pale

Makeup Additions #2

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Things have been a little hectic here and I apologize for neglecting the blog but I’ll spare you from rambling on about the craziness of university life as I’m sure you can fill it in for yourself if you so desire. It’s been snow-central this week so my product selections might have been inspired by the whole snowed-in motif that’s been going on here. These aren’t all necessarily brand spankin’ new products but these are the products that have been added into the daily rotation…

Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette ($62 CDN)

So almost a month after my wishlist post and two months waiting since it came out, I finally picked this up and let me say that I am really enjoying it. There are a few shades with a glittery tendency that are difficult to work with (Trick, Buzz and Dust) a la Sidecar from the original palettes but they are light enough that I don’t find it to be a problem and these shades are very usable. Although this palette focuses more on lighter shades, there is a good variety of shades with different depth to create cohesive makeup looks unlike many palettes. At first I was wary of this palette because I expected it to be icier pinks but the shades are warm with a rosiness to it and on my warm-toned skin, both interesting and flattering. It seems really versatile thus far and I’m impressed despite all the hype. And there are three matte shades although they call one a satin and they are divine – the cream-coloured Strange, the light mauve-taupe Limit and the medium-dark rosy brown Nooner. I would expect this to be featured in daily face posts and a review soon.

wearing Strange, Limit, Nooner, Buzz & Blackheart
wearing Strange, Limit, Nooner, Buzz & Blackheart

Bourjois Sweet Cherry Cream Blush ($20 CDN)

It’s nice that Bourjois is available here in Canada but it’s annoying how much more expensive it is here than in the UK but this is a worthwhile purchase nevertheless. There isn’t a huge amount of product in the warm rosy pink pot (like the product) it’s a buildable formula that sets like a powder. In my experience this is longlasting with sheer but buildable colour payoff that blends seamlessly into the skin. It isn’t powdery-looking and flat but it doesn’t have any sort of shimmer in it either.

the cream blush in action with regular application
the cream blush in action with regular application
the blush built up
the blush built up

 

L’Oreal Super Blendable Crayon Concealer ($12-15 CDN)

I must apologize in advance for the state of my concealer (which is in W 1-2-3 if you’re interested) but it came broken inside the package and I wasn’t going to pay for a new one. It’s somewhat emollient but not overly so and provides nice buildable coverage that looks like skin and does not tend to highlight dry patches and stays put. I actually like this for undereyes and blemishes and I don’t feel that way about all concealers but it’s not the fullest coverage concealer out there.

Have you tried any of these? What have you added to your routine recently?

 

 

MAC Recommendations #1: The Basics

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I don’t think that MAC is by any means the be all and end all of makeup but they are among my favourite brands and they were the company that kindled my makeup love and I might have slightly sentimental feelings toward the cosmetic store. Somehow I haven’t talked about the brand very much considering how often I use the products on a daily basis. From forcing my friends who are not beauty-obsessed into conversations about MAC and later-on trips, I know that many find the store extremely intimidating (moreso than any other high-end brand) and I can understand that but there are some real treasures there and quite often their products are very economical – not that much more expensive than drugstore and at a fraction of the price of Sephora brands without sacrificing quality whatsoever. I don’t have a massive collection of MAC makeup but MAC is easily the brand that I own the most makeup of and I thought I’d attempt to challenge myself into giving my five ten recommendations: here goes…

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1. MAC Powder Blush in Harmony ($21/25 CDN)

If this isn’t the first post you’ve read of mine I’m confident that this hardly needs any explanation. It’s considered to be a blush by MAC (and it might be nice as one on dark skin) but it’s the ideal contour for fair and medium skin. It’s slightly warm toned but the rosy brown does not have any of the oranginess of a bronzer so it’s able to add shape and definition to the face looking natural while still adding some flattering warmth to the face. If you are darker than medium in colouring or find this difficult to show up, I know Blunt is equally as nice and if you’re lighter it should suit you. I do know that those with cooler-toned skin that’s as fair or even fairer than mine can find Harmony slightly red-toned and I’ve heard that Prism and Cubic are good alternatives. These are all matte obviously. Coincidentally these are all fabulous matte shades to use in the crease as well, even though they’re not marketed as eye shadow.

top: Dazzlelight, Vex, All That Glitters bottom: Coquette, Charcoal Brown, Satin Taupe
top: Dazzlelight, Vex, All That Glitters
bottom: Coquette, Charcoal Brown, Satin Taupe

2. MAC Eyeshadow in Coquette ($12/18 CDN)

I have naturally unruly and large but sparse brows and there’s nothing like a matte eyeshadow that fills them in in a natural manner. I used MAC Charcoal Brown for ages which I still do really like but recently I discovered Coquette which is slightly cooler toned and looks like a gross khaki grey in the pan but fills in the brows without looking red, giving a natural appearance to them. The formula is great in these shadows (Coquette is technically a satin but it’s matte on) and they also are great for adding depth in the crease. I would reccomend Charcoal Brown for warmer brunettes, Omega for blondes and I’ve heard Brun is great for darker brunettes. This shadow is that workhorse product that may not seem super-exciting but is functional and worth the money. 

3. MAC Eyeshadow in All That Glitters ($12/18 CDN)

This veluxe pearl eyeshadow is buttery, easy to work with and pigmented and is that perfect everyday lid shade that is neither too light or too dark – a shimmery but not glittery golden-peach shade that can’t be duplicated. I’ve been through two of these in the past and went without it for ages and now that I’ve picked it up it’s what was missing from my life. It’s a fairly universal shade but the cooler-toned fair skinned might find it to be slightly too coppery and I’ve heard that they favour the lighter pink-champagne Naked Lunch and on darker skin, Woodwinked can be a better option.

shown in Light
shown in Light

4. MAC Studio Careblend Pressed Powder ($32 CDN)

This might be a shocking product inclusion as I’m not a powder kind of girl but I’ve rekindled my love for this and this is easily my favourite powder of all time. It doesn’t have much coverage to it but it has enough to even out the skin when worn alone and sets the skin without looking matte and losing all of it’s glow. It gets rid of excess shine without being completely matte and its finely milled-texture sits nicely on the skin without clinging to dry patches. Anyone on the drier side of things would enjoy this but I know that those needing more oil control adore MAC Studio Fix Powder, which has more coverage to it and might not look quite as seamless but it’s a great powder nevertheless. I wear the lightest shade in the powder but Studio Fix has a much wider shade selection.

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5. MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Stereo Rose ($35 CDN)

If you’re looking for a glow to your cheeks and particularly if you’re looking for a gorgeous highlight, these cult favourite products that tend to be released as limited edition items in the abundant collections are an offering to consider. I know that some can complain about the frostier shades of these can highlight larger pores for some but that can be remedied with a pore smoothing primer, or powder but I don’t have this issue and I didn’t even when I had more of a true combination skin years ago. I adore the infamous Stereo Rose that is limited edition but will be appearing as a repromote in the upcoming spring collection and I recommend it if this sounds good to you. This is one of the darker offerings, acting as more of a highlight-blush duo in one product – it has nice pigmentation, fabulous texture and has that sheen without being frosty. It’s a coppery pink-coral, I’d say. For lighter skin-tones it works as a highlighting blush of sorts and I know it works for darker ladies as well as a highlighter. On my warm-leaning skin this is an instantly brightening shade that is perfect when you only have a few minutes to slap on some makeup before heading out the door. I haven’t tried them personally but there are also some permanent options that I’ve heard so much about – Soft and Gentle is supposed to be a great champagne-peach shade that is a versatile highlighter.

Have you tried any of the products here? I would also love to have any recommendations!

Base Bonanza: Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation

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I have managed to talk about this foundation very frequently here without giving an actual review. Whoops. This was the first Drugstore foundation that I tried and was wowed by the great quality of – it’s better than many higher end ones I’ve tried. In short, in my view Rimmel Wake Me Up is a fantastic foundation, well for me at least.

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INGREDIENTS: AQUA/WATER/EAU, CYCLOPENTASILOXANE, TITANIUM DIOXIDE, GLYCERIN, TALC, ETHYLHEXYL METHOXYCINNAMATE, DIMETHICONE, CRAMBE ABYSSINICA SEED OIL, BIOSACCHARIDE GUM-1, DIMETHICONE PEG-10/15 CROSSPOLYMER, MICA, VINYL DIMETHICONE/ METHICONE SILSESQUIOXANE CROSSPOLYMER, LAURYL PEG-9 POLYDIMETHYLSILOXYETHYL DIMETHICONE, DIMETHICONE CROSSPOLYMER, LECITHIN, PHENOXYETHANOL, SODIUM PCA, DIMETHICONOL, MAGNESIUM SULFATE, SODIUM CHLORIDE, DISODIUM STEAROYL GLUTAMATE, PARFUM/FRAGRANCE, UREA, CAPRYLYL GLYCOL, SILICA DIMETHYL SILYLATE, TOCOPHERYL ACETATE, ALUMINUM HYDROXIDE, POTASSIUM SORBATE, POLYQUATERNIUM-51, SODIUM HYALURONATE, TREHALOSE, GLYCERYL POLYMETHACRYLATE, DISODIUM EDTA, HEXYLENE GLYCOL, PEG-8, HEXYL CINNAMAL, DIPROPYLENE GLYCOL, LIMONENE, BUTYLPHENYL METHYLPROPIONAL, TOCOPHEROL, TRIACETIN, BENZYL SALICYLATE, LINALOOL, BHT, GERANIOL, ALPHA-ISOMETHYL IONONE, CITRONELLOL, BENZOIC ACID, SODIUM LACTATE, PALMITOYL OLIGOPEPTIDE.

Well I couldn’t find this foundation on Rimmel’s Canadian site oddly enough so I had to make due with the UK one even though the UK formulation is slightly different, as in it contains SPF whereas the one I have does not. Basically it claims to be light and moisturizing on the skin, gives an instant flawless natural-looking finish and has a visible anti-fatigue effect with peptides and a “moisturizing vitamin complex”. To me this sounds like it was made to be in the vein of Bourjois 10 Hour Sleep Effect with the radiance claims and vitamin ridiculousness – Bourjois is known for its claims to do with vitamins and antioxidant which I am quite skepical of. Nevertheless, I find that these foundations differ. Wake Me Up isn’t quite as dewy in my opinion but has the radiance nevertheless with increased longevity and coverage. On the UK website Rimmel describes the product as “Rimmel’s first liquid foundation that instantly reawakens skin with a healthy, radiant glow” and the “light, moisturising texture applies smoothly and leaves skin feeling soft and comfortable all day” and “gives an instant flawless, natural-looking finish” with its “visible anti-fatigue effect with peptides and a Vitamin Moisturising complex”. Like with every other foundation on the market, it does not make the skin look instantly flawless and I’m skeptical of the ingredients doing anything magic, but I believe it achieves on the rest of its claims.

It’s a thicker yet somewhat weightless tacky (until it sets) liquid consistently. It’s even more viscous than MUFE HD. It provides medium coverage that is somewhat buildable on the skin. As promised, the formulation is light and hydrating and the ingredients are the ideal ones for my skins particular needs. It’s free of irritating alcohols, although it does include some fragrance and contains a high concentration of silicones, which I know break some people out but on my dehydrated skin, they help the foundation to sit more nicely over the skin. The good amount of glycerin in the foundation explains its hydrating properties. I really can’t see the shimmer in the foundation unless I squint really hard at the bottle under harsh lighting and I definitely cannot see the shimmer on my face in any sort of lighting. In other countries, the foundation seems to contain spf but in Canada it does not appear to – this is a godsend to me because my skin tends to be reactive to formulations including chemical SPF.
As a whole, the colour range of Rimmel’s offering leaves much to be desired even compared to other ranges at the drugstore but the lightest shade of the six, ivory, a moderately fair shade with yellow undertones suits my skin perfectly which is a rarity for me. The shades really only cater to those with moderately fair skin to those with medium skin tones.
Keep in mind here that I do have perpetually dehydrated skin, but I do not think that this foundation can be described as truly dewy, as say Bourjois 10 Hour Sleep Effect but it does provide a bit of radiance and glow to the skin. It’s slightly glowier than a satin finish and the shimmer particles that I can’t detect seem to highlight the naturally high points of my face and powdered (although I rarely wear it this way) it looks like a natural finish. However, I know the finish of a foundation varies across different skin types and it generally applies glowier on an oilier skin. I would describe it as luminous-looking on the skin.
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Because this foundation is not truly super-dewy and has surprising lasting power on the skin – I find that on it’s own it lasts 12+ hours everywhere except on inflamed blemishes -, it’s suitable for a variety of skin types. Those with  slightly dry skin, normal skin and combination skin would suit this foundation the best if they are looking for some natural-looking luminosity with longevity and coverage. It does not cling to dry patches but does not effortlessly and invisibly glide over major ones either.
I’m tempted to say this is my favourite foundation. For my dry skin, it’s a failsafe option regardless of the state of my skin is, for instance whether I’m suffering through blemishes and abundant dry patches or if it’s acting its slightly dehydrated self. I don’t think a single week has gone by where I haven’t worn this foundation when I got it in the spring and there are months when I pretty much wore this exclusively.
The packaging is quite nice-looking especially for the price point, albeit quite large and impractical for travel. It comes in an asymetrical glass bottle with a large orange cap and has a matching orange pump. I’m happy to say this affordable foundation actually has a pump!
worn with full-faced makeup
worn with full-faced makeup
both taken with flash: right after application on the left and twelve hours after on the right
both taken with flash: right after application on the left and twelve hours after on the right
The Claims: 9/10
Formulation: 9.5/10
Longevity: 9.5/10
Packaging: 9.5/10
Overall Quality: 9.5/10
Total: 46.5/50 or 93%, A+

x,

Maggie.

If you’ve tried this foundation, tell me your thoughts below! I’m also always open to recommendations 🙂

Daily Face #5: I Sort of Have a Routine *Gasp*

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Although I’m self-professedly not the kind of girl who sticks to a daily makeup routine without changing it up a bit on the daily basis, lately I’ve been sticking to quite a “routine” of sorts and I thought I’d share as I haven’t done a daily face this year – what horror, har har har. This is the kind of makeup that seems to happen when (a) I make the effort to actually apply something and (b) I don’t want to think on autopilot.

So I might have lied; well kind of. I’ve gotten into a routine in terms of what products I apply and what I go for buttt as I’m not completely broke as I’ve picked up a few things lately there have been a few recent additions as well. The overall routine, however, has remained constant.

I’m convinced that I was delusional before when I thought I didn’t like Maybelline Dream Smooth Mousse Foundation. Since doing my “shopping my stash” post, I’ve been reaching for this foundation exclusively – and that’s saying something because I’m a foundation hoarder and I can never seem to stick to one. It has a hydrating creamy consistency providing medium coverage that can be built and a slightly dewy finish. Particularly when paired with the Lancome La Base Pro silicone-y primer, it sits on my dry skin nicely, providing coverage without it looking obvious or making my skin look dull.

I’ve done something shocking, I’ve fallen back in love with my MAC Studio Careblend Pressed Powder , which I wear in the lightest shade after passing powder off for months because I don’t “need it” and worried about cakiness and the like. Maybe now since I’ve been a little more frugal with my foundation application or something, it’s made its way into the daily rotation. Applied with a powder brush, it adds a tiny bit of coverage and sets the skin and helps with imperfections such as pores and texture while providing a natural (not matte) finish. Unless I have an absolutely frightening dry patch, it does not highlight them at all and it’s amazing. Concealer has been my standard highlighting Rimmel Match Perfection underneath my eyes in the lightest shade.

For the last little while I’ve rambled on about my love of MAC Harmony Powder Blush for the daily contouring and bronzing job, but recently I’ve been reaching for the creamy Sonia Kashuk Undetectable Creme Bronzer in Warm Tan because there is something magical about the way it sits on the skin that’s worth the extra effort to blend in. Benefit Girl Meets Pearl Highlighter ends up on my cheekbones daily automatically for that healthy dewy sheen.

So I was at MAC a week ago and somehow I found myself at the register with a few products I’d been lusting after in my bag. I have no idea how this happened. Even though the last thing in the world I need is blush, I picked up the duo palette and had to pick up a blush to go inside along with the eyeshadows and I chose MAC Powder Blush in Tenderling and I’m glad I did. It’s my first truly neutral blush that livens up the face without looking like blush and is that perfect complement to wearing a bolder lip in daytime life. It’s matte-but-not-flat and the warmish brown shade leans peachy in a flattering way. If you have colouring like mine, you need this in your life. 

Although I do tend to rotate between specific eyeshadows, I’ve been reaching for this “eye” exclusively. After priming, I filled in my brows with my latest addition, MAC Coquette eyeshadow , which I purchased at the reccomendation of the salesgirl after I complained of my brows looking too red-toned despite whatever shadow I used. Hallelujah,  she was right. I also used the shade in the crease. On the lid I wore the product that I’ve used up two times and have been lusting after to repurchase since I began this blog, MAC All That Glitters which has the nicest sheen to it without being over-the-top and sits halfway between a champagne and a copper. There’s nothing like this shade to wear on the lid when you want a lighter neutral colour but are bored of the usual champagnes. In the inner corner and browbone, MAC Dazzlelight has been my go-to as it’s not overtly shimmery and looks natural. For definition in the outer-corner of the eye, I used Club but this shade I tend to switch up. I’ve been wearing a thin but slightly-winged line of my well-loved L’Oreal Lineur Intense and as always, I’ve been coating my lashes with good ol’ Maybelline The Falsies. This is one of those types of eye makeup that looks fairly natural on the lid but really defines the eye and looks polished.

If you know me, I’m not usually one to wear the same lip daily but lately I’ve been wearing darker lips (the blush makes this far easier) and particularly I’ve found myself going for MAC Dubonnet. Because of the amplified creme finish of the lipstick, it’s moisturizing but the formula does tend to slide around the lips with any sort of eating or drinking. I’ve discovered that blotting it slightly doesn’t reduce the hydration and really helps the lipstick to last longer with minimal maintenance – because of the creaminess of the shade, I used to find that if I wasn’t careful I could rub the lipstick off of my lips before it stained them creating that dreaded lipstick ring around the edges of the mouth.

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It’s difficult for me to get the balance right while wearing the darker lips that I adore; I need to add definition to my eyes and cheeks to balance out the face or bold colours tend to look hideous on me and what I’ve been doing has helped me to get the balance right (in my opinion!) and I wanted to share. This is my low-key and effortless dark lip sort of makeup choice and I will continue to wear it, I swear.

x,

Maggie.

Have you tried any of these products? What makeup products have you been reaching for daily?

Base Bonanza: Make Up For Ever HD Foundation

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From the beginning of 2012 to the middle of 2013, I wore Make Up For Ever HD Foundation pretty much exclusively ( to wards the end I had LM Silk Creme but wore it like once a month) and I can easily say that this is a great foundation.

Ingredients: Aqua, Cyclopentasiloxane, Neopentyl Glycol Diethylhexanoate, Mica, talc, PEG-10 Dimenthicone, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Phenyl, Trimethicone, Sodium Chloride, Lauroyl Lysine, Dimenthicone Crosspolymer, Glyceryl Caprylate, Methylpropanediol, Butylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Sodium Myristoyl Glutamate, Cyclohexacyloxane, Methylisothiazolinone, Sorbitan Sesquileate, Silver Oxide, Propylene, Carbonate, Parfum (fragrance), Methylparaben, Fagus Sylvatica Extract (Fagus Sylvatica Bud Extract), Hydrolyzed Yeast Protein, [+/- CI 77891 )titanium Dioxide), CI 77491 (Iron Oxides), CI 77499 (Iron Oxides).

The Claims -8/10

According to the Sephora website, <strongMake Up Forever HD Foundation claims to provide buildable medium to full coverage that conceals imperfections “flawlessly” with a soft-focus effect, remaining invisible both on film and in real life.

On the coverage front the product is spot on and the finish is rather interesting; initially providing a velvety-satin finish but has more radiance in sunlight and as time goes on.

I would hesitate to say its invisible in real life and on film. It has no SPF and photographs beautifully. It’s hardly detectable and I’d say the same about it in real life.

Formula – 8.5/10

This foundation has a thick viscous fluid texture. The finish is pretty natural (but with a hint of radiance) but unfortunately highlights severe dry-patches. Despite it’s texture, it blends beautifully and sheers out like a dream.

I’m wearing shade 115 which is slightly too pink-toned and pale for me but the shade range is fabulous, catering to very fair to deep skin tones in various undertones.

According to COSDNA, there are no particularly troubling irritants in this but we each have our own skin sensitivities. It does contain a small amount of fragrance though.

Longevity – 9/10

Across the board, this foundation has great longevity, just not as great as foundations like Revlon Colorstay etc. Oilier skin types may need to touch up with powder and to blot but there don’t tend to be significant issues with wear (my friend provided me with this info) but on my drier skin it lasts a very long time. I accidentally had it on for 18 hours on the night of my prom and it hardly faded but on the down side it settled into my dehydrated patches unattractively (keep in mind that I have dry and dehyrated skin).

Packaging- 9/10

The packaging is somewhat large but is not particularly fragile. The container features a functional pump that dispenses a rather practical amount of product with a matching black cover. It contains the standard 30 mLs of product.

Value – 8.5/10

This is a great foundation, suitable in my opinion for normal to combination skin. I find it highlights dryness but not to a severe degree and those with truly oily complexions may not find it controls oil well enough. It’s a great special occasion foundation that photographs beautifully. The formulation is concentrated, requiring a minimal amount for significant coverage. It can be built up without becoming significantly more obvious and also looks relatively natural in real life.

It retails for $49 CDN/ 42 US dollars at Sephora

Total Grade: 43/50  A

Before - my naked face
Before – my naked face
The foundation set with NYX Dewy Finish Setting Spray and concealer just underneath the eyes
The foundation set with NYX Dewy Finish Setting Spray and concealer just underneath the eyes – and highlighter on my cheekbones. I’m wearing a smaller pump of this all over my face – more coverage can be built up

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For anyone who is curious and some have you might have guessed because of the title, I plan on doing a series of foundation/concealer reviews and uncreatively calling it “base bonanza” of all the face products I own and then do a comparison and favourites post. Fingers crossed, I’ll be able to stick to this.

Skincare – My Routine and Thoughts

Me without makeup. If anyone was curious the breakouts on my forehead were Cetaphil-induced. My skin looks a wee bit better than this most of the time now!
Me without makeup. If anyone was curious the breakouts on my forehead were Cetaphil-induced. My skin looks a wee bit better than this most of the time now!

I was going to wait to do this video until my skin improved and my routine was flawless – like every product would have to be holy grail status – but realistically I’m never going to be using an absolutely flawless routine, nor will I ever have perfect skin (or anything close to it) and I’m the happiest with my skin that I’ve ever been (and I’ve tried a bunch of different things for my skin) so I figured I’d share. I’ve found since using these products that my overall skin clarity increased and my skin appears brightened and most of all it has become notably less irritated.

My skin tends to be rather complicated; it’s rather acne-prone (I always have a few spots on my face), extremely sensitive, and is prone to very dry patches. Although my skin is dry and dehydrated (particularly on my cheeks and sometimes on my forehead and normal to dry on my chin, nose and around my hairline), I tend to clogged pores – those little bumps that sometimes will resolve by turning into painful pimples or otherwise will just stay there. Also if I don’t use the gentlest of products, my cheeks and nose get quite red and my face becomes tight, extremely flaky, burny and itchy. My pale skin also tends to look rather dull and is prone to flaking when dehydrated. Because my rather problematic skin doesn’t simply fall into one of the traditional skin types and faces a multitude of problematic conditions, I think these thoughts, routine and products that I use could benefit people of different skin types.

In my opinion, there are five basic categories of skincare that we should have in our routines but the routines themselves will vastly differ because of our individual skin needs will be different and in my opinion, the best routine will be centered around how your skin actually is rather than how you wish it would be. These five categories are as follows: cleansing, moisturizing, exfoliating, sun-protecting and treating.

Morning routine
Morning Routine
Morning Routine

1. I cleanse my face with Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Cleanser, which is an affordable gentle cleanser with a lotion consistency that does not strip the skin whatsoever but also does not remove makeup well at all. I rinse this off with cool water with my hands to be as gentle as possible. I talk about it in more depth here –

2. I gently exfoliate with Clinique Mild Clarifying Lotion, which is an extremely gentle exfoliating toner with BHA (salicylic acid) – meaning that it can exfoliate your skin (even inside the pore) without being abrasive like a scrub would and is also more effective because the product is left on the skin. [Note: I am not usually a huge fan of Clinique products (I tried the 3 step skincare system and it was an absolute disaster) but I adore this product.] It is one of the rare exfoliating toners that is effective without costing an insane quantity of money or containing irritants such as alcohol and the like. It’s somewhere between $10-15 in the States, I believe, and in Canada it costs $16 for 200 mLs.

3. The moisturizer I use in the morning is Caudalie Vinosource Moisturizing Sorbet, which is a lightweight moisturizer marketed at sensitive skin. I think this is an excellent moisturizer — it is one of the rare ones with a good texture that does not make my skin burn or turn red, I find it quite soothing actually — and the ingredients are not too bad. There are no drying alcohols (hallelujah) but still are some antioxidants in a squeezy tube that does not render the ingredients useless. My only irritation with this product is why in the world would they put fragrance in a moisturizer for sensitive skin – arghhhh. All in all it is a quite nice moisturizer for sensitive skin. It costs $39 CDN I believe for 40 mLs.

4. As we’ve all heard a million times, sun-protection is really important so I use Avene High Protection Cream. I have discovered that I tend to be sensitive to chemical sunscreens (they make my skin burn, turn red and develop unsightly bump-pimple things that take forever to go and turn into hardened bumps) so I did some research and decided to try this purely physical sunscreen. It offers really great protection for my fair skin (broad spectrum spf 50) and it is water resistant, although it leaves a rather unattractive whitish pink cast. It does not irritate mt skin in the least and retails in the 20-30 dollars CDN range for 50 mLs.

Morning Routine
Night Routine

Night Routine

1. I begin by removing my makeup on both my eyes and my face with Bioderma Sensibio H20 Micelle Solution and cotton pads. I talk about it more here –

2. I wash my face again with Neutrogena Extra Gentle Cleanser. I think that it is very important to cleanse twice (gently!) at night because there is nothing worse than remaining makeup on your skin in terms of causing acne and the like.

3. Then I move on to my treatment. I use  Stievamycin Gel every one or two days, depending on my skins current state (sensitivity and severity of blemishes). The amount I use is dependent on how my skin is at the moment. The Stievamycin Gel, a is only available if you have a prescription from your doctor and in my experience is very effective, particularly on stubborn blemishes but is very sensitizing. The product contains 0.025% tretinoin (which is a topical retinoid/ vitamin a derivative that exfoliates the outer-surface of the skin to reduce the formation of blemishes) and 4% erythromycin gel (which is an antibiotic that kills the bacteria that cause acne). My only irritation with this product is that it is formulated with an alcohol-gel base and my skin does not tolerate alcohol well, however this product is so effective that I keep on using it!

5. I like to wait at least ten minutes before applying my moisturizer, as to avoid diluting the effect of the active ingredients in the treatments I use. I’ve been using Bee By the Sea Sea Buckthorn and Honey Nourishing Face Cream,  which is a very gentle and hydrating cream that takes a while to absorb into the skin. I do not necessarily think that you must use a night cream at night and a day cream during the day – I just am using this because I have it and it helps compensate for the sensitizing treatments I put my skin through. It is very soothing, all of its fragrance coming from the sweet almond oil and rich in coconut and olive oil. It is a no-frills moisturizer filled with ingredients that work to hydrate  skin. It costs $30 CDN at health stores and beabythesea.ca. This is a godsend for irritated skin!

I’m thinking about continuing with a skincare series as I think it is so important. X

Any thoughts?

Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation Review

Laura Mercier Silk Creme foundation is one of those cult products that everyone seems to love and swear by, so when Sephora put on the $15 dollars off promotion last December I was hooked. Everyone on the planet seemed to be raving about this foundation, claiming that it provided flawless coverage while leaving your skin looking incredibly natural. The back of the package reads: “the ultimate in flawless natural coverage. Silk Creme Foundation is a beautiful, light-diffusing formula offering advanced light-reflection properties which cause fine lines and wrinkles to optically vanish. Laura created an innovative foundation that delivers flawless, buildable coverage in a long wearing rich hydrating base”. Summing this up, Laura Mercier Silk Creme foundation is marketed as a radiant foundation that can provide full coverage that looks natural without being drying – it most certainly does not cause fine lines and wrinkles to vanish (not that I have any).

On me, this foundation provides medium coverage and it is buildable, but the crux of the problem here is that on my skin (which tends to get dry and flaky), I cannot build the coverage past medium (and I do have to be careful with the product n general) without the foundation looking really unnatural on me. I would agree with the claim that the foundation is hydrating, which is a nice change of pace for a foundation that offers good coverage.

In my humble opinion, the texture of this foundation leaves much to be desired; sure it’s lovely to feel the lightweight silky cream texture on the hand and it does feel lightweight on the face, but if anything comes into contact with your face, the foundation will rub-off and transfer. It strikes to me that this foundation sets but doesn’t feel like it sets; it feels like wearing a coloured cream on your skin that never quite sinks in. For you glasses-wearers out there, (myself included) I will warn you that because this foundation tends to transfer, it will rub the foundation from the bridge of your nose onto your glasses, leaving a rather disgusting film on your glasses and foundation-less red marks on your face – glasses tend to rub product off when I wear other foundations but not to such a degree as when I wear Laura Mercier Silk Creme.

This may seem rather redundant at this point, but because of the feel of the foundation and the fact that it transfers easily, I find that it needs to be set with a powder. However I find that I lose the satin finish of the foundation that I think is quite nice when I powder it (no matter how lightly) – it is worthy to note that powder does help in terms of the feel of the product itself on the skin.

I applied slightly less than a pea-sized amount of the foundation to my face and neck with a dampened sponge in the morning and ten hours later, the product was still going strong albeit a little faded perhaps — I’ve included pictures at the bottom. I think that Laura Mercier Silk Creme has good lasting power but not amazing; on my dry/dehydrated skin, almost anything will last all day. I did find as the foundation wore, the product settled even more into my dry patches. IMO, the lasting power of this foundation does not rival something like Make Up For Ever HD in terms of longevity.

I picked up my Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation in Rose Ivory at Sephora. It retails for $43 in the US and $55 in Canada. The shade range is not great, however the shades tend to be good for fairer skin tones (there are three fair shades) and the shades tend to lean yellow. The foundation comes in ten shades, suitable for fair to medium skintones. Sephora seems to only carry eight of these shades – Soft Ivory (the fairest shade) and Peach Ivory (light to medium rose-toned shade) are missing from their selection. The foundation comes in 35 mL squeezy-top packaging.

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same as above, but this photo is taken in the artificial light of my bathroom
same as above, but this photo is taken in the artificial light of my bathroom
All of my makeup on (inc. powder) three hours after initial application
All of my makeup on (inc. powder) three hours after initial application
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after ten hours (no touch-ups)
Foundation swatches on my arm in natural light, from top to bottom: Laura Mercier Silk Creme in Rose Ivory, Rimmel Wake Me Up in Ivory and MUFE HD in 115
Foundation swatches on my arm in natural light, from top to bottom: Laura Mercier Silk Creme in Rose Ivory, Rimmel Wake Me Up in Ivory and MUFE HD in 115

Verdict: Although this foundation is quite pricy, I do recommend it as a medium-plus coverage foundation for slightly dry to somewhat oily complexions with the warning that it tends to transfer and the longevity is not amazing. I would not recommend it to someone with truly dry skin as it does settle into dry patches (and I would imagine it would do the same with fine lines) or to someone with really oily skin as it is so creamy.

I hope you enjoy and would love to hear for any product recommendations!