Quick Cleanser Reviews: Philosophy Purity Made Simple, Burt’s Bees Radiance Cleanser

Here are some more quick reviews, this time of cleansers I’ve tried recently. I’ve been looking for a mild cleanser that won’t dry out my skin. I’m also trying to move to more natural skincare products, so I’ve been avoiding products with sulfates and too many chemicals in them.

Philosophy Purity Made Simple

• Texture: Light creamy gel, slightly runny and foams up a little bit. This is perfect for people who want a milder cleanser.
• Quality of clean: Cleans very well without stripping my skin or making it feel dry or tight.
• Price: $10USD for 3 oz on Sephora, available in a number of different sizes
• Overall: I really like this cleanser; it cleans well without stripping my skin and it is very easy to use. Too bad it has sulfates in it or else I’d stock up on the large size.

Ingredients: Water, Sodium Lauroamphoacetate, Sodium Trideceth Sulfate, Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Coco-Glucoside, Coconut Alcohol, Peg-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Aniba Rosaeodora (Rosewood) Wood Oil, Geranium Maculatum Oil, Guaiac (Guaiacum Officinale) Extract, Cymbopogon Martini Oil, Rosa Damascena Extract, Amyris Balsamifera Bark Oil, Santalum Album (Sandalwood) Oil, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Oil, Cinnamomum Cassia Leaf Oil, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil, Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Seed Oil, Piper Nigrum (Pepper) Seed Extract, Polysorbate 20, Glycerin, Carbomer, Triethanolamine, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Imidazolidinyl Urea, Yellow 5 (Ci 19140).

Burt’s Bees Radiance Cleanser

• Texture: Light creamy cleanser that slightly foams up, very similar to Purity Made Simple.
• Quality of clean: Cleans very well without stripping my skin of its natural oils. Everything about this cleanser reminds me of Philosophy Purity Made Simple, except that this one is more natural).
• Price: $12.85 for 175mL from Well.ca
• Overall: If you are particularly sensitive to scents, then you may not like this one. The first time I used it I was completely taken aback by the scent as it smells like hair dye, specifically ammonia. I’m used to it now, and I’m pretty sure there is no ammonia in it, it is probably just the combination of all the ingredients that is making it smell like this. I love it and I will continue to buy it. Also interesting to note that this product is 99.2% natural.

Ingredients: water, decyl glucoside, carthamus tinctorius (safflower) oleosomes, sodium cocoyl hydrolyzed soy protein, glycerin, royal jelly, simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) oil, hydrogenated jojoba oil,, vaccinium myrtillus (bilberry) extract, saccharum officinarm (sugar cane) extract, acer saccharinum (sugar maple) extract, citrus aurantium dulcis (orange) fruit extract, citrus medica, limonum (lemon) extract, fragrance, glucose, xanthan gum, citric acid, sodium chloride,, lactoperoxidase, glucose oxidase

P.S. I’m flying home today! =)

FOTD with Chanel Les 4 Ombres in Regard Perle and Vitalumiere Aqua

I wore this look to the Dean’s Grad event a few weeks ago. Regard Perle is really gorgeous when swatched, but when used to apply to my eyes, especially with the brush, the powder just flies everywhere. I prefer using the sponge that comes with the palette to apply as that gives the best pigmentation. I also used the new Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua foundation in shade B20 Beige-Tendre. I really love this foundation, it is smooth, super blendable and gives off this very natural glow. I will do a full review of it at a later date.

Eyes:

• UDPP
• Dollywink Liquid Liner
• Chanel Les 4 Ombres in Regard Perle
• Maybelline Falsies mascara

Cheeks:

• Benefit Sugarbomb

Lips:

• Sofina Aube Couture Designing Rouge in RS301

More photos:

Final look with my friends Mensa and Sara:

Full swatches: MAC Surf Baby [link]

MAC Surf Baby is MAC’s annual summer collection that is bright, sunny and beach-y. You can see information for the collection here. Iswii has posted up swatches for basically everything in the collection here.

What are you thinking of getting? That blush looks really good, so does the lipstick in Hibiscus. Whats on your list? =D

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Swatch/Thoughts: Chanel Joues Contraste in Espiegle

I have been lusting after this blush since I visited Montreal in February and swatched it for the first time. The only photos seriously don’t give this blush enough justice. Most of the photos just show it as a peach blush with some sheen, but this is SO much more than that. I have tried to capture the beauty of this blush for you in these photos; I hope you enjoy them!

Espiegle is a peach blush with sparkles in it. The sparkles are very small and swatches as this uber gorgeous, glowy peach. The formula is very finely milled, soft and smells good too. While it is not too pigmented, it works beautifully on all skintones because it is buildable.

The one I have is the international baked version of the Chanel Joues Constraste. Chanel comes out with a US-exclusive version which is just a regular pressed powder blush. I’ve never used or tried the US version but I have heard from people who’ve used both (and judging the only swatches) that the US version is more of a slight sheen and less glowy compared to the international version.

Here is a shot of me using Espiegle. I used it lightly, but you can also build it up for a more intense peach look.

This blush was released as part of Chanel’s Spring 2011 collection, but it is permanent so if you are still on the fence about getting it, its not a rush!

What do you think?

FOTD with Chanel Ombre Perlees, Espiegle and Dior Addict Lipstick in Diorissime

I did this look for a Queen’s alumni event that look place in Calgary last Tuesday. I used Chanel for pretty much everything on my face except the lips. I’ve been trying out a new foundation, the Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua in shade B20 Beige-Tendre, so I will do a full review of this product as soon as I get some more uses out of it. Here is my look breakdown:

Eyes:

• Ombre Perlees de Chanel (left 4 shades – white, peach, purple and green)
• Maybelline Falsies mascara

Cheeks:

• Chanel Joues Contraste in Espiegle

Lips:

• Dior Addict Lipstick in 249 Diorissime

What do you think about this look? Is it bright enough for Spring yet?