I am a huge fan of cleansing oils; they are the best option to remove all of my makeup without drying out my skin. I’ve been using one of Shu Uemura’s cleansing oils for more than a year now, but I’ve been looking for a cheaper alternative, so I was excited to see that Garnier has released a new Nourishing Cleansing Oil.
Category Archives: New Permanent Products
Maybelline Dream Wonder Powder Review & Swatches
Maybelline Dream Wonder Powder Compact
I recently learned that Guerlain has discontinued my very favorite powder – the Illuminating & Mattifying Pressed Meteorites. I am on my third compact, and although I have a backup (thanks to the generosity of a friend!), I know I will need to find a replacement, so I was intrigued by Maybelline’s new Dream Wonder Powder, which is advertised as a “powderless powder” since it is talc-free.
The main purpose of a powder, for me, is to set my makeup / increase weartime and, depending on the foundation I use, give a matte finish. I don’t really get oily – maybe just a touch on my chin during the hottest part of summer. It’s important that the powder does not make my skin look or feel dry, and I prefer powders that improve the look of skin texture.
Unfortunately, the Maybelline Dream Wonder Powder was a total fail for me. The color (40 Nude) is a decent match, but the texture doesn’t work for my dry skin at all. I’m generally not at all concerned about pore size, but this powder really emphasized the texture of my skin and made the pores on my cheeks very noticeable. In the below swatch, you can see the swatch (on the right side of the photo) blends in colorwise, but really emphasizes the fine lines on my wrist.
Maybelline Dream Wonder Powder – 40 Nude
This texture-emphasis is a total dealbreaker and makes the powder unwearable for me. However, I don’t know how the powder would work on an oilier – or even just less dry – skin.
Another problem I had with the powder was the texture in the pan – it’s extremely powdery, and even the softest brush leads to powder everywhere. Below, I gently brushed a soft powder brush across the surface.
This kind of powdery mess really bugs me, though it may not be a problem for others.
If you’ve tried this powder, I’d love to hear about it. Did you have the same problems, or did it work for you?
*I purchased the product(s) featured in this post. This post contains one or more affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.
Milani Power Lip Gloss Stain Swatches & Review
Milani has released several new items for 2014, and although they’re not yet online, they are starting to show up in stores. Earlier this week, I purchased two Power Lip gloss stains, and I am loving them so far!
The Power Lips are packaged in short, squat tubes, and dispense through a dense white brush tip. Be careful when you start to twist them, because there will be no product, no product, no product . . . then BAM, too much product! This is true of every similarly packaged item I have tried, though. Continue reading
L’oreal Colour Riche Extraordinaire Lip Color Swatches & Quick Review
L’oreal recently released a new lip color, the Colour Riche Extraordinare. I’ve seen them around at a couple drugstores, and I purchased three of them at Rite Aid earlier this week.
The bad news: I thought these were a liquid lipstick (and have seen them called that online) but they are not – they’re more of a moisturizing gloss, and very similar in feel to Maybelline’s Color Elixir lip colors (reviewed here). The good news: I have really been enjoying the Maybelline Color Elixirs, so although I’m a bit disappointed that these aren’t lipsticks at all, I’m still happy to have them. And, note that L’oreal classifies them online as a lip color, but does not call them a lipstick – they’re marketed as having color and care, much like the Maybellines. Continue reading
Wet n Wild Fergie BB Cream Review & Swatches
I recently came across a display of the new(ish) Wet n Wild Fergie BB cream at Walmart, and was intrigued enough to pick on up to try, although I hadn’t seen any reviews. That was a mistake – I think this picture says it all.
No makeup // WnW Fergie BB Cream unblended & blended
I deliberately applied the BB cream over a freckle, and you can see that it’s not hidden at all. I wouldn’t classify this as a BB cream (or foundation) – it’s a barely-tinted primer, or perhaps a barely-tinted sunscreen. The silver lining to the poor pigmentation is that it’s very useable as a sunscreen – I can apply the necessary half-teaspoon to my face without looking like I have makeup caked on – and in fact, without looking like I have makeup on at all.
I can’t find a place to purchase this online, and I believe it has very limited distribution in stores as well; I’ve never seen it at Walgreens, CVS, or Rite Aid. However, that’s not much of a loss – it’s definitely not recommended!
CoverGirl TruMagic The Sunkisser Review & Swatches
Covergirl recently released three “skin perfectors”, called the truMagic “The Perfector”, “The Sunkisser”, and “The Luminizer”. They’re silicone-based, and Covergirl categorizes them online as primers and claims that they create a “soft, smooth finish” that “controls shine” and “won’t clog pores.” They are permanent, and now available online at Ulta.com & drugstore.com – drugstore.com also has a mini version available for around $5, which I haven’t seen in stores.
The first thing I noticed is that the packaging is WAY bulkier than it needs to be.
There is no reason it can’t have a flat lid! I guess you could store a sponge in there (it comes with one), but it seems like a bad idea to store a sponge on top of a cream.
Packaging aside, the product itself is very nice. It feels like cross between a silicone primer and a cream to powder blush. I think the name “sunkisser” is a good one – at least on my skintone (around MAC NC20), it does create a natural sunkissed / bronzed look.
heavy swatch // blended out
I rarely wear bronzer on my face, so lately I’ve been using this on my neck, to even out my skintone (my neck is much lighter than my face, despite daily sunscreen). I find that it lasts well & doesn’t rub off on my clothing. It’s easy to apply lightly or heavily – a sponge gives heavier coverage than fingers – and looks natural both ways.
I can’t really speak to controlling shine, because (especially in the winter), my skin produces very little oil. Luckily, this doesn’t seem to dry out my skin!
Overall, I would recommend this as a lightweight, matte finish cream bronzer.
*I purchased the product(s) featured in this post. This post contains one or more affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.