powder

Another Three Things

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1. Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in Mischievous
2. Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Shadow in Nude Eyes
3. L’Oreal True Match Mineral Powder

It sounds completely reasonable that when I woke up this Friday morning that I would be in a good mood, ready to face the day for once and this was true when I woke up this morning but there is also the fact to consider that my weekend will be spent confined to my bedroom, staring at my laptop, doing that essay-writing thing that happens rather frequently in my world . On the positive side, I’m not nauseous from stress or sleep-deprived in the slightest. Is it sad that this is a source of comfort to me?

I must admit that it felt borderline ridiculous wearing my recently acquired Revlon Matte Balm in Mischievous, as it’s a bright (but not quite neon) tangerine shade and it was just above -10 today. There’s something about freezing outside in a winter coat while wearing an orange-hued lip that reads a bit strange but I liked it nevertheless. There’s something instantly brightening about the shade that I’ll admit I appreciate and it’s fun and a little bit more cheerful than the usual suspects. I love the minty smell myself, but I can tell that that menthol-tingle feeling on the lips is not a good sign for my still sore lips. 

Somehow I had forgotten about the Physician Formula Nude Eyes Eyeshadow after discovering the gem this summer and when I dug it out again I remembered why I had loved it in the first place. This is my favourite drugstore eyeshadow palette, I can safely say with it’s shimmery taupe tones that might be slightly sheerer than Urban Decay’s but they have great pigmentation and blendability and they last on the lids. I don’t own the Naked 2, but this has a similar theme at a fraction of the price. I must try another from this line in the immediate future…

After hitting pan on my beloved MAC Studio Careblend, I was in need of picking up a new powder and this registered in my mind and while cruising the aisles of the drugstore, stress-shopping with friends, this made its way home with me – this being the L’Oreal True Match Mineral Powder. I’m pleased to report that this is one of the most pleasing of my stress-induced recent purchases. While offering absolutely no coverage whatsoever (much less than the MAC), the powder smoothly sets the skin almost imperceptibly and leaves a natural finish that does not read flat in the slightest. This powder is a great one, if like me, you’re a girl who typically does not like powder.

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Well, happy Friday! These were my daily beauty musings. What were some of yours?

Maggie, x.

 

 

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!