Yeah, it is so great to go your local drugstore or convenience store and find great products at a low price (compared to high end brands), right? Love that! So I wanted to write about some cosmetics, skincare and haircare products I really like. These are products that I have used for months, even years. When it works, why change it?
This first part is about foundation and loose powder.
PLEASE NOTE: 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.
FOUNDATION
Foundation is really important for me. Good coverage is a must. I have dark spots, sun spots, acne and freckles. Very uneven skin tone. So finding a good foundation for my combination skin is key. It simply has to last all day (10-12+ hours), control the oil in my t-zone and be moisturizing enough (but not much) for my sometimes dry cheeks. All this in the super hot, super humid environment I live in.
Though some times I do have to use my MAC Full Coverage foundation as concealer, I prefer these foundations over HE ones because they simply do a great job. I use the MAC FC when I'm doing looks (for my pics) or have to look my super best . Most of the time, a touch of these products plus loose powder will do.
So my favorite, all time winner has to be Revlon ColorStay Makeup.
This first part is about foundation and loose powder.
PLEASE NOTE: 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.
FOUNDATION
Foundation is really important for me. Good coverage is a must. I have dark spots, sun spots, acne and freckles. Very uneven skin tone. So finding a good foundation for my combination skin is key. It simply has to last all day (10-12+ hours), control the oil in my t-zone and be moisturizing enough (but not much) for my sometimes dry cheeks. All this in the super hot, super humid environment I live in.
Though some times I do have to use my MAC Full Coverage foundation as concealer, I prefer these foundations over HE ones because they simply do a great job. I use the MAC FC when I'm doing looks (for my pics) or have to look my super best . Most of the time, a touch of these products plus loose powder will do.
So my favorite, all time winner has to be Revlon ColorStay Makeup.
Price: $12.99 USD for 1.0 oz
The range of colors is amazing, the product lasts through out the day (12+ hours for me) and provides very good coverage. I use "Toast" or "Natural Tan" depending the time of year. It comes in two formulas (oily/combo skin and normal/dry skin) I use them both, depending on how my skin feels. I have always used blotting paper midday, I know there is no product on earth that would stop my t-zone getting all oily. But this foundation does and excellent job controlling it.
The normal/dry skin formula has SPF 12/15 which is good but the oily/combo one has SPF 6 just in some of the available colors, which is something I wish Revlon would work with. SPF is a must for me. I also wish it would come with a pump dispenser (or dispenser pump?), but for now, I just pour it on my hands (without touching the opening) or use a brush to get the product out of the bottle.
Oh, if want a light version of it I just mix it with my moisturizer. Awesome.
Another foundation I absolutely love is the Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Cream Foundation (not to be confused with the liquid formula).
The normal/dry skin formula has SPF 12/15 which is good but the oily/combo one has SPF 6 just in some of the available colors, which is something I wish Revlon would work with. SPF is a must for me. I also wish it would come with a pump dispenser (or dispenser pump?), but for now, I just pour it on my hands (without touching the opening) or use a brush to get the product out of the bottle.
Oh, if want a light version of it I just mix it with my moisturizer. Awesome.
Another foundation I absolutely love is the Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Cream Foundation (not to be confused with the liquid formula).
Price: $7-$8 USD for 1.0 ozI use the shade called "Honey Beige" which surprisingly is not a pink beige with a bit of yellow, but more like yellow brown beige with very minimal touch of pink (I'm terrible describing colors, I know). It goes perfect with my medium-olive-yellow skin tone (LOL, I've been told I have so many skin tones, everyone has an opinion. That's why I prefer to say MAC NC40 skin tone). Go figure.
This foundation claims to hydrate the skin instantly and lasts all day. I have to say, my skin really welcomes this foundation every time! You can feel the "instant hydration". Also, you do get the luminous radiant coverage it claims to provide. The coverage is medium, but very buildable. About it lasting all day...well, if by that they mean 8 hours, well, yes it does. Maybe it last more on cooler environments. All in all, I love it because if feels really good, really natural, does an excellent job evening (sp?) out my skin tone and doesn't break out my sensitive skin. It's SPF 18 (pretty good) and it has a pump dispenser!
An honorable mention (meaning I use it sometimes but not necessarily love it-love it) goes to Maybelline's Mineral Power Natural Perfecting Liquid Foundation.
This foundation claims to hydrate the skin instantly and lasts all day. I have to say, my skin really welcomes this foundation every time! You can feel the "instant hydration". Also, you do get the luminous radiant coverage it claims to provide. The coverage is medium, but very buildable. About it lasting all day...well, if by that they mean 8 hours, well, yes it does. Maybe it last more on cooler environments. All in all, I love it because if feels really good, really natural, does an excellent job evening (sp?) out my skin tone and doesn't break out my sensitive skin. It's SPF 18 (pretty good) and it has a pump dispenser!
An honorable mention (meaning I use it sometimes but not necessarily love it-love it) goes to Maybelline's Mineral Power Natural Perfecting Liquid Foundation.
Price: $9.99 USD for 1.0 ozIf you have tried MAC Mineralize Satinfinish Foundation, this would feel pretty similar to it. Please note, I wrote similar, not equal. When I applied them both on my face, they don't feel that creamy, but also not heavy. Must be the "minerals", lol. While this Maybelline's foundation goes on pretty light, the coverage is pretty decent. Medium to buildable. I do have to use concealer on my spots, but that's not an issue, really. It also has SPF18, which is great. The only thing is, I noticed it don't last much (I got the same results with the MAC Satinfinish, though it also claims to be long-wearing) and doesn't really help with the oil control. I think these would work better for those with dry skin. If you wish to try it, I would suggest waiting for one of those BOGO-Free on Walgreens or other drugstores.
LOOSE POWDER
Okay, Loose Powder can be very versatile. You can use it alone to control oil, create a matte soft look, get a subtle glow or you can use it on top of your foundation to set it. Loose powder comes in a variety of shades, good to use over your moisturizer for those days when you just want to go "light".
Now, I love my MAC Loose Blot Powder but these next two are awesome.
The NYC Smooth Skin Loose Face Powder in Translucent is so finely milled, I just adored how it sits on my skin when I use it to set my makeup. I can barely see it and feel it, but you know it is doing the job! That's important to me, I hate the look of too much powder on the cheeks. It also comes in other two shades, but the transluscent powder is the one I consider the perfect one.
I like the fact that it doesn't have any kind of smell and it is just about $3.00! I mean, that is a ridiculous price for such a wonderful product. This powder also does a decent job controlling oil, nothing out of this world, but I mean, $3.00$... come on.
My only complaint? The packaging is a mess, you have to be very careful when opening it.
LOOSE POWDER
Okay, Loose Powder can be very versatile. You can use it alone to control oil, create a matte soft look, get a subtle glow or you can use it on top of your foundation to set it. Loose powder comes in a variety of shades, good to use over your moisturizer for those days when you just want to go "light".
Now, I love my MAC Loose Blot Powder but these next two are awesome.
The NYC Smooth Skin Loose Face Powder in Translucent is so finely milled, I just adored how it sits on my skin when I use it to set my makeup. I can barely see it and feel it, but you know it is doing the job! That's important to me, I hate the look of too much powder on the cheeks. It also comes in other two shades, but the transluscent powder is the one I consider the perfect one.
I like the fact that it doesn't have any kind of smell and it is just about $3.00! I mean, that is a ridiculous price for such a wonderful product. This powder also does a decent job controlling oil, nothing out of this world, but I mean, $3.00$... come on.
My only complaint? The packaging is a mess, you have to be very careful when opening it.
The other loose powder I like is the L'oreal Translucide Naturally Luminous Loose Powder in Translucent.
As the name says, it gives your skin a natural glow, nothing over the top (at least I don't consider it too shimmery). It has Vitamin C, a great anti-oxidant for the skin --I really have not seen any difference on my skin, but the C is there... I like the smell, really soft but it fades away rapidly, so it is not a bother. I like to use this at night, everybody say my skin looks radiant. So...yeah.
******
So there you have it, the first part of a series of articles about drugstore/convenience store products I really like. Of course, as I mentioned b4, it is better if you get these products on sale, so you don't feel that guilty if you don't like them ---> Yeah, that's one of the downsides of store-bought goodies, you can't always return them (check with the cosmetics clerk, sometimes you can!). =)
Got any questions, just leave a comment.
Love always.
¡Vivan, Ámen y Rían!
(Live, Love & Laugh!)
Got any questions, just leave a comment.
Love always.
¡Vivan, Ámen y Rían!
(Live, Love & Laugh!)
