Beauty Review: Nivea Visage q10 Plus Light Day Cream

Beauty Review: Nivea Visage q10 Plus Light Day Cream

I have been a loyal follower of Oil of Olay for many years. In fact, it the very first moisturizer that I ever used, all the way back when I was slip of a girl! But lately, I have been wanting to graduate to moisturizers new; especially since I had read that Oil of Olay tests their products on animals. Whether this is true or not, I know I would have a clearer conscience if I used a beauty product that was kinder to our furry friends.

As fate would have it, I was kindly offered a sample of Nivea Visage anti wrinkle q10 plus to try out and review. Since it’s been listed as cruelty free on many animal welfare sites, I jumped at the chance to try it out.

I was also rather curious to know what exactly q10 was. Recently I have been hearing this word being bandied about by various beauty experts, not to mention my own mother. Yet I still had no idea what it was!

Well today I can tell you what it is. Prepare yourself because here comes the science part. Ahem, Q10 is a co-enzyme, a natural active ingredient that we have in the skin. As we get older, our own levels of q10 decrease. Therefore the theory is that the use of a q10 product will reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines.

So I have now been using NIVEA VISAGE Anti-Wrinkle Q10 Plus Light Day Cream for about a week now. I can’t really comment on the reduction of wrinkles and fine lines yet since it states on the packaging that it will take four weeks to really see the difference. (Plus I don’t think I have to worry about wrinkles just yet. I am either in denial or just being positive, please let me be!).

What I really like is the neat ceramic pot it comes in. If you squint your eyes, it is reminiscent of the luxurious crème de la mer. Now for the product itself, I like how light it is and how quickly it absorbs into my combination skin. I think it is really is a case of a little goes a long way. Just a few dabs will do to feel moisturised enough.

Another bonus is that it is light enough to use under the eyes! I have to say that is one area that I always neglect. It has been said by many a beauty expert, that you need to use a different moisturizer for the eye area because it is so delicate. Hence the need for eye creams.

One more good thing to note is that this Nivea product contains sp 15! So you don’t have to worry too much about getting burnt if you are out and about (although I do recommend applying sunscreen if you intend on sunbathing).

If there is a downside, then I will say the smell. I personally don’t like to use fragranced products on my skin. I can’t quite pin point what kind of smell it is… watermelon? I’m not sure. There is a definite hint of something. However the fragrance is not entirely unpleasant or strong enough to bother me so I will continue to use this since I like the lightness of the lotion.

I was also sent NIVEA VISAGE Anti-Wrinkle Q10 Plus Sunkissed Skin.. It offers the same benefits as the day dream but this one will give you a glow. I thought it was going to be a tinted moisturizer but in actual fact it is a gradual tanner. Since I’m quite tanned already, I will be handing this over to one of my fairer friends to test out. I will report back with the results later!

On the Lash: Majolica Majorca Mascaras

I’d be hard pressed if I was forced choose between my favourite beauty products. One moment it’s blush, the next it’s lip gloss. I can however reveal that today my beauty must-have of the moment is - the mascara. Yes, with a simple wave of that magic (mascara) wand, we too can have glorious fluttery lashes to frame our peepers.

Let’s swot up on a little makeup history.

Should you take a wander down the historical timeline of make-up; you will find that the very first mascara was created all the way back in the 19th Century by a man named Eugene Rimmel! (Yes THAT Rimmel!) Such is the popularity of the mascara that in some corners of the globe, the word ‘rimmel’ means ‘mascara’. These languages include Portuguese, Romanian and Dutch (rimel).

A couple of years later, the year 1913 to be precise, a chemist named T.L Williams formulated a more modern type of mascara for his sister, Mabel (what a nice brother)

This formula, consisting of coal dust and Vaseline, proved to be huge hit with his sister. And so Williams decided to create a mail order company so that he could sell this wonder mascara to the masses. And thus his company, Maybelline, was born.

Back in those days, the mascara was applied by wetting a brush and rubbing it into a cake. How cumbersome! It wasn’t until 1957 that Helena Rubinstein introduced the tube and wand applicators that we know and love today

Mascara Galore

Believe me when I say I’ve tried a lot of mascaras: Shu Uemura, Bourjois, Maybelline, Anna Sui, Dior; from high end to high street. Talk about going on the lash!

But I think my wandering days are over. I’ve finally found my ultimate mascara. It’s by Majolica Majorca, a high street Japanese make up line by Shiseido

Initially I was actually searching for the famed Fiberwig mascara; but a good friend told me to try this brand out whilst I was in Japan. So whilst browsing one of the drug stores down Harajuku, I finally found a Majolica Majorca stand. I must say I wasn’t expecting much since it was a high street brand, but colour me astonished, I’m really impressed with the quality of the products. Not to the mention the extremely pretty swirly packaging which will appeal the girly girl in you.

Unfortunately I cannot read Japanese so I had to guess what some of the products were. I first picked up a mascara-like looking tube that was topped off with a white cap. It had Curl, curl, curl towards the sky written on the front of it. I remember thinking to myself, ‘Surely that’s not the title of the product? It’s far too long.’

Common sense told me that this was probably a lash primer so I bought that, followed by a tube capped in black. This one was had Hope My Lashes Are Full and Smooth printed on the front. I hoped so too and hurried home.

I did a quick search on Google and found out that the two items I had picked up were indeed called Hope My Lashes Are Full and Smooth and Curl, curl, curl towards to the sky.

The Review

I first unscrewed ‘Curl, Curl, curl toward the sky’ and found myself looking at, not a brush, but a comb. I’m not used to applying mascara this way so I really botched up my first application. I’m sure with a bit more practise I would be able to apply it smoothly but on first try it was very clumpy. Then I applied ‘Hope My Lashes Are Full and Smooth’ over it. Again, I would have preferred the ease of a brush to apply this.

I also found that with the combination of both the mascara and primer, it was extremely long wearing. This is positive and a negative. I’ve always been a victim of the panda eyes effect after a late night out, so at least I knew the make up was not going to go anywhere on a night out.

However it was very difficult to remove with just my cleanser. I found myself taking a lash or two out when rubbing vigorously to remove it.

Unfortunately wasn’t too impressed with how I looked in the end. The lashes looked far too fake and spidery. Though perhaps with a bit more practise, I can make it work, she says so optimistically.

Having said all that I DO recommend wearing ‘Hope My Lashes Are Full and Smooth’ on its own without the primer because boy! I really love how smoothly it goes on without any clumping. I have the tiniest eyelashes ever but with this mascara on, they really do look so much fuller and yet so natural looking. Another major plus point is that it is so much easier to remove without wearing the primer.

It really does what it says on the tin and it has now replaced Anna Sui as my no.1 favourite mascara.

On reflection, I think having the Majolica Majorca primer and mascara combination was far too potent for me to handle. Though I won’t be binning the primer; I think it works well as a general primer for less effective mascaras.

Unfortunately Majolica Majorca is exclusive to Japan. So if you want to get your mitts on these mascaras I would suggest having a hunt online. I managed to find it this website that sells this brand. If you know anymore, please let me know!

Swirl, tap & buff!

First off, I have to say “Hi!”. This is my first post over here at Girlz Night and I’m excited to be a part of this website!

Now, on with the beauty products!

I started using bareMinerals a few years ago after seeing the infomercial a few thousand times. It always peaked my interest, but I was hesitant to order something that was sold only on TV. When I finally heard that they were selling it at Sephora and Nordstrom, I thought I’d give it a shot.

Let me tell you, I’m glad I did! This is probably the best beauty investment I’ve ever made. I say investment because some people balk at the $60 cost of the starter kit. It is SO worth it though! I have tried converting everyone I know! So far the list of converters including my mom, my sister and a few friends.

Since I started using this product, my skin has cleared up. I have visibly healthier looking skin…and NOT just when I have the makeup on. My clean skin actually looks better than it did before! It feels soft and light on the face and depending on which brush you use and how much you ‘buff’ on, the coverage changes.

Once I purchased the starter kit, I became slightly obsessed with having ALL bareMinerals products and have splurge on quite a few eyeshadows, blushes and all over face colors. I have yet to visit a bareMinerals boutique, but I’ve heard that they are super cute and fun to shop in!

This is a great holiday gift idea *hint hint*. I’m actually giving this to my 14 year old sister for Christmas. I figure since she’s old enough to wear makeup now, she may as well wear something that’s good for her skin…and doesn’t make her look like she’s caking it on!

Ever used bareMinerals? Have an opinion on it? Leave a comment!