Beauty Vixen: concealer

Well, 2020 is over. That is a thing. I don't really know what to say about the year and I am sure you have all heard it before and don't need me to drag on about it. With that I will present my favourite 5 for 2002.

Keep in mind I spent 2 months off work, then worked insane hours, had several breakdowns and just have not cared much about my appearances but more on my mental health.

Perspirex Comfort

Perspirex is one of those things I don't think of often but when I do all I have is love for it. I have used it for years and now they have a comfort version for those that are a bit more sensitive. I love that I can apply it and not worry about bathing or showing it off for a few days. I also love that in past years when I swam it wouldn't wear off either. And in the summer, I cannot state how great it is because lordy lordy so I sweat a lot in the summer and this stops and subsequently stops the smells.

Dr Teal's Relax & Relief /Eucalyptus & Spearmint

I love Dr Teal's (read previous posts on them here)! I buy their stuff all the time. 2020 has been a year of baths and me trying to control my anxiety. I went through about 5 bags of their bath salts, but right now I am using this mini one from a holiday set I picked up at the store.

I also love a good bubble bath so I also am always picking up that. I am using the Relax & Relief which happens to be Eucalyptus and Spearmint formulated one form the same set.

L'oreal 8 Second Miracle Water

I picked this up at the start of March before the first lockdown. I had long very damaged hair and I loved how well it smoothed and helped my hair feel softer and silkier. I stopped using it for a while because we were locked up and no one could see it. After my hair started to fall out due to stress it really felt terrible so I started to use it again. I have to say it really did help what remaining hair was there. It feel smoother and softer. It also does a fantastic job of combating frizz in humid weather.

Catrice Camouflage High Coverage Concealer

I wrote about these twice before and I have to say I adore them. These are the best concealers I have tried in a very long time. I can use just them alone or with foundation or BB cream. I pretty much love how they cover, are creamy and blend out. The beige tone of Porcelain is specifically amazing for my undereye circles.

Too Faced Shake Your Palm Palms Palette

It has been a while since I gave a mini palette from Too Faced a try. Well actually not true, the year before I tried the Hot Butter Rum one and loved it. When I picked this one up in the summer on sale I wasn't too sure if it would be great or no. I am just super happy with it. I love the shades, the finishes and looks I can create with it. I really feel going forward I will probably be purchasing small palettes like this so that as trends and styles change I wont feel so bad about getting rid of large palettes or spending so much on them.

There you go, 2020... it was something.

Let me know what you loved last year!!!

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*Post features PR Samples

Catrice has made quite an impression on me since launching at Shoppers Drug Marts in Canada. Today I am going to talk about two products, HD Liquid Coverage Foundation and Liquid Camouflage High Coverage Concealer.

Catrice HD Liquid Coverage Foundation

Hi-Def Coverage! Catrice's HD Liquid Coverage Foundation is an ultra-lightweight, high coverage foundation for a natural looking finish. • Vegan • Paraben free • 24 hr-wear • Cruelty free • Second skin effect -shoppersdrugmart.ca

Catrice HD Liquid Coverage Foundation comes in 23 shades, it is high coverage with a natural finish. The formula is supposed to mattify the skin while lasting 24 hours all while having a lightweight formal and a natural skin finish. Let's take a look at how it worked for me.

The bottle has a nice frosted look to it and an eyedropper for application. It looks pretty darn high end for drug store and its $13.99 price tag.

The formula is relatively thin for a full coverage formula but dries quickly because of its long-lasting and mattifying qualities. Because of this I really like using a wet sponge to apply it (currently loving the Real Techniques sponges for it). I also like to work section by section in my face so that it doesn't dry up before I have a chance to smooth it out. I personally have dry skin so using a hydrating primer under makes it go on a lot smoother and better too. If I apply it on its own I find I get some flakiness around my nose.

The coverage is actually pretty light but buildable. I like to give a once over and then a second go for a fuller look.

As for the wear, I found it wore pretty darn long and into my day with powder and setting spray. I did find with my dry skin that powder wasn't as necessary and didn't actually make the foundation look great on me. It made it just a little too dry.

I have been using shade 05 Ivory Beige. Which to be 100% honest is my perfect shade. I could not ask for a better match for me. If you want to see some fairer shade comparisons head on over to CrystalCandy Makeup for some swatches.

Catrice Liquid Camouflage High Coverage Concealer

Catrice Liquid Camouflage High Coverage Concealer is high coverage and long-lasting concealer for an improved skin. -shoppersdrugmart.ca

A little while back I reviewed some new (to me) Catrice products, one of which was Catrice Liquid Camouflage High Coverage Concealer in 010 Porcelain, I was also sent with this foundation another shade to review 007 Natural Rose.

I personally really like the formula of these concealers. They are full coverage like the name implies, but also creamy and smooth. I have used them many times as the only product on my face and been quite happy. They blend out super easy and look great all day long without any creasing. It performs exceptionally well, especially since it is only $7.99 Cad.

010 Porcelain is a shade that almost has a beige quality to it, which at first I was thrown by, but love how it cancels out any red in my face. It is such a great shade for me to use for just about anything going on.

070 Natural Rose on the other hand runs peachy. This has become my go-to for undereye circles.

This concealer is good enough to use as your only complexion product but also can take a product that you don't want to use too much of up a level (like a sheer foundation).

I have been using it with the HD foundation on my blemishes and under eyes as well as around my nose.

How I really like to use these products together is by applying a hydrating primer, sponging on the foundation, applying concealer and setting with a spray. If you have actually normal or oily skin I would definitely recommend some powder.

Here are some photos of me wearing it mid-summer.

You can see I get a real natural look using the products but still the coverage I need.

Overall I am loving these products. The concealers are now my go-to product. They have the coverage I need while being fantastic for smoothing out and not looking thick. They look like my skin and I love that.

The foundation is great and a perfect option for when my skin is feeling a bit more oily then usual or I want a long-wearing option. It looks natural on my skin but can look a bit dry if I don't hydrate properly before applying or powder (once again, I have dry skin though).

If you are looking for some great drug store options I highly recommend picking these up at your local Shoppers Drug Mart or online.

Have you tried Catrice Cosmetics yet? What are your thoughts?

*Post features PR samples. All views and opinions are my own.

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I have no words for this winter, except crap. It was crap. I am actually sure most of you would agree with me on this.

Despite all the disaster and blueness in the world, I did find time to use and like quite a few products that hopefully I will get a chance to blog more about in the future. For now, here is a rundown of what I loved.

Dermalogica Barrier Defense Booster Ultra Calming*:

Since this winter was hard on my skin, it has needed a lot of extra hydration love. I really love this serum booster because it is light in texture and absorbs quickly. It also really soothes my skin almost instantly when it has to deal with winter wind and temperatures.

Mary Kay Naturally Nourishing Oil*:

Sticking with my dry skin, this has quickly become a staple in my life. It is an oil and squalane blend that you can use on its own or mix into your other products for a boost. I personally have been using it as an oil before my moisturizers. My skin really responds well to it and it has made a big difference in my hydration levels.

Fresh Sugar Lip Carmel Hydrating Balm:

When I got the flu in January my lips got chapt and scabby, which sucked. I found this Fresh lip balm in my stash of samples and gouged into it thinking it was a scrub. I was terribly wrong and as a result, ended up with a very thick coating on my lips. The next day my lips were so much better that I started to use it all the time. I like it because it feels smooth and silky and can also be a mask if you like. Bonus, it smells like caramel.

Sephora Collection Volume On Mascara:

I have always loved coloured mascara, but I find good bold ones hard to find. I used to love a whole bunch of brands about 15 years ago but they no longer exist. So when I saw a sales rep at Sephora wearing bright pink mascara I had to find out who made it. When I learned it was Sephora Collection I immediately picked up one, and then another.

I have 05 Violet On! (which is really pink) and 04 Green On! (Which is a teal shade). They are a bit thick in the formula but have complete colour coverage. I get a compliment every single time I wear them, even from men.

Revlon Photoready Candid Antioxidant Concealer*:

Since I haven't been wearing much makeup this winter concealer has been my friend. I have been using this one for most of the winter as my go-to concealer. It has a creamy formula that blends out well and a doe foot applicator. A little blended out under my eyes and around my nose and I am good to go in the mornings.

There you go, 5 things I am loving right now for Winter.

Is there anything you really liked this past winter?

*Denotes PR samples. All views and opinions are my own.

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This post features some PR Samples. PR samples are denoted by *

I managed to skip the Five Things I am Loving Right Now post for Winter this year because frankly, I did not love our winter. It is actually well into June and only 8 degrees outside right now as I type. I am cold and wet as though it is still March or April and I am not loving it either. Yet, I still persist and feel the need to tell you about some items I actually am using and loving right now.

YSL Touche Eclat:

I got a Touche Eclat in a Sephora Favourites set a long while back and held back ever opening it because I get weird when it comes to pricy/cult items. Weird in a way where I want to hoard them and not use them out of fear of using them up or even just falling in love. I am working on this of course, but yeah I had this guy unused for a long while.

This past March I went to the L'oreal warehouse sale and got a mixed bag with a green colour correcting Touche Eclat and decided it was time to break my light one out and use them together

Since I started actually using these two products I realized that I indeed have more red on my face this year due to the weather and my skin being unhappy with it and that there is a reason everyone loves Touche Eclat. They work really well with their little brush to cover just what you need and not use too much product or be too heavy. They do a great base of concealer and correction before I use my foundation. I really have been liking the results.

N० 7 Beautiful Skin Hot Cloth Cleanser:

This was in the sale bin of my Shoppers Drug Mart for $5. I picked up two and gave one away to a friend. I do love Boots' N० 7 line and wish we had more of their stuff here in Canada.

N० 7's Botanics Hot Cloth Cleansing Balm (that I had to get from a USA Target order) and absolutely despising it (seriously the only cleansing balm that I have this one) I really had low expectations but was willing to spend $5 to find out. It turns out I love the stuff.

Pump some out, put it on dry skin, massage it around. Then take the included cloth, get it hot and place it over your face for a few minutes and remove. Easy, yes. Amazing, also yes.

Most of the time I just use it as cleansing oil or balm, apply dry, massage, add water, massage and remove with a cloth. I will say this never leaves my skin dry, tight or with any makeup left on, it is that good. I just hope it hasn't been pulled from Canadian SDM stores.

Revlon ColorStay Cream Eye Shadow in Chocolate 720:

Ever since I first discovered Mac Paint Pots, I have been in love with matte cream eyeshadows. Most cream eye shadows have shimmer or glitter in them which makes them a bit hard for me to wear to work, but sometimes I luck out and find good matte ones.

Revlon's Colorstay line has Cream Eyeshadows that range from matte to shimmer to full-blown metallic. So I, of course, bought one of the mattes to try out.

Chocolate is a chocolate matte brown (shocking I know). The thing that makes me love it so much is the formula, I don't miss high-end brands cream shadows because this drug store dupe is the real deal. I also have tried a few of the metallics that I got from Revlon's PR, and I will say I love them too, but I am truly drawn to this matte.

Kiehl's Glow Formula Skin Hydrator:

Another L'oreal warehouse sale purchase. I picked this one up in a set that was leftover from the 2018 holiday season, it was a great deal.

I, of course, took a picture of the French side and didn't notice until later *sigh*.

Pretty much is is a great cream that is not too heavy and gives a bit of mineral glow. I have been using it as a foundation mix in or just on its own. Sometimes you will find me mixing CoverFx Custom Colour Drops into it for a custom Tinted Moisture. My skin has been liking it and I honestly really enjoy using it.

Mary Kay Reviving Facial Spray*:

I go this from Mary Kay's PR team last year and never got around to writing about it. That being said I do use it, a lot. It is a fantastic setting spray with a darn good spray pump to it. In fact, Skindinavia makes it for Mary Kay so you know it has to be good.

I love using it post makeup application to set and refresh my makeup. I don't know why I really like it so much as it just makes my skin look really nice and because of that, I keep on reaching for it and using it.

That is it, five things I am currently loving. What are you loving right now?

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Wet N Wild launched some pretty fantastic products last year, and three the stuck out for me were in there new PhotoFocus line, the foundation, concealer and pressed powder. The three of them were all tested under 6 types of lighting to make sure that your skin is always photo ready.

The truth is no one likes flashback with their foundation in their photos, and now you don't have to worry about it at all.

PhotoFocus Foundation:

The foundation goes on really well and provides a pretty darn natural medium coverage look. There is a spatula attached to the lid, which is a great feature. I really hate dumping foundation bottles upside down to try to get the product out, I often waste a ton, so it is nice that I can just put some on a palette, or my arm, or right on my sponges.

I prefer to use a sponge like a beauty blender or a Real Techniques sponge (which is my favourite sponge brand right now). I find I get a real natural finish and I can build up where I need a bit more of a medium coverage.

PhotoFocus Concealer.Corrector

The concealer works really well with the foundation but can be a bit harder to blend out at times. I personally prefer a bit of a creamy texture to my doe-foot liquid concealers, but I do think it is really good for the price point.

I usually put some concealer on my difficult spots, under eyes, around nose, breakouts and a red spot that is perpetually on my left cheek, then blend out with the same sponge I used for my foundation.

PhotoFocus Pressed Powder

The powder is surprisingly fantastic. I have dry skin and can find my skin isn't always a giant fan of powder, but this stuff sits so well on my skin. In fact, since I took these pictures I managed to use it so much that I hit pan. I never hit pan on anything. I will definitely be picking some more up soon.

The powder doesn't tend to leave me with dry spots or patches, it mattifies my skin just right and can add that extra bit of coverage I needed where my skin is particularly red. I really like it to set where my concealer is and my t-zone. I find it works well with other foundations too or when I am just in need of some powder.

Overall I am really enjoying this line. I like how the foundation looks on my skin and always photographs well, in fact, I went and got passport photos taken with it on. I like the spatula, it makes it simple to get the foundation out and without a mess. It doesn't oxidize on my skin and there are 20 shades that cover a good range of skin tones.

The concealer isn't my favourite, but it does do a really good job covering my trouble spots. I was so glad to cover my post acne marks just above my lips, lessen my undereye circles and red spot on my cheek without any fussing around.

The powder is phenomenal, it is just great for my dry skin. My skin always looks real even after powdering.

My skin also doesn't ever feel dry when using the products which is great. Finally, I love Wet N Wild's price point, it is by far my favourite value brand out there.

*Some of the products were sent for review purposes and some were purchased with my own money. All views and opinions are my own.

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Mary Kay has just launched some new items for summer, some permanent and some limited edition. Today I am going to take a look at some of those new products.

Lash Intensity Mascara $22

Mary Kay summer 2016 Lash Intensity mascara

This new mascara boasts the ability to make your lashes look super full and that will last all day without smudging. It has a large asymmetrical wand that is really sort of square in design; one side has longer bristles while the other has short bristles. It is interesting to say the least.

I must say that I was absolutely shocked at how big my lashes looked after just one coat. I mean shocked is more the word, I felt like after two coats like I was wearing false lashes on (no lie). The unique wand was not hard to use, intact I found it fun to play around with to see how I liked to use it best. I also like that the wand handle is square shaped aiding in me getting a great grip on it and getting precision application on my lashes. I never found that my lashes clumped at all. So yeah, I was impressed with it.

Perfecting Concealer $17.50

This concealer super creamy concealer comes in 6 shades, which I actually think is a pretty impressive range when you see how light to dark they run. Creamy and creaseproof it has come pretty great coverage. It has light-diffusing technology that helps with the look of fine lines and minor imperfections while remaining easy to blend.

I really love how there is a great range of shades in this line of concealers. I found that the three lightest shades all worked really well for me depending on what I needed them for. I find they all blend extremely well and have a great level of pigmentation to them to cover everything from hyper-pigmentation, a bursted capillary on my cheek, a minor hormonal breakout to a recent cut on my face. Overall it is a really great concealer that I will be reaching for more often. In fact I wore just concealer the other day without any foundation and was very happy with the results.

Undereye Corrector $17.50

This is a peachy toned concealer with the exact same formula as the Perfecting Concealers. I found it did a really great job of being just peachy enough to deal with my problematic under eye area.

Rose Gold Compact Mini $22

Mineral eye Colour Bundle $54 without Compact / $76 with Compact

Mary Kay has an excellent build your own palette system in place already, but why get the regular black palette case when you can get this limited edition rose gold one? It is so darn pretty. Better yet, you could get it filled with six fantastic neutral shades (Sweet Cream, Spun Silk, Moonstone, Rosegold, Driftwood and Espresso). 3 are matte and 3 are sparkles.

I think it is a great pre-made set that takes the guess work out of picking your own palette. Plus they are really nice shades. I do think $9 a shade it is a tad bit pricy. There seems to be no discount for this bundle, you are paying $22 for the case and $9 a pop for the shadows wether you buy them alone or all together. That being said I really like this set and quality of the shadows, if you're a fan of Mary Kay's shadows or if you want a more compact palette this may be a good choice for you. I personally really love the case and would take it any day over the plain one (it is only $2 more so why not get it?).

MK High Intensity Ocean Cologne spray $49

MK High Intensity Ocean Hair and Body Wash $22

Set $69

This is a limited edition cologne and hair and body wash that you can get on its own or as a set. It has an aquatic scent to it (my favourite choice for Mr. Fox) that is described as citrus-marine. I personally cannot stop randomly smelling the cologne's bottle, I just pick it up off my desk and smell its spritzer. Sadly Mr. Fox doesn't wear cologne too often (which sucks because I love a scent like this one) but he does exclusively use body washes. He has already become quite taken with the wash and he has reported that it is not drying at all. I just like the scent. I feel since Old Spice got rid of their Aqua Reef scent he has been on the look out for an aquatic scented body wash for a long time and this just happened to fit the bill nicely.

TimeWise Tone-correcting Serum $48

This serum is meant to transform dull skin and brighten it up. Reducing the appearance of skin discolouration, hyer-pigmentation, dark spots, past damage and freckles with day-to-day use. I like that this serum isn't all about light reflectors and shimmers to create the appearance of a less flawless skin, it is a clear formula that has ingredients that work. While I haven't given it enough time to see how well it works long term, I like the feel it gives to my skin and hydration.

Beauty That Counts Hearts Together Lipstick $18

This limited edition lipstick features adorable hearts on its case and embossed on to the lipstick itself (so cute). It happens to be a gorgeous dusty rose cream shade that I think suites many different skin tones. If that wasn't enough to get you to buy it, for everyone purchased $1 will be donated to the Mary Kay Ash Charitable Foundation. From there the money will go to help Look Good Feel Better (helping women with cancer), and to help end violence against women (through grants to women's shelters and community outreach programs). Pretty great right?

True Dimensions Sheer Lipstick

This limited edition sheer lipstick is a red with gold sparkles in it. It feels so smooth and silky on the lips (because it is moisturizing) while just giving a nice glossy tint of red to your lips. It has a fancy tube that has to be popped out from the lip, which is just straight up neat to use. I am going to wear this one a lot in the summer, as much as I love a bold lip I can't be bothered in warmer weather, so this one makes it easy and much lighter to wear red.

So that's the new summer launch from Mary Kay, the stand outs for me are the Lash Intensity Mascara, Perfecting Concealers and Undereye Corrector. If you have a man in your life the MK High Intensity Ocean Cologne is great too.

*Products were sent to me for consideration, all views and opinions are my own.

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