KIKO Long Lasting Stick Eye Shadow

I have been buying a few products from KIKO lately because they are having sale. Lovely Kate from drivelaboutfrivol wrote a post about this eyeshadow stick from KIKO and I have been wanting to try them since then.

So when KIKO was having sale, I took the chance and picked up 2 of these stick eye shadows.

I picked up the shade #07 Golden Beige and #05 Rosy Brown. Later I realized how similar both shades are to my recent Rimmel Scandalous stick eyeshadow. 

Rosy Brown is a dirty brown shade, it looks dirtier and less bronzy than on the swatch below. It has a lot glitter particles but not in any way flaky. Golden Beige is a light shimmery champagne shade which is perfect for highlighting inner corner or lower lash line. Some people love it for highlighting the brow bones but it is too shimmery for it, imho.

Both shades are indeed very similar to the Rimmel ones that I also have, but once applied, they are less alike. As I said before, Rosy Brown is dirtier and leans more to 'taupe brown' on the lids while Bad Girl Bronze from Rimmel leans more to bronze-coppery shade. And Golden Beige leans more to gold while Bulletproof Beige leans more to peach.

These stick eyeshadows from KIKO are creamy, smooth and easy to apply. They don't tug on the lids and glide on very well. They are easier to blend in comparison to the Rimmel ones which dry up very quick. The sticks from KIKO  take longer time to dry up and set so we have more time to blend. 

I love the fact that they are shimmery and glittery so they are good worn alone. They have duo chrome effect which looks very nice on the lids.

The staying power is amazing. They don't budge , don't move, don't smudge, really long lasting. I also like the fact that they are retractable but have small tip so we can go without sharpener without worrying that the tip will get dull and difficult to apply.

I am overall very happy with the purchase, will definitely look at more shades !

Love,

Pam

Öl Magique

I rarely do any review for hair product mainly because I don't have that many hair care products ( in comparison to make up or skin care ) and also because my hair is very low maintenance. But this time I'll dedicate a full post for this particular hair oil.

L'oreal Paris Elvital Öl Magique ( or L'oreal paris elvive extraordinary oil in some countries ) is a hair oil that can be used for various purposes such as hair mask, hair smoother, heat protector, to give shine to dry hair, or even to be mixed with shampoo.

I got a small tester of this oil from magazine and I loved it the 1st time I used it so I picked up the full size bottle for 8,95€ / 100ml

First of all, I like to give plus point to the packaging. The bottle is well made and sturdy and the pump spender works really well. Nice packaging for drugstore product.

The oil has quite runny consistency. It is definitely not greasy and it has a silicon 'matte-powdery feeling' when you rub it on your hands ( If you are familiar with Benefit Porefessional, you know what I'm talking about ). I apply this oil regularly on my hair ends after I wash my hair. It absorbs really fast and doesn't leave oily residue. My hair doesn't feel greasy at all even though I have oily hair. This oil makes my hair smoother and feels like silk. One thing I noticed after 3 months of using this oil is that it helps to avoid split ends. I used to have problems with split ends since I often use flat or curling iron , but after this oil, everything's changed. My hair feels healthier and smoother and shinier ( not in oily way ) which is impressive since I color my hair once in a month so my hair is actually 'cursed' to be dry and damage but it is not. And it really reduces the appearance of split ends. 

The oil also has gorgeous scent. The scent is very 'high end like' and it stays on pretty well. A lot of people say this oil is packed with silicon, hence the 'smooth and silky' effect but I don't really care as long as it does good things to my hair. I've been using this oil for the past 3 months and my hair condition has improved a lot. I have before used Caudalie Hui Divine oil which is more expensive than this one but it did nothing to my hair. So I'll definitely repurchase this one from L'oreal , it is indeed holy grail material for me.

Do you use hair oil? what is your favorite?

Love,

Pam

Products I Regret Buying

As an impulsive person ( read : shopper ), it happens to me a lot that I buy things without thinking or researching about it first. So I have quite a list of products I regret buying. But I have recently sold them on a blogsale so here are the things that are still on the list :

MAC Plumful Lipstick - I know a lot of people love MAC lipsticks and this particular shade. But I just don't have enough luck with MAC lipsticks. I have tried some shades, from different kind of finish, but still I don't feel comfortable wearing them. Plumful was my last attempt to befriend with MAC lipstick, but still it failed. The shade is pretty I admit, but the formula is just not my preference.

Shu Uemura ft Karl Lagerfeld eye shadow palette - I bought it mainly because of the packaging and I thought it was such a nice collector item. It is a nice palette but the formula is not groundbreaking. I have seen another brands doing better job. The price is not cheap, so I expected excellent quality which is not the case for this one. I am still happy to have it on my dressing table but I wish I did more research about it before I bought it. 

Manhattan Glossy Lip Balm and KIKO Kiss Balm - Both have same problem ; too slippery and not moisturizing enough for a 'tinted lip balm' .

Essence Me & My Ice Cream Shimmer Pearls - I have only worn it once since I bought it because I am clueless on how to wear it the right way. It is a bit too 'pearly' as finishing powder and too 'matte' as highlighter. A lot of people like it but I just don't get the concept. 

ESSIE nail polish Tart Deco - I expected it to be more 'pastel' and less 'neon', but on my nails, it is a bit too neon for my liking. The formula is also such a hassle to apply, very gloopy and thick and streaky. It is such a popular shade so I thought it would be very nice, unfortunately not for me.

Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation - too greasy for my combination skin. The shimmers are visible on my face so I look like disco ball wearing this foundation. It would be best for people with dry to normal skin I guess.

Do you have products you wish you didn't buy?

Love,

Pam

Hyde Park

The lovely sleepandwater is pretty much guilty for making me want to try the NARS satin lip pencil so bad. So I went on some swatchparty at NARS counter on my visit to Paris. I remembered trying on 3 different shades on the lips and loving the texture the very first time it touched my lips. I finally decided for Hyde Park ( I wanted Yu as well but it was out of stock ) .

Hyde Park is a deep berry red. It has ( of course -.- ) satin finish as the name advised. I don't really like how it looks like when applied alone with full coverage, but I love how it looks like when it's blotted and then topped with a sheer lip balm for a subtle balmy finish ( thanks for the tips, Sleepandwater! ). When it's blotted, it leaves such a nice stain, looking like a sultry just bitten lips.

Worn alone

The stain after 4 hours ( incl. minor eating + drinking )

Blotted + Balm

On the texture, Hyde Park has a very pleasant texture. It glides on smoothly but in no sense creamy if that makes sense. The texture is unique that I haven't experienced from another brands. It doesn't settle into lip lines and it stays on for hours when applied alone ( when applied with balm, it doesn't stay as long as when it's applied alone ). It leaves  a very nice stain as well after few hours. The stain is even and looks like you're wearing lip tint.

The pigmentation is great, it literally needs 1 swipe only to look opaque. I remember the SA told me that the satin lip pencils are enriched with hyaluronic acid to moisturize the lips. I can't find the info anywhere on NARS website but the lip pencil is trully moisturizing, it feels very comfortable on the lips. 

I have already owned enough lip products to last 3 generations but I really think I need more NARS satin lip pencils in my life. ( Yu and Luxembourg, my eyes are on you! ) :p

NARS satin lip pencil retails for €25,- each.

Love,

Pam

Amour

This NARS Blush in Amour was the only thing I bought from the big Sephora Store in Champ Elysees on my recent trip to Paris. I was über excited to see a big Sephora but was very disappointed once I got inside. It was very crowded, the staffs were all busy and the testers were dirty and unorganized, so all the excitement just went away.

90% of the brands they carry are available in Germany so I went straight to brands that are not available in my country like Urban Decay, NARS, Too Faced, MUFE and Sephora own make up line. I wanted to see the famous Sephora black pencil eyeliner but the counter was soooo full I just couldn't be bother. There were nothing interesting as well at UD, Too Faced and MUFE counters ( which were so full as well ) so I headed straight to NARS which was miraculously empty. I did some swatches of the blushes and asked my bf to choose the color , he chose Amour so there it went to my shopping basket.

Packaging wise, I like the sleek black case. It's thin and compact, very simple and it has built in mirror with decent size so it's good for traveling. It is well made and weighs well on my hand grip. Only the rubber surface gets dirty very easy, it annoys me -.-

Amour is a matte warm rose pink with a very very slightly hint of peach.  NARS describes it as peachy pink but I think it leans more to rosy pink rather than peachy pink. It could appear quite 'red' as well. The texture is very soft but it is a little bit dry, the powder is finely milled though, not powdery at all. The blush is highly pigmented so be careful not to apply too much product. It needs a bit more blending because of the slightly dry texture but it gives a pretty flushed on the cheeks. The staying power is rather average I'd say. It stays on for 4-5 hours before starting to fade ( I get 7-8 hours with Burberry blushes ). The overall quality of the blush reminds me a lot of MAC blushes.

For the price ; 30€ / 4,8gr of product, I expected it to have excellent quality and a 'wow factor'. This blush from NARS is no doubt a great product, but it is very expensive. MAC blushes retail for 23,50€ / 6gr and Burberry blushes retail for 38€ / 7gr of product. That makes NARS the most expensive if we divide it per gramm. I'd rather pay 8€ more for Burberry blushes, get more product, better packaging, and better quality. 

I am happy with this purchase but the best blushes I have are still the ones from Burberry.

Do you have NARS blushes? Which shade is your favorite?

Love,

Pam