PRODUCT REVIEW | Five Face Faves

1.  Vasanti Liquid Cover-up
Thanks to Farah at Vasanti, I was introduced to this amazing + lightweight foundation by Vasanti Cosmetics.  I’m probably one of the last people on the Toronto beauty blogging scene to jump the Vasanti bandwagon, but I’m so glad I finally did!  Vasanti’s Liquid Cover-up has been added to my regular rotation of foundations (day to day I usually mix moisturizer with my foundation for a tinted moisturizer finish – among the foundations usuallly in rotation are MAC’s Face and Body, FACE atelier and now Vasanti).  I love how Vasanti’s Liquid Cover-up is build-able, giving light to moderate coverage.  I also like how its creamy finish is quick-drying vs. more ‘wet’ foundations like MAC’s Face and Body, which is great when you need make-up to set quick (like when on-set or on when getting a bridal party ready!).  Vasanti says that the coverage can also double as a concealer, and I’m sure for some people it does, but my challenging undereyes need a little more attention/highlighting. A final added bonus is that Vasanti’s Liquid Cover-up works well on all skin types, so I’ve been contemplating adding this one to my bridal make-up kit arsenal!

2.  Too-Faced Shadow Insurance
One of the number one questions/complaints I hear when it comes to applying make-up is how to make eyeshadow last!  Right?!  Clients will tell me how they’ve tried all different eyeshadows with the same outcome…either colour fades or it starts creasing well into the day….or both!  Usually it’s a matter of adding an eyeshadow primer to one’s routine, and most clients find a significant improvement once they do.  I’m a huge advocate for eyeshadow primers because I speak completely from experience, being that my own lids can get really oily….and without a primer, any attempts at eyeshadow/eyeliner and hoping it will last the day are futile!  I always preach the benefits of MAC Paints as a primer to my clients (and use those in my own routine), but I also recently took a liking to Too Faced Shadow Insurance following a free sample from Sephora.  Too Faced Shadow Insurance is more gel-like in consistency and colourless…and I love that especially!  Since it’s colourless, it doesn’t alter the shade of eyeshadow that you’re applying atop of it.  It simply glides on and acts like an invisible shield, helping to extend the life of your eye make-up.  Instant love.

I did also recently try Benefit’s Stay Don’t Stray Primer (and admittedly, was a sucker for the catchy name of the product!).  In terms of lasting power, I found it helped my shadow to last, but in comparison, I had better results when using MAC Paints or Too Faced’s Shadow Insurance.  I did like how creamy and easy it was to blend Stay Don’t Stray (other primers like MAC Paints are very quick drying so you have to have quick and precise fingers when applying!).  In fact, Stay Don’t Stray was so blend-able, that you can actually apply it also under the eye to make your concealer last…just be careful that it doesn’t alter or drastically lighten the shade of your concealer.

ARTIST TIP:  I know the term ‘layering’ usually isn’t in our summer vocabulary, but applying eyeshadow primers under your shadow and liner is absolute key to beating the summer heat!

3.  MAC Prep + Prime Highlighters
I love these and have already gone through 2 tubes of Bright Forecasts since they were launched to MAC’s permanent collection.  Prep + Prime highlighters give lightweight + sheer coverage, which is the ideal texture for highlighting products.  This is my secret weapon when trying to hide unruly dark circles and any evidence of a late night out.  Just apply with the built-in brush to the dark undereye area and lightly tap with the warmth of your ring finger to melt it into the skin,  blend your skin-tone coloured concealer atop, set with a light dusting of powder and voila…wide awake and wide-eyed!  …or at least the illusion thereof!  The formula gives sheer coverage, which is perfect for use under the eye, as we never want that area to look cakey…especially if we’re still going in with our skin-tone concealer atop to make it all blend.  The highlighting effects are quite comparable to another love of mine, YSL’s Touche Eclat, BUT at a fraction of the price.  So happy this one is part of MAC’s permanent collection!  I use Bright Forecast for my medium-tanned skin tone, but would recommend Radiant Rose for light, fair skin tones.  This one’s an artistrhi kit essential.  In other words, go. get. it.

4.  Joe Fresh Cream Blush
I’m pretty much over the look of overly shimmery blushes for my own routine and have switched to using mainly cream or satin-finish blushes.  I think it’s definitely an age thing…for me, shimmer sometimes feels less appropriate, more aging and I really don’t need shimmer drawing up attention towards fine lines of experience…ahem. I absolutely love the look of cream blush and how it gives that fresh, just-pinched, ‘glow from within’ look.  I love the Make-up Forever HD Cream Blushes (an artistrhi kit essential), but realize that the colour that these distribute is super pigmented and can be quite intimidating to apply.  Enter Joe Fresh Cream Blushes…with a gorgeous selection of colours and a super easy to apply formula, these cream blushes will never leave you with a heavy-handed flush.  You can easily apply the smooth, creamy formula with your fingers or with a small-diameter synthetic brush (my fave is the one pictured in this post about Applying Cream Blush).  The finish is sheer and the final look is non-powdery and not flat compared to say using a powdered blush…it’s a perfect product for daily use and especially for an easy summer beauty routine.  Want more to love? Joe Fresh Cream blushes are the best bang for your buck at $8/pop…that’s a fraction of the price of the MUFE cream blushes!  The amazing pricepoint and ease of use makes it a good intro cream blush….the only problem you might have is finding them, as I hear these sell out quick!!  My fave colours are Rose, Melon and Bloom.  Big love for this one!

5.  MAC Studio Sculpt
Yes, I’m still loving this foundation two years after its release.  I know for the summer we’re preaching less make-up, but sometimes you just have that thing to attend where you need to feel like a completely polished version of yourself.  I love this one for working on-set doing TV gigs and use it quite frequently for wedding bookings too.  The finish is lasting and leaves more of a satin texture where skin still looks like skin – making it a perfect choice for actors/talent AND brides who are being viewed and recorded through HD lenses!