Dior Fluid Stick vs. Maybelline The Color Elixir

There is a new trend of hybrid lipsticks available in drugstores as well as department stores. They are supposed to have the feel of a lip balm, shine of a gloss and the color of a lipstick.

Maybelline The Elixir was launched at least 6-8 months ago in a huge range of colors. In Canada there are 20 shades available at around $8 - 10. The tube is very interesting as it appears to encase a lipstick bullet but actually is a gloss wand. The applicator is slightly bent with grooves to pick up more product. The shade I purchased is 500 breathtaking apricot.
This shade is more of a peachy pink with yellow shimmers. The gloss lasts about 2-3 hours on me and leaves a stain that is not obnoxious. 

While browsing at the duty free shop in the airport I was drawn to the beautiful display of Dior lipsticks. Without much thought I picked up the hot newly launched Fluid Stick in Tiny Pink. It's a golden peachy pink with a hint of neon sparkles. The case is shaped much like the Maybelline one but feels much more sturdier and luxurious. The wand is a plush doe foot applicator. The color is beautiful, almost milky peach and appears to be much lighter at first until it settles into the lips to a pretty color. It retails at $36 and there are 16 shades. These have been heavily marketed and several shades are sold out on Sephora website. 

It's hard not to compare the two as they are so similar.
Formulation are quite similar and feel like a thick but smooth gloss on the lips. The Maybelline one is a bit sheer so need several coats to achieve the opaque color I want. Whereas Dior only needs one coat.
As for the wear time Maybelline seems to last a little longer as it leaves more of a stain than the Dior one.

The Elixir has a bit of an artificial vanilla scent which doesn't linger long. Fluid stick has a fruity scent that is light and not noticeble once applied. Both are very moisturizing and feel comfortable on the lips.

Dior applicator on left, Maybelline on right

If you are looking to buy one of these I would suggest The Elixir based on the fact that it is almost 1/4 of the price of Dior and the wide availability, especially if you want to try several colors.  $36 is very steep for a product that has an almost identical dupe available in drugstores.
The shades available in Dior are not as commonly found in drugstores lip glosses which is one of the reasons to consider it.
Have you tried any of these hybrid lipsticks? 

Dior Tiny Pink on right, Maybelline Breathtaking Apricot on left

Current Foundation Favourites

Since moving to the East Coast, my skin has been through hell and back (or at least it feels like it). Due to the extremely cold weather, wind and hard water my skin has suffered greatly. Initially it was so dry that the whole face seemed to be tight and flaky. Now that it is getting warmer, the humidity is adding to the assault by making my skin quite oily.

I do love my base products and have accumulated a number of foundations over the last 6 months. Currently here are 2 of my go-to foundations.

Covergirl Stay Fabulous 3 in 1 foundation (Medium Beige) - $12 CAD

This is a very good drugstore foundation that gives med-full coverage. It is promoted as a base with primer, concealer and foundation all in one and is a drugstore dupe for Kat Von D's Lock It foundation.

I really like that this foundation has a pump applicator with the SPF of 20. On my combination skin, it lasts up to 8 - 10 hours of wear. Even though the foundation has a high SPF, it does not create a white cast. This foundation, like other CG foundations, do oxidize a bit. It is advisable that you pick up a shade lighter than intended. 

Pros - affordable, high coverage, wide selection of shades, lasts a long time (8+ hours) on the skin

Cons - bit thick and needs a bit of time to blend

I use my Beautyblender to blend this foundation and can easily skip using concealer for daily use. 

Make Up Forever Duo Mat Powder foundation - $40 CAD
I don't remember the last time I used a powder foundation. The last one I used was Studiofix, probably more than 10 years ago. When I traveled to Chicago last month, I wanted to bring a quick and easy but still quality foundation and picked up the Make Up Forever Duo Mat during the Sephora sale. As suggested on its box, the powder is best applied with the sponge it comes with. I have tried to wear the foundation with a brush but the coverage is too light for my liking.

I love how quick it is to do the whole face with this powder. I tend to use it over a tinted moisturizer (current favourite is Laura Mercier) or a BB cream.
When I use concealer, I use it before this foundation. The coverage is medium but can be layered to full. It's best not to do more than a couple of layers or can get cakey.
The oil breaks through about 4 hours in on my nose and need blotting but overall it lasts about 6 -7 hours.
What I really like about this is the colour match - the yellow undertone makes this powder match my face perfectly (my shade is 203). 

Best drugstore eyeshadow palette. Wet n wild Comfort Zone

Wow it's been almost 6 months since my last post. I can't promise frequent posts but will try to keep this blog alive. 

If you have $5 to spare and are in need of a kick-ass 8 pan eyeshadow palette, the Wet n Wild Comfort zone is the one for you. I really think that this can replace the 10 times more expensive original Naked Palette by Urban Decay. They are sold at Walmart, Target and online (www.well.ca). 

The quality of the shadows is great considering that they are drugstore variety. The shadows are buttery and richly pigmented. With just one or two swipes you can have beautifully deposited color  onto your lids. Since these are so soft, the powders tend to fall on the cheeks. So using an eyeshadow base is a must. And I actually like using my fingers or sponge applicators to apply rather than brushes. 

The shadows are all warm tones with shimmers but are not too frosty. 

Have you tried Wet n Wild eyeshadow? 

Here are the swatches. First are of the 4 shadows in the left column. 

And here are the other 4 from the right side of the palette. 

Brand spotlight: elf

elf (http://eyeslipsface.com ) is a budget friendly make up line which has the infamous $1 makeup products and brushes. It has come a long way and has been constantly expanding its line. Now elf makeup can be as expensive (?) as $8 for the mineral foundation. The products are sold in Target but I tend to order directly from their website, as there aren't any Canadian retails that carry this line yet. The site always has some kind of promotion (either free extra products, shipping, or 40% - 50% off with a certain $ purchase). I almost always purchase the Studio line products when there was the 50% off sale.
Some of the products are surprisingly awesome, some are okay and a few are horrible.I have had better luck with their Studio products than the original $1 line (Essentials). I have used up most of the products so do not have actual photos of them. elf makeup is definitely for those who like to try new things or trends in makeup or those who are budget conscious about makeup. It definitely adds to the fun of being a makeup junkie :)

Essential Blush Brush ($1)
It was enticing to buy a makeup brush for $1; however, this is a poorly made and not very useful. The bristles are rough and started to shed right away. The brush is not dense enough to pick up the blush and gave a streaky look. 

Essential Liquid Eyeliner ($1)
Non waterproof eyeliner but yet gives a very black line and for $1, it is great. I prefer waterproof liners just because my eyelids are oily. Otherwise would be a good choice for those wanting a cheap liquid liner. 
I have done a review on this on my Eyeliner post here.

Essential Nail Polish ($1, now $2)  
Very surprised at the quality of this polish. It is a standard nail polish that has a good pay off. 

Studio Cream eyeliner ($3)
I bought the Espresso thinking I would want a dark brown liner to try. The color was too sheer and the gel dried out quickly. I would not repurchase.

Studio Eye primer and liner ($3)  
Unfortunately this did not work for me at all. The primer moved around and did not hold the shadows in place. The liner did not provide the budge - proofing I needed. I literally threw it out after using it only a couple of times :(


Studio contouring blush and bronzing powder ($3)
This is a dupe for Nars Orgasm blush and Laguna bronzer. The blush has visible flecks of shimmer which is not that noticeable on skin. The bronzer is too shimmery for my liking. I have hit pan on the blush and still do use it once in a while.

contouring blush and bronzer powder 

Studio Blush ($3)
I purchased several shades of these blushes. Again they are somewhat of a dupe for Nars blushes. They are super powdery and the colors are not as intense as the Nars blushes. Even the available shades are reminiscent of the Nars line. The shimmery blushes have large shimmer particles that do not look so flattering on the skin. The ones I like are Tickled Pink and Mellow Mauve.

Studio High Definition Powder ($6)
This is the only powder from elf I have purchased twice. Supposedly this is a dupe for Make Up Forever HD powder. The powder is very finely milled and while white in the tub, translucent on the skin. It helps to minimize oil and sets the make up for the day.

Studio Bronzers ($3) in Warm and Golden
Each palette has 4 different shades of bronzers, which you can use separately or swirled together. Golden shade is the lighter of the two and the colors are not too intense. The bronzer like the blushes are really powdery. It stays on about 3 - 4 hours on my combination skin.

Warm Bronzer 

Studio undereye concealer and highlighter ($3)
Bought this on a whim and only used a couple of times before trashing it. The concealer is too thin to give proper coverage and the highlighter did not highlight but just blended into the skin.

Studio complete coverage concealer ($3)
The palette looks very promising with 4 different shades of concealers and a little brush. However, it does not give proper coverage and even with  multiple layers the concealer would not stay on the skin long. This made into misses of 2012.

Studio brush set ($45, on sale for $30) 
My favourite purchase of the elf products! I love all the brushes in this set. The 11 piece will give you all the makeup brush you need for your makeup wardrobe. They are made of synthetic nylon bristles and work very well as intended. I love the blush brush and the powder brush. They are soft and easy to work with.  There are 5 complexion related brushes and 6 eye related brushes. Some of the eyeshadow brushes are tad too small for my liking but overall this is a great buy.

Face brushes from the Studio Line Brush set 

Smaller (eye) brushes from the set 

Hair care

I have naturally frizzy non-curly but slight wavy hair that is thick and coarse. I will never have to worry about going bald. Ever. And thanks to my genes the hair is quite resilient and strong. Albeit super dry and damaged from the coloring, straight perms and regular perms. I used to color my hair at least every 2 months until last year. I saw all the damage it had done to my hair and now I just color every four months - touching up my roots. (I use Japanese foam hair dye called Prettia). I wash my hair every 2 days and use minimal styling products. 

The go-to brand of shampoo used to be Japanese brands such as Shiseido or Essential but they were quite expensive. Early this year I found Clear range via YouTube and I have been loving the results. I have gotten all my friends to use this line LOL. Clear is made by Unilever which is the company that makes Dove and Tresemme, both of which I do like. Clear line is meant to be used on your scalp as well as the hair, even for the conditioner. Their slogan is 'Stronger, more beautiful hair in 7 days, guaranteed'. Quite a lofty goal but I have to say the line does deliver. 

The collection has Total Care, Damage & Color repair, Volumizing root boost, Strong lengths, Frizz control and Ultra Shea. Some of these collections are only available in the US. It is usually $5-7 depending on the store. The price is a little more than the typical drugstore shampoos but well worth it. 

The collection I use and love is Damage & Color repair. I have also used the Frizz control shampoo, ultra Shea conditioner and Clean & refresh shampoo (from the men's line). The ones in the picture are from Target (larger size $7 each). Not sure if the larger size with pump is available in Canada. 

After only one use I noticed a difference in my hair. The shampoo and conditions smell wonderful, fresh and sweet. It lathers very well which I love. The hair feels lighter and moisturized and does not feel like its weighed down. When I use Pantene or Dove the hair seems to 'get used' to the products and get some waxy build up. I am onto my 3rd or 4th bottle of these and haven't noticed any build up. I will continue to use this line. 

Have you heard of 'Wen'? If you watch late night TV you may have come across the infomercial for the cleansing conditioner. Cleansing conditioner is supposed to be better for your hair as it does not contain the lathering sulphate and thus more nourishing to hair that's been damaged. It is supposed to not strip the hair and make the color stay in longer and keep the hair more moisturized. But Wen is about $38 for 16oz and that's only for a 2 month supply. I did some research and found the hair one cleansing conditioner at Sally's beauty supply. This was on sake for $9.99 for 12 oz. I do like the result of using this as the hair feels extra soft and not brittle at all. This one has a slight tingle once applied and even though there are no suds, my scalp does feel clean. It's just a little tedious and weird to get used to. The instructions on how to use this product is a little crazy. To summarize, it says to pump about 10 - 15 pumps of the product and distribute and message the scalp carefully for about 5 minutes on damp hair. Then pump another 10 - 15 pumps and work the rest of the hair; then let it sit for another 5 minutes before rinsing off. I don't know how long you usually take to shower but massaging your scalp for 5 minutes is a little too long (not to mention your arms feel super tired). While I like the results (hair does seem smoother and nourished) the whole massaging for 5 plus minutes, etc deters me from using it all the time. I have noticed that my hair dries a little faster (just a little) when I use the cleansing conditioner. 

After hair has been washed and dried, I use this leave in product - it's from a Japanese line Lux. This feels like a styling cream but does not have any hold. It makes my hair smoother and also less brittle than when I don't use it. I take a dollar size and rub it into the ends of the hair before combing. The results can be seen  when the hair is dry, which is surprising because it does not feel any different when you comb it in.

What do you use for your hair care?

Brand spotlight: Maybelline

This blog entry is a start of a series on different brands of makeup I have tried. Many of the brands will be from the drugstore and a few will be high end.

Maybelline is owned by L'oreal like many other brands but does not share much similarity with the sister drgustore brand L'oreal Paris. 

"Maybe it's Maybelline~"

Mascara: 

I think the most outstanding product for Maybelline is their mascaras. Surely all have heard of Great Lash (the pink and green tube), which unfortunately does not work for me. All of the mascaras I use are waterproof as non waterproof make the curled lashes droop. 

Volume Express Line includes Falsies, Rocket volume, Colossal, Mega Plush and One by One. They are all great at adding volume to my thin lashes.
Colossal volume express is similar to Covergirl Lash Blast. But the brushes have longer bristles which is better at separating the lashes.

Falsies is my absolute favorite Drugstore mascara because it adds volume and length. I have no complaint at all about this mascara. Currently there are a couple of back up tubes in my drawer, as would any make up junkie. 

Rocket Volume is the newest mascara in this line. Gives decent volume and length. 

Mega Plush has a very interesting brush head, that bends and is quite dense with plastic bristles. This mascara did not work for me as it gave me more of a natural look. 

One by one is great at adding length but not so with volume. 

Other mascaras

Lash stiletto - very similar to L'oreal Voluminous false lashes mascara. Adds quite a bit of length and a bit of volume. The con is that it can get clumpy quite quickly.

Full & soft - akin to L'oreal Voluminous original. Many people love this formula because the lashes do not become hard or brittle. 

Lash discovery - it has a very tiny brush that is perfect for smaller eyes and the bottom lashes. Sadly this is discontinued. 

Eye shadow:

For drugstore eye shadows, I like the Maybelline quads. Relatively inexpensive but the color range is great. The shadows are all very wearable and the quality is pretty good. 

Expert Wear Shadow Quads

There are 14 quads available; all are pretty neutral and easy to wear alone or together. 

The quad is divided into base, crease, accent and highlight color. 

Currently loving Emerald Smokes:

Color Tatoo eyeshadow

I have yet to try this long wearing cream eye shadow. I own a couple of L'oreal infalliable shadows and MAC paint pot which are similar to the Color Tatoo. Having tried it out at the drugstore, Color Tatoo feel a little drier and harder to work with than L'oreal or MAC.

Eyebrow pencil, eyeliners:

Define a brow eyebrow pencil is very slim. The consistency of the pencil allows for drawing on realistic looking brow hairs. The other end of the pencil has a plastic comb that would be handy to comb longer brow hairs. 

Eye studio master drama 

This automatic pencil is soft and easy to use. But because it is not waterproof, it tends to smudge on my lids. What I like is how dark the black is - truly giving a dramatic look. 

Eye studio gel liner

For a drugstore gel liner, this one is one of the better ones. What I love is the little brush it comes with. The gel itself does dry out faster than some but the color is very nice. It is a bit sheer with only one stroke. Currently using the Plum color which has a fleck of sparkle (but not obnoxious). 

Foundation:

I have tried a couple of their liquid foundation which I was not that thrilled with and not worth mentioning here.

The one I like the most is not a liquid but a creme foundation called Dream Smooth Mousse. 

This is different from Dream Matte Mousse in that it is a bit more solid. Quick to apply with the sponge provided and the best part is that it goes on smooth like the name suggests. 

I have tried applying this with a foundation brush but the sponge is a much better applicator. 

Note: I have tried the Dream Matte and Dream Liquid foundation but found them too heavy for my oily combination skin. 

Do you like Maybelline? Any other brands you want me to feature?

Sana Tonyu skin care

Before my trip to Japan I. December I did some research on affordable skincare. Came across the Sana Tonyu (soy) line and have been pleasantly surprised. The line I bought is the original one - a soy toner and a cream (a decent sample of cleanser came with it). Both the toner and the cream were about 1000 yen each, approximately $12 CAD.

This line doesn't seem to contain any fragrance which I really enjoy. The cleanser produces thick foam that cleanses the face without drying it. The toner is light milk color and leaves the skin feeling hydrated. The cream is what I enjoy the most. It is more like a thick gel-cream hybrid that blends into skin rather quickly. I can feel that my skin is moisturized and feels plump in the morning. I have not had any issues with this line at all such as break outs or rashes.

This line is called Nameraka Honpo on Sasa.com and the whole range is available.

PS. Sasa is a large cosmetic retailer in Hong Kong that sells many Asian lines, especially Japanese brands at affordable prices. They ship all over the world and offer free shipping with certain purchase amount.