January Used Ups

So we've made it through 1st month of 2015. I guess it's not the easiest month, unless you're in midst of summer at the southern hemisphere. 

 Used ups:

 

• IS Clinical is a brand that is quite well-known. I was glad to use the Instant Smoothing Gel in the midst of flare-ups. It's incredibly neutral and well-moisturizing and my skin tolerated it well. It has some positive ingredients like copper tripeptide & others but it also has some dimeticones (see here). Repurchase it big? Maybe.
• Kimberly Sawyer Restore anti-ageing cream was too much essential oils for my skin.
•  Tatcha Luminous Deep Hydrating Serum also felt like a neutral bliss on my skin. I think I'll get the travel size.
• I rarely finish a lipglos but Jill Stuart Lipgloss in 12 Sensual Veil ticked all the retro-girly boxes. Also, it's milky peach enough to wear it on its on and a fab glossifier over lipsticks.
• Nexxus Kerafixx is a wonderful treat to dryer, damaged hairs. Funnily, I've started to notice my hair is not that dry or damaged lately so I can venture on lighter treatments.
• Makeupalley had a fab rating for Dennis Gross Ferulic Acid + Retinol brightening solution and it has been a wonderful duo-product to brighten skin. I finished it before the grande flare-up and it has been a wonderful treatment for a couple of months.
• I'm not exfoliating anymore but I'm still liking Cane + Austin Retexturizing treatments (review here). These are the travel-size, single packed version that are a bliss while travelling.

• Makeup Forever Smoky Extravagant mascara made it into my Best of '14 list. I've cleaned the brush to use with the organic W3LL People Expressionist Mascara. Honestly, the organics cannot hold my curl but I had to make the switch for my Clean & Calm routine.
• Ren Glycoactic Masque is another favourite exfoliator. However, if your skin is overreactive, step away from all exfoliators.
• Dr. Organic Royal Jelly Shampoo is way too overfraganced imo. I used it to clean my brushes and wash my gentle clothes like cashmere.

• [almost invisible label] Coastal Scents Essential Oil in Peppermint is a good quality oil that I mix with a base like advocado oil for scalp treatments. 
• Lea Journo has been brilliant into packing its conditioners in sachets: travelfriendly, and a good smoothing conditioner that only needs a tiny bit for a good effect.
• I've discussed the blissful neutrality of Avène Cicalfate in my last post. It's a repurchase.
• [almost invisible label, part II] I've ordered Leahlani Aloe Day cream together with the hyped Mermaid mask. It's supposed to  "to gently balance hormonal skin flare ups" but it did not helped my flare-up skin. I was not a fan of the baby-powerish fragance either.
• So one thing that does help is my Tatcha Indigo treatment. I've already reordered.

Best of 2014: Makeup

Last year has been an adventure in makeup, and in beauty-stuff in general. I thought I finally had it figured out looking quite pretty...Then winter came and I gotten into the "why I look like this? I'm so healthy, use such great products, etc" phase. Either way,  makeup has helped me in getting my extra-pretty on in the good phase, and taking of the edges on the 'blah'-moments.

Blush:

Surratt, especially La Vie en Rose & Grisaille

I started out with a little number called "la Vie en Rose" and ended up with 4 more! I would say that Surratt makes the most unobtrusive blush around...I can either shade it in gently, or give it a bit of 80s exaggeration. Basically: LOVE.

Bronzer:

Ellis Faas Glow Up in S503.

Originally, I was send the wrong colour and tried it before I noticed (mind, Dutch shops are less forgiving on returning policies). I ended up loving this little number for being a supergorgeous bronzer, though the season for bronzing has not really arrived yet.

Foundation:

Edward Bess  Ultra Dewy Complexion Perfector

 Actually, a tinted moisturizer with the right kind of build-up level. My healthy lifestyle gave me the liberty to go lighter on foundation (until winter came...sight).

So for winter I went for Kevyn Aucoin The Sensual Skin Enhancer Fluid Foundation. It reminds me of Armani Designer Lift Foundation in terms of being powdery/velvety, only better. I don't have a full review yet but Monsieur Alex has a good review going on and foundation-pro The Beauty Professor too.

Powder:
Koh Gen Do Natural Lighting Powder
Light, airy and a beautiful finish without loosing radiance.

Concealer:
Dolce & Gabanna in Creamy has been both brilliant in concealing pesky spots as eliminating undereye circles.

I liked Charlotte Tilbury retoucher for blurring out undereye circles. But I'm still smitten with Givenchy Mr. Light.

Highlighter:

Charlotte Tilbury wins it on the liquid front.

Surratt is the perfect powder highlighter.

Primer: 

No real winners either. I'd be curious for By Terry Densiliss if only it was not claimed to be so fraganced.

Mascara:

Makeup Forever smoky Extravagant Mascara.....

I received a mini-size in the Sephora Happy Birthday set. I just love everything: from the way the brush is shaped to it's glossy but still 'grip-py' formula. I pair in over my lash-primer Kanebo Kate Maximizer in black (review here) which will keep my lashes long, strong and weatherproof until I take it off.

Eyeliner: 

Kanebo Kate Supersharp Liner

I rediscovered it again for being thin & foolproof for dummies like I am. Also, it stays on until you take it off.

Eyepencils:

Marc Jacobs Highliner Gel Eye Crayons

I still really like Pixi Endless but the Marc Jacobs wins by convenience: the twist-up formula!

Eyeshadow:

 Chanel Poésie

Chanel is not my ultimate eyeshadow formula around but I reached most for this palette for having the perfect balance of neutral colours.

Eyebrows:
Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade in Blonde. The right colour for my light brows and the cream is a breeze to apply with the right brush.
 
Special Occasion:
Velours 'Are those Real' Fake Eyelashes

There are times a girl needs some extra flutter and these held up quite well with a bit of clear eyelash glue.

Lipstick:

Tom Ford Lips & Boys

The boys won from NARS female stars (Audacious): The formula is more my cup of tea, the packaging, and what about the brilliant selling point?

Lipgloss:

2014 was such a lipstick year but Marc Jacobs Lust for Life Lip Vinyl won me over for feeling so minty fresh and having that superb multisparkle that only a lipgloss can really pull off.

Nails:

Burberry nails in Nude Pink has been my favourite for being so effortlessly neutral, having good coverage and a longer wear than most nailpolishes.
 
 In general, I have had some changes since my Best of Makeup 2013, but I still love plenty from that year. I rotate my Koh Gen Do Maifanshi foundation and the RBR Time Defying foundation with my newer loves. NARS concealer is still one of my favourites.
 I somewhat lost my love for organic makeup, which I made up in skincare. I did try out some newer formulas and I still rely on Kjaer Weis & RMS Uncover when my skin is acting up. I hope to find some newer organic makeup loves in 2015 so I can have a cleaner choice when I want/need to.

Makeup Forever Artist Shadow in Crystalline Gray Beige ( D552)

*Makeup Forever's new color-shadows popped up at Sephora's website -> curiosity triggered*

There are so many new ones [210], and the Makeupartist in the video were raving about aalllll colours.

I picked one that looked rather like a neutral taupe online: Crystalline Gray Beige:

It's a shade with the promise of a Diamond lustre: Diamond people! I had Rihanna chanting in the back of my mind...'Shine bright lika a diamond...'

There are also eyeshadows in satin, matte, idirescent & Metallic. However, I thought it would be nice to see MUFE's translation of a diamond lustre.

The eyeshadows are sold in separate pans. You can either muster up your own palette, or buy the MUFE version of 2, 3 or more. There was a good deal for the palette version so I chose that option:

 The case is plastic, but the sturdy type in MUFE's signature sleekness. The pallets have magnet adherence so you can take out your pan whenever you want. This is handy for travellers and makeupartists or aspiring colourists who like to vary their colours on daily/weekly basis.

 Talking about the size of the pan: it's the same as Le Metier de Beaute eyeshadow pans:

 

That got me into comparing mode again. Hence, I also picked up my cheaper brand Makeup Artist palette in Undress Me too.

Ofcourse, those are baby pans compared to big-sized MUFE & LMDB, but the colour-family of one of them is quite similar: a mauve-ish silver Taupe.

This swatch is made in daylight/indirect sun, foundation base but no specific eye primer. The Le Metier de Beaute palette is Bauhaus in colour Graphite (review here). 

• MUFE is the warmest of the 3: a reddish mauve base
• Le Metier de Beaute has the best opacity
• The diamond aspect of MUFE is slightly dissapointing: all 3 have similar lustre on skin

Verdict:

I have not been as enthousiastic about the eyeshadow as the makeupartists in the video. Honestly, I'm spoiled with Le Metier de Beaute and others, but I think that a budget eyeshadow like Makeup Artist wears just as well.
However, I think it's a wonderful neutral, office-appropriate sparkle that will cooperate well with Edward Bess eyeprimer. And I will add another shadow of MUFE's Artist collection in a different finish to complete the duo-palette.

Conclusion:
Usefully pretty, but not a musthave if you have similar hues.

Sephora sale haul: Benefit and MUFE

January sales can be very rewarding for some reason. I was very suprised that our Sephora (in the Netherlands) was so generous to give a 40% discount on all Christmas sets...I already bought some sets which I showed in this post (here), but I decided that this discount was too good to let go.

I went back this Sunday and purchased the Makeup Forever Back to Black collection and Benefit Peace, Love & Glossiness.

The main reason I did not pick up the set the first time, was because of the eyeshadow. It is a carbon black with large silver glitters. It is absolutely party-tastic, but I would not use this eyeshadow everyday. However, I would loooove to try out the false lashes in the set, and I am already a major fan of the waterproof eyeliner. The total sum after the discount would be good enough to purchase the whole set, and maybe I can donate the eyeshadow to one of my regular readers (wink wink). That is also the reason I haven't swatched it, because I want it to stay brand new...

The back of the box has a mini-tutorial of how to apply the falsies. I kind of miss a full tutorial of how to create the complete party-look with the full set, but I do not mind that much.

The tutorial has pictures as well.

I think I will stick to the tutorials given by the more skilled beauty-bloggers I am familiar with. I have been using separate falsies in the past for a more natural look, but I have been spotting the full-on-falsies a lot on several blogs and magazines, and it looks so fantastic that I wanted a full set as well. I think MUFE will be a good start for trying them out.

My next set is the Benefit Peace, Love & Glossiness set. I like the sixties-esque swirls on the box, and the hippy-reference to Peace, Love and Happiness. I also liked the colours in the box: a mix of neutrals, sheers and pink.

Da right side of the box...

Da left side....

I swatched them for you, and took a picture in cool daylight, without flash...

The only downside is the smell...a bit musty. There were no testers of the box at the Sephora, so I might have skipped them if I knew...

However, the price was rather good and I am sure that I will use them. I especially like the golden shimmer, as it can give extra oophh to a boring lipstick.

Overall, a good haul for these set....