CandyDoll Liquid Foundation, Concealer & Makeup Base SPF30

A couple of posts ago I wrote about my recent purchase of some CandyDoll products. I've since been using them almost daily, except for the Powder Foundation and Mineral Powder as I was in the mood for a lighter coverage.

The problem I have with most western foundation brands is that even given the correct shade depth, the foundation undertones are either too yellow or too pink. My previous favorite foundation was by SUQQU, but it contains parabens so that's now a no go.

For references purposes the last MAC foundation I owned was Mineralize Satinfinish in NC15, but it's been over a year since I've used the brand (booted out for containing parabens). When I purchased it I remembered the MAC MA using NC15 and NC20 on either side of my face, both shades blended in but NC20 made my skin look slightly duller so we agreed I should go for NC15.

Now on to the CandyDoll products!

CandyDoll Liquid Foundation
Currently available in shades 01 and 03, with 02 to be released soon. 03 looked quite a bit darker than 01 so I chose the latter.

It comes in a little 30g tube and retails at ¥2310 (≈$28)

Coverage wise wise it's quite light, somewhat buildable and between tinted moisturizer & foundation. It evens out my skin but doesn't cover up any noticeable blemishes, which is where the concealer comes in. I would have preferred some sort of SPF but it's not a big deal.

Foundation swatch

It looks rather dark swatched on my arm but after spreading it out a lot it's a good match, albeit a little too dark. However I do like its matte and slightly glowy finish, how it doesn't settle into pores and that it's long lasting. Not my HG foundation, but a good substitute.

CandyDoll Makeup Base SPF30

Comes in a 30g squeeze tube and is only available in shade 01 right now.

Swatch of the Makeup Base

It contains super fine shimmer particles to brighten the skin either under foundation or when worn on its own. Makes my skin look brighter, smoother and gives it a dewy boost when used under CandyDoll Foundation, plus it minimizes pores. The SPF30 is also a nice addition, makes me feel safer about being in daylight :P

It's difficult to take a photo of but as you can see below it brightens my skin.

It's very light (almost watery), not at all sticky and so sheer that I think it's suitable for all skintones. Very happy with this purchase!

It retails at ¥1890 (≈$23)

CandyDoll Concealer
I picked 01 out of the two available shades 01 & 02. I wanted a concealer that completely covered up blemishes, and it must be creamy enough so it won't flake - surprisingly most concealers I've tried did not fulfill these simple requirements.

But fortunately for me, the CandyDoll Concealer does meet my standards! It is very moisturizing without being oily and the convenient doe foot applicator makes it easy to apply.

I only need to dab on the tiniest amount on individual blemishes, pat a little, and job done. I don't get dark circles so can't comment on how well it conceals them.

Concealer swatch

A few layers of the concealer will even cover up freckles. As I'm quite pale the few freckles I have are super obvious (at least to me) so on my makeup days I like to use some of this on the freckles =P

There's no indication of how much product is in a tube, the container is a little shorter than regular lip balm (4.25g) but approximately the same diameter, so I'm estimating just over 3ml which at a price of ¥1260 (≈$15) is very reasonable in my opinion.

Next to tube of lip balm

Review of the powder foundation and mineral powder to follow!

Review of CandyDoll Lip Gloss Macaroon Pink

Out of the CandyDoll items I received yesterday, naturally the first thing I tried was the Lip Gloss in Macaroon Pink.

From the official product picture (below), I was expecting a pale milky pink gloss, but the actual product is more of a sweet candy pink.

Official image of Macaroon Pink, retails for ¥1260 (≈ $15)

Actual product color

This fragrance free gloss is available in 6 shades and comes in a tube with slanted sponge applicator, which makes application a breeze. But as much as I like sponge applicators, I prefer a squeeze tube as it's more hygienic.

It feels quite sticky but not uncomfortably so, and doesn't dry out my lips if I wear it alone. However, I have to make sure my lips are well exfoliated and smooth before using this, otherwise its opaque texture means it'll highlight every single tiny flake (ugh) and it's also difficult to get an even coverage unless I use the applicator to pat on small amounts of gloss.

Swatch on my arm

On bare lips

Overall I really like the color, but I don't think I'll be trying out other lip glosses from CandyDoll as I tend to prefer sheer glosses.

Arrival of CandyDoll!

I've always wanted to try CandyDoll's Face Powder but never got around to adding it to my stash. Recently I read about their new base makeup range and, with the help of google translate on the official CandyDoll site, I decided to purchase a few products that do not contain parabens - I look out for パラベン in the ingredients list :P

I bought these through FromJapan which is a Japan shopping/auction service. My order was shipped out on the 15th and arrived today (20 minutes ago to be precise) as I chose EMS.

CandyDoll Makeup Base SPF30 in 01
CandyDoll Concealer in 01
CandyDoll Lip Gloss in Macaroon Pink
CandyDoll Mineral Face Powder
CandyDoll Liquid Foundation in 01
CandyDoll Powder Foundation in 01

Looking forward to trying these soon! :D

Omorovicza Gold Shimmer Oil review

Omorovicza is a natural luxury brand originated in Budapest. The company uses Mineral Cosmetology, a system they developed to deliver minerals, in their products. This apparently allows the natural minerals to be easily absorbed and at deeper levels by the skin, and boosts skin's collagen & elastin production, locks in moisture and defends against free radicals. Omorovicza claims that over time, the skin will feel firmer, more supple and younger looking.

Omorovicza products are free from:

• Parabens
• Polyethylene Glycol (PEG)
• Petrochemicals
• Silicones
• Sodium Laureth Sulfates
• Synthetic colors
• Synthetic fragrances

Sounds great, right? While I'm not looking for any anti aging products (yet), I do want smoother & softer skin and in my opinion there's nothing wrong with some early wrinkle prevention :P

The Gold Shimmer Oil is a body oil with shimmering gold particles that usually settle at the bottom. It comes in a 100ml heavy bottle (I'm not entirely sure but I don't think it's glass) and needs a good shake before application to mix the gold particles with the oil.

Shake shake shake...

I would much prefer a pump dispenser, as the oil is quite runny and you can easily pour out too much. Accidentally knock over the bottle and it's the end :P

You only need to use a tiny amount of oil, so 100ml will last ages. It smells gorgeous and softens my skin. The shimmer is very pretty too!

Compared with the Tarte Dry Oil Shimmer Spray I purchased last year, the Gold Shimmer Oil is lighter in texture and doesn't take as long to sink in. The Tarte oil leaves a glossy sheen, whereas Omorovicza's leaves behind freshly moisturized skin with subtle particles (would look very pretty applied to hair as well) that you can see in the light. The particles don't rub off easily on clothes and I can still see hints of them after a few hours.

The Gold Shimmer Oil retails at £52 for 100ml, which is a bit more than Tarte but I feel that its better quality justifies the higher price. I would buy this again, though I won't need to for a long time.

Here's the list of ingredients

Update & Hurraw! lip balms - Black Cherry, Chocolate, Grapefruit, Green Tea & Orange

Can't believe it's been so long since my last post! Have been seriously busy for the past few months, but now I can relax a little and post some reviews in the mornings when I have some time.

Before I start with my first review of the year, I'd like to pay my respects to the victims of the recent disaster in Japan. I was saddened and shocked by the terrible news and wish this beautiful country the best on its way to recovery.

In January I welcomed a new addition to the family:

This is Cookie ♥ 6 month old Netherland Dwarf. He's now fully grown but compared to my other 2 bunnies he is tiny!

Now for the product review... Recently I stumbled upon an online store, Super Smoocher which sells only natural lip products with free delivery within the UK. As I love all natural and lip products, I simply had to check it out. My packages arrived quickly and were well packed in pink paper with heart shaped confetti, which was a nice touch.

I settled on some Hurraw! lip balms as I liked their oval shaped tubes, makes a nice change from the run of the mill tubes of lip balm. Hurraw balms use 100% natural ingredients, and come in a variety of 16 flavors. 

I love Hurraw balms because none of the flavors smell synthetic, but very fresh & natural. They are most probably the best lip balms I have used, which is saying a lot since I've tried many! The lip balms are very smooth in texture, super moisturizing, glide on effortlessly, and give my lips a slight gloss. They don't feel heavy or like a mask on the lips either. At £3.45 each they're great value for money too.

The flavors I own are:

Black Cherry - One of two tinted balms, the other one is Cinnamon but I've never liked cinnamon so I passed on it. This smells like real cherries (yum!) Gives the lips a sheer wash of colour, great for everyday use and my overall favorite. Swatch below.

Chocolate - Smells delicious and makes me a little hungry! However it's a little on the strong side for my liking.

Grapefruit - It's light pink in colour but comes out clear. If only this had a pink tint to it, it would be my favorite Hurraw balm.

Green Tea - I chose this because I love matcha and was hoping for a similar smell, but this is a little lighter. It's not a bad scent but I don't think I'll buy this one again.

Orange - Just what it says. I use this before I go to bed to keep my lips soft and smooth.

Now I've discovered Hurraw balms I really don't know what I'd do without them, and I make sure to always have a tube nearby. These balms have a higher melting point than other handmade lip balms (from Etsy) I've tried, meaning they won't melt or go gloopy on a hot day. I think I'm going to try the Mint & Lemon flavors next, possibly Vanilla Bean too!