An Outrageous L'Oreal and Revlon Haul

A few days ago I walked into Shoppers Drug Mart about $65 richer than I was walking out.  And the funny thing about it was I only got a five items!!!

I'm sure I shared this tidbit already but I have a boudoir photoshoot coming up on January 28th.  Honestly, I don't think I've ever been as excited and nervous as I am about this.  For some reason, knowing that my body is about to be on display in a way it never has before has got me thinking about my pale skin, my extra 7 pounds and my facial expressions.  After I kick the little negatives out of my head, I realize how much fun I'm going to have AND how much Allan is going to enjoy them.  Plus, I get to buy some great cosmetics, hence my Shoppers run.

I seemed to gravitate towards Revlon and L'Oreal products this time and ended up selecting (from left to right) L'Oreal Magic Lumi Light Infusing Primer, L'Oreal Color Riche Balm in Rose Elixir, Revlon Photoready Airbrush Mousse Makeup and L'Oreal Magic Lumi Concealer.

First up is the primer which is such a fantastic product.  I love anything that makes my skin glow and this really does the trick.  Not only do I glow but my skin feels smooth and it doesn't get oily during the day.  I have been using this since I bought it and am constantly getting compliments on my "dewy" looking skin.

Look how dewy my hand looks after the primer's rubbed in.

 Next is the lip balm.  Typically, I'm not a balm wearer unless my lips are horribly chapped but I liked this one because it will be perfect with all the lacy, feminine outfits I'll be photographed in and it keeps my lips extremely moisturized.

See how nice and pink it is on my wrist?

Thirdly is the mousse makeup.  I have used a mousse before (Sally Hansen) and wasn't the biggest fan.  I found the coverage to be too light and the product itself was not quite fair enough for my pastey pale skin tone. However, this new Revlon product was definitely created with the fair gals in mind. (Plus having Emma Stone as the spokesperson isn't too bad either.)  The cosmetician recommended it and said it will be great in photos as it's designed to make your skin look airbrushed.

Love this picture.  Not only can you see how perfect
the mousse matches my skin tone but specks of the light infusing primer is also poking through.

Last but not least, the light infusing concealer.  Just so you all know, a concealer that contains light-infusing particles is perfect for dark circles.  For some reason, it makes the sun bounce off your eyes and creates a more youthful appearance.  Having said that, it matches my tone well and I'm looking forward to seeing how it holds up in a camera lens.

Did I mention that my fab friend, Ariella (a makeup artist) is going to be doing my makeup?  Sigh, I can not wait for this to go down.  Just a couple more weeks.

Ladies, have you used any of these products before?  What are your thoughts?

Foundations: The Good and The Bad

Foundations are an extremely personal choice.

What might work for one, could be a horrible selection for another.  However, if a paste-y sister says that a specific foundation is perfect, I'm the first to run out and purchase it because finding a product that actually matches my skin tone is a pain.  That's what this post is about today.  After reading many of my favorite blogs and hearing great things about three different foundations, I knew I had to try them out myself.  I don't do comparisons to often, but these three were worth it:  Maybelline Dream Liquid Mousse in Porcelain Ivory, Diorskin Forever Extreme Wear Flawless Makeup in 010 and L'Oreal True Match Super-Blendable Makeup (Cool) in Alabaster.

Maybelline Dream Liquid Mousse

Pros:

Full coverage 

Matches my pale skin tone perfectly 

Cons:

Too oily 

Coverage is much too thick

Takes a long time to fully blend into my skin

No SPF

I wanted to love this, I really did.  But it was lacking in too many areas for me.  I found that during the day with this product on, my skin became extremely greasy and almost slick looking.  No matter how much I blotted my skin, it stayed very oily.  The oddest thing is that I don't have oily skin normally.  Another issue was how long it took to blend into my skin and I even used a sponge.  I will say that if you live in a dry climate and are needing full coverage, this may be a good foundation for you.

Diorskin Forever Extreme Wear Flawless Makeup

Pros:

Silky smooth finish

SPF 25

Full coverage without the weight

Looks like you're not wearing anything

Full/sheer coverage 

Cons:

Price 

Of all the foundations I've ever tried (and trust me, there have been a lot) this is, perhaps, the best one I've ever used.  Not only does it provide full coverage (should you need it) but it can also be applied lightly for a more natural look.  This foundation has an SPF of 25 (YAY!!!) and leaves your skin silky smooth AND it stays that way all day.  The only downside to this foundation is its price tag: $55 it quite a bit for a foundation.

L'Oreal True Match Super-Blendable Makeup

Pros: 

Light feeling on skin

Full/sheer coverage

Blends well 

SPF 17

Cons: 

Almost too liquidy

Halfway through the day can become slightly oily

$20 for a drugstore foundation is a lot

For a drugstore foundation, I actually don't mind this one.  Yes, it's not perfect but, to be honest, most foundations aren't.  This one offers great coverage, is one of the fairest colors I've ever seen and still offers an SPF.  I will say that it is rather liquidy, even for a liquid foundation.  The product seems abnormally runny but yet still blends well and matches my winter-fair skin.  Oh, and another thing, it keeps my skin from looking slick.

This picture shows a comparison of the three foundations together.  From left to right, Maybelline, Dior and L'Oreal.  As you can see, the Maybelline one is very thick compared to the other two while the one on the far right (L'Oreal) is extremely runny.

 All in all, I will definitely be repurchasing the Dior.  It's become my everyday foundation and I can't live without it.  However, if price does become an issue, I'll be knocking down L'Oreal's door for sure.  Have you used any of these products before?  What are your thoughts?

XO

It's Primerific

Can I just say that I actually found a L'Oreal product I like!!!

While snooping through London Drugs in Prince George I stumbled on a new primer/base from

L'Oreal called Studio Secrets Professional Magic Perfecting Base. I thought I would try

it since I'm always on the hunt for an inexpensive primer AND it was only $15.99. I took it home and opened the package immediately.

It's quite cute actually, since it's in a pot and the best part is NO PUMP. ( I know that pumps are more sanitary BUT I'm really not a fan.) This product is one of the first I found that isn't oily. It goes on like a cream, so you can add as much or as little as you want and, once set, it diminishes all of your skin's imperfections.

I will say it again, I am super impressed. Try it out ladies!!