Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Serum and Time Zone Eye Cream-Sample Testing

Hi My Lovelies,

I have a little confession to make..I have acquired quite a few samples and I have not been using them. A good amount has already been given out to family members and friends so I am left with a few to start using and I have decided to let you know if they are worth splurging out on the full size. If you are not familiar with how to get samples or freebies as they are commonly called, I suggest you head over to these posts here and here to learn how to get them. Samples/freebies are not reserved just for bloggers; anyone can get it as far as you are a beauty lover, that's all it takes. Ok, you also have to be charming and polite as well. Over the holidays and sales, I was able to get even more samples because most beauty counters and retailers were all in a jolly good mood. One of the sales ladies told me that March and September are when most beauty brands have their biggest freebies/gifts with purchase so keep your eyes peeled. I absolutely believe her because those were the months I saw many beauty brands advertising free gifts with purchase (and also during Christmas). The first offering is from  Estée Lauder and I have two samples from them...

Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Serum aka ANR II

This has been raved and raved till the cows come home in the blogging and beauty world but I have just not been tempted to buy it because it is quite pricey. The full size costs about £45 for 30 ml. I actually got 3 samples of this which is more than half of the 30 ml. I gave one of the samples to my sister to try out although her skin is perfect. It says night repair on the packaging and I have only used it at night (which is rather silly of me because I think it can be used during the day if you prefer). It is easily absorbed to the skin and I use it right after cleansing. I am going to be honest, I did not really notice any wowing effect on my skin. It could be because this is just a tiny sample and/or the fact that it is more of a preventative and restorative serum as opposed to fast acting blemish/acne blasting which is what really tickles my fancy. However, I am in love with the packaging; I think it looks so cute and I like brands that take the pain to design pretty packaging for their samples rather than the annoying cheap sachets.

Estée Lauder Advanced Time Zone Eye Cream

Again, I chose this sample because it looks so pretty and I have to commend Estée Lauder for making one of the prettiest samples packaging rather than those awful sachets. I am not an eye cream person because I feel my eyes are really delicate and I don't want anything going near it. However, I was very stressed in December last year and I was going to bed really late which resulted in late nights and very limited sleeping hours. As a result, my under-eyes started looking a bit dodgy compared to the rest of my face. It was slightly darker and just looked tired. So, I thought it was the best time to whip this little luxury out. Of course, I had to start getting de-stressed by praying, meditating, eating better and sleeping well. What this eye cream did was facilitate the healing process of under my eyes and I am happy to say they are almost back to how they were in the past. I can't attribute all the success to it but I think it played a good part. It is also useful for wrinkles and ageing which, thankfully, I don't have any so I can't really comment on its efficacy. Although, it's a sample, it has a sizeable amount of product which I can see lasting for a while.

Verdict

Although I have enjoyed using these samples,  I am quite happy to move on to others. I am not entirely sure I would repurchase any of them because I was not seriously impressed but if I am in a particularly spendy mood and I won some cash/lottery, I would splurge on the eye cream because I kinda like it and I feel it's efficacious. I hope you have enjoyed this post and I will see you in my next one..x

Natural Hair Update: The Mini Bun

Hi My Lovelies,

It has been a little while since I updated you about the progress with my natural hair. To be honest, nothing really interesting has been happening hence the non-update and my routine has pretty much remained the same. I am very low maintenance with my hair and it has been doing just fine without any fuss. 80% of the time I have it in protective styles such as braids and weaves because they are versatile and easy to maintain.

After I had my weave/extensions installed in November, I took it out in January. I really liked having the weave with the closure but the weave itself started acting dodgy; it began tangling which is my pet peeve with hair extensions. Once it got unbearable, I took it down. I was a little annoyed to see I lost quite a chunk of hair after I took it down which is a bit bizarre because I didn't really have it  in for  that long to justify the amount of hair lost and I have never lost that much hair when wearing weaves; it usually happens with braids.

Despite that, I was pleasantly surprised to find that my hair could get into a teeny weeny bun...Hurray!!! I know I am pathetic but if you know my hair history*sniff sniff*, you'd understand my excitement. You see my hair was never a "grower" when it was relaxed ever since I was young (ask anyone who knows me). I never had the luxury of having my hair in any sort of bun whatsoever. Now, when I say bun, I don't mean a a full blown fluffy bun...I am getting there (baby steps). Basically, it's just a tiny bun but I love it!! I loved it so much that I actually had my "mini" bun on for almost a month which is record breaking for me. I never leave my natural hair out for more than a week because it is at that awkward stage where it is no longer a teeny weeny afro (TWA) and it's not long enough for trendy styles. I  even went further to do some hairstyles which involved enhancing my bun with some "faux buns".





How I do the "Mini" Bun
My routine for my basic bun is pretty straightforward. I usually put my hair in cornrows the night before so it does not shrink or curl back (shrinkage is the bane of natural hair). In the morning, I take the cornrows down and comb my hair with a wide toothed comb. I use some leave in conditioner and coconut oil to seal my natural hair moisture as my hair gets really dry when I am outside. Next, I brush it upwards using my Denman Brush and use a hair tie to bunch it into a small bun. The Denman Brush really helps to catch all the strands of my hair neatly without any snags. That's all really. Sometimes, I smooth my edges down with the Eco Styler Gel and an old toothbrush. I even went to the salon to have my "faux bun"  put in professionally for the first time just so I could learn how it is properly done. I actually loved it.



I enjoyed having my bun but I had to put my hair back in my favourite braid styles which is the Kinky Braids which I think is very flattering. That's it folks; I told you nothing much has changed. I am looking forward to March because it would be a full year since my Big Chop and I can't wait to show you the progressive stages my hair has gone through in the year. Also, it would be exactly a year since I started blogging and a giveaway is definitely on the way so stay tuned and see you in my next post. 

SK:N Vitamin Rich Cleanser for Oily Skin (review)

Hey My Lovelies,
You all know I have been on the hunt for very good skin as my skin is not where I want it to be at the moment. Anyways, the SK:N Vitamin Rich Cleanser is an old favourite of mine and I have no idea why i stopped using it. I bought it first sometime in 2011 when I still lived in Manchester after watching Patricia from PatriciaBright (aka BritPopprincess) on Youtube recommend it because it contains Glycolic Acid. After it ran out, I just moved on to other skin care products and i found it was not readily available in many stores. Fast forward in 2013, I really wanted to try it out and I checked in all the Boots stores around me but it was nowhere to be seen. I was desperate and cross so much so that I had to start ringing the Boots store until I was told I could only get it on Bond Street. Lucky for me, it's quite close to my office so i sauntered in there during my lunch break and this baby landed into my hands. End of my Tantrums...:-)

Packaging

Although the packaging is nothing fancy, I like how clean and simple it looks. I am beginning to think I like the combination of white and blue; I have no idea why but I recently noticed most of skin care products on my bathroom cabinet are white and blue. It has an outer cap which gives way to the inner cap that allows the product come through. I secretly wish it had a pump as it would have been easier to dispense as opposed to fiddling with the top cap but it’s not too bad.

Formulation

It does not have my usual "all natural genetic makeup" which i prefer  in skin care products but I love the active ingredients which are included that help in its efficacy. Topping the list is its Glycolic Acid(2%) content which aids in exfoliating the skin and encouraging cell renewal. If you have hyper pigmentation, you will find that , glycolic acid which is an AHA (Alpha Hydroxy Acid) is a natural derivative from Sugar Cane, can aid in fading these dark marks with time. (Read: with time as it takes dedication, patience and time; it’s definitely not a quick fix). It also contains Vitamins A,C and E hence the name Vitamin Rich which are all essential vitamins for the skin as Vitamin A contains retinol which also encourages skin cells renewal, Vitamin C which  helps brighten the skin and is a powerful anti-oxidant and Vitamin E which improves the appearance of the skin. It also contains Primrose Oil which is useful for maintaining vitality of the skin. It is essential to the wear sunscreen, even in the winter, when using products that contain either Vitamin C or Glycolic Acid as they make the skin more sensitive to sunlight which will further darken any pigmentation you may have

Application

I use this every day; in the morning and night and I think it is one of the easiest cleansers I have used in a while. I do my double cleansing with my wipes or Bioderma. I wet my face a little, take some of the cleanser and massage my face gently in circular motions. I use my Boots No 7 Cleanser brush (review here) to cleanse and massage my face and rinse off before proceeding with the rest of my skin care routine.

Results

The first thing I noticed is how soft my face feels after using it. I have used many cleansers including gel-like ones and sometimes they strip my skin off all the oil which is not particularly good as it also messes with the PH of your skin which is crucial to prevent bacterial growth/acne/all baddies. I have not experienced any stripping with this cleanser and my skin’s oil balance is perfect immediately after using it. There is no associated faux drying and my face does not feel tight at all and I really like that. If anything, it really makes it feel soft. In terms of clearing my hyper pigmentation, I have seen a marked difference in the first month of using it which is down to its content of Glycolic Acid . As with many products, I have not really seen much difference after using it for more than two months (i guess it's the law of diminishing returns setting in) probably because my skin has gotten used to this cleanser which is why i think it’s time to rotate or switch.

Cost

I got this with a deal in Boots which was offering 3 for 2 on all SK:N skin care products so I didn't actually pay the full price for it kinda. I think normally it costs £11 and it comes in this 200 ml container which has lasted me for just under 3 months so it is totally worth it. I think it should even last longer; it’s just that sometimes I dispense a little more than I need. I would suggest you wait till Boots have a deal on them to purchase it if you are not desperate as it always works out cheaper and you can also stock up on other SK:N products.

Cons

My major annoyance is that it is not readily available in many Boots. I had to go all the way to the one in Oxford/Bond Street in London to get it. So, you can either buy it online or in a really large Boots. I remember the Boots in Manchester Market Street actually had it so if you live in Manchester, you can pop down there. It is also available at the SK:N clinics which are in some parts of the UK so it is worth checking out their website. I also wish it had a pump so I can dispense this easily but that's not really a major con though!!

Verdict

Again, this is one of my favourite cleansers because it feels really good on my skin and I have not experienced any adverse effects. I will definitely give it a rest for now while I explore other cleansers which may be effective as well. I will definitely go back in a few months. If you have oily skin prone to Acne, this is one cleanser you may want to try as it has been very beneficial to my skin. I hope you have enjoyed this post and I will see you in my next post...x

Boots No 7 Cleansing Brush Review

Hi My Lovelies,
I am quite surprised that I have not posted the review of this cleansing brush despite having it for over two months*gasps* Well, if you live in England, I am pretty sure you may have heard of the Boots No 7 Cleansing Brush which is basically a cleansing brush for the face to rid it from all kinds of impurities, dirt and makeup. I have had my eyes on the Clarisonic Cleansing System for years but it's quite expensive  and although I am not one to spare the pennies when it comes to skin care, the Clarisonic is still out of my budget. I have always seen the No 7 Cleansing Brush in Boots but I was not convinced. Towards the end of last year, my skin was playing up a little and I decided to close my eyes and purchase this brush. I convinced myself that I needed to try out a cheaper alternative to the Clarisonic Mia if I eventually decided to purchase it.



Packaging
It's a pretty simple packaging which houses the Cleansing Brush itself, a brush head, two batteries and a manual. Nothing too fancy and it also comes with a 2 years warranty which I think is a good touch . The brush in itself is a good size for the average hand which is fantastic as I don't want to be lugging around something heavy across my face every day. The battery section is well protected with a clasp which prevents water from getting into the batteries. It also has one switch for the two settings: Slow (normal cleansing) and Fast (Deep cleansing) and it powers it off and on as well so you can say that button is pretty much multi-functional.









Boots Says:
Boots says this clever cleansing brush gently exfoliates and deeply cleanses the skin getting rid of dirt, makeup and oil much more efficiently than the normal cleansing with your hands will do and I absolutely agree with them. My face feels really clean and soft and it is very easy to use.

Application
I use this with my favourite cleanser which is the SK:N Vitamin Rich Cleanser for Oily Skin and they are amazing together. I always do the double cleanse which is simply removing my makeup  initially with a cleansing wipe (I use Simple Skincare Wipes) or Bioderma (Micellar water)  before going in with my cleanser. Next, I dampen my face with some water, wet the brush with some water, massage my cleanser on my face (not the brush unless you want it splashing everywhere), switch the button and cleanse across my face. I do each section for approx 20 seconds starting with my cheeks, forehead and chin. I am usually done within a minute or so. I wash my brush off any makeup and rinse my face. Viola!!! I do this everyday and night. Some people only use this every other day or a few days in a week but I have used mine twice a day and my skin has been loving it.

Cost
It cost about £24.95 and I actually purchased it for that amount without any discount which is really strange or shows how desperate I was at the time I got it. Normally, I would always wait for any discounts and Boots is very good with their £5 Vouchers off  No 7 Skin Care. They sometimes even offer 3 for 2 on their range which makes this brush even cheaper. If you want to buy this and you are not desperate, it's best to wait till they have their offers on so you can get it cheaper.

Results
I saw a difference to my face after the first use. Yes, I am never one to believe in hypes of products but it is so true. Before this brush when I was using my hands only for cleansing, there was always a residue of makeup still left when I used my cotton pad and toner. Now, not a single trace of makeup is left and it is truly amazing!! It really does take off every makeup with it rotating brush action which Boots claim cleans 4 times better than just using your mere fingers/hands to cleanser. My skin feels very soft and smooth to touch and I cannot imagine not using this any time I wear makeup. Even when I don't wear makeup, I still love to use it as it also feels like a mini spa and massage to my face. The most amazing difference I have seen is with my blemishes/hyper pigmentation which has started fading thanks to this brush, the Dr Organic Vitamin E range (already reviewed here) and the SK:N Vitamin Rich Cleanser with Glycolic Acid (review up soon). This brush facilitates fading away these dark blemishes by encouragin exfoliation of the skin around the hyper pigmentation which encourages cell renewal and regeneration of new skin. It also prevents me from breakouts which have been caused by makeup residue still left on my skin when I was just using my hands for cleansing.

Cons
1. It does not have a rechargeable battery so you have to buy batteries for it at least every two months or so if you use it everyday.
2. It does not have a stand which means you have to leave it lying down either on a towel or wherever you like
3. Still along point 2, the brush head does not have a cover which means it is exposed and can attract dust and germs flying around if you leave it as it is.
4. It is not readily available in many countries; I think you can buy it in the USA but I am not sure where else it can be bought apart from online assuming the shipping is ok.
5. Still on its limited availability; the brush heads are also not readily available in fact some smaller Boots don't even stock it which is pretty annoying.
6. Some people may feel the bristles of the brushes are a little obtrusive to their skin especially those with sensitive skin.











Verdict
Despite all the cons listed above, this has to be one of my favourite purchases in 2013 and I adore this brush and it has made a massive difference to the skin on my face. I always look forward to using this brush every day; it's like my little spa/relaxation time. Also, the rotating action is very good in promoting blood circulation to the skin cells around the face which in turn promotes cell turn over and leaves the skin looking plump and smooth. I will definitely repurchase this if it ever gets damaged or maybe I can try out the Clarisonic when I have saved up more. See you in my next post.. .x

Weekend Post #4- The Photography Show Birmingham March 1- 4 2014

Hi Me Lovelies,
I am pretty sure if you are a regular reader of blogs, you definitely appreciate good pictures ( I think). Even if you are not a blogger but you have several social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, etc then I am sure you love pretty pictures and most importantly, you are keen to learn how to take stunning photos. Here's the good news, The Photography Show* is taking place in Birmingham which I think is an amazing choice of venue as it is quite central and easier to get to than London. But let me fill you in with the details:



What is The Photography Show?
The Photography Show is produced by Future, the international media group and world-leading photography publisher. Side Note: Future has also teamed up with Handpicked Media and their new collaboration is now called Handpicked Future. The Photography Show was created when the peeps at Future realised that there was no annual event on a national scale aimed specifically at the imaging community which is virtually anyone who uses social media platforms that share photos-which is me, you and almost everyone. The Photography Show is aimed at bridging this gap.



Who can attend?
Absolutely everyone. If you have a an interest or love for photographs, then this show is for you. If you are a blogger, you definitely need to be at this show because you get to learn how to make the best use of your camera (be it DSLR, compact, Bridge camera and even your iPhone). You also get to network with other bloggers and photographers which I think is very important in the blogging community. Even if you are not into photography, it is going to be a fun show where you can relax, network and get your pictures taken.



What's happening at the show?
A lot. I doubt if I can cover everything that is going to happen on a blog post but I can share a few highlights of the show.

• You get to hear from some of the world's renowned photographers like Joe McNally, Rankin and Steve McCurry

• There are over 200 exhibitors at the stand and some of them include Adobe, Carl Zeiss, Canon, Nikon, FujiFilm, Olympus, Samsung, Hasselblad and over 150 more exhibitors. This also means there may be some juicy discounts and free tutorials for using your camera and accessories. Find the full list of exhibitors here

• A workshop (Mollie Takes) brought to you by Mollie Makes and powered by Canon which is perfect for bloggers, Etsy Store owners and anyone who wants to have some fun. You can learn some essential skills and gain the confidence to switch from the reliable auto setting on your camera to manual bespoke settings.

• Catwalk-An opportunity to get up, close and personal with fashion, portrait and wedding photography.

• Student Conference: To provide students the vital information they need to turn their photography courses into budding careers.

• DIY Mounting Workshops where you can learn how to mount and frame your own pictures.

• On Stand Programmes where there are more free photography training and friendly advice brought to you by the exhibitors, sponsors and partners of The Photography Show.*£10 per session*

• For more details about "What is On?", please check out this page on their website.

Venue and Time of The Photography Show

The amazing thing is it is being run over 4 days so there is no excuse not to attend. The show is on from 1-4 March 2014 in the NEC Birmingham B40 1NT. Various programmes will vary on different days which is why it is important to check the website for the programme of the day. See link to the full programme of the event. It would take place on the 1-4 March 2014 from 10am -6pm on Saturday and Sunday (1-2 March) while it starts from 10am and ends by 5pm on Monday and Tuesday (3rd and 4th March 2014). Details for the venue, timings, accommodation, parking and map can be found here.

Cost/Tickets

The tickets for the show cost £13 only per day which I think is reasonable given the wealth of information and access to wide array of exhibitors. The best news is that all readers of Fashstyleliv will get a discount code for their tickets. Instead of buying the tickets for £13, you can get them for £10 and there is a special code which is "FUTHND142014" which you can use when purchasing your ticket.
Link to purchasing your ticket can be found here.  You can also upgrade your ticket by adding extra workshops to it by following this link.

I am definitely excited about this show because I love photography and I may purchase a new camera if there are good discounts there. I suspect I will be there on the Saturday (1st March 2014) which is the first day of the show so if you are there, please pop over and say hi.  The Hashtag for the event is #photoshow2014 and their twitter handle is @ukphotoshow. I hope to see you all there...see you in my next post...x

*PR post- written as a member of the blogging community of the HandPicked Future Team for which I also received free tickets to attend the show.
*Photocredits: The Photography Show Website

Weekend Post #3: The Most loved Techy Gadgets

Hi My Lovelies,
I am pretty sure you had a lovely weekend and you are sad it's over (or maybe it's just me). I always have a moan every Sunday evening/night because it means the weekend is over and it's time to get back to work. Even though I enjoy my job, I love the weekends more...hahaha. I thought I should share my favourite gadgets since this year which I am sure you may have already spied on here in a few posts.

 iPad Mini with Retina Display
This is my new obsession and it was a birthday gift from le bf. I am seriously obsessed with my iPad Mini and I love it because it is just the perfect size for me. I am not really a fan of the normal iPad because I feel it's not really portable. Ever since I joined the Apple family by getting my iPhone last year, I have nurtured our "relationship" by actively lusting after all other Apple products and the addition of this iPad has even strengthened my love for Apple Products. My iPad mini acts like a small laptop for me because I use it for almost everything I would normally do on my laptop although it is limited in a few ways. Work wise, I use it for emails, creating documents, using the internet and logging on to various work systems. Fun wise, it's amazing as it's a full-on entertainment device/gadget for me. I have my music, videos, pictures and games on it. Most importantly, I have downloaded various apps which are useful for blogging, photography, games, devotionals, etc. The picture quality on the iPad mini with Retina Display is totally out of this world and I am so glad I have this particular one because everything looks amazing on it. Browsing on it is an absolute dream because everything is so crisp.  I can't get enough of it and if you want to see some apps I have on it, leave me a comment and I will write up a separate post on it.

Logitech Ultra Thin Keyboard Folio for iPad Mini
I am more than glad that the bf also got me the Logitech keyboard to go along with my iPad Mini. I personally think it heightens your experience on your iPad because the keyboard converts your iPad to small laptop or small Mac. I absolutely love it. The good thing about this keyboard is that it also doubles up as a case for your iPad and it's so compact. The keyboard is specifically created for the iPad which means the iPad fits really snugly inside the case. It comes with its USB cable so you can charge it on your laptop but to be honest, I have only charged it a few times as it holds its charge for a really long time which is pretty impressive. It is connected to the iPad via Bluetooth and it also has a magnetic casing which automatically puts your iPad to sleep once you close it. I love typing on this dainty keyboard and it makes replying emails even easier for me. I have also typed many blog posts on this keyboard and i just love how easy it makes blogging on the go. The keyboard also acts as a stand which you can mount so you type easily and you can also watch any films, videos or whatever you fancy easily. The only downside is it does not have different positions as a stand so it's pretty much one incline. It's actually okay but if you like to have a choice with the stand position, then it may be problematic.

These two gadgets make me so happy and I use them everyday. I hope you have enjoyed this post and
if you would like an in depth review of any of these gadgets, then leave me a comment and your wish will be my command. Have a beautiful week ahead....x

Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Powder No 50

Hi My Lovelies,

I have recently made a very naughty purchase. I am not sure what possessed me but I am nowhere near sorry. I classify this as a naughty purchase because I was on my way to buy my beloved MAC Studio Fix Powder (reviewed here) and I found myself being distracted by the beautiful Chanel Counter and the sales lady caught my lingering look and next thing, I knew I was colour/shade matched, money changed hands and this beauty was in my stash..It all happened really fast. But...I don't regret it because I really like it and it's like a nice present to myself. This is my first Chanel purchase so I am very excited and who knows how many more Chanel products will be finding its way to my stash. To further facilitate this purchase, I had a 10% discount which is amazing especially as Chanel never does discounts so I was well chuffed!!.With the discount, how could I say no?

Packaging

I am not even going to lie; the packaging was my major reason for purchasing this powder in the first place (before I fell in love with it) because it is so, so pretty. It defies the usual Chanel classic black packaging by taking up a lovely beige colour which is in line with the name- Les Beiges. As usual, it also has the Chanel logo in from of the compact and the pouch. Chanel definitely has one of the best luxury packages out there but they better be the best seeing that their products are on the pricey side.

Contents

It comes in a beige outer packaging which houses the velvet (or is it suede) black pouch with the Chanel logo on the outside. Inside this sexy pouch is the Chanel Les Beiges compact which houses a mirror, a half moon brush and of course the powder itself. I adore the packaging but it definitely has one flaw which is quite annoying-the Half moon brush is separated from the powder by a flimsy black plastic lid. This is very impractical because you have to be flicking between the lid and the brush if you want to apply this on the go. I have decided to discard the both the brush and plastic lid for now because it makes everything too cumbersome. I apply this with a my Black Opal Mini Kabuki Brush featured here.

Chanel Says:
This creation of this powder is inspired by the passion for freedom of Gabrielle Chanel. Les Beiges was created to reveal the healthy glow of each woman and provide a sensation of lightness, well-being and freshness. The finely milled, light weight and antioxidant powder shields the skin from environmental stress and sunlight thanks to its SPF 15/PA +++sun filter.

The Powder Compact

 The Les Beige Healthy Glow Powder can be used in a variety of ways to enhance, tint, bronze, sculpt and highlight depending on how you choose to use it and what shade you buy. For example, you can buy a shade darker than your skin tone to use as a bronzer or as a sculpting powder. I don't imagine buying more than one of this powder at this time though. For me, I use it to enhance my complexion, as a mattifying powder and for a healthy glow which is its main selling point. I picked up the shade no 50 which was the darkest shade on the counter. I believe they do no 60 and 70 in some other countries or at the Airport.

Coverage
From the name, you don't need a soothsayer to let you know it is a sheer powder which offers light to medium coverage at the most. I don't mind this at all because my foundation is medium to full coverage so a sheer powder just gives me a natural glow as opposed to a caked up face. To be honest, I am quite impressed with the coverage it offers because when I was saw it was sheer; I thought of the worst scenarios but I am quite pleased with it. In terms of its mattifying power, it easily transforms the face with a few brush sweeps which actually stays put for a couple of hours depending on your skin type.

How I use it

I reserve this strictly for touch ups when I am on the go :-). Recently, I have been using this as my main powder and I really like the results especially when paired with my Clinique Anti-Blemish Foundation (review up soon). I use this with my Black Opal Mini Kabuki Brush. Having said this, I am secretly glad the Chanel Kabuki Brush created specially for this powder was out of stock as I may have bankrupted myself purchasing it if it was not. The sales lady used it on me while trying to match me to a shade and it was the softest, luxurious brush I had ever used and laid my eyes on.

Cost

Retails price is £38 and I think that has to be the most expensive makeup item I have ever bought. It's ridiculous but with my 10% discount; I got this for £34.20 which is not a massive saving but it's definitely more forgiveable in my own opinion. My MAC Studio Fix Powder costs £21.50 so this was an extra £13 or so which is a lot but I will classify this as a birthday gift to myself :-). If you want a bigger discount, buy it in Duty Free in Airports where you get it for 20% cheaper. I may still get my MAC Studio Fix just because it's still one of my practical favourites




Cons
1. I am not a fan of the half moon brush and flimsy plastic lid separating it from the compact; it's cumbersome and impractical and one would think Chanel will create a separate compartment underneath the compact.
2. If you are after a medium/full coverage powder, look elsewhere as this is a sheer powder.
3. It is expensive as expected with most high end products.
4. The shades/colours are very limited especially for ladies with more yellow and darker skin tones.

Verdict

I love this powder and I am really happy with my purchase. Usually, before I commit to buying any product especially if it is high end, I read many reviews on different blogs complete with swatches and I also check Temptalia (my favourite blog for swatches) and Makeup Alley (my favourite blog for non-bloggy reviews). When I checked reviews on Makeup Alley for this powder, there was a lot of mixed reviews on it and it looked like people were not really recommending this product. However, I still went ahead to purchase it because I had tested it in store a little while ago and I loved the finish. Asides that, I did not really have very high expectations because I know that expensive does not always equal quality but in this case, I absolutely love this powder and it has to be one of the greatest quality of powders I have tried in a long time. It's always best to form your own opinion after getting opinions/reviews from others; at the end it's your call...that's me getting all philosophical :-). Hope you enjoyed this and see you in my next post..Have you tried any Chanel Products?