• concealers & colour correctors

    Concealers & Colour Correctors | My Hits & Misses

    Hi Everyone!

    I’m sharing my hits and misses for concealers and colour correctors that I’ve tried.

    Check out my other Hits & Misses posts!

    MAKEUP || Primers | Foundations | Powders | Brows | Mascara

    SKINCARE || Eye Creams

    BRANDS || Bobbi Brown | Burt’s Bees | L’OréalMaybelline | 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

    Nars Soft Matte Complete Concealer – This has become one of my favourites. I still need to try the Radiant Creamy Concealer.

    Maybelline Fit Me Concealer – This is a great concealer, but it needs more shades.

    Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles Treatment Concealer – This is another great concealer from Maybelline, but I feel like I finished it really quickly compared to other concealers.

    Shiseido Synchro Skin Self-Refreshing Concealer – Love this concealer and would definitely repurchase.

    Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Self-Setting Concealer – I really enjoyed this concealer and would definitely repurchase.

    concealers

    LIKES

    Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer – I tried this before I started beauty blogging so I never tested it out in different ways. I really enjoyed it, but I need to try it again to see if I would bump it up to my “Hits List.”

    Cle de Peau Concealer – This is a really nice concealer, but I don’t think it’s worth it for me.

    Coastal Scents Eclipse Palette (read my review) – I liked the colour correcting shades from this palette.

    Milani Retouch + Erase Light-Lifting Concealer – I liked this concealer, but it needs more shades.

    Colourpop No Filter Concealer – I know this concealer is affordable, but it’s hard to find the perfect shade match online. Also, this concealer oxidizes which I didn’t love.

    Cover FX Correct Click Color Corrector in Brick – A Sephora associate suggested this corrector to cover a dark spot I had on my leg for my sister’s wedding. It was a very nice, blendable corrector when I bought it in 2016.   

    Hard Candy Sheer Envy Concealer Palette – I liked the colour correcting shades in this palette. It was very emollient and not too thick. The concealer shades weren’t quite right (even when I tried to mix them to get my shade).

    Urban Decay Naked Skin Color Correcting Fluid in Green – I liked this colour corrector. It was nice and creamy.

    RMS Beauty Un-Cover Up – I liked this concealer, but it started to smell different after a few months.

    Maybelline Super Stay Better Skin Concealer – This concealer was okay, but I prefer the Fit Me Concealer.

    NYX HD Photogenic Concealer in Green – The shade of this colour corrector is very minty-green compared to the Urban Decay one (see swatches).

    Physician’s Formula Concealer Twins 2-in-1 Correct and Cover Cream – I tried this when I was first getting into makeup. It was a great starter concealer and colour corrector.

    concealers

    MISSES

    Marcelle CC Concealer + Corrector (read my review) – This was probably the worst concealer I ever tried. It was gritty!

    Bobbi Brown Intensive Skin Serum Concealer – This was too thin to provide any coverage for me. It also settled into lines and made my dry under eyes look even drier.

    Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra Wear Camouflage Concealer – This was way too tacky for me. I also got the wrong shade in this one.

    Revlon Colorstay Concealer – I didn’t like the smell of this concealer. It was an okay concealer, but it doesn’t have a very wide shade range.

    Tarte Shape Tape Contour Concealer – This is an unpopular opinion, but I don’t like this concealer at all. This is too full coverage for me and the scent is way too strong for me.

    Sephora Bright Future Color Corrector (read my review) – I didn’t like this colour corrector.

    Cover FX Correct Click Color Corrector in Yellow – I don’t know if they changed the formula since I purchased the shade Brick in 2016, but the Yellow would pull on my skin and it wasn’t as blendable.


    Concealers I Own, but Haven’t Used

    • Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles Treatment Concealer in Neutralizer
    • Laura Mercier Secret Concealer

    To Try

    • Bare Minerals BARESKIN Complete Coverage Serum Concealer
    • Bare Minerals BAREPRO 16-Hr Full Coverage Concealer
    • Charlotte Tilbury Magic Away Concealer
    • First Aid Hello FAB Bendy Avocado Concealer
    • Ilia True Skin Serum Concealer
    • Kosas Revealer Concealer Super Creamy + Brightening Concealer
    • Milk Flex Concealer
    • Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer
    • Revlon PhotoReady Candid Antioxidant Concealer
    • Too Faced Born This Way Super Coverage Multi-Use Sculpting Concealer

    What are your fave concealers?

    Love,

  • maybelline fit me loose finishing powder

    Powders | My Hits & Misses

    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’OréalMaybelline | 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.

    charlotte tilbury airbrush flawless finish setting powder

    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.

    hourglass veil translucent setting powder

    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.

  • November 2018 Product Empties

    Hi Everyone!

    Here are last month’s product empties:

    Amika Nourishing Mask – I got this on Amazon, so this is the old packaging. The new one looks pretty much the same (design-wise), but the font is a bit bigger. This mask made my hair smooth and shiny.

    Repurchase? Maybe. I did really enjoy it, but I think I would rather get a hair mask from the drugstore because I really enjoyed the Garnier ones I’ve tried.

    Sephora Yuzu Micellar Cleansing Water – The lemon scent makes me think of dish soap. While it does the job to remove makeup, it kind of makes my eyelids tingle. I gave it to my mom (who doesn’t have sensitive skin) and she noticed that when she used it, her face would be red after removing her makeup. She rarely has reactions from products, so it was weird. I used what was left in the bottle to clean my makeup sponge.

    Repurchase? I don’t think they sell it anymore. Even if they did, I would not repurchase.

    Tarte Maracuja Oil – I love this oil! I use it as a moisturizer and a primer.

    Repurchase? I already repurchased a supersize bottle! The supersize is available on Tarte and it’s $22 more than the regular size, but twice the size. I got it during the Black Friday sale when it was 20% off!

    Make Up For Ever Step 1 Equalizer Primer (Redness Correcting) – I love the MUFE primers, but this one is kind of useless. If you want to colour correct redness, get an actual concealer that corrects instead of a primer. I’ve written a This or That post comparing this to the Smashbox primer. While this one performs better than the Smashbox one, it still doesn’t do as much as an actual colour corrector.

    Repurchase? Not the redness correcting primer, but I have already repurchased other MUFE Step 1 Equalizer Primers.

    The Body Shop Pink Grapefruit Exfoliating Gel Body Scrub (read my review) – The gel texture of this made me use it faster because it was easy to just scoop some out with my hand and get too much.

    Repurchase? No.

    BCL SPA Lavender + Mint Dead Sea Salt Soak – I enjoyed this a lot and it made me feel very relaxed.

    Repurchase? Probably not.

    BCL SPA Lavender + Mint Sugar Scrub (not pictured) (read my review) – I loooved this; it smells amazing and makes your skin feel baby smooth. I’m sad I used it up so quickly because it’s so expensive.

    Repurchase? Probably not. I just can’t justify the price tag, but I will try to duplicate it with a DIY sugar scrub or find one that’s more accessible and affordable.

    Live Clean Coconut Milk Moisturizing Shampoo & Conditioner (conditioner is not pictured) – I liked the smell of this and it made my hair feel soft.

    Repurchase? Possibly.

    Johnson’s Baby Shampoo – I used this to clean my makeup brushes and sponges.

    Repurchase? Yes.

    Lady Speed Stick Invisible in Cool & Fresh – The smell is very nice, but after a while, it started to smell different; not as fresh. I want to start using natural deodorants that don’t have aluminum.

    Repurchase? No.

    Delectable by Cake Beauty The Everything Powder – When I first tried it, I loved it. It doesn’t have talc and it was great to use as a setting powder, but I just don’t love the smell that much. I’ve said it multiple times, but it smells like this toy that my cousin had. It was a baby that comes with a bottle and spoon and you put the spoon in the bottle and it ‘fills’ up with cherries and you feed the baby and the cherries disappear.

    Repurchase? No.

    Delectable by Cake Beauty The Everything Balm – I enjoyed this when I got a little tube from a Topbox, so I bought a full-sized bottle. The full size comes with a pump, but the pump sucks. It doesn’t dispense the product and it smells a bit different from when I used the small tube.

    Repurchase? No.

    COSRX Acne Pimple Master Patches (read my review) – I love these. They’re amazing.

    Repurchase? YES!!

    Neutrogena Hydro Boost Eye Gel Cream (read my review) – This didn’t hydrate my eyes as much as other eye products I’ve tried which was disappointing because it’s a good price for an eye cream.

    Repurchase? No.

    Essence The False Lashes Extreme Volume & Curl Mascara (read my review) – This mascara held the curl of my lashes well, but it was quite flaky.

    Repurchase? No.

    Rimmel Moisture Renew Universal Transparent Lip Liner in 001 Universal – This is a clear lip liner that you can use for any lipstick. The only problem with it was that I could see where I was drawing on my lips. Also, it’s retractable and I prefer a pencil that you can sharpen so I can get a more defined line.

    Repurchase? No.

    Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in 855 Berry Smoothie – This was a gorgeous shade, but I just didn’t like it on me. It looked like my lips were stained from eating berries and I always wore it with Vaseline on top or underneath to sheer it out.

    Repurchase? I would consider repurchasing a Revlon Super Lustrous lipstick, but not in this shade.

    Bourjois Twist Up The Volume Mascara (read my review) – This was an interesting mascara, but if I were to spend over $20 on a mascara, I would get one from Sephora that I like better.

    Repurchase? No.

    Milani Color Statement Lipstick in 26 Nude Crème – I loved this shade. It was a “My Lips But Better” shade, but I didn’t love the watermelon scent of the lipstick.

    Repurchase? Maybe.

    Check out my Black Friday Haul!

    What did you finish last month?

    Love,

  • January/February 2018 Product Empties

    Hi Everyone!

    I can’t believe February is almost over! Two months went by so fast. For some reason, I’ve finished quite a few products in the past two months. So I thought I’d share my product empties and whether I’d repurchase them.

    Revlon PhotoReady BB Cream Skin Perfector in Light/Medium – I hate to admit that I kept this way too long. I only really got into foundations and bb/cc creams recently (within the past two years). When I first started using makeup in high school, I only used concealer, eye products and lip gloss. When I was in university, I upgraded to using powder foundation and then eventually got into liquid foundations and bb/cc creams. The PhotoReady BB Cream was the first BB I purchased and I really loved it. I used it for a whole summer until I purchased Maybelline’s Fit Me Hydrate + Smooth Foundation and it was forgotten. I wish the shade range was better because it was a bit too orange on me. I used Light/Medium, it’s possible I could’ve used Light.

    Repurchase? Probably Not. I bought this on sale for less than $10 and I saw it at regular price for $22 or something. If I’m going to spend that much, I’d rather get a foundation or a better quality BB/CC Cream.

    Pixi Shea Butter Lip Balm in Honey Nectar –  This lip balm is very hydrating and gives your lips a nice tint.

    Repurchase? I think I’d rather spend the money on gloss or lipstick. I can use Nivea’s lip balm or vaseline if I want to hydrate my lips.

    Pixi Glow Mist – I’d rather buy Pixi’s Hydrating Milky Mist because I like the scent more and it doesn’t have the Argan Oil (which made my face feel sticky).

    Repurchase? No.

    Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer in 030 Classic Beige – I really like this concealer for my under eyes. It doesn’t fully cover dark circles, but since it’s a thinner concealer, I can use it with a colour corrector and it won’t look cakey. It’s one of the few concealers I’ve tried that doesn’t smell like chemicals- it actually reminds me of popsicles (like the popsicle stick after you’ve finished eating it).

    Repurchase? Absolutely!

    Lancome Miracle Cushion Foundation in 025 Beige Naturel – I loved this foundation. It never made my nose look dry and it gave a beautiful finish.

    Repurchase? Absolutely! It’s expensive, but worth it if you can find your shade.

    Garnier Grow Strong Fortifying Hair Mask (read my review) – This was the first time I tried a hair mask. I bought it on clearance at Rexall. I really liked it, but I didn’t love the scent.

    Repurchase? Yes.

    Garnier Papaya Hair Mask (read my review)* – I received this from GlamSense for review purposes. I got the papaya one, but there are other scents available that cater to different hair needs. I think I would buy the avocado or coconut one since my hair isn’t damaged. I would prefer if it came in a tube like the Grow Strong one (this one comes in a tub where you stick your hand in).

    Repurchase? Yes.

    What have you finished in the past two months so far? What would you repurchase?

    Love,

    jen

  • Review | Gosh Cosmetics Click’N Conceal Pen

    Hi Everyone!

    When I was at Shoppers Drug Mart a few months ago, they were having a 50% off sale for GOSH Cosmetics products. There wasn’t a lot left, but they did have a click concealer pen in light and I thought I’d try it. Since it’s a click pen, I figured the formula would be more runny than the usual concealer you get in the wands and I was right. The consistency is similar to the YSL Touche Eclat pen. I can’t say whether or not this is a dupe for the YSL Touche Eclat, but I really like the Gosh Cosmetics pen. At first, I thought the shade would be too peachy for me, but it actually helps concealer the darkness under and around my eyes. One you blend it, it somehow looks lighter than when you dab it onto your skin.

    I like that it’s not drying- after I apply concealer under my eyes, it’s not cakey or heavy. It has a natural finish and it’s a perfect consistency for under the eyes. I also love Rimmel’s Wake Me Up Concealer for under eyes too (I use 030 Classic Beige, but think I could go a shade lighter).

    Gosh Cosmetics Click’N Conceal in 01 Light

    CLICK`N CONCEAL is a high quality concealer with a smooth and soft texture. The brush will easily brush away imperfections and spots on your skin leaving a refreshed and flawless skin. Ideal for hydrating and protecting the delicate skin around the eyes. Reduces dark circles & puffiness. No perfume, no parabens.

    I swatched it on my hand and then the right side is after it’s blended.

    gosh cosmetics

    Below is before and after I applied it. You can see that before applying it, I have a bit of darkness around my eyes, but once I applied the concealer, it brightened up the area. I primed my under eyes with Smashbox’s Photo Finish Hydrating Under Eye Primer.

    RATING: 4/5

    I dock a point because it’s not very easy to find, especially now that Shoppers is having a going out of stock sale for it. I found 2 more at another Shoppers and stocked up.

    What’s your favourite concealer for under the eyes? I know Maybelline’s Age Rewind and Tarte Shape Tape is a fave for many.

    Love,

    jen

  • First Impressions with Milani Cosmetics

    Hi Everyone!

    I hope you had a wonderful long weekend! Sorry I’ve been MIA for a while, I’ve been painting and reorganizing my room…I will share pics of my beauty corner as soon as I can! I went shopping last week and I went to Rexall and they had a sale for cosmetics, Buy 1 Get 1 50% off, but what caught my eye was the Buy 2 Get 1 Free for Milani Cosmetics! I just had to buy some of their products because they are such a good price and they come in beautiful gold packaging. Unfortunately, they didn’t have testers for the items I bought, so I went by swatches online. Here’s what I got:

    20170905_063130Eye Tech Perfection Liquid Liner – The shape of this is really interesting, I don’t think I’ve ever used a regular liquid liner pen, I prefer kohl liners (I usually wear eyeliner on my lower waterline or tightline my upper waterline). I’m not very good at doing a winged liner look, but this pen was really good and I got a very sharp wing. I compared this to the Maybelline Master Precise Curvy Liquid Liner (read my review).

    RATING: 5/5

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    Color Statement Lipstick in 26 Nude Crème – This is a beautiful shade that almost matches my lip colour. It’s good for days where I don’t want to just wear lip balm, but want something natural looking. It’s super smooth and smells like a Watermelon Jolly Rancher.

    RATING: 5/5

    20170905_063113_001Keep It Sweet Sugar Lip Scrub – This smells like candy. The directions on the back say “Apply a small amount with finger and gently scrub lips to buff away dry flakes. Tissue off.” Just using a tissue didn’t really work, I still had some sugar granules on my lips, so I just used some luke warm water. My lips feel super smooth and hopefully this will be an awesome product for the winter time…my lips already get a bit chapped now, so I really need to keep a lip balm handy. I’m not sure if I would use it 2-3 times a week as recommended, that seems like it would be bad for your lips, but I will definitely be using it once a week.

    RATING: 5/5

    20170905_063213

    Retouch + Erase Light-Lifting Concealer in 02 Light – At first, I thought this was a really small tube for $10 when I could get another concealer by Maybelline or Rimmel, but I compared it with my fave Wake Me Up Concealer by Rimmel and they’re both 7mL. The Milani concealer is a lot thicker than I expected, I wasn’t sure if I would like it because I thought it might cause creasing under my eyes, but I wore it for over 8 hours and it didn’t crease (I set it with The Everything Powder by Cake Beauty).

    media-20180126safasf.jpg

    Tip: it comes with a sponge tip, but those are filled with bacteria if you don’t clean them regularly, so I pulled mine off and I squeeze a dab onto my finger and apply to my under eyes. It’s also better because the warmth of your finger makes the thick concealer blend nicely.

    RATING: 5/5

    20170905_063412

    Bronzer XL in 01 Bronze Glow – I loved how this was less than $12 and it’s so big! This has a very light fragrance, but I don’t know how to describe it. With the exception of the lipstick, this is the only thing that’s scented. This is a bit too orange for me, you have to go in with a very light hand and blend well so you don’t look like an oompa loompa.

    UPDATE (July 30): I think the fragrance in this was causing me to breakout on my cheeks.

    RATING: 2.5/5

    20170906_103212.jpgBaked Blush in 01 Dolce Pink– I was originally planning to put this in a giveaway, but I kept it so long that I thought I should try it myself and then purchase a new one. It’s a really pretty shimmery pink.

    RATING: 5/5

    BLOG TITLES- JC
    These swatches were taken at different times (hence the shade difference between my arm and hand). On the left is the bronzer and blush swatches and on the right, the concealer, liner and lipstick.

    What are your fave Milani Cosmetics products? Let me know in the comments section below!

    Love,

    jen

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