Holy Grail Beautyy . . .

• Cruelty free YES
• Fragrance Free YES
• Cheap $9 AUD
• Three shades available
• Spoolie attached
• Vegan Friendly YES

This is my first eyebrow pencil from DB Cosmetics.

I have previously reviewed one pair of faux mink lashes which you can read here.

Beauty Guru

This is a pencil product with a spoolie on one end.  The colour is great perfect even.  Its the right tone for a medium to light blonde.  The problem with this pencil is it is a tad too soft.  It kept its shape for the day but I didn't feel confident with it.


The pencil has already had to be sharpened after only one use on both brows.  I might try putting it in the fridge or freezer to see if that helps matters.

If DB Cosmetics alter the wax level that would be great in the formulation.

I will not recommend this pencil.

Thank-you for reading.
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Image of product from DB Cosmetics.com.au and face image by me.
DB Cosmetics

• Fragrance Free YES
• Cruelty Free tba
• Four shades available - Clear, Light Brown/Blonde, Medium Brown and Black/Dark Brown
• Cheap at $9.99 AUD

This is my first product from this brand.

Beauty Guru

I have pure white eyebrows naturally so I always use brow products, with colours in the taupe to light brown shades.  This brow mascara is in Blonde/Light Brown.  It is a tube with a mini brush just like the Benefit Gimme Brow product.  The mascara colour is good in a neutral taupe neither too cool nor too warm. 

The experience I had with this product is mixed.  I applied the mascara on top of the Rimmel Professional Eyebrow Pencil in Hazel and unfortunately this formula is too runny and too much comes out on the brush, so to avoid product clumping as much as possible on the brow you need to give it a good clean off first if you want to have a clean and even application.


The brush itself is great its a good size being small and tapered at the tip, the product stays in place but not as good as the Benefit Gimme Brow as it doesn't define as well.  It does not 'build brows'; its more of a stay in place product with colour added hence the name mascara in its product name.  It does apply well over pencil. 

If the product's tube could clean off the extra product when you pull out the wand it would solve the excess product wastage and the problem of too much product on the brow itself which would raise my rating from average to good.

I definitely recommend as a cheaper alternative to more expensive products.

Thank-you for reading.
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Image via 1000hour.com.au
1000 Hour

• Cruelty Free YES
• Paraben Free YES
• Sulphate Free YES
• Fragrance Free NO it is chamomile in scent
• High end pricing $78 180mls/ * 6 fl oz  - has approx 6 months longevity dependent on use
• Pump action bottle
• All skin types

UPDATE 1 APRIL 2019 - I still have not run out of this product! Its also been renamed to Peptide Cleansing Gel and is now a foaming gel that you can apply to the eyes to remove makeup and it is excellent!

UPDATE 2 APRIL 2019:  I have recently joined Glyco's new affiliate program and if you wish to enhance your skincare wardrobe, then please use this code for $20 off your purchase.  SAVE20-TZHESI

My skin is oily/combination and is currently 38 years of age.

This is my fourth review on products from the new Australian medical grade skincare company, Glyco Skincare.

You can read about the other products Micro D Intensive , Cellular Repair Night Complex and Cellular Defence Day Creme SPF 15.

Beauty Guru

This cleanser made an immediate impression on me the first time I used it! Once you apply it to your face, the user is directed to leave it on the skin for ten seconds and then rinse off, I felt a smoothness and freshness as a layer of debris and skin were removed and it convinced me then and there this was going to be a great product.

As with all the products I have reviewed from Glyco Skincare; I have used them all since May 2018 and it is now the end of August 2018, the strong impression that this product was another winner from the get go, has been realised, long term.

This gel cleanser formulation contains chamomile as an active ingredient and it also gives the gel it's scent. It's a natural; not overtly fabricated scent and is equal parts unobtrusive and pleasant, especially if you are in a shower with the steam which amplifies the relaxing element chamomile is known for with a hint of ginger and grapefruit which provides you with a herbal spa like experience!

This cleanser will leave your face not just clean, but revitalised with the anti-oxidants and peptides contained within; it is a very enjoyable experience to add to your skincare regime! you can read about the individual ingredients below via the hyperlinks which are not affiliated with myself or the product in any way.

I definitely recommend this product!

Ingredients

Aqua (Deionized water), Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glycerin, Carbomer, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Ahnfeltia Concinna (Red Algae) Extract, Ormenis Multicaulis (Wild Chamomile) Oil,  Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Seed Oil, Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root Extract, Panthenol, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin

Thank-you for reading.
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Image via Glyco.com.au
GLYCO

Storytime

Frank Body is an Australian skin care company who I blogged about earlier this year see post here.  The skincare products are focused around coffee bean grains.  They had wonderful success by marketing mainly through Instagram alone.  I had never tried a lip scrub so it was a good opportunity when the product line became available at Myers department store to try the Frank Body brand - it was a two birds with one stone opportunity! It cost $10.95 I believe.  The website for Frank Body says it is sold out so the price was not available.

Beauty Guru

There is not much to say other than this is a good little lip scrub! It smells like ice coffee and it contains:

Ground Robusta Coffee
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate**
Coffee seed oil
Raw Sugar
Fragrance*
Cold pressed macadamia oil
Ethically sourced beeswax
Vitamin E 
Grape seed oil
Silica Dimethyl Silylate
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride** 
*naturally derived
**naturally derived and sustainably sourced. Contains Nuts 

It is free from parabens and PEG's.


It is easy to use, just put your finger and take a little swipe and apply to dry lips.  Spread it around and the granules will remove any dry skin on your lips.  You can then remove it with a tissue or a wipe anything really that can remove it.  It leaves your lips smooth and soft.  No residue or other unwanted effects.  Recommended to be used one to two times a week

Definitely recommend this scrub!

Thankyou for reading.
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Images by me.
Frank Body

Storytime

I have not purchased a specific eye primer for eye makeup before, I usually use concealer and a nude/cream eyeshadow as my base for eye makeup.

I had not read or seen any reviews on this product so I had no preconceived notions on what this primer would be like.  Red Earth has been in business for 25 years, being first released in department stores, then at lower end retailers, then out of Australia completely for a decade and finally back in the higher end department stores.

Beauty Guru

The primer is in a small circular compact in cream with red font.  It is a light beige colour and is a smooth consistency and easily spread over the eyelid area.  It contains the following ingredients:

Isohexadecane, What does this do?
Ethylhexyl Isonoanoate, What does this do?
Mica, What does this do?
Dimethicone, What does this do?
Talc, What does this do?
Cera Microcristallina (Microcrystalline Wax), What does this do?
Squalane, What does this do?
Hdi/trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, What does this do?
Boron Nitride. What does this do?
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, What does this do?
Silica, What does this do?
Polyglyceryl-2 Diisostearate, What does this do?
Polyethylene, What does this do?
Polybutene, What does this do?
Zinc Oxide, What does this do?
Tocopherol Vitamin E, What does this do?
Propylene Glycol, What does this do?
Amethyst Powder, What does this do?
Citrine Powder, What does this do?
Tourmaline Powder, What does this do?
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, What does this do?
Ultramarines,What does this do?
Iron Oxides, What does this do?
Titanium Dioxide, What does this do?

The assembly is in People's Republic of China and the contents are from Italy as per the reverse of the packaging it came in.

It weighs 3grams and has a 24 month expiry date.

I think this product is excellent.  It definitely retains your eye makeup over a 8 hour period.  There is no time frame claims by Red Earth but it definitely does its job.  I highly recommend this eye primer.
Two thumbs up!

Thank-you for reading.
Images by me.
Not sponsored.

 

Storytime

I had not tried any charcoal products as yet and this looked interesting.

Beauty Guru

This mask contains some good and some known irritants in it's ingredient list. Eucalyptus Oil is a good and bad product The product is a grey paste with large black bits amongst it.  You apply and leave it on for five to ten minutes and then you wet your skin and simultaneously rub your face to cleanse the skin and you rinse it off.  Whilst it was drying on my face, I felt my nose throbbing! It was a pretty bizarre feeling let me tell you!

The mask left my skin very soft which comes from some for the ingredients and my nose had been vacuumed by the product! All the sebaceous filaments had been removed and it was super clean looking.  Sebaceous filaments are similar in appearance to black heads but are not the same thing at all.  Sebaceous Filaments and Blackheads - The Difference

It contains the following "active" ingredients:

Moroccan lava clay What are the benefits?
Green Tea  What are the benefits?
Charcoal Powder What are the benefits?
Argan Oil What are the benefits?
Shea Butter What are the benefits?
Tea Tree Oil What are the benefits?
Eucalyptus Oil What are the benefits and cons?
Aloe Vera What are the benefits?
Pumice What are the benefits?
Menthol Is it good for skincare?
Menthoxypropanediol Is it good for skincare?
Linalool Is it good for skincare?
Limoene  Is it good for skincare?
Fragrance Is it good for skincare?
Geraniol What are the benefits?
Caramel What are the benefits?
Caprylhydroxamic Acid What is it?
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter What are the benefits?
Phenoxyethanol What are the benefits?
Melaleuca Alternifolia What are the benefit?



Other ingredients are preservatives and similar.


I feel that the amount of fragrance added to this product as well as the menthol, limoene, linalool which are irritants depending on the person that this is another product that is up to the individual and how your skin reacts with known irritants.  I had a good experience with the product although I am unsure if the very slight throbbing of my nose was ok!  Sometimes products with known irritants or ingredients with dubious claims to do amazing things do work for some of us and you really should take into account how your own skin reacts.  I won't buy this product again because I prefer sheet masks for ease of use, less mess and ones that have no potential irritants in them.  One other thing is that even though some products may not irritate your skin straight away, over time they will destroy your skin slowly.

My recommendation is up to you!

Thank-you for reading.
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Image via Ulta.com
The Body Shop
 

I don't use banana powder under my eyes because I have a very fair complexion and it does not suit me as well as a pale pink powder or regular setting powder would.  However, I have an Australis contour and highlight palette which has a banana powder pan in amongst it. I was using the face powder and I apply concealer on my eyelids as a primer but sometimes I can still see veins through it so on a whim I tried the banana powder on top of the concealer on my lids and it worked!

I had no problem blending eye shadows on top and it did not detract from other eye shadow colours themselves that I then used on top of it.

Thank-you for reading.
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Image via Australis

Storytime

I became aware of the Australian cosmetics brand, Klara Cosmetics a couple of years ago at my local Coles supermarket.  I fell in love with their Klara Cosmetics 24hr Kiss Proof Lips in Passion Pink 03, a liquid lipstick in my most favourite lip colour ever, so I have wanted to try some of their other products.  Despite wearing eye and lip makeup for years I had never wore blush and other face specific products. 



Beauty Guru


Shy Blush is a duo blush product of a sweet pink and a deep pink rose.  These are well pigmented and before I apply I make sure to shake off any extra product on the brush of the sweet pink because it can go from sweet to aaarrghhh in a few brush strokes.  The deeper rose pink shade is recommended to be applied very lightly at the apples of your cheeks a la Bobbi Brown's advice,  don't forget to tap off the excess because this is very pigmented!!!


Overall it is easy to apply and blend.  The blush product itself is made in France.  Australian designed and owned.  Assembled in China.  I am hoping to get that deeper colour on my face soon!


Thankyou for reading.
Photo by me.
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Want more Klara Cosmetics?

Storytime

CROP Naturals Cosmetics and Skincare is an Australian cosmetics and skincare brand that launched about a year or so ago I believe.  I found it in my local supermarket Coles, and even though it is in the supermarket it is quite expensive when it comes to the cosmetics portion of their product line.  Unfortunately price is not always synonymous with quality as I found with their CROP Natural Cosmetics Nude Mineral Eyeshadow Quad.


Beauty Guru

This has a spackle feel to it.  You can feel it on your skin and it spreads stiffly across the skin.  Be careful to use a scarce amount because if it is applied too thickly it will cake up with whatever products you apply on the top of it.  Once removed it leaves a residue, but it does seem to disappear soon after.  Its very different to some other primers and it also has a smell to it, while not entirely unpleasant it is not great either.  It has a 'natural smell' to it.

What I have noticed is that it collects anything that gets stuck to it, I was wearing a top that was a bit fluffy and much to my horror, I found that little balls of material stuck to my lower jaw underneath near my neck!

Another thing I have noticed, is that it intensifies the products that are applied afterwards on to your face.  I tested this suspicion by doing a split face one side with the primer and the other side without.  When I applied contour it was significantly deeper, blush was intensified and both of these were not with multiple applications of the products.  For me, I did not like this effect as I do not need a strong contour and would like to be able to expect when I apply my products to my face.

I am undecided about whether this primer is a definite recommend or not.  I think it comes down to what you want from a makeup primer.  After moisturising and then this primer, I then use suncream and then my Touch in Sol CC Corean Complexion Cream as well plus a setting powder to pull it all together.

As with one of the two eyeshadow products I tested, I believe this is overpriced for the product you receive.  It is $27.00 AUD.

Once again this is up to you whether you like some of these attributes to the primer.

Thankyou for reading.
Photo by me.
Not sponsored.
CROP Naturals Primer