Favourite - Aveeno Skin Brightening Daily Scrub

I noticed my face was starting to look kind of dull after the holidays! Must have been all the late nights and cold weather and early mornings since school started!! So I thought it was the perfect time to dig out one of my favourite scrubs.

Aveeno Skin Brightening Daily Scrub.

What it claims to do:

*click on images to enlarge*

"Helps to improve skin tone, texture, and clarify to reveal brighter, more radiant skin. This unique formula combines smooth, round microbeads with moisture-rich soy extracts to gently exfoliate and remove complexion-dulling impurities while you cleanse. Good for everyday use and gentle enough for sensitive skin. Leaves skin feeling cleaner, smoother and radiantly healthy."

Some of its ingredients:

What it actually does:

This scrub has a pleasant scent to it that helps make me feel

refreshed so it's something I enjoy using in the mornings

to help wake me up. The microbeads in it

are smaller in size that other scrubs I've used,

which is what makes this a gentler scrub than others and is

possible to be used on a daily basis if you enjoy

the exfoliating effect it gives. After I use this,

my skin feels much softer to touch.

and I notice my face has a slight glow to it...

pretty much what it's described to do! I find my moisturizer

and makeup goes on really smoothly after I use this scrub.

Unlike most scrubs, the microbeads are barely visible.

But you definitely feel them once applied to your face!

I think this is by far one of my favourite scrubs.

It's one of the few products that actually

seems to deliver results for what it claims to do.

It's cheap and easy to find, so that's always a plus.

And because I have oily, acne-prone skin I can't really use anything too abrasive on my face especially if I have breakouts at the moment.. so I love how this scrub is gentle but just as effective in exfoliating my face as other scrubs. I've been using this everyday for just a little over a week and

it's definitely helped to whip my skin back into shape!

Thanks for reading :)

♥ Anita

Make Up For Ever HD Microfinish Powder and MAC Prep and Prime Powder

I love trying out new products!

Recently I purchased the

MUFE HD Microfinish Powder

in a previous haul. I have been comparing it to my MAC Prep+Prime Transparent Finishing Powder - which I am actually almost out of and why I could justify buying another loose powder. These things tend to last you a heck of a long time!

MAC Prep + Prime Transparent Finishing Powder

I purposely only left 3 holes in the sifter but a LOT of powder still comes out as you can see!  I was using this powder everyday before.

Make Up For Ever
HD Microfinish Powder

When you look at the powders close up, the Make Up For Ever HD Microfinish Powder is slightly more finely-grained and softer to touch than the MAC Prep + Prime Powder. On my face however, they both feel nice and give a smooth finish.

One thing I noticed was the
difference in the size of the containers.

With the MAC Prep + Prime Powder, I usually use my

MAC 182 Buffer Brush. I love this brush for buffing out the powder. It really works to give me a flawless finish and I was looking forward to using it with the MUFE HD Powder...

... however, the brush was too fat to fit into the sifter properly!

When I lifted the 182 brush.. *PoOffff!*

Powder flew up everywhere and made me have a coughing fit.

Uh oh, I thought... what do I use now if I can't use my favourite buffer brush?!

I found another buffer brush to use, of course!

Everyday Minerals Flat Top Brush.

It is super soft and I usually use this strictly for mineral foundation.

But it looked like it'd be a good size for the HD Powder...

so I thought why not try it out??

Size comparison between the two buffer brushes.

As you can see, it's the perfect size to fit into the sifter of the MUFE HD Powder and this is the brush I've been using with this powder everyday now. :D

Overall, I like both of these powders. 

The MUFE HD Microfinish Powder
is definitely softer and more fine-milled than the
MAC Prep + Prime Powder but on my face, they both work great in setting my foundation, controlling oil and just giving me a nice finish to my makeup. The MAC Prep + Prime Powder sells for $21 while the MUFE HD Microfinish Powder is more expensive at $30 from Sephora. 

If you've tried either of these powders (or both),

let me know which one you like!

Have a great weekend! :)

♥

NYX Concealer in a Jar and MAC Studio Sculpt Concealer.. dupes?!

I've been obsessed with concealers lately since I'm on the hunt for my HG concealer! And since it's the holidays, I especially want to get that flawless look for my skin. We all want to look our best for this time, I'm sure ;)
Prior to using the Vichy Dermablend Skin Concealer, I have been using
NYX Concealer in a Jar.
I still use this now and carry it around with me everyday in my makeup bag. 
Its size makes it convenient for touchups.

NYX's description:

"Provides natural and lasting coverage of discolorations and imperfections without looking caked-on or clumpy. Super concentrated so just a little will do the job." 

[Source: Nyxcosmetics.com]

True to what it says, I like that the NYX Concealer in a Jar gives excellent coverage for my imperfections and its price is hard to beat for what this little jar of concealer does. I was very excited when I first learned of this concealer.

NYX Concealer in a Jar reminds me of the
MAC Studio Sculpt Concealer, which is another concealer I love that comes in a similar jar packaging. Having used both for a while, I find that the NYX Concealer in a Jar is indeed comparable to the MAC Studio Sculpt concealer and I was very happy for discovering this. I would say the NYX Concealer in a Jar is a good dupe for the MAC Studio Sculpt concealer.

NYX Concealer in a Jar comes in a 0.25oz jar.
I purchased this for $5 at my local drugstore.

MAC Studio Sculpt Concealer comes in a 0.19oz jar, slightly less than NYX Concealer in a Jar. This cost me $20. 

These concealers look very similar,
both in packaging and texture. 

Swatches of NYX Concealer in a Jar compared with MAC Studio Sculpt Concealer. You can see the creamy texture of these concealers.
Both are easy to blend and provide 
excellent coverage. 


The NYX Concealer in a Jar in shade Beige matches NC20-25 skin perfectly. With its yellow undertone, its great for covering areas of redness and blemishes. I tried using it on my undereye area and it does a great job of neutralizing the dark areas but I prefer a lighter shade under my eyes just to brighten my eyes up. During the winter when I am more pale, I use the MAC Studio Sculpt Concealer in NC15. It's also great for my undereyes.

[Source: Nyxcosmetics.com]

There are 12 shades to choose from for NYX Concealer in a Jar, which is only a little less than the selection for the MAC Studio Sculpt Concealer, which comes in 15 different shades. However, you get a good selection of colours for both lighter to darker skin tones. There are even 2 colour-correcting shades, as you can see, in Lavender and Green. 


When my MAC Studio Sculpt Concealer runs out, I'm looking forward to trying out the NYX Concealer in a Jar in Light or Porcelene. If you're looking for an affordable yet effective concealer, you might want to try this concealer out. :)


Have a good one lovelies!
♥

Another amazing concealer... Vichy Dermablend Skin Concealer

I haven't blogged in ages because of FINALS but I am back now! :) With Christmas just a couple of days away, I've been busy with family gatherings, get togethers with friends, holiday shopping, and all of that good stuff. I've been using this time to test out several products I bought in my earlier hauls. One such product I've been using and really liking is the concealer below:

Vichy Dermablend Skin Concealer

I purchased this in 2 different shades. As I mentioned previously, I like to buy 2 different shades. A lighter shade for my undereye area and then a shade that matches my skin tone. 

 

I picked up the Vichy Dermablend Skin Concealer

in shades Nude 20 and Light 10.

Both shades have a yellow undertone.

Nude 20 matches my NC20 to NC25 skintone perfectly.

Light 10 is an excellent yellow-based concealer 

for covering my dark undereye circles.

Some things I noticed about the Vichy Dermablend Concealer.
Texture: It claims to have a "skin fusion texture". I found this concealer very smooth, creamy, easy to blend.

Coverage:  Full-coverage, opaque, highly-pigmented
Crease/caking: This concealer does not appear to cake. It is creamy enough to allow you to be able to really blend the concealer in before it finally sets.
Suitable for: Excellent coverage for undereye circles, scars, blemishes, redness/discolouration
Skin-type: All skin types whether you're dry/normal/combo/oily
Colours:  I've seen this colour in 5 shades so far, from light to dark tan
Availability: Any drugstore that carries it (Shopper's Drug Mart for those in Canada)
Price: $18 USD
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I find myself comparing the Vichy Dermablend concealer to the

Amazing Cosmetics
Amazing Concealer,

which I raved about in a previous post.

The two shades I think are most comparable between the two concealers would be the shade Light 10 for the Vichy Dermablend Concealer and the shade Light Golden for the Amazing Concealer. 

Both shades have a yellow undertone. However, the Vichy Dermablend Skin Concealer is slightly more yellow while the Amazing Concealer leans more towards the cool side. Light Golden is considered one of the more yellow-based concealers for the Amazing Concealer, so you can already guess that the most of its other shades do appear to lean towards the cooler, pink side.

Swatches of Vichy Dermablend Skin Concealer in Nude 20 and Light 10
along with the Amazing Cosmetics Amazing Concealer in Light Golden.


Despite the slight differences in tone - the texture, coverage, and long-term wear of both of these concealers are very similar. It can be safe to say that the Vichy Dermablend Skin Concealer is a great dupe for the Amazing Cosmetics Amazing Concealer.
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Going back to the
Vichy Dermablend Skin Concealer...

Some PROS I like about the Vichy Dermablend Skin Concealer:

1) This concealer is very creamy and easy to work with. This concealer is very smooth and creamy. You don't necessarily need a brush for this so it's less fussy and quick to use. It really does blend very well as it claims, I just use my fingers. It takes a bit of time before it finally sets, giving you time to blend, and when it does set, it just sort of sinks into the skin.

2) This gives a very natural finish. Because the concealer blends so well into your skin, instead of just sitting on top of your skin, it looks very natural compared to some other concealers out there that provide the same full type of coverage. In contrast, Amazing Concealer sets quicker to provide an excellent opaque layer over whatever imperfection you're covering it, almost like a shield. The Vichy Dermablend Skin Concealer is buildable so you can easily achieve the same great opaque full-coverage if desired.  

3) The packaging of this is great for control. The tube packaging lets you squeeze out just a tiny amount each time and honestly, you need VERY little each time so it's great.

4) This concealer lasts all day and provides excellent coverage. This is great for covering scars, redness, and blemishes. It's opaque enough to give full coverage. It doesn't rub off and stays put all day after being set with powder. For my oily skin, this is one of the main characteristics I look for in a concealer. It's nice not having to do touch-ups throughout the day. I'm really happy with the coverage and long-term wear of this concealer.
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Some CONS of the Vichy Dermablend Skin Concealer:


1) All of the colours seem to lean on the warm side. If your skin has more pink undertones, this may not work for you in covering facial blemishes.
--- However, for undereye circles, yellow-toned concealers are suggested anyway so this would be an excellent choice for covering dark circles in the eye area.

2) Limited shade selection. With a large range of skin-tones going from light to dark/tan covered by just 5 choices of shades, there can be a big difference seen between one shade and the next one up from it. Some people may find themselves in between shades. Also, if you have a cooler undertone to your skin rather than yellow/warm, the Amazing Concealer may work better for you.
--- However, since this concealer blends so well, it doesn't matter if you don't get a perfect match with your skin because it all blends in! In the end, I suppose the limited shade selection is not too much of a problem.
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In conclusion, 

I am really loving the Vichy Dermablend Skin Concealer.
I'm still using the Amazing Cosmetics Amazing Concealer for opaque coverage during more "formal" events but for daily use, I'm using the Vichy Dermablend Skin Concealer. It's just so easy to work with and blend that it works well as a daily concealer for me. I've been getting a lot of compliments on my skin lately and it's all thanks to this concealer for covering my post-exam battle scars (leftover from stressing out over exams the previous weeks!). At $18 USD, the Vichy Dermablend Skin Concealer is a little less than half of the cost for the Amazing Cosmetics Amazing Concealer at $42 USD. They both work great, but the Vichy Dermablend Skin Concealer is a great alternative for those who can't seem themselves forking out $40+ for the Amazing Concealer.

Hope this review was helpful to some of you.

Until next time,

Happy Holidays everyone!

<3

Review - Amazing Cosmetics Amazing Concealer... just a name or an HG product?

As I've mentioned before, I have oily skin and get occasional breakouts so I usually look for products that are long-lasting and provide full coverage. I've found that cream concealers work best for my skin-type. Most liquid concealers look natural after application but tend to slip off my skin after a few hours so they don't give me the coverage or long-term wear I prefer. Powder concealers, while offering good coverage, usually will cake on me and oxidize as the day goes by. Recently I've finally found a cream concealer that seem to match my needs and that I've really been liking so far! :)

The concealer I've been using lately is

Amazing Cosmetics Amazing Concealer.

I first came across this on Sephora's website

as I was browsing through their reviews.

It is a highly raved product so it prompted me 

to go into the store to check it out.

Image source: Dermstore.com

I ended up purchasing this in the shade "Light Golden (Golden Light)" meant for "fair golden complexions". For your reference, I have NC20 to NC25 skin. Normally when it comes to concealers, I like to buy a lighter shade for my undereyes and a shade that matches my skin tone to cover up my imperfections and redness on other areas of my face, but I really couldn't see myself forking out $80+ just for concealer! So I bought this shade in between as a compromise. This shade is excellent as it has yellow undertones so it works well on both my dark circles and my yellow-based skin tone.
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Some of the characteristics of this concealer....
Texture: Cream, rich, thick
Coverage:  Full-coverage, highly concentrated and pigmented
Tendency to crease/cake: Minimal (w/ the use of moisturizer or primer and applied w/ a brush)
Suitable for: dark circles, blemishes, and redness
Skin-type: All types, but oily skin will find this most easy to work with
Colours:  This concealer comes in 7 shades in total with 3 lighter shades and 4 darker shades, making it usable by everyone no matter their skin tone
Availability: Can be purchased at Sephora
Price: $42

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PROS:

1) This concealer is very creamy. Despite it being such a rich and thick concealer, it has a very smooth consistency that's easy to apply. 
-- Sometime's the word "creamy" can be misleading.  I've had problems with "cream" products where they claim to be "smooth and non-drying", but they end up being super dry and not creamy at all! (One such product like this being Lise Watier's Portfolio Concealer Wheel - another highly raved product that I bought but ended up being a big disappointment!). 
--- Luckily, with the Amazing Concealer, it's smooth and provides enough slip so you can really blend it in before it finally settles onto your skin.

2) This concealer lasts all day. Usually for other concealers, I will have to do a touch up at some point in the day because my oily skin causes the concealer to melt or rub off. With the Amazing Concealer, I would apply it in the morning and am surprised to look in the mirror in the afternoon and see my eyes looking just as bright and the red areas on my face still nicely hidden. Yay!

3) This provides excellent, complete coverage of my blemishes. It's tricky covering blemishes cause while you can usually make them look better, it's hard to completely make them disappear or invisible. This concealer so far does a better job than any other ones I've used to achieve this purpose. I'm really impressed with its finish. :)

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CONS:

1) Definitely the price! $42 to me is quite expensive for a concealer. I had a hard time getting around to purchasing this because of the price. 

--- I didn't actually buy this concealer right away. However, after trying out the samples given to me, I was excited to purchase it. Because this concealer is so pigmented, you really only need a TINY amount each time you use it, so I can see this tube lasting me for a really, really long time.

2) This concealer does have a slight tendency to crease or cake. But only if you accidently apply too much or have dry skin. This applies more for the undereye area than on areas of the face.  

--- The trick to making this concealer work as it claims is to prep your skin with moisturizer first (especially for your undereyes), and even a primer if your skin is extra dry. Because I do not have dry skin, I can just apply this after my regular moisturizer and sunscreen and don't need a primer for my eyes nor face. But when I applied this on my sister who does have dry skin, I noticed it didn't apply as smoothly in areas where she didn't put sufficient moisturizer (mainly her eyes). This was solved after adding more moisturizer and I was able to blend the concealer in easily. It just took a bit of extra work! But the resulting finish was flawless and I think totally worth it.  :)
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Note:  For your undereyes, no matter your skin-type, it also REALLY helps to use a concealer brush when applying this concealer. The brush helps ensure that you are using a minimal amount because when you use your fingers, you can easily pick up too much product leading to it creasing on your eyes. 

I like to use my brush to apply this concealer and then my fingers after to blend. Because my fingers are warm, it helps to melt the product and blend it in further. 

I usually put concealer underneath my eyes for my dark circles as well as all over the lid to cover up the veins and uneven tone there. This is more than enough for covering BOTH my eyes, on the bottom and on the lid.

I take just half of this amount with a brush for one eye,

and use the other half for the other.

I do the same technique for spots or blemishes since the brush gives better control and precision than with simply my fingers.

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Overall, would I recommend this to a friend? Yes! 
--- BUT only if they've exhausted other options and nothing else works for them. OR if they have problematic or oily skin like me and just really need the long-lasting full coverage. And of course only if they can afford the steep price! Otherwise, there are probably other options out there that are more wallet-friendly that will work just as well. It all depends on your personal needs and like they say.. the price you're willing to pay for beauty I guess! :)

I haven't used this product long enough to ensure HG status but it's definitely my favourite concealer at the moment so it's a close call! I'm using it everyday. If you're curious to check it out yourself, it is available from Sephora. 

Have a great day lovelies!

♥ 

Review - Benefit High Beam vs. ELF Shimmering Facial Whip

I am a huge fan of highlighters.
Having oily skin means that I am limited
to using mattifying facial powders or foundations that can
leave my face looking dull and lackluster at times.
Therefore, a highlighter is a much needed staple in my
everyday routine to help brighten up my complexion
and achieve that glow of "flawless" skin.

My usual highlighter of choice is
the highly raved favourite: Benefit's High Beam.
Recently, I have discovered
a cheap yet effective dupe for it
which I'm excited to share with everyone!!\



 ELF's Shimmer Facial Whip 
(in Lilac Petal)

Image Source: eyeslipsface.com

This highlighter is described as a:
"Multipurpose, on-the-go whipped colorant
is vitamin B, C and E packed to instantly brighten
and sooth skin with no greasy after-feel."

Image Source: eyeslipsface.com

It comes in 8 different shades
(the two newer ones are not shown above),
with some being more sheer than others,
depending on the type of effect you want to achieve.
The darker pinks can be used in replacement of
blush if you want a natural pink flush on your cheeks.

ELF's Shimmering Facial Whip
comes in a small squeeze tube that allows

you to easily squeeze out the exact amount you need.

Just a tiny amount like above covers both my cheeks.

As most people already know,

Benefit's High Beam
comes with a brush applicator.

 Benefit's High Beam retails for $24 US 
 on the Sephora websitewhile each  
Shimmering Facial Whip sells for just $1. 

Super affordable, no?? (In fact, most of the products
on the ELF websitealso sells for just $1 each.)

So... considering one's a higher-end product

and the other being such an inexpensive product,

how do these two highlighters compare??

Taken without flash. 

(Excuse the poor lighting.)

Benefit High Beam (LEFT)
vs.
Elf Shimmering Facial whip (RIGHT)

Without flash.
(In better lighting conditions.)

As  you can see, the texture of the two are very similar.
They look just about identical, don't they?  
One thing you may notice is that the applicator of  
Benefit's High Beam (LEFT) gives a cleaner stroke. 

Without flash.

When blended into the skin,

you can't tell the difference between the two.

With flash. 

I was amazed at the similarity between these two products

and am happy to have found a great dupe to use as a highlighter.

I'm looking forward to trying out some of the other colours

the next time I order from ELF.

You can check out the Shimmering Facial Whip yourself
on the E.L.F. Cosmetics website!
Don't be fooled by the price. 

For just $1, it won't hurt to try. :)
♥