Sunday Riley Effortless Breathable Tinted Primer

This is one of those products that is constantly hyped, and it looked so great when applied by Lisa Eldridge in one of her videos, so of course I had to try it. I purchased it in December, probably didn't even use it till February, and have enjoyed using it over the last few months.

I don't even want to talk about how long it takes me to use things I buy, ugh. Does anyone else have this problem?

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Right off the bat, I would say that those of you looking for significant coverage or mattifying powers should probably skip this given that a bottle of this will set you back $48. I like to think of it as a primer/tinted moisturizer hybrid, so if that sounds like a product type you're in the market for, read on. 

This product comes in three shades, Light, Medium and Deep. (Sephora only carries Light and Medium, while Nordstrom carries all three.) I've been using the Medium shade, and that seems to work for my skin at varying tones. 

I love how this product helps to even out my skin tone, and the finish is absolutely natural. Not too matte, and not too dewy - I'd say the perfect skin-like finish. Here's a shot of how it looks before and after - fortunately, my skin was doing quite well that day so there is not a large difference in the before and after photos, but the slight redness on my cheeks is definitely evened out. 

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Before

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After

If you want to see this in action, I recommend that you watch this video that I posted last week. What I love about this primer is that it doesn't feel like you're wearing anything on your skin, so it is perfect for layering with foundation. Plus, it performs really well even when my skin is dry and I've never experienced foundations balling up or anything when applied on top. Yay! 

I don't have oily skin, so I can't speak to how it would perform in those cases, though I do think it has possibilities. It lasts all day on me, and I think I'll love wearing this on those super humid summer days when you barely even want to put moisturizer on your face... 

Aside from Sephora and Nordstrom, this product is also available at Beauty.com, Space NK and at Cult Beauty with a 3ml sample of their new-ish Artemis Oil! 

I definitely think this primer is "breathable" and "effortless", and it is a great product for my foundation needs. Have you tried Sunday Riley Effortless Breathable Tinted Primer? How did it work out for you? I'd love to know! :)

Asian Beauty Haul

If you've been paying attention to my Instagram, you may notice that I'm a big fan of a nice bowl of ramen. Yum. We're always on the hunt for ramen restaurants, but frequently visit the ramen shop at Mitsuwa, a Japanese grocery chain here in the US. 

Lately, I've been stalking the beauty aisle and have taken home some fun products I thought I should share! 

Hada Labo Hyaluronic Lotion
I'm glad to finally tried this hydration serum after numerous bloggers/readers have recommended it in the past. I've heard it described as an alternative to Hydraluron, which is difficult to get a hold of in the US. I love the water-like texture that helps to add moisture to your current routine. This scent free product only requires a few drops and you're good to go! 

Browlash Ex 24hr Water Strong Pencil Liner
I'm a bit eyeliner obsessed so I thought I really should try something from an Asian brand. This particular liner is very black, and the texture is not too hard or creamy. It doesn't drag when applied either, and it wears well on me. I don't recall it smudging at all, though it does crease a bit in my monolid depending on how much I apply. I've swatched it a few times, and it is seriously so budgeproof on my arm! 

Dolly Wink Pencil Eyecolor
After the success with the Browlash liner, I thought I would try another one. I've heard so much about Dolly Wink that I thought it would be crazy not to try something from the brand! I picked up this shimmery champagne shade and have enjoyed using it. It wears only about 4-6 hours on me, but the shade is quite brightening. 

​Koji Eyelash Curler
I've always had some difficulty with eyelash curlers, but this little curler grabs my outer lashes perfectly and gives my lashes a great curl. I don't know about you, but I frequently have an issue with my outer lashes poking my eyes, and this solves it very easily. I usually use a heated eyelash curler (from Japonesque) and this curler really helps to give them an extra boost. 

Here are swatches of the eyeliners! 

All in all, I'm pretty pleased with how these purchases turned out. I definitely want to try more from these brands! Even though they are a bit more expensive at Mitsuwa than online, these all come in at about $11-20, which in my mind is pretty affordable. Have you tried any of these products or have any recommendations for other products that I should try? I'd love to know!

Blush & Contour with Nars Matte Multiple in Altai

A few weeks ago, I ordered one of the newly released Nars Matte Multiples. As you probably know, I love cream products but have fallen out of love with Nars Multiples over the years because of the shimmer.

I picked up the shade Altai, which is described by Sephora as a "rose gold" and thought perhaps it could be appropriate for contour as well.

Overall, I enjoy this product. It is not as creamy and blendable as the original Multiple formula, but I wouldn't say that it is hard to blend either. I just have to take a second and make sure I've properly blended it in.

On me, the shade creates the right amount of shadow under my cheekbone and brings a nice warmth to the rest of my face. I can't imagine it would do the same for those who are extremely pale, though Jessica over at Beautezine does manage to pull it off. 

I have no complaints about wear either - it seems to last all day on me. I am a bit disappointed that Nars made these much smaller quantity wise than the original, but that doesn't bother me much either. I don't think I would purchase another shade since I have a healthy stash of cream blushes at the moment, but I'm definitely keeping my eye out for any future shades that are unique.  

What do you think about the Nars Matte Multiple? Have you tried them yet? :) 

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blushes in Diffused Heat & Radiant Magenta

Last year, when Hourglass released their Ambient Lighting Powders, there was quite a lot of excitement. I never quite managed to pull the trigger on the powders, but as soon as the Ambient Lighting Blushes were available for VIBs on Sephora's website, I placed my order. 

Top: Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Radiant Magenta, Bottom: Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Diffused Heat

I chose two shades, Radiant Magenta, described as a "golden fucshia" and Diffused Heat, a "vibrant poppy." I love how gorgeous both look in the pan, but in terms of the overall product, I am torn. 

Given the hype around these blushes, I was hoping for something amazing and revolutionary, but as I've read on other reviews, this blush isn't a miracle. However, it IS very pretty. Generally, I find it to be a very glowy blush with a natural finish, but I don't think that those of you with a huge blush collection need to drop everything and run out to get these.

I've been applying these with the Real Techniques Multitask Brush or the Trish Mcevoy 2B Sheer Blush Brush (an old favorite!) and both of them work beautifully with these blushes. I'm particularly impressed that the blush applies without needing much blending with the Trish brush, as that one can create some very definite edges with pigmented powder products.   

Diffused Heat

Radiant Magenta

Of the two shades, I prefer Diffused Heat, which has noticeable shimmer in the pan but looks natural on. Radiant Magenta on the other hand is not super magenta in shade but more of a bright medium pink. I find that Diffused Heat looks better on me, while Radiant Magenta can sometimes just look like whatever redness I may be experiencing on my cheeks. Actually, the two shades do look great mixed together! :-P

I also have to note that there were some days where this blush seemed to disappear from my skin within a few hours. Gummy mentioned that it could be due to whatever foundation I was using, and she seems to be right as I haven't run into that issue since. (Though I wish I remembered what foundation that was!) 

All in all, I think this is a great blush but perhaps not worth the crazy hype. (ALL of them are currently sold out online at Sephora, and I don't believe they have made it to stores yet.) I decided to keep only one, and I chose Diffused Heat because it brings some nice warmth to my face. Plus, Mr. Bunny has complimented my face EVERY single time I've worn it. :) 

What do you think about Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blushes? Do you think they're worth the hype? I'd love to know! :)