Expert Beauty Reviews | Skincare Ingredient Guides
We’ve discovered some great products and have beauty news and product reviews to share!
There is a trend towards bold, orange lips. Really bold. The look can be dramatic and fun, but it isn’t for everyone or for everyday. If you would like a tamer look, try a mango stain instead. It’s distinct and youthful, but very wearable.
We like Stila Lip & Cheek Stain Mango Crush. One layer (pictured below) gives a nice mango colored tint, two coats give a vibrant pinky-mango hue.
Find Stila Lip & Cheek Stain Mango Crush at Sephora.com
.
Stila Lip and Cheek Stain Mango Crush
The e.l.f. Studio Endless Eyes Pro Eyeshadow Palette that boasts 100 shades isn’t a new product, but I’ve come to appreciate it more and more lately. Like most women, I sort of gave up on eyeshadow palettes that have a large number of shades – I end up using the same few, and most go to waste. But when I saw the e.l.f. palette on sale, I thought I’d give it a try for the price (it was $4.98 on sale at Target, it is $10 marked down from $20 at the eyeslipsface website), and I’ve really come to be impressed with it.
The formula is quite sheer and layerable – I haven’t had any creasing issues. The shade range is decent without being too heavy on highly unwearable colors (the one brick red shade has enough chestnut in it to still be flattering – worth trying on olive skin tones especially). I would have liked a true white and true black in the palette, but on the whole it’s a minor issue. There is a mix of matte and shimmering shades, and the subtle shimmer stays put even when not wearing primer.
I enjoy testing out various shades just for feasibility. First night I had it, I decided to try an electric blue shade that I’d never attempt otherwise.
To my surprise, it worked on me – if the phrase “bright smokey eye” makes sense, that was what it was. I was expecting a brighter, more intense blue NARS Night Flight kind of look, and while it did impart more color than my usual daytime “three shades of vanilla” eyeshadow look, the layerable color is quite wearable. This led to trying out shades that I’d never usually try each night before I took off my eye makeup, and eventually, I started experimenting in the morning with different variables. For instance – a brown tinted moss green makes sense for a crease color. But what about a wintergreen shade? Or a Kelly green shade? The beauty of this palette is that the formula is so sheer, it takes several color washes to really goof.
I also like the palette for tweaking lipstick colors. I wanted to make a pomegranete shade a bit richer the other night, and I dusted on some brick red color, followed by a dot of fushcia in the center of the lip. The brick red added depth, the fushcia didn’t show as a pink but rather just as a highlight over the basic lipstick. The same principle follows for any shade that needs to be lightened or darkened after application, or needs to be nudged a shade or two over. And if you are looking for a brighter smile, it can’t hurt to add some blue to any lip shade – a perfect use for the many blue based shadows in this kit.
This palette makes a great gift for a teen learning makeup application or anyone looking to experiment with shades. After as many years as I’ve spent playing with makeup, I still came across new looks that work for me, and rediscovered some hues that I had forgotten I liked as much. This weekend I picked up the Mini Eyeshadow Palette (32 shades) for my gym beauty bag – great for when I hit the gym and am then headed back out or back to work. The pinks, corals, and reddish brown shades also work great as blushes (think in terms of Benefit’s Georgia or Dandelion in terms of intensity of wash), just be careful to not get any nearby colors on your brush (pinching the bristles works). It’s one impressive little kit!
Find the e.l.f. Studio Endless Eyes Pro Eyeshadow Palette at eyeslipsface.com
for $10.
Note: This week is Caudalie Week here at Style Chicks – we’ll be giving our initial impressions of a few products and then we’ll update you in the upcoming weeks with further results as we use this fabulous skincare line. Today, Lyn lets us know why she loves Caudalie Vinosource Moisturizing Cream-Mask Face and Eyes!
The winter weather has been frightful and my skin has been less than delightful.
I have managed to have multiple skin issues at once this week: some breakouts, dry and peeling skin on my nose/nostril area and I am red all around my mouth and really raw, and my skin feels very tight and dry around my eyes and it is making me look much older. The skin around my eyes is just dry and tight no matter what I do, and too flaky to apply any concealer or foundation on my dark under eye circle skin. Even my silk pillowcase feels scratchy (FYI: silk pillowcases are a great investment as they are gentle to facial skin and reduce hair damage and breakage when hair rubs against the pillowcase).
My standard go to creams and lotions are just making my skin feel raw, as in serious debating about applying Vaseline directly to my face kind of raw. I am not sure what this winter storm is doing that I have both pimples and such tight, raw skin at the same time, but when I look at my skin in the mirror and the phrase is important is to be pretty on the INSIDE comes to mind, with all due respect to inner beauty, what that means to me is it is time to get aggressive on the hydrating.
So I look at my creams, lotions and potions, and my new Caudalie Vinosource Moisturizing Cream-Mask Face and Eyes catches my eye because it is a moisturizing cream mask for both face and eyes. It is used as an intensive skin mask twice a week, but in the case of extremely dehydrated skin, it can be used as a daily moisturizer by applying a thin layer to the face. Sounds like a good excuse to try it out.
I rarely like a cream for both my face and delicate under eye area, but this is for around the eyes and on the face. It is not too thick for the face but still does the trick for the eyes.
APPLICATION:
When the skin around my mouth gets this raw, even the uber-gentle Clinique DDML stings a bit upon application, but this didn’t sting at all. This was really soothing and almost melted the dry skin. I put on a second application on spot areas like around my mouth, forehead crinkle, the dry flaky skin on my nose, the crow feet area of my eyes, under eye and lips. There is a light pleasant scent upon application but I can’t detect any scent while wearing it.
My skin had a luminous glow without being greasy, it could be worn nicely under makeup and would make a great go-to product after a sunburn or a cold or flu when skin around nose is flaky and raw, this would be a great quick-trick to look healthy again.
I am impressed by the feel on my skin. Usually a cream product that is this emollient feels heavy or looks greasy after application, but this dries down undetectable as a product not sticky or wet or shiny it just leaves behind better skin. You can definitely leave the house with the cream on under makeup which is especially nice when the weather is still so cold and raw outside.
My skin immediately looked better and feels hydrated. Some products feel like a soft wax just on top of your skin, but this feels like my skin. My face felt good quickly and within about ten minutes felt very spa like without feeling heavy or sticky at all, I can see how this would be nice as a at home spa night mask face did not feel dry, cracked or itchy. Usually when my skin gets this raw, I have to slather on so much Creme de la Mer Concentrate that my face is too greasy of a base to wear any makeup, so I am glad to find a deep hydrating product to wear with makeup so my skin can get through the rest of this winter.
I will try Caudalie Vinosource Moisturizing Cream-Mask Face and Eyes as a traditional mask at home spa night once a week or two and report the results.
Get Caudalie Vinosource Moisturizing Cream-Mask Face and Eyes at Caudalie-USA.com
I’ve been searching for the perfect body butter for awhile now, without success. I’ve tried some nice ones, but there is always something that keeps me from using it regularly – it takes too long to absorb, the scent is too heady, too greasy, or it just doesn’t hydrate all that well.
I was recently sent Caudalie Vinotherapie Vine Body Butter, and I tried it with a guarded excitement – the other Caudalie products I’ve tried have been absolutely jaw-dropping (we’ll be reviewing a few in the next couple of weeks – Vinoperfect Radiance Serum and Pulpe Vitaminee 1st Wrinkle Eye Cream are life changing!), so I had hope that if Vine Body Butter was as good as the other products, that I had found the Body Butter I have been looking for. The verdict? It’s the perfect body butter, light fragrance, and mini spa experience rolled into one.
Let’s start with the scent. It’s incredible. The top note is like the freshest, most perfect peach you’ve ever had, and a more subtle citrus scent. When I asked the other Style Chicks what scent they detected, though, I kept getting different answers. Interestingly, it reminded each of us of scents we loved, and none of us came up with the same first answer. It seems like it’s an universally likable scent. I asked what the actual scent is, and it consists of sweet orange zest, peach pulp, carrot and iris. I could go on for pages on how great the scent is, but I’ll sum it up this way – the amazing scent of Vine Body Butter is replacing my regular fragrance now. It’s a subtle scent that just makes me happy. If you are interested in complimenting the scent, try Caudalie’s Hand and Nail Cream and their Foot Beauty Cream. Oh, and did I mention how fantastic the scent is?
Of course, efficacy and texture are top priorities in picking a body butter. On those scores Vine Body Butter hits it out of the park as well. It is a relatively lightweight consistency and glides on the skin with absolutely no greasiness. None. Massage it in lightly and your skin is just smooth, supple, silky, and dewy, but not greasy or oily. This is a big plus for me, especially for a daily use product – sometimes you can’t stand around waiting for several minutes for a body product to sink in before you get dressed. Vine Body Butter super-hydrates the skin upon application, and you can get dressed immediately. Of course, feel free to take your time if you have a few minutes. In fact, it makes for an amazing massage cream.
The results are the best I’ve seen in a body butter. I especially noticed the change on hands. I realize I sound like a broken record lately in my reviews, but it is really cold here on the East Coast. And cold, windy weather always wrecks havoc on the skin on my hands. After apply Vine Body Butter after my shower each day, I’ll rub whatever I have left over on my hands. My hands look sooooo smooth and, well, like skin of a child. My nails look instantly buffed and cuticles are quickly tamed. If it can do that for my incredibly dry hands, I can’t wait to use it during summer to get super supple skin all over! In fact, numbering among my reasons that I wish winter would hurry up and pass include being able to show off how great it makes arms and shoulders look – really makes you resent having to bundle up instead of wearing a sleeveless top!
So how does it work? Like the rest of the Caudalie line, Caudalie Vinotherapie Vine Body Butter has highly effective, super hydrating and repairing ingredients. The Caudalie website product page mentions that it contains: “Grape Seed Butter, rich in Omega 6, Vitamin E, minerals and proteins and Grape Seed Oil to regenerate skin cells and fights effects of ageing, rich in Omega 6, Vitamin E. Caudalie exclusive ingredient, Vinolevure, which holds 100 times its weight in water, nourishes and strengthens. A Hydra-complex – from plant active ingredients, increases skin water reserves”. The tube also mentions shea butter, which works superbly in tandem with the other ingredients. These ingredients form a lipid layer on your skin to protect it. I am quite impressed at how well this layer works – I noticed that after several good hand washes, my hands still felt moisturized – this isn’t a cream you have to apply after every hand wash.
All in all, I’m thrilled to find Caudalie Vinotherapie Vine Body Butter. It makes skin look, feel, and smell phenomenal, and protects against future damage. The tube is 6.7 oz for $36, which is a great price considering the relatively small amount you have to use for good coverage. It also makes a fantastic gift – baby showers, brides, get well gift, etc – it’s a luxuriously enough product that everyone will think that you found them the product that addresses their exact need – even if it’s just to be pampered.
Find the amazing Caudalie Vinotherapie Vine Body Butter at Caudalie-USA.com.