Cosmetics Blitz!

I've done a Blitz Review before and I thought it was about time I did another as I've accumulated quite a bit of makeup in the past 6 months (despite the spending ban. I know... -_-').

I've got a few random products to review here that are mostly drugstore products and hopefully, some of you will find these mini-reviews pretty useful. So let's get started!

Maybelline Fit Me Foundation in 210

I very rarely can match myself to a foundation perfectly. I have the dubious pleasure of having a warm-toned neck/body and a much lighter, neutral-toned face. Matching foundation to my neck results in me looking much too yellow; something my MUA instructor makes sure to warn my classmates about if they're doing my makeup.

But this foundation matches me so well! I was pretty surprised about that, since drugstore brands don't typically carry a wide range of foundation shades. Still, 210 is probably one of, if not the most natural looking foundation I've ever tried. It's quite liquidy and feels pretty light on the skin. Despite not having a lot of coverage (I would describe it as light-buildable), it still evens out my skintone rather well.

Unfortunately, this foundation doesn't last very long on my skin (around 4-6, depending on the situation) and is not very good at oil control (not that it claims to be). So it won't hold up for a full day, but is definitely more than enough for my half days at work.

Maybelline Fit Me Foundations retail for $7.99 CAD.

Boxx Cosmetics Eyeshadow in Darva*

Boxx Cosmetics is a fairly new brand whose philosophy is "high quality, practicality, innovation and affordability." They sell package-free cosmetics which can then fit into pre-existing compacts. I think it's a brilliant idea!

Their Darva eyeshadow is described as a "honey highlighter" and performs amazingly as such. I've used it as a base eyeshadow as well, but it's really much too light for my colouring. It also doesn't last very long on my oily lids. But as a highlighter, it's wonderful. I've been using it to highlight my brow bone and to illuminate the inner corners of my eyes.

Boxx Cosmetics wet/dry eyeshadows retail for $18 CAD.

NYX Cream Shadow in Gunmetal, Aqua, and Chocolate

I was immediately taken with these cream shadows from NYX. They are really pigmented and look absolutely stunning in swatches. That said, it's kind of difficult to blend. I've tried fingers and I've tried a synthetic brush; neither of those techniques apply these shadows evenly. They are also aren't quite a match for my oily lids, as I see some creasing at before the end of a typical 8-hour work-day.

I'm normally a fan of NYX products, but I think they missed the mark with this one.

NYX Cream Shadows retail for $11.99 CAD.

Rimmel Vinyl Max Lip Gloss in 701 Outrageous

These lipglosses are fairly new from Rimmel and they're pretty great! The particular shade I got is called Outrageous (though the shade itself can't be called "outrageous," can it? :p) and is a lovely peachy-pink colour with lots of shine. I chose this shade because I wanted a colour that was going to be easy to wear and didn't need a lot of thought beforehand in terms of choosing blush and eyeshadow shades that would compliment and not clash. 

The brush is ridiculous, though. Seriously, it does not need to be that big. I guess the thought process was that if the brush was bigger, you would need fewer swipes. BUT, I found I have to be even more careful using this than I do other lipglosses with regular-sized doe foot applicators because I was so afraid I would end up painting my face with it. It also has a cooling sensation that, while not uncomfortable, still kind of irks me. I would love this lipgloss more if they did away with the cooling sensation and came with a doe-foot applicator that wasn't made for a giant.

Rimmel Vinyl Max Lipglosses retail for $7.99 CAD.

Rimmel Clean Finish Foundation in 330 Sand

100% Poreless is a huge claim! Large pores are not really a problem for me, but I did find that the ones around my nose looked less visible. This foundation has medium to full coverage, is quite thick, and doesn't have a lot of slip; so I had to blend very quickly with a stippling brush (I was sporting an uneven coverage when I didn't work fast enough). It sets matte and lasted through a long work day, so I would say it works well for oilier skins. Because of the consistency of this foundation, I wouldn't recommend it for dry skins. 

I also love that it comes with a spatula! It makes using this foundation pretty mess-free and more sanitary. 

Rimmel Clean Finish Foundation retails for $7.99 CAD.

Marcelle Rouge Xpression Cream Lipstick in Paris Rose

I've wanted to get this ever since I saw it on The Notice last year. Anyway, I finally got it and it's just as lovely as I expected it to be. It's lightweight and feels very comfortable on the lips, though it does adhere to dry patches, so I have to be sure to exfoliate (which I don't do nearly as often as I should >.<). 

It starts out with a hint of sheen but as it sets, it takes on more of a "semi-matte" (as Rae-Rae likes to call it) finish. Such a lovely shade! 

Marcelle Rouge Xpression Lipsticks retail for $11.99 CAD.

Joe Fresh Cream Blush in Apricot

Love the colour and love that it dries to a powdery finish; it actually was able to for about 6 hours before it started to lose some colour. It definitely applies better with fingers, though. I was using a cream blush brush by Quo and it was not blending well at all. That said, it does apply nicely with a stippling brush, which I really should remember to do. 

Joe Fresh Cream Blushes retail for $8.00 CAD.

And there you have...

My latest blitz review... I have to say, I'm really liking this kind of format. It allows me to review products without the pressure of doing a whole post on them. Sometimes, I just don't have enough to say, know what I mean? 

Anyway, let me know in the comments if you guys like this kind of format!

Happy weekend, lovelies!

*Disclaimer: This product was a PR sample sent for review consideration. Review is 100% honest. 

Rouge In Love Lipsticks - A Blitz Review + Swatches

PROS

• Lightweight texture
• Comfortable to wear
• Very light scent
• Large shade selection
• Simple, classy, sturdy packaging
• Very easy to work with

CONS

• Not very moisturizing. For those with very dry lips (i.e. ME), make sure to wear a lip balm first.
• Lighter shades are unforgiving towards dry flakes. Though I find this is true for all lipsticks and not just these particular ones.

Each Rouge in Love lipstick was purchased for $30 ($25 USD / £21 GBP).

For an in-depth review, click here.

Have an awesome weekend, lovelies!

Skincare Blitz!

You know how it is: sometimes you forget to review certain products, or they leave you underwhelmed and you're unsure as to whether or not you should even write a review. Then at times, the product is just so, unbelievably wrong for you that you find yourself never using it after a handful of tries.

Well, I have found myself at a point where I've amassed a small amount of skincare products that I have yet to write about and I thought, "why not do a short review of all of them in a single post?" And so, the Skincare Blitz was born.

1. Nude Skincare - Cleansing Facial Wash

At first, I found this cleanser to be a tad drying. But now, I find it to be perfect for my skin. It removes the last traces of makeup and leaves my skin feeling fresh after cleansing. That said, it costs £14 per 100mL bottle, plus shipping to Canada and I just don't think this product is good enough that I would repurchase it.

2. The Body Shop - Vitamin C Microdermabrasion 

This stuff works well enough, but I find it to be much too abrasive for the more sensitive areas of my face (i.e. my cheeks and my forehead). But I quite like using it around my nose, around my mouth and on my chin - the areas I find require more frequent exfoliating. 

3. The Face Shop - Brightening Rice Water Cleansing Foam

I actually quite like this cleanser but it's too much for my skin, which has decided it will be combination rather than dry at the moment. You only need a small, pea-sized amount and it's more than enough to give you enough lather for your entire face. It has a light but pleasant scent that won't irritate anybody's sensitive senses. If my skin were drier, I would definitely be using this every day. It's lovely!

4. Pure+simple - Cellular Renewal Face Cream

"On Paper," this product sounds absolutely amazing and, dare I say it, life-changing. 

I love the idea of cellular renewal and although I'm not quite at the age where this is necessary, it's always good to get a head start on anti-aging, no? 

That said, I can't, in good conscience, give this product a thorough review because I honestly only used it for a few days. Why? Because it smells absolutely awful! >.<

Granted, I do have a sensitive sense of smell, but this stuff is something else. I can't even bring myself to open the jar up and give it a sniff so I could describe how bad it smells. 

5. Marcelle Essentials - Oil Free Eye Makeup Remover Lotion

Much like Marcelle's amazing Soothing Cleansing Water, The Eye Makeup Remover Lotion is also very effective. Unfortunately, it doesn't quite remove product all from my lower lash line well; But everything else, including mascara, is removed really well.

6. The Face Shop - Oil Specialist Enriched Cleansing Oil

Mother of pearl, this stuff is thiiiick! I kind of assumed that it would work like the Shu Uemura or MAC  cleansing oils, but this product does not emulsify at all. So it's just, oil. Oil on your skin. Oil that doesn't really come off.  >.<

I'm thinking of using this in my baths, actually...

What skincare products have you been loving lately?