REVIEW: Chi Chi Peony EDP...

Here's one for all you lovers of romantic florals - Chi Chi Peony. Yeah sure it has some fruit notes (mandarin, lime and berries), but they're cleverly hidden in a support role only. This is an interesting one that morphs - starts out quite old-fashioned (and with a bang!), but the traditional charm soon gives way to a fresh flower-fest thanks to the kick of jasmine. Not a long laster at all though - maximum 3 hours, but what's left on my skin is a delight, and what I cherish the most...

If I've ever smelt a real peony, sadly I don't remember it, so I can't vouch for the authenticity of this scent - with a bit of luck though, someone who is familiar with this pretty flower can chime in. But regardless of whether it does in fact smell like peonies or not, I'm not so keen on they way it starts. Initially it's too heavy on the jasmine for my liking - jasmine is a scent that I can't get enough of when the blooms are in the wild, but put it into a beauty product, and it always seems a bit too heady and overpowering for my particular "scentsitivities"...

All the same, after about an hour, this perfume fades into a gentle little floral treasure, and becomes prettier and prettier as the minutes tick by. I won't be purchasing a full-size bottle of Peony at this stage, but if I could somehow skip that potent first hour, I'd seriously consider it ♥

Take care of  you,

kats xxx

EOTD: MUA Poptastic Pink and Purple...

Another look from the MUA Poptastic Palette - I actually had two goes at this, as you'll see below. The first attempt wasn't all that successful - I used a purply-pink Nabi crayon as a base, which in hindsight was probably way past its use-by date (now safely tucked away in bin-land)... 

So I repeated the same colour combo the next day using my beloved essence white kajal, with far more satisfactory results. The pink and the purple in this palette really do complement each other beautifully, so I'm glad I had another shot at it ♥

For comparison, the pic on the right is what I created the day before using the darker "dud" base - you can see how patchy and uneven the shadows are. Mind you I also spent less time (and mascara) on my lashes, and can really notice the difference that extra coat or two makes (note to self: take your time girl!)...

I added a little bit of Orbit (purple) from the SleekV2 matte palette in the crease, and the white kajal on the waterline...

I'm itching to try this same purple with either of the shimmery golds, and the tealy green with the deep pink. Sadly my holidays are over, and the ONLY good thing about going back to work this week is that I'll have a sure-bet five days to try out all the different combos lol...

Take care of you,

kats xxx

REVIEW: DKNY Be Delicious Eau So Intense...

You probably have gathered by now that a blend of fruit and flowers is my favourite fragrance combo for the warmer seasons. I'm not necessarily all that enamoured with the citrus fruit ones, but apple, stone or tropical fruit scents are what send my senses into heavenly overdrive. So with a mega hit of juicy green apples, grapefruit and magnolia, and a supporting base of sandalwood and white amber, is it any wonder that I fell completely in love with DKNY Be Delicious Intense - ahhh my darling girl, you SO hit my perfume mark with your tantalising mix of apple and white flower sweetness, with a tinge of tart...

Add to that the fact you're the summeriest green hue and you're encased in a super cute bottle, although I must say it's somewhat of a challenge to decant you into something more handbag friendly, and to take your photo without capturing my messy office in your mirrored lid. But I'll forgive you those niggly little details because you make me so very happy that I just want to kick off my shoes and dance ♥

This perfume is one of the cleanest, crispest fragrance I've ever come across, and I can't imagine any of my future Summers without it. I was first entranced by the original version at the beautyheaven "Degustation" event in June last year - I was so taken with it's fruity freshness that I noted down the name, and then nabbed a sample of the Skin variety from myperfumesamples.com. Well I was a goner, and loving potent, long-lasting perfumes as I do, I just had to get my hands on the Eau So Intense version from Feeling Sexy...

I believe the apple content is stronger in this EDP, although the magnolia isn't at all intimidated by the power of the fruit component, in fact I think they make a totally loved-up couple. My nose can detect a hint of rose and violet also, but I can't seem to find a reliable source of info on the ingredients to confirm whether that's the case. It lasts so well on my skin - I  normally spritz around 5:30am, and although I can still smell little wafts of the fruit and flowers five or six hours later, I'm champing at the bit for a freshen up at lunchtime. It's really a beautifully blended perfume - apart from the first invigorating burst, there's very little difference between the initial spray and the dry down several hours later...

My first ever DKNY fragrance, and what a fabulous introduction, although I think this will be a pretty hard act to follow - just gorgeous, just delicious!

Take care of you,

kats xxx

REVIEW: Ego QV Face Moisturising Day Cream...

After winning the whole "face" set six weeks ago, I'm delighted to say that this marvelous moisturiser has been nourishing and protecting my face, neck and decolletage for the last month, and for my ageing combination skin, it's a keeper ♥ Apart from the bonus SPF 30, what I love about it the most is that it's so amazingly light and non-greasy, yet the formula is potent and hydrating...

Always ALWAYS the problem I have with day moisturisers (and especially those containing sunscreens) is that they invariably either clog my pores, or turn my already oily T-zone into an out of control greasefest. Believe me I've tried a whole bunch of them, from $10 supermarket versions all the way up to exxy $200+ products (including La Prairie - whoa!), and never stick with any of them because of the aforesaid issues...

To be honest I was beginning to despair - I figured if I still had problems with even the best-of-the-best, there was little hope of finding something that would work well for me on a regular basis. But of course I hadn't gotten around to trying Ego QV Face Moisturising Day Cream. I'm loving the fact that I only need a small squeeze to thoroughly hydrate my drier bits, my pores are staying clear, and I'm only patting on an oil-absorbing powder once or twice in a day instead of every hour. Also my facial freckles normally darken with a vengeance every Summer, but they haven't become any more pronounced than they were during the cooler seasons, so the sunscreen is working a treat...

Actually more like a milk than a cream, you'll need only the gentlest squeeze pressure when dispensing from the screw top tube. It absorbs so quickly that I can apply my foundation within a few minutes, and it's a pleasure to feel how soft and smooth my skin is under my fingertips. After using it for almost five weeks, the tube doesn't feel any lighter than when I started, so I'll hazard a guess that it will last up to four or five months - at around $16, I'm as happy as a clam ♥

Take care of you,

kats xxx