makeup review

[leeseokmin]

inspired by ash's post on skincare, i realized i've added some new stuff to my makeup routine and need to adjust for them.

my general routine for a full face usually goes like this:

• skincare + lipcare prep
• primer (new addition)
• foundation (have recently acquired two new ones)
• concealer (also been trying out new ones!)
• baking (optional step, product review incoming)
• eyebrows (perfected this but considering stepping up tha game)
• eyeshadow + eyeliner + mascara (palette review?)
• blush + highlighter (perfected this step, thank you)
• lipstick
• setting spray (optional step)

anw product reviews will be under tha cut, realised as i was typing this is going to be batshit long soooo

primer:
when i first got into makeup, like properly got into it in circa 2013, i purchased primer because i was told it would make yr makeup look good. personally, at that time, i didn't think it was doing the job is was supposed to do but i suppose there were many different issues. my skincare and skin, in and of itself, did not benefit from any form of primer back then, which is very different from today. i've been considering adding a primer to makeup since i got to america because my makeup has been looking wonky in america, and ended up with tha:

• TOO FACED HANGOVER RX primer
  • first thoughts: i was going into this purchase with the "primer is just a gimmick" mindset taste, so even mentally i was prepared for it to flop. to my suprise, it didn't. it definitely has a very hydrating formulation, and is silky to touch. i was worried i would break out because most primers do break me out, due to the "pore-minimising" nature of it + silicone formulations still exist but iirc this is not a silicone formulation.
  • current thoughts: this primer works beautifully under all my foundations, which is very suprising. sometimes primers just DO NAWT cooperate. it has not broken me out at all. i think the best part about it is that you can genuinely use it as a skincare step, like primer after your moisturiser + sunscreen and it makes a NOTICEABLE difference to your face. i plan on repurchasing a full size once i get back to america! 

foundation:
foundation has been always tricky for me. again, when i started using makeup, mac's nc45 was the closest to my skin tone but even then was wayyyy too orange. currently my foundation (+ tinted sunscreen) repertoire includes the following: nars sheer glow, nars tinted moisturizer, too faced born this way and clinique beyond perfecting foundation + concealer.

• TOO FACED BORN THIS WAY
  • first thoughts: prior to jackie aina's collab with too faced, they did not have my shade in the btw range. this, obviously, changed post collab. i was still hesitant because of the oxidizing nature of foundation, i went to sephora for samples three times before i bought a full sized bottle lol. 
  • current thoughts: it has a medium but builable coverage, i find that one pump gives me pretty good coverage and add half a pump when i wanna look more "glam". i loooove a dewy finish on foundation and this + hangover rx primer work PERFECTLY for me imo. i think this is currently the best foundation match i've ever had and works very well for my needs: it's withstood malaysian weather, concerts, long school days, etc. my only "problem" with it is i tend to look super dewy/oily if i don't blot/powder after 3+ hours, but that only happens in malaysia. 

• CLINIQUE BEYOND PERFECTING FOUNDATION + CONCEALER
  • disclaimer: to be entirely honest, i thought this was a concealer. i was looking to replace my nars radiant creamy concealer bcus i'm a cheap bitch. btw radiant creamy for the WIN, most perfect concealer to exist IMO. i only found out it was a foundation later on? which like, win, 2 for tha price of one. disclaimer that i look for full coverage concealers because i have very bad hyperpigmentation around my nose and chin/jaw.
  • first thoughts: the formulation of this is *chef's kiss*, but no question there seeing as clinique generally reknown for skincare.
  • current thoughts: this bitch is FULL COVERAGE... it has the same sort of wand applicator most concealer/lip glosses do but one application from the wand (which is a very little amt) gives me same coverage as one pump of nars sheer glow, which has a sheerer finish than born this way. it covers my hyperpigmentation really well and has a hydrating formula, which is important to me because i have dry skin. i'm not sure if i will repurchase in the future because my hyperpigmentation is improving, but rn it's a pretty great purchase + has spf in the formulation.

concealer:

• MAKEUP REVOLUTION CONCEAL + DEFINE
  • okay, i'm gonna keep this short. i've heard a lot about this but was really let down. looked fugly no matter how i prepped and baked my makeup. it makes a good base for like, eyeshadow but requires so much prep it's not worth it.
• SEPHORA COLLECTION HIGH COVERAGE CONCEALER
  • first thoughts: coverage is not what was advertised. when a concealer is advertised as high coverage, i expect it to be able to reduce the apperance of my hyperpigmentation, this one takes about 2~3 layers to get there, which on a daily basis, i do not have time or patience for.
  • current thoughts: i like it as a highlighting concealer, it has the right consistency to not look cakey and gives a bright without looking too unnatural dimension to the face. still not sold on a repurchase as i don't bother highlighting on a daily basis, when the same effect can be achieved with translucent powder.
• CLINIQUE BEYOND PERFECTING
  • see thoughs above.

baking/setting powder:

• MAKEUP REVOLUTION BANANA POWDER
  • have heard yellow powder is better for brown gyals but severely dissapointed in this product. it always looks so weird on ME and photographs so weird with flash, which i haven't seen the same issue with in youtubers who use it? i'm wondering if my skin tone is not deep enough/golden enough to benefit from a banana setting powder as opposed to a translucent one. i am going to try to brush it over skin next time as opposed to dabbing in with beauty blender and see if that makes a difference. that being said i still swear by laura mercier setting powder, even if everyone has moved on. no one is doing it like HA. 
  • i am, however, interested in trying out the following: too faced setting powder + fenty setting powder.

eyebrows: 
i pretty much love my brown routine, but am willing to consider any suggestions ppl may have on brow gel

eyeshadow:

• TOO FACED CHOCOLATE GOLD palette
  • if you look the glittery/foiled look but don't want to get in a mess dealing with loose pigment, I STRONGLY REC THIS. i did not experiment much with it until this year (received in june last yr as bday present) but they have that buttery too faced shadow application + blending ability. (sidenote if you are not confident in blending your shadows, invest in a too faced palette. even the most baby beginners at shadow can blend out too faced shadows). my only comment on this palette is that it doesn't have much going for it in terms of transition shades. i think it's meant for use in tandem with other chocolate bar palettes but i find using my modern renaissance palette for transition colours + this for glitter works really well. they have tendency to crease post 4 hours of use if you're sweaty, but i have hooded eyelids which is why it happens to me, so like, creases in the crease but perfect everywhere else.

lipstick:

• TOO FACED MELTED MATTE in NAUGHTY BY NATURE
  • omg soooo comfortable on lips for a matte lipstick + lasts thru malaysian meals, which is like, absolute win. need my girlfriend to come make out with me so i can test if it last through a makeout session

final thoughts:
i genuinely think if i had to switch to one brand, and one brand alone for makeup for the rest of my life, at this point in time it's too faced. they;re really killing the makeup game, and i genuinely love so many of their products. do comment if you have any suggestions on products i should try/review! 

 

Comments

[rhodochrosite]

wahhh thank u for this post it was very cool to read as someone who does not know a lot about makeup *__* im still using drugstore brands bc i dont really trust myself to not fuck up with more expensive products but since im jobful now i might investigate too faced next time im at mecca or sephora. interested esp in the primer + foundation... i literally just do bb cream on top of moisturiser + sunscreen but if im going out i probably need fuller coverage...

[leeseokmin]

well i think there are a few caveats to face base (foundation, bb cream, concealer) products. the first thing to identify here is if you have even/uneven skintone. if your skintone is even, i'm a strong advocate in bb cream + concealer + powder. i rly don't believe in foundation use for even skin tones, in fact when my skin is super clear i just go with tinted moisturizer + concealer for problem areas. i've actually heard good things abt the peach perfect + dew you bb/cc cream lines that too faced has? iirc you have fairly even skin tone right? maybe look at getting a higher end bb cream instead! imo they tend to have better coverage etc..

secondly, i'm a person who regularly uses makeup + tend to have problematic skin + most drugstore makeup doesn't accomodate for my skin tone. imo a lot of drugstore brands are stepping their game up, but i go for midrange brands because the ingredients are usually better for ur skin compared to drugstore products, which is why i fully advocate in investing midrange products for ur base makeup, because it goes all over ur face. the thing with places like sephora (not sure abt mecca, not available here) is that you can ask for samples and you SHOULD. never feel pressured to buy makeup on the spot, this was a mistake i made sooooo many times when i first started out. tell them you wanna get shade matched, and ask for samples of the shades they match you to. makeup in store lighting looks VERY different from makeup in natural lighting, so use the samples, take pix in natural light, etc. if you're not sure when ur sample ends, get another. again DO NOT FEEL PRESSURED TO BUY ON FIRST TRY.. lmk how it goes!! sry ik u probs weren't expecting a mini-essay in response but.. ya.

[rhodochrosite]

thank u so much for the advice i really appreciate it!!! smoooch <3

i think my skintone is pretty even my main problem is just redness + texture, ill definitely look into a higher end bb cream, the one i have rn (from missha) isnt very good in terms of coverage and it pills pretty badly/gets very shiny but that could also be bc i dont use setting powder... which i should also look into TT

i hadnt thought about ingredient quality x___x most of my makeup is pretty old so it might be time for a total overhaul... i didnt realise mecca was australia only omg its like mid-high range (whereas sephora is high range/pricier stuff). ty for the advice on samples i will definitely keep that in mind!!