#this whole time i was using foundation that didn’t 100% match my skin as concealer

[bassforte]

Yooooo I have never tried on this kind of make up before and I am living holy shit

[dazombi3fari3]

Good morning dolls. I’m still recovering from yesterday’s procedure. I am extremely sore today. I will be posting a follow up to the Radiofrequency Ablation procedure. I used a new tinted moisturizer from NYX today… So let’s get started….

Base: I primed with Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer ($54 at Sephora and Hourglass website). It’s my go to primer when I’m testing a new foundation. I woke up with deep circles under my eyes so I color corrected with the Tarte CC Undereye Corrector ($25 Ulta and Tarte Website) in the color Light-Medium. I concealed my undereyes and the area around my nose and tops of my cheeks with NYX HD Studio Photogenic Concealer ($6 at Ulta and NYX website) in the color Nude Beige. I chose NYX Bare With Me Tinted Skin Veil ($13 at Ulta and NYX website) in the color Beige Camel. I set my entire face with BH Studio Pro Matte Finish Pressed Powder ($9.50 on their website) in the color #230 and then I warmed up my face using NYX Matte Bronzer ($10 at Ulta and NYX website) in the color Deep Tan.

Eyes: I primed my lids with Tarte Shape Tape ($27 at Ulta and Tarte website) in the color Light-Medium Honey. I used 2 palettes today. I set my Shape Tape with the 2nd color on the bottom row (a mid toned flesh color matte) of the Coastal Scents Revealed Matte palette ($20 on their website). I used the Too Faced Peanut Butter and Jelly palette (a limited edition palette that was given to me for a Christmas present several years ago) for my transition shade I chose Peanut Butter (a tan with orange undertones matte). I went back to the Revealed Matte palette and used the 5th color on the bottom row (a dusty brown matte) as my crease color. I then went back to the Peanut Butter and Jelly palette and used the color Peanut Butter, again, on my lower lash line for my drop shadow. I then used Bananas (a light yellow gold shimmer) on my lids. I then used a bit more of the crease color on the outer 1/3 of my lids to deepen that area. I did my brows with the ELF combo of the Ultra Precise Brow Pencil ($5 on their website) and Wow Brow ($4 on their website) in the color Deep Brown. I highlighted the brow bone with BH Cosmetics Studio Pro Brow Highlighter ($5 on their website) on the matte side and set it with the 1st color of the bottom row of the Revealed Matte palette (a light cream matte). I highlighted the inner corners with Urban Decay single shadow ($20 at Ulta) in the color Midnight Cowboy. I lined my water line with NYX Faux Whites Eyeliner ($8 at Ulta) in the color Linen. and I tried Too Faced Better Than Sex mascara ($25 at Ulta and Too Faced website).

Cheeks and Lips: I used MAC Powder Blush ($25 at MAC and Ulta) in the color Pinch O’ Peach. I highlighter the tops of my cheek bones, temples, and Cupid’s Bow with Essence Pure Nude Highlighter ($4.49 at Ulta) in the color Be My Highlight. I lined my lips with NYX Suede Matte Lip Liner ($4 at Ulta) in the color Vintage (a deep plummy red). I also contoured my lips with this same lip liner. I filled my lips in with NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream ($6.50 at Ulta) in the color Zurich (a muted pinky coral).

Final Thoughts…

Tarte CC Undereye Corrector: A+++                                                                                                  I 100% would crumble if Tarte every discontinued this product… I think it is even better than the Bobbi Brown corrector. It only comes in 2 shades Light Medium and Medium Deep.  A little goes a long way. All I do is dip my finger onto the top of the corrector and that is enough for both eyes. I even use the corrector on days that I do not wear makeup to brighten the undereye. It does need to be set or it sinks into the fine lines.

NYX HD Studio Photogenic Concealer: C-                                                                                     I’m still trying to figure out the best way to use this concealer. It creases so fast. It’s like you need to apply it to one eye and set it straight away to keep it from creasing. It comes in 23 colors (including 3 color correcting shades). I like the tone of the concealer I just don’t like that it creases so quick, it also emphasizes every little texture around the eye area. I think this is just a good concealer to spot treat the face and not for the undereye.

NYX Bare With Me Tinted Skin Veil: B+                                                                                       This tinted moisturizer comes in 12 colors (4 for light skin, 4 for medium skin, and 4 for deep skin). It’s a light weight formula. I used 2 squeezes of the tube to cover my whole face and neck. The color is a perfect shade match for me. I tried 1 squeeze of the tube and that gave me a very light coverage , so I went back in with a second squeeze and that was perfect for a medium coverage. It does catch on dry patches of skin, but I am not sure if that’s because I didn’t stick to my skin regimen because of yesterday’s procedure, or it it’s because this product emphasizes the skin…. I’ll have to work with it a bit more to see.

BH Studio Pro Matte Finish Pressed Powder: A-                                                                              It comes in 7 colors (3 of which are for deeper skin). This is a semi-dupe for MAC Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation. There is more coverage with the Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation but the texture and longevity are spot on with both these products. I like this powder it’s a great price point and covers very good.

NYX Matte Bronzer: A+                                                                                                                          I have been using this bronzer for several years. It’s a great matte bronzer. It’s not too orange , not to taupe… it’s a perfect blend of both. It comes in 5 shades. It’s long lasting and blends like a dream… even on days where my skin is a bit temperamental I never get a patchy blend from it.

Too Faced Peanut Butter and Jelly Palette: A+++                                                                             I am so happy I got this for a Christmas present a few years ago. I think this is 1 palette Too Faced should have kept in rotation.  It’s a travel friendly palette. It has 9 shades and a good mix of shimmer and matte shadows. The shadows blend well and do not fade, vene after a long day.

Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara: C                                                                                             I don’t understand the hype behind this mascara, truly I don’t. To me it’s just a basic mascara. It’s doesn’t hold curl. It’s not super black, it doesn’t thicken the lashes… it is just a mascara. There are many drug store mascaras that out do the Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara. I give it a C because it didn’t smudge or transfer… but really it’s nothing special.

MAC Powder Blush: B++                                                                                                                This blush comes in 30 colors. The only shade I own is Pinch O’ Peach. It’s the perfect just pinched shade. I don’t know if other colors are the same way, but Pinch O’ Peach takes a bit to build up in color but once it does it’s beautiful. It blends out wonderfully. It lasts a long time and it’s a true matte color. I am thinking of purchasing other shades… I just have so much blush I haven’t had the need for a new one.

Essence Pure Nude Highlighter: A+++                                                                                        This is the perfect highlighter for any occasion.  It goes on so smoothly and gives a sheen to the skin, nothing too heavy but it can be build up for a high shine. I have been known to use this highlighter on no makeup days and it always comes out looking like a glow from within, and I have used it for a formal event and just by wetting the highlighter brush have gotten a beaming highlight. If I had to give up on my highlighters and only keep 1 … this would be the one that I picked.

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream: A+                                                                                                   There are 38 shades in the range. This is a comfortable lipstick. Once it dries down it does not transfer. It is long wearing but not build-able. After having a donut and coffee I had to reapply but noticed it felt crumbly, but once it dried down again it felt fine. I really like this formula and have purchased 4 more shades.

Well that’s all for now babies… hope the day finds you with tons of energy and as pain free as possible.

Remember save a spoon for a bit of lipstick.

XOXO

        Basic Face of the Day Good morning dolls. I'm still recovering from yesterday's procedure. I am extremely sore today. I will be posting a follow up to the Radiofrequency Ablation procedure.

[azonbestsellers]

Amazon Beauty Best Sellers

Products Mentioned:

OZ Naturals Vitamin C + E + Hyaluronic Acid Serum – http://amzn.to/2DpS7jl 

Pink Makeup Teardrop Blending Foundation Sponge Puff – http://amzn.to/2DvhGQ0

niceeshop Brush Set – http://amzn.to/2EV1ZP6

Pro 15 Color Face Concealer Camouflage Makeup Palette – http://amzn.to/2DjgCvd (updated)

Elizavecca Milky Piggy Carbonated Bubble Clay Mask – http://amzn.to/2DipfpG

Video Transcript ▼

Hey I stand here with a really exciting video in this video has been a month in the making so I’ve been so excited to finally collect everything and be able to review it and show you guys so this is the idea that I’ve had it was inspiring one day I was shopping on Amazon and I realized that there was a top 100 Beauty best sellers list on Amazon which I didn’t know existed and I was like wow that’s really cool so I thought wouldn’t it be an awesome idea if I took products from this top 100 list ordered them and reviewed them so I could talk about if they were worth the hype and if it’s something that you guys should look into ordering so that’s what I’m doing today it took about a month and a half to get everything in the mail try it out see what I thought of it and kind of gather my thoughts and get this video together so I’m finally ready to show you guys the products that I picked up so there are all different ranges on the top 100 beauty scale I just thought I would pick five products from the whole list and just take it from there so I have skincare I have makeup and I have makeup tools so the first thing I have to show you guys is this as natural serum and this is a vitamin C serum it’s 20% vitamin C and then also has a me know blend hyaluronic acid vitamin E in Berlocq acid so it’s a professional anti-aging serum so this serum is 2750 with free shipping and that’s Canadian dollars it has four and a half stars out of five on Amazon I ordered it October 2nd and it came October 13 so this was the fastest to get here and at the time when I ordered it it was ranked number two out of a hundred on the top 100 Beauty bestseller list so I started using this as soon as I got it in second week of October and as you guys know I’ve been really into using facial serums lately so I’ve been trying it a bunch of different ones like a Bobby Brown serum I’ve been trying out the sundae by Lena luminesce serum I’ve also been trying out the Tsubaki oil serum from BOE chest so I have kind of a range of different ones to compare this to but the first night that I use this I do a test patch with every skincare item that I get and I try to not in this cheek so when I do test patch I will put it somewhere that I don’t usually tend to break out so the next morning when I woke up after doing a 10 with this my cheek was completely broken out there was small red spots everywhere that was kind of like oh my gosh I can’t use this anymore because I’m going to be totally broken out if I use this all over my face so I give my skin a few days to let that settle down and I gave it another try I did another test patch and my skin was fine and then I started using it all over my face so this serum has a very thin liquidy texture I don’t know if you could see it dropping into the bottle there but it’s a very light consistency which I like in a serum I don’t want anything to be too heavy on my skin so the vitamin C is supposed to help protect your skin and aid with cell turnover just supposed to make your skin feel really plump and really moisturized so after a week of using this I found that my skin looked brighter and I really liked how soft and smooth my skin felt after using this I also found that I have a lot of dark acne scarring on my chin and they didn’t seem so prominent after I used it so I think that it did live up to a lot of its claims I use this overall for about 3 weeks and I found a big difference in my skin it looked brighter it felt were moisturized and I saw acne scarring fading which was the happiest part of using the serum for such a potent serum I think that it would be really expensive to get something like this in the stores but this is 2750 plus free shipping so I think that you’re getting a lot of high-quality ingredients packed into one serum for a really great price so I would definitely recommend this if you’re looking to just try and get serious for the first time and you don’t want to invest too heavily into one I think this one would definitely be the way to go oh and I also forgot to mention that this serum is 72% organic and this company oz Naturals also has a lot of different products for your different skin care concerns so they have a hyaluronic acid serum and they also have an eye cream for dark circles and puffiness and wrinkles which I’m thinking about trying out soon maybe for the next video in this series so the next product I have is this little tiny pink sponge so this looks a whole lot like a Beauty Blender and I was thinking it was going to be Beautyblender dupe so this product is rated three and a half out of five stars on Amazon I ordered it on October 2nd and it was delivered November 12 so this was something that took the longest to get here which I was pretty surprised cuz it’s really light and the price was a dollar eighty plus free shipping product is rated three and a half out of five stars and at the time when I purchased it it was rated number thirty a hundred on the top seller beauty list so I was thinking that this was going to be a really great Beauty Blender to but I was really wrong so first off when you use this and put it under the water it doesn’t soak up any water and it does makes fans like the Beauty Blender does it just feels a little bit damp so I used a wet and I did my normal foundation routine I would take some foundation on the back of my hand and then dab this sponge in and then try pad all over my face so soaked up a lot of foundation so I found that using this I was going through a ton of foundation and then I also found when I was using it on my face it was kind of like pounding a rock against my skin you felt really hurt when I was using it which was so surprising so the next day I decided just to try it dry like a normal makeup sponge and it was no good like that either it wasn’t applying my foundation evenly it was still soaking up a lot of a product and it just made my foundation go on really funny so I would say if you’re going to pick this up thing it’s a Beauty Blender dupe don’t waste your dollar a days and if you want to pick this up as like a regular makeup sponge to be able to apply makeup dry I would not recommend it I would say just go down to like Walmart and pick up a big pack of makeup sponges like 50 in a pack for like $2 because this is just not worth the money and it’s not worth the time and effort that it takes to get your mailbox if you’re looking for a good Beauty Blender to definitely try the Real Techniques I know it’s nine dollars but it’ll definitely save you in the long run with the amount of foundation this thing soaks up because if you use this all the time you’ll be going through a ton of foundation the next product feature was a pack of brushes that comes in this bag these are weighted four and a half out of five stars in Amazon I ordered them October 2nd and they came October 22nd and at the time when I bought them they were rated number twelve out of a hundred on the Amazon top Beauty bestseller list and the price was ten fifty plus free shipping so the handles are really sturdy on these brushes they are bamboo they feel really tough and durable but the face brushes worked really great my favorite of the bunch where the blush brush and this blending brush this brush reminds me a lot of the Real Techniques expert face brush it’s really great for buffing in your foundation and blending it out really well I would definitely recommend these they’re really soft on your face and they’re sturdy I think especially if you’re just turning off of makeup I know brushes can be so expensive so I think that this would be a really great set to start it with I mean you’re getting pretty much all the brushes that you need so the next item I have to show you is a concealer palette it was 439 plus free shipping it has three and a half at five stars on Amazon I ordered October 2nd and arrived November 13th and at the time I ordered it it was ranked number 44 out of 100 on the Amazon top beauty seller list so this palette comes with 15 shades so as you can see you get a highlighter and then you get a green and pink concealer then you get a yellow tone one and then you get all kinds of different skin tone color concealers the ones I mainly stuck with were the highlighter I tried it the green concealer and I tried out the yellow tone concealer and then I use this one for concealing to match my skin tone the consistency of these concealers are super tacky they didn’t have great lasting power I found that after an hour or so my concealer was completely gone from underneath my eyes and my other issue with this palette is that there’s a lot of really great dark shades but there’s not really a lot of light shades for super fair people like me I use this one for concealing but I found that that was just getting borderline a little bit dark because I do like to highlight under my eyes and make my eyes look brighter I don’t think I’m working on this palette just because the concealers they didn’t feel very nice on your skin when you apply them they never really set and then it just wears away really fast I do think that there’s better options out there for the price this is something that’s been on my wish list forever and I’m so excited that I finally had the chance to try it I’ve seen reviews of this on huge and it just looked like so much fun so this is a face mask from Eliza that gasps I think I’m sorry if I butchered that is the Milky piggy carbonated bubble clay mask it has five out of five stars on Amazon I were to October second and it came November second the price was 1364 plus free shipping and it was ranked number 14 out of 100 on the top Beauty bestseller list this mask is my favorite thing out of the whole bunch of items that I bought so you open it up it has a stopper here with this little spatula on the inside which really helps when you’re trying to apply the mask so this mask is good for poor cleaning and blackhead removal and carbonated bubbles are supposed to massage your face so when you’re putting on it just are so really foamy on your face it feels really nice because the bubbles are kind of popping on your skin then after five minutes what you do is you pack down all the bubbles and then you slowly rub away the mask from your face with warm water it has green tea extract pomegranate extract and extract powder charcoal so that’s a bunch of really great ingredients to have in a face mask to kind of clean out your pores it didn’t make my face feel tight which I liked because a lot of face masks can really make your face feel like you can’t move so it didn’t do that it just massage with the bubbles I made my skin feel amazing so I definitely recommend space masks it is so much fun so that has been my Amazon test products reviews I’m gonna have to come up with a better name for this series I need to come up with a name for the series so if you guys have any suggestions I would love those in the comments below so if you like me doing this series please let me know and I will keep doing them I will leave a link in the description bar of the Amazon top 100 best beauty sellers and you let me know what you’d like to see me try next so just click that link and leave me a product suggestion of what I should try so I hope you guys enjoyed this video don’t forget to follow me on Twitter and Instagram it making up Ashley and I’ll be talking to you guys soon bye you

from Amazon Best Sellers http://app.amazonreviews.org/amazon-beauty-best-sellers/

[sierradorotheia]

It’s been such a LONG while since I actually “blogged” something of substance, so I decided to take some time and discuss my Current Favourites. I know this “blog” is turning to somewhat a photo-blog instead and I try to avoid it since, I mean, that’s what’s Instagram is for, right? 

Notice that my current faves comprise mostly of Skin Care. If you don’t already know, I quit daily makeup application over a year ago and I very rarely wear makeup nowadays- not by choice, I tell ya.

** SKIN CARE FAVES **

Caudalie Vino Perfect Serum ~ I got this as a deluxe sample from Sephora and I just started using it when my Sunday Riley Good Genes serum ran out, and for some reason, they won’t ship this product to Canada any longer. Caudalie Vino Perfect Serum was the only one I have at the moment, and it seem to work for me, so I bought the full-size bottle. I use this at night after washing my face, followed by Sunday Riley Luna Night Oil. I love the subtle scent, and love how it’s a tad cheaper than Good Genes.

B. Kamins Blemish Gel ~ I have been using this for quite some time to say that this is now part of my holy grail crew. This is my perfect spot-treatment for new breakouts that would almost always be gone by the next day. 

Tarte Maracujá Under Eye Cream ~ another item I got as a sample. This is so perfect for hydrating my under eye area during the day time and definitely brightening for me. During my makeup days, it works so well to prime my under eye before my brightening concealer. Love that very little goes a long way!

Origins Clear Improvement Charcoal Mask ~ I have been meaning to buy this for the longest time since one of my favourite YouTubers, itsjudytime, has been raving about this product. I bought a travel size at first and I’m so amazed about how well it works for me. For the longest time, I’ve been using Boscia Charcoal Illuminating mask and while that works for me as well, my recent obsession with face masks persuaded me to try new things out. I love how smooth the product application is- and I can't help but compare it with Glam Glow mud mask, which has some residue that I can almost say scratch my face sometimes. This Origins mask leaves my face so soft and dewy on my no makeup days and sometimes, just being able to wash the mask off after as opposed to peeling it off just works better for me.

AHAVA Mineral Hand Cream ~ got this product from my FabFitFun Winter Box and the reason why it made it to my current favourites list is because of the way it smells- subtle and neutral. It almost reminds me of a Johnson and Johnson lotion my Mom used on me when I was little, so I can’t help but to feel a surge of nostalgia every time I apply this product.

Sephora Charcoal Exfoliating Cream ~ another one I got as a sample first. I usually don’t use exfoliating cleansers since I was using my Clarisonic Mia, but since I stopped using it, I find that I had to exfoliate every once in a while. I tried this product from a sample and I loved the scent at first, and then I realized how well it works for me. Leaves my skin supple right after wash and couple days after, so I use this every two days or so.

BrioGeo Don’t Despair, Repair Hair Mask ~ I love getting sample products that I actually end up liking and buying full size! I rarely ever use hair masks just because of the amount of work you have to put in, but this product is so worth it. I use all the products from this 12ml packet right after I wash my hair with my favourite shampoo and towel-dried. I leave it on with a shower cap for about 20-30 minutes (I usually wear a face mask when I do this as well- hit two birds with one stone!) and rinse. The scent is immaculate and I can use this on events and does not wear my hair down, like some hair masks do, and my hair would be feeling amazing for days.

Mario Badescu Facial Spray ~ this product is actually not very available in Canada and for a while, I wanted to understand what the hype is about since I see it all the time on social media. I stopped by a Nordstrom Rack store when I was in Palm Springs and decided to pick a bottle up for $5. This is such a perfect face mist that actually moisturizes my face on my no-makeup days. I also find myself applying this product when I wear makeup, right after a blotting sheet. 

Bumble and Bumble Invisible Oil ~ I never thought I could actually replace my Paul Mitchell serum until I tried this out. This was reviewed as one of the cult favourite hair products in BuzzFeed so I decided to purchase the travel size at first. Four pumps usually does it for me and I use this product before using a hard dryer, or sometimes I just apply it on my damp hair and let it air dry. The ‘no frizz’ claim is 100% legit and it makes my hair look healthier.

Sol Janeiro Samba Foot Fetish Creme + Foot Board ~ I can never stress enough how much I LOVE this combo. I wore sandals the whole time I was in Palm Springs and my heels were incredibly cracked beyond repair. I used several types of foot creams every night but nothing seemed to be of any help. I checked Sephora and this was one of the top-rated foot products and because the price was reasonable, I took the plunge and bought it. The results are very instant- the foot board is something I would take with me wherever I go on vacation because it actually works! I’m sure it’ll work just well with other foot creams- I have yet to find that out- but the foot board is a gift from God. No lie.

** MAKEUP FAVES **

Tarteist Pro Glow Palette ~ I bought this palette during Sephora’s Week of Wow for 50% off, and this has been the best makeup purchase I’ve made in a while. I brought this whole palette during one of my vacations and the creme contour works so well with the bronzer, so I didn’t have to bring another one. The highlighters are so popping that you can mix and match, and it’s almost comparable to Anastasia Beverly Hills Glow Kit.

Smashbox Lash Primer ~ I have been interested to see if lash primers actually work so I was glad that this was one of the deluxe samples I can pick out in one of my Sephora purchases. This product works wonders in actually adhering to my mascara and making my eyes smoked out even without using eye shadows. I love how well it holds my mascara. Definitely buying a full-size once it runs out!

Beauty Blenders ~ I was five years late jumping in the beauty blender bandwagon since I love my flat-top brushes so much for foundation application. I decided to finally try it out and I could say, this filled my makeup void all my life, and I wish that was a hyperbole. I would still use my foundation brushes for initial application, but I would dab my face with a damp beauty blender for a flawless, streak-free finish. I’m just so amazed at the effectiveness of this product so I bought a few more during the Sephora Rouge Event.

[theantibridezilla]

New Beauty Goodies: A Quick Nay & Yay Session!

So, since I moved into my new place two months ago, work and the settling in process have left me woefully behind in beauty reviews. So, now that I’ve streamlined The Anti Bridezilla to focus almost exclusively on beauty/skincare and travel...I can get back to these reviews! Over the last two months I’ve had a lot of goodies sent my way to review. And finally, in the last week or so, I’ve had time to give them the once or twice over. Everything featured in the picture above was gifted to me by the brand, however, as you know - I can be painfully honest with my reviews. And I actually used all of these for one makeup look. So let’s dive right in!

ELF Cosmetics Expert Liquid Eyeliner in Charcoal - Nay

I wanted to love this liquid liner because the packaging and the brush are nearly identical to Wet ‘n Wild’s MegaLiner liquid liner which is a staple in my beauty kit. But the consistency of this liner is thinner than WnW. Additionally - possibly because it’s charcoal and not black - it’s not the boldest color on my skin tone. I ended up penning over it with ELF’s Blackest Black Ink Eyeliner to make my liner pop.

No7 Airbrush Away Primer - Yay

So back in late April No7 (the wildly popular Brit brand that’s found in Boots (and some Walgreens/Duane Reades and Ulta here in the US) sent me this massive care package of goodies - some of which are featured above. Now up til about two weeks ago, I didn’t consistently use primer, but I’ve become a convert. I love this primer because it’s very lightweight but really does help to fill in fine lines like under my eyes so that my color corrector and concealer don’t settle into the lines. It just makes for a smoother surface for makeup application and can help to soften your skin’s texture for a naturally “airbrushed” effect.

No7 Radiant Glow Under Eye Concealer - Nay

I was originally hyped to try this product because I thought the applicator (a brush head on a click pen style package) made for precise application and reduced messes. There was a two part reason for why I say nay to this product. For starters, unfortunately, I didn’t receive any colors that made sense for my skin tone. But, color match aside, this concealer felt watery when compared to my preferred HD concealer from LA Girl Cosmetics. When applied, it felt thin. I have visible dark circles so when I apply concealers, those with soft yet creamier textures tend to provide the best coverage whereas thinner ones don’t completely conceal.

Erborian Glow Créme - Yay

So in essence, this is a primer-slash-moisturizer with a light prismatic shimmer in it. The concept isn’t necessarily new as I also have similar “glow moisturizers” from ELF and Pixi Beauty (for both of which I’m brand ambassadors). However, I like the pigment in this more than ELF or Pixi’s iterations. Most standard “glow moisturizers” focus on a very lightweight version of a bronzing effect - utilizing golden shimmer. Erborian uses a true holographic shimmer that features soft purples, pinks and corals. Use it alone as a gentle way to give your skin a brightening effect if you don’t want to wear makeup. Or layer under your makeup for a more natural glow makeup look. Caveat: If you’re wearing foundation that offers more coverage than a tinted moisturizer you may find that you wont see the shimmer effects. In which case, use these glow moisturizers sparingly as a final touch to your makeup to create a dewy soft glow. On the whole tho, less is more - it’s easy to go from soft glow to Goldfinger knockoff if you use more than a pea sized amount.

Laura Mercier Setting Powder in Medium Deep - Yay

This powder has upstaged my Sacha Buttercup Setting Powder! First, this deep shade blends seamlessly with my skin tone and perfectly sets my concealer. Just like Sacha it also prevents flashback - which is huge when you’re testing beauty looks against a ring light! Also, it truly offers a more airbrushed effect as I noticed that it doesn’t settle in my fine lines like Sacha can sometimes do. It’s become a staple in my makeup routine.

MakeupDrop Silicone Makeup Applicator - Meh

The verdict is still out on how I feel about this applicator. Although I’m not in love with it, I’m not 100% ready to stamp it with a “nay”. I’m always up for testing new makeup application methods, but the learning curve on this silicone applicator is a little steep. For starters, the applicator feels dense - squeeze it, and it doesn’t have a lot of give. So, it literally feels like you’re pushing product into your face. It’s not a featherweight feel like the Artis or generic oval brushes or even a traditional Beauty Blender sponge. I used it to apply my NYX Foundation Drops (which I usually use an oval brush to apply) and it feels like your pushing product around your face. However, you do use less product as the smooth non-porous exterior doesn’t absorb anything - ensuring that it all is applied to your face. Additionally, you can literally clean it with makeup remover to remove any minor streaky makeup residue and it’s ready for reuse. Right now I’m not sure if it’s just the next big trend on IG or if this is going to have staying power after this season. I need to use this a few more times before I officially decide to throw in the towel. 

L’Oreal Infallible Paints in Spicy Blush (314) - Meh

Okay, I actually really love the texture of this lip color. The only reason I’m giving it a “meh” is because the color wasn’t a fit for me. Although intended as a dusty rose shade on fairer skin tones, on me it looked like Barbie pink. I received this as part of the press preview goodie bag at The Makeup Show in New York last month. So, as usually happens - you can get a few items that don’t make sense for your skin tone when you’re #teambrownskin. But color selection aside, the texture is actually quite creamy and offers a medium luster finish which is highly pigmented. So you can actually get away with only a coat or two for full coverage. I will definitely give the L’Oreal display a once over the next time I’m in a drugstore and find a color that’s better for my shade.

For more info on any of the brands reviewed here, follow them on IG at:

@no7usa @erborian_usa @lauramercier @makeupdrop @lorealmakeup @elfcosmetics