Review: Simple Eye Make-Up Remover

Once I discovered Gel Eyeliners (Stila Smudge Pots & Inglot Matte Gel Eyeliners) & Mixing Mediums (Inglot's Duraline) I knew they were the best thing since sliced bread. They are so good as they stay on FOREVER.

I bought a sensitive eyemakeup remover by Innoxa which unfortunately did not do a very good job. Not only did it take too many cotton balls to remove the makeup & to my surprise I found that it stung my eyes & made them red, no matter how careful I was.

How's that for being a sensitive eye makeup remover!

So I went on the hunt for another one! I scouted the Internet for reviews & recommendations for a good eye makeup remover however there are so many different types I was a little overwhelmed.

Browsing through Priceline one day, I noticed a little bottle with a green lid - Simple Eye Make-up Remover - it was on sale for about $8. Next to it was the cutest little 50ml version which was also on sale for about $3.00. The bigger version was cheap, but I am sick of buying full sized products just to find that I don't like them so I thought the smaller bottle was a fantastic idea to see what it's like!

Using It

The bottle has screw off lid & inside a small whole, which makes it SO much easier to get the product either on a cotton ball, or cotton tip without having to tip the bottle upside down (and possibly contaminating the bottle) onto it, or accidently pouring too much out.

So what I do is, I pour a little onto a cotton ball, hold it on my eye for a couple of seconds, and then wipe the eye from lash to brow. I repeat the process for both eyes. Depending on the amount of makeup I have put on that day it may take one or two cotton balls per eye. I prefer using cotton balls as when I used cosmetic squares that they soaked up too much product.

Tip: For stubborn waterproof mascara I pour a little onto a cotton tip & run it along my lashes. The small hole/dispenser makes it perfect to get a drop or two on the tip.


Benefits of Simple Eye Make-Up Remover

What appealed to me about this product is that it is:

• Fragrance free - I don't like fragrance in face products
• No added Colour - who needs it to look pretty?
• Has Pro-Vitamin B5
• Oil Free so it's not greasy
• Removes Waterproof makeup - exactly what I've been using!

Verdict

Would I recommend this?

Yes, it does exactly what it says & my eyes don't sting* - bonus!

*The strange thing is, since using it I have noticed reviews on sites such as Make Up Alley, that some people report that it makes their eyes sting - these reviews were for a similar bottle by Simple, but it says "Conditioning" on it. I'm not sure if they've reformulated the product, or that this is a different version? My recommendation is to buy the  smaller 50ml bottle first so you can see what it's like before getting a full one.

Would I buy it again?

Yes, in fact, since using up my little bottle I have purchased a full one. I'm just over halfway through so I will have to remember to pick another one up in a few weeks!

My Rating: 8.0 out of 10

Inglot Matte Freedom System 10 Palette + 4 Extra

My Inglot Matte Palette (plus extras)

I went back to Inglot a couple of weeks ago with the intention of obtaining more mattes. I already had a handful of matte eyeshadows from my 30 palette, & another from a 5 palette I picked up at Christmas. I have been raving about them since.

Inglot's matte eyeshadows have fast become my favourite Inglot texture since getting my first palette. These mattes are the best I've ever used. They're silky, smooth & so easy to work with. I've been mainly using them for neutral looks so far.

On my matte hunt I picked up 7 more mattes (with a couple more AMC textures too) in a funky 10 Square magnetic palette. Using my 10% Off voucher (received with my December purchase) it was about $76AU.

I wanted to put all of my mattes together so, I took all the mattes out of the 30 palette & put them into the 10 palette with some of the new acquisitions. I have 4 extra mattes that will live inside my UNII Palette until I get another 10 palette.

Unfortunately in my rush I got one double of 392M :( but it's a nice colour so I will be using it eventually. The double will reside in a "spare palette" until I need it.

Here are the numbers:

Top Row: 373M White, 351M Cream, 352M Beige, 390M Grey/Brown, 361M Peach
Bottom Row: 360M Brown, 363M* Medium Brown, 378M Dark Brown, 376M Dark Grey, 362M Pink

4 Extras: 392M Medium Purple, 379M Dark Purple^, 384M Green, AMC63+ Black

*This particular eyeshadow was from a sale palette I purchased at Christmas time. I think it must be older stock as it doesn't have the number on the bottom - from swatches & pictures of Inglot Freedom eyeshadows I've seen online the closest I've found is 363M, so that's my guess.

+ Technically this eyeshadow is not deemed a matte texture, it's an AMC (Advanced Makeup Component) colour however it is definitely a matte black.

^Unfortunately the camera gave the 379M a bluish tinge, but it's definitely purple. Inglot have a purple/blue matte eyeshadow but I didn't get it as I don't think it would suit my eye colour..

Do you have any Inglot Mattes? What do you think of them?

The Perfume Connection 25% Off Online Purchases for Valentines Day (5th & 6th February)

Attn: Gentlemen - you MUST read this blog entry!

I received an email today from The Perfume Connection saying:

"perfumeconnection.com.au is offering 25% discount on your total amount purchased this weekend - the 5th & 6th February 2011. Don't miss out on this great offer and get that someone 'special' a new fragrance this Valentine's Day"

So Guys, grab your credit card, log on & purchase purchase purchase! Thank you!

Inglot Price Increase - UK & US. Is Australia next?

Inglot has increased their prices in their UK & US stores causing a huge uproar in the makeup community.

Inglot lovers, & potential buyers who have heard good reviews on this Polish brand have expressed their dismay at the price hike. The increase is already in place in UK stores & will take effect in the US stores on 7/2/2011. Inglot USA are using the same day to introduce their new Inglot 20 Eyeshadow Freedom System palette, already released in the UK.

Unfortunately for Inglot, a lot of people are saying that they will not purchase Inglot Freedom System palettes after the increase. In the US the cost of a 10 Square Eyeshadow palette is currently $50, however will increase to $80 on the 7th of February. This has made a lot of people upset & angry.

There is speculation that the price increase is due to the rise in the online popularity that Inglot have had over the last 3 months, especially on online communities such as YouTube.

The positive reviews Inglot have received (especially for their eyeshadows) have always been similar - that the brand is:

• Excellent quality
• Very pigmented &
• Cheap

Makeup lovers in the Internet community are saying that Inglot are cashing in on this popularity & selling out.

Inglot USA's official Twitter account tweeted that "The product is still extremely affordable, and lines prices do go up eventually. The quality of our product shows."

Yes, prices do rise eventually, but this is a huge hike. I'm guessing that their stores will be extremely busy for the next few days, but what will happen after this?

Will Inglot survive? Will they respond to the uproar?

Inglot In Australia

The Australian Inglot prices are not cheap, and have never been. They are above drug store brand makeup costs, however in my opinion the product is good enough to justify the amount of money spent. That is, if they don't raise our prices too.

If prices do go higher, Unfortunately I won't be purchasing Inglot anymore. This is really hard to say as I love this brand, their excellent customer service in their Sydney stores (especially Chatswood) & excellent products.

The makeup market in Australia a hugely saturated place, so much so that even cult brands such as Stila & Urban Decay have not made a mark here, and were removed from mainstream retail sale. I'm afraid that if Inglot raise their Australian prices, the same thing will happen to them here too.

The current costs for Inglot Freedom System Palettes in Australia are:

10 Square Eyeshadows = $85
 5 Square Eyeshadows = $50
 4 Square Eyeshadows = $40
 2 Square Eyeshadows = $28

Were the higher Australian prices a test to see if people would buy the product at a higher cost? Or, will Australia also see a price increase? Only time will tell.

Don't push yourself out of the market Inglot! Keep your prices as they are!

What do you think of the price increases? Have Inglot made a bad decision?

NB: As of 10/02/2011 Inglot USA have decided to postpone the price increase. Originally they moved it from 7/2/2011 to 14/2/2011 (yes, Valentines Day), however the latest news is that it will be May 2011.

It is suspected that this is due to the huge public uproar on Twitter & YouTube, which included UK makeup artist Wayne Goss speaking out about the increase (which had already happened in the UK).

Price Increases in Australia

Edit: as of April 2011, the Freedom Eyeshadow palette is now $95, an increase of $10. I do not have a listing of all product prices, but apparently the entire Freedom Palette range, as well as their other products will see an increase of a few dollars.


Another edit: As of July 2011, Inglot Australia have increased their prices for a second time in 3 months (the first was in April 2011).

The prices of the freedom palettes in Australian stores & Inglot Australia Online are now as follows:


20 Square Eyeshadows = Was $180, now $225 (inc palette)
10 Square Eyeshadows = Was $95, now $115 (inc palette)

 5 Square Eyeshadows = Was $50, now $60 (inc palette)
 4 Square Eyeshadows = Was $40, now $49 (inc palette)
 3 Square Eyeshadows = Was ?, Now $38 (inc palette)
 2 Square Eyeshadows = Was $28, now $27 (inc palette)

The Square eyeshadow refills are now $10 each, and the palettes are now purchased separately. According to Inglot, the advantage is that you do not have to fill an entire palette at the time of purchase - you can buy a few shadows now, & then add more to your palette whenever you like (whereas previously you had to fill the palette at time of purchase). This has made the palettes more expensive (e.g. the 10 palette was $85 in March, & is now $115).


The 40 palettes (inc The Power Of Matte palettes) are due to be released in Australia in August, by the above calculations the shadows will be $400 plus the cost of the palette (unknown at this time - if the 20 palette is $25, a good guess would be $30 or $35?). $430+ for a 40 palette???? Wow!




Price Increases in USA

It finally happened. The prices in the USA also increased at the same time & the prices there are now as follows:

The Square eyeshadow refills are now $5 each.

40 Square Eyeshadows = Was?, now $229 (inc palette) 
10 Square Eyeshadows = Was $50, now $60 (inc palette)

5 Square Eyeshadows = Was ?, now $33 (inc palette)
4 Square Eyeshadows = The USA don't seem to have the 4 palette at Inglot USA online
3 Square Eyeshadows = Was ?, Now $21 (inc palette)
2 Square Eyeshadows = Was ?, $15 (inc palette)


Even with the price rise in the USA, the 10 palette is $55 more in Australia  - almost twice the price, even though the Australian dollar is currently higher than the US dollar. Doesn't seem fair does it?

T2 - Just Cinnamon & Vanilla Slice Tea

I popped into T2 last week & found a lot of new teas that I hadn't seen before. T2 is an amazing experience for my olfactory senses. After a lot of sniffing (& taste testing), I settled on 2 new teas to try.

Just Cinnamon (100g)
Just Cinnamon is definitely my favourite of the two. T2 had this in chilled format to sample in the store & it was delicious, but I think I prefer it hot. It's exactly like the name - just cinnamon.No other flavours contaminate this simple, yet yummy tea. It's just the tiniest bit spicy (don't worry - it's really tiny) & is sweet. The longer you steep this tea, the sweeter it gets. It's a lovely sweet treat & I think it would be a good alternative to the sugar filled premade ice teas. Another positive is that it's also really fragrant - expect the room you're in to smell just like cinnamon.

$11.25/100g

My Rating: 9/10

Vanilla Slice (100g)
This one smells absolutely amazing. A fruity vanilla that you have to keep smelling - it's addictive. As a tea it's not so sweet. The fruit gives it a little bit of a tartness that I'm not loving however I'm going to try to get used to it. I may try putting a spoon of honey in the cup to see if that helps.

$13/100g

My Rating: 6/10

Urban Decay Naked Palette Email Update

The clever UD marketing team are at it again!

"PROBLEM:
We can't make 24/7 pencils fast enough to fill all the NAKED PALETTES our fans want!

SOLUTION:
We're replacing the pencil with a full-sized Good Karma Shadow Brush so we can keep giving you Naked. Yeah, it's a couple bucks more - $48 - but it's a $26 brush and really amazing!

We know everyone is crazy about Naked, so we thought we'd give you the insider info: We still have a few of the original Naked Palettes left, and are getting those out to the people who asked to be notified when Naked was in stock.

In a couple weeks, we'll receive a shipment of the Naked Palette with the Shadow Brush. When those come in, we'll notify the people on our "Naked List" first. We will sell the palettes on a first come, first serve basis, and we'll no longer keep a running list of people who want Naked.

Stores who sell Urban decay will get "new" Naked Palettes with the Shadow Brush soon after we receive them on UrbanDecay.com, so you can look out for them there, too! We'll keep making Naked with the Shadow Brush for a long time so if you don't get one right away don't worry. We're making them as quickly as we can, and will try to KEEP making them until everyone who wants one owns a Naked Palette.

XOXO
Your Friends at Urban Decay"

LUSH Cosmetics Mini Haul

I went into Lush Handmade Cosmetics for the 2nd time in my life today. I'd never wandered into this store before last year as the smell really put me off. The first time I dared venture in was just before Christmas. I tested the Vanillary perfume & loved the scent.

This week I heard about Vanillary being on sale for 50% off, so when I saw the store I thought it would be a good time to go in.

So, back to the mini haul, this is what I ended up with

• 2 x Vanillary EDP perfumes (30ml) - $22.47 each
  ^ Gorgeous perfume with Vanilla, Jasmine & Tonka Bean.
• 1 x Snowfairy Lip Tint (10g) - $4.75
  ^ smells just like raspberry frog lollies & has a slight pink tint.
• 1 x Light Yellow Colour Supplement sample
  ^ You can mix this with your moisturiser, or use it as a skin tint
• 1 x Dreamwash Shower Smoothie sample
  ^ Just had a whiff of it & GAWD does it stink or what! This is the "Lush store smell" I've been avoiding - its been passed to a friend to try.

I will do a review when I have more experience with the products.