Clinique A Different Nail Enamel for Sensitive Skins review + swatches

Clinique has decided to re-enter the nail polish world with their new A Different Enamel for Sensitive Skins. Yes, that is apparently its full and proper name xD.
From their promo material:

"Did you know a person touches their eyes on average 200 times a day? With all that comes in contact with
hands and fingers throughout the day, there are many culprits that can irritate the eyes. Did you know that
nail enamel can cause irritation and even contact dermatitis on the suspectibly thin skin around the eye?
Amongst the dermotological community, nail enamel is also considered a significant allergen source for
periorbital dermatitis - a facial rash that develops around the lower and upper eyelids. People who suffer from these conditions often-times do not realize the connection between touching and rubbing the eye area, and fresh manicures."

After 3 years of research and a further 3 years of product development, Clinique has finally debuted their Different Enamel for Sensitive Skin.  
I personally don't suffer from any sensitivity towards chemicals in nail polish so I can't really comment as to whether or not these polishes perform as claimed, however, the final formula underwent a 1 month trial on women with sensitive skin and eyes and is also approved by dermatologists and ophthalmologists.
Unfortunately my press samples did not come with an ingredient list for these polishes. I have made a request for them from Clinique's PR and will update this post when I receive them. Since majority of nail polishes nowadays are "3 Free", meaning they are free of Dibutyl Phthalate, Formaldehyde and Toluene, it would be interesting to see what other chemicals Clinique has eliminated from their version. 
Formula wise, the creme finish polishes verge slightly on the thick side, the jelly finishes are lovely and trouble free as always and the foil finish was even and streak free. All the shades I tested were 2 coat opaque. Unlike some of the organic/vegan polishes I have tested in the past *cough* Spa Ritual *cough*, these Clinique polishes all had a decent wear time. I was able to wear them for 5+ days with minimal tip wear.
There are 12 permanent shades and 9 limited edition shades for the Summer (my favourite is Really Rio!!!).
At $18 for 8.9ml/0.3oz of product it is on the pricey side, and I still don't really know how these differ from the other 3 Free polishes out there but if skin sensitivity is a concern of yours, or if you're trying to cut out harsh chemicals from your beauty products, then definitely check these polishes out.
Available from May 2013 for CAN$18 from Clinique counters, Clinique.com and Sephora

All swatches are done without topcoat.
Really Rio (Creme)

 Pinkini (Creme)

 Sweet Tooth (Jelly)

 Hula Skirt (Creme)

Red Red Red (Jelly)

Black Honey (Jelly)

Strappy Sandals (Metallic foil)

Flower Beauty Color Play Creme eyeshadow swatch and review

I swear I had no intentions to collect these, it just happened...somehow. The silver lining is that I can provide you guys with swatches of the entire line xD.
From the Flower Beauty website:

• Enriched with Vitamin E for antioxidant protection
• Long-wearing formula
• Water-infused, weightless finish
• Lid-smoothing texture
• Buildable, blendable coverage
• Moves beautifully during application then sets without creasing
• Easily removed with make-up remover

All Flower Beauty products are made in the USA and not tested on animals. Currently the Flower Beauty collection is available exclusively at US Walmart stores. No word yet as to when or if they will be available in their Canadian counterpart.
The Color Play Creme eyeshadows are available in 12 shades and retails for a paltry $7.98 each. True to the brand's philosophy of affordable luxury, the small price tag belies a great little product.

The heavy glass packaging with the brand's characteristic rose gold accent is unassumingly elegant and more typical of a high end product than a drugstore brand. Under the lid lies a plastic keeper, much like those found inside the L'Oreal Infalliable Color eyeshadows. This keeper is the source of all my antagonism towards this product. Unless you are extremely careful every time you remove or replace this keeper, you'll end up with a huge mess on your hands because there's either a big blob of eyeshadow stuck to the bottom of it or you're rescuing it from its half sunken position in the jar. I'm mighty tempted to just do away with the keeper but then it will probably dry up like my Chanel Illusion D'ombre -______-;
The texture the Color Play eyeshadows is unlike anything else I've seen on the market. They are not as firm as the MUFE Aqua Creams or the Chanel Illusion D'Ombres, but also not as liquidy as the MAC Big Bounce, instead they have the consistency like that of a dense whipped mousse. Also unlike the MUFE and Chanel cream shadows, these never really dry down to a powder finish and for those with oily eyelids, the dewy finish might mean some creasing without use of a primer. I personally experienced some slight settling of this product in the creases of my eyelid when worn without a primer.
I found the pigmentation of these eyeshadows to be superior to that of the Chanel Illusion D'Ombres but not as intense as the MUFE Aqua Creams or Maybelline Color Tattoos. The darker shades definitely have more colour payoff compared to the lighter shades such as Lilac You A Lot. I think the reason why this product doesn't receive much love from MakeUpAlley is because it takes a bit of patience to make it work. I apply using my fingers, the tiniest bit of product is enough to cover your entire eyelid, I pat it on, I don't blend it out too much and I wait about half a minute between each layer. Due to their creaminess, these eyeshadows have a lot of slippage so it's very easy to over blend. Use gentle patting instead of the ol' back and forth windscreen wiper action. They are definitely a softer look but they can be sheered out for a light wash of colour or built up for vibrancy. They can used on their own or as a base for powder eyeshadow. On me they last about 5/6 hours before any noticeable fading without primer.
I want to call these the poor (wo)man's version of Chanel Illusion D'Ombres (and in fact several of the shades are passable dupes for the Illusion D'ombres! Orchid-ing Around = Illusoire; Midnight Garden = Mirifique; Awesome Blossom = Ebloui; Rest On Your Laurel = Fantasme) but with better pigmentation. I haven't been this excited about an eyeshadow line since the L'Oreal Infallibles and definitely recommend that you try them out if you come across them.

Swatches from left: Awesome Blossom; Flirty Floret; Lilac You A Lot; and Wild Geranium.

Swatches from left: Mum's The Word; Vine Of The Times; Good As Mari-gold and Cocoa Camelia.

Swatches from left: Orchid-ing Around; Rest On Your Laurel; Time Willow Tell and Midnight Garden.

BeautyMate Anti-Blemish Repairing Nano Mask review

I must be on my 6th box of these masks by now so it's really high time for me to review them.
Whenever I have a particularly nasty breakout, the first thing I do is slap on one of these masks. After a single use, the swelling and redness is noticeably lessened and after the 2nd application the pimple is almost completely flat. My pimple healing time has pretty much been cut down to 3 days. Damn, where were these during my teenage years where I would inevitably breakout just before an important event?!

Observe, the photo diary of a pimple:

  Day 1 ---------------------------->Day 2------------------------------>Day 3

After 2 applications. Tada!

The BeautyMate Anti-Blemish mask comes in a box of 7 individually wrapped masks and retails for $7.70 on Sasa.com (they go OOS pretty often so stock up!). Each mask comes packaged with a perforated backing sheet and is loaded with serum. The cut of the mask fits my face pretty well, but I have a quite a wide face so maybe those with a smaller face might find it too big. I especially like how the eye holes have additional slits on the sides so that those with wider set eyes won't suffer the fate of having serum drip into their eyes because the holes are too small.
I experience some mild stinging whenever I use this mask, I'm not sure which ingredient is causing this but since it goes away after a few minutes and I don't break out in hives or anything, I'm willing to endure a few minutes of stinging for the sake of clear skin.
I usually keep the mask on for 30-40 minutes. Other than pimple zapping abilities, this mask also brightens and hydrates. The brightening effect is, however, temporary,
If you suffer from breakouts, I definitely recommend giving this mask a try!

Ingredients and instructions: