Friday, March 18, 2011

Review: Revlon PhotoReady Pressed Powder

I normally wear liquid foundation, and finish it with a loose powder.
And I use MAC's blot powder during the day for touch-ups.
But somehow, I never felt secure carrying only blot powder in my bag.
I have oily skin and my nose area always end up melted around lunch time
(yes, I use primer too, fyi). So, I always carry one of my loose powders or
my powder foundation along because the blot powder has no coverage whatsoever
to fix my makeup. Took me over four years to realize I need something with (better)
coverage to replace MAC blot powder.

I've read mixed reviews about Revlon PhotoReady Powder. Some say it's a HG item

and others say it's a complete waste of money.

I gave it a chance because it is easily accessible, not too expensive

and the medium/deep (030) shade matches my NC40 skin perfectly.
I tried it on my face for a good 2 hours before buying, to see the effect.
No itch, no oxidation, and the powder stayed put.

The packaging really sucked, it's huge and comes with a flimsy brush that looks

more suitable for blush application rather than powder. Honestly,
i even had a second thought about buying it simply because of the ugly packaging.
Don't even waste your energy trying out the brush, just put/throw it away.

 
The powder itself is quite finely-milled, though I've seen more finely-milled powders
out there (MUFE duo mat, Kanebo Lunasol powder foundation, NARS and
of course Cargo Blu-Ray). It has tiny particles of shimmer which can be quite noticeable
under direct sunlight. In the pan, I mean. Not on your face, thank God. :)

 
It provides light to medium coverage, depending on how you apply it. I prefer to use
my Everyday Mineral's kabuki brush or a sponge for this, which give medium coverage.
I did try using a skunk brush for lighter result, but the finish somehow accentuated
my huge pores. If you don't have pore issue then this application might just work for you.

The finish is satiny. Almost matte to my eyes, but not quite.

I guess the shimmer gives a bit of a dewy-look effect.

I use this powder to set my foundation, and my whole makeup would last

nicely for six to eight hours. I'd blot with a face paper before going out to lunch,
but only out of habit. My overall look is still quite oil-free.

But is it photo ready as the name claims? Don't think so. Or, at least not THAT photo ready.

You will notice the powder on the skin, but not in a bad or fake way. Just noticeable.
So, I'd say that this powder is a great choice for working days, but not for special occasions.

My verdict, I love this powder! I have been neglecting my loose powders ever since

I bought this, including NARS! It works as finishing powder as well as for touch-ups.
And my overall makeup lasts longer! In my lazy days, I'd even skip my foundation
routine and go straight with this powder after primer.

The only grudge I have is the super ugly packaging.

Also, some people might have a hard time finding a match since the color range
is so poor (only 3 shades available). I guess I'm just among the lucky ones. :D

Have you tried this powder? Did you like it?

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Review: MAC Chatterbox

Here's me wearing MAC Chatterbox l/s. I have strong yellow undertone (NC40) with very pigmented lips (dark mauve to blackish) and i was never confident in wearing bright pinks. They never seem to look good on me. Some turn into mauvey-purple (yuck!), some don't even show up on my lips (especially the sheer formulas) and make me look washed out.

Lately, I've been on a hunt for pink l/s. It has become an obsession for me. From MAC, MUFE, Revlon, Maybelline, Bobbi Brown... etc, I tried them all. And bought most of them, of course. :p

Chatterbox is among the very few that looks quite decent. I love the Amplified formula because it is very opaque, therefore covering my real lip color, non-drying, and still have the sheen that makes my lips look healthy. Too bad the color selection is quite poor. I heard MAC was planning to replace this formula with Cremesheen, but haven't heard more news on it and fortunately Amplified is still available all around the world. I didn't add a gloss in the pic here but sometimes I add a gloss on top to give an extra shine to it.

One other pink that looks super cute on is YSL Rouge Volupte #9, but I am not too fond of the super creamy formula. It just feels too thick and heavy for daily basis. So for the time being, Chatterbox it is. :)