Repurchase? I will continue to buy these, but I am interested in trying out different patches.
Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Pore Perfecting Cleansing Gel* (read my review) – It was a good cleanser, but it’s a bit expensive.
Repurchase? Probably not.
Nanacoco Foam Cleanser* – This cleanser claims not to dry out your skin, but I already have quite dry skin and it made it feel so tight. Maybe if you have oily skin, it would be okay.
Repurchase? No.
Youth to the People Superberry Hydrate & Glow Face Oil (read my review) – This is an expensive face oil and I had only seen good reviews on it. I was excited to try it. There is a scent to it, but it’s pleasant. I first used this last year, but then I got a bit of a breakout and stopped using it. I didn’t know if the breakout was from the oil or from my diet. I started using it again and I started breaking out again. I stopped using it and my skin got better. I think this face oil is too expensive anyway when there are so many other affordable options.
Repurchase? No.
Nars Liquid Blush in Luster – This was a beautiful liquid blush.
Repurchase? Maybe.
Colourpop Super Shock Shadow in Sailor – This was the first time trying a Colourpop eyeshadow for me. I decided to try only one and see if I liked it. I did enjoy the creamy texture, although it panned so quickly. I didn’t love the shade, Sailor. While it’s a gorgeous shade, I didn’t love it ON me. I think I would prefer a darker colour next time.
Repurchase? Not in the same shade, but I would consider buying the Super Shock Shadows again.
Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes 4-in-1 Mascara – This is a nice mascara, but it’s not my favourite. I got this in a set.
Before you read this post, please remember that we all have difference preferences and skin types. These are MY hits, misses and likes. You might love something I don’t like or dislike something I love.
HITS
Bare Minerals Barepro Performance Wear Powder Foundation – I got a deluxe sample of this from Sephora as a promo. I really enjoyed it AND it was even in the wrong shade, but it was nice on the skin. Would definitely buy a full size.
Bella Pierre Mineral Foundation – This was the first mineral foundation I tried. This woman at a kiosk sucked me into her chair and put this on me. It was beautiful and I ended up buying this powder, a blush and others.
Shiseido Sheer Mattifying Compact Powder Foundation (read my review) – This is no longer around, but Shiseido still has some gorgeous powders. You just have to hope they don’t discontinue them.
Laura Mercier Matte Radiance Baked Powder Compact – I think this is meant to use as an all-over face powder to illuminate, but I use it as a highlighter. It’s perfect for a subtle glow.
Maybelline Fit Me Loose Finishing Powder – I really do love this powder, but the shade isn’t right. I wish they had more shades or a translucent option.
Hourglass Veil Translucent Setting Powder – This is my fave translucent setting powder I’ve tried.
Tarte Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Airbrush Foundation – This powder looks beautiful. I just need to get it in the right shade.
Tarte Smooth Operator Amazonian Clay Finishing Powder – This made my skin look like it had a filter on it. I don’t know if it was just a combo of a good skin day and a nice primer, but it looked really good every time I used it.
LIKES
Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Setting Powder – It’s a beautiful powder, BUT it pans so quickly and there’s only 3 shades. Fair is too light and Medium is too dark.
Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder – I don’t find anything special about this one. I had a deluxe sample and the powder would come out in clumps. I didn’t store it where any moisture could get to it, so I don’t know why it was like that.
Rimmel Clear Complexion Clarifiying Powder – This was a good powder from what I remember. I want to try the Rimmel Stay Matte one.
Innisfree No Sebum Mineral Powder – This was a nice powder, but I didn’t like the scent of it. I don’t think any powder needs to be scented.
Burt’s Bees Natural Mattifying Powder* – I had the wrong shade of this, so it made me look really pale. It was a nice pressed powder that did mattify. I probably wouldn’t repurchase though (even if it was the right shade).
Revlon Nearly Naked Powder – This was a nice powder that felt silky smooth. It doesn’t have the best shade range and it’s fairly expensive for a drugstore powder. I’d rather get a bare minerals powder for the price.
Smashbox Photo Filter Powder Foundation – This felt silky smooth, but the shade I got was way too light, so I can’t say for sure if I really liked it or not. It made my skin look patchy because it was too light.
Nude by Nature Mattifying Pressed Setting Powder* – It mattified and gave nice coverage. It wasn’t my fave setting powder though.
MISSES
Bobbi Brown Nude Finishing Illuminating Setting Powder – If this didn’t have the shimmer in it, it would be a beautiful powder.
KVD Beauty Lock-It Brightening Powder – I bought this at Winners when I wanted to try baking because it was before I knew that baking powder is its own thing. I also mistakenly bought a shade meant for dark skin tones. I tested it out anyway just to see if I liked the consistency, but it was way too heavy for my dry under eyes.
Catrice Light Illusion Loose Powder (Yellow Matt) – I didn’t like this because as I’ve said, I have dry under eyes and it just emphasized it. If you have oily skin, it might work for you.
To Try
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder
Lancôme Long Time No Shine Setting Powder
Rimmel Stay Matte Long Lasting Pressed Powder
Shiseido Synchro Skin Self-Refreshing Custom Finish Powder Foundation
Before you read this post, please remember that we all have difference preferences and skin types. These are MY hits, misses and likes. You might love something I don’t like or dislike something I love.
Just a heads up that there are quite a few cult fave foundations that I don’t love as much as everyone else. There are more foundations that I’ve tried samples of, but 1) this post would be way too long and 2) I don’t have a full opinion on them since I only used them a handful of times. This post will only include liquids/creams/cushions/sticks. I will include powder foundations in my Powder Hits & Misses post since I haven’t tried as many. It will also only include foundations that are still available. I’m going to keep my little reviews as short as I can especially if I have a full review of the foundation. I will link them so you can read them if you’d like.
In no particular order, here are my Hits, Likes and Misses:
Hits
Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation Stick (read my review) – This might be my favourite stick foundation I’ve tried to date. I even had the wrong shade. It was perfect for a girls trip. I packed this to use as foundation/concealer. This is one of my favourite Bobbi Brown items (Bobbi Brown Hits & Misses). I bought it at the MAC Warehouse Sale and would definitely pay full price for it.
Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra Longwear Foundation Stick SPF21 – This would be my 2nd favourite stick foundation.
Lancôme Skin Feels Good Skin Nourishing Foundation (read my review) – Love this. Even though it’s labelled as a foundation, it’s more like a tinted moisturizer. If only they had more shades available (I’m in between shades).
Lancôme Miracle Cushion Foundation – I need to find the right shade because the one I was using is too pink for me.
Nars Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer – I feel like this has a little more coverage than what I’d consider a tinted moisturizer. It’s a great product though.
Likes
Shiseido Synchro Skin Glow Luminizing Foundation – Beautiful foundation and one of the closest matches I’ve ever had. It does have fragrance in it and oddly enough, it doesn’t smell that great. I would rather try the self-refreshing one that doesn’t have any fragrance in it.
Dior Backstage Face & Body Foundation (read my review) – While this was a beautiful foundation, it just didn’t last long on me. I don’t know if the primers I tried were just too slippy or something. It looked beautiful on the skin, but I just couldn’t find the right shade match. It was either too pink or too orange.
Laneige BB Cushion Hydra Radiance SPF50* (read my review) – Nice cushion foundation, but I’m between shades.
Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Invisible Cover Foundation – Can’t find a good shade match, but this is a nice foundation.
Maybelline Fit Me Hydrate + Smooth Foundation (read my review) – I wish this had a pump. I’m also not crazy about the scent of this. Not my fave foundation.
Hourglass Vanish Seamless Finish Foundation Stick (read my review) – I liked it, but didn’t love this enough. It was just too full coverage for me (even when I used a very thin layer).
Hera Black Cushion Foundation – My sister got this for me in Korea. I just picked a shade that I thought would be okay based on pictures. Even though I’m quite light, the shade is too light for me. Plus, this is very fragranced (like a lot of K-Beauty products). The foundation itself is nice, but the fragrance is just too much for me. Plus, it’s hard for me to get in Canada. If it is available, it’s more than I’m willing to spend. So, I’d rather spend the money on something else.
The Ordinary Serum Foundation (read my review) – not my fave, but not my least fave.
The Body Shop All-in-One BB Cream (read my review) – At the time I wrote the review for this, I really enjoyed it. Since then, I’ve tried other products I prefer more.
Perricone MD No Foundation Serum Broad Spectrum SPF30 (read my review) – Nice foundation that looks natural and provides sheer coverage.
Misses
For the foundation misses, there are ones that either just didn’t impress me much, didn’t provide enough coverage or had too much coverage.
Almay Clear Complexion Make Myself Clear Makeup* – I don’t really want makeup that has salicylic acid.
NYX Bare With Me Tinted Skin Veil* (read my review) – not my shade and coverage was too light for me.
Bali Body BB Cream (read my review) – This provided no coverage whatsoever.
NYX HD Studio Photogenic Foundation – Broke me out and smelled like plastic.
Milani Conceal + Perfect 2-in-1 Foundation and Concealer – Was way too thick for me and shade range wasn’t great.
Garnier BB Cream – Shade range is terrible and it made my eyes water. Too much alcohol in it??
Nars Velvet Matte Foundation Stick – I bought this at the Shiseido Warehouse Sale and it just didn’t wow me. It sounds kind of mean, but there’s a reason that this is rarely on lists of Fave Stick Foundations.
Burt’s Bees Goodness Glows Liquid Foundation – Washed off easily with water and looked patchy on dry spots. What would happen if I wore this when it’s raining or went on a Maid of the Mist boat tour??
Nude by Nature Luminous Sheer Liquid Foundation* (read my review) – Not enough coverage.
Nude by Nature BB Cream* (read my review) – Not enough coverage.
Wet N Wild Photofocus Foundation – Shade was wrong, too matte for me. I know they came out with a dewy version, but I also didn’t like the smell or the fact that it used a spatula instead of a pump.
The following foundations are ones I can’t give a definitive opinion on:
Becca Ever-Matte Shine Proof Foundation – I think I had the wrong shade and also knew nothing about applying it. I ended up throwing this out despite not using it very often.
Holika Holika Gudetama Photo Ready Cushion Foundation – wrong shade. Wasn’t my fave cushion though.
Maybelline Superstay Better Skin Foundation – This was one of the first liquid foundations from the drugstore that I bought. It smells like chemicals, but I remember it being nice (I had the wrong shade though).
Nars Sheer Glow Foundation – I can’t say if I like or hate this because I bought the wrong shade. I bought this before I knew what I wanted in a foundation. I never fully tested it out. I would prefer a foundation that has a pump (instead of buying one separately and NARS has nice foundations that come with a pump).
To Try
Bite Changemaker Micellar Foundation
L’Oréal Infallible 24Hr Freshwear Foundation
Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer
Make Up For Ever Matte Velvet Skin Full Coverage Foundation
Shiseido Synchro Skin Self-Refreshing Foundation
What are your fave foundations?
Love,
Products marked with (*) were sent to me for review.
Today, I’ll be reviewing the Grace & Stella Dr. Pedicure Foot Exfoliating Mask. They are currently a lot cheaper on Amazon.ca than what I purchased it for in December. I think they have new packaging, so they’re probably just trying to get rid of the old stock. A few years ago, I was sent one to try. It worked so well that I decided to buy another one. You may have read my review on the Tony Moly one. If not, you can read my review).
Dr. Pedicure is an innovative foot care product that will unbelievably shed the old, dead, callused skin right off your feet. Made with the exact same 17 vegetable extracts to this day and promises to deliver the same kind of jaw-dropping results. Tired of having rough, dull feet? Reveal your feet’s youth with Dr. Pedicure.
Includes 1 pair of our Dr. Pedicure Foot Booties & 2 pieces of tape.
Regular booties fit up to size 13 US Men. Original XL fits up to size 16 US Men.
There are warnings to consult your doctor before use if you are pregnant, nursing or diabetic. Also, do not use if you have any open sores or cuts on your feet.
Treatment
So, you put these plastic booties on for an hour. The booties have an inner lining that’s soaked in liquid/gel that contain AHAs. The instructions tell you to put the booties on and then put socks over them. Apparently the added heat will speed up the process. Once you have them on, remain seated while keeping your feet on the ground or parallel to the ground. You want the liquid to get the whole sole of your foot, so if you your feet up, the liquid will pool to your heels. I like to keep a hand towel beside me just in case.
After the hour is up, you take off the booties and wash your feet with soap and water. After you’ve washed your feet, they may look a bit pale. Not to worry, they’ll go back to your normal colour after a bit. It says the peeling will start in 6-10 days.
Post-Treatment
After 5 days, between my toes were starting to peel and my heels looked like they were cracking. The next day, the pads of my toes and heels were peeling. It looked like I had blisters on my toes.
It was a bit uncomfortable for me once the peeling started because my feet felt really dry. I read somewhere that it’s best not to put lotion on your feet because it can interfere with the peeling process. If you absolutely must, use an oil-free moisturizer. The soles and sides of your feet will peel the most since that’s where most of the liquid is when you’re wearing the booties (gravity, duh!). The tops of my feet just look dry and flaky instead of peeling.
I like wearing socks once my feet start to peel so I’m not shedding dead skin everywhere. Ankle socks are easiest for me. Just make sure to put any socks on slowly and carefully. When I take my socks off, I do it over the garbage can as I turn them inside out to shake out the dead skin.
It’s very tempting to scrub or rub your feet (especially when you’re in the shower and your feet are wet), but don’t do it! After showering, gently pat dry. Also don’t pull off the dead skin. If it’s hanging off your foot and annoying you, carefully cut with cuticle cutters.
Hopefully by the end of this ordeal, your feet will be nice and smooth! My feet aren’t super calloused or bad to begin with, so I don’t know how well it works on someone who has really rough heels/feet.
If you decide to try a foot peeling mask, a few things to consider:
I think the best time to do the treatment is when it starts getting warmer (right before sandal weather) because you won’t want to wear sandals while your skin is peeling
The dead skin will stick to fluffy socks, so I like to wear regular ankle socks made of cotton
If you want to see the gross, but satisfying pictures on the 7th day, click the arrows below in my IG post.
The peeling is a bit of an inconvenience and the dryness is a bit uncomfortable, but it does work (for me). If you plan to do this before a special event, I would try it in advance to see how long it takes your feet to start peeling. Then, you can do it again before your special event (maybe add a few extra days just in case).
Have you tried a foot peeling mask? If you haven’t, would you try one?
Before you read this post, please remember that we all have difference preferences and skin types. These are MY hits, misses and likes. You might love something I don’t like or dislike something I love.
Each primer has a small blurb on why I love, like or didn’t like. Some I’ve grouped together because they were similar to me. First, I’ll start with Hits, then Likes and end with Misses.
HITS
Smashbox Photo Finish Primerizer – This one is great for my dry skin. Before I started using facial oils and drinking more water, my nose was super dry and flaky (ew). It’s still a bit dry and can get flaky at times, but around the nostrils aren’t as bad as they used to be. This primer was the first that would keep my nose moisturized enough by the end of the day. You can also use this as a moisturizer if you’re in a pinch and need some moisture.
Good Molecules Silicone-Free Priming Moisturizer* & Sonia Roselli Water Balm (read my review) – These are also 2-in-1 primers that can double as moisturizers. I wouldn’t say that these should be used as your only part of your skincare routine, but they can definitely be one of the steps in your morning routine to help prep your skin. The Sonia Roselli Water Balm is more moisturizing than the Good Molecules. I wouldn’t use the Good Molecules as a moisturizer on its own though. I usually pair it with a face oil.
Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Water – This is a nice hydrating primer that has a bit of tackiness. You can also use at the end of your makeup routine, but take note that the spray nozzle isn’t the finest so don’t get too close to your face. It has a slightly citrus scent from the Limonene, so if you don’t like citrus, you’ll want to skip this one!
Make Up For Ever Step 1 Equalizer Primer (Smoothing) – This is a nice smoothing/blurring primer that smells really nice. I use it on my cheeks and forehead where my pores are larger.
Tarte Timeless Smoothing Primer (read my review) – This is one of Tati’s fave blurring primers. So I thought I’d give it a try. This is a thicker primer and it’s easy to use too much – Less is more! Sometimes I would get too much on my fingers and then just apply it to areas I didn’t really need it. I would notice my makeup would look more cakey in those areas. That was totally my fault though. This is a great primer if you need to blur those pores. If you do end up trying it, press it into the skin, do not rub.
Winky Lux Whipped Primer – Tati also tried this one to compare. I can’t recall exactly what she said, but I think she liked it. Although not as much as the Tarte one. This one is a softer texture since it’s whipped – It’s like this one is whipped cream cheese while the Tarte is regular Philly cream cheese. It might be easier for a beginner to try this one first and then upgrade to Tarte Timeless Smoothing Primer when you’re ready.
Mac Strobe Cream (Pink) – I guess this is more of a liquid highlighter than a primer. If you have larger pores, you might want to use a blurring primer before applying this to the face. You can use this underneath foundation, mix it in with foundation or apply as a liquid highlighter. This pink is so pretty to give you that ‘glow from within’ look. The Giorgio Armani Fluid Sheer in #7 is also really pretty and I haven’t personally tried it, but the Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter is so pretty too.
LIKES
Smashbox Photo Finish Pore Minimizing Primer – I don’t really like the silicone-y feeling blurring primers, but if you don’t mind them, you’d like this one.
Touch In Sol No Poreblem Primer – This one broke me out, but it blurs really nicely. If it works for you, this is one of the cheaper primers available at Sephora and in this blog post.
Make Up For Ever Step 1 Equalizer Primers (Nourishing & Hydrating – These two primers were both really nice, but again didn’t provide my dry skin enough moisture. The Nourishing one is a bit richer in texture while the hydrating one is more of a gel cream texture.
Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Oil – I really loved this primer when I first tried a sample, but once I bought the full size bottle, I didn’t reach for it as often. You could use any facial oil you already have instead of spending money on a primer oil. Also, this isn’t the best smelling facial oil I’ve used either. I ended up having to use it as a facial oil and then ended up decluttering because I had it so long that it started to smell off.
First Aid Hello Fab Coconut Skin Smoothie Priming Moisturizer, Stellar Brilliant Primer & Mac Prep + Prime Natural Radiance – From what I remember, these three primers were illuminating and they had similar textures. They weren’t shimmery or anything, but there was a glow to them. While they were nice, they didn’t provide quite enough hydration for my dry skin. Also, I didn’t like the smells of these primers. I’d rather use a really good hydrating primer and choose to add in some liquid highlighter on my own instead of getting an illuminating primer like these ones.
MISSES
Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer – I know some people love this one, but this smells like school glue to me and that just turned me off. I also didn’t notice anything special about it.
Maybelline Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser Primer – Similar to the Smashbox pore minimizing primer, this is silicone-y. It’s a good drugstore alternative to the Smashbox one, I believe. I didn’t compare them so I don’t know if Smashbox was better at blurring, but they both have the same texture.
Make Up for Ever Step 1 Equalizer Primer – Redness Correcting & Smashbox Photo Finish Colour Correcting Primer – Redness Correcting(read my review) – I didn’t really find these two primers to work that well at concealing redness. If you need to colour correct, use a colour corrector instead of a primer that corrects.
L’Oréal Magic Skin Beautifier BB Cream (Anti-Redness) (read my review) – This smells really bad, but it does work great if you have a slightly darker skin tone than I do. It works well for my mom. It starts out green, but then it turns ‘skin-coloured.’
Maybelline Facestudio Master Primer Blur + Redness Control Primer – This did nothing to conceal redness OR blur.
Nude By Nature Perfecting Primer (read my review) – Even though I rated this a 3/5 in my review, the smell is too sweet. It smells like Rockets (or as the Americans call them ‘Smarties’).
The Body Shop Moisturizing Primer – I don’t think this is available anymore, but it was basically a moisturizer. It had a similar texture to the First Aid priming moisturizer.
The Body Shop All-In-1 Blurring Primer – Again, this is silicone-y and one of the first primers I tried.
Smashbox Photo Finish Under Eye Primer – Originally, I loved this primer because I thought it made my under eyes look illuminated and bright. After a while, I didn’t notice anything. I don’t know if I was just imagining things in the beginning. This was meant to illuminate the under eyes. You don’t need this (even if it did work)…just get a good eye cream that already illuminates. This one has a similar texture to the First Aid/Stellar/MAC illuminating primers.
I’ve also tried the Benefit The POREfessional Face Primer and Tatcha The Silk Canvas Protective Primer in samples. I think the POREfessional was dried out by the time I tried it, but I know a lot of people love it. I think it’s similar to the Make Up For Ever Smoothing Primer, so I might give the hydrating version a try. I really liked the Silk Canvas primer and would definitely consider purchasing the mini. I know the full size is more cost effective, but I don’t know if I could get through the full size one fast enough. I’d rather spend a few dollars more per ounce than buy the full size one and end up throwing it out because it expired.
To Try
Becca First Light Priming Filter Face Primer
Becca Velvet Blurring Primer
Benefit The POREfessional: Hydrate Primer
Bite Changemaker Skin-Optimizing Primer (normal to dry skin)
Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter (This was on my 2020 Beauty Wishlist)
Cover FX Gripping Primer
Laura Mercier Pure Canvas Primer – Blurring
Laura Mercier Pure Canvas Primer – Hydrating
Tatcha The Silk Canvas Protective Primer
In my next Hits & Misses post, I’ll be writing about foundations!
Today, I’m sharing some brands and their products that I have on my wishlist. Most of the products I want to try aren’t new, but I haven’t had a chance to try yet. I wanted to cut down on my makeup buying this year and finish up what I have before buying more. I have a lot of lip and cheek products on this list.
Biossance
Squalane + Peptide Eye Gel
Squalane + Probiotic Gel Moisturizer
Squalane + Rose Vegan Lip Balm
Squalane + Tea Tree Balancing Oil
Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil
I might get the Top Shelfies Kit from Sephora since it has 3/5 items I want to try.
Briogeo
I’ve only tried a sample of Briogeo and that was a long time ago.
Be Gentle Be Kind Banana + Coconut Nourishing Superfood Shampoo & Conditioner
Be Gentle Be Kind Kale + Apple Replenishing Superfood Shampoo & Conditioner
I’ve only tried two products from Charlotte Tilbury. While I do like both, I’m not sure I would repurchase them (Legendary Brows Eyebrow Gel and Airbrush Flawless Finish Setting Powder).
Em Cosmetics
Color Drops Serum Blush
Micro-Fluff Sculpting Brow Cream
True Gloss
Glossier
Balm Dot Com
Boy Brow
Cloud Paint
Jouer
Blush Bouquet Dual Blush Palette
Essential High Coverage Concealer Pen
Essential Lip Enhancer Shine Balm
Soft Focus Hydrate + Set Powder
Sunswept Bronzer Duo
I might get the Essential Lip Care Duo since I like the Essential Lip Enhancer Balm.
Lilah B
Divine Duo Lip & Cheek
Lovingly Lip Tinted Lip Oil
Volition Beauty
Hibiscus Unspottable Correcting Oil
Snow Mushroom Water Serum
Wander Beauty
Mile High Club Mascara
This mascara is a favourite for a lot of people. I don’t usually like to spend more than $15 for a mascara, but I might consider trying it once to see if I like it.
YSL
Glossy Stain Lip Color
Rouge Volupté Shine Oil-in-Stick Lipstick
Tatouage Couture Liquid Matte Lip Stain
There’s more on my wishlist, but these are a few I’m considering trying this year.
