The great eye cream shootout – Yon-ka Nutri-contour Eye and Lip Care

A good eye cream is a girl’s best friend.  Or so I’ve been told. 

I was warned by several makeup artists of dangers of not using eye cream, plus many readers have complained to me that the bane of their life is dark circles or lines round their eyes.  So it made perfect sense to embark on a guinea-pig style review of eye creams for Desi girl’s beauty blog.              

Now, as I’ve said before, the difficulty with reviewing eye creams is that the results aren’t instant.  Lines won’t vanish overnight, neither will dark circles.  Plus, if you don’t have major eye issues to start with, you’ll see little change.  However, as with most creams, prevention is better than cure, so even if you don’t see major results, it doesn’t mean the cream hasn’t worked. 

OK, so that’s my disclaimer over… onto the next review.

I’ve so far reviewed RoC’s Sublime Energy Eye, and as I have mentioned previously, in the interests of thorough reviewing (and to avoid confusing my eyes with many different creams), I’ve enlisted my SWAT team (of sisters) to try some eye creams, too.  

Yon-ka Nutri Cntour Eye and Lip Care

My sis has been using Yon-ka’s Nutri-contour Eye and Lip Care for several weeks now.  So, in keeping with all the eye cream reviews, let’s talk about the claim, and the reality.  

The claim:

The cream is a hit with celebrities, from J-Lo to Pixie Lott.  Yon-ka promises to offer an intense and luxurious treatment which tackles every kind of eye and lip problem.  With hazelnut oil and anti-oxidant vitamins, the cream prevents wrinkles around the eyes and lips.

The reality:  

   

Yon-ka Nutri-contour Eye and Lip Care certainly is luxurious.  The cream is also light, blends into the skin easily and only needs to be used very sparingly.       

However, beyond that, my sis hasn’t seen much change.  To be fair though, she doesn’t have noticeable dark circles or lines.  Tsk.  However, she is going to keep using it as a preventative solution to the above problems.    

Overall, she feels it’s a nice cream which keeps her eyes hydrated and blends nicely.  However, she did have one parting thought - with a £30 price tag, she did wonder whether some of the cheaper brands on the market would be just as good. 

   

Now, that feels like a challenge to me…      

http://www.yonka.com/.

Tweet

http://twitter.com/dgbeautyblog

Tickles and giggles, courtesy of Dr Fish

I had a truly ‘I’m a celebrity…get me out of here’ moment recently, when I dunked my feet in a tank of skin-eating fish.  Yes, that’s right, I had a fish pedicure.   



The poor fish...

 Otherwise known as Dr Fish, Garra Ruffa fish feed off dead, dry skin (nice), therefore act as unwitting dermatologists.  Originated in the Middle East, the fish pedicure has taken the world by storm.    

While I’d known about the fish pedicure phenomena for years – in fact I’d first seen it featured on Ugly Betty – it was the first time I’d took the plunge. 

And I have to say, it was one of the most surreal experiences I’ve had.  I visited Appy Feet, in Manchester’s Arndale Centre, and was immediately struck by how popular the place way, there were about 12 tanks, which were barely empty, as a constant stream of families, couples and groups of friends came to dip their toes in for fifteen minutes.

My original enthusiasm turned to nervous apprehension when I saw the tank full of what looked like tiny eels.  I cautiously dipped my feet in, only to shriek and immediately remove them as I felt the fish gather at my soles.  I wanted to back out but felt rather dramatic and silly, so took the plunge again.

So what was it like?  Well, the fish didn’t hurt as they nibbled, I would liken the feeling to Jacuzzi bubbles.  However, for the first ten minutes, I literally couldn’t look down.  It’s psychological - seeing the fish in action is what put me off.  If I didn’t look, it was tolerable.

Some people shared my dread, while others found it more relaxing.  One thing was for sure, it was a different experience.  I understand why fish pedicures are used during hen parties and pamper sessions – it’s fun with others.  I was glad I was with a friend, or I would have looked a bit silly shrieking by myself. 

Once my ‘experience’ was over, I checked my feet and found that they were silky soft and smooth, so the fish had done something.  But after last week’s pedicure at Urban Retreat, I had a bit of a head start, as my feet were already pretty primed.  I think that someone with more issues with dry skin and cracked heels would see greater results. 

Overall, I think the fish pedicure is great for someone with either particularly dry skin, or even for a group of friends who want a pamper with a difference.  Though it wasn’t for me, I think it falls into one of those ‘definitely try once’ categories.  One thing’s for sure, it’s not an experience I’ll forget in a hurry.     

      

Appy Feet has stores across the country.  For more information, go to:  http://www.appyfeet.co.uk/   

         

Tweet

http://twitter.com/dgbeautyblog

Feet first at Urban Retreat

Urban Retreat, Harvey Nichols, Manchester

Now, while it’s great to buy products that help us look our best, there are times when you just need a little expert help.  That’s why we entrust a beautician for bridal makeup, a threading expert for eyebrows and a hairdresser for, well, our hair.

That’s why for Desi girl’s beauty blog, I’ll be looking at a range of services out there, from the weird, wonderful, to downright unnerving, to suss out the best treatments out there for you.   

So firstly, let’s talk feet.  While we’re busy focussing on beautifying our faces and perfecting our hair, our feet are more than a little neglected.  I’m no exception – I slather on the hand cream, but I generally ignore my feet as they spend 85% of the year snuggled in socks.  And, to be honest, I’ve been lucky enough never to suffer from dry skin or cracked heels.

However, a recent trip to Istanbul made me stop and think.  Days of walking across dusty hills in flip flops meant that my feet had seen better days, and I had to put an end to my happy-go-lucky, footloose attitude.

I tried a DIY job when I arrived back in the UK – i.e. soaking my feet in hot water and sloughing.  However, I felt I needed to enlist some expert help to get them fit for flip flops again.         

That’s when I visited Urban Retreat, an upmarket day spa nestled in Harvey Nichols in Manchester.  I opted for the Pristine Pedicure, a 45-minute treatment which cost £39.  Being a pedicure novice, I wasn’t too sure what to expect, and was a little put off when I saw that people were getting their nails done in an open plan nail bar in full view of the shop floor.  However, I was relieved to find that I was taken to the back of the spa to have my pedicure, out of full view. 

I was seated on a custom made chair which not only had a water-filled basin at the end, but also rolling, heating and massaging functions at the back, which I discovered about five minutes before my treatment was finished.  Oh well.  

Anyway, the nail technician, Kelsy, got to work with the cuticle pusher and oils while telling me about the nail gels on offer, which are a harder, longer lasting, chip-free alternative to traditional nail polish. 

Kelsy also got sloughing with the exfoliating scrub, during which I had to fight back giggles.  Yes very immature, but when you’re feet are tickled you’d do the same. 

The treatment was finished with a soothing massage, which I have to admit was slightly uncomfortable, mainly because the balls in my feet had probably never been kneaded before.  Nonetheless, the massage did seem to loosen calf muscles which had probably been knotted forever.

The treatment was finished with a french polish, followed by me spending about 15 minutes walking around with stick-on flip flops while the polish dried.

To while away the time, I took a moment to have a complementary skin scanner.  The scanner mapped out my face and highlighted problem areas such as pigmentation, blemishes and lines.  This was a frightening revelation, but in hindsight, I don’t think many girls would escape the skin scanner with a glowing image.  The scanner was designed to shock.  And it did so to such an extent that I spent a small fortune on Dr Murad’s skincare.  Yes, I know, I may be gullible but if you saw what I did that day, you’d want to take action.  I’ll be sharing the results of my splurge, good or otherwise.    

Anyway, back to the pedicure.  Kelsy did a lovely job with the painting, but because it was raining, I had to wear court shoes, which managed to swipe the colour off both big toes.  I did a half-baked job of repainting myself, which made me realise exactly why people are employed as nail technician, as the amateur job stuck out like a sore thumb.  

Overall, while the pedicure was a nice experience, I wish there was a little more emphasis on exfoliating, as this was my main bugbear - the focus was mainly on the nails themselves. 

However, I would recommend the pedicure as a treat for yourself or someone else with tired out feet, in fact it’s the perfect treat as a spa gift.                                  

  

Urban Retreat has boutiques in Harvey Nichols, Manchester, and Harrods, Knightsbridge.

         

Tweet

http://twitter.com/dgbeautyblog

Tools of the trade – makeup brushes YOU can afford

Have you ever eyed up the brush belt attached to a makeup artist at a high end beauty counter?  I did, though I also realised that to own one of my own would involve forking out a small fortune.                               

However, having good brushes is almost as important as having good makeup, and should be an essential part of any girl’s cosmetic arsenal.  They are the tools of the beauty trade. 

For example, the difference between a good and bad foundation brush is a streaky, uneven face.  While a bad eyeshadow blender is distinguished from a good one by a blink-and-you’ll miss it speckle of colour. 

I’ve learnt from experience.  In my early teens, I thought the set of five brushes you’d get for the price of peanuts would do the job.  However, old photos told me otherwise.

However, recently I’ve discovered that there are some brushes out there which can help you achieve a flawless look, without costing the earth.  See below my warts-and-all review of them.     

Cosmopolitan

Cosmopolitan makeup brushes

Yes, we’ve all read the magazine, but did you know that Cosmopolitan also makeup tools, including tweezers, eyelash curlers and brushes?  

I’ve tried a few of their brushes, which are mainly made of tapered synthetic hair (read: no animals were harmed in the production of these brushes).

The foundation brush, which costs around £7, is flat and soft and allows your makeup to glide on smoothly.  However, it does initially create streaks, but once you get buffing swiftly in different directions, you’re left with an even finish.  This brush is also long lasting, as I’ve already washed it a few times and find that once teased back into shape, it’s good as new. 

Meanwhile, the eyeshadow blender is like a miniature of the foundation brush.  Smooth and flat – it’s great for a base colour, but it proved a little tricky for contouring and shaping around the eye socket due to its wide head.   

  

Cosmopolitan’s collection also boasts an angled blusher brush, which is shaped to glide across your cheekbone.  The brush is great for sweeping colour.  For the finishing touch, Cosmo has a powder brush, which is plush and soft - perfect for a dusting of finishing powder.

  

Finally, one of my favourites of the collection, is the travel lip brush.  The brush is stiff and pointed, so can fill the fullest or thinnest of lips.  It is also small and compact enough to fit into the smallest of handbags, so is great to quick touch-ups, as well as for getting to the last bits of your much loved and much used lipsticks.            

Plus, with each product costing under £10, you’re onto a good quality, low price winner. 

 

Available in Boots, Superdrug and other beauty stores. 

ecoTOOLS

ecoTOOLS bamboo makeup brushes

  

For the Desi girl with an environmental conscience, new for 2011, ecoTOOLS have launched a range of brushes.  Each brush is made from Bamboo, with 100% cruelty-free Taklon brushes (yeah, I had to Google that, too.  It’s basically a synthetic fibre which is the ‘vegan’ alternative to animal hairs).

I was totally impressed by their retractable foundation brush, which costs just £10.  It looks like a small, neat, shaving brush, with its soft, dome-shaped head.  This initially put me off as I thought that the foundation would get lost in the many bristles.  However, I couldn’t be more wrong.  The round head makes it perfect for buffing, and a little foundation goes a really long way with this brush.  I used less foundation with the ecoTOOLS brush than I did with the Cosmopolitan foundation brush.  Also, as a bonus, the brush doesn’t leave any streaks at all.  

The ecoTOOLS smudge eyeliner brush (£4.99) is the perfect tool for contouring and adding depth of colour with eyeshadow.  In fact, it’s the ideal companion for Cosmopolitan’s eyeshadow blender, which can provide a perfect base, while the smudge brush is used in the corner of the eye to shape and frame.            

I’ve also tried the ecoTOOLS mini brushes (£4.99), which comprises six small brushes, which can be used for eyes, lips or face.  I’ve used the mini brush to apply concealer, and it did the job. 

However, my criticism would be that all the brushes are exactly the same, and it would have been nice for them to come with different shaped heads, as they would then be able to perform different functions.  For example, I think the brushes are too wide to use for the lips, so it would have been nice for the collection to have a slightly thinner one for this use.     

However, overall I rate the ecoTOOLS for their softness and ease of use. 

Prestige  

Prestige kabuki brush

Prestige blush contour brush

    Prestige is another low-budget option for brushes.  While its kabuki brush is not as soft as the Cosmopolitan powder brush or the ecoTOOLS foundation brush, its blusher brush – with its flat, paddle shape, is perfectly for a waste-free gliding of colour. 

So, while I’m not sold on the kabuki, the blush brush is a winner.  And at £4.99 each, Prestige proves that makeup brushes needn’t cost the earth.     

Tweet

http://twitter.com/dgbeautyblog

The great eye cream shootout – RoC® Sublime Energy™ Eye

You may remember that I have previously promised to put my eyes on the line (no pun intended) to try out the best eye creams on offer.  The aim was simple - to banish lines and dark circles for all desi girl’s out there.

Now, my problem wasn’t huge, however it had been picked up on by a couple of makeup artists that my eyes were rather dehydrated.  I had noticed this myself when I was wearing foundation, and the makeup seemed to get sucked in and become slightly grey around my eyes.  Also, like most Asian girls, dark circles were beginning to be a bother.              

             

It seems that dark circles and lines are a bane for us all.  And it’s not just us mere mortals that suffer from them, celebrities, when caught off guard and makeup free, also struggle with panda eye.  I mean, have you seen the usually groomed and gorgeous Eva Longoria off-duty?  Minus the Touche Eclat, she’s just like the rest of us...

Anyway, the first cream I’ve been trialling is RoC® Sublime Energy™ Eye.  Now before I go any further, I’d like to highlight that with any eye cream, results will never be jaw-droppingly dramatic.  It’s a slow, subtle process, and quite frankly, trialling in your twenties, before wrinkles have set in, is more about prevention rather than cure.  So the best way to give a fair trial is to highlight the claim, or marketing spiel from Roc, compared with the reality.        

The claim:

Specifically designed to combat the appearance of dark circles, bags and fine lines around the eyes, RoC® Sublime Energy™ Eye, mimics the bioelectric currents found naturally in the body and has been shown to stimulate the skin’s rejuvenation process.

Tests found: ·

Consumers saw visible results after 3 hours        

Clinically proven reduction in the appearance of fine lines, dark circles, eye folds, under eye bags and upper eyelid puffiness after 8 weeks        

81% of women tested preferred RoC® Sublime Energy™ to their current moisturiser.

The reality:

OK, so when I saw the silver packaging, containing two separate tubes, I knew I was dealing with a very science-y product.  I also noted that the obligatory ‘before and after’ promotional photo is of a woman in her fifties or sixties, which made me wonder whether I was trying RoC a few decades too soon.

Nonetheless, I persevered.  The first tube, containing an ‘E-PULSE™ concentrate’, which contains particles of zinc and copper, is meant to generate thousands of imperceptible electrical pulses. This should be followed by applying a blob from the second tube, which contained an activating moisturiser to trigger the bioelectricity.   

It all sounded a little scary, and I was expecting my eyes to get the shakes.  I’m glad to say they didn’t.  Though I did feel a slight tingling sensation, which made me feel that something was happening.

 

I continued doing this for four weeks.  After the first week, I began getting a little nervous.  No real change, despite the fact that my eyes were dryer – not the desired effect.  However, I kept reminding myself that it was more prevention rather than cure, and that the results won’t be huge.          

As a few weeks went on, I noticed that my eyes were looking less dehydrated, which was the main thing that had been picked up on by both makeup artists.  There are fine lines still round my eyes, but I think they might be the lines I’ve always had, and won’t be shifting anytime soon.  By far the biggest plus to emerge from using RoC® Sublime Energy™ Eye is that makeup no longer looks as dry and grey around the eyes, as they have been given some much-needed nourishment.    

So, would I recommend RoC® Sublime Energy™ Eye?  I think that it’s worth buying if you have more prominent eye lines, otherwise you may not notice a huge difference.  I think it’s a cream that I’ll be definitely turning to in a few years’ time.              

Now onto the next cream, so keep your eyes peeled…

Tweet

http://twitter.com/dgbeautyblog

What are your beauty habits?

Hi gorgeous readers,

I'm conducting a survey on beauty habits, to find out more about us Desi girls.  This should hopefully inform future posts, so I'm writing about the stuff you want to read.

If you could spare a minute to fill out the survey (it's only ten questions, so will literally take a minute), that would be great.  All answers are anonymous.  See questionnaire below:   

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/TGFLNMD

Thanks peeps!

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey, the world's leading questionnaire tool.

Tweet

http://twitter.com/dgbeautyblog

U-turn on Benefit’s Benetint

When I started Desi girl’s beauty blog, I did so on the basis that it was for everywoman, so it was as much about beauty mistakes as well as beauty triumphs.  Because after all, you can’t always get it right, sometimes it’s about trial and error.         

 

Anyway, rather sheepishly, I have to admit that I was a perhaps a (little bit) harsh on Benefit’s Benetint Cheek and Lip Tint.                 

 

I was initially unimpressed by blotchy, patchy pink effect it left on my cheeks.  I was even more annoyed with the deep pink stain it left on my finger.

 



Benefit's Benetint
Cheek and Lip Tint



However, after further experimentation, I’ve become more enamoured on Benetint.  I think it’s all down to application.  I started applying more generously and working into the skin, and it left me with a natural, rosy flush, which looked a lot more natural than a powder blusher (see picture on the right, apologies for the grainy-ness, it was taken in low light).       

I’ve worn it to work a few times, and find it’s the perfect solution for summer, when you want to be fresh-faced with a hint of colour.   

The one thing I would say is that Benetint isn’t the right tool for when you want a contoured look.  As you’re working in with your finger, you have little control over where the actually colour will end up, so it’s best to start gradually and build up colour.   

Oh, and despite my new-found appreciation for the effects on my face, I’m still annoyed with the pink finger I’m left with.  I’m not making a u-turn on that one.                         

 


Tweet

http://twitter.com/dgbeautyblog