Review: Lancome Teint Idole Ultra

Lancome's Teint Idole Ultra is one of the newest foundation that I've purchased recently. I've been curious about this one for some time, as it gets very good reviews (Makeupalley rating 3.9/5). I recently redeemed my Shoppers Drug Mart Optimum points and got this as well as Guerlain Lingerie De Peau for free. This foundation retails for $50 CAD. This foundation claims to be "enduringly divine and comfortable makeup, 14 hour retouch-free and oil free, for all skin types." On the back of the box this came in, it also says "ultra-resistant makeup, new ultra-longwearing makeup lasts for 14 hours, color stays flawlessly true with highly resistant pigments, no fading, no need for retouching". The description of this sounds luxurious and wonderful, something perhaps a working woman can wear all day without having to retouch or worry about it fading.

Mascara Monday: Maybelline Great Lash BIG Mascara

Maybelline's Great Lash BIG mascara is a step up from the original Great Lash mascara, the main difference is the brush is much larger. I know this mascara is listed as a favourite in many beauty magazines, but I never understood why because personally I hated the original, it was one of the worst mascara I've ever tried. I purchased the Great Lash BIG recently primarily for review purposes, it was $3.97 CAD at my Walmart, mascara does not much cheaper than that. This one promises "bigger brush, bigger lashes, buildable volume" (compared to the original Great Lash).

Maybelline Dream Smooth Mousse Finally Comes To Canada

The Maybelline Dream Smooth Mousse foundation has finally arrived in Canada! This was a foundation that I heard about month and month ago on youtube, I wanna say like 6 months ago maybe more? And have been on the lookout for it since then. I wonder WHY it took so long to get to Canada? Anyway, it's finally here. I picked up mine at Walmart for about $10, Shoppers Drug Mart has it for about $15 (don't waste your money, buy it at Walmart). And there are testers available too, of course they are already destroyed and disgusting at Walmart!

I picked it up in the lightest colour, 110 Porcelain Ivory. It's not that light, similar shade selection to Maybelline's other 'dream' foundations, if you had trouble finding a match in those, you will in this one too. I bought the Dream Liquid Mousse in Classic Ivory (which is too dark for me) so I got this in the lightest possible.

Other reviewers were not kidding when they say the packaging on this is very bulky. In the top you get a sponge, it has it's own little compartment. The bottom part unscrews and as you tell in the bottom picture on the right, that is the product there, it doesn't look like much.

I only got this a few days ago, so I will test it out for a bit and then will write a review of what I think of it. So far, I'd like to compare it to MAC Moistureblend foundation, which is a similar hydrating, cream foundation. I will say right off, this is a product for those with normal-dry skin, since it is moisturizing. I hope it works out for my dry skin. I have been using it mostly just with a stippling brush, but will mess around with other options to see what works best. How do you apply this?

Have you tried this product? What did you think?

Essie Winter 2010 Collection Swatches and Review

This is the very first Essie mini cube that I have ever purchased. I always thought they were a bit silly to get when you can get full bottles. A mini cube costs about $17 while one full sized bottle costs $10 around me. My ever-expanding nail polish collection is getting out of control and my favourite Amazon nail polish seller has mini sets for $9-10 so it just makes sense to get these. It's a nice way to sample a couple of the colours and if you like them a lot then buy a full bottle or two. I was planning on getting the Fall 2010 collection (especially for Sew Psyched) but I got to this one first.

Friday Faves: What's Your Favorite Way To Apply Liquid Foundation?

Last week I asked you girls what your favorite foundation was, today I am asking you what your favorite way to apply liquid foundation is? Having a good foundation is one thing, knowing how to best apply it to suit your skin is another issue. I know people use all sorts of methods and I will go over them today and tell you what I like best. Some methods include using brushes such as a traditional flat foundation brush, a flat top brush, or stippling brush. Using sponges such as a beauty blender or cosmetic wedge. And lastly, using your hands. Those are the ways that I can think of.

Traditional foundation brush - I don't reach for this brush to apply foundation hardly ever. I feel like I am painting my face. But I know whenever I go to a makeup counter and they apply foundation on me, it is always with this type of brush. I find it can get streaky this way.

Flat top foundation brush - This is my favourite type of brush to use, I love the ELF Powder brush because it's quite wide so you can cover a large area of your face and pack this on quickly. Also for me I don't tend to blend with this type of brush but more just pat it on and I am done. I get great coverage and it applies evenly. The Sigma F80 can function the same way. Another brush is the MAC 109, it's sorta flat but also rounded, I use this method sometimes as well, for the same purpose, tapping or pouncing the foundation on.

Stippling brush - This method can give the most "flawless" application because you are basically stippling foundation on, and then blending if needed. It is time consuming however. I have been using this method more and more lately, but I only stipple no blending anymore, however I prefer the flat top method over this.

Blending sponge - This year especially many companies have put out beauty blender type sponges for applying foundation. The sponge is soaked in water and it expands to twice the size and can give very precise application of liquid foundation. The sponge is washed and used again and again. I have the Sonia Kashuk verison here. I very very rarely use this method because I am not very good at it and prefer using my brushes.

Cosmetic wedge - Some products include their own sponges inside, most of the time these are useless because they can only be used a limited number of times. However it can give a nice looking finish as well. Wedges can also be purchased at dollar stores or drugstores (I have packs of them).

Recently, I watched a youtube video from the fabulous "gossmakeupartist" where he goes over how we need to wet our sponges when applying makeup. How it will sheer out your foundation, and not give you that cakey look that everyone hates. It makes your foundation a lot easier to work with and you can layer it much easier. Wetting your sponge does not allow the foundation to settle into the sponge either, so you aren't wasting product.

What interested me most was how he said that those with dry (me) or combination skin have areas of the face where the skin feels textured and rough, if we use a stippling brush and blend we are basically "micro-exfoliating" our faces! That made total sense to me, after watching that, I no longer blend my foundation in anymore, if I need to I do so with my hands. Similarly, when you powder your face afterwards to set your face, you are "micro-exfoliating" again and disturbing your face, instead we should be using a powder puff and pressing the powder into our skin instead.

I think his advice is genius if you have this type of skin and have issues. I know I definitely do and this has helped me so much. Makeup brushes are fun to collect and make you feel all professional when using them, but sometimes they may not be the best option for you, and a simple thing like a sponge can make a lot more sense. For me, the stippling method works the best, no more blending!

What is your favorite way to apply liquid foundation?

Review: Neutrogena Extra Gentle Cleanser

Since I have dry skin it can be very difficult to find a cleanser that is good for my skin, one that does not strip away moisture while still cleaning. I have a ton of skincare products and still hasn't found what really "works" for me. I trust Neutrogena as a skincare company and have tried many of their products. Recently I picked up this Extra Gentle Cleanser. I've used up about 3/4 of the bottle and think I can now write a review.

This comes in a white bottle with an awesome pump that locks. I got this for about $11 as a bonus with the Neutrogena Ageless Intensives Deep Wrinkle Moisturizer (review on that later). It says on the bottle that it "adds moisture every time you cleanse". Also it's fragrance-free, hypo-allergenic and dermatologist recommended. On the back it says how it's a non-soap formula which adds moisture back to your skin, so skin retains resiliency and suppleness. It's rich and non-irritating, and does not leave a residue that can clog pores. I think this all sounds super duper! It sounds like something that would be excellent for those with dry skin. But we all know that companies make products sound better than they actually are, or maybe I am just skeptical.

How did it perform for me? I actually really like this. It did not make my skin feel tight, irritated and red like a lot of other cleansers do. Normally I have to apply moisturizer or cream right after I wash my face because it feels so agitated, or else I will be very sorry the next day. I don't think it "adds moisture back to your skin" as a cleanser should not really take moisture away in my opinion. A cleanser that is right for your skin type should cleanse it gently while not irritating and stripping moisture in the first place. But I do appreciate that this cleanser does not leave my skin feeling terrible afterwards, and that is a plus for me.

As you can tell in the picture above, the texture of this cleanser is quite rich, but it has a milky feel to it. It does not lather at all and has no scent. It is a very basic cleanser, it feels like you are cleaning your face with lotion, leaving it soft afterwards. That's a giant glop on my hand but once blended into the skin you can tell it's quite watery and light. It says in the directions to apply this in circular motions on a wet face and then rinse with lukewarm water. Or it may also be used as a "tissue off cleanser". Actually after putting it on my hand I did remove it with a tissue (instead of washing my hand) and it came off easily and left my hand feeling smooth and no residue was present. So perhaps a better way to use this would be to remove it with a damp cloth, that way you don't irritate your skin with water. I think I may try that out from now on.

I would give this cleanser a go if you have dry or sensitive skin, it is very gentle as the name suggests . I use this as a everyday cleanser, but also a few times a week I exfoliate using the Neutrogena Acne Stress Control Power Clear Scrub, which is a favourite of mine. I also want to point out that I do not use this to remove my makeup, I always remove my makeup with Neutrogena's Oil-free Eye Makeup Remover and then wipe all my face makeup off with the Kirkland Brand Cleansing Wipes, then I wash my face with a cleanser to remove any remaining residue. I do not know if this would take all your makeup off on it's own, because I do not use it for that purpose.

Have you used this Neutrogena Cleanser? Did you like it?