Today's makeup and rambling

Obviously, in absence of anything really interesting to do today, after i finished all i had to do i went shopping for clothes...and got makeup as well. Nothing fancy, just drugstore products i am a bit excited about.

First off, i renewed my L'Oreal Lash Architect supply (the old one was getting a bit tired) and i also got the Million Lashes one, just to see what's the rave about. 

Another item i got is an Olay cleanser that i most certainly will like- i've already tried their eye makeup remover and all their products are so nicely scented. Next- a Nivea foundation and a bright coral lipstick. Finally found!

The foundation story is as follows: two days ago when i went shopping for the Rimmel goodies, i wasn't wearing any makeup and felt a bit embarrassed inside the store because people were 'staring' at me (they weren't, it's just my paranoia). I picked up the first foundation tester (Nivea Beauty Lift) and slammed it on, then a bit of mascara and that was it, i instantly felt better. When i got home my skin looked surprisingly well- i don't know if it was the humidity in the air, since it was raining, or the fact that i had no primer on (though it's supposed to be otherwise), or that i just slapped it on, no careful stippling/blending (though again, isn't THAT the correct way of dealing with foundation?), i have no idea, but it looked so nice. No pores, no blotches, my skin was positively glowing. 

Checked out some Makeupalley reviews and they all mentioned this effect; the foundation has quite a high score for a Nivea product (most people dislike their products, i don't understand why, but well...) and two or three reviewers actually compare it to Make Up For Ever's HD foundation. I haven't tried that and i would have certainly not purchased this foundation if i hadn't worn it for several hours and loved the effect. Picking up a shade was quite a trip because i hate wearing foundations that are as light as my skin (i know...i shouldn't) because they're just too pale and i like to 'cheat' a shade or two. I picked 060 Amber which isn't the darkest but neither the lightest. I'm really curious/anxious to see what this foundation will behave like on the long(er) run.

The lipstick is exactly what i was looking for. The pictures i uploaded as the depiction of my HG coral lips are obviously retouched and the lighting is way different than the one in my house; it doesn't look as pale as the photos but anything in that family probably wouldn't have complemented my skintone. The lipstick is from a brand named BeYu that produce their cosmetics in Germany (i don't know if it's German); it borders on drugstore/higher end (they have some more expensive items as well). This product is Star Lipstick in nr. 05. 

It's quite similar to Rimmel's Coral in Gold sans the golden frosty finish which i don't like that much, thus a plus. It's also lighter and has that Old Hollywood, late 1940's romantic touch; whenever i see a bright coral lipstick i can't help to think of Katharine Hepburn, Chinese silk and geishas.

Now about the face of the day- especially the Lumene mascara. 

The lashes look a bit spidery because i applied too much, however i am beginning to think this mascara is a real find.

First off, i have half a coat of Max Factor Masterpiece underneath the Lumene one, i couldn't imagine not wearing that one, ever (it's a sort of a 'primer' to me). The Lumene one is thinner than your usual drugstore mascaras (Maybelline, L'Oreal i mean) and creamier. It looks quite thin at a superficial glance and i was a bit worried it might clump the lashes together as Volume Collagen from L'Oreal did- it didn't. 

The brush is huge but it works- it's very soft or at least softer than anything else with that type of brush (even Diorshow..) therefore you can press as hard as you like if you feel like you need it-to prevent clumps from forming. It just glides, setting itself on the lashes and coating the tips with a fine, creamy layer of mascara. It looks a bit 'wet' until it dries, which is quite fast so no worries about that.

It leaves the lashes soft and most important of all, if you're not satisfied with the volume, or you want a true false lash effect, you can apply a thicker mascara on top of this one because it won't clump. The Lumene is similar to Isadora's in this respect- it 'softens' any previous mascara layers and does give a dramatic effect if you insist (uppercase example), but there's no spider effect as it would be with other mascaras.

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.

Project Ten Pan...

That's what happened- i finished these products so i figured, well, why not consider it a 'Pan project', right. I definitely need it...to cut back on my unused makeup/cosmetics in general.

Nivea Soft moisturizer- one of my all-time favorites, an old-school product i pair up with Nivea creme for perfectly hydrated skin. Never broke me out, in fact i always used it after some product went all bad on me and caused problems, such as Nuxe's Aromaperfection moisturizing& controlling lotion...'nuff said. This is a staple for me but since the Swedish weather is quite harsh right now i'm going to keep my A-Derma and Nivea creme regime for the time being and come back to this one in summer time.

Isadora Active Moist Makeup-i blogged about this here. It's a very good foundation that protects and moisturizes. Doesn't last as long as Estee Lauder Double Wear (whoa!), but it's a great budget find. You can't beat the SPF 30 either. Will come back to this as soon as i get over my Double Wear addiction.

L'Oreal Elnett hairspray- that's probably the only thing i will repurchase very soon since i can't live without it. Tried everything, and some stuff did come close to this one, but well, you definitely can't beat old' Elnett. Definitely tempted to try the Satin finish (or something like that), the new hairspray in a pink tube that Eva Longoria is currently on TV promoting.

Olay Regenerist Thermal Skin Polisher- blogged about it here. I already threw the tube away so no picture of the little fellow.

Nivea Ideal Finish foundation- another good drugstore dupe for Revlon's Colorstay. Thick, great coverage, a tad oily maybe. Going through it very fast cause i've got my mind set on several foundations i definitely want to try (discontinued stuff found online).

Max Factor Lasting Performance- a blah foundation. Nothing spectacular. I didn't like it because i have the Double Wear to compare everything with. Nice color range but well, no staying power. Anyways, glad to finish with this one. I wanted to throw it away at first. Maybe someone will want it, who knows.

Lumene Beauty Base Matifying Primer- i love their products wholeheartedly but this stuff is a huge flop. Didn't do anything for my skin. I mixed it with some other foundations i didn't like to create a tinted moisturizer...and get rid of it asap. Bleh.

L'Oreal Infallible foundation- a good product but way too dark for my skintone (purchased during my tanorexic phase). I mainly use it for contouring but the yellow undertones really put me off. I've got a stick foundation from Isadora in a darker color that i use for contouring purposes so this guy is not needed at all.

L'Oreal Star Secrets lipstick- one of my favorites of all time :( it's slowly dying and diminishing with each use, Will scoop out even the last drop but i can't lie and say i'm not feeling a bit of an urge to go shopping for a new one now...that my fave lipstick is over! Really, right? :D

Max Factor Creme Puff in Translucent- B.D.W., i.e. before Double Wear in makeup ages, i used to love this powder deeply. It was the only thing that felt good on the skin and looked extremely natural. Now that i don't need a powder to set my makeup with, i'm stuck with another backup of this. Definitely going to use it with other foundations (Face Stockholm, Nivea, etc) and on top of concealers-it's the only thing that doesn't make my makeup 'crack'. As you can see by the condition of the top lid this has seen better days when it was frantically used.

Guess it's time for new makeup purchases now...

Lumene Beauty Base Cover Palette review

Since my quest for the HG concealer is NOT over yet (upcoming post....), i decided to rummage through my abandoned ex-lovers and bring back to light old favorites. What's a student budget limited person gotta do, right...

So i dug up this old concealer from Lumene. Had it on yesterday, suddenly remembered how great we used to get along, and decided to blog about it. I have had this product for so many months i'm surprised i never mentioned it.

Ok so this is the little fellow:

As it says on the lid, the little case contains three concealer shades meant to neutralize red and blue undertones, either in imperfections or undereye circles. The salmon-ish tinted triangle is the blue neutralizer and the other two are meant for concealing red undertones-one is darker than the other to allow for customizing the optimal shade.

Apart from the rather high price (around €12 and 3.6 gr/0.13 oz.) for a drugstore product, i think there are no other flaws of this product. First, i like its versatility. Second, and the best thing about this- it's very creamy. The creamiest drugstore concealer i own, perhaps a softer, more moist consistency than the Nivea one (since the latter is a stick concealer). It picks up on the fingers/brush at the slightest touch (as you can see from the indentations on the sections), it's easy to blend in and allows for a very natural finish since you can mix the colors until obtaining the desired shade.

My usual problem with concealers, drugstore or not, is that they are not creamy enough. Most of them are downright dry, settling into the fine lines and giving an impression of 'cracked' makeup to the overall skin, which is highly disadvantageous especially when it comes to mature skins. 

This product, being intensely creamy for a drugstore concealer, settles into the fine lines under the eyes but not as dramatically as other higher-end products i've used in the past. And if i blend it in immediately and set it with powder it will not crease at all; i think it resists for about 5-6 hours without any touch ups; my definition of 'touch up' when it comes to concealers and foundation doesn't imply applying a second layer, but slightly patting the skin, either with the ring finger, a brush or a sponge, to absorb whatever oiliness that has formed and even out the possible blotches/ color patches that inevitably form after a certain amount of time. 

It works great on moisturized skin because the soft consistency becomes almost 'the real deal' in creaminess.  The coverage is mild medium i'd say. Definitely not sheer, but if we're judging by what 'medium' standard coverage means today (Double Wear foundation is allegedly a medium coverage one, go figure), then this is a light medium coverage. Like in the 1st half or middle of the medium spectrum. You get the point :)

Squint eyes with flash:

I don't have killer dark circles but they're tricky like hell. The upper lid is a brown-ish color and the undereye area is a dark pink, almost red with purple undertones. I found that if i use something by itself (99% of the cases except for Helena Rubinstein's concealer) it just won't cover them completely and will lack a natural finish- basically i'm able to see the rather dull purpleness showing through. Bleh.

This is not the best concealer in the world, absolutely. But if you're looking for a palette that allows for customizing your shade and contains something similar to Eve Pearl's salmon concealer, then this is the one you should try before purchasing a high-end product (for example i'm watching a video-actually listening to it- right now and it's about a certain degree of disappointment in MUFE's concealer palette...).

I should definitely start digging up older favorites more often...yep.

Lumene Smile Booster Lipsticks

Thanks to my uber-annoying, makeup-loving insistence look what i found today:

Nude Beige, Satin Coral and Heather Pink

Nude Beige

Satin Coral

Heather Pink

LtoR: Nude Beige, Satin Coral, Rimmel's Coral in Gold and Heather Pink

Nude Beige, Satin Coral, Coral in Gold and Heather Pink

  Swatches (flash):

Left to right: Heather Pink, Satin Coral and Nude Beige

Meet the new Lumene lipsticks, Smile Booster(s) is their name (and they surely made me smile!) and they were on sale for 49 crowns today (around €5). A real bargain.
I was looking for...nothing in particular (as usual) at the drugstore stands, checking out some (really) overrated L'Oreal pink lipsticks; i saw a hidden little shelf with a colorful tag that indicated 'on sale' and well, i did what i had to do. I was EXACTLY looking for pink lipsticks, a nude maybe, too, just something pretty. I didn't think i was going to find anything for less than €10 or nothing remotely beautiful (sometimes it's hard with drugstore lipsticks...not to mention i was in a clothing store that doesn't usually have a big woop of makeup).
Putting my usual exuberance aside, i am really in love with these. Apart from the colors (which are all i was looking for-something wearable, light pinks/corals/nudes) the creaminess- it's VERY good for a cheap lipstick. They don't stink either- it's a mild whiff of raspberry (obviously, fake, but instead of plasticine...) and are very pigmented without looking or feeling like a slick of makeup on the lips.Wow.

03 Nude Beige 

 This is lighter, a bit more sheer than the other two. I bought it because i want to wear it on top of other lipsticks i'm hoping i can get warped to a more decent tone (unwanted shades, porny bubblegum pinks, etc). It's very very creamy and 'shiny'- it doesn't contain neither glitter nor shimmer. However, it gives a creamy, satinated effect.It can absolutely be a perfect nude even when worn by itself. I think this is my first (and only) purely nude lipstick.


 04 Satin Coral

 A hint of coral and that's it. Very similar to Heather Pink (it's quite hard to make the difference actually). A little bit more wearable. It isn't the coral i'm hoping to find anytime soon because nothing compared to the Rimmel Soft Coral one (my HG coral lipstick....THE coral), but it's a cute pink-ish coral.

09 Heather Pink

Flash

Flash

 A liiiiiiiittle bit too much (at least for me), light pink-wise. I'm not used to wearing such light, pigmented lipsticks (i feel closer to the girls i used to make fun of for their clown lips), but this is definitely pleasant. I wanted to get Fuzzy Pink from Lancome (Heather Pink is a glitter-free Fuzzy Pink to a certain extent. I like to see it as a dupe; they're not identical but very very similar fyi) but hey, you can't beat this price. Plus the pigmentation. The real Heather Pink shade i guess would be the one in the swatch pictures and not what it looks like on my lips. I don't know why but my camera didn't manage to get the real thing.
.....perhaps i should be getting the rest of the collection as well. I had my eye on nr 1, a beige nude with a bit of shimmer in it which was out of stock (i can imagine!) and nr 8, a bubblegum pink, a tad more intense than Heather Pink.