IndieAna- In Search of the HolyGrail

I've had my fair share of hits and misses with Avon, generally the skincare I have tried has been under the misses category, I often find that it makes me break out.  To be honest Clinical E-Defence Deep Recovery Cream is not a product I would have bought for myself, I was gifted it during Beautorium, an event held on beauty website, Beauty Heaven. This cream boasts a formula that targets wrinkles and dark spots. Pigmentation and lines I do have and would love to be rid of. The cream is packaged in a lovely blue coloured jar, with chrome lid. Quite classy with 30g of product.  The white cream is of a rich consistency, so a little goes a long way. The product is not fragranced, yet does have a slight chemical scent, not over-powering, though. Would I repurchase? Regrettably, I have to say no. Let me explain, the cream felt beautiful. My skin felt plump with hydration, a known way to reduce lines. Where the problem lies is with my reaction to this cream. No, there ...

Ever since I'd created a "step" mani, I'd had many ideas for different colour combinations. I figured enough time had lapsed to create another one :) As explained in my previous "step mani" post , I used Blush-Amour pearl with a silver glitter topper from Funky Fingers  for the base. Then the steps were created with Orly "Liquid Vinyl", Essie's "Fair Game"and "Da Bush". I just love the ease of this mani design, yet it looks like a lot of effort has been made to create it :)

If you're a fan of the ever popular Britney Spears "Fantasy", you would most likely have heard of the Naughty and Nice versions.  Described as "Sensual, dark and exotic version, highlights jasmine petals, , white chocolate orchid, sweet cupcake accord, sensual woody notes, orris root and creamy musk." Sensual, dark and exotic this perfume is not, in my opinion. It's naughty, but in a spoilt brat kind of way, lol. It is a little deeper than the original, but only slightly. I used to love the original, but over time, my tastes have changed and I find it a little too girly. Because this fragrance is so similar, it just isn't something that I would buy a full size of, however, I'm sure that my teen daughter will love this sweet, sweet perfume.  What I do love is the cute bottle. If you love the original, I'm sure "Naughty" would have a place in your perfume collection.

An impulse buy from website Ozsale, lead me to try the Ja-De brand, one I hadn't heard before, but at such a great deal, I was willing to give it a go. The Advanced Wear Foundation is formulated to adapt to all skin types, working to balance both dry and oily areas of the face. Being combination skin, this foundation was my obvious choice. The product also contains an SPF of 9, which isn't high, but I wear a sunscreen anyway. I like the addition of the nozzle shaped cap, giving added hygienic protection. The foundation is packaged in a bottle containing 30g of product. It has a pump-top dispenser, which is the delivery system that I prefer. The consistency is typical of  a liquid foundation, making it easy to apply. I found that it smoothed easily on my face and neck, providing me with medium coverage. I really liked the velvety finish. It kept my oily skin at bay, whilst not being too dry.  I really enjoyed using Ja-De Advance Wear. It was a ple...

For the longest time I had been content to apply nail polish without a base coat. A nail polish wearers sin, I know. Wanting the best wear for nail polish, especially so for nail art, I purchased Orly Rubberised Bonder. A product that I'd heard great things about, so thought I might as well start with a product that appeared to be a firm favourite. The bottle contains 18 ml of product. The base coat has been developed to grip the polish to the nail's surface with its unique resin technology. As instructed, I applied one coat to my nails. Drying to a slightly tacky finish, I was then able to apply my desired nail polish. Would I repurchase? Yes, and have! I really don't feel the need to try anything else, I think I have found my holy grail base coat. Although my nails still chip, they don't do it as quickly as they used to. I now see the importance in using a base coat, it has become a non-negotiable product for me! Do you use a base coat? What's your pick...

In an attempt to use my eye shadow palettes,  I decided to start a new blog series. Palette Appreciation will showcase some of my prized possessions, giving them the attention that they deserve. I will use the palette for a week, and show you the looks that I have created. First offering is MUA "Starry Night". A lucky dip into my stash brought me to these eye shadows. For such a budget brand, I found that the pigmentation was quite good. These swatches were done on bare skin with my finger. Look 1 Look 2 Look 3 Look 4 Look 5 Look 6 That's enough of my eyes! I must say that I had fun playing with this palette. It wasn't easy deciding what colours to use everyday, but it was good getting out of my makeup rut.  Now, to choose my next palette to play with. :)

The 3rd sample of Arcana perfume oils that I reached for is Estella, from The Great Expectations collection. Described as: " Quietly stunning ambre blanc and vanilla bean with a kiss of cognac ." With this description, it probably goes without saying that I like it... really, really like it! With these notes, this fragrance wears sweet, rich and delectably foodie. However, Estella manages to be feminine, which doesn't get lost in the gourmand notes. My review is short and sweet, but doesn't reflect on just how much I adore this perfume. Thanks Dee , I need a full size of this one, too! :)