Holy Grail Foundation: VICHY DERMABLEND CORRECTIVE FOUNDATION

It's been a long time y'all! Since I've been away, I've discovered some amazing products that I'd like to share with everyone. First up!

::VICHY DERMABLEND CORRECTIVE FOUNDATION::

::WHERE TO PURCHASE::

The Vichy Dermablend Corrective Foundation can be found in Canada at any Shopper's Drug Mart. It only costs about $25CDN, which is half the price of cult fave foundations from MAC or Make Up Forever. That really helps if you're like me and prefer to blend two colours together to get the perfect match all the time.

For US residents, check out Vichy USA for a store locator or to shop online. I've linked you directly to Dermablend, but there are tons of other Vichy products listed on the site. It lists Dermablend as $29USD - maybe there's cost increase due to import mark-up? :S

*Tip: Blending foundations is highly recommended regardless of brand. Sunny weather is fast approaching for those of us up north, so we'll want our foundation to custom-match every stage of our healthy glow. Furthermore, we all know that everyone's skin tone is different. It's nearly impossible to find a perfect match with just one foundation, even without tanning issues. Those with fair complexions should try blending customized proportions of #15 OPAL and #25 NUDE. If you're darker or olive-skinned, try mixing #45 GOLD with a touch of #35 SAND for more dimension.


::THE HYPE::

I can't say enough about this foundation. What I absolutely LOVE about it is the amazing AMAZING coverage it provides. It literally acts as a concealer as well as a foundation. I have lots of red patches and discolouration from blowing my nose (perpetual sinus issues), acne scars, etc. Dermablend covers up everything IMMEDIATELY. Unless you have serious scarring or redness, you will not need concealer. As well, if your skin is clear and you don't want to use foundation all over your face, you can use this foundation as your concealer and only dab it onto problem areas. You can also just use it on your T-zone and planes of your cheeks.

*For my medium yellow-based skin tone, I mix about 3/4 of #25 NUDE and 1/4 of #45 GOLD. I will increase the 45 depending on my tan this summer.  

::INSANE COVERAGE and INCREDIBLE LASTING POWER::

Because this foundation was allegedly created for reasons much like BB Cream - for people recovering from chemical peel redness, rosacea, and other scarring, it really goes above and beyond any foundation or BB Cream I've ever used.

Dermablend feels lightweight like you have nothing on your skin at all, yet it does NOT budge! I'd even go as far as to claim it's almost waterproof. If you blow your nose aggressively and very frequently like me, I'd recommend using a concealer to minimize potential redness around the nose. But if not, then this foundation alone will last you all day. You basically need makeup remover (or olive oil if you want to go natural/cheap) to really clean this foundation off your face, yet it's not greasy and doesn't clog pores.


::ZERO CAKINESS::

With all its staying power, you would think this product would be cakey. False. Cakiness is one reason I've avoided full-cover foundations in the past. MAC's Studio Fix provides great coverage but no matter how I applied it, I would always look like I slammed my face into pancake mix. Not cute. Dermablend on the other hand doesn't produce any cakiness whatsoever. Strangely enough, it's mostly mattifying yet still provides a light dewy glow. Kind of like magic!



::A LITTLE GOES A LONNNNNG WAY::

I'm not joking when I say you do not need much product to cover your entire face and neck area. You can use a foundation brush or your fingers to apply - both work - and basically just pick up the product by feathering at the edges of the blob. As you apply to your face, blend the product really well and you will immediately see how far a tiny bit will take you. This also means that for half the price of a typical higher end foundation, you will have a wonderful product that will last you for ages.

#25 and #45 blended, pre-application (with flash)

#25 and #45 blended, pre-application (without flash)

::NO FUNKY SMELLS::

Dermablend has no weird scent. In addition to cakiness, another reason I reluctantly dropped MAC Studio Fix for Make Up Forever's HD Foundation was the fact that I couldn't stand how heavy MAC SF felt and how badly it reeked of paint and oh, turpentine. It was so revolting that I had to stop using it entirely. What a waste of money! I still enjoy MUF's HD foundation, and I'll continue to use it for evenings when I know I'll be photographed, but Vichy Dermablend is now my go-to daily holy grail foundation. Hands-down winner.


::NOTE::

My Dermablend doesn't appear to come with SPF, but the ones listed on the Vichy USA site seem to be SPF20. Remember that if you're getting photographed, SPF will give off a sheen, so be sure to mattify your face with powder if you're using the SPF version.

Short Hiatus!

hi all! it's been awhile since i've updated my blog or made a new vid. please bear with me, as life has been really busy. i'll be back soon!

Winter Proof Makeup: Pretty Neutrals

if you're tired of your makeup melting off in snowy weather, here are some tips! winter daytime makeup shouldn't be too heavy or overly "done". keep in mind that by wearing a neutral eye, you're already somewhat winter-proofing your look since it will be less evident if your makeup fades or wears off. =)

::what i used + tips::

*BeneFit Creaseless Cream Shadow in "r.s.v.p." - apply a light-coloured base. this one is a gorgeous light rosy metallic.

*MAC Paint Pot in "Bare Study" (optional) - apply a shimmery champagne base beneath lower lashline to brighten your eyes.

*Too Faced "Natural Eye" Palette - apply a shimmery pink to the inner 1/2 of lid. this colour is comparable to Stila "Kitten" e/s. pat on for better colour payoff and lasting power. bring colour under lower lashline as well.

*apply a matte taupe from same palette. this colour is comparable to MAC "Soba". accentuate outer corners, bringing the colour above the eyeball (crease). be sure to leave the pink relatively untouched.

*apply a matte dark brown to outer corner, bringing it in about halfway across lid. gently blend upwards to create a soft hazy look.

*MAC 217 Blending Brush - use a fluffy blending brush to blend out any harsh lines.

*matte dark brown - line lower lashline with same matte dark brown using a stiff brush. bring colour about halfway in.

*shimmery pink - highligh inner corners.

*matte beige - highlight browbone. this colour is comparable to MAC "Brule" or perhaps "Vanilla". blend into the brown you've already applied.

*Blinc "Kiss Me" Tubing Mascara - excellent choice to keep makeup from smudging. tubing mascaras are fully waterproof and only come off if you lightly squeeze and pull the mascara off your lashes with warm water! way more winter-proof than traditional waterproof mascaras.

*Make Up Forever "Mist & Fix" Spray - set and protect your hard work with a fixing spray so it won't get mucked up in the event of wet snowfall. =)

BB Creams: Quick Facts

the Asian phenom known as BB (or "Blemish Balm") Cream is basically a combination of foundation, concealer, moisturizer, SPF, acne-treatment, and skin-whitening formula to reduce the amount of products used and time consumed when prepping your face.

the idea of BB creams is to heal and improve while covering up, which is theoretically a fantastic idea. i am really liking it so far!

there are several popular brands out there, like "Skin Food", "Skin79", "BRTC", and "Missha". i'm currently using South Korean brand Missha, which only comes in two shades: 21 and 23. 23 blends perfectly into my skin, which is about NC 25-30 in MAC terms. Since BB creams were developed for Asian skin (yellow undertones), i believe it works best for those skintones.

you can see in my Face Routine video that i combine Missha BB cream, which actually provides really good coverage, with Almay's Clear Complexion concealer around problem zones like the nasal area (constant nose-blowing leaves it very red).

Trimming Thick Brows is Easy!

it virtually takes only 10 seconds every couple of weeks to manage thick, bushy brows.



::what i used + tips::

*spoolie - pick up little free ones from Sephora at their makeup testing stations. because you're only using them to push up stray brow hairs, there aren't many sanitation issues. store them well and a few can end up lasting a lifetime.

*small sharp scissors - these work best for a precise trim. definitely don't use big safety scissors. =)

Party Look: Black Smoky Eye

this look is flattering on everyone. great for a night out!

::what i used + tips::

*BeneFit Creaseless Cream Shadow in "Skinny Jeans" - a metallic shimmery dark grey undertone that also acts as a base. blend well and take it above the crease.

*NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in "Bean" - blend this black base evenly on the lid area down to the lashline.

*MAC "Carbon" - for a more wearable (vs. Weird Raccoon Eyes) look, blend this matte black from the outer V and fade it in towards the inner corner. make the colour at the outer V thicker, and thin it out as you blend in.

*line lower lashline with "Carbon" and a stiff brush. only line the outer 2/3, leaving inner 1/3 untouched.

*MAC Paint Pot in "Bare Study" - apply this champagne base to inner 1/3 of lower lashline and use it to highlight brownbone.

*MAC "Shroom" - highlight using a slightly shimmery beige so it contrasts with the matte black.

*Stila "Kitten" - emphasize inner corners with this shimmery pinky beige.

*Styli Style liner in "Black" - use a pencil liner to line lower waterline and upper lashline.

*optional: highlight ball of eye and lower lashline with a shimmery colour. in the video i use e.l.f. mineral shadow in "Mysterious".

*Curl lashes and add mascara to finish.

::WATCH THE VIDEO::

Peach & Brown Snow Bunny Eyes

a nice neutral eye you can wear for daytime without looking overdone.

::what i used + tips::

*MAC Paint Pot in "Rubenesque" - adds a shimmery bronzy peach undertone and acts as a base to make colours pop.

*MAC Paint Pot in "Bare Study" - line lower lashline with this light champagne base to brighten eyes.

*Stila "Kitten" - use this to set and enhance "Bare Study".

*Coastal Scents 88 Warm Palette - apply dark peach over lids and above crease (top of eyeball). highlight middle of lid/eyeball with matte light peach. add dimension with matte dark brown.

*apply the dark brown BETWEEN crease and lashline. leave dark peach peeking above matte brown, and try to leave matte peach on lids undisturbed.

*MAC "Embark" - emphasize lashline with a stiffer, flatter brush and a matte warm brown.

*Matte beige - highlight browbone. the look is meant to be mostly matte since it's a day look.

*Revlon Colorstay Liner in "Brown" - to complement this soft warm day theme, use a brown liner instead of black. i just line the upper lashline but you can do both if you like. Use "Embark" to set the liner.

*Curl lashes and add mascara to finish.