[Review] theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer AKA "The Lumanizer"

Hi guys!

I think it's about time for me to introduce you to my current favorite highlighter (I wanted to say 'ever' but I'm not ready to settle just yet :P). So yeah, I didn't come up with many FOTD entries lately so you probably never noticed this highlighter in my blog. But I really am in love with theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer. Umm.. before you say anything about the name, let me just say that I've never been a fan of theBalm punny names myself, but it comes in a package. So I'll just take it as it is.

theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer is a compact highlighter. I'm not good at describing color but I'll take it as champagne color with warm undertone. The texture, OH THE TEXTURE!! Seriously it's finely milled, so soft and when I touch it, it feels moist on my fingers. The application is super easy with no crumbly mess. A little bit goes a really long way and with the amount of the product, I don't even know when will I ever finished this. Not that I ever finished up a makeup product before, but just bear with me.

The result is nothing but satisfactory. It blends very well on my skin and really compliments my skintone. Nothing frosty, as it subtly  reflects on my complexion the way sunlight reflects on water (the fact that I just described it like that is a sign that I've been reading too many Cassandra Clare's), if you know what I mean. One thing I have to point out about this highlighter that it is very pigmented. You might not notice it unless you're under certain lighting. But the best advice I could give you would be, "Just because you don't see it, doesn't mean it's not there." So, stop piling up! Otherwise you'd leave the house looking like Photoshop filter gone wrong. Take time to check on your complexion under appropriate lighting. Or if you're too lazy, just don't apply the highlighter more than two layers.

Below is my FOTD wearing  Mary-Lou Manizer under bright sunlight. As I said, the highlight is very noticeable. I personally love the result. I've been using my Real Techniques Contour Brush fro their Core Collection and it does the job very well.

theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer retails for $24.

[Review] Revlon Age Defying Foundation

• This product was sent to me by Revlon for review purpose. However, this is my honest opinion.
• While trying this, I am currently on Accutane. This means, I my skin is very dry at the moment and the verdict of the review might be bias. I usually write my review based on my oily-combination skin, so the performance might be different. Once I’m done with my treatment and I notice a different result of the product, I will update this review

Hi guys!

So here's another review of Revlon latest collection. I'm sure you've seen this foundation in their counter lately. It's their Age Defying with DNA Advantage Cream Makeup. This foundation claims to combine makeup and anti aging skincare to help protect skin's DNA to fight the signs of aging.

At the moment, I don't really have aging problems that I need to deal with. Yes, I know that it is important to prevent rather than to fix the problem. But right now I'm too busy fixing my breakout, instead of aging signs. Besides, if the product claims to fix aging signs by providing UV-rays protection, I  might as well write about sunscreen. I always say that I don't care about skincare effect in my makeup and always treat makeup as it is, which is makeup and not skincare.

Revlon Age Defying Foundation comes in a transparent plastic bottle mimicking the shape of DNA strands. Nice touch. It also comes with a pump and everybody loves foundation that comes with a pump! Spare us from messy makeup application.

This is a cream foundation. It has a light buttery texture that spreads easily. I don't understand why Revlon keeps infusing all of their complexion products with shimmer, especially for a foundation that's targeted for mature skin. Just like the infamous Photoready, this, too, has shimmer. BUT at least the shimmer is more obscure. It gives the skin just enough dewy radiant look, minus the vampire-shine. As much I enjoy blending the buttery texture, this foundation slips and melts easily. My skin is currently very dry so I can still get away with this foundation without powdering it. However, in general, it is recommended to set this with powder. Piece of advice., though, don't set it using dry translucent powder (like HD powder) as the dry finish only accentuates the shimmer. Happened to me.

Due to the buttery texture, I prefer to apply this with dense brush to help set the foundation on my skin. I use Sigma F80 or Real Techniques Expert Face brush. I tried damped sponge but it just wiped away the foundation from my face. And the regular paddle foundation brush only left me with streaky finish. I didn't try applying it using my stippling brush because my skin is really flaky right now, the brush will only enhance the flakiness. I use patting motion when applying this foundation.

How the foundation looks like before powder.

The coverage is light and can be built to medium-light coverage. As you can see, my acne scars is pretty noticeable underneath it. I actually love how light this foundation feels on my skin. I thought this foundation would be a great option for daily foundation. Unfortunately it falls short in terms longevity. It melts easily. Right now I could eliminate oil as the culprit, but this foundation easily melts when contact with sweat. And when I try to pat the sweat, the foundation transferred and left me with patchy looking complexion. That's too bad.

My shade is Medium Beige (25) and it matches me perfectly. But then again, the coverage makes the shade selection quite forgivable. Medium Beige is medium dark with warm undertone, and for all I know is the darkest shade available. By the way, this might be a sponsored review, but Revlon sent me Fresh Ivory (05) which, ironically, is the lightest shade available. So, in order to to come up with this review, I decided to purchase the right shade on my own. There are five shades available for this foundation.

Left: Medium Beige; Right: Fresh Ivory

Overall, I've been wearing this foundation a lot lately just for the sake of the lightweight feeling. Mostly to places where I know I won't be sweating a lot, which is not so hard considering I'm exposed to air conditioner almost 24 hours a day. I have compact powder ready to handle the melting issue in the middle of the day. When my skin is dry, like now, this foundation is okay. However I don't see myself wearing this once I'm done with Accutane and back to my usual oily combination skin.

Revlon Age Defying Foundation is available at Revlon counters and retails for IDR 145k.

L'occitane: Blogger Event and First Impression

Welcoming new products to Angelica line, L'OCCITANE held a Blogger Event to introduce the products to beauty bloggers at Cafe Aria.When I came, the place was decorated with a touch of green, just like our dress code. Even the drinks are green! Too cute. I met some of my blogger friend and had fun chitchatting. We were treated to bite-size snacks as well as hand massage before the event started.

 

 

As we enjoy our snacks, Sarah Damanik, Marketing Manager from L'occitane, did a presentation to introduce us to Angelica line, which is a skincare line from L'occitane marketed especially for dehydrated skin. The main ingredient is Angelica archangelica also known as Angelica or Angel Grass. Angelica is plant that can grow to a height of two meters in just a few weeks. And the answer apparently in the roots that grows really deep that it easily finds moisture it needs. From this Angelica extracts, L'occitane createad Organic Angelica Essential Oil that works as antioxidant that protects the skin from free-radical. And Organic Angelica Water that helps boost the circulation of water across skin layers by stimulating the production of aquaphorin (also known as water tunnel).

Angelica line itself has been available since last year. But this year, L'occitane added three more products to complete your hydration needs in a zap, and they are Instant Hydration Mask (super hydrating mask that works in just 3 minutes!), Exfoliating Gel (restores skin radiance in just 30 seconds!) and Face Mist (refreshes and revitalizes in 3 seconds!).

We went home with some L'occitane products from Angelica line and a full size of Instant Hydration Mask so we can try and experience the hydrating sensation ourselves. Don't forget to check out my video about my first impression after I used the mask.

Thank you L'occitane for the wonderful event!

Reliable Reinforcements for Days When I'm on Roaccutane

Hi guys!

In this entry I am going to share you my current favorite body care and lip care. If you’ve been following my blog for some times now, you’ve probably already known my current struggle with acne. As I stated earlier, I am currently taking Isotretionin.

If you are not familiar with the name, Isotretionin, you’re probably familiar with names like Accutane or Roaccutane, it is an oral medication for severe acne. If you’ve been dealing with acne and no treatments seem to work, Isotretionin would be the last desperate reinforcement. In short, it works by modifying the oil production on your whole body into minimum and also kills bacteria. Which is why this is the last medication to choose because it’s pretty aggressive. It affects the whole body in order to treat just your face.

Even before I was on Roaccutane (in this post, I’m just going to call it with the name you’re already familiar with) my skin is already really dry and sensitive. Imagine how dry it gets when I’m on Roaccutane. My skin now is really dry, scaly and so darn itchy. Not to mention my problems with chapped lips. Those conditions are so uncomfortable so it’s essential pick the right body and lip care, while I’ll leave the whole deal with my face to my dermatologist.

So these are the products I’m relying on lately.

The Body Shop Shea Body Butter

I wear this on daily basis. Yes, you got that right. Since my skin has gotten really dry, I needed to ascend from lotion to body butter. Speaking about consistency, body butter is a lot thicker, stickier and it gets even stickier when you’re sweating. Definitely feels uncomfortable for daily basis. I usually wear body butter at night, before bed. But my skin is horribly dry and desperately long for high level of moisturizer, that body butter even feels comfortable on daily basis (so imagine how dry is it now).

Shea Body Butter is perfect for very dry skin. Then again she butter is famous for moisturizer. The texture is a little bit thick and doesn’t spread as much as other body butters for different skin type. But I love the long lasting moisturizing effect. My skin feels very comfortable wearing this. There are two variants for very dry skin from Body Shop. The other, I believe, is Mango Body Butter. But scent wise, I prefer Shea Butter. I love the delicious milky scent as it relaxes me. Also makes me wanna lick it sometimes. Thank God for self control.

Nivea Med Protection Lip Balm SPF 15

This lip balm, hands down, is a winner. With or without Roaccutane, I can't live without it. I’ve been using this lip balm since I was still in school. There are even times when I have two or three of this lip balms at once just so I can keep it in different purses of mine. And I never ran out of this simply because I lost it most of time, and without even bother trying to find it, I just repurchased.

So it’s a no-brainer that I turned to this lip balm when I’m on Roaccutane. My lips were not only dry, but really dry, cracked, peeling and bleed. It was like a evil party on my lips! But I kid you not, this lip balm fixed them all in just a night. Not the bleeding part, but at least it dried the next day and the pain was gone. I love the highly moisturizing effect this lip balm gives me. On days where the dryness were severe, I consistently wore this every single day. But the moisturizing effect lingers even if I forgot to wear this for a day or two. This lip balm is very affordable and easily found in drugstores and supermarkets.

Water

Okay last but not least is water, even though it's not really a "product". Do I really need to explain? Since Roaccutane aggravates dryness, adequate water intake is crucial. Remember that water is the only liquid that provides hydration. And I personally believe that it does not count as a drink unless it's water. Other colored beverages are basically just foods in liquid form.

The picture above is my daily tumbler. It might look huge, but I always run out even before noon. My water intake is usually about three or four times the volume of the bottle. Speaking about tumbler, anyone has any recommendation of a good tumbler that shuts really tight? Mine might called 'Lock & Lock" but really what it does is just 'Spill & Spill'.

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So yeah, those are the things I rely on lately. Keep in mind that I am just sharing with you what I use on daily basis while I'm on Roaccutane. I am not going to advice you whether or not you should take it. But if you're thinking about taking one, you must consult with your dermatologist first.

[Review] Chanel Inimitable Waterproof Mascara Multi-Dimensionnel

Chanel Inimitable Waterproof Mascara Multi-Dimensionnel. Wow. Try to say that three times, fast. Seriously, what's with the mouthful name? Nevertheless, I've been wearing this mascara a lot lately, without even knowing the name. It promises everything a mascara could give. Waterproof. Volume. Length. Curl. Separation.

My first encounter with this mascara was three years ago. I borrowed my aunt's all the time while I was traveling so in the end, knowing that Chanel is not available in Indonesia, she gave me. What really impressed me the first time I tried this mascara was how easy it is to use. The applicator is made out of plastic with thin staggering bristles. Makes it really easy to brush through my lashes and separates perfectly.

The texture of the mascara is not too dry, so it gives enough time to work with and doesn't clump. It really does lengthen my eyelashes. Also, mine is in the color 'Noir' and I love the jet black color. The result is very natural, as if I was born with it. Love it!

Speaking about the curl and volume effects, keep in mind that this mascara is not going to automatically curl your lashes. It does hold curl but I still have to use eyelash curler prior to application. It's also not as volumizing as I'd expected. I mean, the effect didn't really wow me (then again, L'oreal Volume Shocking Mascara  set a rather high bar in terms of volume). But at least the color of the mascara is black enough to give the illusion of full lashes.

This mascara was given to me, so I'm not sure how much it retails. I checked on Chanel USA website, and all Chanel mascaras retail for $30 which is kind of pricey for a daily makeup product. However if you managed to get your hand on this mascara, this would look pretty perfect on daily basis.

[Review] Revlon ColorStay™ Crème Gel Liner

ColorStay™ Crème Gel Eye Liner is one of Revlon latest collection and for all I know is Revlon’s first cream eyeliner. Revlon claims this liner to be

• Easily glides to create delicate to dramatic lines
• Waterproof.
• Smudge proof
• Last for 24 hours
• Bold and pigmented color

All rational claims for eyeliner, except the last-for-24-hours part. But then again, why would anyone want to wear eyeliner for 24 hours, I can hardly understand. Before I start, allow me to note something,

• I didn’t test this eyeliner for 24 hours. Then again, I don’t need my eyeliner to last for 24 hours.
• This product was sent to me by Revlon for review purpose. However, this is my honest opinion.
• While trying this, I am currently on Accutane. This means, I my skin is very dry at the moment and the verdict of the review might be bias. I usually write my review based on my oily-combination skin, so the performance might be different. Once I’m done with my treatment and I notice a different result of the product, I will update this review

This eyeliner comes in a glass pot with lid that reminds me of chess pawn. It’s apparently an attached brush applicator. Okay, that’s one point for being practical. All these times, one thing that holds me from wearing gel eyeliner is the fact that I have to buy and keep the applicator separately. But with this packaging, you can carry the applicator along with the liner and keep it clean. It's very easy to use as well. Just attach the base of the applicator and you get an ergonomically appropriate applicator.

 I'm glad that Revlon really put some thought to the applicator. It really works! Not just some crappy applicator that usually comes with beauty product. It's flat with wide surface and it also has enough density. I can easily create thin or thick line, and no tugging required. Impressive! Just a reminder though, this might be just an attached applicator but do treat it like your individual brush. And by that, I mean, don't forget to wash the applicator regularly. You don't want to accumulate bacterias and then use it to apply product on your eyes.

The color I got is Brown. I'd describe it as neutral brown with silver flecks. I think brown eyeliner is appropriate on daily basis. I love how the brown color turns out on me. It blends very well with my skintone. Unlike black that can look too harsh so I have to apply eyeliner in between my lashes, with brown I can settle with just single line on my lashes and the result looks very natural. Again, appropriate on daily basis, especially in a rush.

This product claims to give bold and pigmented color and I couldn't agree more. The color shows up easily in just a single stroke yet you can easily build the color. The soft texture makes it easy to blend and once you're done, it won't budge. For staying power, I wore this from morning to evening and the color didn't smudge and the shimmer stayed intact. But once again I remind you, my skin is currently dry. So it might gives different result on oily lid.

In  the mean time, I have to say that Revlon ColorStay™ Crème Gel Liner impressed me. And totally change my opinion that gel liner equals impractical. Right now this eyeliner is available in every Revlon Revlon counters. There are four color available, and they are Black, Brown, Charcoal, Plum. And it retails for IDR 75k.

FOTD Touch of Plum

Omagah! I get to post FOTD again. Super happy!! As I mentioned in some of my previous entries, I've been dealing with the worst breakout in my life. Which is the reason why I couldn't come up with FOTD post. Makeup looked ugly on me. I attended some events and put on my makeup and thinking about posting the FOTD on my blog. I edited the pictures but the results were too fake. LOL. Guess I just didn't have the heart to post it. However, things are getting pretty good lately. As I said, all the bumps had gone and I have only red acne scars to cover. No biggie. My skin is currently peeling and I take it as a good sign.

Here's my FOTD when I was attending Coverderm Beauty Gathering. I was wearing my Koh Gen Do Aqua Foundation which is a light coverage foundation (yay!). For additional coverage on my cheeks, I added Graftobian HD Creme Foundation. My skin is very dry right now, so I didn't feel the need to powder. Really love the dewy finish the foundation gave. On my cheeks I had my current favorite blush and it's kiko Soft Touch Blush #106 which is a brownish plum. I'm so in love with this one. The color is easy to wear, it accentuates and sculpts my cheeks at once. And it's crazy pigmented too. I have to be careful whenever applying this. To complete the look and compliment the blush, I put on NYX Round Lipstick in Cocoa. Might a little too dark but I liked it. Reminds me of flapper makeup.

For my eyes, I didn't do anything too over the top with my eyeshadow. I was wearing my Wet n' Wild Coloricon in Vanity. For a little accent, I applied NYX Glitter Liner in Gold on my lower lashline. Can you tell who inspired the look? Hint: Nine girls from a Korean girlband (too easy!). I also had my Elise false lashes. I love these lashes. It's just as long as my natural lashes only a lot thicker. Some even mistaken it as my actual lashes. Haha.. I  wish! I don't remember the number though. And ignore that ugly smudge on my eye. I was having a little trouble with the eyelash glue.

 

So yeah, those  are what I came up with after a long time. I took the picture immediately after I put the makeup on. By the middle of the day, my skin started to peel again and kinda ruined the look. But that's okay though. It's gonna take time to deal with this breakout but I'm getting there. 

Anyway, just for fun, wanna see my amateur editing skill on my picture? The result look too overdone, I think. Guess now you know why I didn't publish this picture before. But not bad for a rookie, eh? Considering I learned the techniques from a guy who edited my ID picture. In the end I edited almost all my pictures just for fun. My skin was awfully flawed back then, it was nice to be able to see it in a smooth condition even just in picture.