Review

NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer

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Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer, $29
pic from the NARS Instagram

I neglected to give NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer a shot, dismissing its praise as fangirl hype. As one of the higher-priced prestige (not quite luxury) concealers out there, it was low on my list.

Then, fortunately, Sephora started carrying a travel size. What better way to try NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer than to pay only $12 (.05 oz) for a tube rather than $29 (.22 oz)? Sure, the price-to-product ratio is better in the full-sized, but it takes me forever to get through concealer. This time, overall value loses out to gross spend.

Shades

The diminutive tube only comes in Vanilla and Custard. The two, respectively, are the second- and sixth-lightest in the line. Overall, the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer line features sixteen shades, including five deeper ones that would suit some people of color. As for me, I picked up Custard – a yellow-toned concealer for light-to-medium tones.

My gripe with the line? Make some of the travel sizes for people of color, damn it.

More after the jump.

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Trim Portable Manicure System

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Trim Portable Manicure SystemTrim Portable Manicure System, $8

I had something similar to this cheap, battery-operated electric file years ago. The motor ultimately burned out, and I hadn’t seen a replacement until I came across the Trim Portable Manicure System while out and about.. Admittedly, I didn’t give the tool much scrutiny in the store when I picked it up. For under $8 and running on non-included AA batteries, my expectations were low.

First Impression

Upon unboxing the tool I confirmed that its construction matched its price-point. The body is made of cheap, lightweight plastic. The handle is long (read: awkward to handle), and it doesn’t seem as though the bits have a locking mechanism to hold them in place. The battery compartment was easily accessible, but there aren’t any markers to indicate which way to insert them. I determined that negative should face the bottom of the compartment, positive towards the top.

No dial, switch, or series of buttons means no variable speed control. This little guy is a one-speed.

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Tan Talk: St Tropez

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St TropezSt Tropez Classic Bronzing Mousse, 8oz for $42

I haven’t been quite as committed to sunless tanning this year as previous years. I’ve had less time to dedicate to beauty rituals in general! When I got a deluxe sample of St Tropez Classic Bronzing Mousse, I was a bit excited – it’s a self-tanning cult classic, after all. Beyond that, mousses tend dry faster than lotions…and patience is not one of my virtues.

After showering and doing the necessary prep (shaving, exfoliation, etc), I gave the little bottle a shake and grabbed my application mitt (ain’t nobody got time for orange palms).

Initial Reaction

Everyone, including me, is surprised by how markedly green the foam seems upon first dispensing the foamy mousse. It isn’t a true green, of course, but there’s definitely green pigment in the formula – the rationale is that it helps offset any orange hue that would otherwise result.

Is it… scented? Oh, no, why?! Research indicates it wasn’t always – but now it features fragrance notes of bergamot, green apple, lavender, rose, jasmine, tuberose, musk and wood. One of my requirements for a tanning product is that it does not have added fragrance. I discuss my, ‘requirements,’ and how, “self-tanner smell,” isn’t the product but the result of DHA reacting with skin in my old post about Million Dollar Tan.

Application

I always use a mitt regardless of the type of product, but it isn’t optional with a mousse. This stuff dries fast. Almost too fast – if it’s your first time with a mousse, I’d say you have a 50/50 shot of getting it right the first time. I’ve even used a mousse product before, but St Tropez dries even faster than Vita Liberata.

Top Application Tip: Work in smaller areas than you would with a lotion. With a lotion, I’d do an entire leg or arm at a time. With mousse, do lower and upper separately.

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Real Techniques Brush Cleansing Palette

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Real Techniques Brush Cleansing Palette Real Techniques Brush Cleansing Palette, $15

If you’re like me, the idea of shelling out for a Sigma Spa Glove is uncomfortable. It isn’t that there’s anything wrong with it as a tool, I just prefer to allocate my beauty budget to other things. Fortunately, the Real Techniques Brush Cleansing Palette that is 1) inexpensive, 2) gets the job done, and 3) does not require a ton of storage space. I thought I published a post about this back in June, but when checking my archives, it was nowhere to be found – so new photos and a rewrite it is!

For I while, I was (ridiculously) using the lid of a Ziploc container lid to help agitate cleanser into my bristles. Did it work? Sure. It’s a frugal solution, and it worked well enough. But then I was misplacing lids (oops)…it was time to get a dedicated tool. I picked the Real Techniques Brush Cleansing Palette on sale at Ulta for $8 (regularly $15) and have gotten a TON of use out of it in the last three months. I use Cinema Secrets for quick-changes, but brushes do require proper washing from time-to-time…so I recommend both methods to keep your brushes clean

Easy to Handle

rt_palette_holder

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Aveeno Nourish Condition Leave In

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Aveeno Nourish + Condition Leave InAveeno Nourish Condition Leave In

I searched for a leave-in conditioner for ages and came up dry (I do not apologize for puns). I guess they’re not cool right now in the era of hair serums and oils. For me, Josie Maran Argan Oil is too rich (literally and fiscally) for my hair. About a month before my trip, after ages of scouring stores, I discovered and ordered the Aveeno Nourish Condition Leave In from drugstore.com.

When Aveeno’s Nourish+ collection of haircare came out eons ago, I tried and loved the Nourish + Soothe line, but it got discontinued. I was excited to see how this leave-in would treat me but also a little nervous considering the way my hair likes to behave when it comes to protein treatments. I decided to try anyway, because (for instance), keratin and silk proteins are different from wheat protein. It might not be all bad (for me), right?

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