Foundation Routine: Shiseido + Rimmel

hey all :)

hope everyone's having a good weekend so far!!

so after playing around with my new shiseido dual balancing foundation (#B20), and trying to get it to work (with diff. brushes, powders, etc.), I have come up with the 'HG method' for making it work. I didn't like it as much before, but damn, do I love it now!! It has become my HG liquid foundation. Here's da method!

1. Apply a tiny (and i stress tiny!! you don't need a lot for it to work!) amount of the foundation on your MAC 189 brush. Blend away. Apply a bit more to areas that need more help :)

2. Set foundation with a flat brush ( I use the Italian Badger one; you can get it off coastalscents.com), using my HG pressed powder by Rimmel; Stay Matte in Translucent.


and you're done!!! :) easy, eh!! Well, I guess you could use this method with any foundation you may have. And try out the Rimmel powder!! It's cheap and amazing!!! ( I love it more than previous more expensive powders I've used; this one was only $4!!!). Oh, and that MAC 189 brush isn't all that necessary, but it does make a major difference. I tried using the standard foundation brush (MAC 190) and it did not work. Same goes for using the MAC 189 (that skunk looking brush, yeah you know what i'm talking about ;) and my fingers, but the 189 reigned supreme!!

Hope this helps someone out!

Lina

P.S: I only got the 189 brush a long time ago because a very awesome Youtube Guru named ChefCaffy showed it in one of her videos. Check her out if you don't already know her!!! :D

Pür Minerals Haul + Review

I got this off of The Shopping Channel (Canada's version of Home Shopping Channel). They always have a great deal whenever Pür Minerals comes to town. This entire set cost me $69.99, which at TSC retails reguarly for $129.99. Yeah...

So, here's what it comes with, and my thoughts on each item:

4-in-1 Pressed Mineral Powder (0.28oz/8g)
*see review below

4-in-1 Mini Pressed Mineral Powder (0.15oz/4.3g) :
a mini travel-size version of the foundation; great for on the go.

3-in-1 Universal Pencil with Brush in Cocoa Topaz
This is smudge/waterproof. Can be used as a eyeliner, lipliner (way too dark for that, for me...) and to fill in your eyebrows. I really like it!

Natural Calcite Lip Pencil
I LOVE this liner. Both this and Universal Pencil have a twist cap; which is great for traveling! This color suits my lips perfectly, and it lasts all day on me!! No need to reapply!

Marble Powder in Spice
This is the multi-colored powder for the face, that can be used for the eyes and cheeks. It's a lovely natural color if you need a bit of color on your cheeks. Just apply lightly; I ended up looking like Bozo the Clown the first time I used this.

Lip Gloss in Spiced Barite
The consistency of this gloss is nice; moisturizing and light. And really pearlized looking. I personally think it didn't look good on my skintone, so I gave it to my mom :)

Revitalizing Wash (4fl.oz/120ml)
Have yet to try this out. I usually don't venture out when it comes to my HG Obagi Cleanser, so I might just give this away to my mom again lol.

Chisel Brush
This is the brush that is recommended when applying their 4-in-1 Pressed Mineral Powder. I have tried applying their foundation with other brushes (mostly MAC), but this one is the best (duh...it was made for this purpose hehe). You don't need a lot of it; you just dip it into the powder, swirl it around on the inside cap, and apply on the face.
Utility Brush
This brush is specifically made for those "hard to reach" areas (around the nose, the eye corners...etc). It's super soft, and works great for this purpose.


Powder Brush
The powder brush was made for "layers Pür Minerals specialty mineral powders over their 4-in-1 Pressed Mineral Powder. It's soft, and fluffy. Great for applying their Marble Powder.

And now, I'm going to review one of my favorite foundations of all time. The Pür Minerals 4-in-1 Pressed Mineral Makeup Foundation With SPF 15 is amazing. Here's my review on it:

Ingredients:

Active Ingredient:
Titanium Dioxide 8%
Inactive Ingredients:
Mica, Boron Nitride, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Bismuth Oxychloride, Zinc Stearate, Magnesium Silicate, Magnesium Carbonate, Silica, Shea Butter (Butyrospermum Parkii), Tocopheryl Acetate, Iron Oxides

I've been using every kind of foundation you can imagine for the past 8 years, and have tried every brand you can imagine [ Bobby Brown, Lancome, Chanel, Dior, Shiseido, MAC, Estee Lauder, Clinique, Maybelline, Revlon, just to name a few....], and needless to say, they didn't work. If they looked good in the beginning, they would disappear in a few hours, or they didn't cover my flaws. Basically, I have always been searching for my HG Foundation, and I have come to find it , finally.

I had seen the informercials on television, and never thought much about Pur Minerals. I didn't give it a try until I read the great reviews here. So, I bought it off their website, and in the shade "Light", which was a perfect match for my pale skin. It blends in perfectly, and I use the Body Shop Face/Body brush with it, and it works great.

It's really hard to explain how amazing it is, but here goes! When you apply it on, it may look a bit powdery, but after a few minutes, it does settle into your skin's natural oils. The best way I can describe it is that it doesn't look like you're wearing any foundation. It let's your skin show, and covers all the "issues" you may have flawlessly, without looking like you put on 3 layers of concealer. It's just amazing! And it takes me about 2-3 minutes to buff it on my skin [ I tend to take longer..maybe I just love how the brush feels on my skin?? haha]. It also does not break out my sensitive skin, and it does not smell like anything, thankfully.

On a final note, I decided to switch back to liquid foundation for a bit, stating how much I missed it, and when I had it on, the entire time I wanted to take it off and put on my Pur Minerals!! And I haven't gone back since, to be honest!!
This is the best foundation I have ever used. I feel so natural and flawless in it. It is a miracle, and its not too pricey! Give it a try!!

If you're interested, here is the color chart. You can order their stuff off their website, www.purminerals.com


And if you want to try it out, I recommend getting this starter kit, found here.
You get the following things in it:

• 4-in-1 Pressed Mineral Makeup
• Mineral Glow
• Universal Marble Powder in Pink
• The Chisel Makeup Brush
  

Here's a great video by Michelle Phan, who uses their products. Check it out! :)

And remember, Pür Minerals does NOT test its products on animals :o)

Missha - M Perfect Cover B.B Cream (No.21)

According to the front of this product, it reads:

"MISSHA M Perfect Cover B.B Cream offers a novel skincare concept with B.B Cream, which lightens skin tone by healing visible wrinkles and blemishes with excellent skin-cover ability, and prevents skin aging through effective whitening and anti-wrinkle properties"

The product has a SPF 42 PA+++


I got mine off of ebay, here is the seller I got it from (they are located in Korea; I highly recommend them. They offer fast shipping, and the prices are decently cheap!)

http://stores.ebay.com/Healthy-Skin-Care-Shop_W0QQcolZ4QQdirZ1QQfsubZQ2d999QQftidZ2QQtZkm

I've been using this B.B cream for a few days now. I'm hoping that it won't break me out (and if it does, expect another post on here!!). The consistency of it is quiet thick upon application. I don't like to use my fingers for this, so I rely on using my MAC 187 Brush. You don't need a lot of product to cover your entire face. I use about a dime's worth, and the MAC 187 makes it a fast process to apply it with. Now, keep in mind, you MUST set this thing with a loose powder, or it will look really dewy. If your skin is slightly oily after a while, this is important too. The B.B cream is also water resistant, I have found. So you will need a heavy duty cleanser to get this thing off (I use the Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil, and it does just that). The smell, well, you either hate it or love it. I don't mind it. But keep in mind the smell does not go away for quiet some time. Even after an hour after application, I could still smell it, but it doesn't bother me.

You can purchase this particular B.B Cream in a 30mL (as I did- just to see how it was) or a 50mL tube, which comes with a pump. Mine doesn't have one, but it's OK!

The coverage is medium. I did have to go back with some concealer on top of this for more obvious red spots. But, that's fine by me. The end look of this product is very natural! I love how youthful and clear it makes my skin look. It also makes it glow too, and it doesn't look like you're wearing a ton of foundation, or that you spend the entire day caking your face with powder. I love this B.B Cream for this effect the most.


I would recommend this for anyone experiencing skin issues. I think that if you like a natural look, and a quick application, then this is a good thing to try out. Just bear in mind that this only comes in 2 shades; #21 (fair) and #23 (natural). The #21 is more lighter than the #23, and I think the #23 would suit people with the range of NC20-25. If you would like to know more about this product, Bubzbeauty (youtuber) made a terrific video on it. Do check it out!!

:) hope this helps!!

Shiseido • Maquillage Climax Moisture Powdery Foundation AW

After trying out almost every foundation known to mankind (high and low end brands), I decided to venture out into Asian brands, instead of the usual Western brands. I discovered Shiseido's Maquillage line, and decided to get their pressed powders. Keeping in mind that most brands (this includes Chanel) color ranges (their lightest) are even too dark for mine. Not drastically, but dark enough for me to see it, and I'm sure for others as well. I found my perfect shade in OC00 (the Maquillage line for this foundation comes in 6 shades), and it blends PERFECTLY into my skin. It is truly amazing. It covers my uneven skin tone (i apply my favourite Lise Watier Portfolio concealer under it for areas that need more concealing) and glid this on top with the sponge that comes in it. Needless to say, even the sponge is great quality! The pressed powder itself is silky and glides on like butter!! It doesn't make me look like I'm wearing a ton of foundation; it's very natural looking. And you don't need a lot of this stuff, a little does go a long ways! Just don't overdo it, or it can look obvious (I usually just brush my MAC 189 on top of it to blend everything out).
Oh, and did I mention it DOESN'T break out my ultra sensitive skin?! Everytime I try out a new foundation (liquid, cream, powder, you name it) my skin tends to thank me in return with a huge zit. And this is not the case with this foundation! This is truly my HG!!!

Also, I got the LE Christopher Kane case version, (black case with sparkles on top) but the original is a cute pink case. Same pressed powder though!

Hope this helps!! :)



Christopher Kane with all the lovely Maquillage models.