Of course, these features can be considered product reviews. I'll try to provide as much swatches as time allows me.
NOTE #1: I buy my own products. I do not get paid for mentioning these products. This is just my opinion based on my experience with them.
NOTE #2: I want to mention, for reference only, that I have MAC NC35-40 skin color with yellow undertones. My skin type is combination--very oily on my T-Zone but I can get dry cheeks on cooler weather; normal-oily cheeks during summer (crazy, I know).
CONCEALER
I need concealer, not so much for dark circles (which can be terrible, though I don't get them everyday), but for my dark eyelids, dark/sun spots and acne marks. I confess I tried using a green concealer to hide the red, a yellow to hide the brown (or was it any other color?). Whatever, it just ended up confusing me and honestly, I didn't see that much difference.
I just noticed I needed a good concealer, one that would cover my blemishes and flaws and wouldn't crease and/or dry fast. I wanted a cheaper version of my MAC Studio Finish Concealer or MAC Full Coverage foundation, which I use as concealer.
The Neutrogena 3-in-1 Concealer is a creamy concealer that Neutrogena claims "will instantly camouflage dark circles, reduce the appearance of puffiness and fine lines and protects with non-irritating SPF 20--all in one easy step. The ultra-blendable, skin-conditioning formula provides natural-looking coverage, won't settle into fine lines and is safe for contact-lens wearers". Well, I love it.
All my life I have had these small fine lines under my eyes and regular concealers just settle there. Not this one. It is very creamy and provides really great coverage and yes, it is very blendable. It feels good on my skin, lasts all day (mind you, I always put on concealer on top of my foundation) and hey, it has SPF20. Yes! One of the best Neutrogena products in my opinion.
Only cons? It doesn't do a thing about puffiness, as it claims. Sorry, but no. Glad I have my MAC Fast Response Eye Cream. Another thing is it doesn't come in many shades (just 4). I'm just lucky the Medium shade is perfect for me. But if your have darker skin, it will look way too light.
BLUSH
Ah, my addiction to blushes takes me everywhere! So I had to check out the Milani Mineral Blush in "Luminous" because some people say it is similar to NARS "Orgasm" blush. I really wouldn't know, I don't have the later --so yes, it was silly of me to get it because of that reason, lol.
But this shade? Pure love. If you like a peach-rose blush with gold shimmer, this is a cheap option. I just find it perfect for my skin tone. I find that I don't have to add highlighter to my face, because of that gold shimmer. It goes on very soft. Really good product. Here are some swatches:
EYESHADOWS
I love eyeshadows! You can get so creative with them and make your eyes look gorgeous. Believe me, I spent years running away from it until because (I didn't know) the cheap ones I tried were terrible! But after getting to know about eyeshadow bases, this whole story changed. So I went back to the drugstore after reading online reviews. The one that most people mentioned were the Milani's (yes, again) powder eye shadow--the singles ones.
What I need of an eyeshadow is high pigmentation and staying power, better if it doesn't crease. These shadows provide just that. There are not too many colors but most of the ones that they have are so pretty! They feel very soft when applying, I like that. These e/s come in different finishes. (matte, pearl, shimmer). I'd have to say the least favorite of the ones I have is Atlantis (matte). I just don't know how to work it. Sometimes, I like to apply these e/s with mixing medium to get the most of each color (don't do that with the matte e/s). They are really easy to depot and fit into the MAC E/S Pro Palettes or the ELF E/S Elements Compact.
Swatches!
**Excellent Highlighters: Illusion,
Peachy Peach, Sheer Sand
Hope you find this article helpful. 'Til next time.
¡Vivan, Amen y Rían!
(Live, Love & Laugh!)
