Review: Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua

This bad boy has been my go to foundation for the past six months. And I've got to say- despite the price tag, I'm in love with it. It's a water based formula (hence 'aqua'), so you have to shake it up pretty well before you use it or it comes out as a gross runny mess. It has a ball inside of it that rattles around when you shake it- similar to a can of spray paint- that makes shaking it up just a little more fun. Once it's all mixed together and ready to apply to your face, it's all downhill from there. Now, I'm really not one to wear foundation. I have very dry, sensitive skin and I find that most foundations don't blend well into my skin, and just feel way too heavy. However, this foundation completely changed my view on foundation. It's light to buildable coverage, which makes it feel like you literally have no product on your face. It blends beautifully into my skin without looking patchy, and it gives your skin a beautiful 'glow'. I think all of these aspects have to do with the fact that its water based, it just looks so healthy on the skin. Even when I'm wearing a heavier layer (if I'm going out, or taking a lot of photos) it still looks like I'm not wearing makeup. It evens out the skin beautifully, but the only thing I would say is if you have a blemish that is inflamed and very red, I would add concealer.

 

The actual packaging of the product is not only very sleek and classy, but it's also quite convenient for travelling or putting in a makeup bag. It's not overly bulky or chunky at all. It actually seems pretty small, but the bottle contains 1fl oz or 30ml, which is the same amount as most foundations.

 

 

The bottle comes with a nozzle top, which I personally really like. It's sanitary, and it's easy to get just the right amount of product. Also, it's almost impossible to have this think leak in your bag.

 

 

I use the shade 30 Beige, and it matches me perfectly for most of the year. I bought this foundation in March, when I was very pale, and I could still use it in the summer. Since it's sheer, it lets your skin show through a little bit so it matches better.

Something else lovely about this foundation is the scent. I believe it's scented with rosewater, and it smells very floral, but in a nice way. Now, saying this may cause people with sensitive skin to shy away, but I'd like to mention that I have extremely sensitive skin; I can't use any skin care with fragrances, and my skin gets inflamed and broken out easily. But I've had no problems with this foundation. I just use a small amount on most days, and it hasn't irritated my skin.

I would suggest this foundation to pretty much everyone, but a tip I have for people with oily skin is to use a primer or a setting powder (or both!) to avoid looking overly shiny throughout the day.

 

The one big downside to this product, however, is the price tag. As I mentioned, I bought this product in March, and I also bought it while I was in Paris. As far as I can remember I think it was about 30 euros when I bought it, which is around $45. I haven't checked to see the price of this in Canada, but I assume it's about $50-$60.

 

Thanks for reading!

xoxo

-D 

Review: Milani Baked Bronzer & Blush (Glow & Luminoso)

 I was in America last week and decided to browse through the drugstores there. I really like looking through the drugstores in America because they not only have more selection and different brands than the drugstores in Canada, but they're also significantly cheaper. Two products that really caught my eye while I was at a CVS in Boston were these two Milani products. They only sell Milani in select retailers in Canada (Sears, Loblaw Superstore and Lawtons Drugs), so I decided to pick them up.

Milani Baked Bronzer in 04-Glow

 

 The first product is a Baked Bronzer in the shade 04-Glow. It's the lightest of the three shades, and is a really pretty peachy bronze golden color. It is shimmery, but on the skin it really just gives you a nice glow. This color would make a nice bronzer for very light skin tones that may shy away from bronzers. It could also make a nice highlight color for girls with deeper skin tones. I personally use it as sort of a bronzer/illuminator. I use in on my nose, cheekbones, chin and forehead for a nice 'glow'. The main reason I bought this product is because it reminded me of a Mineralize Skinfinish from MAC. Now, the only Mineralize Skinfinish I own in Soft and Gentle, and these two colors are nothing alike, seeing as Soft and Gentle is a shimmery champagne highlight. However, I did compare the consistency of Glow to Soft and Gentle, and dare I say I like Glow better? When I felt the two, Soft and Gentle felt a lot more gritty and less smooth in comparison to Glow. But, Soft and Gentle performed a bit better in the pigmentation department. I watched a review on this product by the Youtube Beauty Guru pinkiecharm, and she mentioned that this bronzer is comparable to the discontinued MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Shimpagne. Here's a link to that video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAiywN6Nvf0 

 

 

 The product packaging may seem sort of bulky and cheap to some people, but I personally don't mind it. It may be a bit of annoying of your trying to pack it into a small makeup bag though.

The actual product flips up to show a bottom compartment containing a mirror and a brush. The mirror is a decent size, and I actually really like the brush. However, I don't use the brush that comes with this product, for this product; I use it for highlighting. I use a powder brush to apply the Milani Baked Bronzer.

 

 

Milani Baked Bronzer in 04-Glow (0.25oz/7g, $9.99 @ CVS)

 

Milani Baked Blush in Luminoso

I also decided to pick up the Milani Baked Blush in the shade Luminoso. It's a beautiful light peachy pink color that, when put on the skin, has a lovely finish. It has shimmer in it, but it doesn't make your face look glittery of un-natural at all (as long as you don't overdo it, of course). Again, like the bronzer, this product gives your face a really nice glow. I also think it's a pretty universally flattering color. This product also reminded me of a MAC product: their mineralize blushes. I don't personally own any mineralized blushed, but I have swooned over them. I also read a post comparing this product to the MAC Mineralized Skinfinish in the color Stereo Rose. Apparently they are pretty close dupes, and if anything the Milani blush is more pigmented. Again, this product has a very nice smooth texture, it isn't gritty at all.

 

 

 

The packaging on the Milani Blush is a bit bulky. It also flips up to reveal a mirror and brush. The mirror is nice quality- a little small but it's alright. However, the brush is not so nice. It's not very soft and the end is very bluntly cut, so I would suggest applying this product with a blush or powder brush.

 

 

Milani Baked Blush in Luminoso (0.12oz/3.5g, $8.99 @ CVS)

 

 

Here are both of the products swatched on my wrist. The top color is Luminoso and the bottom is Glow. (Note: both of these colors can be used either wet or dry.)

 

I hope someone found this review helpful, thanks for reading!

xoxo

-D

 

 

 

PS: I apologize if some of these photos are blurry, out of focus, or the colors are a bit off. I'm still figuring out my lighting and camera settings :)

Introduction to Beauty in the Basics

Hello!
So, today I decided to start a blog. I've been wanting to make one for ages, and I finally just decided to do it. I'm an avid follower of countless beauty and fashion blogs, and I finally decided to join this wonderful world of blogging.
Anyways, what I plan to do with my blog is post reviews, hauls, favourites, and anything else that comes to my mind basically. I'm not just focussing on beauty, I'll also probably throw in some fashion, food, and just general lifestyle-type things.
This is the plan; where this blog is truly going, no one knows. It may just end up being a diary of my endless emotions.
But I hope that what I share on here can be helpful for someone.
Thanks!
xoxo
-D