Using the Sandbar Long wear Eyeshadow Primer

I’ll be the first to admit that eyeshadow primers are not an everyday item for me. I only use them on occasion and truthfully if I reach for them it is because the eyeshadow i am using is giving me trouble and I think it might help.

I am in a position where spending more than a regular workday in makeup is a rarity for me. I work from home and while I do put makeup on for video meetings, thankfully the lure of zoom has fade so most of my calls have gone back to the phone. When I do have an in person meeting I dress, go the meeting and then change when I get home. If my makeup fades after that, i am good. Again if i go out it is usually after a day of working at home and so I don’t have to go from an office look to a going out look, I simply get ready to go out.

All of which means that I don’t often need to extend the wear of my makeup. However there are some eyeshadow formulas that simply work better with a base underneath them. It takes out the color of any veins in your eyelids and creates a single color for the shadows to adhere to and pop,

I also have to admit that for me, I will often use concealer a an eyeshadow base if I need one, rather than pick up an independent eyeshadow primer. The reason is shin tone. Typically my concealers are chosen to be slightly lighter than my skin tone. This also helps them blend in. With the Sandbar Long wear Eyeshadow Primer, I was worried that as it was a white formula it would stick out more.

And to be honest it does. Not as much as I feared and not to an unworkable degree, but it does make the lids whiter than the rest of my skin. To combat this I am careful where I apply it and make sure that I only put it where the eyeshadow will cover. which sounds like common sense but I am less careful with my concealer as eyeshadow prime approach.

The Sandbar primer comes with a doe foot. It is angled, which helps but it is also flat which is less help on the eyelid with the round eyeball underneath. Using the applicator to apply it completely gets a bit messy. I found it easier to dab it onto the eyelid and then use a finger to spread it around. It is a somewhat dry formula but it spreads easily enough and dries down fairly quickly. There is a slight tackiness to it at first, but that goes away as it dries down and sets. It is the sort of primer that provides a flat even color base against which the shadow can be placed.

blended out and dried. Still paler than my skin but not as noticeable

If you have a lot of veins showing in your lids, this is great for you. I found several shadows where application over a bare eyelid produced a patchy result, but over the Sandbar primer were less patchy. I didn’t see it extending the look of any of my shadows, but as I said before I often don’t need my makeup to last too long. I think if you are looking for shadow life extension then you might want to go with a product that has a little more stickiness to it.

The strength of this product is creating a smooth colorless base for the shadows to sit on top of. In this, it excels. It is a good product. I have several shadows that apply slightly patchy without a primer, but better with. Their colors are nice enough that I want to keep them around. For this purpose I would keep this primer around. This is it’s strong suit.

Does it perform this role better than other eyeshadow primers I have tried? No. Does it perform this role better than any concealers I’ve tried? Not really. The Sandbar Longwear Eyeshadow Primer is a good eyeshadow primer but it isn’t a really great eyeshadow primer. I will use it while it is here, but i see no reason to repurchase this over any other product i would use for the purpose of eyeshadow primer.

Trying out the bareMienrals Complexion Rescue Tinted Moisturizer

This tinted Moisturizer from bareMinerals is an interesting product and one that I really enjoyed using. I am, in general, a big fan of bare Minerals. I have several lip products as well as a blush and their mineral veil in my collection and they are items i reach for regularly. In fact i am almost out of one of my favorite glosses from their Mineralist line. I had to resort to the trick of placing the tube in a mug of warm water to gather the product form the sides so that it could be used up actually. The heat causes the product to slide down the insides of the tube and gather at the bottom so it can be used. Go with warm but not boiling water, you don’t want to cook your lipstick, just heat it a little and then take it out. And yes I will do this until there is no more product to use in the tube.

But we are not here to talk about extending liquid lip products. We are here to talk about the bare Minerals tinted moisturizer. According to the website…

The #1 tinted moisturizer in the U.S. This 3-in-1 multi-tasker is a moisturizer, skin tint and SPF 30, with Hyaluronic Acid to boost hydration for a dewy, healthy-looking glow. What it does: Provides 24-hour hydration, Builds from sheer to light coverage, creating a dewy, healthy-looking glow, Visibly evens skin tone and blurs imperfections, Protects with broad spectrum mineral-based SPF 30
bareMinerals

Okay so right off the bat, I love hyaluronic acid for my skin. For me it really works in helping me to fight my fine lines. It isn’t magic, but it is a great weapon in the fight against the inevitable march of time across my face. It plumps up the skin around the areas where my fine lines are and because of the tint it helps to hide them from view.

the shade I have is slightly light for my summer time skin. i think if I were to order a bottle for summer use I would go one shade darker than this one. However, this is the perfect shade for my post summer and pre summer skin tones. Which i am not mad about. First of all, I don’t have a tinted moisturizer for the cooler months. Mostly because I tend to pick them up in the summer when I don’t want to wear foundation. Not only do I not mind having a tinted moisturizer for the cooler months when my skin lightens, but it has an SPF30 mixed in. While in the summer time i always put SPF 50 on and then just before my walk spray myself down a bit with a spray sunblock as extra insurance, I am sad to say that in the winter I am less diligent.

I know the sun shines all year round even f you are not sweating. But in the summer with both walks and garden work I am outside at least a little each day so it becomes habit to apply the dual layer. I am not outside every day in the winter and so the habit lapses. it is something i am working on. And while I would not trust my only sun block to a tinted moisturizer, it is nice to have that back up.

But how does it work as a tinted moisturizer? Really well. I needed only a pea sized amount on the skin to cover my face. I applied it in small spots to my skin then used a brush to blend it in. Even though it is a little light, it blended beautifully and felt absolutely weightless. Since this summer has been brutally hot, the weightless feeling is very much appreciated.

This bareMinerals tinted moisturizer does have a slight glow-y look to it. While I am okay with that in the cooler months in the summer I just look at myself and think oily so I add a pat of powder and the shine is gone. Because I am not a huge fan of the shiny/dewy/wet look I make certain to use a matte primer underneath. An illuminating primer is simply too much for me with this tinted moisturizer. But if that is a look you are going for then it will certainly give it to you so pair away. I add a matte primer and a quick sweep of powder and I am good to go. I need a second pat of powder around mid day, but that is all. (And mostly personal preference). I have missed that afternoon powder and no one thought I looked oily.

This bareminerals tinted moisturizer wears well. I used a light coverage and it kept the light coverage all day. The product is buildable if you are trying to get more coverage, but only to a point. It is a tinted moisturizer that can be stretched to a light coverage foundation with little issue. Beyond that and while it will look good for a few hours, after that it starts to feel heavy and slightly patchy. It wants to be a light tinted moisturizer. It will try it’s best to do more, but you ae really only going to get it to look good for a couple of hours if you do. especially in the heat. If you are looking for more coverage, use a product designed to give you more coverage.

As a light tinted moisturizer this bareMinerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Moisturizer takes out redness and evens skin tone. It is feather light and forgettable. It blends easily and I had no problem with any product i put over it. I really enjoyed this as a tinted moisturizer and will continue to use it. I will also use it when the weather grow cooler and then make the decision as to whether or not this is a product i want to keep in two shades or one I want to keep for a seasonal use. for now, I am happy to keep it in rotation and to find another great product from bareMinerals to use.

Let’s talk Palace Identity/Zeesea Cosmetics

I have looked at the Zeesea/Palace Identity website for years now. They did a beautiful collaboration with the British Museum for their Egyptian collection and it is just stunning. I ordered the pressed powder a while back and while the powder is a decent powder, the packaging is spectacular. I have since eyed many of their lipsticks from both the Egyptian collection and the Palace Identity collection trying to decide if they are items I want to add to my collection. As always it is the look of them that draws me in.

And that is the thing with Zeesea products. They look so beautiful that they knock most other considerations out of my head. Recently they released a subscription box. (I think May was the first one but i could be wrong. I do know it is less than six months old). The link will take you to their website if you are interested in the details of that. As I have recently been looking to shake up my subscription box list, I decided to look into it. In doing so I realized that the only item I had tried from Zeesea was their pressed powder. I wasn’t sure this was enough to commit to a $40 subscription box filled with their products each month. so I give in and purchased the eyeshadow compact that I found so pretty to give their shadow formula a try.

packaging. bag inside box inside bubble wrap inside bubble wrap inside mailer.

It is just as pretty in person as it is on the website. And the packaging was spectacular. I don’t think I have ever received anything as well packed as this palette was. I think someone decided that whatever else happened their shadow was not going to break in transit. And it didn’t it arrived safe and sound.

swatches: L to r: Coral, darker central stripe of color, shimmer, light pink flower

This palette has four shades. As you can see the flower to the left is light pink then there are three bands of shadow to the side. The top is a goldish shimmer the middle is a pinkish tan and the bottom is coral. (there are no shade names or numbers given but this is Compact #02 on their website). I chose this one as these are colors I will use. i was hoping that they would prove to be a palette I could reach for often and possible travel with. The compact is sturdy enough to be used in a purse and it would eliminate a lot of space hogging eyeshadow palettes.

The swatches look pale and delicate. This is not a palette that swatches well. I tried multiple times with both finger swatches and brushes. It simply doesn’t swatch well. However on the eye it turns out that all but the shimmer are highly pigmented. the photo to the right is just the light pink of the flower applied to the eye in a one and done look.

I applied the powder on the outer corner and blended in. I dipped the brush in the pan once. It is darker where I touched the brush down but it was able to blend out across the lid.

Is it my favorite formula of eyeshadow? No. But it is something that I will use, especially since it is here. The thing is, I will probably end up using this more than I would other palettes with just okay formulas because it is so pretty that i want to keep reaching for it. I already find myself trying to figure out where on my dressing table I can put this so that I can use it as a decorative item. And I know if it is out, i will reach for it more often simply because it is out.

Does this look better than it performs? Yes. It is simply a beautiful package. the product isn’t bad. It is a decent eyeshadow palette. Knowing this I don’t have the need to stock up on all of the other numbered palettes in the line. This one had the most shades i will use and one of these pretty palettes is enough. If the formula had been utterly fantastic I might feel the need to build a collection. But it isn’t It is just a basically decent formula in a fabulous package.

Do I regret buying it? No. And I will probably pick up the few lipsticks that have shades I will use and have fabulously beautiful packaging as well. It does however make the subscription box option less attractive for me. The pretty packaging creates the desire and the product is decent enough that I can justify it, but it also means I will be selective in the items that I purchase from them. I will probably try various items, but i don’t need to build a large collection from the brand.

I know that is probably a bit more than expected for a four pan eyeshadow palette, but the truth is that this palette can’t really be thought about without discussing the packaging as that is a large part of why I bought it. It is also a large part of why I will buy from the brand in the future. They are pretty. ZeeSea cosmetics are decent shadows so I can justify buying the pretty compact, but on their own, they are just okay. If you are looking at the brand and wondering about individual items or their subscription box,. I hope this helps you with your decision making.

Let’s Talk Loose metallic eyeshadow pigments…

Growing up there are many things that i was taught. I was taught that when filing my nails I should always file in one direction so as not to weaken the nails as I filed them. I was taught that in addition to soothing irritating rashes from nettles and other stinging plants, witch hazel made a really good toner. I was taught to replace my mascaras after a maximum of six months to avoid the possibility of an eye infection from potential mod growth.

In the myriad list of things large and small that were taught to me dealing with glitter eyeshadow wasn’t one of them. I’m sure it was about somewhere when i was younger but it wasn’t in the list of things I was taught and not something anyone in my family really used. If it was referred to it was probably in the realm of stage makeup and not everyday wear.

There is just something fascinatingly attractive about loose glitter eyeshadows. They aren’t an everyday sort of thing and I think because of that, bringing out the individual glass pot of glitter shadow whether it is from Hourglass or Lottie London, makes the makeup preparation feel like something special. Or perhaps that is just me.

Perhaps you are an old hand at applying loose pigment glitter shadows, if so, feel free to skip this post. If like me you like playing around with the glitter shadows but often make a mess, perhaps what I learned can help you out.

I’ve found that a dry shadow brush when applying loose glitter pigments just makes a mess. It really doesn’t matter which brand you try, the application will be patchy and you will end up with more glitter on your cheeks and down the side of the nose than anything else.

Spraying the shadow brush with Setting spray does tend to help. It makes the shadow fly about less because of the moisture and will adhere to the lid in a much more cohesive manner. The problem can be thr bristles. First off the loose shadow wants to stick to the bristles. And if you have chosen the wrong brush then the glitter can end up in places where you don’t want it. If using a brush then choose one where the bristles are tapered in instead of flat or bushy as those bushy bristles especially will scatter the loose pigment in places where you might not want it. Spray the brush first and then dip it into the pigment before applying.

using a lid primer or a concealer on the eyelids prior can help it stick, but don’t forget a setting spray after you apply it. Be sure to use a setting spray that doesn’t irritate your eyes.

Sometimes the hands are your best tools. I generally fins that applying the loose pigments with a fingertip makes the pigment go exactly where I want it to. Then I spray it to make sure it sticks. However my finger is often bigger than I want when applying the shadow and it can look a bit messy.

Enter the cotton swab. It gives you the same rounded end as your finger tip but is much smaller. To use I spray it down with setting spray and dip it into the pigment before applying. Because the cotton tip is a solid bit of cotton, there are no bristles to spray pigment anywhere but what you put it. You can apply even pressure during application and if you spray down the clean end with setting spray, you can clean up any fallen flecks of pigment with little to no hassle. Taking out the loose flecks means there is less pigment that can fall to your cheeks or slide down the sides of your nose.

Will there still be fall out? Possibly. some loose pigments do work better than others but eventually all of them will fall. By applying a base coat, whether of concealer or lid primer, using setting spray on the cotton swab and cleaning up the loose flecks and then spraying it down with setting spray when your look is complete, you can have better control and lessen the amount that falls throughout your wear time.

I’m sure that trained makeup artists have their own way of doing things (and it is probably better) but for those of you who are like me, an amateur enthusiast who just likes playing around, I hope you find this useful. After all, professional or not, we all deserve to sparkle.

Let’s Talk Blinc

I do not really do false lashes. I like the way they look on other people. We’ll sometimes I like the way they look on other people. Some people they look great on. Me, not so much. On occasion I have had someone else apply them and they looked okay (mostly when the individual lashes were applied rather than the full set). I have also had someone who knew what they were doing apply them and I still hated the way they looked on me.

For me they look too heavy. They also feel too heavy (even if they are light weight) and I have the tendency to either let my eyes droop to half closed or to open them wide to compensate so that I look liked I’ve just been tapped by a cattle prod. There are also several lash glues that I am allergic to which was not a fun experience.

But I do love long thick full lashes so I am always down to try out new mascaras. This particular mascara is the Blinc Ultra Volume Tubing mascara. Tubing mascaras are interesting. I find something about them absolutely fascinating. They basically wrap product around your lashes and build off the ends, creating a tube of product at the end of your lashes to lengthen them.

Admittedly they explain it better in the description so…

Blinc’s UltraVolume Tubing Mascara gives you an ultra-longwearing, buildable, false lash effect with a semi-matte finish. This tubing mascara formula is both clean & vegan.
UltraVolume’s brush has dynamic spacing and supersoft fibers. The bristles are made of thermoplastic elastomer—meaning they’re gentler than plastic, yet still hold their combing power. It’s the ultimate control brush that lengthens lashes and achieves dramatic volume.
Our original pioneering tubing technology forms tiny water-resistant “tubes” around each individual lash. Unlike conventional mascaras, you won’t need to apply and wear the formula like a greasy paint. The tubing formula sets once it’s applied, creating tubes that bind to your lashes. Once it dries, it’s smudge proof. It can’t run, clump, or flake—even if you sweat, cry, rub your eyes, or have oily skin.
Clinically tested to be non-irritating, UltraVolume is ideal for sensitive eyes, contact lens wearers, and active people. It’s the answer to anyone searching for a mascara whose look, hold, and ease of removal is without compromise.
The UltraVolume tubing formula has a better hold than waterproof mascaras, yet is easier to remove. You can set down the makeup remover—it won’t do the job. Simply combining lots of warm water and gentle pressure will slide the tiny tubes effortlessly off your lashes.
It’s healthier for your eyes and lashes: there’s no tint or residue left behind. No need to scrub the delicate skin around the eyes. No irritating makeup remover products needed.
Blinc

Now I have the pictures here, both with my eyes closed and open. It is pretty easy to see that it does lengthen and it does create volume. And I can say that both last all day. It is really easy to wear this mascara. And once it is in place it is smudge proof. I have actually tried it on my walks and when walking in 90 degree heat seating my skin off, I still didn’t end up with raccoon eyes. The mascara stayed in place.

Removal is interesting. Regular makeup remover will still leave the Blink Ultra Volume Tubing Mascara in place. So they are right, it is pointless to reach for it. Waterproof mascara will take it off easily. I use the ultra gentle Klorane Cornflower waterproof mascara remover and it works well. You can remove it with warm water. But splashing water on your face won’t get the mascara to come off. It has to be arm water and I found it is best to soak a wash cloth in warm water and then press it gently onto your closed eyelids. Much of the product will end up on your cheeks, some will end up on your washcloth. But once warmed with water it will sort of slide off of your lashes. What I have found best is the warm water approach and then use a clean damp spoolie or eyelash comb to comb through to get the last of the mascara off of your lids.

Remembering not to just use makeup remover is the hardest part, it is really easy to remove.

The only issue that I had with this mascara, you can actually see on the wand. Lots of product accumulates on the wand. Now this mascara is reaching the end of it’s life so it looks a little clumpier on the wand than it did when it was fresh. It still applies well but I have had it open about five months now. So it has served it’s time. It is a very good mascara and I will miss it when it is gone. I will also be picking up another tube of the Blinc Ultravolume tubing mascara soon.

The Travel Makeup Bag for May 2022

While not a review, I thought it might be of interest to you to see what I am putting in my travel makeup bag and why. During my daily makeup posts I tend to rotate through makeup, but when I travel I tend to pick reliable products that can fit into a small makeup bag, especially when it is a weekend trip. While this isn’t exactly a fun getaway, it is travel. The only thing I left out of the makeup bag is mascara. The reason is that this trip is for a memorial service and there will be many tears shed. At the moment I have yet to pick up a waterproof mascara so I am leaving my mascara behind and will either pick up a waterproof mascara at the drug store or go without.

When traveling I generally find it a good idea to stick to products that don’t spill and I try to reduce the possible breakage component by sticking to cream products so they feature heavily in this bag.

This time I am starting with the Kristopher Buckle Triplicity Foundation stick. It has traveled with me for quite some time. It is my old reliable. I’m still not certain of the status of the company. I know that the main website shut down after massive sales and now it is available at walmart. It is a fantastic foundation, I just don’t know if it will be replaced once it runs out. I may actually scoop up one more for travel purposes because it is really hard to beat this stick formula. Plus I don’t have to worry about foundation bottles breaking. But if the company has gone under I won’t stock up, I’ll just work on finding a new travel fave.

The primer I am taking with me is the Tatcha Silk canvas Primer. It is a fantastic pore filling primer that locks in my makeup for as long as I end up wearing it. As I have no idea how long I will be in makeup this weekend I thought it would be a good product to choose.

The trestique bronzer shouldn’t surprise anyone. It is quick and easy to use and one of my favorite cream formulas. The Illamasqua Colour Veil Gel blusher also shouldn’t surprise anyone as it is rapidly moving to the top of my favorite products list.

I didn’t bother with a highlighter, but you may notice a tiny round pot with a gold lid and a pink bow on it. I know, it looks like an eye cream, however it is actually a sample size of the Ciate London Extraordinary powder. It came in an IPSY bag a while back and to be honest, I have refilled it a couple of times. For a weekend it is all the powder I need. I will be adding the powder puff from the Kim Chi Powder to my makeup bag to use with it.

For eyeshadow I am taking The Balm and The Beautiful Palette from The Balm. It is the one I’ve been playing with recently. I really like the formulas and the ease of application and it is a compact size that fits in the bag. So since it was already out, I went ahead and added it to the makeup bag. I will have the full review of the palette up next week, I simply didn’t get a chance to finish it this week.

I added a Marcelle eyebrow pencil because I like it and it has a spoolie on the end so I don’t have to worry about adding secondary brow products (like a brush) into the bag. And then we have the lips.

I’ll be honest, i don’t think I have ever traveled with just one lip product in my life. To this bag I added my favorite MAC neutral in Bated Breath. I also added a Trestique lip crayon in case I wanted a slightly darker product. I added the Yensa Lip oil in case I felt like shine, or only a glossy lip with no lipstick and I chose an assortment of lip pencils. Some match the lip products others stand alone. For this bag I chose, UOMA, Persona Cosmetics, Bodyography, Huda Beauty and Real Her. I figure they are all relatively neutral and all have slightly different formulas. I plan to choose whichever one appeals at the right moment. And more than anything I like having a variety of lip products to choose from. Oddly enough in out of control situations it can sometimes make me feel like I am in control by making a decisive decision as to what lip product to wear. As it is a weekend where I can control nothing and can only deal with whatever happens, having that one tiny bit of control, really does help me mentally balance. Even if having seven lip products in the bag does seem a little extra.

Sometimes it isn’t abut what you actually wear.

And so that my darlings, is the makeup bag I will be traveling with this weekend and why I chose the products included.

https://www.kusshi.com/collections/sale/products/copy-of-makeup-bag-organizer-grey-leather

Autumn 2021 Eyeshadow Palette Declutter

Let me start by saying, I am not a minimalist. I know I have way more product than I need. I like trying new things and well, occasionally there is a buildup and it needs to be sorted. With the exception of the few items that have expired, everything is going to be cleansed and disinfected and passed on to someone who will use it. So this isn’t me trashing any product just because I don’t like it.

Oddly enough, most of the products I don’t like, I tend to pass on pretty quickly. If I know I am not going to use it, I like to keep it as pristine as possible, disinfect it and pass it on to someone who will use it while it still looks as new as possible.

Where I fall down is that sometimes I will keep a palette because I like one color. I am actually quite bad about that. I will convince myself that I will reach into that palette solely for that one color I like even though every other color in the palette is something I have in several other palettes and never think to reach for the single one I like. This time with my declutter I set all of the palettes that I liked with only one or two shades in them to the side and if I could find a comparable color in another palette then I let it go. To be honest, that was the bulk of my declutter.

There are also some palettes that I just don’t reach for. The shades may be lovely, the formulas great, but for one reason or another I just don’t reach for them. And so, while they are still capable of being used, it is time to let them go.

So I am just going to list them below as the palettes I am passing on. Ready?

Cargo Nude Beach: I like the cargo formula but I never reach for this palette. It is a nice neutral palette and the black is highly pigmented (which is why I held on to it) but The other shades are cool toned and in general I don’t wear a lot of cool tones. So I kept one cool toned shadow and found a black I like in a palette that has other shadows I like.

Makeup Geek Peach Bellini: I like the formula of Makeup Geek shadows but I have every shadow in this palette in another palette. It is a great peachy neutral palette and I know exactly who will get the most use out of it so I have no problems passing it on. It is a great palette, I am just not reaching for it.

Golden Hour by Beauty For Real: A recent trial I found I wanted to keep it for the blue shade. Everything else I had elsewhere. I found a comparable shade in a blue palette and so I am passing it on. It is a decent every day palette with one pop of color.

Fenty Beauty Moroccan Spice: I wanted to like this palette, I really did. The gold shadow is stunning actually and the formula isn’t bad. I have every shade in the palette in multiple versions elsewhere and I simply never reach for this palette. I used it a few times and quite frankly I put it away and forgot about it. It has beautiful packaging, but it isn’t very exciting.

Eloise The Queen Palette: This palette is stunning. The shadows are pigmented and blend really well. I just never reach for it. This is one of those palettes that I love looking at, but rarely reach for in order to wear. I have a couple of colorful palettes and the shades I use in this one are replicated in those colorful palettes so despite how good the formula is, I feel happy letting this go to someone else.

One Size Patrick Starr Visionary: This is an okay palette in terms of performance but to be honest I was keeping it for Olive it. It is a lovely green shimmer. I don’t quite have an exact match but I know it is the only shade I like in this palette so it is best to pass it on. I will look for the green elsewhere, but I am just not going to reach for this palette. Everything other than Olive It is easily found in another palette.

Illuminati X ISA: I was keeping this for shades I didn’t have elsewhere but truthfully I don’t really care for this formula. The shades are nice but they look better than they perform. This is more of a nice in theory palette but I am never going to use it. The colors are nice but the formula just doesn’t deliver.

Revolution Pro HD Amplified 35 Palette: This is a cool toned palette and honestly there are two shades I use. I have both of those shades elsewhere and so I don’t reach for this that much. Part of why I don’t reach for it is that I find I don’t really like large palettes. Whenever I pull out the larger palettes I end up just staring at them a really long time as I try to make a decision about what to do with them and then I use the same few shades as I used the last time I pulled out the palette. Over time I have gotten rid of most of my really large palettes because I find I just don’t use them.

Rimmel Magnif’eyes Crimson Edition: I’ll be honest I planned to declutter this one because most of the shadows I have elsewhere but I decided I’m not going to. I really like it and am going to try to use it more. If I haven’t used it by the time the next declutter rolls around I’ll let it go, but for now, I’m doing a last minute save and returning this to the shadow drawer

Elf Need it Nude: I have these browns and golds in so many palettes. It is a great palette but I just don’t reach for it as much as some of my other browns. In fact I reach for the Elf bite sized palette when I want these colors. It is the same nice formula, just fewer shades. So this is getting passed on.

Wanderess Rush Palette: Again a good palette and one I got a lot of use out of. In fact I am not so certain I can actually pass this one on. It is worn out and beat up. And one of the shadows is busted. It is time to let it go not because I didn’t like it but because I perhaps liked it a little too much. It is a good little palette but it has served it’s time and now it must go.

Violet Voss Fun sized Palette HG: I really do like the formula of Violet Voss shadows and I have kept another Violet Voss palette because of it. However I have all of these shades elsewhere and never reach for this. As a result the palette looks virtually untouched. So I am going to clean it up so it looks less touched (and is disinfected)and give it to a friend who I know will use this down to pan. There are her colors and she loves the Violet Voss formula (which I do too, actually). So I feel really good about it.

Wet ‘n Wild Coloricon Quad: I love wet ‘n Wild Eyeshadows. And I don’t know if you can tell but this has been well used. I really liked that the shadows were named for the parts of the lid they went with so I tried to avoid erasing the name with the shadow brush. I have had this for years. It has seen a lot of love, even if in the past couple of years it has fallen to the bottom of the drawer. Yes, years. It is old enough now that I won’t be passing it on I can only say a fond farewell. I really love wet ‘n wild shadows but I would be hesitant to put this one near my eyes at this point. I will end up picking it up again in a new incarnation, but this one has to go.

Sleek When the Sun goes down twelve pan palette: Oh yes my darlings, this is a twelve pan palette. I attached a photo of the interior with my thumb in frame so you can see the reference for pan sizes. I can tell you that this palette is at least ten years old. When I picked it up I was in a job where I was traveling nearly constantly. I had to drive long stretches and then had a few minutes to clean up from the drive before I had to conduct a meeting or a workshop. I picked up this palette because it was tiny and fit well into the small purse I kept in my work bag. It has a surprisingly large mirror and the colors are basic enough that I could touch up almost any work look I was wearing with no problem if I smudged on the drive. It was chosen for its base neutrality, its mirror and because I thought those tiny pans were just super cute. It was often a lifesaver and even after I stopped traveling so much, I kept it in my purse as a compact. I would never use the shadows anymore and honestly they are starting to smell a little off. The shadows were good when I used them. Neutral enough to blend with any of my work looks and the mirror was often a lifesaver. It is however time to let it go and sent it on a journey far away. Its time in service has been complete.

And with that we reach the end of the eyeshadow palettes. I did a quick declutter of my single shadows but I think that as this post is long enough, I will post that one a different time. For now, this is the end of the 2021 eyeshadow palette declutter.

It’s Prime Time: Primer Declutter

That’s right it is time to take a good hard look at primers. I know, I love a good primer. And really only a few are leaving, but I will talk about the rest as well. So with them all laid out in front of me, let’s take a good hard look at what we have.

First let’s look at the top six currently in my collection. These lovelies are staying until the last dregs of product have been cleaned out of the container. First we have the classic Porefessional from Benefit Cosmetics. This is just a good all round primer. It sits well under just about any foundation and it eliminates redness. To be honest this and the Elf poreless putty primer are the two staples I will always have in my makeup drawer. Between the two of them they do everything a primer should do. I have repeat purchased both of these and will continue to do so.

Marc Jacobs Undercover (currently on sale BTW) is one of my favorite hydrating primers. While it is good in the summertime, it is better in the winter. It primes as well as helping to prevent skin from looking dry. Touch in Sol ranks pretty high on my list of products and I think this might be the third container of this primer that I have purchased Oddly enough while I adore the No Poreblem primer, I don’t really care for the other primers in the Touch in Sol line up. For me this it their hero product and the one I will repurchase.

This is the first Clarins Instant smooth primer I have tried and it will not be my last. Technically I think it belongs in my top three products. It takes down redness, fills pores, adds a healthy pink tint to the skin and feels super luxe to use. I am about half way through the jar and know I will be repurchasing it. The final product in the top six has to be the Tatcha Silk Canvas. While this one is new to my collection, I have used it before and adore it. It smells fantastic feels and looks good on the skin and just feels luxe to use. It is the priciest of my primers so while I will use it and I love it, I actually have to think about it before I repurchase it.

Needless to say all six of my top products are staying.

In my collection there are two mostly used up samples. One is the Milk Hydro Grip Primer and the other is the YSL Touch Eclat primer. I think I have two more uses in the Milk primer and maybe a week’s worth of the YSL. I need to actually keep them out and use them up. I have already reordered the Milk Hydro Grip primer. I have it secreted away in my unopened products and am trying to forget it is there until I use up a few more of the open products. I really enjoy it and love the way it holds my makeup in place all day. I like the YSL primer as well, but it is pricy and I am not entirely certain it is worth the price. I think if I found it on sale, I would repurchase it, but I am not entirely certain I would pay full price for it. The Tatcha, I would pay full price for.

There are also two unopened samples of primer that I have not tried out yet. One is the Glam Glow glowStarter Nude Glow and the other is the Hard Candy Hydrating primer. I will keep both primers until I try them out and get back to you on whether or not I would want to order them in a full size.

Speaking of haven’t tried out, when taking the primers out of the drawer I found the Dr. Brant Luminizing primer. I honestly can not remember if I tried this out or not so I am putting this in my to be tried pile before I decide. In general like Dr. Brandt so I have high hopes.

The Urban Decay Optical illusion Primer just makes me sad. For a long time it was my go to primer. It honestly was the only primer I bought for years. I believe it is now discontinued so I will be using up my travel sized container and then I will let it go into the land of makeup that was. It was great, I loved it, but it is time to finish it out and let it go. I actually may put this with the Milk and YSL so that I can work on using it up and sending it on it’s way.

There are two products I am on the fence about. One is the Ciate London Watermelon Burst Primer and the other is the Too Faced Hangover Primer. The Ciate London primer I think is a seasonal use primer for me. I think it is too hydrating in the summertime, but I think my skin likes it better in the winter. I am holding on to it to try out again this winter because I remember vaguely that I liked it in the winter. The Too Faced primer I think might also be better in the winter as well. I think I was more on the fence about it than I was with the Ciate. So those are both in holding patterns until the weather changes. Once it grows cooler, I will try them again and make the decision on whether or not to use.

And finally we come to the getting rid of category. There are three in this line up. The first is the Master Prime by Maybelline. This is a good primer. The only reason that I am getting rid of it is because it is really, really old and I very expired. It fell to the bottom of the drawer and was not seen until I dragged everything to the light for this declutter. (This is another reason why I will be using up a few more products before opening new ones). I can see me possibly repurchasing it but for right now it is good bye.

The second departing product is the Studio Makeup Silk Hydration primer. I just didn’t like it and found nearly every other product that I used to be better. I see no reason to keep it around. It is in good enough condition though (as well as being recent enough) that I can pass it on to someone else who may enjoy it more.

Nice but I am fairly certain I am allergic.

The third product I am passing along is the Vesca Beauty Primer. I know, I started using it and never got around to reviewing it. The thing is, I am fairly certain I am somewhat allergic to something in it. After using it I realized my skin itched. I didn’t think anything of it, but I am fairly certain that it was the itchy culprit. It looked lovely under a flat matte foundation but far too shiny under an illuminating one. It has an almost iridescent look to it and on a light makeup day it worked really well on its own with just a light layer of powder over it. However lovely it looked, it wasn’t worth the itchy skin so it is being passed on to someone who will love it and hopefully not have the same issues as I did.

So that is my primer line up, the good, the bad, the not yet tried out and pretty much everything in between. While not many products are leaving, I feel really good about going through them and seeing what is in the drawer. because i really enjoy primers, I tend to keep a lot of them around, While I rotate through, a lot can be lost. I am going to concentrate on using up the samples and clearing out the open ones while trying the untested. I do roll through these pretty fast as they are my most used makeup category. Primers, powders and mascaras will always get used. I did have one primer expire on me which is really rare for me and kind of makes me feel disappointed. It also makes me want to do better. And is a reminder that will stop me from opening new products before I have used up some of my older ones. I’m sure I will forget as I sometimes just can’t resist, but hopefully the reminder will help.

Pur 4-in-1 Skin perfecting powders face palette

The Pur 4-in-1 skin perfecting face palette came in the November Boxy Charm. Even though the review only went up yesterday, the box actually arrived last Friday so I was able to add a few items to my makeup bag this week, most notably this palette. Now I know what some of you are thinking. Mimsy, didn’t you do a Pur 4-in-1 review before? Yes, I reviewed the foundation from this line. And as a reminder I absolutely hated it. I had a sample tube and for some reason it just did not work out for me. It highlighted my pores and lines without a primer but then it didn’t want to work with any of the primers I tried.

This palette however is a different story. It is from the same line but I had much better results.

The palette as you can see has four pans.Starting on the left is the pressed powder, then the bronzer, blush and highlight at the end. Now when I apply the products, I start with the bronzer, then go to the blush, followed by the highlight and then top off with the powder. So that is the order I’m going to take you through the products.

So first up, the bronzer. First off with this bronzer, choose your brush carefully. Or at least choose it based on how you want to apply the product.

I picked up a densely packed bristle brush the first go round with this bronzer and had deep dark brown on my face as a consequence. It came out highly pigmented and while it did blend in, it took a while to blend. With a looser fluffier brush, I was able to dip into the pan, apply lightly and build up to the shade I wanted. This is one of those products where the tool does make a world of difference. Now if you are going for a more dramatic contour like bronze look with your bronzer, you could achieve it with the dense brush and if you contour your nose, I would suggest getting a smaller densely packed brush to use for contouring the nose. If you want to start soft and build up. Go with the fluffier bronzer brush. The bronzer is highly pigmented. Once I got used to that, i really ended up liking it.

Because the bronzer came out so strong I was expecting the blush to do the same thing. It did not. The blush applies lightly and has to be built up a bit. It required a second adjustment on my part but after that I found I really liked it. It is a lighter pink shade that works for my edging into winter skin and blends out really well. It is just not extremely pigmented. As I would rather build up my blush rather than have to work to tone it down, I really ended up liking it.

The highlight is a nice gold shade that blended into my skin tones well and gave a light glow to the skin. Is it my favorite? No. I have highlighters I prefer over this one. However it is a decent highlighter and if I put this palette in a travel bag and forgot to add a single highlighter seperately to my travel bag, I wouldn’t have a problem just using the one in the palette. It isn’t one I would reach for on it’s own, but it is not one I would avoid using.

To finish off the look was the powder. To apply it I used a flat top powder brush rather than my super fluffy one. Mostly because if I tried to use my super fluffy one I would have gotten bronzer mixed in with the powder. The flat one fit better given the size of the pan and it worked well with applying it. I liked the powder. Is it a powder I would reach for on its own? Probably not. My favorite No. 7 perfecting powder is a petter formula. However it is not one I would avoid either. If I pulled out this palette I would not feel the need to pull out a seperate powder for the makeup bag.

Just foundation on the left and all the products applied on the right. I didn’t go heavy on the makeup for most of the week so the difference isn’t that dramatic.

I would probably use the bronzer and blush on their own, while I wouldn’t pull the powder and highlight. That doesn’t mean those two pans of product are bad, they aren’t. They just aren’t my favorites. However as a palette I could pull this out of the dressing table, put it into my makeup bag and not have to add other products. And that my darlings is the reason you get a palette. It is so that you can get multiple products in one thing without having to gather up a bunch of products.

As a palette, this works. I really enjoyed using it and would enjoy using it again. While I broke it down by pan, when I reach for this I will plan on using all four of the pans in it. It is rare that I can actually say that about a face palette and I have to say I am very pleased to have this in my collection.

Wishing for a better primer with the Whish Botanical Primer

Anyone who has read my posts for any length of time knows that I am a big fan of primers. Maybe it is a hold over for when I used to paint, but I love having something to prime the canvas of my face. I love that a good primer can fill the pores, even out redness and occasionally add dimension to the skin under a matte foundation.

This Whish Botanical Primer with bakuchiol arrived in an Allure Beauty box. As I had several primers open, I decided to wait a little while before opening it. This was it’s week to shine as it finally got a chance to leave the dressing table and enter the makeup bag.

Oddly enough I am also at the moment trying out a bakuchiol infused serum from Balance Me. So while the bakuchiol was a new ingredient when this arrived, I have done a bit of looking into the ingredient since. Put simply, bakuchiol is a substitute for retinol. It is supposed to have none of the side effects, most notable a sensitivity to the sun, but all of the benefits. As many retinol products can make you sun sensitive this is a big step. Especially since primer is actually worn during the day where there is – gasp –sun. So all the benefits of retinol in a primer And no sun sensitivity? Okay not a bad list to hope for. So let’s look at the official product description…

Suffering from dry skin and huge pores left from drying makeup? This natural botanical primer not only minimizes pores and evens skin tone, but it also leaves skin feeling moisturized and dewy looking. You will be left looking radiant, moisturized, and ready for the day ahead.

INGREDIENTS: Water (aqua, eau), cyclopentasiloxane, dimethicone/vinyl dimethicone crosspolymer, coco-cap-rylate/caprate, hydroxyethyl acrylate/sodium acryloyl dimethyl taurate copolymer, C14-22 alcohols, C12-20 alkyl glucoside, diheptyl succinate, bakuchiol, capryloyl glycerin/sebacic acid copolymer, isohexadecane, glycerin, propanediol, polysorbate-60, aloe barbadensis leaf juice, sodium phytate, phenoxyethanol, tocopherol, argania spinosa kernel (argan) oil, ethylhexylglycerin, punica granatum (pomegranate) extract, lavandula angustifolia (lavender) flower/leaf extract, hippophae rhamnoides (seabuckthorn) fruit extract, cocos nucifera (coconut) water, glycine soja (soybean) oil, glycerin, cocos nucifera (coconut) fruit juice, lactic acid, fragrance (parfum), citronellol, hexyl cinnamal, linalool.
Whish

And so we apply the primer. Well sort of. I went to open the primer, peeled off the metal seal and squirt a bit into my hand. I got some oily liquid and a bit of cream. Since I have many items in my dressing table that need shaking up before use, I figured this was one of them. So I put the cap back on and shook it. As it is a tube, that had little effect. So I massaged the tube a little while and then tried dispensing it. The primer came out well with no split. After that it was fine. I think it just sat in one position for too long. I should point out that there was no off scent so I knew it hadn’t gone bad.

So properly mixed, I applied the primer. And because you know I sniffed it, I might as well start with the fact that it has a barely there florally scent. It doesn’t smell floral, but more like you left the open jar of cream in a room where there were a few vases of flowers for about an hour. It is super light and barely there.

Now as you might expect from the description and the ingredients list, it goes on like a moisturizer that has been blended with a serum. It feels lovely on the skin. However it is a little too moisturizing for me. If applied on top of a newly moisturized face then it just stayed on top. If I moisturized and then came back a few hours later to do my makeup then I had less of a problem. But that isn’t very realistic for getting ready in the morning.

If I skipped the moisturizer and just applied the primer than it was fine.

However, the primer felt just like a moisturizer. It sunk into the skin well, left my face feeling soft and hydrated and if it was a moisturizer sample I would put it on my list to try in a full sized version.

Was it pore filling? No

Did it help makeup stay in place longer (one of the primary functions of a primer)? No.

Did it reduce redness? Maybe a little?

Honestly, I found myself looking at the label several times throughout the week double checking to make sure it actually was a primer and not a moisturizer. It isn’t. It is officially listed as a primer.

Did it help plump up my fine lines? Yes.

Did it make my skin feel fantastic? Again yes.

But it did not work like a primer.

I want to use this as a serum or a moisturizer after I have spent too long in the sun, but I don’t want to use it as a primer. In fact halfway through the week I went and retrieved my Ole Henriksen Banana Bright Primer from the dressing table instead of using this. I think that once I finish the Balance Me Bakuchiol Serum, I will just use this up in its place as part of my night time routine until it is finished.

This turned out to be a very frustrating product to work with because it feels and acts like really good skin care but it does not complete its primary function, which is to act as a primer.

This is actually the second Whish product I’ve tried. The first was a hand cream. It was an excellent hand cream and I loved using it. This primer is an excellent serum infused moisturizer, but it doesn’t work as a primer. While I would not purchase this primer again, I know that it is part of a bakuchiol infused skin care line.

I would be very interested in picking up a product from that line that is designed to be a moisturizer, or a serum. Especially if it has this kind of effect. So even though this product has essentially failed, it is a winner in that it has convinced me to look more deeply into Whish skincare. Which I suppose makes it a retail triumph? Regardless, this primer will not be returning to the dressing table with the other primers and it will not be repurchased. It will be used in it’s entirety, just not as a primer.