Tag Archives: beauty

Beauty Reviews

Review: Meiji Amino Collagen Powder

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The Verdict
  • Healing Effects
  • Anti-Aging Effects
  • Ease of Use
  • Value for Money
4.4

OVERALL SUMMARY

Fairy Godmother Blessed!

When your normal efforts to cure facial blemishes and scarring fail to show quick results, who do you call to do the job faster?

After suffering from a bad fall which left my face bruised and wounded I wanted a cure… fast! Let the power of collagen be your social lifesaver with Meiji Amino Collagen Powder! It’s the miracle collagen powder that works like real magic to improve your skin’s health and appearance for a blemish-free face. Sounds too good to be true? Read our review below and you’ll find out why this is no empty dream in a can.

where does collagen come from?

Collagen is a protein naturally produced in animals and collagen beauty supplements extract pure collagen peptides from fish, pig or cow.

The collagen used in Meiji Amino Collagen is derived from fish calcium using fish scales and skin to create their unique powder formula able to be absorbed 50% more efficiently into the body than pig based collagen.

I personally prefer fish-based collagen products as it is an innovative way to use a source which would otherwise end up being considered food waste and for their low odor aspect.  Meiji Amino also has developed a patented technique which masks the smell of their collagen peptide formula enabling you a more pleasant experience when consuming.

Photo Credit: www.meiji.co.jp/health/amicolla/en/ (Website)

collagen powder HEALTH BENEFITS

I’m sure everyone has heard of collagen before, but what do collagen powder products do and what benefits do they have?

Basically, collagen powder is a beauty supplement that gives you a daily dosage of collagen to help achieve a youthful appearance.

Not only that, collagen powder has many health benefits from anti-aging, to promoting healthy hair, to alleviating joint pain.  Some people even claim it helps them with their rosacea!

For me, the two noticeable things I saw for my skin was the collagen’s healing and anti-aging effects:

Before taking collagen, four days after my fall.

While drinking the powder daily I noticed my skin was smoother and had a younger ‘baby-faced’ complexion.

One week after using Meiji Amino Collagen.

meiji amino collagen results Before and after photos of the chin area.

meiji amino collagen results Before and after photos of the eye area.

meiji amino collagen results After 3 weeks. There’s a bit of scar showing but after putting on some foundation it’s all covered and even toned!

Healing and ANTI – AGING Effects

The results were amazing! I have never used collagen products before but look at my face! Within a week of taking the collagen powder, the injuries I sustained from my fall drastically healed the majority of my face wounds faster than any cream or herbal pills I was using previously. I was able to remove the scabbing and though my chin was still bulgy (can’t be avoided), the bruising was very well gone!

Also, because collagen is a key component in skin tissue development it also has anti-aging properties to give you a youthful appearance. I not only noticed that my face was becoming more even-toned but my fine lines disappeared within a few days!

EASE OF USE

The great thing about buying the Meiji Amino Collagen Powder is that the packaging also comes with a measuring spoon which helps take the guesswork out of using it. Just a spoonful into your favourite hot or cold beverage once a day is all that is needed to intake its skin benefits. It’s that easy!

Another question I bet you’re asking is – what does it taste like?

There isn’t a strong taste though I still like to mix it into my morning coffee or tea to enjoy drinking it. There is, however, a scent similar to vanilla wheat or milk flavoured products like Ovaltine or Horlicks. I personally think it also has a sort of “fish” or “seafood” undertone – maybe from the fish collagen peptides. On the other hand, Talyssa didn’t smell this at all. Overall, it’s not overly powerful to wrinkle your nose at.

Value for Money

The price point for collagen powder products isn’t too expensive for a beauty supplement at around 2,980 yen in Japan.

Considering the 200 gram can type Meiji Amino Collagen Powder is a month’s supply worth of collagen powder it gives you an affordable option for skin care because:

  • when stored properly the dry powder gives you a longer shelf life.
  • powder forms give you the freedom to consume it whenever you want.

However, The Meiji Amino Collagen Powder is around AU$50 online which is a bit pricey but is definitely worth it if you want to cure wounds or blemishes fast. 

WHERE TO BUY

This is not a sponsored post.

Updated: 22 August 2019
Beauty Reviews

Review: MAC Ruby Woo and Bobbi Brown Old Hollywood – A Red Lipstick Handbook

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Red lipstick, red lipstick – Oh, how I love thee.

The red lipstick look is definitely one of my favourites and can add that classy and classic finish to your outfit.  Unfortunately a lot of girls steer clear of red lipstick.  Why?  Because of the fear of being unable to pull it off.

I’m not going to lie though, my red lipstick journey was not an easy one.  It’s pricey, there are SO many different shades, it’s hella difficult to apply and then you need to gather the guts to actually wear it out in public!

But I urge you – Do pursue!  Because once succeeded, a perfect pair of red lips is an excellent – possibly even crisis saving – skill to have up your sleeve.

So, let your red lipstick journey begin…

1.  Find what you feel comfortable in. 

There are so many different kinds of red lipstick to choose from – duller shades, darker, lighter, glossy and matte.  If you’re a bit scared try something duller as a first step, but if you want that classic vintage look (the one I love) go vibrant!

2.  Find what suits YOU

Look at your skin tone – typically orange or coral based reds suit fair skin and mauve or blue based reds suit tanned to darker complexions best.  My skin is quite fair, but I’m type 3 on the skin chart meaning, I can and do tan. So personally, I prefer to go with blue based reds. I feel comfortable in them and I feel like they suit me better.

Don’t know if you are cool or warm toned?
A tip I read somewhere which was surprisingly accurate was to look at the underside of your wrist.  If your veins are greenish looking, you are warm-toned,  if they are purple or blue looking you are cool-toned.

My suggestion?  Try a few shades on, check yourself out in the mirror and buy the one you like best.

Oh no!! Red lipstick makes my teeth look yellow!??!
Never fear!! I struggled with this too and actually thought I would never be able to wear red lipstick in public.  This is not true!  For me, I found that blue based red lipsticks kept my teeth looking white, where as the coral/orange based ones made them look yellow.

3.  Matte or Glossy?

For me, matte wins hands down.  I find it looks more classic and elegant, whereas glossy comes across as looking cheap when I wear it (thought other people pull it off fine).  Matte lipsticks also tend to be more forgiving, I find.  They eliminate those lipstick “no no’s” such as bleeding into the fine lines around your lips and the colour doesn’t smudge or transfer onto you coffee cup as easily.  It’s also much easier to control and you can easily tone down how vibrant the product is.  The negative – matte lipsticks dry your lips out a lot more than their glossy counterparts.

Go glossy if you want a very “look at me” effect.  They also keep your lips feeling hydrated and are generally easier to apply, gliding on with ease.

How do I know if a lipstick is matte?
Good makeup brands, such as M.A.C will have it written on the product.

 4.  Application

Red lipstick is hard to apply and because its so bright and vibrant, there is very little room for error.  It you happen to have unfortunate thin lips like me, it’s even harder!!

A few things that are essential to prevent feathering, bleeding and colour fading, are all handled through the art of application.

  • Outline your lips with lipliner, this will prevent your lipstick from feathering.
  • Fill in your lips with the liner.  This will give you a base on which you can easily and neatly apply your lipstick on top of.
  • Apply concealer on the outermost edge of your lips to clean up any mistakes. You can also dab some on your lips to help the lipstick stay vibrant for longer.
  • Apply your lipstick with a lip brush to get a precise outline of your lips.

5.  Preparation

Pulling off the perfect pair of red lips also takes some preparation.

Remember to:

  • Exfoliate your lips with a soft bristle, wet toothbrush.  This will remove dead skin.
  • Keep you lips moisturised regularly
  • Make sure to apply the lipstick and liner all the way to the inner corner of your lips.  Not  only does this create a poutier set of lips, it helps to avoid looking like you’ve missed a few spots when you smile.
  • I don’t usually have a problem with getting red lipstick on my teeth, but to be better safe than sorry, you can always try Jenna Marbles tip of putting your index finger in your mouth, forming a tight “o” around it and pulling it out.

 Bobbi Brown: Old Hollywood (Semi glossy) V.S. M.A.C: Ruby Woo (Matte)

Bobbi Brown: Old Hollywood

Bobbi Brown’s Old Hollywood formula combines color-saturated coverage with a lightweight texture.  This delivers pure, crisp colour with just one swipe.  Colour is long lasting, non drying and has no odour with a semi-matte finish.

Price:   $25 AUD

The following list of pro’s and cons are based on what I personally found when using the products and are based on what I generally look for in a lipstick.

Pro’s

  • Easy application – get full colour coverage in just one swipe.  The lipstick literally glides on.
  • Soft and smooth
  • Easy to remove
  • Affordable price (I got it for cheaper $12 on special)

Con’s

  • I personally find this lipstick quite Glossy although it is considered a “semi-matte.”
  • Teeth slightly show as yellow.
  • Prone to feathering and bleeding, if no lipliner is used
  • Wipes off easily
  • The finished look is not as elegant as other lipsticks.

Overall, a really good lipstick, although not my favorite for a red.  Worst attribute: The time a wore it, it bled terribly to the point where it looked like I had crows feet wrinkles…ON MY LIPS. yeah. I know.  Best attribute:  Intense colour in one swipe – easily glides on.

 

M.A.C:  Ruby Woo

M.A.C’s Ruby Woo formula creates bold, long lasting colour with a matte finish.  The blue based red is most noticeably known to make teeth look extremely white.   Ruby Woo is pigmented in one swipe however can be built up for a more intense colour. It’s also vanilla scented…YUM!!!

Price: $36 AUD

Pro’s

  • Makes teeth look SUPER white.  Love it.
  • Excellent Matte finish
  • No bleeding/feathering
  • Love the vanilla scent!!
  • Finish is very classy and elegant.

Con’s

  • Really, really dry formular
  • Dry formula means the product does not glide on as easily.
  • Colour is not as intense as Bobbi Brown’s Old Hollywood on first application, however intensity can easily be built up.  This allows for colour control, if you aren’t so keen on going mega intense on your first application

I.LOVE.THIS.LIPSTICK.  I love the super matte finish so much that I don’t mind how drying the formula is.  To combat the drying anyway, I always prep my lips with lip balm.  This doesn’t give as great of a finish, however if you build the colour on (takes a bit longer to apply with lip balm) you can definitely achieve the look with prepped lip-balmed lips.  I definitely think out of M.A.C’s red lipstick collection, this is my favourite – even against the popular “Russian Red.”

 Lipstick Comparison

Talyssa xo

Beauty Events

Dove Colour Live [Nuffnang Event]

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Independent. Confident. Easily distracted. Wall flower.

For the good and for the bad there are many words to describe the kind of person we are. It’s reflected in the way we carry ourselves, by the way we match our interior selves with the exterior.

When we dress, we want to impress and, unfortunately, doing our hair doesn’t always get the same attention as what we wear here at The Hidden Thimble. Hair arrangements always takes a loooong time and many attempts to perfect. So the next best thing? Colour it!

We were invited to Dove’s Colour Live event in Darlinghurst, hosted by Nuffnang,  for an evening dedicated to knowing more about colour appreciation.  George O’Neil, the Marketing Director of Dove Hair Care, introduced to use the new Dove Colour Radiance Range.

We had a warm welcome with either a choice of Moët & Chandon champagne or a super cute hair vitality juice before entering the “Dove Sensory Studio.” Siree headed straight for the Moët and Talyssa took the juice because she was driving. Never tasted $80 worth of bubbles for free. It’s bliss on the palette!  The secret to “hair vitality” juice peoples is cucumber. Just juiced cucumber. lol.

The whole idea behind the room was to sit in the darkness with dimmly lit coloured lights as you heard what each colour meant, what it reflects as a emotion and finally as a person. It was a unique experience of colour perception though Siree must admit she might have ruined it by the sound of her noisy camera -.-; #thuglyfe

So what does the Dove Colour Radiance Range do? Well it’s formulated to retain the vibrance that dyed hair looses with washing as well as nourishing hair from the damaged caused by the dying process. When you think about it, the process of getting your hair coloured is pretty laborious. You spend all that time figuring out what colour would suit you best, fighting the fear in that “What if…” scenario of maybe regretting the decision later and then dying your hair (which takes ages!) only to finally see it fade. It’s a little heart breaking to see it run down the drain and not stay on your head, no?

From my (Siree) blonde hair experience I noticed that over the weeks, my normal shampoo and conditioner combo would gradually dull my bright blonde shair to a blonde copper that seemed to go into the “greenish” blonde tone spectrum.  I realised I had to change my hair products to suit dyed hair. I always thought “Aren’t they just all the same?” How wrong I was! I could definately see a change in the blondess of my hair strands over 3 weeks.

After speeches we broke off into groups with a colour therapist to get a colour analysis and determine what colours suited our complexion and what our colour category says about us. Colour categories were divided based on the seasons.

Colour categories:

 

Spring: Easily distracted, keen for change, fun loving, excitable

Suits very contrasting bright colours – greens, blues, oranges (pretty much what our colour theory lady was wearing)

Summer: Introverted, absorbing, wallflowers, soft spoken

Looks great in silver and muted colours – maroons, shades of pinks, shades of blue-greens, creams.

Autumn: Good listeners, mysterious, independent, attentive, nature lover

Looks good in deeper shades of colors – natural colours, browns

Winter: Outgoing, loud, attention seeking, confident
Better in colorful shades however not orange – vibrant and bold

 

Talyssa here now, I know I always appear to be the cynical one in the posts…I seem to be the devil whilst Siree is the angel haha. But!  My only purpose is to present a non-biased opinion.  I swear it!

For those who didn’t know, colour theory has been around for quite a while, having an extremely popular movement during the 80s.  Nowadays, colour theory has evolved presenting 8 different personality types as opposed to four.  I think for the purpose of the event, Dove thought it best to keep their colour theory to the simpler 4 season method.  You can read more about it here: http://www.prettyyourworld.com/colortheory.html

If I’m 100% completely honest, I thought a lot of the colour theory was a bunch of bull. It is completely impossible to categorise something as complex as human beings into four categories – “Seasons” – and then from that, deduce personality types and colour combinations that suit them.  From memory, one of the first “stereotypes” I heard was that people of the colour group “Autumn” typically have red/auburn hair and that people who have black hair are clean cut, sophisticated, well behaved and elegant.  A few problems I had with this statement…first of all you can’t control what hair colour you were born with.  Secondly…what about asians!??! THEY ALL HAVE BLACK HAIR?!?!?!  ARE THEY ALL SOPHISTICATED AND WELL BEHAVED BY DEFAULT?!?!

In saying this though, I was completely enthralled and keen to find out what colour group, season and personality type I was -#OMGLIKEYAY! Seriously, I have some kind of weakness for all these kinds of things (horoscopes, personality quizzes etc)…regardless of the fact I don’t believe in them.

So what colour type was I?

SUMMER.

To be honest summer does describe one part of me quite well, but again, it depends on the situation I’m in and who I’m with.  Sometimes I think I act slightly different with every single person I’m friends with.  I don’t think I could ever pinpoint one definitive me.  I don’t know what my “true” personality is… does anyone?

Ahh I remember this moment clearly.  You see, I have never in my life radically tried to change my hair colour.  In my J-rock days (ohohoh yes there was a time I wanted to be all gothic-like) I always wanted to get a big, electric blue chunk in my hair because I really liked Meguru’s hair from Panic Channel. But, I was always too scared of a possible negative outcome.

You see the man who is touching my hair right there??  He is one of Australia’s best hair colour-ists and has worked on the hair of numerous celebrities.  When I heard this, I took my chance and leapt up onto that chair.  I would definitely lap every moment of this up!

You see, I thought this was it, my chance to finally get a professional opinion on what colour I should dye my hair!!! My chance to ask what colour would suit me!! My chance to get that extra confidence to take that very important first step when it comes to dying your hair!!!  I was so happy!!

Eagerly I asked him his professional recommendations for my hair. And do you know what he said!?

“You’re hair is already a nice colour.  I personally wouldn’t dye it or wouldn’t stray too far from it.  Maybe add some chestnut highlights, for some extra definition and glossiness, but that’s about it.”

WHAT FUN IS THAT!!?!?!  I’m so tragically upset.

I’ve always wanted to try something crazy like a blonde or some crazy colour, I just needed this one push!!!  But no..it’s just not meant to be…

Moving on, we tried to decipher my colour type. We had speculated that I was a summer, and I had it confirmed after holding a fair few colour combo’s against my skin.

Working out what colour palette suits me :)
Does it suit me?
And…I greatly dislike this photo, but from memory it’s the only one of Siree and I together on the night.

Overall, the night was fun, the goodie bags were awesome and I actually ended up liking Dove’s colour theory because it was girly and fun!  It kinda reminded me of something I would do at a sleepover with a bunch of my favourite females :) Most of all, it was great to meet other Nuffnang bloggers.  We even made some cool closer blogger friends, Jaybear and Soborii

 We’ll share our hair stories using Dove Colour Radiance Range soon! Maybe when we decide to dye our hair crazy to defy the odds. Who knows! 
Beauty Reviews, Makeup, Uncategorized

REVIEW: 3 Concept Eyes Lip Pigment and Cream Blusher

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With soft and light creamy texture, color stays on forever!

If you haven’t heard of the success that is Style Nanda, from humble beginnings their story started as a web store which grew into Korea’s No. 1 most popular women apparel store in 2 short years. With such a strong female following, it’s no wonder they would naturally create their own cosmetic line ‘3 Concept Eyes.’ I mean, Korea + cosmetics go hand-in-hand! Plus they just opened their new flagship store in Hongdae. Hongdae is love. Nuff said.

Calming down from my makeup haul high, I purchased the 3 Concept Eyes Lip Pigment in #Issue and #Electro Pink and 3 Concept Eyes Cream Blusher in #Coral Coral to test out their range.

These nifty single color tube wonders are high pigment, matte with a smooth creamy texture and true to colour. You want hot pink? You got hot pink! The Lip Pigment range also lets you mix other colours to create different combinations and shades! How awesome is that? The first thing I was impressed with was the pro looking packaging. It’s like something a makeup artist would buy from a supplier and create their own colour palettes.

#Issue is a orange base red colour, very similar to my Holika Holika’s Heart Ful Moisture Lipstick in Fresh Orange which I adore to bits ever since I got it from Korea! So bright and flirty when you smile, I find orange red tones just compliments any skin type and are great for those who aren’t quite sure which red lippie to get because, honestly, it is SO damn hard to find THE right red lippie!

#Electro Pink is an intense hot pink that has a very slight hint of fuchsia undertone in it. My main reason to purchase this was to correct my mistake of choosing MAC Lipstick in ‘Snob’ back when 70s nude pinks were ‘it.’ Unfortunately the colour didn’t match my skin type. This hot pink brought my lips back to life!

Really bad focus for the #Electro Pink :(
Much better for #Issue :)

Not to be applied with fingers, use a lip brush as the pigment is quite strong causing staining. It also leaves a bit of a strain on your lips which helps to reduce reapplying constantly.

Blusher in #Coral Coral

I’ve never tried cream based blushers before since they involve much blending to not only apply it evenly to your cheeks but I find I look like a hot mess as I overdo one side and not the other.  The trick is obviously to use a little to build up the pigmentation to the right colour you want and to have a little foresight when putting it on your cheeks. Remember don’t wipe, 톡톡톡！ (tapping sound in Korean)

3 Concept Eyes Lip Pigment

Price: $13.21 USD

Overall:
★★★★

4/5

PROS:

Nice packaging

Good coverage

Pigments are true on application

Great selection of shades

Becomes a tint after wiping

CONS:
Stains your fingers

 ++

3 Concept Eyes Cream Blusher

Price: $13.21 USD

Overall:

★★★1/2

3.5/5

PROS:

Nice packaging

Good coverage

Pigment is true on application

Lasts for a long time

CONS:

Stains your fingers

Need to blend properly to render nicely

Can be messy

Practice is needed to get right application

 ++

You can buy 3 Concept Eyes products at Style Nanda.

This is not a sponsored post.