The First US Drugstore BB Cream and More!

Hello there. *smile* So here I am with a makeup haul, a review, and an update. Above is a picture of my latest haul from Walmart. Garnier Skin Reniew BB Cream in Medium/Dark, Neutrogena Eye Makeup Remover lotion, and Neutrogena Cleansing Wipes.

I ran out of eye makeup remover (Ponds Bio-Hydrating Dual Cleansing Lotion) and went back to Neutrogena eye makeup remover lotion (also hydrating). Although I really liked the Ponds cleansing lotion, I feel that there are times when it left my eye feeling greasy. However, after using my new Neutrogena eye makeup remover, I can honestly say that I think I like the Ponds one more! Although the greasy feeling is absent with Neutrogena's eye makeup remover lotion, it doesn't remove my eye makeup (especially waterproof mascara) as good as the Ponds Bio-Hydrating Dual Cleansing Lotion.

I also purchased a pack of Neutrogena Oil-Free Cleansing Wipes because I ran out of my Mandom Cleansing Express Lotion (sebum - for Oily/normal skin). These wipes do a great job at removing face makeup but I don't like the citrus (grapefruit?) scent! It's quite overpowering in my opinion and definitely makes me not want to use this product. I know there is a plain/unscented version of these wipes available in the market today, but I feel bad wasting money on this product. I'm going to use it up as much as I can but the future is dim for these wipes.

On a happier note, I recently went to NJ to visit my sister and stopped by Mitsuwa Japanese Market. I was soooooo happy because I got to eat some yummy food and also buy my FAVE makeup remover, Mandom Cleansing Express Lotion. I should have bought two because they were on SALE...oh well I guess that's another excuse to makeup a spontaneous trip to good ol' Jersey.

Today I am reviewing Garnier's new BB Cream! Yes that's right. BB creams have finally hit the drugstores. The tube contains 2.5 fl oz of product and the prices vary depending on where you purchase this.

This product has light to medium coverage. It gives a dewey look to the skin, but I think the color is hard to match. It has a pink undertone when it dries, which will definitely look off for olive, golden toned complexions.

In comparison to the BB creams I currently own (L'EGERE White Multi BB Cream and L'EGERE Water Drop Shiny Pearl BB Cream) the Garnier BB cream has a thinner, more liquified consistency.
I like that it has SPF 15 but because it doesn't match my skin, I see this purchase as a mistake not to be repeated.

I hope this review helps those of you who are thinking of trying out this product. Thanks for stopping by my blog! =)

Urban Decay Book of Shadows IV

 Hey there. So to cut to the chase...I purchased the Urban Decay Book of Shadows IV despite the many negative reviews I've heard about this palette. Although the negatives outweigh the positives about this product, I decided to purchase it anyways because of the eye shadows and extra doo-dads that came with the palette.

 This BOS came with a small travel speaker, with connectors.

 The speaker is eh...okay...not the absolute best. Might as well stick with your cell phone's speaker, plus the ipods these days have their own built in speaker so I don't really know what you might use this for.

On the flap is a small mirror, butterfly embellishments, a card with instructions on how to view their free makeup videos.

 Also included are a black liquid eye liner, a mascara, and a small tube of primer potion.

 The colors are mostly neutrals, but nothing to exciting. The only vibrant color is Blue Bus which I am sure has a long lost doppelganger eye shadow out there somewhere.

All in all, I give this BOS a 3 out of 5

The eye shadows are pigmented

It comes with many extras

The packaging is the WORSE and it's very hard to pull out the eye shadow tray because the little speaker tends to snag (so better to remove it)

I would also prefer a bigger mirror and brushes as extra instead of a speaker.

That's it for now! Tah-tah!

MAC Prolongwear Foundation and Concealer Review

Hello there! So I just wanted to do a quickie blog post on my current face makeup routine. This is what I do almost every day of the week and I will list each product and provide more detail as I go.

The first picture above is showing the core or main products that I use.

MAC Oil Control Lotion 

        This moisturizer is not at all greasy or thick. It's very light yet hydrating enough for dry skin. It doesn't break me out. It doesn't have any SPF.
        I like this oil controlling moisturizer because it does a good job keeping the oils at bay. I usually use this as both my moisturizer and primer. Although it's not really a primer, I find that using this with MAC's Prep and Prime actually makes me oily (over 10 hours of wear). The most important thing is that there is a barrier between my face and the foundation.

 MAC Pro Longwear Foundation (NC 35)

 I was hesitant to try this foundation at first because past MAC foundations has made me break out with pimples, but after hearing how well it covers and it's lasting powers, I just had to try it for myself. I like that it doesn't transfer onto clothes (unless you vigorously rub it on your clothes) and it truly does last for at least 8 hrs. It has SPF 10 which is definitely a plus, not too much or too little; just enough SPF to protect from rays without giving you a white cast on photos.

         I can't really find anything wrong with this foundation. It gives great coverage, medium to full and can double as a concealer in that it's build-able. It has a thinner, less emollient consistency compared to MAC Studio Fluid foundation so it's great for people with Normal to Oily skin types. I'm not sure if it would work well with people who already have dry skin because it may emphasize dry areas even more. I think if you were a good moisturizer/primer beforehand then it should work out just fine.

 How I apply...

You can use whichever method of application you prefer, sponge/brush/fingertips. I personally like using a brush. I pump some foundation/concealer on my wrist.

Did you know that the wrist area is warmer than the back of your hand! Also, when checking for fever, try using your lips instead of your arm/back hand/wrist because it's more sensitive to heat plus your love one gets an added bonus of getting a smooch from you.


 Using a flat top brush or a regular foundation brush, I apply the foundation, first dabbing it on my face, outward strokes, and then buff to blend it out. You can also use a 109 brush which is a dense contouring brush. I do one area at a time because this foundation has the tendency to dry quickly.

MAC Pro Longwear Concealer (NC 35)

       This is a medium to full coverage type of concealer. I have used this both as an under eye concealer and as a regular spot concealer. I personally think that this is BEST as a spot concealer. It creases under the eyes and makes the under eye skin somewhat sticky/tacky. If you powder the under eye area after applying this, you're bound to get some creasing. I really do not recommend this for under the eyes because of the consistency, which is unfortunate because it does a great job at brightening and evening out under the eyes.

MAC MSF (Medium Plus)

        This is completely optional but I like to use this as a setting powder. It's really more like a security blanket for me since I tend to get oily. Also, by adding powder after foundation (skip Fix +) the finished face looks more natural.

My final step is a generous spritzing of Fix + spray from MAC. This is a great finishing spray that adds that oomph!


The finish look is dewey with luminance....

Thanks for coming by my blog! Come back soon

MAC Pro Longwear and Chen Man Makeup

Hey there! So I went to MAC recently with the intention of buying a few (and I use this word loosely) products from their newest collection, Chen Man. It's really different when you see and swatch the items IN PERSON. The lipstick that I initially wanted was way to vibrant for my taste, but I kept trying to find an excuse to still purchase it because it would be a unique color to add to my lipstick collection, but I was good and ending up skipping it. Instead, I went for the more subtle glosses that I knew would be more wearable.

Here are a few pictures!

The two plushglass lip glosses are beautiful and have just enough pigmentation IMO (in my opinion). The packaging is simple, which I think is great because the focal point is more the product than anything else.

These will definitely be perfect colors for the spring and summer!!

I love how vibrant the colors are. They are the most pigmented plushglasses I own to date.

^_^

I have a new face makeup routine! I finally decided to give MAC foundations another shot. I loved the Fix Fluid foundation but my face just didn't love it. I would break out whenever I used it, though I will never forget how good the coverage looked. 

I purchased the Pro Longwear foundation and concealer in NC 35 because I noticed that after clinicals or school, my foundation is either gone or has melted off and there's really no real rhyme or reason for this to happen because it's winter. 

I was using Lancome Teint Idole Ultra before I made the switch. I have only worn my Pro Lonwear foundation for 2 days and so far, I really like it! 

I also bought an oil controlling moisturizer. I've been told by the MAC MUA that I should use a primer and a moisturizer with the Pro Longwear foundation/concealer but I don't know if this is more so I can buy more or if it's really needed. Her reasoning was because the foundation is a longwearing kind. 

Hmmm...anyways, I decided to try it out with just the Oil Control moisturizer because the less product I put on my face (pre-foundation) the less of a chance my foundation will slip off and more of a chance for it to last longer!

1) MAC Oil Control Moisturizer
2) MAC Pro Longwear Foundation
3) MAC Pro Longwear Concealer
4) MAC Mineralized Skinfinish Natural Powder in Medium Plus
5) Fix Plus

I will do a separate and more proper review on the MAC Pro Longwear Foundation and Concealer, but so far it's promise of longwear is definitely a fact, it hasn't broken me out (and you know I am uber senstive), and it doesn't rub off on clothes.

I LOVE MAC Mineralized Skinifinish Natural powders, I own three at the moment...Medium Dark, Medium, and Medium Plus (most recent purchase). Medium Plus is the perfect in between color but I can contour with the Medium Dark and high light with the Medium color (more natural effect).

After using the mineralized powder (medium plus) on top of the MAC Pro Longwear foundation/concealer I noticed that it doesn't look cakey or dry at all. However, you can definitely go without the powder. I just like to use it because it's an added insurance for me in case I get oily later on the day.

I also bought my favorite eye liner ever...MAC Power point pencil in Engraved. This baby is my HG eye liner because it has the intensity of a kohl eye liner minus the rubbing or smudging off. I mainly use this for tight lining so I could look more awake for those 3 hour sleep days. 

On a more personal note, school has been real hectic these past couple of weeks. It seems like there is a quiz and a test each week. I just finished my third clinical rotation and next week I start at the OB floor and then Peds in between. I will be done this July, which seems like forever but time is going by quickly so it's not so bad. Well I guess that's it for now. Be bloggin again soon! Take care 

Jules