, heels, and knees. Best when applied to warm, damp skin, after bathing to lock-in moisture. It contains Edible Yoghurt and Shea Butter, Sunflower, Almond and Avocado Oils. It has a slightly more greasy feel than the other KORRES body butter I have tried but it absorbs well and leaves my skin really hydrated and the greasy sensation does not persist.

Yoghurt Instant Soothing Gel ($49.50 for 30ml/1.01oz) The extra soothing and moisture-boosting gel, formulated with real edible Yoghurt, provides instant comfort to distressed dry skin. It soothes and calms skin, all the while, providing a light cooling effect. With its combination of Aloe extract boosted with polysccharides, Prickly Pear, Willowherb and Oat extracts, this gel instantly nourishes, hydrates and relieves dry skin. This gel has a light texture but moisturizes as effectively for me as any rich cream. I have really been loving this but wish the fragrance wasn’t as prevalent. My husband has complained about the scent and while I actually don’t mind the smell I don’t like my facial skincare to be scented. I absolutely love the precision tip, squeeze tube packaging for this. It is really perfect for travel as well.

There is also the KORRES Milk line. Although, cosmetic ingredients become more and more sophisticated, milk is still appreciated for its renowned, rich composition and physiological compatibility. Milk proteins offer significant moisturising and nutritive properties. Their moisturising capacity is the result of their excellent absorption, as well as their water-binding ability.  Milk proteins offer more than 40% essential amino acids and also have a high affinity with the skin’s natural components and are acknowledged to be true epidermomimetic substances, remarkably biocompatible, and therefore perfectly well tolerated.

Milk Proteins Foaming Cream Cleanser ($26 for 150ml/5.07oz) This rich, gentle cream-to-foam cleanser removes make-up and everyday impurities for effective, soap-free cleansing that leaves skin feeling soft. It contains milk proteins rich in essential amino acids, Willow bark extract, Honeysuckle flower extract, Glycerin. I have always loved foaming cleansers but had banned them from my routine years ago as my really dry skin finds them too harsh. I am so excited to have found a foaming cleanser I can use that doesn’t leave my skin feeling tight and parched.

Available at select Shoppers Drug Mart and Sephora.

Products provided for my consideration. All reviews are always my own honest and unbiased opinions.

Filed Under: Body Products, Cleansers, KORRES, Moisturizers

KORRES Wild Rose + Vitamin C Skincare Review and Giveaway!

November 2, 2012 By 22 Comments
This was not my first introduction to the KORRES Wild Rose + Vitamin C line. I had already received a deluxe sample size of the Advanced Brightening Sleeping Facial in one of my monthly subscription boxes and had fallen in love with it.
The KORRES Wild Rose line is built around the use of Wild Rose oil as a primary ingredient. Wild Rose oil is a natural source of vitamin C, which demonstrates the ability to reduce the look of fine lines and skin discolourations. It also helps prevent dryness by forming a protective film on the skin. The three products from the Wild Rose + Vitamin C lineup that I tested were the Daily Brightening and Refinishing Buff Cleanser, the Advanced Brightening Sleeping Facial, and the Instant Brightening Eye Treatment.

The Daily Brightening and Refinishing Buff Cleanser ($31/150ml) is new to the Korres product range and is a really lovely cleanser that has a rich creamy feeling with gentle exfoliants. They are larger exfoliating particles from natural rice grain and cherry stone. It is gentle enough for daily use and it is the cleanser I keep in my shower for my morning routine. The cleanser includes sugar-citrus extracts blended with wild rose oil, which is a natural source of vitamin C. It is formulated to improve skin’s radiance and texture. Like all KORRES products it has a really handy table on the packaging that indicates what ingredients the products contains that may be of interest to people with particular skin care concerns.
The Advanced Brightening Sleeping Facial ($62.50/1.35 oz) is something I already knew I loved from my previous testing with the deluxe sample I had. It is basically an overnight mask that requires no more effort than your usual application of night cream. It has a light texture that melts into the skin and works overnight using Korres Phos Compound to reveal brighter, more even-toned, radiant skin. It is composed of 95 percent natural content and is suitable for all skin types. I love how smooth and glowing my skin looks in the morning after using this treatment. I usually complete my evening skin care regime earlier in the evening and then a couple of hours later when heading to bed I apply the Sleeping Facial. The only concern I have had with this, that I did not experience when using the sample a several months prior, is that the fragrance stings my skin a little in areas that are a little oversensitive and raw from my use of a new retinoid treatment that I’ve added to my routine. As well as if my nose is a little sore from allergies. It is a lovely fragrance but I prefer my products unscented as fragrances tend to irritate my skin. Now I don’t see any perfumes listed in the ingredients but I am assuming it is one of the fragrant oils causing the irritation.
The Instant Brightening Eye Treatment ($45/0.51 oz) is also new and is one of my favourite products from Korres so far. It comes in great squeeze tube packaging and has a more fluid texture while still being incredibly rich and emollient. Wild rose oil (of course!) evens and brightens the skin around the eyes while a blend of yeast, ruscus, and horse chestnut extracts minimize the appearance of dark circles and wrinkles. The eye area is awakened with rose-gold toned optical brighteners. The effect is so subtle I don’t know how you would know it is rose-gold but regardless I love the effect and anything rose-gold!
Here is a photo that will hopefully provide you with some insight into the texture of the Korres Wild Rose products. They are displayed left to right; Daily Brightening & Refinishing Buff Cleanser, Advanced Brightening Sleeping Facial, and Instant Brightening Eye Treatment.

 

To sum things up I am have been very pleased with the Korres Wild Rose + Vitamin C products. My skin indeed looks brighter and more even toned and the hydration level has improved giving my skin a more supple and youthful appearance. Has it erased my wrinkles and discolouration? Of course not. There has, however, been an improvement. I would be more than happy continuing the use of these products and repurchasing were I not moving on to test more skincare. Ah the woes of a beauty bloggers’s skin being the subject of ongoing experiments.
If you are interested in seeing how these products work for you then I have great news! KORRES has been kind enough to make available a set of these three Wild Rose + Vitamin C skincare products for my readers. For your chance to win you must be a Canadian resident over the age of 18 and enter using the Rafflecopter widget below. Contest runs until Thursday November 15th at 12:01 am EST.

The new Korres collection is available at select Shoppers Drug Mart and Sephora retailers nationwide.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Products provided for my consideration. All reviews are always my own honest and unbiased opinions. Please not this post contains affiliate links. If you end making a purchase after clicking through the links Perilously Pale earns a small commission from your purchase which helps support this site!


Filed Under: Cleansers, Eye Treatments, Giveaways, KORRES, Moisturizers, Skincare
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