Gold and Fudge Squares

This post is long overdue, but I guess better late than never. While in Japan in September last year, I made two Asian market eyeshadow purchases: Too Cool For School Glam Rock Urban Shadow in Golden Edge (#5) and Addiction by Ayako Fudge (017ME). The former is a Korean brand I'd never heard of before, but Golden Edge appeared to be the perfect neutral with faultless texture and pigmentation. I had to have it. In contrast, I'd already heard about Addiction, a highly regarded, hard-to-get Japanese makeup brand, and was eager to explore the product range in person. I'd read the eyeshadows were a bit hit or miss, but the consensus seemed to be that Fudge was a clear standout.

Too Cool For School Golden Edge (#5)

Too Cool For School in Golden Edge is a warm, slightly olive, antique medium gold. Built up, it becomes a darker bronze with a golden lustre. The greenish tinge was unexpected, and not in a good way. I'm not huge on greenish golds. They're not as abysmal as cool-toned, frosty taupes, but I prefer more coppery shades or true bronzy golds. I thought I'd found that in Golden Edge (I didn't detect any yellowy-green in the pan or when I first swatched it), but the khaki tinge is definitely there on the lids. I guess it gives Golden Edge a point of distinction, just not one I particularly care for.

l-r: Urban Decay Smog, Urban Decay Suspect, Essence Party All Night, Too Cool For School Golden Edge, Maybelline Gold Shimmer, NARS Kalahari (I)

I hoped Golden Edge would be a deeper version of NARS Kalahari (the left side of the eyeshadow duo, or the shade included in the And God Created the Woman palette), but the two aren't alike at all. Kalahari is pinker, slightly mauve in comparison, more brown, less olive and golden. Golden Edge is probably closest to Urban Decay Smog, but Smog is darker, more brown, less yellow gold. Maybelline Color Tattoo in Gold Shimmer is clearly more green but the undertone is very similar. Urban Decay Suspect is more of a sandy beige, while Essence Party All Night is greyer and cooler-toned.

Addiction Fudge (017ME)

With rave reviews by fellow bloggers, I was almost expecting Addiction Fudge to be my new favourite eyeshadow. It certainly swatched promisingly enough, but it suffers from the same problem as ColourPop Game Face. It's too dark and warm to be used all over the lid (it just looks messy and muddy), yet too metallic and not dark enough to effectively deepen the upper lash line and add definition. I like it best applied with a small brush like the Real Techniques Accent Brush (from the Starter Set) or Ecotools Petite Eye Shading Brush (from the Bamboo 6 Piece Eye Brush Set) to define and smoke out the lower lash line.

l-r: Face of Australia Bronze Sphinx, NARS Galapagos, Too Faced Cocoa Chili, Burberry Midnight Brown, Sleek Dust Storm, Addiction Fudge, Rimmel Bad Girl Bronze

While well formulated, Fudge isn't the most unique colour, especially to a bronze eyeshadow enthusiast like me. Surprisingly, I don't have an exact dupe, though the bronze shade from the Sleek i-Divine Eyeshadow Palette in Storm (which Google informs me is named Dust Storm) comes the closest. Of all the eyeshadows I pulled out to compare it with, Fudge is the most yellowy ochre in tone. Too Faced Cocoa Chili and NARS Galapagos are darker and more ash grey (the NARS a lot sheerer and lighter than the Too Faced, both have gold glitter). Burberry Midnight Brown is cooler-toned and more silvery. Face of Australia Budge Proof Eyeshadow in Bronze Sphinx, Sleek Dust Storm and Rimmel ScandalEyes Shadow Stick in Bad Girl Bronze are more chocolate brown, though the Rimmel is a lot darker and the Face of Australia is slightly reddish/purplish-tinged.

Fancy Tickled

As I mentioned in my March Favourites, I've been all about OPI polishes lately, especially their impeccable cremes. While I put Panda-Monium Pink as my most loved polish last month, Tickle My France-y was a very close second. I didn't think much of the colour at first, dismissing it as a boring nude that probably wouldn't suit my skin tone. I've gone through so many variations of the neutral nail, but they've either been difficult to work with (bad formula, too sheer) or not flattering (too light, too dark, too red, too grey, too beige, too "blah"). But Tickle My France-y proved to be one of those rare polishes that I didn't think too much of initially, but immediately loved once I put on my nails.

This is exactly the colour that I hoped OPI Dulce De Leche would be on me. I find Dulce De Leche to be a bit too dark and brownish red on my nails, though it's extremely flattering on darker skin tones. Tickle My France-y however, gets the balance right. It's not too light or dark, not too warm or cool. While described as a "gray-brown", I don't detect that much grey on my nails, but rather a rosey-mauve bent.

Tickle My France-y was released as part of La Collection de France for autumn/fall 2008. I actually recall this collection when it first came out, as I was obsessing over the shade You Don’t Know Jacques! (a shade I coveted because of Rumi Neely of Fashion Toast). I additionally purchased Parlez Vous OPI?, also from the collection, but never paid much attention to Tickle My France-y. It now seems that it's become one of OPI's classic colours (at least to warrant inclusion in The Iconic Four minis set).

I have similar colours to Tickle My France-y that could be classified in the "gray-brown" family (like Butter London Yummy Mummy and Revlon Gray Suede), but the OPI is my clear favourite. It's not as taupe or beige, but rather, more pink and minky, which adds a feminine, polished appeal.

Third Time Rosy

Like most beauty junkies, I was in danger of “Naked fatigue” from the continual releases from Urban Decay of their Naked eyeshadow palettes. When I first saw pictures and swatches of Naked3 online, I was a bit on the fence about whether the palette was for me. “Rose-hued neutrals” sounded off alarm bells in my mind about the difficulty of pulling off pink eyeshadows, and I’d largely dismissed the first half of the palette as shades I would hardly ever touch given they looked so light, and so pink. But you know how the story goes. With every new YouTube video I watched and blog post I encountered that featured Naked3, my initial lukewarm sentiments inevitably turned around. The fact the palette seemed perpetually out of stock on Look Fantastic and HQHair did little to dissuade me. Finally, one night in a moment of weakness, I made a order on BeautyBay, where I also previously purchased my original Naked and Naked2 palettes.

Before I get into the review, a little rant about BeautyBay. I noticed they deliberately hiked up the price of the Urban Decay Naked palettes to Australian customers by some $20. They also seemed to be selectively selling them to certain countries, as I would read messages on their Facebook from UK customers asking when Naked3 would come back in stock, but I’d check the website and Naked3 would be available to purchase for me, albeit at a whopping $82 or so. I checked my order history and in 2012, I bought the original Naked palette for $59.60 (which back then, included $9.90 shipping) and Naked2 for $58, but I paid around $82 for my Naked3. Granted, the Australian dollar has also fallen a bit since then, making foreign currencies more expensive, but it’s clear there’s been some deliberate, targeted price hike which I find dishonest and unjustified, especially since comparable sites like Look Fantastic and HQHair are selling Naked3 for the retail price of £37 or $69.

Moving on to my thoughts about the actual palette. I’ll begin by saying I love Naked3 much more than I thought I would, and even though I paid a premium for it, I’m thrilled to have it in my hands. Despite reservations about the shades in the first half of the palette, I actually use them more than I do the first half of Naked or Naked2. Yes, they’re generally very warm, pink, coppery, peachy shades, but I tend to focus them primarily on the first third of my eye or as an inner corner highlight. The more outright glittery shades like Dust, Buzz and Trick do have quite a bit of fallout (as well as Blackheart), but I usually overcome that problem by wetting my brush with one or two spritzes of Avene Thermal Spring Water first. Doing this also makes the eyeshadows much more vibrant and smooth to apply.

l-r: Strange, Dust, Burnout, Limit, Buzz, Trick

l-r: Nooner, Liar, Factory, Mugshot, Darkside, Blackheart

l-r (top row, then bottom row): Strange, Dust, Burnout, Limit,

Nooner, Liar, Factory, Mugshot

l-r (top row, then bottom row): Limit, Buzz, Trick,

Mugshot, Darkside, Blackheart

l-r (top row, then bottom row): Strange, Dust, Burnout, Limit, Buzz, Trick,

Nooner, Liar, Factory, Mugshot, Darkside, Blackheart

A surprising favourite in this palette has been the ultra sparkly, bronzy, coppery Trick. Liar is also beautiful as an all-over lid colour, and the mauve/taupe matte shades like Limit and Nooner are super versatile and something a bit different to your usual beiges and browns. I feel Urban Decay has done incredibly well with the overall shade selection in Naked3, especially in coming up with twelve, all new eyeshadows that form a very complete, coherent palette that still is sufficiently different to its two predecessors. The quality is as you would expect from Urban Decay, and while a couple of the shades were perhaps slightly lacking in pigmentation and drier in texture than in the original Naked and Naked2 palettes, there’s nothing to really complain about. I’ve been reaching for Naked3 almost non-stop since it arrived. Just when I thought I’d had enough, Urban Decay have done it again.

February Favourites

The speed that time seems to be flying at is utterly frightening at times, a not uncommon assessment when we come to the beginning of a new month. Summer is officially over, though the last few days have been prematurely dreary that it felt over much sooner. My skin’s improved from last month but it’s still far from ideal, so I've been focusing on using high quality skin care to keep it happy. I've rediscovered an old foundation love, developed a newfound appreciation for a French lip balm, relied on a near faultless eyeshadow duo, and enjoyed moisturised hands smelling of dessert.

Emma Hardie Amazing Face Moringa Cleansing Balm
I’d previously only used this as an occasional treat at night, and wasn't too thrilled with how it fared as a makeup remover. It also always managed to get into my eyes, blinding my vision. I was hardly using it, which seemed like a massive waste given it’s otherwise an expensive, luxurious product raved about by the likes of Caroline Hirons (who called it her “all-time favourite cleanser”). Then one day I woke up and thought to myself, “why not use it in the morning?” I promptly ditched my Antipodes Juliet Skin-Brightening Gel Cleanser for the Emma Hardie, and I haven’t looked back. As I’m only washing my bare (half awake) face, I don’t use as much of the balm since there’s no makeup to remove, but I still get to enjoy the incredible fragrance and how it leaves the skin feeling nourished and plump, rather than stripped and dry.

Antipodes Vanilla Pod Hydrating Day Cream
This has been my daytime moisturiser of choice this month, usually following washing my face with the Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm. First off, I absolutely love the jar packaging, which I think makes it that extra bit special and appealing. It has a beautiful texture that can take a little bit more work to fully absorb into the skin, but is very hydrating without feeling greasy and heavy. It works especially well as a base for my foundation. Where other moisturisers can reveal dry patches once I've applied my foundation, this one provides a smooth canvas and allows foundation to sink in and blend seamlessly into my skin.

NARS Sheer Glow in Fiji
Featured in my Best of 2012, I returned to Sheer Glow this month and I’m now convinced it’s the best foundation I've tried. The only thing is you really need to properly prep your skin for this foundation to achieve its full potential. Exfoliate, moisturise, slap on your favourite overnight mask, do whatever you have to do to achieve your best possible skin before applying this. Some of my best skin days in recent memory have been after cleansing with Emma Hardie, moisturising with Antipodes, then following up with NARS Sheer Glow. Radiant, airbrushed, plump skin perfection.

NUXE Rêve de Miel
I don’t think I really “got” this lip balm when I first purchased it, but I’m fully converted now. I don’t even reach for my Maybelline Baby Lips anymore (say what?) because it’s been all about this NUXE number at night. It’s the finishing step in my evening skin care routine and it’s been keeping my lips in excellent condition. Bonus points for smelling positively edible. A definite repurchase.

Laura Mercier Crème Brûlée Hand Crème
Speaking of edible products, this hand cream takes the cake. I was browsing David Jones the other day and came across the Laura Mercier counter, where I saw the Crème Brûlée Soufflé Body Crème and hand cream. Remembering Pam’s review, I tried both and it was instant love. I wasn't too sure about shelling out $65 for the body soufflé, so I settled for the hand cream instead, which I purchased from StrawberryNET. This cream absorbs quickly into the skin, leaving no greasy residue. It might not be the most amazing, hydrating hand cream formula I've encountered, but whatever it lacks in performance, it makes up for in scent. I just keep cupping my hands together, bringing them to my nose, and inhaling deeply. Instant sugar hit without the guilt or calories.

l-r: bareMinerals A-Ha, Foreshadow

bareMinerals READY Eyeshadow 2.0 in The Epiphany
This “brown sugar/ brown truffle” duo consists of the shades A-Ha and Foreshadow. Both are smooth, pigmented, with minimal fallout, though slightly drier than a more creamy, buttery formulation. I don’t know if I could have come up with a better eyeshadow duo that sums up my tastes so succinctly. While I love the shimmery A-Ha for all over the lid, the dark matte brown Foreshadow comes in handy to darken up any eyeshadow look for that extra definition in the outer corner.

Top 5 Low-End Eyeshadow Singles

While higher end or luxury brands like Urban Decay and Burberry are known for producing buttery, highly pigmented eyeshadows, the lower end of the market, or 'drugstore' offerings can leave much to be desired. More affordable brands can often produce eyeshadow duds, with unspectacular colour payoff, a dry, hard, powdery or chalky texture, weak lasting power, and often unimaginative, generic shades that lack complexity and interest. Here are my top five mono/single budget-friendly neutral eyeshadows that I count among the best in their field for everyday, all-over lid options. I would've also included L'Oréal Infallible eyeshadows but to be honest, there's not one shade of the many I have that I'm completely in love with (though Bronzed Taupe and Tender Caramel are the closest contenders).

l-r: Maybelline Iced Fudge, Essence Party All Night, Rimmel Smokey Quartz, Revlon Polished Bronze, Max Factor Burnt Bark

Maybelline EyeStudio Mono in Iced Fudge (720)
For the longest time, I stubbornly insisted on calling this eyeshadow Iced Fudged because that's the way it's labelled on the packaging. I should accept that's clearly just a typo, since it seems this eyeshadow has experienced something of a resurgence in recent weeks with quite a few mentions on blogs and no one has ever called it Iced Fudged. Moving along, Iced Fudge is the most copper of the bunch, with a red base and frost finish. I even detect a tinge of plumminess coming through. It's very shimmery and nicely pigmented, though sometimes I wish the silver sparkle factor could be toned down just a notch.

Essence Metallic Effect Mono Eyeshadow in Party All Night (35)
Already reviewed in detail here, Party All Night is the cheapest pick, coming in at a mere $2.85. It's a more dirty yellow colour with a slight ashy bent and silver and gold shimmer. It's not as pigmented as Iced Fudge, and the shimmer is more subdued and not as distinctly frosty. Still, I think it's a sophisticated, relatively understated shade (at least for my skin tone) and well worth checking out given its unbeatable value.

Rimmel Glam'Eyes Mono Eyeshadow in Smokey Quartz (030)
I took a chance on Smokey Quartz having been curious about it for a long time but always putting off purchasing it given the obscene number of similar neutral shades I own, and the gamble paid off in spades. Featured in my November 2013 Favourites, Smokey Quartz is like a cross in colour between Iced Fudge and Party All Night, but a bit more traditionally bronze-leaning. Applied to the lids, it has an almost light taupe base with a warmer, somewhat peachy shimmer on top. Unexpectedly complex and beautiful. The texture is soft and easily to blend, one of those eyeshadows you can apply to your lids with your fingers.

Revlon Luxurious Color Satin Eyeshadow in Polished Bronze (010)
Raved about all the way back in July 2012, Polished Bronze is probably my favourite of the lot, which is surprising given Revlon are very hit and miss with their eyeshadows and overall decidedly average. Polished Bronze is more warm brown and golden in tone than Party All Night. It isn't as frosty/shimmery compared with the other shades, with more of a low-key satin finish and buildable pigmentation. Texture is similar to Smokey Quartz, soft and blendable, only very slightly powdery (if we're nitpicking). The lasting power isn't anything outstanding, but it's a solid all-rounder and the colour is perfect for a failproof neutral wash over the lids.

Max Factor Earth Spirits Eyeshadow in Burnt Bark (107)
Admittedly, I was sucked into buying this eyeshadow after hearing it was a decent substitute for MAC Satin Taupe. It's a darker taupe shade, a purplish brown-grey threaded with silver. This one is a bit harder and drier in texture, but still fine to work with and decently pigmented. It's quite cool-toned and hazy, more suited for a daytime smoky eye or when you want a bit more definition.

Eye Drawing

I tend to go through major makeup phases: matte eyeshadows, cream blushes, deep berry lips, bronzer, and now my latest fad, eyeshadow crayons. It started innocently enough with the casual purchase of the KIKO Long Lasting Stick Eyeshadow in 06, then quickly escalated with several new acquisitions in a short period of time. I've long recognised the ease and efficiency of cream eyeshadows, but packaging them in a jumbo pencil has only elevated their convenience factor. If you're after quick + minimal effort, look no further.

The only downside to eye crayons is the need to constantly sharpen them, which is the price you pay for the product not being contained in a pot (like the Maybelline Color Tattoos, Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow/Liners, MAC Paint Pots or Face of Australia Budge Proof Eyeshadows) or squeezable tube (BECCA Eye Tints). The only one of the 5 eyeshadow crayons I have that comes in a twist-up mechanism reminiscent of the Laura Mercier Caviar Sticks is the KIKO. The others require sharpening whenever the tip starts to become blunt, which I find wasteful as quite a bit of product is discarded with the shavings.

l-r: KIKO 06, Max Factor Caramel Rage, Rimmel Bad Girl Bronze, Models Prefer Down to Earth, Models Prefer Oh Fudge!

In direct sunlight

My pick of the bunch is the KIKO Long Lasting Stick Eyeshadow in 06 and not just because it's the one that never requires sharpening. It excels every other way: from the bronzy, slightly old gold shade, to the vibrant metallic finish, to the lasting power, to the ease of application and blending, to its versatility as both an all-over lid colour and to add definition to the lower lash line. What I love about all these pencils, especially the darker shades, is that a single product can double up as both eyeshadow and eyeliner to create a whole look sans mascara (and possibly a flick of black eyeliner on the upper lash line if so inclined). And no brushes required — just draw onto your lid straight from the stick and blend the edges out with your fingers.

The Max Factor Wild Shadow Pencil 2-in-1 Gel Shadow + Liner in Caramel Rage (05) has a bit of a harder texture to the KIKO and isn't as pigmented or metallic. It doesn't glide on as smoothly or have as rich colour payoff. I also don't love the colour alone on my lids — I find it comes off as overly cool, greyish/muddy and dull, so I liven it up with a warm, coppery/peachy shade on top, usually Max Factor Wild Shadow Pot in Auburn Envy (35) which otherwise would be too orange by itself.

Rimmel ScandalEyes Shadow Stick in Bad Girl Bronze is basically a fatter version of the multitude of bronze eyeliners I use mainly to define my lower lash line. It's also fairly close to Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow/Liner in Busy Signal, except not as dark and in stick form. For those reasons, it's a completely superfluous purchase (what isn't at this stage), but when I needed to touch up my makeup for the office Christmas party after work, popping this pencil into my makeup bag made it possible to apply eyeshadow using only my fingers on a moving, peak hour train. Somehow I don't see that happening with a pot.

The two Models Prefer Infinite Colour Shadow Pencils in Down to Earth (greyed lilac with silver shimmer and bronze base) and Oh Fudge! (dark, muddy brown with frost finish) were recent purchases made during Priceline's 40% off cosmetics sale. I was unexpectedly impressed at how glide-on smooth and richly pigmented these swatched in the store. They're on the more emollient side, almost too soft and probably a disaster on oily lids. Mine are on the dry side, and even then, I experienced some patchiness with Oh Fudge!, purely because I'd applied a touch too much and the product hadn't had time to set properly. Still, Down to Earth is a pleasingly complex and relatively unique shade for the "drugstore", and pairs well with the deeper Oh Fudge! for a fuss-free, lazy weekend option.

November Favourites

November found me surprisingly enjoying quite a few products. I experienced something of a renaissance in my interest in eyeshadows (not that I ever lost it, just I could never be bothered), sparked by finally getting off my ass and washing my eye brushes en masse. Clean brushes suddenly opened up a new world of aiming to wear a different eyeshadow each day, rather than resorting to my automatic, lazy, go-to picks (Maybelline Bad to the Bronze, I'm looking at you). I also made a conscious effort to use up some of my existing products, particularly skin care. Adhering to a regular routine saw my skin reaping the benefits, and I've enjoyed a relatively blemish-free complexion this month (knock on wood).

Antipodes Organic Lime Leaf & Cocoa Butter Lip Balm
This free inclusion in the Daily Moisturise Kit I bought in January seemed like an afterthought, but when I misplaced my Maybelline Baby Lips in Relieving Menthol and couldn't be bothered to retrieve it, I decided then was the best time to crack open my untouched Antipodes lip balm. I didn't have any expectations of it, but found myself pleasantly surprised. While I rarely use up any lipsticks or lip glosses, I regularly finish lip balms, and this one is no exception. I've been consistently reaching for it this month, especially before bed, and sadly it's almost empty. I'm a fan of the fresh, lemony scent and how the somewhat dry, hard texture just melts when in contact with the lips, providing welcome hydration and nourishment.

MOR Tonka Bean Musk Body Butter
I've always considered body moisturisation to be a bit of a chore, but it's certainly made more tolerable depending on the product used. Enter this perfumed body butter from MOR. I pounced on the opportunity to pick this up from David Jones earlier in the year when it was on sale for $10 (down from $29.95) after loving my first experience with a MOR body butter (won from Sue's giveaway), Hibiscus Bloom. Tonka Bean Musk smells unlike anything I've tried and it's kind of addictive. It's powdery and floral but I also detect a little cocoa, vanilla and musk. It has a warmth, spiciness and creaminess. The official notes are bergamot, jasmine, lily of the valley, tonka bean and musk. The body butter is thick, rich and very moisturising, though it doesn't sink completely into the skin the way my Grown Mandarin and Rosemary Leaf Body Cream does.

Prestige My Blackest Lashes Intense Black Volume Mascara in Blackest Black (MLB-01)
This mascara has been the only one I've used this month after chucking out my CoverGirl LashBlast Volume and mini Benefit They're Real. At first, I found it to be too wet and a little smudgy, but I persevered and it dried up to become more manageable. It tends to smear on my lower lashes (which I prefer coating with Max Factor Masterpiece Max), but the fattish, many-bristled wand of the Prestige encourages what volume and length can be coaxed out of my measly upper lashes, while avoiding clumps.

Rimmel Glam'Eyes Mono Eyeshadow in Smokey Quartz (030)
Though this month involved two very luxe eyeshadow purchases, I was most satisfied with this affordable neutral option from Rimmel which I picked up during Priceline's second 40% off all cosmetics sale this year. I've debated whether to purchase Smokey Quartz for a while now given how utterly superfluous it seems (because, you know, I'm severely lacking any eyeshadows like it). But once I tried it on my lids, my questionable decision to buy it was vindicated. This is nice. Freakin' nice. It's the exact kind of purply, taupeish, browny satin shade I go for, laced with a silvery shimmer that's relatively fine and not overly metallic. Not too warm, not too cool. Mid-tone, making it an ideal all-over lid colour for the daytime, though you could definitely smoke it up for a more evening flavour. I had no issues with pigmentation or fallout and found the texture to be smooth and soft, if a touch powdery and crumbly, but nothing major.

Sarah Jessica Parker Lovely perfume
A perfume rediscovery this month which I thoroughly enjoyed spritzing on myself in the mornings before work. Celebrity fragrances can get a bad rap but this first effort from Sarah Jessica Parker has been reviewed well by critics. It's not hard to see why. Lovely is frequently described as a lighter, more polite version of Narciso Rodriguez For Her and the comparison is apt. I have both and I definitely prefer Lovely for the daytime as it's not as pungent and strong as For Her, which is more potent and sharp. I particularly like Lovely for more chilly, overcast weather as I find that's when the fragrance really shines on the skin. This is an elegant, quiet, clean and enveloping scent that's more refined and grown up than your usual candied, tropical juice "fruity-floral". Lasting power is better than average as well.

Pixi Glow Tonic Beauty Elixir
It's a little incredible to me I managed to pack this in my luggage from London after trekking around Europe for 3 weeks (there was some leakage on the surrounding tissue paper it was wrapped in, but nothing disastrous). The effort was well worth it. I have to say I wasn't brimming with enthusiasm the first few sporadic occasions I used it, but I discovered this is an exfoliating toner that shows results with regular, continued use over a prolonged period of time. Don't expect an overnight transformation as you might with something much stronger, like Alpha-H Liquid Gold. Using 3 pumps of Glow Tonic on a cotton puff all over my face after cleansing in the shower removes all last traces of makeup, and balances and softly polishes my skin without stripping or drying it. It preps the skin perfectly for moisturisers and serums that follow.

Omorovicza Queen of Hungary Mist
I had lukewarm feelings about this when I first purchased it, but after using it consistently at night after my Pixi Glow Tonic, I've officially come around. Yes, this is pricey stuff, but I can't help but love having and using it. The packaging is to die for and the orange blossom, spa-like scent is mild and refreshing. I spritz 3 pumps into my hand and press my palms onto my face after toning with Glow Tonic. The two together make my skin appear plump and hydrated, scrubbed and radiant, even before creams. My skin's texture looks to have improved — it's clearer, smoother and the spots have been kept at bay despite appalling, pimple-triggering lifestyle habits. Foundation seems to sit better on my skin as well, with less dry patches and cakiness.