Clinique: Even Better Dark Spot Corrector

I'm sure you've all seen this on TV and magazine advertisements and desperately wanted to try it? It's a serum that promises a dramatic fade in red marks, scars and uneven skintone in 12 weeks. Sounds perfect! So off I went to the Clinique counter at Myer. I asked the salesperson about a million questions, as I do and she assured me that it worked and that it wouldn't break me out. At $92 it was a little out of my price range, but I bought it anyway because hey, I'll pay anything for perfect skin.

I was very excited to use it and see results, I applied it on cleansed skin morning and night as directed. You only need a small amount as it's a serum and a little goes a long way.


One day after I started using it I noticed I was breaking out, but didn't think much of it. As the days went on however, I continued to break out and my skin was the worst it's ever been. I stopped using the serum straight away and my skin went back to normal. I saw no improvements at all.

A few weeks later, I tried it out again, hoping that the $92 serum would actually work. Sadly, it again made me break out.

I wish I could give a more positive review forr this product, but the truth is for it's price, it really does nothing. I saw no improvements in the time that I used it and in fact, it made my skin worse. I suggest you use apple cider vinegar or a moisturiser with alpha/beta hydroxy in it if you want to improve your skin tone, it works better and is a whole lot cheaper!

Would I buy it again? No chance!
Would I recommend it? No
Should you buy it? Don't waste your money, there are better products out there

Maybelline Volum’ Express The Falsies Mascara

I bought this mascara from Priceline for around $20, I can't remember exactly how much it was. I was really excited because it promised to make me look like I had false eyelahes on so long, thick, full lashes. Sounds good.

When I was applying it, the wand seemed like it had way too much mascara on it and the mascara itself was very thick. I had to be very careful when I was applying it because it made my lashes clumpy. If there was less mascara on the wand it would have been better.

Despite the clumpiness however, it did make my lashes very long and thick. My natural lashes are short and not very thick so I was quite happy with how long they were after using this mascara. It stays on all day which is also a plus.


Overall, I think that this mascara is best for using if you're going out at night, during the day in natural light it looks way too clumpy. Don't get me wrong though, it's great for wearing at night because it seems dramatic and it doesn't appear clumpy when it's dark.

Would I buy it again? No
Would I recommend it? For wearing at night, yes
Should you buy it? No, it's far too clumpy, there are other Maybelline mascaras that work better

Pearl Drops Instant White Brush-On Teeth Veneer

I'm obsessed with having white teeth and if any of you have had good experiences with teeth whitening, hit me up because I'm all ears. Anywho, I bought it from Coles for $20 and the packaging made it look very pricey and I've heard pearl drops is a good brand.

So, off I went excited to try it out. I was going on a holiday and applied it in the morning before I went to the airport, the instructions say to dry teeth before applying a thin layer which is exactly what I did. My teeth looked AMAZING. perfectly white.

I needed to use the bathroom at the airport and while checking myself out in the mirror, I smiled and noticed that because I'd eaten breakfast, half of it had stayed on and half didn't. I was mortified. My teeth looked horrible; my usual teeth colour with blotches of pearly white, it wasn't pretty to say the least. I don't know how the makers expect you to get through the day without eating but I love my food so using this was a problem. I don't exactly have the time to go and re-paint my teeth after every meal.

However, I still use it once in a while, especially when I go out at night and know I won't be eating and if it's dark, people won't notice if it's a little patchy. It's great if you want white teeth FAST, but make sure not to eat. haha

Would I buy it again? most likely, no
Would I recommend it? Yes, but I'd also warn people about it being blotchy
Should you buy it? yes, like I said, it goes patchy but it's great if you want super white teeth in 30 seconds

Matrix Sleek Look Shampoo and Conditioner Duo

I bought these from Hairhouse Warehouse and at the time, they were on special for $29.95 for the shampoo and conditioner, a bargain. The bottles were 250ml each and lasted me around a month. To begin with, I was amazed at how soft and silky my hair was and it smelled just like salon shampoo and conditioner.

The thing is though, after a few weeks, the build-up on my hair was ridiculous. Because it's designed to makee hair look 'sleek', it put some sort of a coating on my hair which made it look greasy after a few weeks. After a few washes with a different shampoo my hair was back to normal but no longer silky and shiny. I bought it again once after that but stopped using it because I was sick of it looking greasy a few weeks in.

I had blonde hair at the time with lots of highlights and my hair often looked greasy because of the colour so I had to be careful with what I used. I want to try it again soon as I have dark brown hair now. So my advice is if your hair is prone to looking greasy, STAY AWAY. But try it because it will make your hair look and feel fabulous, at least for a few weeks anyway.

Would I buy it again? Probably, not to use all the time though
Would I recommend it? yes, to people with very dry hair
Should you buy it? yes, give it a go, it's not extremely expensive and will make your hair lovely so what do you have to lose?

Nude by Nature Nude Complexion Perfection Starter Kit (Medium)

You've all seen Nude By Nature advertised on TV and of course, I'm the sucker who couldn't resist trying it. I bought it from a local chemist in my area for $59.95, the pack consisted of a small tub of Natural Mineral Cover, Natural Mineral Veil and Natural Mineral Bronzer. The tubs consist of 4 grams of powder, not much but plenty for you to try and test it. The kit should last you around 1-2 months if used everyday. It also comes with a kabuki brush, an Undercover Airbrush Primer and an Organic Mineral Eyeliner. When I bought this, I really wanted it to work and thought it would since the TV adverts make it look like the miracle make-up.

First, I applied a thin layer of Mineral Primer to my face and then applied the Mineral Cover all over, followed by the Mineral Bronzer on my cheeks and then the Mineral veil all over my face to set and seal everything. I then used the Mineral Eyeliner followed by my own mascara. It looked great, it gave me lots of coverage and I really did look like I had hardly any make-up on, my only concern is that it was too dark, they only have 3 colours to choose from which makes it hard.

I then left for the day to go out only to look in the mirror 2 hours later and discover that my face had gone blotchy and yuck. I had to try and fix it. The bronzer had stayed on my cheeks but the rest had smudged off and the overall consistency was cakey. It looked like a really cheap, nasty make-up. That was where my love for this make-up ended.

Since then, I've wanted to love it, I've tried it again on several seperate occassions and seen the same thing; after an hour or 2, it's starting to come off and go cakey, not what I look for in a foundation. In saying that, the kabuki brush is great, I still use it everyday with my own blush and I love the brown eyeliner as well. As for the foundation, bronzer, veil and primer, well, they've been sitting in my cupboard for months.

Would I buy it again? Not a chance
Would I recommend it? Nope, I've convinced people NOT to buy it
Should you buy it? Don't bother, there is better make-up out there

M.A.C cosmetics: Studio Fix Fluid SPF 15

The first time I tried this foundation I was very, very picky and it took me months to actually go in and buy it. For years, I tried Loreal, Maybelline, Rimmel, Revlon and all the other brands that Priceline has. I liked them and although they never completely matched my skintone, I was satisfied and hey, $30 foundation was fine with my wallet!

One day I was in the city with a friend and we went into Myer, in one of them just-got-paid moods, ready to give my bank card it's weekly workout. So, I went to the salesperson and asked him to match a colour to my skintone. There was about 30 different shades and he matched one perfectly to my skin, very different from my usual Priceline splurge that left my face orange and neck white. I bought the shade NC20. I paid $49.

That was a year ago and to this day I've stuck to the same foundation, although it's pricey, a bottle lasts a while because I don't have to use as much. It stays on all day so I no longer have to continually retouch my make-up and it looks so much more natural than other foundations I've used. I use a brush to apply it and the coverage is excellent I've had many compliments on my skin since I've started using it. My advice though, go to a MAC store and get the colour matched, they are pros they really know what they're talking about and they'll give you advice for applying it.

Would I buy it again? I have many times and I will many more, so a definate yes
Would I recommend it? yes, I've already recommended it to lots of people
Should you buy it? yes, best $50 you'll ever spend

Maybelline The Colossal Volum Express Mascara

Lately, a few of my friends have had the longest, most gorgeous looking eyelashes and when I asked what mascara they used, they replied with 'Maybelline, The Colossal.' Now, I'd already used this a while ago and it was okay but didn't impress me completely so I thought I'd give it another go.
The product itself is in a bright yellow tube with big purple writing, a little different from the usual black ones and the wand is a very thick, bristled one. When applying it, I felt that it was way too thick and I had to wipe excess mascara on the lip of the tube, even then there was too much on the wand. This mascara can look great but takes lots of time and effort to apply as it goes clumpy very quickly.

Although I've tried better mascara, I think this one really depends on you. It looked amazing on my friends but didn't flatter me at all. Maybe I shouldn't have wiped the excess mascara off the wand? Who knows.

Would I buy it again? Probably not.
Would I recommend it? Most likely, but there's others that I'd recommend before this.
Should you buy it? Yes, give it a go. It might look great on you.