Amazonian Clay Archives

Powders | My Hits & Misses

March 20, 2020
Hi Everyone!

I’m sharing my hits and misses for all powders that I’ve tried. This includes setting and finishing powders as well as powder foundations.

Check out my other Hits & Misses posts!

MAKEUP || Primers | Foundations | Concealers | Brows | Mascara

SKINCARE || Eye Creams

BRANDS || Bobbi Brown | Burt’s Bees | L’Oréal | Maybelline | Nude by Nature | NYX | TULA | Volition Beauty

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
What are your favourite powders?

Love,

Products marked with (*) were sent for review.
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February 2019 Product Empties

February 26, 2019

Hi Everyone!

I finished quite a few makeup products this month. Check out my monthly empties:

MAC Strobe Cream in Pinklite – This is a great product to put on before foundation to give you that glow from within.

Repurchase? Yes.

Smashbox Photo Finish Hydrating Under Eye Primer – When I got a sample of this, it worked well. I could tell that it illuminated my under eyes. After buying the full size tube, I don’t know, it didn’t really do that much to illuminate and I don’t think it’s that different from other hydrating primers.

Repurchase? No.

Make Up For Ever Step 1 Equalizer (Hydrating) Primer – I enjoyed this product, but I tried the nourishing primer and it hydrates better because it’s for dry skin.

Repurchase? No, but I love the MUFE primers.

MAC Prep + Prime Natural Radiance – If I wanted to get a glowy look, I would use the strobe cream.

Repurchase? No.

Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation Stick in 0.75 Ivory (read my review) – This was beautiful. I really liked it even though I had the wrong shade.

Repurchase? In the correct shade, yes.

CoverGirl LashBlast Volume Mascara (read my review) – I liked this mascara a lot.

Repurchase? I want to try others and there’s so many to try. I did enjoy this though, so I definitely would consider repurchasing.

Tarte Amazonian Clay Smooth Operator Finishing Powder – This made it look like I had a filter on my face. It instantly blurred pores.

Repurchase? I want to try others, but I definitely would repurchase.

elf Lip Exfoliator in Mint Maniac (read my review) – I chose this exfoliator as the winner in both of my This or That lip scrubs.

Repurchase? Maybe.

Soo’ae Purifying Brightening Peeling Gel – This gel sloughs off dry skin. It makes your face feel so soft after using it.

Repurchase? Yes.

Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm – Loved this!

Repurchase? Yes.

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Dark Circles Treatment Concealer in Light – This is a pretty good concealer (if you are wondering, I took off the sponge). I think this shade was a bit too brightening on me, I might try the Neutralizer shade next time.

Repurchase? Yes.

Tarte Maracuja Oil – I bought the supersize bottle of this (which is twice the size of the regular one) and I poured half of it into the regular bottle because I was worried I would be clumsy and knock it over and then I’d have a huge mess to clean up.

Repurchase? Yes.

TULA Acne Clearing + Tone Correcting Gel – This is a great acne gel with salicylic acid that doesn’t irritate my skin. This bottle lasts 3 months using 1 pump night AND day. If you only used it during the day OR night, it could last 6 months. I think I will cut down to just using it at night because it’s probably not good to use it as often as I have been.

Repurchase? I already bought two replacements. It sells out quickly, so I thought I would stock up on 2 bottles.

Love,

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October 2018 Faves

October 29, 2018

Hi Everyone!

Here are October’s favourites! I’ve also added some non-beauty faves at the bottom of the post. Keep reading to find out what I’ve been enjoying this month 🙂

Tarte Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Airbrush Foundation in Light-Neutral – I have been absolutely LOOOOVING this foundation, although the shade I chose is a bit dark for me. I’ve used it several times now and it looks like I have a filter on my face because it just blurs out my pores. For about a year, I was having trouble deciding which powder foundation I wanted to try and finally chose this one and I’m so happy I did! I wore it yesterday and I wore it for about five hours and it didn’t break up on my chin or nose (yay!) and my bronzer, blush and highlight layer beautifully on top. I use a kabuki brush and take my time to blend the foundation out so it doesn’t get cakey (one time I wore it, it did get a bit cakey). It did get a bit shiny on my forehead, but that’s to be expected.

I love multi-layer cotton pads from The Face Shop. They’re so handy for toner and each pad is 5 layers. I’ve been looking into making reusable pads because as nice as these are, the multi-layer cotton pads can be expensive. I also love these cotton swabs from Winners (just a random brand) that have a pointed end and a flat end. The pointy end is great for cleaning up your winged liner. The flat end is great for using my Clinique acne gel and also it’s easier to use for removing nail polish (for those harder to reach corners that a cotton pad can’t get).

I’m really liking this Thayers Witch Hazel Cucumber Toner! It smells refreshing and I’ve been using it in the morning. I’m so glad I spotted this at Winners last month. I’ve poured some into a spray bottle so I can use it as a facial spray. I checked the Thayers website and both the toner and the facial spray have the exact same ingredients, so I’m assuming that it’s the same product in a different bottle.

I broke out while I was using the Witch Hazel Toner.

Read about my experience here!

I guess it’s a Tarte Appreciation month. I have been loving this Timeless Smoothing Primer. I have a Limited Edition one, so the lid is different than the regular primer (which has a gold lid). Check out my full review on the primer.

5 Songs I’ve Been Listening To

These weren’t necessarily released this month, but I discovered them this month.

After hearing this song on Tati’s Halo Launch Party Video, I have been listening to this song non-stop: Ruelle – Hold Your Breath. After listening to some of her other songs and reading comments, someone mentioned The Originals. I looked it up and found out that this song is from 5×03. No wonder I like it. I’ve gotten so many songs from The Originals.

Rita Ora – Let You Love Me

Halsey – Without Me

Nick Jonas & Robin Schulz – Right Now

The Chainsmokers ft. Kelsea Ballerini – This Feeling

What were your faves from this month?

Love,

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My First Haul from Tarte | September 2018

September 10, 2018
Hi Everyone!

I made an order from Tarte because I wanted to finally try the Amazonian Clay Foundation (the powder one). I’ve been eyeing it for a long time now and I finished up enough of my foundations that I allowed myself to buy a new one (read my makeup goals post). I wanted to get a powder foundation for lighter days where my skin is good and I don’t want to put on liquid or stick foundation. I had it narrowed down to a few different powders, but I decided to go with this one because I love Tarte.

I got two other products I’ve never tried before and a fave of mine: Shape Tape (a cult fave), the Timeless Smoothing Primer (a fave of Tati, Beauty YouTuber) and the Frxxxtion Stick.

After making the order, I now have 9 products from Tarte which makes it the brand I own the most products from; at most, I think I only own 1-4 things from a single brand.

Rainforest of the Sea Frxxxtion Stick 3-in-1 Exfoliating Cleanser (read my review) – My friend told me about this and I got a deluxe sample of it. I loved it. Originally, I thought it was too expensive, but the deluxe sample lasted a while, so I was able to justify the price.

With a clarifying cleansing gel powered by the Rainforest of the Sea™ complex & suspended diatomaceous earth microexfoliants, the vegan friendly formula draws out surface oil & reduces shine, while purifying pores for the deepest clean possible.

The hypoallergenic gel stick gently sloughs away dead surface cells & polishes skin as it cleanses to fight dullness & pump up the radiance. Great for all skin types, it can be used on a regular basis without stripping skin’s moisture or left on as a treatment mask to absorb toxins & reveal smooth, sexy, glowing skin.

Shape Tape Contour Concealer in 12N Fair-Neutral – I chose the shade Fair-Neutral because it’s the next neutral shade down from the foundation I chose (Light Neutral). I swatched it on my hand and I think it will be good for the under eyes. I’ve seen/read so many reviews on it, but no one ever mentioned that it has a scent to it. I thought it would smell like other concealers, but it has a slight perfume-y/cologne-y scent. I also didn’t realize how much fatter it was from other concealers. I knew the doefoot applicator was bigger, but I guess I never looked that closely when other ladies have posted pics of their concealers. The tube is almost as big as my Bobbi Brown stick foundation.
- Full coverage with flawless matte finish
- Conceals all imperfections & doubles as a contour/highlight product
- Creamy, easy-to-blend formula won’t flake or crease
- Nourishes with mango seed & shea butters
- Helps illuminate skin for a lifted effect
Timeless Smoothing Primer – I picked up the limited edition one because it was $8-9 cheaper than the regular one. I assume it’s the same product with a different coloured lid to match one of their themes. I used it yesterday and it really smoothed out my pores. I will do a proper wear test and post a review later this month. Be careful with this product, I was tilting it to smell it and it must’ve melted off of the jar because the product fell out in one clump. Luckily, I was able to pick it up from my chair and press it back into the jar.
- Formulated to fade out your biggest beauty boundaries such as large pores, fine lines and wrinkles
- Antioxidant-rich formula gently melts into the skin delivering a surge of moisture, peptides and other naturally-derived elixirs for a firmer, smoother appearance
- Has a lightweight texture and fresh powder scent as it provides the perfect blank canvas to enhance the look and wear time of makeup
Amazonian Clay Airbrush Foundation in Light Neutral – I’ve swatched this at Sephora, but I haven’t used it yet. I think this is the closest match based on the description.

Powered by Amazonian clay & light-reflecting gemstones, this hypoallergenic foundation gives you natural radiance & matte coverage in a weightless, flake-free powder. The full coverage formula is all you need to cover redness, unevenness & pores, with Amazonian clay to help control oil & make your makeup last. Precious gemstone tourmaline works to energize skin & diffuse light for natural dimension, & the custom mesh applicator offers buildable & breathable coverage without settling into fine lines.

Other products from Tarte that I’ve used are the Amazonian Blushes (love these), the Maracuja Oil (I’m still testing it, but really like it so far), Tarteist Creamy Matte Lip Paint and the Tarteist Sculpt & Slim Contour Brush.

What are your faves from Tarte?

Love,
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2018 Mid-Year Makeup Inventory | Blushes

July 9, 2018
Hi Everyone!

Continuing my makeup inventory, today’s post is on blushes! Check out my other mid-year makeup roundup!

Primers & Foundations | Bronzers | Blushes | Mascaras | Highlighters

Current blush inventory:
- 11 powder blushes + 1 Smashbox palette I haven’t touched (includes 2 blushes)
- 1 cheek & lip stain
I think it’s safe to say that I won’t be needing blush any time soon. I won’t be purchasing any new blushes until I finish at least 5. I have a combo of matte and shimmery shades. Shimmery shades can be nice for the daytime during the summer, but I feel like they’re more for the night time. I think next time I buy blushes, I will get matte shades because you can use highlighter to add shimmer.

Bobbi Brown Blush in French Pink & Nectar

French Pink is the hot pink shade on the left. Both are beautiful shades.- great for summer time!

Burt’s Bees Blush in 1210 Shy Pink

I received this from Topbox Circle along with a bunch of other Burt’s Bees products and I’m so glad I did! I love this blush and it’s from the drugstore too!

Bella Pierre Mineral Blush in MB002 Autumn Glow

This was the first blush I bought that wasn’t from the drugstore…in fact, it may be time to declutter/dispose of it (I bought it when I was in university :/). It’s really pretty, but since it is more of a brown shade, I use it in the Fall/Winter. I don’t really like that it’s a loose powder, it takes up so much more space and it’s more messy than a regular, pressed blush.

Miniso Flawless Baked Blusher in 02 Rosy Pink in 02 Rosy Pink

You can’t get any better than this Miniso blush. It was $2.99 and it’s such a beautiful, shimmery pink.

Milani Baked Blush in 01 Dolce Pink

This is so pretty, it’s a gorgeous, shimmery pink.

Estée Lauder Pure Color Envy Sculpting Blush in 03 Pink Ingenue

Since this is in a ‘kit/palette,’ I tend to forget about it. It’s a beautiful pink though and I need to use it more often.

The Estée Edit The Barest Blush in 03 Purr Pink

This is a very bright pink and I need to use a very light hand with this. I few times I put way too much on and looked like a clown. I’ve had to dab my face with my sponge to add some of the residual foundation to dial it down.

Smashbox Blush Soft Lights Duo in Passion/Shimmer

I like that this is a 2-in-1 blush and highlighter. 2-in-1 is great for travelling and this is a very nice mauvy pink.

Smashbox L.A. Lights Palette in Culver City Coral

I haven’t touched this palette (I didn’t swatch it below), but I’m excited to use it. Once I finish a few blushes, I will take it out.

Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in Paaarty & Concept

I love the Tarte blushes. This one that came in the Sephora birthday present is so pretty for a naturally blushed look. I haven’t used the shade Concept yet.

Bella Pierre Cheek and Lip Stain in Coral

I haven’t used this much because I don’t know if I love cream blushes that much. Sometimes cream products just make my face feel oily. Maybe I’ll use it as a lip stain and sheer it out with vaseline.

From L-R: Milani Dolce Pink (shimmery), Miniso Rosy Pink (shimmery), Tarte Paaarty, Tarte Concept, Burt’s Bees Shy Pink, Bella Pierre Autumn Glow (shimmery), Bobbi Brown French Pink, Bobbi Brown Nectar, Smashbox Passion, Estee Lauder Pink Ingenue (shimmery), Estee Edit Purr Pink, Bella Pierre Coral

I think my favourites are Tarte, Burt’s Bees, Miniso and Milani. Surprisingly, the higher end ones swatched a bit patchy.

I really want to buy a NARS and a Physician’s Formula blush. If you read my post on Beauty Recommendations from Instagrammers, I was recommended a few different blushes to try.

What are your fave blushes?

Love,
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Review | Tarte Gifted Amazonian Clay Smart Mascara

March 13, 2018

Hi Everyone!

Today, I’ll be reviewing a Tarte mascara that I got in a rewards set from Sephora. It’s the Gifted Amazonian Clay Smart Mascara. When I first opened it up, I knew right away that I would like the brush. I think I’ve mentioned that I don’t buy high-end mascaras because I prefer to splurge on primer and foundation instead of spending $30 on a mascara. I always get the deluxe samples from Sephora for high-end mascaras and then keep the wand if I like the brush. I will definitely be keeping this brush after I’ve finished the tube.

Tarte Gifted Amazonian Clay Smart Mascara – The mascara made my lashes longer and it gives a natural, non-clumpy look. It’s great for an everyday makeup look. It’s definitely not waterproof.

Boosts thickness, length, & curl with a blend of antioxidants & conditioners while Amazonian clay replenishes without making lashes feel crunchy or heavy. The formula delivers soft, weightless volume while it nourishes for stronger & healthier lashes.

RATING: 4/5

Even though I really like this mascara, it gets a 4/5 because of the price. There are so many drugstore mascaras that are a fraction of the price.

What are your fave mascaras?

Love,

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Review | Marcelle CC Concealer + Corrector

August 8, 2017

Hi Everyone!

I recently bought Marcelle’s CC Concealer + Corrector from Shoppers Drug Mart. I got the shade Light/Medium and it costs $12.95 CAD. I wanted to give a stick concealer a try, and I needed to spend $50 for free shipping, so I added it to my cart. It comes in a nice and sleek, white tube with a clear top. It was the winner of the 2015 Beauty Grand Prix by Elle for BEST CONCEALER UNDER $20. There are three reviews on the website giving it 5 stars saying that it’s hydrating and doesn’t crease. So I put the concealer to the test!

Conceals dark circles and corrects dark spots, all in one step!

Are the claims true?

As a concealer, it conceals dark circles, undereye puffiness, age spots and redness. It did conceal dark circles, but I feel like there are other concealers that do a better job.

As a corrector, it corrects and prevents the appearance of dark spots. I didn’t really try this to colour correct, but it did sort of conceal dark circles under my eyes. I only used it once, so I can’t say anything about preventing the appearance of dark spots. Unfortunately, it caused creasing under my eyes because it’s a dry formula.

I’m very sensitive to smell when it comes to beauty products. I can’t use scented lotions or hand sanitizers unless they have a fresh, fruity smell (and even then, there are times I have to draw the line). I tend to just avoid scented creams if I can. I also don’t like if a foundation or any makeup has a chemical smell. All makeup will have some sort of chemical smell, but sometimes there’s makeup that I can’t even use because I don’t like the smell. Whenever I’m at Sephora looking for a new foundation or concealer, I always give it a sniff to see if I can stand it. I was immediately turned off by the smell of the CC Concealer + Corrector. It smells like plastic, but that’s what happens when you order something online without seeing it in person first. Even then, Shoppers and Rexall don’t always have testers for the products.

In addition to the smell, the product looked kind of dry too, but appearances can be deceiving so I swatched it on my hand. Unfortunately, I was right, it didn’t run very smoothly against my skin (see below for pictures). I have Cover FX’s Correct Click Color Corrector, and it feels like a lipstick. It’s very smooth and blends nicely. The Marcelle concealer, on the other hand, feels gritty against your skin, I don’t know if I accidentally got some dirt in it, but I’ve wiped it a few times and it almost makes it look worse. I even swatched it on my parents to see if they felt it too and I wasn’t just imagining things. They agreed that it felt gritty. It almost feels like Tarte’s FRXXXTION Stick Exfoliating Cleanser (which I absolutely love, thanks to one of my best friend’s for introducing it to me). This is bad because this product is for the under eye area and that’s one of the most sensitive areas on your face. Regardless of the grittiness, I tried it out yesterday and noticed that it was creating creases under my eyes where I don’t have any.

RATING: 0/5

I give it a 0/5 because I didn’t like the smell or the fact that it was dry, but on top of that, I woke up this morning with a bit of a breakout. I basically exfoliated under my eyes yesterday and now my face is reacting to it. My mom said my eyes looked a bit puffy too, but that could be due to lack of sleep.

Thoughts: I’m an optimist, so I’d like to think that maybe there’s a chance I got an old one that dried out or it was faulty somehow, but this was a fail for me. I wouldn’t recommend this product especially with the fact that it’s for under your eyes and it feels so gritty. I don’t understand how this was rated the Best Concealer under $20 in 2015. Someone with oilier skin might like this product, but mine tends to be on the drier side. You could maybe mix this with an oil product to create a creamier consistency, but I am steering clear of stick foundations for the under eyes. I might give them a try for colour correcting though.

Marcelle is a Canadian company, so I want to support it as a fellow Canadian. This product is a pass for me, but I like their Velvet Gel Waterproof Lip Liner in Rosy Nude and the Rouge Xpression Lipstick in 901 Amour (it won the 2016 Beauty Grand Prix for BEST LIPSTICK UNDER $12).

I’ve heard good things about the Tarte Amazonian Clay Waterproof 12-Hour Concealer and I have a colour-correcting concealer from Cover FX that runs smoothly, so I would assume that the Cover Click Concealer + Foundation is the same formula. Both the Tarte and Cover FX Concealers are a little more expensive.

My skin is more dry than oily (especially around my nose), so stick concealers aren’t the best for me, but the CC part of the Marcelle Concealer + Corrector interested me so I thought I would give it a try. I’ve heard rave reviews about the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer and Tarte Shape Tape, so I might give those a try.

What are your fave concealers?

Love,

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HITS

LIKES

MISSES

To Try

5 Songs I’ve Been Listening To