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 - 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. :)
♥