What I Wore, #23

This week seemed to have gone by so fast! Or was it just me? In any event, I didn't wear much aside from a bit of foundation and Laura Mercier Caviar sticks. 

How about you? What makeup did you wear this week? 

Affiliate Links

Posts This Week:  Foundation Sampling: RBR & YSL // Osmia Organics Facial Calibration Serum // Love It or Toss It, #4 // Cozy Up with Lush Twilight Shower Gel

Products I Loved: It has only been two days but I seriously love the Diptyque Pine Bark candle. Seriously love the scent, and it is perfect for the holiday season. 

Beauty Purchases: Got some candles - possible Diptyque Pine Bark dupes, and spent the remainder of my Sephora store credit on the Laura Mercier Artist Palette. I didn't think I wanted this palette but I actually quite liked a few of the shades, and perhaps I had a moment of panic when I realized that it isn't even listed on the Sephora website anymore. LOL. I did a little shopping on Beautyhabit with a 20% off code, and managed to snag the aforementioned Diptyque Pine Bark and Sunday Riley Breathable Tinted Primer for 30% off. :) Time to stop shopping for the rest of the year/my life? Lol.

Added to the Wishlist: Danielle over at Bloomin' Beauty loves the Bare Minerals Round the Clock eyeliners, and from one swatch I can see why. Creamy, black, and relatively inexpensive, this one is at the top of my list. Hopefully my eyes can handle it! I also am wanting Hourglass Lipstick in Nocturnal and Dior Addict Lipstick in Black Tie. Groan! 

What did you love or lust after this week? I'd love to know what was on your radar! :)

Foundation Sampling: RBR & YSL

Last week, my Beautyhabit order arrived with my requested sample of Rouge Bunny Rouge Milk Aquarelle foundation, and then when I was returning a pair of boots at Nordstrom, I just thought to take a peek at the much hyped YSL Youth Liberator Serum Foundation. 

I haven't used up these samples and I'm sure I could test them more thoroughly, but I may have already come to a conclusion about them. Read on to see what I thought! 

Rouge Bunny Rouge Milk Aquarelle Foundation in Chestnut Milk Parfait
I selected this shade to sample based on swatches online, and on my arm it looks quite light! My cheeks, however, are quite pale, and this matches pretty well to them. Unfortunately, the rest of my face is a bit darker, and I generally prefer to put a bit darker foundation on my cheeks to match the rest of my face (and my neck!) I imagine this could work better for me once I get to my palest winter skin, even though it isn't a perfect match.

Shade aside, I do think the formula of this foundation is interesting. (And I was drawn in by all the dreamy RBR descriptions on their site, haha!) The foundation has a light scent, almost citrus, and it has a silicone-y feel to it. It does apply quite smoothly, and has sheer to light coverage. If I had to rate this for covering redness, I would give it just one less point than Koh Gen Do Aqua Foundation, which works really well for me at covering my minor redness. I'd say that is a pretty good score! This is definitely the type of natural finish foundation that I love, and I definitely need to check out a darker shade. Now I just have to figure out which shade would fit me better, as I would love to test this one out more!

View fullsize

YSL Youth Liberator Serum Foundation in BD50
Serum seems to be an appropriate addition to this foundation's fancy name. It leaves my skin looking dewy, and perhaps a bit more hydrated as well. One of the British bloggers described this as a dewier version of Armani Luminous Silk, and I do have to say I agree. The coverage is definitely medium (or as the YSL counter manager told me, medium to heavy) and it does a fair job creating a dewy, even complexion.

The shade that I was matched to even seems to be a decent match, though if I was being nit-picky, perhaps not quite as yellow as I would normally prefer. Unfortunately, the foundation does have a floral scent, and it may be a bit too strong for my taste. While the scent dissipates, scented foundations are generally not for me. Even if the scent isn't strong, I never want to apply them in the morning, as most fragrances on me make me nauseous at that time of day! So sadly, this is a skip for me.  

What do you think about these two foundations? Have you tried them? How did they work out for you? I'd love to know!

Osmia Organics Facial Calibration Serum

A while back, I received a box of goodies from Osmia Organics. My skin was all over the place and confused for a while, so I was excited to try a serum by a brand so popular among fellow bloggers.

Here's the description from Osmia's website:
A select combination of plant oils, chosen for their balancing qualities, helps skin become more even and smooth, and assists in regulating sebum production.  Olive squalane, kukui oil, and macadamia oil nourish the skin, and calming schisandra fruit extract soothes irritation.  Super powered acai delivers an antioxidant boost, and organic black seed oil brings a vitamin and mineral infusion.  Absorbs quickly, and does not leave the skin oily.  In fact, used regularly, this face serum can help oily skin behave itself, and combination skin become less confused.  The scent is mildly herbaceous, with the subtle spicy undertones of black cumin seed oil.

Sounds good, right? Thankfully, my skin is not super dehydrated like it was all summer/fall, and it has gone back to my regular normal to dry skin type. (I suspect my skin returned to normal because of either environmental or hormonal reasons, though this may very well have contributed!)  

This spicy scented oil definitely absorbs into the skin quickly, which I definitely appreciate as a newbie to face oils. It wears well underneath makeup, and is helping to keep my skin hydrated. As the weather is cooling down, this isn't quite enough for my skin alone, but layered with a moisturizer, my skin feels perfectly prepped for winter weather. 

I've heard some really great things about this serum, so I imagine combination/oily skin types may see some remarkable results. What do you think about Osmia Organics Facial Calibration Serum? Is this something you would try? I'd love to know! 

This product was generously provided for review.

Love It or Toss It, #4

My makeup collection continues to grow and it is becoming harder and harder for me to purge items from my collection. (Yup, I did a pretty good purge a few weeks ago, but there is still more to do! All these pretties have to have a loving home if I'm not making use of them!) So I figured it was about time to do another edition of Love It or Toss It! (See all of the previous #loveitortossit posts here.)

Affiliate Links

Revlon Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie
I remember when these first came out, I was so excited to try out this creamy drugstore formula. I bought two as soon as I saw them in stores, and I wore them maybe once or twice and then totally forgot about them. These last few days, I've been testing out the formula again and found it to be very comfortable to wear. The pale pink shade is nice, but nothing exciting on my lips. I have another, brighter shade, so I'll hold on to that one!
The Verdict: Toss! 

Becca Eye Tint in Baroque
I was super excited when Becca came to Sephora a year ago and I immediately picked up the Best of Becca Set as an introduction to the brand. I love the creamy texture of Becca Eye Tint as well as the packaging that allows for very specific amounts to be dispensed. Unfortunately, the shade barely shows up on me, though the beige color with subtle shimmer would be great on skintones lighter than mine. It is super natural looking in finish and texture, and I think it would be a perfect eye or cheek contour, but it just barely shows up on me. Sad! I suppose I'll have to check out other shades!
The Verdict: Toss! (A bit easier because I think I've already found a new home for it!)

Nars Lipstick in Damage
After Gummy posted about her mauve-y pinky lipsticks (here) I realized I had Nars Damage and probably had never even used it. Oops, that is the story of my life with my makeup collection. I love the creamy light formula, and the shade is a bit more colorful my lips but better kind of shade. It is not drying at all, and I don't have to be careful when reapplying later in the day. Woohoo, and thanks Gummy for reminding me I had this! 
The Verdict: Love! Yay!

Check out the swatches below. Sorry, I'm terrible at swatches, but I just couldn't get good face shots of some of these! 

View fullsize

Swatches L-R: Revlon Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie, Becca Eye Tint in Baroque, Nars Lipstick in Damage

What do you think of this round of love it or toss it products? Have you tried any of these? How did they work out for you?? I'd love to know! :)