Review | Christian Louboutin Rouge Louboutin Silky Satin Lipstick

For my last birthday, my boyfriend earned a lot of brownie points for gifting me with one of the Christian Louboutin lipsticks I had been lusting over ever since I learnt they were to be released. I already owned the Rouge Louboutin nail polish so my boyfriend went for the matching shade of lipstick, which also has the same name, and has a Silky Satin finish.

Just like the nail polish, the lipstick comes in a lush presentation box - shiny and black all over with a red stripe in the middle all around it's perimeter. On opening, the lipstick rests in a plastic mould covered in soft, red felt. The lipstick is encased in the most exquisitely adorned metal case that definitely has some weight to it. The cap comes with a loop through which you can thread a chain or use the string that comes with the lipstick to wear the lipstick as a statement necklace, but with its weight I doubt anyone is courageous enough to let it dangle from their neck.

The inspiration behind the packaging of these lipsticks is Queen Cleopatra and her love of all things opulent and rich; this is what makes these lipsticks covetable objets d'art. 

The lipsticks are offered in three finishes - Silky Satin, Sheer Voile and Velvet Matte with each finish having a different case and cap to the other two. The colour selection is nothing out of the ordinary but there is your usual span of colours ranging from the nudes to darker, deeper shades. All three finishes of Rouge Louboutin come in a black case while all the other colours come in a gold case.

Rouge Louboutin Silky Satin comes in a shiny black case with what remind me of mermaid tail scales at the very bottom. The same design features in the silver part of the cap while the gold part has pointy studs all around. The inside of the cap is red, much like the red soles on Louboutin shoes and there is the Louboutin logo printed on the gold part of the lipstick case. There is no logo on the lipstick bullet and the colour looks matte at first.

I have to say that this lipstick has very good pigmentation and the colour does not bleed. It lasts for a good number of hours and I like that it fades uniformly to a stain all over the lips so you are not left with patchy lipstick. The formula feels very comfortable on the lips and it doesn't feel dry even after the colour fades.

Rouge Louboutin Silky Satin
just applied (left); after 6 hours (right)

Now I'm sure you know these lipsticks retail for a whopping £60 (roughly €85) which is way too expensive for a lipstick however, I still think they would make a nice gift for beauty junkies and Louboutin fans.

Would you buy a lipstick this expensive? Let me know in the comments below :)

Event | Vichy Dermablend [3D Correction] Launch

Last Friday, a rather chilly and rainy evening saw me excited to get to the Xara Lodge in Rabat, one of the most lavish settings on our islands for the launch of the newest foundation to join Vichy's Dermablend line, Dermablend [3D Correction]. I have to admit that I was really excited and curious to see what it is all about following my experience with Dermablend 16hr Fluid Foundation, so I braved the rain and cold and made my way there.

Upon arriving, a glass of red wine was waiting to warm me up, and of course, I gladly accepted it. We were then shown to the main red carpet area, where the presentations took place. Mr. Peter Apap, one of the directors of Prohealth Ltd., made his introductions which were followed by a brief yet thorough presentation by Ms. Jackie Vella, the brand manager for Vichy in Malta. The event also marked the first year of Vichy Dermablend line in Malta.

Mr.Peter Apap (top) and Ms. Jackie Vella delivering their addresses and presentations

Here is a brief introduction to Dermablend 3D. If you are familiar with the Dermablend range, you would know that is aimed at being more of a solution to a better quality of life and self-esteem.  It all started in 1981, thanks to Dr. Craig Roberts, who created a full coverage foundation with high tolerance to help improve the appearance of skin suffering from a variety of skin conditions. We all know how important and what a confidence boost it is to look and feel good, and for this reason, Dermablend has proven to be the perfect solution for people suffering from vitiligo, rosacea, dark spots, angioma, birth marks, scars, etc. Moreover, Dermablend provides a natural finish despite its full coverage - something not many foundations have mastered yet.

Apart from skin discolouration and uneven tone, one of the most common skin problems is acne, where the individual usually presents with raised, red pustules and pimples that are otherwise very difficult to cover up and still have a natural look. For this reason, Dermablend 3D was introduced.

This foundation, with its whipped cream texture, is capable of turning 3D imperfections into 2D in three steps - cover, level, treat. The foundation is composed of purified minerals that give it an airy texture and permit it to cover imperfections while maintaining a natural finish. Dermablend 3D is also the first foundation that is capable of levelling the skin surface immediately and day after day thanks to its Alliagel Technology (resurfacing gel mix). Lastly, Salicylic Acid and Eperuline contribute towards treating the spots.

Next, it was time for Ms. Allison Depriestre to work her magic on her three models for the night - we got to see how acne is completely covered up with Dermablend [3D Correction], full coverage of vitiligo where she also used the Dermablend Concealer Stick and lastly, we got to witness the last model's secret; she rubbed some Purete Thermal 3 in 1 Cleanser on her arm and shoulder, and two tattoos were revealed! Yes, the Dermablend Total Body Foundation, even covers up tattoos!

Tattoo cover-up

A reception rounded up the event where me and fellow blogger  Maya enjoyed sampling this innovative foundation texture and other products from the Vichy Dermablend range and we even had a Polaroid taken ;) I am really looking forward to give this foundation a go asap!

Vichy Dermablend [3D Correction] is available in 4 nuances and will be for sale in pharmacies. For more information, go like the Vichy Facebook page.

Vichy Dermablend is changing the colour of the tubes, and all products in the range will now have a black tube instead of white.

Flormar Cosmetics | Haul & First Impressions

A couple of weeks ago, I finally found some time to visit the recently opened Flormar store in Paola along with my makeup partner in crime, Marija.

The shop is very centrally located and we didn't have any difficulties finding it at all. I really liked the store setup - all sleek and very professional looking and the colourful products really stand out against an all black background. Having said that, lighting in the shop is very good even if you want to try, say, a foundation shade. After ohhing and ahhing over all the beautiful products, I settled on a few picks to try out the brand.

I have used most of these products already and thus I can share a few first impressions. Starting with the nail polishes, so far I have used three out of the four nail products that I got and two of them fit this year's choice of Pantone Colours of the Year, Serenity and Rose Quartz. I think I nailed the shades with Italian Travertine (pink) and Cookie Monster (blue) which were just €2.95 each. I have also been loving the Calcium Gel Base Coat (€4.50) as my nails have really improved in strength now that I have switched to it. Now I look forward to see how the CC polish performs. The latter was one of the products that really stimulated my curiosity and I was happy to see it comes in different shades of nude to match every skin tone. I have the shade 004 Pure Beige and again this was €4.50.

I also got the much hyped about MatTouch Foundation and I could immediately see what the hype is all about as soon as I tried it in the store. I got the lightest shade, M308 Fair Ivory which is still a tad too dark for me but I made it work with some lightening drops. The foundation offers high coverage so I do recommend a light hand with it as it can look cakey. Building up coverage is key with this foundation so do take your time blending it in. I'm a big fan of the frosted glass bottle too as I think it adds a touch of sophistication, also the pump dispenser makes for easier control over the amount of product you pump out. This foundation costs €12.95.

Next, I have the Twist Up Lipstick in the shade Raspberry (€7.95) and this is probably my favourite product from the whole haul. I like the concept and colour as well as the colourful packaging though I would have preferred if the lipstick went all the way down so as not to damage it when replacing the cap. This lipstick lasts for a good number of hours and it has the same vanilla smell as MAC lipsticks.

Another exciting product is the High Performance Rotating Volume Mascara. As the name implies, the mascara starts rotating at the push of a button to give you more volumised lashes. I really like the novelty of it and I admit I am always excited to use it!  I like the results with this mascara and even though it is not waterproof, it does last me throughout the day. At €15.95, it is the most expensive item in this haul.

Lastly, I have a limited edition (?) Dazzling Eye Shadow (€9.95) from the Fatal Attraction collection. I got the shade 05 Action which is a sort of metallic brown with burgundy undertones. I really like the outer packaging of this eyeshadow with the felt design and the houndstooth embossed motif in the eyeshadow pan itself. I'm not keen on the actual packaging though cos it looks a little cheap. The pigmentation of this eyeshadow is insane! The same can be said for the lasting power so I am really happy with it.

Overall, I have formed a very good fist impression of Flormar and will be returning there soon as I already have my eyes on a few more pieces. If you haven't already, I encourage you to go pay the store a visit and I can assure you you won't be disappointed. The staff are really helpful and that completes a fantastic store experience!

Flormar is located right opposite Sunlab in Paola, next to Eurosport in Antoine de Paule Square. Also, don't forget to like their Facebook page to keep updated :)

Beauty Night Out at the Melita Health & Beauty Clinic

In celebration of International Women's Day yesterday, Melita Health & Beauty Clinic invited us over for a fun night surrounded by top makeup and skin care brands. 

Melita Health & Beauty Clinic boasts a wide range of skin care and makeup services, all carried out by professionals in their respective fields. Furthermore, the premises cater for bachelorette parties and baby showers - both occasions that celebrate women at their best :)

We were offered a 15% discount on the night so I bought a Sleek MakeUP Eye & Cheek Palette in the shade A Midsummer's Dream and a Matte Me Ultra Smooth Matte Lip Cream in the shade Birthday Suit. They were also very kind to give us a makeup bag filled with loads of samples - I always love minis as they perfect to take on travels :)

Thank you Melita Health & Beauty Clinic for this fun beauty night out!

Melita Health & Beauty Clinic is located at 72, St. George's Street, St. Julian's. Like their Facebook page to stay in the know :)

Monthly Favourites | February

This month was probably the most hectic I've had in a while and since we didn't go out much, makeup wasn't really something I spent a lot of time on - I lived the absolute majority of the month in joggers doing housework (except when I was working obviously) so I didn't really get to experiment.

Somehow, I do have some new favouites. First off, my fresh hair cut! I really needed a change and around the middle of the month I decided to go for the chop! My hair is now in a short bob style which took some time to get used to again but I'm really loving it!

I have also tried out some new skin care, mainly Teoxane Eye Contour which deserves a full review and I am planning on publishing that soon. All I am going to say for now is that I have seen a remarkable difference in my under eye circles. Sadly though, I accidentally dropped it once and the metal head detached itself from the rest of the bottle :(

Next is this Victoria's Secret Scandalous perfume which I got from my last trip to London. Now that I have all my perfumes organized again (another thing I am loving this month), I thought of trying this one out and I'm in love! This perfume really does give me a confidence boost and it won't be long before I buy the full sized version.

I finally got the chance to try Flormar and my favourite products so far have been the Calcium Nail Gel and the Twist Up Lipstick in the shade Raspberry. The latter has a very nice shade that I think will suit most skin tones and it lasts for a very long time on the lips. Lately my hands and nails have been in need of a lot more TLC and this Calcium Gel has been God-send. My nails have started regaining their thickness and strength from the first use so this product will definitely go down in my must-haves list. Another nail polish that I have worn quite a lot this month is Essie Chinchilly which is kind of a dark taupe that goes with literally everything.

Speaking of TLC for my hands, The Body Shop's Frosted Plum hand cream is once again my hand cream of choice when on the go; and when I'm at home, especially before going to bed, I switch to the richer formula of Planter's Natural & Young Aloe Vera cream and wake up to soft hands.

So I guess I did get to experiment to a certain extent this month ;) Which products have been your favourites this month?