May Favorites

I did not do a favorites in April as I usually stick to a few essentials months at a time.

For the past couple of months, I have been wearing very minimal makeup. Often I skip applying eye shadow and eyeliner altogether. I rarely pass on eyeliner so this is my first. 

One new favorite is the Stila illuminating 10-in-1 beauty balm. This is my first "westernized" BB cream that I actually love. To me, the BB cream is no comparison to Asian brands. Stila has the original and this illuminating version. My sister-in-law introduced me to the original version but I thought for the summer time, I would like a bit of glow. I picked this travel size one from Sephora. For days that I don't do much, I would just apply the BB cream. For days that I need a bit more coverage, I use this as a primer and apply some light foundation on top of it and the glowy effect still peek through and so pretty. 

MUFE Hydrating Primer stands out for me and I was lucky enough to try all their primers in a blog giveaway. I never thought being oily-combination would actually need the extra kick of hydration to make foundation look so much better on my skin. 

YSL Volupte Tint-in-oil(Cherry my Cherie) is my absolute favorite for this month. It is so hydrating for the first few hours after application. I made the mistake of over-applying it when I first got it and since it is a lip tint, my lips look so "bright" at the end of the day. The best way is to apply it full-on at first application. When the gloss wears off, just apply other lip balm to keep lips moisturized. 

NARS Satin Lip Pencil in Rikugien which is a pretty rose pink, perfect to apply on its own or underneath another neutral-toned lipstick. This is one of the 2 lip pencils together with an eyeliner(if you are Sephora VIB rouge) from Sephora birthday gift set.

Last but not least is my current obsession: Dior Rosy Glow Awakening Blush. I have had it for 2 weeks and I have not touched any other of my blushes. Have been using this EVERY SINGLE DAY. It is so pretty and so natural-looking. For my minimal makeup days, this is perfect to give my cheeks that natural flush look. Look like you just come back from the gym with a flush of color(nope, not the sweaty red cheeks that you just went for a run for hours!) Absolutely in love with this blush and so glad I finally picked this up considering it is such a pricey blush which stopped me every time I go into the store to look at it.

What are your favorites this month?

Diorskin Nude Air Serum

It is no secret that I love a light foundation. The new serum trend is totally up my alley. For the hot summer months, it is just perfect. You need a little bit of coverage and glow peeking through, serum foundation is the way to go.

Diorskin Nude Air Serum is my pick. I was at Sephora a couple of weeks ago. There are not a whole lot of shades to choose from and I have decided on the shade 030 Medium Beige. But I think I am more in between 030 and the next shade Linen which has a bit of yellow undertone. 

I wanted to get a sample to try as I did with new foundations. But was told by the SA that it is very liquid-y and from her training sessions by the brand rep, suggests to try the foundation applied by SA in store only. I was running out of time that day and declined her offer and just swatch the shade and consistency. It is very smooth and velvety. I like the fact that it is not sticky as I could not stand the stickiness feeling.

When ebates was offering 16% cash back last Saturday, I thought it would be a great time to place an online order to take advantage of the offer.

It has SPF 25 but I haven't tried the foundation to take flash photography so cannot tell you if it produces your typical sunscreen white cast. But it is always a plus to have SPF in your foundation.

It has a dropper applicator so you would not waste product pouring it out.

030 Medium Beige

Diorskin Nude Air Serum is a light to medium coverage foundation. I use 4 to 5 drops for my whole face and it is a medium coverage. It sets to a velvety finish. It is unlike any foundation I have tried. It is not matte, it is not dewy, it is not powdery. I guess the best description I can come up to is velvet. It still look like your natural skin after application. It is basically "just your skin but better". 

For the first couple of times when I use this foundation, I did not set it with powder and it is performing fine. I am just testing it out with setting powder first time today so will report back later on an update. I have oily-combo skin and I am quite impressed with how the foundation holds up. I use MUFE hydrating primer underneath and it slides on like a dream. But for my normal dry spots, like the sides of my nose, it clings on dry patches, just like any other foundations I have used. So I think if you have really dry skin, you might want to slap on tons of moisturizer beforehand. 

from L to R: 

Laura Mercier smooth finish flawless fluide

Diorskin nude air serum

Perricone MD no foundation foundation serum

from L to R:

Honey(Laura Mercier)

030 Medium Beige( Diorskin)

Perricone MD 

I have 2 other foundation which is of similar texture. One is the Laura Mercier smooth finish flawless fluide and the other is the Perricone MD no foundation foundation serum which has only 1 shade available. For coverage, Diorskin Nude Air serum is in between the two. Perricone MD has a very light coverage. 

Diorskin Nude Air Serum is great if you are going for the natural makeup look with a bit of coverage. Major con to me is the price tag and scent. This foundation is CAD $53 which is quite pricey. Another con is the scent. It has a pretty strong baby powder scent. If you are sensitive to scent in foundation, I don't recommend this at all. I notice the scent would fade off after a good half hour after initial application. 

Are you into the new serum foundation trend?

Tatcha Polished Rice Enzyme Powder

Ever since I read the review of Tatcha skincare on Lena's blog post, I have wanted to try.

Decided to try the Polished Rice Enzyme Powder which is a very gentle exfoliator for everyday use.

I picked the smaller size to try out before committed the full-size version. 

It is a very fine powder and I like the little top slide-bar opening so you would not accidently spill the whole jar out. The powder is so finely-milled. It is like baby powder with a bit of texture. 

I have other exfoliators which are more " abrasive" but they are not for everyday use. I need a gentle one I could use daily or every other day, especially in the hot summer months.

One other gentle exfoliant I have tried and love is the Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant. It is very comparable to this. Very fine powder and you have to use a bit of water to to make it into a paste. I prefer the Tatcha as the texture is so much more silkier and soft. They are both quite pricey but you only need a tiny bit for each use and I feel like this little jar would last me at least a few months.

Do you have some newly-discovered skincare products you are totally in love with now?

Dior Rosy Glow Awakening Blush

I have heard so much about this Dior Rosy Glow Awakening Blush. For some reason, I never have the urge to swatch it in store. When I see the swatches online, I wonder if it would work for my NC30 skin tone.

What it is:
A blush that effortlessly recreates a natural, flushed look on the cheeks. 

What it does:
Recreate the look of just-pinched, rosy cheeks with this finely-milled light-pink blush. The unique formula adjusts to your skin’s natural chemistry to create a customized look and the universal shade, Petal #001, is flattering on all skintones. Its ultra-fine, powder texture and irresistible rose fragrance offer a moment of pure indulgence with each application. 

Decided to swatch it and the shade was so light and lilac. I wanted to try it on my cheeks and when I did, there is no going back.

The shade looks like it is lilac pink and you would have never imagined that this blush would show up on cheeks so beautifully. 

You can barely see the swatch on my arm. But when it is applied on cheeks, it transforms into a rosy glow, exactly what the name suggested. 

On minimal makeup days, I apply Perricone MD No Foundation Foundation Serum, Dior Rosy Glow Awakening Blush, did my brows and mascara, Fresh Petal lip treatment and I look refreshed and out the door I go. Highly recommend this blush if you love natural and wear minimal makeup. It does show up different on everyone. I tried it on my mom who is NC 20 and it looks slightly more rosier than on me. 

Back to Basics

Lately, I have been more into basics. Minimal makeup, basic tees and flats. I always go into cycles. When I am into something, I would stick to them for months until the next cycle arrives.

J. Crew linen cross stripe tee tee in size S

I have been stalking on this linen tee for a while online and I want it in grey and out of stock online and in store. I really love J. Crew linen tee as it is lighter than cotton and perfect for summer. I find it not as wrinkly after wash and don't have to be ironed as much. 

Basic grey tee

Never have enough basic solid colored tee in my closet. Grabbed this grey one as it is super discounted($12) and it is so soft.

Embroidered herringbone tee in size M

This top is of a slightly thicker fabric. Even though it says it is a tee, it feels more like an embroidered top. Has a gold line in the middle. Kind of cute but ended up not coming home with me.

Hopped over to Zara next:

Zara long basic tee

Hard to find a longer tee these days. Some days, you just want to find something and just throw it on, put on jeans and flip flop and out the door. This is the tee for those days. Only $19.99.

 Batwing Sleeved Tee

Such an easy and comfortable top. It is 3/4 sleeve length and the one I got is khaki. I love picking tops which are easy, flowy and do not require much ironing as I am too lazy for that.

An All Natural Serum

I have been adding serum to my daily skin care routine in the past year and have seen significant improvement. I apply serum after toner and before my moisturizer. The serum would help prep the skin to absorb the moisturizer better.

Oz Naturals Hyaluronic Acid Serum* is the most recent serum I am trying out. I like natural ingredients in my skin care products and that is exactly what I see in this serum.

• NATURAL & ORGANIC hyaluronic acid serum is considered to be the highest quality HA serum on the market.
• CLINICAL STRENGTH anti aging, anti wrinkle serum (no cream) is proven to plump skin & fill in those fine lines and wrinkles.
• THIS HYALURONIC ACID SERUM is guaranteed to give you that dewy, moisture boost needed to achieve that youthful glow & is proven to reduce skin's fine lines and wrinkles.
• CRUELTY FREE, vegan hyaluronic acid serum does not contain alcohol, parabens or sulfates and is safe for all skin types - This hyaluronic acid serum for your face is an extremely effective anti aging, anti wrinkle treatment.
• MADE IN THE USA in a state of the art FDA registered facility - OZ Naturals formulates the most effective anti aging products on the market - OZ Naturals products work & they work extremely well - This HA serum will provide your skin a more youthful appearance upon 1st use - We guarantee you'll get results!

I apply this serum both morning and night. It has a slight aloe scent which I like. The bottle is equipped with a dropper which makes application very easy as the serum is not very thick in texture. It is not very very sticky neither and it absorbs into the skin quite fast. 

Organic aloe is listed first in the ingredients. As we know aloe extract is often used for rejuvenating, healing and soothing in skin care products. 

This is about the amount I apply on my face. I put it between my palms to warm it up a bit and then gently pat onto my face. I leave it for maybe a minute or two so it is absorbed into my skin before applying my regular moisturizer. I find it about the right consistency as I don't like products which are really rich and thick that it takes forever to be absorbed. Plus I have oily combo skin and I don't like the sticky feeling.

I have been using this for 5 days now and so far I am liking it. I can see the dewy glowy effect on my face in the morning. At first I thought it must be the liquid highlighter I put on the high points of my cheeks. But one day I didn't put any on and I could still see the dewy effect. For an oily combo gal, my skin  is rarely dewy. There is a big difference between dewy and oily skin. The dewy glow is probably a result of the serum as it replenishes my skin and let the moisturizer be fully absorbed into my skin. The serum is such a gentle serum it is suitable for all skin types and even sensitive skin types.

I just saw on Marketplace(a Canadian TV program which compares and tests out products) and they were comparing a high end skin care product and a generic brand. The conclusion is there probably is no different from a $250 moisturizer than a $25 one. It is how the company market the product determines the price.

I have tried a few skin serums, both drug store and department store brands, this all natural serum actually surpasses  my expectation.  It is reasonably-priced and the fact that it is all natural and yet still deliver positive results will definitely be a re-purchase for me.

* product is provided by PR company for review

Yes, I won all ten of MUFE Step 1 Equalizer Primers

I am beyond excited when I found out I won the awesome MUFE giveaway from Fun Size Beauty. Yes, I won the whole new line of primers from MUFE and there are 10 of them.

They came directly from MUFE by courier 

STEP1 is the range of skin equalizers developed to refine, smooth and even out. Our exclusive Equalizer Complex delivers 3 key actions:

- APPLICATION : makeup goes on seamlessly
- RESULT : optimized color & finish
- WEAR: longer staying power

MUFE has released its new line of primers recently. Ranging from Mattifying, Nourishing, Smoothing, Radiant color correcting etc. I have tried the Smoothing prior to this and loving it so you could imagine how ecstatic I was when I found I won the giveaway and I got to try all 10 of them.

I have so many to choose from which one to try next and I think I am settling on Mattifying or Hydrating one.