Review: WOW Cosmetic Liquid Foundation

I generally am not fanatical on foundations as I've previously never had much luck with finding shades that complement my typical Indian skin. My skin has a pronounced yellow undertone leaving me looking too grey, ghost-ish or pale with the majority of foundations that I have tried. In all my years of using makeup, there were only TWO foundations that I used that gave me total satisfaction- Kryolan's cream based foundation in OB3 for event and occasion use and Clinique's 'Even Better' liquid correction tint with SPF in Sand(09) for everyday use.

My latest foundation discovery is totally impressive and I just couldn't wait to share it with you. It's from a make up brand called WOW cosmetics which was introduced in South Africa in 2007. You can read the little that I managed to research about the product range and company here.

Back to the product itself...

The Price: R55- R60 for a 30 ml bottle

Packaging

Wow cosmetics liquid foundations come in a black box with their logo printed in white and all product ingredient information is found on the back of the box. The information regarding the manufacture and use of the product is absent with just the South African importer address listed. The product itself comes in a press, dispense bottle similar to Mac's Mineralize Satin Finish foundations.

Product

The foundation itself is a thick, creamy liquid that has a soft, satin feel to it. What I love about the consistency of this product is that there is no real need for a brush or sponge application. Just dispense onto the palm of your hand and apply as you would any cream or lotion- at least this is the way I like to apply it- this I find is super advantageous for those of us who need a 'slap and run' application for those mornings where every second is precious. I set the foundation with Kryolan's translucent powder. It provided a light, sheer coverage which I normally prefer for day use. However, it is build-able to provide medium to heavy coverage as well. For the duration of the wear, my skin felt moisturized and silky to my touch. It also gave my skin a lovely glow and radiance so much so that I am comfortable and satisfied enough to use it on its own without any blusher or eyeliner. I got a decent amount of wear time (about 5 to 6 hours) after which it starts to fade. Apart from consistency, wear and texture, it has a really pleasant fragrance which was one of the first things I had made a mental note of.

Improvements

Being the type of person who loves to be armed with the knowledge and know how of everything that comes across my path, I find myself always researching anything new in my life- be it  a new development, renovation to even buying makeup. The one disappointment for me on this product is that I cannot find enough of background information about the brand and company itself.
Another property that I feel can elevate the ratings of this product is the addition of SPF. This is not really a huge train smash though but in terms of keeping up with makeup production trends, built in SPF is something that is taken for granted in all foundation types. Other than this, I really cannot find any other fault with this product. I hugely recommend this foundation and it has certainly made it on my 'less money! more makeup- feeding your makeup addiction on a budget' list.

Feel free to share your experience with WOW cosmetics with us.....

WOW Cosmetics, South Africa

There's nothing that I love more than finding new make up brands that offer a range of quality products that are both affordable and practical on the pocket. Now that I have started with product reviews on my blog, I find myself more and more in search of products that don't burn a hole in my purse and which also has the ability to impress me to such an extent that I can hardly wait to share it with you. One such cosmetic brand being 'WOW cosmetics'. I had come across this brand a while back when I googled for 'affordable makeup brands in South Africa' but never really followed the search through. Then one our fellow MUnT members, Rita S Ranjith, asked me to check out this cosmetic range...well, to cut a long story short, I have just received my haul of WOW cosmetics and I am sooooooo excited. I feel like I am in makeup heaven and can't wait to create looks and post reviews on them.

My WOW cosmetic makeup haul...

A little bit about WOW cosmetics....

WOW cosmetics originated in Israel in 2005. They boast a vast range of cosmetics, perfumes, face, body and nail products on a budget that almost any woman in any age group can afford. The brand was brought to South Africa in 2007 and is now stocked in over 390 pharmacies and cosmetic shops. Why it hasn't reached brand named retailers yet is a question still left to be answered- in that case though, we would have to be prepared to pay brand retail prices...so I'm not complaining really- it was just a thought. Their prices are ridiculously low- but don't associate it's price tag with its quality. As in all cosmetic ranges, I don't expect every product here to be a winner- and I am sure that a few product items may not be to my satisfaction but you know what....? so is the case with Mac, Estée
Lauder and other high end brands. Not every product is going to hit right on target.

In order not to overwhelm you, I will be reviewing each item individually over the next few days or weeks. I can hardly contain my excitement....

Review: NYX Eyeshadows

I can't exactly recall when my obsession with eyeshadows began but I do remember the time when my makeup draw just consisted of a few basic shades from Yardley. I guess as I started earning my own money, I splashed and splurged on any shade that was attractive to the eye and not really focussing on a particular brand. After being introduced to Mac in 2003, I became incredibly loyal to the Mac range of makeup and didnt bother with any other makeup brand. I do however recall buying a few shades of a makeup brand called NYX(and was reasonably happy with its performance) which was not available in South Africa at that time(2003). Then on my visit to America in 2005, I noticed that NYX was extremely popular there. Recently, I was thrilled to see that Clicks carried the ENTIRE range of NYX products.

Part of Clicks NYX range 

I decided to swatch a few of their eyeshadows to see if there was any improvement in their quality which would break my loyalty to Mac, lol. What I did find, was pleasantly surprising and therefore decided to add these products on my 'less money, more makeup' list.

The eyeshadows that i swatched felt smooth, creamy, intensely pigmented and there was consistency in the performance of majority of their colors. They have a range of about 50 some odd eyeshadow colors coming in textures of matt, shimmer, sheer, frost, glitter and metallic. There was sufficient product in a single swipe and the need to go back to the shadow to pick up more product was really not necessary.

I always apply eyeshadow over a primer and base. Having said that, I found that there was a POP in color and it felt really soft on the skin.

In terms of the duration of the wearability, for the price, I think that it is excellent giving you a wear of non creasing and caking for a minimum of 4-5 hours which is pretty good considering I have oily lids which are ever so slightly hooded:(

I did however find a slight bit of fallout, but this I experience with a lot of Mac eyeshadows as well.

Finally, the price.....the pressed or flat shadows are priced at R79, with the pearl flat shadows at R89. Their pigments and glitter come in 5ml bottles and are just R44. This may look small but will definitely last you a long time. Their trio eyeshadow palettes are priced at R120. Not bad at all

What I also noticed was that they have a lot of colors very similar if not identical to many Mac eyeshadows. I will be swatching them and creating a list of NYX colors that can be used in place of the Mac shades.

So follow me as I compile my NYX- MAC dupes(duplicates).

Review: Essence Stay All Day

Less money, more makeup...!

We often judge makeup by their brand popularity and their price tags. In sure that we've all had some experience where we've broken the bank to invest in a single piece of makeup only to come home and realize that the product turns out to be a complete and total dud. Top rated eyeshadows range anything from and above R190.00. If you are like me, then you've definitely splurged well over R300.00 for a single eyeshade which turned out to be an absolute beauty buy bust. Lesson learnt, I now know never to judge products by its price tag. Apart from that, we all now-a-days cannot afford to be lavish with our hard earned money. There are many quality products that is being introduced into the South African market making it accessible to everyone as it can fit even into the tightest of budgets.

I accidentally came across one such product yesterday whilst browsing at my local Clicks store. I found myself swatching one product after another from this brand and left there with my hand looking like I was in a pre-scholar who was just introduced to painting.

The brand I am raving about is called ESSENCE. Most of us will be unfamiliar with this products but after much research last night, I  learnt that it is a European brand that has hit over 50 countries including U.S.A and Switzerland. Its manufactured in Germany. They pride themselves in keeping up with the latest makeup trends and their products include eyeshadows, mascara, nail polish and liners to name a few. And, and, and...what's even greater is that their prices start as low as R30.00.

I couldn't help but grab a few items that impressed me and with what I have swatched, I have no regrets and feel that some of their products could give some high end makeup brands a run for their money.

I will be reviewing more of their products, so keep watching this blog if you want to learn of other quality makeup at affordable prices.

Today, I review ESSENCE'S creme eyeshadow from the STAY ALL DAY range in No 08.

Thicker swatch is product applied alone as eyeshadow & Thinner swatch is used as a base with a  lilac pigment.

PROS....

*What initially attracted me to this eyeshadow was its pearly, dazzley effect that it has as I twisted and moved it around. I found that true to the range name, it certainly was long lasting and stayed put for over 5 hours. It  could be used alone as a creme eyeshadow and still have super color pay off or  as a base which serves a dual purpose of allowing your dry shadow to last all day AND also intensifying its color as can be seen in in picture above. After leaving it on for over 5 hours, I literally had to use a sponge and soap to scrub it off.

*It has a soft, silky feel and texture.

*It only costs R31.00 and you will certainly get many, many uses out of it- so it's definitely worth the buy.

CONS....

*The packaging is not that great and looks like its meant to target teens but their products ARE suitable for all age groups.

*Can get a bit lumpy if not applied evenly.

All in all I feel that this is certainly a must try and would rate it an absolute 8 out of 10.