Tag: foundation

Minimalism Challenge: 1st Update

Published on by Eve CrabappleLeave a comment

If you didn’t see my previous post, I’m doing a massive sweep of my home to get back to that happy, organized balance that I was inhabiting a few months ago.

This past weekend was the first of many areas that need examination and I focused on my office. This is where I do my makeup, much of my writing and study, and is really “my space” in the house.

I started with my makeup collection as a little warm up. I have a large makeup bag in which I keep all of my daily essentials that I need to get ready in the morning. Lately, that makeup bag has gotten filled with extra things that prevent me from getting ready as quickly as possible. Next to that I have some stackable containers in which I keep lipsticks, lip gloss, blushes, extra foundation, and eyeshadow. I also have a large grey faux fur box that houses larger eyeshadow palettes, moisturizer, false lashes, and makeup setting spray.

I went through all of my makeup and threw away a L’Oreal cushion foundation that I used twice but will not use again (the lightest shade is still too dark!), some lip glitter that I have no event to wear to, random lipsticks that just weren’t the right color for me, brushes that were old or not ever being used, dried up eyelash glue, and more. I streamlined my morning makeup bag into a smaller one that I had around and threw away the old, big one. It was $1 from daiso and the ivory white exterior and inside had smudges and stains all over from the makeup. Now, all of my daily makeup fits in a black bag that is less than half the size, which makes it so easy to find what I need quickly.

Using the thought process: Do I value this? Do I use this? Do I love this? I purged quite a bit from my collection. Now, I still have enough eyeshadow, lipstick and blush to probably last me a lifetime, but it’s been years since I purchased any that so I’m alright with that fact. Really, the only makeup I’ve purchased for the last couple of years is foundation, powder and mascara.

I’m feeling better already. My morning routine just got a little more efficient and I’m loving it. Next week, I’m still staying in my office, but tackling a bunch of things at once. I’ve got nail polish, notebooks, and office supplies to work through and I’m a paper and office supply junkie!

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Finishing Spray Review: Skindinavia vs. Urban Decay

Published on by Eve Crabapple2 Comments

I never used to use makeup setting sprays until I noticed that for whatever reason (maybe I’m getting old) foundation just would not sit right on my skin after a few hours. No matter what type of foundation I used, long-lasting, oil control, with and without primers and moisturizer, I would see the foundation start to build up in my smile lines and underneath my eyes. It was then that I decided, enough was enough, I couldn’t keep worrying about what my foundation looked like during the day. I had other, more important things to do and my foundation just needed to figure out a way to stay perfect the whole day. That’s when I decided to try out these sprays. The logic made sense to me. Like hairspray to keep your fly aways put, a makeup spray to keep your face put. So today I bring you a review of two of the most popular makeup setting sprays.

I will start with the Urban Decay All-Nighter Spray since that is the first one I tried. I originally got this to use on my trip to Tunisia because I wanted to see how it would hold up in the Sahara heat. I purchased the largest size of 4 ounces, which set me back about $30. Here is the breakdown:

The Good

It definitely helped. The label says that it will keep your makeup looking good for up to 16 hours, on me it lasted 8 hours. I do not have oily skin so I thought it would last longer, but it didn’t. Now, although it did not last as long as it is claiming, I definitely noticed that my smile lines and lines under my eyes wouldn’t start showing until after those 8 hours, when normally they would show after about an hour so. After the 8 hours, I would just touch up with some powder to eliminate any creasing. The other advantage of using the spray is that it would give me a glowy, dewy finish for a few hours as well. Not for 8 hours, but around 3 or 4 hours. If you’re not the type to go for that type of finish, then I would not recommend this spray, because it will make you dewy.

The Bad

The sprayer broke and stopped working! I literally used it once and then it refused to spray anymore. I had to bottle it up into one of those travel size sprayers to be able to use it. I’m sure this probably affected how the product performed on my face since the spray nozzles were different but what happened, happened, so it’s going in the review!

Not a bad turnout for Urban Decay but because the situation with the spray nozzle annoyed me, I decided to try something else after I used it all up. I had seen that Skindinavia’s Makeup Setting Spray had gotten better reviews that UD’s so I thought I’d give it a try. Again, I bought the 4 ounce size and it cost me $29, so no meaningful difference in cost between the two.

The Good

The spray nozzle works! It’s the little things in life that really count and having a nozzle that sprays a fine mist without breaking is one of those simple things that make all the difference. Perhaps because of this, the lasting power is much better on my foundation. This spray touts a 16 hour hold time and while it doesn’t last me that long, it lasts me 12 hours — 4 hours more than UD’s. When I say “last”, I mean makeup that looks like I just applied it, not makeup that is still technically on my face. So for those 12 hours, I don’t have any creasing and I don’t have to touch up.

The Bad

None. I love it. It’s perfect. I’m set for life (pun intended).

The Verdict

Skindinavia wins! It lasts longer and the nozzle works for me so I’m happy. Maybe Urban Decay’s result would have been different if I didn’t have to use an alternative nozzle, but who knows? I am so happy that I discovered setting sprays in general though, they really do work! If you find that after some time your makeup is not looking fresh, you should definitely try one. All brands usually have a travel size spray so that you don’t have to commit to a full size one if you are unsure. I recommend Skindinavia’s spray because it worked better for me and because although this wasn’t a problem for me, there are some reviews saying that UD’s spray led to break outs and I couldn’t find any issue like that with Skindinavia’s.

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