Slooow Qucker (cooker)

So I have always been late to jump on the band wagon. But have always had a habit of switching it up. We all know that Urban Decay's Naked Weightless Liquid Makeup has been around for quite some time now. I just recently picked up a sample from Sephora to try it out. I have been doing some reading & it seems promising.

I picked up Shade 6.0, which is meant for medium shades with a golden olive skintone.

As usual I attached the information provided by Sephora.com:

What it is:
A weightless and virtually invisible liquid foundation that creates a luminous, demi-matte finish.

What it does:
This formula helps skin achieve a natural, illuminated and bright finish— like the beautiful skin you were born with. Naked Skin is formulated with light-diffusing spheres, transforming you to look professionally retouched. Buildable coverage allows women to customize their look. Available in a meticulously calibrated range of shades, Urban Decay’s precise shade numbering system does poetic justice to both warm tones (ending in “.0”) and cool skin tones (ending in “.5”). The finish is matte, never flat, and luminous, but not shiny.

What it is formulated WITHOUT:
- Parabens
- Sulfates
- Synthetic Fragrances
- Phthalates
- GMOs
- Triclosan 

What else you need to know:
This makeup loads skin with a list of nourishing ingredients including: Matrixyl 3000 (a powerful anti-wrinkle peptide), protective and brightening Litchiderm, antioxidant Green Tea and Sodium Hyaluronate for optimal skin hydration and nutrient absorption. Naked Skin is suspended in a sleek, sophisticated pump bottle, allowing more control and less waste of product.

I have been loving the MUFE Mat Velvet+ foundation lately but I felt I needed to change it up since winter is coming. I honestly want something more nourishing and healthy for my skin. The matte finish may be a little too harsh since the winter can be more dying. So yesterday I picked up the Neutrogena Long Wearing Nourishing 12 hr.  Foundation. I did do some research and apparently the 12 hr. claim is not exactly true. Whether or not it is nourishing will take time, it claims at least 4 weeks. It is supposed to have a tone correcting complex which considering my uneven skin, would be a dream come true.

I picked up the shade 70 Fresh Beige

(provided by neutrogena.com):

Neutrogena's Nourishing Long Wear Make Up. High Performance Makeup: 12 hour all day wear; Full coverage; Fade proof; Resists humidity.

Advanced Skin Care: Comfortable wear; Nourishes skin; Corrects Tone; Sun Protection. Tone Correcting Complex.

Soy is antioxidant rich in proteins, isoflavones, and natural moisturizers that help smooth out texture, brighten tone, and reduce the look of discoloration and dark spots. Vitamin C anti-oxidant attenuates age spots and evens skin tone. Vitamins A and E provide emollient and anti-oxidant benefits that enhance overall skin health. Light diffusing powders to camouflage skin imperfections and mask wrinkles.

HAS ANYONE BEEN TO CVS LATELY? 

oh my dear Lord. CVS started carrying E.L.F. products and that is just an absolutely God send. They are priced like the website would be, unlike other places who overcharge. Just yesterday my local CVS had a BOGO 50% Off. I picked up the E.L.F. long wearing eye-shadow & the eyeliner brush.

(provided by eyeslipsface.com):

Soft and fluffy, these vibrant, shimmering Long Lasting Lustrous Eyeshadow colors can be used as eyeshadow or a bold liner. The whipped gel texture is easy to blend and lightweight for lasting comfort and wear. Perfect for highlighting the brow bone and adding extra shimmer for a truly glam look.

Now I picked up the shade in Soiree. The description on the website does not give it enough justice. It is a gel-like consistency but it is so pigmented. It is really soft to the touch but extremely blendable. It kind of reminds me of a cheaper dupe for the L'oreal Infalliable Eyeshadow or Maybelline's Tattoo Shadow.  

From what I can see CVS carries a limited supply of the E.L.F. products. They do not have anything that was recently released by E.L.F. but they have some brushes, tinted moisturizers, lip products, eye palettes/shadows, eye liner, etc. I tend to be very picky so I only picked up what I thought I needed. I do hear great things about their prism eye-shadow palette which CVS does carry. Personally, I am not B I G on eye shadows so I passed.

Sephora Quirks

Just the other day I found myself obsessing over once beloved MUFE Mat Velvet + Foundation. I could not find a decent shade for myself in the past so I had no other choice but to return it. Although recently it had sparked my interest again. So I decided that I would do some research and see if I could find a better and more appropriate shade. And in fact, I did! I picked up the shade 51. 

Now this shade has very strong yellow undertones. If you are curious to know what other shades I wear I have another tab called, Only If You're Curious that lists all my shades. I wore this foundation recently to a few interviews. I found that it held up well, about 4-5 hours. It does look very fresh and flawless. I love the fact that it is oil-free just do to the fact that I have oily prone skin. So far it has not broken me in out in anyway *knock knock knock*. My skin can be so sensitive to certain cosmetics and products that it can be a problem finding a good product. I find that you do not necessarily have to set the foundation. It has a very nice matte finish and does not seem to oxidize too much. But I do have a pet peeve where if I can see the heavy foundation around the sides of your nose. So after I applied this foundation and allowed it to sit I did blot it a little bit with a tissue just so it didn't come over too heavy.

I have attached the information below for anyone who is interested (provided by Sephora.com):

What it is:A shine controlling, oil-free, water-resistant, complete coverage liquid foundation.

What it is formulated to:
Hides imperfections, evens out skintone, and mattifies with a non-oily, perfectly powdered finish. The result is flawless and lasts for hours.

What else you need to know:
Although this foundation provides full coverage, the end result is completely adjustable to fit your needs—a little goes a long way.

Research results:
-Study panel composed of 22 adults (using a 48 hour patch test) showed this product to be non-irritating and non-comedogenic.

No. 51 - Golden Camel

-Corn Starch: A mattifying vegetable powder.
-Cyclopentasiloxane: Volatile silicone oil for substitute leave on shining oil.
-Glycerin: Humectant agent.
-Sodium Myristoyl Glutamate: Vegetable amino acid coating pigments that provide a water-resistant effect.

Cyclopentasiloxane, Water, Corn Starch Modified, Bis-PEG/PPG-14/14 Dimethicone, Neopentyl Glycol Diethylhexanoate, Glycerin, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Mica, Magnesium Sulfate, Sodium Chloride, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Aluminum Hydroxide, Propylene Carbonate, Propylparaben, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Chlorphenesin, Methylparaben, Tetrasodium EDTA, Fragrance, Cyclohexasiloxane, Sodium Myristoyl Glutamate, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene, Citronellol, Geraniol, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Linalool, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone. May Contain: CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), CI 77491(Iron Oxides), CI 77492 (Iron Oxides), CI 77499 (Iron Oxides).

Now I do not know whether or not the ingredients vary from shade to shade. If you have extremely sensitive skin and find yourself irritated with certain ingredients I would double check.

Corn Starch is one of the best mattifying agents out there. When people think of corn starch they automatically think that it is used for cooking. But to your surprise corn starch is actually found in many powders, just for that reason. It controls oil and helps keep them in control. Now when cyclopentasiloxane I would be careful. It is the chemical term for silicone. I know sometimes my pores can clog when I use certain primers with silicone. It is used a lot to help make makeup last and keep the makeup in place but it isn't for everyone. If we go down the list there is also dimethicone, glycerin, and mica that can be clog pores as well. Limonene on the other hand, you guessed it ! Is a form of lemon which carries Vitamin C which helps revitalize the skin and rejuvenate it so it looks fresher and brighter.

Treat No Trick

Not too long ago I had picked Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation and found myself amazed with the longevity and coverage. But not too long after using it I realized it was a little too heavy for my liking. That is when I reached for the Estee Lauder Double Wear Light in Intensity 3.5. I was in Love.

Let's take a look at the claims:

15-hour wear, light as air: long-wear makeup is now lightweight makeup.

It's makeup that keeps up. Fresh, natural, comfortable. Goes on sheer, leaves skin free to breathe all day.

Controls oil. Resists smudging and won't "melt" off through heat and humidity.

For a look that stays vibrant and fresh whether it's a workday, a workout or a weekend. Smooth it on once and don't think twice about it.

BENEFITS

LONG-WEAR. LIGHTWEIGHT. SHEER TO MEDIUM COVERAGE.

COVERAGE

SHEER TO MEDIUM

FINISH

NATURAL

FORMULA FACTS

• OIL-FREE, OIL-CONTROLLING
• PHOTO-FRIENDLY
• DERMATOLOGIST-TESTED
• NON-ACNEGENIC; WON'T CLOG PORES
• FRAGRANCE-FREE

I must say I can not disagree with these claims. It honestly is a great product. Natural finish ✓ Oil Controlling ✓ Lightweight ✓ But it may not be with everyone. It does not provide a significant amount of coverage like the original foundation does. Unfortunately, I have a bad tendency to always try new things so it is on to the next one for me!

Merry Holiways!

And another one bites the dust ! I skimmed through Sephora today & unfortunately due to the fact that I had to return the Lancome Teint Visionnaire Skin Duo Foundation. The shade I picked up just wasn't cutting it. 

So as an alternative I went ahead and purchased the Clinique Even Better Foundation in 'Golden Neutral'. I just tested it out today and the shade seems okay.

 I also picked up Perricone MD No Foundation Foundation in 'No.2'. The Clinque has a little more coverage, and of course the Perricone MD has less coverage. It does look like there is no foundation, but does even out the skin well. The Perricone MD foundation has a slightly sticky dewy feel to it, for it is hydrating and not too well for my skin.

I also picked up Mario Badescu's 'The Brightening Kit' today, and we will see how that works out for hyperpigmentation. My previous regimen of the Aveeno Skin Brightening skincare line wasn't giving me the results I was hoping for.

Next time I do stop by Sephora I may just pick up Stila's All Day Wear foundation in 'Buff'.

UPDATE: I did in fact go into Sephora to pick up this foundation. Think of this foundation like the Lancome Teint Visionnaire, except it provides longer and heavier coverage. It also includes a concealer as part of the duo. Overall, the foundation was okay, but it seemed a little too heavy. 

Till then !

New Guilty Pleasure

My newest guilty pleasure at the moment: Lancome Teint Visionairre Skin Duo Foundation. I recently had some store credit from Sephora and decided to gear it towards some goodies. I wanted something that included some great skin care, which would directly help my skin, as well as a medium coverage foundation. Most foundations nowadays that include skincare are BB or CC creams but they usually don't have a large selection of shades.

Now I originally picked up the shade 320 Bisque W, considering I have very warm golden undertones, unfortunately Sephora has the worst lighting. In store it seemed like a good match, but when I tried it at home, I looked almost ashy. I went back and exchanged it for 340 Bisque N, so far it is okay. But I will have to really take it out for a trial run before I make any final decisions.

On to the foundation and concealer itself, the foundation does seem to have medium-full coverage, a slightly satin finish which may be very well for those who have dry skin. While wearing it I nearly almost forgot that I was wearing it to be honest, most of the time I can "feel" my foundation & try to be attentive of it so I usually won't touch my face. I caught myself touching my face multiple times. The concealer itself has a creamy consistency, leaning towards the thicker side. I attempted to cover my pretty dark post-acne marks and it did OK. It sure isn't the best concealer I have used, but I will say it did not crease on me.

Let's Take A Look At The Claims (provided by Sephora.com):

What it is: 
A skin correcting foundation plus spot corrector duo designed to reveal an immediate, flawless complexion and improve skin day after day. 

What it is formulated to do: 
This two-in-one, must-have skintone correcting duo targets the appearance of dark spots, pores, and fine lines while naturally evening out the complexion. The Skin-Correcting Foundation flawlessly and visibly improves pores and fine lines day after day and offers SPF 20 protection with the active ingredient in Visionnaire serum. The Precision Spot Corrector is infused with vitamin C, and visibly corrects spots, dark circles, and all types of imperfections while providing full coverage. 

This set contains:
- 1 oz Skin Perfecting Foundation SPF 20
- 0.1 oz Precision Spot Corrector 

What else you need to know: 
The Skin Perfecting Foundation and Precision Spot Corrector feature a simple snap-closure for your convenience. The foundation is concentrated with LR 2412, a molecule known for its efficient skin correction, born out of 12 years of research. 

Research results: 
In a clinical test conducted on 48 women under the supervision of an expert: 
In 4 weeks: 
- Size of dark spots are reduced by 17% 
- Fine lines are reduced by 12% 
- Size of pores are reduced by 11% 

In 8 weeks: 
- Size of dark spots are reduced by 22% 
- Fine lines are reduced by 20% 
- Size of pores are reduced by 17%

So, in conclusion if anyone is searching for a foundation that can help improve your skin tone, with great coverage, and a concealer as part of the duo, see how this works for you !