Product Comparison: Revlon vs Jordana - Balm Stains.

I've been a fan of Revlon's Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains since they were released in NZ. I own 5 of them and if anyone was to ask I would've recommended them without fail. That was until 2 days ago when I received an order from Beauty Joint, a US site. I had heard little murmurings about the Jordana Twist & Shine Balm Stains, and for US$3.49 I thought they were worth a go. Revlon sells for around NZ$20 depending where you buy them, so I was hopeful for a good dupe!

I wasn't disappointed!

I brought 2 shades, Candied Coral and Tropical Frenzy. It was after trying Tropical Frenzy that I realized it was similar to Revlon's Sweetheart Valentine. 

I found Revlon's Sweetheart Valentine to be a tad unwearable for me, I found the shade didn't look right on me so it had been just sitting around unused. It's a bright pink and can build up to be very very pink! This smells of mint which is nice but undetectable once applied.

Jordana's Tropical Frenzy is a bright pink too but for some reason it actually suits me, even though it is so similar to Revlon's. It has more of a gloss to it and I feel it is more moisturising. The smell of these balm stains is very sweet and makes me reminiscent to my childhood for some reason, I can't pin down what it is but I remember the smell from something! 

They both leave a similar stain too (I swiped a tissue over the swatches)

I have definitely got plans to collect more of Jordana's balm stains, while they only have a few shades they look really nice. 

Cat x

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My First Sleek Makeup Impression

Years ago I was seeing a lot of Sleek in blogs and really wanted to try something but when I looked online their site wouldn't ship to New Zealand. Over the years I have seen the odd item for high prices so never really bothered, until I saw someone mention they order from their site. So I revisited and found they did ship and for a very reasonable cost. This order cost $5 to deliver and came in 6 days!

My first impression was of course the packaging. Wow. For the price it has exceptional packaging! Very.... Sleek! 

I was really excited when I saw the colours in the i-Divine Candy palette. The eye shadows are nicely pigmented and I really look forward to playing with them for different looks. I don't own any palettes with colours like these as I'm more of a neutrals girl (I am ashamed to say I own Naked 1, Naked 2, Naked Basics and the Balm Nude'Tude palette!) So I wanted to play around with colour and for US$10 you can't go wrong with this I say. On my initial first play with these I found these creamy with no fall out which was great. I shy from shimmery shades but they are actually my favourite in this palette! Pear Drop looked outrageous to me but when I tried it on it is actually a very pretty subtle colour. This cost me around NZ$12 (US$10).

I also heard great things about their Matte Me lippys. Someone referred to them like the Limecrime Velvetines. Having not tried Limecrime I can't judge but I was interested in trying a matte liquid lipstick. I got two shades, petal and party pink. Petal is an excellent everyday pink. Party Pink tho is anything but everyday! It is a bright in your face coral colour, which I think, on me, resembles more red then pink. Once applied it dries matte in no time. Hugely pigmented, one coat was enough. Once dried it doesn't move! I had a hard time scrubbing it off! Petal is much the same, maybe an extra coat is needed, it's more subtle and easier to remove. To me its a lot more wearable due to its colour. These whereabouts NZ$8.50 (USD$6.99)

I also ordered a few eyeliners, their cheaper one at NZ$3.00 (USD$2.49) is a kohl pencil which I got in white for my waterline, it's not as pigmented or creamy as I hoped but it's still a good pencil for its price. It doesn't irritate my eyes which is something that happens to me a lot! I also got a black pencil from their Eau La La line, NZ$7.90 (USD$6.49) this also doesn't irritate and while not being the blackest pencil I've come across its stay ability is good from my swatch. I also grabbed a liquid Dip It eyeliner NZ$7.28 (USD$5.99) I like the applicator on this but it's not as pigmented as I'd like but a second swipe fixes it. 

Overall I am really happy with my purchases and will be going back for more! 

Cat x

#thefrankeffect First Date With Frank

Ok, if you use Instagram you've probably come across pictures of #thefrankeffect. If not, then let me tell you about my first impression of Frank.

I first came across Frank on Instagram, pictures of glowing, smooth, toned and beautiful skin. Everyone seemed to be getting it on with Frank and I became insanely envious. So I clicked on the link to see how I could meet Frank in person. For AUD$14.95 plus AUD$4.95 delivery I thought it was worth trying. The following week, Frank was with me all the way from Australia. 

I didn't want to rush things so it was a few days before it went any further for Frank and I. On the night I decided to see how Frank felt it was muggy and thunder was booming outside. Hearing rain falling I was glad I was in for the night with my Frank. 

After showering I was ready.

This is where I found Frank had only four moves to seal the deal. Frank demands "Get naked, get dirty, get rough, get clean" and boom, you're left with his scent and a lovely afterglow, Frank sure knows how to leave his mark.

My #thefrankeffect experience.

With damp skin I rubbed a couple of handfuls of Frank into my skin, left it to dry for 5 minutes then jumped back in the shower to rinse off. I didn't need to moisturize after, my skin was completely hydrated and smooth. Frank is definitely messy though, I stood in my bathtub to apply and it was completely covered by the end. 

Now to the morning after, I'm slightly in love with Frank. My skin is moisturised and smooth, and every now and then I get a slight whiff of coffee.

If your interested in Frank I couldn't recommend it enough!

Frank is an Australian brand and is available worldwide. You can get some at Frank It comes in 200g sealable bags.

Ingredients: (found on back of pack)

Roasted and ground arabic coffee (targets cellulite)
Cold pressed sweet almond oil (moisturises and improves skintone)
Brown Sugar and sea salt (smooth lumps and bumps)
Vitamins and minerals (work on the outside in)
Orange essence (smells nice) I couldn't actually detect the orange over the smell of the coffee.

On the site they state:

A humble coffee scrub packed with minerals and essential oils for smooth, supple skin, and antioxidants to treat stretch marks, scars and acne. 

With its high caffeine content Frank also increases blood flow and circulation to reduce the appearance of cellulite.

I can't say whether it does improve cellulite or stretch marks as this is my first impression. I don't have stretch marks so i can't judge that but i may review again later in regards to cellulite as like most i do have a little on my thighs.

Of course you could make your own, I have seen a few coffee scrubs on youtube and pinterest. But i quite like my Frank and think I'll be sticking with it :)

Cat x

Products I've Used Up - Skin and Haircare.

I thought I'd do a post as to some empties I've been hoarding, don't ask me why I've kept this stuff, I sometimes have separation issues I guess. 

I'll start with haircare. 

I have used up a Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repair Masque in a 100ml tube. I have repurchased a 250ml tub as I love this stuff! The smell is delicious and it leaves my hair so smooth and manageable. I use it after I wash my hair, I squeeze any excess water then apply I pretty big blob of it (probably too much as I'm quite wasteful like that!) the I comb it thru. I keep it in for roughly seven minutes then rinse out. I do this fortnightly if I'm styling my hair a lot, but if not I save it for when my hair is stressed... Or if I plan on stressing it out! 

The Macadamia Natural Oil Healing Oil Treatment is another story. I thought I'd love it. I love Moroccan Oil, but this Oil just didn't seem to leave my hair feeling as good. It actually felt dry after applying. I don't know why as it has great reviews. I just noticed there is a little in the bottom left, I pretty much sighed with relief when the pump stopped squirting it and announced it finished! I brought my Macadamia products from Beauty Bay

Next empty is a tube of Whitening Lightning teeth whitening pen. I'm no expert on teeth whitening but I do like this product. I have tried the Crest teeth whitening strips but found they made my teeth sensitive so that was a fail. This products does not cause any sensitivity for me, this is my second pen, but it also doesn't provide a deep whitening. It does do surface stains for me and it brightens. Great to do the night before an event as it will brighten your smile. I apply this after brushing my teeth at night and sleep with it on. I brought mine from Whitening Lightning

Now skincare! 

Origins Make A Difference Skin Rejuvenating Treatment. Oh my, this is my holy grail pot of gold. I have two empty pots... And no replacement :( This stuff is so expensive for me to source here in NZ! And last I saw they had changed it so I haven't tried the new one. This however balanced out my skin, I have dry combination skin, I do break out on my chin (hormonal) but this just settled everything! The smell is so nice too, very orangey, would leave me feeling very fresh.... Can you tell I miss it? 

Caudalie Beauty Elixir, I have used two little 30ml bottles of this. The first bottle, I wondered what all the hype was, but when I ran out I felt the need to repurchase. I liked it enough, but it wasn't a complete necessary to my routine. The bottle is very pretty though! I brought mine from Feel Unique

EOS lip balm in Strawberry Sorbet. Ok, New Zealand needs to stock these everywhere, but not for $14 dollars like I paid! I also have a near empty Mint flavour one floating around somewhere which is my preferred flavour but these lip balms are great for my lips. I didn't suffer any dry lips while using them. And they're cute too!

REN Hydra-Calm Cleansing Milk, this cleanser is for sensitive skin. It was a beautiful cleanser, very gentle, non irritant, didn't cause me to break out. Over all did the job. BUT I'm a foamy cleanser kinda girl, I find cleanser creams just don't do it for me. I hear they are better especially for dry skin but I have found a holy grail cleanser that does tick all my boxes... So sorry REN, no repurchase. As for the eye cream, it was ok, didn't irritate, moisturised... That was about it. 

L'oreal Youth Code Luminosity Serum and Day Cream. Ok, the day cream I love. It does illuminate the skin, I love my makeup to have a dewy look and this helps when used beforehand. It also keeps my skin hydrated all day. The serum was ok. But I didn't feel the need to repurchase as it claims it is extraordinary... No, no it's not, in my opinion. It didn't fade any dark spots I have that I noticed either. Its not bad, just not needed. 

Michael Todd True Organics, Citrus Cream Moisturizer, Cranberry Antiox toner and Intensive Eye Cream. Ok, I swear by Michael Todd! I started off with one of those little skincare sample packs, which is where the toner came from. I'm not big on toner but I've been missing this one. I've just made an order for a full size. The smell is very natural, the cranberry scent left my skin with a refreshed feeling. I feel it lived up to its description. The eye cream I have repurchased, as far as eye creams go this one is pretty good. Definitely kept my eye area hydrated, smooth and didn't irritate. I should mention my eyes irritate easily! As for the citrus Moisturizer, it was good, I wasn't wowed by the scent, but it hydrated my skin, absorbed nicely without leaving it greasy, even tho it is quite a thick consistency. My one gripe with these products is the packaging. I hate when I can't see how much product I have left! All though you can unscrew the pump easily on the moisturizer. Not so on the eye cream. I buy my products direct from Michael Todd

I hope someone found something useful in my mini reviews. In the future I will probably not have such a large post. Now I think I should throw this trash out! 

Cat x

Product comparison- Stila vs Maybelline

I have two products that I find very similar but to me there is one that is a stand out. Stila Smudge Pot, in shade Kitten, and Maybelline Color Tattoo 24hr Metal eyeshadow, in shade Barely Branded. 

They are different colours but its not the colour that I would like to talk about!

Barely Branded is the left swatch, Kitten is the right.

I'll start by talking about Stila. They state that it is a gel eye liner or eye shadow. I like this shade for all over the lid, either as a base, highlighting the inner part of my eye, or just all on its own for a fresh neutral look. Kitten is a nude, pink shimmer. When I first brought it, for NZD$25, from UK based site Beauty Bay I was surprised to open it and find a very dry formula. It doesn't really apply smoothly and can come out lumpy. I usually use it with my finger, trying to warm it can help slightly. But even with a brush its not the easiest to use. It lasts ok on the lid but I wouldn't call it long lasting.... Not compared to my other product.

Maybelline Color Tattoo, in Barely Branded, is a nude metallic shimmer, it is less pink toned then Kitten. Compared to Kitten when I swiped my finger in this it felt so smooth! It applies like a dream, no clumping or dragging. I like to use this in the same way as Kitten. I think the shade is a lot nicer for my skin tone too. And the lasting power? It is very long lasting! The swatch above on my arm was such a mission to clean off. Kitten came straight off... Barely Branded is still lingering!

Oh and I only paid NZD$13 for Barely Branded. Here in New Zealand prices vary, and I do tend to try and look around for the best price. I have a few other colors which I've brought either from UK based site Feel Unique or NZ stores Farmers or mybeautystore

Cat x