Week in Review: Makeup Products

When it comes to makeup, I like to take a less-is-more approach, especially during the hot and humid summer months.  Last week I wore a makeup combination that made me look put together without using a lot of heavy products.
Eyes 
Each day I began by applying Urban Decay Primer potion to keep my shadow from melting off in the heat. Next, I used my Sigma E55 Eye Shading brush to pat a bit of Pür Minerals Mineral Shadow in Vanilla Feldspar on my lids. I blended out any harsh lines with my Sigma E40 Tapered Blending brush. I chose this specific shadow because it is similar in colour to my skin tone and gives me that my-lids-but-better look while covering up any darkness, redness, or veins. I finished off the eyes by curling my lashes with my Shiseido curler and applying a generous coat of Buxom Lash mascara.

Lips
For lips I started off with a base of sun protection by applying my Vanilla Softlips with spf 20. Next, I added some colour with my Revlon Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie. For the past few months the lip butters have been drying out my lips a bit so I have been applying a moisturizing gloss on top. For this look, I used my Bare Minerals 100% Natural lip gloss in Heartcake. It complements the lip butter very well and, best of all, it smells like donuts!

Face
I kept my face makeup very minimal. My dark circles are more noticeable in the summer when the sun is shining so I used my fingers to pat some product from Garnier’s Anti-Dark-Circle roller under my eyes. I never use the roller directly on my skin because it applies too much product. I then applied Tarte’s Amazonian Clay blush on the apples of my cheeks with my Sigma F40 Large Angled Contour brush. To give a flawless finish and add a bit of glow, I used my Sigma F50 Duo Fibre brush to lightly sweep Benefit’s Sugarbomb face powder overtop the Tarte blush.

Let me know which products you wore last week! Also, would you like me to continue to do these makeup of the week posts????

My Top Five Blushes for Summer

During the summer months, I like my skin to look fresh, glowy and effortless. I achieve this look with the following five blushes:
1. MAC Mineralize Blush in Dainty
Dainty has been a long-time favourite of mine. It is perfect for my pale skin tone and it gives my complexion a healthy pink flush with a bit of glow. MAC describes this colour as a “light yellow pink with gold pearl.” I find that this colour is very neutral and flatters my cool toned colouring. Since it is a mineralize blush, it applies very smoothly, even on bare skin, and never looks harsh.

2. Benefit Benetint
On very hot summer days, I like to use a cheek stain that will stay put through heat, humidity, rain, and even sweat. My favourite is Benefit’s Benetint, a rose-tinted cheek and lip stain. It comes in a tiny glass bottle that looks like it could contain nail polish with its round shape and brush applicator. I apply this product by brushing two or three horizontal lines of colour on the apples of my cheeks and then blend with my fingers. It dries fast so I have to work quickly. Once set, it lasts all day. The rosy shade gives my cheeks a healthy just-got-back-from-the-gym flush. Note: in the photo below, it looks like this product may contain a bit of shimmer but it does not. Any little glimmering flecks were left over from previous swatches.

3. Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Dollface
For a long lasting powder blush, I turn to Tarte’s Amazonian Clay line. These blushes stand up to heat and humidity and last well into the evening hours. My favourite summer shade from this line is a light pink called Dollface. For the most part, this shade is matte. I usually stay away from matte blushes because they can look quite flat but this colour gives my cheeks a bright pastel pink glow that really does make my pale skin look porcelain and doll-like. I have found that it is easy to apply too much of this blush and the colour seems to intensify about 10 minutes after application; therefore, I use a soft brush and a light hand when applying Dollface.

4. Pür Minerals Pressed Mineral Blush in Natural Bornite
This blush has been hiding at the back of my makeup collection for a couple years. I discovered it a couple weeks ago and realized that it had never been used. I usually gravitate towards pinks and this nude-ish shade is just not my style…or so I thought. Out of curiosity I applied a bit to my cheeks and it instantly made my skin look healthy and slightly bronzed. Now this product is my secret for adding colour to my cheeks without looking like I am wearing blush. Perfect for those “no makeup” makeup days. Also, it is fairly sheer and blends nicely so there is no risk of applying too much. The matte finish adds to the natural effect that it gives.

5. Benefit Sugarbomb Face Powder
For me, this product serves three purposes; It works as a blush, a cheek highlighter, and a luminous face powder. Most days I dust it over my blush to give my cheeks a bit of sheen. It is never glittery and somehow gives my foundationless complexion a very smooth, airbrushed finish. On days when I don’t wear blush, I still use this to give my cheeks a subtle glow with a bit of colour. The product comes with four shades (coral, light pink, muted plum, peach). When swirled together, the colours produce a shade that is peachy-pink and extremely glowy but never glittery.

What are your favourite blushes for summer?

Pür Minerals Pressed Mineral Eyeshadows

A few weeks ago I rediscovered these pressed mineral shadows from Pür Minerals while looking through my makeup collection. They were given to me as gifts over a year ago. For the past few years I have used loose mineral eyeshadows from Bare Escentuals. While I love the colours and shade range of loose shadows I don’t like the mess that they can make. I also find that loose shadows take longer to apply considering that they must be packed on to the lid very carefully in order to avoid fallout. That’s why I was excited to remember that I had a few pressed shadows in a mineral formula that is gentle on sensitive eyes.
The Pür Minerals website (www.purminerals.com) states that their “velvety-smooth eye shadow glides on easily, giving you a crease-proof, soft-textured look that lasts all day. Infused with the light reflective mineral mica, this mineral eye shadow imparts a youthful finish that women of all ages will love.” This product is also free of petroleum-based oils, alcohol, talc, fillers, fragrances, preservatives and chemical dyes.
It sounds great, but how does it compare to non-mineral shadows?
After using these shadows for the past few weeks I can agree that they do have a smooth velvety formula that glides on easily and is crease proof. I always wear a primer under shadow and these shadows last just as long as non-mineral shadows when worn overtop a primer.
The formula seems to contain less moisture than non-mineral shadows as it feels a bit drier on the lid. This, however, may be due to the fact that these shadows are matte for the most part. I normally prefer shadows with a bit of shimmer. Also, the shadows are not as pigmented as non-mineral shadows but are fairly buildable. I do wish that the brand produced a larger range of colours as many of its shades are neutral.
As for the colours, Vanilla Feldspar is my favourite. It has a slight sheen and works well as a natural looking highlight or all over lid colour. Rose Quartz is very similar but has more pink undertones and has less of a sheen. I like to use these two colours on a daily basis for a “your lids but better” effect. Chocolate Topaz is my least favourite. I have never liked brown shadows as they make me look tired. This shadow is no exception and its warm undertones are less than flattering on my cool toned skin.
I am very impressed with the packaging. As you can see in the photo below, the bottom of each shadow opens to reveal a tiny mirror and sponge-tip applicator which is perfect for travelling or on-the-go touch ups.
At $14 USD / $16 CAD for .08 oz/2.2 g, these shadows are more affordable than MAC shadows which cost $14.50 USD / $17.50 CAD for  0.05 oz /1.5 g and Bare Minerals shadows that are $13 USD for .02 oz / .57 g
I’m not sure where these shadows can be purchased in the USA or in other parts of the world but Canadians can find the Pür Minerals line at certain Shoppers Drug Mart Stores and at www.theshoppingchannel.com
My rating: 4/5
*click photos to enlarge*
- in all photos the shadows are in order from left to right: Vanilla Feldspar, Chocolate Topaz, and Rose Quartz -