Makeup Review : Paula's Choice Brow-Defining Cream Duo

I have a friend who has Sharpie brows.

You know them crazy eyebrows that are drawn on really thickly with what seems like a permanent marker?

Yeah, them Sharpie brows.

We are not close at all so it's not as if I can say something like, "You need to tone them down, babe, no offence, like!" #iamsuchameangirl

In fact, we live in different countries so thank goodness I never have to bump into her otherwise I would totally stare at those Sharpie brows.

Like, how can she not see that her brows are totally OTT???!!!

Anyway, what she needs to do is ditch that Sharpie and get onto Paula's Choice Brow-Defining Cream Duo because it is brow-lliant!  See what I did there?

Paula's Choice Brow-Defining Cream Duo is a nifty little brow kit which comes with a surprisingly good mini dual-ended brow brush.

The brow creams are a light blonde/brown and a darker brown - which you can mix together if you require an in-between shade.

For my Chinese brows, I only use the darker brown.

And you don't need to use a lot of product because the pigmentation is bold and strong.  Once the cream dries, it stays put.

Once upon a time, if I had time to apply only ONE makeup product, I would grab my lippie.  But nowadays, I've been defining my brows instead!!!

Paula's Choice Brow-Defining Cream Duo - love it because it gives strong brows without that Sharpie look.

Disclosure : Thanks to Paula's Choice for sending this for review.  I genuinely like it and would be happy to purchase this again.
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Review : Urban Decay Good Karma Optical Blurring Brush

Thanks to Nalini for requesting a review of the Urban Decay Good Karma Optical Blurring Brush I bought recently from Mecca Maxima.

So I'm not going to beat around the bush and I'm going to tell it to you straight - I almost love it.

I'm probably being overly critical as I had high hopes for it especially seeing as it was $35 for this brush.

Don't get me wrong because it looks great,  The handle is solid and it stands out from my other brushes.

Yes, the bristles are lovely and soft so it feels lovely on my skin...but it's a tad too soft.

Yes, it can buff.

BB cream and foundation look flawless (compared to applying it with fingers!) and I can see why it's called Optical Blurring.

But the bristles aren't dense enough to give the feeling of awesome buffing.  I don't know about you but I like that awesome buffing feeling on my face.

It's like massages - I like those super deep massages where it's hard to distinguish between pain and pleasure.

Does that make sense???

And that, my friends, is why I almost love this brush.  It only just missed the mark.

If you want the perfect foundation brush with that amazing buffing feeling, I would suggest paying a little bit extra for the Shiseido Perfect Foundation Brush $49 as it gets into those awkward spots and gives the best buffing.  

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Skincare Review : Obagi Professional-C Serum 10% & Hydrate Luxe Moisture-Rich Cream

Obagi.

Is it Oh-bag-ee or O-ba-zhee?

Anyhoo, let me profess my undying love for both of these products that entered my life thanks to the Obagi PR.

Obagi Professional-C Serum is indeed a potent miracle serum!

Let me tell you why...

As you know, I was pregnant over a year ago and since then, my facial skin has changed.  For the worse!

It had gone really dry, dull and lacklustre { from severe sleep deprivation } and don't even get me started on the post-pregnancy pigmentation!  Just EW!

At the end of last year, I went CRAZY using retinols, brightening serums, scar fading potions and it broke me out into this horrible, itchy, red, sandpaper rash.  It took a while for me to nurse my sandpaper skin back to its usual normal/dry skin condition but I finally got there.

However, the pigmentation and dullness still remained so I was in desperate need of some miracle skincare product to address that.

Luckily, the skincare gods answered my prayers in the form of Obagi Professional-C Serum.

Obagi Professional-C Serums come in 3 concentrations of L-Ascorbic Acid : -

• 20% for normal-to-oily skin
• 15% for most skin types
• 10% for dry, sensitive or reactive skin

And luckily, I was sent the 10% to use which suited my skin to a tee.

I use 7 drops every morning before sunscreen.

For the first few days, it stung a little bit when I applied the serum and it went flaky for a day or two until I exfoliated away the dead skin.

After 10 days of usage, I started noticing the AMAZING results.

I kid you not.

My skin looked brighter and I noticed that my pigmentation was starting to fade.

And then a few more days later, I felt that my skin was that much softer and it looked more plump too.

Obagi Professional-C Serum has seriously been a lifechanger!  It's one of those skincare products that has delivered fantastic results in a short period of time.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!  As much as I love Netflix!

As for Obagi Hydrate Luxe Moisture-Rich Cream, I save this for my evening skincare routine where I need full-on, no-holds-barred hydration for my uber dry skin and this thick luscious cream totally delivers!  It is SOOO good that I don't actually have to use a hydrating serum under it.  MAJOR LOVE!

Disclosure :  I was sent these Obagi products and I am SO GRATEFUL.  Highly recommended indeed!

Bargain Beauty Buys : MUD Matte Lip Creams

If you're needing a little pick-me-up to brighten your day, allow me to point you in the direction of these MUD Matte Lip Creams at only $5 a pop.  Bargain, right?

There are a range of colours so buy one first and if you like the matte texture, go back and buy more.

If you want to know how the MUD Matte Lip Creams look like on lips, I wore the Light Pink shade in the video above.

$5 at Woolworths.  You're welcome!

#prsamples
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Tried & Tested Trio : Crop Natural Skincare Oils

I've been PMS-ing this week, suffered extreme backache plus a mother of all migraines and you will get a moody bi-atchy me.

I hate taking so many painkillers because I feel that they make my head cloudy and I can't articulate my thoughts properly.

Luckily, I prepared this post earlier thanks to the "schedule" button.

Some time last year, I received a lovely care package from Crop Natural Skincare.  In amongst the goodies were these trio of oils :-

• Pure Rosehip Oil
• Pure Macadamia Oil
• Pure Argan Oil

I've finally decided whether I like them or not so here are my thoughts...

Crop Pure Rosehip Oil :  I have dry/sensitive skin so you would totally assume that my skin would drink this up right?  WRONG.  My skin didn't take to it at all.  But then again, it was going through a crazy irritated rashy phase when I trialled it.  However, it was great for cuticles and helped strengthen my nails too.

Crop Pure Macadamia Oil :  I used this as a cleansing oil to remove stubborn lipstick and it worked like a dream.

Crop Pure Argan Oil :  This is a multi-purpose oil with "all around care" but seeing as I was already treating my hands and face with the other 2 oils, I used this on my hair tips to see if it would help bring life back to my frazzled ends.  Sadly, no, it didn't repair those darned split ends but it gave my hair a shiny but not oily boost.

Now the best thing about these oils is that they only cost $18 each and they are available at Coles supermarkets { sorry non-Aussie ladies } so pop them into your trolley the next time you're there and report back on whether you liked them or not.

Thanks for reading and I shall hopefully have another blog post up soon once I chase away this damn headache/backache which won't stop plaguing me! xxx
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