L'Oreal Skin Perfection Velvety Toner

Today's post is about the third, and final, L'Oreal product I've purchased recently.  I've already posted about the cleansing oil and the micellar water and today I have the Velvety Toner!  You can see it on L'Oreal's site HERE. 

 

I didn't really need a new toner but the range was all on special offer and the idea of a velvety toner appealed so I decided to pick it up, here's what L'Oreal have to day about it:

 

L'Oréal Paris Skin Perfection Velvety Toner, specifically formulated for sensitive skin.The toner, infused with softening actives, removes impurities and leaves the skin toned, silky smooth. No dryness or discomfort. Hypo-allergenic. No Alcohol. Dermatologically tested.

 

First up, I LOVE the scent of this product, to me it smells sort of apple-y although it may not be apple scented on purpose, whatever it smells of is delicious which is something I really rate in skin care products, I can't be bothered with unscented things, I want skin care to smell lovely and pleasant and make me want to smear it all over my face and this product definitely does!

 

The toner applies nicely and has a definitely silky feel to it as you glide it on to your skin, it almost feels like it has some sort of moisturisers included in it which slide all over you face as you apply it.

 

It left my skin feeling nice; soft and clean and there was a hint of the velvety finish that the name suggests.  I'm not totally sure how I feel about the toner yet, although I am enjoying using it and it isn't doing anything bad to my skin I'm not sure if it feels astringent enough for me. 

 

I like my toners to feel quite zingy and fresh as if they are taking off the very last of my make up and whatever product I used to clean my face and leaving it a totally blank canvas.  This toner definitely feels like you're left with something on your skin, I would imagine for sensitive skin it's great as it does leave you feeling like you have a protective layer on your face.

 

Overall I'm happy to keep using it, not least because I LOVE how it smells but I'm not sure it would be a repurchase for me as I prefer my toners to feel a little more refreshing and clearing than this one does but it seems like it would be a great product for dry or sensitive skin,

L'Oreal Skin Perfection Miracle Cleansing Oil

I posted yesterday about the micellar water from this range which I had wanted to try out after reading reviews, while I was in Superdrug looking for it I also came across the cleansing oil from the same range.  I've read a fair bit about cleansing oils and used to wash my face using olive oil - a good few years ago - so I'm not adverse to the idea of using oil to wash you face although I've never tried an official facial oil so I decide to give this one a try. 

 

You can see it on L'Oreal's site HERE and here's what L'Oreal have to say about it:

L'Oréal Paris Skin Perfection 15 Second Miracle Cleansing Oil, high performance cleansing for all skin types. Instantly dissolves even waterproof make-up, skin feels perfectly clean with a non-greasy finish. The oil formula helps to re-balance skin's natural oil production for healthy-looking skin. Dermatologically tested.

 

I really like the facial oil, despite the fact I don't think it's ideal for removing eye make up as L'Oreal suggests - I'd still do that before washing my face with a seperate eye make up remover or micellar water.  You only need a couple of pumps of product to thoroughly coat the whole face and it applies smoothly and smells rather delicious. 

 

If you're not used to using an oil on your face it can feel a little odd but stick with it, once you've massaged it in you add water and the oil turns into a milky sort of solution which you can then wash off so your skin isn't left feeling oily at all, all the oil seems to melt away with the addition of water.

 

I found this stuff great for removing the make up on my face, it really does seem to melt it off and it left my face feeling clean and smooth without being at all greasy.  It might seem counter intuitive to apply oil to your skin, especially if you're like me and have quite oily skin to begin with, but in reality it's a lovely way to take off your make up and wash your face.

L'Oreal Skin Perfection Purifying Micellar Water

I have a couple of micellar waters which I use regularly and like; the Boots No7 one which I stock up on when I have vouchers and the one I regularly pick up in Spain.  I like both of them and I find them fantastic for taking off my eye make up, so when I heard that L'Oreal were bringing out a new one and it was on special at Superdrug (under £2.50 in the introductory offer) I had to try it out.

 

Here's what L'Oreal have to say about it:

 

L'Oréal Paris Skin Perfection Purifying Micellar Water, high performance cleansing for sensitive skin. Used by make-up artists, the 'micellar' solution swiftly removes all traces of make-up and acts like a purifying magnet on skin's surface to capture and draw out excess oil and impurities. So gentle, skin feels soothed and toned. Hypo-allergenic. No Alcohol. Dermatologically tested.

 

You can see it on their site HERE.

 

 

I've used it a few times now and while I don't find it mind-blowingly wonderful I do like it, and at less than £2.50 in the introductory offer it's a fantastic deal.  It easily removes even very stubborn, waterproof eye make up without any scrubbing.  It really seems to cut through the make up and sweep it easily off my face

 

It doesn't seem to have much of a scent to it at all and it does feel super gentle on my skin and definitely takes off make up with ease without drying out my skin or making it feel sensitive.

 

If you haven't tried a micellar water then the L'Oreal one could be a good place to start, while the Boots version sometimes feels a little stingy on my eyes this one didn't at all and it made removing even heavy eyeliner and mascara a breeze; it's gentle yet effective which, for a sensitive skin care product, is just what you look for.

 

Look out for more products from the Skin Perfect range over the next few days.

Holiday Make Up Bag

I always find it interesting to see what beauty products and make up people take on holiday with them, I have a terrible habit of packing waaaay too much make up when I travel and then never using most of it, so this year I decided to try and pack minimally make up wise and see how I got on (yes, this is minimal).

 

Here's what I took:

 

 

Urban Decay Naked Palette

5 Assorted eye brushes

Kiko Eyebrow Pencil

Elf Eyebrow Gel

Too Face Shadow Insurance

Maybelline Mascara

No7 Cream Blush

W7 Candy Floss Blush

2 L'Oreal Rouge Caresse - Dating Coral & Sweet Berry

Revlon Lip Butter - Sweet Tart

No7 Poppy King Lip Crayon - Skipping

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain - Honey & Rendezvous

Miss Sporty Dr Balm Lip Balm - Gossip Kiss

UD Grindhouse Sharpener

Maybelline BB Cream

Powder & Blusher Brush

Cotton Buds

Hair Clips

Eyelash Curlers

UD 24/7 Liners - Stray Dog, Demolition, Uzi & Perversion

NYC Face Powder

 

Despite this being hugely pared down from what I normally take I still didn't use all of it!  I could definitely have gotten away with fewer lip products and fewer eye liners too.  I never wear much make up on holiday and when I do it's always fairly light and basic yet I can't seem to convince myself it's ok to leave the country without a load of stuff!

 

Do you have the same problem?  Is it possible to pack a capsule wardrobe for your face?  What do you take when you go away?

 

Revlon Lip Butters VS L'Oreal Rouge Caresse Lipsticks - The Comparison Post.

My ever growing collection of Lip Butters & Rouge Caresse Lipsticks.

I've blogged fairly extensively about both these products of late, they are definitely my most recent obsession.  I really like both products but I think that they are both suitable for different times and looks, they're not quite as similar as their descriptions might lead you to believe so I thought I would do a round up and comparison post now that I have bought pretty much all of the colours I want to try, for now.
First off, here are all the individual posts in case you want to have a look at them in detail, there are swatches and product pictures on each post.

Revlon Lip Butters: Part 1 & Part 2
L'Oreal Rouge Caresse: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 & Part 4

Revlon Lip Butter in Candy Apple & L'Oreal Rouge Caresse in Rebel Red

The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

The Lip Butters are generally a good deal more opaque in their coverage and a slightly more dry, less glossy consistancy.  I would definitely put them at the lipstick end of the spectrum rather than the balm or gloss end although they are lighter feeling and less opaque than a regular lipstick.

I think they're ideal for trying out darker or bolder colours which you might not be brave enough to try in a full blown lipstick, the sheerer coverage of the Lip Butters means that although they give a relatively strong pop of colour in most shades they don't give you that full on I AM WEARING BRIGHT LIPSTICK look that can be a bit intimidating, at least for me.

One slight issue I have found with them is that due to slightly drier texture they can tend to higlight dry lips a little (if that's an issue for you) and don't apply nicely if your lips are very dry or chapped, tending to clog up in the dry patches.  Also they can wear off in a slightly uneven way and and leave a line around your lips which isn't the best look.

The Rouge Caresse lipsticks are definitely NOT lipsticks, they are definitely more towards the balm or gloss end of the scale.  Compared to the Lip Butters they are glossier and feel a bit more more moisturising to wear, they also have a lighter feel on lips and tend to wear off in a more even way without leaving a line, although this could be due to the fact the colours are not as strong as the Lip Butters.  I also feel as if they wear off faster than the Lip Butters although, again, that may be due to pigmentation.

The range of Rouge Caresse colours, although larger than the Lip Butters, is not so bold or bright.  Although there are some colours which seem quite bright and vivid in the tubes they are not really as bright or opaque as their Lip Butter equivilents.  They are however a bit better on slightly dry lips, they don't tend to cling to the dry areas quite so much and they feel a bit more moisturising.

Neither product lasts particularly long and they do need to be re-applied fairly regularly.  One way I love to wear them is over one of my many lip stains, they add an extra pop of colour and / or gloss over the top of the lip stain and stop them from feeling so drying with the added benefit of the lip stain making the colour seem more opaque and long lasting.
Scent wise the Rouge Caresse have an almost fruity hint to them and a bit of vanilla, the Lip Butters are more vanilla and smell slightly more like I would expect a lipstick to, a sort of cosmetic, waxy kind of hint.  Neither are offensive but I prefer the Rouge Caresse personally.

Revlon Lip Butter in Candy Apple & L'Oreal Rouge Caresse in Rebel Red

Direct Colour Comparisons

There are similar colours in each range but very few direct dupes, especially due to texture, shine and opaquness.  Here are a list of the colours I have with what I consider to be their closest comparison colour / almost dupes.

Candy Apple Lip Butter - Rebel Red or Aphrodite Scarlet Rouge Caresse
Candy Apple is much more opaque / darker (see comparison photos)

Tutti Fruit Lip Butter - Dating Coral Rouge Caresse
Similar colours but the Rouge Caresse is very sheer and peachy toned whereas the Lip Butter definitely leans orange and is much more opaque.

Raspberry Pie Lip Butter - Sweet Berry Rouge Caresse
Considering these both have berry in the name they are very diffirent, Sweet Berry is what I would call a mum shade, it's pretty but very neutral, a berry shade that leans towards the browny end of the solur spectrum.  Raspberry Pie is a very dark, bold berry shade and probably the most opaque of all the Lip Butters.

Lollipop Lip Butter - Impulsive Fuschia Rouge Caresse
Similar in colour, both bright pinks with a blue hint / shimmer to them, again the Rouge Caresse is much more sheer.

Sweet Tart Lip Butter - ? Rouge Caresse
Sweet Tart is a gorgeous bright, Barbie pink, none of the Rouge Caresse shades I have are a good match.

Strawberry Shortcake Lip Butter - Lovely Rose Rouge Caresse
These are similar in that they are both light, frosty pinks, Lovely Rose is the lighter of the two and slightly more sheer.

Creme Brulee Lip Butter - Nude Ingenue Rouge Caresse
Very similar colour-wise, the main difference again is opaquness and coverage, the Lip Butter is far more opaque.

? Lip Butter - Tempting Lilac Rouge Caresse
I don't have anything similar to Tempting Lilac, it's a blue leaning lilacy pink, pretty and quite different from all my Lip Butters.

Revlon Lip Butter in Candy Apple & L'Oreal Rouge Caresse in Rebel Red

The Winners?

Overall, I really like both products, for me the Lip Butters allow me to wear bright, bold lip colours without fully comitting to an proper lipstick, I love them for nights out and days when I want it to be obvious I have colour on my lips or fancy a stronger look.

The Rouge Caresse I prefer for everyday looks, they're a little more subtle and more like a wash of colour and they also have the benefit of feeling nicely moisturising while they're on. They're ideal for chucking on with a simple make up look when I want to feel more done up but don't want to spend time applying lots of lip products.

I tink it very much depends on what you are looking for from the product, for me I really like having both in my make up bag for different occasions but if I had to choose I would probably lean a little towards the L'Oreal Rouge Caresse just because they feel a little better on the lips and are more wearable every day.

L'Oreal Rouge Caresse Lipstick - Lovely Rose

As well documented, here here and here, I have developed a bit of an obsession with the Rouge Caresse lipsticks of late.  While I was in Superdrug the other day making the most of their 3 for 2 offer I decided to pick up one final colour to complete my collection.  That colour was Lovely Rose.

Lovely Rose is a soft shimmery pink shade, it's slightly lighter when applied than I had hoped for but still a very pretty colour.

As with all the lipsticks in this range the product applies beautifully and feels very light and soft on the lips.



I think my purchase of Lovely Rose has completed my collection of Rouge Caresse shades and although I am not as in love with the colour as some of the others in the range it's still very wearable and will be nice for lighter spring make up looks.

L'Oreal Rouge Caresse Lipstick - Rebel Red, Nude Ingenue & Impulsive Fuschia

Boots 3 for 2 will most definitely push me over the edge into bankruptcy some time very soon, it makes everything seem like such a good deal!

This time I took the opportunity to add another three of the L'Oreal Rouge Caresse Lipsticks to the two I already have, and I chose Rebel Red, Nude Ingenue & Impulsive Fuchsia.

I love the packaging on these, they are so sturdy and well made feeling and the lids seem to really clip on well so no worries about them popping off in your make up bag.

I'm really pleased with all three colours, a perfect neutral nude, a lovely sheer red and a bright pop of vivid fuchsia I will definitely be wearing them all a lot.

The colours seem slightly more sheer than their Revlon Lip Butter counterparts which may be good or bad depending on what you're after, for more coverage I would definitely lean towards Revlon but for a sheer wash of colour the L'Oreals are perfect.

 Some quick swatches on my arm

Overall I am really impressed with these so far, the wear on them isn't amazing, I tend to get around 3 hours maximum before I like to top up but they're so light feeling and quick to apply that it isn't a hassle to have to apply them fairly regularly.

As someone who doesn't get on very well with proper lipsticks these are ideal for me and I may have to add a couple more shades to my collection in the future.

L'Oreal Rouge Caresse Lipstick - Aphrodite Scarlet & Dating Coral

After falling for the Revlon Lip Butters recently, which I blogged about here and here, I decided to try a couple of the new L'Oreal Rouge Caresse Lipsticks too as they have been described as a similar sort of product.  Superdrug had a Buy 1 Get 1 Half Price deal on so I picked up Aphrodite Scarlet and Dating Coral to try.

The packaging is great, sturdy and easy to handle and with the added bonus of having colour coordinated packaging based on the shades, I hate lipsticks which all look the same until you take the lid off.

Aphrodite Scarlet is a pinky red and Dating Coral is, as you would expect, a soft coral shade. Here are a couple of quick swatches on my arm to show the colours.

Unfortunately I've not had a chance to properly try these out yet as I am sporting a massive cold sore at present but I can't wait to give them a proper test drive as soon as it's healed up.