April 2015

Saturday, April 18, 2015

Rimmel London Lasting Finish Foundation --- putting through the test

Rimmel London Lasting Finish 25 hr Foundation

**Quick Decision Facts**

Applied beautifully and evenly with fingertips
Full coverage
Leaves skin with a flawless effect, hiding imperfections
Ultra smooth feel
Extremely comfortable wear
Did not irritate my sensitive skin
Serum really seemed to smooth things out & kept skin from drying during the day without becoming oily

Ruling

Rimmel London's website says this is an "Instant perfect coverage that feels extra comfortable and lasts all day" and

"Lasting Finish 25 Hour Full Coverage,our first long wear foundation with comfort serum for feel good, flawless skin that stays put morning to night.
Stay-true makeup applies smoothly and evenly, concealing dark circles and imperfections.
Leaves skin looking flawless all day long.
Transfer resistant for up to 25 hours.
New skin-friendly comfort serum for instant hydration, lightweight and extra comfortable wear all day.
Vitamin E helps provide additional skin barrier from free radicals"

Real Chick's Ruling: I can't vouch for 25 hrs, but I can for 11 hrs! And I have to say, it remained the same coverage throughout that 11hrs (the only reason I look a bit shiny is because my dumb butt forgot about testing out the foundation and put on an SPF, and SPF's and flash photography are not friends!*Side note: do not wear an SPF on your wedding day, or any photo day) All other claims are true!!!

1) First applied 2) 6 hrs later 3) 5 hrs later = 11 hrs total

Report

This has been my 'go-to' foundation for almost a month now. It doesn't seep or settle into fine lines and I find I only have to use under eye concealer because it conceals pretty much everything else. It stays comfortable throughout the wear, I never feel any type of irritation or just that feel we all get sometimes at the end of the day when the only thing we need to do is "get this crap off my face!" Yep, didn't experience that with this foundation which is a big plus for me!

I put it through the ultimate test the last week, my husband and I rode our motorcycle to the beach. So, not only did it last through an 8 hr ride(going and back home), but it lasted through a bit of a rain shower, sweat, humidity, ocean and your basic after 'beachy' gunk feel. *I wore Neutrogena's Ultimate shield SPF70 sunscreen under it, and did NOT get burned, which is a miracle for me with a day at the beach! Review coming soon!*

I highly recommend to try this foundation out, I believe dry to combination skin types would benefit from it the best. If you are more oily prone, I would say try topping it with a matte finishing powder, as it has a serum in it which gives a fresh dewy but not shiny look.

Thank you for checking out this review!!! Please check out our other reviews on here and our Facebook Page for more goodies! Also, getting a pretty awesome pile started for give-aways, but need to get a few more likes on FB and on here before I can start, so C'mon! share this post! Who doesn't like free stuff!!?!?

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~All products shown, mentioned, or reviewed are purchased by me. I will ALWAYS give my complete honest answer! Just a reminder: We are all different, so what works for one may not work for someone else or vice-versa

Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Oils for your face!?....don't be shy! They're actually great!!!

Oils for your face!? Say it ain't so!

No, it's not anything new, but most people (me included) tend to shy away from oils because we automatically think, greasy, break outs, and clogged pores. But that's with mineral oils!

I learned that facial oils actually revive your skin! Giving a healthy glow, smooths out fine lines and wrinkles, helps with acne(wait, what!?), helps with oily skin(again, what!?), AND hydrates hydrates hydrates!!
I jumped feet first into the oil craze 2weeks ago after some major months of research and I have to say, until you actually use it, you will not believe it!

I have been using Josie Maran's Pure 100% Argan oil and immediately my skin looked healthier and had a glow. Ofcourse there was a bit of shine, but hey it's a freakin' oil people! I recommend using this at night, it soaks into your skin, and gives you truly radiance in the morning! I know we hear that about a lot of products, but this really does, and did not break out my sensitive skin. It has helped with dryness from these winter months and also from starting a retinol. But also has not made my oily areas even more oily. It's actually balanced and calmed my skin.

Facial oils come in all different types that cater to your needs: oils for oily prone or dry skin, oils for more mature skin for extra plumpness,oils that help with discoloration & scars, the list could go on.

Benefits of using oils:

Most face oils are natural, so they nourish the skin with antioxidants and fight free radicals
Being natural also means they are gentle
Oils are lipophilic (fat loving) they pass through the lipid layer of the skin faster, preventing water loss and plumping skin with moisture
Diminishes fine lines and wrinkles because of the ability to plump the skin
Treats acne prone skin
Reduces oil production
Hydrates dry skin
Excellent way to get vitamins quickly into the skin

Oils benefit all skin types! Oily, Dry, Combo, and sensitive!

*If you're oily and acne prone: this actually works with your skin, because technically your skin is dry so your body is making more and more oil because you’re overdrying it. If you’re not giving your skin any oils, it’s working overtime to create its own, hence the heavy oil production. As soon as you add oil to your skin regiment, it will calm down, heal, and produce less oil.

*If you're more dry prone: this is amazing giving you an extra boost of hydration! Facial oil is crucial for stopping the cycle of dry skin.

How to use:

As said above, I recommend using an oil at night, not only for the over-night effect but also, when mixing an oil with your daytime sunscreen the oil could dilute the SPF protection.

When applying, you want to use the oils AFTER your moisturizer!!! because the oil creates a barrier that's sealing the moisturizer into the skin and not making the air dissipate it. If applied before, your moisturizer wouldn't be able to get through the oils, therefore defeating their purpose.

Apply oils by patting, not rubbing! Rubbing will just combine your moisturizer and oil together, but patting actually puts it on top to seal in everything.

How to choose an oil for you:

**Higher-priced oils are less refined, less (if at all) processed, and are purer. Less-expensive oils can have additives, byproducts of refining, and even bleaching processes. Less-processed means better quality oil, so basically with oils you get what you pay for.
BUT the good news is you only need a tiny bit, so it lasts for quite awhile!

Here are seven skin care oils that are the most popular, and they come highly recommended by experts!

**If you have normal dry skin or occasional dry spots, your skin will benefit from ANY oil (obviously except Grapeseed). So no need to worry about which one is best for that purpose, look for other things you would like to benefit from. (Helpful hint if you're dry or you just don't have any other special skin-care needs; I would say get the Argan oil! Not only are you hydrating your skin, but as an extra perk, you're keeping it from aging.)

Now, for EXTREMELY dry skin:
*When saying extremely dry, I'm talkin' super dry, like, 'I've been outside in the desert and/or Antarctica for a week' dry. !!!*
Experts have said Extra Virgin Olive Oil helps. You only need a TINY bit (and make sure you cleanse your face the next morning), but says it does wonders for incredibly dry skin.

Grapeseed Oil:
Best For: Oily skin
Grapeseed oil actually helps regulate your natural oil production. Plus, it has a ton of antioxidants, including the skin-brightening vitamin, vitamin C.

Tea Tree Oil:
Best For: Acne
Studies have found that using 5% tea tree oil is as effective at treating acne as using 5% benzoyl peroxide. Dermatologists recommend it because it is a gentle, natural alternative to harsher acne treatments. Best used as spot treatment.

Argan Oil:
Best For: Anti-Aging
This very rare oil contains a high concentration of vitamin E and fatty acids. Vitamin E is an antioxidant that protects your skin from premature aging and repairs damaged skin. Argan Oil is more stable in sunlight than other oils, so you're safe to wear it during the day if you chose to, without the worry of getting overly burned/exposed.

Chamomile Oil:
Best For: Sensitive/Irritated Skin
This oil soothes redness and irritation in seconds; it has amazing anti-inflammatory properties that make it ideal for people with rosacea.

Black Currant Oil:
Best For: Skin Repair
This oil is great for after a laser treatment, too much time in the sun, or even from wind-burned. It's an amazing repair treatment because it's rich in fatty acids and has anti-inflammatory properties. It even works on eczema!

Dilo Oil:
Best For: Firming
This is rich in omegas 3, 6 and 9, which plump up fine lines and give skin a fuller look.

Rose Hip Seed Oil:
Best For: Discoloration (from scaring or uneven skin tone)
It contains: essential fatty acids, an antioxidant (vitamin C), and a natural retinol (vitamin A). It's ideal for protecting your skin as well as increasing cell turnover.

Even though this wasn't a review, I still hope you enjoyed getting some information to better your skin. I seriously say try it out, you will never know if you'll love it without trying it!

Thank you for checking out this post, if you would like more info on skin care you can go Here! And please check out our other posts & reviews!

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Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Foundation Dupes: Drug store VS High End

Happy April 1st!

No, this isn't an April Fools joke, but thought it would be appropriate to do a 'dupes' post on some foundations. Now, if you're thinking "what the crap is she talkin' about!?" Lol, it's ok, dupes are the cheaper equivalent to a high end product. A lot of the time, you get the exact/almost exact color, consistency, finish,&look with a drugstore price.

I have been playing with high end makeup these past few days and trying to find what drug store foundation gives the same/almost the same feel, finish, & overall look. I was not disappointed in my findings! I found a drugstore foundation I actually like better than the high end one!

So starting off with my favorite dupe:

Hourglass Immaculate Liquid Powder Foundation Mattifying Oil Free

$55

**Quick Decision Facts**

Applied beautifully with fingertips
Blended like a dream, didn't need any tools - just fingertips
Gave a true flawless finish
Full coverage
Had great staying power!

1) First applied 2) 3 hours later 3) 4 hours later 4) 3 hours later = 10 hrs total wear

Rimmel London Lasting Finish 25 hr Foundation

$6.99

**Quick Decision Facts**

Applied beautifully and evenly with fingertips
Full coverage
Leaves skin with a flawless effect, hiding imperfections
Ultra smooth feel
Extremely comfortable wear
Did not irritate my sensitive skin
Serum really seemed to smooth things out & kept skin from drying during the day without becoming oily

Ruling

Rimmel London's website says this is an "Instant perfect coverage that feels extra comfortable and lasts all day" and

"Lasting Finish 25 Hour Full Coverage,our first long wear foundation with comfort serum for feel good, flawless skin that stays put morning to night.
Stay-true makeup applies smoothly and evenly, concealing dark circles and imperfections.
Leaves skin looking flawless all day long.
Transfer resistant for up to 25 hours.
New skin-friendly comfort serum for instant hydration, lightweight and extra comfortable wear all day.
Vitamin E helps provide additional skin barrier from free radicals"

1) First applied 2) 6 hrs later 3) 5 hrs later = 11 hrs total

These two are the only ones I have put through the claims test so far, the others were just to see what felt, looked, and wore like each other.

Dupes

*Each high-end foundation had the same texture, feel, wear, look, etc. as the drugstore version. Some with only slight differences & some were the exact same.*

Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk CoverGirl NatureLuxe liquid silk