Help! I’ve bought the wrong concealer!
Have you ever bought a concealer and then regretted it because you didn’t like the texture or the color was wrong?
The latter always happens to me. Concealer is supposed to be one shade lighter than foundation, but I already have a hard time finding a foundation that matches my pale skin and often have to get one that’s slightly darker, so the search for the perfect concealer is almost a mission impossible for me.
And even if I find a pale enough shade, the texture could be too thick or too dry and hard to work with. What to do then? Not everyone lives in a country where returning cosmetics is allowed, or maybe you do but just can’t be bothered to go back to the shop. In any case, before thinking about throwing it away or swapping it, why don’t you try these tips that will help make the concealer work for you?
Wrong color
Sometimes when you buy a concealer at a counter, you’re sure you got the right shade, but once home you realise that it’s completely the wrong one for you. What to do then? Well, you could try mixing it with a foundation or concealer you already have in your stash to get a shade that’s right for you.
If that doesn’t work, you can use the concealer underneath the foundation, instead on top of like you’re supposed to do. This is a method I had to use every time I bought a drugstore concealer and it has always worked very well for me. And once your foundation is on top, no one will notice the concealer is the wrong shade.
Wrong consistency
Some concealers have a very thick consistency, so before applying them, it’s best to warm them up. Simply put the amount of concealer you need for your application on the back of your hand and, with your finger, rub it. This will make your concealer thinner so that it’s easier to apply and won’t look cakey.
If instead, you have the opposite problem and your concealer is too thin, you can make it thicker by mixing it with a tiny amount of loose powder. This will also improve the coverage you get from your concealer. And if the consistency’s too dry, just add a drop of moisturizer or foundation. This will add some moisture to it.
What do you do when you buy a concealer that doesn’t work for you?
QOTW: Do you use an eye cream?
Do you use an eye cream?
Beautiful with Brains says: I don’t think a separate eye cream is necessary so, unless I get a sample in some mags or GWP, I just apply whatever face moisturizer I’m using at the moment (provided that it’s not too heavy of course) on my eye area.
Product Review: Max Factor Flawless Perfection Blush
Name: Flawless Perfection Blush
Brand: Max Factor
Size: 5.5g
Price: €9,89
From Max Factor’s website:
A healthy looking flush doesn’t have to be out of embarrassment anymore – this sheer, soft blusher blends easily into your skin leaving a hint of colour that completes any make-up look. Use it to define your cheekbones or simply let the luxurious and soft texture freshen your complexion.
What I liked:
– sheer color payoff
– beautiful, shimmering shade
– gives cheeks a healthy look with the tiniest hint of shimmer
– lasts most of the day
– the price
What I didn’t like:
– not many shades available
– if you like pigmented blushes, this is not for you
– nasty preservative
– the packaging
Have you ever bought a product because you liked the shade and it was cheap anyway, got home, played with it and were disappointed cos it’s just average? That’s what happened to me with this blush. It’s not a bad product, but it didn’t wow me either and I find I rarely reach for it cos I have lots of other blushes that I like more.
Max Factor Flawless Perfection blush is available in only six shade. Being a pink lover, I purchased n°223 Natural Glow, a shimmering pink shade that looks a bit dark in the pan, but when swatched, it’s a soft baby pink. For a drugstore product, I’d say the powder is quite finely milled and soft to the touch, but the texture is not really as silky or finely milled as that of high-end blushes.
The blush is very sheer but buildable. I had to apply numerous layers in the swatch to make the color show up in the pix as on my pale skin blushes always look washed out and don’t photograph well, but in real life I only need a couple of swipes to achieve a flattering and healthy look, just like I’m naturally blushing. And it has just a hint of shimmer to give cheeks a natural glow.
Because I’m pale the fact the powder is so sheer is a plus for me, but if you prefer your blushes to be pigmented, this will just disappoint you. And while I like the shade, I think there are other blushes out there that do the same thing just as well or even better. It’s nothing special but I think it’s worth considering if you’re on a budget.
The staying power is ok and it lasts about 8 or 9 hours on my non-oily cheeks before it starts to fade. As for the packaging, that’s just very ugly and cheap-looking. And, as always, the brush that comes with it is too small, scratchy and completely useless.
I was also disappointed to see that this blush uses Imidazolidinyl Urea as a preservative. This ingredient works by releasing formaldehyde which is a toxic and carcinogenic substance. Of course the quantity in this is so small to be safe (you won’t die if use it), but personally I just prefer to avoid products with this ingredient as I feel that are much safer preservative out there.
Summary
Overall, Max Factor Flawless Perfection blush is just average. The powder is sheer, easy to blend and gives a natural and glowy look that lasts for hours. However, those that like pigmented blushes will be disappointed with the sheer color payoff. In addition, the packaging is cheap and the product contains a formaldehyde-releasing preservative.
Rating: 3/5
Disclaimer: the item was purchased by me for both personal and review purposes. The review is based on my own personal and honest experience with the product. For more information, please see my disclaimer.Looks: Natural Beauty
Hello everyone,
today I want to show you all one of my rare neutral looks. And also the main reasons why I don’t wear them more often: they wash me out. I think the makeup itself is nice, natural and very appropriate for school or work, but on my pale skin, it just makes me look ill. 
I think it would have looked better if I had used a brown shade with pink undertones on the lid instead than such a pale, creamy color, but oh well, I can always try that next time. As for now, here’s the pix. I hope you like them and if you have any suggestion on how I could have improved the look, please share. Constructive criticism is always welcome. 
Products used:
– Senna Totally Transforming Eyeshadow Primer
– Get in line palette (pale beige)
– Sleek Curious palette (white)
– NYC Metro Quartet in Union Square (medium and dark browns)
– Pupa black pencil liner
– Wet n Wild Kajal & Eyeliner in white
– Maybelline Volum Express Cat Eyes Mascara
Directions:
– Apply an eyeshadow primer (I used Senna Totally Transforming Eyeshadow Primer) all over the lid as a base for the shadow to adhere better.
– Pat a pale beige shade (I used the one in the Get in Line palette) on the lid. Using a pencil brush, swipe some on the lower lashline too.
– Apply a white shade (I used the one in the Sleek Curious palette) on the browbone to highlight it.
– Apply a medium brown shade (I used the crease one in the NYC Metro Quartet in Union Square palette) on the crease.
– Darken the outer V with a dark brown shade (I used the contour one in the NYC Metro Quartet in Union Square palette).
– Line your upper lid with a black pencil liner and your waterline with a white pencil liner.
– Finish off with mascara.
Do cosmetics with SPF offer enough sun protection?
Back in January, I wrote a post about why you shouldn’t mix your sunscreen with foundation or lotion. By doing that, in fact, you’re actually diluting the sunscreen and risking compromising its active ingredients, making it less or not at all effective. Some of you asked me what I thought of skincare and cosmetic products that contain SPF and if they offered enough protection. I thought this topic deserved its own post, so here’s my take on it.
But first, I have a confession to make. When I was in high school, I didn’t realise how much damage the sun could cause to my skin. I thought sunscreen was something that needed to be worn only at the beach (and sadly many still do, including my mum and boyfriend who think I’m crazy to apply broad-spectrum sunscreen daily but we’ll se who’s right in a few years’ time).
Cosmetics with SPF as an (effective?) alternative to sunscreen?
And so, most of the time, I relied on cosmetics and moisturizers with low SPF, thinking they would be enough. But after learning that the necessary amount of sunscreen to cover your entire face so that it offer sufficient protection is about a teaspoon, I wasn’t so sure that relying on cosmetics with SPF alone was a good idea.
Still, sunscreens can have a greasy texture or leave a white cast behind, so you don’t always want to apply several layers on your face (and everywhere else that’s exposed to the sun too!) every day. So, moisturizers and cosmetics with SPF can seem a valid alternative. But it wouldn’t be good if we were compromising the level of sun protection we get, would it?
Not really, unless you’re spending a very short time outdoors
Just like one layer of sunscreen isn’t enough to provide the protection claimed on the label, the same applies to cosmetics. You would need to apply at last 7 layers of foundation and 14 of powder to be sufficiently protected against the sun rays, but who does that? It would look so unnatural! Not to mention that sun protection fades overtime, so you would need to reapply several times a day (again, just like sunscreen).
Still, I wouldn’t say they are totally useless. If you know that you are gonna spend just a short time outdoors, like walking to your car or driving to work, then using moisturizers or cosmetics with sunscreen, provided they are broad spectrum (check the labels for Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Oxide, Mexoryl, Tinosorb or Avobenzone) and reapplied throughout the day, may be ok.
But if you are gonna spend a few hours outdoors, then you need to wear a broad spectrum sunscreen cos cosmetics with SPF, albeit high it may be, just aren’t enough to protect your skin from the harmful the sun rays. You can still use them of course, but only in conjunction with a sunscreen.
What I do
I apply a broad spectrum sunscreen, like La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL Sun Spray SPF50+, every day and try to reapply every couple of hours. However, that’s not always possible. If I can’t reapply reapply sunscreen, then I rely on powders with SPF and apply those every few hours.
Granted, I do not spend a lot of time outside. I try to avoid the sun as much as possible and prefer to be indoors. I try to reapply sunscreen whenever possible and it’s only when I really really can’t that I retouch my makeup with foundations or powders with SPF, and only because I know I won’t stay much in the sun anyway.
On those rare occasions when I know that I will spend hours outside, I wear little makeup and apply sunscreen religiously every couple of hours. I might wear cosmetics with SPF, but I won’t rely solely on those because I know they just wouldn’t be enough.