Clarins Multi-Blush Cream Blush in 03 Grenadine and 02 Candy - Swatches and Review!

Clarins has never disappointed me when it comes to blushes. One of my favorite blushes is their Blush Prodige in 02 Soft Peach. But today, we're taking a look at their new for Spring Cream Blushes. I was sent shade 03 Grenadine, and 02 Candy for review.

First off, the packing of these blushes is pretty much perfect. The blushes are quite small, compact and have no excess packaging. On top of that, the blushes have a mirror which makes them perfect for carrying around in your bag to add a hint of color to your face or lips during the day.

I have tried applying the blushes with my fingers and with a brush, and both work fine. I prefer using a flat top blush (I used a Sonia Kashuk one) as I do find it easier to build up the color that way. At first, I thought the compact size of the blush would make a brush application difficult, but it wasn't at all.

Both blushes do contain a bit of shimmer, but it's quite hard to tell in my swatches, and on my cheek when applied. I'm not a big fan of shimmer in blushes, but didn't find the shimmer in these blushes to be of concern - I only noticed it in certain lights, and it was actually quite flattering!

The texture of these blushes is quite different than any other cream blushes. They are very much soft to the touch, rather than creamy, but I wouldn't describe them to have a cream to powder finish. They are much creamier than powder blushes, but not quite a cream - they are somewhere in between I suppose.

On the left is 03 Grenadine, and on the right is 02 Candy.

I think both colors are lovely on the cheek, but my heart is set on Grenadine. My oh my, what a gorgeous color. It truly mimics my natural flush, and make me look like I just went for a brisk walk. It's absolutely gorgeous. Candy is also gorgeous as a color, but has a rosier tint than Grenadine. Both had no problem staying on my skin all day, with or without a foundation base. I do find them to be a bit drying on the lips, but I have naturally dry lips, and it's nothing the addition of a balm can't fix.

If  you're looking for a new cream blush, I suggest you pick up Grenadine. It's such a stunning color, and I think it would suit a lot of skin tones. This shade will definitely be a Spring/Summer staple for me! The blushes don't seem to be up on the website yet, but they are expected to be released for Spring 2014.

* I have received these products for consideration but my opinions are always my own. I am not being compensated for this review and I always strive to review products with honesty.

Epicare, The Original Facial Hair Remover - A Review

Facial hair is such a hassle. Personally, I wax unwanted hairs on my face, but not before I have to wait for it to grow long enough to be able to wax! That stage can be incredibly awkward, and let's face it, embarrassing. When I was sent the Epicare Facial Hair Remover for review, I hoped that it would be the perfect buffer for that in-between phase.

The Epicare is a do-it-yourself manual threading device to remove unwanted facial hair. It's spring action removes unwanted hair from the roots (just like plucking) and does so without damaging the skin. Basically, you just have to bend the device (like the picture shows) and roll the ends gently with your fingertips. It's really that easy!

How did I get along with it? I actually quite like it! I found it to be really effective on the fine blond hair in between my eyebrow - Epicare removed it without a problem. Even my boyfriend gave it a go (twitter proof here)! I bravely tried it under my brows, but I wouldn't recommend it. The device isn't precise enough to make sure you don't take a chunk out of your brow hair at the same time. That isn't to say that with a bit of practice I might be able to!

I also tried this on my very fine chin hair - and by that I mean the duvet hair that every face has. This is where I thought it worked best - it removed hair I didn't even know I had! I had a harder time removing my upper lip hair. However, the little guide that comes with the Epicare gives you a tip to make this easier: just stretch your upper lip by pushing your tongue outward to maximize the effectiveness of the Epicare. While it did help, it wasn't able to catch every hair on my upper lip.

I really like the fact that this is very environment friendly - other than the packing the Epicare comes in, there's no waste other than your unwanted hair. It is super easy to maintain and clean - the instructions say to lightly tap the Epicare on a solid surface to get the hairs out of the spring and I found that to work well.

Practice really makes perfect with this tool - the more I used it, the better I was at removing hair. Still, this tool is quite hard to focus on one specific area - it's impossible to remove one hair! So I wouldn't suggest this tool if you barely have any facial hair - a tweezer would probably suit your needs better. But if like me, you're a waxing regular, and need something to tie you up in between waxing sessions, this is perfect. I'm hoping that with enough practice, I'll be able to ditch the waxing strips forever, and only use this eco-friendly little wonder!

For Canadian, the Epicare is conveniently available (in a variety of colors!) on the Nail Polish Canada website (link here), and for US based shoppers, the Epicare is available on their website, www.epicarehome.com.

* I have received this product for consideration by Nail Polish Canada, but my opinions are always my own. I am not being compensated for this review and I always strive to review products with honesty.

On my nails this week: Essie's Mesmerized

Happy Monday friends!

Today's post is a quick one, just to show you what I'm sporting on my nails this week!

Essie's Mesmerized is a gorgeous deep cobalt blue that's perfect for winter. I love how vibrant the color is without attracting too much attention. For you Canadian ladies, I found this polish at Target for a mere $2.50! This picture was taken with one coat of (albeit a little gloopy) polish - I used one thicker coat, but you could use two very thin coats.

Hope you had a great weekend!

5 Recent Faves

Lately, I've been feeling like I have my beauty routine down pat. My makeup consists of products I trust, and reach for again and again. Here are a few of my favorite products of the moment that has made my life just that much easier in the past few months.

1. CoverGirl Flamed Out Mega Curl Mascara* - My new favorite mascara. It does everything a mascara should in my book - separates my lashes, thickens them, and curls them. The mascara stays on my lashes until I take it off at night, and its formula is really black! A+!

2. Almay Soothing & De-Puffing Gentle Eye Makeup Remover Pads* - There's nothing I hate more than having to rub my eyes with a remover in order to get all my makeup off. I don't want wrinkles! These Almay makeup remover pads are amazing! They don't pull at your lids when you're removing your makeup, just place them gently on your lids, and wipe the makeup away. It's that easy, and it removes every trace of makeup with ease. On top of this, they truly are soothing. My eyes are quite sensitive to makeup remove and this didn't irritate them at all! I'll definitely be repurchasing these!

3. NARS Laguna Bronzer - For a while, I wasn't wearing much bronzer. It's quite silly because it's the dead of winter and I'm pale as a ghost! But recently, I've rediscovered how much I love my NARS Laguna bronzer. It's the perfect color of bronzer for my skintone, and it blends beautifully. Plus, it gives me sculpted cheekbones - I just add a little bit of pink blush and I feel ready to face the day!

4. Estee Lauder Pure Color Crystal Lipstick in Crystal Baby - There has never been an easier lipstick for me to wear. This. goes. with. everything. Smokey eye? Perfect. No makeup-look? Even better. The creamy formula is moisturizing and the nude pink shade is absolutely gorgeous. There's a reason this baby is usually sold out at the Estee Lauder counter!

5. Clinique Superfine Liner for Brows - My absolute favorite brow product EVER. I recently ran out of my Anastasia Brow Whiz and was searching for a cheaper alternative. Enter this little gem in the shade Soft Brown. I have to say, I like it better in terms of formula than my trusty brow whiz because it is easier to use and more pigmented. Only downfall? It doesn't have the brow brush at the end like the Anastasia Brow Whiz. Bummer.

As always, thank you for reading!

*Disclosure: I am a #BeautyUnited blogger. As part of my affiliation with this group I receive products and special access to P&G events. The opinions on this blog are my own.

* I have received this product for consideration but my opinions are always my own. I am not being compensated for this review and I always strive to review products with honesty.

Clinique Superprimer in Universal

Some days, on those long long days, makeup simply needs to stay put, without a second thought. When you know your day is going to be so busy, you won't even have time to blot, using a primer before putting on your foundation is advisable. I tested out the Clinique Superprimer Universal Face Primer on one of those days, and I have to say, it did pretty well!

First off, if you're familiar with the silicone feeling primers (like the Smashbox one) this doesn't have the same texture at all. It has a very different feeling than most primer - it almost feels like a thick moisturizer. I don't really enjoy the feeling of silicone on my skin, and my skin doesn't react well to it so I was very happy that this primer had a different texture than the usual primers.

The primer was easy to blend and gave my skin an even base for my foundation. I wore it with my (favorite!) Clinique Stay Matte foundation and it wore all day, no problem. I can usually tell how well a foundation has worn on my face during the day by checking how much foundation is being removed on my cotton pad. Kind of gross, but usually the best way to tell!

The packaging is simple and practical. The products squeezes out with ease. This product doesn't have a pump.

As you can see, the product is a thicker cream like liquid. There is no shimmer in the product, and it blends easily into a seamless finish.

The Clinique Superprimer I tested is colorless, and can be used for any skin type. However, the Superprimers come in a variety of shades and are meant to address skin concerns such as sallowness, redness and discolorations.

I'm more than picky when it comes to primers and while I haven't tested too many of them, this is by far my favorite. Maybe it is simply because primers generally contain a ton of silicone which never works on my oily skin, but this primer actually makes my foundation last longer. The primer doesn't glide on and disappear on my skin, but rather sinks in comfortably. And it smells good too! I had kind of given up on primers actually doing what they are supposed to do, so I'm very happy to have found a mate to my foundations. Especially for those days that never seem to end.

Do you use primers? Any stars out there worth checking out?

* I have received this product for consideration but my opinions are always my own. I am not being compensated for this review and I always strive to review products with honesty.