Iconic London Blurring Skin Tint . Up Close and Poresonal

this is an Up Close and Poresonal, my friends! where I do a thorough wear test, show you how the complexion product performs on my face with regular check-ins and no filters (should go without saying, but ’tis what ’tis), and at the end of the day compare the product’s performance against its claims.
I’m the only test subject, so it’s as subjective as it comes, but if you have tastes and concerns similar to mine, maybe you can infer some useful conclusions.

so hop on the video and enjoy a day spent with the Iconic London Super Smoother Blurring Skin Tint.

I have shade Neutral Light – I always advise doing some swatches and tests in store whenever possible and, better yet, getting a sample and try before committing.

At the time of this post, it retails for 30-34€ and you can find it at Feelunique, Cult Beauty and Beauty Bay (always compare prices!)

for reference: my skin is combination/oily, smooth in texture bar the pores, with occasional hormonal breakouts (which have been under control), hyperpigmentation (which I like to cover) and worn like a 43 year old skin can be – so yes, some wrinklage.

I prefer a natural/satin/luminous finish but without feeling too sticky or slide-y, a versatile medium coverage that can be sheered down or built up without caking, and, being an analog human who lives life in the non-digital world, I crave for long-wearing power (10 hours is my gold standard) and fading with dignity instead of a frazzled meltdown. I don’t mind a learning curve nor adjusting some steps to make it perfect, but at the end of the day it has to be worth my time and money, and, more importantly, if it’s not compatible with my sunscreen, it’s the end of the road for us.

all about my foundations . tag

oooh, I’ve been wanting to do this for so long and a subscriber finally gave me the much needed kick in the butt to get on with it.

I got the tag from TTSandra (a gorgeous and super classy Canadian YouTuber, by the way), and added a couple of questions. if you want to carry on with the tag, feel free to pick it up from here :)

newest foundation in my collection
Fenty Beauty Eaze Drop Blurring Skin Tint

oldest foundation in my collection
Clinique Beyond Perfecting Foundation (or is it?*)

most expensive foundation I own
Chanel Les Beiges Water Tint (though this one is hardly a foundation or even a tinted moisturiser)

least expensive foundation I own
Purito Cica Clearing BB Cream
honorable mention to the sample size of Danessa Myricks Vision Cream Cover (only 5€ and it will last you a long time!)

most “everyday” foundation for me
CYO Lifeproof (discontinued)
Dior Backstage
Shiseido Synchro Skin Self-Refreshing Foundation
Purito Cica Clearing BB Cream
Make Up Forever HD Ultra Foundation Stick

foundation with the best memory attached to it
Hourglass Vanish Stick Foundation

a foundation that is worth the hype
Dior Backstage

a foundation that is not worth the hype
Fenty Pro Filt’r Hydrating Longwear Foundation

favourite foundation from your favourite brand
Danessa Myricks Vision Cream Cover Foundation

most used foundation
CYO Lifeproof
Make Up Forever HD Ultra Foundation Stick

most underrated foundation
Danessa Myricks Vision Cream Cover Foundation
Cover FX Power Play
Purito Cica Clear BB Cream
Physician’s Formula Healthy Mix

most nostalgic foundation
*MAC Studio Fix Powder Foundation
Lancôme Miracle Cushion Foundation (discontinued)

most disappointing foundation
Catrice True Skin Foundation

most unique foundation
CYO Lifeproof (discontinued)
Danessa Myricks Vision Cream Cover Foundation

solid classics (those foundations that have remained solid favourites long after the hype was gone)
Nars Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation
Dior Backstage
Make Up Forever HD Ultra Foundation Stick

the one with the dupe (one that is hyped at the moment for some reason, but it has been done beautifully by other brands before)
Fenty Pro Filt’r Powder Foundation
Sephora Collection Matte Perfection Powder Foundation

Dior Backstage foundation — Up Close and Poresonal

This one was so raved that, as soon as I test-drived my sample (as I should always do, impulsive buyer me…) I had to make a video on it.

This foundation retails for around 40$, around 40€, or 39£ — for 50ml —, comes in 40 shades with 4 different undertones, it’s not cruelty free and claims highly customisable coverage, a natural finish, and resisting through water and sweat.
It’s widely available in counters worldwide, and I found it online at Selfridges and, of course, Sephora US.

Clinique old favourites (and a new flirt)

Sometimes I like to look at my beauty stash by brand to see what is my curated selection from it. Clinique is a brand I never noticed I had a strong relationship with, until I realised that some of their products are actually re-re-re-re-purchases. In this day and age of trends and companies coming out with new launches that they shove down your throat, this means A LOT (quite more than stuff I buy once and move on to the next new shiny equivalent from any other brand).

Here’s my curated selection of besties from Clinique (and a new fling I’m into at the moment):

Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm
Fresh Pressed System
Beyond Perfecting Foundation
Lash Power Mascara
Beyond Perfecting Concealer

 

Essence Fresh & Fit Up Close and Poresonal

It’s been a while since I’ve done an Up Close and Poresonal on an affordable foundation, and it sure has been quite a while since I’ve ventured into the luminous and glowy side of coverage.
The claims on Essence Fresh & Fit Awake Makeup are simple: fresh, glowy complexion, high coverage without mask effect. If you’d like to see how I got along with it through a long day and take notes to see if it makes it into your to-buy list, just click away!

As you may know, Essence is available in drugstores and does not have (as far as I know) an online shop.

My Cover FX favourites for textured skin

Despite being really curious about the new foundation releases (including one by Cover FX), I can’t help noticing a trend on the textures/formulations of these foundations, and they don’t always agree with my skin’s needs. No shade: I just find there are some days when my skin just can’t handle the long-lasting fluid highly pigmented new formulas (usually silicone and alcohol-heavy) that are sprouting everywhere, because they can start to sit weirdly after a few hours, enhancing the texture and some dry patches I didn’t even know were there.

These products, however, despite nobody talking about them, have been proven gems for any kind of mood my skin is going through, keeping it looking smooth, and are especially nice for touch ups at the end of the day, since they come in handy packaging and the creamy formulas mesh so well not only with textured skin but on with day-old makeup.

I really do think these are worth their own video, despite no influencer is paying them a great deal of attention.

Also, Cover FX is cruelty-free and has a boat load of shades to choose from.

All the products are available both in Cult Beauty and Beauty Bay. Always compare prices, because they can fluctuate a bit.

Total Cover Cream Foundation (40 shades)
Cover Stick (24 shades)
Pressed Mineral Foundation (40 shades)

Maybelline SuperStay — up close and poresonal

Happy new year!
Back into the swing of things, I’m starting off with one of my favourite videos to make: an Up Close and Poresonal on the Maybelline Super Stay Foundation.

It´s sort of been relaunched (some say it’s been reformulated), and there’s some buzz about it, so I got my hands on it and tried it on camera. Another great affordable find. Drugstore brands are making it hard to justify the high-end price tags, aren’t they?

If you want to know all about my 10 hour day with this foundation, just click play.

This foundation is widely available in your local drugstore (for us in Portugal, in supermarkets), and online through Feelunique.

catrice hd liquid coverage foundation — up close and poresonal

this week I bring you a review on a foundation that, according to Stephanie Nicole, is extremely close in formula (over 95%) to the new Fenty Beauty Foundation, and may have possibly even been made in the same factory — without a proprietary formula. because Portugal was AGAIN left out of the worldwide launch of the hype brand of the month and its foundation has had high reviews, I had to at least give its alleged cousin a try.

Continue reading “catrice hd liquid coverage foundation — up close and poresonal”

the Ordinary Coverage foundation . up close and poresonal

it finally arrived, and I spend a whole day with it on my face to show you how it performs on combo, acne prone, ageing skin.

please keep in mind that this was *my* personal experience with it, and sort of a first impressions.

for more information on how to choose your shade, please read my post on the Serum Foundation.

where to buy: I usually go to Victoria Health for everything The Ordinary, but you can also buy the Colours range directly from the Deciem — the Ordinary website.