In the Spotlight // Liquid Foundations

Welcome to my foundation station where we're looking at my foundation rotation! Gotta throw in all of the rhyming words ;) I am here with another instalment of my 'In the Spotlight' series (or rather, reviving it) where I take a look at all my makeup collection through different categories, whether it be a type of product or a brand. Over my time of wearing makeup, I've cycled through quite a few different foundations! Here are the ones that have managed to stick around, and that I actually do wear! For reference, my skintone is light-medium with yellow undertones and I have pretty oily skin. I'd say I'm around a MAC NC25 (though I've never actually been shade matched lmao), and not all of my foundations are perfect matches haha :P

The Ordinary's Extraordinary Primer & Foundation

Today I'm coming at you with a good ol' foundation review, and throwing my thoughts on a primer in for good measure too! I'm reviewing The Ordinary Coverage Foundation and High-Adherence Silicone Primer. The Ordinary's foundations (Coverage and Serum) were subject to a lot of hype not too long ago. Do you remember that long-ass waitlist? I think that in and of itself created a lot of hype, but was probably due to the fact that they couldn't keep up with the demand! Both of their foundation offerings have been touted as incredible bases for such a low cost! Since the initial rave reviews, I've been seeing some mixed and negative ones - particularly of the Coverage Foundation so here I am to give you guys my own take!

Battle of the Anti-Fatigue Foundations

You could call it a coincidence, but within the last couple of months, both Rimmel and Bourjois have reformulated their Wake Me Up and Healthy Mix foundations respectively. I was very kindly sent both of them to review, and it didn't take me long to realise they were both claiming very similar things! Firstly, they're both "anti-fatigue" foundations that contain vitamins which are supposedly better for your skin! I'm not so sure about the actual efficacy of vitamins in foundations - I don't know about you but I don't really wear foundation for its skincare benefits. But anyway, as foundations - they're very similar formulas so I thought it would be worthwhile comparing them!

In The Spotlight // Milani Cosmetics

I'm back with another brand spotlight post, this time for Milani Cosmetics. Unfortunately I only have three products (trust me, I wish I had more) but they're all definitely worth talking about! Milani is a brand I've always been interested in but unfortunately don't have the easiest access to! We can pretty easily purchase their products online now which is great, but sometimes I just like to have a play in person! The three products I do have from them though are all pretty great...keep reading for my full review!

Trying Mineral Powder Foundations

Mineral foundations have always been touted as uber natural, lightweight, breathable and 'good' for the skin. I've been super curious to try them, but have always thought of them as being a bit messy and difficult to apply. What can I say - I'm a liquid foundation kinda gal! Luckily though, I was given the opportunity to try a couple of mineral foundations from Antipodes and Vani-T, and my eyes have been opened to their wonders!

Game. Set. Match.

It's been a while since I've reviewed a foundation round these parts...In fact my last was of the Bourjois Happy Light foundation which was over a year ago. Say whuuut?! It's not like I haven't gotten new foundations since then but I'm a fickle chick and more often than not, I never get the right shade so I end up mixing it with another foundation therefore altering the formula. Oops. I was however sent Rimmel's latest base launches, their reformulated Match Perfection Foundation* and their Fix & Protect Makeup Primer*. I've actually been meaning to try Match Perfection for yonkles since a bunch of people rave about it, but I've never gotten around to it as I have a crap load of bases (though, I don't use a lot of them so only like 3?). I've also been on a bit of a primer kick lately so I was super keen to try these two products!

In the Spotlight // Crop's Cosmetics

Crop Natural Skincare* is a relatively new brand that came out with a small range of skincare a little while ago, and just recently launched their makeup line! Crop is a natural brand with no nasties like parabens, mineral oil, petrochemicals, etc. It's suitable for sensitive skin and doesn't test on animals! The whole ethos behind the brand is very admirable and you can read more about it on their website! I was very generously sent almost the whole range of makeup (thank you so much Crop!) and have been testing them out for the past few weeks. Before I get into the reviews, I do want to mention the packaging! It's lovely and minimal and looks quite classy - I'm into it. Oh and, unfortunately I couldn't really test the liquid foundation or brow pencil as they are the wrong shades for me! I will try and keep this post concise and I've split the products up into recommendations, 'eh' products and ones that I wouldn't recommend, so keep reading for my thoughts!

Because I'm Happy

Bourjois seems to have some of the best base products, everyone seems to love their primers, foundations, concealers and powders! I for one have only tried their Healthy Mix Serum Foundation which initially I too loved, however slowly realised it did not work for my skin type. Cue in the Happy Light Foundation, which has now become a firm fave and still gives me a similar natural, dewy-ish finish without any of that oily business!

Packaging-wise, like Bourjois's other liquid foundations, it comes with a handy-dandy pump - which also happens to be peachy-pink, my fave. The standard 30mL comes in a slim glass bottle. Seems pretty sturdy, just make sure not to drop it!

A note on the shades, there aren't many. I have the shade 52 Light Beige which is actually a pretty awesome match. It doesn't oxidise at all - if it does it's not noticeable. Basically, I'm the second lightest shade which is unheard of. I'm definitely not pale, and am firmly a medium-yellow skintone, so you get the idea of how horrendous the shade range is. It seems to have planted itself in the medium range, the four shades (available in Australia) don't extend to either of the extremes which is very unfortunate for pale or deep skinned ladies! Bourjois really needs to get their shade-game together!

As for the foundation itself, I really love it. It has a lightweight, vaguely gel-like consistency which blends really well into the skin. I tend to apply it with a buffing brush but fingers work too, as well as a sponge. It really buffs into the skin, leaving a very skin-like finish. It does claim a "luminous complexion" which I'd interpret to be glowy/dewy. It doesn't exactly give that finish but it does give a naturally flawless type look. It's not too dewy, nor too matte - very much a satin finish which just looks natural.  I've found that satin finishes tend to be my favourite, because throughout the day as a little of my natural oils start coming through, it gets to that dewy stage that I really like. Foundations with an initial dewy finish can tend to look oily throughout the day. It doesn't make any bold claims for lasting power, but I find lasting power is really pretty good! I do set with a powder just to make sure, but it sticks around for the whole day - longest I've worn it is probably 10 hours and by the end of the day, my skin is dewy - possibly a wee bit shiny in the nose area, but looks good with no touch-up on my oily/combo skin. My one qualm is that toward the end of the day, it can sort of highlight any uneven texture on the skin. Not sure how to explain it, it doesn't cling to dryness or look obviously foundation-y, but it does look a little less flawless after a while, which is to be expected to some degree. It also claims 8 hour hydration. I don't have dry skin so I can't really comment on that, but it didn't dry out my skin at all, or accentuate dryness, nor did it cause me to be really oily.

Like most foundations I tend to gravitate towards, it has a light to medium coverage, which is buildable to some degree. I probably wouldn't layer it up to much (2-3 layers max) because it can tend to get a little more obvious. I'm good with one layer and concealer - mostly because I'm lazy :P I should also note that it is lightly fragranced, like most Bourjois foundations, so sensitive skins be aware.

All in all, a really lovely foundation! It ticks all my boxes; natural, satin finish, good lasting power and light-medium coverage. Definitely one to check out if you have a shade match. I really think that this would suit most skin types! Maybe not extremely oily or if you prefer a matte finish. It retails for AUD$29 at Priceline.

PS: I'm heading down to Melbourne-town on Wednesday for about a week to visit my sister! Posts will still be going up as normal though hehe. I'm planning on doing some serious shopping, mainly for accessories/shoes/makeup for my Formal. Any local Melbournians have shopping recs or in general notable things to do down there?

Liquid Perfection?

Hello friendlies! Recently I was sent a few Arbonne products to review, one of which was a foundation. I've already reviewed a couple of their products here, and have one more in the pipeline. The foundation I'm reviewing today is the Arbonne Perfecting Liquid foundation*. I was quite excited to receive this as I've heard pretty good things about it, and it's been a while since I'd tried a new foundation!

The foundation is packaged in a nice sturdy, plastic bottle with a very nice pump that doesn't get too grubby due to its nozzle (handy!). I actually like that the bottle is plastic because it's not too heavy nor will it crack/break if you drop it. The way the foundation is dispensed is through one of those plastic pusher-uppers (clearly not in with the lingo) which is good because it means you get all the foundation out and there isn't any left hanging out on the sides!

Onto the formula! On the scale of liquid foundations, the Perfecting Liquid foundation* has a thicker, more creamy liquid consistency - one that doesn't easily go running all willy nilly. It still blends very easily with a brush and especially with fingers, or my latest love - a sponge. The coverage is a good medium and slightly buildable, though I find it can tend to look slightly heavy when built up, especially if it's not blended well into the skin. I find I like one layer with a tad more over particular problem areas and that's just about the most coverage I really want. It's finish is definitely satin-matte, where it's definitely not matte or dry looking, but it also isn't really dewy at all. I actually really like the finish because it looks quite 'normal' and skinlike. I was actually most impressed with the wear time and longevity of this foundation. I found it lasted a good eight hours without getting oily (set with a powder, of course - but no primer). After a while, I do get a wee bit shiny on the nose (as I typically do) but in my other 'shiny' areas like the forehead, I was actually looking pretty good, with only the slightest 'healthy glow' coming through. I also found the foundation didn't break up or wear off weirdly at all.

The shade I have called Honey Beige is actually one or two shades too pale for me. I did get away with wearing it alone once but I had to heavily bronze up my face, even then I still looked a tad ghostly. I have since been mixing it in with my Rimmel Wake Me Up foundation in True Nude which is my darkest foundation. Their textures are quite similar, but their finishes differ. Wake Me Up is quite a bit more glowy, so a mix of the two is really nice and gives a healthy skin finish. Although it's too pale, because it's quite yellow toned I can work with it. Perhaps if/when I lighten up during this coming winter (WINTER IS COMING) I'll be able to use it alone, however mixing it has been quite good as I actually get some use out of that Rimmel foundation!

All in all, I think this really is an amazing all rounder foundation that I think would suit many skin types - and a foundation that I really cannot fault. I actually think it's worth the rather steep price tag of AUD$56, and is definitely a foundation I recommend if it's within your price range.

*Product was sent for consideration.

Healthy Skin is Happy Skin

Hi guys! Today I have a foundation review for you all. It is the Neutrogena Healthy Skin foundation. Sadly, Neutrogena's makeup range is not available in Australia (I wish it was!) so I was ecstatic when Cherie from Cherry Picking offered me hers. She very kindly gave me it as it was too dark for her. So, thank you so much Cherie, as it seems to be a near perfect match for me!

First up, the packaging. It comes in a glass bottle with no pump, and actually quite an inconvenient, large opening that doesn't make for easy foundation pouring. The packaging is quite simple and clean looking though, with a silver lid. It still contains the standard 30mL of product but the bottle itself is quite short and fat.

I have the shade 60 Natural Beige which, like I said, is a near perfect match for me! It's quite yellow toned, but I do believe that the Healthy Skin shade range is decent, offering both pink and yellow toned shades. 

The foundation claims include having an 'exclusive blend of antioxidants', an SPF of 20 and a lightweight, silky formula. The SPF 20 is a nice inclusion, however I've grown accustomed to wearing a higher SPF (30+) everyday anyways. Also, I've found this does flashback slightly, not anything drastic or ghost like, but my face does seem a bit paler in flash photography. I would agree with the lightweight and silky formula. It is quite a thin consistency, but not runny as it still has a creamy element to it. I find it blends and applies really well with fingers or a brush (my trusty Real Techniques Buffing Brush). This foundation also has a scent which I find quite pleasant actually! It's a bit fruity with hints of berry, but very light and not too offensive in my opinion.

 I feel the coverage offered is nearer the medium side of light-medium, but it is buildable. It covers most imperfections like redness, but I find I need an additional concealer for any acne or dark acne scarring.The finish is very natural looking. It's not totally 'skin-like' and is detectable on the skin, but not mask like at all. I would describe it as having a satin finish, it's not as glowy or dewy as the Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum or the Rimmel Wake Me Up. It simply looks very healthy and radiant as the name would suggest!

I find this foundation wears really well on my combination skin. I do find that I do get a bit shiny after about 4 hours of wear (set with a powder) but my face isn't overly greasy, nor does this product make my face more oily, it just doesn't control oil very well. I would say that oily skins could probably still wear this, but with a good primer and setting powder. It lasts me the full ten hours and still looks pretty reasonable at the end of the day, without touch ups. It doesn't fade or accentuate dryness as it wears either, which is a plus!

I really like this foundation! I find it's a really good middle-of-the-road foundation in terms of coverage, finish and longevity/wear. Thank you so much again Cherie for giving me this, as I don't think I would have had the opportunity to try it otherwise! 

Have you tried this foundation and/or any Neutrogena makeup products?

A Fruity Foundation

Hey there! Today I have a foundation review on a product I've really been enjoying lately! It is the Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum foundation. This is a highly raved about foundation and even Essiebutton's holy grail! I had to give it a go and I bought it off of Ozsale for a mere $8 ($10 if you include shipping)! I also picked up a couple of blushes which I will have reviews for soon.

First up the for the packaging! Yay - it has a pump! I always feel like pumps are essential, yet so many brands don't have them! The bottle itself is plastic which I'm not really sure about. This foundation is pretty expensive and I would kind of expect a glass bottle, though it is light weight so great for travelling and you won't have to worry about it smashing if you drop it!

This product boasts about having a 16 hour lasting power, radiance-boosting qualities, instant blend-ability,  flawless complexion and undetectable coverage. It also has vitamin-rich fruits of lychee, goji berries and pomegranate - which explains why it smells so darn delicious! It definitely smells fruity but almost green tea ice-cream like? Whatever it is, it's yummy, fresh and makes the application a whole lot nicer! I will also add that this foundation does not contain an SPF which is good if you're wearing it at night or with flash photography. For daytime wear, simply add an SPF below.

I have it in the shade 53 Light Beige which is a teeensy bit too light for me, but I can get away with it because of it's light coverage. Coming up to winter though, I think I might lighten up a bit (though I never really notice a change). Although this is too light, I think the next shade would have been too dark. Most if not all the shades offered are quite yellow-toned.

Onto the formula, I find this is a light-medium coverage but is very buildable. I can achieve a very good medium coverage and it doesn't look cakey at all (I'm sure you could probably go even further). One pump (or even less) is just the right amount for a full face! The product itself, I would describe, as a gel (as it is marketed). It is thick, but very lightweight. When I say thick I mean it isn't very runny at all. It doesn't have a creamy consistency, so I think gel is just the right word. It certainly lives up to many of its claims! It is so blendable. It only takes a few brush strokes for the product to be completely worked into the skin which makes application very quick. The finish is also as described - dewy and it looks so natural on the skin, virtually undetectable! It doesn't cling too badly to dry patches (or accentuate them) and in turn it is slightly moisturising on the skin. This being quite dewy though, I find I definitely need a mattifying powder to avoid becoming oily throughout the day. I think this wouldn't really suit  very oily skins (I am combination).

One claim it doesn't live up to, however, is it's staying power. It claims 16 hours but I highly doubt it would last that long, especially on me or oilier skin types. I find it gets through the day fine (10 hours) but it isn't looking too fresh by the end. I would definitely recommend a good setting powder with this, I really like the Rimmel Stay Matte Powder. To amp up the staying power and coverage of this foundation, I really like mixing it with my Revlon Colorstay Foundation. The Healthy Mix then softens the finish of the Colorstay.

Overall, I really love this foundation! It's definitely one of my faves and Holy Grail material! Although it is relatively expensive and the shade range isn't extensive, I highly recommend giving this one a go! This retails for around about AUD$30 I believe for the usual 30mL of product. 

Have you tried the Healthy Mix Serum foundation (or the original)? How do they compare?

Haul | Bountiful Bargains

Another haul so soon? Well, I went shopping and encountered a number of awesome bargains that I wanted to share!

First up are the L'oreal products I picked up from Myer. It might just be mine, but Myer had a bunch of L'oreal products for less than half price!! They had a number of foundations, heaps of mascaras, a few eyeshadows, nail polishes and lipsticks. I did however go to another Myer and they also had cleared out a lot of their L'oreal stand and had it on clearance too! I have no idea why they are being clearanced and why Myer is the only store doing it! I'd recommend checking out your local Myer in case you find some products you like! Whew, anyway, I bought two lippies and a mascara. I got one of their Nutri-shine lipsticks in the shade Pink Nude for only $11 (Full price ~$23). These lipsticks are very similar to the Revlon Lip Butters. I also got a Nutri-shine lip balm in the shade Nudy Coral for $6 (full price $12.95). It's just a very sheer tinted lip balm. The Telescopic waterproof mascara was $13 (full price $26.95) and I've been wanting it for a little while because of Viviannadoesmakeup's constant raving! 

I also picked up a Maybelline Color Sensational Vivids lipstick in the shade Vibrant Mandarin for around $8 (full price ~$16) from Chemist Warehouse.

Next up are some truly bodacious bargains from Kmart! As you may or may not know, Revlon released a new formulation of their very popular Colorstay foundation with a pump! This, of course, meant they were clearancing all of their old ones! Originally they had them half price but there were only two left at my Kmart and had been further reduced to only $10! I thought that was a bargain as I have been wanting to try this foundation for a while. I would have preferred the pump packaging but you can't beat $10! Also, I was super lucky that there was one left in my shade 320 True Beige with the Oily/combination formula. I won't do a review on this since this formula has now been discontinued, but first impressions are that it has good coverage (medium-full, buildable), matte finish, clings slightly to dry patches, does not have a natural look on the skin and smells of paint (not too appealing...).

The other thing bought on clearance is the Australis double decker eyeshadow in the shade Supernova Casanova for only $4. It contains a dark bown cream shadow with copper flecks and a peach-champagne, rose-goldy loose powder shadow. Likewise with the foundation, I won't do a review since it's been discontinued. First impressions are that the cream shadow is very creamy feeling and applies pretty easily with the warmth of my fingers almost 'melting' it. It did crease quite quickly on me, though it's not marketed as a creaseless formula. The loose shadow is absolutely stunning and I love the colour. It's quite glittery and pretty. These probably look best layered together, loose shadow on top.

Cream, Loose powder, layered together

I really love how Kmart discounts their products accordingly and keeps reducing the price as time goes on. For example, Target had one of the double decker shadows left, but it was still $7. 

But wait, there's more!

I couldn't not mention this little steal right here! This pair of black, faux suede wedges from Kmart (they have the best bargains!) were only $2 reduced from $25. $2!!!! I thought that was a bargain I could not refuse, especially as they were the last pair and in my size! The universe is sending me all the signs! Though they aren't of the best quality, they are decently comfortable. They had a bunch of heels and wedges for $2, so if you fancy a new pair, or an amazing bargain, check out Kmart!

Well that was my bountiful haul filled with my bodacious bargains (loving the alliteration?). Hope you guys weren't too overwhelmed with all of the words, haha. I'll have reviews most of the products up in due time (the mascara probably won't be for a while). I won't be buying much more anytime soon! 

Wake me up before you go-go!

Hello all! Today I have a review on the Rimmel Wake Me Up foundation which I have in the shade 303 True Nude. This is a very highly raved about foundation, not a bad word about it! I definitely think it lives up to the hype!

First up, the packaging. I think its packaging is absolutely great for being a drugstore foundation! It comes in a sleek, glass bottle which is slightly 'cinched' in the middle. It also has 'Rimmel London' embossed on the side, which I think is pretty cool. Also, it comes with a pump! It is so easy to get the right amount of product and most drugstore foundations don't come with one. So, good on ya Rimmel!

The foundation has a really nice consistency, being thicker and creamier than the average liquid foundation. Frankly, I find this texture much easier to work with as it doesn't go running all around the shop. It is super easy to blend with a brush or your fingers. It provides light to medium coverage but it is definitely buildable. I generally use one pump of the product for the whole face and it evens out my skintone, covers redness and gives me just a more awake, glowing face which I love! You will need to go in with a concealer afterward for particular spots. I find it's really nice and moisturising but doesn't make me oily throughout the day, provided I've set with a powder. I find it wears well too. If anything, for me the foundation just ends up looking better as time goes by! It doesn't crease or streak or anything like that, it just provides a wonderfully natural look.

What helps gives this foundation its 'anti-fatigue effect and radiant glow' are the tiny shimmers. Now, don't be scared off by them! They are super finely milled and honestly, even if you were right up in the person's face, you can't see the individual particles of shimmer. What they provide is a lovely luminous sheen to the skin.

I really love this foundation! It is actually one of my all-time favourites as I love the coverage and finish of it. The price tag definitely doesn't hurt either! I would recommend it for anyone with dry to combo skin types. If you are oily, this might be a little too dewy for your liking. For AUD$19.95 you get 1 fl oz or 30ml but Rimmel is often on sale. I'm really excited for the concealer to come to Australia, just might have to pick that one up...