SAMPLE SUNDAY | Bobbi Brown Skin Nourishing Glow Foundation x Wei Golden Root Purifying Mud Mask

Bobbi Brown Skin Nourishing Glow Foundation |

I'm always psyched to try out new products from Bobbi Brown - especially their base products - and my expectations are always sky high. The words "nourishing" and "glow" may sound a tad intimidating for someone with oily skin, but I am always down to try anything and everything. Bobbi Brown claims that this "richly emollient yet lightweight hybrid cream foundation delivers moisture and luminous coverage for a polished, lit-from-within look", and that it contains the skincare benefits of a rich, luxurious moisturizer that makes skin look instantly plump, smooth and radiant. The shade Sand 2 is yellow-toned and matches me to a tee, despite it oxidizing a smidgen darker after application. The gel cream consistency feels very weightless and comfortable on the skin, although I found it a bit streaky in application with a brush and much better with a BeautyBlender. Although it claims to have high coverage, to me it's more of a light to medium buildable coverage, and there are tiny, barely-there shimmer particles that help achieve that lit-from-within, glowy complexion. This wasn't particularly long-lasting on my oily skin and my T-zone got shiny after just two hours - it does advertise to be catered for normal to dry skin types - but it faded away evenly and didn't emphasize any dry patches. This is just one of those products that is very pleasant to use, but too pricey for what it does - the foundation costs a whopping $75USD here in Hong Kong, and my Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation can essentially achieve the same natural, luminous effect, with both better coverage and lasting power. So reluctantly, I'm going to have to pass.

Wei Golden Root Purifying Mud Mask |
WEI is a skincare brand that I've wanted to try for ages - the products are created based on the principles of traditional Chinese medicine, which really tickled my curiosity, and the Golden Root Purifying Mud Mask is their best seller. This ultrasoft mud mask is formulated with seven herbs that claim to deeply penetrate the skin and help counteract cell damage, minimize pores, diminish breakouts, refine skin texture, and renew lifeless-looking skin. And let me just cut to the chase and say that I am officially obsessed. This has a nice, subtle scent - an earthy, herbal, perfumy mixture - and has a smooth, velvety consistency that feels oh-so-soothing to apply. It's slightly cooling (and tingly) upon application and dries down quickly, but isn't at all tight and stiff like other mud masks - you can talk and laugh and make facial expressions without feeling like you're creating bloody wrinkles! I rinse it off after the recommended 10 minutes, and the water transforms the mask into a rich, oily consistency that makes my skin feel ultra nourished, soft, and firm. I was sold after just one application, and will definitely be dropping the $42USD to get the full size, which consists of 8 individually packaged pods and an application brush.

MONTHLY FAVORITES | June 2016

Today officially marks the start of the second half of the year. Give me a minute while I properly freak out. How are we already halfway done with 2016?!

All the craziness aside, June was a particularly exciting month for me because... I got a new job! Hip hip hooray! Which also explains the lack of posts... my apologies. But June was not exciting in the least in terms of my makeup favorites - I stuck to the same products and slapped them on my face every morning. My goal was to look fresh and awake, and not at all like I stayed up playing with Riley the night before.

Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation in 52 Vanilla |
As you should already know by now if you've read my rave review, this is one of my favorite foundations of all time. It evens out my complexion, gives me a natural glow, applies like a dream, smells ah-mazing and lasts all day. What more can I ask for?! (Well, maybe SPF... but that's a whole other issue.)

Benefit Erase Paste Brightening Concealer in 2 Medium |
When I feel like I need extra help in the dark circle department - which is always 'cos I'm a night owl - this is what I reach for. This concealer in Medium is a pink, salmon shade that I use as a corrector under my eyes, and although the consistency is very thick - and a little does goes a long way -  it's super easy to blend out and really helps neutralize my dark circles before I go in with concealer. Works like a charm. 

Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer in Light Warm |
The Urban Decay and NARS concealers are pretty much interchangeable in my routine - I seriously love them both - but this one in Light Warm is a much lighter shade than my NARS Creamy Concealer in Custard, which makes it more aptly suited for brightening up the under eyes and highlighting the face. It helps trick people into thinking I look super energized and ready to take on the day, when in fact I'm hitting the snooze button on repeat inside.

Coty Airspun Loose Face Powder in Naturally Neutral |
I got this little gem way back when I was still in college and never opened it until last month. And boy, was I missing out big time. This has become my go-to setting and baking powder for my face and under eyes - I've been using this over my Laura Mercier powders which is saying a lot - and it gives the most beautiful, soft finish to the face. I recall this being around $5 USD and it seriously works like a high-end powder, if not better. The only con is that it has quite an overwhelmingly powdery perfume scent, which some people claim to love, so to each their own. 

Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in Exposed |
This is the first shade I picked up from the Tarte blush range, and it's my best blush buy to date. It's a gorgeous, rosy nude shade that gives your cheeks a natural flush and I swear it looks perfect with every skin tone and any makeup look. I can also attest to the 12-Hour claim - it's true!

MAC Eyeshadow in Wedge |
This matte, "soft muted beige taupe" shade from MAC is the first eyeshadow I ever purchased from the brand, and is probably my most worn eyeshadow ever. I wear this on my eyes almost every day in some way or another. This month, I've been blending it all over my lids with the fluffy Sigma E40 Tapered Blending Brush, and I'm good to go. It is gorgeous worn alone or as a transition shade, and is definitely a must-have in my books.

Fresh Sugar Tinted Lip Treatment in Rosé |
This adorable, sample-sized lippie from Fresh is perfect to just throw in my makeup bag and apply on the go - it's moisturizing, has SPF, and adds a subtle rose tint to my lips. So much love for such a tiny product. Stay tuned for an upcoming review (hint - rave) on my Fresh lip products! 

So those were my favorites for the month of June, hope you enjoyed!

REVIEW | Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation x Healthy Mix Serum Foundation

I can't exactly remember where or when I picked up my first bottle of the Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation - it might have been during one of my dad's marathon excursions in France a few years back - but I will always remember, this being my first liquid foundation ever, that I properly freaked out 'cos it was so, so good. I knew right away that I had to also try out the original Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation as well, and I've been using both religiously ever since. If you have ever considered buying either one of these foundations and never could make up your mind, this post is for you.

Fun fact - did you know that Bourjois dates back to 1863? Their very first products were waxy makeup sticks specially made for theatre, and their website shows you the brand's full history and how their products have evolved over the years. So cool. I'm pretty sure Bourjois products are available mainly in the UK and Europe - I've never come across them in the states - but I have occasionally seen items available on ASOS and Amazon. I've come to find that most Sasa stores here in Hong Kong also have a small Bourjois section, which is super exciting but also super dangerous for my wallet. 

I'm just going to preface this review by saying that both of these foundations are bloody fantastic. I've used them for about three years now, and I've never, ever been disappointed. So if you don't feel like reading a long, rambling post about how amazing these are, you can stop here. But if you do want more of the dirty details, we're going to get into that right now.

Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation

£10.99 from Boots | Currently $137 HKD from ASOS

30ml | 6 shades

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation

£9.99 from Boots | Currently $125 HKD from ASOS

30ml | 8 shades

A quick gander on the Bourjois website and you'll see that both of these foundations make a lot of claims. In a nutshell, they both aim to even out the complexion, give your skin a radiance boost, and last up to 16 hours. The serum foundation is supposed to erase imperfections and give you "an instant anti-fatigue result", whereas the original foundation claims to give you a more flawless and luminous effect. To me, all that mumbo jumbo is just fancy wording and they both do pretty much the same thing.

First things first - both foundations come with a pump. Yipee! The serum version is in a sleek, taller plastic tube whereas the original comes in a heavier glass bottle. Both foundations are enriched with a fruit therapy formula aimed to enhance the complexion - the serum version contains lychee, goji berries and pomegranate to provide instant anti-fatigue results, while the original contains apricot, melon and apple for radiance, hydration and protection. To me, both smell exactly the same - a pleasant, refreshing fruity scent that is not at all off-putting. For those of you making the fragrance = breakouts connection, Bourjois claims that these are hypoallergenic and dermatologically tested, so don't write them off just yet - give it a try!

In terms of texture, the serum version has a light, runny gel consistency while the original is much thicker and creamier. They both apply and blend very easily, but the serum does seem to glide better on my skin and feels that much lighter on the face. The serum foundation offers light to medium coverage, and I find it gives the skin more of a radiant, luminous quality, whereas the original is more buildable and offers a solid medium to full coverage, and has more of a semi-matte finish.

Although the original is supposed to be catered towards more oily skin, and the serum for more dry skin, I find that they both feel comfortable and wear the same on my oily-combination skin. Neither foundation settles into my pores or fine lines as the day goes on, and while I do get a bit shiny in the T-zone and have to blot throughout the day - like always - both foundations are quite long-lasting and doesn't seem to fade until after eight, nine, sometimes even ten hours. If I have to nitpick, however, I will say the original seems to last an hour or two longer.

I have the Healthy Mix Serum Foundation in 52 Vanilla, and the Healthy Mix Foundation in both 52 Vanilla and 53 Light Beige. Both Vanilla shades are a great match for me, although I find the original oxidizes just a touch. 53 Light Beige is considerably darker and is a good match for my summer tan.

Healthy Mix Serum Foundation in 52 Vanilla | Healthy Mix Foundation in 52 Vanilla | Healthy Mix Foundation in 53 Light Beige

There you have it. Two wonderful bases that are, hands down, my favorite drugstore foundations and definitely in my top five favorite foundations of all time. That's saying a lot! The formula of these are truly amazing, and you are getting high-end quality at an affordable drugstore price. The only issue I have is, again, with the limited shade range. Sigh.

Now, if you told me that I had to pick my favorite out of the two, it would have to be the Healthy Mix Serum Foundation, solely because of my preference for the lighter consistency and more natural coverage for an everyday look.

So, if you're into lighter coverage, weightless foundations - meaning you want good looking skin but would still like to have your gorgeous freckles peeking through - get the Healthy Mix Serum Foundation. If you're more into full coverage foundations that give you a flawless canvas while still feeling comfortable on the face, then get the original Healthy Mix Foundation. You can really do no wrong with either one.

Or, you can be like me and get both! Because they're both amazing and a girl can never have too many foundations.. right?