I have two places that I tend to work at – in an office, where I can spend up to seven or eight hours in front of my computer, or on location when I am shooting under various different weather conditions. I’m not someone who likes to go through my days bare faced though and base make up, eyeliner, blush and lip balm are my daily neccessities. For this reason, I’m always looking for products that have great longevity as well as look good on my skin. Wanting to put together a list of ‘office essentials’, I was recommended to try a collection of products from Genie Beauty – a brand that is sold via TVSN. After looking though the wide range of products that I offer, I decided to try out a few different things from them: a base powder, a colour correcting powder and two mascaras – which I had tested as a set.
A lot of Genie Beauty products are targeted towards a more mature audience, with a lot of anti-aging care, but this doesn’t mean that it isn’t suitable for younger skin. Out of the products that I tried, their formulas are light and effective, with a focus on giving you a beautiful – but natural – finish. This brand focus comes from their story, where the creator Lisa Claycomb originally developed the Instant Line Smoother (a clear cosmetic to instantly smooth away the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, bags and puffiness) for her mother. Although I didn’t try that product, I’m definitely keen on giving in a shot in the future.
Instead, let’s move on to what I do have!
The first product that I went to try is the Cashmere Powder – this claims to be a transparent powder that sets make up to last all day, while also creating a soft focus blurred finish, without over mattifying the skin. It is also triple milled, making it a very soft and lightweight powder that won’t age the skin so it is suitable for mature skin.
In addition to the powder, I also received a Kabuki Brush to use with this product, and it is available for purchase as a set or individually on TVSN. The brush is super dense and very soft. Being custom laser cut, they have a great shape to work with and are make from a synthetic hair called Taklon. These brushes are cruelty free and come in three sizes (though it seems that the website only carries the large size).
The powder comes in a sturdy, matte gold compact that is light and easy to carry around. I found myself putting this into my make up bag on most days, though it is significantly bigger than the little no sebum powder I usually use. The mirror is large and it’s very travel friendly, which is great, but unfortunately doesn’t come with a included brush or sponge. I use the kabuki brush usually, but the brush isn’t the best to carry around, so retouching is a bit picky.
I love the light formula though and it mattifies really well, with no visible caking and no adverse effect on any of my base make up formulas. It is easy to apply other powder products on top and it blends really well.
At first, I was really confused about how much kick back I got when I used this powder but, upon finding out that it’s meant to act like a loose powder, I like how this makes the products more blendable – though it is a bit messy when applying. It’s safe for travel though! Which is always a plus.
Also note:
- This formula is infused with T-1 Complex, Vitamin E, Soy Protein and Aloe Vera to help protect and condition the skin against free radical damage and reduce the signs of aging.
- T01 Complex is a super MMP-inhibitor, which helps to tone and revitalise your complexion while reducng free radical damage.
- The formula is non-drying, and will not cake or settle into fine lines or wrinkles.
- Although it is pressed for portability, the pigment is loose and acts like a loose powder.
Above is the Kabuki Brush that I also recieved to use with this. I love the bristles of it and the brush is, as claimed, very dense and fluffy – it is indeed “velvety soft”. My main issue, and this is an issue with all of the kabuki brushes that I own, is that they can be a bit of a pain to store. Aside from my 3CE brush which came with a case (and makes it more travel friendly), I have difficulty bringing them anywhere with me because they’re too stout to fit into the traditional brush holder and I don’t want to ruin the brush.
Overall, I really loved the Cashmere Powder and I do continue to use it in my every day make up routine. Although it doesn’t mattify for the entire day (as I have quite an oily T-zone), it is easy to reapply on top – provided that you have the correct brush on you. The packaging isn’t perfect, but the formula is great and I definitely recommend it. A pressed, loose powder form is also really interesting and I think it’s the first time I’ve come across it; hence my initial confusion.
POSITIVES
- Soft and lightweight
- Doesn’t settle into fine lines
- Mattifies well
- Light and compact, easy to carry around
- Functions like a loose powder, but is pressed for portability
- Helps to reduce the signs of aging
- Kabuki Brush: Soft, each to use
NEGATIVES
- No built in applicator or sponge for travel use
- Kabuki Brush: No storage case, not travel friendly
And the next product that I tried out is an actual loose powder – this is their Cashmere Colour Correcting Powder which comes in a green tone. This has malachite extract which acts as an instant anti-inflammatory, while also calming redness that is caused my rosacea, hypersensitive skin, hormonal fluctuations, broken capillaries or just weather-beaten skin. This is actually a smaller pot than I had originally imagined (2.3g in total) so that was a little bit disappointing – because I quite like this product too!
This comes with a screw off lid in the branded matte gold packaging – which looks quite simple and nice. The sift is sealed when you first receive it but, unfortunately, this also doesn’t come with a puff. For these loose powders, I usually prefer if it has an applicator if only because that helps to hold it closed so that it is a little bit easier to travel with. Since this pot is completely open to tipping, I can’t carry this around as a touch up.
So this product gives instant relief from redness. Blending in completely colourless and evenly, it mattifies the skin while also giving a subtle and natural colour correction. This product claims to give a “soft, luminous youthful glow that offers incredible coverage and a beautiful even-toned finish” – it is perfect for all types of redness, ranging from acne to hormonal.
Similar to the Cashmere Powder, this product is also micro-milled three times to give a super fine powder that doesn’t set into fine lines. Being hypoallergenic, fragrance-free and dermatologist-tested, I’m sure that this would be suitable for sensitive skin too.
The powder dispenses easily and I love how lightly it applies. It definitely helps to balance out redness and to give a more even complexion – however, this isn’t dramatic and, if you have intense redness issues, I definitely think that a cream colour corrector is needed. Although I usually love loose powders, the lack of applicator, small pot and non-travel friendly packaging of this is a definite downside.
POSITIVES
- Natural colour correcting
- Blends out transparent with no white cast
- Mattifies
- Very fine powder particles
- Suitable for sensitive skin
NEGATIVES
- Small pot
- Non-travel friendly packaging (can be messy)
- No included applicator for touch ups
And lastly, I also tested their TLC Plus Lash Booster and Mascara – which can both be used together (as sold in their Million Dollar Lash Kit) or separately. Essentially, this is a lengthening and thickening mascara that is means to give you longer, luscious eyelashes.
The first is a fibre lengthener, which I’ve actually used before though is usually inside of my normal black mascara. This is a beeswax-based formula is claims to build better lashes by priming, conditioning and hydrating – it creates fuller lashes while preventing flaking, smudging or drying out of the lashes. I’ve actually had this problem just two days ago where using waterproof mascara for too many days in a row had painfully dried out my lashes – so I feel like I should have used this as a base.
This product uses beeswax, carnauba wax and glycerin to product and treat the lashes. It also have nylon fibres to lengthen and does not contain alcohol or any other drying agents. This product also contains vitamins A, C and Green Tea to nourish and protect from breakage – always an added benefit for someone like me who has very short and sparse lashes.
So this product comes in a white and gold metallic tube. To be honest, the design isn’t anything outstanding in comparison to the other mascaras that I’ve used but it’s similar in simplicity to the Heroine Make – it’s very clean and modern, so it’s not a bad design. The tubes are made of plastic, but there’s a little heavy to the touch; unsure whether this is because of the amount of product or the material. A downside of the design is that it’s hard to determine which tube you’re looking at from the top (since they both look blank with gold tubes and I have two of them), but this isn’t too bad as the type is quite big and easy to read.
When you open up the tube, it’s actually really tight – and I think that this has to do with how thick the formula is. Perhaps this is a result of the more nourishing ingredients, but I can imagine that this would weigh down the lashes quite a bit. Surprisingly, this wasn’t too bad though.
For the Lash Booster, the product claims to give 300% increase in length and thickness, which I could visibly see myself. According to the information, the curved brush (which has diamond shaped bristles) is designed to give your lashes the “ultimate curl, definition and lift.” It coats individual lashes without clumping to help them appear fuller – which is definitely true!
The Lash Booster is absolutely my favourite product out of what I have tried (and I do like the powders too) – it is definitely more gentle on my eyelashes than some of the other mascaras I’ve used and it lengthens like crazy. For my super short and stubborn lashes, it still managed to give me a decent curl (as in, it help the curl decently – and this is a tall ask for most lash products) and it lengthened perhaps more than any other mascara I’ve used. On the downside, I’m not a fan of the white formula because the colour really does add an extra step in your make up routine – I would prefer if this formula was just worked into my normal mascara.
POSITIVES
- Simple packaging
- Easy to use, curved applicator
- Nourishing for lashes
- Does not dry out lashes
- Incredible, visible lengthening
- No clumping and easy to build up length
NEGATIVES
- Tubes (this one vs mascara) are hard to differentiate
- Formula is thick so it weighs lashes down
- Average (but passable) curling
- White colour means that a colours mascara needs to be used on top – why not black or clear?
As for the TLC Plus Mascara, this product also has silica fibres to lengthen and “visually expand” you lashes. It claims to look like mini eyelash extensions which – I guess – they are, but of course, you still won’t get that super effect of false lashes unless you already have something to work with. The formula is similar to the lash booster, with similar ingredients (glycerin, beeswax, carnauba wax and no alcohol) but, since this was also black, I had expected to like it more. Unfortunately though, this mascara just doesn’t work for me.
I have sensitive eyes that tend to water regardless of what make up I wear – it has more to do with hayfever than anything – so I usually always have to wear waterproof mascara. Since this formula isn’t waterproof, it smudges onto my lower lashes within a few short hours, if not less. Although the formula is non clumping and comfortable, it just becomes a mess for me.
That being said, this mascara has an interesting applicator where it has a double row of bristles to create a V shape, allowing you to apply twice as much product onto your lashes quickly – but without any clumping. The initial look of the product is great, it holds curls well (as it isn’t as heavy as the lash booster) and it lengthens too – though not as much as the lash booster. Overall, I would definitely recommend this for people with non-watering eyes (who can wear normal mascaras), while I would recommend the lash booster for people like me – personally, I would use the lash booster as a primer to lengthen and product my lashes from drying, waterproof formulas.
POSITIVES
- Does not dry out lashes
- Lengthening fibres includes
- No clumping
- Easy and quick to apply
- Holds lashes decently
NEGATIVES
- It is not waterproof
And those are my thoughts on the products from Genie Beauty! Although they didn’t all work for me (see the mascara), I did really enjoy their formulas and I’ll definitely continue my use of them in my regular make up routine. In fact, I think that you will be seeing them in the future when I compile some of my essentials list. My favourite product was definitely the Lash Booster, and coming in a close second would be the Cashmere Powder – I only wish that they will develop their packaging a bit further so that it’s more engaging like some of the creative Korean brands, and that they will consider portable applicators for their powder products.
The Genie Beauty brand is sold via TVSN, so check out their website or call 132 310. For more information, you can also check out the Genie Beauty website.
Please note that the above products were sent to me for PR purposes. All opinions stated are my honest opinions and experiences. Factual information (ingredients, product claims etc) are taken from the official press release only.
