L’Oreal Infallible Foundation Review

So, I’m clearly on a foundation kick, and when I heard about this new drugstore foundation, I had to try it.

The claims of this foundation are that it will keep you matte for 24 hours. The color match on me is really nice. I got the lightest shade (101), and it’s great. It comes in a squeeze tube that reminds me a lot of the Jouer Moisture Tints.

The finish: The finish is definitely matte, but it doesn’t look fake. It actually stays matte on me pretty much all day, which is a huge feat on my skin.

The application: I think this applies best with a flat-top kabuki brush, but is also nice with the fingers. The finish is really natural either way.

The wear time: The wear time is not quite 24 hours, but it is really longwearing! I would give it a solid 14-15 hours, but as I said earlier, it’s a huge feat on my skin because I’m so oily. It lasts for a normal day just fine. For a drugstore foundation, I’m impressed.

The verdict: Overall, this may be my new favorite drugstore foundation. For the price point, the finish, color match and wear time are impeccable. I love this for work days because it doesn’t break down on me before the end of the day, and I love how it stays matte on me. For oily skin girls on a budget, this is a huge win!

VIB Sale Haul!

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…VIB Sale time! My order has come in…let’s look at what I picked up!

Haul time!

Estee Lauder Double-Wear Foundation in Cool Bone – As you can see from this post, I love this foundation. The shade I have right now does not match me too well, so I got this one in hopes that it matches better – which it does!

Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer in Fair Neutral – I’ve heard a lot about this new concealer lately, and let me tell you – it is amazing. This is so lightweight, has amazing coverage and does not crease when I use it under my eyes. This shade specifically is an amazing brightening concealer for people with fair skin.

Living Proof Curl Conditioning Wash – I had a sample of this and immediately knew I needed it in my life. I used it on my hair, rolled out of bed without touching second-day hair and got so many compliments. It defines and hydrates my curls and keeps them defined for at least 2 days. I really love this stuff.

Boscia Revitalizing Black Hydration Gel – I heard this was great for oily skin, and as I’m looking for a new summer moisturizer, this was perfect. The packaging is a little weird, but I’m excited to try it!

Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara – An awesome 100-pt. perk! I have quite the collection of mascaras to keep trying, but this will definitely come out soon.

Briogeo Curl Charisma Defining Creme – As I said in this post, I love this stuff, so it was time to stock up!

Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder – I currently have way too many setting powders but…I heard really amazing things about this one and am on a Laura Mercier kick, so it landed in my cart! I really like this powder. It sets my foundation really naturally and keeps me matte(ish) without looking weird all day. It’s one of the better ones I’ve tried recently!

Overall, a good collection of products. What did you pick up during the VIB sale??

 

April Birchbox Unboxing

This is a little late, but it’s time for another Birchbox unboxing! First of all, this is the prettiest Birchbox ever. I have a stack of old patterned Birchboxes in my makeup area, and this one looks so great in the stack!

This gorgeous design was an exclusive for Rifle Paper Company. So cute!

And here is what came in the box:

Beaver Professional Hydro Nutritive Moisturizing Shampoo and Conditioner: These have a classic shampoo and conditioner smell, if that makes sense. I have a few other sample (and full-size) shampoos and conditioners to go through before I get to this, but hydrating hair products are right up my alley!

WEI Manuka Bee Venom Mask: I’ve heard that Bee Venom Masks are all the rage, so I’m excited to try this! There is a big warning that it’s not good for people with bee allergies, but I’ve actually never been stung by a bee. I’ve never been stung, so I’ll have to try it on my skin before I do a full mask. I’ve heard this is great for skin, so I am really excited to use this! The full size is really expensive, so hopefully I don’t love it too much…

Pop Beauty Eyeshadow Trio in Peach Parfait: I’ve gotten Pop Beauty shadows in the past and not been too happy, but this one is seriously amazing. Swatches are below. I’ve used it all this week, and I just love it! They’re so pigmented and pretty. They aren’t as easy to blend as some of my higher end shadows, but they are gorgeous.

Atelier Cologne Vanille Insense Cologne Absolue: First of all, this came with this adorable postcard, which I just love sitting on my vanity. Second of all, I love this scent! It has a strong vanilla scent, but there is also some jasmine present. It’s a very warm, full-bodied scent that I’m excited to use!

Overall, I think this was a really great Birchbox. Not only was it beautiful, there were some really fun products I’m excited to get into! What did you get in your Birchbox?

 

More Empties

 

Another round of empties! As I’ve said before, I’ve really been concentrating on using what I already have in my collection, and it’s been pretty successful thus far! Here are my thoughts on what I’ve recently used up.

Briogeo Curl Charisma – Like I said in my Haircare Haul, this is a seriously great conditioner for curls. It’s all natural, keeps curls defined and cuts down on frizz. Great choice.

MAC Paint Pot in Painterly – I’ve used this for years, and it is an amazing base for eyeshadow. I love how it covers up any veining or hyperpigmentation on my eyelid, and it does a good job keeping shadow in place. It doesn’t make shadow last as long as some eye primers, but I really love this as an eye base.

Nivea Lip Butter in Raspberry Rose Kiss – I’ve mentioned this in a favorites post, and I stand by the fact that this is the best lip butter ever. Seriously. This is my favorite flavor of the Nivea Lip Butter, so as soon as I run out of the 2 I have now, this will be it. But as it took me a year and a half to get rid of this, it may be a while!

Bare Minerals Blush in Pink Tourmaline – This is the prettiest color! It unfortunately was limited edition (from like 2010…), but using it has also given me a new appreciation for BareMinerals blushes, so I’m a fan!

Bare Minerals Mineral Veil – I love this powder. It really finishes the foundation look, keeps oil at bay and works well with several different foundations. More details in a favorites post here, but I really love this as a finishing powder.

Mary Kay Ultimate Mascara – I have weird feelings about Mary Kay as a brand and as a company, but this is a really great mascara. It catches and defines lashes, and even though there is some flaking throughout the day, it’s a really pretty lash product.

Benefit They’re Real! Mascara – My favorite Benefit mascara and a permanent stay in my makeup collection! This was a really old one, but it will certainly be repurchased.

Have you tried any of these products? What have you used up lately?

Laura Mercier Artist’s Palette Review

One of the best times of the year is upon us – Sephora sale time! If you’re a VIB Rouge, today is the first day to get your favorites on sale (don’t worry, I’ve already placed my order), but if you will place one later in the sale, I thought I’d share one of my recent, limited edition favorites to consider adding to your cart…The Laura Mercier Artist’s Palette.

This was part of their 2013 holiday collection, and they’ve re-released it for a limited time. I’ve heard people talk about it for a while, and I’ve recently been on a Laura Mercier kick, so this was a perfect fit. It comes in this beautiful dark purple packaging with a metal closure and a large mirror. It feels durable enough for travel.

The palette has beautiful matte and shimmery shadows perfect for neutral spring looks. I don’t have a ton of purples, and these are so beautiful. There’s a wide variety of looks you can make up with this palette. The shadows are buttery, pigmented and they blend like a dream.

Swatches!

The light colors do not show up super well on my hand, but they do on the eye. They’re great for a browbone highlight as well. The darker colors are amazing in the outer corner or for smudging into the lash line. Shimmers, especially African Violet and Guava look amazing on the lid and Fresco is the definition of a perfect crease color.

I don’t know how long this palette will be back around, as it is still listed as “Limited Edition,” but if you can fit it into your cart in the next few weeks, I highly recommend it!

Face-Off: Powders – Part 1

Another edition of Face-Off – this time for Pressed Powders. I’ve tried several, so there will probably be a second edition of this Face-Off.

L to R: Revlon Nearly Naked, Sephora MicroSmooth Baked Powder, MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Natural

The Contenders:
Revlon Nearly Naked Pressed Powder
Sephora MicroSmooth Baked Powder
MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Natural 

From the inside (please excuse the eyelash glue…)

Revlon Nearly Naked Pressed Powder: This drugstore powder is (obviously) the cheapest of the 3. I also feel like this is nice for the drugstore, but it doesn’t keep oil at bay for as long as I would like. My skin is incredibly oily, so for people with more normal skin, this could be a nice choice. The look with this powder is finished but natural, and a good contender for drugstore budgets.

Sephora MicroSmooth Baked Powder – This is obviously more expensive than the drugstore powder, but not unaffordable. I love how this keeps oil at bay and finishes a liquid foundation. It also has great coverage and a wide range of shades – shockingly specific, especially compared to the other 2 in this Face-Off. I’ve clearly run out of this, but it is amazing.

MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Natural – The coverage of this is great, but the color match is a little off. It does keep my skin looking finished, but with the wrong foundation, it can look a little too orange or patchy. The coverage is insane for a “powder.” I like to wear this with a concealer as a full face, and it’s a nice “no fuss” product for lazy days.

The Winner
This Face-Off Winner…by a close margin…is the Sephora Microsmooth Baked Powder!

Part 2 is coming soon, will Sephora still be the winner?

Maybelline Fit Me Matte and Poreless Review

I’ve recently been obsessed with foundations and trying new ones. Even though I need to use up the open foundations in my drawer, the new releases from the drugstore have called to me, so I had to try them! First up, Maybelline Fit Me Matte and Poreless.

I got this foundation in shade Natural Ivory 112. I was so excited about the Matte and Poreless claims, especially because those are the 2 things I look for most in a foundation. The biggest disappointment…

 

 

NO PUMP! Why people still make liquid foundations without a pump…I’ll never know. So that’s a strike against it. Here’s are the details…

The finish: Certainly matte, especially on first application. It cuts down on pore visibility a little, but nothing magical. It is a semi-matte finish on my skin and looks really pretty.

The application: I think this applies best with a Beauty Blender. It is a pretty runny foundation, and when I use the Beauty Blender, it sheers out really nice. When I’ve used foundation brushes, I don’t like the finish. I kept getting brush strokes and a weird patchy look.

The wear time: This is the biggest downfall of the foundation. It wears nicely for about 5 hours. After that, it started breaking up on my chin and around my nose. I also start getting oily after about 5 hours.

The verdict: This is a nice foundation, but when it starts breaking down that soon even with a primer and powder, it’s not something that gets replaced in my foundation drawer. Nice for people who are less oily than me or for short wear time, but I think there are better drugstore options.

Weekly Makeup Basket 2.6 – Final One!

I’ve reached the end of this challenge! Welcome to my final week of Makeup Baskets…

FACE
TheBalm Down Boy Blush
L’Oreal Infallible Foundation
Maybelline Fit Me Matte and Poreless Foundation
BareMinerals Perfecting Mineral Veil
Bare Minerals Highlight in Citrine Radiance
Dr. Jart Dis-a-Pore Primer
Tarte Blush in Flushed
Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer
Benefit Hoola
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette

EYES
Lorac Unzipped Palette
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Pencil in El Dorado
NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk
Milani Eyeshadow Primer
Laura Mercier Caviar Stick in Rose Gold
Julep Go Big Mascara
Julep Glide-On Liner in Smoky Plum

LIPS
Too Faced Melted Lipstick in Peony
NARS Matte Lipstick in Bangkok
Clinique Chubby Stick in Mega Melon
Mireness Glossy Kiss in Perfect Kiss

And there you have it! As always, I love to actually see and use what I have in my collection, but I am looking forward to switching up my palettes during the week 🙂 Enjoy your weeks, beauties!

Weekly Makeup Basket 2.5

The Penultimate Makeup Basket! This is kind of exciting. I’ve loved really focusing on products and getting to use some of them up! Here’s what will be on my face this week:

 

FACE
Smashbox Oil-Free Photo Finish Primer
NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Vanilla
Urban Decay Naked Skin Foundation
Becca Ever Matte Primer
Bare Minerals Highlight in Citrine Radiance
Benefit Hoola Bronzer
It Cosmetics Bye Bye Pores Loose Powder
Benefit Lollitint
Be a Bombshell Lip and Cheek Stick in Flustered

 

EYES
Benefit Rollerlash Mascara
Julep Go Big Mascara
Milani Eyeshadow Primer
Lorac MegaPro Palette
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Pencil in Bourbon
Jesse’s Girl Liquid Eyeliner

 

LIPS
Milani Color Statement Lipstick in Nude Creme
Buxom Glosses in Gabby and Destiny
Bite Beauty Lip Primer
Starlooks Lip Pencil in Tipsy
Sephora Lipliner in Nano

Haircare Haul!

I mentioned in a previous post that I was playing around with new hair products, so here are some things I picked up in a recent haul for my new hair routine!

Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair Mask: I’ve used this for a while, but I was dumb and accidentally set it precariously in my shower…where the whole thing dumped out. So I needed to re-stock. This is an amazing, thick mask for hair made out of all natural ingredients. It eliminates frizz and makes my hair feel so healthy afterwards. This stuff is amazing.

Briogeo Be Gentle, Be Kind Co-Wash: As a devotee of the Curly Girl Method, I usually use conditioner for co-washing purposes, so I’ve been excited to try this. The texture is a cross between a shampoo and conditioner and makes my hair feel really clean and healthy. Like everything in the Briogeo line, it’s all natural, too.

Briogeo Curl Charisma Conditioner: I’ve mentioned this in a previous favorites post, but this is the best. It does run out a little quick and is super thick, but it’s my new go-to conditioner and has a permanent spot in my shower.

Devacurl Ultra Defining Gel: I’ve also talked about this a lot, but it’s a great defining product, eliminates frizz and truly defines curls. A quarter sized amount in my hair does not make it crunchy, and the curl definition lasts on second and third day hair, which is a huge plus!

So, basically here are all my go-to products for hair recently. What are your go-tos?