LANCÔME Products from ActiveSkin

I had the opportunity to try some Lancome skincare and beauty samples from a sample set provided by ActiveSkin. ActiveSkin is an Australian online beauty store that stocks major brands such as Lancome, Clinique, Cloud 9 and OPI, just to name a few. I'll be sharing my first impressions and thoughts of each product. Firstly, let's have a look at the contents inside the cosmetics pouch:

• Renergie Multi-lift Day Cream 15ml

• Dreamtone 7ml (Shade 01)

• Visionnaire Advanced Skin Corrector 5ml

• Hypnose Doll Eyes Mascara 2ml

• Tresor Eau De Parfum 7.5ml

RENERGIE MULTI-LIFT DAY CREAM 15ml

ANTI-WRINKLE AND FIRMING TREATMENT

Its purpose is to help replenish the surface of the skin with the energy it needs to repair and reconstruct. It is designed to target the multiple layers of the skin and is effortlessly absorbed to create a firmer feeling, tighter and a more youthful complexion with wrinkles appearing reduced and refined.

It has a dense but light texture, like soufflé 

I find the scent very pleasant and it is great that this cream is suitable for all skin types as my own sensitive skin is able to handle this scented product as I am usually opting for fragrance free ones to be safe. I had no irritations and I only say positive things about this cream as I felt that my face felt a lot smoother after the first use of this day cream!

DREAMTONE SHADE 01 7ml

ULTIMATE SKIN TONE CORRECTOR FOR EVEN SKIN TONE

This product is designed to correct the appearance of dark spots, uneven skin tone and colour irregularities such as redness, dull skin and blemish marks. It is to be applied on clean skin both day and night, all over the face.

It has a stick applicator

A clear, oil-like texture with small white pieces

There are 3 different 'shades' that this product's formulation supposedly matches in terms of pigmentation profile, i.e. shade 1 targeting fair skin tones, shade 2 targeting fair/medium skin and shade 3 targeting darker skin. I have quite a bit of an uneven skin tone with my forehead being a tad darker than the rest of my face and slight redness on my cheeks and around my nose. I'm curious to see if there are any results from using this product after a month or two.

VISIONNAIRE 5ml

ADVANCED SKIN CORRECTOR

This is a sample of the 50ml version which has a modernised bottle design and its purpose is to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, minimise pores and imperfections such as uneven skin texture. For the best results, it is best to be applied before using a day cream.

A thin, creamy consistency

I like how light and thin this serum is so that other products such as face cream and BB cream/foundation can be applied right over it without it feeling cakey at all. It does an amazing job at smoothing out my skin to the point that it starts to feel like a baby's bottom! Again this has a a very pleasant, non-overpowering scent.

HYPNOSE DOLL EYES MASCARA 2ml

FOR A VOLUMISED, EXTENDED, LIFTED LASH LOOK

I hadn't tried any Lancome mascaras prior to trying this one, however I had always read such lovely reviews on their mascaras. This is a sample of their full-sized 6.5ml mascara in the shade 'So Black' and the formula is enriched with nylon powders, coating every single lash without weighing them down.

Cone-shaped tapered mascara wand - first time using one like this

It's interesting how different mascara wand designs serve different purposes and I came across this image on Priceline's Twitter page that I thought would be quite informative for everyone.

The cone-shaped brush on the Hypnose Doll Eyes mascara has been developed to coat every single lash at the ideal load, especially the inner and outer corners of the eye, giving that wide-eyed, doll-eyed look. I found that this type of brush did just that with my outer lashes being lifted and volumised. My only gripe about this mascara is that it isn't waterproof as I like my mascaras to be just that. Luckily there is a waterproof version that does the exact same job.

TRESOR EAU DE PARFUM 7.5ml

Tresor is a classic fragrance by Lancome, it's my mum's absolute favourite and I actually quite like it too. One spray goes a long way and it's not at all restricted to a certain age group.

The sample size bottle fits so cutely in the palm of my already-quite-small hand

For those who haven't smelt this fragrance before, this scent unveils floral, fruity, powdery and amber notes. It is described as a 'fragrance for treasured moments' and its luxurious design while nestled in the hand appears as a precious treasure.

Personally I find miniature gift sets and samples to be great ways of trying before buying new products without having to spend too much and not having to worry about a full-sized product go to waste if it isn't suitable. Many of the major cosmetic brands do GWP (gift with purchase) promotions for spending a certain amount and these gift sets are perfect for that.

My questjen for you:

Have you tried any LANCÔME products before?

One of my favourite fragrances is Lancome's Miracle and I do like thei Bi-Facil makeup remover. They have great kohl eyeliners too and I'm wanting to try their liquid eyeliners to see how they compare. I'm also curious about their Genefique anti-ageing formula/products (yes I'm reaching that stage where anti-ageing products are of interest to me, sadly) and I like how it sounds similar to my name :)

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Disclaimer: Products were provided for consideration. I am not affiliated with any companies mentioned in this post. All opinions stated by me are 100% honest and are free from bias. See more at http://www.questjen.com/p/disclaimer.html for full disclaimer.

Vlog #1 - 3 Packages in 1 Day

Hello! So here is my first ever vlog. It took a lot of courage for me to film this and make this so please no bashing T_T Even though I made some mistakes here and there, I wasn't nervous while filming lol, I just get a bit tongue-tied at times and get brain farts x) Please excuse! I promise I will improve on my speaking skills for future vlogs.

The video quality isn't all that great because Blogger only allows video files that are less than 100mb to be uploaded, and I didn't feel like uploading it to YouTube. I made this to be just under 10 minutes because I don't want to waste too much of your time listening to me blabber on. So here you go!

First video is the vlog, the second one is the bloopers - just for laughs

Turn up your volume because they're pretty quiet!

I filmed it at night and couldn't really talk too loud...

I hope they're at least half interesting and aren't boring. Please tell me what you think of my vlog and if there's anything I should do differently next time e.g. lighting, length of video.

I would love to see vlogs from other fellow bloggers =]

So the question is, should I do more vlogs in the future?

4 Purchased Sale Items - Haul/Review

Okay so these are the products I bought when I went shopping with Cathy on Wednesday.

- L'Oreal Gentle Make-Up Remover for Eyes & Lips

- Revlon Matte Powder Blush in 001 Rose Rapture

- Maybelline Pulse Perfection Waterproof Mascara in Very Black

- Pupa Eyeshadow Compact Eyeshadow Duo (Pale Pink and Crimson)

First item I want to talk about is the L'Oreal Gentle Make-Up Remover. You might be aware, I have included in my Mini Blog Sale the Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Make-Up Remover. As good as the Neutrogena remover removes eye make-up, it just wasn't the right product for me. Having sensitive skin including senstive eyes was the reason why this product didn't suit me at all. I needed to purchase a new eye make-up remover that stated that it was suitable for sensitive skin. I asked Cathy and she recommended the L'Oreal one.

Just perfect!

As you can see, there are two distinct layers in the solution. On the back of the bottle it says:

the dark layer, rich in gentle oils, effectively removes waterproof and long-lasting make-up.

the light layer is a very gentle lotion which adds a pleasant sensation of freshness.

I won't make any comparisons with this and the Neutrogena make-up remover. Neutrogena one does say that it is dual-phase so it can remove very very tough make-up that probably wouldn't budge with regular removers. My Majolica Majorca mascara requires a dual-phase remover however, this L'Oreal one might do the job :) I'll have to wait and see. If it doesn't remove as well as the Neutrogena one, I promise that I won't complain.

Shake well before use until the colour is uniform

Priceline had 20% off all L'Oreal products so this was the perfect time to purchase this :D

Price = $9.83

PROS:

- doesn't irritate my eyes

- very gentle

- removes well

- great amount for the price (125mL)

- suitable for sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers

- removes waterproof and long-lasting make-up

- snap lid is tight to decrease the likelihood of it opening accidentally

- portion control from the lid

CONS:

- snap lid is a bit hard to open

- not a lot of solution comes through the hole in the lid, have to apply a bit of force

- leaves a bit of greasy/oily film on the skin, but can be wiped off

- when opening the lid, a squirt of solution can come out

- need to shake it before every use

Overall Rating: 4/5

-1 for the lid

The best make-up remover in my opinion.. is a high-end product

Lancome Bi-Facil! I had a sample of this when my mum bought some Lancome things and got a gift pack. Sadly I've used it all up :(

It worked like a dream, it removed every trace of make-up on my face and caused no irritation whatsoever - it's for sensitive eyes :D I would love to purchase this product but I don't like the idea of using something this expensive just to remove make-up :(

Next item is the Revlon Matte Powder Blush in 001 Rose Rapture

The colour is a light pink and it's very subtle on the cheeks. It's not very pigmented and it's hard to do a swatch (it doesn't show up well on camera) however I'd still use this if I want a hint of pink on my cheeks. The texture isn't the best yet at the same time, it is very soft. I think it's good for the price that I paid.

Can you see the little black circle on the right next to the brush? If you're curious, check out what it does when I press it. Watch a video:

Sorry my camera's video quality sucks :( No focus, no where close to HD

I so need to buy a new one!

Or just check out this image to see what happened:

I like it! Very convenient

I tweeted about this and I was like wow when I found out what it did. It gave me quite a scare too. The mirror would stay quite clean and won't get all powdery from the blush as it is separated from it. At the front of the compact there's a window so that the blush can be seen. Love the packaging so much =]

In Priceline there are Revlon products that are selling for $4.95 each and this one was discounted to $9.95 which is a great price for a blush. Only this shade was discounted; unsure why. I saw the other shades of these Revlon blushes and they were full price at around $23 each!

PROS:

- compact is great, light and easy to store, sleek

- pressing a button to release the mirror is a great idea

- very soft blush

- case closes well

- sturdy plastic

- window at the front to see the shade of blush clearly

- brush sitting in the compartment

- soft brush with groove in the handle

CONS:

- not enough pigmentation, takes a few coats of blush applied to cheek for the colour to be evident (but could just be for this shade of blush, not all)

- expensive for drugstore blush - RRP $20+

- doesn't say how many grams of blush there is

- when button pressed, makes a very loud alarming noise when the mirror comes out - scares me!

Overall Rating: 3/5

-1 for the blush texture

-1 for blush pigmentation

Next item is the Maybelline Pulse Perfection Waterproof Mascara in Very Black

If you've never used or seen one of these mascaras before, this is briefly what it does. It is a vibrating/oscillating mascara that used a small installed battery and the oscillations are activated by pressing the button on the lid of the mascara wand (the gold part between my index finger and thumb) so it's up to you whether you choose to have the oscillations or not.

Close-up of the wand. It's the perfect size for me

When I apply this mascara onto my lower lashes, I tend to not turn on the oscillations because it gives me a tickling sensation haha. I like it on for my top lashes because it does the 7 things that it says it does:

7 must-haves of lash perfection

1 - Luscious Thickness

2 - Luxurious Length

3 - Smooth Separation

4 - Intense Color

5- Shapely Curve

6 - Healthy Luster

7 - Zero Clumps

Maybe I've experienced 5 or 6 out of the 7 but I can definitely see it working the way I want it to! It might not just be about the oscillation, it could be the formula and/or the brush.

If you want to hear what the buzzing noise sounds like, watch the video:

Lancome has an oscillting mascara too, but I definitely haven't tried it before. I only purchase drug-store make-up :) If you have tried it before, let me know what it's like and if it's any different to the Maybelline one.

Cathy pointed out the sale for this mascara! I am so grateful that she did :D I think the waterproof one only came out a few months ago (or less.. or more.. I don't know :[ But I do remember not seeing a waterproof version) which is great because then the formula inside would still be fairly new. On the ticketed price it said that this was originally $23.95 but I only got this for $12.50!! Girls, if you haven't tried this mascara before, I suggest you do.

PROS:

Umm.. pretty much everything!

CONS:

- no idea how to replace the battery if it runs out

BUT I asked Cathy about it and she said that a sales lady told her that by the time the battery runs out, the mascara would already be finished! Hahaha that sounds so true x)

Overall Rating: 5/5

I love it! This is now my favourite mascara, along with my Majolica Majorca

Last but not least, PUPA!

Pupa 50% off sale is still going on as it is a clearance sale. I don't think there will be new Pupa products coming into Priceline but I really hope so because that would be exciting :)

When I showed Cathy the inside of this eyeshadow, she was really surprised. I love how it has that effect on people x) I was like that too when I first opened it, all wide-eyed o_o

I decided to get this one because I think the colours are lovely. Here are the swatches:

I did a simple two-tone look with it and used the Maybelline Pulse Perfection Mascara :)

My lashes look longer than usual with this mascara. I don't see clumping :)

To add a more dramatic, bold effect to my eyes, I applied some false lashes.

I wish my lashes were actually this long!

Back to the Pupa eyeshadow, I really like it. The sponge applicator is so cute! The eyeshadows are very pigmented, shimmery and there doesn't need a be a lot of it when applying. A little goes a long way. And $7.50 is very cheap. I can understand why the recommended retail price for this item would be $15. Totally worth it.

PROS:

- very pigmented, especially the crimson one

- unique packaging

- handy mirror in the compact

- excellent for the price

- sturdy plastic

- a small brush can fit in the compact and sponge detached or kept on

CONS:

- bulky packaging, could be slimmer/smaller

- the handle of the brush sticks out of the compact

- sponge applicator is hard to use but can be used differently to the instructional way

- packaging doesn't look appealing, very plain

Overall Rating: 5/5

I can't say many bad things about it. The cons were just things that I'd be picky about. I recommend this for anyone who likes duo eyeshadows that can blend easily.

I hope you enjoyed reading my first reviews on cosmetics products.

Thank you

xx Jennifer