My Makeup Blog Giveaway
Hello everyone,
do you fancy winning a bottle of the Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion for face, body and hands? My friend and fellow beauty blogger Dao from My Makeup Blog is currently giving one away. All you have to do to win is visit her blog, become a follower and fill in a form to let her know what your favourite eye makeup product is.
I’m using this lotion too at the moment (proper review to follow soon) and so far I’m loving it! It can be used all over your body, absorbs quickly and leaves skin smooth and hydrated. In addition, the lotion is loaded with Aloe Vera which has moisturizing, soothing and healing properties.
Contest is open to everyone all over the world and ends tomorrow November 15th, 5pm. So what are you waiting for? Go visit My Makeup Blog now!
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Know Your Ingredients: Coco-Betaine
What it is
Coco-Betaine, also called Cocamidopropyl Betaine, is a pale yellow liquid derived from coconut oil.
What it does
Coco-Betaine is a gentle surfactant that works by helping water mix with oils and dirt so that they can be removed. It also used in hair conditioners because it creates a protective layer on the hair that moisturizes it and provides antistatic properties.
In addition, Coco-Betaine has foaming, thickening and germicidal properties.
Side effects
Although deemed gentle and safe, Coco-Betaine can cause allergic reactions in some people.
Beauty Dictionary: Beauty Acronyms
If you regularly read beauty blogs and forums, you surely have come across lots of acronyms and abbreviations, like BNIB or HE for example. But what do they mean? While some of them are pretty easy to understand at first glance, others are more complicated and you could be wrecking your brains for hours trying to figure out what they mean, esp if English is not your mother tongue.
So, I decided to put together a list of common acronyms used in the beauty community and hope that some of you will find it useful. This is by no means a comprehensive list, so if you’re wondering about what an abbreviation you saw means and don’t find it here, just let me know and I’ll add it to the list below:
AHA: alpha hydroxy acid
B&B: bath & body
BB: Bobbi Brown
BB CREAM: blemish balm cream
BC: beauty consultant
BHA: beta hydroxy acid
BIN: buy it now
BN: brand new
BNIB: brand new in box
BNNB: brand new no box
BNWB: brand new with box
BNWOB: brand new without box
BOGO/BOGOF: buy one get one free
CC: Cherry Culture
CCO: Cosmetics Company Outlet
CP: custom purchase
CS: Coastal Scents
DDD: dark darling diva
DC, DC’ED: discontinued
DR: DermaRolling
DS: drugstore
E/L: eyeliner
E/S: eyeshadow
EDP: eau de parfum
EDT: eau de toilette
EOTD: eye of the day
EOTN: eye of the night
FFF: foxy fair female
FOTD: face of the day
FOTN: face of the night
GC: gift certificate/gift card
GGG: golden glam girl
GWP: gift with purchase
HD: high-definition
HE: high-end
HG: holy grail
ISO: in search of
LE: limited edition
L/G: lipgloss
L/L: lipliner
LLL: light lovely lady
LNIB: like new in box
L/S: lipstick
MAC: Makeup Art Cosmetics
MLBB: my lips but better
MMM: medium marvelous mademoiselle
MMU: mineral makeup
MSF: Mineralize Skin Finish
MUA: makeup artist or Makeupalley.com
NIB: new in box
NOTD: nail of the day
OBO: or best offer
OCC: Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics
OTC: over the counter
PL: private label
PPP: pale porcelain princess
PRO: professional
RIS: received in swap
SA: sales associate/sales assistant
SIB: still in box
SPF: sun protection factor
SWAG: stuff we all get
TCA: TriCholoro Acetic peel
TDF: to die for
TFSI: Too Faced Shadow Insurance
UDPP: Urban Decay Primer Potion
URFP: Ultra Resolution Finishing Powder
YLBB: your lips but better
YLBW: your lips but worst
Do you know any other beauty acronyms or abbreviations? Let me know in the comments so I can add them to the list 
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Wanted! Helena Rubinstein Prodigy Liquid Light Foundation
Helena Rubinstein has just released a new foundation called Prodigy Liquid Light (€70.00!). Available in only six shades, which will make it hard for most people (me included) to find a match, it is a serum and foundation rolled into one.
Prodigy Liquid Light is said to have the anti-ageing properties of a serum with the smoothing and illuminating power of a foundation. On application, the cream texture transforms into an ultra-light serum for a uniform and beautifully subtle color result.
Part of me is really curious to try it and see how well it performs, but the price is putting me off big time! If I could find a shade that matches my skintone perfectly (which I highly doubt would happen with so few shades available), I may consider it, but I’d have to see the ingredient list first to see if it is actually worth the money.
So far all I know is that it contains caffeine which has antioxidant properties, Hyaluronic Acid which moisturizes and plumps skin by preventing water loss and Royal Jelly, a substance secreted by bees that isn’t proven to do anything when applied topically.
But considering the ingredients hyped up by companies are usually present in small amounts in the products and don’t really do much, I’m reserving judgment until I see the entire list of ingredients. I just can’t help being intrigued by the idea of a serum foundation though.
What do you think of a serum foundation? Is it a cool idea or a waste of money?
Product Review: Senna Metallic & Sheer Glow Eye Colors
Name: Metallic & Sheer Glow Eye Colors
Brand: Senna Cosmetics
Size: 0.7oz, 2.00g
Price: $16.50
From Senna’s website:
Metallic Eye Colors: nothing matches the intensity of true metallic eye colors such as these. The glossy surface and depth of color and dimension make these the richest colors you can wear.
Sheer Glow Eye Colors: for semi-opaque color, quick, easy blending, and beautiful light reflective finish work with sheer glow colors. These give intensely rich color ‘read’ that’s soft on the eyes.
What I liked:
- lots of shades available
- apply quite sheer
- easy to blend
- last long and don’t crease if used with a primer
What I didn’t like:
- the ingredients
- the price
Senna Cosmetics has a large selection of eyeshadow colors in different formulas and finishes. I was lucky enough to try a couple of metallic and one sheer glow shadows and even though I usually go for brighter shades, I really like the colors.
Metallic eyeshadow in Amethyst is a dark purple with subtle shimmer and a metallic finish.
Metallic eye color in Sugar Plum is a medium pinkish bronze with a hint of shimmer and a metallic finish.
Sheer Glow shadow in Legend is a a medium golden brown with light reflecting particles that give eyes a nice glow.
They all have a silky texture, blend smoothly and apply quite sheer, esp Legend obviously, but they can all be layered for the desired effect or you could use a primer for better color payoff. All of the colors are very wearable and provide a nice wash of color that is perfect for the daytime.
I used these shadow both with and without a base and, like most shadows, they perform much better with a primer. Applied on a bare lid, they last for about 6 hours before they start to crease and fade. But when I use a primer they last all day, without creasing. Keep in mind that I don’t have oily lids. If you do, they may perform differently on you.
However, I was disappointed to see that one of the preservatives used in these shadows is Imidazolidinyl Urea, which works by releasing formaldehyde. It is present in very small amounts (the FDA approves it in concentrations up to 0.06%) in the shadows so using them won’t kill you. But personally, I prefer to use products that are free from formaldehyde-releasing preservatives.
Summary:
If you don’t mind using products that contain formaldehyde-releasing preservatives, these eyeshadows, available in lots of shades and finishes, offer a nice wash of color with subtle shimmer that last all day if used with a primer.
Rating: 3/5