I did a super-easy black and white nail design that I call “tuxedo nails.” Because- they are super streamlined and chic looking, IMO. The absolute best part of this nail design, which I came to find out during the week … Continue reading
I am not a brand-whore. Seriously. So no, I do not use all MAC errrythang in my kit. But, I do absolutely love some of their blushes. I find the pigment is great, they are quite smooth and not chalky, … Continue reading
I am seriously wishing for spring… Just hoping for some warm weather and the re-appearance of one of my fave trendy colours this year, mint. I have 2 mint green shades of nail lacquer that I am in love with … Continue reading
I love a good red. Wine or lipstick. When you wear a great red lipstick that really flatters you, it makes you feel über glam and brings out that inner sex kitten just a little more than usual…. atleast for me! … Continue reading
In keeping with the Irish holiday this year, I decided to really get into the spirit of St Patrick’s day by doing some festive nail painting! I really wanted to do something simple and classy, and realistically wearable. I’m not … Continue reading
I recently received some product from a home-grown company, owned by Charlotte Lang, called Lang Lang Cosmetics. She was kind and gracious enough to send me 5 lipstick shades and 4 loose eyeshadow powders to review for my lovely beauty … Continue reading
During Yaby Cosmetics‘s pop-up shop in Toronto in August, I picked up the “Natural Finish Liquid Foundation” among other things. I actually ended up using it that very same day on a photoshoot I did for a beauty editorial (seen here).
I purchased 6 shades and felt that was enough to cover any skin tone appropriately with a bit of custom mixing.
My daughter was hanging around and dying to ‘help me’ so I let her use her arm for the swatches. I think some “Hello Kitty” character may be seen in the background, not to mention her very tiny 5 year old arm was a bit tougher to swatch then I’d thought…
So the product…
I noticed that the texture is very light and the consistency is similar to a tinted moisturizer. The product is oil-free, which is likely for the best since I think it suits younger skin types best and it has a cyclomethicone base, thereby making it a great option for those with sensitive, acne prone or very oily skin types.
The product is not overly pigmented (no caking) and provides great very-light to slightly moderate coverage. It needs concealer to really even things out and provides a very nice, light coverage to those with nearly perfect skin or those needing only minimal spot coverage. It layers well but cannot be built up to a full coverage foundation.
It photographs very well and allows the skin texture to show through nicely. I also liked how the tones are very closely matched to real skin tones. The clear tubes also makes it easy to spot and match a shade in a pinch. I also liked the packaging and it’s travel and kit-friendly size. That being said, I noticed some of my tubes are half empty after about 6 uses. However, I must note the cost-effectiveness of the product as it retails for $13.55 and pros can sign up for the discount program for 20% off, bringing your price down to $10.85 (for 0.272 oz of product).
I would not apply this with a sponge and would go the foundation & stippling brush route to avoid the sponge soaking up all the product. It also warms nicely and applies well with fingers. I also used this foundation on one of my brides recently (who had very good skin). I used my Lise Watier concealer wheel to spot conceal and then used a mixture of shades “caramel” and “custard” to give her a custom match. You can see her lovely face here.
The sum:
I probably wouldn’t use this as a personal use foundation since the coverage cannot be built up to full, and some days you just need that extra ‘oomph!’ BUT I would stock this item in my kit as it is not expensive to keep as a good, light coverage option with great packaging and that is highly photographic and mimics skin texture very well. I’d love to see a full-coverage liquid foundation Yaby!
Is there a product you’d like me to review? Want to see if an item lives up to the hype? Drop me a line!
When E.L.F launched their new HD blushes, I was the first in line to make my order! But I noticed that since these new HD blushes were part of the “Studio” line, I could use my handy coupon code for … Continue reading
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My Trip to the MAC/Estee Lauder Sale… And all the amazing stuff I got! 😀 Pic 1: All Bumble and bumble hair stuff… Straight styling product (50ml), Straight Shampoo (60ml), Creme de Coco conditioner (50ml) and Creme de Coco shampoo … Continue reading
So yesterday I got my Z-palettes in the post, which I ordered from Camera Ready Cosmetics during the 50% sale, for $9.97 each (just under half price).
*As a side note, it was cheaper to order from CRC than from Z-Palette directly, not just because of the sale, but also because shipping to Canada was pretty much double on the Z-Palette website.
So I began depotting. This is where you heat up your terribly heavy plastic packaging that your makeup comes in & melt that sucker down until the glue loosens on the bottom of the eyeshadow/blush & you can take it out easily. There’s loads of YouTube videos on how to do this properly. Some people like the oven method, I find it always melts the packaging before the glue & makes getting the product out super hard. Some people like the lighter/candle method which I quite like for items that come in a palette so you can do each colour individually. And some people like the flat iron method which I quite like for bulky single packaging like a Nars blush or a Revlon eyeshadow. All ways are equally time consuming, some are just more or less messy than others.
Then I arranged my colours in a way that made sense to me: blues with black & whites (my highlight & contour shades), pinks & purples, greens & yellows & oranges, and my earth toned neutral palette of browns, taupes, champagnes, & light shimmers. Aesthetically, I think it gave me a makeupgasm when I saw how lovely everything looked after all that hard work & sweat.
But what really inspired me to write this post was not to talk about depotting… But to talk about the art of NOT depotting. The thought of being able to get away with never depotting makeup again feels almost like a sin, because the thought alone feels so damn good. I hate depotting. It sucks. You get nearly stabbed many times & nearly burned just as many times if not more. So why are we still depotting?
Well, if you’re a drugstore makeup buyer and love your Revlons & L’oreal’s then depotting may be your sport. Or if you’re a makeup snob & love some lovely Nars or Tarina Tarantino $30+ makeup, then depotting could be a good stress release from thinking about how light your wallet feels. But… If you’re either a pro artist or just a consumer with the idea of quality over branding, then let me take you to a place I call, “Never Depot Again Paradise.”
In this Paradise, there exists a multitude of professional grade eyeshadows, blushes, lip colours & powders that have NEVER been potted. You can order them, and they arrive with NO packaging to melt. These products are amazing. And when you measure them gram for gram beside some of the drug store products, you’re often getting 3-6 times more product for less than half the price.
My faves: La Femme. The blushes are AMAZING and the eyeshadows are pretty fabulous too. The size is HUGE and you get tons of product for less than $3. You can purchase La Femme online. Cheapest price I’ve see on their Eyeshadows: http://www.makeupmania.com/products/La-Femme-%252d-Pressed-Eyeshadow-%28Pan-Only%29.html although I find the shipping prices to Canada from CRC make it cheaper to buy here: http://camerareadycosmetics.com/products/la-femme-eye-shadow-pans-refills-large.html
And the cheapest price I’ve seen on their blushes: http://www.makeupmania.com/products/La-Femme-%252d-Blush-On-Rouge-%28Pan-Only%29.html and ditto to the above so click here if you’re a Canuck: http://camerareadycosmetics.com/products/la-femme-blush-on-rouge-refills.html
My second favourite is the Ben Nye. The eyeshadows rate a little bit higher than the La Femme because the pigment is a bit stronger, but the blushes are just as nice as La Femme’s are but you’ll get a colour differentiation here. Eyeshadows: http://camerareadycosmetics.com/products/ben-nye-eyeshadow-refills.html and their blushes: http://camerareadycosmetics.com/products/ben-nye-powder-cheek-rouge-refill.html
Now you can stick these guys into your Z-Palette or pro palette easily and never worry about depotting OR the extra cost you’re paying for all the unnecessary packaging. And this is the beauty of using a Z-Palette to organize your makeup while never depotting a piece of eyeshadow ever again.
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