Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Yves Rocher Anti-Age Global Review and Photos

Yves Rocher kindly sent Beauty Squared it's new Anti-Age Global skincare line for review.



I have only tried Yves Rocher products once before when I received a sample of moisturizer in a Luxe Box. I remember really liking the texture and effect of it, so I was excited to receive some more to try.

I received the Anti-Age Global Night cream, the Anti-Age Global Day cream and the Anti-Age Global Eye Care cream.



Here's what Yves Rocher has to say about the Anti-Age Global Complete Anti-aging Night Care. It claims to repair and nourish the skin while you sleep. This anti-aging night skincare is designed for women in their 30s and 40s who are concerned about the appearance of aging on their skin. Skin appears visibly firmer and radiant with use.

It comes in a 50 mL/1.6 fl. oz. container and retails for $64 CDN but at the time of writing this review, it is available online for $35 CDN.

Ingredients list


Review: I really like this cream and have been wearing it every night. It's got a wonderful rich, non-oily texture and absorbs very quickly into the skin, leaving it feeling smooth and soft, not greasy or heavy like so many night moisturizers can. I don't have to do much massaging at all to get it absorbed. My skin feels firmer almost immediately. In the morning my skin feels just as smooth and soft as it did when I first applied the moisturizer and after washing, it feels less tight and dry. Appearance-wise, my skintone is more even. 

The fragrance is floral but not overpowering and I don't notice it after applying it. 

Grade: A+




Anti-Age Global Complete Anti-aging Day Care claims to protect, smooth wrinkles and regenerate the skin's appearance. This anti-aging day skincare provides protection, visibly firmer and denser skin and perfectly moisturizes the skin. 

Anti-Age Global Complete Anti-aging Day Care comes in the same size as the night cream, 50 mL/1.6 fl.oz and retails for $64 CDN, although at the time of this review, it was for sale online for $34 CDN.  
ingredient list


Review: I don't tend to wear a daytime moisturizer these days and opt for a BB cream. My skin is pretty oily in the t-zone so wearing a daytime moisturizer is largely unnecessary and a recipe for a shine disaster. I did test this cream on the rare days I do not wear makeup. It should be noted that there is no SPF to this day cream, which automatically gets it a thumbs down in my book.

Texture-wise this was lighter than the night cream which can be expected of a day cream. But just like the night cream, it absorbs like a dream, with barely any effort on my part to massage it in. Simply glide it across your skin with your fingers and it melts right in, leaving the skin feeling smooth, silky and hydrated. There's a slight cooling effect too which is very pleasant. There's no residual shine to the skin since the product absorbs so readily. Instead, my skin had a healthy glow.

It wore well enough on me, though on my t-zone, it made my skin shinier and oilier after a few hours. But that happens with all moisturizers.

The fragrance is the same as with the night cream, floral but not overpowering. 

Grade: B- (because of the lack of sun protection)


The Anti-Age Global Complete Anti-aging Eye Care provides moisture, smooths wrinkles and fine liner, deflates under-eye bags and fades dark circles. 

It comes in a 15 mL/0.5 fl.oz tube and retails for $46 CDN, although at the time of writing this review, it's available online for $25 CDN. 

ingredients list



Part of the efficacy of this product comes from it's application. The metal tip is curved with a hole in it for the cream to come out. You rub this gently along the eye socket to apply. 






Review: I love an eye cream that has its own applicator. I think having an applicator with a metal ball or something like this is fantastic for soothing the undereye area. The cold of the metal also works to get ride of puffiness. You do really need to have enough cream on the applicator though so you don't pull and drag the skin too much. The curve of the applicator is perfect for gliding gently along the socket bone. Any excess cream that doesn't get absorbed can be gently patted into the skin with your finger.

I wish this eye cream absorbed as easily as the night and day creams do. I wonder why it doesn't. However, it isn't a thick cream and it absorbs well enough. 

I use this in the morning and at night before bed and the skin around my eye is looking and feeling smoother and tighter than before. I've seen no change in my dark circles. They're still there, a thorn in my side, day-in and day-out. Nothing will ever make them go away. I think it's silly for products to claim that they can make them go away. 

There's a bit of fragrance to this eye cream, the same one as in the day and night creams, but it's much much less. I had to go and have a sniff to see if there was a fragrance because I haven't noticed it while applying it. 

This isn't the best eye cream I've ever tried, and I think I like the applicator more than the cream itself, but it's a reasonably priced (if you get it on sale) product and a decent one too.

Grade: B

Your turn! Have you ever tried Yves Rocher products? What do you think of them? What are your favourites?

C.

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

MAC Extended Play Gigablack Lash Preview


MAC's Extended Play Gigablack Lash goes beyond black to carbon for intense lashes with high volume and wide reach thats up to 16 hours. The mascara curls, lifts and enhances the natural thickness of lashes with an intensely black pigment, while beautifully conditioning for a smooth, soft finish. A petite "gripper" brush, embedded with microspheres covers even the tiniest lashes, from base to tip, for dramatic definition.

Available March 14, 2013 in North American MAC stores and counters. 


Extended Play Gigablack Lash
Intense black
$19 CDN/$16 US

Sephora + Pantone Universe Emerald Mini Liquid Liner Review, Swatches and Photos

On a recent trip to Sephora to pick up a few of their new Outrageous Prisma Chrome eye shadows (review coming soon), I was offered the Sephora + Pantone Universe Emerald Mini Liquid Liner as a free sample with the redemption of 100 points. 

Pantone is a company that developed a proprietary system to systematically standardize and match colours across many different media - printed matter, fabric, plastics, paint etc. Every year Pantone names a "Colour of the Year" and as of 2012 they have  collaborated with Sephora to release a collection of cosmetics that play off that colour. This year the colour is emerald, and the mini liquid liner I got as a perk reward is actually part of a larger set called the Sephora + Pantone Universe Glitter Strobe Eyeliner set. The set is made up of four liners the same size as the sample (0.05 fl/1.4 ml), is limited edition and retails for $22 CAD. All photos taken in natural light, swatches on NC 40 skin.




Sephora + Pantone Universe Emerald Mini Liquid Liner

This liner has a matte finish, is well pigmented (above swatch is one pass) and has a good consistency which is not too wet or runny. It's hue is saturated and incredibly vibrant! I can't think of another liquid liner (or even pencil liner) that comes close to this colour. I don't have anything like it in my arsenal.

And while emerald is not my favourite shade of green (I usually prefer blue greens or yellow greens) I can't help but feel cheery when I see this colour...it makes me think of spring! In my quest for possible colour matches around my house I found a perfect match in the foam cover of a hanger I got back from the dry cleaners. The green painter's tape was lighter and slightly too yellow.


Does this green inspire you?

 Grade: A



Saturday, March 9, 2013

Beauty Squared Round-Up - March 9, 2013

Welcome to this past week's Round-Up where we gather the beauty links we've been checking out for your surfing pleasure...


Beautylish explains what face primers are and why everyone could benefit from using one (not just oily skin types).


Sarah Jessica Parker's poor feet have taken the toll for all those stilettos she wore on Sex and the City. 


InStyle.com has some tips on how to comfortably wear heels.


Sephora's Pantone 2013 colour collection is in stores. In the above video they show you how to wear the emerald winged eyeliner.


LouLou Magazine has some Spring/Summer 2013 beauty looks to try right now (even though it's not quite feeling like spring yet).


This past week, Dita von Teese modelled a 3D printed gown in New York City. See more photos and video here. 


Just as model Andrej Pejic has blurred his maleness into a modelling career as a female model, female and former Olympic swimmer Casey Legler is doing the same for the world of male modelling.


A pretty genius way of fixing a broken nail.


These porn star before and after photos are pretty fascinating.


Buzzfeed has photos of extremely corseted French singer Marie Bouchaud (AKA Polaire). 


Refinery29 has a round-up of the best beauty jobs.


Introducing Fashion Magazine's brand new Beauty Panel, including Arianne of The Glitter Geek and Michelle of LipstickRules.


Check out this new ad from Dove's Real Beauty campaign as they take on the photoshoppers of the world. 

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Le Metier De Beaute Eye Kaleidoscope in Bauhaus

This is the first time I have posted about Le Metier De Beaute (LMdB), but it is certainly not the first time I have indulged in this high end luxury brand. Founded in New York City, this brand is only available state side at high luxury department stores such as Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue.



Le Metier De Beaute Eye Kaleidoscope in Bauhaus

For those new to the brand, LMdB's products get rave reviews from beauty bloggers. Their eye shadows in particular are stupendous and as someone who owns eye shadow from almost every major department store brand out there I don't use that term lightly. Highly pigmented, buttery, finely milled, easy to blend, long wearing and imminently good for layering - these eye shadows are truly some of the best I've ever used. Of course, as is usually the case, their is a high price for excellence. LMdB's single eye shadows are $30.00 US and the Eye Kaleidoscopes a heart stopping $95.00 US.

If you carefully examine the price point against a less expensive high end brand like MAC, LMdB's prices are actually quite reasonable. MAC's eye shadows are $16.50 US for 1.8 grams ($9.17/gram) LMdB's eye shadows are $30.00 US for 3.8 grams ($7.89/gram), which means the price of LMdB's shadows are actually cheaper! You just have to be willing to make a sizeable initial commitment.

The Eye Kaleidoscopes are all limited edition and work out to be $6.25/gram - you are essentially getting 4 eye shadows singles for the price of 3! But never mind all the boring fiscal talk...LMdB's Eye Kaleidoscope palettes contain 4 shades meant to be used in their specific "Couches de Couleur" technique. Roughly translating into the layering of colours, LMdB's eye shadows are designed to layered to create depth, texture and colour. Product photos taken with flash, swatch photos in natural light NC 40 skin.


Axiom: sublime bronzed umber. A highly pigmented, shimmery copper that has slight ochre undertones.


Graphic: silver liquid metal. A highly pigmented, shimmery neutral mid tone silver.


Crucible: rich pomegranate. A blackened burgundy shimmer, which is neutral toned and highly pigmented


Genre: deep gun metal. A blackened gun metal silver that leans cool, highly pigmented.


Axiom, Graphic, Crucible, Genre

LMdB's "Couches de Couleur" technique involves layering the entire kalidescope beginning at the bottom and working to the top. Where this approach is genius is that LMdB has mixed both warm and cool tones in the same palette. Like every painter knows, when you layer colours you create new shades which cannot be recreated by mixing paint. Below are a progession of swatches which shoe how the colour of the shadow shifts as one shade is layered on top of another.


Far right: Crucible on top of Genre


Far right: Graphic on Crucible,Genre


Far right: Axiom on Graphic,Crucible,Genre

The end result of all this layering? a beautiful complex smokey taupe which shifts either cooler or warmer depending on how much of each shade is layered.

Though these individual shades are not highly original on their own, the high quality formula and the way in which they glow when layered makes them an excellent purchase and I would highly recommend them. Of course, at $95.00 US I can't say this is a must have because the price is prohibitive for most. But if you feel like splurging on some of the best eye shadows known to mankind, then go for it! This palette is still available on the Saks 5th Avenue and Neiman Marcus websites and both retailers will ship to Canada.

Grade: A

Sunday, March 3, 2013

Beauty Squared Round-Up - March 3, 2013


Here is your Beauty Squared Round-up for this past week!


A collection of vintage lingerie ads, courtesy of Buzzfeed.


Editor, TV presenter and model Alexa Chung has been named as the spokesperson of L'Oreal Professional INOA colour.


The totally cool new David Bowie video for the song "The Stars (Are Out Tonight), directed by Canadian Floria Sigismundi and starring Tilda Swinton and model Andrej Pejic. SO MUCH ANDROGYNY!


Natural beauty tips for your head down to your toes. Click here to see the above larger. 


Are you, like me, always on the hunt for that Holy Grail beauty product? Well, we may never find it. 


A guide on washing makeup brushes.


Some makeup tips for making eyes look larger. If you wear glasses, there may be some tips here you can use!


Do you know how to conceal a sunburn using makeup? Here are some tips.


More and more women are wearing wigs on a daily basis. From the NY Times 'Her Crowning Glory in a Box'.

Do your eyelashes lose their curl? Here are some tips for preventing it. 


Take a look at the absolutely stunning makeup for the Badgley Mischka Fall/Winter 2013 runway show, created by Tom Pecheux, Creative Director for MAC.


And take a look at the totally cool silver eyeliner and hot pink lips at the Dior Fall/Winter 2013 show. 




Fashion magazine Numero's African Queen fashion layout features a white model, made-up to look black. 


A new chocolate bar ad has created a CGI Audrey Hepburn. See the astonishing ad here.


These animal-inspired lipstick looks are cute and creative, but let's not wear them out of the house, please.


A Pixiwoo tutorial for Emeli Sande's fierce look.


1980s superstar makeup artist, Martin Pretorius recreates the iconic and badass Robert Palmer video girl makeup.