Diorskin Nude BB Cream Review

    I spent $45.00 on a BB Cream. I feel guilty like a dog who stole a sandwich and got whacked on the nose. I'm glad I did it, because oh holy shit this is the best base I have ever used. But $45.00.  I regret nothing, my wallet however is hurting.  About a month ago, I was in the market for a new base. Especially in the summer, I am not the biggest fan of heavy or even medium coverage foundations. Just in general, I prefer light to medium coverage, when it doesn't feel like I'm wearing makeup, that's my favorite. I don't have the worst skin so I don't really need the extra coverage, but even with light coverage foundations and tinted moisturizers I find that it never really looks like skin. It looks like I'm wearing makeup, and like every other makeup junkie on this planet, I am on the never ending hunt for the perfect base. And I do believe that I have come very close.

  Good Golly Miss Molly this is a beauty of a product. The Diorskin Nude BB Cream is light weight, easy to blend and it has lasted up to ten hours without noticeably fading on me. I use a Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge to blend it, and it takes next to no effort to blend in, and looks absolutely flawless. I have not had the best of experiences with BB creams in the past, they never look too natural, or they provide next to no coverage. This is an amazing medium. It settles to a natural finish, and I'd call the coverage light to medium. It evens out the complexion, if you have a blemish that is red it neutralizes it, and with a little bit of extra building can cover light dark circles.

   I love that this product comes with a pump, so hygienic! I know that when it gets low on product towards the end, I might have to cut it open to get to that last bit, but I'm okay with that. I really don't like the idea that bacteria could be just sitting in my foundation/base. I do sanitize the pump, because I just really do hate germs.

   On the Dior website the company says this BB cream will do five things; "corrects transparently, lights the skin up with a fresh glow, gently hydrates, instantly smooths, protects day after day."
That is a big claim, and I do agree with certain parts of it, but others not so much. It definitely corrects the skin. It isn't glow-y in a dewy way, more of a simple glow-from-within sort of glow, but when you pair it with the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Dim Light there is most certainly an amazing glow-y look. I'm not so sure about it gently hydrating, I have very dry skin, and I can't notice it hydrating really, I blend with a damp sponge so that helps with it not sticking to dry patches. With dry skin patches it doesn't stick, but if I have a break out and the blemishes dry out, it most certainly sticks to them, so I'm not totally sold on either the 'gently hydrates' or the 'instantly smooths'. It instantly smooths if your skin is good, or if your blemishes aren't dry, if they are, it just makes them more noticeable. When it says protects day after day, it is making reference to the SPF 10 in the product. I don't recommend leaving the house without SPF 30 at the least, so this claim is rather null to me.

    The only other critique I have about the product is the shade range. There are five shades (only four available through Sephora), and all of them have very heavy undertones. My shade, Light 001 has very heavy pink undertones, and is slightly too dark for me (but to be fair the only base that I have had that was light enough was a mixture between the MAC Face and Body in C1 and White). Fair 002 has very yellow undertones and so does Medium 003, Dark 004 has rather pink/red undertones. I wouldn't suggest guessing your shade and ordering online, you really need to try these in person. If one of them is a match for you, buy it! The formula is amazing, despite the poor shade range.

  Overall, I really enjoy this as an everyday base. I think it would suit most skin types well, but I am rather sad about the small shade range. I love the packaging, and the finish. Is it worth $45.00? To me, yes. I have a very hard time finding a base that works this well, and except for skin care, the base is what I'm willing to spend the most money on.

Rating: 8.5/10

MAC Sheertone Blush in Tenderling

   As a super pale person, blush can be a struggle for me. Most days, I don't want to put forth the effort to work with bright, highly pigmented blushes that require a really gentle hand and tons of blending. That is where MAC Tenderling comes in. It is a sheer tone blush, so it takes a little extra building to get it to be opaque, which I really like.

   Tenderling is perfect for us pale folk. It give life back to the face without being overbearing. Some brighter blushes can look silly and borderline clowny, but this doesn't. It would also be great for someone getting into using blushes who is a little hesitant to use those brighter colors. It is a beautiful nude brown-based pink. Nothing too dramatic,  and perfect for lazy days where all I can manage is a tinted moisturizer, mascara and a top knot. I also think that I am pale enough that I can use this a as a contour in the winter. Tenderling has no shimmer or glitter, but is by no means a chalky matte. I love it, have I said that? Because I do.

   Overall, I am obsessed with this blush, I use it on it's own, I use it with other blushes, I have yet to find a look that it doesn't go with. I am not entirely sure what I did before this blush. I may have kissed it once, or twice.

Rating: 10/10

Back 2 MAC

  My favorite thing about being a frequent flier at MAC is the Back 2 MAC Program. Something that I notice after mentioning it to few people is, surprisingly, how few people knew about it. I believe that this is a program that anyone who buys from MAC should take advantage of. So I thought I should tell you guys what I know about it, so that you can take part!

    Back 2 MAC is MAC's recycling program, when you buy certain products and use them up, or the dry out, you can bring them back to MAC (hence the name) and receive things for them. You have to bring back six products that are approved for Back 2 MAC (it will say on the packaging whether or not it is a Back 2 MAC product, I'll also leave a list of things they do and do not take back below), and at a MAC counter you can receive a lipstick for the six products, and if you bring them back to a MAC store you can get a lipstick, lip glass, or a single eyeshadow, so long as they are not Viva Glam or another special collab.

    Recently I brought back these six products (RapidBlack Penultimate Liner, Lip Conditioner Pot, False Lashes Waterproof Mascara, Astral Cremesheen Lipglass [limited edition from the Heavenly Creatures collection], Studio Sculpt SPF 15 Foundation and Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation) and got Creme Cup Lipstick in exchange.

    Just for clarification, because I have had someone ask me this, MAC doesn't re-use the containers, they make sure that they are properly recycled.


Things Accepted:
Eyeshadows (Trio Compact, Quad Compact, or Single WITH metal pan)
Pro Palette Refill Pan with magnet
Cream Color Bade
Paint Tube
Paint Pot
Pigment Jar
Mascara Tube
Liquid Liner Tube
Technakohl Liner
Powder or Blush Compact
Lipstick Tube
Lipglass Tube
Foundation Bottle, Tube, or Jar
Wipes packaging with plastic lid
Brow Gel
Loose Mineral Powder Container

Not Accepted:
Wooden Pencils (lip or eyeliners)
Brushed
Lash Curlers
Sharpeners
Puffs
False Lashes
Makeup Cases/Bags
Sponges
Scissors
Spatulas
Swabs
Blot Flm
Metal Eyeshadow Pans
Secondary Packaging of any sort (i.e. paper box, plastic/cellophane wrapper, shopping bags, etc)

MAC Cremesheen Lipsticks in Creme Cup and Pure Zen

   MAC Lipsticks are an entity all unto their own. They are known as being some of the best lipsticks for a reason, they are good quality at an affordable price point, and have an amazing color selection. I have a habit of indulging in MAC Lipsticks whenever the opportunity arrises, and I tend to lean towards the more colorful side of things. I deviated from that norm recently when I picked up Creme Cup and Pure Zen.

  They are both the cremesheen formula, and that is probably my favorite MAC lipstick formula. It's not drying, like the mattes can be, it's smooth, creamy, and gives a sheen like effect on the lips (like the title would suggest). They can either be worn more heavily and pigmented, or sheered out for a wash of color. 

(Left: Creme Cup; Right: Pure Zen)

     Creme Cup is a very neutral pink, not quite the same color as my natural lips, but close enough that it isn't super noticeable that I'm wearing lipstick at glance.

     Pure Zen is an amazing neutral peachy-coral color. It looks so incredible, no matter what makeup I put with it. It's subtle enough that I can wear it anywhere, school, work, to see my Grandmother; but it has enough color that I don't feel like it isn't noticeable, people comment on it, and it looks gorgeous on all skin tones.

 My favorite thing about these is that they are more natural, without being too natural. I like to have a little bit of color on my lips, but it isn't always appropriate to have really fun colors like purple, orange or even red. These are great, they last for hours and they don't feel like heavy or weird on my lips. I have found with some lipsticks, like mattes, can feel cakey and heavy on my lips, and some non-mattes can feel slippery or waxy.  These don't wear as long as the mattes or the amplified formulas, average 3-4 hours. 

  The only downside that I see to these is what is the downside to all cremesheen lipsticks, they cling to dry skin on the lips. I have really really dry lips, and I can wear these sheerly any day, but to wear them opaque my lips have to be well-hydrated or else it makes them look really obviously dry. I don't think that this is a problem for most people, but for me it's just another step I have to do.

   Not much to say about the packaging, standard MAC black bullet shaped packaging. Very sleek, very nice. Both of these are part of the permanent collection, so that is also a bonus!

Overall; really enjoying these lipsticks, great addition to any collection whether you are a beginner or very experienced.

Rating: 8/10

Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector

Luxury brands are my guilty pleasure. One that I don't indulge in often, but my guilty pleasure none the less. Clarins is a brand that I am completely new to, I know that they have some fantastic skin care products, and some amazing cosmetics. The counter at my local Macy's had a rather small selection, and the Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector was the only thing that I had heard about before. I know some people who swear by this, and oh wow, I get it. I totally get it.

   This is my new favorite lip gloss, it lives permanently in my bag, and I have not gone anywhere without it since buying it. I got the color 01 Rose Shimmer which is a lovely pink-rose tinged gloss. It is a gel formula, and despite the name has no shimmer (which I do not miss in the slightest). It is sheer and can be worn with a lipstick or liner, or by itself for an easy day to day look. It is sticky, not the most sticky I have ever used but sticky enough that it lasts longer than a gloss that isn't sticky. But my hair does get stuck in it. It lasts pretty long for a gloss, I have gotten it to last upwards of 4 hours. It smells and tastes like vanilla ice cream, but not offensively. It isn't one of those scents that you can smell once it's on your lips. I love the gel formula, it is super moisturizing and nourishing. Even my super dry lips feel hydrated and lovely after and during wearing this.

I have mixed feelings about the applicator, I do love the way it applies product, I love the feel of it. But I am super afraid of how hygienic it is, or isn't. I have been using a little bit of brush cleaner and either a tissue or a cotton swab to clean it off, but I still feel a little icky about the fact that there is gloss sitting on the applicator, and the only thing between that and the outside is a cap. I don't know, I might just be paranoid. It comes with 12 mL or 0.35 oz of product and costs $23.00 plus tax. For me this is a good deal for a high end lipgloss, especially with how good the product is.

  Overall; I don't ever want to live without this lipgloss. It is beautiful and lovely, with great color and consistency. I can't give this a perfect score, because of my own paranoia about the cleanliness, but I realize that it's probably fine. I would suggest this to anyone, the color range makes it so that any skin tone can pull it off, and people with dry lips, this is a great alternative to wearing lip balm all the time in an attempt to get nice moisturized lips.

Rating: 9/10