Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Makeup Review: Make Up For Ever Lift Concealer

As mentioned in the previous review of my latest fave, Make Up For Ever HD Microfinish Powder (See review HERE), I've recently abandoned Dior Dioskin Sculpt Concealer as it somehow begins to dry out, cake up and settle into the creases undereyes, and above all, it can't conceal my seasoned dark circles anymore!!! After some testings, the replacements are Bobbi Brown Tinted Eye Brightener in Peach (#8) and Make Up For Ever Lift Concealer (#3). 



I first apply Bobbi Brown Tinted Eye Brightener as a corrector on the lower edges of my dark circles with a concealer brush. Instead of blending in with the same brush, the Make Up For Ever SA taught me a trick - blend in with another concealer brush - cuz the Brush No. 1 will re-pick up some concealer from the undereyes as you attempt to blend the concealer in, and as a result, you can never blend it in nicely! This trick really works wonder for me. The effect is so sheer, yet effective and natural-looking! Using the same trick, I then applied the Lift Concealer to the edges of my dark circles and blend upward. The whole process only need a teeny bit of both products to effectively erase my dark circles. Other than its sheer and natural finish, what I like most is that the effect is moist enough to last the whole long day. And with a final touch using the HD Powder, it doesn't sit into my dry fine lines undereyes at all. I have to stress that the finish is really natural-looking. The combo perks up my undereyes with just the right amount of spotlight, as if I hardly have any dark circles, ha! 

The Lift Concealer is the most moisturising concealer in the Make Up For Ever collection. In fact, the SA initially recommended the HD concealer, but it's too dry for my prematurely ageing undereyes =(. While the Lift Concealer doesn't belong to the HD series, it feels and looks HD. You can't imagine how little I really need for my dark circles. The formula is highly pigmented and it's amazingly spreadable and buildable...almost like the kind of surprise one may get from molecular gastronomy! Though the texture is way thinner than that of Dior Sculpt, I probably needed at least double the amount to conceal my dark circles with Dior Sculpt...double the amount, but half the quality! 

On a last note, if you are thinking of using the Lift Concealer alone and your complexion is not really that fair (like the Caucasian, Korean, and Japanese girls) or has a yellow undertone, you may like to try #2 instead of #3 (a lighter tone). #3 works well on me because I'm applying the Bobbi Brown Tinted Eye Brightener in Peach (#8 - a darker peach tone) underneath the Lift Concealer to moderate the color. Also, #3 looks more and more natural as it oxidizes on your skin, so to speak, make your judgement only after blending it in properly!

Pros
- A little goes a long long way!
- Moisturizing
- Great lasting power
- Doesn't cake up or settle into creases/fine lines

Cons
- The packaging. Nothing's really wrong with the toothpaste packaging, but mine tends to ooze out...at least for the one I purchased. To avoid wastage, I always try to close the cap within 0.09s...!

Verdict
I'm seriously loving it! xx


Monday, November 25, 2013

Makeup Review: Make Up For Ever HD Microfinish Powder

                                         
It's my first time using something from Make Up For Ever and the purchase is deemed absolutely value-added. With a price range similar to that of Bobbi Brown, this HD Microfinish Powder, as well as the HD Blush and Lift Concealer I purchased, are simply brilliant!!! I will write another review to go through what I currently use to conceal my rather dehydrated dark circles in replacement of the Dior Sculpt concealer (see previous review HERE) that I'd been using for years. Let's look at the HD Powder first.

This powder is literally the best I've ever used. For your information, I tried Shu Uemura, Bobbi Brown, Laura Mercier, Shiseido, Clinique...Hmm, think that's all...At least for my skin, it is invincible for its lasting power and natural finish, which also makes it like the perfect powder to finish my under eye concealing work. Because it's so finely-milled, it won't settle into creases and fine lines even after 10 hours...unlike the ones I tried. The finer-than-dust texture...dust? Uh you get what I mean...doesn't give me the extra unwanted layer of color over my BB cream or liquid foundation, leaving my skin so much more supple and natural-looking. Mr. HCL actually thought I finally hung out without wearing any makeup, haha! 

The packaging is noteworthy as well. Gone are the days when you have to turn the case upside down to get the powder out and end up with a mess. The lid is specially designed with the centre converging downward, which fits perfectly to cover the meshwork, so it doesn't matter how you store or carry the box of loose powder in your bag now! The concave surface where you pick up the loose powder allows you to just swirl your brush swiftly in a circular motion to pick up the right amount of powder while leaving the case clean. 

Pros:
- Super sheer and natural finish
- Doesn't sit into creases and fine lines
- Can last over 10 hours on combo skin
- Smart packaging

Cons: Haven't observed any yet!

My verdict? I highly recommend this HD Powder, particularly to those of you who love wearing no-makeup makeup. ;)

  
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