Midsummer Newbies

Summer is still blooming around...perhaps it is more drying to skin than you anticipated. Or, when going city-tripping you can find your pores going congested like nothing else.

• For the occasional bout of dryness I gotten myself this cute Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin pill mask. I've been sheetmasking before K-beauty gotten mainstream and it's fun they have gotten easier available. 
• I've already gotten the Boscia Detoxing Black Cleanser in a sample size, and absolutely loved the warming effect on the skin. I love this liquid form of charcoal cleansing and I noticed it really helped getting to those pesky blackheads. Something not many products are effective off with my skin.

I also went on the bandwagon with Son & Park's Beauty water...

Ohh, I really love how the air in the water is looking in the bottle.

I had to decorate it with my Luxdivine (etsy) armband and the scarf is D&G summer collection.

I rediscovered cheeks with NARS Nars-issist Dual intensity blush palette.

 It is certainly a fantastic blending blush texture...I'm smitten. My cheeks glowwwww...

I have been upping up my foundation game with an oldie and a newbie:

• Mac Face & Body is and oldie but still high in the ranks of makeupartists. I've picked a darker colour for my body as I have some white spots that I need to even out.
• Nars Velvet Matte Skin tint is new on the market. I was not enterely sure as the colours tend to look a bit too yellow for my colouring, but they look velvety and real on (self-)tan skin. I still think the gap between Cusco and Annapurna is too large in colour dept.

One of the Sephora Beauty reward boxes contained Alterna. I love their Caviar Protein line but feel (and can see) that my hair might be healthy enough to alternate with moisture. So bring on the moisture with the CaviarAnti Ageing Replenishing Moisture line.

Ok, I say I'm team Alterna but I also have team Christophe Robin and I've been enjoying some other shampoos lately as well. But in the end Alterna would be my desert island brand!

Last but not least, nails. Since everybody and their grandma have been into nailart, gellnails everything etc, I have been neglecting my mani with a simple coat of strenghtener. Very sheer, kinda blah.

• I thought some Chanel could bring back my colour game: Turban looks bright enough for summer and classic enough for always.

• Another pretty one is the Damask Rose from & Other Stories. It looks so foiled on nails, incredible.

These have been some of my midsummer hauls. I'm already eyeing up some of the Autumn lines. Kose Addiction by Ayako has released these amazing new eyeshadows with names like Dancer in the Dark, Hazy Night, Volcano & Modern Nostalgia. The colours are as awesome to boot with their names and instagram is not holding too many secrets when recently renewed (just browse on the Japanese names). 

As for skincare, I think I will hold on on some new finds that I will review soon for it. I'm kinda behind my reviews: being stuck into the instagram picturing mode makes me kind of lazy on the writing front...It does make me attempt to make prettier photos : )

Cocktail Hour-glass (mixing) Primer n.28 with Kjaer Weiss Foundation, or Opposites Attract

Sometimes it's just trial & error succes...

 

Beauty stuff ain't easy! How informed we can get by the internet & the upteenth flow or reviews and tutorial, you never know how it will work on you unless you try.

Venturing into Kjaer Weis foundation was one of these things: the reviews were praising it as the next savior; I found it a bit difficult to work with: Dry texture, slightly sticky formula, etc.

Kjaer Weiss foundation is a bit dry

Similar with Hourglass Primer n. 28...Or perhaps the opposite. "Darn, that stuff is slippery! Did someone left the lube out there?"

 Since Frankening it up has been a thing since...I guess 2004 (nailpolish board Makeupalley), or longer I made some good sense out of the two and mixed them.

Sometimes I just use the primer on my skin first, and smooth the dryer texture of Kjaer Weis over it. 

It is not something you might never read about before but I really like the way these opposites attract and seem to work as a base for me.

The moral of this Story: 

Try some concoctions before you chuck away your good stuff!

On your Marc...(Jacobs)

Sometimes I get weird makeup-cravings before the actual need is there...

Is that a certain kind of makeup-prevision, or a mere knowledge of seasonal skin-change? 

So I've been getting "On your Marc...get set...Autumn" in terms of foundations, and a primer. I've ordered them when my summer skin had been behaving more than good (thumbs up on innerbeauty tons of superfoods and gentle skincare). And even, dare I say...being satisfied; I was foreseeing this day I would look at my skin and see the imperfections and the need to have more cover.

Oh well, imperfect skin does make a beauty-lover more adventurous in making it look better...And perhaps being a more astute blogger than a flawless blogger who doesn't really need it.

Marc Jacobs' new Re(Marcable) Full Cover Foundation Concentrate claims to have a heavier coverage than I normally would opt for (some on beautyprofessor). I still caved because the same beautyprofessor claims it has "un-scented serum-esque" properties and "the velvety aftermath results in blurred pores, concealed imperfections and a very natural finish".

It was predominantly my own curiosity that gotten me into the new Primer:  Marc Jacobs Under(cover) Perfecting Coconut  Face Primer. 

Everyone worth its visits to healthgurus like Deliciously Ella will get a Pavlov-reaction of hearing about C.O.CO.N.U.T.S (I'd just spell it gently here).

 The reaction would be squatting (or other crossfit-related activities), looking for Kale to complete Coconut, and finding a slower juicer than you had before!

(ps: don't mind my irony: I'm one of them)

Or, Sinning in 2015 is totally different than 1995:

Same letter, different E... 

Was it Rihanna who started it????

Around 2011: pre-Paleo-hype!

And now everything coconuts reminds us of 'zzzzee exotic' and 'not from a lab' so it must be pure (?)

But honestly my inner system reacts quite well on everything coconut so I love to try the primer for it.

Let's go for the aesthetics first. Marc Jacobs Under(cover) Perfecting Coconut Primer is in a white glass bottle with a enormous bottle cap and a matte sheer bottle that shows the content.

Opening the big 'hat' shows us a pump-dispenser:

So it pumps into a nice, equal blob:

It has this most moisturizer-ish feel. Also in the way it spread, slightly unsightly:

On me, it keeps the feeling of being a moisturizer; though a calming one I'd probably going to love when winter starts and my skin-sensitivities too.

I do not think it does a lot in making my pores appear smaller: Pore me :( 

On the other hand, my makeup stays fresher for 2 hours more.

So I'm primed like a real #Paleo #crossfit woman. What about the foundation?

Marc Jacobs Re(Marcable) Full Cover Foundation Concentrate in 34

I took the hat of in advance, and the bottle is a similar matte, only with a silver dispenser.

Weirdly, How happy I've been with the Coconut Primer's pump, the Foundation has a totally different structure of dispensing. I personally have the tendency to be messy, and this system of drops does not really help me. And there's also a certain ridge in there that somehow samples up my foundation:

I wonder why Marc Jacobs got the Coconut primer right (imo) and made the foundation a different dispenser?

As for the coverage: I consider it on the heavy side.

spreadability

I took the enddresult photo with a extra bit of light:

I like the high coverage, but I'm slightly underwhelmed with the smoothing effect. The vertical lines in my arms are still visible.

I also miss the lumiscence that I often get from other foundations.

In any case, this will become my foundation on days that I need high coverage. However, I do find it needing extra work to keep it looking natural: I am thinking extra highlighter, another primer that does fill out pores and lines, and the likes.

Ofcourse, my opinion is all personal because this foundation might work like a dream on a different skintype. Still I believe a foundation should be easier to work with anno 2015.

Personal concensus: I like the Coconut primer for being so gentily priming and ticking of my #paleo #healthygirl box. The foundation, slightly underwhelmed.

Oh, by the way. In this post I said something about E. So (disclaimer:) I have never done drugs in my young years...just hanging or clubbing with good and lousy friends and the occasional wine/cocktail etc. But the pun behind the E numbers is that many people who are living so healthy these days have been quite naughty before. But that's life and generation amnesia, right?

 

Pancake Tales...

The title sounds somewhat similar as the old-wives-tales...But I'm talking good [old] pancake makeup:

I bought Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer based on a zillion variety of reviews. Mostly because I wanted a really covering piece of makeup for certain events. I adore the foundations I have, but sometimes I get the 'natural girl' stigma too often and I really want to look like 'well-made-up' instead.

The bulk of the reviews claims it a high-maintainance piece of cream that needs quite some effort:

 

I'd expected myself to be blending for 15 minutes, misting in various facemists etc...My experience was that it is just as easy (or difficult) as my RMS Uncover foundation.

I'm quite lucky or observant enough (seen various swatches) to have picked the right shade, but it wasn't too difficult. 

So these were the Pancake Tales of this friday. I do not have that much going on beauty-wise: most lustworthy collections (eg those YSL lipglosses) haven't reached our counters yet so it's waity waity time.

Givenchy Newbies

G is for Givenchy 

 I finally got my hands on the Givenchy portable compact foundation/highlighter Teint Couture:

I still like my La Prairie for on the road, but I've been hitting pan so I was eager to stock up on the latest Givenchy.

I just love the gwp I've received: a dinky sequin pouch with a Teint Matissime (love that one) and a Givenchy lipgloss.

Also, I'm still a superfan of their Le Rouge lipsticks. I couldn't resist picking up a trio-set during travelling. And for modernity sake- a superblurry & overfiltered instagram picture:

 

(Why go for a clear 2000 px photo when you can have misty #instagram)

Beige Plume 102 is everything I always wanted a nude lipstick to be: absolute Brigitte Bardot kitten-ness. About 99.9% of any beige/nude lipsticks either washes me out or I get the dreaded 'born-with-no-lips'-look that happens when you are not a part of the Angelina Jolie-poutiness crowd. My lips are more of the Diane Kruger or Gwyneth Paltrow variety, which is not that much: we have to work our eyes & hair a bit more.

Anyway, Diane Kruger is also wearing a nudish lipstick with a pink tone similar to Beige Plume: I guess some undetectable (but correcting) lippencil as well. A subtle lip makes her eyes stand out even more. I really like that hint of terracotta/orange above the moving eyelid (gotta try that one soon)

gah, any facialist that could make my closeups look like that can have my future unborn child

 Gwynneth is opting for a deeper beige/pink and a good amount of gloss: I just love putting my Rouge Bunny Rouge "Uncaged Tigress" on top of the Givenchy Beige Plume for a similar effect: the beige makes a good foil to make the 'Tigress' sparkle (or perhaps roar?).

I already had Rose Boudoir 204 and I do not mind a backup of this stunning rosy pink hue. As for Rose Tafettas: I like the peachy undertone and will have to search my stash if I have sisters or twins.

Givenchy is becoming more and more a favourite brand of mine. I am eyeing up their Mister Radiant primer/glowifyer. And ofcourse the limited Xmas edition of Le Rouge Rose Précieux that I tested last week (check it on MostlySunny here)

Using, Used, Gonna Use...

A week of current favourites, used up product & something to try out for the next week:

Using 1:
My current winter complexion loves the colour of my Koh Gen Do Maifanshi moisture foundation in 123. I love it's unscented texture and the totally light way it feels on my skin. It covers most of the 'tokens of sensitivity' and still looks like 'good natural skin'. 
Funny is that last summer I questioned myself: "I wonder how it will perform when my skin needs more help" when I my skin actually was pretty good:

Answer: Quite good! The eternal winter of 2013 and stress took is toll on my complexion. After Maishanshi, I just need a bit of concealer to fake healthy skin, ok, and blush...duh. (review here)

Using 2:
 I got a hold of Edward Bess Illuminating Eyeshadow base in Suede. Actually, Suede is a tad too dark for my eyelids but it works wonders in keeping eyeshadow put. I never liked eyeshadow bases like Urban Decay because they looked like cement and kept that unnatural (matt-ish) look after putting eyeshadow over it. This one is different by keeping the eyeshadows lustrous and alive.

Used:
It's time to bin my Dejavu Lash Knockout. I discussed it here and like it, but mascaras have a limited date of use and I have it since November (see here)...so, bye bye. 

Gonna Use:
Pixi Tinted Brilliance Balm in Rosy Red
This lipster came in a set when I was curious for a Pixi Endless eye pencil (overview here)I found a set on Asos.com (gone now, sorry). Some girls are wearing it here, and it looks different on each complexion sooo...

Sampling Vapour Beauty: Atmosphere Luminous Foundation 130

The reason I ordered this: Stick foundation, or Foundation stick!
 

Vapour Beauty Sample set

Ok, to steer away from the phallic symbolism and Freud, it was curiosity too after reading Miss DrivellerKate blogging about it (here). It almost made the order the whole stick before sampling, but reason got over stick-mania and I ordered some samples.

I'm not the greatest (foundation-)stick fan! (you might thought otherwise but I wanted a sassy introduction...hehe). My last one was a Rimmel one in the prehistoric year of 2001! I worked in a cosmetic shop which fueled my cosmetic-addiction and gave me playtime when no customers were around. I think most women (& men) working in cosmetics love their face-crayons aplenty.

So that one, and I tested Tom Ford in London when I visited Selffridges. I kinda liked it (I almost hear DrivellerKate wispering "traitor" as I told her I'm not the most Tom Ford-cosmetics fan) but the amount of cash wasn't word the splurge that it would outdo my other foundation stash.

Anyway, I ordered a set of samples from their original website, as it was the only place to try out the  Atmosphere Luminous Foundation (or the more sophisticated name for the "stick" I've been muttering out again & again in this post, teehee)

Vapour sample set: full with tips, a discount,  pictures & application methods...

Overall, I ordered a Mesmerized eye-colour in Storm, Stratus Luminous Skin Perfector, a delightful nighttime oil: Essence restorative night treatment with the sample of the stick:

But I will do a mini-review of the Atmosphere Luminous Foundation (Stick) today in colour 130:

not THE stick, but a part of it

I received the sample in the exact same container as when I ordered from naturisimo.com (see review on concealer here)

Swatches: Unblended: 1st application -above: Tanned part of arm - below- original paleness of me:

It matches the top and it totally too dark for my real light skin. 

Swatches Blended:

Similar as before: when it matches the skintone (top) , it brings out a gorgeous & luminous glow. When too dark (bottom), it looks like a bit of oompaa loompa.

Swatch: blended-close-up

Similar as before, only close up.

(personal) VERDICT:

• the colour turned out to be too dark for my face too. 120 would have been a better option
• Formula: Thick. Personally, it felt too heavy on my sensitive skin.
• Effort: I found it difficult to blend and it took me longer than normal. The stick was too thick for me 
• Finish: I loved the glow and colour-luminescence, even if it was too dark for me (it looked natural after lots of blending in the neck, etc)
• More suitable for dry and not-too-sensitive skins.
• Scent: natural but still scented.

CONCLUSION:

Blimey, I love the effect it had on my skin, natural and glowy! The feel on my skin was something I personally didn't like. Howcver, that has been the reason I stayed away from sticks for more than a decade so that's something personal and related to the type of skin I have.

Availability:
You can order 5 samples from their whole range on their website (here)

Irosie BB cream, or the French (Eco brand) going BB

BB creams of Blemish Balms have a rather long history: BBs went from a healing and covering cream after skin-related surgeries and were developed in Germany. Korean cosmetic brands took notice of this and it became Koreans best Cosmetic export product, which Japanese and other countries took notice of and made their variety. Recently it has been discovered  by the Western big cosmetic firms, and now it has gone to Ecologically certified too:

Like some of my Asian or Asian-heritage readers who were in the forefront of trying and liking BB creams, I know them for about 5 years now. I often compare of what I tried in the beginning and what has been dilluted into the more Western versions (eg Christian Dior).

I really like some improvements of the newer generations of BBs, example the greyish casts of the original versions have been tweaked in a more suitable skintone version for the Western (Caucasian) public. And some heavy balmed textures have been thinned down.

However, perhaps these were the things that made a BB cream different from an ordinary tinted moisturizer.

So, when I saw ecologically goodie brand Irosie launching their BB cream, I was happy to snag up a free sample to try out.

So 3 new things standing out:

• 98,98% of natural ingredients
• French Brand (Erborian has some French roots too, but still partly Korian too)
• ohh, a factory on Rue saint Honoré (sorry, reading the tiny letters on the package)
• Some goodie natural ingredients. like Aloe vera, Tomato seed oil, Lavendel, etc.

(ok so more than 3 things stand out)
Hence, BB cream is going mainstream in France, and after that going slightly alternative by being taken up by Organic or Ecologically certified brands such as Irosie.

Irosie, bottem shelf, 3rd from the left & does that model really need BB?

Irosie is featured in the French Elle. I also found some information from the site I got the sample from, Naturisimo.com (UK based):
The anti-inflammatory properties sounds really familiar to what the original BB creams were supposed to do: heal post-operation skin!

1st, the colour and swatches:

Applied & unblended

It is quite a heavier texture than the latest releases of (Western) BB creams, and it really reminds me of the earlier Korean versions.

Blended: 

Most of us (and the afficionadas who have been familiar with BB cream longer) like BB cream for that particular glow it gives. This one has the similar capacity to show it's glow, only it's more visible under stronger light.

I really like this glow for perking up my skin: it gives that MFBB  (My Face but Better) crediblity  that sometimes is lacking from a normal tinted moisturizer.

I estimate this BB cream to be a match for NW 20 skin (MAC conversions). 

Although the BB looks like a good match for my skintone on my arm, sometimes my face likes to fake a bit of a tan. I have found my own trick to mixing any shade of foundation of BB into something darker, and adding some bonus protection too:

* Hissyfit Saving Face SPF 50+ in Mocha

I think similar techniques of mixing foundations are being used by other beautybloggers & makeupwearers in general, although I do not read that much about it.

With an obviously darker colour such as mocha (see above) I really have to blend the mixture to have an equal colour. Also, a tiny dot will be enough for a larger mixture: Often I use a 8 to 1 ratio to go a tint darker.

How does it compare to the 1st generations of BB creams:

• Colour: it reminds me of the older (Korean) types  It gives out a cool cast on my neutral to cool skin, making it a pink-toned BB cream. It's also on the light side, perhaps best matched to a NW 20 or even a NW15.
• Scent:  Yes, this one really brings be back to the 1st Korean BB creams: it really has this medical scent, or the lavendel, that quite some Korean brands have too.
• Texture:  as mentioned earlier, a heavier type than the latest (Western/General Department store brand) releases that remind me of the earlier Korean BB types. It does blend into something thinner. I really like this for my dryer skintype, but recon it would also be good for oilier types because the antiseptic and healing lavendel is included.
• Long term effect: I have only tried this sample for 2 times, but I like the fact when I remove the makeup/BB that my skin looks healthy and radiant and almost healthier than in the morning. Not every type of foundation has this effect, often the opposite.

Conclusion:
 I really like this BB cream for its cover and glow, especially knowing I put on mostly organic and healthy ingredients on my face. It goes back to the original idea of a BB being healing and beautifying, without compromising on cover. My only problem is that the colour is not complety matched. However, I found something for this.

Availablity:
You can get a free sample with any purchase at naturisimo.com (here) or buy a full size (here). When you order anything from them before 10 February you can get 10% off with valentine's code KISSME, and on this page are some good GWP deals as well. (not affiliated, just cosmetically addicted enthousiastic)

Wishlist for 2013

Beauty-blog related wishlist I have for 2013:

1. Good Micro Lens for the Nikon DSLR

I'm not that happy with the micro-function of my camera right now...I hope a specified lens will help me to get the focus I used to get with my oldie Canon from 2009.

2. Fabulous Hair (better hair would do)

I actually didn't like most pictures when I googled "beautiful hair". But when I googled "fabulous hair" I found these two examples that would made my day if I had such trichomanian quality. Or, at least some better hair...I'm working on it.

3. Finding my Holy Grail Foundation

 I have plenty, however, I haven't gotten one close to HG status. I gotten the Creme de La Mer tested on me lately and loved the colour, but will I splurge on that one again? 

2013 will tell...