Finds part 2

This is a bunch of cheapsters i got with my Rimmel 'haul'. They're mostly drugstore items but i tried some before, so why not go back.

Lumene Natural Code Volume Maximizing mascara

I usually love everything Lumene makes because they're a bit on the organic, naturally enhanced cosmetics side. The first thing that caught my attention was this mascara's wand- huge, similar to Diorshow. Whoa.

It can be a bit hard to work with until you get used to the new humongousness you must handle, but the effect is totally worth it. Huge-sized brushes come with sticky, gooey drying mascaras but this one is very natural (too natural?), you can easily build it up. My favorite quality of this mascara is that it gives soft lashes-no more crisps. I never go for the natural lash look so i mainly use it on top of my 'primer' (Max Factor Masterpiece that is), to make sure everything is kept in control and it all looks nice and 'clean'. However, i'll try it several times before committing to a final opinion (tried today only).

Glowing Body Powder

I needed something cheap, effective and pigmented for this weekend, so i figured why not give H&M a chance. This is a rather revamped product i believe, it's been on their stands for months. It's basically a huge pan filled with glowy, golden champagne-toned body powder. The packaging isn't sassy at all, a clear lid and a silver compact, no brush, no fuss. However, it does a great job at what i need it for...therefore thumbs up. I didn't even have to literally pay for it since i got it courtesy of some customer coupons. I'm not THAT cheap, you know, but when i need something just for occasional use, well, why not.

Helena Rubinstein Illumination Powder

I didn't actually need this (since i already have Clinique's Blended Face Powder) but it was on sale, so i got two of these, 02 Medium and 01 Light (i guess. Light went to my mom as a present). The medium one is a tad more pink-ish than i'd fancy but it's not disturbing. it's meant to gently set the makeup while illuminating the areas such as forehead, bridge of the nose or under the eyes. I tested it and loved it. Now we'll see what happens in about 5-6 days (upcoming review).

Eyebrow Palette

This is a cheap find- again. I had to choose between this, which retails for about € 5, and Smashbox's Brow Tech, many times more expensive. I find there's a similarity between this and the Brow Tech in Brunette. I like the brown triangle, it's very versatile and combined with a hint of the darkest and a bit more of the lightest, gives the most natural appearance. Time to give my old H&M brow duo a break.

Current obsession-highlighters

That's my new stage. Came right after the bronzer, then the faux tan, then the bronzer take two, then the perfect blush. Then, it was the concealer phase-phew! thank goodness i'm done with that.

I have several highlighters i love- and own, obviously. Some are drugstore, some are high-end. Current wishlist highlighter-wise- The Make Up Store High Tech Lighter in Venus and Platina.

Venus is a light pink highlighting cream with champagne shimmer, listed as an 'eye lighter' but perfectly suitable for any other areas you wish to 'light' (Swedish description...!). Platina is a gorgeous snowy shimmer that works amazing on the brow bone, cheekbones, collar bones and everything else you want to add sheen to. 

The 'lighters' come in a rather significantly sized jar and, according to The Make Up Store website, are a multi-purpose product: 'This creamy product can be used for many things. Eather to light up and accentuate certain features of the faceor be directly applied on your lips or combined with lipstick or lipgloss. You can fixate glitter with High Tech Lighter or use it as a primer to your Eyedust. You can also mix the product with your foundation for a lustrous effect'.Hmmm! Inneresting!

Here you have'em:

Venus

Platina

 (image from  sminkliz.blogg.se)

So these are on my current shopping list, together with some wonderful makeup brushes (blush brush+powder brush) that are ON SALE (25% off)!!! So i guess tomorrow i'll be a very busy lady, testing, applying, sniffing, photographing (to see what it looks like, flash or no flash, etc). Oh what a happy day!

But i digress.

Here's my list of current possessions and obsessions. I truly like these products, i use them by rotation every single time i put my makeup on and i couldn't imagine not having them. Wearing a highlighter does make a difference!

1. Face Stockholm Highlighter in Dignity

I'd describe this shade as chiffon. That's the first word that comes to my mind, it's a beautiful pearled highlighter with golden champagne undertones. Perfect for every skintone, and the SA kept praising it as their most sold highlighter. Well...i can see why. It's perfect. I love the little classy packaging, the tiny mirror, the consistency, the tiny bit you need for the entire face, the multi-purpose-ness, the shade, everything. Not glittery, not chunky, not way too expensive (around € 17). 

2. Le Blanc de Chanel Sheer Illuminating Base

This is a foundation 'highlighter', a sheer base meant to illuminate the complexion, give a subtle glow and help the foundation glide on. Really great product, it helps reducing undereye darkness, pore size, fine lines and minor imperfections/discolorations. I never tried wearing this without foundation but i've heard many pale-skinned girls raving about this....interesting. It does change the complexion and makes even the most stubborn foundation glide'n'glow, but it doesn't help it last longer. So as a primer, it's not a perfect five stars thing, but as an illuminating base (its purpose), thumbs up for Chanel. Very expensive...

3. Max Factor Pan Stick (highlighter) in 001
My old stick...is a Max Factor! The old packaging, and it bears a '001' label on the bottom...so i assume it's one of the old formulations. That's what it looks like:

....and that's what the old Pan Stick packaging is like:

I think this must be it. I'm not 100% sure, but well. 

It's a beautiful cream stick highlighter, 100% sheen. A little goes the longest way ever (been using mine for years now) and it's perfect for evening do's...collar bone, face, even legs and shoulders. 

4. Helena Rubinstein Fairy Dust in 01 Angel Face

I got this on sale, okay. Loggen in on Makeupalley, one review only. Checked out YouTube and blogs and bam. I found one blogger who listed this as one of her favorite highlighters. The first time i used it i was a bit disappointed- it didn't seem to 'glide' as my other highlighters do. A rather tricky application i finally managed to master- it needs to be carefully and thoroughly applied, circular motions, or buffed in for a maximum effect. Comes in a perfect compact with a soft brush and a huge mirror that's always in my bag. It wasn't expensive considering the sale, but it retails for around € 44. Ouch. 

5. Isadora Diamond Glow in 27 Precious Jewels

Drugstore. Cheap. Cute packaging. Creamy texture. A little goes a long (really). Comes in several shades (a little 'diamond' design inside, silver, pink and bronze shades. Multi-purpose as well, especially due to the shade variation. Perfect for both winter and summer. Great stuff- despite the rather creamy consistency, it works very well with brushes, fingers, cotton buds and everything else you wanna apply it with. Due to the low price and high versatility, this is one of my must haves. I've had mine for more than a year and there's no dip in it. Perhaps a slight slant on the side i usually dab my brush on, nothing visible whatsoever.

Though i'm happy with these (and they're more than i could go through in ten years, to be honest...), i'm STILL going to try Venus and Platina..(and the brushes as well). Maybe they're on sale, who knows? :D

Helena Rubinstein Magic Concealer Review

...this was the HG concealer to replace my Nivea coverstick...and well, it does. Big surprise, right. Well, it's just different.

The reason for which i wanted to write this review is the rather high number of negative comments and reviews of this product. Around 70% i'd say, which is quite significant. If i'd listened to them i wouldn't have purchased this therefore i wouldn't be dark circle-free. So i honestly think there's a lot of misconception surrounding this product and i really like it; here you have my honest reasons why.

1. Price: expensive, but you get 15 ml of product which is twice the quantity you get even with the most hyped concealers (YSL, palettes, etc).I'm not a makeup artist, i'm on a student budget so for me shelling out a ton of € for something meant more for professional use isn't very appealing. I have a lot of experience, mostly negative, with concealers, and i knew what i was looking for. This is it. The price is around € 35 which is quite high 'for a concealer'; however, you get to use this for a long time so i personally think it's worth it.

2. Packaging: very similar to Lancome's Effacernes.

I think HR has a nicer packaging because the tube is a tad slender, the color is a nice, pearly beige and the cap, a little bit more glamorous. However, they're both 15 ml (0.5 fl. oz.)

3. What it claims: micropearl particles illuminate the skin, the lightweight consistency sinks in and doesn't crease or look unnatural and the chamomile extracts help combat puffiness, redness and irritation. Non allergenic, comedogenic, acnegenic & cruelty free. Okay.

4. Shades

This is one of the points most reviews 'attacked' when talking about this- the limited range of shades (i agree with this one) and the pale colors of this concealer. Most light-toned people chose shade 01 Light or 02 Medium and complained about the 'white halo' around their eyes. 

This concealer comes in three shades that only cater to light skintones, therefore there's no choice for darker complexions. However, if you're not extremely light skinned the best choice is 03 Dark, which is a tad lighter than my skintone (imperceptible difference). I picked it out because out of all shades (Effacernes included), it suited me best. For reference, some SAs say i am an NC20 and others, NW30 or 35 :)

03 Dark is the most natural shade a concealer could ever have. It beats Effacernes, Shiseido's concealers, my beloved Kanebo Sensai stylus concealer, everything i ever tried before. It just perfectly mimics my skin, both in color and texture, and sinks in until there's no difference. That's what i was looking for in a concealer. I still love my Nivea stick but i use it for the lower undereye areas, where i need the peachy tones to combat dull skin that sometimes happens with foundations combos. 

5. Texture

......where most reviews and videos come in and dub it as a terrible product- they speak of liquid consistency, a runny texture that's so thin it ends up flooding the cap (!!!). I talked to the SA when i purchased this and she told me the same- if the product is liquid, DO NOT buy it- it's most certainly altered. This concealer is NOT liquid at all. It has the same consistency as Lancome Effacernes and it is not supposed to run liquid at all. 

The consistency is that of a soft cream, not creamy cream but not fluid at all. It feels and looks very satiny and should blend in immediately, no residue between the fingerprints or cake-ness whatsoever.
I feel that it blends amazingly easy into my skin, sinks in and doesn't look like concealer at all (a superficial look would rather categorize the swatch as a medium-coverage foundation):

My hands are lighter than my face so that's why the swatch looks darker. In reality, it's a very soft, satin finish concealer that's perfect shade-wise. I was undecided and thinking about ordering the Bobbi Brown creamy concealer (or moisturizing, i have a lapsus right NOW) and it was HR's consistency that sealed the deal. It's really fantastic and i tend to believe the 'Magic Concealer' name wasn't just a marketing stunt.

6. Coverage

As i said, it DOES cover circles and imperfections. I have dark, purple circles i can't conceal with anything, except for a couple of uber thick and creamy products (Max Factor Erace or Nivea Coverstick). I usually manage to get away with thick layers under my eyes but i felt i needed something that would look a bit more natural. I honestly think i didn't know what 'natural' meant before i tried this. It doesn't look nor feel like concealer; it's lighter than my Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation but conceals like magic. I pat it on several times, ring finger (haven't tried it with a concealer brush but who knows), it sinks in right away and erases my circles and spots. The end. It's really simple. I wish i didn't sound so overhyped but it is truly something i wasn't expecting. I tried 03Dark under one eye and Effacernes in 04 (i can't remember the shade name, but it was nr 04, something with 'Beige') and the Helena Rubinstein looked more natural and it didn't crease. 

Yes, it doesn't crease, and EVERYTHING creases on me. More or less, depending on the product, but i always had to touch my undereye area (especially in the inner angle, under the lower lashes) and make sure i'm dabbing any excess away. Perhaps it was just my paranoia but i felt i had to do it. With this one, it doesn't happen, i don't need to touch it and whenever i'm feeling an itch to check it out, i stop myself from fear of ruining the effect. 

7. Finish

Very natural. Doesn't look dry at all, doesn't look like concealer, it illuminates a little in the sense that 'opens up' the eye area rather than splashing a layer of white paste (YSL, I'm looking at you right now) or giving a shimmery effect. It's very natural, incredibly soft toned, it is the first concealer i own and doesn't look or feel like concealer (but i've said this before). Well that's the point with this product, it hits right where all other products have missed, and believe me, i've tried so many, from high end to low end. Anyways.

Therefore...: I highly, highly recommend this. Best product i ever used. I wonder if Helena Rubinstein's foundations perform as good as this concealer does. I already have several powders and highlighters from HR but i never expected their concealer to be so good. Yay!