Tuesday, September 12, 2017

Anti-Haul Blogpost: "Not My Colours" Orange Eyeshadow Edition

Recently, I've been seeing lots of "anti-haul" posts on Youtube and elsewhere. Basically, in a nutshell, an "anti-haul" is just a list of things you didn't/aren't planning to buy - as opposed to a "haul" which is list of things you bought. From the posts I've seen, it seems to have been partly borne out of a bit of a backlash against Youtubers and "influencers" shilling all sorts of dubious makeup trends and products, so this trend helps people to articulate how they are saving money by highlighting what they are not buying, and what trends they're not buying into.

I'm all for it. I mean, as a beauty junkie and beauty blogger of 7+ years, of course I've hauled many a haul (and have the haul posts to prove it too! But I do agree with the general anti-haul sentiment that not every trend is worth getting into, and not every makeup product is for everyone - after all, not every "must-have" palette is suitable for every type of skintone, undertone, and colour preferences. And while I'm not about to stop hauling (oh no, not at all!), I do agree that I do enjoy my makeup stash best when my makeup purchases are thoughtful and curated, and when I don't just jump on every hype bandwagon. And, I get to save money! So for me, anti-hauling isn't at all "OMG DON'T EVER WEAR MAKEUP!!!111!!!11!", but more of "hey, not every makeup product/colour/trend is going to work for you, and you'll enjoy makeup more if you buy what you're happy wearing, and what looks good on you".


So, with that said, let's get into one of the recent makeup trends that just haven't been doing it for me - warm, orange eyeshadow! There have been a ton of warm and/or orange-y eyeshadow palettes released this season, and the orange eyeshadow was pretty much the "it" item of the summer, and still going strong. But for me, since I have an olive, neutral-cool undertone, the orange eyeshadow trend really just became the "swollen eye" trend. I do love some of these brands (and do indeed have other products from some of these brands here), but here are some of the recently-popular orange/warm/rust-toned eyeshadow palettes that just didn't do it for me.

Thursday, September 7, 2017

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Concentrate Matrix Review and Ingredients Analysis

Estee Lauder's Advanced Night Repair Eye Concentrate Matrix was launched a few weeks back, and of course expectations are pretty high for this new product, because it's an extension of the brands "Advanced Night Repair" line, which houses some of the most iconic Estee Lauder products, such as the Advanced Night Repair Complex, which has become something of a cult product in some skincare circles, with some people trying to find dupes or similar products for it.


Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Concentrate Matrix: The latest addition to the Advanced Night Repair line

The new Advanced Night Repair Eye Concentrate Matrix is an eye serum/concentrate that is added to the line, and Estee Lauder claims that the product will hydrate skin "for a full 24 hours with a 2X concentrated infusion of Hyaluronic Acid". Also, like the rest of the Advanced Night Repair line, this product also claims to have anti-aging benefits, to "dramatically reduce the look of lines, wrinkles, puffiness and dark circles." Despite the "Night" in the product name, the product is suitable for both day and night use, and you're supposed to apply the product by using the given massage applicator to roll the product around the eye area.

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Review Eye Concentrate Matrix
Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Concentrate Matrix: Claims to offer 24 hours of hydration, as well as various anti-aging benefits for the eye area

So, with that overview of the Advanced Night Repair Eye Concentrate Matrix, let's dive headfirst into the ingredients list, and see what is inside this product!