Category Archives: Reviews

THEFACESHOP Oil Control Water Cushion Foundation Review

THEFACESHOP Oil Control Water Cushion Foundation in Apricot Beige

I recently did a video on my first impressions of some products by THEFACESHOP and this Oil Control Water Cushion foundation was one of the items that intrigued me the most so I thought I’d do a full post and go a little more indepth on this particular foundation.

THEFACESHOP Oil Control Water Cushion Foundation in Apricot Beige
THEFACESHOP Oil Control Water Cushion Foundation in Apricot Beige

Cushion foundations are slowly becoming more and more mainstream as people get used to the concept. Essentially, the foundation comes in a compact that contains a sponge pre-soakedwith foundation. It does contain less than your average foundation bottle as this comes with 0.5 ounces of product versus the usual one ounce.

THEFACESHOP Oil Control Water Cushion Foundation in Apricot Beige
THEFACESHOP Oil Control Water Cushion Foundation

However, the added convenience of this foundation is found in the way that it is packaged. It’s not exactly easy to carry a big ole bottle of foundation around with you for touchups, but this compact Water Cushion packaging means you get your foundation and makeup pad all in one. The packaging also feels incredibly solid and secure, so you needn’t worry about busting a bottle or cracking the lid.

THEFACESHOP Oil Control Water Cushion Foundation in Apricot Beige
THEFACESHOP Oil Control Water Cushion Foundation in Apricot Beige

The little makeup pad sits on top of the compact that opens up to reveal the foundation sponge inside. You don’t remove this sponge – instead you dab the makeup pad on top of the sponge and then apply it to your face. This does provide excellent coverage, but I found the process a little too slow for my liking. Instead, I opted to dab my makeup brush into the sponge and then apply it directly to my face. This resulted in a much more sheer coverage of product on my face however, so just be aware of that.

THEFACESHOP Oil Control Water Cushion Foundation in Apricot Beige
THEFACESHOP Oil Control Water Cushion Foundation in Apricot Beige

The sponge comes presoaked with 0.5 ounces of foundation. It isn’t runny and it doesn’t risk leaking everywhere which makes this perfect for travelling or being on the go. The shade pictured above is Apricot Beige and I was really concerned it wouldn’t be a good match for me since the product does look awfully orange. I was totally wrong:

On face comparison
On face comparison

Apricot Beige is a PERFECT match for my skin colour. I would say it has medium coverage because it covered up most of my spotty redness (nose and cheek areas), but it still let my freckles peek through. This is the kind of coverage I go for, so I was really, really enjoying it. Also worth noting: the foundation itself has a really lovely scent. It’s not overpowering, but it’s definitely a fresh, clean scent that made it appealing to apply to my face!

Final Thoughts

I loved experiencing a new kind of foundation, and THEFACESHOP definitely delivered with their Oil Control Water Cushion. Wear time was solid for me throughout an entire work day (approximately 7:30 am till 5 pm), although I did notice it sinking a little bit into my overly expressive forehead lines. My only other complaint is that I feel the price point is a bit disjointed considering how much product you get. This foundation retails for $39 CAD on their web site, and yet it only contains half of the traditional amount of foundation you would expect in a bottle (maybe this is typical for cushion foundations? Please tell me!). That being said, the packaging is so lovely and makes it incredibly easy to carry around with you, which makes up for some of the lack of product.

In general, the Oil Control Water Cushion foundation is a solid choice if you’re looking to try out cushion foundations. The texture, scent and wear time were all excellent and I really enjoyed wearing this foundation.

The product featured in this review was sent to me for consideration.

Clinique Lid Pops (Review & Swatches)

Clinique Lid Pops

Clinique has got a good thing going on with their gorgeously embossed powder “Pop” line! When the blushes came out a few years ago, everyone was in total awe. I mean, how could you not fall in love with the beautiful clear acrylic containers alongside the beautifully embossed daisy imprint? I mean, the whole thing is basically a makeup lover’s dream!

Clinique Lid Pops
Clinique Lid Pops

More recently, they’ve extended that line up with their Lid Pop eyeshadows (and really, who didn’t see that one coming??). These eyeshadows contain as absolutely astounding 6 grams (well, almost! They have 5.95 grams each.) of product. When you compare them to a normal eyeshadow pan which usually contains about 1.3-1.5g, you realize just how much product you’re actually getting in one of these!

Clinique Lid Pops
Clinique Lid Pops

Clinique describes these eyeshadows as “a modern wash of silky, long-wearing eye shadow”. I do feel they pack more colour punch than a “sheer wash”, but there is some variety in intensity between all four shades I tried.

Clinique Lid Pop in Willow Pop
Clinique Lid Pop in Willow Pop

Easily the most unique shade out of the whole bunch, Willow Pop, is a gorgeous burnt gold with some kind of green shading in there. I really don’t think I have any other colour like it in my entire makeup collection!

Clinique Lid Pop in Cream Pop
Clinique Lid Pop in Cream Pop

Although this is called Cream Pop, there is a soft hint of orange to the shadow.  Maybe a bit champagne?

Clinique Lid Pop in Petal Pop
Clinique Lid Pop in Petal Pop

Petal Pop is the soft pink of the lot. It’s predominantly a baby pink, but it does have soft gold reflects in it.

Clinique Lid Pop in Grape Pop
Clinique Lid Pop in Grape Pop

The last shade I have is Grape Pop, a beautiful purple that fits the “colourful, but not too colourful” eyeshadow look that most people are looking for!

Wearing Willow and Cream
Wearing Willow and Cream

In the shot above, I’m wearing Willow Pop all over the lid with Cream Pop in the inner corner. Willow Pop is seriously such a unique shade. I love how it looks green, gold and bronze on my lid! Cream Pop was a lovely accent colour to the whole look and I applied it to the inner corner of my eye.

Wearing Petal and Grape
Wearing Petal and Grape

Above, I’m wearing Petal Pop all over the lid with Grape Pop through the outer corner and crease. I was able to build Grape Pop up, but it wasn’t as dark as I expected it to be right off the bat.

Final Thoughts

The Clinique Lid Pops breathe a breath of fresh air into Clinique‘s lineup of eyeshadows. They’re the perfect complement to the Cheek Pops and I’m so glad they decided to keep going with the “Pop” idea. The eyeshadows are soft to the touch and easy to work with, although some may need more building up than others. You will find that the daisy pattern will start to wear off pretty quickly once you start dipping into the pans regularly. Of the four I tried, Willow Pop was easily my favourite just because it’s so unlike anything else I’ve ever owned.

Although the eyeshadow price tag is a bit up there in price point, pound for pound, these are infinitely cheaper just because you’re getting so much product in each compact. (This is less important for makeup obsessors since we’re unlikely to go through a full eyeshadow any time soon, but rather this is a great point of interest for people who don’t tend to wear a ton of eyeshadow and instead stick to the basics – this eyeshadow, if used daily, will last you an INCREDIBLY long time!). My recommendation? Get a few shades you know you’ll love!

The Clinique Lid Pops can be purchased on sephora.ca for $22 CAD each or on sephora.com for $17 USD each.

The products featured in this post were sent to me for consideration.

MAC Cosmetics – Future MAC Collection (Review, Swatches & Look)

MAC Future MAC

MAC collections are always coming at us fast and furious and this one takes us swiftly into the future with “Future MAC”!

MAC Future MAC
MAC Future MAC

For a full colour story on this launch, please see Swatch and Review’s roundup. I only have a few pieces from this collection but there’s a LOT more where this came from!

MAC Future MAC - Otherearthly Mineralize Skinfinish
MAC Future MAC – Otherearthly Mineralize Skinfinish

Easily the most exciting piece from this collection was the Otherearthly Mineralize Skinfinish (MSF, for short). Shaped unlike any other MSF to date, this one features slivers of bronze, pink and silver. I wasn’t really sure what to expect out of this since the silver and the bronze tones aren’t something I’d ever think to pair together.

MAC Future MAC - Otherearthly swatches
MAC Future MAC – Otherearthly swatches

But um… I’m in awe. The colours each standout so strongly as individual shades that I was able to use them as eyeshadows as well (more on that below), and yet, swirled together they create a beautiful rose-gold shimmer. If you’re worried it’s too strong of a colour for fair skin, don’t be! On my cheeks, the mixed colour ended up coming off as a very strong highlighter while only adding a hint of colour (I wore it as both a blush and a highlighter).

MAC Future MAC Mineralize Lipstick in Ionized
MAC Future MAC Mineralize Lipstick in Ionized

The next most intriguing item to me was this luminous grey lipstick.

MAC Future MAC Mineralize Lipstick in Ionized swatch
MAC Future MAC Mineralize Lipstick in Ionized swatch

The texture on Ionized is very slippy and creamy. It feels quite similar to their Cremesheen finish.

MAC Future MAC Mineralize Lipstick in Ionized
MAC Future MAC Mineralize Lipstick in Ionized

I *love* the colour. It’s actually flattering, which is not something one can usually say of a grey lipstick. I will point out though that Ionized would best be used with some kind of similarly-coloured base. I lightly covered my lips with foundation before I applied this, but it’s still not enough to keep the pink of my lips from poking through. The texture was lovely though and very comfortable to wear.

MAC Future MAC Mineralize Glasses in The Zone & Telegenius
MAC Future MAC Mineralize Glasses in The Zone & Telegenius

Next up are the two Mineralize Glasses.

MAC Future MAC Mineralize Glasses in Telegenius & The Zone swatches
MAC Future MAC Mineralize Glasses in Telegenius & The Zone swatches

Both shades contain a hint of sparkle, but the colour is one of those “barely there” looks on the lips. I do wish the stopper inside had a little less grip on the wand though as I’d like for more product to actually pull out of the tube when I go to apply it! The Zone was the most unique between the two shades because it has a been of a browny-gold shimmer in it.

Wearing Telegenius
Wearing Telegenius
Wearing The Zone
Wearing The Zone
MAC Future MAC Studio Eye Gloss in Pearl Varnish
MAC Future MAC Studio Eye Gloss in Pearl Varnish

The last item I have is the Studio Eye gloss in Pearl Varnish. I do NOT understand these things. They have an incredibly tacky consistency – to the point where it’s actually painful to apply it to your lid because it’ll cause the folds to stick together every single time you blink your eyes.

MAC Future MAC Studio Eye Gloss in Pearl Varnish swatch
MAC Future MAC Studio Eye Gloss in Pearl Varnish swatch

The swatch, however, is pretty darn gorgeous (I’m amazed I managed to capture the shimmer to be honest). It’s a white base with pink and teal sparkles throughout. While beautiful in a swatch, it’s not something that shows up too much on the cheeks. Behold:

MAC Future MAC Pearl Varnish applied to my cheeks
MAC Future MAC Pearl Varnish applied to my cheeks

I tapped Pearl Varnish onto the tops of my cheekbones so I could at least demonstrate it somewhere, but it didn’t look much more than “glossy”.

MAC Future MAC Makeup Look

The theme with this collection was “Charge ahead into the next generation of hyper-luminous“. The imagery wasn’t especially dark, so I wanted to create something luminous while still sticking to that grey futuristic vibe that the collection gives off. I also wanted to make sure I used he bronzes and roses that the collection put out so I used the MSF in as many ways as possible. This makeup tutorial will be live on my YouTube channel tomorrow   here’s the video!, but for now please enjoy pictures!

MAC Future MAC - makeup look
MAC Future MAC – makeup look
MAC Future MAC - makeup look
MAC Future MAC – makeup look
MAC Future MAC - makeup look
MAC Future MAC – makeup look

Wearing Otherearthly MSF on my cheeks and eyes and Ionized lipstick.

MAC Future MAC - makeup look - eye open
MAC Future MAC – makeup look – eye open

I used the Otherearthly MSF on my eyes to create the makeup look. (Eyeliner is MAC‘s Phone Number which is not included in this launch but is part of the permanent lineup.)

MAC Future MAC - makeup look - eye closed
MAC Future MAC – makeup look – eye closed

My Picks?

The Otherearthly MSF needs to be on everyone’s list because it’s so freaking stunning. I’m also equally impressed with the Ionized lipstick. If that’s a shade that’s up your alley, look into it. I was impressed with just how wearable and beautiful it looked on me. Not something I ever expected out of a grey lipstick!

Let me know what you’ll be picking up from this collection! I’m eyeballing the mineralize blushes right now….

MAC Cosmetics Future MAC launches in North America online on March 31st, and in stores on April 7th. Get them online at nordstrom.com too!

The products featured in this post were sent to me for consideration.

BECCA Beach Tint Shimmer Soufflés (Review & Swatches)

BECCA Beach Tint Shimmer Soufflé

Oh BECCA. You put out so many gorgeous products, how am I supposed to resist you?

BECCA Beach Tint Shimmer Soufflés
BECCA Beach Tint Shimmer Soufflés

BECCA‘s Beach Tint Shimmer Soufflés aren’t anything new really. They’ve been around since 2014 and yet people still talk about them because they’re just so darn pretty.

BECCA Beach Tint Shimmer Soufflés in Fig/Opal, Lychee/Opal and Guava/Moonstone
BECCA Beach Tint Shimmer Soufflés in Fig/Opal, Lychee/Opal and Guava/Moonstone

The Beach Tint Shimmer Soufflés are a mix of coloured pigment amid their signature highlighting colours (Opal, Moonstone, etc.). The Shimmer Soufflé formula is intended to brighten your cheeks while also adding colour (and side note, I totally thought they were eyeshadows too, but they are not billed as such!).

These are one of the easiest blushes to wear because they’re so darn easy to blend out. The pigments swirl together to create an illuminated blush that you can either apply with a brush for a soft effect, or with your fingers for even more contrast. (I prefer finger application!)

The texture amongst all three was oddly different, but I’m wondering if I got a few shades where the lid hadn’t been closed tightly. One of the three was incredibly emollient: it was spongy and squishy to the touch. Kind of gelatinous! Another one was so soft and supple, but nowhere near as squishy. And the last one… well it was kinda rock-like. I could apply it to my cheeks, but it was very clear that most of the softening ingredients had been exposed to too much air. All that to say – make SURE you close your containers tightly!

BECCA Beach Tint Shimmer Soufflé in Fig/Opal
BECCA Beach Tint Shimmer Soufflé in Fig/Opal

Fig/Opal is the rose gold shade that I’m sure everyone is swooning over. It has a deep rose base with a ton of golden sheen.

BECCA Beach Tint Shimmer Soufflé in Lychee/Opal
BECCA Beach Tint Shimmer Soufflé in Lychee/Opal

Lychee/Opal is a fun one. It looks super neon pink in the pot (mixed with gold), but when you blend the two shades together, the colour turns quite a soft pink with a soft golden sheen.

BECCA Beach Tint Shimmer Soufflé in Guava/Moonstone
BECCA Beach Tint Shimmer Soufflé in Guava/Moonstone

My favourite of the bunch is Guava/Moonstone – a coral base with golden sheen.

BECCA Beach Tint Shimmer Soufflés on my face
BECCA Beach Tint Shimmer Soufflés on my face

Above is a side-by-side comparison of all three shades. The only thing I’m wearing in the shots above is each blush (no foundation, no concealer, no bronzer, etc.).

Final Thoughts

BECCA‘s Beach Tint Shimmer Soufflés are the kind of product you want to wear all summer long. They’re easy to wear and apply and they have a beautiful sheen to give you that sunkissed healthy look. And even moreso, because of the marbling in the product, they’re also stunners to look at! In addition, the packaging is compact – just make sure you seal them tight after every use.

If you’re looking for something easy going for the cheeks for the warmer months, I don’t think you can go wrong with these. The colours are quite subtle, which makes them a perfect match for many eye looks. I’m already eyeballing these as something to bring on me with vacation just because they’re sooo easy to use.

The BECCA Beach Tint Shimmer Soufflés can be purchased from sephora.ca for $33 CAD each or from sephora.com for $27 USD.

The products featured in this post were sent to me for review.

QUO Prismatic Collection Spring 2016 (Review, Swatches & Look)

QUO Prismatic Collection Spring 2016

Spring collections are everywhere at this point, so what’s going to make them stand out one from the other? I mean… brights, pastels, florals… spring collections pretty much run all the same don’t they?

EXCEPT THE PACKAGING ON THIS QUO COLLECTION. Holy smokes! QUO is a brand I haven’t had a lot of exposure with, but they are actually killing me with this mottled graffiti-esque holographic packaging. It is GORGEOUS! (Caps for impact guys… it’s happening!)

So here’s a few items from the QUO Prismatic Collection that launched this month at Shoppers Drug Mart:

QUO by Orly - Always Chic
QUO by Orly – Always Chic

Let’s start out with the less obvious item for me on this blog – nail polish! The QUO by Orly nail polish in Always Chic ($10 CAD) took me by surprise. I really do not care about nail polish – it just doesn’t excite me, you know? And yet this shade is a very pale pink-lilac with a teal duochrome.  It’s so, sooo freaking gorgeous.

QUO by Orly - Always Chic
QUO by Orly – Always Chic

You can see a hint of the duochrome here, but I really haven’t a clue how to capture that on camera. Regardless, if you’re in a Shoppers Drug Mart, check this one out so you can see it for yourself!

QUO Prismatic Brow Kit
QUO Prismatic Brow Kit

I’ll mention the Prismatic Brow Kit ($12 CAD) briefly, but I won’t be reviewing it because I didn’t try it out. It comes with two brow powders (too dark and warm for me, hence my lack of usage) as well as a very soft eyebrow gel and a mini brushes for application. The packaging is small, compact and the mirror is extremely appreciated in a product such as this.

QUO Prismatic Face Palette in Moonwalk
QUO Prismatic Face Palette in Moonwalk

I’m quite a fan of these all-in-one face palettes by QUO since they’re sleek, compact (zero extra space for a useless brush – YAY!) and the mirror is ENORMOUS. The Prismatic Face Palette in Moonwalk ($18 CAD) is the largest sized palette in this collection and the one I was the most excited to use.

QUO Prismatic Face Palette in Moonwalk
QUO Prismatic Face Palette in Moonwalk

This is the lighter of two palettes (the other one is moderately darker, but not by much) and each colour packs a significant amount of pigment. Each shade does contain a certain amount of shimmer though – there’s no mattes to be seen here!

QUO Prismatic Face Palette in Moonwalk - swatches
QUO Prismatic Face Palette in Moonwalk – swatches

The blush and highlight shades have the most amount of shimmer (although I really only saw tiiiiny glitter particles in the blush), whereas the bronzer on the right side is much more subtle and thankfully pale enough for me to use right now on my winter skin.

QUO Prismatic Collection Look

In the shot above, I’m wearing all of the items in the face palette and the shot was taken in natural light. You can see the highlighter is *definitely* doing its job on the tops of my cheek bones and yet despite the sheen on all of the products, I don’t feel like it’s total overkill. I love how the blush, bronzer and highlighter all worked together to create a gorgeous enhancement to my face.

QUO Prismatic Eye Palette in Colourful Life
QUO Prismatic Eye Palette in Colourful Life

Next up… eyeshadows. There are three QUO Prismatic Eye Palettes in this collection, but I only have the one in Colourful Life ($18 CAD).

QUO Prismatic Eye Palette in Colourful Life
QUO Prismatic Eye Palette in Colourful Life

I’ll start out by pointing out the obvious – this is not a standalone palette that you could use daily unless you like really, really subtle eyeshadow shades. The darkest colour in the palette is the purple in the top row and that’s really not enough in a palette of 10 shades. Additionally, unlike the face palette, these are all mattes.

QUO Prismatic Eye Palette in Colourful Life - swatches
QUO Prismatic Eye Palette in Colourful Life – swatches

Swatched out, everything is decently pigmented for a pastel collection (which is unusual because pastels are usually quite patchy), so this is a good addition to your collection if you’re looking for a bunch of soft colours to add to your arsenal. However, if you’re looking for a standalone palette to use on the daily, you’re going to struggle with only one deeper shade.

QUO Prismatic Collection Look
QUO Prismatic Collection Look

In the look I created from this palette, I’m wearing one of the softer pinks through my upper crease, the light purple on the lid, the dark purple in the outer corner and the white shade on my brow bone. I also have the pale green on my inner corner, but it’s not visible at all (not in person and not on camera). This is the absolute DARKEST look this palette can go, so keep that in mind! I also had to use a white base to make sure the colours popped as well. I’m not in love with the eyeshadow palette, but I do love how the look came out anyway.

QUO Prismatic Collection Look
QUO Prismatic Collection Look – studio lights

Here’s a side face shot so you can see the eye makeup from a different angle as well as the Face compact products (took these with a ring light). I love how subtle the bronzer is on my skin (temple, backs of my cheekbones and along my jaw line), as well as how the blush and highlighter work together.

QUO Prismatic Eye Palette in Colourful Life
QUO Prismatic Eye Palette in Colourful Life

The quality on the shot above is abysmal, but here’s a closer look at the eyeshadows. While the purple worked well together with a white base, you can barely tell I put that pale green on the inner corner.

Final Thoughts

The Colourful Life eye palette is a clear miss for me – there just isn’t enough mid-tone and dark shades in it to get enough decent looks. That being said, the quality of these shadows are good so I’d encourage you to check out the other two palettes in the Prismatic Collection since they look like they’ve got more shade variety.

My absolute favourite product that I tried was the Prismatic Face palette in Moonlight. It’s AMAZING and I’d jump on that sucker immediately if the shades are appealing to you. I love, love, LOVE each product in that compact as well as the packaging. Solid, solid winner there. The nail polish was equally amazing in terms of colour (although I did find I needed three costs for opaque coverage).

The QUO Prismatic Collection for Spring 2016 is available exclusively at Shoppers Drug Mart in Canada (and it’s limited edition, so get it while you can!).

The products featured in this post were sent to me for consideration.