Sunday 26 January 2014

Beauty Blender! (No, it won't make you Guacamole...)

To me, application of liquid foundations is not a standard routine: sometimes I use my fingers, sometimes a brush, depending solely on what I feel like doing that day.

No matter how I choose to achieve the "perfect" base for the rest of my makeup, it has become a daily habit of mine to bounce a moist beauty blender on top as soon as I put on foundation and concealer.


The reason is that it manages to blend everything seamlessly and provides the perfect bare canvas for the rest.

I have also used it the conventional way, meaning that I applied dots of makeup all over and then used it to spread on my face but I don't actually like it this way for two reasons:
  • I feel that make up just stays on top of my face
  • A lot of product gets absorbed in the sponge which to me is not only wasteful but also makes cleaning it a bit difficult. 
For these reasons, I firstly work the foundation on my face with fingers or a brush and then bounce it on. It's an extra step but to me totally worth it.

I also use it on top of blush or bronzer when I feel that I applied a bit too much, the remainder of foudation on it tones down everything without messing everything up. 

In fact, a lot of times I overdo blush in purpose and I follow up with a few bounces because it takes away the powdery finish and I end up with dewy cheeks, naturally flushed (how cliché, lol!), perfectly diffused, with no visible blush "ends". If you're struggling with blending out blushes etc, this is the perfect tool. 

In conclusion, I don't think that it is a must have tool, especially if you're happy with the way you apply foundation. 

I do think it is a nice to have tool, because it definitely perfects makeup application and it is multitasking, because it can be used with all kinds of cream/liquid products (makeup, concealer, blush, bronzer, highlight etc). 

If you love "diffused" application this is definitely a must.


On the other hand, if you don't want to pay $20 for it, or if you haven't used a sponge like this before and you're not sure if you'll like it or not, I would propose trying out a more affordable alternative. 

The one I have been using before the Beauty Blender is a Hondos Center find by the brand Cosmopolitan. I had never heard of this brand before but I got it on a whim, it was on a stand by the cashiers so I grabbed it while waiting in line.


As you can see it is well loved and quite battered up, so when I was considering repurchasing it I decided to try the "real thing" instead. 

In comparison, I would say they do pretty much the same thing.  The difference is that this one is more dense and doesn't expand in size while the Beauty Blender is more fluffy, soft and tender to my face. 


One thing that is important is that either of these is supposed to be used damp, not wet. I always wet it and then put it on a tissue paper and squeeze it hard before every use.

No matter what you choose, I wouldn't end this post without some maintenance tips and in particular how to clean them because from what I gather it is what most of the users struggle with. 

First of all, it definitely should be washed after every application or after two applications at the most. It is high maintenance without a doubt, or else you end up with a bacteria farm on your hand that goes on your face and it defeats the purpose.  

It also depends on how you use it: if you put foundation on top of it and then on your face it gets more stained because it absorbs more product. If you apply foundation with your hands or a brush and then use it to blend everything together, it absorbs less so it doesn't get much stained. 

Lastly, the reason I chose the Beauty Blender in the Pure (white, or light beige to be accurate) version is that I wanted to be able to see at a glance where and how much dirty it is because it makes cleaning it easier.

Enough blabbing, here's how I clean my sponges:


I start off with a very dirty sponge, (lol) on purpose, and a bowl with lukewarm water and some kind of soap. I have used hand soap, dish soap and I just got an Apivita Propolis soap that I'm excited to try out!


And then I squeeze it in the water/soap mixture.  A lot. It's kind of an excersize.  I also change the water 2/3 times and continue to squeeze until it's clean. 
Most importantly, I don't rub it, only squeeze it. My pink Cosmopolitan is so scarred because I used to rub it up viciously (before I came up with the bowl method).


Here it is, as good as new! The whole process takes me about 2-3 minutes.


What are your thoughts on this kind of sponges? Do you recommend a specific one?

That's it for now, I hope you are all well and thriving! 

Sunday 19 January 2014

Use it up!

My love for new and sparkling beauty items is known but at the same time I feel that I neglect my not so new but still sparkling stash.

So, I thought to discipline my self - not that it is that difficult - and use up things that are halfway empty.

I also tried to be realistic so, no eyeshadows, no pan powders, blushes etc because I have not hit pan on anything of the kind.

Well, enough talking, here is my "use it up!" little basket.


Mac Strobe: this is the travel size and I use it mixed with my foundation. I love it because it gives life and luminosity to any foundation, it is also ideal to sheer out a dense base, it's like a moisturiser/highlighter hybrid. I will definitely repurchase, probably the lotion because it is fluid and I assume it will mix with my foundation even better.


Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua: I purchased it the summer before last and there was a third left. I should probably throw it away but instead I added a hefty dose of the Estee Lauder Maximum Cover in #11 Very Light and quite some Strobe cream and I ended up with a perfect fair shade that matches me perfectly.  I also like the fact that it has one or two metallic balls in the tube so it mixes up perfectly my hand made concoction (lol!). As for the foundation (before the alchemies described above!) is really lovely, natural looking and lightweight



Sonia Kashuk cream bronzer #41 warm tan: I had never tried a cream bronzer before so before committing to a huge and expensive Chanel Tan de Chanel Bronze Universel I decided to try another, more affordable representative of the genre.  I can't say that I liked this one mainly because it doesn't last at all. Maybe my rendezvous with the Chanel one is unavoidable, if I can find it at a 35% off (fingers crossed!)


Jemma Kidd highlighter in #01 Iced Gold: I was reluctant to use it because I love it but the brand does not exist anymore so I wanted to keep it as long as possible. Crazy huh? Thank god reason finally prevailed so I decided to use it up! Lovely beyond words, but sadly not available any more.  



Dior Diorskin Nude in #020: love it, will definitely repurchase, maybe the compact version (although I should probably finish my MSF natural first!)


Clarins instant smooth primer: well, I can't say that this one rocked my world.  It's supposed to smooth skin texture, I didn't see any difference though.  Not repurchasing.


YSL the infamous lot, the loves of my life, can't live without them, you get the grip: they are the first batch i ever bought and they are more than half gone, so my task is easier. They should actually hit the bin but it is above my powers, the don't smell funny (or funnier than normal, lol!), consistency is ok so I will use them up.


#12, #17, #7, #15


Do you have an absolute favorite that at the same time you have to use it up ?

That's it for now,  I hope you are all well and thriving! 

Sunday 12 January 2014

Out with the old!

Coming 2014 I decided it was time to browse through my stash and throw away products that were old and unsanitary, or products that never used because were wrong colorwise or never actually liked to use.

The mission was executed in cold blood, no rethinking, no what ifs, because these were things that just crowded my drawers and if I thought too much about it the inner hoarder would come up with all sorts of excuses to keep them tucked away in a drawer.

So, here's what I got rid of!

Samples: wrong color, wrong skin type, etc.


Maybelline Color Tatoos: I was brave and here's the proof! I was hesitant because I really like them but i had them for almost two years, so it was indispensable to throw them away.


Mac: I didn't throw these away but back to Mac they go. They are not that old but the Let's Skate always ends up on top of my cheeks and it's not a pretty sight, and the lipbalm never was my favorite, I just can't stand lipbalms in pots!


The rest: 

  • an elf purple eye pencil that's too hard,
  • a TBS eye pencil for the same reason
  • an UD mini lip gloss
  • an H&M lip pencil
  • a TBS eyeshadow that didn't reach for
  • Chanel Emerveille cream shadow that's quite old
  • a TBS BB cream that's very dark for me



So, I put them in a box from a Sephora palette, I just couldn't toss them in the garbage as is, I don't know why (lol!) and off they go!


The truth is that I felt quite relieved afterwards, I also made room for new and exciting things!

So, that's it for now, I hope you are all well and thriving!

Monday 6 January 2014

Haul! Guerlain, Shiseido, YSL, Clinique

First of all, happy 2014!

Secondly, I didn't actually buy these items in 2014 but a couple of weeks ago (you've already seen them on instagram), when I took advantage of the 35% off sales (25% for the YSL).

Enough said!


First stop: Guerlain!

My love for the Meteorites counts exactly one year since I discovered them in December 2012.

This year, I decided to try the compact version because it is beautiful and travel friendly and not absurdly expensive like Wylong from last year.

So, Crazy Meteorites Poudre Eclat was the first purchase of this haul and let me say that I love it. Madly.




I love it so much that after a few days I also got the Crazy pearls version . Oh yeah!




I will only say that you need them, not both of course, either works fine. Go try them on, just for fun or out of curiosity.  You'll thank me later! They're limited edition though.

Next stop: Shiseido!

I wanted to try their Urban Environment SPF50 sunscreen for the longest time and I'm currently running low on my La Roche Posay Anthelios so I decided it was now or never!



I also wanted to try the Sun Protection SPF30 Liquid Foundation (SPF junkie alert!) and the fact that at the time they gave a full sized Lacquer Rouge as gift with purchase (splendid, isn't it?) was the final nudge to buy the foundation now than later (lol!).





Next stop:YSL!

You know how much I love my YSL Glossy Stains but I didn't have any fall/winter shades.

So I chose #3 Brun Cachemire and #4 Mauve Pigmente. They're both muted and seductive, #3 on the caramel brown side and #4 on the mauvish side.



Last stop: Clinique!

I can't say that I'm a fan of the Clinique chubby sticks but #09 lavish lilac looked very pretty so I decided to give it a try!


YSL #3, YSL #4, Shiseido RD413, Clinique #09


That's it for now, I hope you're all well and thriving! 

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