trying cushion foundations: sulwhasoo vs amore pacific

Generally, I'm pretty happy with my liquid foundations but for travel they are not convenient - especially since I try never to check in luggage and must contend with the liquids rule for air travel.  This summer I have a few fun international trips planned and I begin researching for a better alternative.  

First I debated whether I should try cushion foundations or stick foundations.  But after reading many reviews and watching many youtube videos, I decided stick foundations might be too heavy and creamy - especially during the summertime when my T-zone can lean oily.  So I decided to try cushion foundations with SPF.  As if Sephora read my mind, they were offering a deluxe sample of the Amore Pacific cushion foundation (with SPF50) so I nabbed one.  

I've never had much luck with Amore Pacific products previously.  It's a high-end and critically acclaimed skincare line, but the few items I've tried (moisturizer, eye cream) did not get along with my skin.  I was hopeful the foundation would be different - but alas, it was not.  The coverage is very sheer and didn't seem to do much of anything on my skin, other than to make it seem oilier.   After a few tries, I decided to try something different.

From Nordstrom, I ordered the Sulwhasoo Perfecting Cushion Foundation (with SPF50) and the moment I put it on I knew I had a winner.  Good buildable medium coverage and not too dewy.   Very comfortable and light-feeling on the skin.  Not crazy long-lasting, but stayed put for a good 7-8 hours.  The result is actually quite similar to my By Terry Cover Expert makeup which is currently my everyday foundation.  The only real downside is that because it's a Korean brand, the color choice is pretty minimal and leans light.  But luckily No. 25 works for me and I'm usually a true medium beige.

For my summer beach trips, this will be a perfect addition to my beauty routine!  

What cushion foundations have you tried?  

Trying Lots of Beauty Samples - Repurchase or No?

As someone who purchases a lot of beauty and skincare products, I do get loads of samples - which are convenient for travel and also fun to try.  However, most samples are simply tried and tossed.  To be honest, it's difficult to be blown away by a little sample (especially for skincare which usually will take more time to determine its efficacy), but then there are the rare standouts who manage to make you take notice.  I thought it would be fun and hopefully helpful to go through some of the samples I've tried recently and provide mini-reviews.  There are a handful of winners here that I totally plan to purchase.

Current favorite "nude" lip combinations (spring/summer 2016)

Everyone wants the perfect nude lip, but nobody's lips are the same.  What is considered "nude" for one person could be ashy or way too bold for another.  So there is a lot of trial and error.  

My current favorite "nude" lip products are listed below.  To give you a point of reference - my skin coloring is in the medium-range with a neutral undertone, and my natural lip color leans more brown-mauve so many nude colors that are too pink or too terracotta do not really work on me.

Too Faced Perfect Lips Lipliner in Perfect Spice.  This has been a favorite for years.  The color is truly (for me) a my lips but better color.  The texture is soft but not too slippy and it lasts really well.  It works with a range of lipcolors and manages to give my lips a slight illusion of plumpness and more definition.  I've been noticing signs that this lipliner may be discontinued soon which is quite sad so I've been stocking up and trying to find a replacement.

I like to pair this with the Bite Beauty Lipstick in Glace (pictured) or the Charlotte Tilbury lipsticks in Bitch Perfect or Very Victoria. 

Bare Minerals marvelous Moxie buttercream in Tantalizing Honey.  This lipgloss can be worn alone with some lipliner or over lipsticks.  It always makes my lips plump and full looking.  Sometimes if I think a lipcolor is too bold or pink, I will use this to tone it down.

Make Up For Ever Aqua Lip in 5C.  I've spent the last year trying to find a replacement for my Too Faced Lipliner and being disappointed over and over again (with Nars, Estee Lauder Edit, Rimmel, Sephora, etc.).  I just got this recently and I think this may be a winner!  The texture isn't as perfect as the Too Faced one, but the color match is good and the lasting power is even more impressive.

I paired this with another new purchase - the Lancome Juicy Shaker Lip Oil in Piece of Cake.  It was instant oil.  Very comfortable on the lips and the color is a lovely, natural nude.  I like this much better than the  YSL lip oil which felt greasy and weird on my lips.

I expect I'll be wearing these combinations throughout spring and summer.  What are your nude-y favorites?

 

luxury beauty products totally worth the hype

The worst thing about paying an arm and a leg for a product is if you are not blown away, and you start making excuses to yourself about why the product is worth the hefty price tag.  Unfortunately this happens more often than not.  It's uncommon for the product to actually be bad, but if a lipstick costs 3 times more than other lipsticks you do want it to be magical, no?

However, on a rare occasion, I've taken the plunge (after watching all the hype on youtube or reading reviews online) and found myself absolutely amazed.  Like - where have you been all my life - amazed.  Call it luck or maybe it's simply too much shopping, but this year isn't over yet and I already have THREE AMAZING PRODUCTS WORTH THE HYPE!!!

sephora vib rouge sale (and ulta sale too) - tips and recommendations (april 2016)

Every year I look forward to the two VIB sales at Sephora (one is usually in early April (15% off) and the other one is in November (20% off)) to stock up on makeup, skincare and gifts.  Beauty products rarely go on sale so these events are a great way to save money (if you can control yourself)!  

I am a little embarrassed to admit that I'm a VIB Rouge member which means I get slightly early access to the sale.  Last Friday, I got my notice in the mail that the early access sale is scheduled for April 7-13, which means the sale should open up for other VIB members on the 14th.  Sephora used to do cool in-store events for VIB Rouge members and serve coffee and treats and give extra goodies, but they seemed to have stopped doing that last year (boo).  Regardless, I still got excited when I got my notice in the mail and started "planning".  (Ulta sent out their 20% off sale early last week so I was sort of expecting the Sephora sale to start soon since they are usually about a week or so apart.)

Typically I break down my lists as follows:  

how i keep my t-zone matte (skincare, primers, powders, etc.)

Like most women I know who have either combo-oily or oily skin, I struggled with keeping my T-zone matte while maintaining glowing, luminous cheeks.  After years of experimenting with matte foundations (that tended to look 'flat') and highlighters OR dewy foundations with matte powders and primers, I think I've finally found a combination that works for me, which mainly consists of skincare, primers, powder and blotting papers.

skincare and beauty empties (march 2016)

I really enjoy watching empties videos on youtube and learning about products that other people have used up.  To be honest, I'm often astonished about how much product the beauty youtubers go through, but since it is their job to review product, I suppose it isn't that astonishing.  

As an experiment I attempted to keep my empties for the last 8 months to see what I go through.  In viewing the results, it is obvious skincare is my obsession... but then I remembered that if I feel a makeup or skincare item isn't working for me, I usually give it away to my friends instead of letting it expire or wasting it.  Therefore this is a list of items I used up AND remembered to keep - with mini reviews.   I hope it's helpful!

I tried to group them in categories, so here goes: