Phyllia Connect, Reconnect & Update

I really have to update some information on a couple of products I have been using and been rather enthousiastic about.

It is not going to be a super-review-y post: just an update  on Phylia [de M] Connect, and its latest sibling, Re-Connect.

Re-connect has been the latest product in the Phylia line. It is basically a follow-up after the first round of Connect. I have already been using two bottles of the original Connect; simply because Re-Connect hadn't been launched yet.

Anyway, I will review this one after I've used up the whole bottle. Right now I feel that it feels different on the scalp than Connect: somewhat stingier. Perhaps that has something to do with the ingredients?

Or I am not too happy about the Alcohol in there.

About the old[er]

I've been raving a lot about Phyllia Connect. After a year I can clearly see a difference in hair-quality:  I noticed that the regrowth of 25 cm of hair is of a healthy quality. The hair below should get a trim, but in so many cases of the "shoulda" it is compensated with another case of "dontwanna": Short wouldn't be my deal yet. With the mandatory layers it appears to be of a semi-healthy quality: sometimes layers are a girl best friend?

Conclusion:

Phyllia de M Connect did not only make my hair grow faster, its regrowth is a lot smoother and healthier. The top-hair part is thicker and has more volume. I am not a fan of Reconnect so I will buy more of the original version when needed again.

Using, Used, Gonna Use...

Happy Friday!

 

About a year ago I had a regular column for each wednesday called 'Midweek Quirkologies': it was a way to counteract the midweek blah's, and I hope nobody had them this week. If you did, this friday will probably feel more anticipated which is a good thing. So I hope you will have the Friday Jitters and the anticipation of a good weekend, which might be rewarded with a good weekend in reality.

Using:

Easy one: NARS Riding up the Moon has been my favourite for eyes this week! I love Argentina for highlighting and Isolde for the peachy lid colour. I shade my crease with Fez but I use some of the bottle-green Night Porter for the edges of my eyecrease too. 

Used:

I finished my Personalised MyCodage serum  some weeks ago but I forgot to mention it until now. I think it has been wonderful in targeting some priorities I have listed: * Improving skin comfort and * combatting signs of ageing. One sidenote is that it is quite fraganced. I have switched to another serum again: I prefer to alternate my serums so my skin doesn't get too used and lazy to its ingredients.

Another staple during summer is my Jurlique Purely Bright Night cream. My 1st time using it was in 2011 during holidays and I noticed that it did a good job at brightening the odd pigment spot at my right temple. I try to avoid new pigment spots, but summer & high sunscreens does not always guarantee a no-sun exposion. Hence, a good brightener can step in to avoid new pigment spots to reappear.

Gonna Use:

I haven't gone for Asian BB creams for a while and the few Western BB's I tried were either organic (see here) or samples that I didn't like that much. Sharlynn from BlackMentosBeauty recommended her readers the The Face Shop Power Perfection BB Cream. I think she has one of the glowiest complexions out there, even without makeup, so I gladly took this recommendation.
(ps: I 'm trying it today and *gosh*...it has high coverage! As I said: I haven't used Asian bb's for a while so this one even covers more than my Armani foundations/etc)

Ok, again a happy weekend!

Palet-tific NARS: Ride Up to the Moon

Once in a blue moon I get enthousiastic about a palet.

I didn't expected it to be NARS but the combination of colours, size and name got me:

These are the kind of facebook messages nobody dares to respond upon until the first one starts, and the rest follows. Also, it might be mysterious why I would connect it to dancing, and what he heck are moons? 

Well, my dears...once upon a peach moon [Isolde] I discussed that my lack of cleavage curviness is being well compensated by my anti-cellulite-potioned  booty. Hence, the moons refering to everything that is feminine, aka the yin/yang of the sun/moon dictomy or the fact that I still have some cellulite?

Then again, I had a friend who convinced me to go out dancing:

You guess, we met some friendly-cute guys, we danced with them...people dance closely these days so there goes the reference to the palette's name. Nothing really naughty, actually.

Palettes often last longer than the average 'dance-soiree' at friday or saturday-night so here is mine:

The size of the palette is something of a smaller wallet:

The colours inside are stunning:

Mind that I do not have too many NARS eyeshadows so this composition has a lot of colours I do not have yet. The mixture of neutral and nature-like colours are exactly what I crave at this time being and I have been quite amazed by the quality of the eyeshadows, which are better than the average duo of NARS that I have:

In general, I am over the moon with this palette and it will be a cute 'n attractive accompany during travel and at home. 

I am considering to follow up with 'Fairy's Kiss', but I wasn't too enthousiastic about another set of burples, purples, and mauves but for €37 and the quality of the eyeshadows I might change my mind.

Bunny overload [Rouge's] & the UsingUsed

It would be fair to say I took great advantage of the Rouge Bunny Rouge sales:

And my lack of [false] modesty will leave it for showing it here of all the products most of you have been loving already.

What can I say: it's my fave Russian brand and how could I resist?

Line up: (forgive me for not mentioning full names of this elaborate brand)

• Eyeshadow: Mysterious Tinamou, Periwinkle Cardinal & Tantalizing Lovebird
• Duo eyeshadow: A Major fis Minor
• Cream Eyeshadow: Brocade Slipper & Atlas Swallowtail
• Lipstick: Perfume of his Gaze
• Lipgloss: Uncaged Tigress, Counting Wishes (had Coy from a GWP)
• Duo cheek/lip: Samba/Enredo
• Concealer: Eunice

Well, most of you know I'm not a fan of reviewing things too-much-reviewed-already but I'll do a mini-review on some. 

I compared lipgloss Uncaged Tigress with Counting Wishes, and noticed the 'Wishes' is a deeper red I normally would sheer away from. Strangely, I actually love it and it feels like a better blend with my colouring. Perhaps because 'Tigress' has some metallic orange in it that didn't feel the best blend for me.  I still like them both for different occasions: 'Tigress' when I want my lips to be slightly unnatural but more made up, and 'Wishes' for that sensual hue.

The Duo Eyeshadow in 'A Major' has the most perfect cream-coloured highlighter that blends like pure radiance on eyes/corners & perhaps even cheekbones ♥. The brown partner is slightly less original, but still a fab neutral for defining creases.

I expected more from Cream eyeshadow 'Atlas Swallowtail': it looks too unnoticed on my eyes but will make a lovely base for other eyeshadows. I like 'Brocade Slipper': it's not as perfect as 'A Major' lighter side but it's wonderful for a more obvious highlight when naturality is not needed percé.

The Duo Samba/Enredo is my least fave of the lip/cheek-duos, but I suspected this beforehand. I do not do pink-toned cheeks oftenly as they need more work for my complexion. Still, it will be an option for some looks...

And a special section for everything used lately:

•  Madara face toner Dry/very dry skin: old version

This one was half price because of a new packaging (same formula). I liked this toner as it is both soft but slightly adstringent for the oilier zones. That doesn't occur often a toner that is suited for dry skin but still takes care for oilier/larger pore zones. So I really consider repurchasing the newer version, even though most people claim toners don't do anything (I think they do).

• Aesop Fabulous Face Oil

I already discussed it here and really liked the scentual blend for nighttime. But did the oil-concoction convinced my skin for glowing intensively in the morning? Not completely, so the search continues...

• Muji Bath Salt Milk

FINALLY, I was so curious about this one after reading about this on Worship of Blues in 2011! (here)!! I never caved online because Muji's shipping is ridiculously high but I really consider buying it in bulk when in a country that actually has Muji! It smells like the perfect partner for my Balenciaga perfume and I love a good fragance in my bath.

• Vichy Aqua Destock

I've featured this one a couple of times as a good anti-bloat for moody water-rententive legs. So I finished another tube but I often switch cosmetics when I feel my body has become too used (read: lazy) to its ingredients. So I will do that again and keep you updated when using/finishing another anti-cellulite product.

• [too blurred photoshopped] Tammy Fender Antioxidant Cream

It has been a part of the larger travel set for Dry/sensitive skin . I like using natural/organic products but I was not too fond of its pot format. I prefer packagings that are less prone to being exposed to air/oxygen as the ingredients stay potent for longer. Basically, its lovely but for its price I do not consider the results to be too dramatic: I prefer her Intensive Repair cream I discussed here. I still like other elements from this set I will discuss soon, eg the Roman Chamonille face tonic is the most soothing I have found in a while.

This Works *in transit* Camera Ready

 Disclaimer: finally one of my notoriously lengthy reviews again

 Lately I'd merely touched upon some products in my 'using, used, gonna use..."-category. I like reviewing products more in dept, but if I find out that every blogger has been doing that before, I feel 'meh' about bringing forward my own opinion.

But now: This Works In Transit "Camera Ready" hybrid product!

Mask, Moisturizer & primer in 1

I have a combination of a great enthousiasm and mild suspicion for hybrid products. It amazing to find something that can multitask. However, even if our feminine ability makes it easier to multitask better than our more testosterone-fulled other halfs, it doesn't always mean every task will be done with full precision.

So, the goal of this multitasker: BEAUTY! (what else for this blog)

 

(Actually, it would not be my only goal: I am about pampering, relaxation and other things as well, but hey, This Works has done a lovely way to tag on the cartbox)

But to return to the goals: easing signs of fatigue, boosting hydratations & prepping skin for photo perfect makeup...

haven't I heard this one before about 15 years ago???

YEP

In so many ways it is similar to Clarins Beauty Flash Balm...but I will return to that later.

I like the presence of Argina Spinosa and Borago Officinalis, or argan oil & borage oil that are high on the ingredient list (hence strongly dosed). The rest of the ingredients do not sound bad either, but I would loved Rosa Damescena to be higher on the ingredient list as it's an excellent beautifyer and smells delicious as well.

How to:

For adults only? that makes perfect sense but I once saw this document about child Pageans that worried me senseless. 

source: parentfail

I am deliberately not a mother (yet) for a variety of reasons but I totally question the sanity of parents who make their youngsters look like a Barbie doll on speed and let them compete. I could write whole articles about this phenonemon, but that would be better for University :). The HBO "living dolls" documentary is quite accurate if curious.

Swatches/application:

the blob

 

It takes really long to spread that blob into something that absorbs into the skin.

 

Tadah, photo-ready-pre-primed-perfect....(really?)

VERDICT:

I have been testing it for a week so here it goes 

• Texture: as seen above: a little bit can be used for a larger part of the skin
• Scent: I found it somewhat Nivea-ish on a softer level
• hybridity: it doesn't fully penetrate into the skin which is the perfect element for a good primer. However, by not fully absorbing does mean that the super-moisture element should be compensated by a real moisturizer. For a mask? I have better masks with more intensivity. I didn't find my skin to be better after wearing it for the whole week, so no.
• feel: somewhat balmy and in a way a bit too heavy for summer.
• price: I think €37.21 is quite expensive for 40 ml
• packaging: Hard plastic in a hygienic pump. You cannot really measure out the dosages, though.
• irritation-proof? My skin tolerates it in a mild manner.

Promise-worthy? -erasing fatigue?

• yes, but only in compensation of the necessary makeup.  (I had a irregular week sleep/activity-wise so it was perfect to test this one for it)

           - Boosting Moisture?

• Yes. My skin feels soft after a week. Sidenote that my body is in colloqual terms "not having it" by acting up (flares, etc), something that normally doesn't happen in summer (it's normally my happy-body-time). My face is relatively calm.

                          - Preps skin for Perfect Makeup

• Somewhat, but leave out "perfect". I think there are better primers out there but in combination with the moisture/mask effect I feel it is nice.

 

CONCLUSION:

I discussed the hybridity about hybrid products in the beginning, and I think it's best to refer to it as the title says: prepping for "Camera ready skin" (primer). There has been a reason I haven't rebought the classic Clarins Beauty Balm at that time being: too balmy, didn't really prime & it smelled too herbally. This one smells more neutral, but still it has same qualities that I wouldn't rebuy. Also, I couldn't say I gotten better skin after a week. I stared at the mirror and though: "darn, I need to get that terrible-but-effective Green Peel again" because my tiny acne-scars gotten visible again. 

Availability:

To be found on lookfantastic and feelunique.