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Curiously Carmen

ACI Beauty Preview Spring 2017 (Part 2/2)

April 8, 2017

Hi! If you have just stumbled upon this post and not sure what is going on, here is part 1 of the Spring 2017 ACI Beauty Preview event that I attended last week. Half of the post was me gushing about cute cat themed products from Paul & Joe. I would absolutely lose it if they came out with bunny products in the future (hint hint??? hehe).

In part 1, I talked about Stila, Paul & Joe, CLEAN, and St. Tropez. This post, I will feature Ardell, Bliss, and Korres.

False lashes are all the rage right now, and I wish I didn’t have to wear glasses so I could wear them more. Ardell is a staple in the falsies game, and it is no surprise that the releases this season look great! I love how they are so affordable too.

The two falsies on the right feature multiple layers to give your lashes more of a voluminous appearance. Gone are the days where you have to glue together two pairs of falsies!

There was only one Bliss product featured that day, which was their rubber mask, the mask-a-peel. I was first introduced to this at the previous ACI Beauty event, and was very intrigued. It comes in a powder form, and when mixed with water, it dries on your face into a rubber texture.

At $15 for one use (once mixed with water, the mask will dry and turn into rubber even if not applied on your skin), it doesn’t come cheap so I’m curious to see if this is worth the price.

The last brand we were shown was Korres! Korres has easily fallen into one of my favourite skincare brands. Their products work very well with my skin!

That day, we focused on their Greek yogurt line. After having to cut out ALL traces of dairy due to stomach problems, I’m glad that I have a use for Greek yogurt again, if that makes any sense? Haha! I used to love eating greek yogurt and miss it. =(

Anyways, we were told that in Greece, a popular way to soothe sunburns was to slather your body with greek yogurt. I could definitely see why, as it would probably feel very cooling and yogurt is rich with many benefits. So, Korres decided to incorporate Greek yogurt into their products and created a face wash, and primer/moisturizer.

I was given a sample of the Korres Greek yogurt primer/moisturizer. We were told in the morning to use it as a primer and at night, to put use it as a cream. I just use it as a moisturizer since I don’t wear face products on a daily basis, and I have been really loving it so far. But I could see it being a good primer since it makes your skin very soft and supple.

Keep an eye out for reviews of some of the products mentioned in these two posts!

 


Filed Under: Beauty, body, events, eyes, face, lips

ACI Beauty Preview Spring 2017 (Part 1/2)

April 5, 2017

Last week, I had the opportunity to attend the Spring 2017 ACI Beauty Preview. I always look forward to going to this event and learning about the new launches, and then sharing it here! Since I hate having long & wordy posts and try to avoid it as much as possible, I decided to split this event into two parts.
We started off with Stila. Take a guess what the product above is. It looks like lip gloss or some sort of lip product, right? That’s what I thought at least. But, it is actually part of their new mermaid inspired line, Magnificent Metals, and they are actually eyeshadows!

I wish I took a picture of the swatch, but sadly I only put it on my Instastory and it’s gone by now. =( The shades were AMAZING. It had some intergalactic, out of this world vibes but with a hint of sparkle and girliness. This is definitely something for the bold and brave, as you will definitely be getting some (good) attention when wearing this!
The next brand we were brought to was Paul & Joe. Paul & Joe are always super creative and detailed in their packaging, so I’m always excited to see what they come up with next. Just when I thought their cat lipsticks from previous seasons were cool, they did it again with their cat shaped lipsticks!

The pinkish-red lipstick in the middle goes on pretty sheer, while the grey ones go on to match your lip colour. I find that Japanese products (Paul & Joe is made in Japan), they are all about the sheer and subtle which Paul & Joe does perfectly, with a huge dosage of cute!
Another picture of the cat lipstick because it is just too cute.
Continuing along the cat trend, the brushes in the back are actually cat paws! How cute! They were so incredible soft as well. I believe the box contains a blush, but I was too distracted by the soft and fluffy cat paw to be 100% sure.
Paul & Joe usually house their products in paper boxes, that have very cute and detailed designs. These are the new blush and bronzer releases.
Perhaps one of the only Paul and Joe products that weren’t cat themed? I was given a sample of one of their nail polishes here and will be writing a review for that this week as well!

You’re probably tired of me gushing over how cute and girly Paul & Joe’s products are, so we will move on to CLEAN. CLEAN is a perfume brand that I haven’t seen around much apart from in the blogosphere, but they do deserve more attention and love.

As their name suggests, CLEAN products smell very fresh and well, clean. One of my favourites from them is a perfume that smells like fresh laundry.

This season, they focused on two summer fragrances, Ultimate Beach Day and Lovegrass. At first, I was a bit reluctant of how the Ultimate Beach Day could smell like a day on the beach, but damn, it really did smell like a day on the beach. It smelled exactly like summer and sunshine, which I am not sure how they perfected it but they did.

The second one was Lovegrass that I didn’t like as much as the Ultimate Beach Day. To me, it had more of a heavier scent and I prefer lighter scents on myself. I think it would be suitable for both females and males.
I’ve never been one to try self tanners or even go to the tanning salon, and have never done both. Does that make me a bad beauty blogger? =P

The main reason why I’ve never tried self tanners is because they look so intimidating and daunting! I always hear horror stories of people not doing it correctly and ending up looking like an orange or waaayyy too dark.

But, I think I do want to try using a self tanner one of these days. I would probably start with the St. Tropez gradual tan, on the left. That way, I can slowly adjust to it instead of somehow messing it up.

The blue bottle in the middle is the same day tan that you spray all over your body. What’s new about it is that it has a 360 degree nozzle so it’s easier to reach your back! The squeeze tube beside it is essentially a body highlighter, you rub this over the parts of your body that you want to have a nice tan sparkle.

This post is getting quite long so I think I will end it here! Part two will be shorter and feature Ardell, Korres, and Bliss.


Filed Under: Beauty, body, events, eyes, face, lips

Estee Lauder Fall Preview 2016

September 17, 2016

Ah, how I love thee, Estee Lauder. I am back again with a preview of the upcoming Estee Lauder products, this time for the Fall 2016 season!
Estee Lauder Foundation I’ll start off with the Estee Lauder foundation bar, which features five of their different foundations. How pretty is this table? I seriously LOVE it, and the flowers make me so happy.

Four of the foundations pictured here have already been released, but I’ll be talking about the one launching this season below.
Estee Lauder Pressed PowderJust a close up of one of their foundations, because I found this so aesthetically pleasing!
estee-lauder-beauty-blenderOkay, now back to actual information hahaha! This is the Double Wear Nude Cushion Stick. What’s cool about this product is that there is a sponge applicator at the top, as you can see.

Having the sponge applicator, which feels the same as a Beauty Blender, makes it very travel friendly and easy to use. You don’t have to worry about finding a brush or sponge to blend your foundation!

The foundation itself gives a nice warm and radiant glow, while moisturizing your skin. I would say this is a light-medium finish. It also has a nice and clean scent!
estee-lauder-re-nutrivThis is the luxury line for Estee Lauder, Re-Nutriv. We all oooh-ed and ahhh-ed over the scent, texture, and ingredients of these luxury products.

In particular, I really liked the Re-Nutriv Ultimate Lift Regenerating Youth Serum. It looks really cool and when we tested it on our skin, I liked how there was a little shimmery glow on my hand!
estee-lauder-lipstickHere are the new shades for the Pure Color Envy line! Inside these lipsticks are a new Optical Pearl Blend, which transforms lip shape with a unique prismatic optic blend for amplified lips.

In addition, the lipsticks include an Exclusive Time Release Encapsulated Moisture Complex with Hyaluronic Acid! This basically means that lips are kept moisturized and smooth due to the timed release of the hyaluronic acid.

I really love Estee Lauder lipsticks for their creaminess, pigmentation, and magnetic caps. The lipstick cap snaps nicely together with the magnet and I love playing with it sometimes, hehe. You can really see and feel the quality of their lipsticks, which is why I love them so much!
estee-lauder-modern-muse-rougeThis season comes the Modern Muse Le Rouge Gloss! This is a sexy, fierce, and bold take on the previous Modern Muse perfumes. It really does smell sexy, if that makes any sense? LOL.

The scent is best described as fruity, spicy, and woody with woody being the most noticeable. I noticed a fruity scent as first, and then it turns into a more spicy and woody scent.

The notes are: BLACK CHERRY, CARROT SEED, MANDARIN, ROSE CENTIFOLIA, PINK PEPPER, JASMINE ABSOLUTE, VINYL ACCORD, STYRAX, SAFFRON, LABDANUM, VANILLA, and PATCHOULI. (Notes taken from Estee Lauder website).
estee-lauder-aerin-perfumeThe second perfume launching this fall is by AERIN. AERIN is a line created by Estee Lauder’s granddaughter. This is the AERIN Tangier Vanille. As the name suggests, there is a strong vanilla scent, which I found very warm and comforting. Is it strange that I want to describe it as a delicious scent due to the vanilla and chocolate scents that I detected? Haha!

It is named Tangier Vanille because this perfume is created from Morrocan vanilla,one of the finest vanillas in the world, and Tangier is a city in Morroco. It also just sounds very lovely!

Other notes of this floral, amber, sandalwood, and soft musk. As you can tell, it is a wonderful scent for the colder seasons, where we could use some warmth.
estee-lauder-pink-ribbonLast but definitely not least, is the Pink Ribbon collection. The Pink Ribbon Collection is a breast cancer research foundation founded by Estee Lauder. Each of the products in this collection have a pink ribbon to signify that part of the proceeds go towards breast cancer research.

Well, there you have it 🙂 What product did you like most in this preview? Keep an eye out for these products on shelves in the upcoming months!

 


Filed Under: Beauty, events, eyes, face, lips, makeup Tagged: beauty, beauty blog, beauty blogger, beauty blogging, estee lauder

ACI Fall 2016 Preview

September 2, 2016

I feel as if I haven’t blogged for awhile, although it’s only been a week! As some of you may know already, the past two months were absolutely crazy for me. I finally have the tail end of summer to relax, and I’ve been really trying to savour the sunny days before fall rolls in.

Another year has gone by, and it is time to share with you all the upcoming products from ACI Beauty. ACI is a Canadian beauty distributor, or in super simple terms, they bring products to the shelves of our favourite beauty stores.
Paul & Joe Looney TunesPaul & Joe never fails to impress me with their product designs. Like seriously, who designs their packaging because it is seriously amazing. This season, Paul & Joe have partnered up with Looney Tunes to launch a limited collection set of themed products!

Last fall, the boyfriend and I watched Bugs Bunny at the Symphony, presented by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. I am really loving how companies are coming out with modern ways to invoke nostalgia. (Side note, I really recommend going to the Bugs Bunny at the Symphony if the VSO brings it back! Not sponsored btw)
Paul & Joe blushThese were too cute not to include. Apart from the lipsticks, they also have blush and shadow compacts with the limited edition Looney Tunes sets. Which one is your favourite design?
Paul & Joe catRemember the cat lipsticks I talked about last year? Well, Paul & Joe has launched a new cat blush this season. The cats here are also blush beads. But with a product so cute, I would be really reluctant to use it up.
Cargo CosmeticsCargo is a brand that I’ve seen here and there, but I was able to learn more about it at the event. I am a big fan of palettes, so I am pretty excited to try and test their palettes out!
Korres CreamI raved about my Korres wild rose oil back in May, and have really started to take a liking to this Greek brand. This Fall, they are releasing a few skincare products and a soap bar.

I’ve been using the wild rose day cream & night mask for the past week, the two on the left and right pictured above. So far, it’s been working really well with my skin and leaves it hydrated and plump. I’m going to use it a bit longer before I write the review, but I’ve been really loving it!
Stila HighlighterThis star light, star bright highlighting trio is part of Stila’s holiday collection. Just like their putty foundation that I reviewed last year, the highlighters also have a nice bounce to it.
Stila Liquid LipstickSome liquid lipsticks from Stila! These come in sets of three, but I just put them all together so you can see what colours they offer.
Ceramic GlazeNail polishes from Seche & Ceramic Glaze. Both are companies that I can vouch for. Once I discovered the Seche Vite top coat, there was no going back. Seriously, it’s a phenomenal top coat and I recommend that you try it for yourself if you haven’t already.
Fusion BeautyFusion is a smaller brand that I haven’t tried that much of yet, but so far, I’ve been really liking the browfusion. It is a double ended brow pencil and gel. I love how angled the pencil is, and how easy it is to get a nice shape!

Apart from the browfusion, they seem to specialize in mascaras. Pictured above are their new mascara launches, which I need to try!
St TropezLast but not least, new products from St. Tropez. Self tanning seems pretty intimidating to me, I’ve heard many horror stories of people trying this at home and coming out looking like an orange. Perhaps one day I’ll give it a shot!

However, we were told that the gradual tan mousse (pictured on the right, the white can) is perfect for beginners because the tan builds up slowly!

Press event. Opinions are own.


Filed Under: Beauty, body, events, eyes, face, lips, makeup Tagged: beauty, beauty blog, beauty blogger, beauty community, beauty event, beauty preview, beauty review, canada, vancouver

The Estée Edit Launch Event

June 8, 2016

The Estée Edit is a new line launched by Estée Lauder. I would describe the Estée Edit as the edgy, spunky younger sister, while the Estée Lauder line is known for more being more classic and modest. The new line definitely targets the younger and social media based audiences, with the two spokespersons being Instafamous celebrities Kendall Jenner and Irene Kim. (If you were like me and didn’t know who Irene was, she is a Korean-American model and beauty influencer.)

I was able to spend an afternoon previewing and learning about all the new products! This post will be more of a description of the products and my first impression. Reviews of some products will follow in future posts!
EEStarting off with their Mattified Lipstick line, there are definitely some very edgy and spunky colours in the line. I love the Estée Lauder lipsticks for their creaminess and high pigmentation, and I’m happy to say that the formula is consistent here as well. Although this is supposed to be a matte finish line, the ones that I sampled weren’t super matte, which I actually prefer because I find matte lipsticks less comfortable to wear.

My favourite product in the Estée Edit line would have to be the lip flips – pictured on the right. I can’t get enough of them! Apply either with your regular lipstick and it will turn either a darker shade (if you use black) or lighter (yellow). I just love the concept and can’t wait to experiment with the lipsticks I have at home.

It’s like buying tons of new lipstick when really, you are just adding two versatile shades in your collection!
EE1Moving on, pictured above are the super pigmented liners called the Edgiest Kohl Shadow Stick and Metallishadow eyeshadow pots. The liners also come with sharpeners at the opposite tip!

The right cup features the More Than Brows brow pencil, which you could also use as an eyeliner. At the end of the event, I received a free mini makeover and Meaghan lightly used the pencil over my eyelids. So, you can tell that it is very versatile!
EE2The Skin Glowing Balm Makeup is their light coverage foundation, which is infused with pink peony, shea butter, and seed butter. It is a very hydrating foundation with a dewy finish, and best applied using your fingers.

The Barest Blush collection look super great as well! It features a metallic overspray, which I was told is more for decoration. One of my summer makeup goals is to use blush more, as I feel it is one of my weaker areas.
EE3Remember the crazy and wild colours from the beginning? These are the Barest Lip colour collection. Again, the formula was very creamy and comfortable. But I found the nude shades to be really sheer and not that pigmented.
EE4The Flash Illuminator line looks similar to the Skin Glowing Balm Makeup line, but if you swatch the two, they are pretty different. The Flash Illuminator, as the name suggests, illuminates your skin and has a bit of sparkle to it. This line is meant for highlighting or strobing your face and would complement flash photography greatly.
EE5Here are a bunch of skincare products, including the Dissolve the Drama Makeup Remover, White Mud Scrub, Light Night Eraser Eye Balm, Chlorella Algae Cleansing Bar, Pink Peony Overnight Water pack, Rescue Balm, and more! I tested out the Dissolve the Drama makeup wipes and oil, and they were highly effective in removing makeup.EE6Last but not least, here are the Barest Bronzer products, which feature the same metallic decorative spray as the blush. The Cocobalm is a tinted liquid lip balm made from coconut oil. As such, it also smells really good! I’m not a big fan of the packaging as I can foresee it being difficult to squeeze out the product as you start to run out.

A photo posted by Curiously Carmen (@curiouslycarmen) on May 27, 2016 at 3:46pm PDT

To end the event, I was given a makeover by Meghan, who is a makeup artist for Estée Lauder! I wish I remembered to take a photo of my makeup, but sadly, I forgot to! Boo. Anyways, I had a great time, and expect to see some product reviews up this month! 🙂

What are your favourite products from the Estée Edit?

The Estée Edit is available exclusively at Sephora. (A heads up: their shelf is not located beside the Estee Lauder shelf so you will have to look elsewhere in the store for it.)

Show your Estée Edit looks using #TheEsteeEdit and/or #beautyattitudes!

Thanks for reading,
Carmen

Press event. Opinions are own.


Filed Under: body, events, eyes, face, lips, makeup

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