L'Oreal Studio Secrets Magic Perfecting Base Review

L'Oreal Claims: 

Get the perfect skin texture, instantly. Wears all day. Smoothes lines Hides pores Banishes imperfections The silky, lightweight formula glides onto skin, leaving it velvety-smooth to the touch. The result-a unified matte finish that's flawless.

I never used a primer before I applied my make up and a friend told me that this would help my make up stay longer and help minimized the appearance of my huge pores. I decided to try it out since I really had nothing to lose. If I didn't like it I could just return it, there wasn't anything for me to lose.

When I first tried putting this on my skin felt like a babies bottom. Super smooth and perfect. The huge pores on my nose were down to almost nothing and my skin looked flawless even without wearing any type of foundation on top. I was truly shocked on how well it worked.

I decided to wear foundation and test it out. I can honestly say that this primer is amazing. I love the way it smells, the way it looks and how well it applies. The only down side of this product is that it doesn't really control oil the way other products do, especially M.A.C's Matte. M.A.C's also comes in a squeeze tube for easy application where this comes in a glass container. The glass container can harbor bacteria specially if you use your fingers to apply.

If I hadn't purchased M.A.C's Matte to help control my oil better, I would still be wearing this.

Pros:
Smooth Application
Minimizes Appearance of Pores
Minimizes Appearance of Fine lines
Can Be Worn Alone

Cons:
Container Can Harbor Bacteria
Poor Oil Control

Over All Rating:

L'Oreal Studio Secrets Magic Perfecting Base can be purchased at drug stores for $12.99 (prices vary) US.

Johnson's Baby Shampoo Review

Johnson's Claims: 

This mild, tearless formula baby shampoo is as gentle to the eyes as pure water., Johnson's knows bath time is a special time to share with your baby, and when the two of you are bonding, there's no room for tears.

Some of you  make look at this review and think, "What is baby shampoo have to do with make up?" Well, I don't use it as anything to do with make up itself. It does have to do with the process of cleaning brushes. I started using baby shampoo to deep clean my make up brushes because I thought it was something important to do. Since bacteria builds up and my M.A.C Brush Cleanser was getting really expensive to constantly purchase and clean my brushes. So I decided on this route.

First off, it cleans my brushes magically and beautifully. It takes off all the color my other brush cleaners seem to leave behind. After I'm done cleaning them they are as white as they were when I first purchased them. Of course after I clean my brushes I add some hair conditioner to make them even softer. My brushes are in perfect shape and form.

Pros:

Smells Great

Gentle

Cheap

Cons:

Personally Use  A lot

Over All Rating:

Johnson's Baby Shampoo can be purchased at drug stores, markets, etc for around  $4.00 US.

MAC Matchmaster Foundation Review

Mac Claims:

A virtually "invisible" foundation with coverage influenced by your own skin tone. A breakthrough patented formula technology with a spectrum of 14 light to deep dark shades. Discover shade intelligence!

When I first heard that M.A.C was going to release a new foundation that was suppose to blend into your skins undertone. I was totally hyped up and ready. I've had trouble with finding a dot on foundation that was just perfect for me. I have a weird undertone, for some products I am a NC for others an NW. For Studio Fix I am a C4, Face & Body C3, Pressed Powder NC35, Pro Longware Foundaton NW25. I can typically get away with either one, I just have to be careful with it.

When I saw news of a new M.A.C Foundation that was suppose to blend and adapt to your natural skin tone, I was super excited. Not only was this foundation suppose to be a true matched tone but also virtually invisible. 

I ran to the store when I heard this new foundation had just hit stores. I was matched to be a shade 4 and this shade was PERFECT. It not only blended into my skin, but you couldn't tell I was wearing foundation. I still had that polished look, but you couldn't tell I was wearing foundation. My skin tone just looked amazing and polished. I purchase the bottle and was super excited because I felt this foundation was going to be my holy grail.

I tried applying this foundation in many forms and I felt that using my Sonia Kashuk Highlighting Brush is the best way to apply this foundation. I am not a fan of regular foundation brushes, I feel they leave me streaky and I end up applying more foundation than what I actually need. The foundation does dry fast, so you need to work fast with it.

This foundation stayed on my skin since 8am till roughly 8pm. Although it's not labeled as a long wearing foundation like Pro Longware, this foundation stayed on. I did get oily, but to me that is normal since I have very oily skin. It didn't make me more oily than usual, but it also didn't make me less. It was just a normal oily for me. Nothing crazy. It has a demi matte finish to it, which to me looks super natural. For better oil control I set it with M.A.C's Translucent Powder.

The coverage this foundation gives is a low medium, that that is very buildable. I would say the coverage would be alittle less than Pro Longware, but without that "I'm wearing foundation look."Since I'm a guy, one layer of this works perfectly for me. If I wanted go to up on coverage a little but more, I could. Which is something else that I love about this foundation. 

With all this said, I would recommend this foundation to others. I actually have recommended this to both of my sisters. They love it.

Pros:

Natural

Stays On

Adapts to Skin tone

Buildable

Cons:

Dries Fast

Over All Rating:

M.A.C. Matchmaster Foundation can be purchased at M.A.C Stores, M.A.C Counters and MacCosmetics.com for $32.50 US.

M.A.C Bronzing Powder in Redefined Golden Swatches & Review

M.A.C Claims: 

A lightly frosted, tinted powder that gives skin sheer, natural colour effects and highlights. Ideal for enhancing a skin tone or to accent or strengthen a tan. Skin-conditioning - and formulated to provide a smooth, even application on all skin types.

Before trying out any of M.A.C's Bronzers I actually tried M.A.C Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in a deeper shade than my own. The way it looked is very natural and I still use it from time to time. Instead of dealing and using the same product for one thing, I decided to branch out and try a bronzer because it's a little deeper in color and has some shimmer to it, it's also a less expensive alternative than using a Skinfinish for everything. 

When I went into the M.A.C Counter I was promptly greeted by the M.A.C girl that always helps me out. I explained what I was looking for. I wanted a nice bronzer that I could use to contour my jawbone, cheekbones and little of my forehead. Without hesitating she picked this up and showed me what it looked like. I saw the shimmer and thought to myself "Oh my God, I'm going to look like a bronzed glitter ball," although those were my first thoughts I took the risk and tried it on just to see what it looked like. I loved the way it looked. The shimmer showing up on the skin is very toned down compared to the pressed product in the packaging. It gave just the right amount of shimmer.

M.A.C. Bronzing Powder in Redefined Golden: Left is layered on, Right is blended.

After experimenting with this Bronzing Powder, I've grown to love it. It's very pigmented on my medium toned skin so a little goes along way. It can be sheered down for a more natural look. 

Pros:

Natural

Blendable

Shimmer

Cons:

Pigmented, Careful with Application

Over All Rating:

M.A.C. Bronzing Powder's can be purchased at M.A.C Stores, M.A.C Counters and MacCosmetics.com for $23.00 US.

M.A.C Surf, Baby Swatches & Review

Grab the board, hop in the Jeep, cruise the Pacific Coast Highway… Surf’s up! The lure of the endless summer starts here with My Paradise Cheek Powder, Summer Stash of Crushed Metallic Pigments, Hibiscus Lipstick and Splashproof Lash Mascara that just won’t smudge. Colourful, lustrous, and full of life…journey to a world where feeling the rush means taking a risk. Hang Ten!
Here’s bronzing for every dude and dudette looking to hit the half-pipe with a killer tan. Bring commotion to the ocean with Solar Riche Bronzing Powder and new Gold-go-Lightly Studio Careblend/Pressed Powder. Capture the surf spirit, add contours & dimension with the latest Skinsheen Bronzer Stick! Defy sun-and-sea blasted lips with Suntints SPF 20 Liquid Lip Balms.
Limited edition.

 Swatches & Review after the jump.

M.A.C Mineralize Skinfinish Natural Review

M.A.C Claims: 

A luxurious domed face powder with minerals, slowly baked to provide a dimensional yet natural-matte finish. Provides perfect low coverage. Use to set and fix foundation or as a touch-up throughout the day

The first thing I ever purchased when I started experimenting with make up was the Mineralize Skinfinish Natural. The reason that I decided to start off with this is because the make up artists told me that this product had coverage, but not enough to be visible to eyes. It's also buildable, lightweight and looks natural. When I first started applying this product I would use the Sonia Kashuk Highlighting Brush, since the brush itself is duo fibre it allowed a lightweight but airbrushed finish of the skin.

When I wanted to move up in coverage I asked the M.A.C Make Up Artists about the Studio Fix. She asked me what I was using on my face because it already looked good. I told her that I was using the Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Plus. Instead of suggesting a foundation that was higher in coverage she suggested the Fix + (spritz of vitamin and minerals, review coming soon). That in itself gave me awesome coverage without looking like I was actually wearing make up.

I own  Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in two shades, Medium Plus and Medium Dark. The reason that I owe them in two shades is because in the winter I can go with Medium Plus and to contour or during the summer I can use the Medium Dark shade. To set my Prolongware Foundation I use my Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Plus to town down the pink undertones in my skin. Therefor giving me a natural even tone. I have also ran in to the problem where my shade is no longer matching me because my skin darkened during the summer, so instead of buying a darker shade of foundation I dusted on some Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Dark. That itself saved me not only a trip to the M.A.C Counter, but also money on a new foundation.

Not only can the Mineralize Skinfinish Natural be used to set and give warmth to your face, but it can also be used alone. This product itself is a product that I seem to purchase time after time. It's truly one of my favorites.

Pros:
Light Weight
Buildable
Natural
Used for Setting
Gives Color/Warmth

Cons:
Low Coverage

Over All Rating:

M.A.C. Mineralize Skinfinish Natural can be purchased at M.A.C Stores, M.A.C Counters and MacCosmetics.com for $27.00 US.

Sonia Kashuk Double Duty Brush Set Review

Sonia Kashuk Claims: 

Each brush takes on twice the application! This set contains a blusher/contour brush, foundation/concealer brush, large eye/ angled eye shadow brush, eyebrow comb/Crease shadow brush and case.

After having much success with Sonia Kashuk's Highlighting Brush I saw these at my local Target and decided to give these a try. Not only did I not have any of these brushes, but I also fell in love with the cute white case that came along with it. This set comes with four sets of brushes. 1. Blush/Contour 2. Foundation/Concealer 3. Large Eye/ Angled Eyeshadow 4. Eyebrow Comb/Crease and of course that cute white case.

When I first got this set I was mainly focusing on my Concealer & Eyebrow Comb as well as the Case. I didn't pay much attention to the other brushes because I wasn't into that much make up. The only thing that I was wearing on my face at the moment was M.A.C's Mineralized Skin Finish Natural and M.A.C's Studio Finish Concealer. The other brushes that came in the set were for "just in case" purposes. I didn't intended of using them at the moment. I ended up giving the Blush/Contour Brush to one of my friends since blush wasn't part of my life in that moment.

The other brushes in the set worked perfectly. I still use the Foundation/Concealer Brush. I mainly use the Concealer in for M.A.C's Paint Pot's. The foundation brush I use on other people or when blending colors in together. I feel that the Large Eye/Angled Eyeshadow Brush duo is an okay brush. The Large Eyeshadow brush is too big for my lids. The Angled Brush is too thick for precise thin lines. The Eyebrow Comb is one of my favorites, I can use it to separate my eyelashes when they get a bit clumpy.

Overall this brush set is pretty versatile for almost any situation. I really enjoy the look and feel of these brushes. I used these for mainly travel purposes until my case broke. I loved the quality of these Sonia Kashuk Double Duty Brushes that I ended up buying the full brushes on their own.

Pros:
Lot's of Brushes
Good Quality
Blend Well

Cons:
Large Eyeshadow Brush is Big
Angled Eyeshadow Brush is Thick
Contour Brush is Small

Over All Rating:

Sonia Kashuk Double Duty Brush Set can be purchased at Target & Target.com for $21.99 US.