Hand Chemistry Hyaluronic Concentrate & Body Mist

Deciem is an umbrella brand for 10 innovative beauty brands, one of them being Hand Chemistry, which is a brand focused on treatments to fight all aspects of hand and body aging. 

One of Hand Chemistry and Deciem’s biggest selling points is its sciency take on beauty. For most products, their website (handchemistry.com) has info about the product, its ingredients and a large blurb about the science behind it. I’m no chemist but I do like the idea behind a high performing product with the power of science behind its ingredients. 

Enter Hyaluronic Acid, a naturally occuring component of skin tissue that helps skin to retain moisture, reduce inflammation and help prevent moisture loss (I fact checked this all using a simple Google search) that is said to hold up to 1,000 times its weight in water. Hand Chemistry uses Hyaluronic Acid derived from algae in its Hand Chemistry Hyaluronic Concentrate ($30) and Hyaluronic Acid derived from tamarind, corn and mushroom in the Hand Chemistry Body Mist ($20).

Sciency stuff aside, both products claim the following:

- Lasting Hydration

- Instant Hydration

- Improved Texture

- Reduced Tightness

- Delivery of Actives

- Softness 

In addition, Hand Chemistry says that use of the Hyaluronic Concentrate promotes the skin’s ability to produce its own moisture and that the Hyaluronic Body Mist provides hydration for up to 72 hours. 

In a nutshell the two are similar products with different methods of delivery. The Hand Chemistry Hyaluronic Concentrate (240mL) is housed in a large pump bottle, while the Hand Chemistry Hyaluronic Body Mist (150mL) comes in a nifty non-aerosol continuous mist spray bottle. 

The Hyaluronic Concentrate is a jelly consistency with no scent that feels almost wet on the skin and absorbs almost immediately, leaving no residue. It feels a lot like Hydraluron from Indeed Labs (except far less expensive). The Hand Chemistry Hyaluronic Body Mist looks, feels and smells like a lightly scented water. Both products give a cooling sensation upon application – super handy to have in the heat of summer. 

So these two products both feel like water on the skin? Could I just pour water on my skin and get the same results? Nope. If you’re anything like me, stepping out of a hot shower without moisturising immediately after leaves skin feeling dry. Use of the Hand Chemistry Hyaluronic Concentrate and Body Mist leave skin feeling plump and refreshed. 

Instant Hydration? Yes. Lasting Hydration? Yes, but neither products leave my skin feeling hydrated for more than a day. Improved texture? Yes. Softness? Yes… and I’m not really sure what “Delivery of Actives” mean but the Hand Chemistry Hyaluronic Body Concentrate and Body Mist seem to be ticking all the boxes for me. Also, I love the fact that I don’t need to wait 5 minutes for the moisturizer to sink in before putting on clothes. It’s an apply-and-go kind of thing. Thankfully, my skin has been looking a lot less pasty lately. 

Have you ever used a product with Hyaluronic Acid?

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Mary Kay Mineral Cheek Duos in Spiced Poppy, Ripe Watermelon & Juicy Guava

Ain't nothing like a bright blush and a shimmery highlight in the heat of summer. In true summery fashion, Mary Kay has released three blush/highlighter duos. The new Mary Kay Mineral Cheek Duos ($20 each) are available in three vibrant shades - spiced poppy, ripe watermelon and juicy guava. Like all Mary Kay Mineral line products, they come in a handy magnetized and pre-depotted form. 

Mary Kay says that the blushes are all matte (yay!) and the highlighter is pearlized. Furthermore, the product is supposed to last all day and can be worn sheer for a natural glow or built to a bolder, brighter flush. 

Spiced Poppy

toasted orange with deep, shimmery highlighter

Ripe Watermelon 

summery pink with a pale pearl highlighter

Juicy Guava 

warm coral with soft, golden pearl highlighter

The blush colours are soooo pretty and are true to colour on the face compared to the pan.  The formulation is not as finely milled as I now expect my powder products to be (thanks a lot, Hourglass). Despite the lack of silky, soft smoothness, the product is easy to blend. A light dusting on the cheeks yields a soft flush but if you're not careful a heavier dusting will result in clown-like cheekiness. Lasting power is fair but not all day long. On my cheeks, the blush lasts 5-6 hours. 

As for the highlighters, I'm a little sad because they don't show up on my face. They're pigmented, yes, but the yellowy tones are very similar to that of my skin. Also, they're not shimmery or glittery, which means that the highlighter isn't strong enough to add a solid sheen to the face. Overall, yes to the blushes but meh to the highlights. 

What do you think of the colours of the Mary Kay Mineral Cheek Duos? 

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The Body Shop Virgin Mojito Body Scrub & Body Butter

Like happy hour for your body and a vacation for your nose, the limited edition Virgin Mojito Body Range from The Body Shop is right up my alley. The scent is on par with my love for all things citrus. There isn’t a hint of lime so much as a punch. It’s an acidic and powerfully refreshing scent that leaves your body and bathroom smelling like a party (minus the alcohol and sweat) as soon as you step out of the shower. 

Not much to say about The Body Shop Virgin Mojito Body Butter ($20) other than that the Body Butters are my fave hydration product from The Body Shop. This one is no exception and the scent makes it even better buy. 

As for The Body Shop Virgin Mojito Body Scrub ($22), I find that it’s less of a scrub and more of a gel with little beads that aren’t quite abrasive enough to remove dead skin. If you’re into non-abrasive, gentle body scrubs then this product is better suited for you than me. Don’t get me wrong. Scrubbing properties aside, it’s a good body wash that leaves me feeling clean and smelling nice. I’m still going to use it. 

Overall, I’m highly in love with The Body Shop Virgin Mojito Body Range. If you like strong citrus scents, be sure to check this out because I have a feeling this limited edition will get swept up quite quickly. That being said, instead of typing away at my laptop in a cold, air-conditioned office on weekdays, I’d like to slather Virgin Mojito all over my body and laze in the sun all day long. 

Have you smelled the Virgin Mojito line? 

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stila Aqua Glow Watercolor Blush in Water Poppy & Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in Como // SEA, SUN, AND SPLASH Summer 2015

I'd say don't wear makeup to the beach, but the stila Summer 2015 collection makes me want to frolic in the sun with my purple lipstick on. Dubbed SEA, SUN, AND SPLASH , the collection is a ray of sunshine - 10 shades of sunshine to be exact. There are 5 shades of the new stila Aqua Glow Watercolor Blush ($34 each) and 5 of the stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipsticks ($29 each). 

stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in Como

Shades available: Rosa, Como, Bella, Venezia, Amalfi

UGHHH. PURPLE...Not at all office appropriate, but surprisingly wearable/flattering on my skin. The colour is incredibly saturated, as one coat of the product yields full lip coverage. Upon application, the product feels rich and almost hydrating but dries and tightens up to a matte finish. stila says the All Day Liquid Lipstick lasts up to hours, and I would agree. Additionally, it's transfer-proof and kiss-proof, so no funky purple stains clothes (or boyfriend). 

stila Aqua Glow Watercolor Blush in Water Poppy

Shades available: Rosewater, Water Blossom, Shimmering Lotus, Water Poppy, Water Lily

A new launch from stila, the Aqua Glow Watercolor Blushes are meant to be a weightless sheer wash of colour. And so it is. The product is intimidatingly bright when you dip your brush/finger in it but after a little blending, you get a sheer wash of colour with a tough of a dewy finish. After about an hour, the glow diminishes but the colour lasts about 6 hours on my cheeks. Water Poppy is a red-orange with no shimmer. Bonus - it also has a slight wet/cooling sensation upon application. So if you get a little hot in the summer, just apply blush. 

Overall, a colourful collection that's suitable for summer and beyond. I'd be so down to pick up more of the Aqua Glow Watercolor Blushes. 

What do you think of these pieces from the stila Summer 2015 Collection? 

In Canada, the still Sea, Sun & Splash Summer Collection 2015 is available for limited time at select Shoppers Drug Mart and Murale locations and Murale.ca as of June 2015.

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CoverGirl Super Size Mascara and Intensify Me! Liquid Eyeliner

CoverGirl has two new things for your eyes – the CoverGirl Super Sizer Mascara and Intensify Me! Liquid Eyeliner by LashBlast. One I like and one I'm on the fence about. Guess which one's which and read my thoughts below: 

My lashes typically do well with CoverGirl mascaras, and this one is no exception. The CoverGirl Super Sizer Mascara (~$7) features a plastic tip with small bristles. Oddly enough, the wand goes from small at the base to slightly wider at the tip. This makes no difference in application. The slightly curved wand paired with small bristles, makes it easy to grab and slightly curl all my baby eyelashes without getting black blobs all over my eyelids. In addition, it doesn’t smudge or droop on me which is a definite plus. CG claims that lashes are 400 x more volumized from inner to outer corner. Yes, it’s very volumizing but maybe not by 400x. Regardless, the Super Sizer is a mascara that I’d definitely go back to. 

Indeed, you can carve out a decent looking cat eye with the CoverGirl Intensify Me! Liquid Eyeliner (~$8). However, the hard felt tip isn’t particularly precise (compared to the brush tips of the Physicians Formula, Kat Von D or Paul & Joe liquid liners). The liner is very dark and intense but bleeds ever so slightly; again making precision tougher than you might be used to. The formulation requires a little drying time before rapid blinking (or risk ultra-black lines in all the wrong places) but after drying, stays all day long with no signs of fading. 

All in all, the Intensify Me! Liquid Eyeliner is so-so but if you're a fan of CoverGirl mascaras, the Super Sizer Mascara won't disappoint.  

Have you tried these new goodies from CoverGirl? 

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Lined, Smoothed and Glossed Over with Arbonne Cosmetics

New to me is Arbonne – a direct-sales cosmetics line (similar to Mary Kay and Avon). Part of Arbonne’s new product launches are moisturizing lip liners, lipsticks and lip glosses. I was sent a few things to review (in summery colours!). Here are my thoughts:

Arbonne Cosmetics Lip Liner in Peach

Available in six shades, Arbonne Cosmetics says its Lip Liner ($28) “defines lip shape, extends wear of lipstick and keeps lip colour from bleeding.” Peach is a no-fuss nude shade that’s slightly lighter than my natural lip colour. I find most lip liners a little stiff and so is this one. It's not particularly flattering on its own but but it does a great job of adding a couple hours to my usual 3-4 hour lipstick wear. 

Arbonne Cosmetics Smoothed Over Lipstick in Dream 

The Arbonne Cosmetics Smoothed Over Lipstick ($33) has the colour of a cream finish lipstick with the smoothness of a balm. It picks up on dry patches, so exfoliation pre-application is necessary. Dream is a gorgeous colour in the tube but quite garish on my skin colouring, almost fluorescent. Luckily, there are 15 other shades including some neutrals and deep colours. 

Arbonne Cosmetics Glossed Over Lip Gloss in Mimosa 

Arbonne Cosmetics Glossed Over Lip Gloss in Primrose 

My favourite of the three lip products is the Arbonne Cosmetics Glossed Over Lip Gloss ($29). The glosses are semi-opaque and easy to apply with the brush tip applicator. They have light wash of colour that covers the lips in one swipe. They’re super shiny but also quite smooth and not overly sticky. Given the lack of stickiness, like most glosses the Glossed Over Lip Glosses last no longer than a couple hours but all the while feels comfortable and hydrating. Mimosa is a peachy orange, while Primrose is a light (but not too light) milky pink. 

All in all, I’m happy with all four of the Arbonne Cosmetics lip products I’ve tried. They’re moisturizing and natural looking, and easy to wear for everyday (with the exception of the lipstick in Dream). If I had to recommend one thing, I’d say go for the gloss in Mimosa – a comfortable lip product in a very summer-appropriate colour.  

Have you tried anything from Arbonne? 

P.S. There’s quite a bit of controversy surrounding Arbonne’s business practices and legitimacy as a natural/botanical brand. If this is something that concerns you, just do a simple search on the interwebs and make your own judgements.  In this post, I’ve just focused on the products and product performance and am in no way affiliated with the brand. 

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KISS Salon Secrets Luxe Accents & Nail Art Glue

I never thought I would like 3D nail art until I tried using the KISS Salon Secrets Luxe Accents ($6.99). Exploring Asian malls and seeing lots of nail art salon photos with blingg-ed out Hello Kitty Nails kind of put me off. However, it depends on the accents you use and how you use them. 

KISS Salon Secrets Luxe Accents Kit & Nail Art Glue worn with Ceramic Glaze Strawberries N Milk

What I really appreciate about the KISS Salon Secrets Luxe Accents is that the pieces are fairly subdued individually but can be used in combination to create something a bit more crazy. There are six different charms and stones (marble stones, sugar stones, rainbow triangle charms, mini white pearls, clear stones and flowers). The kit also comes with a silicone stick, which is meant to pick up the charms. I find it useless and prefer to use a pair of pointy tweezers. 

The downside of the kit is that it does not include any sort of glue or sealer. For the smaller charms, you can definitely just use your favourite top coat underneath and overtop. However, the larger charms require something a bit more heavy duty. This is where the KISS Salon Secrets Nail Art Glue ($4.99) comes in handy. It's a jelly texture that smells very similar to super glue and it works similarly with a very strong hold that lasts 4-5 days depending on how much typing I'm doing at work. 

While you can get nail art accents for $1 or less from online stores like Born Pretty Store, KISS Salon Secrets nail art kits are conveniently available at your local drugstore or Walmart for a slight premium (and no waiting for 20 day shipping...). 

What do you think of 3D Nail Art? 

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