Category Archives: General

Urban Decay All-Nighter Foundation Review!

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Hi, guys and dolls!  I recently picked up the new Urban Decay All Nighter Foundation from their website with a $20 Kickback I had from the Beauty Junkies Rewards Program (use my link to sign up and I’ll get points and you can start earning, too)!  I mean, who could pass up a deal like that?  Obviously not me, since I’m obsessed with finding the perfect full coverage, long wearing foundation.

From the Urban Decay website:

Got plans to reunite with your hot ex over late-night cocktails? Make sure your makeup has as much stamina as your date. Introducing All Nighter Liquid Foundation—makeup that stays up. It’s the ultimate foundation for a flawless-looking complexion that won’t quit.

All Nighter Liquid Foundation provides full coverage with a modern matte finish that never looks overdone. Get serious long-lasting wear and a blown-out effect you never thought was possible. Perfect for all-night affairs and other scandalous activities, our revolutionary formula is also comfortable enough to wear every day.

While Naked Skin complexion products are demi-matte, All Nighter Liquid Foundation is completely matte—but never flat (and it’s oil-free!). We loaded this formula with an insane amount of pigment (about three times as much as Naked Skin Liquid Makeup), so a little goes a long way. There’s no need to build coverage or apply multiple layers. This waterproof, paraben-free formula diffuses light to blur flaws for beautifully perfected skin as it mattifies and absorbs oil to reduce the appearance of shine.

With a wide range of meticulously calibrated shades that align with our existing Naked Skin Liquid Makeup shades, it’s easy to find your perfect match.

All Nighter Liquid Foundation comes in a sleek, edgy bottle that has a luxurious, highly metallized gunmetal effect with asymmetric cutouts. As cool as it looks, it’s also practical; the shade is clearly visible, but the bottle never looks messy. It’s also equipped with an airless pump—so it’s easy to get out every last bit of product.

Fill Weight: 30.0 ml / 1.0 fl oz

*****
Well, then, let’s see how it held up to those claims.  First off, my skin is combination and sensitive, so I’m thrilled that this foundation has no fragrance.  I also have migraines and just cannot stand strong smells in my makeup – hats off to you, Urban Decay, for not killing me with synthetic perfumes.
This foundation has a gorgeous pump bottle with a cool design that reminds me a little bit of the front of the Vice 4 palette with the gunmetal web/stripe thing happening.
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And glory be, it has a pump!
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(Urban Decay All Nighter in 0.5 applied with Sigma F82 brush)
I got the foundation in 0.5, which is the lightest shade they offer.  It looks incredibly pale and when I swatched it in Ulta next to the 0.5 in Naked Skin, it looked way, way lighter.  However, they both dried down to almost the same shade, which was incredibly surprising.  If you have seen any YouTube reviews on this foundation saying that it dries darker than it initially looks out of the tube, this definitely seems to be true.  That said, it’s a pretty good match for me, but I have also mixed it with NYX Foundation Mixer in white and it works beautifully together.  I do this when I’m being exceptionally picky about matching my foundation to my neck.
This foundation is really, really high coverage!  Surprisingly so considering that it is a somewhat runny formula when you pump it out of the bottle.  One pump will definitely cover your entire face.  I find that it works nicely with either a dense brush like the Sigma F82 or with the Beauty Blender.  This was surprising because I just hate the Kat Von D Lock-It Foundation with the Beauty Blender; I felt like it was too thick in consistency to work at all.  This foundation is easier to spread across the skin and is less matte than the Lock-It foundation, as well.  I would say it is more of a satin-matte foundation that looks more skin-like, so perhaps that is what UD means by “modern matte.”
I haven’t had the chance to test this foundation for more than about 8 hours, but it wears like a champ on my combination skin.  My cheeks are dry and don’t really experience any discomfort so far, but the weather is still rather hot here.  My nose does usually get shiny and I have to touch up about mid day with this, but I have to do that with anything I wear.
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(Urban Decay All Nighter Foundation in 0.5 in outdoor light)
All in all, I think this is a fantastic foundation.  It is pricey at $40 for 1 oz; however, I am using one tiny pump for my whole face, so this bottle is going to last me at least 6 months!  I am really pleased with how it performs right now in the late summer weather and I will be sure to come back and update about how it performs in the cooler fall and winter months.
Have you tried All Nighter Foundation yet?
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Urban Decay Revolution Lipsticks are still 50% off!

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As most of you probably already know, Urban Decay is launching 100 new Vice lipsticks in June!  In order to sell off their existing Revolution lipstick line, it’s marked down 50% off in select locations.  I believe Sephora’s stock is totally sold out, but I was able to get several shades at Ulta and use my rewards points!  Most of these shades are going to be back and available again in the new packaging, but why not grab them now at the cheaper $11.00 price?  (New Vice lipsticks will be $17.00 and have different packaging.)

Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick at Ulta

Urban Decay Matte Revolution Lipstick at Ulta

Urban Decay Sheer Revolution Lipstick at Ulta

You can also find the Revolution lipsticks on sale on the actual Urban Decay website and you can get free shipping if you are signed up for their Beauty Junkies rewards program!

Revolution Lipstick at Urban Decay

Matte Revolution Lipstick at Urban Decay

Sheer Revolution Lipstick at Urban Decay

Nordstrom appears to be sold out of most shades from what I saw, but Macy’s appears to have quite a lot available still.  Macy’s has free shipping and free returns!

Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick at Macy’s

Urban Decay Matte Revolution Lipstick at Macy’s

Urban Decay Sheer Revolution Lipstick at Macy’s

(Naked and Obsessed Revolution Lipsticks)

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Just for fun, here I am in a few of the Revolution lipstick shades I have picked up on sale over the last month or so!

A very foggy photo of me wearing “Obsessed,” a light cool toned pink shade in the regular Revolution formula (a cream).

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Me wearing “Naked” in the Revolution (cream) formula, probably the easiest to wear nude I’ve ever found!

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Here I am wearing “Anarchy” in the Revolution (cream) formula – a hot damn hot pink!!

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And lastly but surely not least, me wearing the most comfortable matte lipstick I’ve ever had (seriously, not dry at ALL), Matte Revolution lipstick in Bad Blood:

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I hope you are able to grab a few of these on sale before they go away for good!  The packaging is lovely and these lipsticks are fab!  If not, have no fear, nearly every shade is coming back in the Vice line due out next month!

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Urban Decay Alice Through the Looking Glass Lipstick in Mad Hatter

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Mad Hatter:  Have I gone mad?
[Alice checks Hatter’s temperature]
Alice:   I’m afraid so. You’re entirely bonkers. But I’ll tell you a secret. All the best people are.

Hellooooo!  Last night I was able to pick up the Urban Decay Alice Through The Looking Glass Collection lipstick in “Mad Hatter.”  I found the Alice Lipsticks at Ulta for $18.00 USD (the eyeshadow palette is here for $60.00 USD).  These products have launched early at Ulta; however, if you are a rewards member at Urban Decay or have Flash Shipping at Sephora, from what I understand, they both will be getting the collection fairly soon.

I really love the limited edition packaging.  Even the box for the lipsticks is psychedelic, man!

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The tube is plastic and feels a bit more lightweight than the regular Revolution Lipstick tubes.  That’s ok, because LOOK HOW COOL this packaging is.  O_O

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I know this is an Alice Through the Looking Glass collection for the upcoming movie, but who else is getting a Price’s Paisley Park video vibe besides me?

Description From the Ulta Site:

Inspired by the fantasy-adventure film release of Disney’s Alice Through the Looking Glass, Urban Decay’s limited-edition shades of Lipstick pay tribute to some of the main characters from the film: Alice, Mad Hatter, Mirana (the White Queen), Iracebeth (the Red Queen) and Time, a peculiar creature who is part human, part clock.

Pair the Lipsticks with the Alice Through the Looking Glass Eyeshadow Palette and you’ll have everything you need to recreate the looks from the film. From sheer nude with a pink shift and bright red matte to gunmetal-navy with silver shimmer, these shades range from classic to edgy. Regardless of the finish (sheer, shimmery or matte), each shade has a super-creamy feel and provides rich payout.

Each Lipstick case features a colorful, kaleidoscopic pattern inspired by the film. Urban Decay debossed the top of the cap and the Lipstick with the UD icon and screened “Urban Decay” on the inside of the case.

My Take On Mad Hatter Lipstick:

Mad Hatter metallic lipstick reminds me a bit of Makeup For Ever’s #15 Pearly Violet lipstick.  However, I always found that lipstick to be quite dry and that it tugged on the lips and was uncomfortable to wear.  Mad Hatter is a little more sheer; however, that means that it can be changed up with different lip liners and be a bit more versatile.  It’s a sort of matte metallic, if that makes sense, and it’s more of a violet purple than a blue purple  It’s not drying and does not tug at the lips, which I definitely appreciate as I have dry lips.  It’s not particularly hydrating, either.  The metallic finish is not the kind that shows every lip imperfection, like some frosts do. I do not feel any glitter particles when I press my lips together (this drives me crazy).  It lasts for around 4 hours before I need a touch up and stays on very well when I’m drinking water/coffee.

PICS!

I loooooooooooooooove this, guys!  Check it!!  (Worn here with NYX Purple Rain lip liner.  Yes, Prince would approve.)

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And for fun, here’s a closed eye shot of my eye look, done with Urban Decay Vice 4 palette (Beatdown and 1985 shadows with Grasshopper):

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Will you be getting anything from the Alice Through The Looking Glass Collection?

First Impression – Josie Maran Vibrancy Argan Oil Foundation 

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With my last Sephora order, something unexpected happened – I actually received a foundation sample that was (gasp) pale enough to work for me!  That product was Josie Maran Vibrancy Argan Oil Foundation Fluid ($45).  The sample card had many shades to try, so if you get a chance to grab one of these, you may want to do so!

What Sephora has to say about the product:

What it is:
A revolutionary medium-to-full coverage skin care foundation fluid powered by 100 percent pure argan oil and nutrient-rich pigments for vibrant, glowing skin.

What it is formulated to do:
Activate your skin’s vitality with Vibrancy Argan Oil Foundation Fluid. Like a fresh squeezed juice, Vibrancy utilizes a revolutionary cold-pressed process that preserves the powerful, hand-selected ingredients for the freshest, most effective skin care foundation. Vibrancy energizes your skin with the essential nutrients it craves and is designed to interact and adapt to the movements of your skin with delicate fluidity for a radiant, dimensional finish. The breathable, lightweight, medium-to-full coverage formula features a powerful blend of moisture-enhancing ingredients that help soothe, smooth, and restore skin’s luminosity.

What it is formulated WITHOUT:
– Parabens
– Sulfates
– Phthalates

What else you need to know:
This product is dermatologist tested and clinically proven to hydrate and smooth even the most sensitive skin. Find your ideal shade with confidence. First identify your undertones: R is for rosey undertones, G is for golden undertones, and RG is for neutral or rose gold undertones. Next, you’ll choose the depth of your shade, with 5 being the most fair and 85 being the most rich.

Research results:
In a clinical study after 4 weeks:
– 100% of subjects experienced a significant increase of skin moisture by 106%
– 98% of subjects experienced a significant increase of skin smoothness and softness by 111%

In a consumer study:
– 100% said that their past feelings about foundation improved after experiencing Vibrancy
– 93% agreed Vibrancy helped visibly calm their skin condition, specifically scarring, inflammation, and rosacea

My take:

When first applying this to my skin, I loved the light neutral shade of RG5; however as I was applying this to my face and blending in with my fingers I noticed two odd things:  It felt somehow very heavy, but did not provide full coverage.  I definitely had to go in with concealer around my nose and on my acne scars, but I do with most foundations.  I would call this medium coverage at best.  This foundation feels very oily, which I suppose makes sense since is is an argan oil foundation.  However, it really doesn’t seem to say anywhere in the description that is is for extremely dry skin, which is the only type skin I could really see benefiting from this type of texture.  It is extremely dewy, almost moreso than MAC Face and Body foundation, but feels more heavy than that and has more coverage.  I set it here with MAC Invisible Set Powder for a little mattifying and in hopes that it would keep it on my face!

And then…OH NO!  Complete and utter meltdown in only FOUR HOURS.  Now, I have somewhat combo skin, but it’s combination leaning on the drier side, so this just floored me!  Look at the breakdown around the nose where my glasses were.  The coverage around my nose and mouth is basically gone and my redness is showing.  My chin is a greasy, hot mess!  OH.  Oh hell no.


I feel like this foundation could really only work for someone with super dry and dehydrated skin, especially in colder or dry climates.  However, there is nothing in the description that says that this is for very dry skin.  It does mention increased hydration, but that’s it, really.  I feel like a better description of what type of skin this is for would be beneficial in helping customers chose.  I also feel that calling this full coverage is really stretching. All in all, I’ll not be shelling out $45 on this, especially knowing a humid and hot NC summer is around the corner!

Have you tried any new foundations lately?  What did you think?

Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush Review – Beautiful Colors, Easy Depotting 

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I have a review today on this chilly Saturday!  I have recently obtained 3 Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blushes.  The first one was Fearless, a pinky coral blush I obtained in a swap (brand new!) on an Ipsy group on Facebook (hey thanks, friend!).  The next one I got  was Dollface, which I bought for a complete steal on eBay.  At that point I knew that these blushes worked incredibly well on my super fair, combination, acne prone skin, so I did something I rarely do and splurged on the full priced limited edition shade, Celebrated (I usually do not buy limited edition shades because I get so mad when I cannot repurchase them).

From the Sephora website:

What it is:
A long-wearing, solar-baked blush that lasts up to 12 hours.

What it does:
Infused with natural clay harvested from the banks of the Amazon River and naturally baked by the sun, this nutrient-rich blush benefits all skin types for a fade-free flawless finish that lasts an amazing 12 hours. Inspired by tarte’s bestselling shades of cheek stains and lip tints, the colors range from soft to vivid to suit a wide variety of skintones. For oily skin types, Amazonian clay minimizes oil in and around pores to balance skin and keep product in place. Those with dry skin will benefit from the clay’s nourishing and hydrating properties, which naturally restore skin’s moisture. Combination skin types can rely on its ability to zero in on skin concerns and deliver benefits to restore complexion harmony. The result: Blush that wears better, longer, and truer.

What it is formulated WITHOUT:
– Parabens
– Sulfates
– Phthalates

What else you need to know:
This product is free of petrochemicals, synthetic fragrances, GMOs, and triclosan.

Ok, WOW, those are some crazy claims.  Here’s my take…I don’t think anything can be really moisturizing and oil controlling at the same time.  I have 3 matte shades and I find them, well, mattifying.  I get shiny throughout the day and if I touch up with these (which is not necessary as the color really does stay all day), it does take down oil and shine!  I would say these are great for normal to oily skin.  If you’re super dry, you may find that you would want to stick to liquid or cream blushes, of course.  I don’t think they have found the magical moisturizing powder formula (is there such a thing?).  As for ingredients harvested from the Amazon and dried in the sun…really?  I’m just not even touching that.  For Pete’s sake, Tarte.  I do find it interesting that there are lots of non-natural ingredients in here, but we’re supposed to buy the product based on what’s *not* in the product.  Wow, that’s some marketing!  But hey, I’m glad it doesn’t contain hand sanitizer ingredients!  LOL!

Ok, let’s get to something about this product that I LOVE, the packaging.  First of all, the compacts match the product inside.  If you’re in a hurry, you don’t need to fumble around, just grab what you’re looking for based on color.

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(Tarte Fearless, Celebrated, Dollface)

Now, here’s what I love even more.  As an ex-makeup artist, I got used to using palettes.  I have most of my powder products in palettes as it’s just easier for me.  These blushes are actually made for popping out of the compact easily and popping into palettes if you want to, without having to de-pot them with heat or sharp objects and possibly ruining your product!  There is a hole in the back of the compact to push a pin through, but I have found that you can just tap the compact into your hand with a little force and the pan will come out…be careful, you don’t want to drop and break the precious!  The AMAZING thing they have thought of is the big magnet in the compact so you can *put the pan back in* any time you want to travel with the blush in the compact.  So, for example I’m going out of town next week and will take just one of these with me and will pop it out of my palette and into the compact and away I will go.

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OMG seriously?!  THANK YOU, TARTE!

When I’m not traveling, I can have them all in my Z-palette (I love the lavender one).

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(Top row: Tarte Dollface, Tarte Fearless, Tarte Celebrated, MAC Pink Swoon, Bottom Row: MAC Full of Joy, MAC Well Dressed, MAC Unconventional, La Femme Misty Plum, La Femme Scarlet)

And now, photos of me wearing each Tarte blush!  I have found these particular shades to work well on my NW10 skin, apply easily, blend out well, and wear well for 8+ hours, though I usually don’t wear my makeup for 12 hours.

Tarte Celebrated:

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Celebrated is the softest of the softest nudes.  This is the blush I reach for when I want my blush soft and “foolproof.”  It’s listed as a pink nude, but it goes peachy on me.  I adore this like I cannot even tell you.  It is one of the most pale-friendly blushes I’ve ever found.

Tarte Dollface:

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Dollface is a very cool toned blue based pink. It looks beautiful on pale skin, but has enough color to look great on medium skin as well.  It blends out beautifully and can be worn with a number of lip colors.  I rocked it with red lipstick yesterday and it looked oh so retro.

Tarte Fearless:

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Fearless is a coral pink that is more pink than orange, which means I can actually wear it.  Fearless is everything I wanted MAC Fleur Power to be, which was too deep and too orange for my fair, pink skin. This is a super fun spring and summer color!

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In summary – will Tarte overcome my beloved MAC as my favorite blush?  Hmm, Tarte blushes are $29 and MAC pro blush pans are $17, so probably not.  However, the packaging is superior in being able to re-use the compacts (although you can Back To MAC the compacts at MAC if you do not want them).  I would say the quality is similar, so it is just up to you as to what you want out of your blush, as well as finding your perfect color!  For me, finding pale girl friendly blushes is really difficult – I have been putting that palette together for a looooooong time.

What are your favorite blushes?  Do you wear powder blushes, liquid, cream?  Have you tried Tarte?  Let me know in the comments!

On being fabulous – vintage style Orchids pill case by Houlder 

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So here’s the thing…I have migraines, and they suck.  But I have decided that I shall be fabulous regardless of how much migraines suck.  Lots of little things have had to be adjusted, like buying mostly fragrance free beauty products, and having to carry rescue meds on me…oh hey, if you have to carry meds, why not do it in style? 

  
This pill case is by Houlder and can be found on Amazon.  Many other cute styles are on EBay and Etsy!  I had an actual antique pill case, but I lost it…fingers crossed that it turns up! 

Nail polish is Zoya “Aurora.”

What cute purse/bag storage ideas do you have to share? 

My Hair: FAQ

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HAIR FAQ

Is it real?

Yes, it’s real. I mean, most of it. Some of it is fake.

Wow, who does your hair?

I do it myself. Yes, color and cut. And the extensions too. No, I’m not a hairstylist. To be fair, my best friend gave me this sweet mohawk recently. No, he’s not a hairstylist either.

Can I touch it?

You probably don’t want to. But no, you can’t. Don’t be weird.

What’s that… Stuff?

Oh, I collect little bits of random things. I keep it in a box labeled “hair stuff”. Right now, you’re looking at Christmas tree lightbulbs, keys, a broken necklace chain, synthetic dreads, leather cord, and beads.

Does it hurt?

Only if I lay on it the wrong way. It’s much more likely to hurt someone else. That’s a really weird question, BTW.

How do you wash it?

I don’t.

What products do you use?

Yes.

No, really. What products do you use?

Okay, here is an abbreviated list of things that are or have been in my hair: Cheap hairspray, Elmers glue, playa dust, sunscreen, lotion, beeswax, salt…

How do you get your eyebrows to match?

They’re natural. I get it from my dad’s side of the family. 😂  Same place I get my awesome sense of humor.

Don’t be a smart ass.

I shave them off and paint them on freehand with a thin paintbrush. Currently I use a long-wear liquid lipstick that matches my hair. If it’s black I use liquid eyeliner. If it is purple I use either purple liquid eyeliner or a matching eyeliner pencil set with matching eyeshadow.

What does your hair look like usually?

Exactly how it looks right now, but probably pinned or pulled back instead of fluffy and everywhere.

Does it take a long time?

Sometimes. Usually I just wake up with my hair looking all weird and hairspray it so it’ll stay weird. When I have it up like in the picture, it takes at least half an hour, but I can really just mess with it forever if I want to.

…okay.

I’m glad we had this little chat.

DIY Hair? Sure, bring a friend!

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It’s relatively well known that I tend to have hair that is crazy, fun, weird, brightly colored, fake, or whatever else. What a lot of people don’t know is that I do my own hair. Dye, cuts, extensions, shaving, all of it. Don’t get me wrong, I love it when I can get to a stylist and let them go nuts with it, but I’ll be honest: I’m lazy.  

 My hair is a hot mess here. Pay attention, I’m about to talk about the gentleman on the right.
Well, I have been getting tired of my one-length, growing out, shapeless hair mass. So I enlisted the help of my BFF Kurt, (pictured above laking a very serious face for some reason ¯\(°_o)/¯)  and said “shave some of it off.”

…actually, hold up. Let me tell you about Kurt for a second because his hair is way better than mine.

 These are but a few of the incarnations of Kurt.

Kurt is a mythical creature with great hair and weird jokes. When I was 19 and had just discovered Information Society, my main goal in life became “Have hair as cool as Kurt’s.” Fast forward a bunch of years, anyway, and as a weird and wonderful twist of fate he’s my BFF and I trust him to use his completely nonexistent hairstyling training to make my hair look weird as hell. 

   
 

I had him shave off the sides and leave d everything long, well, long. It worked. Now I have a mane of long hair and the lame hair on the sides that was all kinds of different lengths is gone. 

 (Unplugged headphones were because I had not yet plugged them in, not as some sort of choad fashion accessory)



Thanks Kurt! ❤️

Do you cut your own hair? Would you let a non-hairstylist friend do it for you?

Tarte BB Tinted Treatment 12-Hour Primer Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Sunscreen – FIRST IMPRESSION

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Well that’s a mouth full, isn’t it?

I got a sample of Tarte BB Tinted Treatment 12-Hour Primer with my last Sephora order.  I’m so pale that usually when I get a sample card of foundation stuff, I chuck it immediately; however, when I glanced at this, I noticed the “fair” shade was actually pretty fair.  I did just glance at the card, though, and I mistakenly thought this was a typical BB cream.  So, I sat down to do my makeup with this and just went a-slappin’ this all over my face.

As I’m applying this, I’m thinking, “Uh.  What.  This feels like a primer.  With silicone.  And silica.  And it feels WEIRD.  What…….the…………HECK?” Yet, it has color to it.  The fair color oddly matches my skin tone, which is around a MAC N10 or NW10, which is crazy because that never happens.  The strange thing about it is that Tarte claims you can wear this alone as a BB cream/tinted moisturizer type thing, or under foundation.  I’m here to tell you that as a BB cream or tinted moisturizer, it has basically no coverage and a completely weird finish.  I did attempt to wear this by itself with just a bit of concealer (NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer) and the lame thing about that was, it didn’t play nice with the concealer…I feel like primers are supposed to make blending easier, but this made it harder to move the product around.  ANYWAY, as I was applying it, I looked at the sample card a little better and was like, “OHHHHH, you can use this as a primer, too.”  But the other thing about this primer is, it didn’t really seem to fill pores or blur fine lines, so I’m not sure why I would.  My Tarte Clean Slate Poreless primer does that in spades!

This product also has an SPF of 30 and the sample size has about the amount you would need for a full face to get that SPF…except there’s no way you could use that full amount without being a hot mess.  So, you’re not going to get the full amount of sun protection claimed when using this product.  You’re about to see where I’m going with this, but first, let’s see what the claims are on the Sephora website:

Indulge your skin with this powerful multitasker that works as a primer, moisturizer, light foundation, antiaging treatment, and sunscreen to give you a youthful-looking glow. Worn alone or as the perfect base for makeup, this 12-hour, age-defying, oil-free primer offers light-to-medium, buildable coverage that helps even skintone and other skin imperfections while diffusing light to minimize the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and pores. The creamy, silky formula goes on smooth and blends easily, leaving you with a natural-looking, flawless finish with a broad-spectrum, chemical-free SPF 30 that offers ideal protection from the sun’s harmful UVA/UVB rays.

What else you need to know:
Beauty Balms or BB Creams were originally developed as a perfect post-procedure cream used to treat, hydrate, prime, protect, and camouflage the skin. Great for all skin types including those with sensitive skin, these versatile “five-in-one” formulas are designed to do it all: treat with high levels of active skincare ingredients; moisturize and smooth dehydrated skin; prime and perfect skin’s surface; camouflage and color correct the skintone; and protect skin from the sun with SPF. They can be used as a last step for their skincare benefits or used on their own as an instant beautifier.

This product is powered by tripleB complex, a proprietary blend of natural diamond dust, plants, and lipoamino acids that diffuses light and minimizes the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and pores while improving the appearance of skin luminosity.

Research results:
In a consumer panel study:
– 100% of women immediately saw an improvement in the surface texture of skin for smoother makeup application
– 97% of women saw and felt smoother, softer skin
– 91% of women said fine lines appeared minimized
– 94% of women said pores appeared less visible after 4 weeks

Pretty hefty claims for a primer!

In conclusion, basically I have a beef with BB creams in general that are trying to be all things at once, and that is that they usually fail to do any of those things well.  Skipping steps may seem faster, but you’re going to lose out in the end – lose out on sun protection, coverage, the actual function of a good primer, and the skin care benefits you’d get from a great skin care regimen.  Products that claim to “do it all” rarely can.  Since this is a first impression, I cannot speak to the results over time, but I can say that it did not blur fine lines or fill pores and it did not hydrate my skin and I was not able to use enough to get good sun protection and the coverage was slim to none.  I have yet to try it underneath a foundation, but I can tell from the consistency I probably don’t need to…no need to fix what isn’t broken.  I’ll stick with my great skincare (including antioxidant serum, high SPF, and a badass primer) and take that extra 5 minutes to use seperate products rather than trying to use one product that’s trying to be all things.

For reference, here’s me wearing the product just after applying.  It’s hard to tell about the coverage, because I did go in and spot conceal because I just couldn’t stand it, LOL!  It didn’t really control oil and I did have to blot after about 2 hours.

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Your mileage may vary with this one, but I’m going to say DEFINITELY get a sample before shelling out $36 for 1 ounce!

Have any of you found an all-in-one product like this that actually works for you?

Giveaway! Charlotte Tilbury + Mac!

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Great contest going on over at Beauty By Gigi!

Beauty by Gigi

Hi everyone!! I’ve been so busy lately but have finally gotten around to hosting my giveaway to celebrate 500 followers – I’m so excited!! Thank you so, so much to everyone who has followed this blog, I can’t believe that Beauty by Gigi has hit this amazing milestone! To celebrate, I decided I had to host a giveaway – I did this to celebrate my 250 followers too and it was so fun, so I thought why not do it again! The giveaway is open internationally, too!

Now for what you could win! One winner will receive the limited edition Charlotte Tilbury Nocturnal Cat Eyes to Hypnotise set in ‘The Huntress’, which includes a stunning single eyeshadow and a mini Rock’n’Kohl liner in the shade Amber Moon – I reviewed this recently on my blog which you can read here. The post includes swatches and a demo of the products…

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