Makeup Review: Chanel Mat Lumiere Extreme vs. Le Blanc Light Creator Whitening Compact Foundation SPF25/PA+++

I recently came across a comic strip from my friend's Whatsapp which illustrated how girls, or female in general, tend to spend loads of time to make sure we've packed into our luggages every little thing that's possibly needed in a trip. Although I do have girlfriends who are experts in packing up for their business trips within 30 minutes...What?!...and others who will only bother to literally chuck things into their luggages, I myself tend to fall into the stereotypical I-bring-everything category. I can remember how irritating it was when I forgot to bring my Clinique concealer (many years back) and the same item was not available in Melbourne at all...you know, not everything from the same brand fits your skin, especially when it comes to undereye concealer...But this years-long mentality of mine is recently proved invalid ;)

I was waiting for my flight to Ireland for a conference when flashback images of my Chanel Mat Lumiere Extreme (see previous review HERE) lying on my desk suddenly crossed my mind. I fished into my handbag. Not there. I dashed to the Chanel counter in Duty Free Shop, but my #20 Beige was sold out...Oh NO!!! I looked and looked and looked at the rest of the compacts. Should I get another Mat Lumiere Extreme or should I try something new? I ended up grabbing their Le Blanc Light Creator Whitening Compact Foundation, which was the only existing Chanel compact foundation that I hadn't tried. Ah-ha! The experience turned out to be a blessing in disguise! In fact, I like it more than Mat Extreme. 

What I have been very happy about Mat Lumiere Extreme are its oil control effect and lasting power which can pretty much stay put all day with a teeny bit of oil blotting. In this regard, the Le Blanc Light Creator Whitening Compact fares just as well, at least on my skin. Adding to the good things of Mat Lumiere Extreme is its slightly lighter shade (it's still in #20 Beige), which puts my skin under a natural-looking spotlight. Although Chanel didn't emphasize its hydrating effect, I do find this more hydrating than Mat Lumiere Extreme, and it smells way more pleasant as well. On a personal note, Mat Lumiere Extreme missed a mark when it comes to its fragrance, which smells too strong for me. As for the lasting power of this Le Blanc compact, like Mat Lumiere Extreme, it melts a bit after a few hours into a healthy glow. That said, I don't have to worry about how I look even in our hot and humid summer days and on days that I've to wear my makeup from morning till 11ish at night. In terms of coverage, the compact is very buildable. It can conceal the redness of my hormonal acne and some mild blemishes brilliantly. 

Weather conditions, and therefore skin conditions, vary a lot in different countries and regions. If I were to carry along a foolproof foundation in my travel handbag, this will absolutely be the one before anything new and better appears in my beauty junkie life. ;)  

Makeup Review: Innisfree Jejubija Anti-Trouble BB Cream

You're right! I almost bought the entire line of Innisfree Jejubija Anti-Trouble. The skincare items are great so far (see reviews HERE), but I've mixed comments when it comes to their BB Cream.

Featuring the powerful natural healing ingredient, torreya seed extracts from Jeju Island, it vouches to calm troubled skin, reduce redness and control and prevent blemishes.

Pros

The best thing about this BB Cream is that it gives a matte finish, which can last for quite a while. Not only is the finish matte, it also feels drier than all the other BB creams I've tried. Pretty good medium coverage. I have a hunch that it really helps treat my blemishes...well it smells antiseptic and believe it or not, I'm delighted with the fragrance as it says I'm healing!. My bumpy spots are smoothed out as the day goes by. =)

Cons

The color turns a bit ashy in the afternoon. It still looked dull even though I tried to perk up my look with a bit of blusher. It's also relatively less lasting than Innisfree Air Skin Fit BB Cream (see review HERE). 

Verdict

Frankly, I will only recommend this BB cream for oily, acne-prone or blemished areas. For me, I only use it on my T-zone and pat a bit of it over my pimples. But if it's not for the oil and blemish control, I'd recommend Air Skin Fit for the entire face. 

Indulgence in Korean cosmetics: Innisfree Air Skin Fit BB Cream vs.Face Shop Face it Aura CC Cream

Oh my goodness! I have been in this almost-fatal addiction over Korean beauty products since my trip to Seoul in April. Somehow I just can't stop doing online and physical search of products from the popular names like Innisfree, Banila, The Face Shop and Nature Republic. I even have this deadly tendency to browse through online shops to reward myself for reading or writing a few paragraphs...And yes, I have new items to try out practically every single week...that's not good!...Oh dear...what a s***ty researcher I have become...!!!

One of the beloved items in my haul lately is this Innisfree Air Skin Fit BB Cream (#2 Natural Beige/Light Touch). Erm, I didn't purchase its full size with an empty head. It's really the samplers I got in Seoul that pushed me to buy it (I'm beginning to hate samplers - sinful marketing innovation!). If you have read my previous post, I also bought The Face Shop Aura CC Cream (see review HERE), which I loved. This adventure into Korean cosmetics is simply amazing. I seem to be discovering wonders after wonders as I try out the different products I bought. If I were to compare between the two, I will definitely give more ticks to this Innisfree BB Cream though the Face Shop CC Cream is really pretty good. 

Texture

As with all CC Cream, the Face Shop CC Cream does feel significantly sheerer. In fact, I was amazed by how little of it I need for the entire face if I want the finish to remain natural-looking. But for a BB Cream, Innisfree Air Skin Fit feels just as airy as it's named. It feels...nothing! And it's very buildable - great over blemishes.  What's more, I like its non-sticky, matte finish. I actually love how it looks before setting with powder (I'm using Chanel Mat Lumiere Extreme - see review HERE). If where you live is dry, I would highly recommend you do without any loose powder over it. 

Effects

What I like most about this Innisfree Air Skin Fit is that it gives my skin just the right amount of perk-up and it lasts the entire day! It brightens my complexion by like half a degree, in other words, fairer yet natural-looking. It blends beautifully into my skin, literally becoming my a second skin. I know it sounds a bit crappy, but I still have to say that the Innisfree Air Skin Fit gives a significantly better coverage compared with the Face Shop CC Cream. The best part is, even till the end of my working day (after dinner), my complexion is still appropriately brightened without a tinge of ashy or grayish tone. In fact, if I don't bother to touch up at all, which I usually do once or at most twice a day, it will just melt into my skin with a radiant glow. Perfect for concealing my haggardness...erm...

Packaging

The only thing is the packaging, or I don't know if I'm simply being too lucky to end up with a tube that's a bit leaky. Not that the BB cream really leaks out and stains my stuff, but there's always a bit around the opening when I remove the cap. So that said, I've never carried it out and I may double-wrap this particular tube if I really wanna travel with it. But this is really my one and only complaint about Innisfree Air Skin Fit BB Cream.

Pros

- Sheer texture

- Natural, matte finish

- Long-lasting

- Great for combination skin

- Doesn't turn ashy or grayish

- Brightening

- Highly buildable

- Gives a healthy radiant glow after long hours with the brightening effect intact

Cons

- Insecure packaging (at least for the one I got)

Makeup Review: Chanel Mat Lumiere Perfection vs. Mat Lumiere Extreme

For at least the past one year, I have been using Chanel Vitalumiere Éclat to finish my makeup and for mid-day touchups. It worked wonders, BUT...somehow my T-zone has become oilier than ever no matter how I tried to hydrate it...not to mention the irritating humidity of over 90% and 30 deg C on most days lately...my skin, especially my T-zone feels really disgusting in the afternoon. Just the other day, a friend of mine who has very oily skin recommended me to use Chanel Mat Lumiere Extreme. Her recommendation was definitely convincing as it's really the first time I saw her with normal-looking matte skin (sorry...but really!). The Chanel SR however stressed that Extreme is meant for acne-prone and very oily skin, and not so much for combination-dry skin like mine. She suggested the newly-launched Mat Lumiere Perfection which offers both oil-control and hydration, which sounded perfect for combination skin! Yes, I said sounded perfect...the fact is close to perfection. The purchase was a total regret and I went to another Chanel branch to buy Mat Lumiere Extreme right on the next day - grrrr what a waste of money!

What's wrong with Perfection? While the official description says:

MAT LUMIÈRE PERFECTION is the ideal balance between a matte finish, comfort and luminosity. Shiny areas are matified, imperfections instantly covered and the radiance of the face revealed. The silica coated pigments give the complexion a flawless matte finish with a soft glow from within.

Skin stays fresh and pure all day long, even in heat, humidity and during non-stop activity, thanks to a combination of powders controlling sebum and sweat.

The silky lightweight texture gives a second skin feeling and a delightful sensation of moisture. From morning to night, the complexion is perfect: velvety, even, radiant.

its beautiful velvety finish only lasted 30 minutes on my face! Absolute disappointment. In fact, it became so super sticky and I was pretty sure I didn't even get this disgusting stickiness from Vitalumiere Éclat! 

In contrast, if you're looking for an oil-balancing compact, Extreme could be a fabulous choice. It's become my holy grail item now! The description says:

Enriched with vegetal lipides and Lilium extract, MAT LUMIÈRE EXTRÊME mattifies the complexion with lasting results: sebum production is perfectly controlled and the appearance of pores is minimized. Coated powders and treated pigments ensure optimum makeup and colour hold all day long. With its SPF 20 / PA+++, it protects the skin from damaging UV rays. The soft focus pigments allow MAT LUMIÈRE EXTRÊME to conceal dark spots and imperfections while offering a luminous and even makeup result. Peach Extract, renowned for its moisturizing and emollient properties, offers the skin an excellent sensation of comfort.    

That's truly what it does! The super natural-looking finish can survive the entire summer day with no patches, no streaks, everything's brilliant! On a normal working day, my makeup has to pull through at least 12 hours, from 7ish in the morning to at least 7ish in the evening by the time I reach home after work...and that's if I'm not dining out. With Extreme, I only need to touch up once or twice just around my nose area. If I happen to be really lazy that day, I only blot my nose area with tissue and I'll still look fine with a natural glow. Please don't get me wrong! Its oil controling power is absolutely the best among the compacts or foundations that I've ever used. Can't love it more!  

Why I love Mat Lumiere Extreme? 

- Excellent for oil control

- Long-lasting

- Natural-looking

Anything I dislike?

- The sponge that comes with it, which is simply a personal preference. I like using the brush that comes with Vitalumiere Éclat. It makes touchups a breeze when I'm on the go!

Skincare Review: SK-II Cellumination Mask-In Lotion

Long time, gals! I have been slacking and slacking since I wrapped up this 4-year research weeks ago. What a treat! Pretty sure I deserve some fresh air before moving on again! My auto-detox system however began to break my skin out with effect from the wooh-I-am-done! moment, as usual. But I gathered over these few weeks that SK-II Facial Treatment Essence (see my previous review HERE) is really like a godsend skincare item. My zits plus the scars that follow are recovering so much faster than they used to. Despite the blemishes that are, thank God, fading out now, my skin is smooth and radiant. I am finishing my first bottle of this magic potion and it's added to my staple list if I haven't already told you. 

With this fascination in mind, I tested out SK-II Cellumination Mask-In Lotion, which turns out to be pretty good, but not fantastic for sure. As the name speaks for itself, it's a translucent fluid that does what sheet masks do for you, but this one, in a flash. It contains a high concentration of the signature Pitera and you can tell without using a calculator that it's rather affordable compared to the real SK-II sheet masks! The texture of this Lotion is brilliant. The fluid seeps through my skin in no time. I tried rubbing it at the center of my palms before patting it directly onto my skin. Unlike Sulwhasoo First Care Serum (see review HERE), there's literally no traces of the Mask-In Lotion when I removed my palms. Yes, I'm sure something got through my skin! But of course, the bottle can survive longer if you apply it with cotton pads. Upon application, my skin does feel like I have just used a sheet mask - quenched and soft plus you know that sticky hydrated sensation you get after using a mask? I have to confess that this item is definitely not imperatively needed, rather it's more of a treat, a luxury to your skin. I honestly don't see any further improvement in skin radiance, on top of the exhilarating effect of the Treatment Essence. At most, it boosts my skin's suppleness...yes, it really does. I can feel it. So the ultimate question is whether you want to add yet another pre-serum item (if you are already using the Treatment Essence or its equivalents, e.g. L'Oreal Youth Code Serum) to your skincare regimen.

Makeup Review: Diorskin Radiant Base Skin-Refining Pro Lighting Makeup Base SPF 20+

Dior has launched a new collection of Radiant Base alongside the latest Diorskin Forever collection. I personally find the makeup base so much less fascinating than the Forever foundations (see reviews HERE and HERE)...or rather, I'm barely fascinated, especially since I tested out the Radiant Base after my expectation-boosting experiences with the Forever twins.

The sample sachet I received is in Radiant Rose (001), a rosy beige shade which can neutralize my yellow skin undertone. Although it can easily be smoothed into a sheer non-greasy veil, I actually prefer the finish of MAC Prep + Prime Fortified Skin Enhancer (see review HERE). The latter can better correct my complexion with a more natural finish. More importantly, my makeup can survive so much longer over MAC Skin Enhancer. Somehow the Radiant Base tends to melt my makeup. Not to mention the higher UV protection you can get from MAC Skin Enhancer, which has hit the minimum SPF recommended by dermatologists.

Who may like Radiant Base?

It's for you if you have normal balanced skin or if you're craving for a bit of luxury. The fragrance added is very typical of Dior...I haven't checked, but it should be close to Forever & Ever EDT and one of those from the Dior Addict EDT (Addict Shine?) series. 

Who may not like Radiant Base?

You may frown if you have combination skin or if you detest scented beauty products. It's also not your kind of makeup primer if you want to get sufficient UV protection from it alone.