Maybelline Matte Maker Powder - Mini Review

When I posted a picture of this product, at lot of you asked for a review. I'm not going into much detail, as there isn't much to this powder..

The Matte Maker powder from Maybelline claims to be a mattifying powder, but I would say it's more of just a setting powder, as it doesn't really offer coverage and when you swipe your brush/hand on the powder, not much product is picked up. It's quite lightweight, and I think is ideal for just lightly setting foundation and concealer.

I have the shade number 30, and it is extremely light, and is more of an Ivory shade. This powder doesn't offer much coverage at all, unless the powder is built up.

The packaging reminds me of the Rimmel Stay Matte powder. It is quite cheap and plastic, however, it does screw it's lid into place, rather than the likes of the Stay Matte. 

It is a very affordable drugstore powder at only $11.95, which is the same price as the Australis Fresh & Flawless, so it definitely won't hurt your bank account balance. 

Overall, if you're looking for a powder to give you coverage and withstand a lot of oil.. I don't think this product is for you. This powder is more ideal for those with normal to dry skin types, who simply want to lightly set down their makeup.

Thanks for reading. X

Chi Chi Cosmetics Fabulous & Flawless Foundation - Review

Hi there lovelies, 

A couple of days ago I posted a photo of the Maybelline Better Skin Super Stay Foundation, The Benefit Oxygen Wow Foundation and the Chi Chi Fabulous & Flawless Foundation. I asked you all to choose one of the products, and whatever was the most requested I'd do a review on. 

The Chi Chi Fabulous and Flawless won by a mile. So I thought I'd do a more in depth blog post on the product, so you can really know my thoughts and feelings towards this product.

First of all, I never even considered trying this foundation before I watched Shaaanxo's video and posts on this product, and whilst it was a free gift with purchase at Myer, I decided to pick it up.

I originally picked it up in the shade Fair 2 - Pale Skin with pink undertones. This was waaaaay too dark (and pink toned) for me when I'm not faked tanned, so I don't wear it much. But.. As it was a great foundation in general, I decided to pick up a darker shade (number 5), which matches my fake tan, so I could give it a second go. So here are my thoughts.

Packaging - The packaging of this foundation is amazing. It has sturdy, glass packaging, with a black, see through plastic cap. The glass itself is very good quality and has a frosted finish. It makes it look like a high end / more expensive foundation. The box it comes in has the Shade number clearly on the front, so there is no confusion - and along with the shade number, it also comes with a description of what colour the shade is, and what undertones suit the particular shade. For example, Shade number 5 says: Natural beige - For light to medium skin with neutral undertones.

I found this very handy when picking out a shade which matched my fake tan as my tan is yellow toned (bondi sands), and  the descriptions actually prevented me from buying a pink toned shade, which would of gone horribly wrong. 

The bottle comes with a pump, which is great for a 'drugstore' foundation. If this foundation didn't have a pump it would be quite annoying, as the foundation isn't  of a runny consistency. 

Foundation Formula - The product is of a medium thickness, which definitely requires a pump to get it out of the bottle. The product has a strong smell, which you can smell for a short while after applying the product. It is a pleasant scent, but is fairly strong, so if you do not like fragranced products, this one is not for you. The foundation oxides on my skin quite badly. The colour Number 2 matches my skin quite well (when I'm not tanned) in the bottle, but the second you begin to blend into your skin, it turns A LOT darker. Which is why that shade is unwearable for me. Hence when I bought the shade number 5 for when I'm tanned, I went for a lighter shade. I was going to buy the shade 7 or 8, but because of how it oxides, I went for a much lighter shade, as it oxides like crazy when it sets. 

Coverage - This has a medium coverage, but is very easily buildable to a full coverage. This foundation, as the name suggests, provides a flawless finish. It's perfect for those days where you want your base to look it's best. 

The finish - This foundation (for me) has a satin/matte finish. I have fairly dry skin, especially in winter, and I found this foundation kind of sticking to my skin when applying as my skin is quite dry. Don't get me wrong, it doesn't stick to dry patches, but because my skin has no natural oil, it was a bit harder than normal to blend on to my skin. I wore this today, only setting my under eye area lightly where I applied concealer and my whole face set to a completely matte finish. It felt like I had set my face with powder. I think if you had more normal/ combination skin, this foundation would become more of a satin/dewy finish. 

Overall, this is a really nice foundation. It doesn't feel like it's a 'drugstore' product at all. It actually feels like I went to a high end counter and purchased this product as it thoroughly exceeds any other drugstore foundation I have tried (for full coverage). There is one thing I need to fret - please try this on your hand in store and come back a few minutes later to see what your shade is because of oxidisation, because you will be disappointed and the shade (like what happened to me) will be unusable.

Hope you enjoyed this post and it gave you a good understanding of this product. X

Smashbox Photo Finish Primer - Is it worth the money?

The Smashbox Photo Finish primer is available at Mecca Maxima for $54.95 for the full size or $21.95 for the small size 12ml, which is what I purchased. 

It seems a little excessive in price and I was very sceptical to see why it cost so much so that is why I opted for the smaller, 12ml size, to try it and out. I got the green, colour correcting version, which is the same formula as the original, just green in colour instead of clear. But what you're probably wondering is.. Is it worth the hype? And is it worth the money? 

I have loved this product from it's very first use. I wouldn't buy the green colour correcting version if you actually want to colour correct or tone down redness, as when you blend this primer in, it becomes clear, and doesn't tone down any redness whatsoever. But.. Why you should buy this product is the way it functions as a primer, 

I don't have oily skin, quite the opposite really, but after a very long day at work behind a coffee machine, sometimes my foundation breaks down on my chin and nose and redness comes through. I find that with any other regular primer, including Benefit Porefessional, there is no different in longevity of my foundation wear at all. 

This primer keeps ANY dewyness at bay for me. If I wear this on a day where I don't have work, and my skin won't get dewy, then my skin still feels a little powdery even 12 hours later at the end of the day. My foundation doesn't budge, and looks the exact same than it did at the start of the day. 

Overall, this is the best primer I have ever tried, and I have tired many. If you're not too keen on paying over $50 for a primers then get the small size. I've had mine for over a month now. I use it everyday and have barely made a dent, as it is silicone based and you don't need to use a lot. 

Thanks for reading.

xo, JARNAHBEAUTY