London Drugs x Revlon x Almay Media Event Part 2… my outfit and makeup!

Here are some photos of me from the London Drugs and Revlon/Almay event that took place last November (sorry these are so late…). Most of these photos aren’t mine, rather they were taken by Christine or by the photographer at the event.

My makeup for the event was simple, I used Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua foundation in B20 for natural coverage, which was set with Chanel loose powder and then finished with Guerlain Meteorites in Perles D’or. On my eyes, I used the Dior Minaudiere in 002 Pink Golds which was gifted to me by Christine for Christmas 2010. On my cheeks, I used Jill Stuart Mix Blush Compact in 09 Little Bouquet, which is a soft rose-pink. On my lips, I used Guerlain Rouge G in 06 Garance which is a very pretty rose shade.

For my outfit, I wanted something glam but utilitarian. I wore a royal blue chiffon full length skirt from Forever 21 and my beloved Talula Babaton silk blouse. The skirt is an absolute steal from F21 for just $14.50 and the quality is not bad for that price. I love the colour, as it is a very rich royal blue. For shoes I wore Jeffrey Campbell Pixie booties.

Me and Michelle

As usual, I didn’t know what I was going to do with my hair, so I just gave it a quick straighten with my trust Hana flat iron and left it at that.

Lastly, a random photo of me and chef Anthony Sedlak with me posing with his book.

Review/Swatches: Revlon Colorstay 16-Hour Eye Shadow in 505 Decadent

The Colorstay 16-Hour Eye Shadow is a new line of eye shadows recently released by Revlon. They should be available in most stores that carry Revlon now. The palette I received is called 505 Decadent and it is comprised of a glittery milky pink (top left), a shimmery light blue pink (bottom left), a peach with sheen (top right), and a matte chocolate (bottom left).

On the back of the palette is a diagram of how you can wear the colours in this palette. I really like these diagrams because I find that they make the eyeshadow easier to use for beginners, and can also make more colourful palettes coordinate better on the eyelid.

In terms of pigmentation and the quality of these eyeshadows, I found them to be mediocre. Both pinks were sheer and lacking in pigmentation. The light glittery milky pink shade also caused fall-out, which is a concern because that shade is supposed to be the all-over lid shade in the palette. The peach was nice, and probably the best one in terms of quality in the palette. It wasn’t pigmented, but it was smooth and applied well compared to the other shades. The chocolate was a little chalky and also applied slightly streaky and not completely smooth. It works well as its intended purpose of liner shade, but other than that it might be a little hard to blend out.

Overall I would say this particular palette is a skip. If you’ve seen my photos from the media event from a few weeks ago, you will see that there are about a dozen different palettes you can choose from in this line so I’m sure you will find one that suits your colouring and also has better quality. These palettes should be priced around $13 depending on where you go.

Review: Revlon Colorstay Aqua Mineral Makeup

I’ve always refused to wear mineral foundation for reasons actually quite unknown. When I received the Colorstay Aqua Mineral Foundation from Revlon, I guess I had to try it for myself to see what all the fuss was about. I’m pretty glad I made the jump because I’m actually quite liking it!

What they claim:

NEW Colorstay Aqua™ Mineral Makeup delivers a burst of hydrating coconut water and an instant cooling sensation upon application. The result: your skin looks luminous and its texture smoother. With a shine-free formula that’s made with water, not oil, this lightweight powder gives you a fresh, flawless finish that lasts all day. Fragrance free and non-irritating.  Provides medium coverage in 8 beautiful shades, with SPF 13 protection.

Revlon Colorstay Aqua Mineral Makeup is a loose mineral foundation. It comes in a plastic jar with a screw-on lid and includes a synthetic foundation brush that clicks into place on top of the lid. You get 9.9 grams of product for about $17-18. It comes in eight different shades from Fair to Deep. The colour I received is Light Medium which is a perfect match for my NC25-ish skintone.

The powder is very light and buildable, but never cakey. The coverage is sheer and does not conceal any of my dark spots or freckles, but it does help to even out my skin and cover redness on my cheeks. I also found that my pores look smoothed out. There is visible shimmer in this powder, which may deter some people who want normally stray way from shimmer in base makeup, but the finish is matte; the shimmer is what makes it “luminous.” It contains SPF 13, which is not very high which means you will probably need to wear a sunscreen underneath. If you are wearing this out at night, the sun protection in it is enough to protect you from the lights and mild UV rays (yes there are UV rays from the lights), but won’t cause your face to be white in photographs. The first thing I noticed when applying this foundation that it feels cool on the skin, as in it feels like liquid. The concept is similar to MAC’s Magically Cool Liquid Powder in that it feels cooling on the skin.

The enclosed brush is very soft and feels great on the skin. As it is retractable, I can see myself using this as a travel foundation brush as it is so well made. The container design is also great. The holes to let the foundation out are not that big and allow for the perfect amount of powder to be released.

It wears fabulously, like I’m not wearing anything at all, it is that light! Oil control is mediocre, especially in the t-zone. After about 4 hours it pretty much disappears from my nose, so a touch up is required. On my forehead and chin, it starts to thin out by the 5th hour, but it lasts all day on my cheek area. In reality this product wasn’t meant for those with oily skin as it is a hydrating mineral foundation, but I thought to mention it anyways. I have dehydrated skin that gets oily mostly around my nose area, so I can still use this for the most part.

I like this foundation in general. I think it will be great for daytime wear when you need something that is natural and easy to apply (as you don’t need to blend it in like liquid foundation or some compact foundations), you’ll likely just need a sunscreen underneath. I like the luminous finish as it is not glittery or overwhelming. I also like that it is scent-free. The cooling touch makes it interesting to use, which is a nice touch. If you have oily or combination-oily skin, this product is not for you because of it’s lack in oil control. If you have dry-normal, normal, or normal-combination skin, then I recommend that you take a look at this.

Continue reading for more face shots, packaging photos, and ingredients list.

London Drugs x Revlon x Almay Media Event for Spring 2012 – Part 1!

I attended the Revlon and Almay media event held by London Drugs to showcase their new offerings for Spring 2012. I am super excited to show you these photos because most of these products are 100% new and never seen before. The event was held at Sugar Studios, which is a private photo studio near the East end of Downtown Vancouver.

First the important stuff, Revlon releases for Spring 2012! FYI you can click on all of these photos and see them in high resolution through my Flickr account.

You’ve probably all see the Lip Butters, which I was so excited and happy to see at the event. Look at all those colours…. I really like Sweet Tart and Berry Smoothie, both light to medium pink shades.

Some new base products to come out. There will be a mousse foundation joining the Photoready line called Photoready Airbrush foundation. This is a light fluffy mousse that turns into a light liquid that blends seamlessly into the skin. Two new primers will also be added, a Perfecting Primer, and a Color Correcting Primer. Lastly something that I was really excited to see: a blush/contour/highlight trio! Each trio contain a blush, a contour bronzing shade and a highlighter, perfect for on the go.

For eyes, Revlon has completely revamped their Colorstay Eye palettes. They are now sized corresponding to the usage amount. It comes in several variation to suit every type of skin and eye colour, as well as preferences. These new Colorstay Eyeshadow palettes are touted to last up to 16 hours with minimal fading. In addition, there is a 24-hour, long lasting cream eyeliner to be released as well. These cream eyeliners come in a pot with a screw on cap that includes a brush that pops out.

Lastly, the Colourstay Longwear Nail Enamels have also been given a revamp. These bottles designs look much more streamlined and modern, which I really like. It will be available in a plethora of colours.

Now here are some really random photos from the event, including some of Macnunu giving me the stank eye…

Michelle!

I thought this was super cool… a coffee machine that you stick a pod of coffee or milk in and then coffee comes out!! Makes individual cups and no filter changes or anything.

Lisa from Revlon/Almay showing us the new Lip Butters.

They invited chef Anthony Sedlak (from Food Network’s “The Main“)to come give us a cooking demonstration. We were also given signed copies of this book… I really want to try some of the recipes in it!

I received some goodies from the event that I will share and review with you after I’ve gotten a chance to try them. Thank you for reading!