Benefit #BeneFaves VoxBox Review

Disclaimer: All product are received complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes.

This month, I was one of the lucky people who received this generous VoxBox from Influenster and Benefit Cosmetics. It includes a deluxe sample Porefessional Face Primer, deluxe sample Hoola Bronzer, full-sized They're Real Mascara and full-sized Ka-Brow! These are all bestselling products from Benefit!

The Porefessional Face Primer minimizes the appearance of pores and fine lines. It can be applied under or over makeup.

The primer is very smooth and silky. It feels siliconey like other primers but not greasy. It almost feels powder-like. It also has this lovely mild floral scent. I've had this primer before as a sample from Sephora and I really like how it applies and how it mattifies my skin.

I decided to wear the primer by itself so you can see the full effect of it. On the left is before application, and right is after. Because of the mattifying effect, it smooths out the skin which reduces the look of pores, and in my case, my acne scars.

I'm very excited to try Hoola, as I hear so many good things about it. It is meant to use as a bronzer to have a sun-kissed look. But since it is matte, it is very good for contouring, too.

I really like that it comes with a brush. It is perfectly sized to swipe under the cheek bones to create a shadow. I didn't expect that the handle would be made of wood!

It's about a shade darker than my skintone and it's not too warm

 

On the before and after pictures, you can see how it creates enough depth. But not too much, so it still looks natural.

I have tried They're Real mascara before when I got a deluxe sample from Sephora. This was the first mid-range mascara I've tried then, and one that first amazed me.

On the right is just my bare lashes, and on the left is with the mascara. The consistency is smooth, not too thin or thick. Because of that, it lengthens and volumizes the lashes without clumping! The rush is also quite different from the ones I've seen before. The bristles help with separating the lashes so that they all get coated. I've also tried using it with the primer version, and it volumizes even more with it.

Ka-Brow! is the first brow product I've tried from Benefit. I think the packaging was done in a clever way so that you get a full-sized brush!

It was very easy to use. I was able to fill up my brows in under a minute! You only need a little bit of the product so be careful. Just dot the brush on the gel each time. It took me only 3 dots to fill one brow, so you're really saving on product!

So here is all the products I used, and nothing else. Hope this helped you decide if you're interested in buying these products from Benefit, but in my experience, I say go for it!

Kat Von D Saint and Sinner Perfumes Review

#SaintandSinner

#TheResurrectionIsReal

Disclaimer: These perfumes are complimentary from Influenster for reviewing purposes.

These two perfumes are relaunch (or resurrected lol) from the same named perfumes from 2009, which was a long time ago! I didn't even know she had perfumes! The packaging, as always, is gorgeous! I wasn't expecting these to be sent as they were no surveys that I took about perfumes. I was walking home from work when my sister sent me pictures of it that got me really excited since I haven't received a Kat Von D product from Influenster before.

Both bottles are 0.17oz/5mL which is a very decent size to sample, if not more than enough. I don't always wear perfume and I wear it minimally, so these will last me a while! The bottles didn't have the intricate design as the full bottles but these are still really beautiful to display.

First, there is Saint which is described on the Sephora website as"soft, alluring, and dreamy, this gourmand fragrance sweetens a bouquet of jasmine and tiaré flower with notes of mandarin, caramel, and sparkling Mirabelle plum. Vanilla, sandalwood, and creamy musk build to the romance of the perfume". It is mainly sweet and floral, especially when I first sniff it from the bottle. But I feel like as the day goes on, it shows this little bit of muskyness, maybe from reacting with my natural body chemistry. It is a very feminine fragrance. My boyfriend said that it's a little bit mature. Maybe it's because of the Vanilla, which I'm not a huge fan of when it's a scent. But good thing it's floral enough for me to like!

Then we have Sinner which is like Saint's emo sister. They smell very similar to each other but Sinner has an edge to it. I think it has more vanilla, spice and musk. On Sephora's website, it's described as "dark, sultry, and empowering, this enticing fragrance sweetens a bouquet of jasmine and orange blossom with notes of vanilla, mandarin, and Mirabelle plum. Spicy cinnamon envelops white florals at the heart of the fragrance, while base notes of vetiver, patchouli, and wood form the deeper, darker nuances". I think this is more a unisex fragrance, so guys can wear it, too! I prefer Saint more, but I'd wear this when I'm feeling fierce!

On Sephora, it is sold as a travel or full sized spray ranging from $30 - to $115 CAD.

imPress Press-On Manicure review

     This press-on nail set was included in the Influesnter Spring Vibes VoxBox for reviewing purposes. The set includes 30 press-on nails including 6 accent nails, prep pad, file, orange stick and instructions. It's $7.99 USD at the imPRESS website. I got the French manicure style with glitter accents.

     These press-on nails are supposed to be a hassle-free way of putting on artificial nails because the nails have an adhesive on the underside. No glue needed!
    It involves several but quick steps, first of which is to wash your hands with soap. Second is to use the prep pad so that there is not oils or dirt on the nails. This is to ensure that the adhesive sticks on the nails fully.

     Before proceeding, I have measured the nails on my real nails and laid them out so everything is organized.

     Initially, I thought that the design looks simple but really pretty. I like the glitter on the accent nails.

     To put on the nails, just remove the plastic backing and line it up to your cuticle. Then press firmly at the centre and both sides for a minute. They also recommend to keep pressing on the nails during the first hour and a half to ensure that it really sticks on your nails.

     I didn't use the file that was included because it's too small, so I used my Crystal Nail File from Sephora which I got for $12.50CAD.

     Here is how it looked like before filing. You could see the air bubbles underneath and on the sides of the nails especially the ones under the accent nail. For some reason, the accent nails have less adhesive under so it has bigger air bubbles. If the nails weren't translucent, it wouldn't be a problem. 

    From afar, it does look good. I'm a little bit of a perfectionist so I'm not completely satisfied with the results. If I had gotten opaque nails, then it wouldn't have any complaints. I liked how it literally took only seconds to put on the nails, so overall, it's a good product.

Shiseido Ibuki Survival Kit Review #PhotoReadySkin #ShareBeauty

     I got this in the beginning of April courtesy of Shiseido and Influenster Canada for testing purposes, and I was so excited for the FULL SIZE Shiseido Ibuki Smart Filtering Smoother!
     Since I have textured skin, I am always looking for products that will blur the look of it, especially when I wear foundation. If you have acne scars like I do, you would know that wearing foundation seems to exaggerate the look of the scars.

     As I applied it on my face, I notice how smooth and light it feels. It feels like a very lightweight moisturizer, and it smells really lovely. It's not silicone based like most skin blurring primers which is very good for my oily skin. This will prevent my foundation from slipping and sliding as my skin gets oily as the day goes on.

Before applying the smoother

After the smoother

     As you can see, it blurs the look of large pores and smooths my acne scars! It also mattifies which is good for oily skin. To test, I only applied it on my right side of my face (your left). I used it with Maybelline Fit Me Foundation.

Here is a side-by-side comparison. Left side: with. Right side: without. (Excuse my flaky nose)

     After about 5 hours, I checked in to see how it was performing. It definitely reduced the shine from my oily face, comparing with my left side (your right). However, maybe because a little bit of the oil is interfering with the product, the blurring effect has gone away. It doesn't help foundation last either.

Left side (with)

Right side (without)

I decided to spritz some of the Quick Fix Mist to see if it'll help take away the oilyness.

     Unfortunately, not only does the spray not perform well (They only gave it in mini-size. Maybe, the full size has a better functioning spray) it also didn't do anything. It smells good though! Maybe it can be a good refresher during the summer.

Chunky mist

     Next are the Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate and the Beauty Sleeping Mask. The concentrate is described in the Sephora website as "A one-of-a-kind boosting pre-treatment that helps defend against multiple signs of aging and damage, while enhancing the effects of skincare that follows."

     Since my skin isn't aging yet, it's hard for me to see the effects of this. It does feel nice on the skin, absorbs very quickly, and lightweight. I will keep using this to see if it does anything for my dark post-acne spots.

     The mask is described as "An overnight leave-on gel mask featuring vitamin capsules that melt into skin, helping you wake up to a well-rested and radiant complexion."

     I was able to get two uses out of this, instead of one, which is nice since I can test it more than once. Again, like all the other products from this line, it smells really nice, luxurious even. It absorbs slower than the others but it is a mask. I noticed that I didn't produce as much oil when I woke up and my face feels smooth and supple.

      So that's my review for the Ibuki line from Shiseido. I was really happy with my experience with these products! (except for the mist, but I'll keep using it) Thank you Shiseido and Influenster for the complimentary VoxBox!

#MyJohnFrieda Influenster VoxBox: John Frieda Brilliant Brunette Visibly Brighter Review

John Frieda ® Brilliant Brunette ® Visibly Brighter ™

Subtle Lightening Shampoo

Subtle Lightening Conditioner

In-Shower Lightening Treatment

Last month, I received my very first Influenster VoxBox for the #MyJohnFrieda campaign. I got sent their new line of products from John Frieda called Brilliant Brunette. They also have Sheer Blonde and Radiant Red. Below their Brilliant Brunette line are two more sub-categories which are Visibly Brighter and Visibly Deeper. Each has a shampoo, conditioner and a in-shower treatment. I got the Visibly Brighter set since it's spring/summer and I want my hair to have more golden touch to it.

I have naturally black hair. But it is currently dyed dark brown on the top part and golden blonde on the lower part. I also have thick slightly wavy hair.

So here was my game plan on how I'm going to test these products. Since the shampoo and conditioner both claim to lighten hair gradually, I tested them out in the course of 3 weeks on their own. Then on the last week, I tested the in-shower lightening treatment.

First week (Before)

The shampoo and conditioner both smell the same. They both have this kind of musky male perfume scent to them. I'm guessing this is how marigold flowers smell like, which is one of the main ingredients. I didn't like the scent at first because it's too manly for my liking, but I got used to it. You can still smell it on the 2nd day.

Second week

Both the shampoo and conditioner were okay when it comes to normal shampoo and conditioner performance, but nothing life changing. However, when it came to the actual lightening, nothing happened. It also left a bit of yellow stain on my hands, but it washed away easily.

Now, as for the exciting part, the in-shower lightening treatment. I really like the packaging. I think it's pretty innovative and easy to use. If it were on two separate tubes, you'd have to do some mixing. But for the actual product inside, it's disappointing. The product smelt heavily of bleach, similar to what box hair dyes smell like. It lathered up a bit when I applied it which probably is to help it spread around the hair, then I left it on for 5 minutes. After I washed it off, it made my hair dry and crackly-feeling. I used the conditioner to help it, but the conditioner didn't do much either. I had to use another conditioner.

Third week

Ultimately, as you can see on the pictures, these products didn't do anything to lighten my hair. Still, I am glad to be one of the first people to test out these products and I really appreciate that Influenster picked me and I hope to receive more VoxBoxes in the future.

UPDATE: My dad has taken a liking to both the shampoo and conditioner. He doesn't usually use conditioner. He probably likes the scent of it, as it smells a bit on the manly side. He took it with him to where he works. (He works at Fort McMurray and stays there for 3 weeks, then comes back home to Calgary for a week)

😂