Review of silicone-free Cargo blu_ray activating face primer

I may have finally found the only primer I can use all day that doesn't break me out, and I'm not sure that it really does anything, or anything much anyway.

*sighs*

I picked this primer up from BeautyBay some time ago and have been oh so cautiously testing it ever since. My skin's been relatively good of late, so instead of leaving well enough alone I start testing stuff on it. Of course. (Bad Me!)

I was really excited to learn that BeautyBay sold it and shipped it for free because I've been on the hunt for  silicone-free primer since forever. As an oily skinned girl with big nose pores it's just something you want to work for you. 

3 online beauty shops with FREE international shipping!

Beauty Zen or no Beauty Zen any great new beauty site with free shipping has got my attention. We're all familiar with good 'ol Strawberrynet by now (if you're not seriously, check it out. It looks dodgy but has only ever provided me with fast great service). So here are three that I've come across recently for all your beauty junkie needs!

HQHair

A voucher (now expired, sorry) courtesy of Lisa Eldridge turned me on to this UK-based site which specialises in luxury haircare brands but also carries a fair number of makeup brands. I placed an order a week or so ago so it hasn't turned up yet but I was excited to find: 

Seche Vite - the best fast-dry top-coat ever.

Lipstick Queen - Jean Queen, you've got my attention!

The Konjac Sponge Co - Like Syen, I'm sold on it. When I first started using it I wasn't convinced but lately I've noticed my skin's clearer and well... polished. Love it. 

FeelUnique

Admittedly not my favourite site as the layout and brands just aren't that attractive to me. Plus it doesn't ship to Malaysia (sorry!). It does ship to Hong Kong however and when I have a voucher or it's on sale I find myself surfing it for:

theBalm - Time Balm Concealer is a staple product for me and they no longer stock the brand at Sasa Hong Kong. 

Maybelline and L'Oreal - For products such as Maybelline's Colour Tattoo and L'Oreal's Infallible Eye Shadow in shades not available in Asia.

BeautyBay.com

This site is a new discovery for me and an exciting one. It's stocked with brands we can't get here such as:

Cargo! - WOOT WOOT. I pounced on their silicone-free blu-ray Activating Face Primer. Here's hoping it works for me. 

Beauty Blender - Another staple, so good to have a reliable source! 

Holistic Silk - One day, the early sunrise in summer will drive me completely mad and I'll impulse buy this crazy expensive and VERY PRETTY silk mask.

That's it from me! What sites do you shop on and love? Share!

Beauty Bloggers Box: What I would put in it ~

Beauty boxes seem to be all the trend now. For the fun of it, us blogging girls have decided to see what we love enough to put into a box.

So if I were to gift a beauty box, here are the five items I think every girl should have!

Warning: Cargo's Lash Activator is a TERRIBLE Mascara!

It's finally happened. I completely LOATH a Cargo product. I don't know how much this costs(as I got it as part of the 7 in 7 kit), but it's a fair bet it's pricier than Maybelline. At first swipe, I loved this, it immediately emphasised my lashes, but then the trouble started.

Even after the requisite 30 secs everytime I blinked, it SMUDGED. This went on for almost five minutes - ladies that's a lotta blinking.

Then throughout the day there was fallout, even more smudging and even with meticulous blotting, powdering and cleaning up, I ended the day with more under my eyes than on my lashes. URGH!

Cargo, I love you to death, but you've disappointed me.

Aussie Haul II: Makeup Madness!

Hey girls! After showing you what I got from Priceline in my earlier post, today you'll get to see the rest of the makeup stuff I hauled home from Australia. Goodness, it wasn't until I was taking the photos that I realised I actually bought quite a bit of stuff. =P

Also, you'll get to see what Tine and I were up to during our meet-up!

Click on to see more!

Ooh.. not only did I get the EcoTools brush set, but I went back and got the foundation brush too (for about AU$8.90)! The brushes are really lovely and oh-so-soft! =) Can anyone guess which brush I started using first? LOL. 

Blush whoring! (l-r): Cargo Blu_Ray blush/highlighter, Cargo blush in Tonga and The Balm Hot Mama blush.

Rimmel lipsticks in Metallic Blast (left) and Metallic Seduction (right). I picked these up from the a Direct Factory Outlet in Sydney for only AU$3 each. =P

Ok, THIS trio I picked up on a whim for AU$3, because it looked so much like NYX, and I just wanted to know if it would perform as well. It's a brand called BYS, which I've never heard of. I got it in a shop called Gloss in Castle Tower I believe. But BAH, swatching it revealed that it's NOWHERE near NYX. And the casing is really flimsy. I think the transparent plastic is about to fall-off anytime now. Oh well, I got my answer. (In case you were wondering, it was all wrapped up so I HAD to buy it to try.)

And I got the bronzer for about AU$6-ish because it swatched on quite nicely. And the swirls really reminded me of Shiseido's Multi-Shade Enhancer. This one's called Heavy Glow. I picked it up on a whim, and now I'll have to see if I can actually work it. LOL.

TA-DA. Tub of Lucas Papaw Ointment.

L'Oreal's Chrome Shine in Starry Black. This is one GOOORGEOUUSS shade I tell you. From Priceline for about AU$13-ish. (Hehe, I HAD to get it, Tine!)

Tine and I on our first meet (and I HAD to have a massive zit on the nose. Sigh). Coffee after dinner! =) Sorry girls, geekchic banned me from putting up photos of her.

Second meet, where Tine met my Coastal Scents blush brush. LOL. And MORE coffee! I love that place, there's coffee EVERYWHERE. =D

Cheers!

Review: Cargo Blu Ray Blusher / Highlighter

This blusher is psychedelically cool. When I saw it in Sephora, it was a cool light pink under the bright flourescent lighting. But in the hotel room, it was the Orgasm-like shade in the picture. Now in my room it's a warm pink with gold flecks.

According to Cargo, this is due to the "photochromatic pigments" that adjust with ambient lighting. So no matter what environment you're in it will always look "perfectly glowing".

Oh heck I'll just quote the rest of what they said: the irregular particle size diffuses light and creates an optical blurring that gives the look of a softer, more refined complexion. This ultra-soft formula is oil-free and suitable for all skin types and complexions."

So, does it deliver?

Without having walked around with a mirror checking myself out in all lighting situations, I'd have to say it does deliver in that it always seems to look subtle, glowing and pretty.

When I use posietint, I use it under my foundation, so although the colour shows through, it can look a trifle flat. I love dusting this blush over when I'm done to really make my cheekbones pop. It also looks absolutely amazing when paired with a bronzer. A little goes a long way, so I just "touch" the blush brush to it and that's enough for one cheek.

The powder is very finely milled and the shimmer is of the candlelit variety, not the discoball everybody-dance-now genre. I find myself reaching for this more than Orgasm or its dupe, and now I have to hold back as I can't bear finishing it off as there's no replacing it.

I bought this blush as part of the Cargo Blu Ray collection. But if you live in a land where Cargo abounds (ooh how I envy you), you can also purchase this blush/highlighter individually.

Review: Cargo Blu-Ray Pressed Powder

Words cannot describe my love for this pressed powder. I find it superior even to, can you believe it, Mac Blot! *pauses for gasps of amazement*

The superfine particles in the powder are undetectable when swept on with either a brush or puff. It's sheer so I can see it suiting a range of skintones. When applied, it leaves your skin with an airbrushed pore-less look that adapts to lighting conditions. I kid you not. It also looks amazing in photos. I'll take a pic when I find my camera cable!

Plus, it's long-lasting with superb oil-control. What more can you ask for in a powder? Well, the packaging makes it hard to find a puff to fit AND it looks identical to the Blue-Ray highlighter/blush and lip-gloss compacts. But otherwise, this baby goes straight into the "save-for-when-I-am-a-bridesmaid" pile.

Why save? Because Cargo is unobtainable in Malaysia. *cries* If you're near a Sephora, you'll find it in Europe for around €18 (this is from memory), or you can buy the entire set like I did for €60.

And I'm back from the continent!

I'm still a little tired, so this is more of a teaser post than a proper one. My last fling around Europe was absolutely amazing, and I adored every moment of it. But perhaps the most beauty-relevant visit I made was to Beauty Heaven *cue Ode to Joy*
Yes ladies, for the first time in my life, I visited Sephora. And not just ANY Sephora. Sephora on the Champs Elysée, Paris. (For those of you who live with Sephora in your backyards, I hate you already).

But honestly this place really is a beauty junky's idea of Paradise. Or it would be, if everything in it was free. *sighs*
From the impressive red carpet leading from the entrance, to a veritable Valhalla hall of wonders, Sephora is dazzling! And get this, their opening hours are from 10am - 2am. Yes. TWO am. So a midnight lipgloss emergency is not a problem ladies.
And even more tempting, the night I was there, Sephora had a 20% discount on all Sephora branded products. I picked up a very travel-friendly, flat, portable, and plastic (very important) eyelash curler, a makeup eraser pen, and a mattifying powder.

The image below is just for ONE of the Sephora-brand eye-makeup counters. Face, cheeks, skincare.. all of them have their own counters much like this.
But my true sin, lies in the Cargo haul I found myself utterly unable to resist. My justification was as follows: No Cargo in UK or Malaysia; the Blu Ray collection is great in photos - next year I'm a bridesmaid in two (yes, two) weddings; the products are great on oily skin; the entire collection has rave online reviews. So....yes, I confess. I bought the Sephora Blu Ray Set - at €60 for all 5 pieces it was too good to resist. I can't wait to review it!
Ciao, Auf Wiedersehen, and Au Revoir for now ladies!

Review: Cargo One Base Concealer / Foundation

For girls who don't need foundation all over (I hate you already), this product is ideal. It conceals very well and blends into your skin perfectly. Dust over with powder and you're good to go. This is especially good during summer when beauty experts keep telling us to "let our skin shine through".

BOLLOCKS to that. My skin is pizza! Greasy pizza at that. Summer or no I'm not leaving the house without slapping on my OC8, OneBase (which makes a nice concealer), and dusting mineral foundation AND a setting powder over everything.

Ahem. *ends rant* My full review can be found here.