Showing posts with label Primer. Show all posts
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6:44 AM 2
Hi Guys,

A few months ago, I mentioned some items that have been life savers for my kit in this crazy summer weather.  I got so many requests to demo the products that today that I have created an entire video and post to a Summerproof/Budgeproof/Waterproof Makeup tutorial for you today.  Enjoy!

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12:11 AM 2
Hi Bellas,

Happy Monday.  This post is called Ace of Bases because CoverFX has come through once again given me a range of new products that are perfect for summer ready skin.  I've used this brand for years and recently they've got through some changes to revamp the line.  I have 3 different bases or facial primers - one for every skin type.  I'm also showing you my new favorite eye primer and an awesome foundation.  Check it out!

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12:10 PM 36
Hi Bellas,

Today i'll be reviewing the newest product from my favorite skincare line, Jan Marini.  I was excited to test out the Age Intervention Prime Face Primer.  I'm already a fan of the Age Intervention products.  I use the eye cream and moisturizer daily and have become addicted to the face mask - it really does work!  When I heard that they were doing a primer I was super excited.  The idea of combining amazing skincare with makeup is a phenomenal idea.


What the Product Claims (from http://www.janmarini.com/):
The website claims that this product will give you an Immediate "Airbrushed" Effect Plus Skin Rejuvenation Benefits.  The product contains new agents that target elasticity, skin volume, inflammation and wrinkling.

Age Intervention Prime instantly perfects the skin and provides a radiant plumped and refined surface. Prime can be worn with foundation for an incredibly smooth and flawless long-wearing finish. Even without foundation, skin looks polished and beautifully reflective while pores and imperfections are minimized.

Age Intervention Prime also delivers a potent combination of anti-aging and anti-inflammatory technologies that dramatically lessen the appearance of many aging skin flaws. Skin looks and feels younger from the first application and results are progressively more noticeable with continued use.
***Picture credit from Jan Marini Website

To read more and find out how to win your own Jan Marini Age Intervention Prime Face Primer, click here!

10:11 AM 23
Hi Bellas,

Last night I was able to go to the Cult of Cherry unveiling at my local MAC freestanding store. So much fun! I wanted to do a haul video last night, but by the time I got home, I ate and fell asleep, lol. I'll do one today and have the post up tomorrow.
Back to the post...
I get a lot of questions from readers who tell me that they can't find a foundation that keeps their oily skin at bay. The first thing I always suggest is using a primer. A primer is applied after moisturizer, and when dry, serves as a barrier between the oils in your skin and the foundation. This prevents the oils from breaking into the foundation/powder and turning your skin into an oil slick. I think primers are essential for making sure your foundation last, go on more smoothly, and it also fills in any wrinkles, acne scars, and marks that you need a little extra help with.
I wanted to show you some of the different primers in my kit so that you can get an idea of what I use them for and why.
MAC Prep & Prime


Some people love this stuff, some people hate it. I think this product is pretty decent, but I mainly use this on clients with normal to dry skin. I think if I used this on oily skin it would make them even more oily. Because this is water-based, it's good to use with a corresponding water based foundation. I like how the product comes in a pump so it's easy to dispense onto a palette. The thing I don't like is how the package is black and cannot be screwed open. This makes you play a waiting game with the product...you can't really tell how much is left!

Smashbox Color Correcting Primer in Green


I like to use this when my client has patches of red in their skin. The green in the primer really calms down the red and gives me a clear complexion to work with. It is more water based so it goes on with the consistency of a liquid.

Smashbox Photofinish Primer

We all know about this primer. I think this is very comparable to my Monistat Gel but I keep it in my kit in case any curious eyes try to examine what name brands I have. We all know that many of us have a bias to using only high end products. Not that this stuff isn't great...it's perfect for those who have really oily skin and acne patches. I also place this specifically in areas where there are fine lines (around the eyes and mouth) for a quick wrinkle fix.

Monistat Anti-Chafing Relief Gel

I use this a lot on men as a type of anti-shine. I just make sure to flip the tube over so they can't ask questions about why I'm putting Monistat on their face, lol. This product is extremely similar to my Smashbox Photofinish Primer but I find that it is a tad bit thicker. I prefer using it on clients because it's easy to squeeze on a palette and it's about 5 times cheaper than the Smashbox alternative.

Rimmel Fix and Perfect Foundation Primer


I've heard good things and bad things about this primer. I personally think it works great on my own skin! The primer is peach colored, so I wouldn't use it on fair complexions because it may give them an orange tint. Instead, i'd apply this to medium to dark complexions that have fairly normal skin. Sometimes I find that if I use this by itself, I don't really need foundation. The peach color does enough to even out my skin tone.


What's Next?

Next I want to try Laura Mercier Face Primer after my MAC Prep & Prime runs out. I've heard many artists use this, and after my girl May did a review on it, I really wanted to try it! Are there any face primers you guys recommend?
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9:18 AM 16
Hi Bellas,

A few days ago I was strolling through the health & beauty aisles of Wal-Mart, looking for anything new and interesting. One thing in particular caught my eye-Rimmel Fix & Perfect Foundation Primer. I don’t know how it is other places, but down here in Atlanta, I haven’t been able to find a drugstore primer at all (this doesn’t include Monistat Chafing Relief gel). When I saw this, I thought “Why not?” It was $6.99. Currently, I use Smashbox Photofinish Primer – the regular silicone one and the correcting green primer.



Ingredients:
Aqua/Water/Eau; Cyclopentasiloxane; Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate; Propylene Glycol; Phenyl Trimethicone; Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate; Dimethicone; Polyethylene; Talc; Dimethicone PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer; Magnesium Sulfate; Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer; Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer; Phenoxyethanol; Lauryl PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone; Lecithin; Parfum/Fragrance; Silica Dimethyl Silylate; Methylparaben; Gossypium Herbaceum (Cotton) Powder; Tocopheryl Acetate; Butylparaben; Ethylparaben; Isobutylparaben; Propylparaben; Silica; Dipropylene Glycol; Tocopherol; Triethoxycaprylylsilane; BHT; Hexyl Cinnamal; Limonene; Butylphenyl Methylpropional; Benzyl Salicylate; Linalool; Geraniol; Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone; Citronellol; [May Contain/Peut Contenir +/-: Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Mica (CI 77019), Chromium Oxide Greens (CI 77288), Ultramarines (CI 77007)]

The bottle has a good size of product in it – 1 oz. I noticed that the product has 001 on it…almost as if it was its shade color. However, I looked elsewhere and I noticed that there were no other colors. When I squeezed some of the product out, I was a bit surprised to find out that it is actually has a peachy/orangey tint to it. I was expecting it to be clear, white, or light cream like most primers. Despite the surprise, I proceeded by squirting some on my clean fingertips and smoothing it onto my face. You can also use a foundation brush to apply primer, but when I do it on myself I just prefer to use my fingers. I was relieved to see that the orange actually disappeared as soon as I blending it into my skin. I was left with a nice matte looking finish. When I ran my hand down the side of my face I was shocked to see how smooth it felt! I’ve been in the market for a new primer…I wanted one that was in between a liquid/cream (like MAC prep & prime) and a silicone base (Smashbox Photofinish). I think I found it! Not only that, but it's super cheap!

I wore my studio mist foundation on top of it and my skin looked really smooth…almost airbrushed. I kept checking throughout the day and my skin stayed just as soft and smooth. The next day, I applied my MSF natural on top using a powder brush to see how powder foundation would react to the primer. At the end of the day…still super soft. The primer actually fills in my gi-normous pores on my nose.

I almost couldn’t believe how much I liked the product…I decided to do some internet research to see what others thought. I went straight to makeup alley and was really shocked to see some poor reviews out there. Pretty much, either people really liked it, or really hated it. Apparently, the orange tint to the primer actually made some look orange. I didn’t experience this, but others who also did not have a problem noted that this primer probably works on darker skin tones. Complexions in the range of NC15-20 would probably not like this one. However, a few did note how they’ve never felt their faces feel softer. I agree! I usually don’t have too many problems with my skin, but it's never felt better.

This weekend...I was teaching makeup lessons to a client who is Jamaican with a mix of a caramel/mocha complexion. We tried the Rimmel primer on her as well, and it blended just as beautifully into her skin. She too noticed the softness and is also going to purchase the product.

So in sum, for $6.99, this product is totally worth it. You might want to steer clear if you have a lighter complexion. Or maybe check it out and let me know what you think. This product might also make its way into my makeup kit. It's great for MUAs because it has a squeeze top instead of an applicator where you would need to dip into it. This way, I can just squeeze it onto my steel palette and not have to worry about contaminating it with each use. Check it out at your local wal-mart and CVS.

Till next time, Ciao Bellas!
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10:15 AM 8
Hi Bellas,

Happy Hump Day! Already halfway through the week :) Tomorrow one of my good friends from home (Orlando) is coming into town and bringing her friend with her. It’s going to be a big week of entertaining and seeing the sights. My roomy is taking off Friday to take them out during the day but she also works from home and luckily has more flexibility to do so. There are so many weddings and events that I have to go to this year that I need to save my vacation time! It’s definitely going to be a jam-packed few days so no video editing for me this weekend! Luckily I have my video reserve for times like this. I think I’m going to give my friend a makeover since it’s her birthday...she doesn’t really do makeup so it will be a nice little change. Luckily I have my foundation and blush palettes so I can do everything from start to finish. It will be good practice to. She’s Haitian and has beautiful dark chocolate skin so i'll have the opportunity to experiment with different colors on new skin tones.

Meanwhile, I was bad and went to ULTA yesterday :( I know I’ve been trying to hold out for FAFI but I couldn’t resist! I was looking for the Milani Blush in Luminous and some of the NYX lipsticks that Mrs. Lynne has (you guys are bad influences on me, lol) and they didn’t have any at Wal-Mart, CVS, or ULTA. Man! However, I did have time to step over to the Urban Decay section at ULTA. Have you guys tried the Urban Decay deluxe eyeshadows? Oh my gosh, they are heaven! The description states they have a cashmere finish and when you run your fingers over them they feel so soft and silky-definitely the softest eyeshadow I’ve ever felt. I know Vanessa did a post on this back in December on this and POWPOW baby on youtube also did a video review. Each deluxe eyeshadow is about $17.50 and comes in it's own specificially decorated case that is too cute. For example, the cover graffiti has it's own compact with spray paint lettering on the front, how cute is that? I was going to get two of them. However, I saw they had the palette with all the shades, just smaller amounts, for $36. I couldn’t pass it up! The colors are so vibrant. I did a video on it last night...a Barney inspired look if you will...bright green and purple! If you're into highly pigmented bright eyeshadow colors, I definitely recommend. The color only needs one swipe to be super bright, but you need to watch out for the fallout because of the soft texture of the eyeshadows. I was inspired by Vanessa’s posts and finally pulled out my bright fuscia eyeshadow...she pulls of bright blushes so beautifully that I was inspired to give it a try. After much toning down with a flat top kabuki, lol, I managed to get that blush on. You’ll have to see the results yourself when I post the video :)




I also picked up two pairs of NYC false eyelashes because they were $1.99 and all NYC products were buy one get one free! I wore them with my look last night and let me tell you...I can see why they were cheap. They were so flimsy and hard to get on compared with the Ardell, Elise, and Andrea lashes I’m used to. But hey, at $1.00 I’m fine with wrestling with the lashes for a few extra seconds to get them on.

I also got some more smashbox photofinish primer...however, I got the green one that’s supposed to correct redness in the skin. I got the smaller screw top one for $16.00 and honestly I’m not sure how much of a difference I see. That stuff is super expensive...I’m going to give it a few more gos before I give my final verdict on this one.



Don't forget to watch American Idol and Project Runway tonight...Enough blabbing...back to work :)
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