concealer Archives - Macarons and Mischief

October 5, 2012

September Favourites!

Hi bloggers, this is my first “favourites” post, yay! Sorry I’ve been super slow on updating. I had a cold/cough/fever for a week so I lacked all motivation to get myself back in the blogosphere. But I’m all pumped up to blog now!

These 5 products are something I’ve been using often in September, and I’m pretty sure they will be my favourite things for quite a while!

1) Bioderma HydraBio Tonique: I won this in a raffle draw from Shoppers, and this is my favourite out of the bunch! I use it day and night, and it’s perfect for sensitive skin, even though my skin is more on the dry side. Nevertheless, I use this after cleansing, then put on some moisturizer, and my skin has never been so hydrated.

2) Murad Intensive-C Radiance Peel: I got this sample from Sephora and it pretty much revolutionized my skincare routine. I’m considering splurging on the full sized product (price is horrendous though). I use this tiny sample 1-2 times a week (only used it for two weeks so far,) and I leave it on for ten minutes. There’s this tingly feeling which feels like it’s working, then I wash it off. Smooth skin in an instant!

3) Buxom Lip Polish in Katie: Ah, I love this thing! I love the tingly feeling on the lips and it’s very moisturizing. A tad bit sticky, but that’s forgiveable. The colour is very natural and I use it around the middle of my lips most of the time.

4) Fresh Sugar Lychee rollerball: I think this scent was heaven-sent to me. I hardly use perfume, but I love the smell of it. Lychee is one of my favourite fruits. The scent is not too fruity, and no florals as well. Smells like I just got out of a shower (in a good way.)

5) bare Minerals Stroke of Light Eye Brightener: All undereye concealers I’ve ever tried does not even keep up with this! This is a brand new product from bare Minerals. It has sheer-medium coverage as advertised, and little sparkles that make the undereye brighten up asap. A little bit goes a long way, and I actually look like I slept for 8 hours!

These 5 products are pretty much the only thing keeping me through September, and probably for a very long time too! Have you tried any of these? 🙂

August 25, 2012

A 4 Year Love Story with Bare Minerals Well Rested

Do you remember your first product from Sephora? I do. It was a pot of mineral powder from bareMinerals of “Well Rested” Multi Tasking Face Colour. My friend took me to Sephora for the first time and I had no idea what was going on. I was a noob at makeup and didn’t wear any of this. But, I felt like I should buy something, and the only thing I ever felt self conscious about back then was my eye bags. So, the sales associate put some of this on and I bought it for $23CAD. My heart broke at the wallet, but as long as it works, it’s worth it right?

Definitely, because I still have the same pot in my bathroom 4 years later. Although I didn’t use it often from the second-third year of owning this product, I am now finding many uses for this mineral powder.

Excuse the somewhat dirty/messy lid!

There is a sifter- you can tap a bit out on the lid, then use a brush or fingers to dab some on the problem areas! This is great to control the amount of product you are going to use!

Description:

Instantly achieve a wide-awake look with this innovative eye brightener. Our lightweight formula buffs on gently around the eye area to visibly diminish dark circles while the SPF 20 offers added protection against the sun’s harmful rays.

Benefits:

Masks your all-nighter by refreshing the eye area and creating a bright-eyed look
Keeps your true hue all day long when applied under bareMinerals Eyecolors

Ingredients:

Bismuth Oxychloride (CI 77163), Kaolin, Mica (CI 77019), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77499), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891)

Although this product can be used as an under eye concealer alone, sometimes it doesn’t provide enough coverage, but it still makes my eyes look brighter and more awake. I prefer to use it over concealer, as it does a great job acting as a “finishing powder.”

It has good brightening properties.

I love using this cover redness– I just it on the sides of my nose, a bit on my cupid’s bow, and on the sides of my lips. It’s great in covering blemishes! When I got my wisdom teeth removed and I had ugly bruises on my face, I used Well Rested with another Bare Minerals foundation to cover them completely!

This product is also a great highlighter if you sweep some across the cheekbones and on the nose ridge! I also use it on my brow bone for a natural, yet highlighted high brow look.

I am still using this product, and I finally am able to make it work well! This is truly a great multi-tasker for dark circles, blemishes, redness, and whatever needs a little concealing! Great product, great ingredients, and will last a long time!

August 13, 2012

Geek Chic: Simple Look with Bold Glasses

It always sucks to be the one stuck in glasses while everyone looks fabulous glasses-less. I always get the feeling I’m looked over with them. I recently got purple ombre, thicker glasses frames, and I thought they would look fine..but when I got them WITH my lenses and I actually saw them clearly, I realized that they were a bit big for my face, and made my eyes look small! I was in a mini panic mode, and not that I can return my glasses either! Btw~ sorry for the not very hd, clear photos; will snap better shots in better lighting next time!!

I wanted to do a look for everyday or working- simple and doesn’t look caked on! I’m planning to do a series of them for different occasions, for all the glasses wearers out there!

Two things to remember: we want to make sure groomed brows are framing your frames, and make sure those eyebags are not extremely casted by the shadows of the frames!

Cover those eyebags! I use:

concealers — Concealers (image composed by me)

I first use Maybelline’s Dream Lumi (review here) to highlight, then I usually use Bare Minerals Well Rested concealer. For heavier coverage, I use Almay Wake Up Undereye Concealer (not the best product, does a mediocre job- but trying to finish it and dump it!) after highlighting, then pat some Bare Minerals on as “setting powder.” I have been using that pot of Bare Minerals Well Rested since 2009!

Next- define the eyes. Have small eyes? Delude people to make them bigger!

My glasses tends to cover half the eyeshadow- so if bolder colours would be deminished behind my lens. But as I am going for a quick simple look, all I do to brighten my eyes is apply Urban Decay Naked Palette’s Virgin from my outer crease into my browbone and Sin on my eyelids. I also like to put a bit of brown eyeshadow (Smog) into the crease as well. It doesn’t really matter if it’s a bit darker, the frames cover it! Oh- remember your primer if you worry your shadow won’t last all day!

Okay- open those eyes. I use Lancome’s Artliner, a cheaper alternative would be Essence liquid eyeliner (review for both here.) When I first wore my thick frames and used my Hypnose Doll lashes mascara, disaster struck! My eyelashes poked my glasses! I guess it should be great that I get long lashes, but it’s a nuisance! I opt for CoverGirl’s lashblast volume mascara instead. Volumnize those lashes, not lengthen. And because I wanted to open my eyes more, I used Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Pencil in stray dog to underline my eyes. I got this liner in a set during Christmas from a friend of mine last year- and I do believe you can’t buy it alone. It’s pretty much a taupey-brown eyeliner.

Next- I put on my glasses and do my cheeks and lips!

I skipped the foundation and primer and highlighter- since I’m going for a casual look 🙂

I put on glasses so I know where to put my blush! Blush is used to define the cheekbones, and prevent the face from looking flat. For a simple look, I’m using a light pink colour with Tarte’s Amazonian Clay Blush in Dollface (review here.) For the lips, I use a sheer light pink colour- with NARS Lipstick in Roman Holiday (review here.) A cheaper alternative would be Revlon Super Lustrous Matte Lipstick in Pink Pout.

And then the final look…

So I blame bad lighting, or a clearer picture would’ve been better! Also, tying your hair up in a half ponytail or full ponytail would show your face more!

Glasses peeps can dress up their face too! What do you think?

Also, follow me on twitter (@wheetneey) for blog updates, instagram pictures, and my daily ramblings!

August 4, 2012

Great Brushes, Great Price- EcoTools & SPAresource

I never thought I needed a makeup brush..but I realized how convenient they are and how easier it is to blend makeup. When I checked the prices at Sephora/MAC when I first wanted to get one, I could not simply bring myself to drop $20 on hair on a wooden stick. Luckily, Walmart showed me a place where you don’t need to destroy your wallet and get what you want. I have been using makeup brushes from SPAresource and EcoTools for a while and I love them! The total cost of these 4 brushes was approximately $20 all together! I don’t use that much makeup, so these 4 are pretty much my staple:

For the under eye & concealing small blemishes: I use SPAresource Pro-Series Concealer Brush. I got this at Walmart around $2.50 . It is “made from premium synthetic fibers. Use for precise and detailed application of cream or stick concealers.”

Concealer Brush (image from SPAresource)

When covering dark under eye areas, concealer should not be applied under the whole eye. This is too heavy for the delicate area and doing so the darkness may be gone but your coverage has become obvious.

Lightly press concealer to the inside corner eye area (right beside the bridge of the nose) this will reflect light and brighten where it is dark.

This really helps me blend concealer for the undereyes! instead of using my fingers. I use less product with the brush than my fingers, and I get full, more natural looking coverage!

For blush, bronzer, and even mineral foundation: I use SPAresource Pro-Series Angled Contour Brush. I don’t remember the price for this, but it was approximately $8 (I think.) It is “made from premium high-grade natural hair. A large angle designed for contouring and blending cheek color, bronzer or shimmer.”

CONTOUR_m — Contour Brush (image from SPAresource)

When working with shimmer blushers or bronzer to accent the height in cheekbones, make sure that the skin is completely moisturized before application. If the skin is dehydrated, shimmers and bronzers can accentuate fine lines.

I love this brush! It’s great blending with my powder blushes, bronzers, and even highlighters from the cheeks to the temple! The brush is dense enough for me to use this when I use Bare Minerals Foundation! It blends seamlessly on my face, so I am quite happy how this brush can be used. I washed this several times, and some hairs of the brush has gone astray, or askew, but it’s still soft enough to use!

For eyeshadow: I always use my EcoTools Bamboo Eye Shading Brush. I ditched the brush that came with the Urban Decay Naked Palette and use this instead. This is a product from Walmart, and I got it for approximately $4-5, if I recall. London Drugs also sell EcoTools.

Bamboo_Eye_Shadi_501a90f8c065b — Eye Shading Brush (image from EcoTools)

Whether you’re creating a look for day or night, this is a versatile, must-have eye brush. Essential for applying shadow base, it can be used for shading, highlighting, and blending. Our eye shading brush features soft, cruelty-free synthetic taklon bristles, a recycled aluminum ferrule, and a sleek, bamboo handle. This brush is housed in a zip-top reusable pouch.

First- I love that these are earth-friendly products. The EcoTools site explains:

Our cosmetic brushes are beautiful and show respect for the earth. They are 100% cruelty-free, have incredibly soft bristles made of synthetic taklon and have handles made of bamboo and recycled aluminum ferrules.

I always use this brush to apply eyeshadow to my brow bone (with Virgin from Urban Decay Naked Palette) and on my eyelids. Easy to blend, and it’s very fluffy and soft after many washes! A+ for quality!

Lastly, for concealing: I use EcoTools Deluxe Concealer Brush.

Bamboo_Deluxe_Co_501a91fa47aee — Deluxe Concealer Brush (image from Eco Tools)

Conceal dark under-eye circles and hide minor imperfections with our deluxe concealer brush. The cruelty-free taklon bristles also work great with cream eye shadow! Our brush features a recycled aluminum ferrule, sleek, bamboo handle, and a zip-top reusable pouch.

This is another product from Walmart, and I got it for approximately $6, if I recall. This is different from the SPAresource concealer brush, as this is a flat brush. Because this brush is fairly big,I use this for powder under eye concealers, instead of liquid. I also use this to blend my BB Cream at the sides of my nose. It also blends well with highlighters. Just like the eye shading brush, the quality of this brush is great!! After many washes, the bristles are still intact!

These four brushes covers my main concerns in makeup application, and the price for these are fantastic!

Photo 2012-08-04 1 07 25 PM — My brushes

What are your staple brushes?

June 26, 2012

Brighten or not? Maybelline’s DREAMLUMI Touch Highlighting Concealer

As a victim of dark undereye circles, I picked up Maybelline DreamLumi Touch Highlighting Concealer in Radiant at Walmart a long time ago to try it out. I have been coveting YSL’s Touche Eclat, but it is way beyond my budget means, and picked up Maybelline’s hoping it would be something similar. I’ve been using this product once in a while, not often, since I didn’t find it as effective as I hoped. This product is a “gel based formula diffuses light to erase dark circles for on-the-spot perfection in just one touch.” The description sounded like something I need. There are 6 different shades: ivory, radiant, buff, nude, beige, and honey. There weren’t many selections when I went to Walmart, so I picked up Radiant.

Photo 2012-06-24 4 15 52 PM — DreamLumi Highlighting Concealer

The packaging of the concealer is like a pen. The end is a brush to sweep the product on your face. To get more of the concealer, twist the bottom and it will appear on the brush. What is annoying is that sometimes you end up getting more concealer than you actually need. I also got the lid dirty easily.

For Best Results (according to Maybelline)

To brighten face, apply over brows as well as to the inner and outer corners of eyes and blend with tip of finger.

Apply to sides of nose and on chin and blend to give your face a luminous glow.

To sculpt and highlight facial features, apply in small strokes to the cheekbones and blend.

To make lips look fuller, outline lips with lumi concealer and blend.

To cover imperfections, dot concealer onto desired area and blend.

Perhaps I chose the wrong colour, but it looked so pink on me when I don’t wear glasses, so that I only use a minimum amount for my eye circles when I wear glasses.The pinkness clashed with my natural skin colour, so it looks a bit unnatural under natural light.

When the colour is blended, I can trace where the boundaries of the product is, since it was too pink-orangey for my skintone. Only a little is needed, because the product is quite thick.

Due to the difference to my skin colour and the product colour, I can’t really use it to highlight other parts of my face other than the under eye. The eye on your left hand side has the highlighting concealer, whereas the eye on your right does. It does a little bit of concealing and brightening especially at the outer edges of my eye circles, but I can still see some “darkness” underneath.

Here is a closeup of the eye:

Photo 2012-06-24 3 31 14 PM — L: No Concealer
R: Wearing Concealer

The moment the formula blends on the skin closer to my nose, they get instantly dry. This product highlights the other dry parts on my face, so I can’t use it on anywhere else, such as highlighting cheeks and sides of the nose. If I try it on other parts of my face, I look like I have dry, half pink, half beige skin. Even with moisturizer underneath, I feel like I’m highlighting imperfections, not concealing them.

I wish the product had more coverage and less pinkness, but I also think I chose an unsuitable colour so this product doesn’t work as a good multitasker. The idea of an affordable highlighter concealer pen is great, and I can see why many would love this product. It just didn’t work on me.

For Best Results (according to Maybelline)

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