Annabelle BB cream review

I just wanted to do a quick review on a new drugstore BB cream that I've recently tried.
I tend to stay away from the new drug store ones since they tend to have skin irritating ingredients or low to no SPF ratings.

But, I saw the Annabelle one has some antioxidants and no alcohol so I figured I'd give it a try.

Annabelle is an exclusively Canadian cosmetics company and can be purchased practically anywhere that sells drug store make up country wide.

Basically this BB cream is trying to be like all the others, stating that it is a fusion of skin care and make up.

I think they did a pretty good job on this one to be honest, but it does have it's flaws.
The BB cream comes in two shades only, light/medium and medium/dark.
Light medium is obviously the one I chose since I'm fair. But I must say it's not for fair skin at all! It's very yellow toned and more suited to medium skin.
The reason this is a problem is because it is actually quite pigmented! I couldn't use this on my face because it was more like a foundation, and well - it looked way to dark on me.

Here are swatches on my hand :

blended:

My hands are like 2 shades darker than my face at this point of the summer. I should really use sunscreen on my hands as well!
Anyways this gives a gorgeous luminous finish, and is actually very hydrating. I was very impressed, except with the color.

pros:

- Protects skin against UVB rays
- non irritating
- includes skin beneficial antioxidants and moisturizers
- feels very nice on
- great coverage
- gives complexion a luminous healthy look

cons:

- Not broad spectrum sun protection (you need to block both UVA and UVB rays to avoid skin damage)
- Feels slippery on the skin, doesn't fully 'set' rubs off on clothing (unless set with powder)
- Color options are very limited (medium to deep skin tones - nothing for fair or very dark)

Overall, I highly recommend this if you like tinted moisturizers and some coverage. I would say the light/medium would suit NC20 to NC35 skin tones. Possibly NW15 if you get darker in summer.
I love this stuff and I'm very sad they don't make it in a lighter color.

Repurchase? No. Not light enough for my skin.

Price: $16 CAD

Rating: 4/5

Kat Von D lock-it tattoo foundation review

So lately I've been experimenting with all sorts of different foundations, and after hearing KVD had a new foundation out I practically ran to Sephora to try it.
I love the way Kat's face always looks very smooth and well, perfectly covered:


Dare I say that this foundation actually makes my skin look almost as amazing as Kat's? Well, I'll let you be the judge when you see my before and after pics.

The shade I chose was the second lightest, light 44 'For fair skin with beige undertones'. It's about an NC15 in MAC..maybe more neutral (MAC runs very yellow).
Just an FYI, the lightest shade of lock-it 'light 42' is very very light. It will be an excellent match for those with very fair skin who have a hard time finding a shade light enough.

KVD tattoo foundation shade Light 44:

The packaging is amazing, very pretty like all KVD's line. I love that it comes in a tube, with a pump dispenser.

side view (pump):

What it says on the back of the box:

swatched on my hand:

Blended into my hand:

Coverage is just amazing. Well, you will see just how great it is in the before and after pics:

Before :(nothing on skin, just moisturizer)

After: (with lock-it foundation)

Pretty amazing huh? My skin is suffering some redness and a few breakouts lately, and with this stuff on it looks absolutely perfect. LOVE it.
The finish is matte, but it isn't flat like some mattifying foundations. It maintains a skin like glow on your face and actually doesn't look too heavy or cakey.

Wear time was pretty good, after about 12 hours I got a bit of patchiness where my skin was getting a bit dry.
This would not hold out for 24 hours as claimed, but why would you need a foundation to last that long anyways?

Overall this is what I think of it:

Pros:

- great color selection
- beautiful packaging
- long lasting
- superior coverage
- controls oil

Cons:

- smells sort of nasty..can't really compare to anything but I don't like it
- can make your skin feel dry
- doesn't live up to the 24 hr claim
- expensive

I need to mention that I have recently used Make up forever's matte + velvet foundation and it is very similar to this. The coverage is not quite as good, but it doesn't dry out my skin like lock-it does.
The only one that comes close to lock-it in terms of coverage is Estee Lauder maximum coverage camouflage. Will do a review on that one at some point too.


I think that if you are looking for a true full coverage foundation you need to try this.

Repurchase? No. I found it to be too drying for my skin.

Price: $41 CAD

Rating: 4/5

NOTD: nails inc. sprinkles sugar house lane

I don't know why but I adore this polish! It reminds me of something I can't quite put my finger on...
Maybe chocolate chip cookie dough? I just can't get enough of this. Pale grey/beige with black and silver 'sprinkles' heck ya!


Click above pic to see the texture. This is what 2 coats looks like without a base, I was surprised it was so opaque! Really cool.
With glitters like this I usually peel them off within a day because they feel chunky on my nails; but this one was nice and smooth with a thin topcoat. It lasted 3 days before chipping.

This is my first nails inc. polish and I think I will be getting more. I really want to grab all of the sprinkles ones!

Have you tried these special effects 'sprinkles' yet? What do you think?