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Daytime Nude Lips and Tangent

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When I first started getting really into makeup, in 9th/10th grade, I was a nude lips kind of girl. That sort of changed lately, starting in my senior year of high school, when I started venturing into wearing brighter lips and before then, nothing at all. I suspect this was because pinks (especially cool-toned ones) look absolutely horrible on me. After I discovered brighter lipsticks, nudes (especially pale ones) were delegated to occasions where I wore a dramatic smokey eye. Lately as I’ve begun my no-buy, I’ve been in a rut in terms of lipstick – there was nothing in between just good old lip balm and a bold statement lip and I’ve been digging out my nudes as a solution of sorts. In my early days of makeup, nudes were my daily go-to and over the last little bit, I’ve been enjoying them and I think they can be worn on an everyday basis. Even more, they can be quite flattering.

I found myself quite liking the way that nude lips put the emphasis on my eyes and how low maintenance it was. I used MAC Creme d’Nude Lipstick which was my second lipstick from MAC and the third lipstick I ever purchased (the previous two were complete failures). I stupidly bought MAC Viva Glam Gaga, which was a horribly unflattering cool-toned pink and I should have learned from that mistake… In other words, this was my first lipstick love.

I may have accidentally taken the above photo with flash and captured the dreaded flashback effect but what can you expect wearing an spf 50 BB Cream? I’ve gotten back into using Skin79 Snail Nutrition on the regular and it is a great one. Cheek products were standard. The concealer/highlighter from Rimmel is very nice and has been making its way into my everyday routine.

The daytime smoky-ish eye is a look I always think can look great but is hard to do without overdoing it. However, using my old stand-by MAC Woodwinked and adding in some trusty Sketch, Dazzlelight, Satin Taupe and Charcoal Brown and I have to say it’s one of the few (as of late) days where I’ve been really liking my makeup. Although I abhorr the word, Woodwinked really does make the blue eyes ‘pop’ and stand out without looking heavily made up.

Happy Wednesday! Thoughts?

 

FACE: Skin 79 Snail Nutrition BB Cream, Rimmel Match Perfection Concealer/Highlighter in Ivory, Benefit Rockateur Boxed Powder, Sonia Kashuk Undetectable Cream Bronzer in Warm Tan

EYES: NYX HD Eyeshadow Base, MAC Dazzlelight, Woodwinked, Charcoal Brown, Satin Taupe and Sketch eye shadows, Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Eyeliner in Brown, Maybelline the Falsies mascara, Revlon Brow Fantasy in Brunette

LIPS: MAC Creme d’Nude lipstick

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Naked Palette Attempt #1 Slash Wearable Red Lips for Day?

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FACE: Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in 10 Light, MAC Studio Careblend Pressed Powder in Light, Benefit Rockateur Boxed Powder, Rimmel Natural Bronzer in 021 Sun Light

EYES: Urban Decay Primer Potion, Urban Decay Virgin eye shadow (highlight), Urban Decay Sin Eye Shadow (lid), Urban Decay Naked eye shadow (crease and brows), Urban Decay Darkhorse eye shadow (outer v and as liner), Urban Decay Perversion 24/7 Liner (tightline), Maybelline Eyestudio Black Gel Liner (upper lash line), Maybelline One By One Mascara in Black

LIPS: MAC Ruby Woo Lipstick

So I’ve gotten more into my Urban Decay Naked Palette lately. I’ve said that this mega-hyped palette is not one that I find myself reaching for as an all-inclusive palette for all different kinds of looks; I find it to be too warm and too shimmery to be ideal for me. It’s not something I find myself reaching for every day to create a multitude of different looks. But I figured I’d do a series of posts of looks I created with it, as boring as that may be because I know so many people have it.

I was going to go for a really subtle makeup look but then I found myself gazing longingly at my favourite red lipstick and you can guess the rest. I quite liked this look as a subtle and defined eye look. I would also consider it as a success of wearing a read lip during the day; I wore it out to the mall and didn’t get any odd looks. This lipstick is just so drying but its the perfect colour – MAC Ruby Woo is amazing.

Like many of us on this planet, I am quite a fan of those oh-so-easy peachy-champagne shades that you haphazardly sweep across the lid – Sin is excellent in this way. When I want to go subtle with my brows, Naked is the way to go and as a bonus, it is a great crease shade. I put Darkhorse in the outer-v and finished with the usual suspects.

Because the red lip is not exactly the most subtle look for a trip to the mall, I tried to go for really natural skin foregoing the foundation completely, only applying Maybelline Fit Me Concealer where I needed it and the light-coverage MAC Studio Careblend Pressed Powder. I’ve paired it with one of my latest splurges that I’ve been loving – the Benefit Rockateur Boxed Powder that I most certainly did not need.

I plan on continuing this series of Naked Palette makeup looks. Any thoughts? 🙂

July 2013 Favourite Products

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1. Bumble and Bumble Texture (Un)dressing Creme is one of those products that oddly enough seems to suit all (or at least most) hair textures – from the straightest to curly, fine to thick. It is a thick and whitish sticky putty-like substance that defines curls, provides medium hold, controls frizz moderately (but not like a gel) and gives beachy textyre without drying it out. I can use this product in my wavy-curly hair wet for that beachy look (with no other products) but I love to use it to refresh my hair after a few days particularly in dampened hair; this is a godsend for me because I only wash my hair twice a week so anything that will help my hair look defined and volumized is amazing in my book.

2. Lately there’s been a whole lot of cleansing balm hype and hoopla (particularly after Caroline Hirons pretty much proclaimed them as the next messiah) and I spotted Boots No7 Beautiful Skin Cleansing Balm (which coincidentally was free of mineral-oil) at my local Shoppers for under ten dollars CDN so was compelled to pick it up. It is marketed as part of the dry/very-dry skin range, if anyone was curious. I wouldn’t say that it’s a balm cleanser, as its name suggests, I’d say its more of a cleansing milk. It’s very similar to Neutrogena Extra Gentle Cleanser except that it contains fragrance (boo), removes makeup a little better (but not fantastically) and contains oil (which is a plus in my book but might not be in others). Fortunately, I do not find it irritating and I would agree with the claim that it is not only very hydrating but does not strip the skin whatsoever. If anyone is curious, I did not include this in my skincare post because I’ve only been using it since the start of this month.

3. I really tried not to do this but I couldn’t resist; I have only owned this for twenty-or-so days but I’ve worn Skin79 Snail Nutrition BB Cream every day since I’ve gotten it and miraculously it doesn’t break me out or irritate my skin. I plan on writing a detailed review soon so I’ll try to keep it short and sweet (but I’ll most likely fail). It’s one shade oxidizes to a fair to light neutral tone, provides light-feeling medium buildable coverage and looks almost imperceptible on the skin. It has SPF 45 and contains Snail Secretion Filtrate (not sure how I feel about that…) as well as providing a long lasting natural-dewy coverage that holds up well in heat.

4. Upon reviewing my previous posts, I have come to the realization that I have a tendency to gushing about the same products over and over, so it’s no surprise that I’m including Tarte Natural Beauty Amazonian Clay Blush after my “Top 5 Blushes” post. It’s a matte bright water-melon pink blush that gives a nice bright flush wit fairly good pigmentation (it’s not as scary as it appears in the pan). This is the longest lasting blush that I’ve ever tried, hardly even fading after the 12 hour mark. I believe that this is a fairly unique colour, but don’t mark my words. I’m now intrigued to try this formulation in different colours…

5. Everyone has that makeup product that they have that love-hate relationship with (or so it seems) and for me this product is MAC Woodwinked eye shadow. I’m onto my third pan of this eye shadow but it can go months untouched. The texture is really easy to work with, smooth and pigmented, however I find the shade difficult to wear unless I have a bit of colour. As everyone I’m sure has heard before it is a very warm-toned medium gold shade with some brown in it that I find pulls orange-toned when I blend it (which is why I prefer it when I have some colour on my fair skin). Because of its orangey-gold undertones, this is a particularly flattering shade on blue eyes. I don’t find this shade to be particularly versatile – I tend to only wear it as a lid colour.

6. I think MAC’s matte eyeshadows are some of the best. MAC Charcoal Brown eye shadow is the only one I’ve personally owned but I’ve tried others. I use this shade daily to fill in my brows and I find that it’s the perfect no-fiss crease shade. It has nice pigmentation, longevity and texture. It is a matte slightly cool toned medium brown.

7. I’ve had MAC Sable eye shadow for well over a year and I’ve always passed it off as MAC Satin Taupe’s warmer and plummier less-attractive sister but I’ve pulled it out and kept it on rotation for when I want to look nice and wear eye shadow but don’t want to have to think about it. It has the same great finish/texture as most
(but not all) of MAC’s eye shadows and is a shimmery plummy-bronze colour that I like to wear in the outer v – I swear I’ve worn it like 20 days this month! It’s extremely similar to UD Toasted if anyone is curious. This medium-dark shade is also a nice lid colour.

8. One of my first posts on this blog was my review of MAC Studio Careblend Pressed Powder and although it was a powder I thought was exceptionally good, I didn’t find myself reaching for it all that much but that changed this month. I wear this product in Light which is a fairly neutral pale colour for reference. This powder has a relatively non-powdery look and provides sheer coverage. It’s sheerness comes in handy for setting foundation without adding to the heavy appearance on the skin but I also find it sort of buildable for pretty much invisible light coverage on its own when I’m having good skin days. This wore for over six hours on its own without fading which I thought was rather nice but keep in mind that with my dry skin skin products do tend to stay put for obscene amounts of time.

9. This is completely expected and unsurprising but with the warm weather and all, I’ve been really getting into using Rimmel Natural Bronzer in Sun Glow. It has a nice texture, good longevity, decent pigmentation although it is a nice light shade for my fair skin. I enjoy that it is matte (although sometimes I swear I see a sheen running through it but my eyes could be playing tricks on me) so it can be used to contour as well as to add colour to the skin in a natural-looking way and is not orangey. I would say that this is a warm-toned light golden bronzer. Too bad that it has horrendous packaging…

10. For someone with an unhealthy makeup obsession, I hate reapplying my makeup and as a result I spent a lot of my time dreading lip products because they require frequent reapplication. I got a sample size of Benefit Benetint with my 500 point perk from Sephora and it seems to be the answer to my prayers. It is somewhat drying on the lips but it is a stain that lasts a long time and is a flattering rosy colour.

Any favourites to share? X

the look - keep in mind here that the photo was taken with flash
the look – keep in mind here that the photo was taken with flash

In the interest of bettering myself (and particularly my tendency to be excessively wordy), I thought I’d try to do a Face of the Day without going on and on and on and on (you get the idea) about the products and all. Where I live (in Canada) has been going through unusually sweltering (and unbearable IMO) weather lately which sort of changes the kind of makeup I wear so I thought I’d write a bit about it. This stayed put really well in the mid to high-thirties weather we’ve been experiencing. Also, I should mention that the flash is making my face look awfully dewy when it wasn’t actually. I am aware that this picture is not particularly flattering but this photo showed the makeup the most accurately.

better look at the eyes - without flash
better look at the eyes – without flash

Face:

Make Up For Ever Mat Velvet Plus in 40

Make Up For Ever 5 Concealer Cream Palette in 1 – on chin and underneath the eyes

Benefit Girl Meets Pearl highlighter on cheekbones

Rimmel Natural Bronzer in 021 Sun Glow to add definition and colour

Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Natural Beauty on cheeks

MAC Studio Careblend pressed powder in Light on the t-zone

Eyes:

Benefit Stay Don’t Stray primer

MAC Woodwinked eye shadow all over the lid

MAC Charcoal Brown eye shadow to fill in my brows, in the crease, and to add definition to the bottom lashline

a touch of Urban Decay Half-Baked eye shadow in the center of the lids – most likely not necessary…

MAC Dazzlelight eye shadow as an inner-corner and browbone highlight

Urban Decay Darkhorse eye shadow in the outer-v to add definition and smudged into the lashes

Maybelline Master Drama Precise felt-tip liner to create a subtle winged eye

L’Oreal voluminous mascara

Lips:

EOS lip balm

MAC Sail la Vie lipstick on the lips straight out of the bullet- this colour is limited-edition from last summer and is not available anymore but Maybelline Vibrant Mandarin is similar and MAC Neon Orange is slightly brighter and more orange.

Enjoy!

FOTD – Longlasting Makeup for Hot Weather

Top 13 of June 2013

makeup products
Makeup Beauty Favourites
June Beauty Favourites - Skincare and Haircare
June Beauty Favourites – Skincare and Haircare

 

1.Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation in 100 Ivory: I’ve been really into natural looking glowy skin and this seems to be the perfect product for this. It provides excellent effortless light-medium buildable coverage. The shade range is atrocious, however and now that I’ve gained a wee bit of colour the lightest shade is almost perfect for my fair but not porcelain skin – I’d say that this shade is a touch lighter than a MAC NW20 and slightly more yellow.

2. Make Up For Ever 5 Concealer Cream Palette in 1: What I really like about this concealer palette is that the five colours together serve all of my concealing and correcting needs. The lightest colour is a nice brightening shade (particularly when I’m at my fairest), the second lightest shade is a perfect match for my skin which is somewhere around an MAC NW15, the yellow-toned shade is perfect for concealing blemishes that are red-toned or simply red-toned areas without having to layer a corrector with the concealer, the green correcter is perfect for correcting redness and the orange corrector is great at offsetting my frighteningly dark undereye circles. Their lasting power is good, their coverage is definitely full and they can be blended into the skin very easily. The only thing I find is that on my dry undereyes and patches, the concealer is a touch too dry.

3. MAC Harmony Powder Blush: This is a great contouring powder that suits a variety of skintones – fair to medium (and perhaps a bit darker, but I’m not completely sure). It is very pigmented and for this reason, I have to be quite careful with my application of the product and I find it easier to use when I have a bit more colour. The powder contour is a medium-toned brown with reddish undertones (without an ounce of orange in it) that creates a natural yet effective contour especially for those of us with cooler-undertones (although it still looks nice on those with neutral and warm undertones). Although it is not golden, I can use it to both contour and add a bit of colour elsewhere.

4. MAC Dazzlelight eyeshadow: The highlighting shade has a lovely sheen without being overly shimmery – I don’t feel like it contributes to shimmer overkill when worn with other shimmery colours – and is a light golden-champagne that leans quite yellow. I use it both to highlight my eyes (I have also used it as a face highlight and it worked nicely!) and as a light lid colour for everyday. It also has a really nice texture to work with.

5. NARS Kalahari eyeshadow duo: What really stands out about this duo is its smooth and blendable texture and the uniqueness of the shadows. The lighter colour on the left of the duo is a shimmery pale gold that is fairly neutral-toned but it pulls slightly cool. The darker colour on the right of the duo is a medium taupey-brown that has mauve undertones and a sheen to it. For easy and quick everyday makeup I wear the lighter shade on the lid and the darker in the crease and it looks great on my blue eyes but they also are great shadows when playing with other colours. The shadows have really great lasting power under a base/primer on my creasing-prone eye lids.

6. MAC Stereo Rose Mineralize Skinfinish: I’ve used this product in both of my looks that I’ve posted and I’ve really making good use of this product – I use it as a blush but it can also be used as a highlighter, it depends on your skintone – this month. It’s a very smooth, shimmery but not overly glittery pink-based coral with bronze-veining that lasts for a good amount of time on the skin. It’s quite a versatile colour, going with many different looks and does not require additional highlighter. It’s limited edition but has been repromoted several times – I talk about alternatives to this colour in my Naked Palette FOTD.

7. Bobbi Brown Rose Pot Rouge: Lately I’ve been using this warm rose cream product on my lips as an everyday sort of colour – it’s flattering on me without being very dramatic at all. It’s very versatile, as it can be worn with pretty much any look and I apply it in two different ways – patted onto the lips for a bit of colour or applied more intensely with a lip brush.

L-R: Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation, MUFE Concealer palette swatched from l-r as they appear in the palette, MAC Harmony, MAC Dazzlelight, Nars Kalahari, MAC Stereo Rose MSF, Bobbi Brown Rose Pot Rouge, Maybelline On Fire Red
L-R: Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation, MUFE Concealer palette swatched from l-r as they appear in the palette, MAC Harmony, MAC Dazzlelight, Nars Kalahari, MAC Stereo Rose MSF, Bobbi Brown Rose Pot Rouge, Maybelline On Fire Red – without flash
same as above with flash - I apologize for the messy swatches :)
same as above with flash – I apologize for the messy swatches 🙂

8. Maybelline ‘The Vivids’ Colorsensational Lipstick in On Fire Red: I adore the look of a red lip, but I usually find them high-maintenance and difficult to pull of but neither of the aforementioned things are issued with this lipstick. Because of the glossy but not frosty or shimmery finish of the lipstick, it is not particularly long-lasting, however on a more positive note it is a nice moisturizing formula. The colour is a bright red that leans slightly cool – it’s a very true red. Whenever I want to look glamorous and polished, I reach for this lipstick.

Note: So, I’ve been rather skincare obsessed and because of this obsession, a blog post on my routine is underway and therefore I’ll try to keep my descriptions brief.

9. Caudalie Vinosource Quendching Sorbet-Creme: This is a soothing, lightweight, fast-absorbing yet very hydrating moisturizer. I think it may be my favorite moisturizer that I have ever tried (and I’ve tried a lot). It contains antioxidants in stable packaging (which is nice) and the only downside is its inclusion of potentially-irritating fragrance.

10. Clinique Mild Clarifying Lotion: This is a really great exfoliating toner that contains 0.5% BHA (salicylic acid) to exfoliate beneath the surface of the skin and improve clarity of the skin without any of the harsh irritants (fragrance and drying alcohols). This is a very effective yet gentle chemical exfoliant.

11. Neutrogena Extra Gentle Cleanser: This is one of those extremely gentle cleansers that does not contain any of the common irritants (alcohol, detergents, etc.) and does not strip the skin whatsoever, It doesn’t lather, is somewhat difficult to rinse and does not remove makeup well but nevertheless I adore it! I mentioned this before in my Drugstore Essentials post (and will talk about it again when I talk of my routine).

12. L’Oreal Professionnel Intense Repair Nutrition Masque: I’ve always liked the L’Oreal Professional masques (although I’ve always used them as a regular conditioner) but this one by far is my favourite. I have very long hair that is curly, is prone to split ends and is rather dry and using this product I noticed a definite improvement in the health of my hair and it went months longer without developing split ends. My only annoyance is that is does contain silicones (amodimethicone- which is not water soluble but does not build up on the hair and is not an issue for me). It is ultra-hydrating, provides great slip for detangling and does not weigh my hair down. I believe it contains low amounts of protein.

13. Devacurl b’Leave In: I have an insane amount of fine-textured wavy-curly hair and this product really gives my curls a boost, making them bouncier and more voluminous. The name of the product is rather misleading as it is by no means a leave-in conditioner but rather is a leave-in protein treatment (wheat protein so not ideal for those with gluten-sensitivity) but is the only product I’ve ever tried that gives this sort of boost to my hair. It should be followed by a holding product for best results as it has no hold on its own – i also use gel and/or mousse.

I was thinking about making the top 13 essentials for every month a series – any thoughts? I would love to hear about what everybody else has been loving!

FOTD- Day to Night with Urban Decay Naked Palette

products used
products used

In the last few weeks I’ve been trying to be creative and make more use of my neglected Naked palette. The thing is I tend to find the palette too shimmery and too warm to be a palette to use for a bunch of different whole looks but I’ve been managing to create a few that I’ve liked. This one has by far been my favourite as I think it’s really pretty without being overdone, defined and versatile. This is the kind of makeup that I find suits casual days to going-out nights. It’s nothing spectacular, I just thought that I would share! 🙂

The look :)
The look 🙂
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my lip colour is off … whoops 🙂

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If you don’t have the colours I have, I’ll try to give some alternatives at the end; there’s nothing I hate more than a look I like but own none of the colours for.

Eyes:

1. I primed my eyes with Primer Potion and then I used the brush that comes in the Naked Palette to pat a good amount of Sin on the inner half of the lid and Toasted on the outer half and then blended the edges together.

2. So I sort of cheated a little – I used one shadow not in the Naked Palette. I used the darker shade of Nars Kalahari (the right side) in the crease with a fluffy blending brush.

3. I filled in my brows lightly with Buck on an angled brush.

5. I applied Hustle into the outer-v and then blended outwards with my MAC 239.

6. Using my angled liner brush again, I applied Hustle underneath my eye in the outer corner.

7. I lined my upper lashes with same brush using Darkhouse and smudged it. I also applied some on my MAC 239 brush and used it to darken the outer v.

8. I highlighted the browbone and brightened the inner corner with Virgin.

9. I used L’Oreal Voluminous mascara on my upper lashes.

I’m sorry but I maybe sort of used the same cheek and lip products as in the other look … but at least its proof of their excellence? 🙂

10. I used Rimmel Wake Me Up in 100 for my foundation which I really like the colour match for my skin, the glow it provides, its lasting power and that it’s not too noticeable.

11. I put the second-lightest colour of Make Up For Ever 5 Concealer Cream Palette – my shade is 1- underneath my eyes and onto rather pronounced blemishes.

12. I used Rimmel Natural Glow Bronzer in 021 on my cheekbones, forhead, temples, nose and blended it into my neck to bronze my face up slightly with a large blush brush.

13. I placed MAC Stereo Rose MSF on my cheeks with the same brush, blending it into the bronzer. I know this is LE, but I’ll talk about other options below 🙂

14. I put the tiniest bit of Benefit’s Girl Meets Pearl highlighter on the tops of my cheekbones.

15. With my finger, I dabbed some Bobbi Brown Rose Pot Rouge onto my lips.

This sounds long but it wasn’t and was rather quick and easy!

Alternative List

UD Sin – MAC Naked Lunch, MAC All That Glitters for darker skintones

UD Virgin – MAC Shroom, MAC Dazzlelight is a golden alternative

UD Toasted – MAC Sable is slightly darker, MAC All That Glitters is slightly lighter

Nars Kalahari (Darker Shade)  – I can’t think of anything extremely similar but UD Buck could be used in its place (if you’re warmer), MAC Charcoal Brown or Espresso – these are both matte although Kalahari has a sheen

UD Hustle – MAC Satin Taupe is similar

UD Darkhorse – Any brown darker than Hustle would work, I’ve heard Nars Cordura is similar, MAC Handwritten is similar without the shimmer but ever-so-slightly warmer, MAC Embark and Smut are also similar and they have some sheen to them

MAC Stereo Rose – MAC Springsheen is peachier, MAC Orgasm is pinker and lighter (without the bronze-ness) and Milani Coralina is slightly pinker and Rose d’Oro slightly more orange-leaning coral

Any thoughts? 🙂

Rosy Golden Makeup for Summer

products used
products used

I’ve always been interested in the makeup routine or that people tend to go for an everyday basis and I’ve never done one and lately when I want to wear a full face of makeup, I’ve been sticking to this particular look. This routine I find easy to wear and flattering on me – for reference, I’m a pale brunette (somewhere around an NW15) with blue eyes. The makeup seems to follow sort of a golden rosy motif.

note: the cheeks are far more prominent in real life!

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1. Caudalie Vinosource Sorbet-Creme: Because I have dry skin, makeup tends to last a long time on me so I don’t feel the need to use primer for longevity. I thought I’d include my moisturizer because I use it in the place of a primer.

2. Avene High Protection Cream: Because I tend to be sensitive to chemical spf, I use this purely physical one with spf 50 even though it leaves a white cast.

3. Make Up For Ever 5 Concealer Palette (1): I concealed/corrected all of my major blemishes and then touched up the remaining issues after foundation. I also put it underneath my eyes and around the inner corners.

4. Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation (100 Ivory): I applied a pump with my fingers, blending the rest into my neck. This product is rather yellow for my skin tone, by the way (which is around an NW15 or so). It lasts a long time and makes you look really glowy.

5. Rimmel Natural Bronzer (021 Sun Light): I lightly contoured my face with this bronzer.

6. MAC Mineralize Skinfinish (Stereo Rose): I applied this to the apples of my cheeks and blended towards my temples into my contour – this is a limited edition shimmery pink-coral with bronzy veining.

7. MAC Mineralize Skinfinish (Semi-Precious Pearl): I used the outer ring colour to highlight my cheekbones.

8. Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge (Rose): I put a small amount of this on my lips.

9. Maybelline Color Tattoo (Bad to the Bronze): I blended this onto my lids as a base.

10. MAC eye shadows (Dazzlelight, Woodwinked, Charcoal Brown and Club): I put Dazzlelight on the inner third of the lid as well as the browbone and Woodwinked on the rest of the lid and blended them together. I filled in my brows with Charcoal Brown lightly and applied a tiny bit of Club onto the outer corner of my bottom lashline.

11. Urban Decay (Smog and Freestyle) eye shadows: I blended Smog (which is available individually and in the Naked palette) into the outer corner of my lid). I put Freestyle into the crease to help blend the shadows – this shade is only available in the Smoked palette but any transition colour would work.

12. Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner (Perversion): I made a fine line on my top lashes and then smudged lightly.

13. L’Oreal Voluminous Mascara (Carbon Black):I put a coat or two onto my top lashes.

With the exception of the lips, this makeup lasts all day on me. However, as I have extremely oily eyelids, I would apply eye primer and might powder my t-zone if I were to want my makeup to not budge for 16 hours or more and last through blood, sweat and tears kind of thing (well maybe not tears but you get the idea).

MAC Studio Careblend Pressed Powder Review

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MAC Studio Careblend Pressed Powder in Light
MAC Studio Careblend Pressed Powder in Light

A few weeks ago, I picked up the Studio Careblend pressed powder at MAC and as I knew it had been out for a year or two and I had not heard much about it, I decided to do a review. On their website MAC describes the product as “formulated to provide a smooth, virtually invisible, fresh-looking finish, this soft cream-like powder is carefully blended to provide the skin with extra care, nourishment and comfort” and I was fairly skeptical about the product. However, I needed a new powder and as powders can be fairly problematic for my dry and very sensitive acne-prone skin, I picked this one up, knowing that I could return it when it undoubtedly would either irritate my skin or break me out (and I hate wasting money on products that I can’t use).

Note: In Canada, you generally cannot return products that you’ve used.

After trying this for a few weeks, I can safely say that the Studio Careblend pressed powder from MAC is a good setting powder for those of us with dry and/or sensitive skin. However, take my opinion on this products merit for those of us with sensitive with a grain of salt; any ingredient in any product can break somebody out regardless of whether or not the ingredients are considered non-irritating or non-acnegenic. With that being said, I think this is a good option for sensitive skin regardless — many MAC face products (particularly powders… ahem…. studio fix powder …) either break me out or simply irritate my skin and this one definitely does not.

I am always skeptical of the claims made about beauty products in their descriptions of them — a powder is not ever going to so-called “provide the skin with extra care, nourishment and comfort” in my opinion/ experience. Like any other powder in the universe, this powder has the potential to look cakey and is visible on the skin, however I found Studio Careblend to set makeup excellently with a velvety feel on the skin and provide a surprisingly nice soft matte finish. This powder does not set and mattify your makeup with the cost of losing all of your radiance, somehow it allows both.

It is worthy to note that although this powder is geared towards drier skins, it can highlight flaky patches, similar to most face products that I have ever tried. MAC Studio Careblend provides sheer coverage that I am sure can be built up for fuller coverage. [Note: As I have skin that tends to be dry and flaky, I do not use powders on their own (as foundation) and therefore I cannot attest to their longevity and appearance on their own]. I found that when I used the powder to set my foundation, it made my face makeup feel undetectable on my skin, eliminating that dreaded ‘foundation’ feel, as well as making my makeup look fresher and last all day – keep in mind here, my skin tends to be dry so in general foundations last a long time on my skin.

I generally wear this powder over the top of Rimmel Wake Me Up foundation and occasionally Laura Mercier Silk Creme foundation. I picked MAC Studio Careblend powder for $29 dollars CDN in the shade light, which was undetectable on my roughly NC15 skin.

Warning: selfie overload (as much as I loathe that word)

This is how the powder looks on top of Rimmel Wake Me Up foundation (I'm wearing Ivory) in the harsh light of my bathroom.
This is how the powder looks on top of Rimmel Wake Me Up foundation (I’m wearing Ivory) in the harsh light of my bathroom — I apologize about the red eyes
This is how the powder looks topped over Laura Mercier Silk Creme foundation (I'm wearing Rose Ivory), photographed in natural light
This is how the powder looks topped over Laura Mercier Silk Creme foundation (I’m wearing Rose Ivory), photographed in natural light
Ugh, I cannot believe I'm showing this but here is: late night picture of me wearing the powder over my Rimmel WMU foundation again up close and personal on a not-so-flattering flaky and spotty skin day.
Ugh, I cannot believe I’m showing this but here is: late night picture of me wearing the powder over my Rimmel WMU foundation again up close and personal on a not-so-flattering flaky and spotty skin day.

Verdict: If you are looking for a powder to set your makeup (or offer very minimal coverage) with a natural, soft-matte finish and velvety texture, particularly if you have drier skin, I recommend this powder for you. Any thoughts on this product, or MAC face products in general?

Salutations, as always!