Rimmel concealers and my new under eye routine...

Buying a new concealer is boring! Well it is to me!

I'm not a fan, not at all and I've been using one since I was about 15 years old! Gah!!! Why did I even bother back then, I had perfect skin! I guess I have my best friend to blame for that (yes you Nico!). When I saw her use her little stick of light beige cream I just thought it was so cool that I just I had to get me one. There was no turning back! If I remember correctly that first one was from Maybelline. 

Through the years there have been many, many, many... The ones I've repurchased the most were from Clinique and Estée Lauder. I loved the creamy formula with the doe foot applicator. In recent years the formulas seem to have changed and so the last ones I purchased from either companies weren't performing as well as they used to. Or maybe it was just my skin getting older and showing its unhappiness...

Although I've used several high end brands my favorite of the past few years...

Rimmel March Perfection!

The super el cheapo brand makes one good concealer but the latest tube I purchased (after having looked for one for weeks because every drugstore in Montreal appeared to be out!) seemed to be sheerer than before. Could be just me and my "getting older" under eye area but for some reason it didn't conceal as well as before. Do know I don't have dark circles and it's mainly to even out. I was a little disappointed and figured this meant I would have to go on a quest, a quest to replace it, to find another HG. :(

Then came Sunny (mostlysunnyblog) to the rescue with her super amazing idea!

Using a primer under the concealer! Why didn't I think of that? *smacks head*

The two primers I had on hand were NARS Pro-Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base which I found a little thick for the under eye area and a small size of Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer which turned out to be perfect! I know it's suppose to be used on face but it wasn't doing much for me and it was dying in my makeup case so why not give it a try?

So now my new routine is, Hourglass primer, Rimmel concealer and a light dusting of Marcelle Pressed Powder with a fan brush. Done! The picture below is from my Instagram feed.

Rimmel has three concealers, Hide The Blemish Concealer in a traditional stick form which I haven't tried. Wake Me Up Concealer, a cream with a doe foot applicator reminiscent of the ones I used to like and Match Perfection Concealer presented in a long tube with a brush at the end.

I found both Wake Me Up and Match Perfection to be quite similar, almost interchangeable (Wake Me Up is slightly more moisturizing) so the choice between the two depends on the type of presentation you prefer and I do believe they've improved on Match Perfection by adding air in the tube so you don't have to press for ages to get product out. That was what I found most annoying with my first tube reviewed, here. Over my Hourglass primer it doesn't dry as fast so I have more time for a smooth application and also it's more opaque and covers better than without.

Rimmel London Match Perfection concealer is often on special in drugstores and there are times when it's hard to find. I guess I'm not the only one liking it and the same goes for Wake Me Up. Even at their respective regular price which is under $10.00, they are a good deals and I doubt at this point that I'll go back to expensive brands. Ok I may for blogging research but not having a blog I'd be quite satisfied with either.

I don't have many drugstore HG anymore but this one remains and I think that as long as they make it I'll own one.

Is there a drugstore item that you've repurchased again and again and again... ?

The Sunday Post, Vol. 20...

Excited!

My friend from Australia is coming to Montreal to visit her family and we have a date on Wednesday!

We've known each other since we were 14 yrs old and although we've lost track here and there we've managed to keep in touch. The last time we saw each other face to face? I can't really remember but I believe Catherine was 8 and she'll be 15 in less than a month so yes, it's been a while!

Finally we are back on track and have been enjoying beautiful springy weather! Most summer makeup collections are out but I've stayed away from the cosmetics departments! I stayed away because I need to reduce my beauty spending, not completely but I just can't go all crazy like I did last Christmas. I still need new shoes...

... and I have Catherine's upcoming birthday to think about!

This week's makeup love...

... Erm I should say this month's makeup love! Since for a while now I've been using pretty much the same items I thought it would be fun to do a round up and show you what I reach for in order of use, before putting on perfume and lipstick in the morning. Of course I don't use all of these at once in case you're wondering. If I were I guess I would probably look like a clown!

Base products...

Dior Hydra Life BB Crème (see below)
Hourglass Mineral Veil (under eye area)
Rimmel Match Perfection concealer
NARS Pro-Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base
Marcelle Pressed Powder (with a fan brush under eye area)
Guerlain Crazy Météorites

Eyes...

Guerlain Terracotta La Sélection de l'Été Eye and Face Palette from last year. The faun eye shadow on lower lid and been playing with the other two colors as well, a darkish olive green and purplish brown
Diorshow Mono in Velvet or TheBalm Shady Lady in Risqué Renee for definition
Bobbi Brown Ciment from the Navy & Nude palette on upper lids and to blend the edges
L'Oréal Infaillible Lacquer Liner in Slate sometimes "oomfed" with Dior Fusion Mono in Nocturne
Mascara, alternating between Diorshow and Diorshow Iconic

Contour, definition or glowy stuff, however you want to call these...

Bronzer, alternating between Terracotta 01 / La Sélection de l'Été and NARS Laguna. Diorskin Nude Tan Paradise Duo in Coral Glow has come out of hibernation but I've only used it 2x so far.

Oops! I forgot blushes! Well at the moment it's pretty much always M.A.C Whole Lotta Love

Finishing powder, Guerlain Crazy Météorite again or a combination from Hourglass Ambient Lighting, mainly Dim Light and Radiant Light.

Ok so I have included Bobbi Brown's Longwear Gel Eyeliner in Caviar Ink in there but in all honesty I rarely reach for it. I find it harder to work with than L'Oréal. For some reason, once the line is done, going back over it to either thicken it or make it more clean sometimes makes a pretty bad mess. Since it dries fast, it can get all smudgy and weird.

So you see, I don't need to go all crazy over the new collections since I've got most of my makeup needs covered. Right?

A little update...

It's official, Dior Hydra Life BB Crème will not do for summer! Great luminous coverage but it doesn't control the oil and on some afternoons this week I could actually feel it on my skin. With it I've had to use 2x the powder I normally do if not more. Not a total waste, I will simply keep it for late august, for when the weather starts to cool down to transition into fall.

What I have my eyes on...

I do still want a few new nail polishes but haven't decided yet if I'll go Dior or Chanel and there's a Guerlain Rouge Automatique that I'm considering but since I have to find a new daytime foundation/BB or whatever the name, it may have to wait.

For your viewing enjoyment...

This week's video is not from Dior!!! Aren't you surprised? From YSL showing one of their iconic products, I think I really need one! Imagine that, a full night's sleep rested look in a clickable pen! I just can't believe I haven't tried this before.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-3EhjF2ePE

Yup! I definitely need one.

Have a great week everyone! Hélène xoxo

Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer / Review...

Recently I reviewed Hourglass limited edition Ambient Lighting Palette which by the way is pretty amazing. You can read my original thoughts, here.

  Ambient Lighting Palette with Veil Mineral Primer 

Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer SPF 15...

Described as a mineral-based, water-resistant primer that neutralizes the skin, minimizes shine, and creates a smooth uniform canvas for flawless makeup application. Helps keep makeup looking fresh and prevents fading. Absorbs excess oils and minimizes the appearance of pores by evenly distributing light to help hide and soften skin imperfections and fine lines (source Sephora).

This primer gets lots and lots of love! 

The texture is an opaque milky white creamy liquid! Does that even make sense? It's quite interesting actually and really soft. Light and non greasy, it goes on like a dream and transforms to a powdery finish in no time.

The regular size comes with a convenient pump.

Ok so that's pleasant and I must say that it does feel rather luxurious on skin and is fragrance free.

How did it perform? 

Well, hold on to your seats! I saw no difference with or without.

For a week I did a split face experiment. I used it on the right side of my face and the only thing I can report is my Estée Lauder BB cream was slightly easier to apply. If you refer back to Sephora's description of Veil Mineral Primer, well, I saw no difference and I think it's because of the state of my skin at this time.

I have combination skin and at the moment my t-zone is less oily due to the colder weather. I do believe that those with combination to oily skin would benefit more using this.

For luminosity and blurring, on me, no difference. I do have some enlarged pores here and there and do have some tiny wrinkles (*sigh*), expression lines but I can't say that they are less noticeable and I have looked under different types of lighting.

Now it does work if I don't apply any creamy product over it! In other words, if I use only powders it clearly does blur things up but using my tinted moisturizer seems to neutralize that effect. If you try it on your hand in the store you'll see what I mean. It's almost magic!

So, what I have left I will put aside and use next summer or at least when the weather warms up and will experiment again. I think it just might be a go to, to help control the oil production on my t-zone especially on those days when I don't want to apply too much makeup, you know, those hot and sticky ones?

Since the full size of Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer is on the pricey side at $60,00 I would recommend you try to get a sample first.


Reviews:

Makeup Alley: 3.9 / 5 lippies for 221 reviews
Beauté-test: Hourglass is not listed.

Ingredients (Sephora)
-Titanium Dioxide: (2.45%) An alternative to chemical-based sunscreen agents that reflects UVA/UVB rays to protect skin from harmful damage. 
-Zinc Oxide: (4.20%) A mineral with anti-inflammatory properties that offers full spectrum coverage by absorbing UVA and UVB rays at the skin's surface. 

Cyclopentasiloxane, Isododecane, Polysilicone-11, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Hexyl Laurate, Peg-10 Dimethicone, Polyglyceryl-4 Isosterate, Stearic Acid, Alumina.


This is not a skin care item per say but since it's applied all over it would be a good thing to patch test first if you have clog and/or acne prone skin or have sensitive skin.


Have you tried Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer? Thoughts and what's your skin type? 

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette...

... Love at first use!

In recent years makeup wasn't too high on my list of priorities, putting on my "face" in the morning meant that it was relatively basic and so my look was a kind of no makeup, makeup look. One step I've never skipped has always been powder because of my shiny t-zone and eyes where I use concealer as an eyeshadow base. Last spring when I started my quest to find a new job I went to Sephora looking for an everyday powder compact and I remember seeing Hourglass Ambient Lighting but I was somewhat puzzled about them. Intrigued, I remember trying each one on my arm and then walking around the store looking at the swatches liking what I saw but still not sure enough to go for one and so that day I got my little Givenchy Le Prisme Visage compact.

Not long after it would seem the entire blogosphere was talking about Hourglass and since then these Ambient Lighting powder appear to have become almost essentials to those looking to achieve a flawless complexion. Unlike Le Prisme which tones down shine and lightly evens out the complexion, Hourglass' Ambient Lighting powders create a gentle diffuse light effect on the skin, in other words it softens the way light reflects on one's skin.

When I saw the first pictures of this palette last summer I knew I just had to have it. Having the chance of trying three was just too irresistible considering they are $52,00 each, the palette although still not cheap at $67,00 offers a great opportunity to experiment.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette comes with a small size of the 
well loved Veil Mineral Primer which will get it's own review.

Mother's Day Wish List / Makeup

Mother's Day is coming up fast! In case you didn't know, it's on May 12th and this means if you want to give her something special you better start looking, like, now!!!

Breakfast in bed, flowers, chocolate are all quite nice but if she's a beauty junkie (like me) she may enjoy something a little less fattening that will last a little longer. New makeup, renewal of some skincare items she likes or maybe even a new set of makeup brushes. I know I personally need some.

As most of you know, I am a mom and so this year I'll be treating myself. To what I still don't know but here is a list of some beauty envy items I have on my wish list.

Let's do a bit of dreaming shall we?

NARS And God Created The Woman ($70.00). From the Pierre Hardy Collection, Boys Don't Cry Blush ($48.00) & Sharplines Nail Polish Duo ($32.00). NARS Travel Brush Set ($85.00).

Givenchy Écrin Privé ($78.00), Le Prisme Blush Powder in 23 Aficionado Peach ($48.00), 

Le Rouge 202 Rose Dressing ($38.00), Noir Couture 4 in 1 Mascara ($35.00).

Diorskin Nude Tan Paradise Duo in 002 Coral Glow ($57.00), Dior Addict Gloss in 732 Paradise ($31.00), Manicure Essentials Set ($77.00), Birds of Paradise Nail Lacquer Duo ($30.00).

Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess Powder Bronzer ($40.00), Bronze Goddess Eau Fraîche 

Skinscent ($72.00), Bronze Goddess Luminous Liquid Bronzer ($32.50), 

Pure Color Sheer Roller Gloss in Squeeze ($20.00).

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder ($52.00), Ambient Powder Brush ($45.00), Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick in Canvas ($33.00), Prodigy Hydrating Lip Gloss in Heroine ($31.00).

Bobbi Brown Lilac Rose Eye Palette ($70.00), Creamy Matte Lip Color in Calypso ($28.00), Brightening Finishing Powder in Brightening Nudes ($58.00), The Basic Brush Collection ($215.00).

Guerlain Écrin 6 Couleurs Eyeshadow Palette - Rue de Passy ($92.00), Terracotta 4 Seasons Tailor Made Bronzing Powder in Moyen - Brunettes ($94.00), Les Météorites Powder For The Face in Teint Beige 02 ($67.00), Météorites Brush ($45.00).

What do I want most from this dreamy list? Coming out on top there's Diorskin Nude Tan Paradise Duo which I've been eying for weeks now. All of the NARS and Givenchy shown, The Estée Lauder gloss, Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder (this too has been a beauty envy for a while now), Bobbi Brown Creamy Matt Lip Color as well as the brushes and Guerlain Écrin Rue de Passy.

Actually, I want it all!