ColorStay? ColorCling... (Revlon ColorStay Makeup for Normal to Dry Skin)

Sometimes I stray from my Rimmel Foundation.  Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.
This was a purchase where I was "Oh look I'm an adult, gonna buy a different foundation yeah (and 40% off)".
I also thought - Revlon, good brand, nice to branch out to some other brands maybe.  I really like the Revlon Eye Primer - that provides great prep for my eyeshadows.  And their Photoready primer is also quite nice.

This is the shade Ivory .  Pretty much the palest shade in the Revlon range - yet too pale for me now, my skin tone has changed due to the inflammation from my allergies.  First world issues.  Most of the other Revlon foundations I tested were just too yellow for me, I cant remember what the second palest shade was like.  I think I might have a neutral skin tone but again, allergy/eczema flareups can mess with my skin tone, so I try to match my chest.

I did some research on this and actually thought it would be good for my skin because the name says "Normal to Dry Skin".  It should also say "if you have any slightest bit of dryness it will cling and clump and make your foundation look like a cracked surface".

Classy line there - shows the tonal difference clearly...

So far I have not been able to make this work, but I will endeavor with some primers and maybe even hack it with some oils.  Because it sets dry, powdery dry.  Which only serves to emphasise the dry and crepey skin I have around my eyes at the moment.

I have a specific gene mutation that is linked to dry skin/eczema and is characterised by extra lines on the top of the hand and the palm of the hand.  Y'all can SEE the lines clearly on my hands with this foundation.  Imagine that on your face.

I found this really hard to blend or buff out with both my brush and makeup sponge.  It was a very streaky application.  Also once it sets, it sets and trying to add more layers doesn't work well.

I feel a bit let down by this foundation.  The formula does not moisturise at all and seems to actually suck the moisture out from my skin in a remarkably short time.  Within a half-hour I had the foundation doing the highly unattractive "cling to dry patches" that my Rimmel foundation does after 6 or so hours.  Also the lack of being able to layer nicely - I prefer to do several thin layers of foundation to build up my coverage.

Oh and I'm annoyed at myself for not picking up that there is Salicylic Acid in the ingredients list until now.  Stupid me - I would be interested to see how this works on oily skin, despite being marketed as "Normal to Dry".

What foundations have let you down?

Updated Face Routine!! (Epic Post)

Somewhat Longer now....But my skin loves it!

Warning - Epic Post.

My basket of face-stuff....

Basket is from Daiso (AUS$2.80) 

- chose this because its plastic and can be washed if there's a spillage

Everything.Just,Fits.

I like having it all together because when I do my routine I can carry it to my lounge room and watch tv/multitask while I wait for products to sink it.

1. Cleanse with Avene Extremely Gentle Cleanser Lotion (nearly used up I bought it in mid-March and its been used daily so lasts for ages, but I will be trying other cream cleansers after this finishes)

2. Wipe down with Garnier Micellar Water just to make sure its all gone (this is my only morning cleanser as well - I'm onto my 3rd bottle of this Micellar Water, I haven't tried other brands yet)

3. Tone with Sukin Hydrating Mist Toner (used to use Nivea Visage Natural Cleansing Toner but I think it has too much alcohol for my skin currently)

4. Holika Holika 3 Seconds Starter - Collagen (not sure if it works, but will use it up anyway - half way through.
5. Some form of Hyaluronic Acid - using leftover serum from a mask from the other night, usually Indeed Labs Serum

6. Mizon Snail Repair Intensive Ampoule (love yooooou sooo much) Review here

7. A new serum from DermaVeen - Intense Moisturising Facial Serum ($17 from Chemist Warehouse), Contains Sodium Hyaluronate and Colloidial Oatmeal - this is very new I've only used it for a few days. *

8. Eye Cream - Ego QV Face Revitalising Eye Cream OR Mizon Collagen Power Firming Eye Cream (this is great for the dry skin under my eyes and on the bridge of my nose...).  The Mizon is more gel like.  It was the first eye cream that I really got hooked on.

9. Mizon Collagen Power Lifting Emulsion - this is a new player in town for me and so far I'm liking it but I've only used it for a little over two weeks

10. SkinFood Lettuce and Cucumber Emulsion  (review here).  Not sure if I will repurchase as I am planning on trialling new products.

11. Face Shop Rice Ceramide Moisture Emulsion - I now love the old lady perfume scent of it and will repurchase this, looking into other items in the line as well.  Ceramides seem to be hard to source in non AB products unless you want to pay a fortune (Elizabeth Arden).

12 (sometimes) It's Skin Pure Moisture Gel.  I go off and on with this depending on how my skin feels.  Not planning on repurchaisng this item.

13. Nivea Creme in the blue tub, this is my Bae.  I have a serious stockpile of this because I use it for face and body.  With my current flareup this is the only thing my skin on my body can cope with and it drinks it up (#desertskinlifestyle).  I can go through a 200ml tub in two weeks when my skin is very bad.

Sometimes I put a mask after the Snail Ampoule - snails, rice, aloe, hyaluronic acid are my preferred flavours.  If my face is really bad I will Dermeeze (occlusive) over the Nivea - at least an hour before bed so its not sooooo greasy  - Dermeeze is an ointment formulated for severe psoriasis and eczema.  I have some sleeping masks but I tend to just go for the Dermeeze because its automatic.
In the morning I will wait 15mins or so before I apply my sunscreen.  I bought 3 new face sunscreens recently and use 1/4tspn (I measure it into an actual measuring spoon to make sure)

If my skin is horrendous I only use the Micellar Water, Toner, Ampoule and Nivea until it calms down.

I did a LOT of research into ingredients because of my allergies.  You will see no Bee products or BHA's in my list!  Both are linked to Salicylic acid which is an absolute no-go for me.

Yes it's a lot of steps.  This is a full routine and I find it very relaxing to have each step and I love the results I get from these steps.  Before this I never had dewy/bouncy skin and this routine really contributes to keeping my skin hydrated.  I have extraneous variables in terms of my immune system that causes issues with my skin which means I do change up my routine in terms of how many steps I will have.  I have to pay attention to my diet and medications and the changes they cause to my skin.

* I've been researching over the past month products that are readily available in Australia (so for me - Priceline, Target, Chemist Warehouse etc) which are similar to AB products in terms of price-point and ingredients.  Some brands are binging out somewhat comparable items, but prices vary.  Some I'm waiting for sales before I buy them to try.

How has your skincare routine evolved?

Random Hauls - the Sunscreen Edition

I've recently been put on an Immunosuppressant for my eczema/allergies, due to my eczema in particular has been off-the-scales bad this year (since the beginning of March that I can recall the first seriously bad flare-up - I actually cant remember when it was this bad before I did my allergy testing in 2013).

Whilst this is going to help my eczema it can cause other issues such as an increased risk of skin-cancers developing from skin exposure.
I already have a family history of relatives developing skin-cancers, which when compiled with my pale-northern European-complexion and the aggressive Australian sun has made me even more afeared of being burnt (I cant walk across the school yard in summer and get burnt.  That's 5 minutes. 5 damned minutes).

So I took myself off on a mission to Chemist Warehouse (not that it is ever a chore to go to CWH) to acquire some new face-sunscreens (I have plenty of body sunscreens, but needed NEW face sunscreens).  I know I could have done research into AB sunscreens - many have rave reviews, but it will be nice to be have a sunscreen that I can go and buy from Chemist Warehouse easily.
I acquired these three.

I had done some research about the different brands, but I also know that it really will be trial and error, so I went for a brand I am fond of (Nivea)

Nivea Sun Light Feel Daily Face Veil SPF 30 

a brand that has a long following (Olay) 

Olay Complete Defence Moisturising Lotion SPF 30+

and a brand that I used when I was younger (Hamiltons).

Hamilton Sunscreen SPF 50+ Everyday Face Cream

Over the next few weeks I will try all three (I will aim for a week each) and report back on what they were like.  At this stage I have no expectations that one will be better than the other, I will just be basing my judgement on what I like in a sunscreen (not greasy, doesn't sting/irritate, doesn't pill with makeup, stops the sunburn).

What is your go-to sunscreen?

 

Sheet Mask Review : LoveMore Rosa Hybrida Whitening Mask Sheet

Le Sigh.
Short and sweet today.

In case we had not figured out yet, I love roses : the flowers, the scent, the turkish-delight.
This mask did not make me sigh with joy or satisfaction.

The scent is a lovely light rose, so that was nice.

But apart from that, ehhhhh meh. I think I only left it on for 15 minutes.  This was not a soothing mask for me.  The sheet was very thin and a bit delicate - I think I prefer something heftier in my masks.  The mask has a blue backing plastic and another fabric-y backing so you need to take it out of another package after you take it out of its package.... I don't mind one backing layer but this was fiddly and I was worried I was going to tear the mask itself.

There was something in the ingredients which irritated my skin, so there was a "reddening" not a "whitening" effect.  And that is not desirable.  I cant pinpoint exactly what it was however which is somewhat useless.  I am going to assume it is not the rose ingredients them-self as I have used pure rose water before with no irritation and currently use a rose-water based toner (my routine has changed....massively.  Update as soon as I get the photos done!).  Maybe the sea-water (which I can test as I have amassed quite a few "sea-water" based masks) or a preservative (which does seem more likely with my allergies).

It came in a box of 5, so I will give it another whirl, but if its still irritating then I shall gift them to my sheet-mask buddy.

Would I repurchase - no.  I have several other rose flavoured masks to try in my stash (I, uh, counted them yesterday and I have around 118 sheet masks.  I've got a fair few to get through) and this was not memorable enough to be repurchased immediately (like the SkinFood Snails - got two backup boxes in my last haul from RRS!!).

What favourite flavour/ingredient of yours has let you down before?

Mask review : Sexy Look Moisturising Cotton Mask

Such Sexy Look.

Much Black.

Moisturising!

Wow!

This mask is lovely.  Just lovely.

I think I'll leave it there....

This was a mask I picked up in July in my random city haul.  No idea what it did - just read the ingredients on the back and liked the sound of them.  Very much masking on the edge sometimes.

Ingredients: aqua, glycerin, hydroxytheyl urea, calendula officinalis flower extract, cistus incanus flower/leaf/stem extract, gama amino butric acid, phenoxyethanol, chlorphensin, camellia sinensis leaf extract, hematite extract, ribes nigrum fruit extract, iodopropynyl, butycarbamate platinum, fragrance.
*just be careful of urea if you have inflamed/red skin.  Great for dry but not inflamed skin.



The mask itself is a heavy black opaque cotton that is full of essence.  It stayed on for over 30mins without drying out and my skin was bea-u-ti-ful afterwards.  This is definitely on my repurchase list when I go Melbourne again, if I can find a box of 5 I would be delighted.  I wish I could buy a bottle of the essence alone.  My skin was soft and dewy and bouncy for the rest of the day - I did this in the morning.


Ninja time!  I totally sent this to my friend who is also into sheet masking.>>>>>


Have you ever just bought a mask and found it was wonderful?
And also felt bad-ass while wearing it?

Addicted to Chi-Chi - Dem eyes (eyeshadows that dont irritate)

Having sensitive skin definitely means that eyeshadows can be a iffy product.  I have become very attached to the Chi-Chi palettes and have a collection of around 6, plus a travel palette kit.
I'm not really a single colour eye-shadow person - it annoys me having to hunt around for bits and pieces.

When I got into reading Beauty Blogs and watching channels on YouTube I was introduced to the "Naked Palette" range.  There is a serious hype-train-cult-following for this product range.

Look,honestly, there is no way I would be paying $75 or so here in Australia for anything makeup (mortgage,saving for renovations, generally baulking at forking out that much for stuff I wash off each day).  Especially as it was only in early March 2015 that the physical palettes were available in Australia.  So using my trusty friend "Google" I found some Australian reviews that suggested the Chi-Chi Nudes as a dupe for the Naked 1 palette.  When the Chi-Chi palette was next on sale (I think Target) I bought it to try.  I figured $12 to try something was not too painful overall.  Especially as I wasn't sure how much use I would get out of a Nude colour range.

I fell in love with this palette.

The very first colour in the pallete is a great highlighter shade.

I am quite surprised by this because I like to do colourful eyes and didn't think I would be turning to this palette as frequently as I have been.

It has become the most used eyeshadow palette in my collection and I have since acquired the Oasis, Mattes and Bronzes.

Oasis - probably the least used overall.

Mattes - really liked the fact that a whole palette is matte. Easily became a favourite  So pigmented!.

Bronzes

Then I "Stalked the Bae" on Instagram and saw MORE palettes.  Where I said "Hell to the yes!" and bought Sunsets and Mattes2 IMMEDIATELY.

Mattes2 - Warm and Cool nudes - surprisingly versatile

Oh, oh those purples in the Sunset palette.  Be still my heart.  And the copper.  I think this is equal favourite with the Mattes.

I have never had an allergic reaction from any shade.  Not have I found any of the glittery/shimmery shades irritating to my eyes.
The shades do benefit from having a primer underneath and I am a fan of Revlon's . Even without a primer they stay put all workday with only slight fading.  With the primer they last all day.  I have't noticed creasing, but I have dry skin and don't overall have issues with creasing.  More crepey issues when its very dry.
You can do a light wash or pat it on to get very intense colour.  Some colours are harder to blend than others, but the lightest colours in Mattes and Mattes2 are nice blending shades for my skin tone.

Will I buy more in the future.  Most definitely!

Chi-Chi is found in Target and Myer here in Australia.

What drugstore eyeshadow palettes have blown you away?  Or saved you a ton of money?

Mineral Makeup - Is the hype over? Or is the train starting up again?

Aaah life, getting in the way of posting about pretties.  Damn life.  
But now I'm on leave for a few months, so posting should be more regular now I can get things done during the day and not be falling asleep on the couch at 6pm (which has been my M.O. for the past however many months....)

I initially wrote this post months ago but never got around to "finishing" it, and now I've changed some of my opinions in favour of mineral makeup.  Again.  Because my skin has been playing up.  Again (immune system issues).

Is mineral makeup really better for your skin if you have allergies?

I certainly used to believe so - I went gung-ho about 7 years ago for Physicians Formula - first the cream and then the powder foundations. It was within my budget, it was easy to find and the reviews were pretty good.

The brush was crap.  It was very irritating so I had to invest in a separate kabuki brush.
source: Priceline, because mine are all gone.

ACTIVE INGREDIENTS: TITANIUM DIOXIDE, ZINC OXIDE. INACTIVE INGREDIENTS: MICA, TITANIUM DIOXIDE, BORON NITRIDE, ZINC STEARATE, TOCOPHERYL ACETATE, LAUROYL LYSINE, CHLORPHENESIN, POTASSIUM SORBATE, RETINYL PALMITATE. MAY CONTAIN: IRON OXIDES (source - Priceline)

Then I got interested in mineral eyeshadows and so forth, I tired a few different brands and some indie brands as well.  Looking back, my skin was not at its best when I was using the mineral products.  I have moved on to different products and formulations as I have learnt more about my skin type and allergies.

I think what many people don't realise is that the pigments used in mineral makeup are the SAME pigments used in "regular" foundations.  What you will find is that the "regular" foundations have other products added such as preservatives, stabilisers (so the liquid doesn't split) and silicone for applications benefits like pore filling.  The mineral makeup that comes in a loose powder will generally have less ingredients, if its a liquid it needs a preservative of some sort.

So when a foundation touts itself as being a "mineral foundation", well technically they all are!

The main minerals are titanium dioxide, mica (which makes things look glittery/glowy), iron oxides and zinc oxide (also in sunscreens - makes things opaque).  Sometimes talc, tapioca starch or corn starch are added as fillers. The reason why you would need only a little of the powder mineral foundation is due to the higher concentration of pigments compared to a liquid.

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is used in products like paint (ever used a tube of Titanium White paint?), sunscreen, food dye and makeup .  It contributes to the opacity of the product, thickens the product and provides some UV blocking (sunscreen). Medium to full coverage foundations have a greater amount of titanium dioxide (mineral and "regular" foundations).  It is sourced from different minerals found in rocks.  Minerals are the building blocks of rocks and are compounds of different elements.

To compare powder versus liquid mineral makeup: Nude by Nature is a very population mineral foundation that is readily available in Priceline.  I would say it sits at the high-end of the drug-store level of foundations.

Liquid Mineral Foundation 30ml

INGREDIENTS: Aqua (Water), Simmondsia Chinensis [Jojoba] Seed Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Titanium Dioxide, Ceteareth 20, Tocopherol, Glyceryl Caprylate, Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Diheptyl Succinate, Iron Oxides [CI 77492], p-Anisic Acid, Glycerin, Glycine Soja [Soybean] Oil, Iron Oxides [CI 77491], Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Iron Oxides [CI 77499], Syzygium Leuhmanii Fruit Extract, Sodium Hydroxide, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Santalum Acuminatum Fruit Extract, Alcohol, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Xanthan Gum
(source - Priceline)


I wouldn't buy this due to the Lilly Pilly, Quandong and Kakadu Plum extracts

Its interesting to note that even though this is a mineral makeup, it still has stabilisers, thickeners, and binders in it as you would find in a "regular" foundation

Mineral Cover 15gms

INGREDIENTS: Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Oxide, Magnesium Stearate, Kaolin, Jojoba Esters, May contain: +/- [C.I. 77491, C.I. 77492, C.I. 77499 (Iron Oxide), C.I. 77007 (Ultramarine Blue)].
(source - Priceline)

For both of these I have highlighted the minerals that are in the foundations.

I have since purchased this Mineral Cover due to my recent skin flareup in search of a foundation that would not irritate my skin and provide another layer of opacity to my makeup.


I have layered it over liquid foundations as a "setting type" of powder.  And it has worked very well in this manner.  It stopped my 3 layers of foundation flaking off and attaching to the flakes on my face without looking too dry and overly cakey after several hours.  By itself, I still need layers of this and it does go clumpy if my skin is still damp from moisturiser - so I have to wait for my skin to dry, which is the opposite of how I wear liquid foundation.  This also oxidises a little bit on me when I use it as the only foundation.

Side note - if you're Salicylate sensitive avoid anything with corn starch.  Its high in salicylic acid. Found this out the hard way with Physicians Forumla: Matte Finishing Veil which I bought when I was on the mineral makeup bandwagon.

For a while you could only find certain types of products in mineral makeup, such as the Mineral Wear Talc Free Correcting Powder.  I still use this and when I hit pan I won't repurchase it.  Since changing my routine I prefer liquid colour correctors and do not like the chalky/heavy feeling I get from the powdered mineral makeup.

Again, crap brush.  I use a separate powder brush for this.

Ingredients : Mica, Boron Nitride, Mineral Oil, Aluminum Distearate, Petrolatum, Tocopherol, Phenoxyethanol. May Contain: Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides, Carmine, Ultramarines

Now that mineral oil would put most mineral makeup purists completely off.  But mineral oil is a whole 'nother topic.  As is the Petrolatum.  I don't mind mineral oil as it doesn't irritate my skin.

So in terms of mineral makeup, I would say if you are super-sensitive you would need to buy a product that has as few ingredients as possible.  Avoiding the "enriched with" labels.  Its about reading the labels and being aware of what will work for your skin type.  And being flexible with how you use the mineral makeup to suit your needs and expectations.  For myself currently its not a product I can use alone to give my the cover I like.

Does anyone use a pure mineral foundation?  What has made you stay/change to that product?