Estée Lauder Idealist Pore Minimizing Skin Refinisher

I finally decided to take the plunge and buy some Estée Lauder Doublewear foundation.  I can now officially say that it is the best foundation I have ever used. However this post in not about the amazing foundation but the serum that I bought whilst purchasing the Doublewear. I did not intend to buy a serum, but when the beauty consultant removed some of my foundation to do a colour match; it revealed my skin which is similar to the surface of the moon. She recoiled in horror and quickly recommended that I try the pore minimizing serum.  As soon as I heard `reduces pore size by 1/3’ I was sold and bought the 30ml bottle at £40 to try.

As soon as I got home (and after playing with my new foundation) I went online to have a look on the Estée Lauder website to find out what other amazing things this serum can do.

Here is what Estée Lauder say:

This fast-acting serum delivers our most dramatic skin resurfacing benefits-more efficiently than ever before.
With Idealist, your skin looks and feels like your ideal skin:

·         Pores appear 1/3 smaller-instantly, unbelievably soft and smooth.

·         Repairs the look of uneven skin texture, flakiness and roughness.

·         Smooth it on and instantly enjoy that soft, seamless, silky feeling you love.

·         See more clarity and luminosity.

·         Gives skin an overall more even tone.

So for the last few weeks I have been applying the serum morning and night between cleansing and moisturising (one pump each time) as directed by the Estée consultant. The serum itself is of a light texture with a fresh lemony fragrance, on application it makes the skin feel smooth and silky. 

So initially it is enjoyable to use, I found that it did help to repair flakiness and is a good refinisher. However as time went on I found that it did not give the same silkiness as it initially did and also my pore size did not reduce by 1/3 as claimed. I would say that this serum is in fact a primer with extras, as it smooths out the skin instantly (as claimed) however when I wash my face of an evening the smoothness washes away too. I found that this did not treat the large pore problem but only masked it like a primer. It did however treat the flaky skin problem without over exfoliating/moisturising so I did like it for that element.

I also found that using it all over my face was not of any benefit,  in fact it started to give me small white heads on my cheeks & forehead. This is probably due to the high content of silicone which can often create the problem you are trying to treat as some skin types do not react well to it. I now just use it on my nose which is the target area and have reduced it to one application in the morning.

Overall Thoughts:

PROS

- Fresh lemony fragrance with a light texture

- Good refinisher and helps to combat flakiness

- Creates a smooth finish and acts like primer

- Has antioxidant ingredients

CONS

- Did not reduce pore size by 1/3

- Did not treat the large pores but masked them (masked well but I bought a treatment not a primer)

- High silicone content

- Caused a few pimples to arrive

Overall I find that this works well on my nose to help with the oily/flaky balance as it is a gentle exfoliator. However I would not use it as a pore minimizing treatment all over my face as the pore minimizing aspect of this serum is in my opinion just a primer. I will use the whole pot as I have over half left but I am not sure I will re-buy

Have you tried this? What is you opinion?

Pointy Nails

Pah, Rihanna eat your heart out, if you can do the pointy nail trend then so can I!  It doesn’t matter that I have to carry out tedious manual household chores, oh no, style will prevail! Until I have to pick up dog poo that is, Let’s face it Rihanna never needs to don a marigold rubber glove.  She has no need to hesitate, I am pretty sure her mind is far away from loo scrubbing while she is getting her nails done.  

For me, one of my first thoughts was `how am I going to type? I don’t think my boss would be too keen on me using a rubber topped pencil to type with all day long’ having aired these worries with my husband, the satisfactory answer of `oh well’ was enough for me to go full steam ahead. Whilst spending the next 5 minutes trying to translate pointy to the Vietnamese lady at the nail bar, (I said POINTY, POINT-Y) I sent hubby off to pick a shade. He came back with what I would describe a `slut red’ the perfect match to my slutty pointy nails. I think the lady overheard as I’m sure she said `slutty, oh yes I understand’ I corrected her `yes pointy’ however she carried on regardless. Luckily I walked away with a perfect set of pointy red nails, well worth the £26.00 investment.

I can’t stop looking at my new nails, all shiny and new. However they do remind me of witch’s nails, the rubber Halloween ones. They have gone from being named slut nails to witchey poo nails, nevertheless they are still fab.

Reasons to get pointy nails

1)      You can go to a fancy dress party as a witch/vampire

2)      Good for scratching

3)      The `I might break a nail’ excuse works twice as good

4)      The most important reason – They just look SO GOOD

Sephora Primal Instincts Palette/ Made In China

During my Sephora shopping trip I picked up the Primal Instincts palette by Sephora. I wanted to try something which I would not get in the UK, but also get something that I would use frequently. 

Looking at the palettes available, I was tempted to go for the moonshadow baked palette because the colours were beautiful and shimmery, but I knew I would not use a shimmery shadow everyday.

So I opted for the primal instincts one that has 14 shades of browns and purples which is ideal for both day and night. I tend to stick to brown shades for day so this really suited me, but I have enjoyed experimenting by adding a little purple in the crease and lining the eye.

I would say that the shadows are of good quality, OK for everyday use and fairly long lasting. However since finding out that the palette was made in China I felt a bit disappointed. I am not a makeup snob or anything but I am always a bit cautious about buying make up from China as the quality is thought to be poor (hence the lower prices)

Doing a quick search online it appears that NYC, Smashbox & ELF amongst others are also made in China (some state to be made in PRC which stands for Peoples Republic China - used as a marketing tool so they don't have to say made in China)

Having now bought and tried it, I like it. Although I might not have bought it if i'd have known it was made in China. However now that I know the quality is good I would buy it again.

Does this put you off? would you avoid buying a cosmetic product because it is made in China? 

Lush Vanilla Puff Dusting Powder

The thought of using a body powder conjures up one memory which I think will stay with me and most other people forever. The Sunday night `your having a bath whether you need it or not’ ritual that occurred once a week as a child. This is not the quick wash & scrub of a weekday oh no, this is the works, nails clipped, ears cleaned, hair de-knotted and squeaky clean ready for the week ahead.  The grand finale being the thick coating of talc that was smothered head to toe as too much accidentally puffs out of the tub. It also covered the floor, the towel, your parent’s clothes and left a trail on the carpet as you walked to the bedroom.

So why in that case, did I go and buy a body powder at the weekend? Because it was from Lush of course! Whilst walking around the shop doing the sniff test, I came across the Vanilla Puff Dusting Powder and immediately loved the smell (the sniff test being if I like the smell it goes in the basket regardless of its purpose) although as of late, with budgets being tight I have made myself spend at least 30 seconds deciding whether I really need something before it end up in the basket.  

For example:

Q: Do I use talc? – A: No 
Q: Do I like using talc? – A: No
Q: What happened to the last body powder I bought? – A:  Gave it to mum/might still be in my draw
Q: Will I use it if I buy it? – A: Well if it smells like that then yes! 

Justification right there and only after 20 seconds, in the basket it goes. And to add fuel, my husband was stood next to me saying `come on are you buying that or what’ as I was in the thinking zone, that to me translated into 'buy it'. However later that day he told me it actually meant 'I want to get the hell out of here it’s hurting my nose/giving me a head ache'

Now from my experience you’re either a vanilla person or you’re not, I quite clearly am. The smell is amazing; you will definitely get your vanilla kick from this if you’re in need of a hit. Each pot has a vanilla pod in so that it continues to infuse the powder as it sits in your draw and also gives it a stronger scent.

The powder is light and it does make the skin feel smooth, but like with any powder you do not want to over do it, you have to be careful when squeezing the tube as too much easily puffs out. Body powders are designed to absorb excess moisture, I only apply a light dusting so it does not dry out the skin, just enough to make the skin silky and smelling sweet (the modern way to do talc - sorry mum) Another reason not to apply a thick layer is because excessive use of talc is not good for you, (google it) but everything in moderation is my motto.

How others have have used it?

-          Dry shampoo – I won’t be doing this as I don’t get on with dry shampoo

-          Sprinkle on the bed sheets

-          Put it on the dog! – I would love to give Moji a quick dusting of this, especially when he has not long been bathed and has already reverted to eau de dog. But I’m always cautious using human products on the dogs, their skin might react differently

-          Using it to soak up moisture between showers – sweaty betty

-          Sprinkling on pot pourri – that’s if you’re old enough to own/want some

Have you tried it? How do you use it?

* photo sourced from http://www.dogstruction.com

 

Cherry Carmex Lip Balm

Having tried the pots of Carmex in the past and not really liking them, I was not expecting much from the squeezy tube version. I only bought it because there was hardly any choice in the shop I bought it from, in fact I bought it with a bit of a hurumph as I thought it would end up in the box of no return that hides under my bed.

As it turns out its the best lip balm I have bought in years! normally I am a fan of a trusty tin of Vaseline, but I was getting fed up of gauging the top with my nail and also the thought of germs getting into the tin was starting to put me off using it. This squeezy tube is so easy to use, in fact too easy as I keep on putting it on and leaving it on my desk ready for the next go.

Since using this my lips are flake free, I used to get pieces of skin flaking off my lips, very gross. But this Carmex is really hydrating and keeps my lips soft and smooth. Even if I skip a day or so, my lips are still soft, normally as soon as I stop using a lip balm my lips would dry up again.

I love the smell too, its like a cherry menthol and tingles on application. Other flavours I have seen are mint and strawberry, think I might try the mint one next for extra tingly freshness. With it only being £2.69 I wouldn't mind getting all flavours!

It does contain lanolin which I know some people have reactions to, but it works really well for me. I tend to buy hand creams with lanolin in as it makes my skin very soft

This is definitely a rebuy item, have you tried it?

Sephora Haul

On my recent trip to the states, I had my first Sephora shopping experience. While walking down the Vegas strip I spotted a store and shouted `OMG SEPHORA’ of course I had to go in and explore. Seeing as I was with my husband and parents, I vowed/brownies honoured only to spend 10 minutes in there for a quick mooch. Seeing as that amount of time only allowed me to look at what was practically in the door way, I secretly promised Sephora I would be back later for another visit.

Later that evening we were in the casino having a little flutter on the fruit machines and my mum won $100 on a $1 bet! With my birthday being around the corner she handed her winnings to me and said `Treat yourself in Sephora’ so sweet of her! Naturally I took up her offer and booked in shopping time with my husband, I had to give him a warning well in advance.

If you have not shopped in Sephora before, it can be compared to the beauty department in boots. However there are no counters to approach with sales people behind them, the stock is shelved up like high street make up is in boots. I liked this approach as I felt free to look at everything and really take my time swatching and reading packaging.

Another thing I loved is the minis that are available. Comparing it again, in boots you can get mini shampoos/conditioners etc of high street brands to try. However in Sephora there are minis of higher end brands which makes it more accessible to try new things. I picked up a 15ml Caudalie hair oil, which I could not decide between that or a mini Ojon oil as I have heard both are good.

I wanted to try some Sephora branded make up as I would not be able to get that in the UK, my choice was to get the Primal Instincts pallet & Rose Sorbet blusher. I also picked up an OPI for Sephora nail varnish, hard to resist when all the different colours are lined up! I chose the shade Meet for Drinks

Finally I picked up a couple of lip products, YSL rouge volupte shine lipstick in Rouge in Danger (because I have wanted a YSL lippy for ages) and Lip Tar in Electric Grandma (impulse buy because I liked the colour) 

Have you been to Sephora? what did you buy?

AWOL

Hello Blogettes,

Its been a while, hope everyone is good. Where have I been for almost four months? its quite simply been so manic that I have put my beloved blogging hobby on the back burner while other things have taken over.

So what have I been doing? a holiday to Thailand, IVF treatment, a trip to Vegas, along with birthdays/anniversary's and all the usual work/life jobs means I have been a bizzy bee. Although the holidays were fab, the fertility treatment I had certainly wasn't. Not only was it physically and mentally demanding, it also DIDN'T WORK. I kinda let it take over my life and be my main focus, hence the lack of posts.

Next time (as we have decided to do it all again) im not going to let it take over, even though it is very important to me I cant forget myself. I have decided to mention the treatment on the blog as it shouldn't be taboo which I think it currently is. Having gone through it I realise just how common it is and no one talks about it. So there you go, heart officially on the sleeve.

I don't want to be miserable and dwell on a failure, lets talk make up, in fact lets talk about the SEPHORA make up that I bought on my Vegas trip. Actually, I think im going to leave you hanging for that one and save it for another post :-p

I could yab on for a while about the last few months, I thinks its easier in pic form. Here we go....

Palm trees in Thailand- Temple - Chilling on the beach - Temple fashion - Kids swimming in Bankok - Singha by the pool -Our bungalow - Reclining Budda - Heading down the river in Bangkok

Helicopter to the Grand Canyon - Our hotel from above - Fab shopping - A little bit of a flutter - View from our hotel room - Me in the Grand Canyon - Showgirls! - Famous Vegas sign

Horrid meds & injections for IVF - Big Fat NEGATIVE - Funky Pigeon birthday card - Nommy birthday dinner - Sephora goodies