Max Factor FaceFinity All Day Primer

Hello lovelies!

A primer is now one of the items that is a staple in my makeup application as it prolongs the wear of my makeup. Having oily skin, my makeup melts off in a few hours, especially during the summer, and a primer is one of the solutions for this problem.

I've tried quite a number of primers already and I just continue to try more. Here's one of the primers I recently used:

Max Factor FaceFinity All Day Primer

Elizavecca Skin Liar Primer

Hello gorgeous!

As someone who works from eight to five, I try to find makeup that can last the day on my oily skin. One thing that has helped me achieve that is adding primer to my makeup routine. I usually look for primers that prolong makeup and it's a plus if they help my pores appear smaller, control oil, and help the whole makeup application process easier by making the skin feel smoother. I've tried more than a couple of dozens now and I'm still curious to try out more, but for now I'm using this...

Elizavecca Skin Liar Primer

Celeteque DermoCosmetics 24-Hour Photoready Matte Primer

Hello dearies!

Having oily skin causes my makeup to fade within the day. So to keep my makeup from sliding off, I apply a makeup primer. But I don't use just any primer, I look for one that's matte and makes my skin feel velvety smooth! It's a bonus if it makes my pores appear smaller. ;)

Today, I'll be sharing my the primer that I am currently using...

Celeteque DermoCosmetics 24-Hour Photoready Matte Primer

One tube (15g) is worth PhP 825.00. This was sent to me last December for review.

Below are the photos of the product details on the box:

And info from the brand's website:

Céleteque® DermoCosmetics TM 24-Hour Photoready Matte Primer has a silky and weightless formula that glides onto skin creating a smooth, matte and flawless look. It minimizes the appearance of pores and fine lines and reduces shine for a long lasting makeup wear.

How Céleteque® DermoCosmetics TM 24-Hour Photoready Matte Primer works:

• Polymethyl Methacrylate effectively minimizes pores and reduces fine lines and wrinkles
• Silica reduces the excess oil for that silky soft look and feel
• Dimethicone (and) Dimethicone Crosspolymer form a protective barrier on the skin and increase longevity of makeup

The packaging is very, very simple. It's white and contains very minimal details. Even at the back of the tube, you only see the manufacturing and expiration dates which are also seen on the box. I'm sure the design can be further improved although I think the design team behind this are going for a design that looks like the product came from a derma clinic.

The tube is squeezable and that makes taking out the product easy to control. The nozzle is small so the creamy product doesn't leak or get dispensed in a large amount.

This is the product. See how solid it is? It looks thick and creamy.

Yet it glides smoothly when spread.

When blended on skin, you can see that it softened the appearance of the lines.

The area where I applied the product feels smooth and soft. It feels a lot like the Benefit Porefessional, but I think the one from Benefit is creamier.

Here's my cheek without any product

My cheek with the Celeteque DermoCosmetics 24-Hour Photoready Matte Primer

My cheek is now matte and the pores are minimized by a little. When I apply my foundation, it adheres well on my skin. When I have the primer on, I noticed that my foundation does not cake after a long day, even when my face gets really oily as seen on the photo below:

That's my face makeup after 12 hours without blotting nor retouching. It's all shiny from the oil but the foundation is still there without caking nor creasing. It helped a lot in keeping my makeup in place. I just need to blot often to keep my face looking fresh.

So all-in-all, I find this product pretty good! It reminds me a lot of the Benefit Porefessional and it's only around half its price. It prolongs the staying power of my makeup and it minimizes the appearance of my pores. It makes my skin smooth so application of the foundation is easier and the overall finish look better. I recommend it!

And that's on the Celeteque DermoCosmetics 24-Hour Photoready Matte Primer! Thoughts?

Cheers,
DAWN

Review: Essence: I Love Stage Eyeshadow Base

Hello loves!

It has been a while since I've experimented with my eyeshadow color. Since the time I colored my hair purple, I've been struggling to create various colored shadow looks - mostly recreations of Lisa Eldridge's make up looks. However, it saddens me a lot that my Smashbox palette's colored shadows are just not giving me the color I want.

I will just briefly rant about my Smashbox Be Discovered palette before moving on. I feel very frustrated with this palette, it has so many beautiful colors but the color pay-off once applied is so thin. Even when I'm packing on dark colored shadows, they come on smoked, and I can't even build up the color when without base. I even tried wetting the brush, and it also did not work. Even the gel liners are a let down since a lot of the colors they mixed in are quite unique. The liners are also not build-able and the line somewhat disappears as you apply.

So, Dawn had reminded me that for these situations, the best solution would be to get an eyeshadow base. Lucky for me, #beautybackstageph happened and I got introduced to essence's I Love Stage Eyeshadow Base. Here's what I think about it.

Packaging:

The packaging for this product is ok, as most eyeshadow base I've browsed are like this. I'm not particularly a big fan of products that are packaged this way, even lipsticks/stains, because I feel that a lot of the product is wasted as the applicator only stays in the middle and you cannot "simot" the products stuck to the side of the "bottle".

However, I do like the simplicity of the print on the bottle.

Ingredients:

This product is paraben-free, silicone-free. Here is the full list of the ingredients from the Essence site. You can check them out below or at essence's site.

AQUA (WATER), CYCLOPENTASILOXANE, CYCLOHEXASILOXANE, GLYCERIN, ISODODECANE, CETYL PEG/PPG-10/1 DIMETHICONE, METHYL METHACRYLATE CROSSPOLYMER, POLYMETHYLSILSESQUIOXANE, MICA, DIMETHICONE CROSSPOLYMER, POLYGLYCERYL-4 ISOSTEARATE, SODIUM CHLORIDE, STEAROYL INULIN, CERA ALBA (BEESWAX), DIMETHICONOL, ETHYLHEXYLGLYCERIN, TRIMETHOXYCAPRYLYLSILANE, TRIETHOXYCAPRYLYLSILANE, TIN OXIDE, PHENOXYETHANOL, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499 (IRON OXIDES), CI 77891 (TITANIUM DIOXIDE)

Performance:

According to the site this maybe used as a base for concealer or eyeshadow, it won't settle on the crease and can make the eyeshadow last longer and intensifies color. So here's how it was on me.



The consistency is creamy but easy to blend/spread out. A small dot can cover pretty much my whole eyelid. It dries on the lid quickly once spread. It does not feel heavy on the lids but is not light enough that you feel like you've nothing on.


Upper - without base; Lower swatch - with base

It does intensify color and has helped in making sure that I can build up the color of my Smashbox palette.

It also somewhat helped in making my lids even in color.



8 am in the morning

However, it could only keep the oiliness of my lids at bay for at least 5-6 hours.


12 noon

After that time passes, my lids started oiling up and the shadow had started to concentrate/rest on my crease. Though I do believe that it has helped lessen the oiliness, as usually, if I do not powder or blot, the oils on my lids start stinging my eyes. I did not experience that here, but as you can see, my lids had become pretty oily after 12 hours.


9 pm

The good thing though is that the color is still pretty much there though it did settle over my crease after some time. I do not recommend it if you're planning on wearing your make-up for more than 8 hours and while you are outside in a humid and hot environment.

Price and Where to buy:

This costs around Php 149 pesos and comes in only one shade. You can find this in any Watson's stores inside SM Department stores.

Final thoughts:

This definitely is a good enough product, especially if you're just using it for when you want a more intense version of you're eyeshadow for office, short trips, and just your everyday type of make-up. It's hardly a steal, but it is a good choice for an affordable base.

I'd give this product a 3.5/5 overall.

Aside from this product they have another eyeshadow base from the same I love collection. I wonder if it is better than this one. If you've tried the other one before, do share with us how it went.

Cheers,
LIZ

Review : Nature Republic Blemish Lab Bye Pore Base

Hello dearies!

As someone with oily and acne-prone skin, it's hard to keep my makeup looking fresh all day. I do try my best to find long-staying foundations, but I also look for good primers or makeup bases for support.

One of the products I've used is the...

Nature Republic Blemish Lab Bye Pore Base
I bought it from their Landmark, Makati branch for PhP 435.00.

What made me attracted to the product is that it promises to make your pores appear smaller and helps control oil.

Check out the product info from the packaging:

And more info from koreadepart.com:

It's housed in a squeezable plastic tube with very minimal design. It actually looks professional although I find the color very dull. It wouldn't stand out when placed next to the brand's other products.

The nozzle is small which makes getting the product out of the tube easy to control.

Here's what the product looks like

When slightly spread

The texture is creamy but not very thick. It's surprisingly lightweight, but if I have to compare it with other primers that refines pore, it's not as velvety soft as the popular Benefit Porefessional nor the one from Maybelline. 

When spread out

when it sets

It's finish is matte but it will take a good 20-30 seconds before it completely sets. 


Here's how it works on my face:

Bare face

With the product

As you can see, it didn't really do much on the pores. It just made my skin more matte. It doesn't have any tint so it didn't help in making my skin tone look even.

With BB cream

My face looked better with BB Cream but I think it's because the BB is really good (review here).

With finishing powder (and I also added concealer on acne scars)

I think that what this makeup base did is that it made the application easier because it made the base (my skin) smoother. I guess it also helps in prolonging makeup, but my BB cream is also long-wearing to begin with.

But in terms of its promises, I have to say that it performed below average. It barely did any difference for my pores and my skin is still as oily as ever. With or without this product doesn't have any difference.

So to summarize:

What I LIKE:

- Squeezable tube

- Locally available

- Sort of affordable

- Light weight

- Smoothens the skin

- Easy to apply and spread

- Matte finish

- No alcohol content

What I DON'T LIKE:

- Barely did anything for the appearance of my pores

- No oil control

- Not as soft as other pore refining primers

- Packaging design is dull

Would I buy again? No. It didn't meet my expectation (and I didn't even set it high since it's quite affordable). I'd rather buy the Oil Queen Cotton Primer from Holika Holika or Ellana Mineral Cosmetics Let's Make It Last Makeup Primer, which are of the same price range. :/

And that's my review of Nature Republic's Blemish Lab Bye Pore Base! :)

Cheers,

DAWN

First Impression: L'Oreal Paris Base Magique Primer

Hey lovelies!

My sister who is currently residing at Sydney sent me a package containing some clothes, bags, and of course, makeup! I'm glad that my sister and I share the same interest for beauty. Yay! :D

I got a dozen new makeup that I will share with you soon in this blog but for now, I'll give my short thoughts about this primer sample that was included in package...

 L'Oreal Paris Base Magique Transforming Smoothing Primer

I was able to use this sample for four to five applications. I don't think that's enough to write a full review on this product so I'll just share my experience with it during those days.

But first, here's the product description from the website of L'Oreal Paris AU:

SMOOTHNESS YOU CAN TOUCH, TRANSFORMATION YOU CAN SEE, EVEN UP CLOSE! MAKES SKIN LOOK AND FEEL LIKE VELVET

Smoothness you can touch, transformation you can see, even up close!

BASE MAGIQUE transforming smoothing primer instantly smooths pores and creates an even surface, so that you get a more flawless make-up result that lasts.

The silky, lightweight formula glides onto skin and minimises the look of pores and fine lines to transform your skin surface.

Dermatologically Tested.

Thanks to a high concentration of elastomers, L’Oréal Paris Base Magique Transforming Smoothing Primer gives skin an incredibly even surface with fine lines and pores erased. The formula also contains soft powders to help absorb sebum, thereby mattifying the skin to reduce shine.

The finishing touch? Smooth to the touch and with a silk-like feel, silicon oil enables easy-gliding application with no greasy residue. Base Magique will guarantee a more perfect and longer-lasting make-up every time.

The product can really make your skin silky smooth but I don't agree that it is lightweight. It's actually very thick and I don't like the feeling on my face.

The silicone content of this primer makes spreading it easy. And as you can see at the photo above, the lines on my hand were less visible.

Here's how it works on my cheek:

 Bare skin

With the primer 

With the primer and foundation

With the rest of my makeup on

It did minimize the appearance of my pores but what I noticed is that the product sits in the pores and the lines which makes the foundation sit in those areas too. I have to blend and blend the products on my face to avoid that from happening. I'm annoyed with that experience. It may also lead to breakouts if it keeps going inside the pores but good thing that never happened to me.

Another thing I don't like is that it makes my face really oily. It already feels thick and in just an hour or two, my face is all shiny and it feels heavier.

I didn't have a pleasant experience with this primer, unfortunately. The only good thing I like about it (besides getting this for free haha!) is that it feels smooth and it lessens the appearance of pores. I don't think this sample would make me consider getting the full-sized version. Oh well.

Have you tried the L'Oreal Paris Base Magique Transforming Smoothing Primer? Did you have the same experience?

Cheers,

DAWN

Review : The Body Shop All-In-One InstaBlur

Hi loves!

I think I found another great primer, especially for those with enlarged pores and oily skin like I do. And it is the...

The Body Shop All-In-One InstaBlur

This 25ml tube is worth Php 1,195.00.

This was given to me by The Body Shop almost a month ago and I've used this for almost every time I put on makeup (which is like 6 times a week). It instantly became a favorite of mine. You'll know why as you read further. :D

But first, let's check out some info about the product from the packaging and from the press release.

You can check out my initial thoughts when I first tried the product out during the launch event here.

I use this as a makeup base, though you can use this alone if you like your skin looking shine-free. Everything that it promises are the things I look for in a primer or makeup base. So I was really hoping that it would deliver because if it does, it's a wish come true!

Here's the product. It's translucent and has a thick, gel-like consistency. It's not at all slimy but it's very smooth once spread out.

Here's how it looks like when slightly spread out. It becomes invisible so this product really is a universal shade item. 

And after spreading it evenly, it becomes matte and some of the product even sank on the lines of my hand making it look smoother. When I first swatched this back in the event, I was really impressed on how smooth it was and how it instantly covered the lines on my hands. 

And now, for the ultimate test, how it works on my cheeks where I have enlarged pores.

 Bare face

 With the product

As you can see, my face is all matte now. The pores are minimized. My face looks like it was blurred! The bigger pores aren't fully-covered though but that's where my foundation comes in. You'll see how it works as a base on the next photo below.

 With foundation and powder

My skin looks like it's photoshopped! Wow! If you look closely, you'd still see that I have some blemishes somewhere but it's all covered up (I used the HD Collagen Foundation from Nature Republic) and the pores are barely noticeable too! It really did instantly blurred my skin. 

And what made me really happy is that it really prolonged the wearing time of my makeup. It can last the whole day primarily because it really control the excess oil. My face is really oily so it only takes a couple of hours before my face gets sticky and shiny. But with this product, it takes around 5 hours before that happens. And when I'm in the mall where it's colder and there's less dirt and pollution, my face looks shine-free for 6-8 hours. I remember I went to the Robinsons Red Hot Sale Event and my face was still looking good until 5pm (I applied my makeup around 7am because I had school in the morning). I only retouched once around 3pm.

 What I LIKE:

- Compatible with any skin shade

- Covers pores

- Hides minor blemishes

- Prolongs makeup

- Controls Oil

- Super smooth

- Locally available

- Packaging (easy to squeeze out the product)

- Instantly mattifies skin

- Gives some skin benefits (Vit E and Marula Oil)

- Didn't experience any caking with this on

- No breakouts or irritations

 What I DON'T LIKE:

- NONE!

 Would I repurchase?

DEFINITELY! I am loving this product! I recommend this one to anyone actually, especially for those with oily skin! But if you use this outside during daytime, make sure you wear sunscreen since this doesn't have any SPF. :)

So what do you think of The Body Shop All-In-One InstaBlur? Do you like products like this too?

Cheers,

 DAWN