Estee Lauder Crystal Baby 04 Illuminating Powder Gelee Blush Review & Swatches

At first glance, I thought 'Crystal Baby' was the Estee Lauder Gelee Blush in 'Tease' that I regrettably did not buy from last year's collection. Of course, knowing how much I blamed myself for not picking up Tease, I was not going to let this one go that easily !

Estee Lauder describes their Gelee blushes as a "tri-blend" of a liquid, gel and power all in one. To be honest, I am not quite sure as to what that means. From my experience, I do not think that Crystal Baby can be used as blush since the pigmentation is very sheer. On the cheeks, it shows up as a very faint light pink with a silver/pink sheen. As for the texture, it is definitely very smooth and silky ! It almost feels a bit like a mousse in my opinion.

Despite how metallic this illuminator looks in the pan, it does appear very subtle on the cheeks. I find that even when I use a semi-dense brush with this highlighter, I never appear 'disco ball looking'. A very fool-proof product I must say *thumbs up*

All in all, Crystal Baby is a gorgeous pinky highlighter and would also look amazing when layered on top of a blush for an extra glowy effect. Definitely worth picking up in my opinion :)

[ Summary ]
color: cool-toned, light baby pink
finish: shimmery sheen
pigmentation: sheer
texture: soft and silky
price: HKD 320
size: 6 g 0.21oz

Hope this was helpful !

Chansie

Dior Pavillon Mono Eyeshadow #541 (Summer 2014 Transat Edition) Review & Swatches

I originally wasn't planning on purchasing any items from the Dior Transat collection but once I swatched Pavillon on the back of my hand, I was sold. 

It is a gorgeous shimmering peach colour with quite a strong golden undertone. On my pale complexion, I can definitely see slight hints of pink in it but nothing dramatic. 

One of the major selling points of Pavillon for me is that on my skintone, I can easily finish my eyeshadow look by just applying this all over the lids. Not only does it give me just the right amount of peachy-ness to my lids, but it also has an extremely flattering brightening effect to it. Good for those days where I look like I pulled an all-nighter !

If you ever get a chance to play around with Pavillon, you will notice that it does have quite a bit of dimension to it. In different lightings and angles, the colour will be slightly different; thus, it makes an amazing one shadow look ! 

For those who have medium-deeper complexions, I would recommend that you dampen your brush before applying this shadow if you really want that colour to pop. Otherwise, it would make a lovely peachy highlighting colour in the inner corners or even just on the balls of your eyes !

Like always, I apply a primer underneath my eyeshadows and with Pavillon, I have no issues with creasing !

Overall, I think Pavillon is a great product and a great buy! But whether or not it is worth the price (HKD 275), thats for you to decide :) 

[ Summary ]

color: warm peach with golden undertones

finish: shimmery metallic sheen

pigmentation: sheer 

texture: creamy, blendable

price: HKD 275

size: 2.2 g 0.07 oz.

Hope this helps and thanks for dropping by,

Chansie 

TiZO2 Solar Protection Formula Light Skin Formulation SPF 40 Review & Photos

Before reviewing this sunscreen, I thought it would be helpful if I gave some background information on some of the differences between physical and chemical sunscreens and why/when I would prefer one over the other. ** disclaimer: I am no professional in this field. Just an average girl who likes to research this kind of stuff :) **

Physical Sunscreen: 

- how does it work: acts as a physical barrier to block the sun rays from coming in contact with the skin (UV rays are NOT absorbed into the skin)
- ingredient: only Titanium Dioxide & Zinc Oxide
- texture: usually thick, heavy, greasy and leaves a white cast on the skin
- application: skin is protected immediately after application
- safety: FDA approved

Chemical Sunscreen: 

- how does it work: absorbs the UV rays, preventing them from harming the skin  

- ingredient: Oxybenzone, Avobenzone, Helioplex, Octinoxate, many more ... 

- texture: light, runny, watery, absorbs quickly into the skin

- application: skin is protected approximately 20 minutes after application 

- safety: many ingredients are not FDA approved but are still used in some products

Easy ways to tell the difference ?

1. look at the ingredients list (does it contain high amounts of titanium dioxide/zinc oxide?) 
2. take notice of the texture of the sunscreen (runny or thick?) 

Why use sunscreen ? 

- prevents skin cancer (from UV rays) 

- prevents premature aging (from UVA rays) 

- prevents burns (from UVB rays)

Why don't we just avoid the sun then ? 

One of the main reasons is that we need UVB rays to trigger our bodies to "synthesize", or make, vitamin D3. On top of that, it is generally safe to say that it is impossible to 100% avoid exposure to these sun rays; therefore, the better option would just be to simply use the right protection. 

Now to the review ... 

This Solar Protection Formula sunscreen was actually recommended to me by my dermatologist. I always knew that physical sunscreens were the better route to go but I never found one that wasn't greasy and heavy on my skin. Since I am the type to cringe at the slightest touch of sticky/tacky skin, applying the typical greasy sunscreen on my face would just simply be torturous, especially during the hot, humid summer months. This physical sunscreen, specifically, does not leave any oily residue at all. In fact, it actually helps me mattify my face (like a primer) before I apply my makeup. Amazing right ? :D 

This TiZO2 sunscreen claims to be "very water resistant" and I completely agree. If I were to wash my face with water during or at the end of the day, I would be able to feel a "squeaky film" that cannot be washed away by water or even a gentle cleanser. Because of this, I always remember to use a makeup remover like Koh Gen Do's cleansing water to remove the sunscreen. This product does contain quite a bit of silicones so I would never skip the step of facial makeup remover or else it is quite likely that my pores would get clogged. 

I would say the finish of this sunscreen is very similar to that of Hourglass' Mineral Veil Primer. Not only does it make my face feel smooth, silky and matte, but it also helps keep my oily T-zone at bay during the summer. 

Like any other physical sunscreen, this product does make my face appear "whiter"; however, I always apply some type of base makeup on top so this aspect of it doesn't really bother me. Another thing to keep in mind is that the oil control property of this sunscreen is quite strong. Because of this, it might be a bit drying for those with dry skins like myself who are using it during the winter times. When I do use it during the colder months, I always remember to use a really moisturizing cream underneath and to not use any powder on top to set my makeup. By doing so, I find that those with dry skins can also enjoy using this sunscreen. 

Active Ingredients: Titanium Dioxide 8%, Zinc Oxide 3.8%
Inactive Ingredients: Alumina, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Dimethiconol, Lauryl PEG/PPG 18/18 Methicone, Methicone, PEG-10 Dimethicone

[ Details ]

- size: 1.5 fl. oz. 44 mL 

- price: 49.00 CAD 

Hope this review wasn't overly long ! Thanks for reading :) 

Chansie