Tag: concealer

Beauty

Givenchy Prisme Libre Skin-Caring Concealer N385

by Nikki1 Comment on Givenchy Prisme Libre Skin-Caring Concealer N385
Givenchy Prisme Libre Skin-Caring Concealer N385 Swatch Medium Dark Skin

Fragrance added to makeup is pretty standard with a luxury brand like Givenchy. So, imagine my surprise when I looked at the ingredients for the new Prisme Libre Skin-Caring Concealer and there was no fragrance listed. That made me excited to give this concealer a try because I have sensitive skin so I avoid fragrance in my products as much as possible. I’ve only used this a few times but I wanted to go ahead and share a swatch of the shade N385 and my thoughts.

To cut to the chase, this is a great formula if you are looking for a medium coverage concealer (which is what the Sephora website states) with a radiant finish. The actual box packaging claims that it is medium to high buildable coverage. While I do think that it is buildable, on me, building it up causes it to crease in an unflattering way. I’ve mentioned this before, but I should probably repeat it whenever I’m talking about creasing. Everything will settle into lines to some extent, that’s just what happens. But when the product collects in my lines so much that from a distance it looks like stripes, that’s what I call creasing in an unflattering way. If you don’t have a lot of issues with creasing, you might be able to build this to full high-medium coverage.

Givenchy Prisme Libre Skin-Caring Concealer N385 Swatch Medium Dark Skin

Without setting this with powder, it didn’t crease until after about 4 hours of wear and that is impressive to me. When I did set it with powder, it creased in about 2 hours. It still looked nice and not dry, but since it doesn’t crease much when unset, to me, there is no need to set it. If you are new here, I have dry skin, so your mileage will likely vary with the setting powder needs. The brand claims that this is hydrating and I don’t know that I’d call it hydrating. It does look hydrated, but I just don’t get the feeling of extra hydration being added to my skin. Again, keep in mind, I am dry. This isn’t as radiant as something like the Armani Luminous Silk Concealer, but it is radiant enough to be less perfecting (smoothing/blurring) than a more matte formula would be. That isn’t a bad thing and a lot of people like a radiant finish, it’s just something to keep in mind.

So getting back to the fragrance that I mentioned earlier. While the brand did omit an added “parfum,” there is actually a synthetic fragrance in this formula (ethylene brassylate).

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Beauty

So, Dior Reformulated My Go-To Concealer (Dior Forever Skin Correct Concealer 4WO New Formula Review and Swatch)

by Nikki5 Comments on So, Dior Reformulated My Go-To Concealer (Dior Forever Skin Correct Concealer 4WO New Formula Review and Swatch)

I was shocked to find out Dior reformulated the Forever Skin Correct Concealer. With all the love this concealer gets, I wonder if they started the reformulation before it gained traction. Regardless of the reason the update is now on the market with a formula made up of 96% natural-origin ingredients. Now that claim doesn’t mean a whole lot to me, but for those of us with sensitive skin, the downside to this new formula is that it does have added fragrance. I avoid products with added fragrance as a rule, but my curiosity won out and I decided to check out the new formula in store. The fragrance seemed subtle enough for me to tolerate, so I decided to buy it and test it out.

Dior Forever Skin Correct Concealer 4WO New 2023 Reformulation Swatch
Dior Forever Skin Correct Concealer 4WO (old on the left, new on the right)

If you’ve seen my review of the original formula, as long as you keep the added fragrance in mind, then you pretty much know all you need to know about the new formula. Honestly you guys, I don’t know how they managed it, but this formula is nearly identical to the original. For a point of reference, I have dry, sensitive, eczema-prone skin. Now let’s get into some detail on what I feel is better about the new Dior Forever Skin Correct Concealer.

Continue reading “So, Dior Reformulated My Go-To Concealer (Dior Forever Skin Correct Concealer 4WO New Formula Review and Swatch)” →
Beauty

Worst Makeup Products of 2022

by Nikki3 Comments on Worst Makeup Products of 2022
bareMinerals Bare Pro 16HR Powder Foundation in Medium 35 Warm Swatch
bareMinerals Bare Pro 16HR Powder Foundation in Medium 35 Warm
Armani Lip Power Long Lasting Satin Lipstick in 400 Swatch
Armani Lip Power Long Lasting Satin Lipstick in 400

Even when products don’t work for me initially, I do my best to test them in different ways to find a way to use them. Unfortunately, these are some products that I could never get to work. Labeling these as the worst makeup products of 2022 doesn’t mean that they won’t work for anyone else, but for me, there are several other products with better performance that I would recommend over them.

This blog uses affiliate links (marked with **).  I may earn a small commission when you purchase through links on my site.  Learn more here.

ONE/SIZE by Patrick Starrr Turn Up The Base Buttersilk Concealer, $25**

ONE/SIZE by Patrick Starrr Turn Up The Base Buttersilk Concealer, $25**

The ONE/SIZE Turn Up The Base Buttersilk Concealer was so bad for me that I returned it. I don’t think it is a bad product, but it did not work for me at all. This formula dries down quickly, but not so quick that it is hard to work with. Since it is matte I was hoping that I could wear it without powder, but unfortunately, I got creasing. Creasing is a typical issue for me, so that definitely doesn’t mean it will crease on everyone. Setting it with powder did help the creasing, but it was already so dry looking on its own that the powder only made it look worse. Obviously, that makes sense, but since I was trying it out anyway, I tried it with powder just to see how it went.

This is a matte, full-coverage concealer, so if you know my skin concerns (dry, sensitive, eczema-prone) you may be wondering why I even tried it out. Well, the Sephora product information does claim that this can work for dry skin and I also watched several reviews from other people with dry skin that love this formula. So it just doesn’t work for me personally. I would recommend the Pat McGrath Sublime Perfection Concealer** and the Too Faced Born This Way Super Coverage Multi-Use Longwear Concealer** over the ONE/SIZE concealer. The Pat Mcgrath is the most similar with its full coverage and matte finish. The Too Faced concealer has better coverage than both the Pat McGrath and One Size but it has a natural/satin finish. For swatches and more details on Pat McGrath and Too Faced concealers, I have a post that you can check out by clicking here.

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Beauty

The Most Surprising Products of 2022

by Nikki2 Comments on The Most Surprising Products of 2022

As I started to put together my 2022 favorites list, it started to look like the If I could Keep Only One Tag Post that I posted back in May. Since I often reference my favorite products and formulas throughout my reviews and sales suggestions, I was thinking it’d be more helpful to shine a light on some different products. So, instead of favorites, I want to talk about 4 products that surprised me (in a good way) this year. These products just don’t quite hit the mark to be my favorite but they are still great products that are worth checking out.

Hourglass Veil Translucent Loose Setting Powder, Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Concealer, Covergirl Clean Fresh Tinted Lip Balm in Made for Peach and Clear, NYX HD Finishing Powder in Banana

Despite blogging for 9 years (I published my first blog post in October 2013 😲), I’m one of those people that still get excited to try new formulas. I can appreciate that for instance, all blushes give you a flush of color, and still be curious to know how the formula and color differ from another blush. I go into most reviews expecting products to work just fine. There really aren’t a lot of products that are just bad these days. So when something impresses me and moves beyond that “just fine” feeling, it can be especially exciting for me since I have tried so much makeup over the years.

Oh and I do realize that there are a lot of new WordPress and e-mail subscribers that may not know my preferences as well as some of you, so I created a page that lists my favorite products with any corresponding blog posts. You can check out that page by clicking here.

This blog uses affiliate links (marked with **).  I may earn a small commission when you purchase through links on my site.  Learn more here.

Hourglass Veil Translucent Setting Powder, $46**

Hourglass Veil Translucent Loose Setting Powder Dry Eczema Prone Skin
Hourglass Veil Translucent Loose Setting Powder

Despite hearing rave reviews about this powder, I couldn’t find much information about it working for those with both dry skin and dark skin. Based on the claims, the powder is supposed to work for all skin tones and have a natural finish. So, in theory, there should have been no issue but I was still skeptical so I went to Sephora to check it out in person. As you can see, it impressed me enough in the store to go ahead and purchase it. I don’t typically like loose powders unless they have the mesh screen packaging that most people hate, but I thought this sifter style looked like it wouldn’t be too messy. I still like the mesh style best, but this isn’t too bad. Since I only need a little bit of powder, it dispenses way more product than I need for one use, so I haven’t had any issues. If you pack on powder or have oiler skin I can see how this style of sifter may not give you enough product.

There is no white cast on my Estee Lauder 4W4/NARS Tahoe skin tone and there is no flashback in photos. My skin doesn’t feel dry or tight when using this and it works for both my face and my undereye area. I like it better on the face because I feel like my NARS Light Reflecting Powder does a better job at setting my undereye area. I am however impressed that this is the only powder I’ve ever tried that helps foundation and concealer stay in place under the nose pads of my glasses.

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Beauty, MAC Cosmetics

Forgotten Best Sellers: MAC Cosmetics

by Nikki3 Comments on Forgotten Best Sellers: MAC Cosmetics
MAC Studio Fix Conceal and Correct Palette Dark, Extended Play Gigablack Lash, Mineralize Skinfinish Natural Dark, 217S Brush, Raizin Powder Blush, Satin Lipstick MAC Red, Technakohl Liner Graphblack

I enjoy writing these posts because it is a chance to talk about some older products that still manage to take up permanent residence on the brand’s best sellers list. To keep it simple, I use the brand website’s best seller list rather than separate retailers. I have already done a best sellers posts on NARS, Bobbi Brown, Clinique, and Laura Mercier if you’d like to check those out.

While it’s a tough sell to say anything from MAC Cosmetics has been completely forgotten, there are a couple of products that I want to showcase from the brand anyway. Despite not hearing as much hype about MAC Cosmetics they are still a powerhouse in the beauty industry and I’d imagine that a lot of people have some everyday staples from the brand. To get nerdy on you for a quick moment, MAC and Estee Lauder led the Estee Lauder Companies’ makeup portfolio with a net sales increase of $337 million combined (according to the Estee Lauder Companies August 24, 2022, annual report). So again, MAC isn’t really forgotten by makeup consumers at large, but if you are tuned in to beauty news, I think the items I’m going to talk about today may be lesser known to you.

This blog uses affiliate links (marked with **).  When you purchase through links on my site, I may earn a small commission.  Learn more here.

MAC is also joining in on the Labor Day sales and having a buy more, save more event ($20 off $75, $30 off $100, and $50 off $150). There are some exclusions, so double-check the website for the terms** before you get too excited 😉.

Offer ends 3:00am EST on September 8, 2022**
 Continue reading “Forgotten Best Sellers: MAC Cosmetics” →
Beauty

Concealer Round-Up (Pat McGrath, Armani, Dior, Too Faced)

by Nikki2 Comments on Concealer Round-Up (Pat McGrath, Armani, Dior, Too Faced)

Soooo I went a little concealer crazy this past year. I used to have 2 concealers and didn’t seem to be bothered by that. Then for some reason, I got it into my head that I needed to try out more formulas. Admittedly, I’m still not the most experienced with concealer but since these were shades that I personally had trouble finding swatches of, I’m hoping this is helpful anyway.

Pat McGrath Sublime Perfection M21, Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk 9, Dior Forever Skin Correct 4.5N and 4WO, Too Faced Born This Way Cookie Swatches on Medium Dark Skin
L to R: Pat McGrath M21, Armani Luminous Silk 9, Dior Forever Skin Correct 4.5N and 4WO, Too Faced Born This Way Cookie

I am in my late 30’s and my skin type is dry, sensitive, and eczema-prone. I look for medium to full coverage because I do have darkness both under and in the inner corner of my eyes as well as the occasional acne scar that I want to cover. Like many women of color, I also have discoloration around my chin area. If I do wear a foundation that doesn’t cover it well, I do rely on concealer to pick up that slack.

For shade reference, some of my best foundation matches are Estee Lauder Double Wear in 4W4, MAC Studio Fix Fluid in C8, and NARS Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation in Tahoe.

Pat McGrath Sublime Perfection M21, Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk 9, Dior Forever Skin Correct 4.5N and 4WO, Too Faced Born This Way Cookie Swatches on Medium Dark Skin
Concealers (left to right): Pat McGrath M21, Armani Luminous Silk 9, Dior Forever Skin Correct 4.5N and 4WO, Too Faced Born This Way Cookie
Continue reading “Concealer Round-Up (Pat McGrath, Armani, Dior, Too Faced)” →