MAC Wash & Dry High-Light Powder: Hot or Not?

MAC just released their Wash & Dry collection that most people were excited about, including myself. How can you not be though? The packaging is absolutely beautiful! I love MAC collections! The limited edition packaging always gets me (but of course I buy products that I will use)! However, the collections this year just weren't that appealing to me! The packaging for most collections were gorgeous, but the product itself just didn't get my attention. I felt like I already had dupes of them, so I passed on most of them, besides the Toledo collection where I just purchased the blush. However, the Wash & Dry collection I made a list. There were a few products that I wanted, but when I got to MAC and saw them in person, I wasn't  impressed. The only thing that always had my attention was the highlighter and that was the only product I ended up purchasing from this collection!

High-Light Powder in Freshen Up

As mentioned, the packaging is absolutely gorgeous (so summery)! You can purchase it at any MAC counters and even online, however most of the products from the collection are getting sold out! It comes with 9g of product and it costs $41CAD, which is pretty expensive.

Another look at the product

The name of the shade is Freshen Up. It's a unique highlighter that features a gradation of 3 shades: coral, peach and banana (light yellow/light gold). This means you can use the shades individually or blend the 3 shades together for a warm peachy color with a hint of reddish orange  tone to it. Since it's color blocked, you can deepen up the highlight or lighten it up! It all depends on your desired look! With this product you can use it as a highlight, a blush topper or even just as a blush. I find the coral shade on top is a really nice blush! This product is really pigmented and it blends really nicely! It looks super shimmery in the pan when you first purchase it, because of the gold pearlized overspray. However, the finish is satin with a bit of sheen to it (very little). There is a bit of shimmer to it, but very fine!

It looks shimmery because of the pearlized overspray

Swatches with no flash (Top to bottom: Coral, Peach, Banana & All 3 shades combined)

Swatches with a flash

What the product looks like in the pan without the pearlized overspray

The question now is: Is it worth it? This is honestly not your typical highlighter, even though it's labelled as a "High-light powder". I find it's more of a blush than a highlighter. Even the shades, they're more blush appropriate, unless if you only mix the peach and banana color for a peachy highlight. You can always just use the banana shade for a yellow/gold highlight, but I find for deeper skin tones, it may come off chalky, since it doesn't have much sheen/shimmer to it. Therefore to make it work for deeper skin, I would just wear it as a blush and mix more of the coral shade than the other 2 shades. For light to medium skin, you can pull this off as a highlighter by not mixing the coral shade or just wear it as a blush by mixing all the shades (or just the coral and peach shade alone). Also compared to Becca Shimmering Skin Perfectors or the MUFE Pro Sculpting Duo, it doesn't last long. It lasted on me for about 4 hours and then started fading away. Therefore my final thoughts on this, I'm not a fan of it. I like it for blush purposes (it's a really nice color), but I was expecting more of a true highlighter that would give me a luminous glow or sheen.  I wish I passed on this product, but it's still something I will be using (just not as often). I also find for the price, it's not worth it, like $41CAD is quite a bit. Those are just my thoughts. Have any of you purchased this and what do you think?

Makeup Eraser (The Original Makeup Eraser): Hot or Not?

Welcome back to my blog my lovelies! Again, I been just so busy with weddings and work, that I haven't had the chance to get things up on my blog (sorry once again!). I'm starting these "Hot or Not?" posts on my blog to keep my posts short, but informative. I love doing a full review, but if you been reading my blog, they tend to be long. I know most of you just want to know if it's worth it or not and I figured every product I purchase or use doesn't need a full in depth review. Therefore, these "Hot or Not?" posts will be a lot shorter and I will get straight to the point. So, let me know what you guys think of these posts! Now, let's discuss about the Makeup Eraser!

Such cute packaging (shaped as a eraser)

This has been trending for awhile now, but I only picked it up recently, because Sephora now sells it! It retails for $24CAD. It's honestly just a simple pink soft (super soft) face towel! All you do is damp it in warm water and then you use the towel to remove your makeup, even that stubborn waterproof makeup! It contains no chemicals and you can reuse this up to 1000 times! All you do is pop it in the washing machine after each use.

The Makeup Eraser (Original)

When you first get it, you have to wash it in the washing machine (cold water). Then, you wet the portion of the Makeup Eraser with warm water. Then you rub off the makeup in circular motion.

The side you use to rub off the makeup

Then you flip the eraser on the "long nap" side to exfoliate and then you wash it in the washing machine.

Long nap side to exfoliate

I been using this for a week now and I absolutely love it! It takes off all my makeup! Just at times my mascara is a bit stubborn and leaves a bit behind. However, the rest of my makeup comes off easily, even my lip stains! It doesn't drag my makeup all over my face! The eraser leaves my face so soft and fresh, when I remove my makeup! It's just annoying washing it after every use, but it's not a big deal! It saves you from buying makeup wipes! As mentioned, you can reuse it about a 1000 times, which is insane! It's completely worth every penny (one of my best purchases of the month) and now I know why it's such a hot product in the market! What are your thoughts about this product?

Make Up For Ever: Artist Palette Volume 1-Nudes Review

This year, MUFE (Make Up For Ever) released so many new items that caught my eye and that I can't wait to add to my collection! MUFE has always been one of my favorite brands and when I saw that they were coming out with an eyeshadow palette, I just couldn't resist! In my opinion, MUFE makes one of the best eyeshadows! So as soon as it was available on Sephora, I bought it right away! They came out with two palettes. The first is the Artist Palette Volume 1-Nudes (Nudes You Need), which is a beautiful neutral eyeshadow palette and the second is the Artist Palette Volume 2 -Artistic (Colors You Crave), which is a colorful eyeshadow palette that includes a few neutrals and bright pop out colors! They're both beautiful palettes, but I stuck to the neutrals one, so that I can use it all year round and because I just love my neutrals!

MUFE Artist Palette Volume 1-Nudes You Need

I'll start off with the packaging. The palette comes in the regular MUFE box.

The box of the palette (no edit)

Next, the palette itself has the MUFE logo and Make Up For Ever written on it. The palette itself is very sturdy and has powerful magnets to keep it closed. With magnetic palettes, I always like to keep  them in their boxes, so that when I'm travelling, the palettes don't open and damage my eyeshadows. However, this palette has really strong magnets that I don't even need the box. I can throw this in my bag and it will never open! I found that really nice about this palette! It's a bit heavy, but super portable! The palette isn't too big nor too small, it's perfect!

The palette itself (no edit)

The palette also comes with a step by step illustrated makeup tutorials by Dany Sanz! This may be useful for beginners or for anyone that just needs an idea to create a look using this palette! The looks are broken down into: The Chic Look, Natural Look and Smokey Look.

No edit

When you open the palette, on one side you have the mirror and the other, the 9 MUFE eyeshadows. When you look at the eyeshadows, they may seem smaller than most brands, however, the pans are deep! Each eyeshadow comes with 1.8g of product, which is a really nice amount of product for a palette, because most companies only include 0.98-1.4g of product per eyeshadow! This palette retails for $49CAD and you can buy it at Sephora. Some of you may think it's a bit expensive, but 3 MUFE eyeshadows costs $50CAD! Yes, their original pans are bigger, but with this palette, you get more variety for the price!

No edit

The back of the palette has the names of all the eyeshadows in this palette!

The back of the palette

The eyeshadows in this palette are mixtures of satin, metallic,  iridescent and  diamond finishes. To be honest, I was kind of surprised that they didn't include a matte shade in this palette. If you're like me and you love a matte crease, then you will have to fish out another palette. It's really not a big deal to me, but it may be for some people. The eyeshadows are a mixture of beautiful neutral hues with both cool and warm undertones. They're really wearable and would suit any skin tone!

Another look at the palette (no edit)

When companies come out with eyeshadow palettes,  the quality of the eyeshadows in the palettes are different (in a bad way) compared to their individual eyeshadows. I've experienced that problem with a few brands, but let me say that's not the case with this palette! MUFE eyeshadows are gel powder eyeshadows that are super pigmented and can last up to 12 hours or more (if you prime your eyes properly)! They also blend like a dream! They're so smooth and creamy! I also never experienced fallout with these eyeshadows (amazing right?!). You can use these wet for them to appear even more bold and opaque, but honestly they're already so rich in pigment when they're dry that it's not even necessary. The quality of these eyeshadows are amazing, just like their individual pans! Honestly, if I had to rate these eyeshadows, I would give them 10/10!

Such a beauty (no edit)

I'm going to break down each eyeshadow in this palette now. I will be working my way from the top to bottom horizontally! Just incase you guys didn't know, MUFE eyeshadow names have the first letter of the finish (meaning-> I=Iridescent, D=Diamond, S=Satin, ME=Metallic, M=Matte) and a number following it.

First row:

I-528: This is a brightened cool toned white with a metallic sheen 

I-514: This is a beige with warm and yellow undertones. Also has a metallic sheen 

ME-512: This is a light gold with yellow undertones and it's more of a frost sheen

Top to bottom: I-528, I-514 & ME-512 (no flash and no edit)

From left to right: ME-512, I-514 & I-528 (with flash and no edit)

Second row:

S-556: This is a cool toned taupe with grey/purple undertones to it and a semi matte finish

D-562: This is a medium brown with warm undertones with a foiled metallic finish. It swatches out as a rose gold with a grey/silver cast to it

ME-644: This is a medium/dark bronze brown with reddish and warm undertones to it. It also has a foiled metallic sheen to it

From left to right: ME-644, D-562 & S-556 (no flash and no edit)

From left to right: ME-644, D-562 & S-556 (with  flash and no edit)

Third row:
S-102: This is a deep black with a satin finish, but it appears more of a matte finish on the lid
I-544: This a medium taupe brown with warm and mauve undertones. It has a metallic sheen to it
D-652: This is a dark bronze brown with a metallic sheen. It also has gold sparkles in it

From left to right: D-652, I-544 & S-102 (no flash and no edit)

From left to right: D-652, I-544 & S-102 (with flash and no edit)

           

Just so it's clear, I have medium skin and that's how the eyeshadows swatch on me! Most of the eyeshadows in the pan are true to color as you can see! The colors are so gorgeous and you can create infinite looks! I don't think this palette is a necessity. As I mentioned, I wish they included a few matte shades, so that I don't have to use another palette. However, MUFE has one of the best eyeshadows in the market, so if you haven't tried them yet, this is the perfect opportunity! Even though this palette isn't a necessity, I still highly recommend it! The price and quality is worth every penny!!!

Makeup Tips for the Summer

Finally, summer is just around the corner and as much as I love summer, trying to keep your makeup on point can be very difficult at times. I mean I love the sun and all, but who enjoys looking like a oily mess and having their makeup melt off?! So, I created this post to give you guys my tips and tricks to how I keep my makeup on point throughout the summer!

So first things first, I recommend that you keep your makeup simple, especially if you're spending the whole day out in the sun! The most important thing to me is to have a natural glowing skin. I love to use a light foundation and mix it with a luminizer. Then, I apply my concealer under my eyes and set it with powder. Then, I lightly fill in my eyebrows. I get them threaded so it's not much work for me. Then, I just pop on some mascara and something on my lips. Oh and let's not forget, I love to highlight, so definitely something on my cheek bones! That's basically it! Sometimes when I go to work, I legit just wear a light foundation and mascara. Like I love getting dolled up, but it's not mandatory to always doll up. Especially in the summer, I just do the minimal, so that I don't have to worry about my makeup melting off!

Here is a simple natural makeup look that I love! Basically, I wear something similar to this all year round! But, I will break it down into my summer time favorite products for you.

I like to keep my makeup simple in the summer

Eyebrows: Anastasia Brow Wiz in Ebony

Light Foundation: Chanel Vitaliumiere Aqua

Under Eye Concealer: Maybelline Fit Me

Highlight: Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Powder Gelee

Lips: MAC Lip Liner in Stripdown (one of my favorite!)

Lightly Contoured/Highlighted: Anastasia Contour Kit (the original)

Mascara: Benefit They're Real Mascara

Liquid Liner: NYC liquid liner

Eyeshadow: All MAC, Bamboo all over the eye, Soft Brown in the crease, Saddle in the crease to define, Arena on the lid and Rice paper as my brow highlight

Setting Powder: Elf High Definition Powder

I also set my makeup with the Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray and before applying my makeup, I sprayed my face with MAC Fix Plus and I primed my eyes with the Too Faced Shadow Insurance. I know it seems like I used a lot of products, but trust me I usually use more! This is the most I doll up in the summer! I can glam it up with this exact look by just changing the eyeshadows and lip product! Also by applying blush, doing a stronger contour, a brighter highlight, applying eyeliner on my water line and false eye lashes!

Now I'll go into depth to why I normally like to stick with those products!

Picture of just a few of the products I recommend for the summer

First thing, I don't recommend you wear a full coverage foundation! Like I know full coverage foundations cover everything, but in the summer, thick consistency foundations melt off your face the fastest! So, I highly recommend that you switch to light foundations! I personally love the Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Ultra-Light Skin Perfecting Makeup (I'm in the color 44 Beige Ambre). This foundation is honestly your skin but better! It just leaves you with a perfect healthy natural glow! I can walk out of the house with just this foundation and some mascara! Again, this is a light foundation, so you won't get much coverage from it! So you would need to use a concealer to conceal your imperfections. If you have small pores on your nose, don't worry this foundation will cover them, but you will have to just pack on a extra layer. Other than that, this foundation can last you the whole day and you don't have to worry about having it melt down your face! I've wore this in the boiling sun and even if I sweat, this foundation won't! It also contains SPF 15, which is great for the summer! I highly recommend it! This foundation is $54CAD (I mean it's high end) and is available at any department stores that sells Chanel Beauty ( In Montreal: The Bay, Ogilvy,...). The only downfall of this foundation is that the shade range is not that big. They have shades for people with Light and Medium skin, but for those of you that are dark, they're still lacking in that shade range. Also, if you plan on buying it online at The Bay (or La Baie whatever you want to call it), don't! The shades they show online are not true to color at all, so it's best to go into the store to check it out!

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation

The next light foundation that I absolutely love is the Guerlain Terracotta Joli Teint (I'm in the shade Dark, however it's a bit too dark for me). It is a beautifying foundation that leaves a healthy sun kissed glow! This contains SPF 20 and it works just like the Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Ultra Light foundation! The results are very similar and this doesn't melt off your face and stays on all day! This does have a perfume scent to it, but it's not too overpowering. This foundation is $63CAD (I know yikes). Again with the shade range, it's not too big. The Sephora site doesn't have accurate shades, so again it's best to go see them in person at Sephora or any Guerlain counters!

Guerlain Terracotta Joli Teint

So those are the 2 light foundations that I love. As I mentioned, the shade range isn't big. Therefore my tip for you is, if you're Light-Medium, check out the Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Ultra-Light foundation and if you're Dark, check out the Guerlain Terracotta Joli Teint! There are of course, a lot more light foundations out there, so browse through Sephora and I'm sure you'll find one! I just mentioned these, because I love them and haven't tried other light foundations in the market. The main point is to pick out a light coverage foundation, so that your foundation doesn't cake! Some people wear tinted moisturizers or even just BB Creams in the summer! So definitely look into that! Also one last important tip with foundations; if you have a party or a wedding, make sure your foundation has no SPF or very little (highly suggest no SPF)! Foundations with SPF are great for the day time when you're under the sun, but when it comes to photography, it can be disastrous, because foundation with SPF will give you that white cast on your face when you take a picture with a flash! So for those situations, I love the Makeup Forever HD Foundation! It's worked like a charm for me and it's very photogenic and will not leave you that white cast! Also, it feels very light on the face and the coverage is  medium. I've wore this foundation many times for weddings and I didn't have a problem with it melting off my face when I'm in the sun or heat!

The same thing applies for concealers! Especially if you have a bad under eye situation like myself, then stay away from thick concealers! It will honestly just crease and it won't look attractive! I have a terrible under eye situation, so no matter what concealer and technique I use, it always settles into my fine lines. However, some concealers didn't settle as fast as others (I own a lot of concealers trust me! I would say my top 3 favorite concealers for the under eyes are Maybelline Fit me (I'm in the shade 25 Medium and costs around $8CAD), Maybelline Instant Age Rewind (I'm in the shade 30 Medium and costs around $8CAD) and MAC Pro Longwear (I have the shade NW35, but it's a bit dark and costs $24CAD). These are not that thick and will get the job done. However, I still recommend you set it with a powder as soon as you buff out your concealer! If you have a terrible under eye situation like me, then this will last you and hour without creasing. If you don't then it will last you hours and hours! The other 2 concealers I also recommend are Nars Radiant Creamy concealer (I'm in the shade Biscuit, again a bit dark for me and costs $35CAD) and the NYX HD Concealer (I'm in the shade CW06 and costs around  $10CAD). I also love these concealer, but again my under eye situation is just way too bad. These crease within 30 minutes on me, which is why I don't love them as much. However, I've used these on other people and they work perfectly fine!

Concealer I recommend

My next tip is to use a Matifying Primer! I know some people don't believe in matifying primers, but I find they work! Even with light foundations, areas like your T zone will start to get oily throughout the day no matter what! So it's highly recommended that you use a matifying primer on areas (or even your whole face) that gets oily the fastest! That way, you don't turn into a oily mess the second you are under the sun and it will help your makeup stay on and not melt off! The primer I been using is the Givenchy Mister Mat! It  works like a charm, like when I wear it in the Fall or Winter, my T zone doesn't get oily at all! During the summer time, it controls my oils, but I still get a bit oily if I'm out in the hot weather all day. I have oily skin (not that bad though), so if I find a product that will matify me for 3-4 hours without getting oily, I'm happy (the case with this primer)! This primer is $42CAD (I'm sorry I been choosing high end products), but it's completely worth it! A tip not to use too much of this product, is to only apply it to areas that you get oily the fastest!

Givenchy Mister Mat

The next tip is to use powders instead of foundations. There's so many powder foundations in the market now, so it's perfect for the summer time! As I mentioned, I have oily skin, so with powders, I stay matte for several hours without touching up! Some of the powders I use often is the Younique Mineral Touch Pressed Powder (I'm the color Velvet). This powder is silky smooth and has a really nice coverage (I would say it's medium coverage).They come in several shades. I'm actually a Younique presenter, so if you're interested you can buy it at www.youniqueproducts.com/divyapatel , its $39CAD for 15g of product. I been really loving that powder!

Younique Mineral Touch Pressed Powder in Velvet

Another powder I recommend is the Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Powder (I'm in the shade 40). This powder doesn't have as much coverage as the Younique one, but it gives you a healthy glow, which is what I love (I love to glow in the summer). I find with most powders they just turn you into matte and that's it, so I found it unique that this one gives you a nice healthy glow! The powder is smooth and so natural! This powder is expensive, it's $65CAD.

Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Powder

Sorry I know I just been mentioning high end products, so here's a powder that's more affordable that I've been also enjoying! It's the Maybelline Fit Me Powder (I'm in the shade 350 Caramel). This powder is medium coverage and also so smooth! I been using this powder for years and absolutely love it! This powder also comes in a large variety of shades and you can buy it at any drugstore that sells Maybelline! I believe this is around $10CAD.

Maybelline Fit Me Powder in 350 Caramel

Again, those are just my favorite powders! I know there's a lot of powders in the market. When  it comes to powder, I just want them to keep me from getting oily for at least 3-4 hours. I don't mind touch ups, just not every minute. If you have dry skin, I suggest you moisturize your face 15-20 minutes before applying your makeup, so that you don't feel dry when you first apply the powder!

The next thing I suggest is to set your makeup with a translucent powder! Especially your T zone, since it gets oily the fastest, make sure you set it! There's so many setting powders in the market! Some of my favorites are the Sephora Smoothing Translucent Setting Powder and the Elf High Definition Powder. They're both really nice powders that will help you stay matte! Also they do not leave that white cast or make you look "powdery". They're nice and translucent, so it doesn't even look like you dusted powder over your makeup! The Sephora powder is $19CAD and the Elf one is only $6USD.

Setting Powders

Another powder I really like is the Givenchy Poudre Premiere Mat & Translucent Finish Loose Powder. It keeps you matte for up to 6 hours and more! The powder is also ultra finely mild and super smooth! The reason I love this powder is that, it will not settle into your fine lines and you can set your under eyes with this powder and it will not leave you that white cast in pictures! You honestly just need the smallest amount of product and it will coverage your whole face. It also just leaves you with that airbrush finish! This is definitely worth investing in! It's $57CAD, but worth every penny!

Givenchy Poudre Premiere Mat & Translucent Finish Loose Powder

Another thing I recommend is using a Setting Spray! It may seem like it does nothing, but it makes all the difference! Since I started using a setting spray, my makeup stays on a lot longer and keeps it on point! I love the MAC Fix Plus, I spray it on before I apply my foundation and even spray it on my eyeshadow brush to make eyeshadows pop/stay on longer. It really leaves your face feeling refreshed and helps your makeup last longer! Another one of my favorite setting sprays are the Urban Decay ones! I have the full size of the All Nighter Long Lasting Makeup Setting Spray and I have also tried the Chill Makeup Setting Spray. They both help your makeup stay on longer, even in the heat! I know in the description on Sephora, it says that these sprays last up to 16 hours, which I disagree with. Realistically it lasts around 8-10 hours, which is more than enough! They actually have temperature control technology, which makes it perfect for summer time! Even if you're sweating, it will not make your makeup melt off!I highly recommend giving these a try, you will love them! They're each $36CAD, but they do have smaller sizes for $15CAD if you want to test it out, before committing to a full size!

MAC Fix Plus

Urban Decay All Nighter Setting spray

Now lastly, when it comes to blush or eyeshadows or eye liners, etc, I suggest you use something that is long lasting! For eyeshadows, I highly recommend the Makeup Forever ones, because they last for hours and hours! Also, Too Faced and MAC have long lasting eyeshadows! But, keep in mind to always prime your eyes before applying eyeshadow or else they won't last for a long time! If you use gel liner, I recommend the Bobbi Brown Long wear Gel Liner! I only purchased this gel liner this month and let me say, I'm in love! I wear it to work and at times I go out after my shift, so my gel liner is on for more than 10 hours and honestly this gel liner doesn't budge! When it comes to highlightning/contouring, I highly recommend the Kat Von D Shade and Light palette!  It's my new obsession and I been using it everyday since I got it and it's just amazing! The powders are so smooth and last all day without fading away! There is also the Anastasia Contour kit that I love using as well! Next, there's so many blushes in the market, that I don't have just a single favorite! I would say my favorite brands for blushes are Nars, Clinique (the cheek pops), Chanel, MAC, Milani and Tarte. When it comes to highlighters, I recommend The Becca Shimmering Skin Perfectors! They're so pigmented and last like all day! When it comes to lip products, I personally don't mind touching up my lipstick, but if you want something long wearing, I suggest you invest in lip stains/liquid lipsticks! Some of my favorite brands are Jeffree Star Cosmetics (lasts all day honestly), Sephora (cream lip stains) and Kat Von D (Everlasting liquid lipsticks). When it comes to eyebrows, I mentioned it in my past post, I absolutely love the Anastasia Brow Wiz or there's even the Clinique Superfine Liner for Brows (dupe for the Anastasia Brow Wiz) that lasts all day and doesn't budge!

So that's it! I hope you guys found this useful! I'm so excited for summer to start! If you guys have your own tips to keeping your makeup on point during the summer, leave a comment down below!