First Impression: Stila One Step Correct

Hello Princesses!

Today I'm going to be talking about a widely loved product - Stila's One Step Correct. I always wonder how everyone pronounces Stila, like Still-A or Steel-A? Anyway, I was wandering around Mecca Cosmetica in Auckland looking for a primer that would be suitable with my NARS Sheer Glow and Bobbi Brown Long Wear Even Finish Cream Compact Foundations which I just cannot make work with my skin, despite being the perfect colour, and the lovely sales assisstant helping me recommended this primer, and gave me a little sample pot to try out which is super kind!  ^.^

What Does It Do?

"Swirl your way to perfect skin in one step! This innovative, triple-swirled helix serum instantly color-corrects, brightens and covers skin imperfections for a flawless face with no fuss.

This primer, color-corrector, brightener and anti-aging skincare serum does it all with the help of Stila's Youth Revival Bio-Available Mineral Complex™:

• Magician- Instantly makes imperfections disappear
• Multitasker - Reduces fine lines, wrinkles, pores and pigmentation
• Miracle Worker- Hydrates, controls oil and improves skin texture

The revolutionary new product contains 3 color-correcting brighteners:

• Green tone instantly neutralizes redness and conceals blemishes
• Lavender tone counteracts sallow undertones for a vibrant, energized look
• Peach tone brightens, illuminates and helps diminish the appearance of sun spots

The weightless, creamy formula blends imperceptibly into skin and won't clog pores or settle into fine lines... so all anyone will notice is your perfectly flawless skin!

Ingredients: 

water/aqua, cyclopentasiloxane, propylene glycol, octyldodecyl neopentanoate, butylene glycol, glycerin, peg/ppg-18/18 dimethicone, dimethicone, carbomer, sodium hydroxide, phytantriol, caprylyl glycol, phenoxyethanol, disodium edta, camellia oleifera leaf extract, aluminum hydroxide, stearic acid, boron nitride, palmitic acid, dextrin palmitate, sodium dehydroacetate, glyceryl acrylate/acrylic acid copolymer, hexylene glycol, magnesium ascorbyl phosphate, retinyl palmitate, tocophery acetate, tocopherol, tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, triethoxycaprylylsilane,sodium hyaluronate, magnesium chloride, potassium chloride, sodium chloride, zinc chloride, lysine, panax ginseng root extract, ginkgo biloba leaf extract, anthemis nobilis flower extract, camelia oleifera leaf extract, montmorillonite, illite, kaolin,methylparaben, propylparaben, may contain (+/_) titanium dioxide (ci 77891), zinc oxide (ci 77947), iron oxides (ci 77491, ci 77492, ci 77499), chromium oxide greens (ci 77288), ultramarines (ci 77007) <iln c101005>." (1)

I decided to try this primer with three different foundation/BB creams to effectively test it's claims. I chose one difficult foundation (NARS Sheer Glow in Siberia), one long lasting foundation (Estēe Lauder Doublewear Light in 0.5) and my favorite BB Cream (Missha Signature Complete in No.13). 

First up is my difficult foundation - NARS Sheer Glow. I've had this foundation since December and CANNOT make it work for my skin. It's highly annoying because it was an expensive product, and it's a very good colour for me!

The Stila Primer feels super silky and smooth to apply (almost like a silicone primer), and smells a little like sunscreen. It reduced some of my redness, evened out my skin tone, illuminated my skin and also made the foundation glide one super smoothly!

I found that the primer had no effect on making the NARS Sheer Glow foundation last longer or stay shine free, because you can see that this foundation actually looks awful after 6 hours. It's not as bad if I blot and re-powder every three hours, but it's SUCH a pain. (First world problems, right?)

Next up is my favorite BB Cream, Missha Signature Complete BB Cream in No.13. Honestly, I felt like the Stila Primer didn't make too much of a difference with this BB Cream, which is already very hydrating and shines up after 6 hours of wear. I don't feel like BB Creams necessarily need a primer anyway, since they're part skincare.

Lastly, we have Estēe Lauder Doublewear Light in 0.5. This is a long lasting matte finish foundation that can be quite drying if the skin isn't properly primed. I found that the Stila Primer worked best with this foundation, because it gave me a hydrated, but not oily base to work with, and helped the foundation glide smoothly on and last perfectly throughout the day!

Would I Purchase This Product?

I really liked this Primer, but I'm not 100% sure that I would purchase it for $76NZD, which is quite pricey! However, if it was discounted, (or I was buying from a USA site) I would definitely consider it because it's only $36USD, (almost half price) which would be worth the money in my opinion!

What are your favorite primers? Have you got any suggestions for a primer that works well with NARS Sheer Glow Foundation?

First Impressions: Estēe Lauder Double Wear Maximum Cover

Hello Princesses!

Today I have another Estee Lauder product to talk about, which is the Double Wear Maximum Cover. ^.^ A couple of weeks ago I showed you Princesses my first impressions on the regular Double Wear which was regretfully too dark, so of course I went back to the Estēe Lauder counter and asked them if they had any other products that might be suitable for my fair skin, and they gave me a small pot of the Max Cover in Very Light.

What Does It Do?

"Double Wear Maximum Cover

12 Hour Staying Power

Soothing, Natural-looking, liquid-creme makeup for concealing all skin imperfections, including surgical and acne scars, birthmarks, sun spots and varicose veins.

- Helps protect with SPF15

- Full Coverage

- Natural-looking

- Long-wearing

- Non-transferable

Suitable for post surgery use as directed by your physician. Developed and tested in collaboration with surgeons and dermatologists.

Formula Facts

- Dermatologist-tested

- Non-acnegenic

- 12-hour wear

- Full coverage

- SPF15

- Matte finish" (1)

When they say maximum cover they are NOT joking! This foundation is so crazy full coverage the first time I wore it I felt like I was wearing a thick mask because you couldn't see any scars or freckles - my face was just one smooth colour. For the first application I used my fingers to apply the foundation which gave me the super thick coverage. My chin, which is usually covered in red scars, was completely smooth and covered! I removed a patch of the foundation on my nose to show you the difference between my real skin and the foundation.

With the second application I decided to sheer the product out by using my beauty blender instead of my fingers. It still gave beautiful full coverage but it didn't feel so mask like this time. It wears beautifully, only getting a little shiny on my nose, but the coverage stayed flawless. I found the finish to be very very matte and very non-transferable like the description says. I didn't need to finish my whole face with translucent powder like I usually would, just my T-Zone needed a light dusting and I was done!

My only problem with this product is the colour. It's half a shade too dark! Due to my current lighting it looks too pale in comparison to my neck, (NARS Siberia makes me look ghostly in this lighting) but in real life it is a little too dark. Still wearable, but I wouldn't be able to contour or bronze without looking too dark. You will need a serious cleanser to remove this product too! I found that an oil cleaner worked best for me.

Would I Purchase This Product?

Maybe. If I had all the money in the world I probably would purchase this, but it is quite pricey and it's not quite light enough for me. I'm thinking about buying it just for performances so that I'll look like I have a flawless face even though I'll probably be covered in stress acne by exam time comes around, but I'm still not 100% sure. 

I would totally recommend this for any Princesses who are wanting a serious full coverage foundation that's easy to apply and stays all day!

Sunday Swatches: Foundation and BB Cream Swatches

Hello Princesses!

Today I'm going to be showing your my current collection of Foundation and BB Creams! ^.^ I think my collection is quite big, but bear in mind that only 29 of these products are full sized and the rest are tester or sample sized. I've already got 8 more testers since I photographed these swatches, so I think I might need to do an updated pale foundation and BB Cream Sunday Swatches, because as sure as sunshine I am NOT doing this many swatches at one time again! -.-

Just my luck, after I swatched all the products nicely, I went to grab the camera and squished the end products against my bicep (or lack thereof haha) so they are a little smudged! -.- I didn't have the energy to redo it (it took me 30mins just to swatch them all!) so if there's a product you want re-swatched - let me know!

Top Line:

1 - Phoenix Cosmetics; Pure White
2 - Meow Cosmetics; Snow Lynx
3 - NARS Sheer Glow; Siberia
4 - NYX Stay matte but not flat; Ivory
5 - Meow Cosmetics; Abyssinian
6 - Meow Cosmetics; Manx
7 - Meow Cosmetics; Angora
8 - Bobbi Brown Cream Compact; 00 Alabaster
(I somehow missed this! O_O) Meow Cosmetics; Siamese
9 - Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream; No.13
10 - Missha Signature Real Complete BB Cream; No.13
11 - Etude House Mineral Any Cushion; No.02
12 - LUSH Colour Supplement; Light Yellow
13 - L.A Girl Perfecting Liquid Makeup; Ivory
14 - Maybelline Dream Pure BB Cream; Light
15 - Skinfood Good Afternoon Peach Green Tea BB Cream
16 - Oasis BB Cream; Honey
17 - Maybelline Mineral Powder; Ivory
18 - Natio Natural Skin Foundation; Natural
19 - Dior Diorskin Forever; 040

 Middle Line:
20 - Hanskin Silky Treatment BB Cream
21 - Maybelline Fit Me Foundation; 110 Ivory
22 - MAC Studio Fix; NW10
23 - Rimmel Match Perfection; 010 Light Ivory
24 - Skinfood Peach Sake BB Cream
 25 - It's Skin Baby Face BB Cream; Silky
26 - Laura Mercier Foundation Powder; No.01
27 - Revlon Photoready; Vanilla
28 - Revlon Colourstay; Buff
29 - Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream; No.21
30 - Missha Signature Real Complete BB Cream; No.21
31 - Shiseido Sun Protection Liquid Foundation
32 - Dior Diorskin Forever 020
33 - Kleancolour Liquid Foundation; Translucent Beige
34 - L'Oreal New True Match Foundation; Light Ivory
35 - Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream; Light
36 - Oasis BB Cream; Cream
37 - Oasis BB Cream; Caramel
38 - Rimmel Stay Matte Foundation; Ivory  
39 - Etude House Dear Girls BB Cream
40 - Dior Diorskin Forever 030
41 - Lioele Dollish Veil Vita BB Cream; Gorgeous Purple

 Bottom Line:
42 - Clinique CC Cream; Very Light
43 - Lancôme Bienfait Teinté Beauty Balm; Porcelaine
44 - YSL Le Teint Touche Éclat; B10
45 - YSL Youth Liberator Serum Foundation; B10
46 - MAC Studio Sculpt; NC15
47 - MAC Prep and Prime BB Cream; Extra Light
48 - MAC Studio Fix; NC15
 49 - MAC Match Master; 1.0
50 - The Body Shop Foundation; M02
51 - Estēe Lauder Double Wear; 1N1
52 - Estēe Lauder Double Wear; 1W1
53 - Estēe Lauder Maximum Coverage Doublewear; Very Light
54 - Etude House Cotton Fit BB Cream; No.02
55 - Etude House Cotton Fit BB Cream; W12
56 - Etude House Precious Mineral BB Dation; W12
57 - Skin79 Orange BB Cream
58 - Skinfood Red Orange Jelly BB Cream; No.01
59 - Skinfood Platinum Grape Cell Essential BB Cream
60 - TonyMoly Expert Triple BB Cream
61 - Skin79 Snail Nutrition BB Cream
 62 - Skinfood Good Afternoon Honey Black Tea BB Cream
63 - ElishaCoy Always Triple BB Cream
64 - BRTC Jasmine Water BB Cream
65 - It's Skin Prestige Creme D'Escargot BB Cream



 Oh. My. Goodness.

This post almost broke me. I can't believe how much work went into one photo of foundation and BB Cream swatches!! -.- If you want to check out the BB Cream swatches or foundation swatches seperately, click either of these links! (BB Cream Sunday Swatches - Foundation Sunday Swatches) 

I hope this Sunday Swatches session was helpful for you princesses! ^.^ Feel free to share these swatch pictures - but please put a link to this post if you do share! If you have any requests for swatch posts, just leave a comment down below and I'll do my best to help you out! ^.^

First Impression: Estēe Lauder Double Wear

Hello Princesses!

Today I'm going to be talking about a huge cult product - Estēe Lauders Double Wear Foundation! I was colour matched at the Auckland Smith and Caugheys counter to the colours 1N1(Ecru) and 1W1 (Bone) and I'm here to tell you about my experience with Double Wear!

What Does It Do?

"Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup SPF 10

BENEFITS

15-hour staying power, Medium, buildable

This worry-free, long-wear powder makeup stays fresh, looks natural, even through nonstop activity. Glides on silky smooth, absorbs oil." (1)

"Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol, Tribehenin, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Magnesium Sulfate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Methicone, Laureth-7, Xanthan Gum, Alumina, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Cellulose Gum, Propylene Carbonate, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Phenoxyethanol. May Contain: Iron Oxides, Mica, Titanium Dioxide." (2)

1N1(Ecru) on the left, and 1W1 (Bone) on the right. 1N1 (Ecru) is fairly pale, but since I'm quite yellow toned and 1N1 is neutral/pinky it doesn't quite fit right. 1W1 is a lovely warm tone, but way too dark. I didn't take photos of 1W1 because it just looked so silly!

Unfortunately I forgot to take before photos, so I found the closest match I could! These photos were taken on the same day - just one photo has lights on and one doesn't. ^.^ You can definitely see how much coverage Double Wear has, it evened out my skintone beautifully without looking cakey, and covered my scars and hyper pigmentation like a dream.

Double Wear has fantastic full coverage which I'm totally not used to! It made me feel like I was wearing a bit of a mask because it made my skin look so perfect and scarless which is crazy! I found the formula to be easy to apply as long as I worked quickly because it dried so fast. I also didn't need to use a finishing powder because it dried down to a matte touch dry finish.

Would I Purchase This Product?

Sadly, no. :C Both of the two lightest shades were too dark/pink for my skin, but I really enjoyed the formula, coverage and finish of this product! I think it would be great for performances or photographed events because of the full coverage! Estēe Lauder - please make this in the shade 0.5 or 0.0 and I will buy like, 10 of them, and I will love you forever! ^.^

Have you princesses tried the popular Double Wear?