Review: The Body Shop Black Musk EDT

Last month I purchased a new fragrance from The Body Shop; a bottle of Black Musk Eau De Toilette. As you may have seen in my Weekend In Pictures post I had a 20% off voucher and picked up a few other bits as well. I briefly talked about what I purchased in that post but this fragrance is definitely my favourite of the bunch. When I popped in store to spend my voucher, I didn’t know The Body Shop had come out with a Black Musk range and I certainly had no idea I would purchase a fragrance that day. Curiosity got the better of me and before I knew it I was reaching for the nearest bottle! It was love at first whiff!

Packaging

The first thing that alerted me to the Black Musk stand in store was the simple and understated black and magenta packaging. This may not look like it contains a lot of fragrance but the bottle contains 30ml which is a standard amount. I actually like the size of the bottle because it’s not big and bulky and is small enough that it could easily be popped in your handbag for touch ups throughout the day or if you’re on the go. The black bottle is a point of difference, normally I’m used to seeing brightly coloured bottles or clear bottles with embellished lids. The lid that comes with this fragrance is nice and secure so I know it won’t slip off unlike some of my other perfumes.

Claims*

• Our deepest, dark blend of musks
• Contains cruelty-free musk
• Scintillating, oriental perfume
• Long lasting fragrance

*As stated on The Body Shop’s website.

Scent

Funnily enough, the main thing that lured me into buying this fragrance was the scent. I enjoy musk scents and find them to be sensual and sexy and a bit more grown up. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with playful or fruity scents but sometimes it’s nice to feel more sophisticated. The Body Shop describes Black Musk as a dark and desirable fragrance which will have you seduced whilst allowing you to play up to your fierce inner and ever so sweet outer!

“Captivating, feminine notes of bambinella pear, intensified by pink pepper and bergamot. Embraced by heliotrope with an aphrodisiac lilt of luscious liquorice. Further deepened by black vanilla and black musk accords. Don’t be afraid to be naughty AND nice!” – The Body Shop.

Price/Value For Money

A 30ml bottle of this fragrance costs $43.75 (NZD). With the 20% off voucher, I paid $35 (NZD). That’s roughly $1 per ml which is not bad at all. The Body Shop also have a 50ml bottle of Eau De Parfum in the range which retails for $73.95 (NZD) but when I sprayed both the toilette and the parfum side by side I don’t notice much difference. I also figured if I get another voucher of similar value or there’s a sale in the future I can buy another bottle of the toilette and I would end up with more fragrance for less money than if I purchased one bottle of the parfum.

Overall Verdict

I would highly recommend testing this fragrance next time you’re in a Body Shop store! I would also encourage you to pick it up because I don’t know if Black Musk is a permanent range or if it’s only out for a limited time.

Are you a fan of musk fragrances? Does this sound like something you’d purchase?

P.S. Have you entered my GIVEAWAY? CLICK HERE for info!

Rimmel Match Perfection Old vs. New

Don’t you just hate it when a makeup brand goes and reformulates one of your favourite products… especially when it’s a foundation? For the past year I have been singing the praises of Rimmel’s Match Perfection Foundation in the shade 081 Fair Ivory. I wholeheartedly believe the colour match could not be more spot on and understandably I was apprehensive when I heard Rimmel were changing the formula. Does the new formula live up to the old or is this a case of if it ain’t broke don’t fix it? Read on to find out.

Packaging

The packaging is very similar with a few minor changes. The lid has a textured dot pattern and the sticker on the front now includes the same pattern as well as the colour pink in the logo. The pump mechanism has changed slightly too. The pump feels more sturdy and less likely to wear out over time. It has a groove for your finger and is more squared off and structured than the old one. Overall, the foundation is still nicely presented and the claims and shade are clearly stated on the front.

Claims

Old

• Rimmel’s Match Perfection foundation is a luxurious, smooth and creamy formula that glides smoothly onto skin, feeling lightweight and bringing a flawless radiance to skin.
• Match Perfection incorporates Smart-Tone technology, that adapts to and mimics the tone, colour and texture of your skin for a perfect match, every time.
• SPF 18.

New

• Invisible, mistake-proof foundation for visibly perfected & healthier looking skin.
• Weightless, smooth texture blends with skin’s real tone instead of masking it.
• 24HR moisture complex leaves skin feeling hydrated.
• Soft-focus powers help reduce imperfections, pores & dark circles.
• SPF 20.

Shades

In the old range of Match Perfection I use shade 081 Fair Ivory which was the second lightest in the range. Since the reformulation, there are now only eight shades in the range and Fair Ivory is not one of them meaning I had to purchase 010 Light Porcelain and I now wear the lightest shade in the range. Once applied to my face the shades look almost identical which is good. Light Porcelain is more pink-toned and Fair Ivory is more yellow-toned which makes me think my skin’s undertone leans towards neutral as I can pull off both shades.

Swatches:

Left: Light Porcelain, Right: Fair Ivory.

Light Porcelain looks a lot more visible as I pumped out more by mistake.

Consistency

This foundation is designed to provide light-medium coverage and personally I love this foundation for day to day wear. I use one pump and dot the foundation over my face before going in with an additional half pump and dotting it on any redness to provide that extra bit of coverage. The texture of the old Match Perfection is a lot runnier than the new one and also slightly sheerer than the new one too. I haven’t found the consistency to affect how this blends except that the thicker consistency might take the tiniest bit longer to blend. I actually like the new consistency as I don’t have to worry about the foundation running off the back of my hand.

Dewiness

One thing I instantly noticed about the new formula is that it doesn’t seem to look as dewy as the old. For me, that’s not a dealbreaker but the old gives that highlighted, glow from within look. The new formula looks slightly more matte but you can still achieve that glowy look with a good highlighter. I found sometimes with the old formula there could be too much dewiness, it looked like the foundation was still wet and hadn’t absorbed into my skin properly.

Pore Blurring Technology

One of the biggest changes claim-wise about Match Perfection is that the new formula aims to blur pores and make them less visible. I don’t know if I was just having good skin days the handful of times I’ve worn this foundation so far but I did notice a difference. The foundation made my skin look even and didn’t accentuate any acne or problem areas.

To truly put this foundation to the test I applied the old Match Perfection foundation to one side of my face and the new Match Perfection to the other.

  Left – old, right – new.

Because I truly believe this is the best foundation for my skin tone colour-wise I’ve included an image of me completely bare faced next to the image of me wearing just foundation.

Match Perfection adds the loveliest hint of colour to my face and makes it look that much healthier! Until I find a foundation that performs similar or better than this, I will continue to repurchase.

Conclusion

Part of the reason it took me so long to pick up a bottle of the reformulated version was because I had convinced myself the new formula would be nowhere near as good as the old. I am glad to say I was pleasantly surprised by how much I like the new formula and I shouldn’t have been worried at all. The shade is the only thing that has changed but I can still pull off the lighter colour and it actually looks almost identical once on my skin. At the moment I can’t say whether or not I like the new foundation better as I haven’t used it enough but it has made a good first impression. Rimmel, you’re still my perfect match!

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Have you tried Rimmel’s Match Perfection, old or new? What do you think?

Review: MAC Patisserie Lipstick

Hey everyone, happy Monday! This week on the blog it’s review week and I’m kicking off with a review of my second MAC lipstick; Patisserie. I purchased this lipstick about a month ago and it is incredibly beautiful. I’ve included a swatch as well as an image of me wearing Patisserie so you can see how it looks on.

Packaging

When I reviewed Syrup I talked about how much I adore the packaging. I love the simple black box with the lipstick shade on the top and I love how the shade and finish is on the bottom of the actual bullet itself. The lipsticks are lightweight and although the casing is made of plastic it doesn’t feel cheap.

Claims

MAC describes Patisserie as a ‘Sheer creamy neutral pink’ and for the most part I think that description is accurate. Everyone’s perception of colour can be slightly different and lipsticks can change colour once on the lips anyway. To me this lipstick is a mixture of pink, brown, and a peachy terracotta. It is unlike any colour I own and isn’t one I would normally go for but I’m a fan.

Finish

Patisserie is a lustre lipstick meaning it has a semi-gloss finish. Lustre lipsticks are moisturising like a lipgloss and have pigment (albeit not as much as a matte) so they can be worn more sheer or built up. Both of my MAC lipsticks have a lustre finish, they’re so easy to wear and I really like them. I can’t comment too much on wear time as my lips hold pigment well no matter which lipstick I’m wearing. I would only really need to reapply after a meal or if I had a busy day planned.

Scent

Everyone who’s a fan of MAC lipsticks knows all about their gorgeous vanilla scent. Vanilla is one of my favourite scents anyway and to have lipsticks that smell like it is heavenly. I can still smell the lipstick after I’ve applied it but if you’re not a fan of the scent, don’t worry because it doesn’t linger for very long.

Application

Because Patisserie is a lustre finish it means the lipstick glides over the lips and is super easy to apply. I like to wear my lipstick more built up so I normally apply two or three thin, even coats. My natural lip colour is quite pale and I find this lipstick adds a beautiful hint of colour to the lips and goes on pretty much as it is in the bullet. The bullet contains little flecks of gold glitter which helps to add a nice subtle shiny look to the lips. The glitter is barely noticeable once the lipstick is on but looks so pretty.

Pros

+ Neutral, everyday shade that would suit a range of skin tones.

+ Great everyday colour for work.

+ Glides on for easy wear and application.

+ Pigmentation – good colour payoff with just one swipe.

Cons

– There is one very small con. The flecks of glitter make the bullet look slightly grainy but it doesn’t affect application at all.

Overall Verdict

Although pinks are my favourite lipsticks to wear and MAC describes this shade as pink I think it fits more into the neutral category. I was initially worried this shade would be too pale for my skin and make it look like I had foundation lips which is not the case at all! Patisserie adds a nice warmth to my face and complexion and I love wearing this lipstick!

Patisserie in action!

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Let me know your thoughts on Patisserie and if there are any MAC shades you think I should check out!