FOTD with Arbonne Cosmetics

So I've had the opportunity to try out some products from the brand Arbonne and have used them to create a very simple look suitable for daytime wear.

My makeup style is fairly natural/neutral, however you like to call it. I love looking fresh and youthful and although I admire bold, colourful makeup on others, sometimes I feel that simple is best for me and the only 'drama' I like to have on my face is my winged eyeliner and lengthened, volumised lashes. As you may already know, I am highly influenced by Korean/ulzzang makeup style where eyeshadow is not always a must and thick/straight brows are preferred over thin/arched ones.

I wore this look on two occasions, day and night as found that this look was appropriate for both (you can disagree) 

Created with the help of the following products:

~ Face of Australia Face Base Primer

~ Revlon Colorstay 24 Hour Makeup in 240 Medium Beige

~ Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles in 30 Medium Moyen (LOVE this product!)

~ Australis Eyeshadow Primer

~ Kiss Me Heroine Make Smooth Liquid Eyeliner in 01 Black

~ Models Prefer Black Pencil Eyeliner

~ Models Prefer Lash Primer

~ Dolly Wink Brown Brow Pencil

~ Arbonne Triple Action Mascara in Black/Noir

~ Arbonne Lipstick in Rose Petal

~ Arbonne Blush in Ballet

Out of that list, these are the products that I am going to be reviewing:

Whenever I see makeup products in black cardboard packaging with white writing, I instantly think of high-end and that's a good thing. It makes me think that these products would be of high quality due to how... 'professional' they look. Examples of other brands with packaging like this are MAC and Inglot which I have heard are pretty good in terms of quality. First impressions always last and my first impression of Arbonne cosmetics was that they'd be great to test out.

A little about Arbonne cosmetics...

They started out in Switzerland in 1975 where Arbonne's product line aimed to fulfill the vision of having products that naturally enhances your beauty and well-being and at the same time, be pure, safe and beneficial products to use. And that was what they achieved with their skincare and cosmetics line.

I like to work my way down so let's start with a product for the eyes - mascara.

Arbonne Triple Action Mascara

RRP $43 AUD

The product's claims:

• Define, lengthen and volumise eyelashes
• New formula is smudge resistant, long-wearing and will nurture and moisture lashes

Ingredients:

• Natural hair conditioning agents such as Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract 

Knowing that this product 'cares' for my lashes is great and many mascaras out there don't highlight any particular ingredient that is beneficial for eyelashes, and I actually think that that's quite important. Not only do you want to look your best but you'd also want to know that the ingredients in a cosmetic product are safe and suitable, right? That is usually what differs between standard and high-end cosmetics and their prices.

I applied the mascara on after I curled my lashes

It did define, lengthen and volumise my lashes as it claims and I'd say that it gets a tick for being smudge-proof and long-lasting. However I wouldn't say that this is the best mascara that I've ever used. I have used ones that have ticked more boxes for me and were a fraction of the price. But about the ingredients of other mascaras, I wouldn't be able to compare them to this one. So really it does come down to personal preference - a mascara that does more but has no key ingredients to condition the lashes or one that does less, is still good and can be seen as less 'harmful' due to its special formula.

I would recommend this mascara to those who are interested in using makeup products that are safe, beneficial and have quality.

Arbonne Blush in Ballet

RRP $40 AUD

The product's claims:

• Mineral-infused and highly pigmented blush
• Provides perfect natural colour to help highlight and complement the complexion
• Lightweight powder accentuates and sculpts cheeks

Ingredients:

• Infused with Vitamins A, C and E and cucumber extract 

Before I start talking about the blush itself, I want to mention the packaging just briefly. Yes it looks like a typical blush but this case has a button to help pop open the lid and it clicks back nicely when you close it. Not like those typical blushes where you manually prop open the lid (where it is prone to opening accidentally on its own in you bag or something).

It's a gorgeous pale pink and as pretty as it itself may be, I found that it wasn't the best match for my not-so-pale complexion. I did manage to snap a picture of myself under bright lighting to see how it looks like on me but I reckon if you saw me in person, it would definitely be less noticeable.

Keep in mind that my natural flush is underneath the blush

Unfortunately my camera couldn't clearly pick up on the pale pink on the back of my hand but yes I can confirm that this blush is pigmented (as seen on the finger swatch). I love it when blushes are lightweight because that means it's okay for the blush to be layered on to build colour (if necessary) and there won't be that cakey feeling. I was glad that there was hardly any excess on my brush after swelling it in the pan and it smoothed on nicely onto my cheeks. And yes I agree with the claim that it provides a natural colour to help highlight and complement the complexion, despite feeling that this blush wasn't the best shade for my tone/complexion. I would go with a more coral pink but for a natural look, this is absolutely fine :)

With many vitamins, minerals and cucumber extract, I would recommend this product for sure! It states that it is suitable for all skin types which is great. The colour is beautiful and I would love to see this on someone who is more pale than I am.

Arbonne Lipstick in Rose Petal

RRP $36

The product's claims and ingredients:

• Packed with Vitamins A, C and E as well as pomegranate extract, the formular intensely hydrates and conditions lips with a rich colour and beautiful scent that glides on smoothly for buildable coverage

Wow, the lipstick is very hydrating, and the fact that both the hydration and the pigment is buildable is perfect! I find that my pigmented lipsticks are a bit drying as they only require one 'coat' which I guess isn't sufficient for giving my lips moisture. This lipstick feels more like a lip balm as it makes my lips feel smoother and softer.

The thinner-than usual-lipsticks tube is actually what I prefer because it makes applying a lot easier and more precise. I know that using a lip brush is much more accurate but... ain't nobody got time for that? Kidding hehe and yeah I just use lipstick directly from its tube because it's quicker.

A pucker-up test. See how hydrated my lips look and how the lippie isn't cracking?

I describe the colour as a dark coral pink and yep 'rose petal' is a suitable name. There is a bit of shimmer and I'm completely satisfied with that as I don't find shimmer to be very necessary (less is more). This lippie is appropriate for day as its not too out-there and appropriate for night... just because :)

I can't comment on its lasting power as I didn't do any tests but with a lippie so gorgeous and moisturising, does it really matter how long it lasts before reapplying? I say no, absolutely not! In fact, I'm totally cool with reapplying this because it feels and looks great!

I'd definitely recommend this. There's just one thing that I was a bit puzzled about with its description: "beautiful scent". I didn't notice any scent in this lipstick... unless they mean that scentless = beautiful scent? Haha I'm only joking x)

So there you have it, three lovely products from Arbonne that I have reviewed. Hopefully this was an interesting read and that you've learnt something new. In Australia, it isn't a well-known product so I thought that giving them a shoutout on my blog would help them out a bit :) And perhaps you guys could help spread the word! FYI I am not being paid to endorse, nor am I affiliated with them in any way. I am just very impressed, especially with their lipstick.

(Random) Questjen of the week:

Which look do you prefer: Bold eyes or bold lips?

I'm one of those undecided 'I'd rather be in between/neutral' people so I have no answer hehe sorry :(

♥ Jen xx

P.S: Who shopped it up at Priceline for their 40% off sale?? I did!

Tony Moly Panda's Dream Good-bye Dark Eye Corrector

Hello I am alive! I feel so guilty when I don't have a new blog post up each week (maybe I should stop feeling bad about this) because it's supposed to be part of a routine and so when I don't blog I just feel... so..... slack :( But don't fret as I have not lost my blogging motivation! It's just that my current circumstances don't allow me to make blogging a top priority. It's great to be writing a new post now though :)

Speaking of priorities, I have evaluated my purchasing/spending priorities and have realised that I have more than enough cosmetics at the moment. Thus I have decided to spend less/none on new makeup products and more on things I need... or just save more. Oh and a couple of months ago, Mandy sent me a huge box of makeup/skincare goodies (I know right, so generous and sweet of her) which is all just too much for me to keep/use! Some products will be included in a giveaway in the near future (don't worry, she's cool with the idea) so do keep an eye out for that.

Anyway, the point is is that my blog may not always focus on beauty due to the lack of new products to review I guess (me purchasing less and sadly losing my active circle lens sponsor, mukuCHU as they will be closing very soon). Which makes me think that maybe I could try blogging more about other categories like fashion, food... but we'll see. Last month I did my very first online book review so who knows what could happen next on this blog :)

Here I am back with a post on a non-sponsored item which I purchased not too long ago - a product that I felt that I NEEDED more than WANTED!

Credit: Qoo10

Now is it a skincare product or a makeup product? I'm not quite sure but either way, I was sold on its description. And its pink panda packaging omgawd cuteness overload (gwiyomiiii~! ^^v Bahaha..) Apparently it's a 'panda's dream' to say goodbye to those dark circles lol.

I'm neither ashamed or proud to admit that I have panda eyes aka dark circles/under eye bags. How I like to express half-sadness or half-happiness about anything is with a wink frown face ---> ;( I think I've used it on Twitter before and I hope no one thought of it as a typo wink smiley.... *awkward*

I have a love-hate relationship with my dark circles. The obvious reasons for hating them are that they make me look tired and in my opinion, make me look less youthful. And the reason I like/love them is because when I have a full face of makeup on, I actually prefer the look that the dark circles give to my eyes/overall appearance compared to when they are covered with concealer. I don't know but it looks unnatural on me when they're concealed. However it'd definitely be better if I naturally didn't have dark circles at all.

I have a number of under eye concealers and they're all fine but when I came across this product online... I was so curious to try it out that I implulse-bought it! Mind you, that's something that I rarely do :P

I purchased mine from eBay at around $12 USD shipped which I suppose is decent for an under eye cream of this size. It didn't come with any plastic packaging like the image above. There was a seal inside the cap so I was assured that this tube hadn't been used/opened before.

I admit that if this under eye cream was manufactured by a different brand and had plain packaging... I wouldn't have been as tempted to buy it xD Packaging is so important!! To me anyway hehe.

Credit: My Baby Skin

It's a 'whitening cream' and I wish I knew how whitening creams worked. All I know is that this product includes the ingredients 'Niacinamide' (prevents melanin formation) and 'Haloxyl' (improves dark circles and dull skin tone) according to what I've read. I've never intentionally used any whitening creams prior to this which meant that I couldn't compare it to others and their whitening effects.

The million-dollar question is.......... does it work?!

As with many skincare products like whitening, brightening, anti-aging, anti-wrinkle etc., you can't always tell for sure that an improvement has been implicated as a result of using a product. And while some products do show signs of improvement, the improvement may no longer be visible with discontinued use. Also, there isn't an indication of when its effects can be seen so then again it's hard for me to say whether it 'works' yet. But what I can say is that after roughly two weeks of daily use, I haven't seen a whitening effect or a change. Maybe my dark circles are too dark to lighten T_T I will continue to use it daily until it runs out and then maybe I'll do an update/review when the product is finished.

Do let me know if you'd like to see a full review of this product on my blog! 

Questjen of the week:

Are you attracted to cute/pretty packaging?

Haha, a bit of a silly questjen - I'm sure everyone is!!

[Hint about my next post: Cosmetics review and FOTD! Hope you guys will like it]

 ♥ Jen xx

Review: Smitten Romance Series

Hi guys! Recently I have finished reading some novels from a series called 'Smitten' and I felt that it would be good to share my thoughts on the series here :) This will be an overall review rather than a review for each title.

To be honest... it's been way too long since I'd read any novels (last one before this was Twilight actually :S) and I haven't written a book review since high school so I'm just going to keep this very simple.

Smitten is a newly released Australian young adult fiction series, currently consisting of 4 titles. The books aren't connected and there isn't a continuous story, however I realised that they all included themes of teenage romance, following dreams, interracial relationships, friendship and family. The Smitten girls are strong, smart and independent and this series is said to be 'fun, flirty and a little bit sexy'.

Two of the books are written by one author and the other two are written by another. There isn't a particular order for reading these books so I randomly began with 'Unlucky Break' and followed on with whichever sneak peek/preview of a Smitten novel was included at the end.

 The order that I read them in

I would say that these novels are most suited to mature audiences as there is course language, drug and alcohol references and sexual references (wow I sound like the guidelines for a movie's rating). These references may seem like a bad influence for a teenage audience but actually, there is some 'good' as smoking, illicit drugs and alcohol are negatively depicted and the love scenes are described in only little detail. Also, the characters set a good example for the young reader as safe sex is practiced. The setting of these good examples was something that I admired about the series because it showed that you can still have fun while being sensible.

I won't go into detail about each book but I do have the cover pictures up if you'd like to read the blurbs. 

*Click to enlarge the pictures*

Unlucky Break - by Kate Forster

Tall, Dark and Distant - by Julie Fison

Head over High Heels - by Kate Forster

Lust and Found - by Julie Fison

What I liked about the novels was the fact that they aren't too thick (roughly 2-2.5cm) so they are a good, quick read and a great size which makes them suitable to bring with you anywhere. Also, I liked how the main male characters weren't seen as flawless or depicted as a 'prince charming/knight in shining armour' because let's face it, what are the chances of us randomly finding a perfect gentleman who will fall madly in love with us at first sight? We ain't living a fairytale here! 

Do I have a favourite out of the 4? Hmm, well I really did enjoy reading them all but I found 'Unlucky Break' to be the funniest because of the number of twists in the plot. And the inclusion of a jealous, scheming ex-girlfriend made it rather interesting! It can be amusing if it happens to someone else and not yourself, haha.

For someone who hadn't read novels in the longest time, it was quite refreshing to see novels become much more modernised. There were references made to iPhones, Facebook and cosmetic brands such as Smashbox. I feel that these references make it easier for young readers to relate and connect with the characters. Although the circumstances and issues that the characters face may be quite extreme, we can at least relate to the importance of using technology and social networking sites these days.

There wasn't anything that I disliked about the series, though there was something that I was confused about and wasn't sure of at first. I don't know about you but I have read quite a number of teenage fiction novels where they have been written in first person. And to be honest, I prefer novels to be written in first person (like a diary or even a blog!) but the Smitten series was written in third person. That was fine for me to adapt to but a couple of chapters in I realised that the writing in third person had switched to the perspective of the main male character instead of the main female character at the beginning. And then it kept switching after each chapter which I eventually got used to and found it to be okay in the end. It actually is interesting to know how the two main characters are feeling and thinking about each other. Has anyone read a book like this before?? I'm curious.

I would recommend this series to mature audiences from about the age of 15 and above. The main female characters were around 17-18 and as a 19-year-old turning 20 soon, I didn't feel that I was too old for this series... I could still relate despite the characters just being fresh out of high school. If you're into romance and love a bit of drama, this might be the book for you in 2013!

 ★★★★/5

Unfortunately I am unsure as to where these novels can be purchased as they were only launched in February but if any of my readers are interested in reading one of these books, I'd be more than happy to send one of them over :) I haven't made room for them on my bookshelf so you'll be doing me a favour! Just email or comment below if there's one you're interested in reading - we could arrange something.

I'm not much of a bookworm as you can probably tell in my review (hehe). Nonetheless, thank you for reading my first ever online book/series review which is pretty much out of my comfort zone in terms of content to review! Beauty reviews will always be my thing ;)

Questjen of the week:

What was the last novel that you read?

Are there any novels/series that you would recommend?

Now I have no more fun novels to read so I'm going to get back to doing my compulsory university readings and reading my textbooks :( ! ... Unless you guys can give me a good suggestion for leisure reading :D

♥ Jen

P.S: Being sick sucks. Always remember to take care of yourselves~

Disclaimer: Series was provided for review purposes only. This is not a sponsored post.