Review: NARS Soft Velvet Loose Powder

Hello Princesses!

Today I'm going to be talking about the new NARS Soft Velvet Loose Powder in the shade Snow! I purchased this loose powder in a joint deal with the All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation in Taipei because I'm a massive sucker for discounted makeup.  

This foundation is packaged in the typical NARS black box with the irritating clear sticker (so unappealing). The powder itself is housed in the regular NARS Powder jar with the matte black cap that holds onto dirt and foundation stains like it's going out of fashion. Once these get dirty it's ridiculously difficult to get them clean again! You can already see fingerprints on mine already from getting it out of the cardboard.

The powder sieve has quite small holes, and there have been some complaints that it doesn't let enough power out. I don't have any issue with it at all, but I do store my powders sideways so there is always enough powder in the cap for me!

"An innovative, light-reflecting tinted loose powder that reduces the look of shine and seamlessly sets foundation. 

Featuring Photochromic Technology to diffuse light across the skin, this silky loose powder glides across the skin to absorb oil and reduce the appearance of shine. Light-optimising particles optically fade the look of pores, fine lines and wrinkles, whilst the powder sets your foundation without leaving a trace of colour."(2)

This is the shade Snow, and it is super pale! This is not white, and it's not translucent, but it's a really lovely neutral colour that has the ability to pale out your skin ever so slightly which is perfect for fair girls that struggle to match foundations. It does say that it leaves no trace of colour, but it depends on how heavy handed you are!

I find that if I use a big fluffy brush to use this powder I end up using way too much and make my face look cakey. I generally use a stippling brush to get the powder evenly applied without being too heavy handed.

I find that this powder does an excellent job at masking pores, but I didn't see a difference with my fine lines. I don't think this powder controls oil at all, but it's no worse than my regular translucent setting powders. If I use this powder with a pore smoothing primer I have a lovely smooth face, almost like being airbrushed.

 I can clearly see a difference between the side that has been powdered and the side that hasn't!

However, I find that this powder emphasizes the cakey, gross looking separation of product that happens to my face when I wear NARS Sheer Glow! (I don't have this problem with my beloved BB Creams and this powder though). I need to bring a brush to blend the product back into my skin after 3 hours, and afterwards it will look fine, but man it's unappealing to look at. The Soft Velvet Loose Powder doesn't cause this separation, but it does emphasize it.

What I Love

- Great colour for pale princesses

- Beautiful blurring effect for skin (like being airbrushed)

- Easy to apply

What I Don't Love

- Does nothing for my oily skin

- On the pricier side
- Emphasizes cakey foundation

Final Thoughts

I love that this powder gives me a super flawless finish, and when I use it with pore primers (I love Benefit Porefessional) it gives me the most flawless finish possible, almost like I airbrushed my pores away. I don't think it particularly controls shine or oil at all, so blotting papers are necessary for me as always, and this is definitely a pricey product. I think it's a great product for anyone who struggles with big pores, but I certainly don't think it's a necessity. I have no regrets spending $60NZD on this! ^.^

Have you tried the Soft Velvet Loose Powder? Did it play nicely with your skin type?

Fail Product: The Body Shop Camomile Gentle Eye Make-Up Remover

Hello Princesses!

Today I'm going to be talking about The Body Shops Camomile Gentle Eye Makep-Up Remover! I received this Make-Up Remover as part of a gift with purchase during an in-store Body Shop promotion, and I think even though this is a fail product for me, it will not necessarily a fail product for everyone!

"Soothing and non-oily, this cleanser gently removes make-up from lashes while conditioning lashes and skin around the eye area so they feel soft and silky.

• Removes eye make-up
• Leaves lashes and lids feeling soft and clean
• Fragrance and colour-free
• Suitable for sensitive skin and contact lens wearers" (1)

My first, and possibly biggest issue with this makeup remover is that it smells weird, yet it's supposed to be fragrance free! For me, it smells like yeast, and not in a pleasant way. It has a clear water-like texture, and a little definitely goes a long way! I think it has a lovely formula for sensitive eyes, or contact lens wearers like myself, because often eye makeup removers can really irritate my eyes.

I find this remover fantastic for taking off light makeup, but if I was to wear something long-wearing like Double-wear, or a water-proof mascara like in the picture below, it would take a long time to remove and still wouldn't remove absolutely everything. There is still so much mascara in the "After" photo, and I tried very hard to remove it!

  What I Love

- Inexpensive ($23.95 for 250ml)

- Doesn't irritate my eyes

What I Don't Love

- NOT Fragrance Free, smells like Yeast

- Not efficient at removing long-wearing makeup

Final Thoughts

In comparison to my other Body Shop Camomile Makeup Removers (I have both the oil version and cleansing butter), I really dislike this makeup remover - even though it was free! It smells like yeast (so weird) and doesn't remove waterproof mascara (which I'm always wearing) so it's a total fail product for me. 

However, I would say that this Makeup Remover would be great for people who face the struggle with Make-Up Removers that sting and irritate their eyes, because it is super gentle and quite affordable! ^.^

First Impression: Yves Saint Laurent Forever Youth Liberator Eye Creme

Hello Princesses!

Today I'm going to be talking about the Yves Saint Laurent Forever Youth Liberator Eye Creme. I received this little tester pot when I purchased the Touche Eclat Highlighter last year, and have been using it for the past month now that I'm out of the teeny little sachets of eye cream samples. It's super expensive at $130NZD for 15ml, but is it actually worth that price?

 What Does It Do?

"BENEFITS
• Anti-puffiness
• Brightens dark circles

PRODUCT DETAILS
In addition to Glycanactif™, soothing ingredients refresh and relax the eye area, while micro-shimmer particles provide smoothing and illuminating effects.

The eyes appear fresher and more radiant:
• In one month, dark circles are less noticeable and seem to have disappeared.
• The eye area appears more toned, as if “lifted"

HOW TO USE
Apply to clean skin, around the eyes, morning and evening.
May be used under makeup." (1)

Ingredients

"Water, Cyclohexasiloxane, Glycerin, Birda Ferment Lydate, Alcohol Denat., Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Polysilicone-11, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dimethicone, PTFE, Methylslanol/Silicate Crosspolymer, Rhamnose Hydroxypropyl Terahydropyrantricl, Phenoxyethanol, Ammonium Polyacryldemithyltauramide, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Propylene Glycol, Ammonium Acryldimethyltaurate/Steareth-8 Methacrylate, Copolymer, Titanium Dioxide, Chlorphenesin, Diemthiconol, Mica, Stearaluminum Hectorite, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Disodium EDTA, Propylene Carbonate, Adensoine, Sodium Benzoate, Polygonum Fagopyrum Extract/Polygonum Fagopyrum Seed, Chondrus Crispus (Carrageenan), Salicloyl Phytosphingosine, Iron Oxides, Parfum" (2)

I find it quite interesting that this product doesn't claim to help or prevent wrinkles under the eye, but rather to mask the wrinkles with micro-shimmer particles that provide smoothing and illuminating effects. I personally find that this eye cream does nothing for my under eye wrinkles, other than making them look more obvious because they look a little shiny.

 Would I Purchase This Product?

For a whopping $130NZD for 15ml of cream, this product just is not financially viable, especially for something that only masks wrinkles rather than helping prevent or smooth them out. I don't even think this does a very good job at masking wrinkles, because I feel that the eye cream make them look even more deep set!

Has anyone had a good experience with this eye cream?

Review: NARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation

Hello Princesses!

Today I'm going to be reviewing the NARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation in Siberia! I picked up this beauty in Taipei after careful deliberation, while it was on a joint offer with  the NARS Soft Velvet Loose Powder!

I already own NARS's Sheer Glow in Siberia, but I find the formula a little difficult to work with (after over a year of experimenting) so I was quite hesitant to purchase this foundation as well. I read so many positive reviews and so little negative reviews that I was swayed (and weakened by sales) to purchase it anyway and take a chance on a newer and better formula.

The official description is pretty impressive, claiming to neutralize redness and dullness, while reducing the appearance of discoloration or more even, uniform skin. It even claims to reveal brighter, more even skin over time!

"NARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation offers you full, natural-looking coverage with 16 hours of weightless wear. Highly pigmented and perfectly balanced, the breakthrough formula builds and blends effortlessly with just one drop. It features advanced flexible polymers that move with your skin, providing extraordinary breathability and comfort. Even Tone Technology is designed to instantly neutralize redness and dullness while working long-term to reduce the appearance of discoloration for more even, uniform skin. Gold and green pigments in a perfect four-to-one ratio optically manipulate how light reflects off skin's surface, evening out the complexion for instant luminosity. Green pigments negate redness on contact while gold combat dullness. Scarlet spidering root extract helps reduce the appearance of discoloration and reveal brighter, more even skin over time.

How to use: Shake well. Apply one pump of the foundation into your palm. Start by warming the foundation in your hands. Then, working with your fingers, apply a small amount in the center of the face and begin pressing onto the skin working outward in sections. To achieve the most natural result, start with a minimal amount of product and gradually build to desired coverage. Work quickly to blend product, as it perfects and sets in moments.

Ingredients

Aqua, Triethylhexanoin, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Phenyl Trimethicone, Dipropylene Glycol, Silica, Talc, Dimethicone, Peg-5 Glyceryl Stearate, Isostearic Acid, Bentonite, Stearic Acid, Behenic Acid, 1-Methylhydantoin-2-Imide, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Batyl Alcohol, Behenyl Alcohol, Aminomethyl Propanol, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Potassium Hydroxide, Ethylparaben, Xanthan Gum, Cellulose Gum, Tocopheryl Acetate, Curcuma Longa, Glucosyl Hesperidin, Serralysin, Sodium Hexametaphosphate, Trisodium Edta, Ascorbyl Glucoside. [+/- (May Contain/Peut Contenir): Ci 77891/Titanium Dioxide, Ci 77491/Iron Oxides, Ci 77492/Iron Oxides, Ci 77499/Iron Oxides]. "(1)

The foundation comes housed in an elegant frosted bottle with it's very own pump! One of the things I disliked about Sheer Glow is that you have to purchase your own pump, and that you can only use the pump or the full lid, which makes traveling irritating and messy.

I purchased the shade Siberia, which is the lightest shade. Interestingly enough, this shade is supposed to be lightest neutral beige for fair skin with neutral undertones. I have always considered this foundation to be quite yellow toned, especially since a lot of my fellow pale beauties on the cool side find this way, way too warm toned to even think about using.

The Luminous Weightless foundation is very runny, and if not shaken a little before pumping it will come come out separated. It's quite pigmented, so a little goes a long way! I find that it oxidises a little, but it's not too bad.

If you're curious as to the colour similarities to Sheer Glow in Siberia and Luminous Weightless in Siberia, I am here to satisfy that curiosity! They are very similar in colour, however since the Luminous Weightless foundation is much more pigmented it does mess with the colour perception a little! The initial Luminous Weightless swatch looks much more orange than the Sheer Glow swatch, but after a couple of minutes settling on the skin they look very similar.

In a direct sunlight photo you can clearly see the textural difference between the two foundations. I find the new All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation to be slightly darker than Sheer Glow.

I have average skin at the moment. It's not incredibly blemished, but it's also not beautifully clear so you can actually see how well this foundation covers redness and uneven skintone (because I sure have a lot of that going around) and it really irks me when people with gorgeous skin tell me how much foundations or concealers cover when they aren't covering anything!

I love the finish of this foundation. It's a gorgeous satin-matte finish, even when powdered lightly! But let's talk about the claims of this foudnation again.

Even Tone Technology is designed to instantly neutralize redness and dullness while working long-term to reduce the appearance of discoloration for more even, uniform skin. Gold and green pigments in a perfect four-to-one ratio optically manipulate how light reflects off skin's surface, evening out the complexion for instant luminosity. Green pigments negate redness on contact while gold combat dullness.

My redness was not really neutralized more than normal by this foundation, and while I don't really have dull skin, I don't think this was really combated by the gold pigments

This foundation, just like Sheer Glow, does not wear particularly well on my skin! I get quite oily throughout my T-Zone, and the foundation on my chin cracks really oddly, almost as if it sits on my skin and then starts to crack and flake off throughout the day. I don't actually need to use a powder while wearing this foundation (apart from on my chin for flute related reasons) which is great!

What I Love

- Gorgeous, satin-matte finish
- Doesn't need to be set with translucent powder
- Can be applied with fingers, brushes or sponges

- Massive shade range

What I Don't Love

- Quite pricey ($76NZD from Mecca Cosmetica)

- Doesn't last too well on my T-Zone
- Oxidizes a little

Final Thoughts

Just like Sheer Glow, I have mixed feelings about this foundation. I'm a little annoyed that it's slightly darker than Sheer Glow, it doesn't last well on my T-Zone and it's very pricey. But, it has a gorgeous finish, doesn't need to be set with a translucent powder and it's quick and easy to apply! If I'm diligent about touching up this foundation looks great, and I think I like it a little more than Sheer Glow, even though it ends up looking a little darker.

Have you tried the new NARS Foundation? How did it work for your skin?