Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Review: Clarins 'Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch' Primer


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Clarins 'Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch' primer

I'd seen this in a few 2012 Beauty Favorites videos and blog posts and I'm pretty much always on the lookout for a pore minimizing primer so I thought I'd give it a whirl. I LOVE it! It makes my makeup stay on longer and I feel like it has helped my skin look and feel better the longer I use it. My pores look less visible under makeup and the battle with some frustrating near-cystic acne I had caused by Boots No.7 face cream has finally come to an end. I attribute it wholeheartedly to this primer and my Clarisonic.

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Before this I'd used Benefit's 'the Porefessional' and Too Faced's 'Primed & Poreless'. Personally, I preferred 'the Porefessional' over Too Faced because I felt like it did a better job of actually minimizing my pores. However, my sweet baby Taylor loves 'Primed & Poreless' and it is still a really good primer. Neither caused me to breakout and they didn't make my face any oilier.

The only drawback to using Clarins 'Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch' primer is that at $32 you only get 0.50 oz. whereas 'Primed & Poreless' is $30 for 1 oz. and 'the Porefessional' is $30 for 0.75 oz. So obviously if you don't have really big pores and you're just looking for something that will make your makeup last longer and go on smoother, 'Primed & Poreless' gives you more bang for your buck. But I'm a Clarins convert.

I love love love Clarins primer and will most definitely be repurchasing.


-Becca

p.s. I've just bought NYX Pore Filler, so once I've tried it out I'll post a review. I want to try their green tinted Studio Perfect Primer next...we'll see.

Monday, January 28, 2013

Valentine's Day Beauty Wishlist


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1. Too Faced 'Sweetheart Perfect Flush Blush' - $29 USD

2. MAC Veluxe Brow Liner in 'Redhead' - $19.50 USD

3. MAC "Archie's Girls" Veronica Powder Blush in 'Prom Princess' - $22 USD

3. MAC "Archie's Girls" Betty Lipstick in 'Girl Next Door' - $16.50 USD

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Seeing as how Valentine's Day is one of my favorite holidays and I can always seem to find about a thousand things I want, it was hard narrowing this down to just a few things.

That being said, I'm super excited about the MAC "Archie's Girls" collection coming out in a few days online (Jan 30th) and in stores (Feb 7th) especially since they're pretty obviously Valentine themed. White with red hearts?? Come on, how can I say no?

You can't find the products from the Archie's Girls collection on the MAC website until the 30th of January, but if you're interested in looking at swatches or photos of the products, both Makeup and Beauty Blog & Beautezine are a great resource.


-Becca

photo sources for MAC "Archie's Girls" collection: www.beautezine.com