REVIEW | Fenty Beauty By Rihanna

I'm pretty sure that I'm the last person on planet earth to be doing this review, but it's with good reason! It's been well over a month (almost two) since Rihanna slayed the makeup game - and our existence -  by dropping her new makeup line, Fenty Beauty, and it's taken me this long to finally get this post up because: a. work has been absolutely nuts and b. I ended up making a second, follow-up order for a lighter foundation and two previously out-of-stock items to give you guys a better review. So le'go!

Fenty Beauty officially launched on September 8th, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that their products also dropped on the same day on Sephora Hong Kong's website! I'm not usually one to buy into all the hype with celebrity makeup (I have never purchased a single Kylie Cosmetics or KKW product) but this is RiRi, and I just couldn't help myself. Her initial launch (her second launch - the galaxy holiday collection - already dropped two weeks ago and I can barely keep up) was complexion-focused and offered products to create the perfect base, so that's exactly what I got - the foundation, the concealer, contour and highlight match sticks, and in my second order, another foundation in a lighter shade, one of the duo highlighters, and the lip gloss. I think we can all agree that Rihanna's makeup is always on freakin' point, so if using her makeup products means I can look half as good as her, I'm sold. Just take my money.

Pro Filt'r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation

$280 HKD at Sephora HK | $34 USD at Sephora

40 shades | 32 ml

First things first - Rihanna launched a whopping 40 shades of foundation during her initial launch (say whaaat), catering to a huge, inclusive range of skin tones and undertones. Bravo! But, I must say, picking my shade online was an absolute pain in my behind - the swatches provided on models of different skin tones (shown below) did help a bit, since the names of the shades are all very similar. After watching what felt like hundreds of youtube videos and checking to see what shades other people purchased, I narrowed my choices down to either 230 or 260, both described as 'medium shades with neutral undertones'. Considering the fact that everyone was saying this foundation oxidises a shade darker, I finally made the painstaking decision to get 230. Aaaaand, you guessed it - it was still. way. too. dark. Heartbreaking, I know. I also got a deluxe sample in the shade 210 with my first order which, disappointingly, was also too dark. This is why I made a second order and chose shade 140 - after another stressful deliberation - described as 'light warm', and it turned out to be significantly lighter (a bit too light, actually) than shade 230. So now, I just use a mix of 140 and 230 to get my perfect shade and it works like a charm.

Image from Sephora Hong Kong

The foundation is packaged in a beautiful frosted glass bottle and comes with a pump (thank youuu), and is described to be "a soft matte, long-wear foundation with buildable, medium-to-full coverage, in a boundary-breaking range of shades". I've had this on almost every single day for the past month or so, and I've decided (drumroll please) that I have a love-hate relationship with this thing. It has a nice, liquidy consistency that blends nicely but dries down quickly in comparison to other bases. It does offer a solid medium coverage upon first application and is indeed mattifying, leaving just a slight sheen on the cheeks. Although this foundation is wonderfully catered to a diverse range of skin tones, I don't think it will complement all skin types - if you are dry, normal or even combination, more likely than not you'll find this drying and that it clings to dry patches, so you must prep the skin incredibly well to be able to wear this comfortably throughout the day.

Even after setting my T-zone with powder, my nose and forehead gets very shiny after just three hours to the point where I can't not blot. On my oily-combination skin, I looked dry in certain areas (mostly around the chin) and found it also emphasized some texture around my nose and on my cheeks - if you looked close enough. I will say, my skin looks absolutely flawless from far away and also phenomenal in pictures, but the closer you get, the more flaws you can detect.

However, this foundation is truly long-lasting, and is still pretty much intact at the end of the night before I wash my face. Even on days when I am sweating profusely, beads of sweat will just seep through and sit on top of the skin while the foundation manages to stay put, undisturbed. So as you can see, there are different aspects that I love and hate with this foundation and it'll probably take me a while to decide which side I'm leaning towards.

140 | 210 | 230

The shade 230 comes out yellow-toned straight out of the bottle, but then oxidizes - well, more accurately 'dries down' - after a few minutes to a much darker, peachy shade. Oh, the horror! I was honestly quite upset as soon as I saw the shade discrepancy as I thought I had already picked a light enough shade and accounted for the oxidisation. Shade 210 also dried down darker and shade 140, although at least two shades too light, turned out to be the closet match to me out of the three. FYI, 210 is the exact same shade as my Maybelline Fit Me Matte + Powerless Foundation in 128 Warm Nude straight out of the tube, and dries down to be half a shade darker.

Match Stix Trio

$450HKD at Sephora HK | $54USD at Sephora

4 different sets

So I was probably a little more excited about these match sticks then I was about the foundation solely based on the packaging - 'cos look at them! Pink, magnetic hexagon tubes that stick together and form a honeycomb design - super cute, and super easy to store and travel with. The Match Stix are sold individually as well as in trios with pre-chosen shades to conceal, contour and highlight, and I decided to go with the trio in Light, which came with the shades Linen, Amber and Starstruck. These sticks are of a creamy yet stiffer consistency - it requires a bit more pressure upon application - but nonetheless they still blend seamlessly into the skin (for the most part), and its cream to powder formula seems to work in sync with the foundation.

Linen | Amber | Starstruck

Linen | "fair to light cool pinky undertones"
As a concealer for under my eyes, this is a no-go - the consistency, colour, and coverage all don't work well under the eyes. However, using this to highlight my forehead, down the nose, as well as underneath my contour has been working wonderfully.

Amber | "contour shade with cool undertones"
My favourite shade of the three, hands down. It is the perfect contour shade for my complexion, with the perfect balance of grey and warm tones, creating the perfect shadow in the hollows of my cheek. Obsessed. And I actually prefer the drier consistency with this stick because it doesn't feel like my contour will slip off as the day goes on. A month on and this has been my go-to contouring product.

Starstruck | "iced-out pearl"
This has the driest consistency of the trio and applying it directly from the tube onto my skin actually disturbs my foundation underneath, so the best way to apply this is warming it up on my finger then tapping it on my face, or applying it using a small, tapered highlighting brush. This is an icy pink shade that looks quite soft and pretty on the skin, and while I usually prefer more gold and champagne highlighters, this one works well when I want a subtle, "feminine" glow.

 Linen | Amber | Starstruck

Lastly, I noticed that inside each of the match stick caps is a thin, foamy insert that 'cushions' the product and prevents it from getting all mushed up and destroyed if twisted up too high when capped off. That's just a tiny design aspect that shows incredible attention to detail and I had to point it out! Sometimes, it's the smallest things that make the biggest difference.

Killawatt Freestyle Highlighter Duo

$280HKD at Sephora HK | $34USD at Sephora
4 shades

I didn't get to buy this highlighter in my first order, and could not stop thinking about how much I wanted it in my collection. This particular duo in Mean Money/Hu$tla Baby called out to me (although I was also contemplating over the duo in Lightning Dust/Fire Crystal) and the pearly, golden shades are right up my street. The formula is described to be a weightless cream to powder, and application is so easy and effortless with either just fingers or a brush. Mean Money is the lighter, more subtle shade of the two (perhaps too subtle for some, but a great highlighter for work days), whereas Hu$tla Baby really packs a punch and instantly lights up the face (aka the go-to shade for a blinding highlight on girls' night out or weekend adventures).

Hu$tla Baby | Mean Money

My apologies for the poor swatches, but it was a struggle to capture the radiance of the two shades, especially when they are quite similar to my skin tone.  Hu$tla Baby turns out to be a close dupe to Becca's Champagne Pop - a long-time favourite of mine - with Champagne Pop being just a slight bit darker and more pigmented.

Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer

$180 HKD at Sephora HK | $24USD at Sephora

1 universal shade

I can count the number of times I've worn lip gloss this past year on one hand, but this just looked way too pretty to resist. Plus, almost every review and video I came across gave this absolutely glowing reviews, and it keeps on selling out online! Fenty Glow is a universal rose nude shade with "explosive shine" that is supposed to look (and feel) amazing on everyone, and has an "addictive peach vanilla scent" that truly smells quite delish. My lips are quite pigmented on their own, so while this doesn't add too much colour, it does provide a beautiful, moisturizing sheen to my lips, making them look fuller, plumper and more kissable (although I do advise against this while having this on) and it doesn't have the dreaded sticky texture that most glosses have. Staying power isn't great, but I don't mind reapplying since both the scent and the look it gives my lips are so yummy.

Well, I think this has to be one of the longest reviews I've ever posted on this blog - huge props if you're still here! So let's try to end this massive review with a short yet sweet conclusion - I'm really pleased with my first venture into Fenty Beauty, and mark my words, this definitely won't be my last. My standouts from this haul would have to be everything except the foundation (in which I will continue to perform intensive testing). It'll be exciting to see whether Rihanna comes out with another foundation formula that is more moisturising and catered to drier skin types, cos I'll be all over that. It's so lovely to see Fenty Beauty make a statement on inclusivity and diversity through their makeup, and I cannot wait to see what other products Rihanna comes out with next. Keep slayin', RiRi!

REVIEW | Innisfree No-Sebum Mineral Powder

Sweater weather is officially over in Hong Kong, and it's now been replaced with unbearable, insufferable humidity. Yuck! The warmer climate has not been doing my oily combination skin any favors, obviously - my face is getting so greasy so fast, and it seems my beloved Laura Mercier Translucent Powder just isn't cutting it. So my desperation to rein in that shine ultimately led me to picking up the Innisfree No-Sebum Mineral Powder, and I'm finally ready to give y'all my thoughts!

Innisfree No-Sebum Mineral Powder

$7USD at Innisfree
5g | 1 shade

As some of you may recall, I did a review on the Innisfree Long Wear Cushion SPF 50 last year and commended the brand's eco-friendly approach to all their products and packaging. This time around, I noticed that even my receipt was printed on recyclable paper. Sweet!

I was told by the sales associate that the No-Sebum Mineral Powder is one of their best sellers, and with a name like no-sebum I just had to try it out for myself. It comes in a small, portable jar with a sifter and a soft powder puff on top. When I buy new powders, I always tear off just half of the sticker on the sifter - you can better control the amount of product to dispense out, and it doesn't get quite as messy. I tap out a tiny amount of powder into the lid and either use the powder puff or a fluffy brush to apply it all over my face.

The powder is incredibly soft and finely milled - like flour - and you can barely feel it when you rub it between your fingers! Although the powder is white, it blends out to be translucent with just a slight brightening effect. The first thought I had after applying this on my face was how smooth and silky it made my skin feel. Wow. Definitely impressed. It doesn't settle into my fine lines, and I can even use it to set my under eyes - I just dip the pointy end of my damp BeautyBlender into the powder and dab dab dab.

After some trial and error, I discovered that instead of just using a fluffy brush and lightly dusting the powder all over, I get a much more long-lasting and shine-free result when I use the powder puff and push the powder into the skin. Not only can I visibly see the shine disappear right before my eyes, but I also get a shine-free T-zone for up to five hours before some dewiness starts to peek through. This, in my books, is a total win - I usually get shiny in just under two hours - and even afterwards, my skin just maintained a natural, dewy glow, with none of that gross, greasy nonsense.

Innisfree offers another version, the No-Sebum Blur Powder, that has a natural beige tint and a blurring effect that claims to smooth away pores and wrinkles, and would perhaps be a better choice for those of you desiring a bit more coverage but also a more natural, undetectable finish with no brightening effect. Once I'm done with this jar, I'm definitely considering getting the Blur Powder to compare the two.

Swatched | Blended out

The only other product in my collection that I consider to be comparable would be my Soap and Glory One Heck of a Blot Super-Translucent Mattifying Powder that I hit pan on a looong time ago. It used to be a favorite of mine, but just got pushed to the back of my makeup bin as time went on. It comes in a pressed compact, and although I find the Innisfree powder to be more fine and silky in texture, both powders are similar enough in performance to be pretty much interchangeable in my routine - both have the same lasting and mattifying power, with the only difference being that the Innisfree version offers an illuminating quality, and Soap and Glory's pressed version is more convenient for touch-ups. It's currently priced at $16USD for 9g, which is more than double the price of the Innisfree powder but also almost double the amount. Innisfree also offers a pressed version of the no-sebum powder, the Innisfree No-Sebum Mineral Pact at $12USD for 8.5g, that would also be a great option for traveling or touch-ups.

At just$7USD, the Innisfree No-Sebum Mineral Powder is truly a great bang for your buck, and it would be a handy addition to any makeup collection, especially if you have oily skin and need that extra help with oil control. In this current humidity, I predict that I'll be running out of this powder very soon...

REVIEW | Canmake UV Silky Fit Foundation SPF30 PA++

It's been more than three months - three! - since I've been under a self-imposed makeup shopping ban, and I've kept my word - zero shopping! No, there's no need to applaud - fine, I'm amazing. After some rather excessive beauty hauling in Europe and Boston earlier in the year, I decided to take a spending break and focus on products I already owned and loved. To celebrate my incredible self-control and willpower (tsk tsk), I rewarded myself with a new beauty buy - the Canmake UV Silky Fit Foundation SPF30 PA++.

Canmake UV Silky Fit Foundation SPF30 PA++ 

$120 HKD at Sasa (around $15 USD)

2 Shades

It was love at first swatch with this Canmake powder foundation - my boyfriend had insisted we pop inside Sasa to get some hair gel (why, oh why would he tempt me?!) and before I knew what hit me, I was paying for this baby at the checkout counter. While I am certainly not the type of person to buy products on a whim - you best believe I do my research before committing to anything - this swatched so beautifully on the back of my hand, and I was already a big fan of the brand. Canmake is a popular Japanese drugstore brand that carries an extensive range of high-quality products at affordable prices (we like the sound of that!), and their Shading Powder in 01 Danish Brown, a lovely, cool-toned bronzer, is one of my favorites for achieving that natural shadow and contour. Hello, cheekbones! The Canmake website claims this powder foundation is resistant to sweat and sebum, gives a "smooth, baby-soft finish" to the face, and has a skin-friendly formulation with no alcohol, mineral oil or perfume. Since I'm always on the lookout for bases with SPF, this seemed like a good buy at an affordable price point. Cha-ching!

The powder foundation comes in a pearlescent, blue compact case with a mirror and sponge (super travel-friendly!), with small slots at the bottom of the case for ventilation purposes for when the sponge is still wet. How thoughtful is that?! The foundation is fragrance-free, and the shade range is, again, incredibly limited with just two shades, including 01 Light Ochre for "pale skin and those who like a brightening effect", and 02 Ochre for normal complexions. I went with the darker shade, which was still too light for my complexion. Oh well, gotta work with what you got! The instructions say that you can use this foundation with the sponge either dry or wet, and specifically not to throw out the plastic film on top of the foundation. Maybe to keep the foundation from drying out? Who knows. I knew I should've kept going to Japanese classes!

I quickly found out (the hard way) that application is so important with this foundation - how you apply this and the tools you choose will make or break your face. Trying this on with the sponge both dry and wet turned into a cakey, patchy mess - like packing on cement - and even my beloved Sephora Classic Mini Multitasker Brush #45.5 was a no-go. Welcome to Cake Town! I finally took out my fluffy e.l.f Powder Brush and made the point of pushing the foundation into the skin instead of buffing. Success! The foundation is buildable to a medium coverage, but be warned that it can look cakey fast. I used a concealer brush to tap this under my eyes as concealer, which did a surprisingly okay job at hiding my dark circles.

This looks pretty good once you get the application right, but it's also super obvious that you're wearing foundation. My boyfriend, who is usually completely oblivious to my makeup, noticed as well and made sure to let me know. Thanks dude. But fear not - this is one of those foundations that looks better as the day goes on, once you let your natural oils mix with the base. It certainly did hold up in the heat as it claimed, and I wasn't nearly as shiny as I usually get in this humidity. However, the foundation faded rather unevenly throughout the day, leaving patches on my forehead and around my cheeks. Not a good look.

Swatched | Blended out

If I could go back in time - wouldn't that be swell? - I would not buy this again. No, nope, nah, never. This just isn't the most flattering base, the application can be tricky and was a lot more work than I anticipated. If you have very oily skin, and you want something that offers sun protection and helps you stay relatively matte, then sure, you could give this a try. If you have dry, normal, even combination skin, don't even think about it! 'Cos this will be a nightmare. Overall, I would say just save your money and try your luck elsewhere!

Thankfully, this hasn't gone to complete waste - I now use this as a midday foundation topper! I dust this on in the afternoon when I need that extra coverage and to top up my SPF - it's recommended that we reapply our SPF every few hours, but of course we ain't gonna mess up our highlight and contour... so this is the perfect solution!

Hope you enjoyed this review! I'm really proud of myself for sticking it out for three months, and am officially lifting my shopping ban - let the beauty hauling commence!

REVIEW | Laura Mercier's Secret Brightening Powder x Translucent Loose Setting Powder

All you oily skinned girls out there like me know that there's a fine line between looking glowy and looking greasy. Because I live in a humid city like Hong Kong, it exacerbates the problem and I often look (unfortunately) like the latter. I'm super happy to introduce two powders from Laura Mercier that have become a lifesaver for me - not only do they keep the shine away, they also help set my under eyes beautifully so there's no creasing and I look more awake and less zombie-like. Score!

Laura Mercier
Secret Brightening Powder | Translucent Loose Setting Powder

$25 USD (0.14oz) | $23 USD (0.33oz) at Sephora, Laura Mercier, Nordstrom

Both these powders come in a sturdy plastic jar with a screw-on lid. It can get a little messy when you open them, but the product is so good I can overlook the messiness. I have the Secret Brightening Powder in Shade #1, and the Translucent Loose Setting Powder in Translucent. Both these powders are so finely-milled and feel oooh-so-soft on the skin. I just can't even.

The Secret Brightening Powder has been the only powder I've found (so far) that really prevents creasing under my eyes while also brightening the area up. I will admit - there is very slight creasing at the end of the day (because I have lots of fine lines under my eyes - sigh) but this does as good of a job as it possibly can. I also find it really does help brighten and diminish the look of my very dark circles. There are teeny tiny flecks of shimmer in the powder, which I'll be honest, threw me off at first, but now I really appreciate it since I can see how it helps add to the illuminating and diffusing quality.

The Translucent Loose Setting Powder is the only powder I've been using for the past few months to set my entire face, and I don't find myself stopping anytime soon. I find it really leaves my face looking flawless and I don't look ever look greasy by the end of the day like I used to. Hollaaa! The powder is super silky and it just feels nice and luxurious when I apply it.

I use the Secret Brightening Powder strictly under my eyes, but the Translucent Loose Setting powder I will use on the face and also under the eyes when it's just kind of a blah day and I don't need that extra coverage and oomph for my under eyes.

Secret Brightening Powder | Translucent Setting Powder

 Blended out

Blended out completely

As you can see from the swatches, the secret brightening powder is -wait for it- more brightening, while the translucent powder disappears on the skin. 

I usually apply these two powders using either the Real Techniques brushes or my beauty blender. First off, let me just say that the Real Technique brushes are aca-mazing and I have multiples of each brush to prove it. I use the RT Blush Brush to apply the translucent powder - I find that the large brush head isn't the best for precise blush application (as the name suggests), but is great for a light dusting of powder all over my face. I use the RT Setting Brush to apply the brightening powder under my eyes - the size and shape of this brush is absolutely perfect for this.  On days when I'm using my beauty blender to apply my foundation, I'll just use it to apply both powders as well -  I use the pointed end to apply under the eyes and the rounded bottom to bounce powder all over the face.

Real Techniques Blush Brush | Real Techniques Setting Brush | BeautyBlender

These Laura Mercier powders are, in my opinion, the best setting powders out there. Let me know if you love these as well, or if there's another powder that you swear by instead!