Foundations -Lily Lolo - Mineral Foundation
iluvsushi 5/15/2013 11:55:00 AM
Initially, I was sceptical about the staying power of mineral foundations which was why I shied away from them and carried on using my trusted long-wearing liquid foundation - Chanel Perfection Lumiere (which I've also reviewed on MUA). As a makeup junkie, I'm always researching foundations that cater for oily skin. I bought my 2nd bottle of my fave Chanel foundation, however the price was steep and wanted to use this foundation for special occasions as I've previously been using it 5-6days a week. So I decided to look for inexpensive alternatives online and came across an online beauty/makeup forum, where girls were asking for advice on the best foundation. I saw a few suggestions for oily skin. The majority of them suggested mineral foundations as they're in powder form and will not clog pores like liquid foundations do, despite company claims that it's non-comedogenic. Mineral foundation is supposed to be good for your skin as it's free from chemicals, unlike other foundations. I've read many raves about bareMinerals, however I didn't want to pay £25 for a mineral foundation. I did more research and discovered a UK brand called Lily Lolo. Their foundations were half the price of what you'd pay for bareMinerals, so I opted for the "drugstore alternative". Fortunately, they offer sample sizes of products as they're only available to purchase online. I bought 3 shades: Saffron, Butterscotch & Warm Honey. Saffron was almost a good match for me as I have medium skin tone with yellow undertones, however it was slightly dark for me (a good shade for medium tanned skin for summer). Butterscotch is for medium skin with yellow undertones and I felt this was slightly lighter than my natural skin tone, but I could use Saffron as a "bronzer" to contour my face. Warm Honey was more peach toned for medium skin tone so it clashed with my yellow undertones. Eventually I tested Butterscotch on it's own and used setting powder. I only touched up my makeup 1-2 times and my skin looked really nice or almost second skin. After 2/3 hrs I noticed it didn't oxidize! I've had previous problems with foundations oxidizing on my oily skin, which meant I had to purchase a shade lighter. Despite Butterscotch being a tinge lighter than my natural skin tone, I could still get away with bronzer or use Saffron to contour my face. From experience, The staying power of this mineral foundation is at least 8hrs. I think beyond 10hrs is pushing it a little further and 12hrs+ will not happen as the foundation will look blotchy/starting to melt away (well for my combination oily skin anyway). I've re-applied the foundation to see if it "cakes up" and it doesn't. However, it does make my dry areas look more prominent. So I advise people with dry skin to really hydrate your skin before using this mineral foundation. I do prefer a matte finish because of my oily skin, but this does give a slight natural sheen. There's many colours to choose from which I do prefer as some cosmetics brands offer limited shades that won't suit all skin tones. This foundation makes my skin feel soft to touch, it's natural looking in photos without flash. Because of the SPF content it will show a white cast in flash photography. This foundation is very affordable for those that are wanting to try mineral foundation for the first time or completely converting to mineral makeup. It doesn't irritate my skin, never had a breakout since using this (apart from hormonal acne). It feels lightweight, gives decent coverage for someone with blemishes like me, however I still need to use a concealer for stubborn pimples and dark under eye circles. Overall a good investment if you're a bargain shopper like me. The quality of the foundation is great and finely milled. It gives decent coverage for imperfection skin and is long-wearing 8-10hrs esp. for oily skin! Highly recommend this foundation if you're a beginner on mineral makeup. I'm totally convinced and should've took the plunge into the mineral beauty world ages ago! (sorry for the tediousness review - I had to justify this wonderful product!) Hope this review helps :)
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Concealers -Bobbi Brown - Creamy Concealer
iluvsushi 4/6/2013 7:30:00 PM
This is my new HG concealer for my dark circles! It works well with BB's corrector. My dark circles were concealed well and my eyes looked brighter and less tired. I've tried using the corrector on it's own and it's good enough to use without a concealer as it does a great job counteracting my dark purpleish brown circles. The MUA colour matched me "peach" as my correcter (which helped brighten and blended well with my skintone) and "honey" as my concealer. It feels creamy, moisturising and lightweight. I set it with either MAC prep + prime transparent finishing powder or Ben Nye bella luxury "banana" powder. I like how it looks before I set my makeup but because I have oily skin and the creamy consistency of the concealer I do need to powder to prevent creasing. I would definitely buy this again despite the price tag - it's worth every penny!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Concealers -Bobbi Brown - Corrector
iluvsushi 4/6/2013 7:14:00 PM
I have never used a corrector before using a concealer. I didn't think it was necessary. After debating whether or not to buy Bobbi Brown's corrector, I decided to give it a go. My dark circles were concealed well and my eyes looked brighter and less tired. I've tried using the corrector on it's own and it's good enough to use without a concealer as it does a great job counteracting my dark purpleish brown circles. I tried the concealer on it's own and for some reason it looked abit ashy. The MUA colour matched me "peach" as my correcter (which helped brighten and blended well with my skintone) and "honey" as my concealer. It feels creamy, moisturising and lightweight. I set it with either MAC prep + prime transparent finishing powder or Ben Nye bella luxury "banana" powder. I like how it looks before I set my makeup but because I have oily skin and the creamy consistency of the concealer I do need to powder to prevent creasing. I would definitely buy this again despite the price tag - it's worth every penny!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Max Factor - False Lash Effect Waterproof
iluvsushi 9/25/2012 2:16:00 PM
This is my new HG mascara. It has replaced my Maybelline 'falsies' mascara which was my original HG. I bought this Max Factor mascara on a whim. I've always seen it at the drugstores but wasn't sure if it was worth the £10.99 (UK). I'm so glad I bought it in the end because it really defined my short/med sparse lashes by lengthening and volumising. The brush applicator is perfect but you have to blot the tip because you will get excess amount. I prefer to curl my lashes before applying this mascara and this does a wonderful job of holding the curl all day! I also prefer to use waterproof formulas as I have oily eyelids and they seem to hold lash curls better. Despite the price, I would definitely repurchase this mascara. I haven't bought any other mascara since purchasing this, which explains how great this product is. Hope this review helps :)
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Concealers -MAC - Studio Finish Concealer
iluvsushi 9/22/2012 10:05:00 AM
This concealer is very pigmented and give full opaque coverage. I use this to conceal my uder eye dark circles and iI'm currently using the shade NC42. I'm not sure what my true colour match in MAC is in general as I don't use their foundations anymore and I bought this concealer a few years ago. Having said that, this concealer is definitely worth the money as I still have a lot of product left in this pot! NC42 has an orange-yellow tint and looks darker in the pot but when I apply it, it looks lighter. The orange tint helps to counteract my purple/brown dark circles. I have noticed that it is a bit drying so try not to add too much otherwise it will look cakey! My skin under my eyes is always dry and sometimes concealer accentuates fine lines. You need to set your concealer because I don't think this is long-wearing on it's own. I tried using this concealer on my eyelids to conceal more dark areas and it creased a few hours later because I have oily eyelids. However the pro longwear concealer by MAC is great for my eyelids. Overall a great product to reduce the appearance of tired eyes aka dark circles.
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Lipstick -MAC - Cosmo Lipstick
iluvsushi 7/31/2012 3:12:00 PM
This was my first MAC lipstick I bought and I absolutely love it. It's "my lips but better" shade and it is suitable for daytime. Plummy pinks tend to suit my skintone more than blue toned pinks. It has a vanilla-ish scent which I don't mind. I would definitely repurchase this lipstick. Great quality and colour payoff.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Palettes -Too Faced - Natural Eye Kit
iluvsushi 7/31/2012 2:59:00 PM
This was my first high-end eyeshadow palette and I really like the colours. I haven't used all of them but the quality and pigmentation of the shadows are great. I haven't experienced any fallouts which is a plus. I love neutral shades and it goes well with my skintone (MAC NC35-42). There is a sleeve with instruction cards (x3) on how to create eye shadow looks which is a bonus as I'm not good with blending colours. Despite the price, it is (in my opinion) an inexpensive palette compared to other high-end brands. Definitely worth buying if you're new to make-up :)
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Eye Shadow -Urban Decay - Naked Palette
iluvsushi 7/31/2012 2:51:00 PM
This is by far my favourite eyeshadow palette. I am more of a neutral eyeshadow gal and I love brown and gold tones. This palette has a variety of shades to suit day and night time make-up looks. All colours suit my skintone (ref, I'm between NC35-42). My fave eyeshadows from the palette are Sin, Naked, Sidecar, Buck, Smog and Toasted. I still have yet to use the other shades especially the darker shades for smoky eye looks. The pigmentation and quality of the eyeshadows are great! You definitely get what you pay for. Expensive but worth every penny. I always go back to this palette when I do my make-up. I gave a 3 for the packaging because I'm not a fan of velour (at least I think it is) material. Overall, the best eye shadow palette for everyday wear :)
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Lip Gloss -Bobbi Brown - Rich Color Gloss in Pink Buff
iluvsushi 7/31/2012 2:39:00 PM
This is the most expensive lipgloss I have ever bought (£18 in the UK). However I do believe that you get what you pay for and this is a great everyday neutral pink lip gloss for work / school. Staying power is at least 3 or 4hrs which is not bad and afterwards I'd need to re-apply, which is what I'd expect to do with a lipgloss. It's not a sheer lipgloss, it gives good coverage on my lips. It's one of those shades that is "my lips but better" shades and I would happily repurchase this once it's finished...which won't be til months later as you don't need much product to apply on your lips. Overall a good quality lipgloss with decent staying power.
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Lipstick -MAC - Up The Amp
iluvsushi 7/31/2012 1:27:00 PM
I don't usually go for bright or bold colours when purchasing lipsticks, but when I saw this at the MAC counter I fell in love! Purple is my fave colour and this looked pretty and works wells with my asian skin tone (for ref, I'm between an NC35-42, not sure what my current colour match is since I'm tanned). Up The Amp is a good quality lipstick and has a good colour payoff. It's an amplified finish and feels moisturising. It is a medium blue toned purple, almost lavender-ish (the best way I would describe it). I will definitely be wearing this lipstick more often if I'm going out for the evening with friends or clubbing/parties.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -MAC - Mineralize Blush - Dainty
iluvsushi 5/24/2012 12:37:00 PM
This is my first MAC blush purchase. I only needed to get one o the prep+prime products but then I came across this pinky peach blush. At first I was scared it would look too pink but after swiping it on my hand it looked more peachy. All of my blushes are medium neutral pink shades which compliments my skin tone. For ref, I'm asian with yellow undertones, between NC35-42 (not sure what my current shade is as I used to be NC42 but now i'm lighter). This mineralize blush will last for a very long time so I guess it is worth the £19 I paid (UK). It gives a nice flush of colour to my cheeks and looks natural. You don't need much product otherwise you'll look like a clown. It is a good blush to go with a smokey eye look or just simple makeup look (e.g. foundation, mascara, and lipgloss). Overall a good product for everyday makeup.
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Primer/ Corrector -Smashbox - Photo Finish Light
iluvsushi 2/28/2012 2:05:00 PM
I have never used a foundation primer before. I've heard many raves about this product so I was curious and decided to give it a go. I chose the photo finish light primer as I have very oily skin. I'm not fond of the gluey-ish scent but I was amazed at how the primer mattified my face but didn't look drying. It absorbs into my skin and leaves a nice smooth finish. I didn't notice a difference when I applied it before foundation, however I did notice that it helped my foundation last longer. I'd say after 10hrs (for me) it starts to fade but not dramatically. I usually get shiny/oily after 2hrs after applying foundation but when I used this primer it extended an hr or two. I still have to touch-up but no more than two times which is great because I usually have to touch-up my makeup at least 3-4 times a day which is annoying. Overall, I think this is a great investment if you have very oily skin like I do. It is expensive but at the same time you get what you paid for and it's definitely worth getting if you're looking for a new primer.
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Concealers -MAC - Pro Longwear concealer
iluvsushi 2/28/2012 12:23:00 PM
Out of all the MAC concealers I've tried, this is by far my favourite. It feels creamier than their other concealers. It gives good coverage for blemishes and dark circles (but I mainly use this concealer for my blemishes as I use a different concealer for my dark circles). However, if you apply too much it will look cakey when setting with powder. The packaging is great and it includes a pump which is more hygienic and travel-friendly. Lately I've been going for a light coverage for work and this concealer really helps counteract any redness and blemishes I have and I set it with powder afterwards and I'm good to go! You can double this as your foundation if you wanted to as well - I have tried it before and my face looked like second skin -lightweight, decent coverage but not heavy. Perfect if you're in a rush. I would definitely repurchase this concealer -my HG!
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Lip Gloss -Bobbi Brown - Rich Color Gloss in Pink Raspberry
iluvsushi 2/28/2012 12:10:00 PM
I absolutely love BB Rich Color Glosses. I currently have two shades: 'pink raspberry' (plummy rose) and 'dusty rose' (pink mauve). The pigmentation and quality of this product is excellent. It gives an opaque coverage. The staying power is great...at least 4 hours without eating/drinking. I like the soft, smooth feel of this lippie and it's not too sticky. It feels moisturising. I will definitely repurchase and I am also keen on getting 'pink buff' as I love neutral/nude colors. Quite pricey but it is definitely worth getting. Highly recommended! Hope this helps.
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Liquid -Chanel - Perfection Lumiere
iluvsushi 2/28/2012 11:52:00 AM
Out of all my foundation purchases, this is the most expensive out of the bunch. I've heard great reviews about Perfection Lumiere and I was curious to give it a try. For ref, I have sensitive oily/acne-prone skin. I get really oily on my t-zone and have a few acne scars on my cheeks. I've heard this foundation is great for oily skin types because it's a liquid to powder (matte) finish which is what I always look for in a foundation. After trying a few samples, I found the right shade (50 Beige). This foundation will give a light to medium coverage but it's buildable. You need to work faster at blending with this foundation as it dries quickly. Using a flat-top brush (e.g. Sigma F80) works best for me but everyone has their own preferences. I like the finish of this foundation and it feels smooth on my skin. You only need one pump to give you good coverage. Due to its matte finish, it will emphasize dry areas so I do not recommend this for dry skin types. This has a lovely fruity/floral scent but it's not overpowering and after applying this to your face the scent fades away. If you have sensitive skin then you might avoid this. I haven't had any reactions on my face since using this foundation. As for shine control, at least 3hrs after applicaton, my t-zone started to get oily but not very oily. I still blot during the day, I'd say twice with this foundaion (usually I blot 3-4 times a day). I would still set this foundation with powder. This foundation does oxidize so maybe try getting a shade lighter. Overall I think this is a great foundation but it is very expensive. I will still continue to buy this until i've found something else. Hope this helps :) *EDIT* I had to purchase this foundation again in 40 Beige which is a shade lighter than the original one I bought because it oxidizes and my face looked kinda dark and I looked weird as my neck was lighter than my face! 40 Beige is slightly lighter but after a few hours it will oxidize and blend with my skintone so it looks natural. It's currently warm in London and I've been using this foundation for work. It is great for a long-wearing foundation but not great at controlling shine in very warm weather. Or maybe because I get extremely oily during warm seasons. However after application I didn't touch-up with powder until 3/4hours later. *EDIT* I'm now using 50 Beige as I'm currently tanned. It was slightly lighter at first but it later oxidized and blended with my skintone towards the end of the day. I will most likely be mixing the two shades as my tan fades. Still a great long-wearing foundation for work! This foundation will last up to 10-12hours. Beyond that, I've noticed the foundation started to fade afterwards.
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