First Impression – Milani Conceal + Perfect

Last week I purchased a few YouTube hyped drugstore foundations from Well.ca. The one I was most excited about was the Milani Conceal and Perfect foundation as I heard it was medium to full coverage and good for oily skin. It cost $12.99 CAD which I find to be a pretty standard drugstore price for foundation.

Since I had my son 4 months ago I have developed combination skin, I am really oily in my T-zone but around my mouth I am quite dry. I find most full coverage foundations wear off or get cakey around my mouth and it bothers me.

My first impression of this foundation was that it was full coverage. It did not completely cover a few of my acne scars but I have yet to find one that does without concealing and color correcting first. It is a thick formula but it goes on evenly with my Sigma flat brush and I could build it up with a beauty blender in the areas that needed more coverage. This foundation dried matte and was easy to apply bronzer, blush and powder on top of.

Here is what it looks like 15 minutes after it was applied.

The color was a bit dark for me but it will work really well once I get a little more tan. I find it made my skin look flawless from far away and in photos, however it did exaggerate my pores when looking at it closer.

Here is what it looks like 8 hours after I applied it (and after a hair appointment).

I did not find it to hold up as well throughout the day as I would have liked. I used my regular Smashbox primer and my Wet N Wild setting spray and it still wore off around my nose and mouth. I also found it got quite cakey around my mouth and really showed my pores and fine lines. All in all it still looked pretty good in photos even 8 hours after it was applied.

I would say this foundation compares to Estee Lauder Doublewear in coverage and formula. I find Estee Lauder’s to last a bit longer and not look as cakey, but for a drugstore foundation I found it gave a similar finish and looked really good in photos.

I would recommend this foundation to those with oily skin who like full coverage, especially when you are going to be taking photos and want you skin to look flawless.

 

 

Weekend Vibes – OOTD and MOTD

This weekend I wanted to go for a look that was light and colorful but still warm enough for a windy day. The oversized sweater is flattering on my post-pregnancy body when paired with a fitted skinny pant.

Outfit of the Day

Shirt: Zara PLUSH ASYMMETRIC SWEATSHIRT 35.90 CAD

Pants: Zara SKINNY MID-RISE TROUSERS 39.90 CAD

Sandals: Sears ALIA Sandals – Not available online

Earings: Tocara Linda Earing

Makeup of the Day

Foundation: Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup

Powder: Marcelle Face Powder

Eye Shadow and Blush Palette: BH Cosmetics Blushed Neutrals Palette

Bronzer: Physicians Formula Butter Bronzer

Contour: Kat Von D Shade + Light Contour Palette

Eyebrows: Essence Make Me Brow Eyebrow Gel Mascara

Mascara: L’Oreal Telescopic

Lipstick: Urban Decay Vice Liquid Lipstick in the shade Menace

Setting Spray: NYX Dewy Finish Makeup Spray

Current Drugstore Makeup Favorites

In this post I wanted to share my current makeup go to’s from the drugstore. 

My ultimate favorite mascara is the L’Oreal Telescopic Mascara. It has an amazing brush that lengthens and separates my lashes. I have used this mascara for several years and despite trying many high end and new drugstore mascaras I always come back to this one. Nothing else lengthens my lashes like this mascara.

The next favorite is the Physicians Formula Butter Bronzer. This is a YouTube cult classic and I totally understand why. This bronzer is buttery and pigmented but still light and natural looking. It also smells like coconuts!

Last but not least my favorite drugstore concealer is Maybelline Age Rewind Concealer. I have it in the color Neutralizer. I am a new mom and have recently developed darker circles so I need a heavier concealer. I find this concealer brightens my eyes and covers my dark circles without creasing. This concealer does not feel too heavy and holds up all day.

Here is a picture of a look using all three of these favorites in a subtle every day look.

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Friday’s Beauty Boutique Haul – Urban Decay and St. Tropez

Today I received a few goodies in the mail that I am excited to start trying out!

In Canada there is a drugstore called Shoppers Drug Mart and they have a higher end makeup boutique called the Beauty Boutique. I love buying makeup on their website because I can get Shoppers Optimum points and use them later to purchase free makeup!

Today’s haul included one lip product and one skin routine product.

The lip product is the Urban Decay Vice Liquid Lipstick in the color Menace. I have heard amazing things about this lipstick and can not wait to try it. It is apparently matte, waterproof and long-lasting which is pretty important for me in a liquid lipstick. I hate when I apply liquid lipstick and it is worn off in an hour.

The second product I got in this haul was the St. Tropez Sunshine Ready Kit. I chose this kit because it has quite a bit of product for its price point and I wanted to try various forms of their self tanner to see which worked best on my skin.

I must admit I tan in the sun very easily but I often do not tan evenly so I hope to use these self tanners to keep my glow even!

I am excited to try these products out and feature them in upcoming posts. I am expecting quite a few more packages in the next week so if you are interested in more haul posts leave me a comment and let me know! Also if you have tried out these products let me know if you liked them.

 

 

Thursday Favorites – Lip Edition!

In this post I wanted to highlight my current favorite lip product: Smashbox Always On Liquid Lipsticks.

 The top color is Babe Alert and the bottom is Stepping Out.

These liquid lipsticks have quickly become my go to this spring. The colors are fresh and neutral and the formula is light and long lasting. I don’t find it tacky or sticky and it dries down matte. There is a small amount of transfer but if you let them dry down well they don’t wear off very fast.

The packaging is clear glass and feels good quality for its high end price tag ($29 CAD). I bought Stepping Out from Sephora and Babe Alert from Shoppers Drug Mart Beauty Boutique.

The colors look very similar from the tube to the swatch, which I personally appreciate.

So if you are looking for a new liquid lipstick for the spring I highly recommend picking up one of these!

My Makeup Story – Launch Day!

I have always wanted to share my love of makeup with the world, especially fellow Canadians who follow the world of makeup blogs and videos and at times feel left out when hearing of Ulta Hauls or brands like Makeup Revolution or L.A. Girl.

I saw the “My Makeup Story” tag on Lipstick on the Lake’s blog (an influenster and Canadian beauty blogger) and though it would a great way to open my own blog.

Here are some of the questions, to introduce myself and maybe explain a bit more why I am starting this crazy adventure.

How old were you when you first started wearing makeup?

My mother was always a lipgloss and mascara kind of woman so I remember loving lipgloss the second she let me try it, probably around 4 or 5.

How did you get into makeup?

When it comes to a full face of makeup I did not start playing around with it until Grade 8 or 9. I remember going to the drugstore with my mom and picking out a few things. She did not own foundation or bronzer so a lot of the items I wanted she did not know anything about. I learned all about makeup on my own by experimenting and playing around with friends.

What are some of your favourite brands?

My current favourites are Too Faced, Becca, Urban Decay, Wet n Wild and Essence.

What does makeup mean to you?

Makeup means an expression of who I am and a sense of security in knowing I am projecting my best self to the world. I have always struggled going out with no makeup simply because I feel like it can pull any look together. It makes me feel more polished and pretty, even if its just BB Cream and Mascara.

If you could only wear four products on your face, what would they be?

Foundation, setting powder, mascara and lipgloss. Although I really need bronzer, so I might forgo powder for bronzer!

What is your favourite thing about makeup?

I like how its instantly boosts my confidence!

What do you think of drugstore vs. high end makeup?

Obviously my original love affair with makeup came from the drug store. I remember my Cover Girl clean foundation and pressed powder. However, lately I am definitely loving many high end products as well. Although I have quite a few high end eyeshadow palettes I always find myself gravitating towards my BH Cosmetics palette and it only costs $10. I think it is important to do research before buying any makeup product so you know you are getting good value for your money and a high quality product no matter what price point you are buying in.

What is one tip of advice you can give a beginner?

Do your research before you head out and buy a bunch of products. Experiment with lower price points to begin with until you get comfortable and want to splurge on some higher end products.

What is the one makeup trend you’ve never understood?

Full black lids, or lips. I love the new vampy trends with dark eyes and lips, but an eye covered in black shadow or a bold black lip is just not my cup of tea.

What do you think about the beauty community on YouTube (or Blogging Community)?

I am an avid watcher and reader, but very new to the blogging scene. I am hoping it is a welcoming community where we can support one another and our love for all things beauty!