Makeup Remastered- reinvent yourself daily: Make Up Forever Aqua Shadows- A hit and a miss.

Makeup Remastered- reinvent yourself daily: Make Up Forever Aqua Shadows- A hit and a miss.: I bought two of the new Make Up Forever Aqua shadows in colours 4E (matte taupe grey) and 8E (matte green). I chose these as they seemed to ...

Make Up Forever Aqua Shadows- A hit and a miss.

I bought two of the new Make Up Forever Aqua shadows in colours 4E (matte taupe grey) and 8E (matte green). I chose these as they seemed to be the most unusual from my own makeup stash. Also, I chose the grey as my conservative choice and the green as my bold one.

Make Up Forever Aqua Shadows in 8E and 4E

I have to say, that I am really liking the grey pencil. It's really good to use to line and smudge out and as a base for  loose pigments. I also used it with my Nars Soft Touch shadow pencils, which are notorious for creasing, and lo' and behold looked beautiful all day. I was less successful with the green aqua shadow. It was a bit less creamy and harder to blend. The dry time, as it were, was minimal to get a good blend. I had to use eye shadow over in a green shade to soften the hard edges. I do think the aqua shadows in the pearly shadows would be more flattering and less hard work. They looked really pretty when I swatched them in the store. Since they are waterproof, the sheerer shades would be great for a summer beach look, when makeup needs to say on, or else!

These two shades seem to lack the creamy formula of Make Up Forever's gorgeous Aqua Eyes eyeliners which glide on with no pulling and tugging. As you can tell from the swatches, application can be a bit patchy in area's. 4E was definitely my better buy, and I think it works fairly well for a smokey eye. My eye makeup did last through the day on my oily lids, so Bravo!
I do not think I will grab for these regularly, but will probably use them when I have time and a more dramatic look in mind. I think this defeats the purpose of the product, as pencils are meant to be handy, on-the-go tools.

What are your experiences with Make Up Forever Aqua Shadows?

Makeup Remastered- reinvent yourself daily: Dr Perricone Advanced Face Firming Activator-my fi...

Makeup Remastered- reinvent yourself daily: Dr Perricone Advanced Face Firming Activator-my fi...: Advanced Face Firming Activator , how do I love thee - let me count the ways...... I have to start my skincare holy grail list with this mu...

Dr Perricone Advanced Face Firming Activator-my first holy grail product

Advanced Face Firming Activator , how do I love thee - let me count the ways...... I have to start my skincare holy grail list with this must have product fom Dr Perricone. I have been using this product for many years, as far back when it was just called Face Firming Activator! I have always had difficult skin - oily and blemish prone. I had always hoped (as we all do) that my skin would settle down before any wrinkles started. Alas, no such luck. So my problem was that most anti-ageing products were formulated for mature skin that tended to be drier, so the products were heavier, which was too much for my oily skin. Also, the products seemed to be too active, so I broke out from them.  

Then I tried AFFA-now let me count the ways- 

•  This is a lightweight formula. For me, it forms part of my serum category and typically layered under my moisturizer . In my younger years I would use this on its own, with no moisturizer as I felt it gave enough moisture. I now top it with a moisturizer.
•  When used at night my skin always felt refreshed on waking. Any blemishes looked less red. I have now learn't that the alpha lipoic acid in the product has anti-bacterial properties. It shows that it should be applied in the morning but I sometimes tweak my routine depending what I am using at the moment. 
•  My skins hydration levels (from Sodium Hyaluronate) are boosted and my face looks toned.This is made possible by the ingredient DMAE which is a feature in many of Dr Perricone's products. I feel this wonder product has kept (most of) my fine lines at bay. My skin although oily tends to get dehydrated, so this really helps.
•  My pores look more refined which is always a concern for us more oilier folk. The Alpha lipoic acid really works hard on pore size together with glycolic acid. Do not let the word "acid" scare you. I have had no irritation from AFFA and find it gentle on my skin. The texture of my skin is finer.

•  I'd like to note that the scent of this product (from the DMAE) dissipates after a minute or two and after continued use I can't even smell anything.

Every skincare brands has their "spiel". I have found many of Dr Perricone products actually make an impact on my skin and it's backed by user-friendly science. AFFA just slots into whatever routine I am using as I "re-taylor" it from time to time. Anyone from about 25 upwards should consider an anti-aging product and this one is a good all- rounder. I do believe you should not wait for the lines to appear before starting on a basic anti-aging routine. As the adage says "prevention is better than cure". Advanced Face Firming Activator is my vanguard against aging and I loathe to be out of it. 

What product can you not do without?

P.S I have bought this product myself:)- many many times!

Makeup Remastered- reinvent yourself daily: Nars Marie-Galante - Sensational summer duo

Makeup Remastered- reinvent yourself daily: Nars Marie-Galante - Sensational summer duo: As I mentioned before, I am not quite ready for Fall Collections just yet. I still want to enjoy the lovely products that were available for...

Nars Marie-Galante - Sensational summer duo

As I mentioned before, I am not quite ready for Fall Collections just yet. I still want to enjoy the lovely products that were available for summer 2012.

One of my best purchases of the season was Nars Marie-Galante. This is a whimsical duo of sparkling lilac and moody shimmering navy. The shadow is hard to swatch and requires some work when applying to get density of colour. This aside, once applied these shadows are worth the small amount of work needed for good colour saturation. They can be used in a variety of ways.

• Lilac over lid and navy to line upper and lower lash line
• Lilac over lid and navy worked into outer corners of the eye
• Navy over the lid and the lilac patted over the navy for a beautiful layered effect

Both these colours can be used alone over other matte shadows to add the shimmer and dimension. I attempted them wet but this did not make them more pliable. There was minimal fallout from the glitter, but this did not really bother me too much. The shadow has staying power and lasted most of the day, which is good as I have oily lids. This appeals to my girly and wicked side, just depending on your application. It is a versatile duo that has enough point of difference, that I would love it to be part of the permanent Nars duo selection.

As observed by other reviewers they impart a wet look effect. This is a new "formula" that I have not seen before. 

I have always received compliments when wearing this duo. I really think that if you can, get Marie-Galante fast, since it is limited.

What is your favourite product from the Nars Summer 2012 collection?

Makeup Remastered- reinvent yourself daily: My Favourite Lip treatments for kissable, soft lip...

Makeup Remastered- reinvent yourself daily: My Favourite Lip treatments for kissable, soft lip...: I really love a good lip treatment. I have tried quite a few over the years and have a some favourites in my arsenal to keep my lip supple ...