Rave: Stila stay all day waterproof liquid eye liner

10 months later the writing is wearing away

Back in January, when Stila returned to a physical presence in Harvey Nichols (yay!), I picked up this eye liner, and 10 months down the line it is still going strong so it's well overdue a rave post.

Stila stay all day waterproof liquid eye liner in intense black is a lovely, deep black liner that does exactly what it says on the tin - stays put. I took this with me on holiday and even in intense heat it didn't melt away.

It has a slight sheen to the finish but not overly so like patent. The brush allows for very precise application so you can get a fine or thick line with ease.

the brush still looks good

Some pen/brush liners do not apply well over other eye makeup giving a weak looking line but this is not the case with this liner, it is intense from the off.  

Even though I've had this for some time now it still applies as intensely as when I first purchased it which I am seriously impressed with as others by now would have dried up.

Stila stay all day waterproof liquid eye liner intense black

Stila stay all day waterproof liquid eye liner intense black

Also I find that when removing it doesn't flake off like some other liners I have (*cough Illamasqua Precision Ink*) which can be annoying.

With it's super staying power, it does require a good remover but my usual oils/balms make short work of it. 

It goes without saying that I'd definitely repurchase this when it runs out as it's a product I use regularly.

Recent Skincare Empties

Currently I've been more focused at getting my skin in order so while I've not completely done a no-buy on makeup, I've have cut down considerably. I think I'm getting through quite a few bits of skincare so here are some of my recent empties:

No7 Beautiful Skin Eye Make-Up Remover
This is something I usually only get with the Boots £5 off vouchers, but I don't know if it's just me but this doesn't seem as good as I once remembered. Sure, it removes makeup well enough (an oil is still my preferred choice), but I find the bi-phase formula separates a bit too quickly, especially as you get halfway through the bottle and you get left with uneven amounts. I do prefer the newly revamped packaging as it's no longer a pump and just a screw-lid so if you need to dip in cotton-buds it's easier than before.

Pai Camellia & Rose Gentle Hydrating Cleanser
This is a lovely thick and creamy cleanser that is dense enough to massage over the skin for a few minutes before washing away with a flannel/cloth. If feels very gentle on the skin and leaves it soft, clean and comfortable. It has a pleasant light floral scent that is lovely to wake-up to in the morning. 
I do have acne-prone skin so I usually look for a little more in helping to control this issue so while this is a very good cleanser, I don't think I would repurchase.

Pai Geranium & Thistle Combination Skin Cream
I don't think I've ever used a moisturiser up as quickly as this one as it's been so lovely to use. It has a wonderful creamy, nourishing feel to it yet it is not in any way heavy or greasy and leaves the skin feeling naturally matte and surprisingly helps to control oil and I don't find myself getting as shiny. Some moisturisers for combination skin feel very light or have more gel type textures where as this feels like a proper cream which I prefer. This is definitely up there as one of my favourites.

Ren Max Moisture Concentrate
I was recommended this ages ago while having a facial to help address dehydration so when I had a discount code from Beauty Expert, I thought I'd give it a whirl. The texture of this is a light lotion/serum feel that sinks into the skin quickly without any residue or tackiness and then I use my regular moisturiser on top. While it seems to suit my skin fine, I was rather underwhelmed as I haven't noticed a great deal from using this. I am a fan of Ren and I absolutely adore many of their other products but sadly this is not one of them.

Naturally, I have got a few new skincare items to use (the current Boots 3 for 2 coming in very handy:) so will report on those in due course.

Phylia de M. Connect Review

Phylia de M. is quite a new haircare brand hailing from LA, having launched only this year and one I had been intrigued about after reading information from VictoriaHealth.com (who exclusively stock the range in the UK) as it combines 'ancient Aztec and Mayan herbal remedies with modern science'.

Phylia de M. promotes more healthier, thicker hair for a variety of hair and scalp conditions through a unique blend of ingredients which they grow in their own private organic gardens - I'll leave it them to explain this so here is the information on the ingredients taken from the leaflet that came with the product:

'Aloe Blend
A powerful anti-oxidant, aloe rehabilitates cell damage and assists in the production of keratin, the main component of hair, skin, and nails. Our potent, customized aloe blend revives and encourages regeneration.

Tannic Acid Blend
When a plant is damaged, it secretes tannic acid to repair and renew. We apply the same method to hair follicles with our pure blend of select tannic acids.

Fulvic Acid (Fulphyl de M.) 
(our custom organic humic-free pure fulvic acid)
Fulvic acid provides nutrients to scalp and nerves while removing excess toxins. It transports vital keratin to cells and reminds them to work to their full potential. Our custom-created fulvic acid is completely pure and humic free.'

In the past I've used supplementation that contains Fulvic Acid and it's not an ingredient I've seen used in haircare before so this did pique my interest in the line.

These past 2 years I have noticed that my hair is generally thinner than it once was and while I am trying to address this through nutrition and supplementation, I wanted something topical to use so the product I was most eager to try is the Connect. A review I had read described this as 'fertiliser' for hair, so I had high hopes for this!

Connect is a treatment product for follicles, scalp and hair that comes in a spray form that you apply to scalp and hair in sections after washing and towel drying. It can also be used in dry hair, before styling, on brows and also on nails. It feels light like water so when sprayed it doesn't weigh hair down or make it feel greasy, so I can be liberal with it without issue.

I have been using this a little over 2 months now, about 2 times a week after washing my hair and for me I have noticed a bit of an improvement in that my hair (especially near the roots in the centre) seems a little less thinner. During the first month of use of didn't really notice much, it's only recently that I've seen some positives.
Another thing I've noticed is that if I leave my hair to dry naturally, it helps to promote the natural waves in my hair which is an unexpected plus.

Ingredients:

A gripe I do have is the amount of product you get - when I first opened my package from Victoria Health, I held up the 120ml bottle and thought 'this looks small', which may have been ok if it wasn't £45! I have, as initially thought, got through the product rather quickly even though I have only being spraying in my roots rather than all over. I haven't tried the other uses yet as I didn't want to run out so quickly as I think I would have probably gotten through it in around a month or less had I used it frequently. Ideally it would have been nice to have at least a 200ml bottle for that price considering the versatility of use.

If you would like a super-size version, Victoria Health just announced today there is a 570ml refill bottle available for £180.  A saving if you were to buy the standard bottles individually, but still a considerable sum.

The range also has a shampoo (£28 for 265ml) and conditioner (£30 for 265ml) which I will probably try once I get through some existing products. There is a kit with all three products for £103 (which works out the same as if you were to buy each product individually, so not sure what the incentive is there?).

I really do like this product, and even though the size/price bugs me, I will most likely repurchase as it is straightforward to use and does seem to actually do something.

Phylia de M. is available from Victoria Health in the UK (not affiliate link)
and also http://phyliahair.com (which also has stockist list)