Cold Cream ‘n’ Roses reviews Cinema Secrets makeup brush cleaner

I had run out of Sephora’s instant brush cleaner spray, and stopped at Sephora inside JCPenney at Fair Oaks Mall in Fairfax, VA to buy another can. The saleswoman recommended Cinema Secrets Makeup Brush Cleaner instead, but she didn’t have any in stock. She suggested that I visit the standalone Sephora store in Fair Oaks Mall. Once I made it to the standalone Sephora store, I discovered that crew members were equally enthused about Cinema Secrets Makeup Brush Cleaner.

Cinema Secrets Makeup Brush Cleaner

Here’s how to use Cinema Secrets Makeup Brush Cleaner:

  1. Pour a little liquid into the aluminum cup that comes with the kit. 
  2. Don’t completely cover the bristles: Cinema Secrets website recommends filling the tin enough to dip 1/4 of the way up the brush bristles.
  3. Cinema Secrets recommends that users “Dip the tip of the brush into the liquid and remove immediately to avoid over saturation,” although I admit to swirling the brush in the liquid.
  4. Stroke the brush against the rim of the tin to remove any excess liquid.
  5. Wipe the brush clean on an absorbent paper towel or cloth, and repeat as necessary. I use a nubby cloth: microfiber cloths work well and wash beautifully.
  6. Either lay the brushes flat on the cloth or hang upside down in a makeup brush drying rack.
  7. Let any remaining cleaner evaporate in the cup: don’t dispose of it in the sink or toilet.

Now the drawbacks of Cinema Secrets Makeup Brush Cleaner:

  • The cleaner is flammable: that’s why Cinema Secrets Makeup Brush Cleaner is a Hazmat product. Cinema Secrets ships items containing flammable chemicals only via Standard Ground Shipping, not Air.
  • The liquid cleaner is not good for travel, not merely because it’s flammable, but it can get all over your clothes.
  • The bottle is not fitted with a squirt-type closure, which would make it less messy.
  • Some users might find the vanilla fragrance overwhelming.

Despite the negatives, I love Cinema Secrets Makeup Brush Cleaner because it quickly dissolves products like concealer, cleans brushes so that they’re soon able to be used, and disinfects brushes.

Source:

Makeup Brush Cleaner Pro Starter Kit, 8 fl oz (with tin). cinemasecrets. (2021). Retrieved 27 June 2021, from https://cinemasecrets.com/collections/brush-cleaner/products/makeup-brush-cleaner-pro-starter-kit-8-fl-oz-with-tin

Is Dr. Lara Devgan Skincare worth it?

NYC plastic surgeon Dr. Lara Devgan has launched her own line of skin care products. Prices range from $65 to a whopping $300.

LARA DEVGAN IMAGE IN FRONT OF OFFICE AND IN SURGICAL ROOM
from drlaradevgan.com

Skinskool is a website that finds dupes for skin care products, based on an ingredient-based product discovery algorithm, which it calls the Dupe Finder. The algorithm returns results that reveal which products are most alike, based on ingredients. This is represented by its Match Score.

Given that prestige retailers such as Sephora, Violet Grey, and NET‑A‑PORTER carry Dr. Lara Devgan’s skincare line, Skinskool was stunned that almost every product in the line has a 98% – 100% Match Score comparable to products selling at a fraction of the price.

Skinskool opines that Dr. Lara Devgan beauty is likely a private label line with customized packaging. As Kat noted, It is far easier to customize skin care or hair care products than lip liners or pencils and the like.

Skinskool stated that:

Many doctor’s offices or estheticians have their own brands, but it’s rare to see a private label line marketed so aggressively and at more than 3X the price of comparable products.

Skinskool asks:

What do you think? Does this affect your opinion of the brand? Of the retailers? Should this have been caught by someone before it hit the shelves of Sephora? Or do you think that Sephora could care less because if consumers buy what is marketed to them, it’s on us?

My take:

Many prestigious skin care lines are way overpriced. I’m more or less satisfied with drugstore skin care (Olay, CeraVe, La Roche-Posay, the latter for its range of sunscreens) and The Ordinary. Sephora, Violet Gray, and NET‑A‑PORTER could care less if consumers buy what is marketed to them: after all, it’s more money for them.

Gucci’s Rouge à Lèvres Satin Lipstick

Woo-hoo! I’ve complained about Sephora’s rewards program, but recently I received an offer for $15.00 off orders of $50.00 or more. If your order is at the baseline of $50.00, that works out to be 30% off regular priced items – better than Sephora’s twice yearly 15% off for orders of $75.00 or more for Beauty Insiders.

I had been curious about Gucci’s much ballyhooed lipstick launch, but at $42.00, well, that’s too rich for me. However, the $15.00 off gave me incentive to buy Gucci’s Rouge à Lèvres Satin Lipstick (I reached the $50.00 threshold by buying Sephora’s Daily Brush Cleaner). I chose Moira Sienna, which is described as sienna raspberry satin. As the description suggests, the color is somewhat ambiguous. When I tried the lipstick, it seemed that more raspberry than sienna.

Photo of lipstick against a light wood background
GUCCI Rouge à Lèvres Satin Lipstick in Moira Sienna

Comments:

  • The lipstick leaves a nice gleam after application.
  • It’s not particularly lasting (although I don’t expect lipstick to be lasting) but leaves behind a light stain. Top it with a similar shade of lip balm.
  • It’s not drying and feels pleasant on the lips.
  • Gucci also has Rouge à Lèvres Voile Sheer Lipsticks and Baume à Lèvres Lip Balms in its lineup. I don’t care for mattes, so it’s gratifying to see a lipstick line with no mattes.
  • Faithful reproduction of vintage tubes – Gucci gives Gabriela Hernandez and her Bésame lipsticks a run for their money in this department.
  • Gucci’s website uses women with the ugliest teeth to model the lipstick. Gucci might think that this is edgy, but I think it’s ugly and unappealing.
  • While you can shop Gucci lip color on Sephora’s website now, you’ll have to wait until February 21, 2020 to buy them in store  🙁
  • Finally, you can probably find equally good lipsticks for less than $42.00!

Drunk Elephant The Littles discovery set

I was curious about Drunk Elephant, so I bought The Littles discovery set.

The Littles

I’ve exchanged brief messages with founder Tiffany Masterson via Linkedin and found her very responsive and friendly. I haven’t tried all the products in the discovery set. Here are the ones I’ve tried:

  • Beste™ No. 9 Jelly Cleanser
  • Lalo Retro Whipped Cream
  • T.L.C. Framboos™ Glycolic Night Serum

Beste™ No. 9 Jelly Cleanser is the gentlest cleanser that I have used. I like to do a double cleanse with DHC Deep Cleansing Oil and Beste™ No. 9 Jelly Cleanser. Lalo Retro Whipped Cream is a very good moisturizer with a whipped consistency. While I had  no problem with the T.L.C. Framboos™ Glycolic Night Serum the first time I used it, I experienced irritation the second time I used it. I skipped all treatment serums and used gentle creams to soothe the irritation the following day.

Of the three products, I’d be most inclined to buy Beste™ No. 9 Jelly Cleanser. Fortunately, there is a sample in Sephora’s 2019 Birthday Gift!

Your burning #beauty questions answered

Apologies for the irrelevant images.  This seems to happen when I don’t post a picture of my own on Quora.  WordPress.com doesn’t allow embeds from Quora.  I had to share the answer on Quora via Twitter.

https://twitter.com/thestylepage/status/1072647949514104832
https://twitter.com/thestylepage/status/1072647640431685633
https://twitter.com/thestylepage/status/1072643331287597056
https://twitter.com/thestylepage/status/1072651509492535299
https://twitter.com/thestylepage/status/1072651742024736768

Sephora’s crummy rewards program

Glossy posted an article on Sephora’s “upgrade” to its Beauty Insider program.  Whatever, it’s still the crummy program where you accumulate points to obtain samples that you’d otherwise should get for free.Sephora versus Ulta

When Sephora, in its munificence, announced a limited time 10% off discount on products, beauty enthusiasts were indignant.   Just before that, Ulta had a 20% off sale, including prestige items.  Also, you earn cash back rewards with Ulta’s loyalty program.

On account of Ulta’s cash back rewards, I first visit Ulta to see if it carries a product.  If it doesn’t, then I go to Sephora.  Bonus: join Ebates for earning additional cash back points.  HT Marcia of Beauty Info Zone.

Sources:

[Screen grab from Glossy]. (n.d.). Retrieved August 22, 2018, from https://db.glossy.co/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/170330_Sephora_04-AZ.jpg
Sandler, E. (n.d.). Inside Sephora’s first major Beauty Insider upgrade in 5 years. Retrieved August 22, 2018, from https://www.glossy.co/ecommerce/inside-sephoras-first-major-beauty-insider-upgrade-in-5-years

5 stories from around the Web

Here are 5 articles about beauty that I found on the Web:

Oonagh suggests women in their 60s should add an extra layer of coverage along with a warmer shade of foundation

The Ordinary may be leaving Sephora for Ulta!

Early this year, I posted that Sephora was stocking The Ordinary.

Exciting news!  The insanely inexpensive skin care line The Ordinary is now available at sephora.com.  I hate using the term “disruptor,” as it has become an hackneyed term, but here it…

Allure reports that it appears that The Ordinary is jumping to Ulta. It may be leaving Sephora for Ulta and European retailer Douglas. According to Instagram, it appears that Deciem has some payment issues with Sephora.

Screenshot of Instagram

Sources:

Donahue, R. (2018, April 29). Deciem Is Reportedly Leaving Sephora to Join Ulta Online and In Stores. Retrieved April 30, 2018, from https://www.allure.com/story/deciem-leaving-sephora-for-ulta
The Ordinary skin care is now at sephora.com! (2018, January 11). Retrieved April 30, 2018, from https://thestylepagep2.wordpress.com/2018/01/11/the-ordinary-skin-care-is-now-at-sephora-com/

It Cosmetics secures shelf space at Sephora HT @globalcosmetics

It Cosmetics is going places! QVC initially sold It Cosmetics, and then Ulta picked up the line. I knew that It Cosmetics was going upscale when Beautylish  picked it up.  Now “It Cosmetics has secured a coveted spot on Sephora’s shelves.”

Confidence in a Cream
Sephora picks up It Cosmetics

My first introduction to It Cosmetics was its Bye Bye Pores HD Silk Micro-Powder, which I described as The Most God-awful product that I’ve tried.  Marcia at beautyinfozone.com loves Bye Bye Pores, which she applies with a fan brush to diffuse the powder.

I revisited It Cosmetics after Paula Begoun raved about its Hello Lashes mascara; however, I didn’t think that Hello Lashes was that great a mascara.

I really got turned onto It Cosmetics when I tried its YSBB™ Your Skin But Better™ CC Cream with SPF 50+.  Its LE holiday Naturally Pretty eye shadow palette was terrific too.  I bought it through a private sale on It Cosmetics’ web site and it was helpfully discounted to $25.20 to qualify for free shipping (the threshold is $25).

My latest love is IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Makeup 3-in-1 Melting Balm: cleanser, makeup remover, and serum in one.  I like wiping it off with a warm damp Makeup Eraser plush cloth.

It Cosmetics has secured a coveted spot on Sephora’s shelves, according to a report published by WWD. The US Indie brand has been sold through QVC and Ulta to date, and is currently sold in Sephora’s Australian stores, but will be stocked by the US branch of the LVMH-owned perfumery from September.

Source: It Cosmetics secures shelf space at Sephora