L'Oreal True Match Foundation | New Formula [Review]

Ladies [and gentlemen], may I present you with my most favourite drugstore foundation to date: the L'Oreal True Match foundation. And this is a re-purchase! 

I got this bottle off Look Fantastic I think, so I don't know if they have this new bottle [and reformulation] on the Maltese stands.

There's quite a good shade range, so probably you'll find your perfect match. Mine is in Golden Beige, which I think is a tad too warm/too dark for my untanned skin, but I make it work.

Similarly to the old packaging, this also comes in a glass bottle with a handy pump, which dispenses a good amount of foundation. 

I also found that this newer formula is more liquid-y than the old one [or it just might be me]. As the packaging states, this is really super blendable - however I think that it is best to apply this with a stippling brush rather than with your bare hands [yes, I sometimes blend foundation with my hands] to get an airbrushed finish. Also, a little goes a long way - so it would be best to apply this a little at a time so that you can blend it easily [you'll see what I mean below]

Re: coverage - this is a medium coverage foundation which can easily turn to full coverage if you apply more than one layer [and you can do so without looking to caked up]. Having said that, I think that this new formula is more lightweight than the old version.

It doesn't really totally cover any redness, pigmentation or pimples - you would still need to use concealer to cover those up, but it does correct tone unevenness. 

The finish is neither dewy nor totally matte - it is somewhere in between - what I know is that it gives your skin a sort of healthy glow. However, I prefer to set this with a matte loose powder since I have combination/oily skin. Not only that, I think that setting this foundation is necessary in order to avoid having it melt off your face. 

I find that this does not make me super oily, but still over the day I find myself having to powder my nose to avoid excess shine. 

a really heavy swatch - oops!

In my opinion, this is one of the best drugstore foundations around, even though I do prefer the old formula to this one.

Love,

Lola

xxx

Lola Loves Sparkles International Giveaway! [Makeup | Thanks | December 2015]

Yay! It's time for another International Giveaway! It's been a year since my last one, and I thought that it was about time that I did another one. 

In this one I included some eyeshadows, blushers, and most importantly - some nude lipsticks!

Up for grabs are: 

Makeup Revolution Cream Blush in 'Wow!'

Essence Cosmetics Silky Touch Blush in 'Summer Dreaming'

NYX The Ultimate Pearl Eyeshadow in 'Ocean Pearl'

Catrice Ultimate Colour Lipstick in 'Nude-Tastic'

Essence Longlasting Lipstick in 'Only a Smile'

Essence Longlastic Lipstick in 'It's Nude Time!'

ELF Brightening Eye Colour Quad in 'Nouveau Neutral'

Makeup Revolution Pure Pigment in 'Rivalry'

TonyMoly Lip Scrub

You can enter this giveaway by using the Rafflecopter below, as simple as that! Only 3 entries are mandatory: Like my page on Facebook, follow me on Instagram and Leave a blog post comment. All the others are extra and some can be done daily to get you more chances of winning!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The giveaway will run from today till the 31st of January. I will announce the winner on a blog post and will send him/her an email, after which he/she will have 3 days to get back to me or I will have to choose another winner.

Good Luck!!

Love,

Lola

xxx

Skin Food Black Sugar Honey Wash Off Mask [Review]

It is a truth universally acknowledged that Koreans have some of the best face care products around. 

And so whenever I need any kind of masks or cleansers or anything else for that matter, I invariably turn to them.

This was also the case with this mask from Skin Food. It is called the Black Sugar Honey Mask Wash Off and I got it from HERE [I always use this seller, RubyRuby]

Like most of the Korean products, this also comes in simple, yet cute packaging. You get 100grms in a small tub with a screw on lid which has a honeycomb design.

As soon as you open it you can immediately detect the honey scent that this has. Good enough to eat! It is mixed with black sugar [both honey and black sugar are notorious for their feel good properties]

To use, you have to massage it on your cleansed, damp face, and leave it on for 10-15 mins.

What impressed me with this mask is that your skin is not left feeling dry or tight like with some other exfoliating based scrubs, but it felt very supple and moisturized.  

I guess that you can easily prepare a similar scrub [at a cheaper cost] at home, however this is a nice mask/scrub to own [if you're lazy].

Love,

Lola

xxx

Revlon ColorStay Foundation for Combination / Oily Skin [Review]

Let me start by saying that this Revlon ColorStay Foundation was one of the first ever foundations I had tried in my youth. I can easily remember my frustration at a lack of pump [or my lack of foundation brushes back then]. 

Anyway when I ran out of my L'Oreal True Match I decided to get this one instead [they have approximately the same price point in Malta, guessing between €16/18 a pop] 

I was pleased to see that there are two variations to this foundation: normal/dry and combination/oily. Of course I went for the latter. It is also available in a wide range of shades [20, if I'm not mistaken]

I got this around September and I chose the shade True Beige. Big mistake. This shade is extremely pink toned. And I'm olive and so this does not work well on my skin. What was I thinking?! Although it does look different under harsh lighting as opposed to natural lighting. In order to use it all up I will have to surely mix it with a BB cream or with a lighter foundation. 

Unlike other foundations, this does have a scent - to me it smells like old compact powders. 

It also has a very fast setting time - do not, and I repeat do not, dot this all over your face and expect to blend it. You have to apply this a bit at a time if you don't want to end up with streaky, unblended foundation. It does feel a bit sticky at first, but settles in quite nicely.

It gives a nice semi-matte finish and has normal coverage [which can turn to full coverage if you apply more than 1 layer]. It does not give a caked out look.

It has a slightly thick, quite runny consistency. 

Re: the 24hr longevity promise - I say blehhhh. I have yet to find a foundation which lasts that long - and in all honesty, who the heck wears foundation for 24hrs straight? Although it does wear for about 6/8 hours.

My main problem with this Revlon ColorStay Foundation is that it turns my face really really oily! No amount of setting powder can keep the oil at bay. Boo. 

I really just can't get they hype over this foundation! I will never re-buy and god knows when I'll finish this bottle up.

Have you ever used this foundation? Thoughts?

Lola

xxx

IMAGIC Flash Color Case Palette [EBAY | Review | Dupe]

A while back [I think it was around early October] Dyna [a local vlogger, check her out HERE] mentioned this IMAGIC Flash Color Palette in one of her Ebay Beauty Bargains, if I remember correctly. 

Of course, since I am an SFX makeup affecionada I just had to get this palette because 1) it looked like the MUF Flash Palette [which costs a whopping $99], and 2) I just couldn't resist owning a cream makeup palette.

I got this from HERE for around $16 including shipping.

It also comes in 2 other shades - a red/blue toned one which is also a MUF dupe [click HERE], or a concealer like one [check it out HERE]

So I just have to say that this IMAGIC palette is really really creamy and pigmented - no joke. When I first swatched this I just couldn't believe the amount of pigment that this has - even the silver and gold ones! What you see in the pan is truly what you get when swatched.

All the colours are easily picked up with a synthetic brush, and the colour payoff is amazing. They are super blendable as well - and they can be used in a multitude of ways:

1) You can use them on their own for normal facepainting

2) You can mix them with your foundation/concealer to get a custom shade

3) Use them for colour correction

4) Use them as an eyeshadow base

5) Use them as an eyeliner [but you would need to set them with an eyeshadow]

6) Use them as a lipstick

7) Use them as a blush

I believe that these are grease based paints, so you would need to set them with a powder in order for them not to slip and slide everywhere. However, they do last a long time - especially on the lips!

I truly think that if you are a makeup enthusiast, or you're just starting out as a Makeup artist, you should totally get this one.

Here is a bit of body painting [if I may call it that] which I did with this palette:

Until next time!

Lola

xxx

IMAGIC Liquid Lipsticks | Lip Paint | Ebay [Review]

You know how matte liquid lipsticks are all the rage [and have been all through 2015]. Different brands have come out with their own range, from high-end to low-end, from the good to the bad. 

It's always nice to find new products, especially when they're a bargain. And Ebay liquid lipsticks have been one of the latest bargain finds when it comes to liquid lipsticks. I have already reviewed and swatched some of the MeNow Generation liquid lipsticks [check out my review by clicking HERE], so when I stumbled across these IMAGIC Beauty Lipglosses [although they're anything but glossy] - I knew that I had to test them out. 

There are 12 shades in all, far less than the MeNow Generations ones, but the range is quite lovely.

I got shades 4, 9 and 11 from this seller HERE. They cost $2.59 / €2.30 including shipping.

They come packaged in standard lipgloss / liquid lipstick packaging - however the plastic is really thin and light, and you can definitely tell that it is a cheap product when you grab them.

They also have a standard applicator - [definitely not doe-foot] - this one is straight.

You get 8ml.

Unlike many other liquid lipsticks, these IMAGIC ones are not as thick, and have quite a runny consistency.

They also have quite a pleasant smell - nothing too overpowering, and definitely not plastic-y.

The applicator applies the product well, however I do think that it is best to use a lipliner before using these for a more precise application.

Since their consistency is on the thinner side, these can be easily layered, or mixed together [as my friend Dyna shows in her video here] without getting a flaky, cakey effect.

The drying time is a bit longer than more expensive liquid lipsticks, but this way you can take your time with the application, especially if you're going for an ombre lip.

You do have to keep your lips parted until fully dry for best results.

Once dry, they feel very comfortable on the lips - they feel like a thin sheath - and they're not at all sticky. It is best to prep your lips with a lipbalm and/or lipscrub before you apply these to achieve the best results possible. 

They are also very long lasting, but like other matte liquid lipsticks, they do break down when in contact with oil / oily food / etc. 

They're waterproof and kiss proof.

They also don't overly dry out my lips.

Love,

Lola

xxx

How to: Fix Broken Eyeshadows [Tutorial | DIY]

A while back my [very naughty] cat broke a couple of my Urban Decay eyeshadows: 2 from the Vice 3, and 1 from the Naked 3. Yes, the horror, the horror.

Usually when I manage to turn eyeshadows to dust I throw them away without second thoughts, but with these palettes - being my most loved [and most expensive ones too] - I just couldn't. 

So, with the help of a bottle of surgical spirit and a rusty hair clip, I managed to save them, hurrah!

Really, all you need to do is smash your already quite smashed eyeshadow [I did it in the pan to avoid making a mess] by using a metal tool, any kind will do. 

Then drop a couple of drops of surgical spirit [I think I used around 4-5 drops for each pan], mix it with your metal tool, and when you get a slightly wet consistency [careful, not too wet!], flatten the shadow with a wider tool [I used the back of a fork]

When you're done, leave to air dry. I promise that pigmentation will still be great afterwards! 

As good as new!

Hope you found this post helpful,

Love,

Lola

xxx