July Favourites: L'Oreal, Revlon, ELF, Bobbi Brown and more!

Hey everyone!

I was really hoping that this post was going to be my first video but alas, it was not meant to be. I have a few favourites to share with you all and I’m really excited to have my first favourites post up! I guess I may as well just jump straight in!

L’OREAL LUMI MAGIQUE FOUNDATION IN PURE PEARL:

I’ve done an actual review on this foundation, which can be found on my Beauty Reviews page, but let me just say again how much I love this foundation. If it weren’t for the fact that the colour match is a little too dark, this would probably be my holy grail foundation. Apart from the colour match, I love everything about this foundation. It’s beautiful and light feeling on the skin. It gives good light to medium coverage. It doesn’t have an offensive smell. It lasts pretty well on me (on oilier skin it might not though). It blends easily. A little goes a pretty long way, and best of all the price point as far as Aussie pricing goes is on the lower end of the spectrum at around $33. This is a great illuminating foundation, and I really just love it!

BOBBI BROWN SKIN FOUNDATION STICK IN PORECLAIN:

Now, I know I did give Bobbi a glowing review like I did with the Lumi, but after I posted the review I decided to give it another go. What I found was that the dry, patchiness I was getting before wasn’t happening anymore. I chalked it up to my new range of skincare and the extra hydrating it is giving my skin. It’s still not my favourite foundation, but I have been really enjoying it this month. I know I definitely like it a lot better than my NARS cream foundation, which only wins in the colour match department because Siberia is the perfect skin tone match for me. I discovered the other day that I can get my NARS to look almost as good as my Bobbi if I let it sit on my skin for a few minutes before moving on to the rest of my base, whereas my Bobbi looks awesome straight off the bat. I don’t have to wait for it to set before moving on with my routine. In the battle of cream foundations NARS vs Bobbi, Bobbi is the clear winner.

ELF EYELID PRIMER:

ELF is fairly new to me. I’ve been wanting to try them for ages, but from what I’ve seen K-Mart has only just started stocking them (or at least the one near my house). One of the first things I bought was the eyelid primer. I got this because I needed a new one and I had forgotten to get one for the day that I had planned to do makeup on some models/willing victims, so on the mad dash to the makeup day I stopped in at K-Mart and wouldn’t you know, right there in front of my was the ELF stand, offering up its $3 eyelid primer. I used it on all the girls and was really happy to see my makeup creations lasting all day. Since then I have got one for myself and have used it nearly every day. I’m really impressed. I have a really hard time stopping creasing, and this $3 little miracle really seems to do the trick.

REVLON JUST BITTEN KISSABLE BALM STAIN IN RENDEZVOUS:

I only have two shades of the balm stains, but Rendezvous is my favourite. I love how you can get a subtle hint of orange, or build it up for a more intense colour. I find the longevity fairly good. At first it did bother me that it wasn’t all that moisturising, but now I just treat it like a really sheer lipstick, meaning I simply use a lip balm/butter to moisturise first. There’s not a lot to say about these balm stains except that I love the ones I have and I can’t wait to try more shades and finishes.

SUKIN SKINCARE:

I have the Sensitive Skin Cleansing Lotion, Hydrating Mist Toner and Moisture Restoring Night Cream and I love them all. Each product does the exact job I expected them to do and my skin is in such great shape from them. The cleanser is nice and calming, but I feel like I get a good clean from it too. The toner is so easy to use. I usually just spray a bit on my hands and pat it in, but you can also spray it directly on your face and just let it absorb. I’ve used it both ways and it works just the same. The night cream is a god-send. My skin was so dry and red and irritated. This cream has helped it to get to a point where I don’t feel patchy or itchy. My skin is smooth and feels plumper. I love this line and I can’t wait to try more from Sukin. Oh, and I forgot to mention one of the best parts! It’s so cheap. My cleanser and toner were only $10 each and the night cream, which will last for ages only cost $20! How awesome is that!

THE BALM MARY-LOU MANIZER:

I have never been a huge fan of shimmery highlights. I just hate the feeling of chunks of glitter sprawled across my face. The Mary-Lou Manizer was something I always figured I wouldn’t like for that reason. When I finally went in to the store and swatched it, I was amazed. It’s shimmery in a very subtle way. It gives more glow and sheen than outright glittery texture. I’ve used this nearly every day since I bought it about 2 months ago, and I love it. It’s so pigmented that you only need a light dusting. I can see this lasting for ages and ages, because I’ve barely made a dent in mine.

KUU KONJAC SPONGE:

Ahh my beautiful Konjac sponge. My most prized possession (in my bathroom)! This sponge coupled with my Sukin cleanser is pure heaven after removing my makeup. It gets rid of the excess makeup, plus all the other yucky stuff I imagine my face accumulates during the day. Its so easy to use, and it works great with or without cleanser, so on days where I haven’t worn makeup I can just use the sponge alone and still get a great clean. I can’t say enough great things about these konjac sponges. They’re just amazing!

So that’s it! I really hope you enjoyed my July favourites. Next month I will really try to make it a video, which might make it a bit more interesting. I would love for this blog to be a healthy mix of written and videoed posts, just to keep it interesting and flex my creative muscles :) 

Just a quick message...

Hey guys! 

I know I haven't been posting much lately. I've had a bit of a cold, but I am working on some new stuff. I'm trying to get my first video done, as well as working on a couple new reviews and stuff. I promise to have something up this week! :)

Review: Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains

Hey guys!

I’m sitting here with a cold, watching Star Wars for the billionth time, so I thought I might as well get a quick review up.

I bought my first Kissable Balm Stain a while back. As of now I still only have 2, but I’m definitely keen to try more shades, and branch out into the Lacquer and Matte ranges as well. I have Charm and Rendezvous, which are both orange based shades (my favourite!)

THE POSITIVES:

The shade range on these products is awesome. I also love that you have different finishes to choose from. There are the balm stains, which I have, the matte shades and the lacquer ones. With the ones I have, the pigmentation is really good for something that’s called a balm. I have pretty pigmented lips, so Charm does have a little trouble showing up because it’s such a light shade, but Rendezvous is great. It’s a deeper orange and gives great colour payoff on the lips.

THE NEGATIVES:

I’ve only tried the balm stains, but I can say the ones I have aren’t very moisturising. I’ve been getting really dry lips this winter and I really have to moisturise them before I put these on. I was hoping that something with the word balm in it would have been just a little moisturising, but instead they can be somewhat drying, especially on really cold days.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

So this was a really quick one. Even though they can be drying on my lips, I definitely will purchase more of these. I really love the colour payoff. They’re great for days when you want colour without having to use an actual lipstick (which is most days for me). The colour range is awesome, and I love the fact that you have different finishes to choose from. I definitely recommend giving these a try if you can.

Review: Sukin Skincare Range

On my hunt for a new skincare routine after being somewhat unimpressed by Clinique I went through a few brands like Chanel (disaster), Aesop (not a fan) and Dermalogica (okay, but kind of pricey). While perusing the sales at my local Priceline one afternoon I came across Sukin. I didn’t buy anything straight away, but I went home and researched the brand.

Sukin are an Australian brand that makes natural skincare products. They stay away from harsh chemicals. They’re paraben and mineral oil free, etc. Basically they’re naturally good for your skin. After reading about them I was sold, especially after seeing the low price tags. I bought the Sensitive Skin Cleansing Lotion ($9.95AUD), the Hydrating Mist Toner ($9.95AUD) and the Moisture Restoring Night Cream ($19.95AUD). I’m yet to get a day cream from them, but as soon as I finish my Trilogy Very Gentle Moisturiser I’ll be all over the Sukin day cream.

SENSITIVE SKIN CLEANSING LOTION:

This cleanser is so gentle. I was a little worried that it was going to be too similar to the Clinique one I had just finished, because it was less than great, but I was wrong. Its natural ingredients make the consistency far more smooth and creamy than the Clinique. I’ve been using it for a couple of weeks now and I have noticed a change in my skin, unlike the Clinique. My skin seems smoother, more radiant and with the help of my KUU Konjac Sponge, my pores seem so much clearer. Even though the bottle is a bit smaller than the Clinique, I use about a third of the amount in comparison.

 

HYDRATING MIST TONER:

The mist toner is perfect for someone like me, who can stand that tiny bit of extra effort putting toner on a makeup remover pad and rubbing it across my face. With this toner I just spray it on and I’m good to go. It’s so hydrating as well. I love how refreshing it feels, especially under my moisturiser.

MOISTURE RESTORING NIGHT CREAM:

I love this! It’s probably my favourite of the three products I have so far. It’s so creamy, and yet it absorbs so quickly. It’s so moisturising, and it feels really calming, even though it’s not advertised as being a calming formula. I can’t say enough good things about this night cream. I can only hope that the day creams are as good!

THE BOTTOM LINE:

These may just be the best skincare products I’ve ever used. I love the way my skin feels now. Before using them it felt dry, irritated, and just plain old dull. Now it’s smooth and has more life to it. My redness is still being kept at bay, but I still have a normal, healthy flush to my cheeks. I’m loving how my makeup has been sitting and lasting on my skin since using this, in comparison to the other products I’ve been trying out. All-in-all this range is excellent. The price tags are pretty awesome too, as well as the fact that they are an Aussie brand. I definitely recommend checking out the line to see if they have something that might suit your skin type!

Review: Estee Lauder Pure Colour Portfolio Makeup Palette

Hey guys!

I got this palette from my beautiful family for Christmas and I am finally getting around to writing this review. I love this palette. It’s got a massive variety of shades and I love that (apart from foundation etc,) you can create so many entire looks from just this one product. 

The palette comes with 30 eyeshadows, 15 lipsticks, 3 blushes, 1 bronzer, a dual ended eyeliner pencil, 2 lip glosses and 4 little brushes/sponge applicators. Suffice to say, it’s pretty jam packed full of Estee Lauder-y goodness!

THE POSITIVES:

The range and pigmentation of the eyeshadows is amazing! There are greens, purples, blues, neutrals…. Just everything! There’s also matte, shimmery and satin finishes. It’s just awesome. It makes me want to go out and buy tons of Estee Lauder eyeshadows (I won’t because I live in Australia and that crap is EXPENSIVE!). The set comes with a little leaflet that gives you breakdowns of two different looks you could try, but there’s a plethora of ideas that you could come up with. The eyeshadows can also be used wet or dry, which is awesome because then it gives you the option of creating a pigmented coloured eyeliner.

Next onto the blushes and bronzer. Let’s start with the bronzer. It’s the Bronze Goddess in Medium. I had been wanting to try out this bronzer for ages, and I was so happy when I discovered it in the palette. I don’t always wear bronzer, but this is the perfect shade for when I do. It is so smooth and pigmented. Despite its wonderful pigmentation, it is easy to sheer out which works out well for my fair skin. Now for the blushes. I love them all. My favourite is definitely Peach Passion, which as its name implies, is a beautiful peachy toned blush. All of the blushes, like the bronzer, are highly pigmented but able to be sheered out.

I really like the dual ended eyeliner too. They’re really smooth and easy to apply.

THE NEGATIVES:

Honestly, I’m not a huge fan of the lipsticks. I mean, they’re nice, but I don’t find them to be anything special. I wonder if the actual lipsticks are better, but I only have these to go on. I don’t find them to be super long wearing or incredibly pigmented. I usually have to build them up a little to get good colour, but then I start to feel like my lips are wearing a mask.

Like with the lipsticks, I don’t find the lip glosses to be anything special. They’re nice, but… meh. They’re a little on the sticky side, which I don’t like. Although, they do have pretty good pigmentation.

I’m not going to talk about the little brushes, etc. because they’re just generic, but it’s nice to have them there in a pinch.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

This was an amazing Christmas present. I get so much use out of it. I used it in my first tutorial here, and it’ll be used in the next one I have lined up. I use it when I’m going out and when I travel it’s usually the only palette I take… oops I lied, I also take my Chi Chi Nudes palette which is also awesome. But, when I travel I don’t take any blushes or bronzers outside of the ones in the palette. Apart from my Chi Chi Nudes palette which is just eyeshadows, this is my favourite palette. It’s so versatile and full of great shades and pure awesomeness. It was limited edition, but if and when Estee Lauder ever brings out something similar with the Pure Colour range, snap that baby up! You won’t be sorry! 

Just a little shameless pluggin...

Hey guys!

I really hope you enjoy the content I post! I love writing reviews, and I hope to get the hang of the tutorials things soon! If you do like what I post, I'd love it if you could pop on over to Facebook and give my blog's page a like! 

Stay tuned for more reviews and tutorials soon! Thanks for reading my shameless Facebook plug :)

https://www.facebook.com/occasionalbeautydream

Tutorial #2: Audrey Hepburn Inspired Natural Look

Hey everyone!

Here’s my new tutorial. I decided to use myself as a model. I was really self-conscious about it, but I did it. I know it seems weird to be self-conscious and have a beauty blog, but I really hate seeing photos and video of myself. I always hate the way I look in them.

Also, please excuse my bad hair, I'm currently growing out my pixie cut and styling it just seemed like too much effort today! :)

Anyway, the look was inspired by Audrey Hepburn, but I decided to go for a natural version. I know Audrey’s looks were always quite natural as it is, but I really wanted the eyebrows and eyeliner to be the main focus.  

I started by prepping my cleansed face with Sukin Hydrating Mist Toner, Trilogy Very Gentle Moisturiser and then a little bit of M.A.C Strobe Cream for extra illumination.

Onto foundation. I used my NARS Radiant Creamy Compact in Siberia and one of my new favourite brushes, the LimeLily duo fibre brush, which came in the set I bought a couple of weeks ago.

Then I added a little bit of Australis Lip and Cheek Combo in Flamingo Skies to my cheeks for a tiny bit of colour. I just used the peachy side.

On my eyes I started with a bit of M.A.C Studio Fix Concealer in NC15 and Maybelline Colour Tattoo in Barely Branded for a base.

Since I wanted a natural looking eye, I used my M.A.C Studio Fix powder in NC15 all over my lid and topped it off with a shimmery champagne coloured shadow.

In the crease, to the inner and out sides, I added a mix of the lightest and second lightest shades of matte brown from my Chi Chi Nudes palette with a pencil brush. I love this palette. I use it all the time for my everyday eye looks. I didn’t add any to the middle of my crease because I have quite small lids and sometimes crease colours can overpower my whole lid. Feel free to add the crease colour all across.

Using a clean fluffy brush I blended out the crease colour, which did bring it a little in towards the middle, but not too harshly.

Back to the base, I concealed my under eyes and powdered with my Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Powder. I used a very light matte brown to do the smallest bit of contour. Seriously, you probably can’t even see it in the photo. I know Audrey had very defined cheekbones, but my face is a totally different shape and I really hate the way heavy contouring looks on me. It makes me look like my cheeks are too small!

Then I used the Essence brow powder to fill in my brows. Audrey always had very prominent brows that were very dark. Lucky for me I have black brows so all I really needed to do was fill them in. be careful here, because there’s a very fine line between creating full defined brows and just looking like a crazy bushy eyebrowed person. If you think you’ve overdrawn a bit too much you can go in with a bit of makeup remover or even just concealer and hide your mistakes.

With the eyeliner, I wanted it to be defined and a key focus of the look, but I didn’t want it to look like I was going full cat-eye. Audrey’s wings were always just enough to really accentuate her lashes and give them that really full look. I used Rimmel’s new waterproof gel liner (for the first time) and winged it out just a bit. I brought the line right into the inner corner of my eye very thinly, and then thickened it at the outer corner near the wing.

For mascara I used my Maybelline Mega Plush all over my lashes and then Maybelline’s Colossal Smokey Lashes on the ends. The Mega Plush gives a more natural look, while the Colossal is much better at lengthening, which is why I used it on the ends. By all means, use fake lashes with this look, it could only make it look better. I’m not a fan of fake lashes because putting things near my eyes like that freaks me out.

On my lips (which I had previously moisturised and prepped using my Palmers Cocoa lip butter) I used Elizabeth Arden’s lip pencil in Blush to line and fill them in. filling your lips in with your liner helps with the longevity of your lip colour. For lipstick I used Mary Kay’s lipstick in Apricot Glaze, and topped it off with my NYX Butter Gloss in Crème Brulee.

I finished with a quick spritz of M.A.C Fix +, and that’s it.

I don’t know how effective these blogged tutorials are. The reason I don’t film (yet) is because 1) I don’t have a decent video camera and 2) I don’t have the confidence yet to put myself out there on YouTube. This will happen one day, eventually. If you guys have any types of looks you’d like to see, let me know, or if you have any suggestions for how I can make these blogged tutorials better (without using video!).

I have another tutorial that I did on my sister for her birthday last week, and hopefully that will be up in the next couple of days, as well as more reviews of course!

Review: Chanel Mousse and Lait Confort Cleansers

Hey everyone! 

Before we start, I don't have pics of these products. I only had a little sample of the Lait and I returned the Mousse. Keep reading to find out why :)

A couple of months ago, when I decided that I was overly satisfied with my Clinique cleansing range, I decided to search around through the higher end skincare ranges to see if anything took my fancy. I went to the Chanel store in one of the shopping centres near my house, and tried out the Confort cleansing products. They have two cleanser in the Confort range, which is designed for sensitive skin. The have a Mousse and Lait (milk) cleanser. I had pretty much the same opinion on both of these product, hence them being in the same review.

Okay, so let’s get into it…

THE POSITIVES:

The smell of these products is amazing. I mean, I wouldn’t expect anything less from Chanel. Also, the texture of both is beautiful. They are both so smooth and creamy. Again, I wouldn’t expect anything less.

And… honestly that’s it. I can’t think of any more positives.

THE NEGATIVES:

As you have probably already guessed from the fact that I could only think of two positives, I don’t like these two products. The first negative relates back to the first positive. The scent. Although it’s a beautiful, luxurious scent, I don’t know how Chanel can say that these cleansers are designed for sensitive skin when they are so heavily fragranced. Also, the smell is beautiful, but it lingers, and starts to become offensive. I could still smell it after moisturising applying makeup. I used the Mousse first, and thought that the reaction I was having was because it was a very foamy formula. I was going all red and splotchy (not itchy though, thank God) every time I used it. I used the Mousse for about four days before switching to the Lait, which is a milky formula. I thought that because it was a milk it wasn’t going to react like the Mousse did. WRONG! It was just as bad as the Mousse. I was so red that I actually had to opt for a heavy covering of my Pro Longwear foundation to cover it. Usually I can cover my redness with a bit of concealer and a light coverage foundation. Also, when I do use something that activates my redness, it will go down in an hour or so, but this lasted all day.

Another thing I didn’t like was the fact that they gave my skin that squeaky clean feeling without the clean part. I just felt tight skinned. Plus I didn’t feel moisturised either.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

I really didn’t like these cleansers. The reaction of it irritating my redness was so bad, and it was all I could think about while I was using it. Self-conscious is really not how you wanna feel about yourself when using a new skincare or makeup product. There’s really not a lot else to say about these cleansers. I’m disappointed in the fact that they are for sensitive skin, but are so heavily fragranced. I know I said they smelled nice, but I’d rather no scent and it not reacting badly with my skin. On the up side, I finally did find a range that I really love and is a fraction of the price of the Chanel ones. Stay tuned for my review on the Sukin range! J

Review: L'Oreal Lumi Magique Light Infusing Foundation (N1 - Pure Pearl)

Hey guys!

So, I went out for dinner for my sister’s birthday, and decided to go back to my old friend, the L’Oreal Lumi Magique. I’d completely forgotten about this foundation, and I can’t believe I did. So I decided it was about time I wrote down my thoughts on it.

I really wanted to try the True Match foundation that I see everyone raving about but when I went into Priceline I couldn’t find a colour light enough to match me. So I moved onto the Lumi Magique and the match I found was pretty damn close. It’s $33.95 at Priceline, which may seem expensive to anyone not in Australia, but if you are in Australia you’ll know that that’s pretty normal (which might make you groan a little in frustration, I know I do). If you are somewhere like the U.S., I know that it goes by a slightly different name, on the Ulta website it has it listed as True Match Lumi Healthy Luminous Makeup, and the shades are different (or at least have different names), oh, and it’s only about $8.

THE POSITIVES:

This has a beautiful dewy/natural finish and the coverage is perfect for my needs. I don’t usually have a lot of blemishes, just the redness that I’ve mentioned a few times before, and this covers it all nicely without looking cakey. It’s so light and beautiful feeling on the skin. I love that most of the time I don’t even need to set it with a powder. I will only set it with a powder when I’m going for a night out and I need to 1) look a little more done up; and 2) have my makeup last for as long as possible without a touch up.

I like that the bottle has a pump, and that you really don’t need a lot to cover your face. It’s a light t medium buildable coverage. It’s so moisturising, and even in these really dry months for my skin, it doesn’t appear to cling to any dry patches at all. One of my favourite features is the fact that I can apply this many different ways and get pretty much the same finish. I’ve used my Beauty Blender, fingers, Real Techniques Expert Face brush, Models Prefer flat-top buffing brush and just recently my LimeLily Duo Fibre Stippling brush, which so far I think is my favourite with my Beauty Blender coming in a close second.

THE NEGATIVES:

In some lights the foundation can seem a little bit too dark for me, but as long as I blend it down my neck enough it doesn’t really bother me. The price tag is a little disappointing too. In Australia $34 isn’t really that much to pay for a foundation, and I have paid a lot more for less product (see my Bobbi Brown review for an example), but it’s just such a pet peeve for me that us Aussies have to pay so much more than most other countries. I mean, come on Australia! The U.S. is paying $8 for this stuff and we’re paying $34? That’s such bull. To be fair, this gripe is with pretty much all Aussie makeup prices, not just the Lumi.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

The bottom line is that I am in love with this foundation. I have loved it from my very first application. Yes, sometimes it can appear a little too dark, but I make it work because it’s just so pretty! The positives far outweigh the negatives for me, and I think it’s one of the best foundations I’ve ever used, both drugstore and high end. I wouldn’t recommend this if you like a matte finish, because, as the name suggests, it’s a very luminous foundation, but if you like a natural/dewy finish this is for you! I say definitely go ahead and give Lumi a try! 

Review: Sailor Moon Crystal Ep. 1

Hey guys!

This review is not beauty related, but I really wanted to share my thoughts, because I’ve been excited for this for over a year now :)

Okay, so when I was a little girl I LOVED ‘Sailor Moon’. I’d watch the anime every morning on Cheez TV (old Aussie kids morning show) before school. I loved it and was really sad when they took it off. So, when I got a little older I started collecting the manga and the DVDs of the anime. When I heard that they were going to be rebooting it… well… suffice to say, I pretty much lost my shit. Especially when I read that they were going to be keeping it more true to the manga, which I had come to really love, maybe even more than the first anime. The storylines in the original anime kind of steered in a different direction from the manga from which it was based, and if I’m being honest, I do prefer the way the manga storylines go.

The first episode of the new anime, ‘Sailor Moon Crystal’, streamed on the 5^th of July, which was a couple of days ago now. I’ve watched it twice. The first time was for pure entertainment purposes, but the second was because I decided to review it. I know I mainly do beauty stuff, but this is a memory from my childhood that I have always loved, so where better to share it than on a page dedicated to things I love? The first season will cover the Dark Kingdom arc, for those of you familiar with the Sailor Moon stories.  

I’ll admit now that I don’t know a whole lot about manga and anime. I mean, I used to watch ‘Pokémon’, but only because it was before ‘Sailor Moon’. And, apart from the ‘Miki Falls’ series by American manga artist Mark Crilley (which is awesome by the way), ‘Sailor Moon’ is the only manga I own.

Now I’ve given you that tiny disclaimer, let’s move on to my actual thoughts on the new show. I really liked it. Did I like it better than the original? Hmmm, I think it’s way too tell. It appears that they will be set out in acts, just as the manga are. If that’s the case, then the first episode, which was labelled as Act 1 – Usagi/Sailor Moon, was designed to match up to the act of the same name in the manga. I think it did a pretty good job too. From what I can tell, it was pretty close to being just a moving picture version of the manga. This is awesome, because it means that they really do appear to be staying more true to the manga than the original.

With regards to the actual animation etc., I did like the style of drawing that they have gone with, although for someone who isn’t super familiar with anime and manga, it was very different to the limited amount of stuff I’ve seen. I love the way the faces, especially the eyes, have been drawn. The style feels like it gives the characters extra dimension. One thing I notice that I thought was a little odd was arm and leg proportions. In the Sailor Moon transformation in particular I noticed this. Her arms and legs seemed very... I dunno, I guess Mr. Fantastic like (or Elastigirl from The Incredibles for all those Disney fans out there). It was just weird. I don’t know if this speaks to the quality of the artistry or not, but like I said, it was odd.

Overall, I’m really excited to see the rest of the season. From what I’ve read, it will be streamed every 1^st and 3^rd Saturday of the month, which is basically every fortnight or so. Season 1 will consist of 26 episodes and will have subtitles for a lot of different languages. I’ll list the sites that I know stream them below. I was also reading that they will eventually be dubbed into English, which is cool, but it won’t happen until sometime after the first season is done. If you’re a Sailor Moon fan, or think you might enjoy it, definitely give this new one a go. It’s an awesome story!

The sites you can stream the episodes are:

Crunchyroll (Australia, UK, etc.): http://www.crunchyroll.com/sailor-moon-crystal

Hulu/Neon Alley: http://www.hulu.com or http://www.viz.com/anime/streaming

NicoNico: http://www.nicovideo.jp/

Review: NARS Radiant Creamy Compact Foundation (Siberia)

I thought it was about time I reviewed my NARS Radiant Creamy Compact Foundation. I’ve mentioned it a couple of times before, in other reviews, but now it’s time to put it in the spotlight and tell you my thoughts on it.

Once I realised that my Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation Stick wasn’t working on my dry skin anymore I set out to find something more moisturising. I was still on a cream foundation kick, which is what led me to NARS. I’d watched and read a few reviews and most of them were pretty good, and talked about how moisturising the foundation was. So I went to Mecca Maxima and got the girl to try it out on my skin. It looked really nice and I was sold.

The foundation is $56, and you have the option of spending an extra $15 to get the travel compact for it. I like this concept of buying the compact and refill separately, because it means you’re not throwing out a perfectly good compact every time you finish your foundation. It also means that the cost is a little less, and you don’t have to spend the extra money if you don’t want to. The actual refill comes in its own little case so it’s protected without needing the travel compact. The refill just doesn’t have a mirror or space for the sponge, which I’ve only used once anyway. I personally didn’t buy the compact. I didn’t feel like I’d need it because I don’t have a habit of taking my foundation in my handbag for touch-ups.

THE POSITIVES:

This is a really nice foundation. I’m in the lightest shade (typical for me), and for a change it really is a great match. I thought it was a little too yellow, but on the skin it’s not. It’s a really good match, with just enough yellow to mute out my redness. It’s super creamy, so much so that it’s almost liquid. I love that there’s 12g as opposed to the 9g I got with the Bobbi, and it’s nearly $10 cheaper!

The foundation is very smooth, and once you’ve found the right method to get the best effect (for me it seems to be a sponge, not my Beauty Blender, just a regular disposable wedge), it looks really beautiful on. It has a light coverage, but is buildable. I find it glides on much easier than the Bobbi because of its more moisturising consistency.

THE NEGATIVES:

While it is buildable, it can start to look too cakey if you use to much. You do have to be careful to not take it too far. Also, even though it glides on much easier than the Bobbi, it also moves on the skin a lot easier. I find I have to be quite careful when I apply under-eye concealer, as if I accidentally swipe rather than dab, the foundation near it will shift, or sometimes even wipe away completely. It can be a bit of a pain if you’re in a hurry or simply don’t feel like putting too much effort in. you also have to be careful when applying powder over the top, which you will need because it doesn’t set as well as other foundations. I do like how my Elizabeth Arden powder looks on the top of it, because it’s more of an illuminating setting powder, but I think if you have dry, maybe even normal skin, using a mattifying powder might end up making you look a bit cakey and dry. I have tried it with a normal translucent setting powder and I really didn’t like the finish.

The other thing I don’t like is the fact that I had to try so many different ways to find the one that gave the most natural and flawless finish. As I said before I eventually settled for a normal wedge sponge, but I tried my Beauty Blender, fingers, Real Techniques Expert Face Brush (which a densely packed rounded buffing brush), a flat top buffing brush and a flat foundation brush. All of them gave okay to good finishes, but only the regular old sponge gives a finish I’m truly happy with. I’d much prefer it if I had a couple of options for applying it to a degree I’m happy with.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

I really like this foundation. It’s not my holy grail by any stretch of the imagination. I love the colour match and the finish I can achieve. I don’t love that it took me so long to find the best application method or the fact that it so easily wipes away, or even the fact that I have to set my entire face with powder, because otherwise it won’t set. Would I repurchase this? Maybe, if I can’t find anything I like better, but there are other foundations I would like to try first. I think when it’s time to buy a new foundation I might head back in the direction of liquids, to find a really good moisturising one. I’m thinking about the Hourglass Veil one (or whatever it’s called). Has anyone tried it, or one that it really moisturising? Let me know if you have any suggestions. J