Belif The True Cream - Moisturizing Bomb - Review

I got a 10ml sample of this from Sephora (I stole the picture from them as well above). I decided to try it several weeks ago at the beginning of the COVID-19 lockdown. The first thing I noticed was how incredibly soft and moisturized my skin was after I put this on. My skin felt very luxurious with this on. Also, almost instantly, my skin looked fantastic - it was like imperfections were blurred and I was not expecting that!

When I awoke the next morning, my skin still felt extremely hydrated and like silk. I was wowed. I was tempted to open up my Sephora App and make the full-sized purchase. Since I have a ton of moisturizer around at the moment (I had just restocked several of my Drunk Elephant faves) I held off on rushing to order.

Later that same day, I noticed my skin was starting to feel a bit itchy and tender. That passed quickly and then I started to get little bumps. Within a few hours of this, I broke out like crazy with cystic acne, the likes of which I hadn't experienced in years! Since it was that time of month nearly upon me, I chalked it up to stress from the recent lockdown coupled with hormones.

Since my skin was not happy, I went back to my Drunk Elephant products and my skin recovered within a few days. Fast forward a few weeks and I decided to try my Belif sample again. As if I was in the movie Groundhog, the same thing happened. Put it on, skin felt amazing, looked amazing, woke up the next morning, skin looked and felt fabulous and then a few hours later irritated skin, small bumps, cystic acne breakout. It was not near that time of the month. So it was the face cream. I won't make that mistake again.

It is clear from the online reviews that people either think this is their holy grail or they had my experience. I should have googled first, but it was only a sample....If you have dry skin which is not sensitive, this may be the best cream you have tried! I'm sure for some people, this is a fantastic product for them. I would caution those who haven't tried this to get a sample first, maybe test a small area before you put it all over your face. If you have sensitive skin, just pass. Maybe I and others are allergic to something in it? Don't know but it was not good for me.

The product sells at Sephora for $50 Canadian for 50ml.

February 2020 Empties

I can't believe that it is already March 18th! The world is a strange place right now and I am doing my best to stay indoors at home (also working from home at the moment) as I am sure many of you are. For all of you beauty lovers out there, I think it's time we all had a distraction with some empties!

Bumble and Bumble Mending Shampoo - This shampoo was ok. I don't think it did much for my hair except make it soft and it detangled alright. I was still battling frizz in a big way with this and for that reason alone, I won't repurchase.

Avalon Organics Lavender Luminosity Brilliant Balance Cleansing Gel - My mother was using this and for some reason gave it to me. I was pleasantly surprised! It smelt nice, cleaned well, removed makeup and was gentle on my skin. I don't know the cost of this but it can't be super expensive - looks like it's between $10-$15. Compared to cleansers at Sephora, this is cheap! I really liked this and I would repurchase!

Bath & Body Works Black Cherry Merlot Gentle Foaming Hand Soap - I am trying so desperately to get rid of all of my BBW liquid soaps! I checked and I think I am down to the last 7 or 8. How did this happen? How did I collect so many! I am just over them and their chemical scents. I have another full bottle of the Black Cherry Merlot in the cupboard but this scent is truly one of the better ones. Since I am washing my hands morning, noon and night with COVID-19, maybe I will get rid of a few more of these in the next month! Gah!

Aveeno Active Naturals Intense Relief Hand Cream - This is the one I keep at my desk at work. I keep forgetting to put this in my empties posts and I am nearly through another one. Glad to finally chuck this empty out. I really like this cream and I will buy it again and again.

NARS Chelsea Girls Lip Gloss - This might be my favourite lip gloss. I love layering this over whatever is on my lips. Smells nice, feels nice and the colour is a great neutral on me. This was my second one. I will definitely repurchase!

Milk Makeup Kush Mascara - I have had this mascara for a long time! It really went the distance for a travel sized tube. It was ok. It gave decent volume but not much length for my taste. For that reason I will not repurchase but if all you want is volume, give this a go! The packing is super heavy as a side note.

Makeup Geek Baby Face Eyeshadow - Proud to say I used it up. It was long wearing, smooth and opaque. I would repurchase maybe but the colour is nothing special and exists in 100 palettes I have.

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair - Another freebie bites the dust. One day I will buy a regular, full-sized bottle...once I use up all of my free samples of course! This does make a noticeable difference to your skin in the morning and I would recommend it, albeit it is pricey.

Foundation swatches and reviews coming up for Charlotte Tilbury and MUFE over the next few days!

Fenty Beauty by Rihanna Pro Filt'r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation in 185 and 260 - Review and Swatches

Ever since Estee Lauder discontinued my beloved Double Wear Light foundation, I've been so lost. The new version that they replaced it with, the Soft Matte Hydra Makeup version, is just not good and nothing like the original version that I'd worn for a good decade. 

I found myself with no choice but to see what the makeup industry was offering in the way of foundation products since I hadn't really been looking for....well a decade! I wish I could say I was wowed and amazed with what I found but instead the last year has been a frustrating, disappointing, maddening and not to mention expensive experiment with foundation. I've bought quite a few and I have many reviews to share with you. Let's start with Fenty Beauty's Pro Filt'r Matte Longwear oundation.

I got a sample from Sephora of this foundation in 260 which is on the right in the swatch above. As you can see, it's too dark for me. I mixed it with another lighter, thinner foundation and was impressed by the great coverage it had and the soft glow it gave off on the skin. I thought this could be a foundation option for me! This was last Fall before the dry winter air emerged. I swatched a number of shades in Sephora and decided 185 was the best match for me based on arm and wrist swatches. This shade is on the left hand side in the picture above and below. 

It was obvious when I got home that 185 was too light for me. It looks white when I apply it to my face. So I started mixing it with the 260 travel tube I had. The mixture was still too dark. I waited until deep dark winter and tried 185 again. It was still too light worn on it's own but now it was a better fit. After wearing it alone for an hour or so I noticed something. It oxidized and went darker. So the colour was even better but it of course had oxidized so that was no good! To make sure I wasn't losing it, I read some reviews online and realized that this foundation is known to oxidize. Also when I wear it alone not mixed with another foundation it's not comfortable; after awhile and feels quite drying.

When you apply it, you better work fast because it dries quick and you don't want it clumping up on you. Also, in winter anyway, you don't feel like your skin is breathing and it's an uncomfortable feeling.

In the picture above, I have 185 blended out on the left and 260 blended out on the right.

I bought the Fenty concealer in the shade 230 because the product was nice and thick so I thought it would do a good job of concealing. It does a good job of concealing but the colour is still too light! Fenty Beauty has 50 shades and I can't find one that matches my skin tone. Brutal.

Let's forget about the fact that I can't find a shade in the Fenty Beauty range for the moment. The pros of the foundation is that it is very thick and offers good coverage, gives a nice glow to the skin, is in a glass bottle (yeah!) and is very long lasting.

The cons are it oxidizes, I can't find a matching shade, it feels dry on the skin and uncomfortable after a couple of hours and around my chin, at least, it can look cakey at the end of the day.  It dries super fast while you are applying it so you need to apply it fast. As a side note, I have combination skin not totally dry so this would definitely not be suitable for dry or very dry skin.

So Fenty Beauty Pro Filt'r Matte Longwear Foundation was a bust for me. I feel like it is a shame because this foundation could be so much better and it has the seeds for greatness with some tweaks.

Empties post next and then another foundation review.

December 2019/January 2020 Empties

I have 3 foundation reviews on deck to post (ahem have had them pretty ready for a little while) but recycling day is upon me and I want to get rid of some of my empties taking up space. Also I am starting to get some February empties so I want to make room for them. Let's get to it.

Klorane Floral Water Make-Up Remover - Countless bottles purchased and finished. Already repurchased. If you read my blog, I need not say any more.

Drunk Elephant Beste No. 9 Jelly Cleanser - I really liked this product and I would consider buying another but I haven't. The reason? The price. This product is outrageously expensive at $42 a tube Canadian. Thank God I got it during a Sephora sale. It's basically a really good jelly or glycerin-like cleanser but I have others that cost a fraction of the price that work pretty much just as well. I have a number of travel-sized tubes of this product and I will happily take them when I go on vacation and use them up.

Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream - I think this was my second jar of this and I have already repurchased. I find my skin looks really nice and healthy when I use it and it seems to keep my blemishes at bay. I find it works best when I mix it with Drunk Elephant's Virgin Marula Luxury Face Oil, otherwise the Protini alone might not be moisturizing enough, especially in winter. 

It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream in Light - I have had this product for awhile and I finally cannot squeeze anything else out of it. This may sound out of left field but I really like to wear it on airplane rides! You get coverage, moisture and it doesn't dry out your skin like wearing foundation would. This product is likely all many people would need day to day but it's not as good as foundation so for me it can't replace it. This is great to use if you are running some errands and don't feel like doing a full makeup day but you still want coverage. I have tried wearing this alone with no moisturizer and I have to say, you still need to apply moisturizer unless you have super oily skin and it's high summer. 

Origins Plantscription Powerful Lifting Cream - I swear by the Planscription Serum but I didn't like this cream. I used it mostly at night. Found it didn't do much for me. Definitely one of the most disappointing moisturizers I have tried in the last couple of years. Would not repurchase. 

Drunk Elephant C-Tango Multivitamin Eye Cream - I love me some Drunk Elephant but this one is not very good. Maybe if I was 20 years old with super oily skin I would say it was alright. It's a bit drying and that is not something I want in an eye cream! I'm also not 20 something so this isn't going to cut it. This was only a travel-sized tube so I mostly used it for overnighters but I found myself applying other creams on top of it, so what was the point! Will not repurchase. I meant to do a full review on this but I think I pretty much just did. It did nothing for my dark circles either. 

Origins Eye Doctor - I finished this and I switched to something else out of boredom and now I miss this like crazy! Will repurchase soon! My eyes are not as moisturized without it and my dark circles are not looking so hot right now. Why, oh why, do I switch things up sometimes???

Skin Laundry Gentle Foaming Face Wash - If you are looking for a nice smelling, gentle face wash, look no further than this. It's too gentle for me personally, but some people will love this especially if they have super dry skin. Sometimes I used this in the shower to wash my face when I was in a rush. But for everyday use, I need something more powerful. 

Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer in Light Neutral - I just found out this has been discontinued. I am sad and I am not. I am sad because this colour was excellent and this product worked well. I am not sad because I was going through these like crazy as there isn't much product in them and I was not happy at what I was spending on them. I have bought 2 of the replacement product in different shades and I plan to have a review on them for you shortly. 

To those of you in Ontario,Canada, Happy Family Day! 

October/November 2019 Empties

Hello everyone! I just noticed a bad reflection in this picture. It looks like my Bath & Body Works hand soap has a small halo. Must be from my shiny mascara cap? Not sure....sorry about that in advance. Without further ado, let's get into it.

Nivea Pure & Natural Body Milk (x2) - I am one of those weirdos who keeps multiples of items I use often stashed around the house for easy access. One of these was in my ensuite and another was in the kitchen. They both managed to kick it around the same time. Already repurchased. This is basic hand cream but it does the job.

Deep Steep Passion Fruit - Guava Body Lotion - I was so happy to get rid of this! It worked well but I hated the smell! I bought this at Winners on the cheap. Might consider trying another scent but it won't be this one.

Bath & Body Works Gentle Foaming Hand Soap in Iced Blackberries - I am still on a mission to use up everyone of these that I bought ages ago when I went on a BBW kick. I am totally over it, but I spent good money so I am using them all up if it kills me. This one was one of the better scents.

Clinique Repairwear Sculpting Night Cream - I got this in a gift with purchase bag. I wasn't crazy about it. I mostly applied it to my neck at night...did seem moisturizing but didn't wow me.

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex II Serum - I must have owned couple of dozen of these over the years all from gift with purchase bags. This is good stuff and I likely will buy a full sized one eventually once I have used up all of my "samples". (review here)

Estee Lauder Double Wear Zero-Smudge Mascara - How many of these have I been through? 50? The only one that doesn't smudge on me. Already repurchased x2.

Makeup Geek Eyeshadow in Rockstar - My heart is broken. This was one of my favourite eyeshadows ever. Makeup Geek discontinued it awhile back. I have been milking what was left of this pan for a long time. I decided it is time to let go and finished it off. My understanding is that MAC's Vex is a dupe for it. I own Vex and I think Vex leans more on the green side versus Rockstar leaned more purple than green. Marlena, if you are reading this, please bring it back!

Shiseido Facial Cotton - The only face cotton I will even think of buying. Costs way too much but I'm hooked and there is no turning back.

Bite Beauty Agave + Daytime Vegan Lip Balm - This is such a far inferior product to the Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask. It came in a set of Bite Beauty products so heck yes I used it up. I would not purchase on it's on though.

Ok not too many empties the last couple of months but it was time to get rid of them. Hopefully we will have some more interesting empties for December.

OPI Can't Find My Czechbook Swatch?

Hello! Quick post today. Just wanted to show you guys a nail colour that I had on a little while back. This is OPI's Can't Find My Czechbook. I loved it! It actually wasn't the colour I wanted when I went into the nail salon, but boy I sure ended up loving this! I got a lot of compliments on it too! Yes those are my real nails by the way, they are not extensions.

I'll be back in a day or two with some long overdue empties and some posts on some foundations I have been trying.

September 2019 Empties

I don't have much this month but may as well have a quick go through and move on to whatever October empties come along.

Goldwell Dualsenses Color Detangling Conditioner - I've gone through I think 2 of these. My hairdresser used to use this on me and the smell was so divine I ran out and bought a couple of bottles. After awhile I got sick of the smell and so I stopped buying it. This product does not detangle so if you are buying it for that reason, don't bother. What is does do is make any color you have had done pop. Whenever I used this people would ask me if I just had my ombre redone or of I had added highlights. I hadn't, it had been several months ago at that point since I did my ombre.

Living proof. Perfect Hair Day - I've gone through quite a few bottles and this is one of my holy grails. If you haven't already tried this, you really should. (review here)

L'Occitane Foot Cream - Great stuff. Works really well. Wished it smelt a tad better but I can live with it. Used it all summer and I've already cracked open a new tube. (review here)

Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask in Candy Cane - I love these damn lip masks. I seriously want to have one stashed at work, in my bedroom, my living room, my travel bag and one in my purse. I really liked this colour too but it was limited edition. As soon as they bring out another set of these, I'm going to be all over it. (review here)

Beautyblender - This was maybe my seventh beauty blender?  I can't live without this now. This one was a swirly one although it's so dirty you can't tell....I am finding the swirly ones last longer than the opaque colours but maybe it is my imagination. Already using the OG pink one but I may go back to the swirl (review here) 

Clinique Acne Solutions BB Cream - This is so much more than a bb cream. The coverage is really good. This one was a sampler in light medium. It was a tad dark for me but I made it work. It's super watery and you have to apply it quickly. The smell is meh but it fades. Leaves your skin comfortable. Not sure if I would want to wear it daily, but it's good for running a few errands.