A Fave: The Clinique Stay Matte Foundation

It's kind of embarrassing, as beauty blogger, to admit that I haven't reviewed a product I absolutely love. I love this product so much, that I've almost used it all up, and plan to repurchase it. So, I'm here today to talk to you a bit about the Clinique Stay-Matte Oil-Free Makeup. 

A while back, I was in the lookout for a foundation that wouldn't require the use of powder. I don't know about you, but every time I wrap up my foundation routine with powder, I feel like my face is too made up, and often times, it simply looks too made up. I just couldn't seem to find a foundation/powder combo that I liked. But one day, I randomly got my makeup done at a local Shoppers Drug Mart event. The makeup artist used the Clinique Stay-Matte foundation on me and my interest was piqued. I thought the makeup artist applied the foundation a bit too heavily for my taste, but I loved the feel of it and the matte finish so I decided to give it a go. 

One thing I really like about this foundation is that it matches my skintone perfectly. I don't have to worry too much about blending which I love. I apply this foundation very lightly because if you apply too much, if definitely has the capacity of looking cakey. I usually dab it on with my Sigma foundation brush and blend it in all over my face. I barely need more than a pea sized amount to do my whole face.

On my oily skintone, this foundation sits well on application, but it's the fact that it doesn't make my skin oilier during the day that makes me love this product even more. It makes my skin look healthy when my oils break through, not greasy. I find it misleading that this foundation is called the Stay Matte because this foundation isn't that matte. Yes, it's matte, but I usually associate matte foundations with a cakey, heavy look. This foundation doesn't do that at all - when applied lightly, it gives your skin the most gorgeous satiny finish. I thought I'd stop using this foundation during the summer because matte skin doesn't exactly say "summer", but I kept using it anyway because I liked it so much.

I know matte finish foundations aren't exactly popular out there - a dewy skin seems to be the ideal - but as an oily skin gal, I couldn't be happier with this foundation. It seems to work with my oily skin, not try to smother it with heavy ingredients. If you're in the market for a matte foundation that isn't heavy on the skin but still matte, look no further, I'm sure this Clinique Stay-Matte Foundation will do the trick. And at $29 ($23 US), it won't break the bank!

Thanks for reading friends! I am jetting off in a couple hours to attend the Proctor & Gamble Beauty United Launch in Toronto and I am SO excited. I couldn't be more grateful for this opportunity and I will be sure to update with loads of pictures later this week! Feel free to follow me on Twitter or Instagram for real time updates. Thank you to Proctor & Gamble, but also, thank you friends, for reading my blog. I wouldn't be getting an opportunity like this if it wasn't for you all!

Happy Monday!

Essie Sunday Funday!

I know we're all tired of seeing summer colors at this point, but when I saw that the entire display of Essie's Summer Collection was on sale at Lawtons for $2.49 each, some of you may have seen on Instagram I went a little wild. It just couldn't be stopped.

Sunday Funday is the perfect summer color. It's a vibrant coral pink color, similar to another summer favorite of mine in the form of Gelish's Brights Have More Fun, which, by the way, is an AMAZING Gelish color and is still available on Nail Polish Canada.

Sunday Funday has a bit of silver shimmer running through it, in fact, all of the colors from the same collection have the same silver shimmer. I don't mind it, but it seems like Essie just recycled their colors from last year and added shimmer. They're so similar!

That said, I do like this color a lot and definitely don't have anything like it in my collection. I have plenty of similar pinks, but nothing with this type of shimmer in them. It lasted quite long on my nail without any chips, and it was opaque in two coats. Not bad I say!

I love my bright summer polishes, but I cannot WAIT to make the shift to dark vampy colors for fall! What's on your wishlist this fall? I'm DYING over the Deborah Lippmann collection for Fall (swatches from All Lacquered Up here) and the new OPI collection too!

Musings on Diorskin Nude Tan # 002

This summer, for some unknown reason, I actually tanned a little bit. This didn't come without effort! I had to (HAD TO, poor Annick!) lie on the beach several weekends in a row in order to get any color. And yes, you can absolutely tan with sunscreen.

Sadly, I haven't gone in about a month because a) I'm too busy and b) it hasn't really been nice enough. Because I'm not really into self tanning (even if I should) I've been resorting to bronzers to hold on to my mini-tan as long as I can.

While I had previously been using the Diorskin Nude Tan in 002 as a contour powder/blush, I have recently been using it as an all over face bronzer/powder and have been loving it! It's the perfect shade to add a little bit of color to my skintone in a very natural way. I apply this generously under my cheekbones (or sometimes as a blush), and then use a the leftovers for my nose, chin and temples.

One of the nice things about this product is that the packaging is so luxurious that it's truly a treat to use. Plus, there's a massive mirror inside the compact which makes this a perfect addition to a makeup bag.

From the swatch, you can tell the powder is quite natural looking and it couldn't make me look like a streaky mess even if applied generously. It's quite light in texture as well, so I don't look like I've caked on the powder either - it sits beautifully on the skin because it has the tiniest amount of shimmer. It makes me look like I have a light tan, or I've spend the weekend in the sun. And that is just awesome.

I wouldn't suggest the Diorskin Nude Tan in 002#  if you're looking for a serious contour powder - you might have more success with NARS Laguna or MAC Sculpt. They do carry darker shades, but in my experience they pull a bit orange and wouldn't work as well as a contour powder. The darker shades would look fabulous if you're looking to bronze up your skin though!

When I first got this product, I was a bit disappointed that it didn't show up too much on my skin and I pretty much only used it as a light contour powder or blush. I'm so happy I've found more uses for the Diorskin Nude Tan and hope to stretch my face tan well into October with it!

Thank you for reading friends!

Playing with my MAC blushes

Do you ever go in your makeup area, and just want to play with all the colors? Well, that's how I felt Saturday, and I decided to re-discover my MAC blushes. A while back, I depotted my MAC blushes in order to save space and put them into a Z-Palette. Some of these were already pro-pan blushes (Cantaloupe and Harmony). It makes my blushes easier to find and the color of them can be seen through the top of the Z-Palette. Unfortunately, because it's so big, it kind of stays behind my other blushes in my drawer. It's such a shame because some of my favorite blushes are in here!

Cantaloupe had been on my wishlist for so long. When I saw MAC was now allowing the purchase of pro products on their website, I instantly bought this beauty. It's such a gorgeous color for warming up my cheeks. It has fine shimmer that adds dimension to the blush - nothing too obvious though! If you have warmer skin tone, you need this. Like I said, I like it on myself, but it's a bit warm - for someone with warm tones, I can see it being absolutely stunning (oh hai Arianne!)

As you can see, my most used blushes are Tenderling and Pink Swoon. It might have to do with the fact that they are of a Sheertone finish, but I truly used to use them all the time. Tenderling is my sister's all time favorite blush - she's already used a whole one and has repurchased it! Tenderling is a gorgeous muted rosy brown shade and reminds me a lot of Tarte's Exposed blush. Pink Swoon is a beautiful light pink. It's such a great color if you're in a rush - it's sheer enough to hide any blending mistakes, but pigmented enough to give you a gorgeous glow. I absolutely love this blush.

Desirous is one of those blushes I always forget to use, but instantly love when it's on me. It's a bright true pink with gold shimmer. I have to say, I don't like the shimmer at all, but it barely shows up on my skin upon application. I believe this blush is limited edition, but I'm sure there are plenty of dupes out there for it (Tarte's Blissful comes to mind).

I love how Harmony has many faces - I use it as a blush, a bronzer, and even sometimes, to warm up the crease of my eyemakeup. It's so easy to use and a great makeup staple in my opinion. As a bronzer, it doesn't pull too orange, for all you pale beauties out there. And I find it's the perfect blush, applied lightly, for a smokey eye and pink lips!

Immortal Flower and Modern Mandarin were bought during the Tres Cheek MAC Collection frenzy. I am SO happy I got a hold of these blushes before they sold out because they are absolutely gorgeous. They are both a dream to apply and have the most gorgeous sheen and are not glittery at all. Truthfully, Modern Mandarin is a bit hard for me to wear when my skin is at its palest. You only need a tiny minuscule amount to have it show up on the skin. I love wearing it with barely any makeup, freckles showing, groomed brows, mascara and a balm. Immortal Flower is also beautiful and has the same sheen as Modern Mandarin. It's a soft coral-pink and is so pretty on the skin. It's not as pigmented as Modern Mandarin, but I have a soft spot for those sheertone type blushes anyway.

Fleur Power was one of my first MAC blushes (and on that, I should throw it away because it's oooold). I love its vibrant pink shade that adds a bit of warmth to my face. It is seriously pigmented and you only need a tiny amount to add glow to your cheeks. I can see this blush being gorgeous on every skin tone! I definitely recommend this blush to someone who is looking for a pink with punch!

And there we go - all my MAC blushes swatched and reviewed. I also have some MAC Mineralize blushes, but they didn't fit in my palette. Perhaps I'll go ahead and swatch those in the next little while?

Hope this was fun to read! What's your favorite MAC blush ever? I'd love to expand my collection a little bit so shoot me some suggestions!

Have a great day, all!

Clinique CC Cream SPF 30 - An in Depth Review

Hello friends!

Today I'm bringing you a review of the new Clinique Moisture Surge CC Cream*. What's a CC Cream? Well, it's meant to correct complexion concerns such as sallowness (which I definitely suffer from!), dullness and redness. It also contains SPF 30 to not only correct, but protect your skin against the sun as well.

The texture of this product is a lot like my Estee Lauder BB Cream that I love so much (and am quickly running out of!). It blends in easily, but is quite thicker than a foundation, so I usually use a foundation brush for application. When I first applied it on my skin, I was a bit alarmed at how thick it felt! My skin initially felt a bit greasy and it my pores were very apparent. Fortunately, the sensation disappeared quickly after the application and my skin looked flawless. I feel as though maybe that initial effect is caused by the SPF in the product - it almost feels like putting on a heavy sunscreen. In fact, it smells a bit like sunscreen as well, but it also disappears soon after application. And it smells like good sunscreen, not like chemicals.

The product is moderately pigmented. As you can see, my skin look a lot more yellow in the second picture below. My skin naturally has a lot of redness in it, so I found it did a great job at neutralizing the red in my skintone. I took the second picture right after application and found that the yellowness settles a little bit more after a few minutes. In the picture where I have a full face of makeup on, you can see how well it blends in with the rest of my makeup. I have no concealer or foundation on in that picture. If you like a light coverage, the Clinique CC Cream can definitely be worn alone. The shade I used is called "Light" but they actually make a lighter shade than that. The shade range is quite good!

What's the difference between the Clinique CC Cream and a BB Cream? Since I only have the Estee Lauder BB Cream to compare to, I'll do my best to describe the differences I have found between the two. For starters, the BB Cream is less pigmented, and has a duller finish. The CC Cream has a more luminous finish (but not shimmery) and truly does offer color correction. My BB Cream doesn't cover the redness in my skin as much. Both contain SPF and have a thicker consistency than foundation. For an excellent skin day, I'd use my BB Cream but for a night out, I think the CC Cream's finish would be perfect for glowing (but not oily) skin.

I highly recommend this product if you're looking for something different than foundation. I don't know about you, but sometimes I get tired of the airbrushed feeling of a heavy foundation. In the summer, I'd rather my skin look like skin, ya know? So this product has been perfect for me on the days I went to the beach, biking or spent time outdoors. I haven't had any issues with it sliding off, or making my skin oily. It actually wears quite well during the day. And since it contains an SPF, I know my face is protected. Just don't forget to put an SPF on your lips as well - I learned my lesson the hard way!

Happy Wednesday to you all! Anyone else counting down the days till the weekend already? Have you tried a CC Cream before? How do you feel it compares to a foundation?

* I have received this product for consideration but my opinions are always my own. I am not being compensated for this review and I always strive to review products with honesty.