No-Melt Makeup

The holidays are coming up so that means outdoor fetes and beach parties. Now a full face of makeup during the day can be a bit jolting especially when it's melting off your face in the heat. Lately, I've been testing out some products that stay put but still get the job done.

Sunscreen
This is a must if you want good skin past your thirties. The only sunscreen I swear by is the Neutrogena Dry Touch sunscreen with a high enough spf that you don't have to be too concerned about re-applying and there is barely any smell. This will be in my good graces for a very long time.


Neutrogena Dry Touch Ultra Sheer Sunblock


Moisturizer
Gel moisturizer is the way to go. You don't have to wait eons for it to absorb into your skin and it leaves your face completely matte and dry for the face products you want to apply afterwards. A few I like are:

           
Garnier moisture rescue gel - cream                         Clinique Dramatically different moisturizing gel


Foundation
This is a bit of an iffy. Cream, liquid or powder foundation can cake up or melt off in the heat. The trick is to look for something that absorbs well into the skin. MAC's mineralized skin finish (MSF) natural powders seem to get this really really well. It is a finely milled powder that is super light-weight, layer-able and long-lasting. This plus a concealer that sticks well is really all you need. It also has spf which is always a good thing. You can apply with a brush or a clean wet sponge for heavier coverage.




Concealer
I've hyped the Mac Studio Cream Concealer over and over to everyone that will listen and I will continue to do so. This seriously does not melt off. But, if you don't want to spend on this then I would suggest trying the Black Opal Stick Concealer.

                                      
Black Opal                                                                        MAC Studio finish concealer


Blush
A powder blush will be your best friend. However if you want to amp up your cheeks layer a powder blush over your cream blush for a stay-put look all day. I particularly like the Arista blushes.

                                                        
                                                  Arista

Eyes
Anything that is waterproof will be a good idea. Waterproof eyeliner and mascara are a must. To be safe, avoid makeup on your bottom lash line as this can turn into raccoon eyes really quickly. Laying down an eyeshadow primer before you put on your shadows will make them last three times longer. Avoid cream eyeshadows if you want to avoid creasing or melting.
 Eyeshadow primers I recommend are:

  



Lips
If you read my blog you will know what I'm going to say. Lipstains are your best best. Full stop. lol. Here are my current faves.


Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Lip Balm



And that's it! I'll be uploading a video very soon to show you how I put it all together. Till next time lovelies!

**Jane

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Review: Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Lip Balm Stain

As I've said before I hopped on the lip colour train really late and ever since then I've been riding it pretty fast. I've tried the lip butters, the lip stains and when I heard about the lip balm stain I just had to try it for myself.

Fast forward a couple months later I spotted the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Lip Balm Stain at the beauty counter at Chesterfield Pharmacy and I decided to give it to a go. I got the shade Smitten in 030 which is, no surprise, a berry shade. 

First Impression
The first thing that I noticed was the scent. It smelled like winterfresh bubblegum which was pretty surprising. For me this meant that it would probably sting. I haven't had too much fun with cosmetics that have menthol or some sort of similar substance. Let's just say I pretty much burned myself. Thankfully, the smell was just that and there was no tingly feeling at all. 

Application
The stick is pretty much like a big crayon so you feel less than glamorous applying it. In fact, be prepared to get a few odd looks if you're applying it in public. That said, the application is smooth and the colour goes on evenly without dragging. The tip is quite big though so if you have smaller lips then you may want to make sure you are applying in front of a mirror. 

Wear
 This balm definitely lives up to its name and even if you apply several different layers it's still quite moisturizing. The moisturizing feeling lasts for maybe 3 hours without a touch up and the colour doesn't fade if you're not eating and/or drinking. It reminded me of a lip balm alright with that slightly slick feeling. It doesn't melt off in the sun so you won't find yourself wiping around your lip line no matter how sweltering it is. My lips didn't get tight or crack or dry out while wearing it making me a happy camper. 

Look
This isn't a glamorous product- you should be able to tell by the packaging. It's meant to be functional, practical and quick, and true to form it is all of these things. The colour is semi-sheer and can be worn as a wash of colour, a daytime lip colour or a practical office lip colour. If you want something that screams glamour and sexy or siren, this isn't your product - this is for a look that is more soft, feminine and pretty. It looks velvety more than satin-y but it definitely ins't a matte finish.

Kiss-Test/ Transfer
This wasn't super-messy but I did notice that if I sipped something within ten minutes of application then it transferred pretty heavily. If I waited however, the transfer was light or not at all. It didn't come off when I was changing clothes either. The lip balm stain transfers with moisture so a kiss on the lips meant transfer but a kiss on the cheek didn't. I would skip the blot and powder test though. If you want the stain to stick and stay all day then apply a lipliner in a similar shade, blot, then apply the lip balm stain. This should pretty much set you for at least 6 hours.

Conclusion
Overall, I would give this product a 7.5 out of 10
The packaging is a bit un-sexy and the crayon tip means that you can't really apply over another colour without running the two colours into each other. The colour isn't opaque which can be a problem for girls with more pigmented lips like most black women but again, if you are looking for semi sheer or sheer colour this is it. Nevertheless, it lasts, it's pretty and true to colour, it's moisturizing and it smells great. The cost is anywhere between $800 and $1200 depending on where you buy it. 

What do you think of the Revlon Lip Balm Stain? Have any questions for me? Leave me a comment below and let me know.

Till later,
**Jane

(all photos my own)

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