Lancome Grandiose Mascara and CILS Booster Review

LANCÔME GRANDIÔSE Extreme Wide-Angle Extreme Volume Mascara

& CILS BOOSTER XL Super-Enhancing Mascara Base

These two has been my favorite combo for my lashes since receiving it from my boyfriend last Christmas. It may not be a new product in 2017, but I am going to nominate both in Influenster's 2017 Beauty Awards!

To properly show the products' effects, I'll show before and after pictures.

Before application. No product at all.

Before close-ups

To see the effect of the booster base. I'll apply just the mascara on the left eye (my right), and both products on the right eye (my left).

Mascara applicator

After one coat of the mascara

Booster applicator

One coat of booster

Booster and mascara combined

Comparison with and without the booster

As you can see the right eye, which has the CILS Booster, has more volume to it. But compared to the before picture. the left eye's lashes still look voluminous with just one application of the Grandiose mascara.

Here is the before and after side-by-side for better comparison.You can also click on each picture for a larger view!

See the difference it makes, especially with the booster base? This is why I absolutely adore this product! Keep in mind that this is only through one coat to show how much volume it adds. I usually put up to 3 coats of each. Not only that but look at this gorgeous packaging!

Gradiose Mascara sells for $36 CAD, and CILS Booster sells for $32 CAD.

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!

Filipino Chopsuey Recipe (Vegetarian)

Serves 2

 Ingredients:

Please ignore my use of chicken broth and real oyster sauce.

1 lb or 1/2 kg of mixed (fresh or frozen) vegetables (broccoli, carrots, bell pepper, cabbage, snow peas, baby corn)
1 medium chopped onion
2 tbsp minced garlic
2 cups vegetable stock (or 2 cups water + 2 tsp vegetable stock powder)
4 tbsp vegetarian "oyster" sauce (which is made of mushrooms)
2 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp oil
Optional:
1 can quail eggs
If you're not vegetarian, you can add 1/2 lb of chicken, beef, pork, and/or shrimp.
Salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:

1. On medium-high heat, add 2 tbsp oil and sautee onion and garlic until fragrant.

2. Add in vegetables and sautee until tender.

3. Add 4 tbsp oyster sauce.

Whoah! The corn has disappeared! Magic! JK I added it after this step.

4. Pour in mixed 2 tsp cornstarch with 2 cups of stock and continue stirring until the sauce has thickened.

5. Add optional items and continue cooking for 1 minute.

6. Enjoy with rice!