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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Product Review: Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter & Revlon Just Bitten Lip Stain

Lipsticks hate me. They never go on smoothly and they never look like what they do in the tube, and I'm always disappointed no matter what brand. But I've moved on, what with the number of other options for lip products that have been flooding the cosmetic markets recently, I'm over it. 

One thing you should know about me when it comes on to make up is that I believe it should be low maintenance. Put it on and head out the door and enjoy your night without having to duck into the bathroom every hour or so to check that you don't have clown mouth. Lip stains and sheer washes of colour that are lip butters beckon to me from the lovely ads that are everywhere nowadays. Now widely available at the drugstore price point, I got a little excited and decided to fork over the cash and jump on the train.

Now I did a little research and if I am to folow youtubers and the blogosphere the brand with the best staying power is Revlon, so I went out and got the Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in #010 Raspberry Pie; and the Revlon Just Bitten Lipstain in Frenzy. 

I got red/berry shades n both because I think that a lip product is only as good as its brighter colours. The Lip butter was $825.00 and the lip stain was $875.00 from Discount Pharmacy in Manor Park if I remember correctly. 

                                            

The lip butter provides a sheer wash of colour in one coat and a decent wash in two. It is thicker than a lip gloss but really smooth like a chapstick or lip balm. It is pretty shiny. The way I would wear this is over a lip pencil in a similar colour to provide a good base. It lasts about 5 hours before fading or wearing off, but if you eat or drink it will wear off quicker. I would repurchase this to try a different shade. I definitely recommend this though. 

                                        

                                        

The Just Bitten lipstain is a bit of a puzzle to use. The liquid seeps out through a felt tip point similar to a watercolour marker. This is not a quick swipe and go product, please take note of this fact. You need to dry your lips completely and make sure you get rid of any flakes. Then layer on the first layer being careful to stay within your lip line (remember this is a stain), let it dry completely and if you want the colour to be deeper layer on another layer. You can do up to five without it looking blotchy. The balm is at the other end of the stick - it doesn't seep through the stain and moisturize but I use it to moisturize the area around my mouth which can get dry when I haven't lathered up with my regular lip moisturizer. 

The picture below is a swatch of the products.

Top - Just B

itten in Frenzy; Bottom - Lip Butter in Raspberry Pie

I debuted these babies the night of my profession's annual banquet and I am pleased to say that the lipstain lasted through dinner and wine and I swiped on the butter to revive the colour. All in all I'm very impressed with these two products. If you've tried them leave a comment and let me know what you think.

Till later, 

Jane 

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