This is exactly my type of foundation - light-medium coverage, very lightweight on the skin and with a natural, non-foundation look on the skin. I have to use powder with this one, since it can get shiny during the day despite my currently dry skin, but it's manageable. It wears nicely, it doesn't look bad over pores or uneven texture, so it reminds me of Fit Me Matte + Poreless, though there are differences. Despite the SPF 50 I wouldn't wear this on its own and consider myself properly protected, but as an extra layer and on days when I'm hardly outside, it's a nice one. For me this foundation actually wins because of the shade. 095 is a very pale neutral-pink that fits me perfectly. Maybelline has some of the best pale shades, as they are never overly yellow or too pink.
I've never been a fan of high coverage foundations because they look so obvious, but this one I can get along with. Though based on the name you'd expect something heavy like It Cosmetic's CC, this is that perfect in between foundation, as it's good for dry skin, but with a satin finish and not the overly shiny one with a formula that transfers and creases. It's still natural looking on the skin, it doesn't slip into pores or lines and it's a hydrating foundation with the best staying power I've found. Shade 0.75 is very pale, though with a more intense undertone than Maybelline (yellow), but it fits my neutral skin well. I don't know why almost no one talks about this foundation (so far I've only seen Merit of Beauty), it's seriously good.
For several years now haven't worn powders, since most I tried make my foundation look weird, occasionally patchy and fake, but this I like. I got this after any intense research and I picked it based on high feedback and due to a lot of people mentioning it suits dry skin. It's not a natural looking powder, but it sort of perfects the skin and makes final finishes to the makeup. It's matte without being too much, it doesn't highlight dry patches or make them worse, it smooths the texture of the skin and blurs the lines and pores to a certain degree. I've tried the famous Laura Mercier powder and they perform the same on me. It's not amazing on very dry skin (currently under my eyes), not that I expected any powder to be, but most I tried are worse with exception of more finely milled Houglass. I was checking both Laura Mercier and Fit Me every hour in the mirror and both held up really well, it was like I was wearing the same thing on both sides. This needs to be sold on our stands too, I hope in the future it does.
If you read my last monthly favourites post and follow my IG, you would have seen I've spent most of the month with pink and pink-violet hair, so I had to change my blush choices, since my beloved L.O.V. ones are all warm shades. I needed cool pinks and this is the only ones I have. I don't know if this is still sold, maybe it's just online now, but I have the Amber palette to and these are so good - not L.O.V. good, but still really amazing blushes that apply and blend well, plus last on the cheeks.
ETUDE HOUSE Proof 10 Eye Primer
There's not much to say here apart from that it's a great primer for the price that does the job. I read a ton of reviews when I was looking for a new primer, since all mine were ancient and I got this one as well as Artdeco one in the pot. Both are great and do the job, though I prefer this one because it has a doe foot applicator and it hasn't got any shimmer.
PIXI Glow Mist
Though I didn't get the glow I expected with this, I've been using it a lot because it has great ingredients, it "melts" the makeup together and it refreshes nicely. The mist is fine enough, though I have to make sure I spray it from far away or it can feel wet for a while. I'm just happy I have something with propolis, niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, olive oil, argan oil and tons of extracts in a spray.
LANEIGE Lip Sleeping Mask
Berry
This really is as good as reviews say. It sticks on the lips until the morning and it leaves them properly nourished. The extra silicone spatula is a great help during application and the formula has a nice gentle berry scent. In a thick coat it also has a a glossy shine, which looks so good I sometimes wear it during the day too. I'm glad I believed the hype.
SUBRINA Colour Refresh
These are my favourite thing in this post, I've had so much fun trying these out, a new colour basically ever week and I'll continue to experiment with them. In the last monthly favourites I've showed you the result I got with Violet and two weeks ago I decided to go even bolder, increased the amount of colour vs. clear conditioner and went bright magenta pink. Currently I'm on my third colour and I'm a redhead. My natural hair colour is so dark that even those L'Oreal dark reddish-purple temporary shades of Casting Creme Gloss didn't properly show up - now that I'm a blonde I can finally play with colours and it's a blast. I'm not even very blonde, but these are so pigmented, I didn't have to use it straight from the tube for the colour on the box. With a mix of 1 part colour and 4 parts conditioner I achieved a vibrant pink shade using Magenta. It's easy to use these: I wash my hair, then simply mix the colour with a conditioner to dilute the pigment (I use a hair colour pot and an old spoon), apply it all over the hair (you get gloves, but I forgot them every time and it's fine, the colour doesn't stain for long), do something else for 10-15 minutes and wash it off. It doesn't take much longer than using a regular mask for me, except for the mixing bit and making sure I apply it all over the hair. It's not very messy and if you get any on the skin, it just washes off with a splash of water, but I wear a black shirt even though it doesn't drip. They don't damage the hair because they are just tinted hair masks, so I can use them as much as I want. They wash off completely, how fast it depends on how much of the mask you used vs. the clear mask. I got the pastel off in three washes returning to my original colour, but with first wash most of the colour was gone. With the bright colour, I really tried to get it off fast, so I could try the next one. I shampooed three times with a anti-dandruff formula + had a mask on, so it was four rinses in total and I got a lovely pastel coral-pink (from Magenta) that I wore it a few more days, then washed it again, which didn't get all off yet, but I just went with red. So more intense the shade & the lighter your base colour, the more washes it takes to completely wash off. These obviously work best on bleached hair, while they don't tint my natural dark brown, so these are mostly for blondes, either coloured or natural, but those with undamaged, non-dyed hair might not get the same results as me despite being the same level. You can of course also use them for the original purpose to refresh your existing colour and delay having to colour again. So far I have nothing negative to say about these, maybe just that the tubes could be bigger, at least shade Clear because since all are so pigmented you end up using Clear a lot, but I just substitute it with any conditioner. I miss a lavender shade, though Diamond Blonde is such a shade from the tube, but it's a toning shade that's more one the blue/grey side, so I got one from a different brand that I'll talk about in the next new in if I happen to like it. I'll try Orange next, since it's the last bright shade in this collection and then I want to give Violet another go in a more bright version.
Subrina Colour Refresh Mask in Magenta, ratio 1:4. I didn't do strand tests like I did with Violet and I did it before going to bed with wet hair, so I woke up to a bright surprise. I really thought I'll get a lighter shade, but these are very strong. I ended up liking it a lot and it washes off to such a pretty shade of pastel pink.
My current shade: Red in a ratio 1:1. I haven't washed my hair yet, so I don't know how long this one will last. It's the strongest mix I made to date.
I've mentioned this a few times before, so it's nothing new, but I have to give it another shout out because I can always rely on this making my hair look more polished and shiny in an instant. It's a silicone oil in spray form and it's like an instant perfector that creates that healthy shiny hair look. I use it as any time I'm a pinch to make my hair more presentable, especially since my hair gets drier the longer I don't wash my hair, so I need a shine spray that doesn't contain alcohol and one one that masks dryness. It's so lightweight that those with completely different hair than me might like it too.
ORIFLAME Giordani Gold Essenza Sensuale
Eau de parfum
I knew the moment I tried this for the first time that this will be in this post and my yearly favourites too. I love this, it's one of the best scents I've smelled. Usually I don't fall in love with the scent instantly, not even in my beloved Twilight Woods, but this was different. It's a much, much nicer, but equally posh version of Elie Saab le parfum (at least to my nose), except it omits the jasmine note which my nose does not like at all, since it's such a headache inducing scent, so the orange floral stands out a lot more here. This is so warm and cosy, but a floral on a woody-vanilla base. It lasts well too, better than other Oriflame scent by a mile. I've tried their praised Amber Elixir, but that one has nothing on Gold Essenza Sensuale. It doesn’t have a classic spray, instead it has a applicator with which you dab the fragrance directly on the pulse points, which I quite like, as it gives me that vintage feel.
UPDATES
I don't know if this belongs in this post at all, but I'm still putting here. It's definitely not a proper favourite and I still feel mostly indifferent to it because I don't get that ethereal glow/soft focus effect from it that other describe. However, I got several powders in the last month or two and apart from heavier Fit Me & Laura Mercier, this is the only one that keeps my foundation from slipping into my lines around the mouth. It's very finely milled, so it doesn't look like powder on the skin and it's a finishing powder, so it's best to use it over a setting powder. It's not as amazing on me despite the very high feedback this has, which bums me because it was so expensive and I actually have a very good dupe for it from Wet n Wild, but given that it can somewhat blur my lines, it wasn't a total waste and I use it every day instead of Wet n Wild, also because it was way too expensive to just sit in my drawer. I have the shade Diffused Light, which despite the yellow tint looks translucent on my very pale skin tone.
Bath & Body Works Fine Fragrance Mist
Bright Autumn Blooms
I only have a very generous tester of this, so I should probably try to track down a full-size bottle. It's one of BBW's best scent, though most of the stuff I have smells so nice, but this is more grown up and more high-end smelling. It's a rich floral on a warm powdery base, but without any obnoxious sharp notes of for example patchouli, so it ends up a more creamy smelling floral. I know of nothing similar to compare it to.
Beautiful Day
This is a typical spring fragrance - fresh, airy floral-sweet scent with notes of apple and flowers. It's something along the lines of Marc Jacobs Daisy and Avon's Luck La Vie, but with an apple note that BBW knows how to do best.
Cashmere Glow
For me a typical BBW fragrance, along the lines of Twilight Woods and Amber Blush, though completely different in terms of notes. It's a warm peachy cosy vanilla-cashmere musk-sandalwood scent, perfect for cold months.
There were more testers from my latest New in that I enjoyed trying: SKINTEGRA Atomic Cleansing Oil (so far the best I've tried, but expensive for my taste), CERAVE PM Facial Moisturising Lotion (great simple moisturiser with niacinamide, ceramides, hyaluronic acid and cholesterol), MISSHA Aqua Sun Gel SPF50 (lightweight and sets to a dry-to-the-touch finish), LAURA MERCIER Translucent Loose Setting Powder (it is as good as they say, but Fit Me performs the same on my skin) and ECOOKING Peeling Mask (acid mask that actually does something on my skin).
There were more testers from my latest New in that I enjoyed trying: SKINTEGRA Atomic Cleansing Oil (so far the best I've tried, but expensive for my taste), CERAVE PM Facial Moisturising Lotion (great simple moisturiser with niacinamide, ceramides, hyaluronic acid and cholesterol), MISSHA Aqua Sun Gel SPF50 (lightweight and sets to a dry-to-the-touch finish), LAURA MERCIER Translucent Loose Setting Powder (it is as good as they say, but Fit Me performs the same on my skin) and ECOOKING Peeling Mask (acid mask that actually does something on my skin).
WISHLIST
A'PIEU Madecassoside Ampoule - when I first tried a mask with madecassoside (from The Face Shop), I've developed a liking for this ingredient because it suits my skin so well. I discovered A'Pieu has a whole line of products with Madecassoside (including a sunscreen), so this isn't the only product I'd love to try, but ampoules are the easiest to include into a routine.
CATRICE Glow & Care Primer - I've been testing this on the back of my hand every time I'm in Müller. It's not the glowiest primer, but it feels so nice on the skin.
CLARINS Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch - based on reviews this sounds like promising pore minimizing and line blurring primer. I tried it yesterday and it looks more balmy compared to the Catrice Goodbye Pores primer that I bought recently and it sadly turns into a dry flakesfest on skin.
COLOURPOP Going Coconuts Eyeshadow Palette - For years haven't seen any of Colourpop palettes as something worthy of my purchase, since they are mostly so warm, too colourful or plain boring, but this one looks very promising. I like a good collection of neutrals, as long as they are not too orange or reddish. I'll only get it if free shipping over comes along.
L'OCCITANE Honey Harvest Hugs & Kisses Hand & Lip Care - honey products are back at L'Occitane. I used to buy them when they were permanent many years ago, but in the last years I've mostly missed these limited editions. Maybe I'll get this gift version.
L'OREAL Paris Glow Mon Amour Liquid Highlighting Drops in Champagne - I already got this yesterday. I do these posts a few days in advance and I didn't feel like changing the picture. This is a highlighter for fans of Colourpop's Flexiterian and other formulas with intense shine. A mini drop is needed for a strong glow, so this should last forever. I hate the packaging though, as it has no ring that would scrape the excess when you take the dropper out.
MAX FACTOR Miracle Prep Illuminating & Hydrating Primer - numerous reviews say this is apparently quite good. I'm on a hunt for a nice primer and this is just one that interests me. As the name says it's a glow primer, but I've tried in the shop and I don't see any shimmer. I'd have to try it properly though.
THE BODY SHOP Shea Butter Richly Replenishing Hair Mask - again something that interest me because of great reviews and also ingredients. It's got shea butter right after water, so I expect this should suit my very dry hair.
Have a great day!
Have a great day!
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