Dreaming of Dreamtone

Who doesn't dream of a flawless skin tone? I personally battle with some lovely leftover blemish marks and general redness on my face, so was all gung-ho to try this new release from the skincare giant Lancôme.

First impressions? I love the ombre pink bottle, and the twist top open is a nice touch that I find really easy to use, and it keeps the application hygienic as well. This luxe serum targets dark spots (buzz term of late, don't ya think?) and comes in 3 variations for different skin tones/areas of concern. 

-Dreamtone 1 is targeted at fair complexions and is supposed to fight redness.
-Dreamtone 2 is for medium skin tones and fights sallow skin
-Dreamtone 3 is for dark skin and targets blemish marks.

I personally take these variation types with a grain of salt, and was sent Dreamtone 2 despite my very fair complexion. I was dubious about this serum, but also quite excited at the thought of using something so lovely and had hopes that it would help improve my skin overall. I am so pleased to say with hand on heart that I found this to make a noticeable difference in my skin, and it not only fought any dullness and redness but also helped fade some of my stubborn acne marks. Now you see why I think all 3 serums are very similar!

I generally use one or two pumps of this at night as I apply it all over my face, and the pale rose coloured serum smells luxe and floral which I am personally a fan of. Those who are sensitive to scents like this should try to nab a sample before splurging for a bottle thought, just in case. If you were wanting to stretch the serum out you can apply it only on areas of darkness or redness, but I figure that the whole lot needs help so on it goes!

Without meaning to sound totally lame, I actually look forward to applying this and love the way it feels on my skin. I have found that since using this, my skin is more even and I can head out without too much slap on if I feel like it, which is quite a thrill for me. It didn't take too long for me to see the results as well, which is a good thing since this bottle is pretty pricey and I was uncertain when I began using it. It didn't flare up any acne for me (in fact, it was a player in the skincare routine which seemed to calm my recent skin flare up!) and I've noticed that if I skip this for a few nights, my skin gets a little upset with me.

My only misgivings about this beauty of a skin serum? The face that I can't see how much I have left, and the price tag! Sitting at $105 AUD (close to US price, woohoo!) this is definitely a skincare splurge, but I can actually envision myself trotting down to Myer or clicking onto Adore Beauty for a repurchase when this press sample runs dry...wallet be warned.

Lancôme Dreamtone retails for $105 AUD and can be purchased at Adore Beauty.

What luxe skincare have you found to really work for you? Or do you stick to budget skincare and splurge on lipsticks instead?!

Emma @ emmabovarybeauty

essence Breaking Dawn Part 2 Collection // Photos, Swatches, Review

While I'm not up to speed on the Twilight films, I have read all of the novels and am a fan of most of essence's limited edition collections. I picked up everything from the Breaking Dawn part 2 collection, bar the glitter eyeliners.

 

This blush in the shade Renesmee Red seems a little scary in the pan, but when swatched it is sheer (in a good way) and stunning. A coral toned red shade, this is definitely one of the must-haves from this collection in my opinion.

 

The definite stand out must have from this collection is the well priced highlighter in the shade 01 Bella's Secret($5.95) I have already coerced my best friend into adding this to her collection, as it adds a diffused glow which is impressive for such an affordable powder. If I were to recommend anything from this collection, this would be it.

01 A Piece of Forever is a lipstick loaded with fine golden shimmer, and though I'm sure some people would be unsure about this, it is stunning by itself to add a sheen to the lips or over a red lip stain. I often use the Tread Gently Tendertone from MAC to add yellow shimmer to my lipsticks, but this is a wonderful cheap alternative.

The lipglosses seem on the watery side when compared to the Stay With Me lipglosses from the permanent line, which are housed in the same style tube. The colours themselves are also on the glassy/watery side in swatches, though I am yet to wear them on my lips so cannot comment too much at this stage. Both shades contain beautiful shimmer, 01 Alice Had A Vision - Again is a dark purple shade that matches the nail polish of the same name. 02 Renesmee Red is a candy apple red shade, matching the blush from this collection.

 

Four new pigment pots have been released with this collection, and though the swatches for 2 of them are promising, I'm finding it hard to make them work on the eye. They blend away to nothing quite easily, so I am planning on trialling them with a few different primers to see what works. 01 Jacob's Protection is a black base filled with multi coloured shimmer, and swatches are deep and pigmented. 02 Alice Had A Vision - Again is a blue toned black base filled with purple and navy shimmer, and swatches beautifully as well. 03 A Piece of Forever is an attempt at a champagne pigment that was incredibly difficult to swatch, and lacks colour and depth. I am unsure as to how I am going to make this work on the eye. 04 Edward's Love is supposed to be a black base filled with multi coloured glitter, but the colour literally falls from the skin and the glitter is actually rough and hurts to swatch. Would not recommend pigments 03 and 04.

 

The polishes from this collection are all really beautiful, there is a colour similar to the upcoming MAC Everything That Glitters (Sunday Girl swatches that here) and I am going to have swatches of these in a separate post during the week.

 

I like the high quality of the powders from this collection, and the matching names for certain shades is also a nice touch. Overall I think essence have done well with the theme of this collection, most shades seem well thought out and I adore the blush, highlighter and lipstick overall.

 

Each piece is priced below $6 AUD, with the highlighter being the most expensive.

Will you be picking up anything from the Breaking Dawn Part Two collection?

Have you been swept up with the Twilight phenomenon?

 

 

*I paid for all of these items myself. Honesty,always.