July 26, 2015

The law of averages: mixing foundations to get something you'll love

July 26, 2015/ Nicole McIntyre

Last month I picked up Chanel's reformulated CC Cream as soon as it dropped in Australia. I was really after a 'my skin but better' routine in the morning, unfortunately Chanel's latest iteration left me wanting more.

Chanel's CC Cream promises to soothe, protect, moisturise, correct and perfect, but what I experienced was a mottled, pale mess -- my favourite primer (Stila's One Step Correct) couldn't even compensate. Upon reflection, most foundations don't have a prayer when it comes to lasting on my skin; its a treacherous game of push and pull between midday oil production and dehydrated skin thanks, in part, to the dry winter months. The elastic will inevitably break, or in my case lead to foundation failure.

Here I am a few weeks ago wearing Chanel's CC Cream in shade 20 on its own. While my skin initially appears brighter and luminous, the formula created a white cast and left me looking ghost-like. Personally, I prefer a warmer complexion; why couldn't I be as lucky as my brother, Richard, with his beautiful olive undertones, big brows and eyelashes?!

In an attempt to bolster colour and longevity I mixed Chanel's CC Cream with Make Up For Ever's HD Foundation in shade 118 (my preferred summer foundation). This concoction isn't probably the most economical, nor convenient, but in a pinch between seasons it can certainly work wonders and restore faith in underperforming products.

Wearing equal parts Chanel CC Cream and MUFE HD Foundation

The moral to the story here is to not be afraid of mixing, matching and blending your products in order to achieve a desired outcome. Be the beautiful scientist you were always meant to be.

Side note: Seriously obsessed with my new Dogeared makeup bag.

September 21, 2014

Chanel's Vitalumière Loose Powder Foundation

September 21, 2014/ Nicole McIntyre

I definitely fit in the 'easy makeup with great looking skin' category -- upon reading Vivianna's review of Chanel's Vitalumière Loose Powder Foundation late last month and witnessed just that, I knew I needed to get my butt over to my local Chanel counter to get the 411.

Let's break things down to get to the heart of the matter.

The packaging is a tad luxe, typical Chanel, yet functional at the same time. To dispense the loose powder from the reservoir gently tip the jar upside down with the lid screwed on tight and allow gravity to do the rest. Give the jar a little shake or tap the base, turn it right side up and remove the cap. You'll notice a small amount of powder waiting for you on the underside of the lid.

The lightly perfumed mica powder is finely milled, but Chanel went one step further by including a baleen-type filter to help break apart any settled bits. The delicate screen also acts as a net to keep the loose powder from abandoning ship.

Every jar comes with a mini kabuki brush -- talk about soft! Personally, I prefer to use my own full size foundation brush as I feel like I can control the application process with a longer handle. Props to Chanel for including a quality brush.

Swatch of Beige 30 - can you even see it?

The shade selection is astoundingly small and could potentially jeopardise interested shoppers. Here's a snapshot of the five shades available for purchase..

Beige 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 (from left to right)

To perk up my pale, post-winter skin I purchased Beige 30 (the centre swatch); Beige 20, whilst lighter worked as well, but I was going for a natural, warmer oomph.

The powder itself is really easy to apply, we're talking a small amount of required buffing. Or as Chanel puts it, "flip, dip and sweep." Seriously. On average it takes me less than two minutes to get things looking even. I've also found that I don't need a lot of product -- thank goodness, cuz this stuff isn't cheap.

After medium to full coverage? Go in with another helping or two without stressing about things turning cake-y, it just won't happen.

Yesterday's glow-y situation featuring a soft and diffused finish

When a makeup artist compliments your glowing skin, you know you're onto something pretty great. It really was a my skin but better moment and I am beyond thrilled by the unexpected kudos I received. Chanel's promise of "natural second-skin result with no hint of thickness and an amazingly even and smooth skin texture" is now my complexion's reality.

The Bagful breakdown:

Total amount for Chanel's Vitalumière Loose Powder Foundation:

$98.00 AUS / £55.00 GBP / $79 USD (I think)

Value for money spent (performance and quality):

10 out of 10 bags — hopefully I won't burn through this stuff too quickly!

Would another purchase be on the horizon?:

Don't know how I managed to get my paws on Chanel's Rouge Allure Gloss in 17 Supreme, but I did. If you're the type who'd move mountains for Burberry's Sweet Pea, then you'll die for this! I'll have a review up later this week 💋

May 31, 2014

Jane Iredale's Purepressed Base Mineral Foundation in Golden Glow

May 31, 2014/ Nicole McIntyre

There are a few life-changeing people in my life. I think I can count all of them on both of my hands. Romina happens to be one of those people.

Heck, she saved my eyebrows, helped calm down my problematic skin and suggested I try out Jane Iredale's powder foundation. Almost immediately, I marched over to Miss Fox (my local stockist in Melbourne) to get colour matched -- Golden Glow is my saving grace.

Golden Glow is a warm beige with golden undertones. It perks up my skin, disguises my red cheeks, squashes blemishes and ultimately leaves an empty canvas for me to do whatever I please. To apply I like to use Bare Minerals Powder Foundation Brush.

The initial purchase is an investment thanks to the refillable compact. Look at it this way, you're reducing the amount of waste and you get to have your MacGyver moment when it's time to jimmy the empty pan out of the case. The magnetic base is seriously strong!

All told, I've been using Jane Iredale's Purepressed Base Mineral Foundation for a little over a year and a half and I only just switched over to my third refill. This stuff doesn't discriminate -- it's seen me through some of my worst skin days.

A little bit more about Purepressed Base Mineral Foundation:

Vegan and gluten free
Cruelty-free
Provides Broad Spectrum SPF 20 and UVA P++ protection
Can be applied wet or dry; I prefer to apply it dry and soften the matte finish by misting water onto my face
Lasts all day, even through some of my sweatiest gym sessions

The Bagful breakdown:

Total amount for Jane Iredale's Purepressed Base Mineral Foundation in Golden Glow:

$64.78 AUS / $52.00 USD
The refillable pan retails for anywhere between $40 - $60

Value for money spent (performance and quality):

10 out of 10 bags — it's my HG product without a doubt!

Would another purchase be on the horizon?:

I wouldn't mind trying Jane Iredale's blush at some stage.

April 24, 2014

Chanel's Perfection Lumiere Velvet - Smooth-Effect Makeup

April 24, 2014/ Nicole McIntyre

Chanel's Perfection Lumiere Velvet in 30 Beige

Chanel's Perfection Lumiere Velvet is a real minx and I'll tell you why. Intended for normal to oily skin, this foundation promises to smooth, mattify and essentially leave "a flawless finish." I, however, have dry skin with patches of oiliness across my T-zone -- Perfection Lumiere Velvet will not play nice if your skin is even the slightest bit dry and will also emphasize flaky bits.

Swatches of Beige 30 without flash unblended (left) and blended (right)

Swatches of Beige 30 with flash unblended (left) and blended (right)

Tried as I might, I used several different techniques in order to apply Perfection Lumiere Velvet.

With fingers and no primer - So you know how I mentioned having dry skin is not even an option? Well, imagine having dry hands as well. My digits turned into sponges and absorbed most, if not all of the foundation I was attempting to apply. The finish was patchy and my skin looked drier than usual -- I wanted to stick a fork in it, because I was done. Sorry, I don't have a picture, but trust me when I tell you the situation was dire.

Dry foundation brush and no primer - not as bad as my fingers, but I was sincerely hoping for a miracle. Layering several different kinds of facial moisturisers failed me, too.

A damp foundation brush and no primer - the results were marginally better as I had an easier time smoothing out the foundation. Notice the flakiness in the hollows of my cheeks?

Damp foundation brush and primer - Magic! The primer helped to fill in my pores, smooth imperfections and reduce the amount of flakiness. The foundation could finally get on with things and do its job.

Using a primer was a last ditch effort and I'm so thankful it worked. Here I used Clarins* Beauty Flash Balm, yet another product I could't wrap my mind around and scared the bejesus out of me from the smell alone.

Did you learn a valuable lesson? I certainly did -- I won't be so quick to pull the trigger.

In other news... look who I found. It's Sebastian!! Scott and I randomly crossed paths with him in Sydney. And to think I almost didn't visit the Chanel counter in Myer.

Despite Sebastians' warnings of needing properly hydrated skin, I still bought it anyways and I wasn't even in the market for a new foundation!

If your skin is unlike mine, please do check out Sabrina's review for her thoughts and swatch comparisons of Chanel's Perfection Lumiere Velvet.

The Bagful breakdown:

Total amount for Chanel's Perfection Lumiere Velvet:

78.00 AUS / $45.00 USD

Value for money spent (performance and quality):

6 out of 10 bags — I might stow this bottle away for summer to see how it performs when my skin is a little less dry.

Would another purchase be on the horizon?:

Sebastian sold me on this brow kit, now I need to justify the expense. Tho, the more I think about it, I'd rather save up for the Charlotte Olympia Kitty Flats.

*PR sample provided (Clarins Beauty Flash Balm) – Thoughts and ramblings written here are completely my own.