Comparison: Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua & Shiseido Sun Protection Liquid Foundation

I feel that everyone is always on the hunt for a good foundation and many enjoy reading about them.. I know I do..

So the newest foundation to my large collection is the Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation (Review).. I really like this product and it reminded me so much of my Shiseido Sun Protection Liquid Foundation which I had very much enjoyed last summer..

Although these reminded me of each other.. They are still very much different.. Here's how:

	Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation	Shiseido Sun Protection Liquid Foundation
1	Water-Based	Water-Resistant
2	Slightly Thick Formula	Very Runny Formula
3	Light to Medium Coverage	Medium to Full Coverage
4	Semi-Matte Finish	Matte Finish
5	SPF 15	SPF 30 PA++ or SPF 42 PA++
6	Need to VERY Shake Well	Need to Shake Well
7	Long-Lasting	Long-Lasting
8	Might Transfer a Little Bit	Transfer Resistant
9	Available in 9 Shades	Available in 7 Shades

 

 

Swatch

Verdict

- Both are very nice foundations that are great for summer..

- The Shiseido one would be much better for the summer because of it's high SPF and because it's water-resistant..

- The Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua is for those who want something with less coverage..

- For those who liked the light-weight formula of the Chanel Aqua but didn't like the coverage, the Shiseido one would be perfect for you because it feels just as light-weight on the skin..

- If you really enjoyed the Chanel Aqua but it broke you out, try the Shisiedo Sun Protection Liquid Foundation..

So despite their similarities, these two foundations are very much different..

Hope this helped you a little bit & if there's anything else I might've missed, please let me know =)

Peace

xoxo



1- De.Like.Ful

I'll be doing this series where I'll post about the things I've been loving lately.. Kind of like Monthly Favourites but not necessarily monthly.. Could be weekly.. Or daily or whatever..

So here we go in no particular order...

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation - Been really enjoying this foundation.. It feels so light on the skin yet provides really decent coverage.. (Full review here)

My Fingers - No I'm not vain.. It's not like that =P But I've been loving using my fingers to apply foundation.. Yes brushes and sponges are all fancy and nice but my fingers do a much better job for me..

Diorskin Nude Natural Glow Powder SPF10 - I love this powder.. Hands down the best powder I've tried.. It sets my foundation flawlessly and never looks cakey.. I love applying this with a face puff (Full review here)

MAC Studio Finish Concealer SPF35 - Amazing concealer for scars.. This hides my scars like no other concealer I've come across.. Only downside with this is that it doesn't stay on as much as I would like it to even with powder.. But overall, really great product (Full review here)

Illamasqua Blending Brush 1 - Love love love this brush! I use it to apply and blend in my concealer.. It's SO soft and doesn't scratch my eye area.. Buffs in my concealer so beautifully..

Korres Monoi Oil 02 Sunglow Warmth Bronzer - You know how you get that sort of slightly tanned look after the redness from the sun goes away? This bronzer gives you just that.. It doesn't give you that dirty muddy tanned look.. It just adds that subtle warmth.. Been loving this a lot lately.. It also has great properties that are beneficial to your skin (Review here)

Burberry Blush in #01 Russet - This is a recent purchase which my lovely enabler Tracy from Beauty Reflections kinda tempted me to get it.. When you look at the blush it's nothing special.. But when applied.. Ahhh it's so beautiful.. Works as a blush and a bronzer in one.. Sculpts your face so nicely and gives you such a beautiful summer warmth.. Been really enjoying it.. 

Dior Nude Healthy Glow  002 Sunset Powder - Since I got this, I have been using it a lot! It's such a soft creamy formula that just blends in so beautifully and gives my complexion such a nice peachy bronzy warmth (Review here)

MAC Margin Blush - This is one underrated blush from MAC.. It's a peachy gold blush that makes the perfect highlight for darker skin tones and the loveliest summer glow for light to medium skin tones (Swatch here)

MAC Virgin Isle Cremeblend - Now y'all know how much I adore this.. This makes the perfect base for bronzers and blushes.. Gives them that extra coral glow which I'm a huge fan of (Swatch here)

MAC Warm Soul Mineralized Blush - I always say, if you wanna get just one blush from MAC, get Warm Soul.. It's a peachy/rosy bronzy shade with very fine shimmer that give your complexion the right amount of glow! (Full review here)

Kanebo Sensai 38c (Separating & Lengthening) Mascara - Beautiful thick lashes.. That's what this gives me.. This is my all-time favourite masacara.. Nothing comes close to this it.. And another thing I LOVE about this is that it's a Fibre mascara.. Which means that it's not messy and doesn't give you panda eyes! (Full review here)

Shiseido Eyelash Curler - Never really thought that eyelash curlers could make SUCH a huge difference to my lashes.. This is the perfect tool for when you don't feel like wearing mascara.. Makes you look more awake (Full review here)

MAC Sable Eye Shadow - This was an impulse buy and booooy am I glad I had that impulse =P I adore this eye shadow.. Been wearing it a lot on it's on.. It's a hard colour to describe.. A sort of brown/bronze peach? I dunno but it's unique and you gotta swatch it next time you're at MAC..

Clinique Chubby Stick Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm - This lip balm not only adds moisture to your lips, but gives it that bitten look if you know what I mean.. When I don't know lippie to wear, I slap this baby on and voila! (Full review here)

MAC Russian Red Lipstick - This instantly takes your whole look to another level.. Gives you that effortless polished glamorous look.. And it's Matte which I prefer..

MAC Toxic Tale Lipstick - Wish this wasn't limited edition.. The colour is just stunning! Not too orangey and not too peachy.. Not too bright and not too dark.. The perfect in between shade..

Nuxe Reve de Miel Lip Balm - This is a staple in my collection.. Love the way it hydrates my lips without giving it that glossy look which makes the perfect base for lipsticks! (Full review here)

The Rose That Grew From Concrete by Tupac Shakur - I love poetry! And I love the kind poetry that speaks about life, struggle, real issues.. And Tupac is an amazing poet in my opinion.. I never get bored of reading this book..

Kahlil Gibran - This guy is one of my all time favourite writers.. I really enjoy his stories and poetry.. He writes with so much feeling and emotion and his description of moments is just outstanding..

Jean Paul Gualtier Summer Fragrance - I love the classic one of this but it's way to strong for summer.. And this is lighter scent is the perfect amount of musk? I don't know how to describe a scent.. But if you want a non-fruity, non-flowery, sultry, slightly heavy fragrance for summer.. This is it..

Finally, I have been really enjoying communicating with my My Twitter Buddies =) I have met such amazing people that are just so supportive and so helpful with anything and everything.. Thank you my lovelies and I do hope that our friendships continues to grow!

Peace

xoxo

Getting my Curl on.. Eye Lashes that is..

I never thought an Eyelash Curler was necessary.. I just applied my mascara and walked out the door.. Plus, Eyelash Curlers look scary and the one I had (some drugstore one I got aaaages ago) always pinched me and didn't make much of a difference at all..

So for the longest time I just dismissed the idea of using an Eyelash Curler.. That was until I came across Rocaille Writes post Rocaille Raves: Shiseido Eyelash Curler... It sounded pretty promising and from the image she posted, the results looked really good.. So I thought I'd take a chance on it and see how this one works for me.. And boy am I glad I did...

Shiseido Eyelash Curler

Product

- Easy to use

- Does not pinch

- Fits my eye shape well and holds on to all my lashes

- Curls my lashes so beautifully

- Curl stays all day



Top: Natural Lashes
Bottom: After using the Shiseido Eyelash Curler

*My little cousin enjoyed being my model last time, she insisted on workin with me again =P



My Final Thoughts: I'm so impressed with this eyelash curler.. It's so gentle on the lashes but still gives them the nicest curl.. I don't feel the need to wear mascara everyday now that I have this tool..

Do you use an Eyelash Curler?



Products That Just Didn't Work For Me

We all bought something that might have made us think to ourselves "why in the world did I even buy that?!" This post is about the products that just didn't do it for me.. I don't regret buying them.. And I'm still usin them just so I can use them up but I won't repurchase them for sure..

Clinique Clarifying Lotion 2

This product I could not continue using.. I had to throw it away.. It was too harsh with no results.. Never again am I coming near this evil thing.. Here's my mini review on it if you wanna read a lil more..

Lancome Tonique Pure Focus

I bought this to help with matify my T-zone as it contains a powder that helps control your oils.. But all it did was take my makeup off.. This has too much alcohol in it that my skin just did not like.. This product is a gimmick I reckon..

Shiseido Bio-Performance Super Eye Contour Cream 

This was a total waste of money! To read my review on it, click here

Estee Lauder Idealist

I had such high hopes for this but it did nothing and I mean nothing to my pores! Yah it felt nice and it smelt good.. But made no changes to my pores or the appearance of them.. It's a totally overhyped product.. Not worth it at all.. I'm so glad I bought the small bottle.. I've had it for a while and I force myself to use it just so I can use it up and throw it away!

Clinique Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector

You know how there are some brightening serums that may not work completely well but they do lighten your acne scars/dark spots just a little? Well this didn't even do that! Such a waste of money this was.. I was better off not using this product.. Was really really disappointed with it..

La Mer SPF 18 Fluid Tint

Yah it gives a nice glow to the face.. Yah it has a slight tint to it the covers very minor imperfections.. Yah it's lightweight.. But this is sooo not worth it.. There are other products out there that give the same effect, with higher spf and are much cheaper.

Eucerin Intensive Foot Cream

I got this before I discovered my Lush Lemony Flutter which I adore.. I found this cream to be too thin for a long lasting hydration foot cream.. Unlike the Lemony Flutter, this did not heal my dry feet quickly.. And the smell ain't pretty..

By Terry Baume De Rose Lip Balm

I know sooo many people swear by this and would probably keep purchasing it for the rest of their lives.. But this isn't the greatest lip balm I've tried.. It moisturizes nicely and feels luxurious and all but my Nuxe Lip Balm moisturizes waaaaaay better.

By Terry Lumiere Veloutee

Ahhh.. Another disappointing product from By Terry.. This foundation was the perfect shade for me.. And although it is light-medium coverage with an almost flat matte finish (which I'm not a huge fan off), I was able to work with it.. But what I couldn't stand was the way it sat and accentuated my pores! It wasn't pretty!

Bare Escentuals - bareMinerals Original SPF15 Foundation 

Many people have a love/hate relationship with this product and I am one of them.. I was so excited about this product at first but it disappointed me.. It feels light on but doesn't give me enough coverage AND it looks cakey.. I really wanted to love this.. I'm still trying to make it work for me.. But I am on the lookout for a different mineral foundation...

Hope these mini reviews help you in some way..

Have you tried any of these products? And what products do would you not repurchase?

Skincare Prodcuts: Eye Creams

Are eye creams essential? I don't know.. But I like using them for prevention purposes..

Now many people say that you could just use your face moisturizer for your under eye area.. If it's good enough for your face, it must be good enough for you eye.. And I'm ok with that.. But sometimes, I just want a lil something extra for that delicate area under my eyes..

So here's my journey with eye creams..

Shisedo Bio-Performance Super Eye Contour Cream 

This good lookin bottle came with so many promises. "A powerful time-fighting" says Shisedo. It claims to "reduce the appearance of wrinkles, dark circles, and dullness, as it effectively hydrates and energizes skin".

Well did it? Not at all. Only thing I got from this light-weight eye cream was the moisture and it wasn't even a very long lasting moisturizer. This was a total waste of money for me.

Fail.

     Shiseido White Lucent Brightening Eye Treatment

Because I like shiseido a lot.. I wanted to give their eye cream line another chance.. So I went out and bought this one. Now this is marketed as an anti-dark treatment.. So it's meant to brighten the eye area and prevent dark circles from appearing..

The only brightening I got from this was from the fact that the actual cream was white in colour with light relfective properties.. I saw no changes in my dark circles at all.. But it did moisturize better than the bio-performance eye cream.

Fail.

Kanebo Cellular Performance Eye Contour Balm

This is also another Japanese brand that I love. Kanebo has really great products which I have tried in the past and loved. So I thought, their eye cream will probably be just as good. So I picked this tiny yet expensive eye contour balm up. It promises to get rid of dullness, puffiness, fine lines, dark circles and wrinkles.

This beautiful creamy light weight formula moisturized my eye area beautifully.. But that's all it did.. And I was looking for something more than just moisture! I hoped it would reduce my fine lines and dark circles.. But it didn't..

Fail.

Bobbi Brown Extra Eye Balm

I went into Bobbi Brown to check out their Extra Hydrating Eye Cream.. It had a nice texture to it.. Very hydrating.. But the MUA recommended this for me.. This is more hydrating because it's a balm.. And at that time, my eye area was going through a very drying phase.. This product claims to fight puffiness, reduce fine lines, dry line as well as soothe and protect the skin because of the vitamins and plant extracts it contains.

Bobbi Brown suggests that this be used at night time only.. But I use it night and day.. The formula is different from any eye cream or balm I have come across as it is actually a balm balm! Not a cream like balm. So you have to really rub your fingers on the product to melt before applying it to the eye area.. Even then you have to be very careful with the application as it's not creamy enough to slide on..

Now I like this the most out of the eye creams I have used so far. It keeps my eye area hydrated all day long.. It can feel a little sticky at first but it goes away as the product sinks in.. And I had no problems using this as a base for my concealer.. My dryness is gone so I'm happy about that..

Would I recommend this for anyone? Hmm I'd say try it out at the store first.. Coz it ain't for everyone..

Win. (For me.. For now)

General Thot: It really bugs me that most eye creams expire 6 months after opening them.. With some eye creams, it's almost impossible to finish the whole thing in 6 months! I had to throw away one of the ones I had coz it was over 6 months.. And there was still a fair bit of product left. Companies should try to make eye creams last a lil longer as you only use a lil bit of it OR they should just sell less product for cheaper..


Eye Creams I wanna try:

Ren Lipovector Smoothing Eye Contour Cream
Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye
SkinCeuticals Eye Balm

Which eye creams were a fail/win for you?



Cream Blushes

So let's talk about my favourite topic.. BLUSH!

I thought I'd start with cream blushes as my cream blush collection isn't as big as the powder blush collection..

So let us begin....

Shiseido Accentuating Color Stick - S2 Peach Flush

I keep forgetting that I have this blush.. It's a gorgeous peach.. Applies sheerly but is definitely buildable.. Gives such a nice flush to the face.. It has tiny tiny gold shimmer that is very subtle when applied to the cheeks.. It is not dewy but not completely matte either..

Swatch:

When I apply this on its on, it doesn't stay on for long on my cheeks.. But if you apply a nice light peach (e.g. NYX Peach or Illamasqua Lover) or any pink powder blush on op, it makes your powder blush pop! So I'd use this as a base for my powder blush.

Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge - 11 Pale Pink

This is such a lovely barbie pink colour.. It's not as sheer as the Shiseido one but is not scary to work with either.. It gives your cheeks that dewy look without the sticky feeling.. The formula is so easy to blend and it lasts a fairly long on your cheeks..

Swatch:

There are so many other shades that are really beautiful.. I would recommend this for those who want to start with cream blushes..

Makeup Forever HD Blush - #6

When I used this the 1st time.. I was in love.. The formula is so light and blends easily.. It gives your cheeks a nice rosey coraly matte flush which I like as it looks very natural.. This did not stay put as long as I expected it to but it did pretty well..

Swatch:

I highly reccomend this product for those who like a matte flushed cheek.. I'm thinking of grabbing a few more of these.. The colour range available is stunning!

NARS Cream Blush - Penny Lane 

I had such high hopes for this cream blush but it was such a disappointment.. NARS powder blushes are so amazingly pigmented and long-lasting.. This was the total opposite.. The formula is extremely light that you need to pack the product on to get the colour to show on your skin (well on my skin tone at least - NC25-30)

Swatch:

The colour is really pretty and it gives a lovely glow to the cheeks.. So I guess I'll be using this as a base for better pigmented powder blushes..

NARS Multiple Duo - Orgasm & South Beach



Another disappointment from NARS.. I've heard such great things about NARS Multiples and I have been wanting NARS Orgasm Blush for the longest time.. So when I saw this, I thought PERFECTION! Just what I'm looking for.. My excitement however soon disappeared when I applied this on my cheeks.. The colour barely showed up on my skin and I had to rub such a huge amount of product to get the colour pay off.. The formula is exactly like the NARS cream blush.. It feels oily a lil so I did not expect it to stay on for long..

Swatch:

So since these don't work so well on my cheeks.. I only use them as eye shadows.. And the colours are really amazing for eye shadows.. But then again.. They don't stay on for that long unless you have a good primer underneath.. NARS should really look into changing the formula of their cream blushes..

MAC Blushcreme - LadyBlush

I don't even think that this product needs an explanation.. I'm sure most of you have this or have read reviews about it.. I was a little hesitant before purchasing this cream blush.. I thought it might be sticky and just too dewy.. But oh was I wrong.. This is such a beautiful cream blush.. It beats MAC's powder blushes hands down.. Gives such a glow and the colour is one that suits all.. It also makes a great blush base for any powder blushes.. I'm so disappointed that MAC has discontinued these.. Luckily I got mine before it's too late =P

Benefit - Benetint

I used this a long time ago when I was a teenager and when I came across it again one time, I just had to repurchase.. This is the only VERY long lasting blush I came across.. It gives your cheeks such a beautiful rosey tint.. Applies lightly at first.. But is surely buildable.. The only reason I don't wear this as much as I would like to is coz of the streakiness that may come with this product if not applied VERY carefully.. This stains your cheeks within seconds of application so you have to work VERY fast with it.. Also, I really don't like the nail polish brush type of application.. Wish it came in different packaging AND in various shades too.. But still a really great blush for those who do not like to reapply.. oh and it smells like rose water..

Last but definitely not least....

NYX Cream Blush - Glow & Golden

Now these were such a surprise.. But in a very good way.. They're sooo creamy and melt into your skin like a dream.. Glow is beautiful pink with no shimmer.. I thought it would be similar to MAC Ladyblush but it's brighter.. It's actually the reason why I did not purchase MAC's Posey Cream Blush as I thought it was very similar to it..

Golden on the other hand is a peachy beige with gold shimmers.. Makes an amazing highlighter and a perfect base for bronzers.. I love this colour.. When worn by itself it gives your cheeks the loveliest healthy glow.. If you're looking to get NYX cream blushes, you must try Golden.. Especially now that summer is comin up..

Swatch:

The formula of these cream blushes is the best I've come across.. They're so much better than MAC's Blush Cremes and a lot more pigmented too.. So you need only a tiny bit to get a really good colour pay off.. These give your cheeks a nice dewiness without the stickiness.. NYX Cream Blushes honestly surprised me..

And that is the end of my Cream Blush review... I really wanna try Illamasqua's cream blushes so I'll get my hands on those as soon as I can..

Do you wear cream blushes? If so, what are your favourites?