I received Vichy’s Idéal Soleil Anti-Shine Dry Touch Lotion complimentary of GlamSense and thought I’d write a review on the blog. I’ve never tried any Vichy products before so I was excited to try it.
VICHY introduces its first dry touch, facial sun protection, with a unique powdery texture that mattifies skin, even in the most humid conditions. Long lasting anti-shine effect. 80 minutes water & sweat resistance. Dry touch lotion formulated for an active lifestyle and outdoor activities. Apply generously and evenly, on face, 15 minutes before sun exposure. Reapply at least every 2 hours, after 80 minutes of swimming or sweating and immediately after towel drying.
I was really impressed by this lotion, I love that it dried fast and didn’t feel tacky or oily. The consistency isn’t too thick (it’s like a moisturizer). It went well under my liquid foundation. It smells faintly like sunscreen, but it’s not overpowering like other sunscreens out there. I give it two thumbs up!
RATING: 4/5
It’s quite expensive for a facial sunscreen, but you should always protect your face with SPF and I’m guessing face sunscreen is formulated so that it can go well under makeup and not look too greasy. I’ve tried Neutrogena’s which is half the price, I’ll compare the two in a This or That post.
Have you tried Vichy products? What sunscreens do you use on your face?
I was sent a complimentary tube of the Nude by Nature Perfecting Primer from Chick Advisor. I thought it’d be a good idea to review it on the blog too since the brand is new to Canada. A full-size bottle retails for $32 CAD (the one Chick Advisor sent is half the size of a full-size).
Creates an even, luminous base for make-up application. The untinted formula blends seamlessly into the skin, restoring freshness and helping fight visible signs of ageing, while helping to extend make-up wear and disguising skin imperfections. The primer is composed of active natural ingredients, including the native Australian Kakadu Plum, known for its abundant Vitamin C content, rich antioxidants Vitamins A and E, and Green Tea.
It does have a scent- it kind of smells like candy. From what I remember, it smells like Chiclets gum. After you apply it and start applying foundation and your other products, the smell does go away. Since it’s silicone-free, it looks like a moisturizer- it comes out of the bottle white and then blends beautifully into the skin for a smooth finish.
I wore it for about seven hours and I had also been testing the Lancome Skin Tint Foundation. After about four or five hours, my t-zone started to get oily and you could tell that the makeup had broken up on my chin and on/around my nose. So I don’t really think it extended my makeup’s wear time. It’s the same as any other higher end primer.
RATING: 3/5
The primer itself is okay, so I’m going to give it 3/5. Before putting on foundation, my skin felt smooth and then when I put on the foundation, my foundation blended into my skin beautifully. Personally, I don’t think I will be picking up the full-size because the smell is too sweet. I really want to try Nude by Nature’s Radiant Loose Powder Foundation and maybe some of the other products.
For the past few months, I was anxiously awaiting the launch of Jennifer Lopez’s collaboration with Inglot. On April 26th, her collection launched and I quickly ordered a few products. I had to hold myself back from ordering too much, so I decided on the safest products that I could order without swatching: a bronzer, highlighter and lip gloss. I watched a video of a beauty editor swatching different products, but she had different colouring than I did (she was white). I would need to swatch the pressed eyeshadows, pigment eyeshadows, nail polishes and lipsticks to see which shades I’d want.
Lipglossy Lip Gloss in J225 Pinky
This lip gloss is beautiful. It has a subtle pink sheen on the lips. When I swatched it, it looks like a peachy pink shade, but when I put it on the lips, it looks more pink. Since it’s a gloss, it is a bit sticky, but it’s not as bad as some I’ve tried where you get that gross trail of lip gloss at the corner of your mouth when you talk.
Enhance your lips and ensure your kisses are unforgettable with the ultra-shiny LipGlossy. The protective, multi-benefit formula is long-lasting and moisturizing leaving your lips soft and optically smooth. The gloss provides the feeling of regeneration and visually improves firmness, flexibility and tension of your lips. Use alone, or on top of your lipstick for everyday glamour. The final effect depends on the application: touch delicately for a subtle shine or more generously to achieve a magnetic effect of optically enlarged lips.
RATING: 5/5
Boogie Down Bronze Freedom System Bronzing Powder in J217 Safari
This is a beautiful bronzer and it blends nicely. It does hurt a bit that you have to pay $40 CAD for the bronzer and the compact. At least the compact is reusable. I decided to get the non-limited edition compact to save $4 since I already have the highlighter that says Jennifer Lopez on it. The regular compact still has a mirror, but the top is a glossy finish whereas the Jennifer Lopez one is matte with gold lettering.
Feel fabulous with a natural-looking tan and a sun-kissed glow with Boogie Down Bronze. This sheer, pressed powder leaves your complexion feeling instantly warmer and radiant. The formula allows seamless blending with a powdery, velvet finish that doesn’t smudge. Define your cheekbones by brushing across them lightly to enjoy all-over warmth day and night.
You have to buy the compact separately from the bronzer, so the first time you buy it, it’s more than $30 to purchase. I didn’t love that you had to do this, but it’s a beautiful bronzer.
RATING: 4/5
Livin’ the Highlight Illuminator Face Eyes Body in J201 Radiant
For highlight, I prefer that wet look that doesn’t have any glitter. This highlight is absolutely beautiful for your IG pics or like the description says “on the stage,” but close-up, I don’t think it looks that good. Since this is a loose powder, it’s a bit more glittery than I like for a highlighter. It’s gorgeous for an eyeshadow or the body. You can mix it with some moisturizer and get a more subtle highlight for your face. Same goes for mixing it with a body lotion to highlight your collarbone or shoulders. I don’t love the container this comes in. It’s geared best for using it as a body highlighter, since it has the puff and you put the container upside down so you can release some product. For eyes, you have to pour some onto the top of the lid so your brush or finger can pick it up. Then the puff gets product on both sides of it which I think is a waste of the product.
Turn heads with Livin’ the Highlight Illuminator to create a luminous look. Available in two magnetic shades, this loose powder enhances your natural radiance and highlights strategic parts of your face and body for the ultimate glow. The iridescent formula can be effortlessly applied and its stunning effect is perfect for when you’re on the stage or out and about with friends.
RATING: 3.5/5
I went to the store to pick up the compact for the bronzer and swatched some of the other products in the collection. I’m glad I didn’t end up getting a lipstick because when I swatched them on my hand, they all seemed a little too peachy for me (although it might be a different story on the lips). The lipsticks and the glosses both smell fruity. The red lipstick (Besame) was absolutely beautiful, but I don’t really wear red lipstick that often and I don’t see myself paying more than $15 for a red. I’ve found a few pretty reds at the drugstore. The loose pigment shadows looked nice, but it was also quite chunky. The mascara wand looked really nice and it’d be good for both top and bottom lashes since it’s skinny.
I think I chose the right products to get and I think if I picked up new products from the line, I would try the mascara, lip gloss in J223 Goldilips and maybe one of the blushes.
Today, I’m reviewing and swatching the Stila All Over Shimmer Powder in Kitten. I picked it up from Winners a while back and I was so excited because I’ve never tried any Stila products.
All Over Shimmer Powder in Kitten
Introducing a gorgeous all over shimmer powder with Kitten and a pale iridescent pink. This multi-purpose powder instantly enhances the complexion with a fresh, radiant glow.
Inspired by light, Stila’s All Over Shimmer Duo in Kitten creates a luminous, youthful glow. Packaged in a convenient compact with mirror, this powder can be used as an eye shadow, highlighter, cheek color and décolleté.
I use the light one as highlight and the dark one for my eyes. It’s a pretty pop of colour for the inner corners of the eyes, but I don’t use it on the lids. For me, it’s not the right colour for a blush and the darker shade is too bronze for highlight for me.
RATING: 4/5
It was great for the price (less than $15, I believe), but I don’t think I would’ve paid the full price for it. I have swatched Stila Heaven’s Hue Highlighters though, and they are absolutely gorgeous. I would buy those at full price because they come in a pretty package and bigger pans.
I’ve posted Make Up Of the Day posts that include the Essence Light Up Your Face Luminizer palette (10 ready, set, glow!) and I’ve been asked about it a few times, so I thought I’d do a review and swatch post on it.
The swatches were done with my fingers. If you follow the facial mapping on the back of the palette, you will get a beautiful, glowy look. I find that the middle shade has shimmer that’s a little more chunky than I would like. But, if you try to use the 1st and 3rd shade as a highlight on the cheekbones, it doesn’t look as nice. I think I will mostly use this palette for my eyes to get a brightened look.
Luminizer palette with soft highlighter powder textures – all you need for a bright & radiant finish!
nude highlighter: satin sheer powder with a subtle glow- perfect for everyday radiant appearance
rosé highlighter: shimmering powder for setting specific luminous highlights- perfect for special events
golden beige highlighter: pearly powder for adding a soft and warm finish to the complexion
RATING: 3.5/5
It’s great for the price, and it’s a very nice highlight palette. I personally prefer powder highlighters that don’t have shimmery chunks and have that wet look because I use the MAC Strobe cream and the white/silver shade in the Coastal Scents Eclipse Palette for an everyday, dewy look. I’d rather pay $6 for one shade instead of getting three different shades that look good for different areas of the face. I’ve read good reviews for the Essence Pure Nude Highlighter and based on swatches I’ve seen, it looks less powdery than these 3 shades.
Have you tried Essence products? What are your faves?
I thought I would do a review and swatches of the Revealed 3 Palette from Coastal Scents. It’s a very nice palette for a beginner. I got this from a TopBox a while back and it’s been great for an everyday eye look. I mostly use the brown/taupe and gold shades. The first two shades are great to set your eyeshadow primer. It has a combo of matte and shimmery shades, but the majority are shimmery.
The Revealed 3 palette features twenty all-new elegant eye shadows, in a stunning variety of hues and textures. Discover infinite possibilities with a combination of looks, perfect for every eye color.
Swatches below are without using primer. The top two shades didn’t show up when I swatched them. On the left is the top row of shades, and the right is the bottom row.
I would suggest doing eyes before your foundation and concealer because the fallout can be quite bad. Sometimes I have to dust off my nose or fluff the shadow out of my hair.
RATING: 4/5
It’s not the best palette, but it was the first palette (with more than 4 shades) I ever owned. I mostly used single eyeshadows before and I have trouble deciding on which eyeshadow palette I want to actually purchase. Two of the ones I own were won in giveaways and this one I got from a subscription box. There are so many beautiful palettes out there, how can I decide?
A while back, I bought a silicone spatula that helps you get every last drop of your makeup products. I got the Every Drop Beauty Spatula on Amazon. When I got it, it was $11, now it’s $13.
It’s been amazing for getting ‘every last drop’ because it’s silicone, it scrapes the sides of the bottle well. I remember the first time I used a silicone spatula when I was baking and I was like OMG, I can make another cupcake with all of the batter I scraped off. Well, similar to baking, the spatula can probably get one or two more uses out of your products. Unfortunately some bottles just aren’t shaped right to get all of it, there’s only so much you get angle the spatula to get the top part. It was easy to scrape off the Maybelline Fit Me foundation, but I could only go half way up on the NARS Sheer Glow foundation bottle.
The triangular shape of the spatula is great for getting the top of a bottle. They also sell one that’s shaped like a scalpel (for $9), but that’s better for lip gloss or concealer tubes. The other end of the spatula is like a bulb, either can be used to mix any makeup product.
UPDATE: I was trying to get the last bit from a concealer tube and the plastic stopper was being stubborn and wouldn’t come off. I put the spatula in because similar to an arrow, it’s fine going in, but pulling it out, it catches on the sides. The silicone part came off the stick and now I no longer have the spatula any more. So, if you plan to purchase this, make sure the plastic stopper of your tubes can come off easily before sticking it into the tube.
RATING: 4/5
Although the price has gone up, I would definitely recommend getting one. You’ll save some money in the long run by scraping off that last little bit of your high-end foundation or concealer.
I finally got the chance to go to Miniso Canada the other day and I picked up a few things. I got a blush, two lipsticks and an eyeshadow pen.
I got the Flawless Baked Blusher in 02 Rosy Pink for $2.99! It was Made in Taiwan, but that’s okay since I probably won’t be using this every day and I mean, $2.99?? Check out my blog post: Where Were Your Beauty Products Made?
Flawless Baked Blusher in 02 Rosy Pink
Richly pigmented and highly buildable, the beautiful matte and shimmery shades of baked blusher are the perfect cheeky pop of colour for every skin tone.
RATING: 5/5
If you’re a regular reader, you may have noticed that I rarely give ratings of 5/5. This is a beautiful, subtle pink and it was such an amazing price, so it gets two thumbs up and a 5/5 from me! They also had a baked bronzer that was beautiful too, but it wasn’t matte. It could probably make a really pretty eyeshadow though!
Magic Eyeshadow Pen in 01 Shimmer Brown – I got the eyeshadow pen for $4.99. At the store, the tester was much more pigmented.
It’s really interesting because the sponge applicator is just an applicator and it dips into a pot that’s in the lid. It has a spring action so you pump the shadow onto the sponge applicator. It’s a bit disappointing because you don’t get a lot of product. Other eyeshadow pens that you sharpen or twist up give you a lot more product.
I tried dipping a brush into it. It’s like a really small pot of cream eyeshadow. A very small concealer brush or an eyeliner brush works. It looks great as an eyeliner.
You could probably use this as a highlight too. The sponge applicator gives a very subtle swipe of the product and you can blend it out with a brush.
As you can tell from the swatch on the left, the sponge may have absorbed too much or I didn’t pump it long enough to pick up a good amount of product and the swatch is very subtle. On the right swatch, I used an eyeliner brush which was much more pigmented. So, depending on the look you’re going for, you can use the sponge on your eyelids and then line your waterline with a brush.
Obviously, the staying power isn’t amazing because it’s a name brand. It easily smudged off my hand, so I don’t have high hopes for when I use it on the eyes. Hopefully using a primer underneath and setting it with some powder on top will help.
RATING: 3/5
Since you don’t get a lot of product for $4.99, I’m going to have to give this a 3/5. Also, the fact that it’s a sponge applicator turns me off because you have to constantly clean it to prevent bacteria and especially since this is an eye product, you have to be even more cautious. I don’t think I would repurchase this, but it was cool to try out!
Colour Revival Lipstick in 02 Sakura Pink – For the lipsticks, one is more like a light pink tinted balm and the other is more full coverage. Both have no scent.
Colour Revival Lipstick in 02 Sakura Pink for $2.99. This is interesting because you click the bottom to get more (like a YSL Touche Éclat pen). The only problem is that you have to be careful not to click it too much because you can’t push it back down.
High-pigmented formula. Moisturizing and long-lasting. Enhance the lips and bring out their natural colour. Leaves lips fresh, full and radiant.
It starts off as a sheer pink colour, but as I was wearing it, it started to get brighter and tinted my lips to a Barbie pink. Even after taking it off with a makeup wipe, my lips were reddish-pink. I can’t imagine what the darker shades do since this was the lightest one I saw at the store.
RATING: 2/5
Silky Soft Lipstick in 05 Berry Red
This lipstick you twist the bottom to get more. It’s a nice tube because it’s black and quilted- it sort of looks like a nice pen. It does have the feel of a matte lipstick. When you first apply it, it has a satin finish, but then as you wear it, it has a matte finish. It’s definitely not transfer proof.
Effortless application. Matte texture and lightweight feel. Formula with Vitamin E to prevent colour fading or smudging. Deeply nourishes and moisturizes lips.
RATING: 3.5/5
This one gets a higher rating because it didn’t stain my lips like the other one.
Here are swatches of the two lipsticks.
They’re both very pretty shades, but I think I’d rather pay a bit more for a drugstore brand. The problem with lipsticks from Asian brands is that they rarely have a nude lipstick, usually they have lip tints or lipsticks that are pink, coral or orange-red. I prefer nudes and nude-pinks instead of bright pinks.
I’ve previously reviewed the Tea Tree Oil Targeted Gel Blemish Stick from The Body Shop. Since the stick comes in such a small tube, I wanted to try something that I could use in my everyday skincare routine and I chose the daily solution. I decided to go with the daily solution instead of the cleansers because then the solution can soak into my skin throughout the day. It has the same smell as the blemish stick; kind of medicinal and a bit strong, but I’ve gotten used to it. I’ve been using it every night and in the mornings when I’m not leaving the house. I think the scent is quite strong and I don’t want my face smelling like medicine when I go out. After it has time to soak in, my face feels incredibly soft and not at all tacky like some facial products I use.
It comes in a glass bottle with a dropper. I usually drop the solution onto my fingers and then pat onto my face. The consistency is like a toner.
The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil Anti-Imperfection Daily Solution
A lightweight, pre-serum concentrate that combats blemishes and improves the overall condition of your skin. After 4 weeks, skin looks and feels: purified, clearer, smoother, healthier, clarified, mattified and soothed, with reduced redness and imperfections.
Can be used as a serum for oily skin types
Gentle enough for daily use
Pairs perfectly with our Tea Tree 3-IN-1 Wash Scrub Mask & Tea Tree Oil
Enriched with Community Trade Organic Tea Tree Oil from Kenya
RATING: 5/5
The smell is a bit medicinal, but it has been working wonders for my acne-prone skin. It gets two thumbs up from me!
UPDATE: I was using it everyday until it ran out and my face was relatively clear, although it was a bit dry because I wasn’t mixing it with anything else.
I got a little sample size from a LUXEBOX that I had forgotten about until recently. I was trying out a hair colour thing that comes out after a few days which I got from Winners. It made my hair look super dry and a bit gummy from the residual product (my hair looks awful). I won’t bother writing a review on the wash-out hair colour because it’s been discontinued, but it was the Garnier Colour Styler. Hair oil is supposed to help remove the colour and I thought it would help repair the dryness.
I tried the serum and it smells good, made my hair feel softer and look shiny (and not like an oily shine, it’s a healthy shine). I was originally unsure of using a hair oil/serum because I thought it’d just make me feel greasy. For this reason, I didn’t touch the roots of my hair, I started half way down and concentrated the oil on the tips.
Dove Advanced Hair Series Regenerative Nourishment Serum-in-Oil
Combines oil’s nourishing power with serum’s restorative qualities Regenerates properties of healthy hair Unique formulation delivers strength and manageability with every use Brings softness and shine to hair that’s been weakened by damage Fights split ends and breakage Suitable for even extremely damaged hair
RATING: 4/5
I don’t think I’d purchase the full-size bottle because my hair isn’t terribly damaged. I think a good hair mask and conditioner will do the trick for me., but if you have damaged hair and want to purchase a drugstore brand hair oil/serum, this is a great choice.
Today, I’m reviewing a L’Oréal BB Cream that corrects redness. Like The Body Shop BB Cream, it adjusts the colour to match your skin tone. My mom uses this in her everyday makeup to get rid of redness on her cheeks. Check out my post for her everyday makeup! I used it for a bit, but I wasn’t crazy about the smell and since I would use it around my nose, I could smell it all day. It smells kind of like plastic. It’s a great colour corrector though, so if you’re not sensitive to smell or if you don’t put it near your nose, you should be good.
Our Magic Anti-Redness BB cream is formulated with Beautifying Beads, encapsulated, color-transforming pigments that counteract redness. This multi-tasking, ultra-light lotion delivers 4 beautifying actions in 1: neutralizes the look of redness, evens skin tone, hydrates and perfects. It instantly transforms to your perfect shade for a flawless, bare skin finish.
A little goes a long way- as you can see from the pea-sized dot, it covers my hand, so if you only have a bit of redness, I suggest a dab of it. It’s quite liquid (similar to the Body Shop BB Cream), the consistency is like a serum.
RATING: 4/5
It’s great if you have light to medium skin, but I don’t know how well it would do with fair and darker skin tones.
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.
I’ve always seen 3-step fiber mascaras and one of my friends bought one off Amazon and her lashes looked amazing, so I thought I’d try it out myself. I’ve seen the fiber mascaras at the drugstore, I got mine from Amazon, but it’s no longer available. For unknown reasons, it’s no longer available on the brand’s website either. Most 3-step fiber mascaras retail for $15-20 CAD. I’ve seen one on sale at Rexall or Shoppers Drug Mart for $12.
In this post, I will be sharing my thoughts on whether 3-step mascaras in general are worth it, I won’t be reviewing the specific brand or mascara that I bought because let’s be honest, they’re all kind of the same- there aren’t any name brands that have 3-step mascaras out there.
Sealing Gel- Steps 1 & 3, Natural Fibers- Step 2
Step 1- Curl lashes and apply generous amount of the mascara
Step 2- Immediately apply natural fibers to lashes
Step 3- finish with a second coat of the mascara to seal the fibers to your lashes
For best results, do one eye at a time to prevent Step 1 from drying before fiber application.
To remove the mascara, you just use warm water and it comes off easily. Make sure not to open your eye until it’s completely off because the fibers can get into your eye.
RATING: 4/5
It does make my lashes look longer and fuller. To be honest, the sealing gel by itself makes my lashes longer. For me, I just think it takes too much time to do the 3 steps and I could do the same with a regular mascara or a fiber mascara like the Revlon Mega Multiplier Mascara (read my review). Also, I don’t like how you use the sealant after using the fibers because then the natural fibers get into the other tube.
I got the Sheer Mattifying Compact Foundation refill from Winners for $8.99 and OMG, it’s amazing!! I got B60 Natural Deep Beige.
It’s long-lasting, buildable and has a natural matte finish. I wore it for almost 12 hours and only had to touch up once because I was getting a bit shiny on my t-zone. I would assume that it’s good for oily skin since it’s a mattifying foundation. It didn’t look dry or break up around my nose which is always a problem with powders for me and sometimes even liquid foundations.
Unfortunately, Shiseido has discontinued the Sheer Mattifying powder and they’re only selling what’s left in stock on their website. Although they don’t have an exact replacement, the Powdery Foundation is an alternative. If it’s anything like this powder, I definitely want to try it!
RATING: 5/5
I hope they don’t discontinue the powdery foundation once I get my hands on it!
Back when H&M first came out with makeup, I bought a contour powder palette and a BB cream because I wanted to try their makeup. I think I bought a shade that was too dark for the BB cream, but the powder was pretty good. I think it was $14.99 for the contour palette, and about the same for the BB cream. The contour palette had four shades (2 light, 2 dark) and the bb cream had a selection of 2-3 shades. Since then, H&M has come out with a lot more makeup: foundations, eyeshadows, mascara, eyeliners, nail polish, etc.
I bought the shimmery shades of eyeshadow because I have so many browns and taupes already and I wanted to get some more shimmery ones. The shadows are soft and buttery. I got the shades Paradise Lost (rose gold) and Over the Moon (silver). These are kind of glittery, it’s very easy to get it all over your face and might take a few swipes to remove it with your makeup remover. It reminds me of a pressed version of MAC pigments because of how much can fall onto your cheeks. If you use these, I would definitely suggest doing your eyes before foundation because you can wipe it off if it gets on your cheeks. I swatched the matte shades and those were beautiful and velvety too. The best way to apply is with your fingers.
The highlighter powder is a baked highlighter and it’s beautiful, but it is a bit powdery if you swatch with your fingers. Also, the swatch doesn’t look as pigmented as the eyeshadows, but in person, it’s a nice peachy pink highlight. It might seem expensive for a non-designer brand, but it’s huge and since it’s baked, there’s even more than what you’d get in a regular pressed highlighter. Since it is a bit powdery, I think the best way to apply is with a fan brush and lightly swipe your brush, don’t swirl your brush or the product will get all over your desk.
Spotlight Glow Powder Sheer Coverage Radiant Shimmer in Sumptuous Peach
Infinite Impact Eye Colour in Paradise Lost & Over the Moon
RATING: 4.5/5
I think the shimmery eyeshadow shades I bought will be pretty for a party or night out and I would definitely use the highlighter for every day makeup to give a pretty peachy glow.
Have you tried H&M makeup products? What are your faves?