L.A. GIRL PRO CONCEAL HD CONCEALER


L.A. Girl has recently been surprising all kinds of makeup users with the quality of their PRO Conceal HD Concealer and I've been hearing people raving about this "high coverage, photo flattering, creaseless concealer" in makeup tutorials, blogposts and on basically every social media platform out there. Naturally, I had to try it.

The concealer is water based which usually doesn't work for me since I tend to prefer silicone based foundations and concealers on me personally. (Confused as to why that matters? Well, if you have a silicon based foundation, you have to match it with a silicon based concealer or otherwise it will separate and won't last/look good for very long on the skin. If you have a water based foundation, you look for a water based concealer. The same rule applies for moisturizer and primer; if it's got lots of oils or silicone in them then go for a silicone based foundation and concealer, otherwise it will, again, separate and ruin the point of everything you put on top). Still, I wanted to see if perhaps it could be something suitable for my kit  since we (makeup artists) always need to have different textured foundations and concealers, to be able to offer a perfect match for every kind of skintype, wish and need.

If these didn't have the $3 price tag I would have said more about the lack of lighter shades. (None of them suits people lighter than a MAC NC15.) It's a shame, naturally, but since the price is so low I feel I can't be too hard. At the same time I haven't actually seen this many colour options from any budget brand we have here in Sweden (even though the price is three times as much up here). None of our most common high-end brands either for that matter, so for me the colour range is still a big plus. The concistency of these is not as fluid and creamy as I am used to but then again I am not used to water based concealers, and when using it together with MAC Face & Body (which is also water based) I find that it works very well and lasts a good amount of time.


When I was looking for swatches before placing my order, I couldn't find any on really fair skin so I wanted to share my own just in case there are more people out there just as light-skinned as me wanting to see what all of the shades looks like on someone who's usually having a hard time finding something light enough. For reference I am an NC15 in the summer but am currently lighter.


1. Classic Ivory // 2. Natural // 3. Creamy Beige // 4. Pure Beige // 5. Medium Bisque // 6. Medium Beige // 7. Nude // 8. Almond // 9. Warm Sand // 10. Warm Honey // 11. Toffee // 12. Fawn // 13. Cool Tan // 14. Toast // 15. Chestnut // 16. Beautiful Bronze // 17. Espresso // 18. Dark Cocoa.


Packaging: 2/5  | Consistency: 3/5  | Longetivity: 4/5  | Colour options: 3/5
My rating: 3/5


MAC x CINDERELLA ROYAL BALL LIPSTICK

 
Another MAC & Disney collaboration is live and while the entire collection is worth checking out I personally recommend this little gem. The Royal Ball lipstick does not only give a pretty pink pearl sheen to your lips but it also makes the most beautiful, fresh faced, dewy cream blush on pale skin. I'm in love!

IN MY KIT | SKINDINAVIA

 

"Your makeup looks exactly like when we left the house", a friend of mine said with a slightly bothered voice and a sigh on our way home from the nightclub.  "Skindinavia!", I shouted from the backseat.  Have you heard about it? Or have you got your own favourite setting spray? If so, please do leave a comment and tell me about it!


Let's talk about Skindinavia. I had been hearing and reading about it from makeup artists and beauty lovers around the globe - from beauty bloggers to an artist loving to use in on Lady Gaga for her shows. So, as I was searching for a great setting spray for my clients, naturally, I had to try it.  I purchased the original, the one for oil control and the bridal. Do I notice any difference between the three?  They're all cruelty, oil, paraben and sulfate-free  and all three photograh well  but the main difference and the one tip I have is that if you already have dry or combinated skin then (judging from my own experience) don't go for the Oil Control spray simply because you might get warm on the dancefloor or it feel it's better to go "all in" and buy the strongest one right away.  I have combinated skin and noticed my skin was mysteriously getting dryer and remembered I had used the spray for oily skin the last 3 times I used any of them (for that dance floor reason I mentioned) and even though it did keep the shine away, my skin did not appreciate it. When using the original one though, my skin have no complaints. But if you do have very oily skin then I strongly recommend trying the setting spray for oil control as it really does help to absorb and reduce the oil reaching the surface.

"The makeup looked the same all day and night!", one of the first brides I dolled up after adding the spray to my kit last summer told me.  Now, it's important to remember that how long your makeup wears depends on more than just one factor - the weather, what you're doing that day, the state of your skin that particular day and of course the quality of your makeup. And although using the right makeup products is key to a good bridal makeup - and makeup in general - it turns out a good setting spray like Skindinavia does affect the longetivity by a couple of hours and allows me to do less touch-ups. Needless to say it has become a must-have in my kit. I love it!


Would I repurchase? Definitely!  Who would I recommend it to?  Because of the fact that it is a bit drying I wouldn't use any of them on very dry skin  but I'd say anyone with normal, combinated or oily skin could benefit from these and if you have normal or combinated skin like me, the original makeup saver will be good enough.  You can find the setting sprays here. An extra plus for the great customer service!

IN MY KIT | MAC CREAM COLOUR BASE

 
New favourite product alert!

After searching for years I've finally found a highlighter that actually looks like real shiny, dewy skin and not just shimmer - wearable for both night and (most importantly) daytime.  My clients love it,  I love it  - it's just glorious.
I've tried the product before in a different shade and while I did like that one as well, this one is just on a whole other level.  The product I'm talking about is "Hush" Cream Colour Base from MAC and I am utterly and completely in love.

The best way to apply this is with your fingers, simply starting off by picking up some product with a spatula and warming it up on your hand or as I prefer; the inside of my hand, since I feel like it gets warm and creamy a lot faster. (Just remember to clean your hands before!) When it's nice and creamy, just "tap and roll" your finger onto your cheekbones. And the result? A fresh, dewy highlight that will keep looking better through the hours of the day.  Absolutely stunning!


ILLAMASQUA HYDRA VEIL





Well, at least that's what one of the make-up artists from the Selfridge Illamasqua counter told me when visiting a couple of weeks back but I would most definitely see why if it turned out to be true.

I had been really curious about Hydra Veil since the release (and honestly a lot because of just the name itself.. haha) and I'm so happy I decided to buy it.  It's an instantly rehydrating gel which is also said to provide the optimal base for your make-up. If you have very dry skin and you feel like you're missing that moist, dewy look then I really would recommend trying this. My experience is that it really does add moist to your skin and it does work very well as a makeup base due to the kind of sticky texture it leaves on your skin - and you don't need a lot of product. Happy to say it's one of the products that works just as well as I had imagined! And for the make-up artists reading this; it's a dream using as a base on a dry-skin bride!

P.S. Keeping it in your refrigerator is a little bit of heaven on hungover days. Wonderfully cooling and an insant refresher!


If you're keen on taking a look at the ingredients list, I've written it down for you to inspect HERE.

SUMMER FOOTCARE

 
My summer 2013 footcare ritual: a bit of Hammam-at-home exfoliation, some refreshing creams and a pop of colour.

ILLAMASQUA HOLLOW CREAM PIGMENT

 
One of the products I've fallen completely in love with since my London visit three weeks ago (and have wanted to try since the product released 2 years ago) is the Illamasqua "HOLLOW" Cream Pigment.  As it has that grey-ish, taupe-y colour, it is absolutely gorgeous as a contour on really fair skin  and I'm very excited to get my hands on some of the other colours like Emerge (peach) and Delirium (medium rose taupe) that works as cream blushers. The product is said to be designed to work on the eyes, lips, face and body but unless it was for the runway I personally would prefer to use these on the face or body since I feel they sit a lot better without the chance to crease. However, I find Hollow to work beautifully on the eyes with a primer underneath and an eyeshadow or loose powder on top.

I do feel a little worried that they can dry out fast since the packaging is not as "tightly" sealed as you would expect with a cream product   but only time can tell if this matters or not in this case.  I'll be back with an update!


EVENT | MEANDME B-DAY BREAKFAST @ RITUALS




 
"I just want to go home and jump into the shower right away!"

..Yeah, that's pretty much the feeling you get when visiting the Rituals store in Sturegallerian, Stockholm. More than one of us beauty nerds attending the MeAndMe.se Birthday Breakfast event were heard saying the previous quote and, really, how could you not when smelling, feeling and trying out their shower foams, body scrubs, scented candles (and sticks!), tea, body mists  etc, etc.
It really was a positive first encounter with the brand that I, until the day of the event, had only heard of  so a big Thank You to the sweet Julia of MeAndMe for inviting me. And extra points to Rituals for having travel minis! I bought my fair share for my recent London trip and can't wait to go back to stock up on my favourites so far and find new ones.

I noticed that KICKS has got some of their stuff but if you're in the Stockholm area and haven't been at the actual store before, please do pay a visit. Maybe you'll get the same feeling as I did and perhaps find something you like for keeping your summer skin fresh and glowy from their Refreshing section (where you'll find Hammam products), the Energising section or the Relaxing section which so far is my personal favourite. (You can click the 3rd picture to get a closer look of the different sections just mentioned.  Photos #1, #4 and #7 belongs to this lovely girl.)


MAC introducing new shades of Studio Fix Fluid

Studio Fix Fluid NW13, Studio Fix Fluid NC15


As I've mentioned before I've been loving the MAC Studio Fix Fluid foundation for quite some time now but fairly recently discovered that even the NC15 is a tad too dark during these winter months so I was really excited when I heard they were releasing even lighter shades. I've heard of many people who had problems wearing this simply because even the lightest shades were way too dark. Now they carry both NW10(!) and NW13 (which I am showing in the photo above). Perfect for all of us fair ladies! My only wish is that they also would have added an NC13 but by mixing the NW13 with my NC15 I am able to get my perfect "winter shade". Thrilled to see an improved range of shades and can't wait to get the Snow White-ish NW10.

Fair skin and looking for a medium coverage foundation? Pop by your nearest MAC counter and ask for a sample of these new shades or have them try it out on your face right on the spot.

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