Hi Divas

Can you believe that I have another foundation review for you? I feel like 2018 is the year of finding that perfect base. If you read any of my foundation reviews before, you will know that I love a full on matte base. I have normal to combination skin; therefore I prefer a foundation that is matte and will keep me looking somewhat oil free throughout the day. I love the formula and feeling that a matte base gives too. It may sound horrendous to you, but the feeling of a stone wall canvas is very appealing to me, hahaha. I hate any sort of dewy finish or the feeling of foundation sliding down my face, it truly gives me the chills. So, when I decided to reach for the L'oreal Super Blendable Foundation in store and give it a try, my inner self wanted to slap me in the face. There is a reason for this madness, though. It's currently Winter in South Africa and the weather has been particularly cold in Cape Town. We have had lots of rain and even snow on some mountains. My combination skin was shook and I even had to change my skin care to a much more hydrating one, read here. I therefore needed a foundation that would not dry out my skin, but not be too dewy either. L'oreal True Match sounded like a perfect combo for me as it is marketed as being hydrating, skin like, has SPF 17 and giving good coverage without a cakey mess. 

L'oreal True Match foundation is one of the OG's (Original Gangsters) in the makeup world. This foundation was around before most trendy cosmetic brands existed. It had and still has an extensive shade range that caters to different undertones. The packaging and formula has changed slightly since its original launch but it still stands strong among the rest. The foundation is packaged in a 30ml glass bottle with a plastic top. It does contain a pump but this is where the product falls flat for me. The pump is really short and stubby, which makes it difficult for the product to disperse mess free. The liquid tends to drip down the bottle if you do not angle the pump properly. I have to wipe and clean the top after use as it leaves residue on the plastic. Overall the bottle is sleek and comes with the standard amount of product. I just wish they designed the pump a little better. It looks chic on a vanity and is travel friendly too as it does not feel heavy despite it being a glass bottle. 

Most reviews claim this foundation is their all time favourite and holy grail product which they can depend on. I always wanted to try it but I never did, as stated above that I always purchased matte finishes instead. This foundation has a skin like and breathable texture. It is very light weight but gives great coverage. It's pigmented and covers blemishes despite its light formula. It contains micro match pigment technology that adjusts to the true shade of your skin tone. I bought the shade 3.D/3.W Golden Beige. I originally wanted 4.D/4.W but that was out of stock. Looking at the swatch it is one shade lighter than my skin tone, but once blended it adjusts and matches perfectly to my skin. This foundation gives a radiance satin finish. It is not fully matte nor is it dewy. It gives a wonderful balance for those that want a natural skin like feeling. The formula does contain minuscule flecks of gold. You can see it in the bottle but once blended on the skin those flecks of gold are not visible to the naked eye at all. For application I use a brush and blend one to two pumps onto my face depending on the coverage I want. Sometimes I even skip concealer with two pumps and set with powder. The brush does take a while to blend it out as the foundation takes time to dry. I feel a sponge would work better as it would press the foundation into the skin and not move it around so much as a brush. Using a brush is convenient for me though as I like to pump foundation directly onto it and apply it to my face.

 

The foundation wears like a dream throughout the day. It sits so comfortably on the skin. Sometimes I even forget that I am wearing makeup. This formula looks so natural and perfect on me. It does not oxidize, flake or slide down my skin. I can see why most people rave about this product. What I love most about this foundation is that any skin tone can find a shade that matches or will work for them. In 2018 it is still so hard for people to find their foundation shades amongst various brands. It is sad but a horrible reality! This is a good natural and affordable product. It gives sheer to medium coverage and can be worn every day. This is currently my favourite Winter foundation at the moment. I would have to skip on this in the Summer time as I need a matte formula to control my oils. By the way the makeup and look you see in the photos above has been my go to Winter look. I have been wearing my black Stellenbosch University hoodie all day and every day. It's so comfy and warm. I like to reminisce about my crazy campus days too when I am wearing it, LOL.

Have you tried this foundation? Let me know your thoughts below. 

Thank you for reading.

Divalicious Kisses

Xxxx

Pamper Sunday: 

Sephora Algae and Pearl 

Face Mask Review

Hi Divas!

I was recently reminded that I have a working uterus and my body was clearly taking visible revenge on me for not reproducing. My skin was acting out and I had unsightly breakouts setting up camp on my face. I usually get hormonal breakouts around once a month but this time was a full on revenge party. I truly didn't understand what was going on but I knew I had to give my face some tender love and care. I remembered that I had purchased two masks from Sephora and thought this would be an ideal time to put them to the test. After all I don't just buy sheet masks for the pretty packaging. I would actually like them to work when I wear it too. The Algae face mask is marketed towards purifying and detoxifying the skin. I thought I would start with that one first and see if it would relieve any existing blemishes and stop new ones from forming. I then decided to use the Pearl face mask towards the end of the week to brighten up my dull, dearie and depressed skin.

Sephora Algae Face Mask
Algae extract comes from seaweed. It is known to contain vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that cleanses and detoxify skin. It protects the skin from free radicals and prevents collagen from breaking down. It keeps the skin hydrated while restoring it. The mask is packaged well with a protective film over it. It is made out of thick cotton. These sheets are thicker than the normal Korean cotton fibres. It fits snug on the face and does not slide or drag down. The essence has a slight chemical sea breeze scent to it. It has a gel like texture as it not runny at all. I like that it does not drip down the face. I do feel that the consistency is slightly drying and not moisturising enough. After wearing it for 30 minutes, my skin did not feel as well moisturised as I would have liked it. The essence soaks quickly into the skin and it does have a cooling effect. I honestly did not see any improvements in clearing up my breakouts. It probably helped a little but I guess it was not effective enough for any real visible differences. Sigh, someone hand me the chocolate! My treat of choice to cure all sorts of PMS ailments.

Sephora Pearl Face Mask

Pearl extracts are beneficial for the skin in that it contains nutrients such as calcium, magnesium and zinc. These all help the skin fight acne, treat discolouration, heal breakouts and give vitality and suppleness. This mask is packaged exactly the same as all the other Sephora masks. It is a little smaller in diameter but it does fit my face. It has a slight floral scent but nothing overpowering. The mask feels very comforting and moisturising. Unlike the algae mask the essence is very hydrating and soothing. It absorbs easily into the skin and the texture is not runny therefore it does not drip down the neck. This mask contains a lot more essence in the packet and I like to pat it into my skin when I am done wearing the mask. I love this mask as it brightened up my tired and dull complexion. It evens out my skin tone making it more radiant and refreshed.

Do you like my selfie? Follow me on Snapchat DIVADESLE to see more craziness. Over all I loved the Pearl mask over the Algae one. I would definitely repurchase it and give the Algae mask a skip. I was really hoping it would do wonders for me but it was a total let down. Thank goodness for the Pearl face mask saving the week. Have you tried any of the masks? Let me know below. Now pass me the chocolate! I need to celebrate getting through another revenge period. LOL ;-)

Divalicious Kisses
Xxxx

Review

Hi Divas!

 When I first heard the name of Benefit's newly released mascara I was hooked! 'Bad Gal Bang' sounds completely sexy, rebellious and explosive. Benefit Cosmetics are known for their high-quality mascaras. They have cult favourites that most beauty fanatics love. I was very intrigued that they released a new one with such a bad ass name and extraordinary claims, as 36 hour full blast volume. Who wears a mascara for 36 hours? She must be a bad girl, damn. I bought this mascara at a Sephora in Qatar but it is available at Benefit counters in South Africa. While shopping around in Sephora, one of the assistants tried the mascara on my co-worker and it looked absolutely amazing on her. I definitely wanted to try it out for myself. This mascara has been very hyped up across the beauty community but each person has different needs when it comes to finding their perfect mascara. I will be reviewing this product according to what I like as finding the ideal mascara that works for your eye shape and eyelashes are subjective.


The mascara comes in a black, pink and silver trendy design. It is packaged in a matte black plastic tube that has a chic rubber feel to it. I love the edgy designs on the cap as it gives the product a futuristic feel. The actual wand is longer than most standard mascaras and feels a lot more flexible. The brush is plastic and has a sleek and quite tapered design with 300 bristles on it. You kind of wonder if this brush will actually do anything significant for the lashes. Of cause the secret is in the bristle layout and the mascara formula. This mascara contains Pro Vitamin B5 which nourishes the lashes. It makes them stronger and helps them to grow thicker. One of the biggest ingredients that make this product stand way out from the rest is the Aero Particles derived from space technology. I know, your brain probably froze just a a little bit to take that all in, LOL. Apparently, these aero particles are used in space missions and now they are in your mascara. They are one of the lightest materials that aim to defy gravity thus keeping your lashes lifted and not weighed down for a longer period of time. That point when makeup and physics meet.


Bad Gal Bang promises to give massive volume to the lashes without weighing it down. The brush is designed to reach each and every lash across the eye giving it a vava voom effect. It is smudge proof and water resistant too. This mascara has a thick consistency. I find that I can only apply two full coats before it starts getting seriously clumpy. As mentioned above the wand is flexible therefore it can be tricky in controlling precise application. The actual bristles are amazing and definitely reaches each and every lash. The brush lifts the lashes giving it amazing volume and length. I really love the way this mascara performs on my lashes. Every time I wear it I look like I have false lashes on. It truly gives big dramatic eye lashes. The colour is a true black and looks striking on the eyes. As I mentioned the formula is thick and you have to work slowly when coating your lashes. This is not a quick coat and run out the door mascara. You have to take your time when applying it to make sure your lashes are well coated and precisely brushed through. This will give the best effect out of the product. If you work too fast you can end up with clumpy lashes and smudges on your eye lids.


 I have natural long thick lashes therefore I feel this mascara works great on me. It enhances what I already have and gives a false lash effect. It performs really well throughout the day for me. It does not smudge, droop down or run when I exercise. As I mentioned above you have to work slowly and precisely for this mascara to give amazing results. If you have short or sparse lashes, this mascara might not work as well for you. It may give dramatic length but not volume as the formula is thick and it may make your lashes look spidery. This is a good mascara if you know how to work with it and you have a good set of natural lashes to begin with. I personally really like it and enjoy using it on a daily basis.


I hope you found this review helpful.
Divalicious Kisses
Xxxx