WET'N'WILD MEGA LAST LIPSTICKS

Look what I got in the mail yesterday! I ordered two of Wet’n’Wild’s Mega Last Lipsticks in colors 904B Rose-bud & 907C Mauve Outta Here. Rose-bud is a beautiful medium pink/red/brown that will definitely make your face look fresher, while Mauve Outta Here is a blueish magenta that will look great with cold skin tones, but I, a very warm skin toned person, also dare to wear it.

Price & size:
Now, these cost $2-3 depending on where you find them in the US, but I bought them on ebay for $7.50 a piece. You get 0.11oz = 3.3 grams.

What it says (on wnwbeauty.com):
"Lips take center stage! This 4-hour, longwearing lip color leaves a semi-matte, crème finish in one stroke. Glides on easily with rich, velvety color that doesn't cake, feather, or bleed. Made with hydrating skin-care ingredients: Hyaluronic Microspheres provide extraordinary adhesion to lips, an exclusive polymer complex offers cushion-like feel and texture, and natural marine plant extracts Coenzyme Q10 and Vitamins A & E help smooth lips."

Ingredients:

BIS-DIGLYCERYL POLYACYLADIPATE-2 - "A major component of this ingredient is adipic acid, a mild skin irritant and mildly toxic."

BHT - BURYLATED HYDROXYTOLUENE: “...a potent synthetic antioxidant that also has carcinogenic properties.”

TOCOPHERYL ACETATE - recommended; “an antioxidant superstar”, various benefits: “protecting the epidermis from early stages of ultraviolet light damage", "increasing the efficacy of active sunscreen ingredients", "reducing the formation of free radicals upon skin exposure to UVA rays and other sources of skin stress", "preventing the peroxidation of fats, a leading source of cell membrane damage in the body", "reducing transepidermal water loss from skin and strengthens the skin's barrier function", "protecting the skin barrier's oil (lipid) balance during the cleansing process", "reducing the severity of sunburn"

ALLANTOIN - recommended, “considered an effective anti-irritant.”

RETINYL PALMITATE - recommended, “combination of retinol (pure vitamin A) and palmitic acid. There is research showing it to be effective as an antioxidant and skin-cell regulator”

SQUALENE - recommended; “oil derived from shark liver or from plants (usually olives) and sebum; it is a natural component of skin and is a good emollient that has antioxidant and immune-stimulating properties”

UBIQUINONE - recommended; "also known as coenzyme Q10, it is a vitamin-like, fat-soluble substance present in all human cells", "it is responsible for cell protection and production of the body’s energy.", "A handful of studies have shown that coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) may have an effect on skin and the appearance of wrinkles, most notably by reducing UV damage, stimulating healthy collagen production, and reducing substances in damaged skin that wreck havoc on its support structure."

SODIUM HYALURONATE - recommended; "component of skin tissue that is used in skin-care products as a good skin-identical ingredient", "hyaluronic acid can boost skin's moisture content and help prevent moisture loss."

OZOKERITE, PENTAERYTHRITYL TETRAISOSTEARATE, PROPYLHEPTYL CAPRYLATE, ALUMINUM STARCH OCTENYLSUCCINATE, MINERAL OIL/HUILE MINERALE, MYRISTYL LACTATE, BIS-DIGLYCERYL POLYACYLADIPATE-2, VP/EICOSENE COPOLYMER, MYRISTYL MYRISTATE, DIMETHICONE/VINYL DIMETHICONE CROSSPOLYMER, CAPRYLIC/CAPRIC TRIGLYCERIDE, NEOPENTYL GLYCOL DIETHYLHEXANOATE, POLYSILICONE-6, CHOLESTERYL HYDROXYSTEARATE, BHT, PROPYLPARABEN, ETHYLENE/PROPYLENE/STYRENE COPOLYMER, SILICA, BUTYLENE/ETHYLENE/ STYRENE COPOLYMER, SORBITAN SESQUIOLEATE, TOCOPHERYL ACETATE, ALLANTOIN, RETINYL PALMITATE, SQUALANE, UBIQUINONE, SODIUM HYALURONATE [+/- (MAY CONTAIN: TITANIUM DIOXIDE, CI 77891, IRON OXIDES/CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499, RED 7 LAKE, RED 6/CI 15850, RED 28 LAKE/CI 45410, RED 30 LAKE/CI 73360, YELLOW 6 LAKE/CI 15985, BLUE 1 LAKE/CI 42090, YELLOW 5 LAKE/CI19140]

ROSE-BUD

MAUVE OUTTA HERE

My opinion:
I love these. I love how they're semi-matte, but not drying, intense, but not overpowering. The colors are super pigmented, they're not creamy so they don't glide on as easy as some lipsticks do but it's not a pain to put them on either. If you have dry lips you might want to put on a lipbalm first because it may be drying for that lip type.
The packaging is nothing special really, feels somewhat cheap and I don't like that I cannot twist the lipstick all the way down to hide it in the bottle because this way I have to watch out not to touch the lipstick with the cap every time I close it. These, just like Sephora's lipsticks, don't have their name written on the labels, just the color codes.

AND! Wet'n'Wild does NOT test on animals so they deserve a CRUELTY FREE stamp!

THE FISHTAIL BRAID

Here's a video tutorial on how to do a fishtail braid. I hope you make it and enjoy the video.

NEW THINGS!

Finally, the day came. I went shopping with a friend who has the power to convince you that everything looks great on you and to spend money! Haha.
I’m really strict about things like shopping for new make up because I own a whole lot and I don’t want to buy too many things in a short period of time and build a huge pile of make up that I cannot use up. So, since I used up two lip products and two blushes which were both a peachy color, I went out and got an orange lipstick that I really, really wanted and a peachy blush, but I also got two eye liner/lip brushes.

The lipstick I got is from Manhattan, a German company. The one I got is Perfect Creamy & Care in the color 34N, which is a gorgeous orange color, but with a hint of coral too.

It’s definitely not matte but rather soft, velvety. I absolutely love it!

The blush I bought is from Essence and it is in the color Secret It-Girl. It looks much darker in the packaging than it does on the skin, it is actually a really nice peachy color that I wanted.

The two brushes I bought are essentially the same. They're both for gel liners but I also like to use them for lining my lips before I put on a bold lipstick to get a fine, crisp line.

Now these two things I bought could be something that you don't care about, but I'll share them anyways. I bought
thigh high socks and shoes for autumn.

CLEAN & CLEAR Shine Control Line

1) DAILY FACIAL WASH

The first thing that I’m going to be reviewing from the Clean & Clear Shine Control line is their daily facial wash.
I get those once-a-month breakouts and I have really oily skin, so I really need something to keep the oil off my face.

Price & Size:
For about $5-6 you get a 200ml bottle and I can imagine you can get this at almost any drugstore.

What’s promised(on clean-and-clear.co.uk):
“CLEAN & CLEAR® Shine Control Daily Facial Wash is a gentle foaming cleanser to leave your skin looking shine-free all day.
Uniquely formulated with lemongrass and fruit extracts, it also removes dirt, oil and impurities. Gentle enough to be used everyday.”


Ingredients:
A very important thing about this wash is that it states that it is OIL-FREE on the bottle.

After checking the ingredients, I found that COCAMIDOPROPYL BETAINE is “one of the more gentle surfactants used in skin-care products” which is naturally a good thing because you don’t want the wash to completely strip your natural oils from your skin or cause skin peeling from dryness.

The ingredient called HAMAMELIS VIRGINIANA DISTILLATE, also called witch hazel distillate got a red, sad smiley because of it’s alcohol content thereby irritating effect.

SODIUM HYDROXIDE, also known as lye, it is a highly alkaline ingredient used in small amounts in cosmetics to modulate the pH of a product. It is also used as a cleansing agent in some cleansers. In higher concentrations it is a significant skin irritant. It also got a sad, red smiley.


Then again, SODIUM ASCORBYL PHOSPHATE got a green smiley with a check which means its use is highly recommended and translated, it’s a form of vitamin C that functions as an antioxidant.


TOCOPHERYL ACETATE, a form of vitamin E also got a recommending smiley face.


Now, METHYLPARABEN, PROPYLPARABEN and ETHYLPARABEN are obviously forms of parabens, which a lot of people avoid, but I have read that they aren’t as bad as people say, but I still wanted to point it out for those of you who avoid parabens.

I feel like I am only pointing out bad things, but there are also people who don’t like using products that contain perfume, which this daily wash does.

LIMONENE is another product that got a negative smiley, and this is what cosmeticscop.com says about it “...limonene may be a potential anti-cancer ingredient and immune stimulant when consumed orally, but other research suggests that limonene may promote the growth of tumors...” “...limonene can cause contact dermatitis and is best avoided unless its presence in skin-care products is minuscule.”


About LINALOOL, another ingredient found in this daily wash: “...fragrant component of lavender and coriander that can be a potent skin irritant, allergen, or sensitizer...” “...toxic to skin cells.”

And this is what I’ve found about the last ingredient, BUTYLPHENYL METHYLPROPIONAL: “The European Cosmetics Directive lists this ingredient as an “allergenic” substance, requires all cosmetic products containing it to indicate the presence of Butylphenyl Methylpropional.”

Aqua, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Glycerin, Acrylates Copolymer, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Citrus Grandis Extract, Citrus Aurantifolia Extract, Cymbopogon Schoenanthus Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana Distillate, Mannitol, Menthyl Lactate, Propylene Glycol, Alcohol, Cellulose, Menthol, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Sodium Chloride, Polysorbate 20, Isoceteth-20, Disodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Methylparaben, Ethylparaben, Propylparaben, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, Limonene, Linalool, CI77289, Butylphenyl Methylpropional.

My opinion:
Before I started looking into the ingredients of this daily wash, I was about to write how much I really liked it and that I’m almost done with my 6th bottle. It was actually pretty dumb of me to continually use it without ever checking out the ingredients.
After reading about all the negative, irritating and potentially tumor causing effects I’m going to have to change my opinion.
I actually liked how this behaved on my skin. I have very oily skin and it was never sensitive to a product, so this wash was doing fine for me. I would use it twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening and it managed to keep my face, especially my forehead oil-free for about 5-6 hours, which is a really good result. And the green beads are really nice, the product has a nice scent which definitely has a waking up effect in the morning. You are left with a fresh face.
I HAVE read that, for a lot of people, it was very drying, but I guess my skin is just that oily and resistant to all the alcohol and irritants in it.
So, I’m guessing I could say that if you have strong skin and would like to try this wash to keep your face oil free, you definitely should, but beware of the dangerous ingredients in it. I will definitely switch to something more natural.


To sum this all up and add another information, Clean & Clear DOES test on animals so it does not deserve a CRUELTY FREE or a VEGAN stamp.



2) DAILY FACIAL MOISTURISER

I bought this moisturiser along with my 6th and last bottle of Clean & Clear’s Daily Facial Wash to add something to my skin care routine because I didn’t give my skin any hydration after washing it.

Price & size:
I also payed about $5-6 for the 100ml bottle.

What’s promised(on clean-and-clear.co.uk):
“CLEAN & CLEAR® Shine Control Daily Facial Moisturiser leaves your skin shine-free throughout the day.”
”An oil-free moisturiser uniquely formulated with lemongrass and fruit extracts, to make your skin feel soft and smooth without clogging pores. Gentle enough to be used every day.”

Ingredients:
I think listing and analysing the ingredients of a product is always the fun part because you get to find out what’s behind the complicated names and the promising stuff on the bottle.

Aqua, Glycerin, PEG-8, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Cetyl Alcohol, Panthenol, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Dimethicone, Ethylexyl Hydroxystearate, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Citrus Aurantifolia Extract, Citrus Grandis Extract, Cymbopogon Schoenanthus Extract, Myristyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Carbomer, Propylene Glycol, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide, Tocopheryl Acetate, BHT, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, DMDM Hydantoin, Parfum, Linalool, Limonene, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone.

The third ingredient, PEG-8 already has a negative reputation. “these polymers may be contamated with potentially toxic manufacturing impurities such as 1,4-dioxane.”

ACRYLIC ACID: “...expected to be toxic or harmful.”

Again, SODIUM HYDROXIDE, see above.
LINALOOL & LIMONENE recurring, see above.
BUTYLPHENYL METHYLPROPIONAL, see above.
PARABENS, see above.
It contains a positive ingredient, TOCOPHERYL ACETATE, see above.

BHT - BURYLATED HYDROXYTOLUENE: “...a potent synthetic antioxidant that also has carcinogenic properties.”

On DMDM HYDANTOIN, a formaldehyde-releasing preservative: “Despite some claims, there is no higher level of skin reaction to formaldehyde-releasing preservatives than to other preservatives.In fact, there is a far greater risk to skin from a product without preservatives, because of the contamination and unchecked growth of bacteria, fungus, and mold that can result if no preservatives are used. However, there is concern that when formaldehyde-releasing preservatives are present in a formulation that also includes amines, such as triethanolamine (TEA), diethanolamine (DEA), or monoethanolamine (MEA), nitrosamines can be formed, and nitrosamines are carcinogenic substances that can potentially penetrate skin.
“Whether or not that poses a health risk of any kind has not been established.”

ALPHA-ISOMETHYL IONONE: “Possible human immune system toxicant.”

My opinion:
I do not like this moisturiser. Even though it is oil-free and supposed to keep the oils away from my skin, I feel like half an hour after I’ve put it on my face, the oils start to return.
The moisturiser feels greasy and despite the somewhat nice, fresh smell, I don’t like the film it leaves on my skin.
Again, it contains many harmful ingredients just like the facial wash from the same routine. Will not buy again.

Does not get a CRUELTY FREE nor a VEGAN stamp. Johnson&Johnson, the owner of the Clean&Clear line tests on animals.

Sephora Rouge Cream Lipstick

A few months ago, a while after Sephora opened in Croatia, I was looking for a nice bright fuschia lipstick. The ones I really liked were Guerlain’s and Dior’s, but I don’t like spending a lot of money on a high end product if I can find what I like for less money. So when I saw Sephora’s Rouge Cream Lipstick in R11 Love Test, I instantly failed the test and fell in love.

Price & size:
You can get this lipstick for 12$, but I can only assume that you get about 0.13 oz because I couldn’t find the actual size on the web.

What’s promised (on sephora.com):
“What it is:
A hydrating lipstick that creates full lips with intense color.


What it does:
A revamp of the iconic Sephora Lip Attitude Chic, this new hydrating formula provides improved coverage and is rife with pigment. The creamy texture softly glazes your lips, imparting just the right amount of color and sheen.”

Ingredients:

Sephora.com lists three “active” ingredients on their website and those are:
-Black Currant Seed Oil (Omega 3 and 6): Known for its protective properties.
-Olive Oil: Known for its hydrating, nourishing, shining properties.
-Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E derivative): A known antioxidant.

And then I also found the whole ingredient list and ran them all through cosmeticscop.com’s database of ingredients and they all received a green smiley face which means none of them are harmful.

Castor seed oil, polybutene, titanium dioxide, microcrystalline wax, caprylic/capric triglyceride, hydrogenated polyisobutene, C12-15 alkyl benzoate, polyglyceryl-2 triisostearate, neopentyl glycol dicaprate, petrolatum, myristyl lacate, yellow 5 lake, candelilla wax, iron oxides, synthetic wax, aluminum starch octenysuccinate, PPG-51/SMDI copolymer, red 7, ethylene/proplene copolymer, stearalkonium hectorite, ozokerite, fragrance, black currant seed oil, olive fruit oil, proplyene carbonate, tocopherol, ammonium glycyrrhizate, ascorbyl palmiate


My opinion:
I really like this lipstick, not just because of the color which is so freakin’ hot but I also like the packaging and the product itself. It’s nice and pigmented, creamy and it does not dry out my lips. It also has a nice sweet, somewhat fruity smell.

The packaging is very plain but I do not mind that at all. I like how both ends are flat so you can store it either way up unlike Mac’s lipstick.

The only thing that bothers me about all of these Rouge Cream lipsticks is the fact that their real names aren’t written anywhere on the packaging. The only thing you have is the code, in my case R11, and you need to open the lipstick to see that label. I hope Sephora changes that. On the bottom side is a round color stamp which lets you recognize the color in case you store it that side up.

Also, since Sephora does not test on animals, this lipstick gets a cruelty-free stamp! But I cannot find anything about it being vegan so I cannot give away a vegan stamp.

Other reviews:

(scroll down)

SEPHORA.COM

MAKEUPALLEY.COM