Primer Showdown

          As I had mentioned in an earlier post I have declared war on my oily skin. I won my first battle when I picked up some Clinique skin care products, I will link that down below. My next mission is primers. I bought four to try out in hopes the would be able to help me fight my oily skin. I wanted to start with drugstore products in hopes of finding the perfect primer without making my wallet cry.

          In order we have Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer, Gosh Velvet Touch Foundation Primer in Classic, Hard Candy Sheer Envy Shine Free Primer, and Rimmel London Stay Matte Primer. I will give you some information about each one, the price, where I got it and why and then give a little review. At the end I will rank each of them 1-4, 1 being the best obviously. 

Smashbox Profinish Foundation Primer.  Full Size $40

          I decided to give this one a try because I have heard so many people on YouTube or different blogs talk about this like it is gelly gold. I did not want to drop forty bucks on it without trying it first so I bought a kit with a few different products from Smashbox in trial sizes. I will link that haul at the end of this post. It is oil free which is great because I have enough of that on my face already. The main focus of this primer is to reduce fine lines and reduce pores so it is not specifically for oil control but it is supposed to make your make up last longer. This primer has won tons of awards including the Sephora Award for Best Primer, one of Marie Claire's "25 Products That Will Change Your Life", an InStyle Best Beauty Buy and Martha Stewart Wedding Big-Day Beauty Awards Winner in 2013.

My Review: I am not one to go against Martha, she is a bad bitch who knows her shit, but this primer was complete crap. At least for me it was, my make up slid all around on my face to the point I could not even blot because it moved all my makeup around. I gave it many chances with different foundations, with and without lotion underneath and on days that required different makeup needs but it failed everyday. One day I wore it to work in the restaurant and near the end of my shift I just took all my makeup off because I looked terrible. I would say this actually made my makeup wear away faster and look worse while it was on my face. I will say that initially the clear gel went on really smooth, made my skin soft and my makeup went over it well. I gave this away to my sister I hope it will work for her, I mean it has won so many awards so it has to work for someone. 

Princess's Review: My sister said she did like it, that it was light and made her made her makeup last

Gosh Velvet Touch Foundation Primer in Classic   $25

          This was recommended to be by a woman in the Shoppers Boutique place, I told her I had oily skin and was considering trying the Smashbox primer but was not loving the price. I feel like she missed the part where I said I wanted a primer specifically for oily skin, this is the classic formula; maybe they have an oily skin formula. The bottle says "...is a perfect base for all makeup. It fills in fine lines and deep pores in the skin, creating a uniform, matt and silky soft surface" It is clear and about the of a gel consistency 

My Review: this was very similar to the Smashbox primer both in formula and effectiveness. The Gosh primer took a couple hours more to melt off my face but was still a disappointment. I did like how it felt going on and my skin looked smoother instantly. By the time I was halfway through my day my foundation was patchy and sliding around my face. I was going to just toss this but since it looked so nice by itself I think I will use it alone when I go to the gym to at least get some use out of it. 


Hard Candy Sheer Envy Shine Free Primer    $7.98
          I just saw this in Walmart and decided to give it a try since it said it will control shine for a matte finish. The back of the tube says : "Prevents oil build up and reduces sine while reducing the need for foundation touch ups. Lightweight primer is suggested for oily, sensitive or problem prone skin"

My Review: I had high hopes for this one since it was meant for oily skin, it had creamy texture and felt nice enough going on. My makeup did not slide around like the first two, it stayed put fairly well but I did have a lot of oil and shine, blotting was a must. Wearing a day lotion or serum underneath this one was impossible. I will use this but I will check to make sure to put blotting sheets in my bag.

 Rimmel London Stay Matte Primer    $9.99

           Another Walmart purchase, you can use this alone, under or over makeup to create a matte complexion that controls shine for eight hours.

My Review: I picked this up because I had tried the foundation from this line and found it was pretty decent for my oily skin. The formula was a little thicker, more like a cream. My foundation looked so natural on top of this. I did still have to blot a little after six or seven hours but there was not as much oil as the rest of the primers above. So while it did not solve all my problems it did perform a miracle: my foundation actually looked good under the fluorescent lights in the basement office! I will keep wearing it just for that. I did find that putting a little of the primer over top of my foundation but under powder did help control shine for a little bit of extra time.

The final standings:

4. SmashBox 

3. Gosh           

2. Hard Candy

1. Rimmel        

None of these were outstanding, I will keep using the Hard Candy and Rimmel primers under my foundation and the maybe the Gosh primer alone for the gym.

I will keep trying new primers and let you know what I think.

Thanks for reading!

A.

@dirty_cupcake

The HUGE drugstore haul where I got some of the primers

HUGE Drugstore Haul April 2015

          I did way too much shopping, some from Target and some from Shoppers and I am super excited about every item. You may want go grab a coffee or a beer because this is going to be a long one. 

Swatches are below the descriptions in the same order pictured. 

          With the exception of the first lipstick all this is from Target. This would cost over seventy dollars and I paid fifteen dollars! How could I possibly pass that up?! 

Essence Long Lasting Lipstick in Wear Berries    $3.49

          This is a brand I never really looked at, it seemed cheap so beyond clear brow gel I never tried anything from Essence. This lipstick is so creamy, has great coverage and just sits so well on my lips, with out any goopyness. I have used much more expensive lipsticks that I have liked less, eventually I will pick up some other colours, I think I have enough for now. 

L'Oreal 6h Infallible Lipliner in Pink and Coral  $8.99 regular price

          These do not go on as smoothly as I would like but they look lovely on. I do not have many lipliners and I want to start using them under my more sheer lipglosses to give them a bit more colour and staying power. If this lasts anywhere near as long as the Infallible lipstick it is going to be my new favorite thing. The Coral one is more of a brown tinted pink than what I would consider to be coral. 

Annabelle Metalic Lipliner in Sparkle   $3.69 regular price 

          I would not normally pick up a metalic lipliner but at 80% off of that price why not. I'm glad I did because it looks perfect under the Julep gloss I included in my project pan. It doesn't go on very creamy but once the gloss goes on top it feels very moisturizing. 

Annabelle Twist Up Retractable Lipstick Crayon in Mimosa and Bubble  $8.59 regular price 

          I love these, very creamy and smooth. They both look great alone and with gloss over top. I feel like they would have pretty decent staying power. 

Sonia Kashuk Velvety Matte Lip Crayon in Coraly Nude    $7.59 regular price 

          I also love this, velvety matte crayons do not usually look right on me but this is beautiful! It also makes a great base for the Julep gloss. 

NYX Mega Shine Lip Gloss in Frosted Beige   $7.99 regular price 

          I would not use this by itself, I have a hard time finding nude lipcolors that work for me. At first I was disappointed by this but when I layered it over the next product I fell in love. I think this gloss would work over the L'Oreal lipliner in coral. 

NYX Lipstick in Honey   $5.99 regular price 

          I have two other lipsticks in this line and love both of them. This one I would not be able to pull it off by itself but paired with the NYX gloss it looks beautiful. I am more hesitant to wear a nude lip than a bright red or pink, I am excited to give this look a try. 

Maybelline Super Stay 14 hour lipstick in Fushia    $2.69 is the price on the receipt but I thought they were more expensive than that. 

          If I remember correctly my cousin (that is you Em) loves this brand of lipstick so I picked it up for her. She can not say enough good things about it. It has amazing staying power, rich colour and all without drying your lips. It also smells nice which is strange. 

NYX Studio Liquid Liner in Plum Purple   $6.99 regular price 

          I have said it before and will say it again: I am hopeless at liquid eyeliner. I am so very willing to give it a shot for this beautiful colour. 

Aren't they all beautiful?! 

         Ok. Break time, go pee and get a snack. I will wait. 

Smashbox Try it Kit   $22 

          Happy Easter to me! I have never heard anything bad about Smashbox, other than the prices are too high. Included in this kit are sample sizes of:

Photo OP Eye Shadow Trio in Filter 

           It's is such a cute little eyeshadow! I like the packaging, it just swings out of the cover. This would be perfect for tossing in a purse or traveling. The shadows go on smooth and blend well together. I love the darkest colour, it is perfect for the crease or blending out for a smokey eye

Vanilla, Sable and Sumatra 

24 Hour Photo Finish Shadow Primer 

          "A shadow primer that locks on more vibrant colour for a full 24 hours with no fading, creasing, or smudging." I have slightly greasy eyelids so creasing is sometimes a problem for me. The sample should last a long time since you only need such a small amount and it is  so creamy. I am pretty excited about this product. 

Full Exposure Mascara

          I would not say this is the most volumizing formula but it goes on very easily, lengthens and with no clumping or flaking whatsoever. Very pretty but I have mascaras I prefer over this. I think I am going to only use sample size mascaras from now on, that way I can have all different kinds and still use them up before they go bad.

Photo Finish Foundation Primer 

          I have heard so many good things about this primer. I did not want to drop $40 on it without trying it first. I just want to find a primer that can fight my oily skin. 

          This is the last bunch I swear. Stay with me. 

KT Elastic Sports Tape   $12.99

          I have a busted shoulder that didn't get treated or taken care of in time to heal properly so sometimes I need to be taped together. This stuff is a life saver. I have never tried this brand but have read some good reviews and I sincerely hope it lives up to them. 

Quo Make-Up Removing Wipes    $12 

           These are certainly in the top five of all the makeup wipes I have tried. They took off waterproof eye makeup like nothing. Shoppers had the regular wipes packaged with the little pink pack of eye makeup remover wipes. These are perfect for my gym bag, purse or the days of heavy eye makeup. 

Maybiline Fit Me Concealer in Light   $9.99 on sale 

          I realized I have no concealer, too bad I couldn't get some before my skin cleared up. This is the perfect colour for me. I have a hard time finding concelers that are are the right colour and still have full coverage, I am too pale apparently. 

Gosh Velvet Touch Foundation Primer    $23 

           I am hoping I like this better than the Smashbox primer since it is nearly half the price. The lady in the Beauty Boutique reccomended it for oily skin. It really does feel like velvet when I swatch it on my hand. 

Maybiline Dream Wonder Powder in Porcelain Ivory    $15.49

           I love this powder, this is the second or third time I have repurchased this. It just sets my makeup so perfectly without looking cakey, on a low key day I skip the foundation and just go for the powder. 

          Ok I lied to you. I have one more product but it is a quick one. 

Neutrogena Healthy Skin Boosters Daily Cleanser    

           I bought this after I tried another Neutrogena cleanser that Momma has. It removes makeup easily, cleans away oil and does not leave my skin dry. I love the cleanser I have (Bioré Charcole Cleanser) but it was drying out my skin. I think I will make this cleanser my daily and use the Bioré one once or twice a week. 

        That is it for real this time. I am so excited to try these products out, if they work out they may make it to a favourites/top 5 post. Either way they will be in the empties eventually. 

Thanks for reading!

A.

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@dirty_cupcake

          

Product Raider  - Check out the products I helped myself to while I was creature sitting for my family

Products I Want to Use Up - February 2015

          I have so many candles and I just bought three of the new scents from Bath and Body Works so I am forcing myself to use these ones up before I start burning the new ones regularly. From right to left I have Pumpkin Spice, Bergamont Woods, Fireside, Clean Linen, Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin. I have the Pumpkin Spice on a candle warmer now but I think the scent is mostly gone as it does not seem to be putting out much of a scent. Maybe I am just used to the wonderful candles from Bath and Body Works. The Fireside candle is amazing and I may put it aside for next fall/winter so I can fall completely in love with it again. I really want to use up my fall/winter scents before I pull out the spring/summer candles so I do not have to store them. Not that winter is showing any signs of easing as we have a blizzard on the way in a couple days.

          I have had this L'Oreal toner for YEARS, I rarely use toner just because I an lazy. I think I can use this up fairly quickly if I actually remember to use it. The toner is a good product, my skin does feel clearer and smoother after using it. 

          I want to use the Tea Tree Foaming Cleanser because I have two bottles that are almost empty. I do like this cleanser but I have not been using it much as I have fallen head over heels for the Charcoal Cleanser from Biore. I use the Tea Tree Cleanser once a week or if my skin breaks out heavily as it is a good product to use to clear up blemishes however it is a little drying for dry winter skin. Because I was so impressed by the cleanser I bought the Tea Tree Gel for blemishes. I do not like it at all. I do not find it does anything for me at all. I am sure it is slightly beneficial so I will use it up but I will not repurchase. 

          Something else I have a foolish amount of is perfume. I do not think I will really "use up" the Bath and Body Works products, they are more so a product I want to focus on. Each scent is lovely and I do not want them to go bad. The White Citrus is a clean, fresh scent that is almost masculine but still flirty enough to be feminine. The Merry Marshmallow is a lovely holiday scent, sweet and light. One of my favorite winter scents. I do not know how much progress I will make as I can not wear scents to work but we will see. The little sample I got from Sephora (I think) and is the Dolce perfume from Dolce and Gabbana. It smells so sophisticated, I wish I had somewhere fancy to wear it but for now it works great with my jammies.

          Here we have a couple moisturizers. The first is a sample from Cailyn Cosmetics and I love their lip colours. This is the Water Drops Cream and is a very light, quick absorbing face cream. At first I though it would not take too long to use as it is a little sample tube but has lasted much longer than I first thought it would.

          The Julep Rock Star Hand Cream was in my last products to use up post and I have not really made any progress. It is a lovely cream, Julep has a long complicated  description of why it is the be all end all of hand creams. I like the scent but it is rather strong and perfumey so I do not bring it with me so I forget I have it sometimes.

          This GOSH lipstick in Cappuccino was the very first nude lip colour I ever bought and likely one of the first lipsticks I had ever bought; which is kind of gross but I am over it. It is a nice colour and so creamy and moisturizing. I only stopped using it because I moved on to other colours and it got buried in my collection.

           The little pot is a sample from K&N Body Butter that I got from Madame Ladybug. This is a terrible body butter, it is oily and grainy at the same time. I washed my hands immediately after I put it on. This makes an excellent lip conditioner though, I can't decide if is that is gross or not but that is what I am using it for. It is Candy Cane scented and instantly makes dry winter lips feel conditioned and smooth. 

          I am pretty sure I have mentioned the Elizabeth Mott It's So Big mascara before. It is my everyday mascara and is just so lovely. You can use one layer for your everyday look or put a couple more coats for extra length and thickness. I have a back up and this one is getting close to its expiry date.

          This Protein BB Cream is from an Ipsy bag and while it did not transform my hair into a magical mane it is a a solid hair product. I use it to fight frizz and I find it helps keep style when I wear it straight.

           This is just a simple hand sanitizer from Bath and Body Works. I am not a fan of the scent and I have others that I prefer so this got pushed to the back. It was in my last products to use up post, not much progress and I am not overly optimistic I will make much progress before my next post.

Thanks for reading!

A.