Ole Henriksen | POWER Bright, Truth Serum, Sheer Transformation | Reviews

August 1, 2016August 3, 2016 byte of beautyLeave a comment

ole-henriksen

Ole Henriksen is a Danish spa-owner and cosmetician living in Los Angeles. Henriksen himself suffered from cystic acne in his youth, and his discovery of skin treatments and botanical sparked his passion for skincare. His spa has been successful among the rich and famous for three decades, and his skincare line is now available in 12 countries. In the US, it is available exclusively at Sephora.

Thanks to Influenster, I was able to try three products from Ole Henriksen; the POWER Bright 3 Step System, Truth Serum, and Sheer Transformation Moisturizer. I had never tried the brand before, but was vaguely familiar, having seen it in Sephora. Although these products were provided to me as no cost for review purposes, this in no way affects my final opinion of the product.

Product Info

POWER Bright

What it is:
A professional-strength three-step brightening system with an unprecedented 25 percent vitamin C concentrate to deliver maximum radiance in as little as one use.

Solutions for:
– Dullness
– Uneven skintone
– Fine lines and wrinkles

Cost:
$55 for 6 treatments

Truth Serum

What it is:
A high potency serum that’s formulated with a proprietary five-source vitamin C complex to help brighten, boost collagen, and minimize fine lines and wrinkles.

Solutions for:
– Fine lines/wrinkles
– Uneven skin texture/dullness
– Elasticity

Cost:
$48 for 1 oz

Sheer Transformation

What it is:
An oil-free moisturizer with a multi-fruit AHA complex to even the skintone and smooth the skin’s texture.

Solutions for:
– Dryness
– Dark spots
– Uneven texture
– Uneven skintone

Cost:
$38 for 1.7 oz

Review

The POWER Bright 3 Step treatment starts with the Truth Sugar Glow Polishing mask, to exfoliate the skin and cleanse it. The second step is the Truth 25% Vitamin C Concentrate. Finally, the Pure Truth Melting Cleanser is added on top of the vitamin c concentrate, and is left on the face for 10-15 minutes. Sponges are provided to assist in gently removing the product from the face. I used the treatment before bed and was surprised to find my cystic acne scarring on my chin to be less red the next morning. It seemed to help dry down the area and diminish the redness and scarring in the area due to hyper pigmentation. I was provided with one treatment, but it is recommended for weekly use, and I definitely believe that after a few of these treatments, my scarring would be nearly gone. The price tag is steep, but I think it is worth in in terms of results, and the next VIB sale, I am grabbing this baby right up.

The Truth Serum and Sheer Transformation have been incorporated into my daily skincare routine and I really like them. The Truth Serum I use in the morning after cleansing and toning, and I have been using Sheer Transformation as both my day and night moisturizer. I have not had issues with my sensitive skin reacting negatively to these products, and in face my breakouts have lessened in the last month (although I have also been using some products from Mario Badescu that have been helping my acne a lot as well). My normally ruddy cheeks have been less flushed and my overall complexion is evened out more than it has in a long time. I have also noticed the texture on my face smoothing out. These products both go a long way and feel great on the skin. They absorb fast and do not feel sticky or greasy in the slightest. Frankly, while the prices are quite high in comparison to drugstore skincare, they are in line with what I would expect to pay for the results and quality. I will be purchasing these items when I run out.

POWER Bright 8.5/10

Truth Serum 9/10

Sheer Transformation 8/10

Let’s Talk About Brows, Baby: The 411 on the Colourpop Brow Collection

July 6, 2016July 6, 2016 byte of beautyLeave a comment

Brow Header

I genuinely love Colourpop as a company. They are a small, indie brand based out of L.A., and everything they sell is formulated and made here in the USA. They entered the makeup scene with their unique spongy cream-to-powder formula in eye shadows, blushes, bronzers, and highlighters. Now their line includes various lip products, face products, and now, brows! You can only purchase them online from their website, but they offer free shipping on orders over $30 and you can get $5 off your first order with the coupon code ‘THANKSBABE’ entered at checkout! If you’re an Ipsy subscriber, check out brand offers for a $5 off link. (You can’t combine these, though!) They also have fun promotions often, with free bonus items, so keep an eye out for those!

Their brow line offers two products, a potted brow color and a dual sided mechanical brow pencil. The Brow Colour is $6 and the Brow Pencil is $5. Both come in eight shades. Check out pics of all the shades below!

brow colours

brow pencils

I bought both products in the shade Dope Taupe, which is their most universal shade in my opinion. I purchased the products the day after their release in March and have been playing around with them for a few months now, so I am ready to give you my full thoughts and reviews. I also recently grabbed their highlight stick in Releve ($5) and while I am not loving it for facial highlighting, I am really liking it for sculpting out the brow and highlighting the brow bone!

Brow Pencil

Formula: Slightly softer than I would prefer. Being so soft, the color pay off is good, but this is not necessarily ideal for a brow pencil, since it can place too much product on the brow if you press too hard. It can be easily blended, but can transfer slightly to the skin via the spoolie, requiring some clean up around the edges with concealer, foundation, highlight stick, ect. I like the highlight stick for this. Using a light hand is the best way to go with this pencil.

Packaging: Very slim. .09 g of product in total (ABH Brow Wiz has .085 g for $21). Love that there is a decent spoolie on one end. One downfall is that the design does not allow for the pencil to be twisted back down, so don’t twist it up a lot or you’ll be S.O.L.

Shade Range: Wide variety of shades from blond to black and everything in between. One complaint I have is something that seems to just be a widespread issue among “neutral” brow colors in general; the taupe shade was too warm. While it worked okay for me, I prefer a cooler toned brow shade and even though taupe is *supposed* to be neutral/cool, Colourpop’s is guilty of being TOO DAMN WARM!

Price: $5 is very reasonable for the amount of product you get, as well as the quality of the product. Probably one of the top affordable eyebrow pencils on the market right now when looking at the shade range + packaging + formula.

Overall Rating: 7.5/10, formula slightly too creamy and taupe shade is a bit too warm. I think Bangin’ Brunette would be a better shade pick for me in the future and would take this rating up to an 8. Good option for the price, though.

Brow Colour

Potted Brow Colour

Formula: A creamy, almost mousse-like formula that is the perfect balance of soft, but not too soft. It stays right where you put it and lasts through a whole day of sweat and activities. When used with a thin, angled brow brush, a little bit goes a long way and it is super easy to sculpt and fill in perfect, fleeky brows. Once you place it, it will stay, but I finish up with a clear brow gel for maximum holding power. I have not had an issue with this drying out and have had it for 3+ months now. I recommend getting a good, sturdy eyebrow brush that will hold its shape and a spoolie if you don’t have one to use with this.

Packaging: Glass pot with tightly closing lid. Feels sturdy and luxurious. 3 g of product (ABH Dip Brow has 3 g for $18). Keep the lid on tight and you won’t have an issue with the product prematurely drying up.

Shade Range: Same range of eight shades. The brow colour in Dope Taupe is not as warm as the pencil and really does work well for me. I prefer this over the pencil for doing my brows right now and wish the colors were more consistent between the two products.

Price: $6 is also very reasonable for the amount of product you get, as well as the quality of the product. A great, affordable option for those that like being able to really carve out your brows with a brush. Remember, it does not come with any tools, so you’ll need your own brush and spoolie! For $6, I wouldn’t expect a tool to come with it, so that isn’t a problem for me.

Overall Rating: 9/10, very few complaints. LOVE IT!

Swatches

Cream Highlight Stick

From left to right: Brow Pencil, Brow Colour, Releve Highlight Stick, Releve blended

xoxo

Review and Swatches: Sugarpill Edward Scissorhands Eyeshadow Palette

October 6, 2015 byte of beautyLeave a comment

When I first saw this palette on Instagram, I was immediately in love. Not just because I adore Edward Scissorhands, which I do, a whole lot. No, I was in love because the shades are S T U N N I N G. Look at Heart-Shaped Cookie. LOOK AT IT! It’s beautiful. And Suburbia… insert heart eye emoji here. But I digress. Once I saw it, I immediately started planning the looks in my head and knew I had to buy it. I’ve never purchased anything from Sugarpill, because I am a little scared of all that bright color they are known for, but I knew the quality is proclaimed as beyond amazing, so I took the plunge for this beautiful palette. It was $36 plus $6 shipping on the Sugarpill website, and is limited edition. I know that as of right now, the palettes are sold out, but that may change by the time you read this, so be sure to check! The collection also includes two polishes that are $10 each, but I didn’t pick up either of them (they look gorg though, so get ’em if you want ’em!).

The ordering process itself was a breeze. I didn’t have any issues at all with the site, even though I was on within minutes of the release. By late afternoon I was alerted that the shipping label was created, and it shipped out two days later. I received the package exactly one week after I ordered it. For a big release like this, I was pleasantly surprised by the speed of the process. Great job Sugarpill!

The palette features six beautiful shades: four mattes and two shimmers.

Home Sweet Home: A matte, powder blue
Ice Angel: A white with a blue-violet shimmer
The Inventor: A steely dark blue-gray shimmer
Suburbia: A bright matte coral
Heart-Shaped Cookie: A matte neutral beige
Castle on the Hill: Cool toned matte brown with slight plum undertones

Below are my swatches from the palette, in the order they are in in the palette, with and without flash! Notice that Heart-Shaped Cookie is almost exactly the color of my skin tone, so it is a bit hard to see the swatch.

These shadows are .08 oz each, which is a very generous size for a multi-shade palette. They are very pigmented, blend so beautifully, and have very little fallout. The quality is just as good as I anticipated. The color range is versatile and will be useful all year around.

Here are a couple pictures from the look I created as soon as I received the palette. I put Heart-Shaped Cookie all over the lid, Suburbia and Castle on the Hill in the crease, and the Ice Angel on the browbone. I really like the contrast of the cool highlight with the warm crease shade

All in all, I am so happy that I purchased this. All of the shades are beautiful and the mix creates a very versatile palette that is a perfect and unique addition to my collection! If you find this baby in stock, definitely grab it!

Have you ever tried Sugarpill? What did you think?

Full Review & Swatches: L.A. Colors Eyeshadow Trios

October 2, 2015October 1, 2015 byte of beautyLeave a comment

L.A. Colors is a very cheap makeup and cosmetics brand that is available at discount stores like Dollar General, Family Dollar, and Dollar Tree. Most of their products are $1-2, and these eye shadow trios were just $1 each! I decided to pick up two of the more neutral trios to try out. I grabbed “Natural”, an all matte trio featuring an ivory shade, an ashy brown, and a dark brown. I also got “Sunflower”, which is an all-shimmer trio with a pale gold, reddish copper, and a bronze-y brown. There are also several other trios is varying shades and finishes if you want to try them out but aren’t fond of the ones I picked.

Sunflower Trio (I dropped it and the bronze pan partially crumbled, so ignore how ratchet it looks…)

I have a very split review on these, because I LOVE the Sunflower trio, but don’t really love the Natural trio. The Sunflower trio reminds me of a foiled eyeshadow, due to its pigmentation and butteriness. It does have a bit of fall out, but not very bad, and I love how creamy these are. The Natural trio on the other hand… this trio kind of sucks. It swatches nicely on the finger, but on the skin and eye it comes off as patchy and is so powdery that there is insane amounts of fallout. The pigmentation isn’t amazing, no where near as good as the other trio, and I have many other matte colors similar to these that I choose to reach for instead of these when I am doing my makeup at home, just because the fallout and patchiness is a pain to deal with. I was really hoping it would rock, because these would be beautiful crease and transition shades, but they are just not pigmented or smooth enough for me to really love. I will still continue to try and make this work, because the colors are nice shades and it is so small that it is great for travel or on the go, but it is pretty “meh” for me. I found that it works best over an opaque white base (see swatches below).

Below are swatches from both trios. The three shades on the left are from the Natural Trio and the three on the right are from the Sunflower Trio. I swatched them over two bases, Nyx Milk Eye Pencil and Urban Decay Primer Potion, and then on just bare skin. You can see that on top of the Milk Eye Pencil base the colors, even from the Natural Trio, show up the best and brightest.

Nyx Milk Eye Pencil (top), Urban Decay Primer Potion (middle), and bare skin (bottom)

For $1, these shadows are alright, especially the shimmers. They are compact and are the perfect size to throw in your bag or purse for on the go. They definitely require a primer that is very tacky, and an opaque base such as Nyx Milk will make them stand out even more and look more pigmented on the eye. If you plan on using the Natural Trio, make sure you wait until after the eye is done to do under eye concealer, because clean up is required due to the fall out from the darker shades. If you were just going to get one, I suggest getting the Sunflower Trio, as there are better neutral matte shades out there, even at the drugstore.

What is your cheapest beauty find? Did you love it or hate it? Let me know in the comments below!

First Impression: Revlon Gel Envy Nail Color 2 Step System

September 28, 2015September 25, 2015 byte of beautyLeave a comment

My nails chip super easily; that’s just a reality that I have come to accept. Even Seche Vite didn’t really work for me, which is a modern tragedy in and of itself, so I have been wanting to try one of the various no-light gel kits that many brands are offering now. Revlon was on sale at Walgreen’s this week, so I picked up one of the Revlon Gel Envy colors, as well as the Gel Envy Diamond top coat. The polishes and top coats are usually $5 each, but they were on sale for “buy one get one 50% off”, so I got the color Checkmate, which is a beautiful neutral beige and the top coat for about $8 with tax.

The color polish is supposed to be a base coat and color in one, so I did not apply a base coat before starting. It applies smoothly, and dries down quickly to a semi-matte finish. I used two coats to reach the opacity I desired, and it did not get goopy or hard to work with as I added the second coat, which sometimes I find I have problems with. I let the color dry down for a few minutes and then applied one thick layer of the top coat, which added a lot of shine to the nail. It did take a while to fully dry, and clumsy me nicked my pinky nail and left a couple small scrapes on it, but honestly I didn’t care enough to re-do it.

Day Two Shot of the Nails. Ignore the bumpiness; my nails are super damaged from overuse of press-ons and I’m growing them out.

As for wear, I saw a few teeny tiny chips on day two, which weren’t even noticeable honestly. I also experienced some shrinkage and peeling at the very tip of the nail, but I fixed this by going over it with another layer of the top coat. I think that this may be due to operator error, as this may be the type of polish that needs to be carefully applied to the very tip of the nail and slightly on the underside to prevent shrinkage and cracking. I started to see more significant wear and chipping on day 3, but it still wasn’t large chips, and some nails did not have any chipping or wear at all, even until I took the polish off on day 5. Weirdly, it cracked horizontally near the tip of my nail, but the polish did not flake off, which I thought was impressive. I decided to remove it on day 5 to put on a different color, but if I hadn’t wanted a change of color, I would have just let it be, as it still looked pretty decent.

Again, the ridges of my nail show up really badly, but you can see the slight chipping on the edges, as well as the cracking.

For $5 per bottle (and even cheaper if you can catch them on sale at Ulta, Walgreen’s, or CVS like I did!), I was impressed with the longevity and quality of the polish. One downside is that the polishes do need a top coat, since it’s a 2 step system, so it isn’t great for a super quick mani pedi, but that isn’t something that really bothers me, as I try to use a top coat every time I paint my nails anyway (because, like I said, they chip like a mofo). All in all, this is a great product, affordable, and the range of almost 40 colors is an amazing selection for a new, drugstore collection! I’ll definitely be picking up a few more colors from the line… or maybe all of them.

What’s your all time favorite long wearing nail polish or top coat? I’d love to try them out.

Best of the Brand: Wet n Wild Top 3 Favorites

September 21, 2015September 22, 2015 byte of beautyLeave a comment

Wet n Wild is DIRT cheap and can be found at pretty much every drug store and big box retailer here in the U.S. It is a cosmetic brand with a pretty wide range for the price, including face products, eye products, nail products, as well as beauty tools and brushes. It has a lot of great offerings, but I do have my personal favorites, and I want to share those with you!

Walking on Eggshells Eye Shadow Trio $3

This is a cult-classic, but it is popular for a reason. It features two shimmer and one satin shade: a shimmering ivory shade, a satin mid-tone brown, and a stunning light pink shimmer. The shimmery pink is a very close dupe to Stila’s famous Kitten. I don’t own Kitten myself, but I found a bomb comparison on the blog Beautiful (Un)Necessities (below). The trio are also supposed to be dupes for a few MAC shades. The ivory WnW for MAC’s Shroom, the brown for MAC’s Cork, and the pink for MAC’s Naked Lunch, so if you’ve been wanting any of those, try out Walking on Eggshells first!

kitten dupe indirect light — (left) Kitten and (right) WnW shade

2. Hollywood Boulevard Shimmer Palette – $6

This swirled, baked highlighter is so pretty that I wish I had bought it sooner. It’s a marble of gold, bronze, and pink pigment, but when swatched is just a lovely non-brassy gold that looks amazing on my NC15 skin, but it would also look really great on darker skin. It may get a bit ashy on very dark skin, but would also be a lovely shadow and inner corner highlight! I use this with a small fan brush, and put it on the top of my cheekbones, tip of my nose, and a bit on my forehead if I’m feeling extra glam. It’s also a high quality dupe for several high end highlighters, including the new Anastasia Beverly Hills highlighter in So Hollywood and Laura Geller’s cult favorite Gilded Honey, although I think Hollywood Blvd. is a bit lighter and less warm that Gilded Honey. I bought Hollywood Blvd. specifically because of the below swatch from my FAVORITE Instagram account, Dupe That, and in it you can see the comparisons between several brands!

3. Reserve Your Cabana Bronzer – $4

Don’t let the name fool you, this isn’t a bronzer AT ALL. This is a very light, illuminating powder that is absolutely incredible and a must have for your makeup collection. Use all over for an illuminating finishing powder, as this is very similar to the Hourglass Ambient Lighting powder in Dim Light (see swatches below from Emily Loke). It can also be used as a super subtle highlight on the high points of the face. Finally, on lighter skin tones, it is great for brightening the under eye and setting under eye concealer. Another huge plus about this product is that the pan is HUGE, as big as my palm if not bigger. So it lasts F O R E V E R!

reserve_your_cabana_vs_hourglass

Let me know any great Wet n Wild products you’ve tried and I’ll test them out too!