April Favorites!

 Friday, April 29, 2011

Hi, lovely readers. I bought a lot of beauty products this month because Ulta had pretty sweet deals throughout the month, and Sephora recently had a code that took 15% off the entire purchase. The swatches are on the bottom of the post, as usual.



Sonia Kashuk Makeup Remover $9.99: I found my HG makeup remover. This is it. Best makeup remover EVER.

Amazing Cosmetics Amazing Concealer $42: I got this from Ulta when these were 50% off, which makes me love this even more. The consistency is very similar to MAC's pro long wear concealer. It's primarily liquid, but slightly creamy. It is really easy to blend, conceals well, matches my skintone (I bought mine in medium beige, and I'm a NW25) and does not turn cakey on the skin.

John Frieda Flyaway Tamer $8.99: It comes in a tube with a mascara-like wand. The product is clear and unscented. I have a lot of "baby hairs" and flyaways, especially after I blowdry. I've tried using dryer sheets to calm my flyaways, but it only keeps them tamed for a few minutes. This product is really effective, and it doesn't make your hair turn stiff, oily, etc.

NYC Bronzer in Sunny $2.32 (not pictured): I applied this like a blush, and it gave my face a healthy glow. I haven't had much luck finding a bronzer that suits my skintone, but this bronzer is definitely flattering on me.

Mememe Pussycat Cheek & Lip Tint: My friend got me two of these when she visited the UK. I'm pretty sure you can't find this in the U.S., but can be ordered on Ebay. This is the perfect dupe for Benefit's Benetint, but at a fraction of the cost! Benetint is $28, and the Pussycat tint is around $14 on Ebay. This gives my lips a nice flush of red, almost as if I applied a cherry red lipstick and gently wiped it off with a tissue. It looks nice with a neutral or simple eye. I also tried it on my cheeks, but the color was a bit too bold against my somewhat fair complexion. I think it will look nicer on a darker skintone, so I'm excited to wear it on my cheeks during the summer. It is also pretty easy to blend.

TokiDoki Lip Stain in Cactus Friends $10: I'm not usually a fan of lip stains since they tend to dry out my lips. However, this lip stain doesn't dry out my lips and I love the color. It's a coral, orange color, which is one of my favorite lip colors to wear year-round. Also, I'm pretty content with the staying power of this lip stain. It doesn't stay on all day, but the color stays put for a couple hours.

Swatches:
L to R: Mememe tint and Toki Doki lip stain

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Review: Loreal Paris Magic Smooth Souffle Foundation

 Wednesday, April 6, 2011


Before I start raving about this product, I'm going to provide some background on my skin type. During the winter, I have very dry skin. I get flaky, dry patches on my cheeks, the sides of my nose, and between my eyebrows. As the climate gets warmer, my skin gets less dry. During the summer, I have dry to normal skin with a slightly oily forehead. I also have extremely sensitive skin. Face products that contain the mildest ingredients can still cause irritation and redness.

I usually refrain from buying face products that don't have the following labels: for sensitive skin, oil free, fragrance free, non-comedogenic, and not tested on animals. The latter is not related to my skin type, but I must abide. I refuse to buy products from companies that test on animals. Unfortunately, I did not see ANY of these labels on this foundation jar, but I grudgingly purchased it per my best friend's recommendation (we have similar skin types). So here are the cons and pros of this product:

Cons:
-Packaging: the product is in a jar, which is not very hygienic. I use a clean cotton swab to retrieve the product.
-Coverage: my face is always red and I have some dark acne scarring on my chin. Unfortunately, the product does not provide enough coverage to conceal my flaws, but it is definitely buildable.
-Leaves a silky, almost oily residue when I first apply the product. However, this feeling does go away after a minute or so. This doesn't bother me because I like the added moisture, but this may not fare well with those who have oily skin.

Pros:
-Feels silky smooth (I know I listed this as a con, but it is a pro for me)
-Provides a matte, smooth look
-Isn't cakey
-I don't need a brush or a sponge to apply this.

Now, for some pictures... yes, I did some quick and messy editing. You can click on the pictures to enlarge them.

This is my skin after moisturizing and before the foundation:

This is my skin after foundation and before concealer:

This is my skin after foundation, concealer, and my makeup setting spray:


This product wins approval from me. Has anyone else tried this product? How does it work for you?

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