Lily Lolo products (collective review + makeup looks)

Hello lovelies! Today I have a post full of Lily Lolo products for you. :) If you've seen my 'New in: July' post, then you know I did a bit of shopping and got some new Lily Lolo products to try out (so far I've been fateful only to their mineral foundation, but now it seems I'll be needing more products from them). :)

Lily Lolo mineral foundation in Blondie

This has been my absolute favorite foundation for over 3 years (that's how long it took me to finish one pot of it - but to be honest I don't really wear makeup that often, so that's probably why it took me so long). It's an amazing foundation with about medium coverage I would say - if you have blemishes or other problems going on, you need to cover them with a concealer first, but other than that it does a great job at evening out your skin tone and just making your skin look beautiful. 

The best part about this foundation is how well it blends with the skin - even if you have slightly oily/combination skin and your T-zone tends to get a bit shiny throughout the day, this foundation will simply absorb the oil and melt with your skin. That doesn't mean you won't get shiny or you'll have a matte look when you're wearing this foundation, but in my experience you'll never look super oily/shiny, the foundation kind of makes it look like a natural glow to the skin. The only time you'll end up looking really shiny is, if you'll use a really heavy/oily face cream underneath it. :)

It's super easy to apply - I use the Lily Lolo kabuki brush or the Ecotools Bronzer brush (which is very similar to the kabuki - super dense and made from artificial hair/fibers). It's basically fool-proof so if you're new to makeup/foundations, this is your guy! :D As most, if not all mineral foundations, it's also super light on the skin, so you won't feel it when you're wearing it - great for hot, summer days!

Lily Lolo lip gloss in English Rose

As I was placing my order on the Lily Lolo website, I realized I've never tried any of their lip products and decided to take the 'plunge'. I'm more of a lipstick girl, but I do love to wear lip gloss quite often, so I decided to pick one up. They all looked amazing, but in the end I went for English Rose, because I saw it a few weeks ago on Jana's blog - Small bits of loveliness. As you can see, it now looks pretty different and that's because Lily Lolo has revamped there whole line and gave it a new, really classy look (not that there was anything wrong with the previous look).

So, based on how it looked on Jana's lips, I was expecting it to be a bit darker, a bit more pink, but on my lips it's pretty nude with a hint of pink to it (that's also probably due to my natural lip color - I pretty much have naturally nude lips). Even though I expected it to be different, I'm very happy with it and I've been wearing it quite a lot since I got it. :)

It has a lovely formula that's not too sticky and smells like chocolate/cocoa powder. As is expected from a lip gloss it manages to stay on my lips for about an hour or two, if I'm not drinking or eating. All in all, this is a wonderful lip gloss and I might be picking up some more shades!

On the picture bellow I'm wearing Lily Lolo's mineral foundation in Blondie, Too Faced Chocolate Soleil bronzer (in Milk Chocolate), Lily Lolo's mineral blush in Rosebud and Lily Lolo's lip gloss in English Rose. I'll be showing you the eye makeup I wore here and the blush in separate posts. :)

Lily Lolo lipstick in Passion Pink

Now this lipstick was quite a random purchase. I really wasn't looking for a new lipstick, but I came across it on their Facebook page and it seemed really interesting. I looked up some swatches on the web and decided to try it out for myself (you can never have too much fun shades for summer, right?).

And boy oh boy, am I happy I got it! I can't tell you how much I love this shade! I have nothing like it in my collection (though I do tend to stick to nudes/more natural shades). At first, when I got it and swatched it, I was a bit intimidated by the bright color, but when I finally applied it to my lips and wore it out, I feel in love. Not to mention the many compliments I got for it! :) It's a gorgeous summer shade and I know I'll be wearing it a lot. The problem I have now is that I really want to get all the other shades they offer. :)

Here I'm wearing the same makeup, but instead of the lip gloss, I've applied the lipstick in Passion Pink.

So, what are your thoughts on these products? Have you tried Lily Lolo before, which is your favorite product from them?

Which makeup look do you like the most - the one with the lip gloss or the one with the lipstick (or both, like me)? :)

*Vichy Teint Ideal illuminating foundation

Hello darlings! I hope you had yourselves a lovely weekend... I sure did - did some pre-birthday shopping for myself, celebrated my grandma's 80th birthday, played with my beautiful nephews and painted my kitchen in mint green, so yeah, it was a pretty good weekend for me. :) 

Today I'll be reviewing a lovely foundation from Vichy I received at the event back in February. It's called Teint Ideal and it's an illuminating foundation. I have the 'cream' version that's supposed to be a bit thicker and well, creamier (great for dry skin) but you can also get the fluid within this line, that's more suited for combination/oily skin.

 

The foundation came in a lovely box and inside it a golden tube. I do prefer foundations with a pump, but a tube works just as well and it doesn't seem to spill out too much (you can really control the amount of foundation that comes out of it). I got the lightest shade - 15 Ivory and it suits my skin tone quite well, but you can also choose from 3 other shades (that's a bit of a downside because I feel a lot of women won't find a matching shade for themselves among the four that are available).

The foundation itself is really nice, creamy yet not too heavy on the skin. It leaves the skin feeling really smooth and creates a dewy finish (as you can hopefully see on the pictures bellow). You can apply it with your fingers or a brush but I absolutely love the finish it gives when I apply it with my Real Techniques Miracle Complexion sponge. Even though it has an SPF of 20 It doesn't seem to create that 'white-cast' effect on photos with flash, which is always a good thing. :) 

I can see this foundation working really well for people with dry skin, yet I do feel it's perfectly fine for other skin types as well - all I needed was some powder through my T-zone to take the shine away (and the shine wasn't really because of the foundation but because of the face cream I applied before it). 

It lasts quite a long time on me (I would say at least around 6-8 hours, depending on what I'm doing that day and what the weather is like - hot/cold/humid). It does start to rub off around my nose quite fast, but that's exceptable because I wear glasses and I'm always 'repositioning' them. :) As far as coverage goes I would say this is a light to medium coverage foundation. It does even out my skin tone and mostly covers any redness I have but it won't cover up all imperfections so if you have a lot of those, you'll be needing some concealer or some higher coverage foundation.

Pictures in clockwise direction: bare skin with moisturizer applied, Vichy Teint Ideal foundation applied with my RT sponge, full makeup (powdered face, bronzer, blush, lipstick)

The average price for this foundation is around 21 € and you can get from your local pharmacy. :)


What are your thoughts on this foundation, have you tried it or any other Vichy foundation/powder?

Illamasqua Skin Base foundation

Hello my lovelies! I hope you're having a wonderful day, although it's foggy and miserable outside. :) Today I'll be (finally) reviewing Skin Base foundation from Illamasqua. A month or so ago I decided to try out a few high-end foundation in hopes of founding the right one for me. I was a bit tired of testing out drugstore foundation that turned out to be a waste of money (not all, but most of them). I just couldn't find one that would work for me so I decided to venture into some more expensive brands. I don't always believe that you get what you pay for, but in this case I can tell you it's true.

When I went to the drugstore to get a sample/tester of this foundation, I also got a sample of  one of Dior's foundations as well as one of Chanel's foundations. After testing all three out, I decided to get Skin Base. It just preformed the best out of the three and was also the most affordable. I decided I would pick it up when I attended the Illamasqua event, because there was a 10% discount on all makeup that day, so I ended up getting it for around 32 €, which isn't bad at all in my opinion. :)

Before I go into more details about the foundation itself, can we just adress the packaging? Isn't it beautiful? It's not a glass bottle with diamonds embroidered in it (exaggerating a bit, I know), but it just looks amazing, different. I think Illamasqua really has interesting and very appealing packaging for all their products. The bottle itself is made from hard plastic and is a bit hard to squeeze, but that also means the foundation won't just pour or leak out on its own. The cap twists on and off very nicely.

Illamasqua Skin Base in 3.5 on the left and Revlon Nearly Naked in Vanilla on the right

Now let me tell you why I love this foundation... First of all, it comes in a lot of different shades that have eater a pink or yellow undertone to them, but they also offer a white foundation you can use to mix your foundation with, so you can get a lighter shade (brilliant I tell you!). Shade 3.5 is a great match for my pink undertone. And if you're thinking my neck looks more yellow than my face when I wear this foundation (on the picture bellow), it's because it really is more yellow than the skin on face - as you can hopefully see on the 'no makeup' picture as well. :) Most foundation look very yellow, even orange on my skin tone, so I'm really happy this one leans towards pink.

The foundation is quite thick and it's supposed to preform like a BB cream but at the same time not feel creamy/heavy on the skin... and I can tell you, it does a superb job at that. It covers imperfections like a dream - I would dare call it a full coverage foundation. It immediately takes away any redness, evens out your complexion and creates a perfect canvas for everything else that comes after it. :) 

As it is a full coverage foundation, you can of course tell someone is wearing it. It does not look like your second skin, it's not super natural, so if you don't like that look, this foundation is not for you. It's a very perfecting foundation that makes your skin look absolutely flawless, without looking cakey (I love to apply it with my Real Techniques Miracle Complexion sponge to get a really flawless look). It has a dewy finish that's very obvious when you first put it on but 'calms' down as the foundation sets in. You can of course set it with a mattifying powder and achieve a matte look, if you'd like. I set it only on my T-zone, so I don't look too shiny, but I leave the cheeks alone so I keep a bit of that healthy glow.

no makeup, wearing just a moisturizer

wearing Skin Base foundation applied with a Real Techniques Miracle complexion sponge

Another thing I absolutely love about this foundation is it's lasting power. This is the first foundation that lasts on my skin throughout the day without melting off. Though I have to admit, I haven't tested it in the summer heat, so I can't say how it works in really hot weather. :) It does wear off a bit on my nose usually, but I don't mind that - my nose gets the most oily/shiny + I wear glasses + I tend to scratch it or blow it (now that it's cold and everything). The rest of my face stays 'in tact' right up until I take my makeup off and I know that because I can see my bronzer and blush look exactly the same as they did when I applied them.

So what's there more to say really? It's an awesome, lightweight, full coverage foundation that lasts all day. It's the bomb and if you're looking for a foundation like that, you should definitely try this one out. :)

Urban Decay b6 vitamin-infused complexion prep spray

Hello my lovelies! Today's day 2 of 'Urban Decay week' and I'll be reviewing b6 vitamin-infused complexion prep spray. I bought it along with De-Slick mattifying powder because I thought the two would work great together. :)

At first I was going for the All nighter or the De-Slick setting spray, but than this one 'popped' out, as the newest spray from Urban Decay. I was intrigued by it, because it's supposed to be a vitamin-infused spray, so it's not just for setting your makeup but it actually benefits your skin as well. I've never used a prep/setting spray so it was quite exciting to try this one out (you know you're a beauty addict, when things like setting spray sound exciting). 

I tried using it in different ways, with different foundations and it works great. Sometimes I'll use it after I've moisturized my skin, after I've applied my foundation and after I've powdered - so I basically prep my skin first and then set my foundation and powder. And sometimes I'll use it only to set my makeup... because that's where it really shines in my opinion. :) I love to spray it over my foundation, it makes it look even more flawless and I love how it takes away the 'powdered' look after I've powdered - it just leaves the skin looking great. It doesn't just do the job, it also feels really nice and refreshing, so it's a joy to use. :)

I absolutely love the packaging - with two caps, it's really travel friendly and you can be sure, it won't pour out or 'spritz' around. :) The bottle also feels really nice, rubbery I would say.

As for all the claims Urban Decay states for this spray... well, I can neither confirm nor deny them. :) Partially because I haven't been using this spray long enough (at least not for 8 weeks) and partially because I know it works great and certainly has some nice effects on the skin, but I don't necessarily see them (yet).

In any case, I'm really happy with this spray. This spray and De-Slick mattifying powder have change my whole foundation/face makeup routine. I now actually enjoy putting everything on my face and I'm happy with the final look everytime. If you'd like to see for yourself, go check out my latest FOTD. :)

As for the price tag - I bought this spray on BeautyBay.com (surprise, surprise) for 24.30 €.

What are your thoughts on this spray or setting sprays in general? Do you like to use them?

Revlon Nearly Naked foundation

Hello again my lovelies! Today I'll be (finally) reviewing Revlon's Nearly Naked foundation. I got this foundation about a month ago. Now, I'm really not a huge fan of liquid foundation, especially since I've discovered Lily Lolo mineral foundation, but that day I was in a drugstore, browsing around and I decided to give liquid foundations another go. :) I've heard some nice things about this particular foundation so in the shopping bag it went. 

I have been using liquid foundation on and off, since I was about 15 or 16 years old. I was never really happy with any liquid foundation I used. Well, there was one from Maybelline, I think it was called Pure makeup or something like that, it was a light blue tube. I really loved that foundation but it got discontinued (typical right?). 

Anyway... let me get to the point - the reason why I wasn't really happy with any liquid foundation was the fact that I absolutely hated it when people could notice I was wearing foundation. I never wore too dark foundations or had foundation lines and I tried blending it out as best as I could, but you could still notice I was wearing it. And God forbid I had a bit of dry skin here and there... then you could really notice it from a mile away. I don't know, maybe it's just me, but most of the time I feel like foundations make your skin look worse, not better. Maybe it's because I never had any big problems with acne, so I never had the need to cover up a lot of imperfections. Maybe it's because I have yet to find a perfect liquid foundation for me... who knows? :) But enough of this mumble, let me tell you a bit about this foundation...

This is supposed to be a very light foundation that 'melts' into your skin and blends seamlessly so it looks like you're not even wearing any makeup (well would you look at that - that's exactly what I want!). I can agree with it being light, it doesn't sit heavy on the skin and it has light to medium coverage. However I can't agree with the claim that it blends seamlessly into the skin and gives the appearance of a makeup-free face. I had a bit of dry skin on my forehead and it stuck to those little dry patches like its life was depending on it. 

The other problem I found with it was its longevity. Now, I did wore it in some really hot weather but still... it shouldn't have melted away the way it did. When I came home from a little outdoor picnic (which lasted a couple of hours by the way) it was almost completely gone. It stayed on my cheeks but it completely melted off my T-zone. I wear glasses and when I took them off you could see some streaks that have formed underneath them - where the foundation moved and accumulated.

Even though I set the foundation with powder (because my T-zone gets a bit oily), it just couldn't stay matte for longer than an hour (and no, I don't have really oily skin and I haven't experienced that with many other foundations). It seems like it was making my skin oilier and I've read some reviews where girls stated the same problem. Thankfully, despite all the oils, it didn't break me out but I really wasn't a fan of the whole shiny 'disco ball' look.

Another thing that I don't like about this foundation is the packaging. I like that it's a glass bottle, it looks nice... but when you screw the top off, you're left with a huge gaping whole that forces you to pore out the foundation. Because it's a very runny, liquidy foundation you can pore out too much really quickly. And heaven forbid you trip it over or it falls out of you hands or something like that - a disaster just waiting to happen! A pump would be just so much better and easier.

Yeeez... this is turning out to be quite a negative review. Well it's not THAT bad, you can certainly find much, much worse foundations than this, but it just failed to impress me. It's not the cheapest of foundations eater - I can't remember the exact price but I believe it was between 10-12 € (not sure, so don't take my word for it). In our stores we only have 5 shades available so a lot of girls won't be able to find their shade. If it helps, the lightest shade available - 120 Vanilla (the one I have) is almost exactly the same as Bourjois Healthy mix in 51, Vanilla is just a teeny tiny bit darker but when you blend them out, they look exactly the same. L'Oreal True Match C2 and N2 are a bit darker and more pink, L'Oreal True Match Lumi C2 is lighter but still very much on the pink side.

So would I recommend this foundation? Not really... As I said, it's not that bad and it might work great for someone but the fact that it clings to dry patches, means that it's not the best for drier skin and the fact that it makes the skin oily, means that it won't be good for combination/oily skin. Maybe it would work for someone with normal skin.