Review| Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder

Hi guys, happy new month! It’s rather late but better late than never, amirite? The Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder is one of the most popular powders ever. It’s a cult favourite and I’ve wanted to try it forever. I recently picked it up in the original translucent shade, just about a week or two before the brand released a new deeper version aimed at women of colour. Boo 😑It comes in a grey box and the product itself is a slightly frosted tub with a mirrored cap. I really like the packaging. There is a sticky tape covering the holes when you first open the tub for the first time. In retrospect I should have just punched a few holes in that tape instead of taking it off entirely. 

What It Is : A cult favourite and award – winning, silky powder with a touch of sheer coverage to set makeup for a lasting wear.  

The powder is very finely milled and looks almost wet when I pour it into the cap. The brand claims that the powder provides a no flashback formula that means you’ll look great in photos and it creates a soft – focus effect to softly blurs the look of fine lines and pores that never looks cakey, all of which I absolutely agree with. When I set my whole face with this, it definitely blurs my smaller pores which is an amazing bonus. I don’t find that the powder controls my oils for too long, only for about an hour longer than my oils take to come in when I do my usual routine of oil controlling primer + matte foundation, meaning my oils start to come in after about 7 hours. It is definitely impressive but I expected to be matte for much longer. 

It isn’t holy grail status for me. I do like it a lot but I was expecting the oil controlling properties to be much more impressive than they are, especially when you consider how expensive it is ($38)  You get a lot of product, 1oz which is pretty amazing because a lot of loose powders contain only a little product, so it’ll last a really long time. I do recommend getting this powder, it is a really good powder and I’m still deciding if I should get the medium deep powder. Let me know your thoughts if you’ve tried the translucent loose setting powder. 

Where to get it: Rouge Cosmetics 

Thanks for reading! 

Spice Up Your Look with LA Girl Flat Velvet Matte Lipstick!

If you read my review on the LA Girl Flat Velvet Matte lipsticks, then you know just how much I loved them, especially va voom! (read my original review here)

Originally I wanted 4 of them; runway, va voom! bite me and spicy and I only got 2. So when I happened upon spicy, of course I had to have it.

Now since I’ve already reviewed this, I’m not going to go too much into appearance and such. What I didn’t really expect was the colour of the lipstick: brown.

I have never been a fan of brown, so I couldn’t imagine putting brown on my face. But Oh. My. Gosh. I nearly hyperventilated. It was love at first swatch. I never expected to like a brown lipstick but this is beyond like, it’s love 😍

Lol it might sound like I’m exaggerating, but I kid you not. This is a total throwback to the nineties, and is everything I’m hoping True Brown K will be, that’s if I can get my hands on it, which I probably won’t 😥

It’ll definitely look good on everyone. And no, this is NOT a nude lipstick.

Feast on the chocolatey gorgeousness. I thought it looked like Sleek Smoulder (which I’ll be reviewing soon) but I realised that it didn’t after I did some side-by-side swatches

Top spicy, bottom smoulder.

Yes, I definitely recommend that everyone get spicy. It’s beautiful and unusual and a must-have. Definitely will repurchase. I’m on the lookout for Runway. I can’t wait to get my hands on it!

I am loving this big time!

Have you tried this lipstick? What is your favourite unusual lipstick? Share with me! 

Beverly xx

One Brand, Two Foundations: CoverGirl Ready Set Gorgeous & CoverGirl Outlast Stay Fabulous | Review and Comparisons

I’m pretty excited to do this review cos I’ve been using these foundations a lot lately and I think it’s time for me to share my thoughts and experiences with them. From here on, I’m going to refer to Ready Set Gorgeous as RSG and Outlast Stay Fabulous as OSF. Too long for me to keep typing. These companies just keep making product names longer and longer. Ok I’m deviating. Let’s go!

Left Ready Set Gorgeous, right Outlast Stay Fabulous.

I got RSG in shade 315 tawny, and OSF in shade 375 soft sable. Why not get them in the same colour? Well cos tawny is a tad lighter and soft sable is a tad darker. So I mix 2 parts tawny and one part soft sable to get a colour that’s a perfect fit for me. And why not just get the same type of foundation? Because I wanted to try both, so I got them both! Anyway as before, I’m going to review these based on coverage, finish and staying power then deliver my verdict.

Before I continue, I’ll state once again that I have combination to oily skin, with a very oily t-zone. I have no dry patches, but I have acne scarring, acne prone skin and hyperpigmentation, so i prefer full coverage foundations. Yes I have a lot of problems 😥

CoverGirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 375 Soft Sable

CoverGirl Ready Set Gorgeous 315 Tawny

RSG comes in a squeeze tube and OSF comes in a glass bottle with a lockable pump! ☺ They both have a weird perfume-y smell. It’s not too bad but it’s pretty unusual the first time you smell it

COVERAGE:

I would consider the coverage of RSG to be medium to full, and OSF to be light to medium. But mixed together, I get a level of coverage that is so amazing and does a fantastic job of evening out my skin tone. However on it’s own, OSF is light and I need 3 full pumps to even my skin tone, and still have to go in with a concealer after. With RSG, 2 small squeezes is what I need to cover my face. No need for a concealer. They can both be layered easily, with no cakiness of any sort. RSG wins this round

FINISH:

I was expecting them both to be matte, cos that’s what all the reviews I read before getting these said. However I find these are definitely NOT matte. Not in the least. I had to set with a powder because I wanted a matte finish. I did find that RSG was a little more of a demi – matte finish, in comparison to OSF, which is more of a satin finish. RSG wins yet another round.

STAYING POWER:

I wasn’t very impressed with the staying power of these. I was expecting to be blown away. Probably I had super high hopes cos of all the rave reviews I had seen.  I tried them out without a powder and I found them to both last just over 4 hours before they started to fade. With a powder, it was phenomenal. No kidding. I can get 8 hour days and still look made up by the end of the day, with absolutely no touch ups, only blotting my ever-oily t-zone with a tissue. Without a powder, oil control is pretty meh but with a powder, it’s fantastic. My oil is kept at bay for ages and my nose doesn’t get shiny until the 5 hour mark, which is just great, if you know me and how shiny my nose always is. It’s a tie between OSF and RSG.

I tried applying these with my Colorbox pro big mama beauty blender and my real techniques expert face brush, and I find that the RT brush does a better job of applying, and I use less product. I do wish these were waterproof. It’s not cute leaving brown stains on my phone screen and on whatever I touch x_x

Left Ready Set Gorgeous 315 Tawny; right Outlast Stay Fabulous 375 Soft Sable

Blended

I feel like OSF has neutral undertones, and RSG has yellow tones. Since my undertones are more yellow than neutral (although I’d rather wear neutral undertones than cool ones, those make me look ashy), mixing them together gives me subtle yellow that’s not too over the top.

IN SUMMARY:

I love both of these foundations and yes, I highly recommend them. The finish is very natural and it lasts and lasts, fading evenly. A definite repurchase, it’s worth every cent! These deserve Holy Grail status! Now if only I could find my perfect colour…

Whew! This has been a REALLY long review! Have you tried these? What is your favourite foundation?

Beverly xx

Nicka K New York Ultra Smoothing Makeup Primer Review

I needed a primer so much and I happened upon this and I snapped it up without thinking twice. And after a number of uses, I think it’s time for me to review it.

First of all, I don’t know why Nicka K is such an unknown brand, considering how old the company is. I didn’t know about them either until I got my Fx blending sponge and did a quick Google search.

It comes in a squeeze tube with a rose gold cover and contains 30ml of product. The packaging is nice enough, and I find the squeeze tube to be very convenient because it gives you control of the amount of product to dispense, so there’s no waste.

Like most primers, it’s a colourless gel-like consistency. To apply my primer, I squeeze a little into my palm to warm it up then rub in both palms then apply to my face. I find that it provides a smooth base for foundation application.

Don’t expect this to hide large pores, mattify or control oil because it does none of that. Granted it does not claim to, but then I expect that the primer will help my makeup stay in place a little longer, which it didn’t. You’ll like this if you have normal skin and are only looking for a primer to create a smooth base for your foundation to glide on. If you’re oily like I am, this is not for you boo.

I will not be repurchasing this because it does absolutely nothing for me. I like how smooth it feels on my face but that’s about it.

Have you tried this primer? Any recommendations?

Beverly xx

Sleek Blush, For the Perfect Flush of Colour

I honestly don’t know why it took me so long to get into using blushes. I think the first reason is cos I’ve laughed at a lot of black people I’ve seen wearing blush cos I thought we didn’t need it. I see now that I was horribly wrong.

Sleek MakeUP is a brand that has been known to me for ages. I’ve used their pressed powder, their pout polish, eye liners, lipsticks but it never occurred to me to try out their brushes. Til I decided to get Flushed…

As with most Sleek MakeUP products, it comes in a black matte rubberized packaging. It’s very durable and travel friendly cos it snaps shut tighly and it’s so tiny you can just throw it into your purse and go. And best of all, it comes with a mirror! Handy for touchups on the go

I would describe this as a deep red -berry with a matte finish and fine shimmer. Thankfully the shimmer is not obvious when worn.

According to the Sleek website: Our blushers are long lasting and highly pigmented available in a variety of finishes. Each shade glides on smoothly and enables you to create an array of stunning looks. We offer a wide range of shades to complement any skin tone, no matter the occasion.

This blusher is pigmented, and gives a natural flush when applied lightly, but can be built up for a kapow look.

I apply this with my BH angled blush brush and it does the job just fine. It doesn’t pick up too much of the blush so I build it up to my desired level of colour

Swatched and blended. I like that even though it’s pigmented, it’s not overly pigmented and so there’s absolutely no way you’re going to end up looking like you have a baboon butt on your face 😂

Staying power is phenomenal. I get 6 – 7 hours of wear, probably could last even longer, and that’s even in the extremely humid weather that is Ghana. I am extremely impressed by this. Definitely holy grail status.

Yes, you need this. That’s if you already don’t have it. And if you do, good on you girl!

Have you tried this or any Sleek MakeUP blush? What is your favourite blush?

Beverly xx

LA Girl Pro HD Setting Powder: Worth the Hype?

I have been looking for a translucent powder to set my foundation for a while now. I had my eye on the Ben Nye neutral set, but seeing as that Ben Nye is outrageously priced in Ghana, I decided to go with the more pocket-friendly LA Girl version, which I got at the Makeup Ghana Connects exhibition.

It comes in a small tub with a powder puff which is pretty useless in my opinion. I’ll say why in a bit. Once you remove the powder puff, there’s sticky tape covering the sifter. Please, take this off with caution and do NOT throw it away. Instead stick it over all but 2 holes of the sifter. You’ll thank me later, because this powder gets EVERYWHERE. Like, literally. There’s so much fallout.

I apply this using the BH powder brush from the BH cosmetics party girl set. It’s finely milled and super soft. But be careful when you’re using it. I only pick up a little bit of the powder with my brush and apply to my t zone to set my foundation.

Too much of it and you’ll end up looking like Casper the anaemic ghost 😂, which is what happened to me the first time I used it. I applied it with the powder puff provided and I looked so scary in flash photography, though not so bad in person. Because it is transparent, it’s suitable for all skin tones. Yup. Even dark chocolate beauties. Just apply with a light hand because a little goes a long way

According to LA Girl: A luxe finishing powder that sets the foundation and mattifies skin. Made of 100% mineral silica, this powder is a luxurious and versatile tool that perfectly sets your makeup while evening out the complexion, softening lines and imperfections for a glowing, radiant look.
The translucent powder is a universally wearable shade . The lightweight formula can be applied on bare skin or over foundation for a flawless finish.
-Provides a natural, matte and flawless finish
-Sets makeup for a long time
-Preps and primes
-Evens out complexion

top: swatched bottom: blended

I agree with most of LA Girl’s claims. It melts into my skin and kept me oil and shine free for over 4 hours, which is very impressive for someone as oily as I am. It is lightweight, and matte but not flat. As to it evening out my complexion, I would attribute that to my CoverGirl ready set gorgeous foundation which I am totally loving (I’lI review that soon, promise!)

So far, I have been impressed with all the LA Girl products I have tried, the only exception being the glazed lip paints which sucked.

I definitely recommend this. It’s a budget setting powder and it works. I still want to get the Ben Nye though. Maybe after I’m done with my no buy. But for the moment, this LA Girl is impressing me massively. Get this for 30 cedis from Abby (Instagram) she delivers too.

Have you tried this? Share your experience.

Beverly xx

Mary Kay Medium Coverage Foundation Review

I got this foundation after a friend did, and it made her look flawless. Technically it isn’t mine, it’s my mum’s but you know 😉

It’s a medium coverage foundation, and I got it in the shade Bronze 600, which was a good enough match for both me and my mum. We’re about the same colouring.

It’s supposed to be for normal to oily skin but this foundation did not work for me at all. Before I proceed, I should state that I have normal to combination skin, with a super duper oily t-zone. My chin breaks out in perspiration minutes after I apply my makeup, and my nose gets shiny easily too. I don’t have any dry patches but I have acne scarring, and acne prone skin and so what I look for in a foundation are: coverage, finish and staying power. So I’m going to review this based on these three criteria.

COVERAGE:

This is a medium coverage foundation, and so of course it’s not going to cover all my acne scars, but it evened my skin well enough. I did have to go in later with a concealer, but I didn’t mind doing that. However I realised that after using a powder, my face looked green. I have no idea why. I tried applying just the foundation and I didn’t notice that green tinge as much, so I guess I’ll have to attribute it to the powder. It’s impossible to layer, because it tends to look cakey when I do, which is not a pretty sight. 3/5

Top swatched; bottom blended

FINISH:

So as this is meant for normal to oily skin, I expected it to have a matte or at  least a semi-matte finish. But I found it to be straight up oily and a powder is definitely needed to set this, else it runs and gets everywhere. I tried a trick I saw on YouTube (can’t remember the exact vlogger) and blotted the excess with a tissue before using a powder, and that helped a bit. 2/5

Contains 29ml of product.

STAYING POWER:

Staying power of this foundation sucks. Oh my gosh, you have no idea just how much. It transfers like crazy and gets absolutely everywhere. Hasn’t Mary Kay heard about waterproof foundations? After barely 10 minutes of use, I feel perspiration on my chin, and my nose gets oily by an hour of wear. It might be that I live in an extremely hot country, but then again I used it when it rained and my nose got oily within 2 hours of wear. I have to blot and reapply powder so many times during the day, it’s exasperating. Ugh. 2/5

OVERALL: 7/15 don’t waste your time with this

IN SUMMARY:

This foundation is just not worth getting. Unless you have dry skin and are looking for a normal skin-like foundation, else if you’re as oily as I am, stay as far away from this as possible. It does nothing for oil control, although it explicitly states that on the tube.

I am definitely not repurchasing this. I’m better off investing in a waterproof, long-wearing foundation, and this is definitely not it.

What is your favourite foundation? Any recommendations for oily skin? Let me know!

Love and hugs,

Beverly xx

FOTD: Warm Smokey Eye and Berry Lips

I don’t know why it’s taken me so long to post this cos I did this look ages ago! (and posted on my Instagram) I am getting way way better at this makeup things (tehee) albeit I’m not perfect, but I see a vast improvement from when I first started out.

This is a look I did when I was going to my new nephew’s naming ceremony. I look for an excuse to get all gussied up lately!

Face: LA Girl pro concealer in beautiful bronze
Mary Kay medium coverage foundation in bronze 600
Random nameless face powder

Eyes: elf little black beauty book warm edition
LA girl gel eyeliner
Random brown pencil

Lips: Milani Sangria lipstick

I think I should post more fotds! If I can find time to get around to it that is!

Beverly xx