Kiko Milano Fall 2.0 Magnetic Eyeshadows & Eye Mask

After falling in love with the one Kiko Magnetic Eyeshadow that I initially purchased, I went back for more. Truthfully, it was the stunning performance with primer that made me think that I needed more of these.

There are a total of six shadows in this collection; my purchase means that I own half of the collection. These contain 0.7g/0.02oz each and retail for $16. I selected shades 04 Purple Mind and 06 Thinking Green to add to my collection.

In case you're interested, the remaining three shades were a deep copper, royal blue, and dark brown.

Let's start out with 04 Purple Mind.

I went back and forth on this shade, but decided that it was unique. I love the packaging- and think that having the bottom sticker match the shadow is a perfect touch.

04 Purple Mind is a sparkly, warm-toned purple. It's unlike anything else I have in my stash. And that's saying something. I normally go for the cool purples, but this screamed fall to me.

I love these magnetic loose pigments- they're so silky smooth. This shade also swatches like a dream.

That's one swipe, without any primer. When I tested this with primer, it still looked pristine when I removed it at the 14 hour mark. The performance of these shadows makes me wish I'd invested in the MAC Spellbinders last year. Oh, well.

Next up, 06 Thinking Green.

I'm so into green shadows right now, even though they're not necessarily the most flattering against my light blue eyes. It's all green everything though- this reminds me of a sweater I just bought. This... this is holiday.

It reminds me of a spruce green- just a tad of blue undertones to the forest green.

Just looking at how much was on the inner lid, I had a feeling this was different when I first opened it. I wish I hadn't been right.

But don't worry, this has a happy ending.  Just stay with me.

Here's the one-coat swatch, no primer. Go ahead and grimace with me.

WTF, right? The good news is that it builds up nicely. The following swatch is still no primer- but I patted 1-2 additional coats and built it up. This still doesn't exactly show how beautiful it really is.

So, I decided to get out Too Faced Glitter Glue.  And if I'm going to show you just how much of a difference the base makes, why not get out all three of these babies.

Behold the sparkly goodness.

What a difference, right? Now there's my beautiful shadows and the performance I'm used to. I think this shows why I'm quite smitten with these. With the 36M shelf life, I can actually see these getting used.


Now, I have a little bonus review to wrap up the post today. I noticed that there's an eye mask that pairs with this collection for a cool $6.

It's a black lace mask- this is the only in-action photo you'll see. I had a hard time with it being really large on me.  And yes, I do have a tiny, faint freckle/mole on my eyelid there.

It's not my favorite eye mask, and I didn't find it to be extremely hydrating. It was fun to try it once, but I wouldn't repurchase. There weren't any long-lasting benefits.


Overall, I continue to be impressed with Kiko's offerings. I'm writing this before the Holiday collection launches, but by the time that this goes live I will have made my way to my store to check it out. I'm only sorry that I didn't explore this brand earlier- it's consistently great products. The Magnetic eyeshadows are so good that I'm keeping these in my drawer for the month. That's saying something! I hope that additional shades are released in the future- I'd love a champagne.

Have you tried anything from the collection?

Kiko Trick and Treat Mask

Happy Halloween!

A recent trip into my local Kiko store yielded this awesome discovery- the Kiko Trick and Treat Mask ($4).

I probably should've reviewed this before now so that you could pick it up before the holiday, but I picked it up way too late to do so.



This is a hydrating mask with a twist- it's shaped like a bat!

Looking at the ingredients, the actives are supposed to include chamomile, carrot, cucumber, and hyaluronic acid. They're at the tail end of the ingredient list, so I'd just call this more of a "feel-good" novelty item than a serious treatment.

I found this to be a cute little treat and won't hesitate to pick up a future holiday-themed mask. It worked well and I enjoyed the experience.

Trick or Treat!

Peter Thomas Roth Rose Stem Cell Bio-Repair Gel Mask

Consider this fair warning and a bit of a spoiler: this is a very long post about a product that's a total game-changer for me in my skincare routine.
 
I know I've been talking about skincare a lot recently, but that's mostly a product of the changing seasons.  This past winter was especially harsh on my sensitive skin, so I stocked up on incredibly rich and nourishing products. Those are fantastic for when it's snowing; when it's 90 and humid, I go diving for much lighter products- especially gel-based ones.

I think it should be clear by now that I am usually one of the last to try the latest it-ingredient in skincare.  While I'm always thrilled to try the latest makeup trends, my ultra-sensitive skin is another matter altogether.  It took me years of trial and error to finally land on products that work.  I'm usually very cautious about adding new products into my rotation- especially from a brand I'm not currently using.

For whatever reason, I threw caution to the wind with Peter Thomas Roth's newest release: the Rose Stem Cell line. I've been testing both the mask and the cleanser for about a month. Today's post is only about the Bio-Repair Gel Mask; I'll cover the cleanser another day.

The Peter Thomas Roth Rose Stem Cell Bio-Repair Gel Mask ($45/5 fl oz), according to its box, is "Cutting-edge plant biotechnology isolates and replicates the perfect rose stem cells for maximum anti-age repair. With state-of-the-art, 21st century breakthrough stem cell technology, five rose stem cells are blended with their rose extracts in a cooling, rejuvenating gel to help stimulate cell turnover for younger looking skin. Helps repair the signs of aging, including the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, dehydration, dullness, and sagging as it strengthens and tones the look of skin. Reveals silky soft, radiant, beautiful, and youthful-looking skin."


The PTR Rose Stem Cell Gel Mask comes in a clear plastic jar, and the gel mask is a light pink color that applies on the skin clear.  I don't detect a rose fragrance from the mask, but I've been having sinus and allergy issues for the greater part of two months.

Returning to the box, here are the directions: "Apply a generous coat on clean skin. Allow to remain on for 10 minutes. Rinse with cool water. For an intensive treatment, refrigerate and apply as a mask or apply a thin layer as the last layer of skin care and leave on overnight. Use 2-3 times a week or daily for intensive repair."  I've also verified the list of ingredients is the same as Sephora lists- so feel free to read them over there.

How I applied it:  Always after a full cleansing, not just after removing my makeup. I tried this following the matching cleanser, Shiseido's Benefiance and The Skincare Cleansers, and Philosophy Purity Cleanser.  I tried two different methods of application- with my fingers and with a synthetic foundation brush. I vastly prefer the brush, even though fingers allow for some facial massage.

Frequency of application: To really give this a truthful trial, I've been applying it an average of 5 days per week

Length of testing: Just under 4 weeks

The results? I simply can't believe them.  This was the only change in my skincare routine and the change in my skin is amazing.

My skin, which was in pretty good shape before, it truly luminous in a non-oily way.  It glows with health and looks better than it ever has in my life.

So, let's evaluate some of PTR's claims.

• "cooling, rejuvenating gel to help stimulate cell turnover for younger looking skin."- The mask is very cooling and soothing. I can't speak to cell turnover, but there's been a change in the appearance of my skin
•  "Helps repair the signs of aging, including the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, dehydration, dullness, and sagging as it strengthens and tones the look of skin." - I don't have fine lines and wrinkles, so I can't evaluate that, but it's more hydrated, luminous, and looks amazsing
• "Reveals silky soft, radiant, beautiful, and youthful-looking skin."- Yes to all of the above

I'm generally a skeptic about these types of claims, but I've found a real keeper with Peter Thomas Roth's Rose Stem Cell Bio-Repair Gel Mask. This is a skincare product I'll keep using with regularity since it's produced incredible results. My skin looks better than I can ever remember- healthy, luminous, hydrated, soft, smooth.... any positive trait that you can think of, my skin's got that going on.

Glamglow Supermud Clearing Treatment

As someone whose beauty purchases come out of my own paycheck (and not via PR samples), I'll admit that I hesitated before buying the Glamglow Supermud Clearing Treatment.  Because, after all, $69 for 1.2oz of a mask is a bit rich even for this Chanel nail-loving woman.

This mask is touted as a pore-cleanser and an acne spot treatment that's great for even sensitive skin.  I can attest to the later- many oil-control masks (Origins, Boscia) are too rough on my skin. This is amazing.

Warning: gross pores ahead.

Let's start with the basics.  This is the "white container mask," and designed for pore clearing- not like its sister Youthmud (in the black container), meant for exfoliation and resurfacing. The 1.2oz container feels substantial in your hand.

This is the back:

As an aside, I love the star on the top of the lid:

I'm also a huge fan of the internal extra seal to keep it from drying out. This hard plastic piece can be removed and replaced for each use.

Now that I've broken down the packaging, it's time to consider the mask itself.  Supermud is a charcoal mask, and has the telltale coloring.  It is mainly the same consistency, but there are a few chunks of a second substance that become prominent once the mask is on your face.

From the website, here's a full list of the ingredients:

Water, Kaolin, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Sodium Hydroxide, Eucalyptus Globulus, Mandelic Acid, Charcoal, Parfum [Benzyl Benzoate, Linalool], Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid, Azelaic Acid, Pyruvic Acid, Salicylic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Maltodextrin, Iron Oxides, Peppermint Oil, Butylene Glycol, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Glycerin, Chamoilla Recutita Flower Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Hendera Helix Extract, Symphytum Officinale Leaf Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Hexylene Glycol, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone.

Reading into those ingredients, you have some AHA/BHA acids, eucalyptus (which are the chunks- little leaf pieces), clay, and charcoal as the major actors in the mask.  This is meant for pore-clearing.

To apply this product, I use an old makeup brush for even application. Pro tip: clean it immediately.

Here's a look at the product on my skin.  I use a thin layer all over, carefully avoiding my eye area.  I use far more product in my trouble areas (T-zone, chin).  See the leaf bits?

The mask dries to a lighter color in roughly 20-25 minutes.  This is mid-mask:

Now, time for magic and gross pores:

That's when you can see the magic.  Those disgusting dark spots?  That's sebum that's been pulled out of clogged pores.  I've described this mask as "simultaneously the most amazing and horrifying thing I've ever seen."  It gives true instant gratification- you literally see junk being pulled from your pores. I wish the photo was more clear.


Once the mask dries, it's a simple rinse-off formula.

It's not a magic formula, but my skin feels so much better after I use it.  Once a week is plenty for me, and the jar has at least 15 masks for me.  That makes it roughly $4.60 per mask- way affordable for the benefits, in my opinion.  My skin feels less oily, and my pores look visibly smaller for a day or so.  There's also something great about knowing just how much junk has been removed from my pores.

One of the other marvelous applications is that it's also possible to use it as a spot treatment.  I've found it to work on one of the trickiest forms of acne out there- the hormonal, under the skin cystic acne that seems to show up once a month or so.  After 2 treaments, the bump under the skin largely dissipated and never came to the surface. No fighting for weeks, no trying to draw the ugly mess to a head.  With many other AHA/BHA acne treatments running $50+, the dual nature of this product actually makes it a good value.

Pricing/availability: $69, via Glamglow online, Sephora, Nordstrom online.