January Empties & Mini-Reviews

IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Pores Finishing Powder: This is the jumbo size of Bye Bye Pores and it took me foreeevvverrr to finish. Not that I minded; it's one of the very best finishing powders I've ever used. After I used this up, I tried using some Dermablend Setting Powder I had sitting around from before I used BBP and there's just no comparison. BBP is so finely milled and mattifying, yet it never looks powdery or heavy. It keeps shine down all day and smooths out the skin flawlessly. I went out and bought another container of BBP after only a few days with the Dermablend.

Urban Decay Primer Potion: Holy shit, I finished an eye primer! Yes, it's a mini that probably came with a palette, but even one these seems like a lifetime supply! This is my HG shadow primer.

Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment: This is a nice lip balm but honestly with how much hype it gets (not to mention how pricey it is), I expected more. It's not bad at all, but I didn't think it was anything to write home about. I prefer the Jack Black lip balms any day.

Deborah Lippmann Gel Lab Top Coat: I've written of my love for Gel Lab many times. You can read my full review HERE. The review is on the old formula but I've tried the new Gel Lab Pro and it's even more fantastic!

Pur Minerals Big Blink Mascara: I've gone through a couple tubes of this now and I think it's woefully underrated. It reminds me a lot of Benefit They're Real. You get very nice volume from Big Blink, without any clumping. Plus it has argan oil in it to help condition your lashes.

Urban Decay Subversion Mascara Primer: I had to force myself to get rid of this, because I've been continuing to use it way past its prime. This is one of the best mascara primers I've tried so far. I can totally see a difference in how thick my lashes look when I use it and it really helps you get the most "oomph" out of your favorite mascara. My only complaint is I wish it went on black instead of white, but otherwise this is some good stuff!

Philosophy Purity Made Simple (2 deluxe sample sizes): Another Nailed HG! You can read my full review HERE.

Anastasia Brow Wiz in Dark Brown: Seriously, how many HG products did I run out of this month?! I love Brow Wiz because of how much control the fine tip gives you and the amount of "give" with this pencil is just right--not so stiff that it feels waxy it not so creamy that you apply too much. I also appreciate the included spookiest on the other end. (There's usually scrap over it but I lost mine somewhere.) The hype for this product is SO well-deserved. I already had a back-up ready and waiting in the wings so I wouldn't have to go without my Brow Wiz!

Tony Moly I'm Real Avocado Sheet Mask: I've purchased this mask a few times now and I think it may be my favorite of the I'm Real line. I'm a big fan of sheet masks in general for how handy they are as a travel buddy or a quick fix. This is great for when your skin is dehydrated or dull-looking. It provides a nice dose of hydration and nourishment to help put your complexion back on the right track.

First Aid Beauty Vitamin Hydrating Mist: If you're a fan of facial mists and you haven't tried this one yet, definitely give it a look. I loved how refreshing it felt on my skin and the citrus smell is to die for! I used it primarily as a makeup setting spray and it looks so pretty and dewy over makeup. I wish they made larger sizes of this because I went through the 2 oz bottle pretty quickly.

No7 Beautiful Skin Quick Thinking Wipes: I only keep face wipes around in case of a night where I'm absolutely too tired to do my whole skincare routine. I'm acne-prone and my skin does NOT appreciate it when it's denied all its usual washes and serums and creams. These No7 wipes are some of the only ones that don't irritate my sensitive skin. (The Neutrogena, Yes To Cucumbers and elf ones all made my face  burn, especially the Neutrogena.) I try to use these very, very sparingly so the last few wipes are usually sort of dried up by the time I get to them, which is a little annoying. But I like that these don't enrage my skin like so many other wipes. I recently got a Make Up Eraser and I'm seriously impressed with it so I think that'll be filling my "face wipe" role for the foreseeable future, otherwise I'd get another pack of these.

Bath & Body Works Warm Vanilla Sugar Bubble Bath: I love baths. I love vanilla-scented things. It's pretty self-explanatory why I got this. I love the Bath & Body Works bubble baths. They're strongly fragranced and produce tons of long-lasting bubbles.

Simple Micellar Water: Meh. I wanted to try this after reading so many positive blog reviews. I thought it'd be a good alternative to using face wipes, but it actually took way longer to remove all my makeup and didn't make my face feel any cleaner than the wipes. It would take several cotton large pads saturated with Micellar water to do what one wipe did. I wouldn't mind that if it made my skin feel more thoroughly cleansed, but it didn't. I resorted to using this as an eye makeup remover so that I wouldn't waste this whole bottle and while it worked adequately well for that, I was disappointed by this product overall.

Tony Moly Angel Glow Ring Hair Mask: This mask contains both a cream solution to put on your hair and a hair cap to put on over the mask. It's supposed to make your hair soft and shiny. I'll get to whether or not it did that in a second, but before I go any further, HOLY SHIT THIS BURNS. I am a bleach blonde so I've got a pretty high threshold for stuff irritating my scalp, but a few minutes after I put the cap on, I started to notice a weird tingling sensation. This quickly developed into a full-on burning feel, to the point that I had to rinse the mask out sooner than I would have liked. I was not prepared for how intense it felt and I have no idea if my reaction is a normal one, but I was not about to risk a chemical burn on my scalp. That said, my hair looked and felt ridiculously silky after this mask, but I would be too scared to ever try it again.

Wow, that's one looooonnnggg empties post! So I won't drag it on any longer. :) If you've tried any of the products I finished this month, I'd love to hear your thoughts on them!

Wet N Wild Coverall Cream Foundation & Pressed Powder: Review & Swatches

I'll admit, I am a total foundation snob. But after reading several raves for the new Wet N Wild Coverall foundation line, I decided to give it a shot in hopes of finding a most cost-effective alternative to some of the mid-range foundations, like MAC or Kat Von D, that I normally use. I picked up both the Coverall Cream Foundation and Pressed Powder in the shade Fair/Light. I'm NW20 and that seemed to be a good color match for me.

I'm a big Wet N Wild fan in general, so I had high hopes these two products would live up the brand's reputation of delivering quality cosmetics at affordable prices. So how did they fare? Well, let's start with the cream foundation!


Cream Foundation
The cream foundation is packaged in a tube that holds one ounce of product, so you're getting a nice amount of foundation for the price. I paid about three dollars. The hole in the tube is a bit larger than the norm, so I do have to be careful not to squeeze out too much, but otherwise, I can't complain about the packaging. I like that it comes in a tube so everything is hygienic and it's easy to travel with too.

WnW describes this foundation as full coverage, but I'd say it's more medium-buildable. You can easily layer it as desired. It feels a bit thick coming out of the tube, but it doesn't apply that way. I usually apply two coats, using my fingers, but I've found a brush works well with this foundation too. It covers redness, scarring and blemishes beautifully, without looking or feeling heavy. You can layer to your heart's content without worrying about caking. Blemishes may need a little dabble of concealer, but after that (and some powder, of course), I'm good to go.

I'd describe the finish as semi-matte. It doesn't have any luminosity to it, but it also doesn't have the flat, porcelain finish a true matte foundation would. It just looks nice and natural.

The oil control is pretty good. With just the Coverall powder on top of the cream, I can go about four hours before I start to feel greasy and need to blot. By the eight-hour mark, I need to re-apply the Coverall powder to keep my face from looking super shiny and the cream from sliding off. But I'd still say that's fairly impressive. With an additional mattifying powder on top (like Urban Decay De-Slick or any other translucent oil control powder), I stay shine-free a few hours longer and I never get to that "melt-y" stage where imperfections like blemishes start to come through.

Overall, I'm completely blown away by this product. It has completely changed my mind about drugstore foundations. It's not quite as good as some of the mid-range foundations I've tried, but at this price, the difference seems pretty darn negligible to me. For once, I like something as much as my wallet does! If you want a quality foundation at an awesome price, definitely check out the Coverall Cream Foundation. It's the best drugstore liquid foundation I've ever tried! Way to go, Wet N Wild!

Pressed Powder
Now, unfortunately, I'm not as impressed with the powder as I am with the cream. It's not a terrible product, but it isn't the game-changer that the cream foundation was for me. It makes a nice companion for the cream though, which is mainly what I wanted it for. Plus I got this as part of a BOGO 1/2 off sale with the cream foundation, so it only cost about a buck.

The powder comes with a sponge, but no mirror. I understand that ditching the mirror probably helped keep the price point down, but it would have been nice to have a little one inside for touch-ups.

To me, anything that has "Coverall" in the title should provide full or at least buildable coverage, but I found this to be more sheer than the cream. I'd classify it as sheer to medium coverage. On top of the cream though, it makes a nice setting powder and provides a little extra coverage to even things out.

A swipe of the powder applied with the included sponge. It matches my arm really well, so it was hard to pick up on camera.

The texture is on the dry side--not chalky, per say, but it could stand to be a bit creamier. I think any skin type could enjoy the cream foundation, but the powder may not be the best choice for dry-skinned girls. It can accentuate any flaky areas if you're not careful. If you're oily-skinned like me though, I think you'll find it makes for an adequate setting powder. It has a natural finish--no shimmer or sparkle.

Overall, it's an okay powder. It's not amazing, but it's not bad either. Like the cream, it has a very accessible price point, but unlike the cream, I don't think I'll be repurchasing the powder. For the price, it's a nice add-on for the cream, but nothing I'd say you need to go out and buy right this second.

Review: Urban Decay De-Slick Mattifying Powder

My fellow oily-skinned girls, have I got a treat for you! Hate having your make-up melt off your face or having to blot every few hours? Let me introduce you to a product that worked miracles for me: Urban Decay De-Slick Mattifying Powder.

I finally, after many years of searching, found a foundation I was completely and utterly in love with (MAC Pro Longwear, for reference), so now I just had to find the perfect setting powder for it. I wanted something that was long-lasting, wouldn’t cake and would keep my oil under control. Enter Urban Decay De-Slick Mattifying Powder, my gift from the cosmetics gods.

De-Slick Mattifying Powder is a translucent finishing powder that is designed to set make-up and provide oil and shine control throughout the day. The powder comes in a purple compact that feels sturdy and has a satisfying weight to it; it’s small enough to be very travel-friendly but it doesn’t feel cheap or flimsy at all. The compact itself is also quite pretty.

Although the powder is white in the pan, it’s invisible once applied on the skin. There is no tint to it at all, making it workable on multiple skin types and tones. Since the powder is completely translucent, it doesn’t cake and it doesn’t look or feel as if I’ve put anything extra onto my face. It’s like an invisible oil barrier.

I’ve been using this product for about two months now and I still cannot believe how well it works. I am oily all over, not just in the T-zone. I’d grown accustomed to having to constantly re-touch my make-up throughout the day or sneak a peek in mirrors to make sure my foundation wasn’t melting up my face. But with De-Slick, all that worrying is history.

I have never found anythingthat controls my oil as well as this, plus I adore that it doesn’t disturb my make-up at all. I can dust it over my face and it doesn’t move around my foundation or make my face look powdery. I used to have to use blotting papers multiple times a day, but with De-Sick, I only have to use them maybe once all day, if at all. Or instead of blotting papers, I can simply pat on a bit more De-Slick and I’m good to go.

The compact comes with a cute little sponge which sits nicely inside:

However, I’ve found I get better results by dusting on the powder with a big, rounded, fluffy brush. I use my Bare Escentuals Flawless Face Brush, but if you have anything similar, that should work just fine. The sponge works well for touch-ups, but I feel a big brush makes it easier to distribute the powder for all-over application and that method of application seems to give me better initial oil control as well. You don’t need much, just a gentle dusting across the face. I typically put a little extra on my chin, since that’s where I tend to get oiliest throughout the day.

At $32, it’s on the pricier side, but you get a lot of product here (11.4 g) and a full application does not require much powder. After about 60 days of near-daily use, I don’t even see a dent in the pan. De-Slick also comes in a gel and spray format. I’ve never tried the gel and while I really like the spray, I feel the powder is a little more effective for me personally. (You could even use the powder in conjunction with the spray if you like—sometimes I do!) Your mileage may vary, but personally, this is one of those rare products that if it were ever—God forbid—discontinued, I would easily buy up a whole back stock without a moment’s hesitation. I love, love, love this product!