Spring Beauty Buys
IT’S time to spring-clean your makeup bag! Our own beauty queen Jessica-Anne Lyons puts five new products to the test – to see if they’re worth your buck.
Photo: Jessica-Anne Lyons
1.Beauty Essentials Smooth Night Cream
Photo: Jessica-Anne Lyons
The winter cold and wind has a habit of drying out our skin, so it’s important to replace your regular daytime moisturizer with a hydrating facial product and include it in your nighttime skincare routine to replenish your skin’s moisture.
Priceline has recently released their own skincare line, Beauty Essentials. I was skeptical at their effectiveness at first because the entire range is priced under $10.
But I was pleasantly surprised with their night cream. The formula was non-greasy, had a pleasant, fresh smell and I woke up the next morning with moisturized, glowing skin.
This product is perfect for students on a budget because it’s extremely effective, not irritating to the skin and super wallet friendly. It’s definitely become a staple product in my skincare routine since trying it!
The Beauty Essentials night cream, $4.99 at Priceline
2. Rimmel London Scandaleyes Thick & Thin Waterproof Eyeliner
Photo: Jessica-Anne Lyons
Released as part of their new ’60s-inspired line, the Rimmel London Scandaleyes Thick & Thin Waterproof Eyeliner is a marker/pen-style eyeliner. Depending on how you angle the felt tip, you can create a thin or a thick line to get the look you prefer.
I found the felt tip a bit chunky and clumsy. It was difficult to create an even and sharp cat eye/winged liner look, which is what I normally use liquid eyeliner to do. The colour pay-off is good and fairly opaque, but the application takes a while to master so I wouldn’t try using this when you’re in a rush.
As far as longevity goes, it’s a waterproof formula so it definitely stayed in place all day without smudging, and I have oily skin, so that’s a big deal.
The Rimmel London Scandaleyes Thick & Thin Waterproof Eyeliner, $12.95 at Priceline
3. Sally Hansen Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips
Photo: Jessica-Anne Lyons
The Sally Hanson strips come in a huge range of colours and designs, and are so easy to apply that I might just skip using my regular nail polish collection for a while!
They’re a lot more expensive than a DIY paint job, but for those of you who love nail art and find creating your own designs difficult, these will make life a lot easier and prettier. Plus they require no drying time.
Photo: Jessica-Anne Lyons
All you need to do is find the strip that is the same size as your nail. There are two of each of the eight sizes in every box. Peel off the backing paper, place the sticker on your nail and smooth it down to remove any air bubbles. File away the excess using the provided nail file.
These last longer than a regular manicure too – up to 10 days if you apply a clear topcoat.
The Sally Hansen Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips, $14.95 at Priceline
4. CleverWhite Dissolving Whitening Strips
Photo: Jessica-Anne Lyons
I’ve seen whitening toothpastes, pens and gels, but never whitening strips, so I was pretty intrigued to give these a go. In short, they’re small strips that look similar to plastic. You place over your teeth and they dissolve in around 10 minutes.
After a few applications over a week, I did notice a difference even though it was a small one. So the verdict is yes, these do work! But even though they’re effective, they can be a little unpleasant to use. When they begin to dissolve, the strips become a gel-like, which can be unappealing and a little messy. So just make sure you don’t have to do any talking while you’re treating your teeth.
CleverWhite Dissolving Whitening Strips 42 pack, $29.99 from Priceline
5. Essenzza Facial Treatment Masks
Photo: Jessica-Anne Lyons
Cloth/silk masks have been used in Japan and other Asian countries for a while, but this was my first time trying them. It was a strange and messy experience.
The Essenzza masks come in a box of three. To use them you peel away the layers protecting the silk mask and place it on your face, leaving it on for around half an hour before peeling it off again.
Photo: Jessica-Anne Lyons
The One Smooth Customer Moisturise + Smooth Mask definitely did what its name promised, but it left a sticky and unpleasant film on my face after I removed the mask. I slept without washing off the film. The box said it would dry eventually, but even after an eight-hour sleep, my face was still sticky and shiny. So I just washed it off and afterwards my skin did feel soft and hydrated.
The No Dirt On Me Cleanse + Exfoliate Mask uses active enzymes from citrus fruit and pineapple to dissolve any dead skin on your face leaving you with the fresh vibrant new skin underneath.
When using it, it felt tingly, making me think I was having an allergic reaction, but it was just the enzymes doing their work. After the treatment time, I washed my face with warm water and it felt really soft afterwards. Plus any dry areas I had before were gone!
I’d definitely use this product again, but I don’t recommend regular use because if you keep removing layers of skin you’ll end up irritating your face. Once a month or even less frequently is what I would do.
Essenzza Facial Treatment Masks, $14 from Aussie Health Products