Disappointing Products #2

I tried the Clinique SuperCity Block SPF 40 because it sounded like it would be good for my oily skin since it's oil free. Unfortunately it broke me out. On top of that, I also found that the slight tint did nothing for my skin and did not cover anything; it also left my face looking super shiny. My go-to sunscreen at the moment is the Allie Mineral Moisture Gel SPF 50, which is the lightest feeling sunscreen I found so far and leaves my face looking matte.

I love me some shimmery bronzy eyeshadows, and Bobbi Brown Shimmer Wash Eyeshadow in Rosegold was rated as a must-have eyeshadow for neutral shadow lovers. Unfortunately, this shadow had too much of a red undertone in it and made me look like I had pinkeye- not a flattering look on me. This eyeshadow had a good formula though, the color just didn't work out for me.

Illamasqua Cream Pigment in Hollow is another highly-rated item and is supposed to be a super subtle and natural-looking contour/bronzing cream. I don't have any bronzers/contours in a cream formula so I thought I would give it a go. Although I like bronzers with a neutral/greyish undertone, this was just completely grey and made me look sickly instead of healthy and sun-kissed.

I tried out the Estee Lauder Shadow Paint in Pink Zinc because it's supposed to be the longest lasting cream shadow on the market. When I swatched the color on my hand it seemed like a beautiful pinky champagne color, but when I used it on my eyes it was all shimmers and no pigmentation at all. The longevity of it was mediocre as well. I'd much prefer my Maybelline Color Tattoos over this, which are much more affordable and last way longer.


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Current Skincare Favs #2

Borghese Fango Active Mud Mask is a long-time cult favorite and I've always been a bit skeptical when it comes to super hyped-up products like this. I finally bought it when strawberrynet had a sale a while ago, and I can't believe that it took me so long to try this mask because this is without a doubt the best mud mask that I've ever tried. Being a mud mask, it does more than just cleaning out your pores. It contains super gentle mud particles that helps to gently exfoliate and draw out any impurities. My complexion looks significantly smoother after using this, and it also helps to heal up my breakouts faster. The avocado and almond oil in it helps to give hydration so my skin doesn't feel dry or stripped of its natural oil after using this.

Lately I've been trying to go natural with my skincare because I found that my skin has gotten quite sensitive after using a lot of acids over time. I decided to try the PAI Geranium & Thistle Combination Cream since I already love their rosehip oil so much. Apparently this has gotten quite popular lately and is the moisturizer of choice for many makeup artists. This is not quite as heavy-duty as the Murad mattifier at oil-control, however I still like it on days where I won't be wearing makeup for a long time. This feels super light and non-greasy on the skin and leaves a beautiful matte finish on the skin; I find that sometimes I can even skip the primer with this one. It is also packed full of great ingredients such as essential fatty acids, jojoba oil, borage oil, etc. to rebalance the skin and keep it hydrated throughout the day. I'm definitely in love with the brand PAI at the moment.

Alpha-H is another brand that I've been meaning to try for a while after hearing so many British beauty gurus rave about it. I got a set from lookfantastic a while ago that came with a bunch of travel size products to try out; my favorites are the Daily Essential Moisturizer SPF 50+ and Liquid Gold. On my lazy days I like to slap on the Daily Essential Moisturizer because it is a moisturizer and a sunscreen in one, and it contains a lot of antioxidants which is always a plus. This feels super light, is non-comedogenic, and doesn't leave a white cast on the skin. Liquid Gold is another cult favorite and it claims to be an "overnight facial in a bottle". It contains 5% glycolic acid, and it's supposed to resurface your skin overnight to even out the skin texture, refine the appearance of pores and brighten up the complexion. I was skeptical at first about how this would work on my skin because I already use a lot of products with higher percentages of glycolic acid, but surprisingly this showed amazing results after just one use. This did everything that it claims to do and just made my skin look amazing. I'm definitely going to purchase the full size sometimes soon!


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Current Skincare Favs

If you've seen my skincare routine posts, then you'll know that I have a pretty extensive list of products that I use. So instead of posting a whole new routine every time I change something in my routine, I thought I would just do these current skincare favs posts where I review skincare products that I've been trying lately.

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My Skincare Routine: Moisturisers & Sunscreen

Moisturisers are something that everyone should use regardless of what type of skin you have and regardless of whether your wear makeup or not. Everyone has some extent of dehydration in their skin, which can lead to dull, uneven skin, dry patches, and an overproduction of oils as your skin is trying to compensate for the lack of moisturization. I think moisturization is the key to a lot of skin problems; if your skin is not moisturized it won't be able to repair itself, and any other skin care products that you put on your face will lose its effectiveness. So choosing the right moisturiser is the key to better skin as increased hydration can lead to faster cell turnover and repair, and better absorption of other skincare products.

In the morning, I'll use the Murad Oil-Control Mattifier on my T-zone, which helps to control my oil production throughout the day. I then use the Clarins Daily Energizer Cream-Gel all over my face for hydration purposes. These two are both oil-free and feel super light on the skin. Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Mousse is the sunscreen I've been using lately. It has SPF 50+ PA +++ which is usually what I go for. It comes out like a mousse and once you smooth it over your face, it melts down to a watery consistency and is super easy to blend. It feels super light on the skin and doesn't leave a white cast on my skin.

For the nighttime, I like to use something richer that's going to repair my skin overnight. Origins High-Potency Night-A-Mins is an oil-free moisturiser that contains tons of minerals and vitamins that will help to resurface your skin and gently sloughs away any dull or dry skin. I've mentioned the Clarins Lotus Oil before in my go-to skincare post, which you can click on to read a more in-depth review. It basically helps to put back the oil that my skin has lost during the day and rebalance the water-oil ratio of my skin, which eventually leads to less oily and more supple skin. Caudalie Divine Oil essentially does the same thing; it is a multi-purpose oil that can be used on the skin, hair, and body. I find that the Caudalie one is a little richer and more hydrating than the Clarins one, but they basically do the same thing. The Caudalie one also contains their patented polyphenol, which is an anti-oxidant ingredient that helps to increase the blood circulation to your skin and repair your skin overnight. Follow my blog with Bloglovin

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