Review – Page 12 – Leave it to Lea

Glossier Haul Update Review

August 28, 2020August 28, 2020by Lea2 Comments

Hey guys! Today I am back with my Glossier update. I know this was supposed to go up next Tuesday and that’s because today’s post was supposed to be my Boxycharm review. But since my box still hasn’t arrived (need to email customer service about that) I have bumped this review up to today. So without further ado, let’s get into my thoughts on the products.

Glossier, makeup, makeup products, beauty

The first product is the Brow Flick in the shade Brown. I like this brow product! It takes a bit to get used to using it but it does a great job at creating almost hairlike strokes. I will say that if you have sparse brows you might like this better. My brows are naturally pretty thick and I’ve gotten them done recently so they have a nice shape to them. So I don’t need a ton of brow product. But if you don’t have a lot of brow hair, then using the Brow Flick to create all those hairs would be useful. Just make sure that your eyebrow area is clean and dry. I tried applying this after just applying moisturizer and it won’t stay. Overall a great brow product that I will continue to use.

The other brow product is the Boy Brow. I’m honestly still unsure how I feel about this brow gel. Like I said I got my brows done recently. So because of that they nice and neat and I don’t necessarily need a brow gel to hold them in place. I like using a brow gel when they are longer and unruly to help them stay in place. Honestly, I’m not a huge brow gel person to begin with so I’m unsure how much I will use it.

The next product is the Balm Dotcom lip balm. I really like this lip balm! It’s a good consistency where it’s not too thick but still thick enough to moisturize my lips. It leaves my lips feeling soft. The tint isn’t too opaque but I don’t mind that. The mango flavour is perfect because it lingers on the lips but it doesn’t feel like I’m eating mango. The only thing I don’t like is the lack of an applicator. The lip balm comes out of a hole and the surface is too rough to apply it directly to the lips. I find I have to put in on my finger and then rub it on my lips. I wish it had an applicator similar to the Laneige Lip Glowly Balm. That’s my only issue otherwise it’s great.

My favourite product is the Generation G Sheer Matte Lipstick. It’s so similar to my favourite Colourpop lipstick that has been discontinued. It’s the perfect everyday lipstick. It’s sheer enough where it’s not like ‘BAM I’m wearing lipstick’ but it still gives some colour to the lips while also being a matte. It’s a comfortable matte and doesn’t look dry. It’s not very long-lasting in the sense if I eat something there is disappears. But sometimes that’s nice because then you don’t have to worry about having butt-hole lips while eating. Overall I like this lipstick and I will wear this a lot going into the fall.

Two simple makeup looks I did using my Glossier products.

I think my least favourite product is the Wowder. I can’t tell if I just can’t get enough powder on my brush or if it’s just not that good at mattifying. The sifter is this mesh that seems ingenious but it’s hard to get the powder out of. So I push my brush into the mesh and left go to my face and it barely mattifies my face. It does an okay job of setting my under eyes. But not even 30 minutes after I apply the powder I look so greasy and I feel like I have to powder again. It could be that I’m not applying enough so then it’s a bad design. Or it could be that I am applying enough and that this is just not a good mattifying powder. Overall I am pretty disappointed in this powder. I’ll still use it because I don’t want to go through the hassle of returning but I would not recommend this product.

And the final product is the Cloud Paint. This cream blush isn’t bad but I have decided that I like stick cream brushes more. Because it’s in a squeezy tube I have to apply it to my back of my hand and then my face. I just find that is wastes more product that way and then my hand is dirty. I find it easier to use a stick or compact because I can just dip my brush it or swipe it directly on my face. Besides that, the formula isn’t bad. It is easy to blend and lasts long. The first time I accidentally squeezed too much out and applied some to my eyelids and it lasted all day. Also, I have the shade Beam and I just wish it was slightly deeper in tone but that’s a personal preference thing. So overall while the product wasn’t bad I prefer a still form of packaging.

And that is my thoughts on Glossier! Overall while I enjoy the sleek and minimal packaging I find a lot of it annoying – like I wish the packaging was different for 3/6 products. I would say that the lip products are the best out of everything I tried.

Let me know what you guys think! Do you have different opinions on any of these products? Did I not pick up your favourite product from Glossier? Let me know in the comments 🙂

xoxo

Lea

Beauty, Drugstore, Makeup, Review

Battle of the Brow Pencils – Drugstore Edition

August 14, 2020August 13, 2020by Lea2 Comments

Hey guys! Today I am reviewing two drugstore brow pencils. I mentioned in my makeup collection if I wasn’t a blogger post that my brow pencil collection is pretty limited. So I thought it would be interesting to buy some brow pencils and test them out! I did a similar concept in March where I bought some drugstore concealers and just tested them out to see what my favourite was. Sometimes it’s helpful when testing out products to have something to compare to. Let me know if you guys like this type of post and I can make it a series!

brow pencil, eyebrows, drugstore eyebrow pencil, NYX, NYX brow pencil, ELF, ELF brow pencil

Anyways, back to the eyebrows. Now my favourite, holy-grail is the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz. There are a few reasons why I love this brow pencil. First, it’s a very fine tip so I can be very precise with my strokes. Second, it’s not too waxy. I’m not a fan of waxy brow pencils because I have to use more pressure to get any product on my skin. And finally, it has a great shade range so I can find a shade that makes me perfectly. So these were the criteria I was looking for in a brow pencil.

The first that I picked up from the drugstore is the elf Ultra Precise Brow Pencil. I’ve had someone recommend this one to me so I thought it would be a good one to test out. First, it does have a small, precise tip to great hairlike strokes. Second, it does have a pretty good formula. It’s almost too wavy but not quite. I’m able to vary the darkness by adjusting my pressure. The only thing is this is NOT the right shade for me. I got the shade Brunette thinking that would be the right shade for me. But it’s too warm for me. I could probably use the shade Deep Brown but I’m not sure if it was in store. Either way, I’m returning this one because it’s not the right shade. But a very promising brow pencil.

The second brow contender is the NYX Precision Brow Pencil. With a name like precision imagine my surprise when I found out that this brow pencil is actually a large oval and not a tiny circle like I expected. So I was thrown off by the shape but it’s not that difficult to use. I’m still able to create thin, hairlike strokes it’s just different. I can use the wide to be able to fill in my bald spot in my brows pretty well. I got the shade Espresso and it matches me well.

So which brow pencil is the winner? I’m going to say this is a draw. They are both good really good formulas and I think either would be a good option to pick up. The issues I had were both due to me buying the wrong one. I need a different shade in the elf brow pencil. And I think I would prefer the NYX Micro Brow Pencil because it has a smaller tip. But I am going to keep the NYX pencil because it’s still usable and return the elf one because it’s just the wrong shade.

And that is my battle of the brow pencils! Let me know in the comments what your favourite brow pencil is or if there are any you want me to test out.

xoxo

Lea

Beauty, Makeup, Product of the Month, Review

Products of the Month – August 2020

August 11, 2020August 11, 2020by Lea1 Comment

Hey guys! Sorry, this is being posted a little later in the month. Y’all already know I was at my cottage and wanted to post other things before I got this post up. Anyways, let’s get into it!

makeup, beauty, primer, eyebrows, eyebrow pencil, Touch in Sol, IT Cosmetics

The first product I picked for July was the Touch In Sol Pretty Filter Glassy Skin Balm. Man, this is a great primer I forgot how much I loved it! It makes my face look so dewy and glowy. But unlike applying a highlight it also makes my face feel soft and moisturized. I think this would be great to apply even on no-makeup-makeup days because it just makes my skin look healthy. I am so happy that I pulled this one out of my collection, I am going to continue to use it on the regular.

The second product I picked for July was the IT Cosmetics Brow Power in Universal Taupe. I wished I had used this more. But I’m just so faithful to my Brow Wiz that I found myself reaching for it over this one. First I don’t like the shape as much. The brow pencil is a wide oval so it’s not as precise. The other thing I don’t like as much is that because it’s universal I have to apply so much pressure to make it dark enough to match my brows. My brows are quite dark, they’re almost black, so a universal dark is just hard to match. But I will say that at least the taupe undertone matches me well. I’ll try and use it more but it doesn’t replace my favourite.

beauty, makeup, eyeshadow, eyeshadow palette, lip gloss, Alamar Cosmetics, NARS

Now for my August products. First I picked the Alamar Cosmetics Reina Del Caribe Vol.1 Eyeshadow Palette. This palette just screams summer to me. So I thought it would be fun to use it to create a few more fun summer looks before the season is over. I also used this palette to create a look a couple of years ago and I thought it would be fun to recreate it as well!

The second product I picked is a NARS Lip Gloss. I have no idea what shade it is because the sticker fell off. But I’ve had this lip gloss for a while and I’ve used it quite a bit. Hoping that I can some use out of it this month and maybe (probably won’t but I can hope) finish it! Going to try and wear this non-stop.

And those are my products for August! Let me know in the comments what your favourite eyebrow pencil is because I want to test out a bunch of different brow pencils to find the best one.

xoxo

Lea

Beauty, Boxycharm, Makeup, Review, Skincare

July Boxycharm 2020

August 7, 2020August 7, 2020by LeaLeave a Comment

Hey guys! Sorry, this post is so late this time. My Boxycharm arrived the day I left for my cottage so I wasn’t able to open it until I came back. This review is more of a first impression since I didn’t get much time to test the products. I will leave a note in my August Boxycharm if my thoughts changed on any of these products once I have tested them more.

boxycharm, makeup, makeup products, skincare, beauty

The first product is The Creme Shop Next Gen Blender Set. I’m going to test this out more but after only using them twice I don’t think I will like these. They double in size when they get wet and are soft. But they soak up all my product! These sponges look dirtier than my other sponges because they absorbed so much product. I also found when I was applying my concealer it would lift off my foundation. I also tried to blend out a cream bronzer and that was a mess. So far these are a pass. Price: Okay here’s the weird thing. Boxycharm’s card says the set is $22 while The Creme Shop’s website says $12… interesting.

The next product is the StudioMakeup Endurance Cream Eyeshadow. I’ve only used this once but so far I like it. It’s basically liquid sparkles. There isn’t a base colour to it so in the future I would apply this over top of gold eyeshadow. It was easy to apply and dried quickly. This is similar to the Stila glitters that were popular a couple of years ago. Overall I think this is cute. I won’t use it every day because I don’t wear glitter every day. But it’s an easy way to apply glitter for when I do want it. Price: $25 US

Up next is the Alamar Cosmetics Birthday Suit Lip Gloss. This is a limited edition which is a shame because this is beautiful. It’s a gorgeous pink lip gloss with a subtle amount of purple glitter. It looks great by itself or applied on top of another lip product. This lip gloss is shiny and thick but isn’t goopy. It wears a decent amount of time as well. I think this is going to be my new favourite lip gloss. Price: $15 US

The skincare product this month is the Clear Skin Club Vitamin C Brightening Booster. I’ve never heard of this brand before but excited to test this serum out. I obviously need to test this serum out to really have an opinion. I can smell the green tea in this, which is fine by me because that’s a pleasant scent. My other Vitamin C serum makes my face look dewy and glowy. This one dries down completely and almost matte. I will test this other and leave a more in-depth review in my August post. Price: $50

The final product is the Ace Beaute Bronzed in Paradise Palette. I am so happy to have received this product. You guys know that I like this brand. Now you guys know that I’m not a huge fan of one palette for all skin tones. But a lot of times I won’t use all the shades. BUT I prefer a bronze palette over a bronze and highlight palette. It’s really hard to use highlighting powders that are the wrong shade for me. But with bronzers, I can just use the deeper shades as eyeshadows! I was able to use this palette to do an eyeshadow look and bronze my face. These powders are amazing. They are the perfect level of pigmentation and last long on the face. And the packaging is beautiful! Price: $30

The overall value of the box is $142 according to Boxycharm and $132 according to my research. Either way, I think this was a pretty good box! I love everything except for the sponges. And I much rather love four products and hate one than have a bunch of mehs. Let me know what you guys think in the comments!

xoxo

Lea

Beauty, Drugstore, Makeup, Review

My Makeup Collection if I wasn’t a makeup collector

July 28, 2020July 21, 2020by Lea1 Comment

Hey guys! So I’ve seen this makeup trend go around and I believe it started with Jamie Paige’s video where she narrowed down her makeup collection if she wasn’t an influencer. I thought this would be a great idea to do because I always have friends who ask me what for recommendations. I decided to limit myself to 15 products. I also tried to choose drugstore products because realistically if I didn’t blog about makeup I probably wouldn’t buy as many high-end products. So here are my 15 products!

Primer – Revlon PhotoReady Prime Plus Brightening + Skin-Tone Evening

I need a primer. This Revlon one is a great dupe for my Dr. Brandt Pore No More Luminzing one so that’s why I picked this one! It makes my skin look glowy and helps prime my skin for foundation. It’s so glowy that on more natural days I could skip highlight and just use this.

2. Foundation – Smashbox Studio Skin 15 Hour Hydrating Foundation

I love foundation and I have a variety of foundations from matte to dewy, light coverage to full coverage. So I decided to pick on that is right in the middle. This Smashbox foundation has medium coverage and is a natural finish. I could use more primer to make my skin dewier or apply more powder if I wanted my skin to be matte. This foundation is also long-wearing so I don’t have to worry about it fading on me.

3. Concealer – NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer

I don’t think is a surprise to anyone who has followed me for a while. This is my favourite concealer, of course I have to pick it! Once again this concealer has medium coverage and a natural finish. I can adjust the coverage by applying more or less concealer. There is a reason why this concealer is so many people’s holy grail concealer!

4 + 5. Powder – Maybelline Fit Me Matte + Poreless and Hourglass Veil Translucent Setting Powder

Powder and lips are the only categories where I have two products. I decided to pick a pressed powder and a loose powder. The Maybelline pressed powder is great for when I want to mattify my skin or make it last longer. Pressed powders are also better for travelling. This Hourglass one is expensive but great. It’s very fine so it gives a beautifully soft, airbrushed look to the skin. Both are amazing and I use them for different effects on the skin.

6. Bronzer – Physicians Formula Butter Bronzer

I know I have gotten into cream bronzer and blush lately but if I had to pick only one I would use powder. I like creams in the summer but for year-round use, powders are better. So if I could only have one I would of course pick the cult classic PF Butter Bronzer. This bronzer has been with me through the years so I am very faithful to it. It’s the perfect shade and pigmentation. And it’s drugstore! Win-win-win.

7. Blush – Milani Rose Powder Blush

Blush was hard to pick. I’ve received many great blushes from Boxycharm over the years but I wanted to pick something easily accessible in Canada. So I picked a Milani blush. They are available in the drugstore but honestly the pigmentation is similar to my Tarte blush. There are also six different shades so lots of options to choose form.

8. Highlight – Wet n Wild MegaGlo Highlight Powder

This was another hard one to pick because I own SO many highlights. There is also a huge difference in looks between a cream, liquid and powder. I decided that on my lighter makeup days I could get away with just using my primer and to pick a bright highlight for when I want some glam in my life. An amazing drugstore highlight is the Wet n Wild Megaglo highlights. I have the shade Precious Petals which is a gold with a slight copper undertone to it. But Wet n Wild has so many other shades that you can find the perfect one for you.

9. Setting Spray – MAC Prep + Prime Fix+

This was soooooo hard to pick just one because all my setting sprays do very different things. But in the end, I decided to go with Mac Fix +. It’s the best at melting the powder into my face and making my makeup look more natural. I can use other products to extend the wear of my makeup or make my skin look dewy but no other product with help with a powdery looking face than Mac Fix +.

*special note* I realized after picking the products that I forgot to include my eye shadow primer. Now for most people, I would say you could use your concealer and get by. But if you have oily eyelids like me then you would probably benefit from an eye shadow primer. But since I forgot and don’t feel like retaking my photos I’m just going to omit it. But I would likely take out one of my powder and include it instead.

10. Eye shadow – Anastasia Beverly Hills Soft Glam palette

This was hard for me to pick because I love eye shadow and I have a large collection of palettes. But I ended up picking the ABH palette for a couple of reasons. First, if I didn’t have a large collection I probably wouldn’t want a huge palette, I would want something that fits in my makeup bag. But I would still want something that has a variety of shades. That’s why the Soft Glam palette is so great. There is also a nice balance between mattes and shimmers so I can create a variety of looks. There are pink shades, gold shades, orange shades and bronzy shades. And finally, there is a black and deep brown so I can use those shades to create an eyeshadow liner look if I wanted to. I have used this palette so my times on my blog, you guys know I love this one.

11. Eyeliner – NYX Epic Wear Liquid Liner

This is my favourite eyeliner hands down. I have been using this for years and will continue to use it faithfully. It has a brush tip which I find is the easiest to apply eyeliner with. It’s super black and dries down quickly. And it doesn’t smudge. Like what more could you want? And it’s drugstore! I highly recommend this one.

12. Mascara – Covergirl Exhibitionist Mascara

This was another hard one to pick. I am someone with numerous mascaras and I will different ones depending on my mood and what I want. So it’s hard for me to pick one but realistically I wouldn’t have multiple mascaras if I wasn’t a hoarder. So I decided to pick the only drugstore one I have right now which is this Covergirl one! It’s a great dupe for the TooFaced Better Than Sex mascara. This gives me super voluminous lashes with a bit of length as well. A great everyday mascara.

13. Brows – Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz

Seeing as this is the only brow pencil that I have used for YEARS I decided to pick this one haha. The ABH Brow Wiz is just the one I use! I think I should probably branch out and try some drugstore ones as well – maybe that will be a future blog post. Also, I rarely use a brow gel unless my brows are being particularly unruly so that’s why I don’t have a gel.

14 + 15. Mac Matte Lipstick in Velvet Teddy and Fenty Gloss Bomb in Fenty Glow

Now even if I wasn’t a makeup collector I would probably have a few more lip products than these two. But I kept it to two for the sake of the challenge! The first is Mac Velvet Teddy which is my go-to nude. While I do enjoy wearing colour, I think a nude would be best for the majority of scenarios. I also picked the Fenty Gloss because it’s pigmented enough that I would wear it alone but I could wear it on top of my lipstick.

And those are my 15 products guys! Let me know in the comments what some of the products you would pick if you had to pair down your collection. I can also do a part 2 if you guys are interested in more of my holy grails!

xoxo

Lea

Review, Skincare

Current Skincare Routine July 2020

July 17, 2020July 17, 2020by Lea1 Comment

Hey guys! I thought I would share an updated skincare routine since it’s been about half a year since my last one and I have changed up the products I use a bit. I’ve been using this current routine for over a month and I find that my skin is just so healthy and glowy! Also just wanted to note that I do this routine in the morning. I know most skincare pros say to do the bulk of your skincare at night but I’m lazy in the evening. I just remove my makeup and call it a night. I like doing my full routine in the morning because it helps wake me up. If you are interested in knowing what products I use to take my makeup off let me know and I can do a full post on that!

skincare, skincare routine, skincare products, cleanser, toner, moisturizer, vitamin c, vitamin c serum, eye cream

So to start I wash my face with the OleHenriksen Truth Juice Daily Cleanser. I was using the oil control cleanser from this brand but I’ve noticed that my acne is *finally* started to settle a bit. Don’t get it wrong, I still get hormonal acne and certain products can cause flare-ups, but it’s definitely not as bad as it once was. So I find that I don’t need an acne control cleanser and toner. So I chose this one because it’s meant to cleanse and brighten. This is perfect because it cleanses my skin to help prevent acne but also brightens my dark spots from past breakouts! I also love the citrusy scent for using it in the morning.

The second OleHenriksen product I am using is the Balancing Force Oil Control Toner. I tried the OleHenriksen dark spot toner but I noticed my skin was getting textured and clogged so I switched to this oil control one. This just helps control my acne and skin texture. I use a few shakes on reuseable cotton round and wipe it around my face.

I’ve learned online that the product you want to penetrate the skin the most you should apply first after toner. So if I am having a nasty breakout I will use my prescription acne cream. I use DifferinXP, which has 0.3% of adapalene, a type of retinoid. Differin does sell gels over the counter that have 0.1%, so less strong than mine. I do find using a retinoid gel helps heal my acne faster and also helps it leave less of a scar.

The next step is a vitamin C serum. Generally, you want to apply your serums before moisturizers. Since my last post, I have purchased a full size of the Biossance Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil. This shit is expensive and I could definitely get a vitamin c serum for cheaper BUT I really do like this one. I visibly notice a difference in my skin. It just looks brighter and feels softer. It’s also lightweight so it doesn’t clog my acne-prone skin. Like it brightens my skin so much that some days I don’t apply highlight because my face is just naturally glowing. I LOVE THIS PRODUCT.

The final product is one that I am just trying to use up, which is the Elemis Superfood Cica Calm Hydration Juice. I received this in my April Boxycharm. And since I’ve received the item and it’s not bad I’m going to use it up. But I’ve mentioned this in the blog post that Elemis is hard to buy in Canada. So because of that, I wouldn’t recommend it to my Canadian readers. But for those who can easily purchase Elemis products, it’s a pretty good moisturizer! I love a good pump and I love a gel moisturizer. This one hydrates my skin, dries quickly and doesn’t leave my skin feeling sticky. So ya that’s my moisturizer.

I finish off my skincare routine with an eye cream. I just recently finished my Sephora Collection eye cream (stay tuned for my next empties post for a full review) and so I tried this QMS one that I got in my Boxycharm. I remember when I tried it it was winter, so I thought the dry patches on my eyes were just because of this weather. But I recently tried it again but I had such a bad reaction to it. So please let me know if you have any good eye cream recommendations. I have sensitive eyes and my biggest concern is darkness and fine lines.

And that is my skincare routine guys! Please give me some eye cream recs in the comments. And let me know if you have any questions about any of the products.

xoxo

Lea

Beauty, Makeup, Review

NEW Natasha Denona Bronze Palette – 2 looks 1 palette

July 14, 2020July 14, 2020by Lea4 Comments

Hey guys! Today I am sharing my thoughts on my newest palette purchase – the Natasha Denona Bronze palette. I’ve only used the palette a few times so this won’t be a super in-depth review. But I’ve used it a few times and have developed some ~thoughts and feelings~ about the palette that I thought I would share! 🙂

First I just wanted to say that I have been thinking about getting a Natasha Denona palette for a while. I’ve heard that the formula of her eyeshadows are some of the best and that they are worth the high price tag. I hadn’t bought one yet because they are expensive and wanted to pick one that I felt would be worth my money. Well, when I saw the Bronze palette I knew that that was the one for me.

I realize that the colour palette isn’t exactly revolutionary. It’s full of bronzes, golds and coppers. But that is what makes this perfect for me! Those are my favourite shades to wear, so I know I will get good use out of this palette. I also think that the balance between mattes and shimmers is pretty good. There are six mattes in a range of tones to be able to create depth in the crease and then a bunch of fun shimmers and metallics to use on top. One of my favourite shades is surprisingly Deep Dive. It looks like a black but it’s actually deep brown-purple and one of the most unique shades I’ve ever seen. Just shows that even in a neutral palette there are interesting shades.

I haven’t used all the shades yet but every shade that I have used has been great. In the two looks I did I was dealing with some dry patches in my crease (bad reaction for an eye cream). The shades still blended amazingly over dry patches. Like you can’t even tell unless you look up close that I had dry patches. I think that shows how great the mattes are. The shimmers are all great. They are pigmented and the duo-chromes are also really good.

I was able to great two very different looks. But I just like the fact that I can throw a couple of mattes in my lid and then pop a shimmer shade and I would have a great look no problem. There is not trying to figure out what shades will go together because every shade will go with the other shades. That’s something I love that you don’t see in a lot of palettes.

Now is it worth the price? To put this into perspective, this palette is $87 CAD for 15 shadows. In comparison one of my favourite palettes ever is the Anastasia Beverly Hills Soft Glam palette, which is $55 for 14 shades. So the Natasha Denona palette is significantly more expensive. I am unsure if it’s worth the price tag, I would have to do some testing to see if I notice a significant difference between the two.

So what are my overall thoughts? I am happy that I purchased this palette. It’s something I’ve wanted for a while and I think I will use it a lot. It might even become my new holy grail palette (too early to say though). But I would hold off recommending it to everyone for now. I think you would have to consider how much you wear makeup. A good thing to consider when making purchases is the cost per use. So if you are planning to use this palette daily then it will be worth it. But if you don’t wear makeup a lot OR have a large collection then this palette might not be necessary.

And those are my thoughts on the Natasha Denona Bronze palette! Let me know your thoughts on the palette or if you have any questions about it in the comments!

xoxo

Lea

Beauty, Drugstore, Makeup, Review

New Wet n Wild Photo Focus Dewy Foundation Review

July 10, 2020July 10, 2020by Lea1 Comment

Hey guys! So today I am reviewing the new(ish) Wet n Wild foundation. I realize it’s not that new since it came out in like January. But it’s new to me because I just bought it okay! I liked the original Wet n Wild Photo Focus foundation so I was excited to try their Photo Focus Dewy Foundation. This is supposed to be a weightless formula that provides a natural, hydrating glow. It has buildable coverage from medium to full and is supposed to be long-lasting. They have 20 shades, which isn’t a lot, but the shades are at least evenly spread between Light, Medium, Tan and Deep shades. And something I like about Wet n Wild shades is that have warm, neutral and cool-toned shades.

foundation, Wet n Wild, Wet n Wild Foundation, dewy, makeup, beauty

So what are my thoughts on these claims? First, this foundation is medium coverage and can be built up to full coverage. For some reason when I think of a dewy foundation I automatically think less coverage. So I was surprised by the coverage. I had some nice pimples when testing this out. I found after the first layer I could still see the redness but I could apply a second layer of foundation to help conceal it. I found that applying it with a brush gave more coverage and applying it with a sponge helped sheer it out.

This is a dewy foundation. Because it’s so dewy I found that it left my skin feeling tacky. I like to applying cream products on top of this foundation and then lightly powdering my whole face. I found it looks more natural and skin-like. But I wouldn’t say this is weightless because I feel this Wet n Wild foundation on my face.

The foundation is also not long-lasting. I took photos half an hour after I applied my makeup and it looked great. About four hours later I was having redness peak through. About nine hours later the foundation has completely faded from my skin. In these photos, I had applied cream bronzer and powder. Whenever I wear powders over top it’s even worse. I find that the foundation almost crumbles off the skin.

So what are my overall thoughts on the foundation? I think it looks great on the skin and has great coverage, but the wear time sucks. I think this would be a good foundation to mix with others. Either adding it to a matte foundation to make it dewy or a sheer foundation to increase the coverage. I don’t think I would wear it much by itself which is unfortunate. So overall I would skip on this foundation and get something else instead. But I will continue to use it since I own it.

And that is my review of the Wet n Wild Photo Focus Dewy Foundation. I love doing foundation reviews, let me know if there are any foundations you guys think I should test out!

xoxo

Lea

Beauty, Drugstore, Makeup, Review

Testing New(ish) Makeup June 2020

June 19, 2020June 18, 2020by LeaLeave a Comment

Hey guys! Today I am going to be rounding up my thoughts on my makeup that I have purchased somewhat recently. Some of these were products from my last Sephora order and some are products that I recently purchased from the drugstore. It’s taken me a while to test these products because I haven’t been wearing makeup as much. I started a new job a month ago and it took me about two weeks to get used to waking up early. But anyway, here are my thoughts on some products!

The first of two eyeliners is the Makeup Forever Artist Colour Pencil in 500 Boundless Bisque. Now I don’t wear this every day, only when I’m wearing full glam looks. But this pencil works perfectly for what I wanted. It helps brighten up my eye look but isn’t as stark as using a white pencil. It’s creamy and applying easily to my waterline. I haven’t tested how long it wears, but it doesn’t immediately fade away so that’s good! Overall it’s a great pencil and I would consider getting another one in a different shade in the future.

The next product is the Wet n Wild Photo Focus Foundation Dewy. Now unfortunately the shade I picked up is too light for me now that I have a bit of a tan going on. I’ve tried it a few times mixed with other foundations, but it’s hard to review a product when I’m mixing it. So far I’ve noticed it has good coverage though! I think I am going to get another shade and then post a full review for you guys. So stay tuned for that.

The first of two bronzers is the Maybelline City Bronzer. I wanted to expand my drugstore bronzer collection because it currently consists of the PF Butter Bronzer lol. This one is good! It’s supposed to be a bronzer and contour, but I think it’s too warm to contour. I use a big fluffy brush and liberally apply this around the perimeter of my face. It’s pretty pigmented so I always make sure to tap off the excess or dust the brush on the back of my hand before applying it to my face. For $11 I think this is a really good bronzer!

The final drugstore product is the Revlon Super Lustrous Glass Shine Lipstick. I got the shade Beaming Strawberry because that’s what I saw Allana Davison use in one of her videos (she’s the reason I bought it lol). I love this lipstick. It’s super a shiny, buttery lipstick. It feels like a lip balm on the lips. I would say the pigmentation is between a lip balm and a lipstick. It’s just so comfortable on the lips. Now the shade I got is more of a cool-toned pink, which I don’t wear as often. I want to get another one of these, maybe in a peach or red-orange shade!

The next product is the Milk Makeup Matte Bronzer. You guys might remember that I reviewed the Physicians Formula cream contour earlier this year. Well this one is way better. It just blends so easily and looks so good on the skin. I can apply it straight to my face and blend it out no problem. It doesn’t move my foundation around underneath. The way it sits on the skin just looks so natural. I feel that cream products generally sit better and look more life-like than powders. I love this cream bronzer and I will be using it so much this summer.

The final product is the Tarte Tarteist Double Take Eyeliner in the shade brown. I decided to get a brown liner because it looks more natural/lighter than a dark black. The liquid side is pretty easy to use and is very long-lasting. I wore it for over 12 hours the other day and it did not smudge at all. I haven’t used the pencil side much, but too be far I bought the eyeliner for the liquid side and consider the pencil side a bonus. It’s an eyeliner, not the most exciting product but it does a good job!

And that is my round-up on some new makeup! Let me know in the comments what makeup product you purchased recently.

xoxo

Lea

Beauty, Boxycharm, Review

April Boxycharm

May 1, 2020May 11, 2020by Lea4 Comments

Hey guys! Today’s post is my April Boxycharm. It took a little longer to arrive but I still had over a week to try all the products so that’s good. This month’s theme was Festival Vibes – I assume they picked it before Covid-19. Here are the products I received.

Photo 2020-05-01, 12 59 36 PM

For those you didn’t know, Boxycharm now allows for choice. I got to pick between three items this month and I chose The Elemis Superfood Cica Calm Hydration Juice. The was another Elemis product and one of 10 different eyeshadow palettes. Since I couldn’t choose the eyeshadow palette, I picked this Elemis moisturizer because I felt like I would get the most use out of it. This moisturizer is a gel, which I like for my skin type. It’s supposed to be a ‘super-hydrating’ and while it does a good job it’s not the most hydrating moisturizer I’ve ever used. Overall this is a good product and I will continue to use it, but I’m not saying you have to run out and purchase it yourself. Price: $48 US

The next product is the Iconic London Illuminator. I have heard many amazing things about this highlight but have never purchased it because it’s only sold on their website in Canada. This shit is BRIGHT. This is the blinding highlight that was super popular a couple of years ago. I have the original shade, which is a hair too dark for me. If I apply too much I can see a stripe on my face. I think once I get a bit of tan it will match me well. It’s also a bit fussy to use. I find that the only way it applies well is with my fingers. So I will continue to use it but it won’t be my go-to highlight. Price: $41 US, $57 CAD

Photo 2020-05-01, 1 00 07 PM

The Lavish 5-Piece Neon Eye Brush Collection is a weird set. Four of the five brushes are decent quality, on par with some of Morphe brushes. But the Fine Liner brush is crap. It reminds me of those scraggly brushes that you get with a Crayola paint kit as a kid. So it’s weird that there is different quality within the set. Also, the brand’s website is hard to find and doesn’t seem very legit. Honestly don’t buy these, stick to Luxie brushes. You can get them at Winners and they’re good quality. Price: $29.99 US

When I saw this was an option I was really hoping I wouldn’t get it and of course I did. I received the Benefit Cosmetics Porefessional Face Primer. If you read my April Products of the Month post you would understand my feelings. While it’s not a bad primer, I just don’t use pore filling primers very often. I also have many other open primers in my collection. So I have decided to not open it and I will give donate it or sell it. Price: $32 US, $42 CAD

The final product is the Makeup Eraser. I have seen this before but never tried it before. It’s a cloth that you just wet and it removes your makeup. No need for makeup remover. It’s quite sustainable because not only is it eliminating cotton rounds but also the makeup remover itself. Does it work? Well, it does take off my makeup, even my mascara! But my face doesn’t feel clean after, I have to wash my face after. I like using micellar water to remove my makeup because it not only removes my makeup but cleanses my face at the same time. I have yet to wash it yet but I will update this post once I have. Overall if you like to double cleanse this might be a good product for you, but I’m lazy so I’m going to stick to my micellar water and reusable cotton rounds. Price: $22 US, $29 CAD

And that is my Boxycharm! The total price is $172.99. Pretty good value in the box, but it’s mainly the Elemis moisturizer and Iconic London Illuminator that brought up the price. Overall this was quite a mediocre box. Nothing was horrible but nothing amazing. Let me know what you think in the comments.

xoxo

Lea

*UPDATE May 11* Hey guys. Wanted to post an update about a two of the products. The first is the Makeup Erasure. I have since washed it and it washed well! There are no makeup stains and it worked just as well as the first time. My thoughts still stand that while it took off the makeup it didn’t leave my skin feeling clean. I believe that this will be good when I am travelling and don’t want to bring makeup remover but will be bringing a cleanser anyways.

The second product is the Elemis moisturizer. I have used it for three weeks now and I’ve figured out my opinion. It’s a good moisturizer and would be best for oily/combo skin. It’s a gel, so it’s a enough for my skin but if you are dry wouldn’t be enough hydration. After first applying it to the skin it feels tacky, but that dissipates over time.

The only thing that is holding me back from recommending it is the availability in Canada. Now this may be different in other countries, but the only retailer I could find in Canada that sells this moisturizer is the Elemis website. Shipping is $25 for orders under $200 and who knows if they would be duties as well. I think there are other moisturizers that are more readily available than this one. Now if you live in the US or Europe it’s way easier to get Elemis products. I think it’s important to take into consideration how accessible a product is when recommending it.

I hope this update helps! 🙂