L'Oreal Magic Nude Liquid Powder Foundation Review

After several failed attempts, I think I have finally found the perfect summer foundation.  I picked this little beauty up out on a whim a couple of weeks ago when I took a trip to my local drugstore in need of foundation, but they were all out of my shade in my go-to Covergirl Outlast foundation.  I've been meaning to try this product out since hearing mostly positive reviews when it first came out sometime last year, so I decided that this was the perfect time to switch things up a bit and finally try it out for myself.  I went with the shade 310 in 'Light Ivory'.

The formulation is very thin and must be shaken well before applied to incorporate all the ingredients, or else you'll be left with a watery mess all over your hands (I may or may have not skipped reading the instructions on the back of the bottle before applying...).  Because of the water-like consistency of this foundation, it works best when applied with your fingers and actually tends to look streaky and messy when applied with a brush or sponge.  I prefer to blend in my foundation with my fingers anyway, because I find that's how I can achieve the most natural-looking finish.  The blendability of this foundation is truly amazing; it effortlessly smoothes into my skin without looking cakey or settling into any fine lines or pores.  I can see how they went with the name "Magic Nude", because it truly doesn't look or feel like I'm wearing much makeup at all when I use this foundation, yet it somehow stills manages to conceal any redness in my complexion.  I actually found that I'm not needing as much concealer on any problem areas after applying this foundation because it does that great of a job concealing them.  It's definitely a lightweight coverage,  but I like that I can easily build it up to a medium-coverage foundation if I apply a thin second layer.  

The finish is a beautiful matte, almost velvet-like texture that looks really natural on the skin.  Since it's not at all greasy or dewy, you could probably skip applying a powder overtop, but I do anyways just to ensure that I stay shine-free all day.  I've worn this foundation almost everyday since purchasing it, and I've found that it wears really nicely throughout the day.  It doesn't oxidize or settle, and I hardly find that I need much touch-up besides a bit of powder after a full day of wear.

The only negative thing I have to say about this product is that application can get a little bit messy sometimes since it tends to pour out quite fast out of the large opening in the bottle.  A pump applicator would probably work much better to minimize any potential mess.  The price is also quite high for a drugstore foundation, at almost $18CAD.  However, I think it's a fair price for such a high-quality foundation. 

Pros:

• Super blendable
• Buildable coverage
• Natural, matte finish
• Long lasting
• Doesn't oxidize or settle into the skin

Cons:

• Poor packaging design
• Pricey for a drugstore foundation ($18 CAD)

For those of you wondering if this foundation will work well with your skin type, I have a normal-to-dry complexion.  And while I don't suffer from anything more than the occasional zit, I do tend to have quite a bit of redness along my t-zone, and I found that the formulation of the L'Oreal Magic Nude worked really well with my skin type.

Overall, I'd say that I'm really pleased with this product and I'll definitely be re-purchasing once I'm out.  It's the ideal summer face product for me because it provides great coverage in a super light-weight formula, while also being able to withstand hours in the heat and humidity. 

Have you tried the L'Oreal Magic Nude Liquid Powder Foundation?  I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Friday Favourites

Happy Friday lovelies!  This past week has been pretty exciting and eventful for me, so I thought I'd start off the weekend with a little update post to share some of my favourite moments of my week with you all!
1.  Last Saturday night, I saw Lady Gaga perform at Bluesfest and it was both one of the coolest and weirdest experiences of my life.  I love how wild and unique she is, and she definitely knows how to put on a show! She made it more of a huge outdoor rave than just a typical concert.  My friends and I wanted to wear something a little wild, without going so far as to re-create her clear plastic dress as some of the die-hard fans were wearing.

 

2. On Wednesday, a friend took me to the most amazing little tea shop downtown called The Tea Store.  This place is literally a tea lover's dream; they have an entire wall filled with hundreds of different flavours of loose-leaf tea. I ordered the 'Coconut Cream Chai' because I've never had a coconut flavoured tea, and it was delicious! We sat out on their little patio overlooking the market and  the server brought out our teas in the prettiest glass mugs.  I'm definitely going to go back  sometime soon and try some of their other flavours!

3. I haven't had the time to go to the gym since Sunday, so I've been doing quick 30-40 minute HIIT workouts at home before getting ready to go out for the day.  These types of  workouts are super intense and sweaty, but I love them because I can get in my cardio and some strength training during a really short amount of time!  I like trying out different ones every few days to keep my workouts exciting.  A couple of my favourites are here and here.

    4. Last night I saw The Band Perry at Bluesfest, and they truly rocked it up on that stage! They've been one of my favourite bands ever since I first heard 'If I Die Young' on the radio, so I'm so happy that I got the chance to finally see them live.  I'm also now kind of obsessed with Kimberly Perry's blonde beachy waves! 

5. Earlier today I went to the salon with my friend Beth to get our nails done.  I went for oval-shaped gel nails in this bright pinky-purple shade that's perfect for summer.  I haven't even had them for a day but I'm already obsessed.  We stopped for Starbucks afterwards so obviously I just had to take a typical tumblr-stlye nails and latte photo for instagram ;)

Hope you all have a lovely weekend! Be sure to let me know about your favourite moments of the week in the comments! 

                      

OOTD - Country Music Festival

Hello lovelies!
So this past Sunday night I went to see Lady Antebellum at Bluesfest with some friends, and they were absolutely amazing!  I've been having so much fun dressing up for all the different concerts this past week, so I thought I'd share the country-inspired outfit that I wore that night with you all.   

Shop: dress // boots (old) similar

Since it was a night filled with country music, I wanted to bring some cowgirl inspiration into my outfit.  It was way too hot for plaid and jeans, so I chose to wear this little blue floral-patterned sundress from Garage and paired it with some cowboy ankle booties.

I decided to go for some T-Swift circa 2006 hair, because nothing says country more than big, messy curls.  To create the look, I used my 1-inch Conair Infinity curling wand, taking one inch-wide sections, wrapping them away from my face, and holding each piece for about 10 seconds.  Once my whole head was curled, I gently shook out the curls by finger-combing them a bit to make them more voluminous and less Shirley Temple.  

Shop: vest

I also threw on my denim vest to complete this country-insprired look.

There are tens of thousands of people each night at Bluesfest, so it's pretty difficult to get a good view of the stage.  Luckily for us, we got there pretty early and managed to get a really good spot.  I was so excited because for once I could actually see the performers' faces without having to watch from the big screens at the back of the crowd!  Country concerts are usually pretty mellow, but Lady Antebellum brought such amazing energy and really put on a show that night.  I've always been a fan of their music, and after seeing them perform live I just love them so much more.  They even gave us a sneak peak of a song from their new album coming out this fall, which I'll definitely be buying!

Have you been to any fun concerts or music festivals this summer?

June Favourites

I can't believe it's already July.  I know every beauty blogger on the planet says that when it comes time for their monthly favourites, but June seriously just flew by for me!  I feel like summer just started but it's already almost half over; and while I do love the fall, I'd really like for summer to drag on as long as possible.  Keep the late nights and lazy afternoons filled with sunshine and sangria coming please!

Anywho, I'm super excited to be doing my first monthly favourites post.  I didn't try out too many new products this month but I did find a couple that I love, along with a few oldies that I found myself reaching for often throughout June.

My first favourite beauty product would be my Naked 3 palette.  I got this baby back in December, but didn't find myself reaching for it much until the past month or so. The shades are all golden and rose-hued so I find they perfectly compliment a summery-bronzed makeup look! And like all the Urban Decay eye shadows, they are super pigmented and long-wearing, which is perfect to last through those hot summer nights!

I have been using The Body Shop's Strawberry Body Butter to death this month.  I like to use it on my legs after shaving right after I get out of the shower to keep them super smooth and hydrated.  My skin tends to be super dry all year long so I prefer using body butters as oppose to regular lotion.  Plus this scent is so sweet and fruity, it's perfect for summer! 

I recently fell back in love with Maybelline The Falsies waterproof mascara.  This was my go-to mascara when it first came out, and I have no idea why I ever stopped using it because I LOVE IT!  I often have trouble with the curl of my lashes falling throughout the day, but this one keeps them looking perfect into the night! It gives my eyes a look of full, defined lashes that aren't clumped together so it's definitely once again become my holy grail mascara. 

 Another favourite eye product of mine this month has been the Revlon Colorstay Liquid Liner.  I typically just stick to mascara during the day, but if I'm going out to dinner or downtown with friends at night then I love to rock a subtle winged eye-look.  This liner has been my favourite lately because its almost marker-like applicator makes it super easy to create a variety of different looks.  The formula is really long-lasting too, it hasn't smudged or faded on me even after a night out.

 My nail polish pick of the month is hands down Essie's 'Bikini So Teeny'. I've honestly just been reapplying this all month because I don't want to take it off! The bright purple-blue colour of this polish makes the perfect summer nail in my opinion.

 Because it's hot and I'm too lazy to spend the time to blow-dry and curl my hair everyday, I've been sticking to a more natural, wavy look in June.  After washing my hair in the morning, I let it air dry about 50%, apply a texturizing product, and sweep it to the side in a loose braid.  I've been loving my Marc Anthony Dream Waves Amplifying Lotion to help define the natural wave in my hair, and give it more of a beachy look.  I love this because it doesn't make my hair crunchy like a mouse would, plus it smells like coconuts.  Once my hair is dry after a couple of hours, I shake out the braid and I'm left with pretty beachy hair that's super simple and effortless!

The Revlon Photoready Concealer was a new favourite product of mine in June.  It covers redness perfectly and stays put throughout the day.  I find that it's a perfect dupe for my usual Benefit 'Boing' concealer, but at less than half the price!

One of my favourite accessories of the month has been my rose-gold wristlet from Michael Kors.  It's essentially a wallet but also has a slot for my phone and enough space for my keys, so I've been using this on the daily as oppose to carrying around a big purse.  The rose-gold matches beautifully with almost everything as well!

 Finally, I've been absolutely loving my Mossimo Avery sandals from Target.  I first bought these in white and I just loved them so much I went back recently to buy a second pair in black!  They're so comfortable, and I find that the gold detailing is so pretty and makes them look much more expensive than $19.99!

Let me know in the comments what you've been loving this past month.  I always love trying new products!