Maybelline Fit Me! Blush

When things go on sale, or are greatly discounted, there is a specific reason behind it- especially make-up. As a general rule, I steer clear of buying skin care products or make-up that's on sale because it could either be fast approaching it's 'best before' date or the product is soon to be discontinued/upgraded/revamped.

But, on a mad dash to a health & beauty store, I saw this blush for ONLY R60.00. ''Oh joy!! It's cheap!'', exclaimed my sale-seeking, shopping obsessed Brain. Unfortunately, my Conscience was taking a nap at that very point so, without a second thought, I grabbed the prettiest colour blush and scooted to pay.

So... what was I thinking??? Obviously, I was not thinking.



 
See? It looks stylish, sleek, full of promise! But, what did I get?

It looks like a really old, really bad knock off. Completely different packaging and brush. It didn't occur to me at the time that the packaging and brush is completely different from what I'd seen on the Maybelline website!!! So, what gives???? What a mystery...

Even the brush looks terribly synthetic and cheap.


Well, I thought I'd give it a go, since I'd already bought it. The colour itself is a very pretty, dusky warm pink. However, it barely shows up on my skin. I had to look twice at the brush to make sure I had picked up the product with it! Just so you know, I did some research and many beauties (ranging from NC 20 to NC 42, for skin colour reference) out there complained that it was badly pigmented. It's a barely there blush verging on non-existent. 

It took 5 swipes from the pan to build up enough colour for a swatch. The colour itself is very light & it has a matte texture which is good for day. The brush, however, is quite horrid. It's scratchy, pokey and cheap. Even worse, the bristles began to loosen and fall out after the first use!

 A truly sad case... The only slight redemption is that, when applied over foundation, Maybelline Fit Me! blushes seem to show - it's a light and natural look, suitable for the day.


My Verdict:
An utter waste of time. I should have known better (for the umpteenth time!) but I guess I'll use this blush until I become thoroughly bored with it. 

My Rating:
★☆☆☆☆ It really is that bad. I gave it one star because, after layering and layering and layering this blush does impart a light pink glow.


Price:
Usually ZAR 90. I bought this particular one for ZAR 60. 


Have you had any success with the Maybelline Fit Me! Blush range?

♥Miss. Q♥

Sweet Randomness #4 ~ If Disney Princesses Were Real...

When you were a little girl, did you ever wonder what Disney Princesses would look like in REAL LIFE? I don't mean pretty models dressing up in princess gowns, I mean REALLY REAL. I know I did! I wished & hoped so badly that they existed in a land far, far, away and believed that for awhile... until I grew up & realised that far, far away is an animation studio in California. Sigh.

Still, a girl can dream. Jirka Väätäinen is a graphic design student who probably had the very same dream - she created these realistic works of art featuring the leading ladies of Disney. Just take a look!! ♥








 
 

A Random Skin Care Haul ~ ♥

It all began with a cleanser - I needed a replacement cleanser, nothing more. And then I ended up with this:

Some Avon stuff I had ordered and then forgotten about had arrived too. As if I didn't have enough new skin stuff already... Sigh. I really must learn to control myself. So here's what I got:

You'd think one body lotion is enough? Nope, not for me...
♥ Oh So Heavenly Beauty Sleep Collection Dream Cream - This thing smells DIVINE! Really, I sleep better when I use it.
♥ Vaseline Healthy Even Tone Body Lotion - Because it has an SPF!
♥ Johnson's African Nurture Body Lotion - It was cheap, smells nice and is a new range that uses African flora so, why not? 

My Avon Girl gave me my latest Avon package:
♥ Avon Naturals Milk & Honey Face Cream - which I'll give to my Grandma {^_^}
♥ Avon Naturals Cherry Blossom Shower Gel - which I'm hoping is a dupe of the TBS Japanese Cherry Blossom shower gel
♥ Avon Simply Pretty Cherry Lip Balm - Er.. I am obsessed with lip balms
♥ Avon Advanced techniques Styling comb - which has inexplicable accumulated dust. I got this to comb through wet hair and when conditioning

♥ Oh So Heavenly Beauty Sleep Collection Wish Upon a Star Pillow Mist - Love to spritz this on my pillow and doze...
♥ Garnier Mineral Even deodorant - it smells nice and works!
♥ Oh So Heavenly Beauty Sleep Collection Cool Comfort Lavender Talc - Best used after night bath-time..

♥ Good Things Stay Clear Purifying Cleanser 
♥ Neutrogena Deep Clean Daily Scrub

♥ Essence Colour & Go in Passion for Fashion
♥ Essence 2 in 1 Kajal Pencil in Flirty & Hip
♥ Rimmel Hide the Blemish Concealer in Golden Beige


I will do reviews on the worth while purchases - especially the cleansers!!

♥Miss. Q♥

Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream No. 23

Hi hi! ~♥

This post has been a looong time coming. I just wanted to really test this product out coz well, they say you should use a product for 2 months in order for it to work. Sometimes a product can seem nice at first, but 2 weeks down the line - lo and behold, your skin's a walking nightmare! 

Anywho, BB Creams are THE hottest thing right now & supposed to be a miracle wonder cream. If you still don't know what BB Creams are, then stop hiding under a rock & read about them here. :")

I decided to try out the real-Korean-deal first & ordered a tube on Ebay.

I had ordered Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream in No. 23 or Natural Beige in a 20ml tube. Because it's half the size of the full sized product, it does not have a pump.

I did contemplate buying the 40 ml tube, but opted for the 20 ml to try it first before committing to a full sized product. After a month of testing, I've finally reached a conclusion on this one: it's nice.

Not brilliant. Not OH-MY-GAWD-WHERE-HAVE-YOU-BEEN-ALL-MY-LIFE! Not Earth-shatteringly, heart-stoppingly, stop-what-you're-doing-and-stare amazing.

No.

It is just nice. 

Ok, so to be fair I've only tested ONE BB cream out of hundreds of brands, but I was kinda expecting... more. What more is exactly, I don't know, but you know when products are so hyped about, you tend to expect miracles of biblical proportions. Or at least I do!

Anyways, this NICE product is supposed to have a multitude of functions:
♥ lightening (I'm assuming blemish scars here)
♥ healing skin
♥ healing wrinkles
♥ healing blemishes
♥ concealing & covering skin
♥ preventing ageing
♥ anti-wrinkle 
♥ whitening
♥ moisturising
♥ SPF 
 

Some of these functions do seem redundant, no? Well, it did heal my skin somewhat & made my skin feel really smooth & soft- very nice indeed! I did notice less blemishes (although this could be attributed to the recent change of season). It's not the most effective moisturiser & I'm not too sure about the anti-ageing & anti-wrinkle function. I'll tell you in 20 years time. :)

It provided light coverage and, though not concealing scars totally, it did blur them, like someone went to town on my face with an airbrush. It works best on thoroughly cleansed and exfoliated skin- if it isn't then this BB cream does not blend well.
       

 Without BB cream:

Ugh! My skin is a sad mess I tell you!

With BB cream:   

 Marks are still visible, but not so bad!

Pros: 

Missha Perfect Cover BB cream makes my skin feel super soft, smooth & plumped up. I have noticed that my skin looks brighter these days. New blemish scars seem to heal much quicker too which is great! The SPF is a whopping 42 & it's PA+++  which is the highest UVA protection found in Asian skin care. 

The good thing about this BB cream is that it is not oily! I've found that it goes on matte without looking dry, which works wonders for oily-skinned gals like me. Of course, it is a tad drying which may look too mask-like so I'd recommended that you use a light moisturiser, which makes application of the BB cream smoother and easier to blend in.

The little 20 ml tube lasts for ages. I've been using it obsessively for a month & the tube still feels quite full. The scent it pretty, like a baby lotion.  

The biggest Pro for me? It did not cause me to break out!!!!! Oh joy!!!

Cons:

The colour is completely off- it would work for girls who have skin with a pink under tone as the No. 23 is heavily pinkish. Unfortunately, it makes my skin look ghastly & grey for a while, but settles into my skin after about 30mins, which means I have to lurk around my house for 30 mins and then leave. Of course, using regular foundation over the BB cream negates the grayish look BUT this combo makes my skin more oily.

On hot, humid days, this BB cream literally slides off my skin, making it look patchy & can only be rectified with a dusting of powder. It also easily transfers off your face and onto any other surface which is not so nice. But the again, the humid Durban weather plus my ghastly oily skin makes all products slide off my face. Gah!

Oddly enough, when I first tried this BB cream, it made my skin feel itchy in  very odd way, almost like an allergic reaction. I refused to give in, however, and continued to use it. I didn't break out or anything, just had a mild itch. Eventually, I used a moisturiser underneath and it stopped!!  

How to Apply:

Ah, now here is where I had trouble. I applied Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream the same way that foundation is applied- by rubbing in with fingers & using the same amount of product as with foundations. Big, BIG NO-NO! It will only result in a white mask-like face. There's a reason why Korean gals PAT all their product onto their face- gently patting the BB cream onto skin is the correct method. The BB cream blends better & looks more natural. Also, only a pea-sized amount of cream is needed. 

My Verdict:

The biggest deterrent is the colour - I need something with more yellow in it, so perhaps I'll try No.27 next. It's not a bad product, it does work as long as you get the right colour! Would I purchase again? Yes, just a different colour.

My Rating:

★★★☆☆

Price:

USD 5.40 @ Ebay

Thanks for reading!! ^_^* Leave a comment!!

♥Miss. Q♥

Kristen Stewart & Charlize Theron at the 'Snow White and the Huntsman' Premiere

All eyes were on the world premiere of 'Snow White and the Huntsman' in Empire Leicester, London last Monday. What would Kristen Stewart wear?? 

Miss. Stewart certainly looked every inch the Gothic star, stealing the show in this... other-worldly dress by Marchesa.

I gotta say, this dress looks HOT from behind, That silver 'spine' detail is so creepy, it's sexy! 


But when K-Stew turns around...

Attack of the jellyfish? Those patterns look like jellyfish. The positioning of the lace is questionable... Hmm? Wait, no! More like an inkblot test:

 

K-Stew is one of my fave starlets but this dress is just sad... Perhaps the skirt should have been opaque as well as the front of the dress which leaves that interesting back as a focal point. Just a thought.

Who did get it wonderfully right is glam girl Charlize Theron.

Ooh la la!This wicked queen is wickedly stylish!! It's sheer with the right amount of glamour.

Whose dress did you like best- Kristen Stewart's or Charlize Theron's? 

♥Miss. Q♥

Friday Randomness!! #3 ~ ♥

It's the Weekeeeeeeeeeeeeeeend BABY!!!!

Do you like cats? Maybe you thought 'The Avengers' was AWESOME? Ok even if it's none of the above, it's a cute comic that gave me a good chuckle!
Thought I'd share it to get the weekend started:

♥Miss. Q♥

Revlon ColourBurst Lip Butter

Dear Revlon,

What I want to know is...

Finally!!!! After months of pining & LONGINGLY reading about these sweet babies, they are FINALLY in South African stores. May I ask, what took so long, Revlon? Do you not realise that while the rest of the world enjoyed these lip marvels, us S.A. gals have been in the dark & deprived? Does it not occur to you, that by the time you launch in S.A. these lip butters are OLD NEWS??


Really Revlon, REALLY??


Ah never mind, it doesn't matter, they are here now. And I can't wait to grab them!!!! 

So far, I have my eye on Macaroon, Pink Truffle, Cotton Candy & Strawberry Shortcake, No, actually think I want all... *faints*


Yours in beauty,

♥Miss. Q♥

Have you tried Revlon Lip Butters? What do you think? I'd like to know! :)

Sleek Pout Polish

Hi everyone! Hope it's been a great week so far. :) 

I've been AWOL for a few days but it's with good reason! I've had my nose buried in a good book & pretty much halted everything else until I read the last page. ^_^*

A while back I posted about the Lakme Lip Love Conditioner (click here for the post!) & how much I loved it. Alas, I'd thought I'd never find them again, until now... Sleek you've come to my rescue! 

Sleek Pout Polish is a nifty little pot of tinted lip balm that does a great job in moisturising lips. This particular colour is called 'Electro Peach' & bears a close resemblance to my Lakme Lip Love Conditioner in 'Siren'. The good thing about this balm is that it is nicely pigmented - lighter than a lipstick but more pigmented than your average lip balm. 

The ingredients list a few parabens which might deter some people. It does have super moisturising & lip smoothing ingredients like jojoba oil, shea butter, sweet almond oil & avocado oil. It has SPF 15 which is a must & smells yummy, like vanilla.

My Verdict:
Would I re-purchase? Well, it's a really good balm, something that I would use daily. It's pretty cheap too, so why not!

My Rating:

★★★★☆

Price:
ZAR 60 @ Foschini

Lakme Lip Love Conditioner VS Sleek Pout Polish

Ah, so on to the crux of the matter - which is better, Lip Love Conditioner or Pout Polish? I had originally purchased the Pout Polish because it was so similar in colour & texture to the Lip Love Conditioner & I was hoping it would be a good replacement. 

  
Ok, so my camera DID NOT capture how similar these colours are, it looks completely off in this picture, so I've included some swatches to compare.

The Sleek Pout Polish has more of an orange pigment compared to the Lakme Lip Love Conditioner, which has a pinker undertone. Consistency-wise, The Pout Polish is much lighter & sheer, needing much more product to get  better colour. The Lip Love Conditioner, on the other hand is more opaque which ensures a more pigmented lip. Both smell of vanilla (coincidence?) and both have good moisturising properties.

BUT... I do like the Lip Love Conditioner more because it's a better product over all, & comes in a cute pot!!  ^_^*

 ♥ Miss. Q♥

Foodie Randomness #2 ~ Somewhere Over the Rainbow

When you were a kid, what was your dream birthday cake? Mine was a mash-up of rainbows, ice-cream, My Little Pony, Barbie & a clock. Why a clock? My Aunt baked a clock for my brother's birthday & I wanted one too...

Feast your eyes girls - today I've dedicated a post to RAINBOW CAKES & CUPCAKES! 

Enjoy!  Nom nom ~ ♥

 

Get to Know ME Tag!!! ♥♥

Hi hi! ♥

The very sweet Rushie from B is for Beauty tagged me to do the 'Get to Know ME Tag' - thanks Rushie!! 

The Rules:

1. Each person must post 11 things about themselves on their blog

2. Answer the 11 questions the tagger has given you as well as answering the 11 questions you have set for the people you will tag to answer

3. Choose 5 people and link back to the tag

4. Go to their page and tell them

5. There can be no tag backs and all tags have to be legitimate

11 Things About ME:


1. I am obsessed with bows - if I see anything with it, I'll buy it!

2. In high-school, I hated make-up & refused to wear anything except lip balm.

3. I am not OCD but I don't touch public taps. I use tissue or my elbow in dire situations. Who knows what's on that tap! *hides face*

4. I love drawing, painting & art.

5. I am a sucker for anything Disney. I really mean anything! ^_^

6. I love reading, but sometimes take a break from the grown-up stuff & read the teenage stuff. Artemis Fowl anyone?.

7. I'm a die-hard Vampire Diaries & Gossip Girl fan. The Chuck & Blair saga is so sad...

8. I still like to play board games.

9. I love seafood, especially sushi, prawns & calamari.

10. I don't like wearing clothes in the colour brown.

11. I still believe wishes can come true.

  B is for Beauty's Question's to ME:

 
1. What make up product do you not like?
I don't like sunblock because they always feel greasy during summer (even mattifying ones) & gives annoying patchy grey skin. But, still gotta use 'em!


2. Drugstore or High end makeup and why?
I'd say a bit of both- drugstore products are affordable & are quite effective. There are some good quality brands out there! However, I do love pampering my skin now & then with high end products. Plus, the quality of some high end products just can't be beaten.  


3. If you could only choose 1 make up item, what would you choose and why?
Without a doubt, I'd choose a lip & cheek tint - there's nothing quite like a pretty flushed cheek & lip.


4. Who is your favourite celebrity (if you have one)?
Scarlett Johansson. She's sweet & bubbly yet timeless & classic, all at the same time.


5. What TV programs do you like to watch?
Gossip Girl, Vampire Diaries, New Girl, The Big Bang Theory, Modern Family, The Middle, Glee, Desperate Housewives, Pretty Little Liars, there's too many .


6. What is your favourite colour?
It's always changing but these days I'm attracted to ruby red and deep blue.


7. What is your favourite piece of jewellery to wear?
Pretty, long or delicate necklaces & bracelets


8. Which do you prefer to wear heels, wedges or flats?
I love, love, love heels BUT CAN'T WEAR THEM! After 2 hours I end up wobbling all over with red, sore feet. So, I'd have to say flats. Plus there are tons of cute ballerina flats! ♥


9. What is your favourite high street shop?
Foschini, Truworths, Forever New, YDE, Zara, Jay Jay's


10. Do you prefer tea, coffee or hot chocolate?
All three! Tea for mornings, cappuccinos when going out & hot chocolate in winter. Yum!


11. Do you prefer white chocolate, milk or dark?
  Again, I like all three! Chocolate is chocolate & I love 'em! 

MY Questions to YOU:

1. How often do you wear make-up?
Honestly, not often, except for special occasions & going out. Everyday, I do wear BB cream for coverage & a touch of blush & eyeliner & a lip tint. 

2.What would you say is one style item that you can't live without?

Headbands! I wear them almost everyday :)

3. When going out, do you GLAM up with heels, ultra trendy clothes, pristine & perfect make-up - the works! Or do prefer a more casual, simple but pretty style?

I'd say mostly simple but pretty, not overly laid back. Sometimes all glammed up ;)

4. Who is your style inspiration?

 Zooey Deschanel. She has a cute, quirky, sometimes kooky, sometime boho style that I think is really cute! Ok, so sometimes she gets it wrong but she's also versatile which I like - she can do simple & elegant too!

5. If you were asked to give up one thing, which would it be? Your mobile, your entire designer handbag & shoe collection or all your make-up & skin care products?
 The mere though of giving up my mobile is horror! And skin care & make-up is a must have, so I'd (grudgingly) say 'bye-bye' to my  handbag & shoe collection.

6. When shopping, do you spend hours leisurely browsing different stores, or are you more of an IN & OUT kinda gal?
Ah, what greater joy is there than leisurely perusing fabulous stores & soaking up all the glitzy, brand spanking new clothes, shoes, make-up, accessories... spoken like a true shopaholic, eh?

7. Have you had an embarrassing fashion or make up faux pas?
Not really - the worst was when I (accidentally) dropped an expensive skin care tester bottle in the store & broke the pump. Luckily the sales assistant was sweet - she told me it happens all the time...

8. What is your favourite brand? (fashion or make-up)
Bourjois. It's très très chic! ♥

9. Do you prefer milk chocolate, white chocolate or dark chocolate?
Although it's in the questions above, I just had to ask again - how can you not ask a girl about chocolate? :) Answer: All three!!

10. What type of BLOGS do you enjoy reading the most?
Beauty, fashion, decor... there's so many fabulous blogs out there!

11. Which country/countries would you like to visit the most?
India, Japan, Morocco, France, Greece, Thailand

I TAG the following bloggers:

1. Alice Porter @ Style Comes From Within

2. Imah Ayub  @ Exotic Way to Burn

3. Jill @ Aqua k.o.

4. Small Town Gal @ Shopping Obsession

5. Miss. Katie. K @ Belle De Jour

I tagged these bloggers because I love reading their blogs and would like to get to know them more! 

♥Miss. Q♥

Geeky Randomness #1 ~ The Avengers Movie!

So, I watched "The Avengers" in 3D on Monday with my cousins & I gotta say....... I really, really liked it!

Ha, did you think I was gonna say it's boring?? Ok, I'll admit, I didn't expect it to be all that, but I was pleasantly surprised. Monday's need some livening up & the "American Pie" 'saga' is not really my cuppa tea. ACTION was what I needed on a blue Monday! That & IRON MAN... in my opinion his witty, sarcastic humour made the movie.

Since when did Robert Downey Jr get so cool???

The start was real slow but once things got rolling.... the audience really got into the movie. In a nutshell, the movie takes off where the "Captain America" movie ended & the world is in peril thanks to other-worldly super villain, Loki. Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) assembles a bunch of superheros (Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk, Black Widow & Thor)who are scattered across the world wrapped up in their own lives. 

Ok, that's a pretty bad plot description (remind me to never become a movie critic) but it's actually much more complicated. Watch it for yourself and see!!

And, well if the plot doesn't grab your fancy, then the stellar cast will! Scarlett Johansson, Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans & Gwyneth Paltrow to name a few.

And if that still doesn't interest you then watch it coz IRON MAN IS THE BESTEST!!!!♥♥

♥Miss. Q♥

Hope everyone's having a great week so far. Yay, it's almost the weekend!!!

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Lip Protectant Stick Sheer Tint in 'Blush'

I remember back in high school, EVERYBODY had a Labello lip balm (or Nivea in some countries) & if you didn't have one, well then you were a dork. Ok, ok, truth be told Labellos were just a 'thing' in my group of friends, but still. Everyone had one in either cherry or some tinted variation. Besides keeping our dry, chapped lips moisturised, if were weren't allowed to use real make-up in school, we had to use something, right?

I've come a long way since those make-up-less days..... Gee now I sound like an old dinosaur when it's only been a few years! :D 

Anywho, Labello was my go-to lip balm, until I decided that a gal in her early 20's should be using something a little more... sophisticated. 


Then I found the Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Lip Protectant Stick Sheer Tint in 'Blush'. Now that's a mouthful! Here's what it looks like a brand spanking new...

Elizabeth Arden etc. etc. in 'Blush'

It's sleek & ultra grown up packaging really caught my attention, like a lip balm cleverly disguised as a lipstick.

And here's what it looks like after 8 months of rolling around the bottom of my handbag:

Tsk Tsk. My tube has seen better days. See that glaringly huge crack running down the bottom? On the day I bought it, it fell to the floor & cracked! I mean literally on the day it was bought! You'd think Elizabeth Arden packaging is built to last... proved me wrong!

 Well, that sad event led to this:

The entire bottom half of the tube detached itself, which means that every time I tried to pull off the cap to apply the balm, I was actually pulling off the bottom. Sigh. 

Packaging flaws aside, I reckon this balm really works. My lips were badly cracked & on the verge of bleeding - yikes! But it saved my lips. It goes on really soft & smooth and immediately softens lips & kinda heals them too. Within 30mins you'd swear you never had cracked lips! It's also non-greasy, non-sticky & ultra-light, unlike the actual Eight Hour Cream. Plus it has SPF 15, which is essential.

However, very much like the Eight Hour Cream, it smells repulsive to me. It has this odd lemony, medicated smell. Tastes none the better. But it's a small sacrifice coz this stuff works!!

As you can see in the swatch above, it is a really sheer & rosy tint. I suppose it gives lips a really flushed look. Very pretty & subtle. 

There's one small problem though: this stuff definitely does not last 8 hours. In mean, after eating, talking, drinking & in my case, lip-biting it wears off. Actually, if you're like me & forget to reapply often, it dries off and leaves flaky skin. I've noticed that this happens often with tinted lip balms, but the plain colourless variety doesn't have the same flaky effect. Maybe next time I'll try the plain Lip Protectant Stick.


My Verdict: <3
 I'm on the fence with this one. I mean, the Eight Hour Lip Protectant really works (I think I've said this like 5 times already :D ) that's the sole reason I'd repurchase. But, why the flimsy packaging Elizabeth Arden????? You can do better than that!!! Also, the scent could be better & for accident prone gals like me, the frosty white tube casing attracts way too much dirt. No, I'm not being fussy, just a discerning shopper. :)


My rating:
★★★☆☆

Minus 2 stars for the flaky drying & weak packaging. It's pricey! I'd expect packaging to be better.

Price: 
ZAR 125! Yes, it's quite pricey! I bought mine at Truworths, but its available at any Elizabeth Arden counter.


Thanks for reading!


♥Miss. Q♥

P.S. Am I the only one whose 'Follow' button in the Nav bar has mysteriously disappeared??? What's going on Blogger????