Ipsy Glam Bag – July 2015

I am back with a review of July's ispy glam bag. I know, I am late but in Pakistan as it is not available so I ordered it online from facebook page amor and received it this month.
To be very honest ipsy has never ever disappointed me but this time I have mixed feelings. I don't know whether I am excited after receiving these samples or not. By the way the theme for July's ipsy glam bag was Summer Lovin'. Let's see what came in my ipsy bag.

Aurora Gel Effect Nail Lacquer in 4 Alarm Fire- By the way I am not a huge fan of nail polishes but I love this color. This color is my weakness. It is a full sized bottle so let's see how it turns out.

 Pūr~lisse Pur-bright Ultra Skin Brightening Serum- I have stopped opening skin-care products as my drawers are full now but this serum looks really promising. It is an ultra skin brightening serum so, I will try this for sure.

 Jelly Pong Pong Cosmetics 2-in-1 Shadow/Liner- It is a full sized product too and it glides perfectly and smoothly. I will do a detailed review soon.

 Crown Brush Professional Tweezer- I already have two tweezers and I was not in a need of new one but the black color looks unique so it's not a bad deal.

Coolway Beachy Salt Spray- I don't do experiments with my hair so this product is totally useless for me.

Availability
I receive ipsy glam bag on monthly basis from Amor. It costs me Pkr 1700 including delivery. I don't think so that any-other page is offering such amazing price for this bag.

My Rating
3.9/5

Thank you for your time.
Stay blessed.....:)

Grinif Vitamin ACE Moisture line and Grinif O2 Bubble Mask Cleanser

I'll try to keep it short and sweet today, hence the combined review of:

• Grinif Vitamin ACE Moisture line (we'll take a look at the toner, lotion and cream) 

and

• Grinif O2 Bubble Mask Cleanser.

Grinif is a Korean skincare brand, you might call it a niche brand, that specializes in "natural" skincare.
Their website is entirely in Korean, and it's of the not awesome variety that is fully and completely image based. So people like me, who are not going to learn Korean just to be able to read PR spin of cosmetic manufacturers, are sadly out of luck. You can't copy and paste the text into google translate.

Usually, that alone is enough for me to skip such brands and spend my money elsewhere. If a brand doesn't care about its foreign customers, then foreign customers should do the same. Or maybe in case of Grinif, this is a conscious choice to keep the brand "niche" and mysteriously alluring? Don't know and, frankly, after today's review, I'm not going to care.

I found myself with a few Grinif items purely by accident. And yes, I admit, at the same time I was curious about the brand as well.

Grinif's tagline is "Skintherapy by nature" and its products are supposedly made of imported, European ingredients. What? Korean ingredients are not "natural" enough? Or European are more prestigious? Whatever the case, it's supposed to be "natural", because natural sounds trendy. And trendy sells.

We have plain paper boxes to match the natural image, and at least for the products purchased in Japan, there are no leaflets in the boxes.  How very "green" and eco friendly!

Big mistake, in my opinion, because if you're going to sell in foreign markets, and clearly, this is Grinif's intention, as the ingredient lists are also provided in English, please respect your international customers.

Dear Grinif people, the bare minimum of relevant information in a language that non-Korean speakers can understand goes a long way, trust me.
But I guess Grinif was so focused on creating pretty and "green" boxes that the more practical side of things simply slipped the company's honchos minds. Oh well, it happens.

So let's start, shall we?

Grinif O2 (Oxygen) Bubble Mask Cleanser

I like those bubbly "oxygen" cleansers. It's the stuff that takes all the work out of cleansing. You spread it on your face and wait. And then simply rinse off. Done.

This cleanser is supposed to be ideal for sensitive skin. It's supposed to be as soft as whipped egg whites.
You can check out the entire, barely comprehensible, description on Skin18 (no, I am not affiliated with the store), which was evidently copied in its entirety from Cosmetic Love (no, I'm not affiliated), including the same illogical mistakes. Both stores claim that the product is 8-free (meaning free of 8 "hazardous" substances) and later in the description say that it's 5-free.
So which is it? 8-free or 5-free?

The back of the bottle helpfully clarifies that the product is indeed 5-free, meaning free of: parabens, triethanolamine, artificial colors, mineral oil and animal oil(?).

We get 100ml of cleanser in a pretty, white pump bottle.

Grinif is one of those rare Korean companies that list their ingredients according to the international standards following the same ingredient list order as the US, EU and Japan.
How do I know that?
I compared the English list printed on the box with the Japanese list printed on a sticker. They're identical. Usually the Korean list has to be reshuffled to conform to the Japanese labeling laws, which are the same as the laws in the US and Europe.

Grinif O2 Bubble Mask Cleanser ingredients:

I had high hopes for this cleanser.

If you've never used an "oxygen" cleanser, you should definitely try it, if only for the novelty value.

This is how it looks in action:

The upper dot (which, oddly, looks like an oversized sperm cell) is freshly squeezed out of the bottle.
The lower blob is what the upper blob is going to look like after about 20 seconds.

You can wait until all the bubbles disappear, or if you're impatient like me, you can just wash it off when the foam is still in full bloom.
No scrubbing required. Just rinse off.

Grinif O2 Bubble Mask Cleanser is supposed to do double duty as a makeup remover, and the company claims there is no need for double cleansing. Unfortunately, that didn't work for me.
This cleanser was my SECOND cleanser and I used to remove the leftover oily residue from the initial oil cleansing.

And it was wonderful and great and all things awesome exactly three times when I used it.
On the fourth try, the pump broke. Just broke. Something went "poof!" and the pump was no more. You could keep pressing it until the next presidential election in the US and nada.

I had better things to do with my time, so the cleanser went straight into the trash.

Pity.

Moving on...

~~~

Grinif Vitamin ACE Moisture line sounded exactly like what my dry and sensitive skin needed.
Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, moisture. I was sold.

The unfortunate bubble mask on the left... buuuu...

I went ahead and decided to try these three products:

• Grinif Vitamin ACE Moisture Toner
• Grinif Vitamin ACE Moisture Lotion

and

• Grinif Vitamin ACE H2O Moisture Cream.

~~~

Since right after cleansing, we need a toner, let's start this story with this product:

Grinif Vitamin ACE Moisture Toner

Packaged in true Grinif style in the same pretty, quasi-cardboard box. 

Inside we have a white pump bottle with 100ml of toner.

The company claims that:

Sounds wonderful, doesn't it? Betaine, Retinyl Palmitate, fruit extracts, fruit oil, Tocopheryl.

Let's take a closer look at the ingredient list (arranged according to the American, European and Japanese ingredient order).

Grinif Vitamin ACE Moisture Toner ingredients:

Alcohol at number 3, pretty high for a product that claims "Skintherapy by nature".

At number 12 we have Triethanolamine, the very same ingredient that was considered undesirable in Grinif O2 Bubble Mask Cleanser. LOL. 

Sigh. It's not hazardous. It's a pH balancer. 

Sorry, I don't like companies that use such questionable scare tactics.

Here's how the toner behaved on the skin:

See that shiny splotch on the right?

The damn thing didn't want to dry. Stayed sticky and unpleasant to the touch. When it did eventually dry, it left a nasty layer of filmy residue.

This was not moisture. This was "hey, let's seal the skin with this horrid sticky stuff to keep the moisture in".

Unfortunately, as that was not my idea of a moisturizing toner, I gave it to my friend. After a couple of days she sent me a Line message complaining "what is this shit you gave me? Take it back, or I'm going to throw it out."

I took it back but I'm not sure what to do with it. Maybe I can use it on my feet. Or my bum. 

~~~

Grinif Vitamin ACE Moisture Lotion

Ahhh... Grinif uses the word "lotion" in its western meaning here. This is a light moisturizer, not a Japanese style lotion (which then would be a toner).

Again, the same Grinify packaging.

In a different light the box can appear quite drab and dark.

Again, a white pump bottle (bonus points for hygiene) with 100ml of product.

Again, the same claims as with Grinif Vitamin ACE Moisture Toner.

And what do the ingredient list (American ingredient order style) says?

Let's check.

Grinif Vitamin ACE Moisture Lotion ingredients:

Mineral Oil at number 3, so if you don't like that in your skincare, this is not a product for you.

Retinyl Palmitate (which is a form of vitamin A) is at the very end of the list, so how effective is it in this formulation? I'm guessing not very.

And now for the swatches:

Grinif Vitamin ACE Moisture Lotion was, without a doubt, one of the most disgusting skincare products I've ever had the misfortune of using.

It leaves a heavy, sticky, filmy layer on the skin.

It smells awful. Do you know those cheap drugstore imitations of high-end perfumes? This is just like that. Like a cheap and overpowering version of Dior Addict. Dis. Gus. Ting.

And now, the final piece of today's Grinif puzzle.

Grinif Vitamin ACE H2O Moisture Cream.

Inside this simple box we have a white plastic jar with 50ml of cream.

The jar states that it contains anti-wrinkle ingredients, as well as Adenosine.

Ok, let's take a look at the ingredient list (American, European and Japanese ingredient order).

Grinif Vitamin ACE H2O Moisture Cream ingredients:

Yes, I was laughing, too. Adenosine is listed third from the end. 

The insides of the jar are protected by an inner plastic cover.

And under the cover?

This unholy mess:

I don't know if this is just my cream. Maybe it was stored improperly? Or the heat of Japan's summer got to it?

No idea.

The gluey substance inside can't be called "cream".

Searching on the internet, I saw Grinif's pretty promo photos, where the cream appears as light and soft as freshly whipped cream. 

The cream in other people's photos didn't looked freshly whipped at all. It resembled my gooey substance, but still within commonly accepted skincare limits.

I was brave and decided to swipe it on my skin anyway.

Greasy and sticky? Yes and yes. On the right you can see the sticky sheen this cream left behind. 

Gross! Yuck!!!

I have a skin moisture meter, but decided that Grinif Vitamin ACE Moisture line wasn't worthy enough to use it.

There is also a serum in this line, but mercifully, I was spared that experience.

Final thoughts:

This entire line is garbage. Total garbage. Nicely packaged, overpriced garbage.

If you have cash to burn you can purchase your own Grinif garbage at Skin 18, or Cosmetic Love, or ebay. But if you have that much cash to burn, I have a better idea. Send it to me. It will be much appreciated. 

I still have one more Grinif product to try and I'm honestly dreading it. I need a break from Grinif. I need to scrub this horrible experience from my skin and my memory.

I had been trying to use these things (because I don't want to call them "cosmetics") for three weeks. That was enough for me.

This post contains ZERO affiliate links and all products were purchased by me. Yeah, what was I thinking... Not much, apparently.

PS> Sorry, I lied, it wasn't short, and definitely not sweet.

Olay Professional Pro-X Advanced Cleansing System

Today I will be reviewing Olay Pro X Advanced System. I received it in July, 2014 from Facebook store Amor but, because of my health issue I was away from blogging therefore, I am very late in reviewing it. But it is said ' better late than never'.

To be very honest I have been longing for a Clarisonic from the time I started blogging but the only factor which prohibited me from owning it was the price tag.When I read about Olay Pro X advanced cleansing system I purchased it right away. I did not even hesitate and believe me it was the best decision to own this baby. Lets move to a detailed review.

Product Description

The 2-speed rotating facial cleansing brush massages the ProX by Olay Exfoliating Renewal Cleanser on your skin, a lathering micro-bead formula that thoroughly cleans as it gently exfoliates. Just rub it onto your skin and let the power of the Facial Cleansing Brush go to work. Each rotation gently clears away makeup, oil and dirt, leaving your face clean, exfoliated and primed for hydration. In fact, the ProX by Olay Advanced Cleansing System is designed to maximize the immediate hydrating effectiveness of your anti-aging moisturizer. With 2 speeds, you control how it treats your skin. Plus, it's water resistant, making it perfect for use in the shower. Your skin will feel smooth, refreshed, and refined.

How to use

Dampen facial skin and brush-head lightly with water. Dispense Pro-X Exfoliating Renewal Cleanser in your hand and massage over face. Turn on cleansing brush and gently move around the face for approximately 60 seconds. Avoid the eye area. Rinse face and brush head with water.

 My thoughts and experience

The package comes with the cleansing system, a brush head, 2 AA batteries and an exfoliating cleanser. The cleansing system runs on two AA batteries which are included in the box and when you attach the brush-head to the system, the brush rotates in circular motion to remove oil and dirt. On the cleansing system, there are two buttons, the larger on top toggles to power the unit on and off and the smaller bottom one controls its speed - low or high. I use it on high speed as slow one is too slow for me. You can set the speed according to your choice. I have never used it with the exfoliating cleanser which comes with it. I have not read good reviews about it. I checked it with different face-washes but at the end I settled on Pond's face wash as it lathers well. During summers you can  even use it daily but for winters twice a week is enough. To be very honest it makes the face clean but it is not an extra miracle product if you have stubborn white and blackheads. For that purpose it is very important to do deep cleansing once or twice a week or you can call it a mini facial too. You can easily do it at home. For that you need a good cleansing milk, massage it gently all over face for about ten to fifteen minutes. After that, it is much much better to use freeman charcoal mask which works both as a scrub and a mask. I have reviewed in it detail here. At the end you can wash your face with pond's face-wash or any-other of your choice with the help of Olay  Pro X.

My skin always glows after every use and  feels so clean without making my face red or dry. I have extra sensitive skin but the bristles are really soft which never ever caused any problem for my skin. If you have dry skin then I don't think so you will like the bristles much. The condition of my face has improved drastically and I love, love and love it. Bristles are really soft so the brush-head needs special care otherwise bristles will start to fan out around the edges. One more thing please never ever share your brush-head with anyone, not even with your sister.

How to clean Olay Pro X brush-head

It is very important to rinse your brush-head thoroughly after every use. It is advisable to change brush-head after every three months but in my opinion it depends on the usage too. If you clean your brush-head properly then it can survive a bit longer. Well, in my case after rinsing it thoroughly I let the brush-head air-dry on a tissue paper. You can even use towel.

Pros
Pocket friendly
Minimizes size of pores
Bristles are perfect for the ones with sensitive and acne prone skin
Makes the skin soft and glowing
Very easy to operate

Cons
Not easily available in Pakistan
Bristles are not perfect for dry skinned beauties
Bristles are really soft so they need special care

Availability
 I purchased this from face-book store Amor . By the way prices have increased. I purchased it in 3200 Pkr and now different pages are selling this in 3500-4500 Pkr.

Recommendation 
A biggggg YES. By the way I haven't tried clarisonic so , I can't do the comparison. It is a much cheaper option so give it a try before purchasing clarisonic.

My Rating
4.7/5

Thank you for your time.

Stay Blessed :)

Jill Stuart Jelly Lip Gloss N in 02, 04, 07, 09 and 10

Point makeup terrifies me. And baffles me. But mostly just terrifies, so for the most part I don't even bother.
While I can hold my own when it comes to base makeup (cushion foundations saved my life, or rather - cushion applicator puffs), the whole liquid eyeliner, eyeshadow, contouring, strobing, sculpting bullshit is not for me.
Trust me, I've tried. Multiple times. And I've failed. Multiple times. I just don't look good with a lot of war paint on. Why? My face is extremely asymmetric and it takes a lot of skill to make sure I don't end up looking like a drunken clown. So much skill that even some so-called "pro" makeup artists gave up on me after a few attempts.
So now, I just don't bother.

Yes, I do own a few eyeshadows, all in fairly neutral colors, that I hardly ever use. Instead I have a staggering collection of color eye pencils, because they're easy and don't require makeup brushes.
I have 2 very neutral liquid highlighters, both non-sparkly, because I realized that shiny balls, while pretty and all that, are not for me.
I have 3 undereye concealers, of which I only use 2 anyway.
I have a stack of blushers, because I'm as white as a freshly painted wall and look sick without a touch of color on my cheeks.
And I have a staggering collection of tinted lip balms and lip glosses. But not one lipstick*.
Why? See above - asymmetric face means crooked lips means lipstick emphasizes that means I look like shit.

I'm not going to tell you how many I have, because it's just embarrassing.

Today I'll show you five of them.

Jill Stuart Jelly Lip Gloss N

And I can only hope I'm not the only person who obsessively saves cosmetic outer packagings, unfolds them and then files them alphabetically in a special folder? Or am I? Help me out here, folks!


If you've ever wondered what a simple sheer lip gloss with a touch of color, in an awesome tube, looks like, now it's your chance.

Jill Stuart knows how to play this game.
Pretty colors? Princess packaging? Shut up and take my money already.

Jill Stuart is a Japanese cosmetic brand that is famous for its... well... packaging. It's over the top girly, it's over the top cute, and it makes your inner princess wet her pants with giddy excitement.

Swarovski elements (whatever they are), tiara shaped tube caps, encrusted blush and powder compacts, Jill Stuart has got you covered.


And the products themselves? They are good. Not outstanding. But solid, decent makeup. Is it worth the money? It all depends on how much you love your princess bling. (Hell yeah, just shut up and buy it already!)

When it comes to lip gloss, or tinted lip balm, with a very few exceptions (yes, Dior, I am looking at you), I prefer Japanese brands.
Why?
The formulas are lighter, the textures are less sticky, they spread easier, adhere better to your lips and last longer. Usually they don't have stupid flavors and annoying fragrances.

And in the case of Jill Stuart, they make your inner princess so very happy.

I mean, just look at this stuff:

"I want MOAR!!!" (shut up princess!)


On the company's website, this is what they say about Jill Stuart Jelly Lip Gloss N:

Colors like fresh fruit and delicious sweets. 

Lustrous gloss in a wide variety of hues.  

Pouch (Embroidery Flower)  

In stores from August 2, 2013  

New product JILL STUART Jelly Lip Gloss N  

11 colors, 1 limited edition color  

2,200 Yen each (not including tax)  

Product features:  

･Lip gloss that transforms your upper lip into a "Cupid’s Bow", bringing you the aspect of an innocent angel.  

･Spreads easily with the lightest touch, providing a full, rich luster and pure sparkle.  

･Provides highly uniform application, for lips that leave a full, plump impression.  

･A cherubic fresh oil formulation, thoroughly moisturizing by sealing in moisture while also placing no burden on your lips, for a lasting sensation with zero stickiness.  

･The diagonally cut tube allows for easy application on the lips, and perfect coverage.  

･A cap design with a sparkling Swarovski, as though topped with a tiara. The entire cap is also scalloped, giving a three-dimensional presence to the finish of the design.  

･Fragrance of Crystal Floral Bouquet.

You heard them. Now this is what I say about Jill Stuart Jelly Lip Gloss N:

• Innocent angel? Hahaha, nice try, Jill.
• Spreads easily, full luster, shine all that - all true.
• Uniform application, plump lip - yep, all true.
• Moisturizing and non-sticky - yes and yes (well, as non-sticky as you can imagine lip gloss to be).
• Slanted tube, easy to get the product out - yes.
• Cute, cute cute - yes, yes, yes.
• Fragrance - very slight, delicate smell which goes away super fast.

Let's look at them one by one, shall we?


Jill Stuart Jelly Lip Gloss N in 02 - Light Lavender:

My favorite of the bunch. Goes on nearly clear with just a hint of sparkle. Looks pink in the tube, looks clear on my lips. Perfect everyday all-purpose gloss. Reminds me of Lavshuca BB Lip Essence in pink.


Jill Stuart Jelly Lip Gloss N in 04 - Honey Lemon:

Looks yellow in the tube, goes clear on your lips. A nice all-purpose moisturizing gloss for everyday use.


Jill Stuart Jelly Lip Gloss N in 07 - Cherry Flame:

Looks very fierce in the tube, but goes nearly sheer on the lip with just a hint of color. Perfect for the summer. Reminds me of Lavshuca BB Lip Essence in red.


Jill Stuart Jelly Lip Gloss N in 09 - Apple Cinnamon:

Apple cinnamon? Seriously? It's a nice pinkish all-purpose gloss.


Jill Stuart Jelly Lip Gloss N in 10 - Treacle Pudding:

Beautiful pink beige, very subtle and dare I say, sophisticated?



On the company website the colors of Jill Stuart Jelly Lip Gloss N look like that:

source: http://www.jillstuart-beauty.com/


This is what my colors look like in real life:

In natural light, no filters applied.

As you can see, they are all very sheer and not as sparkly as they appear in the tube.

In natural light, when the sun hits them, they are very, very subtle, sweet and extremely delicate.
Light Lavender has the most shimmer. Honey Lemon appears completely clear.

Each tube hold 16ml (15g) of product:

If you buy your gloss outside of Japan, you won't have that ugly sticker on your tube.
Nothing exciting under it anyway:

And here's the applicator tip:

All very standard, nothing earth shattering. Just cute. Very cute.

I don't have full ingredients for you, but if you're not ok with Rosemary extract or Lavender oil, Jill Stuart Jelly Lip Gloss N is not for you:

And that's about it for these cute, little guys.

You like?
You want more Jill Stuart on the blog?

There's plenty more where these came from!



Disclosure: Products purchased by me from a local shopping mall.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

* The sole liquid lipstick I got from a fellow blogger turned out too drying for my lips, so I mixed it with a clear Verite lip shiner and voila - a new lip gloss, yay!