MakeUp Addicted

Here are 10 ways to make your foundation stay on the entire day without touch up. Use these tips for a flawless complexion all day. Whether you purchase cheap drug store or expensive luxury foundation, there are ways to prolong the wear of your foundation. Some low-end foundations actually stay on better than high-end foundations if used the right way or paired with other products.

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1. Choosing the right formula of foundation:

Different foundation formulas tailor to different skin types. If you have dry skin, use a cream or liquid foundation. For oilier skin, choose oil free liquid formulas, powder, or mineral foundation. For a list of foundation reviews, watch my Flawless Foundation Routine and Massive Foundation Review/Collection video.

2. Priming your face:

Priming your face with a silicone based primer not only help you save the amount of foundation you use but also create a flawless canvas for your foundation to go on. Think of it as prolonging the wear of a nail polish with a base coat; same idea.

3. Apply with a brush:

Applying foundation with a brush can help you achieve flawless coverage without using too much product. The brush helps to deliver the foundation seamlessly into your skin. A kabuki brush helps to buff mineral foundation on and a flat top brush helps to evenly distribute liquid foundation.

4. Use the right amount of product:

Less is more. Start off with a bit of the product on your brush and build coverage by gradually applying more product. Excess amount can easily rub off and crease on your face.

5. Keep your skin clean, exfoliated and moisturized:

Clear, exfoliated skin allows the foundation to go on effortlessly and smoothly since the foundation lies evenly on the skin. To maintain clear skin, visit 10 ways to get acne free, clear skin- the secret to great skin

6. Use a finishing powder:

When using liquid or cream foundation, always finish off with a finishing/translucent powder which helps to seal the product just like how a top coat seals the nail polish color. For mineral foundation users, the equivalent of a finishing powder would be a mineral veil.

7. Set the foundation with a spray:

Makeup fix sprays are growing popular for a good reason. These water based sprays not only make your makeup last longer but give you that dewy, fresh, au natural skin. A cheaper alternative would be to load up a spray bottle with water.

8. Choose Oil free and long lasting makeup:

Generally oil free makeup stay on longer. Look for foundations that say long-lasting or even waterproof. Many makeup lines such as Rimmel or Revlon make extremely affordable foundations that last between 8-25 hours!

9. Try a mineral foundation:

Mineral foundations tend to stay on the skin for longer period of time, especially for oily skinned individuals. They are weightless and most have oil absorbing properties. To see which mineral foundation best suits you, visit Mineral Foundation Hype. 

10. Reduce oil on your skin:

Keeping your skin matte and shine free can reduce the amount oil on your face, which can then minimize the chance of the foundation sliding off your skin. Using a matte, oil control moisturizer and blotting paper throughout the day to keep the excess oil at bay.

Please also visit my posts on 10 ways to make eyeliner stay put all day and 5 ways to make eyeshadow stay on all day.

There`s nothing sexier than looking like a golden goddess for the summer. We can all tan under the sun for the bronze but ladies, UV can be really damaging in the long run so why not just fake the healthy glow! In this post I will share with you ways to not look muddy (if you have dry skin) or shiny (if you have oily skin). I will also be providing you with my top 10 favourite bronzers of all time after much investigation and testing. As always high end and low end products will be equally represented so you can decide whether you want to splurge! Without further ado, let`s get bronzed!

How to use it

To use as a contour: Apply it in the hollows of your cheeks, sides of the forehead, temples, bridge of the nose and underneath the chin for that "I just lost 10 lbs" look. For how to achieve this look, please watch my How to contour your face and look 10 lbs skinnier video. Remember to select a matte bronzer that is 3-4 shades darker than your foundation for ideal results.

To use for an all over healthy glow/tan: Apply the bronzer all over the face, concentrating in areas where the sun would naturally hit the face such as the forehead, cheeks and sides of the nose. Use a larger and fluffier brush to get an even bronze. The trip is to select a bronzer that is easily blendable. You may choose a bronzer that has slightly more glitter and shine if you prefer the glowy look.

Skin Type

If you have dry or mature skin:

Stay moisturised under the summer as the heat and humidity may dehydrate you even more. If possible select a spray on bronzer or cream bronzer. Using this type of bronzer will not accentuate fine lines and give you a dewy and youthful glow. For a list of foundation reviews, please watch my Flawless Foundation Routine and Massive Foundation Review/Collection video.

If you have oily/combination skin:

Most people prefer powdered bronzer for ease of application and its long wearing abilities. Choose a matte or semi-matte bronzer that will absorb the excess oil from your face. The powder will not only mattify your face but also give your face a little more coverage so you can get away with less foundation.

Recommendations for best bronzers

Best high end bronzers:

NARS Laguna bronzer or NARS Casino if you have darker skin (powder)
Chanel Soleil tan de Chanel (cream)
Too Faced Chocolate Soleil (powder)
Dior Bronze Sun Powder spray (spray)

Best low end bronzers:

NYC Sunny bronzer (powder)
NYC Mosaic bronzer (powder)
Rimmel Sun bronzer (powder)
Elf studio bronzer in Golden (powder)
Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Inspired by Carmindy Sheerest Cream Bronze (cream)

Welcome back to another video. How many of you have had days where you just wish your face weren't so bloated? Well, I certainly do almost everyday. Contouring has been a necessity for me because of my face shape and it really dramatically transforms your face. Here is my preferred method to contour your face, cheeks and nose. It literally makes me look like I shed 10 lbs.

Products Used:

MAC 269 brush
MAC 219 brush
Coastal Scents C 108 flat bronzer brush
Stila #9 brush
NARS Laguna bronzer
Urban Decay Naked Palette in Buck
NYC Color Wheel Mosaic Face Powder

GIRLS, as much as we love the sun, sun damage is no joke. You may not see the visible damage of the harmful UVA and UVB rays now but trust me it is perfectly concealed and will show up in your future. By that time, it may be too late. So let`s list a few simple sun screen rules to follow for these sun shining days.


1. Use a sunscreen whenever you go out

Don`t neglect those cloudy days because around 80% of the rays do penetrate. There can be damaging rays even on the cloudiest days that isn`t visible to the eye. Apply at least an SPF of 15 for cloudy days and SPF 30 for sunny days.


2. Use a broad spectrum sunscreen

This means it blocks both UVA and UVB rays. So do look for sunscreens that target both rays as they both can be damaging


3. Use an oil free or non-greasy formula

The worst thing you want is to look greasy, waxy and white all over. Choose a non-greasy formula that can be easily absorbed into the skin. This will also prevent clogging of pores and breakouts.


4. Reapply often

Even the strongest SPF sunscreen requires constant reapplication. I would recommend reapplying at least once every 1-2 hours depending on the intensity of the rays. Please don`t be lazy. Research also states that an average individual only applies 30% of the effective dose of sunscreen so please apply a generous amount to your body before heading out.


5. Incorporate SPF into your daily skincare routine

Tinted moisturizers are the hype right now and some of them have SPF 30 which is very impressive as it does the trick of 3; moisturizer, light coverage foundation and sunscreen. Other than that, a finishing power or foundation with SPF 15 is sufficient for cloudy days. A moisturizer with an SPF of 30 can also be used during the day time to kill two birds with one stone.

Summertime and no one wants to look as pale as snow. Having a natural sun kissed tan not only makes you look leaner, healthier but more attractive overall. That’s all fun and dandy but the worst mistake you can have with tanning is looking orange and uneven all over. So I’d like to share with you through my experience with many products as well as dealing with customers regarding my top tanning product recommendations to look perfectly tanned for the beach. Depending on your own personal taste and preference, I bet one of these will work for you.


I have ranked all of them based on reviews- the list goes from the most instantaneous tan to the most natural tan. Take your pick and start looking like a bronze goddess! To learn how to apply face bronzer for a Jennifer Lopez tan look, please read my post on How to get a golden bronze face for the summer and top best bronzers . 

1. Dior Bronze Brume de Poudre Sun Powder Spray

2. Lancome Flash Bronzer

3. Clarin’s Delicious Self Tanning Cream

4. Lancaster Ultra Natural Bronze care

Minerals are huge right now. It's on TV, in the store, ads, everywhere. I do love the fact that it is great for your skin. But honestly I have tried at least 10 kinds of mineral makeup right now and I will share with you my experience with them. Hopefully this will help you to decide which ones to start with. Let me know if you need help deciding.

Bare minerals

My Experience: I love the matte yet dewy finish. The coverage is a lot better than just a regular powder. I enjoyed it quite a lot and would purchase it again.

Pro: Great finish, buildable coverage, natural-looking, waterproof, flawless finish

Con: Expensive, cakey if applied too much, slides off on oily skin

Suitable for: those with combination and sensitive skin

Rating: 8 stars


Sheer Cover Minerals

My experience: This to me was similar to Bare minerals. The one thing that was different was that it was a lot lighter than Bare Minerals. The shades also adapted to my skin color easier. The concealing power isn't so great but then they have the best creamy concealer so that makes up for it.

Pro: Light weight, natural, decent coverage, flawless finish

Con: Poor packaging, expensive, messy to use

Suitable for: Those with not much to conceal wanting a light coverage.

Rating: 7 stars


Pur Minerals

My experience: I personally love this. Some people have a problem with this but I tried it on and it was instant gratification. It was flawless, matte and makes you look like you are about to do a photoshoot.

Pro: flawless, not messy(comes in a pressed powder form), great coverage, natural colors, matte finish, multipurpose (4 in 1)

Con: sometimes drying, not much color selection

Suitable for: Quick, on the go, perfect skin.

Rating: 8.5 stars


Everyday Minerals

My experience: This is my most recent purchase. The first time I put it on, it had a nice texture. Overall, the coverage is good, not great. What I like about it is that there is such a wide selection of shades available, you are bound to get the true shade. Also, it looks oh-so natural on everyone.

Pro: Natural, Affordable, Choose from various finishes (original glow, intensive, matte, semi-matte), long wearing

Con: not flawless coverage, packaging too plastic

Suitable for: everyone depending on which finish you want.

Rating: 8.5-9 stars (not so sure because the coverage is not as great as Pur Minerals)


Physician's Formula Mineral Foundation

My experience: I use them on a regular basis. I only use them on top of liquid foundation as a setting powder. The foundation is rather natural and doesn't cover up but it makes a nice and matte finish.

Pro: cheap, good for sensitive skin, convenient packaging (do not use brush)

Con: comes off easily, doesn't cover much

Suitable for: those with sensitive skin or not much to conceal.

Rating: 6.5


Prestige MultiTasking SkinLoving Minerals

My experience: I bought this on a whim because it was a multitasking powder with concealing properties. This fits my busy lifestyle so I gave it a try. Much to my surprise, it was a lot better than I expected. Cheap and worth your money!

Pros: good coverage, buildable coverage, cheap, easy to use, fast fix

Cons: medium staying powder, little shade selection

Suitable for: those who wants to get out the door in 5 minutes and pay little.

Stars: 8.5 stars


L'oreal Bare Naturalle Mineral Foundation

My experience: I heard some good things about this so I bought it. I was not really impressed. However I do believe that it is because I have much to conceal and it didn't do the job. Overall, it was a decent mineral foundation with normal staying powder.

Pros: cheap, easy to apply applicator, very natural looking, lightweight

Cons: poor brush, not flawless coverage, not super longlasting, powdery looking

Suitable for: oily skin, those wanting natural coverage with not much to conceal

Stars: 6.5 stars

I have a problem with picking the right foundation. Honestly, I can never find the right color. When I do find the right color, I don't like the texture of my skin and so on and so on. I give up! So I want to take some time to share with you some foundations that I have tried and liked. Again, I'm grouping them into categories since not everyone have the same foundation needs.

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For acne prone skin:
Recommend: Neutrogena Skin Clearing Oil Free Makeup

Purpose: It is oil free so it won't clog pores and worsen acne. It also helps to conceal redness. I love this one especially because it is affordable and contains salicylic acid, one of the most effective pimple-fighting ingredient.

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For dry skin:
Recommend: Almay TLC Truly Lasting Color 16 Hour Makeup Skin Nourishing Longwear SPF 15

Purpose: It comes in a cream-like texture and contains antioxidants to make up for the lost H2O in yotr skin. Your skin will look non-greasy and moisturized the whole day.

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For skin with fine lines:

Recommend: Estée Lauder Resilience Lift Extreme Ultra Firming Makeup SPF 15

Purpose: Heavy makeup make lines look deeper, so this is a lightweight formula made of soy. Soy helps to tighten lines that dwell around the eye and mouth area.

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For uneven skin:
Recommend: Chanel Mat Lumière Long-Lasting Soft Matte Makeup SPF 15

Purpose: Created with a matte base containing light reflecting molecules to camouflage those spots, uneven surfaces and sallowness. Definitely my lifesaver!

It's been a while! Here's my video on how to contour your face! I personally do not like my face shape and want to create the illusion of a slender face so I've decided to post this up for all you girls out there who doesn't like a chubby face! This doesn't take too long and makes you look lie you lost 10 lbs!Please let me know what you think! ENJOYYYYY:)

Alright, I've gotten a few questions about the blush I use! I know some ladies are all about being natural and believe it or not, choosing the RIGHT brush can make the difference between a CLOWN look and a FLUSHED look. Blush needs to look natural and make you look like you've just run 4 miles. So I've done some research and testing and want to introduce 4 best blushes. 2 of them are HIGH END and 2 of them are LOW END. I always do this because I know some of you (like me) are pretty broke! So here it is:


[ HIGH END ]

NARS ORGASM BLUSH

Made with transparent pigments for a soft and sheer look. Imparts a natural, healthy glow for any skin tone and may be worn alone or layered together for more depth and intensity. This sheer look gives you a natural glow. It is a great blush especially for fair skinned people because of its discrete color. It's Nar's best selling product.


BENEFIT DANDELION BLUSH
Fake awake with Dandelion - Benefit's ballerina-pink pressed highlighting powder. Just one stroke of Dandelion takes your complexion from dull to radiant in an instant. It's shimmery, satiny, radiant, perk-me-up finish is guaranteed to make them wonder ..."How do you look so pretty at eight in the morning?" Unlike the other blushes, this blush comes in a very fancy packaging, sort of in a treasure box with a brush included. I bought this for my best friend. She BARELY uses wear makeup but this is all she uses.


[ LOW END ]

PHYSICIAN'S FORMULA MULTICOLORED BLUSH PALETTE

This is what I use everyday in my videos. Cheap and the multicolored palette creates the PERFECT blush. A beautiful mosaic of complementary hues to contour and accentuate cheekbones with soft color and discreet shimmer.It’s the perfect combination of colors that blend together to naturally enhance your cheekbones.The finest Italian talc provides a silky-smooth application that blends easily without streaking or irritating sensitive skin.

Almay Smart Shade Blush ( for those who can't pick a PERFECT shade )

With smart shade blush, there’s no more guessing about how to find your perfect blush shade. This revolutionary blush contains microscopic shade-sensing color beads that are activated when you smooth it on—transforming into a shade that perfectly complements your skin tone. Simply pick your favorite shade, smooth it on and watch it instantly blush for you. Plus, the antioxidant blend of vitamins and grapeseed nurtures your skin. For sheer, radiant color every time. I haven't given this a try yet but heard MANY positive comments about it. Plus, the grapeseed and vitamins is definitely a plus. There aren't many blushes that contain vitamins yet.

There it is! Tell me what you think and submit your favourite blushes. I will add it to the list. Thanks:)

Here are additions to the list based on comments:

fabu-less beauty said:
Milani Luminous is a dupe of NARS Orgasm. It's cheap and sold at drugstores.

Ivy said...
Benetint
Anna Sui Face Color