Stila Stay All Day 10-in-1 HD Beauty Balm: First Impressions

Happy Friday! Today I have a new product that I'm kind of excited about.  It's Stila's almost-BB Cream, the  stila stay all day 10-in-1 HD beauty balm! 

The first surprise I got in playing with this product is that it's intended to be worn under tinted moisturizer.  Normally I'll slap on a BB cream over tinted moisturizer, as my foundation.  Clearly, this isn't intended to be a BB cream at all so that misconception was my bad.

So exactly what is this? A primer?  A tinted moisturizer? Well, I think it is sort of both (hence the reason one could mistake this for a BB cream).  There are some percentage (%) claims, but I usually ignore those.  Let's start with the general idea of benefits:

1- microspheres to hide skin imperfections.  This isn't a new concept - apparently this is why they are calling this product "HD" like Make Up For Ever's famous foundation.  At this time with only one wearing I can conclusively state that the microspheres in the product are definitely there and working to blur imperfections!
2- skin protecting emolients.  This is how the product is like a tinted moisturizer.  Now, I have combo skin so I found this to be adequate without tinted moisturizer on top.  My neck, however, is really dry right now because of my acne treatment, so I put some Dermalogica Active moist on top of the beauty balm on my neck.  I think someone with dry skin would probably need a moisturizer but my dry-ish combo winter skin is fine without.
3- tripeptide-37, bamboo and pea extracts - what?  Obviously I can't verify the anti-aging claims with one use, but I do feel like pore and fine-line visibility are diminished :)
4- long-wearing formula (I'll have to update this post once the product has been on my face all day, but this is just a first-impressions post) UPDATE (8 hours later): I wouldn't exactly brag that this product is long-wearing.  The coverage hasn't completely disappeared at the 8-hour mark, but my combo skin is definitely showing shine and some redness that was covered up initially.  Not a total failure but not particularly long-wearing, in my humblest.
5- helps reduce pore size and provides oil and blemish control. I do feel that this left a nice, matte finish in spite of its creamy texture.  This works the way I had hoped Benefit The Porefessional would (but didn't really, for me).  My pores are not anywhere near as visible as they usually are!  So far this is the most successful part of this product for me. UPDATE: 8 hours later, you may need to blot (see photos below).
6- reduces redness and skin irritation.  I'm not sure if it's because of the tint or not, but I don't feel this irritates my skin at least and the redness is lessened. But I don't consider my skin to be particularly sensitive so delicate ladies should obviously get a sample of this first!
7- smallest size of coated pigments for seamless coverage.  While the coverage is only light in my opinion, I do feel this was smooth and very easy to blend into my skin (I used my fingers and rubbed it in like a lotion, which worked fine).
8- luxurious glide and silky, powdery finish... absolutely true!
9- ideal for all skin types and tones.  Well, this works for my NC25 skin but I can't imagine this working for dark skintones.  I think this claim is a bit iffy.  If you used this as a foundation primer, though, the tint might be subtle enough that it wouldn't make a darker lady look strange.
10- oil-free, paraben-free and dermatologist tested.  In my casual research, the claim "dermatologist tested" is often used but essentially meaningless!  I do like that this is oil-free because I have acne-prone skin, and I like that it's paraben-free :)

I bought this myself from Ulta for $38.  I think that price is kind of ridiculous, but they had a special on where I got a free Waterproof Sparkle Liquid Eye Liner in Electric ($22 value), and that was on my to-buy list since I saw it made the 2011 favorites list of Danielle at Bloomin' Beauty.  It was a good deal for me, but I don't know whether I'd pay $38 for this beauty balm without some other purchasing incentive. 

The next surprise - No SPF!  I think this might be the #1 reason you can't really call this a BB Cream!  Oddly, though, it does have titanium dioxide listed as an ingredient, which often provides some sun protection. Perhaps the amount of it is only for pigment and doesn't provide enough measurable SPF.  This could be a good thing, though, because SPF notoriously can cause flashback face in photos.  If you don't have many blemishes to cover up this beauty balm could be an amazing alternative to foundation that feels light and silky and photographs well.

 You can see my red spots through it, so I'd definitely call this coverage "light"

 I have really large pores on my nose and cheeks, but I think they're blurred quite nicely!  Even though I can see all those spots, the finish on my skin is so velvety and pretty I almost don't mind.

 I should have put some concealer on the red spots, but I didn't. 

Everything on my face: H20+ Sea Results Eye Mender eye cream, La Roche-Posay Effeclar Duo, stila stay all day 10-in-1 HD beauty balm, Revlon Photo Ready concealer just under eyes and around nose with Essence powder just on those areas to set the concealer, Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush in Coffee Cake (this applied over the beauty balm like the two were meant for each other!), Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Creme Brulee, Covergirl Lash Blast Mascara

UPDATE PHOTOS: 8 Hours Later

Oh, hai pores... and shine.

I didn't do any kind of touch-up.  This isn't a long-wearing product but I'd say its longevity is average.
My chin has been kinda red from my acne treatment, and the redness is showing through by the 8-hour mark.

Overall, I'm really digging this product and it's giving me a really great first impression.  It would be an amazing go-to for rolling out of bed and running out the door on a no-fuss day.  If you don't have any blemishes like you see on me, this gives skin such a lovely finish that  I *almost* don't mind that my old red spots are showing through.
What do you think? Is this beauty balm for you?

My First Blog Swap! Super-Thank You to Pinkstrawberrielove

Wowowowow, I am so floored by the generosity of Riya from Pinkstrawberrielove!  She e-mailed me and offered to take my blog-swapping virginity (okay, she didn't say it like that at all, LOL).  Now I'm a little worried I was stingy or something, but of course I really hope she loves what I sent her ^.^

Look at this fantastically generous gift from Riya~

She knew I was having trouble finding Asian beauty brand cosmetics where I live (Detroit area) these days.  It used to be a lot easier but with our economy doing so poorly a lot of people have moved away, including shops that were importing fun Japanese and Korean beauty goods!  I got to try some Japanese products when I lived in Japan, but I haven't had a chance to try any of the Korean brands (Laneige, Missha, Etude House, etc.) that I've been reading so much about on some of my favorite blogs i.e. Musings of a Muse and, of course, Riya's blog <3

Skincare: Some wrinkle creams (haha, I need these and Riya most definitely does not!), those paper masks (I've never tried one! So excited! Including the Hello Kitty one <3) lotions, face washes, and even peels... I LOVE peels!

Look at that pretty purple Missha compact powder! I believe it's a highlighter and I can't wait to swatch (I'll swatch some of these things when I have decent light).  There's a tangerine blusher with a cute rocking-horse embossing, pink glosses, and a doll-skin makeup primer that Riya says is a favorite! She always looks so perfect so I'm really excited to use her secret (heehee).

I actually asked if she'd get me some of the Dolly Wink Lashes, and they are MASSIVE.  I wonder if they'll fit on my lil eyes? I'm excited to try the Sugarpill sample because I haven't used any of that brand yet :) The Majolica Majorca mascara is a favorite of Riya's, so I bet I'll really like it as well <3  The little gold eyeshadow is by Missha, and Riya must have read my mind (or blog) because that's a lime green Anna Sui eye shadow and greens KATE palette! <3 <3 <3 Lastly, there are some white shimmer cream shadows in a tube and pencil, and a liquid liner with a verrrry fine tip:

It came with a single J-Pop CD and I like some J-Pop a lot (mostly early 2000's Ayumi Hamasaki and Hikaru Utada, if you're curious), so it'll be fun to give it a listen on my looong morning commute :)

Extras: For fun she included a bilingual Japanese/English fashion mag, Sugarpill decal, and some little nail art and hair care pamphlets. That little package with the rose on it is a shampoo brush which is awesome because I've been wanting to try one of those (but my husband will probably steal it from me for a scalp massage, lol).  The little Tous-style bear might be a hair tye but I'd wear it on my wrist :) I can definitely wear the little pink bow band! I've been known to make makeshift Alice bands with ribbon, after all.

Last but not least is a whole rainbow of adorable nail polishes. I'm absolutely going to swatch these and write a post as soon as we get a sliver of sunlight!

A humongous, enthusiastic "Thank you so much!!! <3" to Riya for her thoughtfulness and generosity.  You totally made my month! I'm so looking forward to trying all this amazing stuff out *happy dance*

Sunday No-Makeup Makeup

My skin has been embarrassingly horrendous this weekend (hence yesterday's EOTD not featuring a full-face shot).  I tried applying my Boscia BB cream with a foundation brush by EcoTools and following with Rimmel Stay Matte powder (new for me) patted on top. I can still see blemishes as I didn't bother spot-concealing (lazy Sunday :-D) but I rather like the finish.  On a clearer (skin) day, I think this is perfect for a subtle glow!
This is close to my everyday look (though I usually can't resist throwing on a few eyeshadows):

Trying not to squint my eyes. It's so bright today!

Clockwise from Right: Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in 001 Transparent, Revlon Colorburst Lipgloss in Rosepearl, Benefit BADgal Lash Mascara, Estee Lauder Modern Mercury Illuminating Powder Gelee (eyelids and crease, and tops of cheekbones), Dior Aurora, Boscia BB Cream

Can anybody suggest a foundation that would cover up the blemishes you can see above, but will still let me have a no-makeup look?

August 2011 Favorites: My First Monthly Favorites Post!

Ooh, boy, it was hard to narrow down my favorites this month... because it's my first favorites post ever!  I had to really limit myself to stuff that got crazy love within the month of August, which was kind of difficult to separate from my favorites of the year.  At any rate, after much deliberation (and a consolation swatching of my faves that didn't make this list):

Boscia BB Cream: I'm sure I've said it before, but this has been my go-to foundation this summer.  I only need to blot once all day (not too shabby for a greasy girl), the SPF is pretty great for a U.S. color base product (SPF 27), the price isn't too high to stomach, and best of all I didn't have to buy it once because I kept using a code on Sephora.com to get a generous sample size!  If you're curious, the code is "bb cream" and I've used it three times (3x .35 oz = 1.05 oz.  Retail cost is $38 for 1.75 oz and each sample is a $7.60 value!).  It isn't moisturizing so I use Stila or Origins tinted moisturizers underneath (both work great).  It cooperates just perfectly for a flawless finish with my Beauty Blender and covers up most of my acne/post acne marks.  I'll probably wind up buying this if they stop running that code and my winter skin likes it.

Maybelline ColorSensational Lipstick in Born With It $8.49: It's worth at least $14.50 because it's my dupe of MAC Creme Cup that I actually prefer to Creme Cup! Comparison is here. I've been wearing this a lot with the Maybelline Color Explosion Palettes to the office, but to be honest it's most gorgeous with a matte smokey eye. Now that August is over I'll probably do that look more often (If I can grudgingly surrender my colorful Summer brights!).

Orly Oh Cabana Boy $8: Again, I already mentioned it but besides the Axxium Gel Lacquer by OPI, it's the only nail color I've used this month that I couldn't stop ooohing and ahhhing over.  It also lasted over 3 days each time, which is pretty great on me. I know it's probably going to be put away until next summer, but I look forward to busting it out again!

Maybelline Eye Studio Color Explosion Eye Quints $10.99 each:  I was really impressed by these. I don't like Maybelline's regular eye shadow line as it's not pigmented and chalky (bleh).  But these pack a color punch and you know I love color.  After I bought Forest Fury, I went back to the store during a sale and snapped up the rest (at least, what they had left!).  I was stopped twice by strangers the day I wore Forest Fury and asked if I was a makeup artist (yay!).  The price is not amazing but of course you can always find coupons and BOGO 1/2-off.  The shimmer topcoats really make these stand out and I'll continue to use them into Fall.  I love Too Faced's Matte Palette but I must admit I've been reaching for these more... even for office work days... now where is that promotion? Oops!

CVS Makeup Remover Wipes $5.49 for 25: This is my first month as a beauty blogger and I don't know what I would have done without these!  They do the best job at scraping off all those pigmented swatches and FOTDs!  Their price is not too far off from a pack of MAC Wipes at $28 for 100 ct., but I find those sting my skin a little. I also tried the much-raved Yes to Cucumbers makeup remover wipes (more expensive per wipe) but the fragrance was too strong and they didn't do as good a job at quickly removing makeup completely as the MAC or CVS wipes.  CVS wipes often go on sale, too. I just bought three two-pack boxes because they are on sale BOGO 1/2-off this week, in fact.  I also like that when I can't be bothered to really take care of my skin (kryptonite for the acne-prone, but I am a flawed human being!), if all I do is wipe off my makeup with one of these the damage is limited.  Best wipes I've tried!

Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara $10: Now an essential, as it really drives home the entire point of my pixie hair cut; Channeling Twiggy! Full review here.

Jewelmint Trinity Bracelets $29.99: I am NOT a bracelets person. I have delicate (try skinny and bony) wrists that I like to look at when I'm feeling bloated/fat.  Reminds me that I'm only fat in the brain!  On top of that, my desk job has me typing up documents all the time and wearing bracelets is usually annoying, if not painful.  These do emboss my skin a little but I hardly notice it. They make my wedding set (white gold) look just fine with any other metal colors I could be wearing on any given day.  In fact, my wedding set is the only other jewelry I wear without fail every day.  I always want to change my jewelry to complement an outfit and these complement everything! I've worn them fancy and casual and never feel the itch to take them off.  Above and beyond my favorite Jewelmint item thus far (I have eleven pieces currently). I can see myself wearing these less often when I'm wearing a coat or long sleeves on a daily basis, but I never give this much love to a piece of jewelry that isn't a gift from DH/Mom & Dad.  They're a part of my body now :-P

Wow, it was so hard to narrow these down!  This Summer has been full of beautiful makeup and I'm just starting to love what I've hoarded for Fall.  I hope I turned you onto a product or two you might have easily dismissed.  Let me know your favorites if you don't put them up in your blog!

HG and Five Enablers

If you've been reading beauty blogs for any length of time, eventually you're not going to be able to just watch your wishlist continue to grow.  You're going to cave and indulge in some of those products that are always raved about.
I keep up on over 30 beauty/fashion blogs on nearly a daily basis, all of which are entertaining or interesting in some way.  Within this selection I have certain go-to blogs, because I've tried some of their recommendations and discovered HG-worthy products as a result.
A lot of these are things I wouldn't have tried without their endorsement and review.

Vivianna does Makeup - Origins Vitazing /I think most people love her best for her gorgeous mane, Victoria's Secret Model-like tan, and lippie obsession, but her thorough review of Origins Vitazing led me to purchase it after years of avoiding their products because I had a reaction to a lipgloss in, like, 2002.  Origins definitely stepped up their game since then, but I wouldn't have felt confident to try it without her rave.

Will Work for Makeup - Milani Blush in Luminoso /Many blogs are raving about this now, but I saw it here first, and her pictures and personality that comes through in her writing are lovely.  She writes as if to a good friend, with honesty and enthusiasm.

Makeup and Macaroons - Illamasqua Blush in Lover /A blush and lipstick-loving Aussie (not to mention the drool-worthy macaroons!), Lilit loves a bold lip and cheek.  After trying a couple of her inexpensive lipstick recommendations and loving them, I had to try one of her pricier blush faves.  Illamasqua Lover blush, why did I wait so long to try you?  Oh, right, $$.
But so worth it!

Don't Call Me Jessie - Boscia BB Cream /I can't even remember how I found her blog; I think I was googling about whether other grown-up women love Disney and cute stuff (obviously, lots of us do!). She has an amazing fashion sense and makeup collection, and even got me watching Disney movies again (specifically, "Tangled," which transported me back to my childhood; it's great!).  I'm not that old, but sometimes I get that little voice saying I'm too old to love pink and Hello Kitty.  LOL so I guess her blog made me feel normal!  Anyway, I found lots of other great beauty blogs from her favorites.  The specific product I love and first saw on her blog is Boscia BB Cream, which offers pretty good coverage but doesn't feel like a layer of product on your skin... it's my go-to summer foundation this year.

Zoella - MAC Shy Girl Lipstick /This girl is cute as kittens! She doesn't do any really funky, out-there makeup, but her usual makeup look is amazeballs, her sense of style is boho-fabulous, and she is so charming in her Youtube videos to boot.  I think most people would trade one of their five senses to have her hair!  And she has that innate photography sensibility that can't be taught.  She often rocks a pale peach-nude lip, and I'm so glad her blog inspired me to try it as well.  The more I use MAC Shy Girl (she's wearing it in many blog archive photos) the more I absolutely love it.

I would love to have an ounce of the natural glamour that these bloggers have in spades! Thanks, ladies, for sharing a bit of it with your readers!