Thursday, 10 November 2011

Beauty without Cruelty

So you are allowed to call me ignorant, but I have never really given this one much thought…ever. It is the year 2011, so it is easy to assume that beauty products are not tested on animals anymore. I believed that beauty companies should know by now which ingredients would be bad for human skin, and which of them would do no harm. I also believed that even if they wanted to test new beauty products with different combinations of products, there would be woman who would be willing to test the products for them. But I have to say, I was very very wrong.
It saddens me to say that there are still various companies testing their products on animals. Most shocking is the fact that some large companies are still guilty of doing so.
I believe this is something that every woman should give some thought before buying a beauty product. If all of us start boycotting these companies, and they start feeling it in their revenue, then maybe we will achieve the desired effect.
In the meantime, I will not be doing any reviews on companies which test their products on animals. Whether it be the product itself, or the ingredients used in creating the product.
For more info on companies STILL testing on animals, visit the PeTA website.
http://www.peta.org/living/beauty-and-personal-care/companies/default.aspx

Wednesday, 28 September 2011

Aspire by Avon

This new fragrance by Avon is launching in South Africa in October.

Nathalie Feisthauer creator of the perfume says: “Aspire takes inspiration from the warmth, passion and strong determination of the South African woman to follow her own path. Bold and beautiful orange flower and jasmine surface through a warm base of woods and musk, reflecting her innate beauty throughout life’s journey.”

Aspire reminds me a lot of Elizabeth Arden’s Red Door when first applied, but where Red Door remains a very strong scent throughout the day, Aspire softens the longer you are wearing it, which makes it an ideal perfume for daytime.

Thursday, 7 July 2011

AVON skincare specials for July 2011

SOLUTIONS

This month, Avon re-launched their Solutions skincare range in stunning new packaging. To go with the launch, they have all of the products in the Solutions range on special.
Solution Total Radiance and Solutions Maximum Moisture is now one product namely: Solutions Hydra Radiance.
Solutions Complete Balance is still called the same.
Solutions Ageless Results is now Youth Minerals.
They have also introduced a new product in the range for sensitive skins, Solutions Sensitive Botanicals.
Solutions Hydra Radiance, Sensitive Botanicals and Complete Balance Day and Night creams are on special for R99.00 each. Normal retail price R125.00 each.
Solutions Youth Minerals is R105.00 for Day or Night cream, they normally retails at R155.00 each.
Their eye creams, cleansers and toners are all marked down.


ANEW products

There’s also great special in the Anew range this month. If these products always seemed a bit expensive, or unaffordable, now is the time to buy. I can promise you, you will not regret using this product. My mother is using the Anew Ultimate range. After having trouble with dry skin on her cheeks for years, she decided to try this, and she’s tried almost everything. She told me that her skin feels great, she wakes up without the normal red, burning cheeks she got so used to. So, if possible, make an investment for your skin and buy some of these.

Anew Ultimate for age 45+, buy Anew Ultimate Age Repair Cleanser with Anew Age Repair Elixir for R450.00 and get the Anew Night Age Repair Cream FREE.
Normal Retail prices are as follows: Age Repair Cleanser R155.00
Age Repair Elixir R399.00
Night Age Repair Cream R360.00

Anew Reversalist for age 35+, buy Anew Renewal Foaming Cleanser with Anew Day Renewal Cream SPF25 for R390.00 and get the Anew Night Renewal Cream FREE.
Normal Retail prices are as follows: Renewal Foaming Cleanser R150.00
Day Renewal Cream SPF25 R330.00
Night Renewal Cream R330.00

Anew Rejuvenate for age 25+, buy Anew Revitalising 2-in-1 Gel Cleanser with Anew Rejuvenate Night Sapphire Emulsion for R330.00 and get the Anew Day Revitalising Cream SPF25 FREE.
Normal Retail prices are as follows: Revitalising 2-in-1 Gel Cleanser R129.00
Rejuvenate Night Sapphire Emulsion R300.00
Day Revitalising Cream SPF25 R300.00

Anew Lift and Firm Pro is also on special this month at R240.00 where it normally retails at R380.00

Anew Luminosity Pro Brightening Serum is available at R280.00 and then you receive Anew Luminosity Ultra Advanced Skin Brightener SPF15 FREE.
These two products normally retails at R380.00 for the Serum and R190.00 for the Skin Brightener.

Some of the Clearskin products are also available at R40.00 each where they normally retails at R60.00 each.

Find that Avon representative now if you haven’t done so yet.

Saturday, 25 June 2011

Essence Stay With Me Lip Gloss

My sister bought this product, then decided that she doesn’t like the particular color on her lips, and then passed it on to me.
As I have mentioned in an earlier post, I am not particularly crazy about gloss applicators, I prefer a gloss with a brush applicator. Although this is a sponge applicator, I can’t really find fault with it.

On the Essence website: “The name of this lipgloss could not be more appropriate: if you try it once, you'll never want to give it up again! The color-intensive texture is so wonderfully creamy and durable – without leaving a sticky feeling behind, that it's simply irresistible. The special shape of the precision applicator allows an effortless application.
seven trendy colors are waiting to awaken those spring feelings and invite you to a creative styling session!”

My gloss stayed on for a long time, even after I have eaten my lunch, followed by dessert, I still had a smudge of color on my lips. At R29.99 it is definitely worth it.

Rimmel Lycra Pro Nail Polish

My sister gave me a bottle of this nail polish as a present. Hot gossip is a stunning red color with just a hint of sequins in it. It is a lively red, though deep enough so as not to look cheap.
I absolutely adore the brush. It doesn’t have the normal square tip that accompanies most nail polishes, but rather an oval shaped tip, which follows the natural curve of the nail. It makes for better and easier application on the nails, because there is little or no mess left on the fingers. Great idea by Rimmel!
So, to get to the product: I am the kind of person who notices the tiniest of chips in nail polish. If I see the slightest chip in my nail polish, I would immediately remove it and either put on fresh nail polish, or not at all.
Red nail polish has always been a no-no for me personally, because I just don’t like spending that much time on redoing my nails. I was, however, surprised by this product. I’ve applied two coats, it makes for a stunning deep red, and was surprised to only notice chipping at the end of the second day.
If you are VERY finicky when it comes to nail polish, and don’t have the time to redo it every single day, Rimmel is money well spent.

Tuesday, 21 June 2011

Are you hiding behind something when you wear a lot of make-up?

I’ve been thinking about this ever since I’ve read in a magazine that someone thinks a woman who is wearing a lot of make-up is hiding behind it.
I may ask what is a lot of make-up? For one person even base may be too much, for another a perfectly made up face may not be enough. So, if this person is saying that lip gloss, mascara and a bit of blush is enough for her, and then meaning that more than that is too much, it must mean that eye make-up is too much.
Well, I beg to differ from her, and I also beg to differ with the statement that woman are hiding behind something if they wear too much (according to her) make-up.
Ever since I can remember, I have made up my whole face. On days when I won’t be going anywhere, I would still wear make-up, just because I have this very bad habit of picking at my zits. For some or other reason, when wearing make-up I leave my skin alone. That, however, is not the only reason I wear make-up every day.
A woman who has not gone through the trouble (I’ll get back to trouble) to groom herself, looks as if she does not care about herself. And I understand, I may be just as biased about that as the woman making the statement which I mentioned earlier.
Not all people who do not wear make-up every day, could be called people who do not care for themselves. I know a few women who do not like wearing make-up every day, or for that matter, too much, and I know they do care about themselves. So, in the end, I guess it is a personal matter, you like it or you don’t.
I like make-up, A LOT. I would wear something different every day. I love trying new things, new colors and new shades, even if you just change a look with a different highlighter or a dot of white in the corner of the eye. I love experimenting, especially with eye make-up.
Getting back to the trouble part: For some people the thought of having to apply make-up every day may seems like a lot of trouble. For me, it has never been anything but fun. Ever since I started playing with my mother’s make-up at fourteen, I have loved it. When I wake up in the mornings, and have decided what to wear, I would plan what I would try today. It has never been anything but fun.
Am I hiding behind too much make-up? I apply everything this woman does, but I do my eyes most days as well. No, I am not hiding behind anything, I am who I am. I love different colors and textures, and I am always thinking of how to make someone look prettier by accentuating certain features.
In the end, I believe that we should live, and let live, cause passing judgment about something as simple as make-up, especially if you do not know the other person, is actually such a waste of precious time. Maybe, once you get to know the other person, you’ll be surprised by who they are. With or without make-up.

Vitamin Shampoo & Conditioner

Do you want a good hairday, every day of the week? Even on those days you don’t have time to ‘do’ your hair? Well, look no further than these shampoos and conditioners.
I tried the Green variety, it said ‘healing’ on the bottle and that sold it for me. The healing energy shampoos and conditioners is a superfruit formula infused with high potency vitamins as well as Gogi berry and Green Tea to heal the hair. Avocado promises to hydrate and balance the hair.
These products smell amazing, and my hair still smelled fresh at bedtime. You only need a very tiny amount to wash your hair, and it foams a lot, which is what I want from a shampoo. Another thing I want is for my hair to feel squeaky clean once it’s washed, and this shampoo does that.
I’ve noticed that Clicks are currently selling these shampoos at a ridiculously low price, so if you’ve always wanted it, but could never afford it, now is the time to stock up. I do hope that this is not one of those products that will be discontinued out of the blue, but the packer at Clicks assured me that they are only changing the packaging, therefore the price.

Sunday, 5 June 2011

Cocoa Heaven Tissue Oil by Sugarstick Sisters ~ R14.99 for 100ml

I found this little gem while strolling with my mom through Pep Stores looking for something else. And a gem it is, especially when considering the price of this product.
This oil was quickly absorbed into the skin and leaves skin feeling soft and smooth. The smell is absolutely divine. The coconut is not overpowering, but still make you dream of a far away beach sipping on pina colada’s.
This is definitely a find which I couldn’t keep to myself.

Saturday, 4 June 2011

Avon Plump Pout Lipgloss ~ R89.95

When it comes to lipgloss and lip liners I have to admit, I am pretty high maintenance. A lipgloss that gets mentioning must have a brush applicator, for one. I hate those sponge applicators, as you cannot create the same, smooth look with them.
Therefore, I have to mention this lipgloss, because of the brush applicator. Yes I know, it may sound strange to some, but finding a lipgloss with a brush applicator is not the norm. The color of this lipgloss is pretty solid, some people may prefer something sheerer, but you can wear this as a lipstick without having to bother with extras.
I love the minty feeling when freshly applied, and it keeps my lips moist long into the day, no need to apply lip-ice or something similar within an hour or two.
From the name, I gather it is supposed to plump out the lips, I have yet to find a product who delivers on that promise, but this one is still worth it.

Avon 25k Gold Eyeshadow Quad in Golden Splendor ~ R122.95

There are two quads in the 24k Gold range, the one mentioned above as well as a quad called Gleam of Gold. I decided to purchase Golden Splendor when it was on special last month, because I love the color combination of pink and brown together.
At first, I didn’t want to use the peachy color with the rest of the palette, but in the end I’ve used all four colors together and it looks stunning. The colors aren’t very intense, so it is easy to build up color until you’ve reached the desired effect without error. It is so difficult to rectify blunders made around the eye area.
The make-up is soft and is easy to blend, and on top of that, it looks stunning.
I love the packaging, it looks classy, as if you have bought a much more expensive product, and on the back of the packaging, it gives guidelines on how to apply the product, for those who always have difficulty in applying their eye make-up.

Avon Super Extend Mascara ~ R107.95

Super Extend Mascara promises to lengthen lashes, and it does! If you want super long lashes without clumping and breaking the bank, this mascara can do both jobs.
Super Extend Mascara have a younger brother, Super Extend eye Accents Mascara, which is only a limited edition product, so hurry up if you want one. The eye accents highlights the color of your own eye. It's available for green, blue and brown eyes.
If you haven’t got your own personal Avon representative yet, make sure you find out who sells this product in your area. They have specials on numerous products every month, whereby you can save loads of money on things that you wouldn’t have been able to buy under normal circumstances.
This product is on special for the month of June 2011 at R54.95 only.

Saturday, 7 May 2011

Will I or Won’t I?

Sometimes I wonder if I would change back to more expensive beauty products again once I am earning more money. Obviously I want to say no, but a girls’ a girl, and maybe I will do the more expensive thing again. I want to say no, because I’ve been where I don’t ever want to go again, and yet I’ve survived on the bare minimum, but again, I think of things I have used in the past, and I am secretly hoping to be able to use those things again.
My sister is using a product by Avon called Reversalist Serum, and she says it softens the skin like nothing else. I’d like to be able to try this product once I’ve passed/crossed my mountain. The price of the product is higher than what I use now, but if one could afford a product like that, why not?
That being said, I don’t think I would ever be buying beauty products with ridiculous prices. I would like to try everything at least once, hopefully that will happen in due course, but I don’t like the thought of spending that much money on a regular basis.
All of us age over time. Maybe, with a bit of care, some of us slow the ageing process down, but I don’t believe you can stop, or even reverse the process. So, unless a beauty product can reverse the effects of ageing and sun damage, I won’t indulge in it, especially not at ridiculous prices.
But, all of the above might change, you never know what the future holds. If money is not an option in what you buy, you may think about things differently. Then anything is possible.

Friday, 6 May 2011

Jillian Dempsey Professional Eye Smokifier by Avon

This is a new, but also Limited Edition product by Avon. It's normal retail price is R99.95.
This product promises high pigment color which can be built up to the desired effect you want.
The applicator is very dainty, which makes for precision lining around the eyes. How long it will last though, remains to be seen. The packaging is beautiful and the end result did not look bad at all.
That being said, it is the third time I am using it today. I wore it three days in a row to see how one can get the best results from it.
The shadow, though high pigmented, isn't easy to smudge with the finger. When creating smokey eyes, it sometimes is necessary to be able to smudge a color with the fingers (unless you're a professional make-up artist). It is impossible to create a look with a lighter shade and then gradually build up to the corner of the eye. Unless you like having one black blob (I used the black one) on your eye, you will have to incorporate another color when creating your smokey eye.
Luckily, I had a dark grey color already, so it was easy for me to create the desired effect, but if you only want to make use of this one product, you may end up with a very one dimensional look.
The product is currently on special @ R69.95, so if you're interested, contact your nearest Avon rep immediately.

Thursday, 5 May 2011

The Perfect Lipliner


I am forever searching for the perfect lipliner and mascara. Today, however, I’ll focus on lipliner.
I prefer a lipliner in a very natural color. Preferably something I can wear with nude browns as well as with nude pinks. I used to use a lipliner by Revlon, which was unfortunately discontinued.
It’s been years since I had a proper lipliner. I’ve tried many! When the color is right, the pencil is too hard, when the pencil is nice and soft, the color is too harsh. At one time, I found the perfect nude pink liner, but the pencil was so hard, I had to chuck it out.
Yesterday morning, I was strolling through Clicks, when my eye caught a nude color on display by Essence. I decided to buy it, only being R14.95 and after having tested it on my hand. I thought I might just try it when I get home.
Great was my surprise when I got home, cleaned my mouth and redid it with my new liner and L’Oreal’s Made for me Naturals in Nude. It was the perfect shade! This morning I used the liner again, this time with Almay lipgloss in Pinched Pink. Once again, I have the perfect pout!
The liner is soft and there is no need to shade it to soften the color on the lips. No harsh line and it goes perfectly with most nudes.
The color is Soft Rose no.1 from Essence and at that price, totally worth it!!

Budget Beauty and More

People might ask why I am starting yet another blog writing about beauty products, and with this, my very first post, I will try to explain.
Up until 2007 I used to be an Estee Lauder girl. I loved their Resilience Lift range, I used their mascaras, their lipsticks etc. But, due to a bad career move, I ended up with my face in the mud. It forced me to make do with cheaper products and improvising a bit. A few things had to double up as face and body products.
For a long time, I could only afford to use a specific body cream on my face and neck. I will write about what I used at a later stage, because, despite it being a body cream, it saved my skin from disaster for more than a year.
If my career picks up again, I will obviously start writing about more expensive products again, but I am currently a bargain hunter, who will search out the cheapest products at the cheapest possible prices. And with that, I don't mean rubbish, I mean product which also add value to your beauty regime.
I hope to enrich other people's lives, especially those who have been hit by the recession and also need to make do with the bare minimum. People who have been affected in the same way.