My Top 5 Most Used Products of 2017

Welcome back fellow makeup lovers!

Today, I wanted to share my top 5 most used products for the year 2017. I have tried so many products this past year that I was able to reach VIB Rouge status at Sephora in 10 months! And that's not counting the drugstore products that I accumulated too since I live near a Superstore (so bad for my wallet LOL 😄). Anyway, these contain mini reviews, but if you wanted swatches or in-depth reviews for any of these, feel free to comment below and I will be more than happy to do so. 

#5 Pixi Glow Tonic

This Glycolic Acid toner helped my skin so much over the past year. It helped me with my breakouts especially during summer and it kept my skin feeling smoother over time. Although this toner is very expensive for something from the drugstore (around $40 CAD!), even with everyday use a bottle will still last you 8 months to a year plus it is effective. Now I know why this is a cult favorite or so many years. 

#4 Koh Gen Do Aqua Foundation

This is my go-to foundation since I got this in late 2016 as a gift from my sis when she went to Japan. I could use this on any season (summer to winter) and it will still perform the same. I just need to change my primer depending on what my skin condition is. This is very lightweight (you could hardly feel this on your face!), doesn't break me out even if I use it frequently and it gives the perfect light-medium coverage for everyday use. This also has SPF 25 PA++ which is nice especially since I use Vitamin C on my skincare routine. Shade 213 is perfect for me too which is a bonus since this foundation has a very limited shade range. I don't know what I would do when this run out because it is not available here in Canada.  

 #3 The Balm In The Balm Of Your Hand Vol. I Palette

I know this specific palette is limited edition and that there's a Vol. II now, but all of the items in this palette are in their permanent line so you can get them individually if you want to. This is one of the 3 palettes that I brought with me when I moved here in Canada. I know that I won't be able to bring my whole makeup collection and I knew this would be the best choice because everything I need to create a look is in here. The only item I wasn't able to use much are the lip products and the eyeshadows Lead Zeppelin & Insane Jane. The rest are used on a daily basis even when I have already built a new makeup collection here. These powder products got pigment, staying power and blendability. Consistent good quality performance every time. 

#2 Wet n Wild Megaslick Balm Stains

As you can see in the picture, these are well loved. I have used these lip stains for 3 years now and I keep on repurchasing. They are long lasting, non-drying and very affordable. What more could you ask for, right? If you really wanted a no fuss lip color that you can wear and forget about for a couple of hours, this is meant for you. I never worried about feathering or transferring on my teeth or fading unevenly. That is why this is my go-to lip product if I know I don't have enough time to re-touch and look in the mirror frequently.   

*My fave color is Made You Pink for everyday

#1 Marcelle Micellar Water

I can't count anymore how many bottles I've used up since I came here. This is the best makeup remover I've used! It is so gentle that it doesn't sting my eyes but it is so heavy duty that it can remove even waterproof mascaras. It doesn't irritate my skin or strip it with moisture, no breakouts too. Although this is not cheap compared to other micellar water available at the drugstore (around $20 CAD) but this the only cruelty free brand I can find here and it is so effective that I don't mind paying the price. I just wait for sales and hoard as many bottles I can get haha I never ran out of backups. Love the dispenser too, it makes getting just the right amount of product on the cotton pad faster.

Thank you so much for dropping by today! My next posts would be about my thoughts on the 2017 Holiday Collection/Limited edition releases. I know some of them are already out of stock but there are some that are still being sold at Sephora and on lower pricing too. Please watch out for that, and I will try to upload those in the following days. 😊  

XOXO,

Review: NARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation

Hello everyone! Happy Hearts Day to all of you! :)

Today, I am going to review one of NARS foundation. This is the 1st NARS foundation that I have tried so I don't have anything to compare it to. I have been testing this for a couple of months now, I use it every weekend when I go out. I haven't been wearing any makeup on a daily basis for 6 months now because I work night shift & I usually prefer to sleep in than wake up early to get ready haha. Anyway, I was able to avail a 5ml sample of the NARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation in Ceylan late last year. Someone was selling 5ml sample sizes of her high end foundations for less than Php500 so I decided to grab the chance & try this foundation since I have been curious with it for so long. I just can't get myself to spend more than 2k for a bottle of foundation that I'm not sure if it will work for me as this has a lot of mixed reviews online. 

 This 5ml bottle costs Php 450

Per NARS website: 

"Full, natural-looking coverage with unexpectedly weightless, 16-hour wear. Highly pigmented and perfectly balanced, this breakthrough formula builds and blends effortlessly with just one drop—the result of exclusive innovation uniquely designed to deliver long-wearing full coverage, weightlessly. Shake, pump and blend in sections for complete coverage that's completely natural looking."

This has 20 shades available.

Comes in a 1oz bottle with a pump.

WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THIS FOUNDATION:

- Buildable medium to full coverage that still keeps it lightweight feel. Even if I build it up to full coverage, it doesn't feel heavy on my skin. I usually forget I was wearing anything on my face because my skin feels it can still "breathe"

- I love the consistency. A small drop can cover my whole face & it will give medium coverage too. This 5ml bottle still has a lot of usage left since I just need to use a small amount each time.

- Doesn't irritate my sensitive skin. I didn't itch & break out. Although I'm not sure if that's because I didn't use it everyday, but still it didn't cause me to have any acne right after use which sometimes happens to me when I use heavy foundations.

- It doesn't smell like paint. This has a very light scent to it & it doesn't bother me.

- Hygienic. If you buy the full size bottle, it has a pump! We all know NARS foundations don't come with pumps and you need to buy a separate one. But this one already has one & it disperses half a drop so that you have control on the amount of product to use.

- This looks very natural on me because the finish is demi-matte, it still looks like my skin but better specially if under natural lighting.

 1 layer of the foundation

- It doesn't control my oils especially on my T-zone (I do get oily after the 3hrs mark) but luckily it just looks dewy looking and does not make me look like a grease-ball

- NARS is a cruelty free brand even though it has a parent company that is not. This is a personal preference so do bear in mind that personally it is okay with me as long as it is proven that the brand itself doesn't test on animals.

Here's some shots in natural lighting with full face of makeup:

Foundation is set with Ben Nye Banana powder for added oil control.


WHAT I DON'T LIKE:

- This clings to dry patches like no other. I have combination oily skin & this tends to cling to the dry skin on my cheeks, on the sides of my nose & in between my eyebrows. It doesn't look good.

- This also settles on my crater-like acne scars & fine lines around the eyes making them more obvious.

- This doesn't have a great oil control which I really need since I work for long hours and I live in a place where it has humid weather most of the time.

- This oxidizes on me! Ceylan is a shade or 2 lighter than my skin tone upon application but this gets darker as the day goes on. I usually look a shade or 2 darker after 8-10 hours which made me look "dirty" and uneven since my neck is lighter than my face.

- Sometimes give a masked effect on flash photography even though it doesn't have any SPF. I look too white like a geisha :(

Low lighting with flash photography from cellphone

-This foundation slides around on my face especially on my nose area whenever I am wearing my glasses which is 98% of the time.

- this is expensive.


OVERALL VERDICT:  3.5/5

I do love it because it is very lightweight & my skin feels comfortable when wearing it plus it doesn't make me breakout. I will definitely wear this foundation if I'm just going out for a short time & I am not getting photographed on low light situations like inside a bar. This is definitely for people with normal skin type & wants a natural looking foundation.


WILL I BUY THIS AGAIN? No. I don't think I am willing to spend that much money on a foundation that only looks great for a few hours. I tend to be out around 10-12 hours per day & I want my makeup looking fresh  until I need to remove it at the end of the day. My BB creams tend to last & wear better than this one. Also, this oxidizes badly on me. I don't think this is great in humid weather since it melts quite easily.


What about you? Have you tried this foundation yet? What are your favorite cruelty free foundations that is good for oily skin & summer? Please share them with me on the comment section below ^_^


Thank you so much for dropping by!