All posts filed under: Reviews

Verikos Collagen Tightening Cream*

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The Verikos Collagen Tightening Cream is a pretty interesting skincare product that I am super attracted to. Without the bells and whistles—or starfish and snail mucus—just your hydrolized collagen. Collagen is the selling point of this product; rightly so because collagen is a main component of skin connective tissue that takes up 70% of the skin and up to 90% in the dermis, on average. It’s known for moisture retention and elasticity control. The Verikos Collagen Tightening Cream is: — an anti-wrinkle functional cream — 5 free formula for sensitive skin type — nutritious and elastic skin care It “creates a moisture barrier on dry skin and the adenosine and collagen strengthen the skin barrier for hydrated and firm skin.” Aside from being perfect for dry skin, I appreciate how this product aims to have long-term effects by strengthening the skin barrier instead of just treating the dryness, for immediate relief. It contains amino acids for skin nutrition, too, helping peptide and adenosine enhance the collagen matrix in the skin. In effect, the skin becomes …

What’s in a name? Oslo Cosmetics Blush in Carina

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It’s no secret that I get suckered into buying things because of what they are named. In this case, an eyeshadow named Carinae caught my eye first. Then I found this blush by Oslo Cosmetics named Carina, for reasons that are pretty obvious. I’m not normally a bright neon makeup kind of girl, but I couldn’t pass it up. Oslo Cosmetics is a vegan and cruelty-free indie makeup company based in Columbus, Ohio. As I mentioned in my first haul/swatch post for the brand, a woman named Joyce K. started Oslo and mixes and makes all the colors. I wanted to try the eyeshadows from Oslo, especially, since they are pretty unique. Most mineral makeup is made up of loose pigments and minerals that are mostly fine. The ones by Oslo are kind of lumpy, due to added binders that actually make them really creamy to apply. The blushes, however, are similar to the traditional texture of mineral makeup. Carina is a “bright, cosmic matte red-orange blush,” which looks really scary in the pot. Though …

Verikos Aloe Calming Oil*

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The Verikos Aloe Calming Oil* was actually the first item from the bntgirls November box that I pulled out first. It has a very earthy, organic look to it and I’m a sucker for aloe and clean design. There are also a small number of ingredients in this, so I know that it’s not full of crap at least. Sarie actually asked for this, if I didn’t end up enjoying it, but I actually really liked it. So I kept it for now. The Aloe Calming Oil “raises skin that is under stress by an outside hazardous article, moistly and comfortably.” I’m taking that to mean that this face oil is a moisturizer for stressed skin. Aloe is actually known to be soothing and moisturizing as well. Like my usual experience with aloe, it does not really give my dry skin enough moisture. I have been using it at my desk—I work from home and don’t usually wear makeup if I don’t have to, unless I’m testing stuff out—and also under a heavier moisturizer at …

First Impressions Review: BRTC Bright Eye Vitalizer Cream*

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Today’s dose of bntgirls goodness comes in the form of the BRTC Bright Eye Vitalizer Cream. I received the Jasmine Whipping Essence last month, and it was one of my favorite items, so I was fairly excited to have received this eye cream. Like the Jasmine Whipping Essence, the Bright Eye Vitalizer Cream has Blue Phyto ComplexTM, which is a special BRTC ingredient containing ECOCERT-certified lavender water. It alleviates skin stress, prevents skin dryness and itchiness, and softens rough, scaly skin for the health of your skin. The Bright Eye Vitalizer Cream is the 3rd step of BRTC’s Multi-Vital10 System, which is a skin-brightening program with Vitamin Complex to prevent skin-darkening and to brighten complexion. There are 9 steps all in all, which sounds excessive but the system incorporates everything down to the hand cream. The Bright Eye Vitalizer Cream is a vitamin eye cream for delicate & wrinkle-prone skin around eyes, with whitening effect. It is also for intensive moisturizing and has “over 10% of 10 kinds of vitamins and plant-driven nourishing, brightening ingredients …

Quickie: Le Métier de Beauté Lip Crème in Crème de la Crème

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I finally bit the bullet and got the Le Métier de Beauté Lip Crème in Crème de la Crème. It was what Dustin of LMdB recommended that Xiao of Messy Wands get as a first lip crème, which if you didn’t know is a heavier gloss. An extensive review of the line and the other shades I have (Crème Caramel, Café Crème, and Fraise Crème) can be found here. Crème de la Crème is a pretty basic, milky shade, which is why I didn’t want to get it for a first experience. It looks nude, but it toned down my lips’ natural pigmentation, and it will function the same way over top of darker lip colors. I’ve worn it over Snoe Beauty’s Plum Crazy, a pretty vampy plum, over here: The white base of Crème de la Crème pays off like a milky gloss, rather than opaquely, which accounts for the “muting” of bolder lip colors. It also has gold microglitter, which adds a nice sheen to the lips without overloading it with gritty glitter. …

Sample Stash Sunday: Sigma Eyeshadow Sampler

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I got this sampler card of eyeshadows when I ordered part of my sister’s Christmas gift from Sigma. “What do you mean eyeshadow card?” Well, I mean this: !!! Sigma sent ten shades in the sampler. Basically, a plastic cover with adhesive acts like a lid, and they pack on a fair amount of eyeshadows in each “pan.” It’s pretty generous. I can get at least three uses out of each shade, I think. These shadows seem to be both available in palettes and singles. Top, L-R: Notre Dame, Grasp, Act, Allure, Versailles Bottom, L-R: Élysées, Hitch, Eiffel, Reveal, Elope Here are a few looks using the shadows. The first one, I just used Reveal on the outer half, Elope on the inner half, and Eiffel smudged on the outer corner. Because they were the outer colors of the 2nd half. On this look, I used the colors Notre Dame, Grasp, and Versailles over MAC Painterly Paint Pot: I was met with insane fallout. From my experience with this little booklet, I have to say …

Swatchfest: My First Oslo Cosmetics Order

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I think you guys no by now how easily swayed I am if something is named in the best way. I get suckered in and then I find myself in another point of no return. In any case, I saw an eyeshadow by Oslo Cosmetics named “Carinae,” which was an area of Ancient Rome. It was close enough to my name, so of course, I had to go look… and then I found an ultra bright orange blush named “Carina.” And then I died and bought makeup. There’s really something about mineral makeup. I just can’t help myself. Everything’s so pretty. Oslo Cosmetics pigments and eyeshadows are lumpy-looking because the formulation is a bit different from regular loose eye shadows. The creator, Joyce K., mixes in some binders that allow the shadows to adhere well to your skin (which explains also the lack of sifters. I’d like to see you try and sift these powders). You COULD use a primer, but these are pretty awesome at staying put already. Extensive FAQ here. My initial order …