CHANEL Vitalumiere Aqua Compact Swatches

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Compact foundation replaces the old Teint Innocence compact foundation. It is a cream foundation which promises fresh, moisturized skin. The foundation is intended for those with normal or dry skin. It contains Vitamin E, antioxidants and SPF 15.

It comes in a 12 grams refillable compact. The full price of the compact is 48,90 euros, while the refill costs 36,90 euros.

Several months ago I have swatched all the shades of Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Compact foundation available in Croatia.

Since I don’t think I’ll ever try the foundation, here are only the swatches. I haven’t even tried the foundation on the face at the counter, I can’t say much about its properties. It seems very creamy, blendable, but the coverage appears light.

The foundation is swatched from the darkest (left) to the lightest shade (right). You can click on the picture to englarge it. These are the shades available in Croatia. Depending on the country, the shade selection may vary.

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Compact in 50 Beige –dark, neutral to yellow undertone

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Compact in 42 Beige Rose – medium dark, strong pink undertone

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Compact in 40 Beige – medium dark, neutral to yellow undertone

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Compact in 30 Beige – light/medium, neutral to yellow undertone

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Compact in 22 Beige Rose – light medium, pink undertone

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Compact in 10 Beige – light, neutral to yellow undertone.

If I had to pick one, I’d go with the shade 10 Beige, although even this one would be a match only during summer, when I get a bit of tan.

CLINIQUE Superbalanced foundation in 05 Vanilla Swatch and Review

I’m not a huge fan of Clinique and the main reason is their insane prices in Europe (for that reason I avoid several more brands). I can understand that if something costs $25 will cost 25 Euros. It is a bit expensive, but not too much (1 euro is around $1,22), but when something costs almost double the price, no way. I don’t mind paying much for make-up, but please, don’t make a fool of me. I can count the exchange rate.

This is another Clinique foundation I’ve been wearing for the past month. I also got 1,5ml sample which lasted for 8 days. The full size foundation comes in a 30ml bottle and cost $23 or 31 euros (or $38) in Europe.

Superbalanced is also very runny, but less than Superfit. A little goes a long way. It blends easily and it takes some time to set, so I don’t have to hurry.

The shade 05 Vanilla is a bit too dark for me (NC15-20) with neutral that leans to yellow undertone. It doesn’t oxidize on me. The finish is luminous matte. The coverage is light to medium, but leaning more towards medium.

I have oily but dehydrated skin which often flakes. I don’t even have to mention huge pores. Just like Superfit, Superbalanced doesn’t emphasize flakes at all. However, it does nothing for pores.

Unlike Superfit, Superbalanced is much better at oil control. I need to touch up with blotting paper after 5-6 hours, but otherwise my skin is pretty matte.

I haven’t noticed any breakouts or clogged pores.

Superbalanced wears well – the foundation started disappearing only after 8 hours, which is pretty decent in my book.

This is the foundation I could see myself wearing if I get bored with current HGs (and only if I can get it at US price).

CLINIQUE Superfit Foundation in 05 Neutral Review and Swatch

Clinique Superfit foundation is only the second product I have tried from this brand (other being Mild Clarifying lotion).

I got 1,5ml sample which was enough for 12 days of use. The full size foundation comes in a 30ml bottle. I have to mention that this foundation is discontinued (that’s what I get for keeping the sample in the drawer for so long), but I’ll publish the review for reference.

The shade 05 Neutral is too dark for me (I’m NC15-20) with rosy undertone. The shade adapts to my skin colour to an extent several minutes after application, but even then it is far from a good match. The foundation doesn’t oxidize on me.

The consistency is very runny, the foundation is surprisingly thin and liquid. Because of the consistency a little goes a long way. It blends easily and it takes some time to set, so I don’t have to hurry with application.

I have oily but dehydrated skin which often flakes. I don’t even have to mention huge pores. The foundation doesn’t emphasize flakes at all. While in summer my skin is less flaky, there are still drier areas and that the foundation doesn’t emphasize any is a huge surprise for me.

Unfortunately, the foundation does nothing to minimize appearance of huge pores. The foundation didn’t control oil well. I got greasy after an hour.

I haven’t noticed any breakouts or clogged pores while I was using the foundation.

The coverage is light to medium. The finish is natural.

What is the huge deal-breaker for me is the fact that despite proclaiming the foundation long lasting, it is not long lasting at all. In fact it is probably one of the worse-wearing foundations I have encountered. It has started disappearing after only 5 hours of me sitting in an air-conditioned room. With other foundations I can get at least 8 hours (without a primer). In the evening, there was almost no foundation when I wanted to remove it.

GIVENCHY Photo’Perfexion Light Foundation in #4 Light Beige Swatch and Review

I can’t believe it took me so long to finally write a review for this foundation. I’ve got the 5ml sample the moment the foundation came out, I’ve tested it and made swatches and then completely forgot about it. Recently, I’ve been rearranging the foundation samples box and found the tube. I’ve been using the foundation during the last week, to refresh my memories.

The full-sized foundation comes in a weird tube – it has an in-built sponge and foundation goes through a sponge. Very gimmicky and not hygienic in my opinion. The full-sized foundation has 30 ml and retails for $48.

I’ve tried a shade #4 Light Beige. This shade has a neutral undertone. I’m NC15-20, eventually NC25 if I tan and the foundation is much too dark when I’m at my lightest. I could pull it off only when I’m super dark in the summer.

The foundation has a light to medium covevrage, depending on how much layers you put on. It covers redness, but doesn’t mask acnes well. It can settle into pores, but it doesn’t emphsize flaky skin.

On the face, it doesn’t oxidize and it hasn’t broken me out.

The finish is natural – neither matte nor dewey. It doesn’t control oil and I need to use pressed powder with it.

If you are searching for a light coverage foundation and if you can get a good shade match, this might be your ideal choice. Unfortunately, I have to forego this foundation as there is no a good match fo me.

BOURJOIS Bio Detox Foundation #53 Beige Clair Swatch and Review

I have received several sample sachets of this foundation long time ago, but I haven’t got the time to test it properly until recently. As far as I’m aware, Bio Detox line of products is about to be discontinued, so I hurried up with the testing to see if I’ll miss this foundation.

The foundation claims to be made of 98,8% of ingredients of natural origin. I have tested the shade #53 Beige Clair, which is a shade too dark for me (I’m NC15-20), but I can make it work if I put a bit of lighter pressed or loose powder over it.

When I first put on this foundation I was like “Is this a joke?”. This foundation reminded me why I have avoided them for a long time. It was extremely thick and cakey looking.

Bio Detox has medium to full coverage with matte finish. It feels heavy on the skin and my skin felt very tight. The matte effect lasts up to 5 hours, but after that I need to touch up (for your information, I have extremely oily skin with lots of expanded pores).

When you apply this foundation, you need to blend it fast, as it dries very quickly.

What shocked me most is the way this foundation looks on the photos. As you know, on the blog I always show a close-up of my skin without and with foundation. What you probably don’t know is that I take the photos of my whole face with or without foundation, but I don’t publish those. I couldn’t wait to take photos to show you how horrible the foundation is, but instead of looking thick, cakey and unnatural, on the photos my skin looked great. My skin had that healthy matte glow (not too flat), the pores appeared minimized (while in reality were very emphasized) and the foundation didn’t highlight the dry patches on my skin.

Another plus for this foundation is that it hasn’t broke me out.

I think this would be a great foundation for occasions where you need to look good on photos, but when it won’t matter how you look in real life. However, for the fact that Bio Detox is the perfection only on the photos, but cakey, thick mess in real life, I wouldn’t recommend it as a foundation for wedding day.

I still have one of the sample sachets of the foundation left and I’m going to save it for when I need to take photo for my ID or passport.

ORIFLAME Studio Artist Foundation in Porcelain – Review and Swatch

I’ve been waiting for a long time to write a review for this foundation, as it required more testing.

Studio Artist foundation comes in 30ml plastic tube and retails for approximately $13, but it is possible to get it for a half of the price on the sale. The foundation promises to give an appearance of perfect skin.

I have oily but dehydrated skin with huge pores and occassional redness. I don’t require much coverage from a foudnation – it only needs to unify the appearance of my skin, without emphasizing dry patches. My skin is NC15-20.

I’ve tried this foundation as a sample sachet, which really impressed me. As I was finishing my Clarins Everlasting, I’ve been on a hunt for another foundation and, based on the sample, I have ordered one in the lightest shade – Porcelain.

The shade is a pretty good match. I was afraid that it might be too pink; however, it has neutral undertone.

Studio Artist foundation has a very weak coverage. It will cover discolourations and redness, as well as mask some of the pores, but if you are on a hunt for a foundation that will give you a flawless porcelain skin, this isn’t for you. I have no problem with the coverage – I’ve been wearing Everlasting for a year and I’m a bit sick of full-coverage.

The foundation has a very runny consistency and I need to use more of it, compared to some other foundations. I apply it with fingers. It feels a bit sticky upon application, but it quickly dries.

What I like the most about this foundation (and the reason I’m ready to ignore some of its weak points) is the finish. I guess it could be put under dewey, but I’d describe it as a healthy glow. Even though my skin is oily, it doesn’t look greasy with the foundation on – it simply looks healthy. Thankfully, it doesn’t emphasize patchy skin.

Unfortunately, not everything is as good with the foundation. My first issue is the fact that it seems to me like the foundation is breakin my skin out. I’ve been trying to ignore the breakouts, claiming that they are stress induced, but after not wearing the foundation for a month, I have to admit that Studio Artist is the culprit.

Another issue is the fact that the foundation doesn’t wear well. It starts to disappear after 6 hours of wear. The primer underneath helps a bit, but it is still far away from what I would expect.

I’m not really sure if I would repurchase it. I like the finish, but not the breakouts.

How to pick the CORRECT FOUNDATION SHADE

The biggest issue in foundation purchase isn’t which foundation to pick, but which shade you should get. I think that every person, at least once in their life, hasn’t been correctly matched. This post was inspired by my recent conversation with Bee (beelovesbeauty) and our issues with Chanel Perfection Lumiere foundation.

You are aware that foundations come in a variety of colours, skin tones and undertones. You have probably heard that our skin can be matched to neutral, pink (cold) and yellow (warm) undertones. To determine which undertone you are, you have to look at veins on your arm – if the majority of the veins look purple, your skin had pink undertone. If the majority of the veins look green, you have yellow undertone. If there is a similar amount of greenish and purple veins, you have neutral undertone.

However, determining your undertone is just one step in picking the foundation shade. You have to keep in mind that your body and your face may have different undertones – my body skin is yellow, but my face leans more to neutral undertone. If the same is similar for you, you will have to match the colour of your face and your body.

To do this you have two possibilities:

   a) match the body to the face (not very practical)

   b) match the face to the body (easier to do).

The better solution is under b) match the face to the body. This means that you have to pick the colour that will be similar to the colour of both the body and the face. This will be no problem if your face and body are very similar in colouring, but might prove challenging if there is a larger discrepancy in the colour.

For example, I never tan my face and I always wear at least SPF15, so in summer, my face is considerably (2-4 shades) lighter than the rest of my body. I solve this by picking slightly darker foundation shade which is still lighter than the body colour as I’m afraid that 100% match will look fake. I finish it with bronzer.

Another thing you have to keep in mind is that the greater the coverage, the better the foundation shade match should be. It is easy to pull off a shade or two too dark a light coverage foundation. However, a full coverage foundation match should be spot on.

Now, let’s get to the point.

The most important thing: test the foundation shade when the weather is cloudy. I have realized that the light during the cloudy days is the least forgiving. Even the slightest mismatch in the foundation shade will be obvious then. If the sun shines, you might be tempted to get darker foundation shade, as the sunshine washes the colour out.

You do not test the foundation shade under artificial lighting.

To correctly match the foundation, you should apply it on at least half of the face to see how the foundation shade works with the colouring of the rest of your body.

You should always wear the foundation on for at least twelve hours. That way you’ll see how the foundation works after several hours – some foundations are notorious for getting darker or becoming more orange as you skin gets oilier throughout the day.

If you are using a primer, be sure to test how the foundation works with your primer.

When being matched for the foundation shade, you have to keep in mind that the majority of SA’s are not very knowledgeable although you might get lucky and get a SA who will match you from the first attempt (I have encountered only one such SA in my life).

If you are pale, you have to be even more careful – for some reason paleness is associated with sickness and I have yet to find a SA who won’t match me with 3 shades too dark a foundation, saying that I need some colour on my face.

I hope this has been helpful. Feel free to share you shade matching stories and experiences.

CHANEL Perfection Lumiere Review and Swatch

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

Chanel’s new foundation Perfection Lumiere boasts with seamless blendability that gives a naturally flawless effect. They claim it is suitable for all skin types and comes in a diverse range of shades.

The foundation comes in a 30ml pump bottle which retails for $55 .

TEXTURE AND COVERAGE

The texture is very light. Since it is replacing Pro Lumiere (I have heard that this was a heavy coverage foundation) I have expected something heavier. Perfection Lumiere is very liquid, light and you don’t feel it on the skin.

The coverage is medium, but it is possible to build up to the fuller coverage. One layer of the foundation definitely gives a lesser and more natural coverage than one layer of Clarins Everlasting. It seems that Perfection Lumiere is not as filled with pigments as Everlasting.

One coat of Perfection Lumiere will cover even major redness or discolouration.

REVIEW

My Clarins Everlasting foundation is coming to its end (I have less than 5ml in the bottle) and I’m looking for another foundation (Everlasting is amazing, but I like to experiment). I have found myself looking for something lighter perhaps.

I’ve wanted to test Perfection Lumiere ever since I have heard of it. What intrigued me most was the fact that for the first time, Chanel will release some lighter shades in my country (usually the lightest shade was 20, which was way too dark for me).

My skin is flaky, dehydrated and oily at the same time. I don’t even have to mention huge expanded pores (you can see the “quality” of my skin well on the close-up photos). I have a breakout here and there, but I have no serious acne issues. What I require of the foundation is to unify the appearance of the skin and minimize the appearance of the pores without emphasizing flakes. A definite plus is if the foundation keeps me matte, but this is not the condition. I have very light skin – I’d say around NC15.

I’ve been testing Perfection Lumiere for several weeks, trying to love it, but I’m not impressed.

First, the colour doesn’t stay true. I have gotten a sample of the lightest, yellow toned colour: 10 Beige. In the bottle, it looks perfect, almost custom made for me. On the face, it is a completely different story. It darkens considerably – at least for one shade, therefore ending up being too dark for me.

Another problem is that it emphasizes flakes. I have tried applying it with a moisturizer underneath, but it didn’t help. Flaky skin was still visible. I have hoped that maybe with time, since my skin will get oilier as the day goes, the foundation will “melt” and “blend” in with flakes. This was not the case. The flakes were visible even after 10 hours of wear.

The next problem is settling into pores. Instead of visually diminishing their appearance, Perfection Lumiere managed to emphasize the pores by settling even into the tinier pore.

Those were the bad sided, but there are some good sides too.

I’m very satisfied with the degree of the coverage. It covers the discolourations, but without leaving my skin looking too perfect (this was the case with Everlasting).

Over the primer (Guerlain Meteorites), it looks considerably better: the flakes are not visible, it doesn’t emphasize pores. Perfection Lumiere over Guerlain Meteorites primer doesn’t oxidize as much as it does on the pure skin. The foundation darkens, but only slightly. On the pure skin, the foundation darkens for one to two shades.

The foundation wears on pretty well – even after 10 hours it looked just like at the beginning. It also mattifies a skin to a degree (if you are super oily, you cannot expect perfect, non-oily skin for the whole day) and it doesn’t make me breakout. I stayes shine-free for 5 hours, but then I needed to touch-up with a loose powder.

I’d recommend this foundation to the girls/boys with normal-combination to oily skin without the dehydration issues or expanded pores. I recommend the foundation to be tested, as it oxidizes quite a bit.

As I’ve mentioned, I have tried to love it, but it just isn’t for me.

MAKE-UP STASH INVENTORY (January 2012)

I think it’s high time for me to start to control my impulsive purchases and redirect the money I spend on cosmetics I don’t need on something else. I’ve had much more self-control before I started to get involved in beauty community. Before, I’d purchase something only when I would need it, but now I’ve been buying things only because they seem pretty or I think that I simply must have it (even though I’ll probably use it several times before the product is lost in my stash.

I don’t like feeling overwhelmed every morning when I’m doing my make-up with all of the products which I have. Sometimes it takes me literary 10 minutes only to decide which eyeshadow I should use. I’ve tried the concept of creating “looks” which would include several products and then wearing the look for the next week. It is a good concept, but this means that 90% of my stash sits there unused while I’m wearing the “look”.

I do not plan to use up all of my make-up. I’ll use eyeshadows only until I hit the pan (especially if it is a discontinued or LE product). The same goes with lipsticks. I always leave a millimetre or two of the lipstick in case I ever need to find a dupe. After that, I put the product in the original packaging and put it in my “finished products” drawer. I know this sounds a bit ridiculous, to keep the boxes after you have spent the product, but I have paid a lot for these products and I cannot imagine throwing the compact of, let’s say, Guerlain eyeshadow away.

I have taken a photo of all the items in my stash, for my reference (I’ll do the same the next year). Compared to the previous stash pictures, you can see that I have spent some items (yay! for me) and hit the pan on many others.

DIOR Diorskin Airflash Foundation #200 Review and Swatch

I’ve spent last year looking for a new foundation. I’ve tried many of them: Chanel Mat Lumiere, Sisley Phyto Teint Eclat, Givenchy Photo’Perfexion, Dior Nude Loose Powder, Sephora mineral foundation, etc and many of them were good, but none was perfect.

My skin is oily and, while I do not have heavy acne and I am not breakout prone, I can count on one acne per week. My pores are also very expanded. In spite of this I am not a fan of full and medium coverage foundations. What I require from the foundation is minimal coverage – the foundation simply needs to even-out my skin tone, cover slight discolourations and minimize the appearance of the pores. My skin-tone is somewhere between NC15-20.

I’ve never really considered Airflash before, because it seemed very expensive and not practical to use, but since I was very desperate, I asked a SA to spray a bit of foundation in a jar so that I could properly test it. I tried it and I was thrilled with how good my skin looked, so the next week I’ve decided to purchase it. (I’ve paid around $50 for a 70ml foundation so it doesn’t seem so expensive. If I calculate a price per ounce, it is around $21 for 1.0oz which isn’t expensive at all (an average price of a better drugstore foundation in my country).

The shade range is not so good. There are only four shades and all are leaning a bit towards pink undertone. I’ve purchased shade 200, which was the closest match, maybe just a tad bit too pink and too dark. The foundation didn’t oxidize on me.

The foundation comes in a can and you’re supposed to spray it directly on the face in Z motion. I usually don’t use the foundation in this way since it is messy and wasteful. I suppose more foundation would end up on my hair and sink then on my face. When I was paler, I sprayed some on the neck, so that the transition between the neck and the face wasn’t as obvious and by spraying it, it seemed much more natural.

I’m applying this foundation by spraying a small amount on the wrist, I pick it up with a brush and then stipple it on the face (I’m using Sephora 45 mineral powder brush, which is amazing). One to two short presses on the spray are usually more than enough. The foundation dries and settles really fast, so you need to be quich with application or apply a section by section of your face because once when it dries, it becomes almost impossible to blend it properly.

The finish is gorgeous luminous matte (not as matte as with Sisley Phyto Teint Eclat but very similar to the finish of Chanel Mat Lumiere).

The coverage is light, but it is possible to build it up to medium. It will cover discolouration, redness, and the pores will be minimized (I shoud know, I have the largest pores ever), but this is definitely not the foundation for someone who wants heavier coverage.

It is very mattifying. I haven’t expected oil control at all, and this foundation controils oil much better than some mattifying foundations. In summer, when I get oily pretty quickly, I can spend 8 hours outside and don’t need to blot (I haven’t used primer or setting powder). Airflash is more appropriate for normal or oily skin. In winter, when my skin is dryer and extremely dehydrated due to heating, the foundation doesn’t look as good. I’ve been wearing it for a month and it hasn’t broken me out.

The only drawback is that it doesn’t have SPF, but this can be easily solved by using a SPF moisturizer before the foundation.

Project 10 Pans and Sample Challenge Update #4

It’s been ages from my last update. I can’t believe it took me so long to finally spend all of these products. However, I haven’t been as disciplined when it comes to the new purchases. I’ve got several nailpolishes and a primer. I’m also planning on a foundation purchase (even thought I have half a bottle of Clarins Everlasting and half a bottle of Dior Airflash) if the foundation I’m currently testing proves it is worth it.

Here are the original posts: Project 10 Pans, Sample Challenge

SISLEY PARIS Skinleÿa Anti-Aging Lift Foundation #11 Sweet Shell Review

I have already mentioned the new Sisley foundation Skinleya.

The full-sized foundation comes in a 30ml jar with a foundation brush included. It retails for $190. You can find more information about the foundation, plus the swatches of all shades in THIS POST.

Since this foundation has a great choice of shades for lighter skin, I have almost purchased it without trying it first. Luckily, I have received a 2ml sample of the foundation in the shade #11 Sweet Shell, which thankfully saved me $190.

Putting aside the anti-aging promises, this foundation does nothing.

The foundation has a thicker creamy texture, which sits lightly on the skin. The foundaton looks thick, but it blends easily. In spite of being oil-free it doesn’t control the oil. It feels very light, yet it is moisturizing. I can see why it might be a favourite to those with dry skin. It doesn’t emphysize dry patches of the skin and it doesn’t settle into lines/pores.

As far as the coverage is concerned, this foundation has zero coverage. If I’m generous, I could say that it slightly evens out the redness, but really, do not expect any coverage from this. It has worse coverage than a tinted moisturizer. I’m a fan of light coverage foundations – for ages I have refused to buy anything that has medium coverage and I have even diluted my own foundations to make them appear natural, but Skinleya is just ridiculous.

It doesn’t cover the appearance of pores, it doesn’t cover any bigger skin discolouration or any bigger imperfection on the skin. For $190 it should be much better.

I can’t say how longlasting it really is, because I do not see the difference in my skin with or without the foundation. Still, after wearing it all day, there is still a lot of foundation on the cotton pads which I use to cleanse my face.

This foundation is only recommended to those who, in spite of having a perfect skin, must wear something on (and only if they have extra $$$ to spend)

My SUMMER Make-up Favourites

Summer is officially over and fall has brought cold, grey days and lots of rain. Still, I cannot let go the summerrrrr. I’ve comprised the list of the products I have used the most this summer, hoping that the pictures will bring back the warm sun (if only in my memory).

LANCOME Teint Idole Ultra #03 Beige Diaphane Review and Swatch

This foundation was for a very long time on my “to try” list. The full-sized foundation comes in a 30ml pump bottle which retails for $42. It has SPF 15.

Teint Idole Ultra is a medium coverage foundation, but it is possible to layer it to get a heavier coverage. It evened out my skin-tone, covered the redness and imperfections and minimized the appearance of pores. It doesn’t emphasize flaky skin.

The texture is creamy, but it dries very quickly, so I suggest you to apply on a section of your face and blend it.

This foundation did nothing to mattify or control oil. If you have oily skin, be prepared to touch it up with a compact powder.

Teint Idole Ultra wears for over 6 hours (but keep in mind that I tested it during the extremely high temperature). In the normal weather and on the normal skin, I suppose it would wear up to 10 hours.

The shade #03 Beige Diaphane is a bit more pink/orange than the equivalent shade in Teint Miracle.

I’d recommend this foundation for normal skin which for some reasons require better coverage. Persons with oils skin will have to pair with a mattifying powder, while persons with dry skin may use it, but I’d suggest a very moisturizing cream underneath.

Overall:

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SISLEY PARIS Skinleÿa Anti-Aging Lift Foundation Swatches

Top picture: Sisley via Luxury Activist.

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This fall Sisley has launched the new anti-aging foundation: Skinleya. The jar contains 30 ml and the foundation brush is included with the packaging.The foundation retails for $190.

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What they claim:

“A complexion enhanced by a high-precision foundation. Skin beautified by an anti-ageing skincare formula.

A rich, satin-smooth, sensorial foundation for sheer, even skin.

A formula rich in anti-ageing active ingredients, to reinforce the benefits of your anti-ageing skincare all day long.

A silky-glide cream-gel texture. Non oily, non comedogenic.” (from Sisley)

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I have yet to test it properly, but I did a quick comparison at the counter with the Sisley’s most popular foundation Phyto Teint Eclat. Skinleya seems much thinner in texture – since it is an anti-ageing foundation, I have expected a bit creamier texture. Another thing that bugs me is the fact that it doesn’t seem as it would give much of a coverage. In that term, it seems very similar to Phyto Teint Eclat.

What makes me so happy is the shade range: the shade #00 is my perfect match at winter. There are 9 shades in total, but in Croatia I have only found these 7 shades available. There is also a shade #10 Sweet Petal (light shade with peachy undertones) and #60 Spicy (the darkest shade in the range).

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Project 10 Pans Samples Challenge

During spring, I’ve made a plan of finally finishing some products from my stash. I haven’t updated it for a while, but it is only because I haven’t managed to spend anything. Later I have also announced a possibility to include more samples in the challenge.

Last week I have finally managed to find some time so I’ve been rearranging my cosmetics storage and I have figured out that I have tons of samples and testers. As I’m a bit afraid that they don’t go bad, I’ve picked several products I would like to spend. Some of these are already reviewed, as I’ve been using them before, but some I’ll have to test for the first time. I will only write a review if the product was tested for at least a week of daily usage.

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LANCOME Teint Miracle Review and Swatch

Several months ago, Croatian Sephora was giving away the mini 5ml samples of Lancome Teint Miracle foundation. I’ve started testing it only a month ago, as the colour 03 Beige Diaphane is very close to NC30 (and I’m NC15 usually).

Teint Miracle is a light to medium coverage foundation. It is very creamy, silky smooth and lightweight. It blends easily into the skin, but it is very hard to build up to a better coverage. It will cover discolourations, but the foundation doesn’t do much for other imperfections.It minimizes the appearance of pores (to a certain extent), but as the day goes, it tends to “settle” into thte pores, thus emphasizing them.

Teint Miracle is very moisturizing, but not especially longlasting foundation. The finish is luminous (but no shimmer). As I have oily skin, with this foundation another setting powder is a must if I want for the foundation to last all day. If I don’t use a setting powder, the foundation will be gone in 4 to 5 hours.  I suppose that it will last longer on dryer skin, but I’d still suggest a primer to fix it.

What makes me extremely happy is that the shades do not oxidize.

As for the available shades, you can check the shade Beige Diaphane in comparison to my other foundations in this post.

I have also swatched two lighter shades Beige Porcelaine and Beige Albatre in my Light Foundation Swatches.

Beige Diaphane is very dark, slightly orange shade. I can pull it off now, as it evens out the current colour of my face (NC20) with my body (which is darker – NC30).

I’m considering purchasing this foundation in full-size if I confirm my doubts that my shade of Clarins Everlasting foundation is not imported.

Overall:

SISLEY Phyto Teint Eclat in #1 Ivory Review and Swatch

 

Since I buy a lot of Sisley products (and get tons of GWP), I’ve accumulated many samples of Phyto Teint Eclat foundation in various shades. Each sample contains 2ml, so I’ve probably used up the full size amount in samples.

Phyto Teint Eclat (Oil Free Foundation) foundation comes in a 30ml pump bottle and it is very expensive – it retails for $115.

I have fair skin, neutral to yellow undertone (NC15), although my face is currently somewhere in between NC20 and NC25. My skin is oily and, while I do not have heavy acne and I am not breakout prone, I can count on one acne per week. My pores are also very expanded.

What I require from the foundation is minimal coverage – the foundation simply needs to even-out my skin tone, cover slight discolourations and minimize the appearance of the pores.

Phyto Teint Eclat has low to medium coverage and the people looking for heavy coverage may want to avoid it (although it is possible to add one more layer to get better coverage, some wouldn’t consider it heavy enough).

It is very lightweight (also a “must” for the foundations) and you can barely feel that you wear one. Small amount is needed, which is good because the foundation is very expensive. It evens out the skintone and covers discolourations. The foundation is lightly fragranced, but the smell completely disappears after application. I experienced no breakouts.

It minimizes the appearance of the pores and doesn’t accentuate dry, flakey skin. It lasts all day and provides natural, slightly matte finish, but I cannot say that mattifies because I had to use blotting papers after several hours.

This foundation definitely needs to be tested before the purchase, because some shades oxidize as they dry. The shade Ivory got much darker (and more pinker, although it still had neutral undertone) when it dried. It is much darker than the shade 103 Ivory in Clarins. I think that Sisley Phyto Teint Eclat in Ivory is more closer to NC20-25, especially after it dries.

If you have almost good skin, maybe with some expanded pores or redness, this will be the ideal foundation. If you deal with acne, this foundation won’t provide satisfying coverage. This foundation gives “no foundation” look – it only improves you skin, but without visibly masking it.

Up until I have found Clarins Everlasting, Sisley Phyto Teint Eclat was an epitome of what my ideal foundation should be like but now I think I would like it more if the coverage were a bit better.

This foundation is really a splurge. I can easily say that it is not better than $50 foundation, but if you have $115 to spare, it is a nice treat.

UPDATE: I have purchased the full-size of this foundation in shade #0 and I have updated the post with the new foundation bottle picture.

Overall:

GUERLAIN Terracotta Skin Healthy Glow Foundation Swatch

Top picture source: Temptalia 

Swatch picture is mine.

Guerlain Terracotta Skin foundation retails for 40 euros for 30 ml. It comes in a tube.

I really don’t know what is the purpose of this product. Last summer Guerlain launched Terracotta Teint d’Ailleurs Tinted Moisturizer. This is a great product which adapts to you skin-colour, giving it a natural bronzy look.

On the other hand Terracotta Skin foundation basically looks like you have put too dark foundation on. As a foundation, it is lovely – the coverage is medium,¸the finish is satin, the foundation stays on for a long time and it is moisturizing. However, unless your skin colour is close to the shade of the foundation, it will look unnatural.

I’m NC15 (at the moment I’m pretty close to NC20) and the foundation looks fake on me. I have to blend it a lot, but even then I cannot get the natural sunkised look. I look like someone who has missed the foundation shade.

Oh, another good thing about this foundation is that is smells slightly like tiare flower. If you are tiare addict (as I have become after trying Guerlain Terracotta Eau Sous Le Vent) you might like it.

I wouldn’t recommend it, unless you are looking for a foundation and the shade matches you.

My Stash: Foundations and Powders

When it comes to the foundations and powders, I’m still having control over it. I have three foundations, plus several 5ml samples, and 4 powders. Although I’d be happy if I could only have one of each, I don’t believe this is over the top.