Review | La Roche Posay Respectissime Densifying Mascara Black

La Roche Posay is well known for their exceptional skin care ranges and now the brand is also delving into the world of makeup...with a difference! All their makeup is specifically targeted towards the needs of sensitive skin and eyes, namely mild, fragrance-free formulas that still deliver optimal results, and all products are backed up by scientific studies and approvals.

 

Today, I am happy to share with you my latest discovery from the brand... Respectissime Densifying Mascara. I have been using this mascara everyday this past week and all I have are words of praise for it!

First and foremost, let's have a look at the packaging. As is standard for LRP, the packaging is clean and sleek and the mascara is supplied in a box with the LRP logo in red (all makeup range carries the red logo as opposed to the blue one for skin care). The all black mascara tube conveys sophistication and who doesn't like that?!

The brush is a little different from what we are used to... it has a crescent shape which hugs the lashes and coats them from roots to tips effortlessly. I like that the wand is on the small side because it separates the lashes nicely and while coats can be built up, this mascara is the perfect complement for a natural day time look. That said, the pigmentation is extremely good and this one of the blackest mascaras I have ever tried.

One thing I noticed is that there is never any flaking or clumping all throughout the time I'm wearing this mascara and I have never experienced any irritation whatsoever, even while wearing contact lenses.

Respectissime Densifying Mascara boasts a fragrance and paraben free formula enriched with purified pigments, arginine and pro-vitamin B5 for thicker, stronger and more voluminous lashes. In fact, LRP claim that this mascara doubles up as a lash treatment and thicker, stronger lashes can be perceived in two weeks. With regards, thickness, I haven't seen much difference on my own lashes but I definitely think they have grown stronger considering that I never lost an eyelash when taking the mascara off at the end of the day.

Thereby as a concluding remark, I can definitely see myself recommending this mascara to people with sensitive eyes, contact lens wearers and anyone who wants thicker and more volumized lashes in general.

 

La Roche Posay Respectissime Densifying Mascara is available for sale from authorised pharmacies across Malta and Gozo. For more information about stockists and the LRP product range, check out the La Roche Posay Facebook page.

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Review | NYX Round Lipsticks LSS619 Flower & LSS627 Fusion

When NYX opened their first store in Malta last summer, the products I wanted to try most were the Round Lipsticks which are very popular in the blogosphere and they always get very good reviews.

 

I have finally added two of these lipsticks in my collection, namely LSS619 Flower and LSS627 Fusion. Both have sleek, black packaging and the bullets go all the way down...a must for me so as not to nick the lipstick when replacing the cap.

 

One thing I'm fond of with these lipsticks is the swatch at the base so if you store your lipsticks upside down, you know which colour to pick. Also, being so small, these lipsticks are great to pop even in the tiniest of bags.

 

The formula of these lipsticks is very creamy indeed and glides on to deliver optimum colour pay-off that lasts for a good number of hours. Flower is a blue-based medium pink whilst Fusion is an iridescent plum shade. Both feature a pearly finish and feel very moisturising on the lips.

 

NYX Round Lipstick LSS619 Flower

NYX Round Lipstick LSS627 Fusion

As a concluding remark, I definitely recommend these lipsticks to beginners and professionals alike and I cannot wait to add more colours to my collection!

NYX Round Lipsticks are available at the NYX Cosmetics store on Tower Road in Sliema and retail for around €5 if I'm not mistaken.

 

Which Round Lipstick shades do you recommend me to get?

Review | E.L.F. Glitter Mascara in Gold & Silver

E.L.F. Cosmetics have recently introduced Glitter Mascara as part of their Essential line and I bought the Silver and Gold variations to use during the past holiday season to add a little bit of glitz to my makeup looks.

 

While I may be a bit late in posting this, read on to see what I think about these mascaras; and besides, who says glitter has to be left just for party season?!

 

 

The packaging didn't impress me much to be honest but I do like the transparent part and the innovative applicator.

 

 

The applicator grooves fit the lashes nicely and I found it very practical to apply the glitter mascara on top of a regular one with this kind of applicator. You do however, need multiple coats for the glitter to show up. That said, I like the fact that the glitter is evenly distributed and the intensity can be built up according to taste. Unfortunately I could not get the glitter mascara to show up on camera so I took hand swatches instead.

 

 

Both of these glitter mascaras lasted until I took them off and I didn't experience any irritation whatsoever near my eyes while using them. You best bet to remove the mascara effectively without having glitter all over your face is to use a cotton disc soaked in waterproof makeup remover and leave it on your eyes for a few seconds before gently swiping it away from your face.

 

E.L.F. Glitter Mascara retails for €3.04 from the E.L.F. Cosmetics website.

Review | Essence Gel Nails At Home Clear Gel Top Coat

A while back, Essence has launched the Gel Nails At Home system which comprises everything you need to have your nails done by yourself and still have that gel finish as in salons. I was intrigued to try the Clear Gel Top Coat as I had been looking for a good gel top coat at the time.

 

Gel top coats that work with regular nail polish are extremely hard to find but this one does just that! It is designed to work with any Essence nail polish (no gel polish needed) but you do need a UV lamp to cure it. You can also opt to buy the range's own LED lamp. Anyways, back to the Top Coat.

 

It is supplied in a coated brown glass bottle that holds 7ml of product and it also comes neatly packaged in a small carton box.

 

 



The consistency of this top coat is rather thick so always be careful not to overload the brush as if the gel top coat leaks onto the cuticles and nail wall, it results in the polish just peeling off after a couple of days. However, despite the consistency being thick, it easy to work with and doesn't end up thick on the nails. Furthermore, the brush is a good size too even for my narrow nail bed.

 

 

This top coat imparts a high shine look to any manicure and it stays like that throughout the time of wear, which on my natural nails is a week. After that, you can opt to peel off the manicure especially if you have used the peelable base coat; I prefer to remove the manicure with a gel polish remover though.

 

 

I have tested the top coat with various brands of polish and it still works brilliantly. All you have to do after curing it for 1 minute under the LED lamp (2 minutes under UV), is cleanse your nails with the nail cleaner to remove the tacky layer. Alternatively, you may opt to use alcohol instead.

I highly recommend this top coat and with its price tag of just €4 you won't break the bank for sure!

For a list of outlets stocking the Essence Gel Nails At Home system, check out the Essence Cosmetics Malta Facebook page.

Review | Lierac Paris Mesolift Serum

When it comes to skin care, everyone loves a little bit of pampering and sometimes splurging on just one product can do trick. Luxury French skin care brand Lierac Paris fits the bill when it comes to the ultimate in skin care and today I will be sharing you a must-have product from this high-end label; enter Mesolift Serum.

 

I was first introduced to Lierac Paris last year when I was invited to attend the introductory meeting and subsequently the official launch by PharmaMT who are the importers of the brand. Of course on both occasions we were given some products to test drive (click to read my thoughts on the Tonique Éclat and Gommage Douceur) and now it's time to share my thoughts about this serum.

The packaging already indicates that is a luxurious product...an orange glass bottle with a glass dropper, nicely packed in a matching box which also includes an information leaflet.

 

 

The actual serum is light orange in colour and has a faint smell which I cannot really assimilate. It has a very fluid texture compared to other serums and thanks to that, you only need a small amount of product. The formula feels very fresh and it is rapidly absorbed into the skin. 

 

Mesolift Serum boasts a concoction of vitamins (A, C, E, B5, B6), minerals (Iron, Calcium, Magnesium, Copper, Zinc, Manganese) and Hyaluronic Acid known as Mesolift Cocktail which is targeted towards re-energizing the deep skin tissues and to help your complexion look more radiant, plum and toned. Mesolift Serum contains a 15% concentration of the Mesolift cocktail to combat the signs of dehydration, appearance of fine lines and loss of tonicity as well as loss of radiance. 

 

I like to use the dropper and apply half a drop of my forehead and a drop on each cheek and then use my fingers to massage the serum after cleansing and toning and before applying moisturiser. It is recommended to use the serum for at least 4 consecutive weeks and you can continue using it all year round. I personally use it every night and have seen a difference in the way my skin looks and feels.

 

This is actually my first serum and I can definitely see the benefits of using such a product...I'm not 15 anymore so my skin needs that extra boost to help it maintain a youthful appearance and I'm glad I found it in Mesolift Serum.

 

Consequently, I definitely recommend this product. I would describe the serum as a pick-me-up for the skin especially after night duties at work...my skin never looks fatigued or dehydrated anymore!

 

Lierac Paris products can only be bought from authorised retailers. For stockists and further information, please like the Lierac Malta Facebook page.

 

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