Does Your Face Have Expensive Taste?

Halo good sunday everyone! Buying makeup is slightly addictive isn't it? Until you check your bank balance at the end of the month and realize you're dead broke. I've seen the 'how much does your face cost' tag going around, and decided to find out how much my 'face' actually costs. I'm rather apprehensive because the items I like tend to veer to the more expensive range! Damn you face, why do you need so many products!

This is my everyday look, actually it's slightly more than what I wear to school but if I were to head to work or have a presentation this is what I would wear. There's no budget here for a more extravagant evening look!

Products used!

Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer (SGD$62) to cover dark acne marks, can also double up as a tinted moisturizer when mixed in with moisturizer though I tend not to like doing that.

Bobbi Brown Corrector in Light Peach (SGD$43) for my tedious dark circles.

NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer (SGD$42) to add coverage for my tedious dark circles and for blemishes on brighter areas of my face. Also used to brighten up my cheeks and nose.

Everyday Minerals Concealer in Pearl Pick Me Up (~SGD$16) as a highlighting powder for under my eyes and cheeks. Seems to have been discontinued, but this seems like the replacement.

Collection2000 ShimmerShades in Blushalicious (~SGD$8) as... blush.

MAC Paintpot in Nubile (SGD$10) to brighten up my lids and undereyes. I pretty much slap it on all round my eyes. SGD$10 because I got it in a sale! If not... I probably would use something else or not use anything at all. I'm cheap like that.

Jealousness Waterproof Eyeliner (SGD$15) most days to line the ends of my eyes, interchangeable with mascara or liquid liner. I'm not particular with what type of eyeliner I use as long as it stays on. Imma pro with all! I kid. Also, when I line my eyes, I'm too lazy to use mascara because it can't be seen anyway.

The Faceshop Faceit Designing Cake Eyebrow (SGD$12) is the only powder I've ever used for my brows and is not running out any time soon. Though with bangs, I feel like I can get away without doing them.

Revlon Lip Butter (SGD13) is a brilliant formula and I heart-eyes it. The usual price is SGD$15.90 which is a rip off and the drugstores have 20% or more sales pretty much all the time so only get it on sale.

Total Cost: SGD$221

Well, that's cheaper than I thought my face would be. Granted, I did not include a foundation, or setting powder, or setting spray (cheating) which would make the total cost nearer $300. If my $300 worth of make up lasted a year, each face would cost me $0.85! I could get a damn good kopi (coffee) from my uni's canteen for that price. Really makes you think doesn't it?

I think that what's more important though is whether my 85c face looks like it's worth 85c (haha, it better look worth more than that!). How much does your face cost and does it have expensive taste? Let me know!

P.S. All links provided in this post are for your clicking convenience only. I am not linked or affiliated to any of the stores.

Current Concealer Face

I have a confession to make. I am a concealer hoarder. I am fickle and unable to stay loyal to any one concealer and have enough concealer for many families. In order to use up my concealers, I have a face routine that consists of no foundation and all concealer. This works for my acne prone and scarred face, because it avoids slapping on a full face of foundation and spot covers instead.

If I could only live with 2 concealers, they would be the Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer (SX10) and the MAC Mineralize Concealer (NC30). Together, they manage to blur out most of my imperfections. If you've followed me for a while, you would know my great love for the SSE. The Kevyn Aucoin SSE is great for coverage and is very thick and creamy. When used with a tiny brush to spot cover, it can really look flawless. Used with fingers however, it can look unnatural on the skin if too much is used.

The MAC Mineralize Concealer has a thin liquid consistency, though not as liquid as the Pro Longwear Concealer. It has medium coverage and can really be built up without looking cakey but I use this mostly on lighter scars or redness. I tend to forget about this concealer sometimes because it does wear off during the day, but is something I always go back to when I'm in a rush. Great concealer that gets lost in all the hype about the other MAC concealers.

The little worn out stub in the top left of the picture is the MAC Studio Touch Up Stick (NC30). This was the very first concealer I have ever used (thanks mom!) and I've forgotten all about it till very recently. What I love about it is that it feels like the Studio Fix Concealer in a stick! I just draw and dot it where I need and it blends and covers like a dream. Sadly, it's discontinued so I've got my eye on the Urban Decay 24/7 Pencil Concealer...

Benefit's Fake Up (Medium) is a much newer purchase of mine and I'm still on the fence about it actually. I don't find that it works under the eyes (wrong colour, too greasy, gets into all the lines). It is however, very easy to just swipe onto my cheeks for great coverage and a non-drying formula. I tested this together with the Laura Mercier Concealers at Sephora and found that this had better coverage actually. Go figure. As this is a very slippery, glossy formula, SET SET SET WITH POWDER PEOPLE, or I guarantee you it will disappear.

The Bobbi Brown Tinted Eye Brightener (Light to Medium Peach), Bobbi Brown Corrector (Light Peach) and the Collection 2000 Concealer are my serious eye army. Depending on the coverage I need, I will use either of the Bobbi Brown products and if I feel like even more coverage, I will use the Collection 2000 Concealer. The creamy concealer has better coverage than the tinted eye brightener but it is also more obvious on the skin so it's really a preference. I do prefer the eye brightener with another liquid concealer over it for a more natural finish.

I would love to put my face up, but it's not doing too well and I'm not that confident yet so, hopefully the swatches help!

I think my concealer collection is rather expensive, but ultimately, like foundation, the quality and colour match makes up for the price. For skin like mine (ie blemish prone and not blemish free) a colour match is important because I am unable to sheer concealers out to blend into my skintone. Ease of application is also very important to me. So, what are your everyday concealers and criteria?

Weekly Favourites #3

Halo happy thursday! I apologize I missed last week's favourites because I had just seen the dermatologist and could not use any of my own products on my face. I'm seeing encouraging results (NO MORE COMEDONES or actually maybe like 5 left but it's something!~~~) and I will blog about it if I'm happy with the experience.

Since I was not allowed to use any of my own skincare products, and also I haven't been out of my house (and pjs) much, I was really cracking my head as to what to write about. What you shall see here are not just just weekly favourites, but products that I tend to swing back to every once in a while.

On a side note, how cute is this case! It's got whales and polka dots! I can't even bear to use it, so I leave it around looking pretty.

This Collection 2000 Concealer of mine has been thrown around so much that the brand has completely rubbed off. I have shade 3 which doesn't nearly have enough yellow tones for me to use, but I love to use it under my eyes and in lighter areas of my face. It conceals, conceals, and conceals! I use it on top of the Bobbi Brown Peach corrector and it doesn't crease and doesn't look cakey and is just so easy to use. Just dab dab dab and blend it with a powder brush. This concealer has my favourite consistency of all time - it's not too watery (like the MAC Pro Longwear) and doesn't dry up too fast (MUFE Full Cover I'm looking at cha'), it's just creamy and easy like that. I wish I had a perfect shade to use all over my face.

The second BB cream that I've found that matches a nc30-35 skintone would be the Hada Labo BB Whitening Cream with SPF32. For some reason, until today I've always assumed this had SPF50. Yikes. Anyway, the colour of this BB cream is great. It is definitely yellow toned, not beige or pink or grey. It is of a rather thin consistency, making it really easy to blend all over the face. It's coverage properties are not ace like the KATE BB Cream, more of a light to medium coverage. For a brand famed for moisture properties, this didn't cut it for me in that department, but works well in conjunction with a moisturizer. I always go back to this when I don't want to use foundation because this is extremely lightweight on the skin and fast to use, oilier skinned people can even skip moisturizer with this!

I have an extreme love-hate relationship with the Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer. I love it because it's so extremely pigmented, but I also hate it because the shade I have is only perfect for my forehead, but just a smidgen too dark for the rest of my face such that it makes me look muddy!!! However, that's also a good thing because wearing this all over the face does feel rather heavy, and I don't find it to ever totally set (gets into my laugh lines). I have an intense load of scars on my forehead from the comedones, and this concealer/pigment/whatever you call it, is so creamy and pigmented it covers the scars so nicely. It is my only concealer that can cover those scars and I love it for that. It does not look as great on dry skin as it does catch onto flakes, but it is definitely a moisturizing concealer. This is probably the most pigmented concealer on the market.

This last item is a new favourite. I got the Etude House Juicy Pop Tube at a sale near the MRT one day. I think it must've been all of 3bucks. I thought that with the price and the looks of the tube that this would be one of those 90% transparent kind of glosses. Boy I was SO wrong. This goes on with quite an oomph! It is barely sticky and really does have a nice shine that makes lips look fuller. Cheapo in me is like SCORREEEEE!

So there you have it, the products that I usually use on my outdoor face. Let me know if you like the products too!

Base Routine

FOTD? I was experimenting with a new way to achieve a lighter base routine but still achieve the maximum coverage. Today I stumbled upon this application which though quite time consuming, I like the way it looks and feels.

I will be posting up images from the web as I'm too lazy to take my own.

Prep:

Hada Labo Lotion

Works as a toner, also quite moisturizing and light. For me it's not moisturizing enough, that's why I top it off with another moisturizer.

Garnier Whiten & Even Moisturizing Cream spf 17/pa++

Gives an instant brightening effect, especially for paler girls. For me it makes my face quite white. However I think that this moisturizer does work quite well for scars and pigmentation, that's why I use it.

Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Mousse Water Base spf 50+/pa+++ (need so many + a not...)

Sunblock. My mom always told me to use sunblock. I never listened. Now I have pigmentation and am very sad. Love this sunblock. Absolutely love the texture. Super light!

Olivia by CCS eco Eye Cream with Organic Olive Oil (bought in Sweden)

Bought this in Sweden because I had no eye cream and I was developing wrinkles under my eyes. This was the cheapest at their drug store because they have 25% (yeah you read that right) tax on all skincare. Quite a light and nice eye cream, doesn't do much for the wrinkles but decent for day time use. Use a light eye cream and not a heavy one because eye creams are what causes your concealer to move and mascara/eyeliner to smudge.

Base:

Skin79 Super+ Beblesh Balm

1. Use Skin79 BB Cream as a base/primer. I use this to cover up my pores to give a smoother surface to work on. It also provides decent coverage for areas that are red.

Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer

2. This is a product that can be used as a foundation, however, I haven't had it long enough to find out how to work with it as it is AMAZINGLY pigmented. It is also slightly darker than my skin tone (matches my neck but my natural face is alot lighter than my neck so I cannot stand it being so dark), and since it's so pigmented it looks unnatural. In any case, this has no silicones or fillers so when on the skin it looks like skin. I use this to conceal any blemishes or pigmentation. If you do not own this, use a concealer that is slightly darker than your skin tone to conceal, then blend the edges out very well.

Kate Covering Concealer for Under Eyes

3. Use a peach concealer for under eye rings. Kate Covering Concealer is not bad, doesn't really crease for me. Squeeze some onto hand and slowly use a finger to dab it under the eyes. Work in thin layers so that it won't crease rather than putting on a lot at once and blending out. Can also be used to brighten up the area under eye/eyebags for a Kim Kardashian look.

Ginvera Green Tea Nude Cover BB Cream

4. Face should look slightly odd now, with patches of dark concealer and peach concealer. No fear, use Ginvera Green Tea BB Cream and dab over the dark spots, blending it into the rest of the face. Also put some on top of (if necessary) or around the peach areas and blend. 

Rest of face:

e.l.f All Over Colour Stick in Spotlight

I use this as a highlighter for my nose. Cream products generally work well with a cream base. Do not ever use this on powder base, will cause powder to ball up/shift.

NYX Rouge Cream Blush in Natural

Mentioned in review below.

L'oreal Super Liner 

Got this as a free gift and it works quite well. I use this to line my eyelid. Using another lighter pencil in black, lightly line the waterline. Not too intense. Then using an angled brush/flat brush, get a brown eyeshadow (or just use eyebrow pencil haha) to fill in the little corner space under the outer corner of the eye. This will really elongate the eye. Will do a proper tutorial soon.

Finish off with a lipbalm/lip colour if you like. I use the EOS lipbalm, very minty. I practically eat it. 

This base procedure does take quite long if you have many spots/scars like me because it's based on concealing mostly the spots and keeping the rest of the face relatively free of products. I really like it because I don't get the unnatural look that comes with using heavy coverage foundations. I also prefer this over powders because for some reason, I always picture powder particles army crawling their way into my big pores and refusing to get out. If you haven't already realized, the above routine is ALL cream/liquidy products. I hope this helps someone who needs as much coverage as I do and still wants to look normal, but if not, hope it helps anyway!

Oh, DO NOT take any pictures with this routine on. YOU WILL HAVE A WHITE FACE. There are 4 products in this routine that have spf. One of them being spf 50 with many + signs. Yes I am that paranoid. Okay no I'm not, it just so happens. 

If I am not clear enough, here are the tutorials that I have adapted my own routine from. I really like the 2nd girl!

Enjoy!