Sunday, June 22, 2014

Loving Lately - June 2014

I suppose this is a bit early, but I think I can confidently say the following products have been in high rotation the past few weeks and I don't see that changing in the next week, so off we go with June faves. Happy summer, y'all !



I always have a couple face brushes on the go for foundation/concealer application, and this one has been my most used this month. This brush can be used for buffing and stippling on cream or liquid products for a flawless finish. If you're a paddle foundation brush user, I must insist you try using a buffing brush and less product for a more natural finish than you deemed possible while wearing foundation. As always, love to Samantha Chapman and the Pixiwoo sisters for creating the content and products that they do!








Okay, apparently pink was a thing for me in June, as these two blushes and the next polish highlight. These two blushes have pretty wonderful levels of pigmentation for drugstore purchases. Application isn't nearly as intimidating or impossible as I imagined it would be; I don't even apply these with a stippling brush! My makeup has been very, very neutral for a while now, so injecting a bit of colour into my routine feels like I'm finally stepping into summer, and it was much overdue.



Ceramic Glaze Exotic Dragon Fruit


I'm pretty sure I've been drawn to hot pink nail colours since I was a toddler, insisting my mom apply "ninnie monish" (how I used to say "nail polish" as a child) to match her nails, and she has always been a hot pink and fuschia fan (clothing, nails, lips -- all pink). I've had this colour for a year now and the bottle is depleted, as it's a colour I reach for repeatedly for hands and feet. It's probably my favourite polish for pedicures, as I wear it, remove it and then reapply it. The colour is bright and has a hint of shimmer to keep it from being boring, and it dries quickly to a matte finish, meaning it's ideal for quick application, finishing with a gel top coat for hyper shine. The whole range of polishes are exclusive to Shoppers, so take a gander next time you're passing through.




After familiarizing myself with the Les Exclusifs range over the holiday season and subsequently finding a high level of appreciation for each scent in the range, I was ecstatic to learn three of the Exclusifs were going to be launched as pure perfumes, or extraits. There's something so quintessentially feminine and ladylike about pure perfume, especially the way it's dabbed onto pulse points sparingly with the crystal stopper. The warmth of the scent as it develops and morphs throughout the day is very much a journey each time. Beige consists of notes of freesia, hawthorne, frangipani and honey, and it wears close to the skin and has excellent longevity versus the eau de parfum concentration.
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Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Pixi Illuminating Tint & Conceal

Pixi Illuminating Tint & Conceal

I first heard of Pixi’s Illuminating Tint & Conceal through Youtube’s Pixiwoo’s Samantha Chapman.
[Giant Sidebar: I LOVE pretty much every tutorial that Sam & Nic have done for their Youtube channel and think they are a GREAT place to start if you’re looking for … well, just about any look! They have a slew of vids and just feel more refined in their practice, as they are professional makeup artists in the UK and it beats listening to some other Youtubers out there do tutorials…TRUST ME]

Moving right along…

I wanted to buy the tinted moisturizer (TM) pretty much as soon as I saw the video, even though I am a total foundation fan and own a bunch of different ones and need another product like I need a hole in my lungs… but I didn’t forget about Pixi products, which are available for purchase at Target. Naturally, once I moved to the states, I ended up in a city without a brick&mortar Target. Target.com would suffice, so I ordered the TM in Sun Glow, which I figured would match me well enough after reading MUA reviews. It’s apparently $30 USD for 1 oz of TM and 0.09 oz of concealer.
The tube text reads, “One step sheer complexion perfection. Tinted moisturizer, SPF 20, treatment day lotion + concealer all in one. Hypoallergenic, oil free, fragrance free, talc free and water resistant. Suits all skin types, including sensitive skin.”

When I ordered it, I had no idea it was water resistant, so this is news to me. I also don’t really care about SPF being in my facial products. I prefer it to NOT be, to be honest, because it’s too easy to shrug off proper SPF usage and claim it’s in my foundation when really, I’d have to cake on a bottle of foundation in order to actually reap the benefits of the SPF that’s added to said foundation. I wear SPF 50 every day (Chanel UV Essentiel has been my go-to for a couple years now), and that keeps me ridiculously pale but (hopefully) wrinkle-free.

[Sidbar #2: When I purchase products, I don’t have a tendency to pay attention to quantities for price, because I seldom use up products, especially face products. For the sake of this review, I’ll put it out there: $30 USD + tax is kind of ridiculous for a tinted moisturizer being purchased at Target, but I’m accustomed to paying $50+ for a foundation from Saks or Holts or wherever, so my price sensitivity has sorta flown out the window.]

The tinted moisturizer is luminous to a point of sparkley, but I tend to powder all TMs and liquid foundations to set them, generally with Chanel Poudre Universelle in 40 Dore, or, more commonly, Rimmel Lasting Matte pressed powder in Sandstorm. Powdering mellows out the luminosity to a more palatable finish, at least for me!

The TM is easy to blend, and I apply it with a MAC 130 brush or EcoTools Foundation brush. I always blend for WAY longer than most would/could, and then I lightly run my fingers over my face after applying with a brush just to make sure no brushstrokes are left behind. That being said, to each their own, applying with hands is always a viable option too!

I tend to wear this when I want something with slightly less coverage, as that is what a tinted moisturizer is meant to do…tint..and moisturize (it’s not just a clever name). I also have been pairing it with Laura Mercier Mineral Powder (more on that in an upcoming post, I’m sure) for more coverage with even MORE luminosity! Winter is sucking my skin’s will to live sooo I’ve been o.d’n on luminizers and such accordingly.

Would I rebuy this product? Sure. It matches well, I dig the concealer in the cap (and reach for it even when I’m not using the corresponding TM), and it didn’t break me out.
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