Beauty Lovers – PinkBeautyQueen.com

{Closed} Win with Avon and Justine and ithemba walkathon and help save lives at the same time

August 21, 2016October 2, 2016 Candice Ying Sun1 Comment

I always love and support brands who actually give back to the community. I also have a fun giveaway with details below all for you sharing and raising awareness for this amazing cause.

Help Raise Breast Cancer Awareness at 11th Annual Avon Justine iThemba & Spread the Message that Early Detection Saves Lives.

Walk For A Purpose at the largest breast cancer awareness event in the world, the annual Avon Justine iThemba Walkathon taking place on Sunday, 23 October at Marks Park, Emmarentia in Johannesburg. With over 25 500 participants last year, this event has become the largest single day event held purely to generate awareness of breast cancer.

The event will begin with a 7.9km and a 5km walk at 08h00 and 8h30 respectively with an exciting repertoire of live entertainment planned including Kaya FM Deejays and other local artists while there will also be numerous enterprising food stalls and other activities available for participants to enjoy when they finish their walk. Walkers will again have the opportunity to be part of a historic moment through the #PoutForAPurpose world record attempt at this year’s iThemba Walkathon.

In line with the company’s Beauty for A Purpose mission statement, this will be an Avon world record attempt for the most number of people applying lipstick at the same event. For those not based in Johannesburg – put on your pinkest Avon pout, take a photograph and upload it social media using the hashtag #PoutForAPurpose

Breast cancer is the leading type of cancer in women. In South Africa, * It is the most prevalent cancer amongst white and Asian women and the second most common cancer among black and coloured women. Education and awareness is therefore critical since most cases are treatable when diagnosed in time. According to Dr Carol Ann Benn, renowned surgeon and Founder of the Breast Health Foundation, the two biggest stumbling blocks in breast health care in South Africa are awareness and access. She believes that the Avon Justine’s funding of the Breast Health Foundation’s mobile education units, donations and involvement with the Walkathon beautifully addresses both these key issues.

From 8am.

Cost: R120 per adult and R80 for children between two and twelve.

More details and how you can book your tickets can be found on their website http://ithembawalkathon.co.za/

Now for the fun part Avon and Justine have sponsored me 20 hampers to giveaway to 20 lucky readers each worth R1000 all you need to do is follow me on the respective social media pages and share the post. It is not often that you can get to help raise awareness for a great cause and gain a gift for yourself too so get sharing! To make it easier I have linked the direct links to the post you need to share in order to enter. You can share as many times as you like and each share counts as an entry. Winners will be drawn on 30/09/2016. Good luck!

Twitter: https://twitter.com/candyangel88/status/767320599257575424

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beautyqueen8blog/photos/a.340704779438659.1073741827.303631659812638/615703138605487/?type=3&theater

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/BJXoIwkBsrl/?taken-by=ricebunnyc

Congratulations! And the winners are please email me your delivery details you can find my email on the contact me page:

SheConquers @Mothekgi_Mp
MandlaZulu-uBoyFrend @ZuluBoyFriendSA
Barbara Reece @BarbaraReece
Emizer Vinkhumbo ‏@Oka_Vin_K
@its_nolwazi
Amanda Ramguthee @AmandaRamguthee
Zimasa @_Zeemzo
💚 💜 💛DIZA 💗 💘 💝 💞 💟 @LuvDiza
Mr WINNER @MrWINNER13
Bee @b_balutto
Bkash Lama
Theodor @Theodor60050251
Lindiwe Nomlih @NomlihLindiwe
Zulu @makhosizulu1
IG: MFSarlie @mfsarlie
Zifikile @Luyanda2501
tracy jacobs @tracyjacobs9
❤Mbαlentle Mbαlz ❤ ‏@Mbalee__Omuhle
WoodenMirror_TheBlog @Meka_Owethu
Santosh R-ya

Review Balmain Extatic Gold Musk EDP

July 18, 2016July 17, 2016 Candice Ying Sun1 Comment

The fashion house has brought out yet another beautiful scent. This one is perfect for winter and smells bold, feminine and strong. The difference is a more “Prêt-à-Couture”, more glamorous, more rock with EXTATIC.

The name “gold musk” and the colour of the bottle is actually derived from: the combination between the romantic transparency, the softness of the MUSK and the glitter, determined femininity of the GOLD.

Extatic Gold Musk is announced as a tempting, daring and luxurious interpretation of the original, with elegant floral – woody – musky character. This is a Floral Musk fragrance opening of a fresh and clean combination of a fusing and chiseled duet of Bergamot and Aldehydes.It has a bold solar heart infused with captivating white flowers: a radiant blend of Gardenia and Tiare revealing a fascinating femininity. At the base, you will find Akigalawood and Cashmeran as well as Musk illuminated by Benzoin and Sandalwood which wrap you in a precious spicy, creamy and warm trail made of golden sparkles.

I have really been loving this and is possibly my fav winter scent. It’s warm from the musk yet still really feminine from the floral notes. My 2 favourite perfume notes combined.

If you like scents like Nariciso Rodriguez – Musc for Her or Flower by Kenzo, then you’ll love this.

Available from: Foschini, Truworths, Dis-Chem, & Stuttafords.

60ml for R995

90ml for R1195

Monthly Avon Favourites

May 5, 2016May 4, 2016 Candice Ying SunLeave a comment

I always love trying out Avon goodies because you can find real gems at affordable prices. So a while back I instagramed a Avon haul there were so many products I couldn’t even fit everything in one picture J. So I have had a chance to play with all the products and here is what I thought were the best of the best.

Avon ColorTrend Love lips Valentino — Too pretty to use

Avon perfectly matte lipsticks (R129.90)

20160402_121117 — Avon matte lipstick.Going for L to R we have adoring love, red supreme and berry blast

Avon perfectly matte lipstick adoring,red sup,berr — Going from L to R we have adoring love, red supreme and berry blast

As I have mentioned many times before Avon knows how to do lippies this is probably my fav makeup items from Avon. They have just managed to perfect lip products. These are the new Matte lipsticks which are so on trend at the moment. Most of the time Matte lipsticks can be rather frightening because they are basically more drier than the normal lipsticks and really out the lips these Avon ones however are so creamy, glide on smoothly, is long lasting, doesn’t cake or crack, doesn’t dry out the lips, feels light weight, velvety and soft on the lips. Truly a dream formula. Packaging is always beautiful and looks so high end they even made the tube matte. Scent wise it is that signature light fruity scent used on their lip products. It’s been discussed a lot that these are dupes of MAC matte lipsticks as “Red supreme” is an identical colour to “Russian red” I can’t even tell the difference between the shade and quality wise. The shade “Superb wine” is a dupe of “Sin”. The range mostly consists of dark colours which is so perfect for winter. I received 3 shades Adoring love, Red supreme and berry blast I honestly can’t pick a favourite. I’ve been wearing these daily ever since they landed on my beauty desk.

Ultra Glazewear Glossy Lip Pencil (R129.90)

In keeping with the theme of lippies this is not as pigmented as a lipstick but is a lipliner and lipgloss due. Lasting power not as amazing but delivers a nice glossy lip once applied. Love that it comes a thin easy to hold pencil form.

Avon SuperExtend Extreme Waterproof Mascara (R139.90)

This is the only mascara from Avon where I have finished the tube for. I’ve chatted previously about the non waterproof one but this one is now the new waterproof version. This mascara basically contains microfibers that basically lengthens lashes by up to 87%. I also really like the wand it contains so many tiny bristles. The formula is fast drying, doesn’t clump lashes, flake off, or weigh lashes down. The want is nice and thin I don’t like wide fat wands since I find it difficult to reach my short sparse lashes with those.

Avon cream blush and highlighter duo (R179.90)

I was probably most excited to try this as you know I love highlighters I just don’t feel my makeup is ever complete without highlighting it gives your face dimension and a healthy glow. Basically it contains two sides a highlighter on the one side and a blush on the other. The design makes it really quick and easy to apply. The formula is really creamy, light weight and blends really easily. It lasts all day on the face. The design reminds me of Benefit Watts up. The blush a dusty peach shade and the highlighter side is a shimmery beige shade, personally for highlighters I prefer more a shade that is more whiter or golder but this does provide a more natural looking highlight shade.

Kelly handbag (R429)

I really love this bag it is such great quality and the design is really on trend with the leopard print. It is really large so I can store everything in it even my laptop. It looks so timeless and sophisticated. I am a real fan of Avon’s bag and jewellery range.

Avon true colour mono eyeshadows (R89.90)

I received Iris Icing and Blackest black.Casing is really lightweight, The shades are soft and buttery, buildable and highly pigmented.

Avon gel finish nail enamel (R99.90)

Avon gel finish nail enamel sheer pink&pink shimme — Shades sheer shimmer and pink shimmer

The same formula as the gel finish range I discussed previously they have added new pretty shimmery shades to the range were you can literally see the shimmer particles.

Avon soft musk EDT (R200)

Up until this point I haven’t liked any scents from Avon but wow when I saw this I knew I would love it. It reminds of my beloved Kiehl’s original musk. The bottle is flat so it is easy to store. Very often scent creators tend to overcomplicate scents but I like clean simple scents where I can actually smell all the notes at some point. This is blend of rose, jasmine, ylang-ylang and musk. The scent is strong but still femine and last the whole day. It falls into the floral musky category. If you love musk you will love love love this scent. A really great scent for winter because it has the warmness from the musk but the feminine touch from the floral notes. If you like scents like Chanel no. 5 or Kiehl’s original musk you will definitely love this scent.

Avon nutraeffects micellar cleansing water (R109)

Glad to see Avon jumping onto the micellar cleansing water trend initially this all began a few years ago with Bioderma sensibio H2O. This stuff is basically a makeup remover for very sensitive skin and can remove even waterproof makeup. How it works in simple less scientific form is it contains tiny particles and just the right balance between oil and water to remove makeup and impurities.

Avon men 2-in-1 after shave balm & moisturiser (R88)

I don’t if you are aware but has been this trend of using Nivea man post shave balm as a makeup primer. Basically how this works is if you look at the ingredients these after shave balms contain glycerine which is used in all primers on the market as the kind of glue that holds the makeup. Obviously this is a fraction of the price of normal primers on the market so it would be such a cost saver if this actually worked. I had the Avon men 2-in-1 after shave balm on hand and this is the same as the Nivea one except it smells less “manly” which I like. So does it work you may wonder, well keep on reading… So when I first applied it it felt cool and refreshing obviously since it is meant to relieve men’s skin after they shave. When comparing the ingredients between the 2 they are very similar the addition with the Avon one is aloe, ginger and chamomile instead of witch hazel. I found it works best without applying a moisturiser underneath since it essentially is supposed to have a built in moisturiser. The stuff is the best discovery ever! How you use it is you wash you face, apply a pea size amount and rub in your face until it feels tacky. Then apply your makeup as normal. After 10 hours my foundation still looked flawless, fresh and intact.

Review: Jimmy Choo Illicit EDP and Yardley Bond St pour homme

March 7, 2016 Candice Ying Sun2 Comments

This time I’ve got one for the guys too but let’s start with ladies first.

Jimmy Choo Illicit EDP

The latest edition to the Jimmy Choo family but with a sweeter, fresher and more youthful take than before. You can still tell that they are related though with same hard note as a base. I’ve never been a fan of the previous Jimmy Choo scents besides Jimmy Choo flash London club as I felt they smelt a bit too “hard” as fruitchoulis I’m more of a soft feminine floral scent kind of a girl. Jimmy Choo Illicit is a bit too sweet for my liking but I do think they are heading in the right direction when it comes to fragrance production.

The thing though about Jimmy Choo fragrances is that they are quality perfumes. You can actually tell if a perfume is good quality by not smelling the alcohol on initial spritz.

The bottles are always masterpieces, this one in particular oozes luxurious and decadence inspired by an art deco style multi-facet crystal glass tumbler with a contrasting silver lid that makes it striking and bold casing inside a gold elixir.

Note wise we have:

Top: Ginger and bitter orange

Heart: Rose and jasmine

Base: Honey, amber and sandal wood

I can definitely smell all the notes as they transition because they haven’t used many notes in it to mix up. The scent actually transitions across the levels very quickly and fades quite quickly too. I can only get max hours wear from it unless I spray it in my hair or my clothes. The dry down smells like vanilla which is not an official note but it is probably due to the combination of honey and amber. I would describe this as a sweet warm soft fragrance, think macaroons nestled in rose petals (what more could a girl ask for?)

In summary if you are a fan of warm, floral-gourmands like YSL black opium, Viktor & Rolf flower bomb, Viktor & Rolf bon bon or Prada candy you will love this scent.

You can find these at Foschini, Truworths, Edgars, Stuttafords, Dis-Chem, Red Square & Clicks for R695-40ml, R995-60ml and R1195-100ml.

Yardley London bond St pour homme

So a while back I chatted about Bond Street EDP for ladies well Yardley has released one for the men. Yardley London bond St pour homme signals ambition and uniqueness.

Bond Street celebrates the brands international fragrance credentials with a modern and contemporary premium offering that appeals to a younger, progressive consumer.

Yardley Bond Street is made up of bergamot, apple, cardamone, violet, lavender, cashmeeran, sandalwood, coumarin, and vanilla, which create a memorable scent that draws confidence and success. It pretty much is your typical male scent like 70% of the male fragrances on the market. You can find these at selected Clicks, Foschini, Edgars and Dis-Chem stores 50ml for R299.95 and 100ml for R379.95.

Ignite the spark with Lux soft touch

February 15, 2016 Candice Ying SunLeave a comment

Lux is a brand that everybody know about I literally grew up using their bars of soap in my household! I mean when somebody says soap Lux immediately pops into my mind. I also don’t think there is anything more calming and soothing than taking a nice long bath after a long day via candle light. Lux has recognised this and have put together a new range called Soft Touch which is a collection of soap bars and body washes. Always being the best lux actually collaborated with Callice Becker (a perfumer that has the “best nose” in the industry and has been the nose behind the likes of J’adore, Lola, Tommy girl) to create an alluring scent.

lux soft touch 1 lux soft touch 2 lux soft touch 3 Lux soft touch 4 Lux soft touch 5

Scent wise French roses take centre stage in a seductive floral bouquet layered with notes of freesia, jasmine and mimosa. Roses are my favourite flower and Callice noted that roses have the ability to harmonise with hundreds of different ingredients and possess a timeless allure. Lux describes soft touch as feminine, floral and romantic, it delivers a sensuous fine fragrance shower experience like no other, designed to bring out a woman’s most beautiful, irresistible and confident self, and the perfect inspiration to ignite the spark within her, for each Lux shower to a delight to the senses, making women feel fabulously feminine, every day because Lux knows when a women feels this way they get more out of life.

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Chanel N5 Y2 Top Shot R2 Chanel Y2 Table Top Bar PR Shot

They foam up nicely while the scent lingers but disappears by morning which is great for me since I like to wear my own perfume. The soap itself has beautiful embossed rose detail. After you use it you can immediately feel the skin feels moisturised soft and silky. The silky feeling is actually trademarked by Lux as Silk essence formulation which from the ingredients is probably linked to the sericin. I initially didn’t know what sericin is but upon research it turns out it is a moisturising protein made by silk worms.

lux soft touch soap 1 lux soft touch soap 2 lux soft touch soap 3

Recommended selling prices are:

Lux body wash– R21.99 for 200ml, R34.99 for 400ml and R49.95 for 750ml

Lux bar soap– R5.99 for 100g (that’s pretty cheap! I when last could you find something for 6 bucks) and R11.99 for 175g.

Review: Sampar lavish dream cream and Sampar so much to dew midnight mask

February 15, 2016 Candice Ying SunLeave a comment

Sampar sent over some goodies a while back as a Christmas present and now I’ve had enough time to brag about them.

Sampar lavish dream cream and sampar so much to dew midnight mask

First thing I received was the Sampar lavish dream cream (R990). And this cream like its name is an absolute dream! This cream is from the age antidote range. Targets wrinkle by tightening and lifting actions. The star ingredients here to target anti-ageing are bio peptides, walnut and chestnut extract. Bio peptides are a natural collagen which stimulates skin cell renewal. Packaging wise it is pretty innovative you dispense the product by pressing the top (which I still can’t get to work though). Since it is an anti-ageing cream the thick texture offers maximum hydration with only a very little amount required. The next morning the product totally seeps in and leaves the skin hydrated yet matte and not oily. Scent wise it’s that “old lady scent” that I’m not too fond of but it does disappear the next morning. I can’t vouch for the claim of for reducing wrinkles since I don’t have any yet but I’m really loving the way it makes my skin look and feel and it is never too early to invest in a good anti-ageing cream to prevent rather than treat wrinkles.

Sampar lavish dream cream 2

Next up we have the Sampar so much to dew midnight mask (R395). I’ve always believed that a girl can never have too many masks. Basically this product is meant to restore hydration to the skin. Just so you know there is a big difference between hydration and moisturisation. Hydration is the best since it adds water back into the skin, this would be ideal for people who are diagnosed with dehydrated skin. Whereas moisturisation adds oil in to your face which is not ideal unless you have dry skin otherwise you will end up looking like an oil slick. Sampar makes super easy to use, all you need to do is apply a thin layer over a cleansed face before you go to bed, this is a sleep in mask so you leave it on overnight and let it do its thing, wash it off in the morning and wake up with happy, glowing, smooth soft skin. The magic ingredients here include hyaluronic acid and shea butter serum. Texture wise it is creamy and spreads easily, it does feel a bit sticky on the skin when applied but doesn’t feel as sticky the next morning after most of the product has seeped into skin.

sampar so much to dew midnight mask

Definitely pop into the selected Edgars counters to check out this amazing range. Sampar is definitely Parisian skincare at its best because all thing that come from Paris are just amazing.

McNab’s new SuperCharge energy drink

December 21, 2015December 20, 2015 Candice Ying SunLeave a comment

McNab’s has become my go to for my energy needs and I am super excited that they have released an energy drink which is the first natural energy drink produced I South Africa which is taurine-free, vegan and halaal. I use to live on energy drinks in my university day to the point where they stopped working on me but recent studies showing all the random energy drink brands that have been coming out that are actually damaging to the health which is really shocking but luckily Mcnab’s has released an all natural version so you can be sure this won’t be harmful at all.

are pretty affordable too at R19,95 per can. It comes in raspberry flavour not sweet at all since it contains 25% less kilojoules then your average energy drink.

Just to give you a bit of insight into the ingredients used in the energy drink:

Guarana berries are what gives the caffeine and has been used as an energy restorative for centuries.
Panax ginseng is used in traditional Chinese meds for stress and ill health.
Green tea obviously the most popular and well known ingredient containing many antioxidants and caffeine.
Green coffee beans which are basically unroasted coffee beans which contains more nutrients then roasted beans.
Beetroot juice which is actually really good for you it improves the delivery of oxygen to the brain and muscles improving mental and physical performance. So definitely get your beetroot on!

Review: Lipidol sunscreen/suntan oil

November 6, 2015November 5, 2015 Candice Ying SunLeave a comment

With summer slowly approaching beauty bloggers have to brace themselves for an on slaughter of sunscreen press drops and press releases warning of the dangers of skin cancer, skin damage and premature aging that can be caused by stepping foot outside without any form of protection. The first to jump on the wagon is Lipidol. Just to emphasis though you need to wear sunscreen in both summer and winter, also whether it is cloudy or sunny.

Just a bit about the Lipidol sunscreen oil. On the bottle it says suntan oil but in the press release it says sunscreen oil but I guess it can serve both function due to only having a low SPF Factor of 20. It is made up of cypress and basil. Cypress controls excessive water loss and Basil has a refreshing energizing action. And if you were thinking “Whaaaat oil and sun isn’t that the equivalent of fried flesh?????” Not really, it is a myth that oil attracts sun, oil based sun care is a great form of sun protection. Oils are the future! There are so many miracle oils that have been discovered.

I prefer this over a normal sunscreen (aka a physical sunscreen in beauty speak) This is a chemical sunscreen which I prefer as it absorbs quicker and easier into the skin, hydrates the skin and doesn’t leave that dreaded white cast look. Even Masego “Maps” Maponyane agreed and said that he loves this product.

I don’t feel any sticky or greasiness on my skin once applied, it gives a nice sheen and hydration to the skin all day that doesn’t disappear so you know it is doing it stays put all day. The oil actually supplements the skins natural oily layer stripped away by sun, wind and water. The oil is all natural so it has a blue tinge to it but that will not show up on the skin. It has a very strong herbal smell but after an hour the scent fades and it is very light weight I hardly notice I have it on. If you are planning to be in the sun the entire day you will need a higher SPF of at least 50 as I don’t feel it will be enough protection but this is great for your everyday running errands with limited exposure time.

You can find this at Clicks stores for R79.95

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July 24, 2015 Candice Ying SunLeave a comment

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My adventure day with VÖOST

June 14, 2015June 14, 2015 Candice Ying Sun2 Comments

I had the amazing opportunity of being offered an adventure day by Jonathan the PR of VÖOST it was a full day of adventure as it was described now I would not necessarily describe myself as the adventurous type but I thought why not push myself out of my comfort zone for this amazing opportunity and I don’t regret it one bit.

Before we delve into how the day went let me just start by introducing VÖOST by Vital Health

Foods. VÖOST is a new international brand that is passionate about all things effervescent. Along with scientific and development teams in Europe, Vital Health Foods is proud to present the new VÖOST range to South Africa.

This product offering is convenient, of high quality and is priced to be easy on the pocket. Taking a VÖOST effervescent is one of the simplest and tastiest ways to get your dose of vitamins and minerals.

VÖOST is available in Vitamin C, Vitamin B, Calcium + D, Magnesium and a Multivitamin, along with a cool loyalty programme only applicable to those who are part of VÖOST crew. VÖOST allows people to enjoy a healthy and fun lifestyle. The tubes are really tiny and only come in 10 tablets so perfect to keep in your bag plus the fact that they dissolve in water makes it easier and quicker for the body to absorb these. They RSP R42,95 and come in delicious flavours. I’m most fond of the multi vitamin since it has all the vitamins that you need packed into it.

What a view of the Magaliesburg mountain

The day started nice and early to Hartbeespoort dam. First stop was the elephant sanctuary this place does keep the elephants caged up or circus animals as they are all rescued from some place and looked after by caring knowledgeable staff members. I really enjoyed as I have only seen elephants from a distance or on a cage we were guided by Eddy who gave us a lot of useful information as we went along. We got to touch, feed, walk and ride elephants. The ride was probably the scariest of the day since it was so high up and I’d never ridden on an animal before. All elephants are named and trained to do acts on command like trumpet (please watch my YouTube video for the acts performed) I was so surprised at how obedient and well trained they can become.

Some fun facts I did learn about elephants is that:

*naturally they are grey but because they bathe in mud to keep themselves cool they look brown.

*they have a 22 month pregnancy period which makes our 9 months not seem as bad.

*they can hold up to 18 litres in their trunk which is the nose and the hand. They use the trunk to place food and squirt water into its mouth. Trunk can lift up to 300kg so it is very strong.

*hearing is brilliant can pick up a whisper over 50 metres

*they don’t sweat they flap their ears to reduce heat.

*elephants as heavy as they are don’t actually make a sound when they walk they have cushioning under their feet.

Next stop was to the monkey sanctuary which I was excited about as monkeys are such clever and adorable animals most of them were previously pets. We were guided Chaus where we walked through 7 hectare indigenous natural forest on elevated wooden walkways which is home to many types of exotic monkeys in an exquisite natural environment. They are not scared of humans and are really naughty and like to steal visitor’s belongings and can even pick pocket and open zips with their tiny hands. Monkeys are so clever they crush millipede worms and smear them on their body to act as a mosquito replant. This place is definitely worth a visit.

So adorable doesn't that face just scream take me home? — So adorable doesn’t that face just scream take me home?

This ring tale lemur is King Julian from penguins of Madagascar movie. (Oh the fluffy tale!)

Next up we went to the aerial Cableway a breath-taking ride in a cable car overlooking the hartbeespoort dam and Magaliesburg Mountains.

Final stop was Hero’s grill house and pizzeria which had an amazing view of the hartbeespoort dam while you dine in style with amazing service and great food.