Shiseido Benefiance WrinkleResist24 Creamy Cleanser

I don't do many skincare reviews on this blog, mostly because I find it reprehensible for bloggers to evaluate a product after a few uses. So when you see a skincare product featured in this space, you can be certain that I've really put it through its paces.

Today I'd like to share my HG cleanser with you, the lovely Shiseido Benefiance Extra Creamy Cleansing Foam. It's made it difficult to enjoy any other.  It's also important to know that this is the cleanser that I use as a comparison for all others.

First, the stats.  This cleaner retails for $35 for 4.4oz of cleanser.  This is a creamy cleanser rather than a foaming cleanser. Shiseido's Benefiance line is known for anti-aging properties, but this cleanser is appropriate for anyone with sensitive skin, or who enjoys a gentle cleansing.

I've experimented with this cleanser for more than a year, and it's a staple in my skincare routine. I find many other cleansers to be drying.  Benefiance Creamy Cleanser is moisturizing enough to leave my face soft, clean, but not stripped of its natural oils.  I can't say the same, for example, about Philosophy Purity.

This cleanser excels in being effective without overdrying.  This cleanser, however, has no exfoliating properties. I supplement with Clinique 7-Day Scrub Cream about twice per week to keep my skin exfoliated.

Although it's not the recommended manner, I actually enjoy using this in the shower (no direct spray, thanks).  I find that the steam really allows this cleanser to to work its magic.

I'm at the age where I am thinking of preventing aging (my early 30s), so I can't say much about the anti-aging properties of this cleanser. However, don't let that dissuade you from this product. It's great.

Overall, I recommend this for anyone looking for a gentle cleanser that's effective yet non-drying.

NOTD: Julep Jeanne

Today's NOTD is straight out of the May 2014 Julep Maven box.  I know, a bit of a surprise for me.

Jeanne is a lovely mid-toned baby blue.  I have two coats plus Butter London Hardware on my nails.  For a pastel and for Julep, this formula was well above average.

Bite Beauty Deconstructed Rose Lipstick in Damask

Today I have one of Bite Beauty's LE Deconstructed Rose lipsticks to share with you ($28, Sephora).  I didn't feel the need to buy the whole set, but Damask called out to me.

I find myself struggling to describe the color accurately.  It's a saturated, vivid pink that lies somewhere past pale but not a medium tone.  It has blue undertones. It's demure when compared with, say, Tom Ford Flamingo but much darker than light pinks like Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Romance. It's far lighter than the LE Bite Rose.

Bite describes Damask as "rosy pink." I agree, but wish I had more specific terms to better help you visualize it.

There is a distinct rose aroma from this lipstick, although I only noticed it upon application. Wear time is acceptable, but not outstanding. Over the course of a work day (8 hours), I applied before leaving home, after my morning latte, after lunch, and before leaving for the day. On average, it probably wears 3-4 hours without eating or drinking.

I am probably the queen of saturated pink lipsticks and find this to be unique.  I tested this by wearing it to the office, and it's perfectly appropriate. I actually wore this as part of a tamer look, so it shouldn't intimidate anyone.  I've mainly bought reds from Bite, so I appreciated this change of pace.

Here's a swatch on my hand, outside (I did my usual set and they're all so close that there's no value added):

And on my lips:

Overall, this gets a thumbs-up from me. I wish it had longer wear time, but at least I feel comfortable that it's made of food grade ingredients.

NOTD: Butter London Slapper

Today's NOTD is another one of my Butter London favorites. Slapper is a highly pigmented, bright teal.  I've got two coats plus Butter London Hardware on my nails.  It just seems right for summer, which is allegedly right around the corner.

April 2014 Favorites

I did take a much-needed break from the blog this weekend.  I highly suspect that I'll be posting less frequently than daily for a bit, but I do have a lot of great new products to share. I'm easing back in with my favorites from April!

For April having been Burberry month, I had quite a few non-Burberry favorites! These are the products that rocked my world this month.  I'm breaking my own rules and previewing a few products that I'll be reviewing very soon. Looking objectively at my favorites, it's clear that I really was loving spring hues.

Drybar Detox Dry Shampoo (review)- This dry shampoo saved my booty more than a few times when I hit snooze unconsciously and had an early meeting that I could not miss! I found that I actually prefer to shower in the evening, air dry my hair, then hit it with this in the AM for the perfect bun. For someone who had resigned herself to never understanding dry shampoo, I've fallen desperately in love with this product.

Burberry Sheer Eyeshadows #01 Pearl White (review) & 02 Trench (review)- This duo gives the polish and glow to my eye area that let me fake being fully rested. They're both now staples in my daily routine.

Burberry Lip Mist #207 Camella Pink (review) and Lip Cover #30 Primrose Hill Pink (review)- I don't think I left the house this month without one or both of these on my person. By far and away my favorite Burberry lipsticks.

Chantecaille Lip Chic in Wild Rose (review coming soon)- not to spoil my review, but I'm obsessed with this product. It's been my constant companion since I received it.

Dior 5 Couleurs Eyeshadow #809 Petal Shine (review coming soon)- It's a perfect spring palette.

Giorgio Armani Sheer Blush #10 (review)- A sadly discontinued favorite that I've been experimenting with extensively.

Diorshow Liner Waterproof #888 Prune (review coming soon)- It's the perfect pair with the palette.

Dior Addict Lip Glow- I've never reviewed it on this blog, but it's one of those hero products that should be in everyone's stash.

A Little R+R...

Note: Not my photo.

I'm not on that beach, but that's where I'm trying to get, mentally.  I normally spend a chunk of time every weekend swatching and writing posts. I know everyone can understand that occasionally I have a need to decompress after a truly hellish week. Blogging seems like work at the moment, and I've been pushed beyond my limits to a place where I can't care or fight for anything at the moment.

I'll be back after some R+R.  I have a pile of magazines to read, junk food at home to eat, and am typing this with a mask on my face.

Here's to hoping I achieve the peaceful state of mind that comes along with a beach like that.

Butter London Patent Gel Top and Tails Set

Although I mentioned wanting to try Butter London's Patent Gel Top and Tails Set ($40) many months ago, I never got around to trying it and actually repurchased my favorite Deborah Lippmann Gel Lab set in the meantime. However, as part of a once-in-a-lifetime event, I got the chance to play with the set for free.  And I took this set for a serious test drive.

I had the mani of a lifetime on my nails when I tested this, so I was rooting for as long of wear as possible (and I was ready to accept chips because I wanted to keep this mani on my nails as long as possible!).  Let me tell you: if you ever have the opportunity to have a manicurist-to-the-stars do nail art on one of your nails, you baby that mani.  And stare at it. A lot.  (Yes, I'll share this story in-depth in the future.)

I actually started this blog post the day that I got the mani and updated it daily, rather than relying upon my memory.  This is my experience with my first mani; my subsequent experiences are below.

For reference, I used the following products: Butter London Melt Away, Butter London Patent Gel Base coat, 2 coats of Butter London Lady Muck, very thin layer of nail art using Butter London polishes, top coat of Butter London Patent Gel Top Coat, and Butter London Handbag Holiday Cuticle Oil when everything was dry.  In my experience, gel topcoats tend to behave best with polishes in the same line.

Day 1- Initial observations: Dry time was about average, although I was petrified to touch anything for awhile because well- I did NOT want to mess this mani up.  I did little typing to preserve the mani

Day 2: I had purposely not written a lot of blog posts/done a lot of typing/ done much to disturb my nails.  Even after finally breaking down and cooking (and doing dishes), I didn't notice any imperfections in my mani. I did not work on this day, so I could limit my computer time.

Day 3: I had the day off from work. However, I did notice one small chip on one nail and slight tip wear on a second- despite having wrapped the tips incredibly carefully.  It survived some outdoor duties, but I was wearing gloves.

Day 4: The first real work test. Sadly, I noticed a substantial chip on my thumbnail on my dominant hand.

Day 5: After two days at work (and a lot of typing), I can see regrowth on 2-4 nails, some minor tip wear on most fingers, the large chip in my thumbnail, and cracks in the upper left corner on three nails.  However, due to the design it's not noticeable unless you're really paying attention.

Day 6: No more additional damage, but I noticed that the light had gone out of my mani, so to speak.  It just looked dull and boring- and the design is anything but.  Some minor repair work to take care of the chips, regrowth, and cracks (because I really want this nail art to last for awhile) followed by another coat of topcoat and my nails look literally brand new again.  While they weren't being further damaged, the shine had dissipated from the topcoat. I feel like this mani is ready to roll for a few more days. I have to admit that it's odd not to be doing my nails every night! I've got 4 wheels of nail art to show for it though.

If I had been wearing a bright or dark shade, I likely would've attempted a repair after Day 5. 

Day 7: The topcoat helped my nails, but my cuticles are starting to look a bit sad. I don't want to do much with them because it would simply expose the regrowth. Rubbing some Dior Creme Abricot helps a bit, but I'm afraid of exposing the regrowth. I have a feeling that this mani is on its last legs. For one thing, I have the first Summer 2014 nail release to review... (among other things)

Day 8: Another beauty event, and the reason why I was hoping that the mani would last.  I've never had a mani last through 8 days before- it either needs to be removed or I get bored.  There are obvious chips and cracks along the edges; the nature of the nail art helps to disguise them.

Some of the wear. Notice the regrowth and chipping on the edges.

On average, I tend to get chips in my nails within 1-2 days with a standard mani. I can get 4-5 days from Tom Ford Nail Lacquer, and with Deborah Lippmann Gel Lab + certain polishes (Modern Love, Careless Whisper) I've gotten 5-6 days. So I was incredibly pleased by the performance of this product.

At $40, it's not inexpensive. However, it's $5 less than Deborah Lippmann's version. I like both of them, and I think personal preference and your stash should really determine which brand to gravitate towards. If you have more Butter polishes, go with their version. If you have more DLs, go with that version.

Subsequently, I've tried this duo with a few other polishes and haven't been able to replicate the results with non-Butter London polishes. Chanel Tutti Frutti actually chipped within one day, unfortunately. It does seem to be better with polishes of the same brand.  I haven't had the same chipping issues with other Butter London base/top coats.

Overall, I loved my experience with Butter London's Patent Gel

NOTD: Butter London Yummy Mummy

Today's NOTD is another lovely Butter London nail shade.  Yummy Mummy is the perfect taupe shimmer.  I've got three coats plus Butter London Hardware on my nails here.

Marc Jacobs The Conceal Full Cover Correcting Brush

Today I'm happy to share with you one of the best purchases I've made in some time.  It's one thing to buy high-end cosmetics, but having the right tools to maximize them is another thing.

I've been using the Marc Jacobs Beauty The Conceal Full Cover Correcting Brush #14 ($30, Sephora exclusive) for about six weeks now and it has truly changed my life.

I'm normally a natural bristle fan, but this synthetic-hair brush has changed both the application and performance of my concealer.

The brush itself is sleek and shiny, like a sportscar. It has a metal cap on the end, and Marc Jacobs embossed in silver lettering on the brush handle.  I suspect that the shape of the brush head is the secret to its success.

Here's a close-up of the brush head. There are shorter and longer bristles that allow for the concealer to be spread evenly.

Although the price tag is high, this has totally changed my concealer game.  I use less concealer and it is spread far more evenly than my usual mode of concealer application (fingers).  I've tried other concealer brushes, but this works best with any of the concealers that I use.  I'm able to create an even skintone easier with this brush and skip my usual second concealer application.

I find that it's difficult to  clean but worth it. It provides a flawless finish.  I highly recommend this brush as an addition to your brush collection.

NOTD: Butter London Lady Muck

Today's NOTD is one of my favorite Butter London shades. Lady Muck is a lovely greyed blue shimmer that is appropriate any time of year.

There are three thin coats plus Butter London Hardware on my nails here: