Buxom Plumpline Lip Liner Review + Lip Swatches

Lip liners seemed to have disappeared from a makeup junkie's stash of 'essentials' for a while, but the has made it's way back into 2017. Don't get me wrong, I love a good lip liner but they are not always something that a makeup lover gets excited about. It's usually about the newest liquid lipstick, or matte lipstick. 

But the new Plumpline Lip Liners from Buxom are definitely something to think about putting on your radar..

Box packaging of each lip liner

The Buxom Plumpline Lip Liners retail for $20 CAD, and are the newest lip product release from Buxom as of January 2017. They've released 20 shades so far and I have 8 of them to share with you.

The pencils themselves are jumbo-sized for the ability to define, shape, and fill in the lips. 

One side is the pencil lip colour, the other side is a brush to smooth out or blend the colour. 

These to me really aren't lip liners at all, more of a lipstick but for the sake of their name I will continue to call them liners. The pencil is so hugeee, and the colour is so pigmented you don't need to top it off with a lipstick at all.

 I really don't usually have a thing for lip liners because of their strong pencil scent, so at first I was like ehhh. But I quickly got over it. Once it's applied it didn't bother me, actually, you don't even notice the lip liner is on your lips at all. They are so light, matte, and non-sticky at all. I find myself being able to re-apply as often as I'd like without having to worry about sore lips later. The Plumpline Lip Liners all seem to be matte formulas.

The brush end really isn't necessary at all. I feel like it was a bit of a waste and I'd prefer to have a tiny bit more product. Also, I got really frustrated every time I opened the brush end thinking that it was the lip colour side when I was in a rush.

Stealth, Dolly Danger, Incognito, Restricted, Intrigue, Code Red, Anonymous Allure, Mystery

Swatches:

Lip Swatches:

Stealth

Dolly Danger

Incognito

Restricted

Intrigue

Code Red

Anonymous Allure

Mystery

I was surprised at how highly pigmented these were, and they are quite matte! I love a matte lip and I'm so happy with how all of these shades look. If I had to choose 3 favourites, they'd be 'Incognito (warm nude), Dolly Danger (mauve pink), and Restricted' (rose red). I think the only one that didn't flatter my skin tone or lips was Intrigue. I think it made my lips pop way too much and I just wasn't feeling this one.

In regards to the plumping aspect, I DID notice my lips were quite full when I applied these. However, I do already have full lips so take that with a grain of salt. There is no tingling effect or anything, and I notice the plumpness instantly, so it must be something in the actual colour itself that gives the 'plump' look. OR it's just an illusion because the shades are so matte (will we ever know?!).

I found myself wearing these daily and not having to worry about transfer or any major smudging. As I mentioned, they are light, matte, and don't give me major dry or sore lips. For darker shades it's a little more concerning, but it does take a bit (of eating) to see any real reason to reapply. Overall I'd definitely purchase one again when I run out. I think it's an interesting product and definitely something to at least try once. $20 CAD isn't too bad and I have no doubt that one will last me a long time. The Buxom Plumpline Liners are available at Sephora stores and Sephora.ca.

These products were received for consideration. All opinions are my own and are never influenced by anyone. 

Tangle Teezer Customized Compact Styler Hair Brush!

I know you've seen this hair brush before! Tangle Teezer is a UK brand, focused on helping you detangle your hair with minimal tugging and "ouch!" while introducing new and fun designs at the same time. 2008 was the first launch of the original brush and the brand has exploded since then.

The brush I have here is the Compact Styling Hairbrush. Is that A Lovely Allure logo on it!? Yes it is! I was able to customize my own brush with a graphic via the Tangle Teezer website!

The website gives you the option of customizing the Compact Style Brush only, but you are able to add your own graphic to the brush, or use a premade design from the website. They have 8 different colours available for the top and bottom of the brush but I stuck with the basics. I thought it would be awesome to use my actual logo on the brush, despite the fact that it only fit (nicely) diagonally!

The brush is customized and arrives to you like this, in a cute tiny black box. The quality of the graphic was better than I expected. The brush was a lot smaller than I expected, but it's shaped with the proper 'curves' and fits perfectly in the palm of my hand.

It includes a detachable cover, that slips on and off of the brush easily.

The Tangle Teezer uses a two-tier teeth system to prevent as much fuss, breakage, and damage as possible. I've tried the Blow Styling Hairbrush before but this was my first time actually trying a Detangling Brush from Tangle Teezer. The brush is ideal for either wet or dry hair, I personally prefer to brush my hair only when it's dry anyway. The brush detangled my hair gently, and I was able to avoid adding any unnecessary tangles like some brushes (that I've used in the past) do. Also, this brush is a great head massager! If my scalp is itchy, this thing is my saviour.

I would 100% recommend trying a Tangle Teezer brush out at least once! It is a great investment and it won't break the wallet.

You can get a regular Compact Styler for $25 CAD. Currently, on the Tangle Teezer website, you can get a personalized Compact Styler for roughly £16.67 + £2.97 shipping which amounted to roughly $32 CAD (with the exchange rate). I wouldn't hesitate to pay an extra few dollars for a personal customized brush. A lot of people haven't tried the Tangle Teezer brand and I think it's a great gift idea and great to buy for yourself as well.

SHOP:

Press sample received for consideration

Schwarzkopf Gliss Ultimate Repair Review

GLISS Hair Repair is an affordable line of hair products by Schwarzkopf that just launched in North America! At first I thought this was a new sub-brand from Schwarzkopf.. but Gliss has actually been around for 50+ years in Europe! They've only just launched in Canada and the US for March 2017. 

Schwarzkopf is well known for their salon professional hair products but the GLISS line is reasonably priced and can be found at in drugstores, (it is available at Shoppers Drug Mart in Canada). 

The entire Gliss line is focused on addressing hair repair. 

The 5 Gliss lines available in Canada are:

Ultra Moisture, Extra Volume, Ultimate Repair, Color Guard, Oil Nutritive

I had the choice of one, and I chose the Ultimate Repair to help fix my extremely damaged, ombre/balayage hair. Each line has a shampoo, conditioner, and matching hair treatment.

It seems the majority of the GLISS formulas contain keratin (I know the Ultra Moisture, Ultimate Repair, and Oil Nutritive have it), but the Ultimate Repair contains 3x the amount of liquid keratin than the others. It's designed to repair up to 10 layers of lost keratin, and get hair up to 90% stronger.

I noticed my hair feels soft and airy when using the shampoo and conditioner duo. A little refreshed as well. The scent is so lovely. It is like a summer coconut and just smells so relaxing. 

The Express Repair Conditioner is the real winner though! This is a leave-in conditioner. It looks like a bottle of cream and oil but when shaken it mixes up, and you then spray it everywhere!! If my hair is dry I like to spray it on the ends only. But I go to town with this when my hair is damp. I like that it doesn't make my hair feel oily or weigh it down at all, but leaves it smooth.

I was also sent a portrait of myself! So beautifully done by Monica Smiley.

The GLISS Hair Repair brand is available in Canada at Shoppers Drug Mart and retail price is roughly $9.99. I like that it's kind of a drugstore intro to the Schwarzkopf brand, and I would definitely purchase a set once I've finished up the shampoos on my shelf.

Press sample received for consideration

Real Techniques Brush Cleansing Palette

Everyone's coming out with an easier way to clean your brushes lately! I'm a fan of Real Techniques because they have good quality stuff, but are also reasonably priced. The new Real Techniques Brush Cleansing Palette retails for $19.99 CAD, and contains 3 different patterns on the palette (for optimal brush cleaning?)..

The palette comes with a sample pack of their new Brush Cleansing Gel as well.

The back of the palette has a slit for your hand so it's easy to hold.

I don't know why but after trying the palette a few times it just wasn't meeting my expectations. I think maybe it's due to the fact that it's completely silicone, it had a hard time cleaning my 'heavier stained' brushes. My liquid foundation brushes just weren't getting cleaned, the foundation was getting stuck onto the silicone and was getting put back onto my brush. A little bit of a pain in the butt. I used the Real Techniques Brush Cleansing Gel (which smells awesome btw), I also tried it with 2 alternative soaps and got similar results.

It did a much better job of cleaning my brushes that I use with powder products. But I don't think it's a good investment if you're trying to clean foundation brushes with this (like I had intended).

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Overall, I think this is the first Real Techniques product I've tried that I don't really like. I'm kind of on the fence about it. The concept is sooo good and I really wanted to like it, but I wanted it solely for my foundation brushes and it doesn't do a great job of cleaning them (as mentioned above). I think it works well for brushes that only have powder residue on them (eyeshadow brushes, blush, bronzer, highlighter brushes, etc).

If you want to put it to the test, you can find the Deep Brush Cleansing Palette online at FarleyCo and the link will also show you other locations where the product is available. It can also be found at select Rexall Pharma Plus, and select London Drugs. I believe I've also spotted it on Amazon.

Press sample received for consideration

Ole Henriksen Skincare Regime & The ReLaunch!

Ole Henriksen is a brand I haven't spoke much about before. I've only recently started to regularly use their products and I do have good things to say. The brand is not a new brand, starting out as a spa and a small mail-order only skincare collection in the 80s. It has grown into such a popular collection, with Sephora being the #1 place to find Ole products.

I had the opportunity to meet and talk to Ole himself, back in August. It was such a great experience and I was also pampered by some of his awesome products! I took home a few things to more throughly test but haven't gotten around to writing about it until now. 

Hi Ole!

Beginning 2017... Ole actually re-launched ALL of the Ole Henriksen products. 

Actually, a lot of products seem to be removed from the line, but the favourites and bestsellers are here to stay. The packaging and a few names have changed, but as far as I know the products are still the same. 

I have the old packaging, and unfortunately one of the products is being discontinued.

The Ole Henriksen African Red Tea Foaming Cleanser, now called The Clean Truth Foaming Cleanser ($38 CAD) smells yummy and fruity. It is a foam cleanser in a decently sized bottle and contains anti-oxidant african red tea, pumpkin extract, black currant oil, and vitamin C. The ingredients list has slightly changed along with the packaging change but nothing too drastic. 

I use this every morning and have almost finished the bottle. It doesn't remove makeup. It also doesn't leave my skin feeling dry and is easy to use and wash off. It's paraben and sulfate free! 

I love this cleanser and would definitely think about purchasing this one, but I'd have to weigh out whether the cost is worth it. 

The Clean Truth Foaming Cleanser's new look

Ole's Sheer Transformation Oil-Free Perfecting Creme, now called the Sheer Transformation Perfecting Moisturizer ($38 CAD for 50 ml) is designed for all skin types and probably their bestselling moisturizer. It's oil-free, contains vitamin C, licorice root and pea extract to improve dark spots and discolouration. 

This is another Ole product I've been using daily. I somehow seem to always go for this one when I see it on my counter. It just does so well under my makeup, it's so light on my skin and is easy to apply. I think I'd purchase this one over the cleanser, just seeing as I know it'll last longer in the end so it'd be better value for me.

The Sheer Transformation Perfecting Moisturizer's new look

The Ultimate Lift Eye Gel, now called the Uplifting Transformation Eye Gel ($52 CAD) smells soooo good, like cucumbers. It designed for evening use only, to tone, hydrate and reduce puffiness. It contains cucumber and algae extracts and bio-peptide. The instructions are to apply it all over the eye and lids, even up to the brow bone for full hydration. 

You can definitely feel the extremely hydrating properties when it touches your skin and a slight cooling because of the cucumber. This is probably one of the more fun eye creams to apply (heh) because it feels like liquid jelly! I do like to use it about once or twice a week. 

The Uplifting Transformation Eye Gel's new look

The Total Truth Eye Creme with SPF 15 (discontinued) seems to be discontinued for 2017. I guess I can understand why this one is being discontinued. I mean, I don't have anything hate for it, but it is a little thick, hard to spread under the eyes, and my makeup doesn't apply very well on top of it. 

I do prefer to use this one for night but I think it is targeted for daytime use because it has SPF 15 and smells like spf. I did like that it contained vitamin C, omega 3 extracts, micro algae and tri-peptide 5 (to hydrate and firm). 

The Clean Truth Cleansing Cloths, now called the Truth on the Glow Cleansing Cloths are $36... but for 100 which actually makes it a decent price (I think). The size pictured is the 30 wipes, but I can't seem to find this one for sale on Sephora's website right now... so unsure if they will still sell it in this size. 

I really enjoyed the cloths, they removed my makeup well and smelled good. They also contain vitamin C, CoQ10 (cause I'm sure all of us consumers know what that is... haha), and black currant oil to 'rejuvenate and hydrate'. 

The Truth on the Glow Cleansing Cloth's new look

Overall, Ole Henriksen is definitely now on my list of trusted skincare brands. I'd purchase the Sheer Transformation Moisturizer first out of anything, but would consider the other products as well (maybe during a Sephora sale, so don't have to dish out so much $$?). 

Ole Henriksen is available at Sephora stores and online.

These products were received for consideration. All opinions stated are my own and are never influenced by anyone.