YSL VoxBox Review

I'm thrilled to receive the YSL VoxBox* from Influnster and the two products I'm reviewing today is the YSL Touche Eclat Blur Primer and Blur Perfector. If you are not familiar with Influenster, it is a product discovery platform and review site that helps people to find and try new product so you can make better decision when purchasing products. Check out more here. 

YSL Touch EClat Blur Primer  

“The First radiance boosting primer. Formulated with four nourishing oils, skin is left incredibly soft without greasy residue. Immediately pores look diminished, skin feels smoother and skin tone is more even and luminous.”

                                                                                                           ——description from YSL website

 Out of the box I see this primer has micro golden shimmer and it is very obvious and sparkly under indoor lighting. First impression on hand is that is has a silky smooth texture, just like a gel primer has that velvety feel. It goes on skin very nicely and it's transparent. It acts like a filler, my pores does looks less obvious and it resurface the skin, making it soft and smooth, getting it ready for foundation. It also get rid of excess shine, even though it's not claiming to mattifying but I do see my foundation stays better and lasts longer. The golden shimmer brings lights to the skin, the finish look is you get the subtle radiance without any shiny or oily feeling. 

Final thoughts, I think this is a very good primer for diminishing pores and prolong foundation wear time, It brings right amount of radiance but doesn't leave any residue. I don't think it even outs skin tone like it claims and price-wise, 30ml retails for $52 plus tax.  

 YSL Touche Eclat Blur Perfector

"The first blur on-the-go. Instantly transforms from a balm to a powder to sweep away shine and imperfections. This multi-action balm-powder acts like a transparent foundation and helps perfect the complexion. Adding a touch a rosy glow, and can be used as: 1. alone as an all-over complexion perfector, 2. to set makeup, 3.as a mattifying touch up during the day."

                                                                                                        ——description from YSL website

I have to mention the packaging of this product, becasue it is so elegant, gorgeous and luxurious looking. The pink and gold combination is absolutely stunning. It comes with a sponge and a pouch for carrying around. Moving on to the product, this balm has a baby pink color also contains micro golden shimmer , just like the blur primer. It feels very smooth and glides thinly, no need to worry about a heavy hand when applying. I use it as a finishing product to set my face, it sure did transform to a powder like texture and mattifying my makeup. It comes with a sponge but I only tested with my hand. I don't know if the sponge will pick up the product or not but I'm so worried that it will move my base makeup so I think fingers are good for now. 

Final thoughts on the blur perfector: beautiful packaging, works well as a primer or setting product for foundation getting rid of shine and mattifying the skin, extend foundation wear time. If you have dry skin I think you don't need to use both product at the same time. Price-wise, it is 0.33oz. for $55 plus tax.

Final thoughts on the YSL VoxBox: I really enjoy using these two new products from YSL, I appropriated the chance to testing it out and sharing my thoughts on these products so people would make better decision when purchasing them. 

 daytime, under indoor lighting

 daytime, facing natural lights

Thanks for reading.comment if you have any questions.

Ree

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*products  received for reviewing and testing purposes, all comments are mine and 100% honest.

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Battle of the CC Creams (alba, Yes to Grapefruit, Lumene)

Hello, today I want to do a comparison post of three CC creams that I have recently tried. CC creams aren't new to me, they came out to the market after BB cream which are very popular beauty balms that initially for use on face after beauty surgery.They claim to help even out skin, cover up imperfections and maintain skin moisture. Personally, I would prefer Korean brand CC cream and BB cream just because they suits my skin better and they offers more in terms of shades, coverage. But they are not so convenient to get in the U.S so when western brands came out with their CC and BB creams, I am very excited and eager to try.
In this post, I am focusing on three CC creams that are more on the natural side.

Claims to do:
alba Botanica Even Advanced CC Cream is a 6-in-1 color correction CC cream. Claims to even, correct, brighten, protect, hyrate and smooth skin. It's 100% vegetarian ingredients and with spf 15.
Yes to Grapefruit Correct & Repair CC Cream claims to corrects and hydrates skin, helps improving the looks of fine lines, wrinkles, uneven skin tone, dryness, offers radiance and luminosity to the skin. It's 95% natural ingredients and spf 18.
Lumene Time Freeze Anti-aging CC Cream is also a 6-in-1 product. It claims to help protects against aging, norishes, hyrates and illunimates skin and offers to cover imperfections, even out skin tones. It's formulate with natural ingredients, without parabens, mineral oil, etc. and has spf 20.

Packaging and Shade Selection:
CC cream usually doesn't offer much for shades selection. They mostly has two shades available, light and medium to choose from. Most CC cream are lightly tinted with color so they can accommodates with most skin color. These three products also each have two shades available. I find the Yes to Grapefruit one runs a little darker.  Packaging wise, the Yes to Grapefruit one comes with a pump, the others come in a tube.
I am NC 15-20 in terms of shades, the Lumene CC Cream matches me the best. The other two are a bit darker for me but not too obvious on face.

Texture, Coverage and Finish: 
All three has cream like texture, not too thick or runny,  very easy to apply and blend evenly.  The Yes to Grapefruit one has a great texture, creamy and feels very velvety when applying. It does not feel oily or heavy, the finish is skin like. It doesn't provides much coverage but it does eases dullness and brightens up skin tone. The alba one feels more moist on the skin and as you blend it in it became a thicker consistency. It doesn't offer any coverage, the finish is dewier but natural as well. I don't see much of a difference before and after. The texture of the Lumene cc cream is the lightest of the three, apply super smooth and seamlessly to the skin. It feels incredibly light and covers pores, redness and imperfections instantly. I say it has a medium coverage and buildable. The finish is matte but very natural, not flat looking.

L to R: alba Botanica Even Advanced CC Cream in fair to light,  Yes to Grapefruit Correct & Repair CC Cream in lgiht, Lumene Time Freeze Anti-aging CC Cream in light

Lasting Power and Skin Benefits:

The lumene cc cream keeps me oil free the entire day. It does not wear off or oxidize on me after long hours and it wears beautifully throughout the day. The Yes to Grapefruit cc cream holds up pretty well keeping my skin looking good but I can't wear it alone. I need more coverage for spots and redness so I will add powder or concealer on top and I also need to touch up during the day. The alba cc cream wears just like a moisturizer, I don't see or feel any difference. Again it's not good enough for me to wear it alone.

Skin care wise, all three cc creams feels very comfortable. It doesn't irritates or break me out. My skin problem doesn't seem to get worse after wearing them. The cc cream does act like a moist barrier keeping my skin from drying out. My skin turns better after skipping foundation for couple of days, but I don't think  cc cream is the main reason for that.

Final Thoughts：

Out of the three, I think you can tell the Lumene Time Freeze Anti-aging CC Cream is the winner. It is my current favorite base and I really enjoy it. It's good enough to cover my imperfections and redness, the finish is semi matte and looks super natural. The other two just doesn't offer enough in my opinion. Even though I don't expect it wears and covers like a foundation but I think at least it should offers more in terms of color, coverage and tone corrections. 

I think sheer cc cream has its own market, for people that has sensitive skin and for those who doesn't like to wear full face of makeup on the daily basis. It does offer SPF and tone correction to enhance natural skin and get rid of dullness. 

That's it for today, hope you find it helpful. Thanks for reading!

❤

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Recent Loves

Let's start from the makeup category, first I have the hourglass mineral primer. This is my first purchase of hourglass. I wanted to try this primer mainly because it's a mineral product, free of any harsh and chemical ingredients and also because it's a multi-functional product and contains spf 15. It claims concealing redness, minimizing pores and soften fine lines and wrinkles, repels water and creates the perfect surface for flawless makeup. It has a milky watery texture, apply easily on and blend well, left skin soft and velvet feeling. I do see the difference after, my skin tone is a little bit even, pores and imperfection are less obvious, however I didn't notice it has the ability to conceal redness. I do see the difference after makeup though, it controls oil well during the day and my makeup does last to the end of the day.

Next I have two products from essence, the crazy volume mascara and stays no matter what eye pencil & shadow in whipped white frosting. The shadow pencil has a great texture to it, easy to apply and blend. The color is pigmented and vibrant, shimmer but not glittery. It stays put all day without fading, I like to use it under the brow bone, as highlight, in the corner of the eyes and as a shadow base.
 I've heard good things about essence's mascara, between the green one and the pink one I picked the pink which is the extreme one to try. It has both pros & cons, but consider the fabulous result it gives and the unbelievable low price, I think it's a keeper. It gives a lot volume and length, extremely dark black, and the brush design makes it can brush out really thick and long lashes, like you're wearing falsies. I really like the look it gives, it's thicker at the roots and fan out at the top, lashes are still soft to touch and light weight. The cons: it can get a little messy if you have short lashes, like me, it can clump together but brush out the extra product on the wand before using will help.

Then I have the Rimmel Scandal Eyes Waterproof Eye Liner in sparkling black. I think everybody know they are great, nice texture, stays without smudging or transferring, affordable. I usually prefer to use liquid liner, but I really like the effects the pencil gives. I like to smudge it with a brush to create a softer look and also I like to use it with a liquid liner on top for a intense look. The glitter in it will show and it's really beautiful contrast to the dark black.
The last product in this category I want to mention is the Sally Hansen Colorfast tint and moisture balm. I think these came out after the Revlon one's and which is why they got neglected since the market is already filled with similar products. I personally really like these, I use it more often than other lip products. The color I have here is 15 Made Me Blush, I love this one out of all the color selection they had. Like other lip tint & moisture balm, it wears comfortable on lips, very thin and moisturizing. The reason I adore this one beside this color is that it sets very quickly, last incredibility long, even the surface color wear off during the day the tint color stays on so I won't end up with bare lips, and they cost far less than Revlon or other brand.

Moving on the skin and body care, I have two products. The Clarins Tonic Body treatment oil and the alba multi-purpose jelly. Clarins is the brand that I wanted to try for the longest time, I'm most interested of their body products. This body oil contains 100% pure plant extracts, I use it almost everyday for firming and moisturizing. It absorbs well into the skin, even though I'm not a fan of the smell but it isn't overwhelming. It feels calm and comfortable afterwards and it kept my skin super silky soft.
The alba multi-purpose jelly is a must have for dry skin during cold reason I think. It's 100% vegetarian, safe to use all over the body, even on face. I use it for my lips overnight and anywhere on my body that is extra dry or itchy. It has a very very thick texture to it, doesn't have any scent to it.

Sally Hansen Colorfast tint & moisture balm 15 Made Me Blush, Rimmel Scandal Eyes Waterproof Eye Liner in sparkling black, essence stays no matter what eye pencil & shadow in whipped white frosting

❤

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Physicians Formula Tinted Moisturizer

This tinted moisturizer by Physicians Formula probably is the first drugstore tinted moisturizer I've tried. I don't usually have high hope for western made tinted moisturizer or BB cream products like this one, because they wouldn't offer what I need. This one sold on me because it claims hydrates,  lightweight and contains natural ingredients,  since I'm not looking for something with higher coverage at the moment, I decided to get it a try.

As always I did my research first, from reviews most people did on this, it seems like this product would be suitable for dryer skin, as for me I suppose it should works for winter months.  

(My skin condition: normal, slightly dry, color: fair, NC20.)

This product is available for 4 shades, I have the lightest one which is ivory to fair. I would say the color runs a bit dark because this shade isn't a perfect match for my skin tone. It has a herbal scent to it which doesn't bothers me too much. 

On to the application and finish, it has a runny texture but once you start blending, it thickens up so it need some effort to get it even. It can be quickly absorbed, feels really lightweight and comfortable wearing. It doesn't offer any coverage, as it claimed the coverage is VERY "sheer and natural". You definitely need concealer on top of this.  However it does even out skin tone and modify skin condition a little bit.  I noticed my pores are less obvious. The finish is more like a natural, a bit dewy finish and I found it lasts quite long. 

Besides the color match, as a tinted moisturizer the only problem I had with this is it made me very shiny and oily after 2-3 hours wear with a power on top. I even tried using different powders to set it, the problem remains. Since I don't have the habit of touching up and I don't want to be constantly bothered during the day, I think this isn't the one for me.

Have you tried this? and what's you current base makeup product?

❤

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Bobbi Brown Brighten and Correct Eye Duo

 Bobbi Brown Brighten and Correct Eye Duo*

Set Contains a tinted eye brightener (6 ml) and hydrating eye cream (3 ml).

As we all know it is very important that we taking care of our delicate eye area. Properly prep, conceal the under eye area makes a big difference of how you look. I think it is one of the biggest challenge among all the makeup steps. I have tried a lot of eye creams for the past, ranging from high end to drugstore ones. It is the most difficult thing for me to do because there are so much things such as price, ingredient to research and experiment. It's really hard to find one that actually works well for both skincare and makeup purposes.
The eye cream from the set is a hydrating eye cream that is lightweight and easy absorbing. The texture is not overly thick nor liquidy. It hydrates and nourishes the under eye area very well without any heavy or oily feeling. I noticed that it helps to reduce the appearance of the fine lines under my eyes so that any concealer or powder applied on top would not set into the lines and makes it more noticeable.

Bobbi Brown Tinted Eye Brightener light bisque

I don't recall any memory of using a tinted eye brightener so this is my first one. The reason why I like it not only because it serves well as a brightener for the eye area ,I found it works just well for the rest of my face. 

It has a fluid texture and applies very light on the eye area, easy to blend. I prefer to use my fingers rather than a brush just so it helps for the product to melt into the skin. What I like about it is that it doesn't just sit on top of the skin or looks powdery or unnatural. It doesn't add heaviness when adding concealer on top. I don't have super dark circles at the moment so it works wonder for me. 

Primarily, this is for use brighten or correct areas such as at the inner corner of the eyes, underneath and close to the lashes. As for me, I found this is also good for use cancel out any darkness or uneven tones on my face, areas like around my nose, mouth, chin area. I want to clarify that this is not enough for covering dark circles and imperfections because it is not a concealer.  This is suppose to use underneath the concealer to help covering up dark circles. One important thing I want to mention is make sure you choose the right shade.

 In all, I think this duo is worth checking out if you're struggling with covering dark circles and concealer itself doesn't do the work for you.

Bobbi Brown brighten and correct eye duo, Maybelline fit me concealer no.15, L'oreal true match super blendable powder in classic ivory, Maybelline color tattoo bad to the bronze, Kiss me smooth liquid eyeliner, Kiss me long & curl mascara, Maybelline baby lips cherry me

Thanks for reading and have a good weekend.

❤

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Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 Foundation

 Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 Foundation *

(COVERGIRL.COM)

All-in-one foundation with a long-lasting formula that fuses primer, concealer and foundation in one easy step! The 3-in-1 formula provides a flawless look that lasts all day long.

Color:

This foundation comes in 14 shades, which is good consider it is a drugstore foundation. I have it in 832 nude beige which is not a perfect match for me (I'm NC 20-25), it's dark on me but I can still wear it (825 buff beige would be a better match). The color range is not fantastic so it made it a little bit hard when choosing the right shade. The lighter shade from 805 to 820 are all warm tone and the lightest beige/yellow tone is too dark for light/pale skin.

Application:

It comes in a glass bottle and has a pump which is really nice( mess free). The best brush I found to apply it is the RT stippling brush, it blends the foundation in effortlessly. Another great brush to use with it is the RT expert face brush. I haven't tried using my fingers since these two brushes are already good enough. With this foundation you really don't need much to cover the entire face, one full pump is way too much and can look heavy. What I like to do is work it little by little, taking time to fully blend it in, add a little more if needed. This way you can see how the product really performs, the blendability, the coverage, the finish, plus it helps foundation last longer.

 Texture:
This foundation has a very smooth silky texture, the consistency is in between cream and liquid. It blends really nicely into the skin and takes no time to get it even. I am amazed by how easy and how fast it is to finish the entire face. It doesn't sink into lines and pores, on the contrary, it works well blur all the imperfections. One thing that I found is it can make dead skin and dry patches very obvious so make sure you prep you skin and exfoliate it before using this foundation.

Coverage:
The coverage of this foundation is absolutely amazing, depends on how much you have on, the coverage can be light or full (in general it's a medium to full coverage). I've tested using small amount and only have on a thin layer of this foundation, the coverage is good enough to even out my skin tone and diminish large pores. I also tried on two layers, it's definitely full coverage, let's just say it's good enough for special occasion but I wouldn't use this if flash photography will be taking (it has SPF 20).

Finish & Lasting Power:
It has a powdery finish, is it definitely matte but not flat. With this foundation, you sure don't need any powder on top, it doesn't look cakey or heavy if applied properly. If your skin is mostly clear, you sure don't need concealer either, it covers really well. I only have on some highlight under my eyes in the picture and it can covers almost all the dark spot on my face.
I have normal skin, but I tend to get shiny on my t-zone during the day, this foundation is good enough to help me stay shine free throughout the day. It's not transferring, but it does sets a shade darker on me. I have no problem wearing it for 8 hours, but if you have combination or oily skin, it certainly need touch up for 8 or more hours wear.

Suggestion and sum up:
If you have normal, combination or oily skin, I would recommend this foundation since it's shine free and helps control oil during the day. If you have dry skin, then this could be a little dry for you, and if you like dewy, glowy finish then this isn't the one for you. When choosing the color, I would suggest you go a shade lighter because the color runs quite dark, and it also sets darker after a hour or two.
In all, I do love this product and I think it is a great drugstore foundation, it does what it claims and really easy to apply evenly. The coverage is amazing and the finish is flawless ( plus it also looks good on camera, using natural light).

❤

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Cover FX Matte Setting Powder

Cover FX Matte Setting Powder in light

(Sephora.com)
What it is:
A loose setting powder to set foundation and minimize shine.
What it does:
This loose setting powder is rich in healthy ingredients that soothe, minimize shine, and extend foundation wear to last all day.
What it is formulated WITHOUT:
- Parabens   - Sulfates   - Synthetic Fragrances    - Synthetic Dyes   - Petrochemicals   - Phthalates  - GMOs   - Triclosan

I got this loose powder a while ago from sephora with my purchase, it comes with really nice decent size amount of product in this mess free container that I really like. This powder claims control shine and help makeup last longer. I like that it contains healthy ingredients and free of mineral oil, parabens, gluten, etc.  it's nice to know that the product you put on is not harmful for your skin. If you are someone concerns that and likes natural and organic products then this is a good choice.
It comes in three colors, I have it in light. You don't really need to worry about the color matches because it goes on quite sheer almost translucent on the skin. When using this powder a  little goes a long way. I'm currently using the RT blush brush with it, it's not the perfect brush for this, the brush is very soft so the powder will fly around and gets little on the skin, but I haven't found a brush to use with it. The texture of this powder is very silky and smooth, I noticed it sort of vanish on the skin and provides very very sheer almost unnoticeable coverage (might because of the brush ), but it does the job of minimize shine on my t-zone. The finish is very natural not completely matte, it doesn't look cakey or heavy which is great if you are someone doesn't wear a lot of makeup, likes fresh, natural looking makeup look; or you usually wear a full coverage base makeup and you don't want to add more coverage on your face.
If you are looking for a loose powder that is good for the skin, helps control shine and sets makeup but at the same time, lightweight, looks natural and doesn't provides much coverage, I would suggest you try this.  Personally I prefer using this on top of any medium or full coverage foundation.

❤

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Review: HadaLabo Gokujyun-a Rentionl Lotion & Moisture Milk

HadaLabo Gokujyun-a Rentional Lotion 170ml,  Moisture Milk 140ml

HadaLabo Rentinol Lotion adding different ingredients in order to let you enjoy anti-wrinkle, moisturizing and elastic, as to create a compact skin. Aging causes the skin loses its elasticity. This product adding the collagen, and it is weak acid, providing a mild treatment to skin, smoothen the fine lines and brings supple to skin.

 for dry and delicate skin 

made in Japan

 (description from sasa.com)

I've been using this set for about 3-4 months now and it has helped my skin safely past the long winter that we had here. I have previously used some of other skin care products from this brand such as the Tamagohada cleanser and Gokujyun Super Hyaluronic Acid Lotion, it all work out pretty good on me so I brought this set around Dec last year to use for the winter season.
This line is targeted for anti-aging and moisturizing, it contains rentinol, collagen and other nourishing ingredients. The lotion is very thick, it feels almost like serum unlike any other toner/lotion that I have used. It took around three weeks for my skin to finally get use to it and before that I just felt it's oily and it takes long time to completely absorb into the skin. It does keep my skin very well nourished but my face would be too oily throughout the day especially follow by the moisture milk, So I only use this lotion at night.

The moisture milk has a milky gel texture, applies easily and I find it much more easier to absorb compare to the toner. I use it both day and night and it's been working great for me. It keeps my skin very well moisturized at all time, my skin feels soft and rejuvenated. Both these products come in a nice decent size and you only need one or two drops each time so it will certainly last long. I would recommend these products for dry and mature skin to use at cold season, it's too rich for young age people. If your skin condition is normal then you can switch to a light toner.Overall I think both products are very good in terms of moisturizing. Personally I would prefer using a lighter lotion or toner, it's easier for the skin to absorb and also laying on other products.
Recently I switched my skin care routine for spring and summer season, I will have a post of that very soon.

P.S  Drugstore.com now carrying some HadaLabo products, not much but I'm appreciated, it made so much easier to get these products in the States.

Thanks for reading.

❤

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Review: Revlon Nearly Naked Foundation

 Revlon Nearly Naked Foundation  120 Vanilla  30ml

Color: I have the 120 vanilla, the second lightest shade I believe. This shade looks like a beige/yellow toned color but once it blends into the skin, it's more on the pink side and doesn't match me. I have mostly clear skin, my most concern is redness on my face, so I usually like to choose a beige, yellow tone foundation which can tone down the redness on me but this doesn't do the job well.
Texture: The texture of this foundation is on the liquid side, so it blends really nice. It doesn't require a lot of effort to blend it into the skin, which I really liked. However, at certain area where you have larger pores,  it requires extra work.
Coverage: Depending on how much you have on, the coverage is buildable to a medium. It can covers most of the imperfections on my face.
Finish: It has a natural finish, not matte or dewy. I mean it's called "nearly naked" so it suppose to have a natural finish. What I realized after I finished my makeup is most of the foundation I have on is absorbed into the skin, the coverage sort of reduced and only left a tinted color on the skin surface which I don't like.   My skin condition is normal  now, but for some reason this foundation is very flaky, and make my face looks dry on certain area. It clog around my nose and chin area, you can see the dry patches on my forehead and also fine lines under my eyes, and it's not going to cover the redness around my nose.
Lasting Power: It does last long, around 6+ hours on me, however, after three hours I have to use blotting sheets or touch up with some powder on my forehead and chin area.
Overall, I don't think this is the foundation for me, even though it feels nice but it doesn't looks good on me.
                                                                   

 Overall: ☆☆☆★★

Pros

nice texture and blend easily

light coverage but buildable

 not transferring

SPF20 

Cons

flaky

sink into pores and fine lines

emphasize dryness

create dry patches

Have you try this yet? How do you like it?

❤

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