A blast from the past: last February on BWB
Hello ladies,
fancy a trip down memory lane to see what we were talking about this time last year? Yes? Good. Let’s get started then and enjoy!
7 ways to wash your hair: did you know that, apart from using regular or dry shampoos, there are other ways to wash your hair? Find out what they are, as well as their pros and cons.
Dark circles: causes and cures: dark circles are ugly-looking areas of pigmentation under your eyes. Find out what causes them and what you can do to remove or hide them.
Interview with Toma from Makeup Masala: last February I’ve had the pleasure to interview Toma from Makeup Masala about her blog, online shop and beauty habits. Click on the link to find out more about this sweet lady.
The Body Shop Nature’s Minerals Foundation SPF 25: a pure mineral makeup foundation that provides light to medium coverage with a natural and long-lasting finish.
22 beautiful uses for vaseline: vaseline is one of my beauty staples. This inexpensive product is very versatile: it moisturizes skin, removes makeup and it can even be used to make your own cream blush.
Source
Help! My foundation is too dark!
Have you ever got a foundation that’s too dark for you?
That happens to me all the time. My skin is so pale that most foundations, esp drugstore ones, are too dark for me. Finding a shade that matches my skin is so hard that sometimes I have no option but to purchase one that is slightly darker than my skintone. *sighs*
But you don’t need to be pale to get the wrong foundation. The lights in the shops can be deceiving (always test foundation outside a shop in broad daylight) and you can end up buying the wrong shade or now that’s winter, the tan you had this summer has faded and your foundation doesn’t match your skin anymore.
But there’s no need to throw it in the bin. There are a few ways to put your dark foundation to good use:
Mix and match
If you have a foundation that’s too light for you lying around, you can darken it by mixing it with a few drops of the darker foundation. In alternative, you can also mix a foundation that’s too dark with your lotion to create a tinted moisturizer. It’s easy to do: just add a few drops at a time until you get a shade that matches your skintone.
Lighten it up with powder
Once you applied a foundation that’s too dark for you, you can apply a lighter pressed powder (a powder foundation will do the trick too) over it to lighten it up and even out the skintone. After all, you need to set the foundation with powder anyway, so why not use it to tone down the color so that it will match your skin as well?
Contour
If your foundation is one or two shades darker, you can use it to contour your face. Contouring with liquid products is easier than doing it with powders, lasts longer and looks very natural. Just apply the foundation on any part of the face you want to shape (nose, jawline, hollows of the cheeks, temples, around the hairline) and blend well to soften any harsh lines.
Swap it
If you really don’t want the foundation, you can always swap it with a friend or with some other beauty addicts online. There are many beauty forums on the internet where people can swap items that don’t suit them and get something they’re actually gonna use in return. But as I showed you above, a darker foundation can turn out to be very useful, so consider carefully how you can make it work for you before getting rid of it. 
Have you got any more tips on how to use a foundation that’s too dark?
Product Review: YSL Teint Singulier Sheer Powdercreme Veil Foundation
Name: Teint Singulier Sheer Powdercreme Veil
Brand: Yves Saint Laurent
Size: 40ml
Price: €29,30
From the packaging:
A creme that transforms into a soft powder veil. Perfects and evens out the complexion like a second skin, for a sheer, natural finish.
What I liked:
– sheer coverage
– the texture
– makes skin silky smooth
– semi-matte, natural finish
– evens out the skintone
– long-lasting
What I didn’t like:
– not many shades available
– can enhance dry spots if skin isn’t moisturized before application
– doesn’t cover imperfections
– makes you look white in pictures
– strong scent
– the packaging
– the price
During the holidays I ran out of foundation so I went to my local beauty store to get some. I wanted to try something new and after testing a few products I decided to buy YSL Teint Singulier Sheer Powdercreme Veil Foundation (what a mouthful! So, we’ll call it Sheer Powdercreme Veil from now on and that’s still too long! lol).
I believe this foundation is available in 9 shades, but I’m not completely sure as the color selection at my counter is limited. The shade I have is no.5 and is quite light, although a bit too pink for me. Still, it’s a good match, considering that most foundations are too dark for my pale skin and make me look orange.
(I know no.5 looks way too dark and off for me, but once spread, it’s actually a pretty close match.)
Apart from the relatively good color match, the thing that convinced me to buy Sheer Powdercreme Veil was its fantastic and luxurious texture. It has a creamy consistency that feels so super silky and smooth on the skin. Most foundations and creams I used made my skin very soft, but never like this! I can’t stop touching my face when I’m wearing this and yet it is so light I feel like I don’t have anything on my skin.
It is easy to apply and goes on smoothly, provided that your face is well moisturized. I find that if I don’t apply my moisturizer a few minutes before applying Sheer Powdercreme Veil, then the foundation flakes up and enhances all my dry patches! Not a nice look! For this reason, I wouldn’t recommend this foundation to anyone with dry skin.
Just like the name suggests, Sheer Powdercreme Veil is just a veil that provides sheer coverage with a semi-matte, powdery finish that looks very natural and stays put for most of the day. It evens out the skintone, but won’t cover imperfections or redness so if your skin is not in good condition to start with, you’d better try something else.
Also, if you’re going to have your picture taken, Sheer Powdercreme Veil is not the right foundation to wear. It reflects light like no other, meaning that you’re gonna look like Casper the ghost in photos taken with flash photography. I already look like that anyway, but still it’s something to consider before splurging on this foundation.
(See the white cast? It looks very natural in real life, but in photos, it’s white and ugly.)
The packaging could use some work too. I think the white tube looks quite cheap and it gets dirty very easily. I would have expected something more elegant from a high-end brand honestly, but I love the texture of this foundation so much, I don’t really care about that or the other small faults this has.
Summary
I’m giving YSL Sheer Powder Foundation a 4 simply because it has the best texture I’ve ever come across in a foundation, it’s super amazing. It is creamy and light and makes skin soooo soft! It has a sheer coverage with a powdery finish that evens out the skintone but won’t cover imperfections. It lasts almost all day, but has a strong scent, doesn’t look good in pictures and can enhance dry patches if skin isn’t well moisturized.
Rating: 4/5
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.Product Review: Vichy Dermablend Corrective Foundation SPF 20
Name: Vichy
Brand: Dermablend Corrective Foundation SPF 20
Size: 30ml
Price: €20,00
From Vichy’s website:
A total coverage foundation that respects the skin. Recommended for minor to moderate skin imperfections such as irregular skin tone, redness, acne scars and pigmentation disorders. Twice the coverage of a traditional foundation with a natural lightweight finish. Smooth, blendable texture. 12 hours of long-lasting, flawless wear (16 hours with Setting Powder).
What I liked:
- full coverage
- covers all skin imperfections
- makes skin look flawless, if applied correctly
What I didn’t like:
- not many shades available
- hard to blend
- doesn’t control oil production
- SPF ?
Vichy Dermablend line was designed for people with serious skin imperfections like acne scars or pigmentation problems. So I wasn’t sure whether to get the foundation or not as, apart from redness and horrible dark circles, my skin doesn’t have major problems. In the end, I decided to give it a go and use it on those days when my skin decides not to behave and breaks out.
The foundation comes in nine shades but I believe that only 5 are available in Europe, which makes it hard for a lot of people to find a perfect match. I got the lightest shade they had in the shop, which is Opal, but that was too dark for me and makes me look a bit orange! Not a nice look! It’s a shame cos, if you know how to use it, this foundation performs really well.
Because it has such a thick texture a little goes a long way, but it is very hard to blend. I tried applying it with my fingers, but that made me look patchy, cakey and unnatural. After a bit of experimenting, I found out that the best way to apply this foundation is with either a moist sponge or a stippling/flat brush.
That will make your skin look natural and flawless! All imperfections, such as redness, skin discoloration and dark circles, are completely covered. As for blemishes and zits, they are barely noticeable when I wear this. And because it provides full coverage, I don’t even have to use a concealer.
However, I don’t find the staying power to be as good as claimed. It lasts about nine hours on me, slightly longer if I set it with powder. And I need to use oil absorbing sheets a few times a day as it doesn’t control oil production that well.
And I’m a bit skeptical about the sunscreen claim as well. Although it states on the packaging that the foundation has SPF 20, I can’t see any sunscreen agent on the ingredient list. I don’t think Vichy would lie so blatantly about it, but after researching the ingredients one by one, I still can’t see any that provides sun protection. Maybe I’m missing something, after all I’m not a cosmetic scientist or doctor, but my advice is to use this in conjunction with a sunscreen. Better to be safe than sorry!
The packaging looks very simple and professional. But while I like that it comes in a tube which is more hygienic and prevents the product from being contaminated, I would have preferred if it weren’t opaque as I can’t see how much product is still left in it.
Summary:
Vichy Dermablend Corrective Foundation provides full coverage to conceal any skin imperfections. It’s tricky to use but once you figure out the best way to apply it, it looks natural and flawless. However, it doesn’t last all day and is not available in many shades.
Rating: 4/5
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.Wanted! Lancome Oscillation Powerfoundation
I still have to get used to the idea of vibrating mascaras. I think they’re, well, weird and I’m not convinced I won’t poke myself in the eye with them (I’m the clumsiest person ever!). And now Lancome has released a vibrating foundation!
Called Oscillation Powerfoundation ($48.00), this mineral foundation comes with an applicator that vibrates 7,000 per minutes. This is supposed to break down the foundation into micronized particles to give skin a matte, smooth and air-brushed finish as well as minimising the appearance of wrinkles and pores over time.
I’m skeptical about this foundation as I think there are probably lots of other cheaper products on the market that could give the same results, but still I’d love to try it. Unfortunately, while Oscillation Powerfoundation is already available in the USA and will be out in Canada in November, there is no plan to release it internationally yet.
What do you think of a vibrating foundation? Is it cool or just weird?