Showing posts with label contour. Show all posts
Showing posts with label contour. Show all posts

Following the much awaited release of the Anastasia Beverly Hills stick foundations AND finding out they're vegan, you know i had to get my hands on some and show you them in action!




You can find them here (be sure to use ebates for cashback) and my review below!


Color Range

If you've seen anything about this release online, you'll know the color range is impressive to say the least. You can see some of the deeper shades used on their YouTube channel here if you'd like to see them in action as well as their color wheel below. Not only do they have an impressive foundation color range but they also have 3 contour shades and 1 highlight or banana shade.



Packaging

The 9g of foundation is housed in a sleek black tube with gold accent that twists up easily. It feels pretty sturdy and smooth and i can't imagine would be prone to wear and tear.

The box it comes in is the typical black ABH packaging and you also get a little sheet inside explaining the product.


Application

As you can see in the video, the application was very easy and blended out with a brush, sponge and my fingers. If your skin is particularly dry you might want to spritz your brush or sponge with a facial mist beforehand to make blending easier but for normal to oily skin, you should find it very easy.

The products layered well and i was able to get a medium to full coverage. You might find using a clean finger to blend it out for spot coverage to work well so you don't have to add another layer to the face.

They worked well as foundation and concealer so the product would be perfect for travel or on the go.


Staying Power

The product wore VERY well on my skin and i only set the t-zone with a little translucent powder, no baking! I got a slight sheen throughout the day but nothing that broke up the makeup or made it wear off quicker.

If you are a dryer skin type but choose to try this, you might want to mist your face with a hydrating spray throughout the day to keep it looking smooth.

I'd use this foundation for anything from every-day wear (apply over a great moisturizer or facial oil for a lighter coverage), studio work, a long day or night out because it looked just as great when i went to take it off as it did when first applied.



Overall i'm super impressed with this foundation and its really what i've been looking for in a stick foundation. Gorgeous packaging, great staying power and an incredible color range.
The only thing that might not work for some is that the formula is a dry one that works best on oily skin but like i said i think with the right prep/skincare, that could be easily remedied.

Got any questions? Leave them below!

I've been loving creating dewy looks with creams lately, here are a few of my go-tos.



























Cover FX's Cream Contour Kit has been a favorite of mine for a while now and i've got a lot of use out of it. I have a full video on it here, so i won't go into too much detail but the color range is great, the consistency is so easy to work with and it lasts beautifully throughout the day.



















Chantecaille New Sticks are not only no longer available but i just realized they have beeswax in them after believing them to be vegan for ages now... always a bummer when that happens. Any way, i'm still mentioning them so i can ask you if theres a stick foundation you love that comes in a good range of colors? Something like this is so easy to bronze with because it just takes a few swipes.



















If you're new to cream products, a fun trio to try is Pacifica's Coconut Multiples. These three shades are beautiful on the cheeks worn alone or on top of your makeup. They blend beautifully and although they aren't as pigmented as some, it does mean you really can't go wrong with them. Such a gorgeous texture!




















Youngblood's Concealing Duo is the most perfect texture for the undereye and would suit a large range of skintones as it can be mixed or layered with a concealer that you already use. The salmon tone is so pigmented so you can just use a little to counteract any darkness and top with the yellow to brighten! I also have a video on this if you're interested.

Yeah, you read that right! Lemme tell ya a little more 'bout it!

















There are many contour kits out there, especially powder ones, but do any of them even come close to the incredible price point of E.L.F.'s? Nope.

I often think more than 3 or 4 shades in a contour kit are unnecessary for the average person (not a makeup artist), so this quad's selection of colors is perfect for my tastes.

The first shade, a gorgeous eggshell color with a champagne sheen is ideal for those who want a glow without the glitter. Perfect to top cheek bones, swipe down the nose or even to highlight the eye area.

Moving onto the slightly more peach highlight shade (it reads more yellow in the picture, for some reason), i love this to set the undereye area or to blend out any crazy contour or blush i might've messed up! A great matte option that is super soft to blend.

The deeper, more taupe shade of the contour/bronze shades does appear very dark in the pan but its really easy to get a smooth application that you can't really mess up. The shade reminds me of a more matte version of the bronzer in the Charlotte Tilbury Bronze & Glow Palette.

Lastly, the bronze shade definitely has some peach undertones too so its very complimentary on a lot of skin tones and really mimics a natural bronze. Easy to apply anything from the sheerest hint to a glamazon bronze!


















As far as i can tell, this palette only comes in one shade range and it would be suitable for anyone up to medium/tan shades, i think.

The mirror in the lid is perfect for application on the go because of its size and all shades work awesome as eyeshadows, too!

All shades are buttery, easy to blend and layer, and i think this palette would be perfect for n00bs and pros alike!


Find the palette here.


A couple of you requested an up-to-date cream makeup video and i recently acquired some new sponges as well as a cream contour palette so i figured i'd just put them all in one video and see what happened. I hope you guys don't mind me cramming so much in!


Products used:
  • Barely Soft Sponge
  • Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer
  • Physicians Formula Nudewear Touch of Glow Pen
  • Cover FX Total Cover Cream Foundation in G20
  • Illuminare All Day Eye Color in Latte
  • Barely Hard Sponge
  • Cover FX Cream Contour Palette in G Light Medium
  • Illamasqua Gleam Cream in Supernatural
  • ELF Mineral Concealer

After talking with Barely about how much i enjoyed the sponges they sent, Nicole wanted to offer you guys a 20% discount on the entire store. All you need to do is use the code WIFELIFE at the checkout.


How many of you prefer using sponges to brushes for base products?
♡FTC♡

Both sponges were sent to me, free of charge by Barely Cosmetics.

This post is not a sponsored or paid advertisement.

All opinions expressed are my own and 100% honest.
I got you, boo.




Product listings:
  • Beyond Yoga Leggings
  • Markkit Sunglasses
  • Markkit Clutch
  • Monserrat De Luca Ram Necklace
  • Helmut Lang Handcuff Bracelet
  • Cover FX Contour Kit
  • Colour Pop Lippie Stix in Cookie and Cupid
  • Too Faced Primed & Poreless Powder
  • Cover FX Illuminating Setting Powder
  • Harvey Prince Petaly Noir Perfume
  • Barely Tanning Mitt
  • Beaming White Teeth Whitening Kit (80% off with code WIFE80)
  • Jojoba Oil
  • Osea Eye and Lip Cream
  • Fig & Yarrow Red Clay Mask
  • Uma Total Rejuvenation Night Oil
  • Earth Balance Avocado Oil Spread
  • Miyoko's Kitchen Cashew Cheese
  • Chloe's Vegan Italian Kitchen

Other relevant stuffs:

  • My Makeup Collection Video
  • My Skincare Video
  • My Last Whats In My Bag Video
  • My Post on Chloe’s Italian Cookbook
  • My Post on Miyoko’s Creamery
Thank you again for all the birthday wishes and gifts from afar, you're truly wonderful!

Share your monthly favorites below, too!


Too Faced recently released their vegan cocoa contour palette and i couldn't wait to try it!



After a few uses i can say that i'm really happy with 3 out of 4 of the shades. Here are a few more of my thoughts on it.



  • All colours blend beautifully and would work on most skin tones that are lighter than the 2 contour/bronze shades.
  • Light cocoa is a beautiful highlighter for those who don't like glitter. Can be used to brighten eyes or on high points of the face. I'd avoid using it around enlarged pores to avoid drawing attention to them.
  • "Pop of light" was the only color i wasn't keen on but applied with a finger i think you can pin-point where you want it better.
  • "Medium cocoa" and "dark cocoa" are amazing contour/bronze shades that blend to a natural finish and don't go muddy.
  • The colors wore well with the rest of my base makeup and didn't disappear through out the day.
  • Great for a neutral, every day eye makeup too.
  • The brush that comes with it is surprisingly good and makes it great for travel!

Here are some comparison photos with the Anastasia Contour Kit.



1) TF Light Cocoa VS ABH Vanilla
2) TF Medium Cocoa VS ABH Fawn

 3) TF Dark cocoa VS ABH Havana
4) TF Pop Of Light VS ABH Sand


And with the Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzer.





Even though i'm not keen on the "pop of light" shade, i still think the palette is worth it for me and i'll get a lot of use from it.

What are your thoughts on the palette?

Contouring can seem a little overwhelming at first and most of what you see online is EXTREME.
This doesn't have to be the case though, you can get the benefits of contouring and correcting in a very wearable way.


I like to split the whole thing into 4 parts; shadows, warmth, correcting and highlighting.

Shadows: I use a cool, grey toned color to give the effect of shadows in certain areas. I apply it in the most outward corners of my giant forehead, under my cheekbones, under my jaw, below my bottom lip and down my nose to slim it a little.

Warmth: This is essentially bronzing but in cream form. I use this closely in conjunction with the shadows to stop them looking like dirty lines. I like to apply it around my forehead, ON my cheekbones, around my chin and a little down the nose.

Correcting: This might be my favorite, i use it to cancel out blue tones and veins around my eyes and around my nose where it can appear darker.

Highlighting: To brighten my face i use a lighter or yellow toned product (sometimes i make a mixy) and use it in the center of my forehead, down my nose, under brows, tops of cheeks, the flat of my jawline, top lip and chinny.




This is usually the point where people assume they'll have that drag queen chisel (totally has its place, i'm p fond of it) but if you blend, blend and blend some more, you can achieve a much more day-to-day look.

Some people prefer to use a sponge, some brushes, some even use their fingers. Use whatever YOU feel comfortable and confident with. 

The more natural i want the look, the DENSER the brush i use; the more extreme i want the look, the FLUFFIER the brush i use. For this i used the Zoeva Silk Finish Brush (an awesome brush!!!) and kept blending until i felt it looked like skin+ (a nicer version of my own skin). 

Fluffier brushes like powder brushes can be used for more extreme contouring because they don't buff the product around as much, they blend it out very gently and retain more of the definition.



To finish things off, you can use corresponding powders to set your work and put back in any definition you might feel you buffed away and want back.

Alternatively you can just wear it as-is, set with a little translucent powder and be on your merry way.





There are tonnes of products out there for contouring; some sold specifically for the job, some multi-purpose. These are some of my favorites.

  • ELF HD Lifting Concealer in Brightening. This has a beautiful yellow tone and blends well with other creams and liquids.
  • Josie Maran Concealer. These are great in a couple of shades lighter or darker than your skin for highlighting and bronzing.
  • Life's Entropy Particle Contour Sticks. These come in multiple shades for contouring or bronzing and are the perfect little size.
  • OCC Creme Color Concentrate in Newt. This is an awesome product for many reasons but to correct darkness and blue tones, it works like a dream. For paler skin you can mix a little with your regular concealer.

What are some of your favorite contour/highlighting/correcting products?


I've been re-filming the basics and you guys voted to see a new foundation tutorial first so here it is!




What i used:

  • Neve Cosmetics Concealer in Light
  • Zoeva Concealer Buffer Brush
  • Inglot Cream Foundation in 24
  • Zoeva Silk Finish Brush
  • ELF Lifting Concealer
  • Beauty Blender
  • It Cosmetics Celebration Foundation in Fair
  • Cozzette S165 Brush
  • Inglot Freedom System Sculpting Powder 501
  • Cozzette S130 Brush
  • Inglot Freedom System Sculpting Powder 505
  • Cozzette S135 Brush
  • Inglot Freedom System Blush/Bronzer 22
  • Charlotte Tilbury Bronze & Glow
  • Inglot Freedom System Blush 29
  • Morphe Small Blending Brush (not sure of the actual name)
  • Morphe Deluxe Crease Brush
  • It Cosmetics Bye Bye Pores Powder
  • Elizabeth Dehn for One Love Organics Active Moist Mist


After falling in love with the Lorac Pro To Go palette i was gifted and then finding out they can't guarantee their cruelty free/vegan items, i've been looking for the perfect cruelty free alternative and i think i may have just found it.

The reason i've loved the Lorac Pro To Go palette is that it not only has all the eyeshadows you could need for a neutral eye look but it also has a bronzer and 2 blushes so its perfect for traveling.



Although the Inglot palettes are larger, you have total control of which colors you have and also have space for 4 blush/bronzer/contour colors and 10 eyeshadows.

The Inglot Freedom System palettes are magnetic and stackable so they're still sleek enough for travel. The pigmentation is amazing and, in most cases, even better than the Lorac ones.



I'm hoping to hit up the Inglot store in Vegas soon to find exact dupes for the Pro To Go ones but until then i wanted to show you my latest find and perhaps when i've been to the store i'll make a video comparing the two palettes in full.

I am currently waiting for an updated list of their vegan items but you can find their list from last year here.


How to:

  • Eat well and stay hydrated
  • Prep with a lip scrub & conditioner/balm
  • Highlight philtrum and corners of lips with a light concealer or white crayon
  • Use a shimmer highlight on your cupids bow to catch the light
  • Use a lipstick of your choice
  • Line lips in a slightly darker shade, concentrating on the outer corners to add contrast
  • Highlight the center of the lips for dimension
  • Clean up lip line with a concealer to make the lips look more crisp
  • Contour below bottom lip with a darker shade to imitate a shadow
  • Add a gloss to the center of the lip to catch the light



What I used:

  • Lush Mint Julips Lip Scrub (X)
  • Dr Bronners Magic Naked Balm (X)
  • NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk (X)
  • Morphe Brushes Small Blending Brush (X)
  • The Balm Overshadow in No Money No Honey (X)
  • Lime Crime Babette (X)
  • OCC Coloring Pencil in Trick (X)
  • NYX Waterproof Concealer in Porcelain (X)
  • ELF Concealer Brush (X)
  • Tarte The Sculptor Crayon (X)
  • NYX Creme Brulee Butter Gloss (X)

My written review for this amazing foundation can be found here, for my review & demo video, see below!




What i used:

  • Chantecaille Future Skin Foundation in Vanilla
  • It Cosmetics Double Ended Foundation Concealer Brush
  • NYX HD Concealers in Light & Yellow
  • Chantecaille New Stick in Sun
  • Hourglass Ambient Light in Diffused Light
  • ELF Blush Brush
  • It Cosmetics Heavenly Luxe Wand Ball Brush



My Nose Contour Video can be found here- http://youtu.be/EAmeIb6mMcA

The nose contour can be kinda tricky because its such a small area and a lot of tutorials will just tell you to run bronzer down either side. In this quick video i just explain the steps i've used on myself and others and the theory behind it. 




 I do wish i had better lighting so the right side wasn't always blown out but hey...

What I used:
  • NYX Incredible Waterproof Concealer in Porcelain
  • ELF Flawless Concealer Brush
  • Chantecaille New Stick in Sun
  • Random Ben Nye Brush
  • Benefit Hula Bronzer
  • Small Morphe Crease Brush
  • It Cosmetics Double Ended Foundation Concealer Brush
Personally, i think the brushes you use to highlight and contour are just as important as the products you're using to do so.

Here are some of my favorites for both cream and powder highlighting at a variety of price-points.

Cream Highlighting


  • e.l.f. Flawless Concealer Brush: $3- Not only is this brush a bloody bargain but its one of my favorites for correcting, concealing and highlighting small areas. Perfect to highlight under eyes, down the nose and the center of the chin.
  • it Cosmetics Dual Airbrush Foundation Concealer Brush: $48- To buff out or highlight larger areas or less precisely, i like using the larger end of this brush because although its still fairly dense, its still fluffy enough to give an airbrushed finish.
  • Sigma F65 Large Concealer Brush: $18- For those who prefer a traditional foundation brush for cream products, this is a great sized brush for precise, yet easy work of cream highlight under the eyes, chin and forehead. Turn it length-ways to highlight down the nose. 
  • Sigma P84 Precision Angled Brush: $18- I like this to apply thicker cream products under the eyes for a really flawless, full coverage. Also great for other small areas like the nose and center of the chin.


Cream Contouring




Powder Highlighting


  • Real Techniques Setting Brush: $8- This is perfect for highlighting and setting under the eyes with your favorite matte highlight shade. Its softness and pointed tip also make it perfect to highlight down the nose and for shimmer highlight on top of the cheek bones. 
  • e.l.f. Blush Brush: $3- This works well to highlight small areas due to its pointed tip but also works well for larger areas like highlighting the center of the forehead or running it on the tops of your cheek bones. Also great for shimmer highlight by just dusting the very tip in the product.
  • e.l.f. Fan Brush: $3- Not everyone likes fan brushes but i think this one is perfect for applying VERY shimmery highlighters with a light hand. You really can't mess it up with this one.


Powder Contouring


  • OCC Small Powder/ Blush Brush: $24- This is my all time favorite for easy powder contouring. Its small and dense enough for precise application but also soft enough to make easy work of blending. Great for everyone from beginners to pros!
  • e.l.f. Mineral Powder Brush: $3- This is basically a slightly softer version of the above brush so gives a more natural effect if thats what you desire.
  • e.l.f. Blush Brush: $3- Use the flat edge of the brush to apply a defined line then twist is 90 degrees to buff the product out. A great multi-tasking brush!
There aren't too many complete contour palettes out there, especially ones easily available in places like Sephora and Ulta, so i wanted to review two of the most recognized ones; the Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit and the it Cosmetics My Sculpted Face Kit.


 I'm still never sure of the best format to use for comparison reviews so let me know what you guys prefer :) 






Packaging


it Cosmetics: 1/5

  • I'm really not a fan of the packaging on this one, i think they made it look really cheap and amateurish. The image that they use on the front, back and plastic liner is super pixelated and the fonts they used are really tacky in my opinion. 
  • Stiff cardboard palette with strong magnet closure.
  • I do appreciate that they showed the colors contained in the kit on the front but they are also not accurate at all so turn out to be pretty pointless. 
  • On the back of the palette it tells you (very loosely) how to use the kit but i think it gives a lot of room for error stating that you can use a matte or shimmer highlighter on places you'd like to maximize, i just get visions of very sparkly people walking around. 
  • It does have two little mirrors on the inside "page" which i do appreciate but i think would've been better with just one large one instead of a regular and magnifying mirror. I feel like contouring is very much an over-all look and not a magnified, super-precise one.
Anastasia: 4/5
  • The packaging on this one is much more sleek and clean. All black with a simple logo print on the front. It does come with a full brochure on how to use the products in great detail with pictures.
  • Again, a stiff cardboard palette. I don't fully recall if it has a magnet closure but it DOES have a sleeve you can slip over the palette to keep it all safe for travel/ storage.
  • The pans are removable and refills will be available on the ABH site at some point in the future. Not only is it nice so you can refill your favorites but you can also remove them and put them in a z palette for travel if you're trying to condense everything.
  • No mirror on this one which i think is really the only thing its missing. 








Product and color selection


it Cosmetics: 3.5/5

  • I believe each pan comes with .09oz of product for $38 total.
  • 4 matte contour shades and 1 shimmer highlight and 1 matte highlight.
  • The shimmer shade is amazing but VERY shimmery. Definitely a pure white, icy shade and perfect for highlighting the eyes, too.
  • I think they'd have been better varying the contour shades and making one of them a more champagne/yellow matte highlight. 
  • The contour colors are well pigmented and easy to work with but the centre two colors are too similar in my opinion and i think its missing a true, taupe contour for pale people. 
  • I do appreciate the very deep brown it comes with because i think a lot of kits don't allow for very dark skinned people.
  • The matte white comes across very sheer and would be far too sheer and icy for darker skin tones. Its also hard to work with and you need to keep going back in with your brush.
Anastasia: 4/5
  • Each pan comes with .11oz of product for $40 total.
  • 3 matte contour shades, 2 matte highlight shades and 1 shimmer highlight shade.
  • The matte, eggshell highlight is perfect for fairer skinned people and the matte, yellow highlight will be better for darker skin tones to achieve that Kim K look. Using a mixture of the two matte highlighters is beautiful.
  • The shimmer highlight color is a champagne shade so more universal than icy white. Really beautiful and easy to wear.
  • All colors are well pigmented and a LOT of product comes off on the brush. Super easy to apply and blend.
  • Great selection of contour colors but perhaps could use a darker shade for deep skin tones, i've yet to try it on very dark skin.
  • The darkest contour shade is really nice for a deep bronzed look.

(l-r: Anastasia shimmer highlight vs it Cosmetics shimmer highlight)


(l-r: Anastasia matte highlight X2 vs it Cosmetics matte highlight)


(top-bottom: Anastasia contour shades)


(l-r: it Cosmetics contour shades)


Overall


I think i'd always prefer and recommend the ABH contour palette over the it Cosmetics one unless the it Cosmetics one happens to have the perfect colors for your skin tone (which i think is probably quite rare). 

The only things i prefer about the it Cosmetics one is the shimmer highlight is perfect for extreme cheek highlighting and eyes, and the mirror in the lid.

The ABH colors just seem to be better thought out and well developed. The kit is much sleeker and more user-friendly. The it Cosmetics one just seems a little thrown together to me.

Anastasia wins this one!