Cover Girl Stay Fabulous 3 in 1 foundation : Review

About a month ago, I  was thinking of trying a new foundation from drugstore since I don't really have any drugstore foundation to be honest. Also I thought it is cheaper and when I run out of it, I just can run to the drugstore and pick it up instead of going all the way to Sephora since it is not so near me, unfortunately.

So one day, I was on YouTube and was watching new videos from the people I am subscribed to, and I came across this video of Itsjudytime that was on the Cover Girl's new foundation. As always, I trust Judy and love her videos so I was excited to try out this foundation!!

Itsjudytime Cover Girl Foundation Review

I kind of had a hard time finding my shade, because the drugstores that I visited had mostly the light shades and I am a medium to golden colour so I was looking around for a little while. So when I finally found my actual shade, only the testers was left so I finally decided to go to my very trusted "drugstore website", Well.ca and order it there.

 1 pump of the foundation

Barely blended the foundation

I got the shade 945 Warm Beige and what I noticed was that the number of the foundation had a 9 in the beginning in Canada and in US instead of the 9, it was 8, so I thought that was pretty interesting!

When I was testing out this foundation in the store to match it to my skin tone, I tried to go a shade lighter that my skin tone, and that was because in the review, Judy stated that there is a possibility for the foundation to oxidize and get a shade or two darker than the actual foundation colour. So I picked this one.

Claims

• Lasting power of a primer
• Coverage of a concealer
• Blendability of a foundation
• Shine-free

Reality

When I was applying it to my face, I skipped my primer to test how this foundation felt and looked on my skin and surprisingly, it was very smooth and did actually feel like a primer.

As for the coverage, the foundation itself was not liquid-y what so ever but it wasn't super thick either. I would say the coverage is medium to full and it is buildable but I would warn you that since it has a SPF 20, it can make the face look white in flash photography.

The lasting power was pretty good. The foundation did last throughout the day but I wouldn't say it was the best of the best in how the lasting goes. For a drugstore foundation, it was pretty good.

It did not make my face shiny so it was true about it being shine-free but it could also be because I tried this when it was pretty cold outside, and also my face doesn't get too shiny during the day. BUT, this might be different in the warmer months. I would keep that in mind as well.

Formula and Finish 
This foundation is in the thicker side. It is not runny but it isn't the thickest either. I would say it is a mix between the two.

The finish of this on my skin was very smooth, and after it was set, it didn't feel like a liquid foundation anymore. It felt more like a powder.

One thing that I wasn't very happy about was the fact that it kind of made my face look sort of dry. I have a normal/combination T-zone and my cheeks and down my chin are more normal to dry. This foundation made my cheeks and around my mouth look a little dry. Also, the undertone of this foundation is more like a neutral to pink so it didn't really match me that well since I have yellow/golden undertones. Also, I realized that this line of foundation is more for neutral to pink undertones so when trying this out, I would keep that in mind, because I didn't realize this! ha ha

Packaging
I like the packaging. I love how it comes with a pump and that is a huge plus because there are not a lot of drugstore foundations with an actual pump so that was pretty impressive.

This bottle contains 1 fluid oz which is a normal amount for a foundation.

Also the pump has a lock/unlock twist, so if you are planning to carry this in your makeup bag, I would say it is pretty safe when it is locked.

Price
The price of this foundation runs from 9-13$, and this price is according to the drugstores I went to.

I bought this foundation for 9$ from well.ca when it had a sale. It is originally 12.49$ in that site.

Pros

• Good coverage
• SPF 20
• Feels smooth 
• Pump with lock/unlock twist

Cons

• Pink undertone in almost all of the colours
• Made my skin look dry
• Not a  lot of different shades specially for darker skin colours, at least not in my drugstores
• Oxidises, the colours gets a shade or two darker that the original colour

Would I repurchase?
No, I wish it had worked for me but the pink undertone and the fact that made my face look dry, I don't really see myself buying this. In fact, I wont be even using this so, its a no!

Rating
6/10

Overall, I was a little disappointed with this foundation. I had high hopes for it since I saw that review. I have never tried any of Cover Girl foundations and this was my first experience and I wasn't really pleased. Looks like I have to stick to my higher department foundations for now until I find a new drugstore foundation that interests me!

Have you tried this foundation? What are your thoughts on it?
Love, Dina

Revlon Colorburst Lipgloss : Review & Swatches

So I have finally decided to do a review on my favourite lip-glosses. I am a huge lip-gloss person. I love them. Basically it is my go to lip product usually.

These are totally my favourite lip-glosses because first of all they have a shimmer to them, well at-least the ones I have are shimmery. also these go on so smoothly and pigmented and are not what so ever sticky, and these stay on my lips for a fair good amount of time so that is another plus in my book!

008 Peony, 012 Orchid, 006 Strawberry, 016 Bordeaux
(Natural Light Photography)

008 Peony, 006 Strawberry, 012 Orchid, 016 Bordeaux
(Flash Photography)

008 Peony, 012 Orchid, 006 Strawberry, 016 Bordeaux
(Flash Photography)

Top to Bottom : 008 Peony, 012 Orchid, 006 Strawberry, 016 Bordeaux
(Flash Photography)

008 Peony

008 Peony

008 Peony

008 Peony

Peony, is a light peachy pink colour with golden shimmers. The colour is more on the peach side than pink and the golden shimmers are very obvious ans noticeable, also the gold  actually show up on the lips as well.

012 Orchid

012 Orchid

012 Orchid

012 Orchid

Orchid is a light purple/pink colour with golden shimmer. Really pretty on the lips. This goes on fairly pigmented as well.

006 Strawberry

006 Strawberry

006 Strawberry

006 Strawberry

Strawberry is a mix of bright red, coral and pink all together in my opinion with whitish silver shimmer. This one is really gorgeous and bright on the lips. It is very pigmented and I love this one. My favourite out of the four is this one. Super pretty. I can wear this without any lipstick and it shows up very pigmented.

016 Bordeaux

016 Bordeaux

016 Bordeaux

016 Bordeaux

Bordeaux is a wine colour with tiny very fine golden shimmer. This one is super pigmented and it looks very beautiful by itself. On the lips the golden shimmers don't really show up that much. If you look closely they are there but it just not that obvious and bang in the face. This one is very appropriate for fall/ winter but I wear it when ever I feel like it! ha ha


As I mentioned before, these lip-glosses are very smooth on the lips and non sticky which is awesome. Also these stay on my lips fora good amount of time so that is another plus.

As you can see on the swatches in the picture, these are very glossy and shimmery and pigmented. and that is with no base, only the gloss  itself.

My rating : 10/10

I love these and to be honest, these are my go to lip-glosses and I can just take them with me and not worry about pairing it with a lipstick of the same colour. So I really recommend these. I am actually almost running out of the lighter shades so I will be repurchasing them and also I am actually thinking about picking up some other colours since I have been really enjoying these in the past year or so.

What are your favourite lip glosses?
Love, Dina

Maybelline Colour Tattoo Eyeshadow : Review + Swatch

I have finally got my hands on the "not so new" Maybelline Colour Tattoo Metal Collection. There are five colours in this collection I believe but I decided to go for more neutral, wearable ones because first of all these are cream shadows and they tend to dry out as time goes by. Also I don't use cream shadows on my eyes everyday so I controlled my self and just bought two.

Barely Branded , Inked In Pink (with Flash)

As I said before, I don't really use cream eyeshadows every day and when I do, I usually put a powder eyeshadow with the same colour on top of it to prevent any creasing. 

The consistency of these cream shadows are very soft and creamy. It also goes on smoothly.

"Inked In Pink" is a beautiful salmon pink. It is actually really pretty and I actually prefer pink shadows on my lid instead of champagne-ish shadows. Haven't figured out why that is but oh well. ha ha!

This pink cream shadow is by no means anywhere near matte, but it is not glittery either. I would say it is more shimmery, which is my favourite finish out of any shadows I use. I personally think shimmery shadows look better on me than matte shadows. This is very pigmented and it wasn't hard to work with at all.

"Barely branded" is a cream/ champagne-ish colour, which is definitely wearable for everyday. With this one, I actually had to work with it a little to get the right pay-off that I would like. This one was a little harder to work with than the "Inked In Pink" one. This has the same pigmentation as the other one but I find it kind of slides off when I tried to blend it out on hand and eyelid. This one definitely takes more time to work with but it is not that bad that I wouldn't use it at all. I just find I don't reach for it as much as the "Inked In Pink" one in the mornings when I am in a hurry. 

Top: Barely Branded

Bottom: Inked In Pink

Inked in pink is used in the inner lid, Barely branded is used in the very centre of the lid (no powder shadow is used on top of the two cream shadows)

 Top: Barely Branded

Bottom: Inked In Pink

Natural light

I actually had a hard time finding these in stores. Any store I would go to would either be sold out of them or have the colours but it was the dark blue and silver that I didn't want. So I finally decided to order it on-line  When I got them, I was very pleased. These cream shadows are really worth the money in my opinion.

My rating :          Inked in pink 10/10          Barely Branded 8/10

Over all, I am happy with these two cream shadows that I bought. I think Maybelline has a good range of colours in their cream shadow line and these are pretty inexpensive compared to MAC or Benefit, or any other high-end makeup line. Also the pigmentation and lasting is very comparable.

Have you tried any of the Maybelline cream shadows? What are your thoughts on it?
Love, Dina

Tarte Discover the Amazon 3-Piece Kit

I have heard lots of good things about the "Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-hour Full Coverage Foundation" but I didn't want to commit to the full size bottle, so I decided to get this kit. Tarte is one of my favourite makeup lines in the higher department and their products have never disappointed me. So I had high hopes for this kit

First of all, I love the box. It is so pretty and fun and bright. Tarte always has cute and fun packaging with their kits and in general.

Also, i love how it has the facts and information on the back of the box. It lists the products that are in in the kit. It also explains the drug facts and information about the foundation.

Another thing I love about this kit. It comes with a small-medium sized makeup bag, with the same design as the box! I am just in love. It is such a lovely design and the colours are so fun. The inside of the bag has a light to medium purple colour which is so appropriate, neat and absolutely beautiful.

There are 3 products that come in the makeup bag, and this kit is the perfect size for travelling. 

It comes with 0.8 oz Amazonian Clay 12-hour Full Coverage Foundation, 0.24 oz Gifted Amazonian Clay Smart Mascara in Black (full size), and 0.6 Pure Maracuja Oil Roller-ball.

This oil is very hydrating on the skin for face and neck area. It has the Essential Fatty Acids as well as Vitamin C which is brightening and tones the skin. Also a really great thing about this particular packaging is that it has the roller-ball which is cold so it is very soothing on the skin when it is being applied.

This is the first mascara I have ever tried from Tart.  

The wand has bristles that are packed densely. As long as I clean the brush applicator and run it inside the opening, it doesn't clump on my lashes. If I don't clean the brush and leave the product on the wand, it really clumps up my lashes. But so far I actually like the mascara. It just needs some work before I apply it to my lashes. ha ha

Lastly is the foundation. The thing I was most excited for!

I got the the foundation in the shade medium. Matches me well. It is, like it says, full coverage! and a little bit of this stuff goes a very long way. 

This kit is limited edition and is sold on-line only as far as I know and saw in the Sephora website.

This kit comes in 5 different foundation shades. (Fair, Light, Medium, Tan, Deep)

You can also purchase the products in this kit individually and of course they are full size.

Overall, I love this kit. It is so perfect for travelling since it's so small and compact but you still are getting pretty good amount of product. I think the price is reasonable, since the mascara is full sized and there is also a makeup bag included to put all the stuff in. I can't think of anything to complain about.

What are your thoughts on this kit?
Love, Dina

NOTD : OPI "Sprung"

"Mariah Carey by OPI collection 2013"

with flash

natural light

3 coats of "OPI Sprung", 1 Coat of  "Revlon Colourstay longwear top coat"

close-up picture, you  can see the gold, purple-ish, green/yellow shimmers

This is the perfect fall nail-polish in my opinion. It has a duo-chrome metallic shimmer. It is a warm shimmer copper polish which is perfect for fall time. But to be honest, I would wear this any time of the year! It's so pretty and shimmery that I just can't resist it.

At the first glance at this polish, you can see copper mostly, but when you look closely at the bottle, you can see copper, gold, green and sometimes purple shimmer throughout it. Even though this polish looks very shimmery, the finish is very smooth and pretty shiny!

I bought mine on eBay but you can find it at Trade Secrets, and some beauty salon & spas

I've seen the price ranges from 6$ - 9.95$ (Canadian Dollar) per bottle, before tax

Colour
Reddish copper with mostly gold shimmer and red-orange reflects

Formula, application & finish
This polish is very thin. the first coat goes on pretty sheer. The second coat was pretty good but I could see some parts that was missed so for me three coats is perfect.

Even though the nail-polish is very shimmery, when applied, it goes on smoothly and dries fairly quick. At first I though this was one of those nail-polishes that when it dries, it would leave a semi-rough surface because it looked glittery to me. Well, I was wrong. There is actually intense shimmer instead of glitter. I noticed that when I was applying the first coat, the polish had a reddish copper base with lots of gold/copper flecks. By the second coat, it looked like the flecks were "hugging" each other in a way and leaving no space. It was pretty unique looking in my opinion!!

As I said, when I finished my third coat, I was perfectly happy with the pigmentation and didn't see any gaps on my nails. The formula was very smooth when it was dry, and pretty shiny. To be honest I wasn't sure if I even needed a top coat. Still I did apply the top coat to see the difference and there wasn't much. the before and after were pretty much the same to me. Both very shiny. I think the top coat will make the polish stay longer though .

Oh also, the three coats that I applied didn't make my nails feel heavy. Some creme polishes that are very pigmented the first coat, if you apply too much of it, your nails feel heavy but with this polish, (I know its not a creme) but it didn't feel heavy at all. My nails actually feel so light that sometimes I forget that I have nail-polish on!!

Removal

This polish is not the easiest to remove but definitely not the hardest either. I would say it's somewhere between a creme polish and a chunky glitter polish as how the removal process goes.

At first I thought I would have to scrub my nails to get this polish off. Surprisingly, it was not as hard to remove as I thought in the first place.

For the easiest removal of this polish, I like to soak a cotton ball in my polish remover, and then hold the cotton ball on my nail for few seconds (10-20 seconds) and then try to work the it through to get the nail polish off completely.

Pros

• Smooth
• Buildable
• Metallic-shimmery & shiny finish
• Unique and Luxurious
• feels light on the nails
• Doesn't chip in chunks

Cons

• Harder than creme polish to remove but definitely easier than glitter polish

Rating

10/10

Looking at all of the facts, pros and cons and everything all together, I absolutely LOVE this nail polish. There is nothing stopping me to wear this at all. I would wear it any time of the year and I don't care if it suits the fall season best, I just love this polish so much that I'll be rocking it during the summer time too. There's absolutely nothing I would change about this polish. OPI is one of my favourite brands for nail polish. I love everything about them and it's just great. There's nothing for me to complain about. I just love OPI. The best of the best!! 

Would you wear it?
Love, Dina