Shisheido Sale

There was a Shisheido sale in Markham a week ago and since I was on my week off I decided to go check it out. I had to line up for 30 minutes outside before I even got a chance to get near the crowded counters. I was not impressed but it was expected. I did not buy too many things just because of the crowd and the fact that my lovely boyfriend was with me. I picked up the Shisheido Ulta Sun Protection Cream for $34CAD which is a steal because they usually run for $35 USD which would probably cost me $40CAD. Buy Here I already own the Ultra Sun Protection Lotion which I adore so I thought I give this a try. 

They also had all the skincare line from Sheishido at discounted prices and to my surprise they also had NARS products which I was super excited about. They have a variety of single, duo and trio eyeshadows but the only one that appeal to me was Exotic Dance. They had a bunch of other ones but when I was getting ready that morning I told myself that I really shouldn't be getting any more eyeshadows because I have a whole drawer full. So I settled with one which I thought was reasonable considering they go for $34USD on the Sephora website. Buy Here I believe these colours have been discontinued though because I cannot find it on the Sephora website. 

I like the gold in the duo and find that the lighter shade could be use as a highlight as well. =)

~~~~~Tee Hee

Week with NARS

So I applied the foundation how I described in previous post. It gives a flawless finish without being too cakey and I love the initial application. But mid day in with no humidity or CPR I notice creasing in my foundation even after I set my foundation. NARS does not claimed that this is a long wearing foundation so I cannot fault them for it and I don't think any company expects their client to wear a full face of foundation through a 12 hr shift expecting to be be perfect at end of the day.

NARS description:

A glowing, satin-finish foundation with sheer and buildable coverage that immaculately evens skin tone. Replete with skincare benefits and the NARS Complexion Brightening Formula, it leaves skin hydrated, more luminous, softer and smoother. Used daily, Sheer Glow Foundation improves the skin's brightness and texture.

• For normal, normal-to-dry and dry skin types
• Hydrates for softer and smoother skin
• Contains powerful anti-oxidants to protect against damaging free radicals and turmeric extract to improve skin's radiance and tone
• Dermatologist tested. Non-comedogenic. Fragrance free.

Buy Here




I noticed the creasing in my laugh line but on other parts of my face I did not notice too much fading that required touch ups. Mid day the foundation is still there and gives me a fair amount of coverage giving me a nice dewy glow. I do have to blot half day which is reasonable for my job. I would probably wear this foundation for short days where I will not be doing any form of sweating. I do love the coverage of the foundation.

I would recommend this foundation if you are a 9-5 girl that sits at a office where you are not exposed to extreme heat or sunlight since this foundation is not long-wearing and there is no SPF in it. (Although I would recommend you wear SPF even if your foundation states that it has SPF). I have combination to dry skin with oily Tee zone; and I don't find that this gets too greasy.  I find that it is fairly good even when I have dry flakes given that I use my Beauty Blender to press in the foundation. I find that when I use a brush to blend in the foundation it tends to extenuate the flakes because the brush moves the flake around. But with the Beauty Blender, it just presses it down and puts the foundation on the flat part of the flake prevent it from being obvious. (Not sure if that makes sense)  On the days where my skin is uncooperative, I'll even put a light mist of MAC charge water before my foundation application.

Pros:
- even coverage
- medium to full coverage
- flawless finish
- hydrating to a certain extent depending on application technique
- great colour choices even for yellow tone Asians

Cons:
- not long lasting
- creases over a long day
- does tend to feel heavy when used with a brush like F80
- no pump
- small bearable scent

Next week, I am going to review L'Oreal True Match Foundation that I recently picked up from Walmart.

~~~~~Tee Hee

Feature of the Week

So I have accumulating a butt load of makeup over the years and the one thing that I have a abundance of is foundation. I have been on the search for the perfect foundation for years, but the problem is there is so many to choose from. I watch a lot of guru on YouTube and whenever they rave about a new/old foundation, I will go out the next day to buy it (I know I have a problem).  Often times I will go on Temptalia and look at the foundation matrix she has to find the perfect colour match for myself so it simplify things especially when it comes to drugstore foundation.  Because of this obsession I have yet to find a holy grail foundation because I am constantly buying and trying new foundations without giving what I have already a fair chance to win me over. Solution: I decided to give each of my foundation a weeks time to win me over with their awesomeness. I will keep my daily skincare and primer routine the same so I can truly see the effects of the foundation. The foundation of the week is NARS Sheer Glow Foundation in Barcelona. Buy Here for $42USD/$50CAD. 

I used my MAC mattifier on a daily basis and it cancels out all my pores and makes the foundation application a breeze. 

I also kept my tools the same as well just to see how the foundation goes on evenly to prevent cakiness. The is the best duo I have tried YTD, I alway start by putting a small amount of foundation all over the flat top kabuki from Sigma (F80) and stipple it all over my face.  This ensure that I have the same amount all over my face; I find that when I use my fingers to dot the foundation, I tend to be heavy handed on my cheeks. This method also prevents me from using too much foundation and wasting it. Then I will use my favourite Beauty Blender that is damp to smooth out the foundation with a even light coverage. I prefer a thin layer of foundation of prevent cakiness and I generally don't need a lot of coverage and hate the feeling of a pound of crap on my face. Side note: I have combination skin with oily Tee zone and dry patched on my cheek at times. 

I have had this for a year, but I am slightly OCD and alway keep the boxes for most of makeup because it's easier to store and it just looks nicer in my storage area. Does anyone else do this or em I just weird?

The foundation comes in a glass bottle which can make it difficult to travel with but for the price I paid for it packaging is decent. 

I hate that it doesn't come with a pump but I remember reading somewhere that they did this on purpose so that you would be forced shake it every time before you apply it. It does say on the bottle to shake before use as well. Even if it came with a pump, I would assume that most of us are smart enough to follow simple instructions to shake the bottle but that's just me. 

Will update at the end of the week. This will be day 1 of this mini project that I am starting. The foundation goes on super smooth providing a light flawless coverage. First application does not feel cakey at all and I did set it with MAC Skinfinish in Natural Medium Dark. Also, for reference I am a MAC NC40. PS I also own the Neutrogena Healthy Skin Foundation and a lot of gurus have said that it is very comparable to the Sheer Glow.

Other reviews that might interest you:

Makeup Alley

Temptalia

Makeup Geek does a comparison with Neutrogena Healthy Skin

YouTube review

Fleur De Force

~~~~~ Tee Hee