The Review: L'Oreal Eau De Teint & Rimmel Stay Matte

L'Oreal Lumi Magique foundation

Every once in a while your makeup routine will shift. Especially with the changing of the seasons. During winter my skin gets dull and grey-ish and I just need all the help I can get in the radiance department. And the quick fix? Is a light infusing radiance boosting foundation. L'Oreal claims they have made such a foundation. They say they have trapped a liquid light technology that infuses skin with a ray of light, illuminating your complexion as if lit-from-within. Big words, huh? But does it live up to those expectations?

The foundation comes in a luxurious glass bottle shaped pretty similar to the L'Oreal True Match foundation. It has a rose gold plastic pump, which works hygienic. It's my favorite type of foundation dispenser just because it's much more clean and it doesn't make a huge mess out of everything.

I got the foundation in the lightest available shade. I go a bit 'ghost-like' during the colder months. There are only about six shades available for this foundation, which I think is crap. There never seems to be a suitable shade for darker skin tones. I thought drugstore brands were supposed to cater to the larger audience, then why only put out six shades?

Anyway shade C2 Rose porcelain would imply that it has a pink undertone, which isn't exactly the case. Distributing it across the back of my hand I was kind of intimidated by the yellow tone, which almost seemed orange.

Never one to judge a book by its cover, I decided to purchase anyway and see how it would work out on my face. I'm pretty iffy about applying foundation testers from drugstores onto my face. 

Below is a picture of my face without any makeup one. As you can see my skin is pretty dull and white with quite a bit of spots and redness poking through. 

I applied the Lumi Magique foundation with my ELF powder brush. The formula is pretty thin and spreads nicely across the skin, making it pretty easy to blend. I was quite surprised that the color actually seemed to match me pretty well. It didn't seem too orange on my skin, and I didn't get any of those horrific mask lines by the side of my face. 

This foundation definitely has medium coverage, but if you were to require more you can definitely build it up to a higher level of coverage. The liquid blends seamlessly into the skin and you are left with a natural complexion that looks healthy and anything but caked on. My skin looked much more alive and healthy, after  applying. I wouldn't say that I looked 'lit-from-within', but we all know how the marketing departments like to exaggerate to persuade us happy consumers.

It also lasted quite a long time. I applied it mid-morning, dashed around town all day running errands and puled a particularly long shift at work and at night removing it I still had a substantial amount come off onto my Bioderma soaked cotton pad. I double cleansed my skin with my trusty Obagi Clenziderm Cream Care Cleanser and called it a night after that.

With foundation.

 (Left other makeup, right sans anything except L'Oreal Lumi Magique in C2 Rose Porcelain)

Overall I am quite pleased with the purchasing of this foundation. I will use it on the days that my skin needs a good boost of radiance and health. 

Pros

- Nice radiant finish, leaves your skin looking healthy and natural

- Medium coverage without mask effect

- Lasts a decent time

Cons

- Costs €17,28 for 30ml. Pricey for a drugstore foundation

- Limited shade range

L'Oreal Lumi Magique foundation is available in drugstores and perfumeries  all across the world right now. My bottle was purchased was at Douglas for €15,55 because I get 10% off with my Douglas member card. 

Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation Review

After seeing it numerous times on beauty blog after beauty blog, my spending hand began to itch and I practically ran to the store when it hit shelves here in the Netherlands. Rimmel's brand new Wake Me Up foundation is supposed to give you a healthy glowing finish that looks like you had a lovely night of sleep. Want to now how I feel about it? Do read on!

This is what the Rimmel website says about this particular product.

WAKE UP AND GLOW!

Finally. Your new beauty partner that keeps up with your fast-paced lifestyle.

Introducing new Wake Me Up Foundation from Rimmel London. Rimmel’s first liquid foundation that instantly reawakens skin with a healthy, radiant glow.

It’s time to wake up – the light, smooth texture glides on easily to give a 100% pore-less and flawless complexion. Spoil yourself with SPF 15 sun protection and illuminating radiance pearls for a natural glow. A peptide formulation helps increase your skin’s elasticity and a vitamin moisturizing complex also leaves you looking healthy and fresh. Your skin will bounce back to life – even if your body is thinking otherwise.

No longer do you have to face fatigue in the mirror. Immediately eliminates visible signs of tiredness so skin looks rejuvenated. Also minimising signs of premature ageing. Wake Me Up works just as hard as you – staying put for up to 10 hours and giving you a natural, medium to full coverage. So even if you’ve had a few hours sleep, you can look radiant and younger.

Let last night’s late bedtime be a secret. Discover beauty sleep in a bottle, from Rimmel London.

The product comes in a 30 ml glass bottle, it feels quite luxurious and sturdy. The color of the cap is gorgeous and an instand brightener in your makeup collection. In my Dutch drugstore there were only four shades available, which I thought was a little too little to cater to everyone's needs.

The bottle has a pump dispenser, which works very hygienically and makes sure you dispense enough product. One pump was more than enough to cover my entire face.

pump dispensers are the best!

The formula itself comes out quite thick, I guess I was expecting something a little thinner. It isn't bothersome, I just noticed it. I got the shade 100 Ivory, and it matches my skintone well enough. Not a perfect match, but I certainly don't mind and I don't think anyone (who isn't a makeup junkie) will notice.

The foundation spreads evenly and beautifully out over my face. It is indeed full coverage and perfectly covers the redness I have in my cheeks and the few spots that are a result of a week of not taking the pill.

It lasts a long time. I've been leaning on my forehead for quite a while and it hasn't smudged or melted off. And I'm sure that with a little powder it will certainly stay on my face all day.

I love the little illuminating particles in it. They leave my skin looking fresh and glowy, like you hardly have any product on. Great for during the spring and summer and you want to look fresh faced and dewy. A little highlighter in strategic places will really make you look flawless.

I really recommend this foundation. It's great! And for €12,99 it definitely won't break the bank.

Catrice Photofinish Liquid Foundation 18h Review

Catrice Photo Finish Liquid Foundation 18h

REVIEW

Call me spoiled, but I've always had something against budget foundations. Somehow I though that it was the budget foundation that made fifteen year old girls looked like they were the spawn of oompa loompas and pumpkins. But, now that I'm a struggling (read: dead broke) college student running out of her favorite Clinique foundation, I had to give in and buy this foundation.

Of course, I don't just go out and randomly purchase any new foundation. I checked the internet and read a bunch of reviews on different Catrice foundations before I decided to go for the Catrice Photofinish Liquid Foundation 18h.

Here is what Catrice says:

"For a perfect, retouched complexion: the Photo Finish Liquid Foundation 18h with a 'Soft Focus Effect'. Thanks to light-reflecting pigments, it makes your complexion look smooth and radiant for up to 18 hours! The oil-free formula feels pleasantly light on your skin.

Available in five shades with a medium coverage, it comes in a high-quality, frosted glass bottle with a practical pump dispenser."

18 hours, huh? That's one hell of a promise. I can guarantee that it does not last eightteen hours on me, but it lasts a really long time. I think I found my holy grail!

The packaging is great, a definite plus. It comes with a pump, which makes it that much easier to dose than my Clinique foundation. Plus, the pump is so much cleaner, my Clinique foundation just gets everywhere.

The formula itself is quite thick, so blending it onto the skin with a sponge or a regular foundation brush is a no-no in my book. I apply it with either my Zoeva buffer brush or my fingers. It blends into my skin beautifully, even though I was a little worried when I found out there were only five colours in the range.

The foundation leaves a gorgeous finish on my skin. It's a lovely even coverage that perfectly hides any flaws that might be on my skin, with the exception of that particular nasty surprise my skin provides me with that certain time of month, but that's nothing a little concealer won't fix. It has a lovely sheen to it that makes it appear like your skin is glowing, without making you look shiny.

Eightteen hours.... uhm no. But an average (or even busy work day) and this foundation lasts perfectly, add a little powder in the morning to set it, and it will surely last you a long time. And that for €6,49?! That's just perfect.

The only thing that bothers me is the smell when you apply it. It smells somewhat, how ironic, like wet paint.

I'm pretty sure you can tell which is which. But just if you don't see the difference between bare skin and skin with foundation on it. Left is sans. Right is with.

So, if you're looking for a nice long wearing, glow-effect giving foundation that won't break the bank. This one is definitely the one for you!

paint that face

You can spend all the money you'd like on getting good quality make-up , but if you're not using brushes (for example, you're using the unsanitary sponge applicators that come with some eyeshadows, ew) or you're not using the right brushes, you'll still look like a clown.

Now, I do not believe that the only good make-up brushes will set you back betweem 40 and 60 dollars, like MAC brushes. MAC brushes are a joy to work with, for I have tried them at a friends' house, but I don't think MAC or Sigma brushes are the only good ones out there.

Most of the brushes I own are from here, Zoeva makes great brush sets, recommended by quite a few people on YouTube and the Dutch beauty website Beautygloss. I bought the Bamboo set for €20 about six months ago, recently they renewed the set and took out the eyebrow comber and replaced it with a crease brush, also it became a tiny bit more expensive for it is now €22. Still, it's a great price for quite some brushes of honest to God good quality.

After the jump I'll tell you a little bit about my favourite brushes and why I use them and think they're important, also I'll show you my handmade brush roll, of which I'm super proud.