This post is loooong over due. I went to the VIB Spring Sale back in April and spent a hefty amount. The 15% off drives you to make crazy purchases! I wanted to give my individual reviews on everything and it took me a couple weeks to really test everything. I had some keepers and some that didn't quite make the cut. Alot of things I purchased are newer products and some have been around for a while.
NARS - All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation (Santa Fe) $48
I read so many mixed reviews about this foundation. I didn't really know what to think. I heard this has replaced their Sheer Matte foundation and was supposed to have a matte but luminous finish. At the VIB even a lovely NARS rep was there and she demonstrated and matched the foundation for me. I liked the way it look and felt so I decided to take the plunge on this 48$ foundation.
After weeks of using it, these are my final thoughts. The longevity of this foundation was about 6 hours for me without touching up. I have super oily skin, especially in my T-Zone area so 6 hours is great for me. Application was tricky but not impossible. This is definitely I foundation that requires a good skin care routine before hand. I also found you can't just used any tool to apply this foundation. For the best application I found the beautyblender worked well BUT you had to work quickly. It sets quickly which could be a good or a bad thing, depending on the user. For whatever reason (and this could be just me) the foundation has a horrible time applying to my nose area. I often have this issue from time to time on certain foundations.
Overall, I was impressed by the foundation and but I felt for 48$ this wasn't a great value... Yes, it had a foundation pump. Yes, it lasted all day. And yes, it was a great color match but it just wasn't wowing me. After trying the Estee Lauder Double Wear I returned this foundation. Not because this was bad but because I found something slightly better at a more reasonable price.
NARS - Dual-Intensity Blush (Frenzy) $45
The formula of these blushes were new and interesting to me. The biggest let down for me was that it was hard to get good color pay. The standard blush brush wasn't working too well for application. I switched out to a stippling brush and that worked better. The color was nice and looked natural but the color intensity just wasn't there for me. It's advertised to be used wet or dry. I had no interest in using the blush wet. This is just personal preference. Overall, this blush just was not wroth it to me. I'm a blush-a-holic and I still just couldn't justify keeping this. Back to Sephora it went.
MAKE UP FOR EVER - Pro Sculpting Duo (2 Golden) $39
I went back and forth for weeks about wanting to buy this. After all the back and forth motions I decided to go for it, especially since I received my VIB coupon. The concept and formulation is very similar to the NARS Dual Intensity Blush. The sculpting and the highlight shades both worked very well for me. I was worried that the sculpting powder would be too orange-y but it worked very well. I actually have been using it more than the highlight and the highlight is what everyone is raving about! Overall, I'm glad I gave it a try. I had my doubts but it worked out for me and I've been using it everyday since I purchased it.
NARS - Light Reflecting Pressed Setting Powder $36
This product I had no intention on purchasing nor did I really know anything about. The NARS rep at the Sephora VIB sale demonstrated this on me and raved about it. I was impressed. I liked the way it looked and how it set my makeup. I also get skeptical about white/translucent powders. I've never had good experiences with them until this. It's been great for setting every foundation I've tried and even under-eye concealers. It's also great for touching up because it doesn't add any extra color. It absorbs oils really well and because of the light reflecting qualities it doesn't make my face look overly powdery.
The only compliant I have about this product is that every new purchase has a protective seal on top of the pressed powder. It's hard to explain but if you've experienced it you know what I mean. I'm very glad the NARS rep warned me about this or this would have been returned the very next day. To protect the product NARS applied this seal/barrier to the top of this pressed powder. I don't know if they do this to any other products but It's frustrating as a consumer. There is no information stated anywhere about this on the packaging or recommendations on how to remove it. I just went it with a powder brush and pretty much wiped/brushed away the top layer which sounds easier than it actually was...
Was it worth it? I don't know yet. That film on top of the powder is just annoying. I know they make a loose powder version of the sane product. I might give that a try in the future.
Bite Beauty - Luminous Crème Lipstick Duo (Tangerine/Lingonberry & Fig/Date) $12
I've bought a Bit Beauty lipstick duo before and really enjoyed it. I saw these duos in the check out line... and it got me! The Tangerine/Lingonberry is such a fun duo. I like to use both colors at the same time and do am ombre lip. It's the easiest thing ever since the colors are packaged together.
Estée Lauder - Double Wear (Rattan 2W2) $37
This foundation... why didn't I try this earlier??? This is what made me return the NARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation. Like I said, the NARS foundation was good and it did the job but I didn't feel the price was reasonable. This foundation I preferred ever so slightly and the price point was better. I fell in love on the first day of use. My only con is that this is just a hair too yellow but the next shade down is too pink. The foundation applies wonderfully with a beautyblender. I found using a brush gave my skin a more unnatural appearance. The only draw back is that this does not come with a pump.
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