Foundations -Yves Saint Laurent - TEINT RADIANCE Radiance Enhancing, Flawless Foundation SPF 20
moonchopin 4/7/2011 2:36:00 PM
I have large pores, oily skin and am acne prone. I also have a difficult to match skin tone (light-medium golden beige, which tans a light bronze - NOT orange), where most foundations are either orange or too pale yellow beige. This is slightly teensy weeny bit darker than my natural skintone. However, it does not look like I am wearing a mask or make my skin look dirty. It feels like nothing on the skin. I use 1 pump for my entire face and 1/2 a pump to pat as concealer on top of blemishes because it covers my acne pretty well. It does not clump or dry out my skin. My skin looks natural and like skin and not like I am wearing foundation. I did not want to like this foundation because I like sheer airy weightless types of foundation like Teint Miracle or Becca luminous colour or Clarins new radiance foundation, which allows me to slap on foundation with abandon mixed in with moisturizer because it never overlayers. However, with this I do have to be uber careful. I used golden beige 7. For reference these are the other foundations I attempted to use or do use: Origins: Warm Beige (really nice) Mac NC25 (too peachy) MAC NC30 (too orange and too dark) Clarins Honey (too brown, not yellow, wonderful texture and look) CD Nude Linen 21 (too pale yellow beige and drying) CD Sand 30 (too orange/dark) Lancome Teint Miracle Buff 7 W (super sheer/ light peach hint but wearable) Shu Uemura Water 964 (slightly pale yellow medium beige but with bronzer works really well and mixes well with Armani fluid sheers to darken) Becca Luminous skin colour in camel or olive (slight hint of red).
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -Lancome - Teint Miracle
moonchopin 3/26/2011 9:47:00 AM
I bought Buff 7(w). I am somewhere between a MAC NC25-30. I do not like MAC, however, because it is more of a peachy tint to its warm toned foundations. I have a light-medium yellow olive undertone. I tan brown and don't really burn. This has a peachy undertone that if used lightly looks like glowy skin. But if I use too much, you can tell it is not the right undertone for me beause it looks definitely too peachy and looks garish against my yellow-olive toned skin. So for a sheer foundation to add glow and even out skin tone, that doesnt require flaw coverage, this is good. I will say someone complemented me on my skin the first day I wore it. I think it is a good foundation. I am going to see if there is a better match than Buff 7. Unfortunately, the bisque line is pretty orange toned on me, so I may check out what the next level down Buff looks like.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -Chanel - Vitalumiere Aqua
moonchopin 3/19/2011 9:01:00 PM
I bought in B30. I think I am between the shades B30-B40, but I dont like going darker in foundations because my skin is oily and it makes my skin look muddy if I go darker. This gives a matte soft glowy finish. It evens out your skin, but it does not give full coverage. It is a sheer to light-medium finish. It is good if you find the right color match. The color is a real beige. I wish it had more yellow in it. I would love to try beige amber but thats a canada exclusive. I use DiorSkin Nude 21, Origins Warm Beige, Shu Uemura in 964, Becca in Olive and Sand. I used to use MAC NC 25 before I decided I did not like the peachy/slight orange tint it left on me. I have light-medium skin with light-medium yellow-olive undertones (Carribbean mixed hispanic). I tan a dark gold/light bronze shade and since I have a bit of color this shade looks fine.
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Liquid -Clarins - Skin Illusion Natural Radiance Foundation
moonchopin 3/19/2011 7:25:00 PM
i was matched to Honey 110. It gives a sheer to light/medium coverage which dries off to a glowy matte texture. I have super oily skin and eventually oils will warm up/glisten the foundation. But it covers pores and my skin looks remarkably even toned and smooth. This shade did not leave me orange, or turn orange on me (but if you are too light it will make you orange). It is not a perfect match for me, but it does give a sheer beigey peaches and cream look to my skin that is actually very golden yellow-green in its undertone. Other shades that I can wear but are NOT perfect are: Becca Camel and Olive; Shu Uemura 964, Origins Warm Beige, Dior Nude Linen, Chanel Vitaluminere B30. I used to wear MAC NC 25, but that was too peachy for me which I disliked. I have light-medium skin that tans really easily with yellow - olive undertones. When I get some sun, I turn a light bronze similar to a sheer Nars Laguna which is probably why I can wear this since I do have a slight tan that makes my skin warmer and not as green (light beige-yellow skin with green undertones). I would repurchase this to the extent that I rotate within my foundations.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -Giorgio Armani - Luminous Silk Foundation
moonchopin 7/13/2010 11:20:00 PM
Great formulation. I wish they made my shade. I tried 6.5 but it is orange/peachy. But 4.5 is too pale. 5.5 is too beigey pink. Oh well.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -Becca - Luminous Skin Color sheer foundation
moonchopin 7/12/2010 2:46:00 PM
Generally don't wear foundation unless having skin issues, currently recovering from 2009 skin from hell, so still have hyperpigmentation/post inflammation marks and uneven tone I want to cover, while they fade away over time. I have light-medium golden-olive skin that tans really quickly to a darker shade that is hard to match with foundation because it is not beige, red, peachy or really yellow-toned either. I am a golden toned neutral girl with no red undertones, but strong yellow foundations dont work either. I was first matched to olive and it was almost the perfect match. It was barely darker with slightest red tint than I like. Just slightly. I am considering keeping the olive anyway though since it was reallllllllllllllllllly close. Then I went back for camel which was really yellow and I am not yellow. But it blended in really well and gave my skin a clear natural glow. My skin looks more uniform and even. I wish there was a shade between camel and olive. I have super oily acne prone skin. I take excellent care of my skin. I use the double cleanse method and I use retinoids at night. This has not broken me out yet. But I have noticed this does leave skin moisturized and slightly on the greasy side - but it doesn't look it. So blot blot blot. I have used Revlon's Golden Beige (too beigey), MAC25 (too peach), Shu Uemura 960 (ok for non tanned skin, but tan now, so needs bronzer on top), Origins warm beige, (slightly orangey-beige), Cargo F40 (sandy neutral not golden enough), Almay Sand (ok on non-tanned skin but now too pale and beige)
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Purpose - Gentle Cleansing Wash
moonchopin 7/5/2010 5:35:00 PM
Great inexpensive gentle cleanser for when my skin cant handle the harsher stuff I regularily use. I am a product junkie. This is going in permanent rotation and I dont feel bad because it is cheap.
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Conditioner -Dove - Daily Treatment Conditioner, Intensive Repair
moonchopin 7/5/2010 5:33:00 PM
I actually paid for this product. I normally go all organic or expensive when it comes to conditioners. I left major drugstore brands after I realized that Pantene and Loreal were responsible for leaving me with heavy hard silicone hair that always had great slip in the shower but blech dry hair outside. I have fine-medium, dry and abundant hair. I am impressed with the product. Does not weigh hair down and moisturizers. I am a product junkie. The best I can say is that it will go in my conditioner rotation for tried and true.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -AcneFree - 2.5% Benzoyl Peroxide Cleanser
moonchopin 7/5/2010 5:07:00 PM
I tend to be anti cheap acne solutions since I have been struggling with it for so long and the only the expensive prescription strength products have given me clear and smooth skin. However, I can't always be on accutane or retin-a or tazorac. So I am creating my own personalized regimen. One thing I am learning is that when it comes to cleansers it doesn't help to spend a lot of money. Drugstore cleansers are effective and cheap, especially when it comes to salicyclic acid and benzoyl peroxide. In the summer, my normally oily skin becomes a gushing oil hydrant, something like BP's busted oil rig. Anyways, I tried Oxy acne solutions kit 2% salicylic cleanser and let it sink in and washed it off. Then I washed my face with a small amount of AcneFree's BP cleanser and quickly washed it off. After 2 hours my skin had still not turned into an oil pit. Apparently, successive usage of these products limits oil production without super dry tight skin. Great cheap option. Hate the packaging.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Sunscreen -La Roche Posay - Anthelios 60 Ultra Light Sunscreen Fluid
moonchopin 5/2/2010 5:20:00 PM
I am surprised no one has mentioned that this sunscreen leaves an oily feel and shiny look to skin. That's a no no. Sure I could pat it down with powder. But for the price, ingredients, packaging, and cosmetic feel and look, I can and have done soooooooo much better. Not impressed with La Roche.
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Highlighters -Giorgio Armani - Fluid Sheer 14
moonchopin 4/26/2010 11:19:00 PM
At first I thought the shade was weird. It is not translucent but opaque. I started mixing it with my shu umuera foundation and it worked fine not great. It is a dull peach color. However, I hit the jackpot for this when I discovered I can blend this on top of mineral block that leaves a heavy white mask color on my face. This blends beautifully on top and gets rid of the white and gives my skin a natural peachy tone that I top off with bronzer. Still it is not as wonderful as fluid sheer 10 or 3. I don't know if I would repurchase but for covering white sunblock it is very good. Wish it had more iridescense.
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Sunscreen -Chanel - UV Essentiel Protective UV Care Anti Pollution SPF 50
moonchopin 4/23/2010 8:37:00 PM
First, do not listen to reviews that say all you need are a few drops. You are not using sunscreen effectively then. You need to use at least a teaspoon (depending on which derm u speak with) on your face and reapply every couple of hours. Except 1 ounce equals 6 teaspoons. If u use the 1/4 teaspoon method, then there are only 24 applications in this bottle. Clearly this is super expensive and should not last u more than a month if u use it every day then. It works like other japanese fluid SS I have used but it appears to be way more expensive. I like shiseido more. But this is good too. But REALLY expensive.
10 out of 12 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Highlighters -Giorgio Armani - Fluid Sheer #10
moonchopin 4/18/2010 1:19:00 PM
HG for me. I add this to ALL of my foundations. I also use this on top of mineral sunscreen to remove the white cast or on top of regular moisturizers. I am a light-medium golden olive (closer to medium but still to light for true medium). I will continue to repurchase this. I have 2 bottles. I will continue to buy - it is sooooo multipurpose. It is part of my permanent repurchase collection. This is huge since I am a product whore.
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Sunscreen -Coppertone - Sensitive Skin Faces SPF 50
moonchopin 4/10/2010 10:37:00 PM
I have bought almost 2 dozen different types of sunscreen. High end and drugstore quality. Domestic brands and the stuff you can only find in Asia. This is the best physical sunblock I have used considering price, function, feel, and adaptability. I have a golden-olive light-medium skin tone (carribean hispanic descent) so I do have issues with physical sunscreens leaving me white. When I blend this on it takes vigorous blending and spreading to diminish the kabuki white look. But it DOES NOT pill considering all the blending I do. Afterwards, it does leave a slight white cast on my skin. I fix that using Armani fluid sheer in #3 or #10 or #14 blended all over my face. Sometimes, I will use a 2nd application and some blush. BAM! The white pasty look is GONE. However, while it feels matte (and stays matte for a long time) it does leave a shiny/waxy look on skin. I fix that by blotting with tissue paper and/or lightly dusting powder. The point is that my skin looks thick, glowly and juicy. Yup. On top of that, unlike other sunscreens I have NOT gotten darker in the sun and I tan extremely easily and quickly a light shade of copper brown. My facial skin has not darkened. I am also extremely acne prone and this has not caused acne. I normally have super oily skin but it is currently on serious retinoids so it veers from kind of oily and to dry. This sunscreen used over my avene or decleor moisturizer and decleor facial oil does not pill. Frankly my skin looks fantastic and I get the certainty that it hasnt been melted off my face or broken down like other sunscreens that I suspects melts under the sun and my facial skin oil. Buying multiple tubes. Did I forget to mention its dirt cheap compared to seriously more expensive sunscreens I have used? But this is not a grab and go sunscreen - you need a mirror and extra products to make it work especially if you are not paper colored. -1 for that. When I dont have the time I avoid this. But when I do its all about this creme. It also doesnt sting my now sensitized skin the way the chemical sunscreens do. But I caution anyone who tbinks same ingredients equals same product. Products made for facial skin are usually formulated differently than those for bodies plus it may contain a different concentration of the same ingredients.
11 out of 11 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -MAC - Cream Color Base - in general
moonchopin 3/15/2010 2:19:00 PM
I have fawntastic and I use it as an eyeshadow or shadow base. It is a nice neutral shimmer color which you can use to highlight on the face and cheeks. However, you are NOT supposed to use this on your lips. It was not designed to be used as such. I generally listen to those kinds of instructions or warnings when the manufacturer says so.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No