MAC Studio Careblend Pressed Powder

Mac Studio Careblend- Pressed Powder

THE PRODUCT:

Amount: 

0.35 oz/ 10g

Packaging/ Tools:

same as other MAC powder products (black case, with mirror)

comes with a powder puff

Color: 

Medium Plus (NC25-30)- not translucent

Type of Powder:

Pressed 

Texture:

powdery/dry but at the same time a little bit cream-like, after applying on your face

Claims:

to provide a natural-looking, smooth, fresh-looking finish

to give skin extra care, comfort and nourishment 

*******

MY OPINION

Packaging:

nice, classy and easy to carry it with you

Color:

will suit people with NC 25-30 I guess, but works best for NC 30 I would assume. Sometimes I dislike the color range by MAC because the higher the NC, the more "red" they tend to be.... I wish they would be a little bit on the beige side. The lower NC range tends too be a little bit too "yellow" sometimes.... 

Texture:

I really like it's texture, because it feels really smooth on my skin when applying it on my face. I recognized that, even though it seems to be a normal powder, it gets a little cream-like after applying it on your face

Finish:

I must say that the finish was surprisingly good though. It looks really natural, smooth and adapts well to your skin (within seconds) It does not look caky at all- even right after application.

**

I really disliked the MAC Studio Fix Powder + Foundation, because I was never able to achieve a natural and smooth look. Every time I tried to apply it on my face (with sponge, brushes etc), it looked totally unnatural like a "mask" and way to caky. The powder was really visible after application and it took usually a few hours till it developed to a natural look. Furthermore it melted somehow off my skin (weird patches), especially during summer....

***

This product is definitely a really good deal finish-wise, especially if you also disliked the MAC Studio Fix Powder+ Foundation like me.

Coverage:

I would say it's definitely light to medium but not a full-coverage foundation. 

Coverage ability is definitely better compared to MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Powder.

If you have major acne scars etc. it won't be able to conceal it like the MAC full-coverage powders/foundations do. 

I would therefore recommend it to people who tend to have clear to medium clear skin

Oil-Control:

definitely less compared to MAC Studio Fix Powder or MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Powder, because both of them tend to be on the drier side texture-wise.

This product gives more moisture to your skin and therefore looks also more natural/ not caky

Overall:

4/5 

I would recommend it to:

- people with dry to normal skin types

- people who want to achieve a very natural look and who want to avoid a "mask-like" look

- people who are looking for a powder which is not over-drying 

- people who want light to medium coverage

- people without major acne scars, troubled skin

DID NOT CAUSE PIMPLES 

Bobbi Brown Sheer Finish Pressed Powder

Bobbi Brown Sheer Finish Pressed Powder 

THE PRODUCT:

- 0.38 oz/ 11g

- 100% oil-Free

- contains vitamin E 

Packaging/Tools:

- packaging is sleek, classy as usual

- small enough to carry it with you 

- comes with a white powder puff 

Texture:

Pressed powder- very fine in texture

Smell:

no obvious smell

Color: 

No.1 Pale Yellow- translucent, sheer

Claims:

to reduce shine due to oil-absorbing ability 

to set your foundation 

to be long-lasting

to give a natural, smooth and flawless finish 

MY OPINION:

Packaging: 

I love it because it looks really classy and chic due to it's black case and  is easy to carry it with you

Color: 

it has a slight yellow color to it, but it will not be obvious while wearing it, it will suit almost every skin color due to it's translucent texture

Smell: 

did not irritate my skin. I could not recognize any strong smell or scent

Oil-Control: 

was definitely ok compared to other translucent high-end powders like MAC or Chanel, but it won't beat the low-end ones, which I already blogged about. It will be able to control the oil-production for a few hours, but definitely not for the whole day - but definitely depends on your skin type too

Long-Lasting effect: 

If you just have dry to normal skin, it will definitely last you the whole day I guess. But if you have oily or combination skin, I would say that it won't  last the whole day. You definitely will have to blot several times per day

Finish:

Finish-wise it is really a nice product. Due to it's sheer and fine texture, it looks really natural, even right after application. It did not look caky during the day, which I experienced with many other powders.

OVERALL:

4/5

Pro: 

Natural finish and nice packaging

Contra:

Price (around 35 Euro)

 Oil-control and long-lasting effect is good but not perfect

 If you just aim oil-control I would recommend buying low-end brands instead because some of them are definitely more effective and way cheaper too

Even though the color is on the yellow side ( which is good for people with NC), it is not really obvious on your face later on, so that you can also use a white/translucent product instead

Skin79 Hot Pink Super BB Cream

THE PRODUCT 

What it claims:

-Whitening

- UV Protection- SPF 25 PA++ 

- anti-aging effect "Wrinkle free" 

Packaging:

really nice and girlish ^^ I love the pink color and the pump system 

Negative: You can't tell how much product you've used 

Color:

grey-ish as many other BB creams, but adapts to your skin color well somehow

I would say it suits people with NC 20-25, max. 30

Coverage:

I would say "light" to light medium coverage. It won't be able to cover your major acne scars etc. even though you re-apply it on certain areas. If I wear it on it's own, you will definitely still see all my acne scars and bumps

 Coverage is definitely way lighter compared to full-coverage foundations. 

Finish:

Dewy, definitely not matte. Very natural though. Will not look cakey or melt off your face.  

Skin type:

I would say it will be good for people with dry to maximum combination skin. You definitely have to blot several times per day if you have oily skin- that's why I would no recommend it for people who suffer from really oily skin

Fighting Wrinkles:

Luckily I do not have any wrinkles...hopefully it stays that way =) That's why I can't really tell if it does actually improve the appearance of your wrinkles etc. 

Whitening Effect:

Till now I could not see any major difference 

IT DID NOT CAUSE PIMPLES =) 

My Solution:

The product on it's own is not enough for me considering coverage etc. That's why I use to mix it with my favorite Long-lasting, full coverage make up.

Why I do it?

The BB cream makes my make-up a lot smoother and application becomes way easier 

The finish looks more natural and smooth when mixing it 

While wearing my full-coverage foundation on it's own, it tends to look cakey during the day - the BB cream helps to make it look more natural 

I love the SPF in the product

OVERALL:

4/5

- does not cause acne or skin irritations

- color will suit many people even though it looks grey-ish at the first sight

- very nice, smooth finish 

- does moisturize skin well 

Contra:

- poor oil control (I get oily after wearing it on it's own for 5 minutes)

- poor coverage ability 

The Face Shop Arsainte Eco-Therapy Extreme Moisture

I bought this product also last year

I am a huge fan of The Face Shop, because they have simple but beautiful products

Most of their products are great for normal to oily skin and most of them have a really nice scent 

While using The Face Shop products I never had serious skin reactions

THE PRODCT

- Claims:

to contain 85,5 % natural origin ingredients

- Purpose

"Extreme- Moisture" = to moisturize your skin well

- Smell

has a slight smell to it, but not too heavy

- Skin 

for dry to normal skin I guess 

- Packaging

as usual- simple, clean and somehow classy (glass jar)

Texture:

gel-like, light-weight, not heavy at all

MY OPINION:

- even though this moisturizer targets mostly people with dry to normal skin, I think that even people with oily skin may use it

- does not feel heavy on your skin and sinks into your skin within minutes

- it does not leave a weird film on your skin, and does not feel sticky

- Is definitely great as a make-up base, because it  somehow makes your skin really soft and smooth

- even though it contains a slide scent, it did not irritate my skin or cause any pimples

- it definitely moisturizes your skin well, without feeling too heavy on your skin- it definitely does not over-moisturize 

- my skin did not get more oily while using it- but it did not help to mattify my skin either 

- great for the summer due to its gel-like texture

- it is definitely a good alternative to expensive products

- great for day usage - not so good as a night-cream

OVERALL:

5/5

because of it's price (maybe around 10 Euro or less)

because it moisturizes your skin without causing acne etc.

IF you have more oily skin I would recommend the oil-free moisturizer by The Face Shop. Is pretty similar to this one, but helps better to control the oil production =) 

Skin Food Tea Tree Emulsion

SKIN FOOD- Tea Tree Emulsion

* REVIEW *

The Product: 

- Emulsion

- Amount: 

contains 160ml

- Packaging: 

very simple glass bottle 

- Purpose: 

to fight pimples and troubled skin and to moisturize your skin

- how to use:

"Apply to face and neck, whenever your skin fells tight and thirsty"

- contains:

Tea Tree OIl 

My Opinion

- it definitely moisturizes your skin

- it takes a while till product sinks into your skin

- it has a slide Tea Tree smell too it, but not too heavy though

- texture is liquid but at the same time pretty thick compared to a serum etc. 

- Usage-wise: I still did not get it how to use it correctly. I used it with cotton pads

DOES it fight acne and pimples???

- I've been using this emulsion for about 2 weeks now, but can't see a huge difference regarding my skin condition

- It is definitely not bad for your skin but on the other hand I could not see any drastic improvements 

- It did not cause new pimples or skin irritations 

- good for all skin types but might be too moisturizing for people with oily skin

Overall:

3/5

Skin79 Intense Classic BB cream

Skin 79- The Premium BB cream - Intense Classic Balm  SPF 35 PA++

Product

- Skin 79 BB cream (Korean brand)

-contains plant extracts

-contains SPF 35 PA++

- very simple packaging

- target group: male and female with troubled skin



What the product claims:

- to cover redness, pimples, acne scars

- to improve your skin texture by fighting + healing your acne prone/ troubled skin

- to even out your skin & to brighten your skin




REVIEW:

Color: 

more beige/yellow toned compared to other BB creams by Skin 79, no grey cast.

Color range: 
around NC 15-20, is pretty light, will only suit a small number of people. Would be perfect if they had a color which suits people with NC25 -NC30
the product itself looks darker before applying on your skin (around NC 25) . After you've applied on your skin it turns somehow lighter

Smell: 
not really strong, almost neutral

Texture: 
pretty thick and you have to blend it well to get a natural look. The thickest BB cream I've ever tried

Coverage: 
Best coverage ever!!! Does actually cover almost everything

Finish: 
matte (the best matte finish compared to other BB creams) but product may be visible on your face- you have to blend it well + use a translucent powder to reduce the effect of the product. Every time I try to blend this well into my skin, it somehow never reaches the same natural finish like Lioele, The FaceShop or Skin 79 Pink BB creams do... I can't really tell why...



Overall:

3/5

I definitely like this product- It does a really good job in evening out your skin and in covering your acne. The only problem is the color: even though the color might be better than the grey-ish ones, it is definitely too light for people with NC 25 and upwards. You should use a colored loose/ mineral/ compact powder to achieve a darker tone, which will suit your actual skin color.

The matte finish was really good- one of the best on the market, I guess. If you tend to have really oily skin, you definitely have to blot several times per day.

Healing-wise (pimples etc.) I actually could not see any improvement or a drastic result. It did not make my skin worse but it also did not improve my skin.... my skin just stayed the same, which can be also a good thing?! 

Even though I like this product I think that the overall finish looks less natural compared to the skin79 pink version/Lioele BB cream/ The Face Shop Oil Cut BB Cream. You have to be careful while using it- just take a really small amount and blend it well into your skin, otherwise it may look too cakey on your face.... 

I somehow still prefer to use normal foundation mixed with the skin79 pink BB cream + loose, translucent powder on the top- the finish looks definitely a loooot more natural than just using the Skin 79 Intense Classic BB Cream.  

Oil Control Powders for oily skin

Catrice Prime and Fine, Essence fix&matte Powder, Innisfree No-Sebun Mineral powder

As you may already know- I tend to have really oily skin, which gets even worse during the summer. I am looking for any products which are able to get my oily skin under control.
I've tried many different brands like Mac prep and prime powder, as well as other high end and low end brands. In this post I will do a short but brief review about three different sebum control powders, which can be considered to be "low end" brands. The price range is between 2-6 Euros I guess.

Sebum Control Powders- REVIEW

1) Catrice Prime and Fine Powder

Color: white, translucent

Price: really cheap (around 4 Euro)

Texture:  loose powder, very fine texture

Smell: none

Finish: leaves a white cast right after application but is gone after a few minutes of wearing

Oil control: good but not perfect- I had to blot after a few hours 

Overall:

4/5

I like this powder because it is really fine in texture and is not so visible like the powder by Essence. The oil control though is not as good as the Essence one. 

2) Essence Fix& Matte powder

Color: white, translucent

Price: really cheap (around 3 Euro)

Texture: loose powder, but not so fine compared to the other 2

Smell: almost none 

Finish: leaves as well a white cast, more than the other 2, takes pretty long till this white cast gets invisible (also because of its "thicker" texture) 
If this was finer in texture, it would be the perfect translucent powder for oily skin

Oil control: was surprisingly good, was the best of all 3 

Overall

4/5 

This powder was surprisingly good in oil control. It lasts almost the whole day and there was no need to blot my face during the day, which is totally amazing!!! 

Negative: the thicker texture, which is visible right after application

Oil control-wise I would definitely give this 5/5 

3)  Innisfree No-Sebun Mineral powder

Color: white, translucent

Price: cheap, but more expensive compared to the other two (bought it on ebay)

Texture: loose powder, the finest of all 3

Smell: had a minty smell to it- may irritate your skin  

Finish: does not leave a white cast and looks really natural after application. Skin looks even softer and even 

Oil control: was better than the Catrice one, but not as good as the Essence powder

Overall: 

5/5

I give it full points because it looked more natural on my skin and did not leave a white cast like the other two. Due to its really fine texture (like MAC prep and prime powder) it evens out your skin texture. I do not care so much about the smell and therefore it gets the whole 5 points. 

Additional Information:

Do not waste your money by buying the MAC prep and prime powder. I mean....it is definitely a good powder, but a lot more expensive compared to these 3. The oil control of these powders is the same or even better to the MAC one.

It is definitely a good deal and especially the Innisfree powder gets really close to the MAC one. 
All 3 products will improve your oil production and keep your skin shine-free for at least a few hours. These are my HG for my everyday make-up routine =) 

My daily skin care routine

For oily but sensitive skin

Cleansing- Night/Day Care:

1) La Roche-Posay EFFACLAR face wash (oily, sensitive skin)

2) The Face Shop - Aloe Calming Facial Cleanser 

Day and Night cleansing routine:

After my horrible experience with the Zenia face line for oily and acne-pron skin, I had to find alternative face products, which are more suited for sensitive and oily skin and which are able to get my skin in balance again. (my skin was really irritated, had weird bumps and was really dry)

I've heard a lot of positive reviews about the La Roche-Posay Effaclar line, especially about the face wash. It is considered to be good for sensitive, oily and acne prone skin. It does not dry out or irritate my skin and it already improved my skin texture back to normal

Night care cleansing routine: 

The second product - the Aloe Calming Facial Cleanser by The Body Shop is awesome for sensitive skin as well. I just take a few bigger drops and put it on my dry face and do circular motions. After a few seconds of massaging it into my skin, I take a baby wipe or tissue and take all of the product (+ whole amount of my make-up) off. It cleanses very well, is very gentle and pretty effective. I can do this even twice and my skin still feels calm and smooth. I can highly recommend it to people with sensitive, but also oily skin types. Another positive aspect: it does moisturize your face. 

It is even able to remove water-proof make-up, which is really amazing =)
Even though I use to have oily skin especially during summer, these two products do not make my skin oilier. 

Day Care:

1) The Face Shop- Aloe Soothing Day Cream

2) Dr. Hauschka- Gesichtstonikum Spezial (face spray with herb extracts)

As a daily moisturizer I use the Aloe Soothing Day Cream by The Body Shop. You just need a tiny amount to moisturize your whole face. It has almost no smell and does not irritate the skin. I love this moisturizer and I can recommend it to people with sensitive skin types. It takes a while though until the moisturizer sinks into the skin, but due to my drier skin right now, this is the perfect moisturizer. It might be too moisturizing for the summer time though...
Anyway- I  often made the experience that moisturizers for "oily skin" were not moisturizing enough for me (e.g. the Clinique Gel moisturizer for oily skin)

The second step is the face spray by Dr. Hauschka. It contains herb extracts and has a herby smell to it. It does not irritate my skin and does wonders in mattifying my skin. It just takes 1-2 pumps to cover my whole face. I usually massage it into my skin and already after a few seconds you will realize that the skin gets "drier". It does an amazing job in controlling the production of the oil. I can therefore highly recommend it to people with oily skin types!!!! I works a looooot better than the MAC face spray, which I used to use in the past. The price range is pretty similar though- around 20 Euros.

Night Care: 

1) Vichy Normaderm Nuit moisturizer

2) The Face Shop - Aloe Soothing Night Cream

At night, after cleansing my face, I use the Vichy Normaderm Nuit moisturizer as well as the Aloe Soothing Night cream. The Vichy moisturizer does help to reduce the production of pimples, but is not moisturizing enough for me right now. That's why I use the Aloe Soothing Night cream in addition to it. My skin looks more radiant and calm in the morning. Redness is reduced and no more pimples appear. 

I am really happy that I found a skin care routine, which does improve my skin a looooot. 

If you have oily, combination but sensitive skin, I can definitely recommend this skin care routine.

People with oily and acne prone skin do often tend to use more aggressive products, which are labelled for "oily skin". I made the experience though that these products usually do not improve your skin- instead they make it even worse by drying out the skin too much, which later can cause even more pimples and skin irritations. 

Oily skin does definitely need also a good moisturizer and it is a better way to go to buy products, which are considered to be good for sensitive skin.

If you have really oily and not so sensitive skin, I can recommend the Zeniac routine, but watch out!!! You need a really good moisturizer to keep your skin in balance =)

Overall:

5/5 

Beside these products I still love the Carrot Cream by The Body Shop =) 

The Face Shop- Aloe Soothing line 

Dr.Hauschka, La-Roche-Posay, Vichy Normaderm