New Foundation Routine: Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser + Benefit That Gal Brightening Face Primer

I'm so excited to write this post because the mentioned products have worked so well for me! It's a new foundation routine, and I can't wait to share it with you guys!

I used to slap a thick layer of liquid foundation in the past, but I don't think my skin can take on a daily basis anymore. I even shun BB Creams now because of the amount of wax they use inside! I read some post on the alleged over-usage of wax, but I'm not very sure of the truth in it. BB Creams just don't work on my skin lah, they break me out. :( 

Hence, I turn to tinted moisturisers! I grabbed a Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser sample when I stopped by its counter and it is BEYOND amazing. I love it so so so so very much! I'm now highly inclined to buy the oil-free formula one! The full-sized product cost S$68 but IT WILL BE AMAZING, so I'm gonna get it soon! 

I coupled the Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser with Benefit's That Gal Brightening Face Primer, and the final look was AW-YEAH! 

Naturally, I have to use a concealer to cover up my acne scars, but I have been using the same one for months, so I'm skipping it out of this post! 

PHOTOS TIME. 

Laura Mercier's Tinted Moisturiser is extremely lightweight, but that does not mean that it has no coverage. Surprisingly, it provides a light-medium coverage (depending on how many layers you apply). Also, the tinted moisturiser does not leave a tacky feeling on your skin. The most important thing is there's no unnecessary floral fragrance!

Benefit's That Gal is a really gorgeous face primer. It applies beautifully and does not make your skin look like a 1000-watt lightbulb. I don't know how Benefit does its formulation, but it seems like the appropriate places are mattified, while the raised places (nose bridge, upper cheek bones, etc) are highlighted. Either the product is created by a genius, or I am a genius during application. :P

I usually will mix the two products together on my fingertips and then apply it straight on my face. No brush whatsoever, because I don't like to apply liquid stuff using a brush (my logic is, if you use a foundation brush, you have to wash it right after using if not it's eeky and it's a bacteria heaven, so I'd rather not waste my time while I'm rushing). Using your fingers actually works a little bit better because your body temperature will warm the products ever so slightly - helps with blending!

Initially, the products will seem too watery.  But after a few massage circles, everything's absorbed and fabulous!

LIKE THIS! Don't see the difference yet right? Let me compare it with my bare hands. 

After application

Above is an AFTER photo, and below is a BEFORE photo.

Notice how there's a slight shine after application, and the red areas are not as obvious? AMAZING.

Before application

The plan is, I shall be an amazing granddaughter, niece, cousin, grandniece in Indonesia so I can collect more angbaos, and so I can pay my debts and BUY THE LAURA MERCIER TINTED MOISTURISER!!

:D

How to fake radiance! (Using benefit, elf and stila products)

This was a requested post from one of my readers. I'm deeply sorry to that reader because this post has been delayed for TOO LONG. Laziness took over, but something snapped inside me and I decided to be a better beauty blogger! 

Foundation routine is a must for anyone who has blemishes or acne scars (MEMEME!), but just relying on a good foundation routine will not give you a natural finish. Sometimes, you look too cakey or too made up. Some people may suggest using a foundation that gives you a dewy finish! Yes, I agree it looks good when you apply it, but after a period of time (especially if you have combination to oily skin), you will look like you just dipped your face on a plate full of oil. NOT GLAM. 

For those with dry skin, it's good news because a dewy-finish foundation will last longer on you. So for those with combination-oily skin, what do you do? Especially in a country like Singapore that has such blasted weather? 

My suggestion is to scrimp on your foundation routine. Notice I said scrimp, and not scrap. What I do is that instead of a liquid foundation, I use a tinted moisturiser. Then I apply concealer on needed areas. Lastly, instead of using a sponge to apply powder, I use a big fluffy brush. This way, you will not look cakey, but you will still have the matte look! 

Then the question becomes how do you not look DEATHLY? This post will explain to you how you can fake radiance (and not look like a ghost. yikes.). 

First, here are the products that I'm going to use:

• benefit SUGARlicious set (I will be using bene tint, high beam and sugarbomb blush)
• stila illuminating finishing powder in gold
• elf healthy glow bronzing powder in sun kissed
• elf blush brush
• elf complexion brush

Pardon my overused elf bronzer. It's the best all-over bronzer that I have used so far, and it's so cheap!! Time for me to get my second piece!

So this is me with my "scrimped" foundation routine. I just look....pale. Not good. ALSO, pardon the bed hair! :D

First up! benefit's bene tint!

Using the applicator, dab 3 dots on your cheek area (or wherever you normally put your blusher on). The trick with bene tint is you CANNOT dab on both cheeks and then start to blend. This product dries quite quickly, so if you dab on both cheeks first before blending, the dots on the first cheek that you dab on will start to dry, and when you blend, you get ugly streaky red spots.

Hence, you should dab, dab, dab on one cheek, blend, dab some more if you want a redder tint, blend again, and then proceed to the other cheek and repeat.

To highlight, I'm using benefit's high beam as a base.

I apply it on the upper cheek area, the nose bridge and the tip of the Cupid's bow area. I use the high beam first before a powder highlighter because I want my highlighting work to stay. If you solely use a powder highlighting, you will notice that what you apply will disappear very quickly, and you will need to touch up more often.

Blusher time - benefit's sugarbomb!

Using my elf blush brush, smile and brush it over the apples of your cheek. It sounds very cliche - "the apples of your cheek" - but it really makes sense!

Moving on to bronzing activity (sounds so mafia, haha), I'm using my elf blush brush and elf bronzing powder first.

Apply it to the same area as to where you applied the blusher. Yes it sounds very silly, why apply blusher then cover it with bronzer? But that's exactly what I'm doing! The thing is I'm not actually covering up the blusher. Instead, I'm adding bronze hues to the originally reddish and pinkish tint. The slight shimmer from the bronzer will also make my cheeks look more dewy (hence faking the dewy-finish foundation look).

Now, using my elf complexion brush (or any bigger face brush) and the same bronzer ...

I'm going to apply it to the hollow areas under my cheekbone. Yes, you see my weird face muscles, that's how you find your hollow areas.

When applying bronzer here, you have to be really careful and have a light hand. What I normally do is, I load my brush with the bronzer, and then I tap it against my palm to get rid of excess product. Then I apply it gently and swiftly down the cheekbone line. The darkest part should be the area nearest to your ears, and the gradually lighter, creating a gradient effect down the line.

I forgot to take a photo of my next step, but usually I use whatever's left on the brush and apply it on my temple (side of the head, slightly above your eyes) area. People say it's slimming. I don't know if it even makes a difference, but it's my habit to do that. haha.

Back to the elf blush brush, I'm now applying a powder highlighter (stila illuminating finishing powder).

Apply it to the upper cheek area, just below your eyes.

And also on your nose bridge! If you want further contouring, you can use an eyeshadow smudge brush, dip it on some bronzer, and then apply it to the two areas next to the nose bridge. This way, you can create the illusion of a sharper nose without the plastic surgery. However, it's really a hassle and you have no time to do that in the morning, especially when you are in a rush!!

WE ARE DONE! :) The final product is you will look more radiant, without looking too made up and too fake!

Nah, give you all a comparison! :)

I know, I know. I need to do something about my eyebrows AGAIN. I will go trim it soon!

I hope this post has been useful! Now all of you can look radiant without spending too much time or without looking too made up! I think the above procedures took me less than 5 minutes. YAY! :)

Beauty products that I hope to purchase ... soon?

Priorities are obviously placed on the wrong things. But it's okay, I shall act like a collector and not a hoarder. 

I really have been wanting the products listed below, some of them for quite some time already. I want them but I have no financial power to get them all anytime soon - the only time when I regret not being born with a huge silver spoon in my mouth is when I can't buy what I really really want. Boohoo #firstworldproblems. 

All the photos were conveniently taken off Sephora.com. 

1. Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette (US$50)

I have Naked 1 and it is beyond amazing. I see similarities (too many actually) between the two palettes but I don't really care because neutral eyeshadow shades are always welcome and never too abundant. 

2. Smashbox Complexion Perfection Kit (US$49)

In this kit, you get everything you need for a perfect complexion. Yes if you don't have it, just fake it. You get the credit for trying. 

• Photo Finish Foundation Primer
• Halo To Go Hydrating Perfecting Powder
• High Definition Concealer
• High Definition Healthy FX Foundation

I tried the primer before and it was excellent. I heard a lot of good things about the High Definition Foundation too, and so I'm beyond excited to try this out. Can someone just sponsor me this please?

3. Benefit They're Real! Mascara (US$23)

There was a lot of hype going on when this mascara was launched. I was intrigued, but I wasn't too sure about its claims. Then I went for a Benefit event where they demonstrated how this mascara actually delivers what it promises, and I'm hooked. The tip of the mascara is designed in such a way that it aids lower lashes application and minimises the risk of smudges while applying. I WANT.

4. LORAC Pro Palette (US$42)

To put it simply, this needs to be in my collection pronto. The amazing thing about this palette is that the first row of eyeshadows are all matte eyeshadows and the second row of eyeshadows are shimmery/glittery eyeshadows. It's great-thinking on LORAC's part because sometimes you just don't want to go out looking like a disco ball. Also, personally I think women who use matte eyeshadows are more professional. In my very prejudiced mind, I cannot take a woman with blue shimmery eyeshadow seriously unless they have extremely defined features.

Hence, every lady should own neutral matte eyeshadow shades. Which is why I should have this palette. Right?

5. Too Faced Sweet Indulgence Palette (US$52)

In this palette you get:

• 16 eyeshadows
• 2 blushes (La Vie en Rose and Papa Don't Preach)
• 2 bronzers (Sun Bunny Light and one exclusive shade)
• 1 highlighter (Candlelight Glow)
• Shadow Insurance Eye Shadow Primer
• A double-ended brush

What sucked me in was the eyeshadow primer and the gorgeous blush colours. The packaging is cute and it will look nice in my makeup cabinet. I don't really think about practicality when encountering pretty products. 

Like for example when Urban Decay launched their Books of Shadows, I went ahead and got Volume 3 without even thinking whether or not it will be too boxy/too huge/too heavy/too impractical. I just bought it to stare at it. 

My brain works like a gem and I think I should get this palette too. 

6. Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser - Oil Free Formula (US$43)

I tried the non-oilfree one and fell deeply in love with it. It's of light coverage, so don't expect crazy concealing. But what I'm most amazed about is how it leaves the skin looking dewy, and not sticky. My skin looks like...my skin, but better. And it's not sticky AT ALL. Some foundations will leave your skin feeling so sticky that you can't wait to brush some powder over it - meaning the likelihood of you getting a cakey-looking finish is exponentially increased.

This was by far my longest lemming ever and I really need to purchase this soon. It retails for S$68 in Singapore, so I'm still a bit iffy. BLAH.

7. Make Up For Ever Ultimate Eye Liner Collection (US$160)

I am an eyeliner junkie. I admit it and I'm not ashamed of it. The correct application of eyeliner can really change how one looks entirely, especially to Asian girls because we are not really blessed with well-defined features (most lah, not all. I'm not generalising here and you get my point lah).

THEREFORE, this eyeliner set is a perfect addition to my collection. The price is steep but you get so many items and all the eyeliners included are full-sized ones (total value of US$277)!!!

You get:

• 7 Aqua Eyes
• 3 Khol Pencils
• 4 Aqua Liners
• A sharpener

Since I acquired the Urban Decay eyeliner set before, I think I need to have this set too!!!! 

And now... money can you please just drop from the sky, or come in the form of me winning 4D/Toto?  So much to buy, so little to set aside.

#firstworldproblems indeed.

Benefit event + Benefit Goodie Bag + A little bit of Laura Mercier

A couple of weeks ago, I went for a Benefit event, thanks to Eve who invited me along! :) 

I think it was an event to celebrate the newly opened Benefit counter at TANGS Orchard, and also to introduce their new Christmas sets! It was a great experience trying out all the different products and eating pink food, like the pink popcorn and pink cupcake!

Pink popcorn which tasted amazing. 

The wheel that you'll get to turn for any Benefit purchase you make. A very lucky woman walked away with a S$500 Benefit hamper after making her purchase. 

The range of Benefit skincare products that Eve was so into because of the lovely smell. 

They very kindly gave all the attendees cute goodie bags. Even the plastic bag is nice lah. We received a perfume sample (which I used up on my cruise trip and honestly the staying power is God-like), That Gal Brigtening Face Primer sample and The Pore-fessional sample.

Yay to a pretty photo too! :) 

At the end of the event, we also roamed around and I managed to score a 7-day sample of the famous Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser. I wanted to get the oil-free formula one, but sadly only this type was available as samples. I'm tempted to get the full-sized one but it's a whopping S$68! :S

Merry Christmas to all my readers and all my friends!! Hope you guys have an amazing time today, be it food-wise or company-wise. JUST ENJOY LAH. :)