Foundation Review: COVERGIRL + OLAY Simply Ageless Foundation

Today's review is for the COVERGIRL + OLAY Simply Ageless Foundation in 205 Ivory.

Availability: This retails anywhere from $12-$20 and can be purchased in drugstores that sell COVERGIRL.

Would I buy this? I'm not sure.

What is this product? What is it supposed to do?

Let's quote from covergirl.com, shall we?

Correct the signs of aging with COVERGIRL Simply Ageless Instant Wrinkle-Defying Foundation. This leading anti-aging foundation helps diminish the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. While covering imperfections, ingredients like a hyaluronic complex and Vitamin C work to hydrate your skin. For ultimate protection, SPF 28 defends your skin against harsh sun rays.

HYDRATING FORMULA - This cream foundation contains hyaluronic complex and vitamin C for healthier looking skin | AN ARRAY OF SHADES - Choose from multiple shades, and easily find the perfect match for your skin tone | SPF 28 PROTECTION - Shield your skin from sun damage with SPF 28 protection | DIMINISH THE LOOK OF WRINKLES - Rich and hydrating, this formula lessens the appearance of fine lines | CRUELTY-FREE FOUNDATION- Rest easy knowing COVERGIRL products are never tested on animals

Does this come in any other shade than the one pictured above?

This comes in 11 shades.

What's the coverage/consistency like?

I would say this has a sheer to medium-full, buildable coverage with a soft natural matte finish.

Does this have any beneficial ingredients in it?

Titanium Dioxide 4.9% - Sunscreen.

Niacinamide - Has anti-inflammatory and pore refining properties.

Acetyl Glucosamine - Helps reverse UV damage and boost skin's water content.

Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E) - Has anti-oxidant properties.

Glycerin - Draws moisture to the skin.

Citric Acid - Helps lighten, brighten, and tighten the skin.

Fructose - Helps soothe redness on skin.

Urea - Treats dry, rough skin. Helps smooth out eczema patches.

Allantoin - Has soothing properties.

Hyaluronic Acid - Holds up to 1000x its weight in water, helps retain moisture in the skin.

Is this scented?

This has a subtle, perfume-y scent.

What has my experience with the product been like?

Pros:

- Consistency is really smooth, easy to blend and apply
- Good coverage

- Finish looks like healthy skin

-Lightweight

- Color is a good match for my skin-tone

Cons:

- requires a lot of layering to achieve fuller coverage

- difficult to get full coverage quickly if you're also looking to apply it hygienically (not using the provided sponge) or are a sponge vs a brush user.

-selection of shades for deep skin-tones is EXTREMELY limited and nearly nonexistent
I would say that overall this gives really good coverage. I really like its consistency and how silky it feels going on to the skin but I feel like it isn't the quickest foundation to apply if you're someone who likes a fuller coverage because it takes a while to built up. I'm sure if you use a dense brush with this, that might be less of a problem for you but I personally haven't tried to use this with a brush yet. I see this is available in a liquid format and am curious to try if that isn't easier to apply and build up.

What do I use to apply the product?

I apply this with  my e.l.f. Cosmetics Total Face Sponge.

I feel as though this review is pretty thorough but please let me know if you have any comments or questions.

Disclaimer: This was provided for testing purposes. I am under no obligation, nor am I being compensated, to mention it on this blog.

Eye Serum Review: hey HONEY Open Your Eyes Lifting Eye Serum

Hello folksickles. Today's review will be for hey HONEY Open Your Eyes Lifting Eye Serum.

Availability: This product retails at $37 for 15 ml (0.5 fl. oz.) and is available at ulta.com along with their physical store locations (I would give your local location a call before going there to make sure it's there and in stock) along with qvs.com and heyhoney.com.

Would I buy this again?: I'm not sure.

What is this product designed to address?

According to heyhoney.com this is what the product is and what it does:

This light fluid revitalizes the appearance of your entire eye contour to deliver a bright, rested look. It wakes your eyes up by reducing puffiness, providing hydration, and tightening the skin, effectively minimizing the appearance of fine lines for a visibly lifted effect.

Does it contain any special/beneficial ingredients?

Squalane: Moisturizes and softens skin, has anti-inflammatory properties, helps soften the look of fine lines; has a similar composition to the oil skin naturally produces to keep itself moisturized - therefore this tends to feel light and is non-comedogenic.

Honey: Has moisturizing and antibacterial properties.

Green tea: Has anti-oxidant and de-puffing (I'm assuming due to it having caffeine in it) properties.

Centella Asiatica (Gotu Kola): Has anti-inflammatory, hydrating, antibacterial, and collagen-boosting properties.

Safflower Oil: Is non-comedogenic and has hydrating properties.

Mallow Flower Extract: Has anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties.

Linoleic Acid: Has hydrating properties.

Soybean Oil: Has antioxidant and hydrating properties.

Vitamin E: Has antioxidant properties.

Glycine: Helps promote moisture retention, collagen production, and skin repair.

Retinyl Palmitate: This is a gentler alternative to retinol and has anti-aging (due to speeding up cell turnover) and antioxidant properties.

Niacinamide: Has anti-inflammatory properties.

Urea: Has hydrating and skin-smoothing properties.

What is the texture like?

I'd describe the texture as a slightly gelatinous, viscous liquid that melts into something watery-feeling and feels refreshing when applied. 

Is it scented?

This has an extremely faint, floral honey scent.

My overall experience/comments on the product:
Full disclosure, this review is a first impression as I've only used this product twice so far. The applicator feels so nice on my puffy, irritated eyes (hello allergies!) and the product provides a nice, lightweight hydration to the eye area. My eyes were less puffy than usual, which is a plus, because given my allergies I'd say puffiness, brightness, and smoothing crepe-y-ness is what I'm looking for an eye cream to do at this point and this hits most of those issues. I love how it has an abundance of soothing, anti-inflammatory ingredients.

Please let me know if you have any questions or comments.

Disclaimer: This was provided for testing purposes. I am under no obligation, nor am I being compensated, to mention it on this blog.

Nail Polish Review: pop arazzi Charm School Quick Dry Nail Color

 Nail polish: pop arazzi Quick Dry Nail Color in Charm School

What the brush looks like:

My nails with 2 coats of polish, all nails have inm Out the Door Topcoat for Nails on:

Availability: pop arazzi polishes are exclusive to CVS where they retail at $4.99 each or at 2 for $8.
Would I buy this again?: No.
Notes: I'd describe this as a heavily whitened pastel pink.  In terms of wear, this chipped within four days of having it on, mostly on the tips of my nails. Given that my nails are on the longer side right now, chipping does tend to happen more frequently when my nails are long, that being said this color is very similar to ORLY Nail Lacquer in Kiss the Bride, which I haven't had chipping issues with, so I will be passing this one along.

 
Please let me know if you have any questions or comments. 

Disclaimer: I bought this myself.

April 2022 Departures

Ok folksickles. Departure blogs will contain items that aren't empties but that are going to be given away for one reason or another. I'm working hard to curate my makeup collection and want it to include only the products that I think truly work well, that I reach for often and do what they're supposed to do.

1. Rumi 18 Seven days matte water nail polish: This is a beautiful ruby nail polish but unfortunately it started chipping within a day of wearing it and didn't stay put on my nails at all so I shall be passing it along. 

Please let me know if you have any questions or comments.

Disclaimer: I purchased this myself.

April 2022 Arrivals

Ok folksickles! Look at me for a change, pretty much only buying essentials. 

1. Duo Brush On Striplash Adhesive: My current tube of this glue is getting gunky and, since I replace them every three months anyway to avoid eye infections, I figured it was time to replenish. 

2. one+other Pro Strength Nail Polish Remover: I ran out of the wipes I've been using to take nail polish off my toes with so I figured I'd just buy a bottle of liquid to replenish.

3. CVS Mini Haul: Truth be told, I went to CVS to purchase nail polish remover but because I was having a crappy time I decided to treat myself to some nail polish seeing as how it's pretty and not painfully pricey.

beauty 360 Pro Strength Nail Polish Remover

pop arazzi Charm School Quick Dry Nail Color

pop arazzi Movie Star Quick Dry Nail Color

pop arazzi Dragonglass Quick Dry Nail Color

pop arazzi Vacation Vibes Quick Dry Nail Color

4. Marshall's Mini Haul: I needed to replenish on lashes so I did a bit of a lash haul at Marshall's.

the Creme Shop 3D Faux Mink Lashes in Boujee

the Creme Shop 3D Faux Mink Lashes in Crème de la Crème

the Creme Shop 3D Faux Mink Lashes in Lolita

the Creme Shop 3D Faux Mink Lashes in Tea

Winsome Lash Lashes in Cloudless (4-pack)

Please let me know if you have any comments or questions.

Disclaimer: I purchased everything listed above.

April 2022 Favorites

Hey folksickles,

Alright, all the goodies I've been enjoying in April :) 

1. ColourPop Sol Pressed Powder Palette: I think in terms of its color scheme, this palette is the perfect transitional situation to take you from summer into fall. With that being said, I feel like I've established long ago that I don't really think about seasons much when testing or using my palettes. I've been playing with this again and just absolutely enjoying the process! The shadows are all so beautifully pigmented, blend beautifully together, and create a versatile array of looks. I'm sad that they've discontinued the palette because it's just so great!

2. The Face Shop Calendula Essential Moisture Cream: So I've been testing out my moisturizers lately and I am just in love with this! It has such a beautiful, silky, hydrating texture without feeling heavy. In addition, I have this patch of dry, flaky, inflamed skin on my chin that's been around for the past few weeks and NOTHING has helped it go away. Since I've started using this at night, I only used it twice, but I'm already noticing that patch healing. 

3. Essie Passport To Happiness: So I have a strange confession to make when it comes to my nails. if my nail polish is heavily chipped or my nails look a mess I tend to feel like my life isn't together and I'm more anxious than usual. So putting this on my nails after wearing a nail polish that literally just peeled off my nails and it wearing really nicely just put my mind at ease. I love pastel mint shades and looking at my nails when I have this on just makes me feel so happy. 

4. ColourPop Blush Crush Pressed Powder Palette: I've been testing this palette lately and have been loving it. The shade selection here enables me to create very soft, romantic looks that are extremely flattering without being over-the-top. I've really been enjoying using it!

5. Hourglass Blush in Mood Flush: I honestly had no intention of liking this blush and thought it would look kind of whatever on me. That being said, it's such a flattering warm, mauve-y pink and gives me such a pretty flush of color. I'm really enjoying using it!

6. My Dress-Up Darling: It has been ages,since I've brought up a show that I really enjoyed here and this is a show I really loved watching! Granted, it's quite pervy and loaded with fanservice but I personally think that it works in the context of what's happening and isn't awkwardly inserted for shock factor (or at least, it's done better than other animes have done it). It's a great, genuinely funny rom-com with what I think is a really fun plot and loaded with really sweet moments. 

Please let me know if you have any comments or questions.

Disclaimer: I paid for the products mentioned above myself with the exception of the Hourglass product, which was provided for testing purposes.

April 2022 Empties

All my monthly trash on display for you to see. :P

1. Korres Renewing Body Cleanser in Cashmere Rose: This body cleanser smells absolutely delicious and left my skin feeling super soft and silky. 

2.  beauty 360 Original Nail Polish Remover Pad: I purchased these to use on my feet since my local CVS, unfortunately, was closing and out of the liquid remover. These work fairly decent and do a good job of removing my nail polish. I'm able to get both feet done before it dries. That being said the pad is a bit thick which, overall, is not bad but it's difficult to get it around the cuticle area to remove nail polish there. 

3. ProBeauty Essentials Faux Mink Wispies x2: These lashes are a bit hard to get the hang of because they seem to want to just jump off the lash-line or not glue quite to where the lash-line begins. It took two pairs for me to finally got the hang of them. That being said they're a very pretty lash that gives great length and volume.  

4. thisworks deep sleep pillow spray: I personally used this fairly sporadically because it smells too herbaceous for my liking but I find that it does work to make me feel sleepier and to fall asleep faster versus when I wasn't using it.

5. Tocca Gia Eau de Parfum: I am very sad that I ran out of this perfume, because, as I'm sure many of you know I just absolutely adore it. That being said, I was starting to get sick of it at times, which is odd because as spring is approaching I'm loving it more and more again. With that being said, I appreciate running out of it because now I can play with my other perfumes. The rollerball lasted me a little over a year which, in my experience, is both shocking and a pleasant surprise.

6. Tree Hut Vitamin C Shea Sugar Scrub: I really loved this scrub, as I do most Tree Hut scrubs because they feel scrubby and invigorating to use. This has a sweet yet tangy, slightly citrusy (although more like a candy than an actual fruit) scent.

7. Physicians Formula Eye Booster Waterproof Ultra-Fine Liquid Eyeliner: I really love this eyeliner so much. It stays put very nicely, goes on easily, and is easy to work with. I'm sad to be done with it but I have a backup so I'm technically good.

8. Duo Brush-On Adhesive with Vitamins: This is, unfortunately, getting goopy so I have replaced it with a new one.

9. L.A. Girl Flash Big & Bold Mascara: When it comes to this mascara I am so glad to be done with it. It felt dry and like it wasn't really doing very much for my lashes at all since I started using it and I am just genuinely happy it has come to an end.

10. Maybelline New York Fit Me Concealer: While I did say that I liked this in my original review of it, I personally find that I have to use a lot of product to achieve the kind of coverage that I'm after. I think when I first used this product, I was using it in conjunction with a full coverage foundation, which worked. That being said, I'm now using a tinted moisturizer and I find the combo to be one where I have to use lots of product. In addition to that, it is impossible to get to the last of this product that is gathered at the bottom of the tube. For these reasons I will probably not be repurchasing this product.

11. ColourPop Pretty Fresh hyaluronic tinted moisturizer: Although this tinted moisturizer is comfortable to wear I found that this shade is a little bit too light for me and, because it's too sheer for my personal preference, I will not be replenishing on it.

12. Nature Republic Hand & Nature sanitizer gel in Apple: Honestly, this smells like apple Jolly Ranchers which is neither here nor there for me. I wish it had more of a granny smith scent to it but it doesn't bother me much. I really like that these hand sanitizers are really lightweight and hydrating; they don't leave your skin feeling dry at all.

13. Trader Joe's Kombucha Black Tea Cleansing Oil: This cleansing oil smells delicious and overall worked well to take my makeup off (I realized I needed to use a little bit more of it than I was initially) but while I liked it I just find my other makeup removers work better and, as this isn't available in a full size I will not be getting it again.

14. beauty360 Pro Strength Nail Polish Remover: Unfortunately this is getting really bad at removing my nail polish so it's time I replaced it.

15.Dr Teal's Shea Sugar Scrub in Rose Essential Oil: I may have found a series of new favorite scrubs y'all. This smells so yummy and scrubs just as well as my beloved Tree Hut scrubs. That being said, I feel like lately the scents of Tree Hut have started going in the direction of appealing to teenagers (as in, they're extremely sweet compared to the scents that were available a few years ago) whereas these smell delicious but aren't painfully sweet. I just started on the citrus one and it's also fantastic! 

16. Lilly Lashes 3D Faux Mink in Miami: Although I found that I got good wear out of these lashes I unfortunately had a bad day and ended up crying them off. As you can imagine they were not useable after that. Frankly I think these lashes are pretty on other people and while they were OK on me I found them a bit too big, full, and having a lash band that's thicker than I like - I always ended up with a load of glue on my eyelashes that was difficult to remove and I'm convinced it's because of the lash band on these.

17. berkley jensen unscented wipes: As I mentioned in the past I really like to use these to wipe down my makeup collection or to remove swatches when I take blog photos. I like them for wiping down dust off surfaces as well and I will occasionally add rubbing alcohol to them to make them antibacterial (for instance, when I go to the laundromat I like to wipe the folding table down before I fold my clothes on it).

18. Laneige Berry Lip Sleeping Mask: Honestly so many people love this mask and I just can't relate. I wish it were thicker and more hydrating as it just doesn't do enough for me. I like its candy scent though.

19. m-61 Hydraboost Oil-Free Sunscreen SPF40: This is a really nice, lightweight, hydrating SPF that I liked to use as both an SPF and a daytime moisturizer. I am sad to have run out of it because I really liked its texture but will probably replenish with something at a lower price point.

Please let me know if you have any questions or comments.

 

Disclaimer: I purchased all of the above with the exception of the thisworks, Laneige, m-61, and L.A. Girl products.