Haul-Review / Makeup: Benefit - That Gal Brightening Face Primer

This haul was done way back in Dec 2010 when Benefit was offering $20 off for every $100 purchase. Hence I tempted a few of my BFF to consolidated enough orders to qualify for the offer and free international shipping.

The Pretty packing within....

The goods within.. Only "That Gal" is mine...

Item Name: Benefit - That Gal Brightening Face Primer
Size: 11 ml
Price: USD28.00
Available At: benefitcosmetics.com
Picture Source: klutzbeauty.blogspot.com

Product Description from Manufacturer:

Our silky pink primer takes your complexion from dull to darling! Simply smooth on for the look of brighter, smoother skin.

One shade helps brighten all skin tones. Can be worn alone, under or over makeup.

Twist the base until the primer is distributed on the top. Apply with fingertips onto the face. Blend this silky pink primer in an even, upward motion. Wear alone, or under makeup for smoother makeup application. Gently pat on during the day to re-brighten your complexion.

Why I bought it:
I need a highlighting primer and I've heard raves about this product, so I decided to try it out, since there was a discount plus free shipping.

Packaging
Slick plastic packaging. Instead of squeezing, you need to twist the base to get the product out. Kind of freaky to see globs of product oozing out from their tiny holes.

Thereafter, you just swipe up all the product that oozed out with your finger to apply.

It takes a little practice get used to how many turns to do so that you don't end up with too much product.

Texture:
Shiny gel like consistency. There is a faint smell that might take some time to get used to.

Price:
The price of the product came up to approximately SDG34.00 after the discount and free shipping. With 11 ml, I would not consider it as cheap. But given the amount that I use at one time, it should last a while.

Road Test:
First of all, a little goes a long way. The first few times, I ended up with too much product. But once I got the hang of it, it was a breeze.

I applied the product after foundation by patting it in lightly to the bridge of my nose, the top of my cheeks where the light hits and also the "C" area on the outer sides of my eyes.

This is the "heart" shape area as taught by Kevin 老師..

My face became radiant instantly !!! A colleague even commented that I looked like I'm in love!!! 

Source: Kevin老師's Facebook

Verdict:
Definitely a new HG!!! The product gives me a radiant highlight that looks so au naturale. And a little goes a long way!!!


Other Pictures:

Haul-Review / Makeup: Giorgio Armani - Luminous Silk Foundation in #4

Yes yes yes, another conquest for this foundation fiend... After an extensive online research and going through swatches after swatches, I finally took the plunge and got a friend to pick this up when he dropped by Hong Kong for a business trip.

Such a sweet man, I was expecting him to tell me that he wasn't able to find it, or bought the wrong item, since makeup isn't really his forte. But he actually took the effort to visit the boutique and duty-free to help me find it, despite his busy schedule.. *gushes*.. It's just too bad that he doesn't have the hots for me..

Anyway, it's the famed Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation in #4 (HKD430 for 30ml)!!! It comes up to approximately SGD70.00, which is actually cheaper than buying from US direct, RRP is USD59. And nope, they don't sell it here in Singapore.

Product Description from Manufacturer:

As seen in the press, capture the glow of perfect skin with this award-winning foundation. Luminous Silk foundation is an oil-free fluid with exclusive Micro-fil technology. So weightless, it redefines foundation. Its hydrating fluid glides on seamlessly with a silky texture and all-day, buildable coverage. For all skin types.

weightless and luminous oil-free fluid
natural finish
all-day sheer to moderate coverage


Why I bought it:
What can I say, this has been on the foundation IT-List for the longest. I've heard so much raves that I had to try it out.

Packaging:
Housed in a sleek frosted-glass bottle with a pump. Hygienic and fuss-free.

Texture:
Very runny and light consistency. But I feel that NARS Sheer Glow is more runny as compared to LSF though.

Price:
More expensive than my HG foundation. But I just got to try it.

Road Test:
The shade I chose was #4, which was deduced from online swatches and foundation matching matrix. So if you are a Diorskin Nude #20, LSF#4 should match you pretty well, more so if you're on the warm side than neutral.

I was really relieved that the shade did match my skintone. However, I do find that it's still a tad yellowish for my skin.

The foundation dries pretty fast, so be sure to apply with a quick hand, otherwise, it may end up being patchy.

I encountered some problems with trying to build up on the coverage, the top layer don't seemed to be able to blend in with the lower layer. I actually find that this foundation works better if it is stippled in, rather than spreaded. It gives an air-brushed look when stippled with my beauty blender.

Coverage wise I would say sheer to medium, which, is surprising given the runny texture of the product. But it did cover some of my redness.

It dries more to a luminous matt finish rather than the typical luminous dewy finish, which I am more used to. So I skipped finishing powder altogether since I didn't want to look like a mouldy pancake (Yes, I think too much..)

The foundation do last well. I wore it for more than 10hours and it was still intact by the end of the day. I didn't even bothered to blot it during the day.

Verdict:
Definitely a HG potential! However, given the price, I would say that if you 've already found a HG and don't suffer from an OCD like mine, you can skip this foundation altogether. It's good but it doesn't really WOW.

Below are some pictures:

I didn't bother to do a face application since weekends is my skin's off-days and my camera is currently with my sister, who is out of the country.

So, please do bear with my lousy camera phone that do not allow me to take high-def macro shots.

The beauty just out of it's box..

 The inside, with the pump.



The Swatch between 2 foundations

Haul / Swatch : Make Up Store - Blusher in Glam Rose

The next few entries would be overdue haul posts that I've accumulated over the past 2 months... Will find time to do reviews when my workload starts to reduce come Mar 2011.. (I hope)..

Alright, this purchase was really an impulse buy. I had originally wanted to get a MAC Blush in Loverush during the Tangs 12% Rebate sale on 10th Feb 2011.

But after a long day of back to back meetings and a major presentation, I wasn't really in the right form to battle the long cashier queues, not to mention I was feeling kind of drowsy from my allergy medication.

Since I figured I wasn't really in need of a blusher, just the need to do some retail therapy, I gave up on the purchase while waiting for the MAC consultant to attend to me.

So feeling a little unsatisfied, I popped by Make Up Store during lunch the next day and came out with one of their blushers, the Glam Rose @ SGD32.00.

Make Up Store hails from one of my favorite European countries, Sweden and have been in Singapore for some time now. It's just that I never quite found the opportunity to browse their products. So, this blusher is actually the first item that I own, under the Make Up Store brand.

The packaging, product offering and prices are very similar to MAC and some may mistake it for being a MAC wannabe. But on a personal note, I find that the quality is actually better compared to MAC's. It is very pigment and the powder is more finely milled, compared to MAC.

So next time when you are near a Make Up Store, be sure to check their products out!

The item straight out from the store.

Minimalist packaging.

It was wrapped in a black thin tissue.

Love the chic details on the cover!!

Glam Rose - 2.5g at SGD32.00. Noticed that it's made in Canada (land of MAC).

Gorgeous pink.

The swatch. A little goes a long way.

Comparison swatch between NARS Deep Throat.

Base Makeup - Foundation Swatches & Lemmings

I have to admit, I'm obsessed with flawless skin and I'm always on the lookout for products that would help me look less ruddy and more polised.

Today is a showcase of the foundations that I own and a short introduction on them. Not a lot and I'm still a long way from building a foundation bible.

I do hope that this can help those who are trying to buy foundations with absolutely nothing to rely on, except for online swatches for comparison.

This idea came about when I realized that there were very little cross foundation swatches to be found on the WWW. Maybe my search parameters wasn't good enough, I don't know.

Anyway, I decided to pull out all the foundations that I currently own and swatch them. For the benefit of others, who like me, don't have the luxury of testing out products in person.

Click Image for larger pic

Lunsol Water Cream Foundation in YO02:
You can read my review on this foundation here.

RMK Liquid Foundation in 101:
I bought this out of impulse when it first re-launched in Singapore. Frankly speaking, I didn't quite use this foundation due to the heavy yellow undertone. Moreover, the coverage was not enough to cover old and blemished skin like mine.

Paul & Joe Liquid Foundation in 010:
The first Japanese foundation that I bought. The color is a tad too light for me but the undertone was perfect. The only drawback is that, it doesn't really provide the coverage that I need.

IPSA Pure Protect Foundation in 100:
You can read my review on this foundation in my last post here.

DiorSkin Nude Liquid Foundation in 020:
What can I say? My perfect HG foundation. Gives the best finishes. You can read about my review here.

NARS Sheer Glow Foundation in Deauville:
One of the latest addition to my makeup collection. Color is a tad light for me but once it oxidizes, it's a perfect finish. You can read about my review here.

As for my lemmings:

Burberry Sheer Luminous Fluid Foundation in Trench 4
Armani Luminouse Silk Foundation in 4
Laura Mercier Moisturizing Foundation in Sunny Beige
NARS Sheer Glow Foundation in Santa Fe
Chantecaille Future Skin Foundation in Chamomile
Chanel Pro Lumiere Foundation in Clair-Cameo


A good resource is the Foundation Matrix on Temptalia. Go take a look if you're interested.