Marc Jacobs Genius Gel Super-Charged Foundation in 10 Ivory Light

Like most I rely on foundation daily to even out my skin and as much as I love how it makes me look, I really don’t like shopping for it. You see the lightest shade in most ranges, high-end or not, usually doesn’t even come close to matching my skin. So whenever I find something that looks light enough I can’t stop the excitement which is what led me to purchase the Marc Jacobs Genius Gel Super-Charged Foundation in 10 Ivory Light.

First let me just say thank you to Marc Jacobs Beauty for offering such a wide range of shades: 15 in total! Now onto the foundation, it promises to be long-wearing and weightless all the while minimizing imperfections with the use of Soft Focus Powder. The coverage is medium to full depending on if you layer it or not, the texture is so light that you can easily add more if you need more coverage. One layer covers most imperfections and really evens out the skin. The texture is very watery, much more liquid than gel, and because it contains a lot of pigment it does cling to dry patches. I would recommend it more for combination to oily skin but it could work on drier skin types too if you prime or moisturize well before application. The finish is satin so it looks very luminous without giving a dewy glow and it is matte enough to last all day on my skin.

The shade 10 Ivory Light is a very fair color and a good match, even though it is a tad pink I can still easily make it work. This foundation is highly photogenic it almost acts as a filter and blurs your skin. However, what impressed me the most is how good it looks in person. I find it gives me flawless skin and I loved using it. Sadly I later discovered it contains silica so I don’t use it every day anymore, BUT I reach for it whenever I know I’ll be taking picture (I used it for my graduation pictures and it looked great) or if I want my skin to look really perfect. This is a great foundation and it is worth the investment in my opinion, especially if you have a hard time finding a good shade match. 

The Marc Jacobs Genius Gel Super-Charged Foundation is available from department stores, Sephora and the Marc Jacobs Beauty website.

Caudalie Divine Legs

Fall might be upon us but that does not mean you have to say goodbye to your summer glow just yet. After all, there are still many days of lovely warm weather ahead. If you are looking for a way to boost your natural skin color or tan, than look no further than the Caudalie Divine Legs. 

This is an amazing tinted lotion that will give your legs (and the rest of your body) a beautiful sun-kissed look. Unlike self-tanners this is super easy to remove, it will be gone after a shower so you don’t have to worry about having dark spots or streaks on your skin for days. The lotion applies nicely and dries almost instantly so it should not stain your clothes and you don’t have to wait hours for the color to develop. It is super quick and convenient when a special occasion comes up or if you feel like you could use a boost of color. As the name suggests, the Divine Legs is scented with the Divine fragrance, a lovely warm scent that envelops you.

What makes me love the Divine Legs so much is the color, it is the most perfect shade! It looks super natural, just like a real tan would: never orange or muddy. I have very fair skin so finding a product that works for me and is not too dark is key for a believable look. As you can see in the bottle, the lotion is quite shimmery but don’t worry you will not look like you are covered in gold glitter. In fact, the shimmer is not visible on the skin, it simply gives a beautiful healthy glow to the skin. Honestly, the swatch does not do this justice, but believe me it makes your skin look amazing, like you have just been on a holiday. 

Now, there is one thing I am not too sure about and that is the lasting power. I noticed that if any water go on my skin while wearing the lotion, it would just disappear and leave that spot color-free. Obviously this is an issue if you want to go to the beach or if it is supposed to rain. However from reading reviews, no one else seemed to have this issue, so I am not sure it is a common problem. Maybe I just got a bad/old bottle, my local Sephora does not have the best product turnover. Nonetheless, I still think this is an amazing product and the color alone will make me get a new bottle next summer.

You can get the Caudalie Divine Legs is available from the Caudalie website, Sephora, Feelunique and any other retailer of the brand. Also I you should have a look at the cute commercial they shot (English version here and French version here), I loved it so much it is the reason I decided to try it in the first place. 

Soap and Glory Scrubatomic Daily Face Polish

Good exfoliation is a crucial part of my skincare regime and a step I go through multiple times throughout the week. For me, exfoliating only once a week is not enough (my skin craves more), however this means I need to be careful when choosing an exfoliant because I don’t want to use something too harsh. This is why the Soap and Glory Scrubatomic Daily Face Polish is so great.

This is a scrub with natural AHA fruit smoothers (bilberry, sugarcane, orange) and microbeads made of clay and silica (full ingredients list here). So you get both a manual and chemical exfoliation in a creamy base that is super gentle for every day. I use it maybe 3 times a week, sometimes more if need be, and it never irritates my face or makes it red so you can use it in the morning. I think it is a great product to use as an introduction of AHA and chemical exfoliation because it is so gentle. As always though, you should do a patch test before use just to make sure you skin is fine with it.  

After use, I am always left with brighter and smoother looking skin. The beads are never scratchy and I find it very easy to rinse off, no stubborn beads will stay stuck to you face and the creamy base does not leave sticky residues. The tube lasts for a long time because you only need to use a little at a time since it contains lots of beads. It also smells deliciously fruity, making the experience even more pleasant.

The Soap and Glory Scrubatomic Daily Face Polish is a great and affordable exfoliator, you can read more about it on their website and it is available in drugstores that carry the brand like Boots. 

Innisfree Eco Safety Aqua Daily Sun Gel SPF30 PA++

Well the sweltering heat and humidity just keep on coming… In those condition, having a great sunscreen is crucial because nobody enjoys putting on a thick layer of greasy cream on their face when it is boiling outside. Luckily I am covered with my favorite sunscreen the Innisfree Eco Safety Aqua Daily Sun Gel SPF30 PA++.

If I could only use one sunscreen for the rest of my life it would be this one and I cannot recommend it enough. It is a light water-based lotion, it is not a gel but it is a far cry from thick creams, it absorbs like a dream! It contains great ingredients like sunflower seed oil, green tea extract and hyaluronic acid. All these leave you with soft and moisturized skin and I found that the hyaluronic acid really helps it absorb faster, but it also helps the rest of your skincare do the same. It’s just absolutely brilliant!

The sun gel also works really well under makeup, leaving no white cast and it does not make your face oilier throughout the day, so your makeup will stay in place. After months of usage I can report I never got sunburned while wearing it and I love how all the antioxidants it contains will certainly help protect my skin from harmful sunrays and keep it looking young. The bottle design is also worth mentioning, it is small and compact so you can easily take it with you on your travels and it has a very small and narrow nozzle that allows you to control the exact amount of product you need preventing any waste. Honestly, this is just such a rave worthy product for me, as most sunscreens break me out, but this one has done nothing but good things for my skin.

You can get the Innisfree Eco Safety Aqua Daily Sun Gel from their website, though it appears like the SPF30 version has been discontinued they offer an SPF50+ PA+++ version in the same formula and this is the one I will be purchasing in the future. 

Innisfree Perfect Clean Foot Peeling Mist

Having soft feet is not a concern I spend much time thinking about unless it is sandal season. Granted nothing beats a good session with a pumice stone to remove calluses, but it’s always nice to try new products that might improve your skin and boost the effects of your pedicure. You all know how much I love Innisfree, so when I saw they had a Perfect Clean Foot Peeling Mist I just had to give it a try.  

Honestly, at first I thought this was a bit of a gimmick and in a way it is, but I was surprised to actually see small results with it. Basically, this mist contains AHAs to help exfoliate the skin. You simply spray it on your feet and gently rub. As you do so, the product will start to ball up, collecting dead skin cells in the same way many Asian facial peels work.

Now this kind of peeling product is often talked about as a total gimmick because people think the product is simply rolling onto itself. I have tested it and it did not ball up when I rubbed it on a plate with a spoon. I think what usually happens is that this kind of product will mostly exfoliate the skin on your hands and fingers first because there are more dead skin there and obviously you are using them to rub it in. So in the end the product does work, just maybe not in the way you thought it would.

After multiple usages, I can safely say the Perfect Clean Foot Peeling Mist will help remove some of the rough skin, but it mostly work on the very thin top layer. It will not make calluses disappear, but it’s a great product to use after using a pumice stone to really remove any leftover particles. I also noticed it has great skin softening properties, leaving my feet feeling very soft and smooth after every use.

In the end, this is not a miracle mist, but it feels incredibly refreshing and it makes for a nice experience after a long day. It has a nice citrusy scent and combined with rubbing and massage-like motions, it can really help you unwind and remove tension if you have been on your feet all day. I would recommend it as long as you know what kind of results to expect so you won’t be disappointed. It is affordable and the unique formula is fun to use. 

The Innisfree Perfect Clean Foot Peeling Mist is available on their website and they offer great international shipping. 

L’Oréal Visible Lift Blur Foundation in Light Ivory 201

I have always been a bit reticent when it comes to buying drugstore foundations, not because the formulas don’t look nice, but because finding a shade that is light enough for me is near impossible. However, like any beauty lover, I enjoy trying new products so when I saw that the L’Oréal Visible Lift Blur Foundation was on sale, I let myself be tempted.

This is targeted towards more mature skin as it claims to blur the look of lines and wrinkles with the help of Visible Lift (I took this as meaning it contains the Visible Lift serum but I am not 100% sure). Honestly the main reason I think it is marketed for more mature skin is due to the fact the foundation contains hyaluronic acid which will plump the skin and minimize any dehydration line, plus it also has a very fresh finish.

Now I am still too young to need a wrinkle correcting foundation but I was very intrigued by the texture of this product. In a way it reminds me of the now (sadly) discontinued Magic Smooth Soufflé foundation from L’Oréal as it has a mousse like quality but it is still a liquid foundation and a bit runny. Due to its unique texture, a little goes a very long way and I found the best to apply it is with fingers to really blend it in. This is important because I think it could cling to very dry patches or look patchy if you are not careful, however it does blend quickly granted that you take the time to do it.

Finish wise, it first settles into a slightly matte satin finish that looks lovely and very much like skin. It also has a blurring effect on the skin, making it look quite flawless. Now, remember how I said this looks very fresh? Well, after a few minutes and as the day goes on, it will get dewier and if you if have combination/oily skin, a little shiny. I would advise people with oily skin to skip the Visible Lift Blur Foundation because I doubt it would last through the day. If you have combination skin you can get away with it if you use some powder to set your T-zone and those with normal to dry skin will probably enjoy it.

It comes in 12 shades, which is reasonable, but if you have very fair skin the lightest shade will be too dark. I can get away with it in the summer with the help of some bronzer and if I am using self-tanner, but it looks very orange in the tube. On the skin however, the pigments really sheer out, offering a light medium coverage that evens out the skin and offers a nice sun kissed look.

To be honest with you I have mixed feelings about this one. I do like the finish, but it is not made for combination skin so it can a bit shiny for my liking. I also wished it came in a lighter shade because it will be too dark for me in the winter which would be the best season for this foundation. All in all it is a nice foundation and if you have normal/slightly dry skin and can find a color match I would give it a try. The Visible Blur line also offers blushes that look really cute and I think they might work on a wider range of skin types and colors.

The L’Oréal Visible Lift Blur Foundation can be found in most drugstores and it is also available on their website. 

MAC Studio Finish Concealer

Concealer is without a doubt one of the most useful product to have in your makeup bag and while I always struggle to find one that matches my skin, my under eye concealer has been a perfect match for years. MAC has a great color selection and their Studio Finish Concealer is nothing short of amazing for covering up dark circles.

This super creamy concealer is emollient enough to melt into the skin without looking cakey, but it will also stay in place all day. The formula packs a punch in terms of pigmentation, you only need a little to cover dark circles which also prevent you under eye area from looking heavy. Also bonus points for this having SPF 35, so many eye products offer zero sun protect even though this is one of the first areas to show signs of age and sun damage. I think this offers so much considering it is quite affordable and I love the results I can easily get with it every morning.

The Studio Finish Concealer comes in 15 shades and NC15 is a perfect match for my very fair skin. That being said it is too dark for me to use on the rest of my face, its peachy tone is great to counteract the blueish tone of dark circles but it does not work when trying to make a spot disappear. Also I have to say that on my combination skin it does not last all day on imperfections, but I don’t mind solely using it under my eyes because its lasting power there is amazing. I have repurchased it many times over the years and I don’t see myself moving on to something different any time soon. Plus that little pot will last you for ages.

You can get the MAC Studio Finish Concealer on their website and from any MAC counter.