Monday, October 13, 2014

Charlotte Tilbury Skincare Magic

Hello!


Today I'm going to review Charlotte Tilbury's new Magic Cream and Multi-Miracle Glow Cleanser!!!

I first learned of Charlotte Tilbury in the August issue of Vogue with Blake Lively on the front cover~



This article had succeeded in making me very curious about this "Magic Cream" of hers. Charlotte Tilbury is an editorial makeup artist who has been whipping up her own cream concoction to prep the skin for makeup. Magic Cream contains rose-hip oil, frangipani, wild pansy, hyaluronic acid, and vitamins A, C and E.

"It got its name backstage and on shoots where frequent collaborators like Kate Moss and Mario Testino would inevitably ask, 'Where's the magic cream?'" -Sarah Harris, Vogue.

With a description like that, who wouldn't be curious? So on a fateful Saturday afternoon spent shopping around The Grove, my friend Monica and I found ourselves in front of the Nordstrom x Charlotte Tilbury launch event. Monica was hungry, but I, having read the afore-mentioned article, insisted we go inside and check it out. Here is some photo evidence: 

Rosanna and Monica

Monica at the fairgrounds! 

Stage where they teach you makeup tricks

I loved the gold stars sprinkled on the ground

Quote I agree with


Super cute right?! The event was soooo adorable! They went with a magical fair theme. I would have taken more photos if my iPhone 5 didn't have to die on me :( Time for the 6 soon! 

Anyway, I came home with 2 sets of Magic Cream + Multi Miracle Glow Cleanser, for myself and my mom!

Okay so first up for review- the cleanser. 

Multi-Miracle Glow

Smooooooth as buttah

Beautiful blush pink color

So as you can see in these photos, this cleanser is a creamy balm. It may look like a gel, but it is indeed a creamy balm. The good people at Charlotte Tilbury describe this as "cashmere soft". I am in love with this cleanser. First of all, it smells AMAZING. It smells like jasmine. Not a cheap-y jasmine either. This smells like you just walked into a garden at midnight with full moon above head and there are christmas lights sparkling along the hedges. Just-bloomed jasmines, that's what this smells like. This cleanser is dubbed "Multi- Miracle Glow" because it can be used 3 ways. 

1. Deep-Cleansing Anti-Wrinkle Wash
2. Overnight Regenerating Facial Mask
3. Body Of An Angel Balm

So far, I've only used it as a cleanser and I really love it. It leaves your skin feeling supple and clean~ (After washing, I still go over with Bioderma Micellar Water just to remove any remaining oil because I'm afraid of blackheads...but my skin still feels well hydrated afterward). I can see how this product is great for anti-wrinkle since it smooths onto your skin like butter and really cleanses without causing any dryness of the skin and keeps your skin well-lubricated throughout the whole process. The whole experience of this cleanser is soooo luxurious~ Everything from the packaging, to the "cashmere" texture, to the rich jasmine smell. I love it! 

This is even better than the oil cleansers I have! I am no longer attracted to my Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil or my Camellia Cleansing Oil from Tatcha. Sometimes when I use those cleansing oils around my eyes, they tend to find their way into my eyes, no matter how hard I keep my eyes shut! My eyeballs become blurry afterward. Since the consistency of this balm is heavier, it doesn't run wherever it feels like it. It will stay on the outside of your eyelids, just working on taking off the mascara like it's supposed to be doing! You are supposed to massage this into your dry skin with Tilbury's PRO-COLLAGEN WONDER WORKOUT, until it turns more oily in texture, and then rinse it off. The massage technique is supposed to stimulate lymphatic drainage and de-puffs the skin.

(You can watch how the pro-collagen wonder workout is done here)

Next up- MAGIC CREAM!

Pretty packaging~ 

Miracle Cream! 

"Cashmere Soft"


Not oily


So I really really love this cream as well. Usually I am afraid of creams because most creams I've encountered are very rich and oily, which is too much for my combination skin type. I don't like heavy creams because they tend to feel like they are sitting on top of my skin, and not really providing moisture into my skin. This cream is different because of the hyaluronic acid in it. The hyaluronic acid moisturizes by delivering water to the skin, so your skin feels hydrated and bouncy afterward.

Now, I already use and LOVE my A.H.C Hydra B5 Smoother Serum, which has hyaluronic acid as a main ingredient. The only problem I have with my current skin routine is that when I come to California, my skin feels a bit dry halfway through the day due to the drier climate and constant sun exposure. After using this cream, my skin stays moisturized for the entire day. The hyaluronic acid moisturizes deeply into the skin, while the other oils seal the moisture in. So now, after a year of silent struggles.... I've finally found a solution to my California dry skin problem!  


All in all, you can call me a very happy girl. Completely satisfied customer. Charlotte Tilbury scores an A+ on her skincare line. I am a fan.  You need to try this stuff out. Life is too short to be stuck using oil cleansers that get your eyeballs blurry or lotions that don't last the whole day. 
Okay, until next time! 

xoxo, 

Rosanna

Sunday, October 12, 2014

Joseristine Black Sugar Shower Gel

Is it just me, or is anyone else tired of paying over $10.00 for a nice shower gel?

WELL! I've found the best shower gel for under $10.00!!  

Walking back from my weekly visit to the Chinese doctor, I always pass by this skincare store. Near the doorway, they have brightly-lit shelves lined with these cheery yellow and white bottles of Sugar Moisturizing Shower Gel. They always look very tempting, but I always remind myself that I do not need another extra shower gel in my shower. Today however, I gave in to my urge. I went into the shop. The saleslady told me that their shower gel was their best seller and she recommended the Black Sugar Moisturizing Shower Gel, which comes in a caramel colored bottle. What's so special about this shower gel? Apparently it leaves your skin feeling very supple and bouncy afterward, not dry or tight. 

I asked her for the price, and this was the shocking part. This entire bottle of shower gel only cost 
$33 HKD! That translates to $4.25 USD- less than $5.00!! 

Okay, so I decided to give it a try. I also picked up new shampoo from the store. The saleslady highly recommended this Japanese Horse Oil Shampoo and Conditioner. She told me that it works very well,  is very moisturizing, and is one of their most popular items. A bit wary of rich shampoos (my hair tends to get oily), I proceeded with caution. The saleslady assured me that I would love it. 

Anddd... she turned out to be correct.




I LOVED the shower gel and the shampoo and conditioner.
It's funny because I was so wary of going into this store. The name "Jorestine" sounded like some sketchy Asian brand that wasn't aware of proper English names and decided to create one. Also, the description on the shower gel is also very interesting. Under the huge Jorestine, in smaller font it reads, "Karitebutter Fetttosliches Gelee Oguiubillzo". Being the curious creature that I am, I searched on Google Translate and got the following results.

Language Detected: German

I typed in verbatum, "Karitebutter Fetttosliches Gelee Oguiubillzo"
and it suggested:

karitebutter fettlösliches gelee oguiubillzo

and the meaning is: Shea butter fat-soluble jelly oguiubillzo

So... what Oguiubillzo is, we may never know... but the rest of the translation is on-point! The shower gel has the consistency of jelly~ and it is very moisturizing and doesn't leave your skin feeling tight. (I will upload photos of the actual gel soon... I'm posting from the US right now and I left my shower gel in my Hong Kong soon. Sit tight! For now, just know that it looks like a pretty brown jelly.)

Conclusion: Highly recommended! This shower gel has a bouncy, juicy texture, a pleasant light smell that is not overpowering, and best of all~ it's so cheap for a huge bottle! They also sell refills at the store so you can be environmentally friendly as well by saving the plastic bottle :)