Review: Maybelline BB For Oily Skin

Like the rest of you i went a bit mad when Maybelline had their sale, i picked up their Dream Pure BB 8 in 1 BB Cream (for oily skin) which is the one with the blue cap.I have mentioned in previous posts that I'm a fan of BB creams as they work really well for my skin and I don't like heavy coverage. As it is this BB cream is quite god, though I'm afraid I'm not quite as wild about it as many reviews I have seen, and the reason for this is that while it's good, quite good in fact, I'm not fond of the packaging as it feels very "teen" and the texture on the container is a bit unpleasant to touch and i dislike the screw on lid and lack of a tapered tip so i often end up with a lot of extra product.

Having said that the product is actually quite good, the smell is a little "chemical: and I assume this is the salic acid contained in the product, but when it's on the skin it can't be detected. The shade is a little ashy which is similar to the Ponds BB cream I reviewed (here), this works quite well on cool toned pale girls but might be a bit off for those with warmer tones to their skin. It's a medium coverage and sometimes I find I don't need any concealer for my lighter blemishes or freckles, and stays put for a good 6 hours and up to 8 with powder on top. 

A unfortunate effect however is that when I use this particular bb cream after about 4 hours my forehead (and nothing else) gets very oily and kind of icky, powder on top does help somewhat but not enough for me to repurchase this particular BB cream, at the moment I will use this one up and then go back to the Ponds bb Cream.

WIN: Good consistency, Not too expensive, Good undertones for pale girls
 LOOSE: Cheap looking/feeling packaging, chemical smell, oily on forehead, and screw top cap
 REPURCHASE: No
AVAILABILITY: Priceline $13.99

Review: Pond's Flawless White BB+

Now you may know that I'm a fan of bb creams, and i was a fan tinted moisturizers before BB creams were a thing. So unlike some people it doesn't bother me when a new BB cream comes out and it is little more then tinted moisturizer, that's cool with me, so long as it does what i need it to do: even out my complexion, match my skin tone, not look like cake, not sink into pores, and not make me break. For the most part this isn't too difficult, for about a year my go to product was the Garnier BB oil free miracle skin perfecter, and it worked pretty damn well. It was however quite thin and the new packaging meant a lot of product flowed out of the tube and made things quite messy. Over time it also seemed to take a bit of an orange tint, not sure if the formula changed or i just got paler but there came a time when i really wasn't as impressed with it as in the past.

BB creams being a weakness for me i became very excited when i saw the shiny and pink new Pond's stand go up at my local Priceline, and then my excitement immediately plummeted again when i saw the one product my eyes had locked onto, the bb cream was not available and according to the shop assistant would be available when it was available. Not helpful. So i checked back every few days and no luck, so i went to Melbourne for my trip and there it was. Yay!

The product is great, even though i got the Illamasqua skin base at around the same time i have used this much more because i really don't like using full coverage everyday. I had terrible acne as a teen and used to cover it up, now i can't stand having heavy foundation on and fear the cake look of my high school days. This doesn't do that. It is very similar to the Watsons BB Collagen Cream ,even which i reviewed a while ago. It has the same thickness and the same creamy consistency and even similar packaging. I really liked Watsons and I really like this one too.

The opening is  a narrow tube, similar to the Garnier BB but the product isn't as liquid so it doesn't leak out, and is quite easy to control how much of the product you want to squeeze out, the case is quite soft so that isn't a problem either. There is no strong scent, if i stick my nose up to the only way i could describe the smell is "clean" but i can't really smell it on me so there is no irritation. It comes in two shades and there is also a Mature Age version which i got for mum and it seems pretty similar. 

The version we have here is Australia is SPF 15, but i know for a fact the US had a SPF 30 version, so that makes total sense that the place known for it's massive sunlight and rising rate of skin cancer gets the lesser SPF version. Mind boggling.

The craziness aside it's a around medium coverage in terms of BB creams, but probably sheer verging on medium when compared to full on foundation. For me it lasts 8 hours when set with a powder and then i usually wash it off but it seems to hold on pretty well as i don't really notice much wear. It's quite easy to blend and i would recommend using fingers or a wide haired stippling brush, I always apply this with my Real Techniques one because i don't like getting my fingers dirty but finger application works great too.

Oh it also claims to whiten skin, but meh, i have not seen evidence of that, wasn't expecting it to, and that's not why i got it. So if your looking to whiten skin i don't think it's good for that. Although i will say it does have a somewhat bright-ning effect. As for oil control it's good for up to 5 hours after that you might start getting some oil coming through but it's not really marketed as such either. I will repurchase this once I'm done with this.

Wearing Ponds Flawless White BB+

WIN: Nice consistency, good delivery system, cute package, not too expensive, brightens complexion

LOOSE: Seems light as if there isn't much product, doesn't whiten.

REPURCHASE: Yes

AVAILABILITY: Priceline $13.99

Review: Revlon Photoready BB Cream

Hey all, after my disappointment with the L'Oreal BB cream i didn't want to go back to Garnier immediately so i looked around for something new to have a go at and came across the new stand of these and their new illuminators. I was pretty excited about it since it's SPF 30!  

It's a very sheer bb cream but it goes on very easily and you do not need a huge amount to cover your entire face, despite being sheer it's also relatively build able and sits well with powder on top. The everyday result is very smooth and dewy skin which looks very natural. I find that it's not great at controlling oil build up so personally i always use it with a powder but in that respect the oil free Garnier is probably better.

Although I've tried this with stippling brush, sponge and finger application i find using my fingers works best as the other techniques tend to sheer out the already sheer bb cream, plus the warmth in your fingers helps it spread even better.

The consistency is quite light and although it doesn't cover all blemishes,  pores are quite minimized and my face is given a natural and radiant glow. It also smooths out lines and as the name suggests actually is quite good for taking photos. It basically looks natural, bringing out the best in your skins natural beauty. 

Plus as i mentioned at the start it's SPF 30 so if you hate putting on sunscreen on under your makeup (like me) this might be a good choice, it doesn't have any real scent except the very faintest smell of sunscreen but even then i asked my mum to smell it and she didn't notice it so it might just depend how sensitive your nose is, and if that particular scent bothers you.

If it was better at controlling oil then i would happily switch over to this and away from my trusty Garnier but so far no such luck, after i finish this tube though im going to try the bb creams from the new Physicians Formula line.

What's your favorite bb cream?

Review L'Oreal Nude Magique BB Cream

 

Continuing with our exploration of the L'Oreal Nude Magique line, a terrible mouthful it is I might add. Today we have the BB Cream of this line and I was looking forward to this a lot, my mum loved the hell out of it and swears it's her new HG foundation/bb cream. (Mum and I made the switch from heavy foundation to tinted moisturizers to the new bb creams which are mostly the same thing). Mum would tell me how awesome and amazing this was and all I could say was "but o haven't finished my other two bb creams yet, I can't justify this!"

 

But circumstance intervened and I got very close to finishing the two I had and gave away one of my backups to a makeup-less friend, the stars aligned and there it was waiting for me, I picked it up, I brought it home, I excitedly washed my face to give it a try, It was really different; when you first open the cap the cream inside is white with tiny grey/blue capsules that pop as you rub them in.

 

 

 

 

And then....ehh. I wanted so bad to love it, but it turned orange on me! Not just a little orange, a terrible brown-orange that even my best powder could do nothing against. I picked up the lightest shade they had available and it was still orange. A terrible disappointment, I have my eye on the new Revlon bb cream coming out this week but I suspect that the oil-free Garnier will continue to remain my go to face coverage.

 

I have to say that it is unique, and I know my mum well enough to know this product must work on her for her to praise it so much (she's repurchased it twice already) so if your not albino white or baby pink and have any tan on you at all, it might work for you, it might be your new favorite foundation of all time and you will mock and laugh at us pale girls, I hope so, I wanted to love it.

 

Giving the bottle to mum tomorrow. Sad face.

 

 

 

Have you tried it, or has a bb cream ever disappointed you so badly?



Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector BB Comparison

So i picked up the new Garnier Oil Free Miracle Skin Perfector earlier this week and have been using it all week long so i feel fully armed and ready to discuss the differences between the products. 

Let me start by saying that I was one of the people who liked the original, though I also know a lot of people had issues with it. I've re purchased it about three times and for all of last year it was my go to "foundation" as i don't like having anything too heavy on my face (if i can help it) so i usually stick to tinted moisturizers or  (more recently) bb creams for my foundation needs. I use a Burjois foundation for any special occasions.

So let's take a look at what's different; obviously the packaging. The regular version is a shorter but chubbier tube and has 10ml extra of product, while the oil-free version is a long thin tube that's much smoother and technically has less product (though due to consistency differences this isn't a huge issue)

The applicator top has also changed and this makes a lot of sense as the new oil-free versions is much more liquid-like in it's consistency and would go everywhere if it still had the same applicator as it's predecessor.

Though i have seen some of the first round of releases pictures of the new oil-free version which did include the older applicator but it seems this was quickly changed, hence if you got yours early on it might have a different applicator to mine. Also the original has a click top which i liked since it meant i was less likely to loose the lid where as the new one is a screw top. ( I prefer the click top)

As the photo demonstrates the older version was much thicker and closer in consistency to a traditional bb cream where as the new oil-free version is (oddly) the one which is more liquid like, and as you can see, although the colors are the same "light/clear" versions, the oil-free is a tad more yellow in color  but both blend out to match my skin tone just fine.

Because of the liquid consistency you need a relatively tiny amount to cover your whole face where as you need more of the cream from the original one to achieve the same level of cover.

When it comes to actual coverage the new one is closer to medium cover and yet it feels much lighter then the original which (still not incredibly heavy) had more heft to it but showed your skin more and was closer to a light coverage.

Overall as much as i loved the original and still have almost a whole new tube to go through I'm changing over to the oil free version, it stays on for much longer and doesn't oxidize, plus it feels so much smoother on my face almost like a faintly velvet texture. Highly recommended for oily or combination skin as it has a matter finish as well.

If I'm just going out to the shops to grab some food i would probably use the original as I don't need a lot of cover or for it to be long lasting, but for anything other then a jog to the shop i recommend switching to the new oil free version. Also if you hated the first one i highly recommend trying this one. 100% converted for me.

Let me know what you think if you have tried either one? 

Also it's my birthday tomorrow so I don't know if i will manage to get a post up as i usually like to do on a Saturday. If not see you late in the week!

Unexpected Haul

Allo, this is as the title says an unexpected haul. Wasn't planning on doing it but when destiny decides to place a whole bunch of products in my lap i feel that i should show them off, as they will undoubtedly be the target of some reviews in the following few weeks ad this way if anyone wants to see a particular review first i can focus on that.

The best part of this haul is that i only spent 75c on it (today). So let's take a look see;

First up the item I'm probably most excited about arrived early this morning via post were my
Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains in Honey (since it's clearly already the favorite for a MLBB), Smitten as it's supposedly the most long lasting of the set, and Cherish because it's a shimmery plum and that's what i like. I couldn't wait for the damn things to show up here and knowing they would be two or three times as expensive; hence i ordered them here on ebay from a seller named SurfinJunkie.

When i purchased them they were only $7 each but appear to have have up to $10 now, still better then anything you will find here, and i don't even know when they will be out. Last i heard it was November. But who knows right? Upside is the seller also included the Wet'n'Wild lipstick that you can see there, which was a cool sunrise. It's a bright pink coral shade but doesn't seem to have a name, I'm not too familiar with this range so I'm not sure if that's normal.But awesome seller, I've not come across an ebay seller who does this before.

In addition i got my Priceline Beauty Bucks credit thing last week and after some consideration decided to buy the Dove products they had on special (a 3 for 2 type deal) but as you may or may not have read on my twitter they decided to be ....unprofessional at a certain store and wouldn't let me buy it. I have since complained about that particular store to the company.

So the Dove deal run out yesterday and i couldn't get in before then to get the deal at any other store so i reconsidered my needs and wants and settled on the new Garnier BB oil/combination cream and the Essence eyebrow styling kit.

I picked the bb cream because i have the previous non oily/combo skin version and have repurchased it twice before as i find it does a very good job for me, but i do suffer from combination skin and so i though this one might be a little better for me. So I'm thinking of doing a comparison post on these two. As for the eyebrow styling kit i have never used any eyebrow products so i thought i would see if i liked it.

Lastly i needed some new pink dye for my hair; hence the Hot Pink Manic Panic pot. My previous dye was a vegetable dye that would need recoloring once a week and that was starting to kill me, so this one is a semi-permanent hot pink and apparently it glows under UV lights. Hopefully this will work well, or at least better then my Crazy Colors dye.

So I'll try these over the next week or so and get back to you, if you have a preference for what you might wanna see first feel free to leave a note below. Have a happy week everyone :)

Super Tired Haul Post!

I feel like today i have leveled up as a blogger; i now own my very first, NARS blush. Also my first high end product i have purchased just for me.

Today the car went in for a service thus giving me and my boyfriend a chance to wonder aimlessly around the city for some three hours hoping the car was not going to cost an arm and leg. Thus after a nice lunch, and some time snooping at geeky Dungeons and Dragons books at Tactics in London Court we made  our way over to some "shiny shops" as i like to call them. That is shops that stock things like  makeup, jewelery, skincare or in general things i find to be pretty and interesting to pretty much only to me.

(Not all of these were purchased at the same time, just came into my possession within a day of each other)

Firstly exploring Myer today i found a Essie polish on sale; LUXEDO a deep plum polish (but nowhere near as dark as Linkin Park After Dark) and as i was not totally thrilled with my jelly mani earlier i decided to grab a glitter fest nailpolish from Chi Chi aptly named "Glitterati". (Attempting my second jelly mani as i type).

Next stop was Target (which btw now stocks MAC eye shadows, but i find the MAC stuff way too intimidating at the moment to venture there). At Target i located the last of the last 24 Hour eye tattoo in "Too Cool". (Still undecided about the taupe)  Others of these were reviewed here.

It was literally the last one on the shelf, everything else was gone except a single orange eye tattoo which by the time i circled back around again was also gone. Not  to mention that I've been checking out Priceline andTargets every time i walk  past them  in the last week or so in hope of finding it, the entire range seems to be sold out across town.

Then my luxury purchase;  (prepare for photo fest)

Love the packaging, and the girls at Mecca were super friendly.

I walked into Mecca cosmetics, thinking I'll take a look at the oh-so-lusted-for NARS Orgasm blush (giggle) and then when i had a try of it i was not really that impressed, i mean it's pretty but it's such a glitter-bomb, crazy shimmer. Not a blush for me, as someone who had to deal with oily skin in my teens I'm not a fan of anything that makes my face shiny. 

But as you can see i clearly didn't leave empty handed, well Orgasm and Super-Orgasm (double giggle) were not my cup of tea, but their sister Deep Throat (giggle) caught my eye and then my heart.

Though i would never normally buy this for the inflated price, the prices aren't hugely different this time ($45) and i wanted a birthday treat. So since my birthday is approaching i got this as a birthday treat for me. 

It's so pretty, I'm a little afraid to touch it.

Oh, almost forgot the other two things i got were from Mum's visit to Hong Kong; a legit bb cream (very eager to try) and a set of scented nail polishes from the Anna Sui range (don't know it, but it's cute). The nail polishes feature Russian dolls on the brush handle and from my little research it seems to be part of a set, i found some more info at this blog here .

So far i tried the purple polish and the grape scent stayed on all night and kept me up; not entirely unpleasant but a little sickening after a while. Not sure if  I'm going to venture into these anytime soon. But cute nonetheless. 

I'll do some swatches and let you know how the products go after some testing. 

UPDATE: Who knew NARS would be an amazing blush?