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The Beauty Bite: May 2010

Monday 31 May 2010

Yves Saint Laurent Faux Cils Mascara

After the hugely impressive performance by Chantecaille's Faux Cils last week, we decided to start up some friendly make up rivalry by pitting it against YSL's very own take on the false lash effect.



Also going by the name of Faux Cils (could this be the 'Smith' of the mascara world?) , YSL's sleek golden tube is packed full of B5 and bioactive sugars designed to protect each lash from dehydration and other harmful external factors. It doesn't smell quite as lovely as it's opponent, but the brush is big, bushy and brilliant at it's job!

Before:

After:

Plus:

It took us around 3 coats to achieve this look. The formula built up nicely and didn't seem to clump at all. Our lashes felt super light and fluttery, plus by zig zagging the brush during application we were able to create a stunning feathery effect.

So how does it fair against Chantecaille? Well let's just let the pictures do the talking. Remember, this is ONE coat of Chanticaille VS THREE coats of YSL.

Chantecaille top/YSL bottom

Plus:
Chantecaille top/YSL bottom

Overall, they both do a stunning job. If you crave length over volume than pick up Chantecaille. If you crave volume over length then head for YSL. We personally prefer the application of Chantecaille - yet we've never seen a mascara do fluttery lashes as well as Yves Saint Laurent. From the photos above, YSL certainly gives the more 'false' appearance.

We are aware that this is an extremely unfair test comparing 3 coats of mascara to 1!

YSL Faux Cils Mascara is available worldwide and at directcosmetics.com for a BARGAIN £12.99

*this product was purchased by The Beauty Bite*

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MAC Tinted Lip Conditioner SPF 15 - Petting Pink

A quick and simple review for a quick and simple product: MAC Tinted Lip Conditioner SPF 15 in Petting Pink.


Without a doubt the thing we hate most about this product is the packaging - you just have to briefly open the lid and over half a million hairs stick to the balm. If you're a bacteria freak then this product will literally drive you crazy. However, it is a great size for carrying around in your handbag. Pros and cons people, pros and cons...!

heavily swatched

Containing Almond Oil, Shea Butter, Avocado Extract, Wheat Germ Oil and vitamins A and E, the texture of the balm is extremely sticky. Once applied it gives the lips a gorgeous glossy sheen. The colour is fairly sheer which means it can be built up if you prefer a thicker look. It conditions beautifully and is extremely comfortable to wear. If the formula wasn't so sticky - and the packaging wasn't so annoying - then it literally would be a perfect treatment.



MAC Tinted Lip Conditioner SPF is available worldwide and at maccosmetics.co.uk for £10.50

*this product was purchased by the Beauty Bite*

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Sunday 30 May 2010

Clinique Up-Lighting - 03 Blush

When it comes to the appearance of skin, we at the Beauty Bite always aim for illumination. Whilst the hunt used to be on for the perfect full-on foundation, more and more women are opting for sheer bases topped with liquid highlighter to deliver that elusive dewy look.


Clinique's Up Lighting tubes are available in 4 generic shades (natural, bronze, blush and peach), which can be used for both highlighting and mixing. We tried out number 3 - 'Blush' - a brown based red packed full of shimmer.

heavily swatched/blended

Dispensed via a pump, as always with these products far more liquid than needed was dispersed. Because the shade is so strong, we cautiously applied the illuminator onto our cheeks using a stippling brush. The bristles managed to break up the shimmer particles beautifully and dispense a fine veil that caught the light to perfection.

We won't lie - the colour is bold! We're used to our gold, pink and white highlighters. Having ultra pale skin makes wearing red based products tricky, and unfortunately, unless patted on with a brush, this shade is far too intense for our colouring. However, if you're lucky enough to have medium to dark skin then this product would look divine. It gives great wear and an absolutely stunning glow - it makes a fantastic blush.

At £18.50 for a 30ml bottle it's certainly worth a punt. It stays fresh for up to 2 years and is wonderful to blend. Plus, the shimmer doesn't look like you've just survived an explosion in a glitter factory - result!

Clinique Up-Lighting is available worldwide and from clinique.co.uk for £18.50

*this product was purchased by the Beauty Bite*

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Saturday 29 May 2010

Chantecaille Faux Cils Mascara

For a certain generation, false lashes have become a make up bag staple. Having once worked on a high profile make over show, it was honestly shocking to sit and watch grown women spend up to 45 minutes(!!!) glueing 4 sets on each eye. When asked why, the same answer was always given:
"Because I want to appear sexy and powerful like Katie Price and/or Cheryl Cole."
In these girls minds, spending 315 minutes a week sticking plastic to their face was fine - as long as it made them feel like a confident, un-discovered superstar.

Personally we don't have the time or skills to construct such a masterpiece. After all, why waste 5 hours a week faffing about with glue when you can spend 60 seconds with this little beauty?

Meet Chantecaille Faux Cils. A gorgeous blend of natural waxes and rosewater, wrapped up to give you your thickest, plumpest lashes yet. Sounds good, right? Let's see it in action...

Before:
After:

This is just ONE COAT of the stuff! And that's not all...just look at this...


Again, ONE COAT!!!

We have never had so many compliments about our lashes - even when we had falsies welded on for 10 days. The texture is a real joy to work with and although we got some clumps, they were swiftly removed with a single swipe of the brush. It lasts all day, doesn't smudge and generously conditions each lash. It almost sounds too good to be true, huh?

Well at £31 it should be. This product, to put it bluntly is bloody expensive.

If you're a fake lash girl then money wise it works out well. Strips cost on average £5+ and usually last a couple of wears (Benefit charge £25 for a 8 - 14 day set). This mascara stays fresh for up to 12 months and can be layered to levels of unbelievable volume.

If you're happy to spend £31 on a super special mascara then go for it. This really does transform lashes into curved fluttery wings - plus it's much, much quicker than a 4 strip a day habit!

Faux Cils Mascara is available from Chantecaille retailers worldwide and Spacenk.co.uk for £31.

*this product was purchased by The Beauty Bite*

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Nude Skincare - Deep Cleansing Mask

Created by Bryan Meehan and Ali Hewson, to us, Nude is without a doubt the holy grail of skincare.
Destroying the belief that products can only be 'high performance' or 'natural', Nude is created using biocompatible ingredients that truly give outstanding results (in other words, your body recognises exactly what you're putting on it. No nasty chemicals for these guys!)


After being hugely impressed with the brands iconic Miracle Mask, we popped down to Space NK to pick up a few samples before making our next purchase. Nude isn't the most purse friendly of brands, so if you live by a Space NK pop in and get some freebies. The results will let you know if it's worth splashing the cash or not.
The super helpful shop assistant presented us with two 3ml tubes of 'Deep Cleansing Mask.' A pore shrinking, non drying kaolin clay to absorb excess oil and provide soft exfoliation.

heavily applied, lightly applied

On application the clay feels thick, absorbent and gritty. As for smells? It's "earthly" to say the least. Depending on how oily your skin is, the amount of product can be varied from delicate layering to full blown mud explosion; this makes it suitable for all skin types except those with extreme dryness (who, by the way, should check out the intense moisture mask.)

We left the product on for the stated 10 minutes before gently removing with a damp Muslin cloth. With each wipe our skin positively glowed from within, yet it was the unbelievable softness that really took us a-back. True to it's word our pores were drastically reduced, creating an almost "airbrushed" illusion. 2 weeks in and 4 uses later, we're still super impressed with this mixtures work!

Like all skincare products the results will vary. If you have oily or combination skin then 2 to 3 applications of this mask should really help balance things out. But if you're more prone to occasional dryness, the effects may not be as beneficial. Without a doubt, get your hands on some samples before diving in - you won't be disappointed.

Nude Deep Cleansing Mask is available at Space NK, Selfridges and nudeskincare.com - 75ml for £28.

*this product was purchased by The Beauty Bite*

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Friday 28 May 2010

Benefit Full Finish Lipstick - Wild Card

As an "anniversary gift", the boyfriend purchased a late night Cadbury's flake in a vain attempt to win a prize. It worked. And for the grand price of 38p we became the proud owners of a brand new Benefit lipstick. Hurrah!

Cut forward 2 and a half weeks later and landing through our letter box was this little beauty: Wild Card.

Benefit describe it as "bold and beautiful!"which, by the looks of this swatch, it most certainly is.


The application is thick, creamy and somewhat messy - purely because the bullet is shaped both wide and flat. Eventually though, thanks to the aid of a cleansing wipe, a lip brush and steady hand, we finally got the results we'd been hoping for...

One application after blotting

The formula felt glossy, smooth and comfortable. Not the longest lasting lippie we've tried but with a 2 hour colour pay off it gave a much needed confidence boost - surely a good thing, huh?

This truly packs quite the punch. Our only fault is that without blotting the colour comes across a bit weighty. Because the shade is so vibrant you may find yourself needing to top up frequently around the edges, (We found a light dusting of setting powder around the lip line stopped any product wondering.) but for a night time red, you can't really go wrong.

If you're feeling brave, we advise you most certainly go for the Wild Card!

Wild Card is available from Benefit counters worldwide and Benefitcosmetics.co.uk for £13. Alternatively you can try and win one in the Benefit and Flake million goody give-a-way.

*this product was purchased by The Beauty Bite*

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Thursday 27 May 2010

Bobbi Brown SPF15 Tinted Moisturizer

Like the gawky kid who bloomed into the Facebook stud ("Tim?! I remember when he used to wet himself.") , the dreary British weather has decided to proudly let it's natural beauty shine. It may be 93 million miles away, but that big old ball of fire sure loves to cause havoc with our skin; with sun comes heat, and with heat comes sweat, and with sweat comes slippery make up. Woo hoo!

So dear friends, please meet Bobbi Brown SPF15: a tinted moisturizer packed with 50ml of sheer sun protection in an array of 8 glorious shades.



Presented in a glossy plastic tube, the product is dispensed via a black raised nozzle. The smell is a strange mixture of what appears to be sunscreen and cucumber. At first the whiff is a bit overwhelming, yet with each use it falls slowly into tolerable territory. Let's just say, if this smell was a person we wouldn't mind them sitting next to us on the bus. Just not for the whole journey.

Smells aside though, the application of the product is truly faultless. No streaks. No patches. No dryness. We blended it in using our fingers and were suitably pleased with the sheer natural finish it gave - ideal for showing off freckles!


Swatched/ Blended

We tried out the second shade; 'extra light tint.' As you can see above, against our complexion it appears a tad orange. There is a lighter shade available for those with very pale tones, as well as a decent choice of medium, dark and deep tints. Bobbi is great at making sure as many customers as possible are covered in her range, so this should be a general crowd pleaser.

At £26 this isn't the cheapest choice. However, at 50ml, the bottle will last you ages. With the added advantage of SPF, this base offers sheer, gentle coverage to even out skin tone and add that must lusted after 'sun kissed glow.' It stays put for around 8 hours in cooler conditions, yet expect wear of 4-5 in sweatier climates.

If you like your foundation thick - then this is a no go. But if you're comfortable with the natural look then this is a fantastic base that will work beautifully all year round. Not a true knock out, but certainly worth a look in. Highly recommended.

Bobbi Brown SPF15 is available internationally at Bobbi Brown counters and bobbibrown.co.uk for £26.

*this product was purchased by The Beauty Bite*

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Wednesday 26 May 2010

MAC Lilicent Blushcreme

Firstly, welcome!

After some slow progress we're finally up and running and can't wait to share our beautiful beauty goodies with your lovely-selves. We thought we'd kick things off by cutting the proverbial red ribbon with ol' faithful itself - MAC. (We did contemplate smashing a champagne bottle against our laptop, but then we remembered we didn't have any champagne. Or a warranty.)

So behold and marvel at the wonder of: MAC LILICENT BLUSHCREME!!! (cue gasps, applause and the sound of boyfriends' losing interest. )


isn't she lovely?

Lilicent is described by MAC as a 'full rosy fleshtone', but both in the pan and on the skin the formula comes across more peachy to us (although there are definite pink tones to the mixture). This shade is creamier than other BCs we've tried (yes sweet william, we are talking about you), yet the best thing about this product is the distinct lack of shimmer. Somedays you just don't want glitter all over your cheeks, right?

heavily swatched/blended

To begin we applied the blush using our fingers. It felt smooth to touch, yet the pay off was strong for a day look. On the second attempt we used the MAC 188 brush - AMAZING! The stippling effect gave the creme a far softer finish turning the shade into a stunning, radiant peachy glow; ideal for summer skin.

Lilicent is a faultless colour and would certainly suit most skin tones. It gave about 6 hours wear before we felt it needed a "top up", but without a doubt the formula would probably survive longer in winter months. If you're new to MAC or blushcreme as a product, this would be the perfect starting block.

Lilicent Blushcreme is available worldwide from MAC stores and maccosmetics.co.uk for £16.50

*this product was purchased by the Beauty Bite.*

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