The Fair Foundation Files: L'Oreal Visible Lift Blur Foundation

Another installation of the Fair Foundation Files! This time I have a drugstore foundation to show you, albeit it is on the higher end of the scale where price is concerned. 

The Lowdown

• $14.99 for 1.3oz
• Blurs lines, wrinkles, and uneven texture
• Anti-Aging benefits of 'Visible Lift' complex
• Nice range of shades, but not many for darker skin tones (12 shades total)
• Lightweight
• Light/medium buildable coverage

 

Light Ivory

The texture of this is very thin and it does blend easily, but that is mostly because it is full of silicones. You really only need this much (dime size) to cover your face. It is light to medium coverage but can be layered easily.

 

Here is a swatch of the foundation half blended to show you the texture. It blends nicely but does slip around a bit. Make sure to set with some type of powder for the best results!

Here is the fully blended foundation. It does not oxidize on me and lasts longer than most of my foundations, about 12 hours with only getting slightly oily at around 2pm. A quick blot fixes that up, but I have to blot with any foundation. 

 Here is my face with only the L'Oreal Visible Lift Foundation in Light Ivory on and the L'Oreal Blur Blush on the cheek closest to the camera (review coming soon). 

This works very well with a sponge, which I highly recommend using it to apply!

Verdict:

Likes:

• Lasts 12 hours without primer
• Buildable coverage
• Makes my skin look very airbrushed
• Sunscreen
• Doesn't oxidize
• Didn't break me out

Dislikes:

• Doesn't give me enough coverage to cover my acne scars, even with layering
• Smells like fake tanner when you apply
• Loaded with silicones

Overall: The only real turn off for me with this foundation is the smell. It has that almond-y fake tan smell but that only lasts during application. I was surprised that even with two weeks of use and no primer that it did not break me out even though it has a slick/silicone/primer feel. The shade didn't oxidize and it is definitely now in my foundation rotation!

Are you liking the new L'Oreal Blur line of products?

London Calling: I need your help!

 

Okay Pandas. You have a mission. Think of yourselves as the James Bonds of makeup.

I will be headed to London soon for a few months and I am getting ready to haul some makeup for the trip across the pond, but I need your advice and help.

If you have been to England in the Fall/Winter, what are your must haves? And while I am there, what should I pick up?

Also, if you have touristy/food suggestions, I would love to here them as well.

Here's some more info:

• I will be there for 3 months
• My skin gets dry in the winter
• I will be doing a lot of commuting to school and some travel
• I do not need to pare down what I bring

Basically, I need tips on your fave waterproof products, if you even think I need them in the London rain, long-lasting items, and you can even talk skin and hair care.

I NEED YOU ALL SO I CAN HAUL EFFECTIVELY!

So tell me, what would you bring for three months in London?

Thanks guys. I really love and appreciate you all!

 

Birthday Giveaway! Win a $25 Ulta eGift Card!

Happy Birthday to me! To celebrate, I am giving away a $25 Ulta eGift card!

I was going to do a Sephora gift card because I know more people have access to them, but unfortunately they do not do e-cards anymore. :( This giveaway applies to anyone who has access to an Ulta, though, so enter away! Winner will be announced Monday, April 28th! eGift card will be sent that day! 

Good Luck!
And for those wondering, the FB link is here! a Rafflecopter giveaway

Benefit Gimme Brow Review and Swatches

Its funny, I never really used to care about my brows. But with brow icons like Cara Delevigne around, its hard not to pay attention anymore. My brows are far from perfect, but Benefit's new Gimme Brow is supposed to fix less than perfect and sparse brows! 

 Gimme Brow ($22) is an Allure Best of Beauty 2013 winner and one of the newest products from Benefit, which is such a fun brand. I chose the shade light/medium and there is one other choice, a darker brunette. I have what anyone would say is brunette hair, but it is tinted red from my recent adventures as a red head and so I have a little bit of warm/caramel tones. Needless to say it is kinda hard to find a shade that matches. Most of the time, blonder shades match well, and this shade is a decent fit, but maybe a little too warm. 

 

The Gimme Brow is a gel-like formula that has visible fibers (as you can see on the swatch above), and is applied with a very small spoolie brush. It does have a bit of a wet look but dries down.

 

Benefit claims it is waterproof and smudgeproof, which I found to be true for the 12 hours I tested it. It is supposed to create the look of thicker, fuller brows--and yes it does! However, it isn't really a substitute for creating brows where there aren't any. I still need a pencil for that. But this in conjunction with a pencil is great!

 

 

This little guy is actually really tiny for the price, which kinda kills me. However, you don't need much and it will last a while. I really do like that this mimics the look of hair, so it is very natural looking.

 

Want to see my before and after? Don't judge my brows too hard!

 

 

My brows are pretty light, have a gentle arch, and aren't always the neatest, but they do for now.

 

Now, lets add one application of Gimme Brow (no other product/pencil)

 

Thicker? Definitely? Looks like more hair too! But the sparser patch isn't covered with the gel and the pigment of the gel makes it look a little messy. I think this is a great finishing product for decent brows, but not a miracle worker if you don't have any!

 

Overall, I like that Gimme Brow is a fast way to amp up my brows---but I rarely ever use it alone. It does last through pretty much anything, but the gel-like consistency can make it a little messy looking without some definition from another product.

Pleased, but not overly psyched.

 

What do you think? Have you tried Benefit Gimme Brow?

 

 

Benefit Gimme Brow Review and Swatches

Its funny, I never really used to care about my brows. But with brow icons like Cara Delevigne around, its hard not to pay attention anymore. My brows are far from perfect, but Benefit's new Gimme Brow is supposed to fix less than perfect and sparse brows!  

  Gimme Brow ($22) is an Allure Best of Beauty 2013 winner and one of the newest products from Benefit, which is such a fun brand. I chose the shade light/medium and there is one other choice, a darker brunette. I have what anyone would say is brunette hair, but it is tinted red from my recent adventures as a red head and so I have a little bit of warm/caramel tones.   Needless to say it is kinda hard to find a shade that matches. Most of the time, blonder shades match well, and this shade is a decent fit, but maybe a little too warm.  

 

The Gimme Brow is a gel-like formula that has visible fibers (as you can see on the swatch above), and is applied with a very small spoolie brush. It does have a bit of a wet look but dries down.

 

Benefit claims it is waterproof and smudgeproof, which I found to be true for the 12 hours I tested it. It is supposed to create the look of thicker, fuller brows--and yes it does! However, it isn't really a substitute for creating brows where there aren't any. I still need a pencil for that. But this in conjunction with a pencil is great!

 

 

This little guy is actually really tiny for the price, which kinda kills me. However, you don't need much and it will last a while. I really do like that this mimics the look of hair, so it is very natural looking.

 

Want to see my before and after? Don't judge my brows too hard!

 

 

My brows are pretty light, have a gentle arch, and aren't always the neatest, but they do for now.

 

Now, lets add one application of Gimme Brow (no other product/pencil)

 

Thicker? Definitely? Looks like more hair too! But the sparser patch isn't covered with the gel and the pigment of the gel makes it look a little messy. I think this is a great finishing product for decent brows, but not a miracle worker if you don't have any!

 

Overall, I like that Gimme Brow is a fast way to amp up my brows---but I rarely ever use it alone. It does last through pretty much anything, but the gel-like consistency can make it a little messy looking without some definition from another product.

Pleased, but not overly psyched.

 

What do you think? Have you tried Benefit Gimme Brow?

 

 

Eye Of The Day: Clinique Deep Dive

Hey everyone! For those of you interested in Clinique's Deep Dive shadow that I reviewed recently, or if you are unsure how to wear blue shadow and not make it look totally retro (and not in an ironic way), I did an eye look for you! 

 Besides the attack of the giant eye that has now occupied your screen...look at how pretty Deep Dive can be worn when lightly sheered out into the crease. It still packs a nice color punch though, and can be deepened with two layers or even more! What I used:Urban Decay Anti-Aging Eye Shadow Primer PotionClinique Deep Dive single shadowTarte Aqualillies Palette (lightest shade in inner corner)Urban Decay Sabbath Liquid LinerBenefit They're Real Mascara 

 

I am telling you, this look took very little time (about 5 minutes) to achieve, as even though Deep Dive is pigmented, it is forgiving. Try out a blue look for yourself, I would love to see it!

 

Eye Of The Day: Clinique Deep Dive

Hey everyone!   For those of you interested in Clinique's Deep Dive shadow that I reviewed recently, or if you are unsure how to wear blue shadow and not make it look totally retro (and not in an ironic way), I did an eye look for you!  

  Besides the attack of the giant eye that has now occupied your screen...look at how pretty Deep Dive can be worn when lightly sheered out into the crease. It still packs a nice color punch though, and can be deepened with two layers or even more!   What I used: Urban Decay Anti-Aging Eye Shadow Primer Potion Clinique Deep Dive single shadow Tarte Aqualillies Palette (lightest shade in inner corner) Urban Decay Sabbath Liquid Liner Benefit They're Real Mascara  

 

I am telling you, this look took very little time (about 5 minutes) to achieve, as even though Deep Dive is pigmented, it is forgiving. Try out a blue look for yourself, I would love to see it!

 

Get Glimmering Gorgeous With BA Star Makeup: Review

**Press sample** Hey everyone! In conjunction with Brandbacker I am thrilled to bring you a review of two products from the company BA Star.  BA Star is a company marketed towards cheerleaders and dancers on a professional level, but that doesn't mean that their affordable makeup can't work for everyone else! 

 The products I received for testing were the Bronze Star Dust ($8.75 for 5 oz.) and the Glue Liquid Shadow Base...labeled as the body shimmer base ($8.75 for 1.5 fl oz.).  Let's start with the base...which is basically an eye shadow primer. 

 

The primer base comes in a simple white tube with a doe foot applicator. This has a slightly tacky feel (reminds me of Too Faced Glitter Glue) but sets to an all day hold.

 

But because these products are meant to perform at an intense level, I decided to test this while line dancing for nearly 5 hours. If you have never been line dancing...it isn't exactly easy. Packed into a tight, hot, country club basically doing non stop cardio makes myself and all of my friends sweat.

 

Yeah, sounds kinda gross but it is extremely fun.

 

To my happy surprise, the BA body shimmer base held the BA Star Dust (below) on the whole night. It may not have been a cheer leading competition, but it passed my test!

 

 

The other product sent for review was the Bronze Star Dust loose mineral shadow. These are very similar to Bare Minerals and other mineral shadows and Bronze is a glittery dark gold color with a shimmery finish.

 

 

Here is a swatch of the base alone on the left. The Star Dust alone in the middle, and the two products combined on the right. You can use the Star Dust alone for a milder effect, or combine it with the base to really amp it up!

 

 

So let me break it down... Cons: A little messy to apply, because it is obviously a loose shadow. Not going to win any awards for packaging or naming... Pros: The base and shadow merged stay on through whatever life throws at you, are cheap, and are made for facing up to heat and sweat.  Overall I think that BA Star is a really fun company that will now be on my radar. They also have more adventurous colors if bronze just isn't your thing. Also, if you know a younger girl in dance, gymnastics, or cheer leading, this is a great line for them but we can always keep this as a secret for ourselves! ALSO: BA Star has been so kind to give my readers a discount on the Star Dust shadows. If you are interested in checking them out, visit here!! The discount code is BBDUST and it is for 50% off! Valid until Sept. 30th. Thanks for reading! 

Get Glimmering Gorgeous With BA Star Makeup: Review

**Press sample**   Hey everyone! In conjunction with Brandbacker I am thrilled to bring you a review of two products from the company BA Star.   BA Star is a company marketed towards cheerleaders and dancers on a professional level, but that doesn't mean that their affordable makeup can't work for everyone else!  

  The products I received for testing were the Bronze Star Dust ($8.75 for 5 oz.) and the Glue Liquid Shadow Base...labeled as the body shimmer base ($8.75 for 1.5 fl oz.).   Let's start with the base...which is basically an eye shadow primer.  

 

The primer base comes in a simple white tube with a doe foot applicator. This has a slightly tacky feel (reminds me of Too Faced Glitter Glue) but sets to an all day hold.

 

But because these products are meant to perform at an intense level, I decided to test this while line dancing for nearly 5 hours. If you have never been line dancing...it isn't exactly easy. Packed into a tight, hot, country club basically doing non stop cardio makes myself and all of my friends sweat.

 

Yeah, sounds kinda gross but it is extremely fun.

 

To my happy surprise, the BA body shimmer base held the BA Star Dust (below) on the whole night. It may not have been a cheer leading competition, but it passed my test!

 

 

The other product sent for review was the Bronze Star Dust loose mineral shadow. These are very similar to Bare Minerals and other mineral shadows and Bronze is a glittery dark gold color with a shimmery finish.

 

 

Here is a swatch of the base alone on the left. The Star Dust alone in the middle, and the two products combined on the right. You can use the Star Dust alone for a milder effect, or combine it with the base to really amp it up!

 

 

So let me break it down...   Cons: A little messy to apply, because it is obviously a loose shadow. Not going to win any awards for packaging or naming...   Pros: The base and shadow merged stay on through whatever life throws at you, are cheap, and are made for facing up to heat and sweat.   Overall I think that BA Star is a really fun company that will now be on my radar. They also have more adventurous colors if bronze just isn't your thing. Also, if you know a younger girl in dance, gymnastics, or cheer leading, this is a great line for them but we can always keep this as a secret for ourselves!   ALSO: BA Star has been so kind to give my readers a discount on the Star Dust shadows. If you are interested in checking them out, visit here!!   The discount code is BBDUST and it is for 50% off! Valid until Sept. 30th.   Thanks for reading!  

I'm Back!

I missed you guys, and I (hope) some of you missed me too! If you were wondering why I stopped posting, it was because I went on vacation! I want to show you a little round-up of my amazing trip with my family. 

 If you wanna see more pictures, just click the jump!All of the photos of Hawaii are not photo-shopped (except for the text and watermarks, obviously) so you guys can see that I can actually take decent pictures!  

 

I am pretty sure this is one of the most beautiful places in the world!

 

 

 

 

It's a turtle!!

 

 

We had a gorgeous view the last night of our trip!

 

 

Now, a sneak peek of what I bought...just a few of the things. Reviews on the cosmetics are coming up!

 

 

The gorgeous earrings on the left are called Job's tears, and they are harvested in parts of Maui, and were made by a local woman. Super pretty. And of course I had to stop by the Walgreens to see if they had anything different/cooler than California. I found this green apple and caramel chap stick! The tassel necklace is a yoga necklace I picked up in upcountry.

 

 

There are too many cute Hello Kitty things in Hawaii to not impulse buy! I also love the little handmade Hamsa and infinity bracelets I bought.

 

 

Look at the super cute Panda scrubby brush my momma bought me! Perfect for the blog! I also picked up a ton of earrings and another bracelet.

 

 

This is not Hawaiian at all, but I picked up the Josie Maran Argan Moisturizer and Cheek Jelly because tax in Hawaii is SO cheap!

 

I also picked up a few more local cosmetic items that I will be showing off soon. Glad to be back! Have you ever visited the islands?