Korres Wild Rose Mineral Foundation Spf 30 Review

I have tried mineral foundation before, Bare Mineral and Everyday Mineral but didn’t like them enough to jump onto the bandwagon. Will Korres Wild Rose Mineral Foundation Spf 30 change my mind?

Price: $28/8.5 grams, available at Korres.com or Sephora.

Shade: It comes in 4 shades. I bought the second shade, Light, which is currently a little dark for me.  Light is approximately NC25.

Pros: For starter, it is talc and bismuth oxychloride free which is great for those who are sensitive to these ingredients. It also contains wild rose extract, which is a potent natural source of Vitamin C. The high Spf 30 is also much appreciated.

First thing I notice about this powder foundation is how creamy it is. It is so creamy, non-drying, non powdery that I couldn’t even tell I am wearing powder. The coverage is light, probably build-able and the finish is satiny. Also very important is at the end of the day; it doesn’t fade or look blotchy. It comes with a sponge but I have only apply it with my Ecotool retractable kabuki (I love that brush).

Cons: I feel like it doesn’t cover my redness as well as a liquid foundation. For special occasion where I want to look flawless, I think I will always stick with liquid or cream foundation. However, for everyday use, I think this is a great option.

Overall: I wore this for about a week but stop because it is a tad too dark for my skin tone right now. I can see myself reaching for this more when the weather warm up because it is just so light, natural, and gives such beautiful finish. To sum it up, this is probably the best mineral foundation I have tried to date. Rating: 4.5/5.

Disclosure: The product(s) being review was purchased by me for personal use or review purpose.

New! NYX HD Line

NYX recently released new HD foundation, primer, powder, blush and even HD eyeshadow base. What really surprises me is the higher price, a lot higher in fact. Let’s check them out!

NYX HD Foundation supposes to have light diffusing effect that makes the skin appear smoother and less pores. It also contains peptide to rejuvenate the skin. I don’t expect much anti-aging from makeup. Retail price $15.

NYX HD Primer supposes to fill in lines, pores, and help your makeup last longer. Retail price $14.

NYX HD Grinding Powder is actually mineral powder that supposes to act like the liquid foundation in that it deflects light to make your skin appear smoother. The main ingredient is mica. I am most curious about this as it is similar to Smashbox and Clinique, and retail price at $25, a hefty price tag for a drugstore item.

NYX HD Grinding Blush is also mineral. It is a lot more expensive than their other blush, which I love so I wonder how this compares. Retail Price $16

NYX HD Eyeshadow Base, retail price $7.

Have you try them? What do you think?

ELF Mineral Eye Primer vs. Too Faced Shadow Insurance

For those who are not familiar, the purposes of eyeshadow primer are to prevent eyeshadow from creasing, act as a base to give eyeshadow something to adhere to (especially true with loose pigment and mineral eyeshadow) and also help color show up more vibrant. Eyeshadow primer normally comes in a creamy or cream to powder like consistency.

In this article, I will not only do a product review but also a comparison between two different eye primer, ELF Mineral Eye Primer (EMEP) versus Too Faced Shadow Insurance (TFSI). TFSI is a popular, higher end eye primer that has been around for quite some time and has built quite a reputation. Whereas, EMEP is a new comer and much more budget friendly. (Please note that ELF has two primers and this review is for the mineral one)

Packaging: TFSI is packaged in a squeeze tube. EMEP is in a tube with an applicator wand. Both are hygienic (compare to a jar) and practical but pretty design goes to TFSI. Also, EMEP lid crack on me after a month.

Texture: ELF primer is a cream to powder consistency. TFSI is creamier in comparison.

Performance: I’ll start with TFSI. Its creamy consistency makes it a good choice for people with dry eyelid. I also find that it leaves a very smooth finish. It does an exceptional job at keeping your eyeshadow intact. I have been caught in the rain (for 4 plus hours during a photo shoot) and another time, I took an afternoon nap and neither incident ruined my makeup.

As for the ELF Mineral Eye Primer, it does what a primer suppose to, as in prevent creasing and fading. I do like this primer. My only complaint would be the creamy to powdery finish can make my eyelid a bit dry and flaky. The good thing is that once you applied eyeshadow, it helps smooth out any flakiness. Also, since it has a powdery finish, it does not allow eyeshadow to adhere to the base as well when compare to TFSI.

Price: TFSI is $17/.35oz and EMEP is $3

Bottom line, if you can afford it then go with Too Faced Shadow Insurance, it is my pick. However, if you are looking for something more budget friendly then ELF Mineral Eye Primer is a good alternative.

New Product: Bare Escentual Spf 25 Mineral Veil

Good news for those that love BareMinerals Mineral Veil, there is now the new Spf 25 version that comes in both original and tinted. Added sun protection is always welcome yeh.


From their website: Get the ultimate flawless finish while protecting your skin from harmful UVA/UVB rays. Make the most of your makeup with Mineral Veil, a see-through but spectacular finale for any kind of complexion. Minimizing lines, absorbing oils, and softening your complexion, it gives you a flawless finish that's too good to miss. And best of all, it's utterly weightless. Just a bare veil of minerals that lock makeup in place and give your skin airbrushed perfection.

Price: $19

Product Review: Jane Iredale Longest Lash Mascara

Jane Iredale is a reputable, respected mineral cosmetics line since 1994. Of course, I was excited when I got to try out her Longest Lash Mascara. However, I had a disappointing first impression. It was so dry. I swiped, swiped and did not see a thing on my lash.

I visited their website to see if I could find any additional information. It turned out that you are supposed to use this mascara with an eyelash conditioner. The reason for its dryness is because instead of being a water base, it is algae base. Good thing, I have some DHC Eyelash Tonic around so I applied this before the mascara. I have to say, I really like the result when combine with a conditioner. It does not give you much volume. However, it definitely lengthens. It also separate and define without clumping. It is the most "naturally" enhance look I got from a mascara to date and I have tried quite a few. The downfall of this mascara is the price. It is $34 and if you have to use it with a conditioner, which is at least another $15, too expensive. Nevertheless, it is a good mascara.

Other natural mascara:

Tarte Lash Hugger

Bare Escentuals Natural Sunscreen SPF 30

About a month ago, I saw an Ad for the new Bare Escentual Natural Sunscreen SPF 30 but did not pay much attention to it. Last weekend, it was really hot in D.C., about 90 degrees. We were out and about under the sun. After awhile, my skin was getting oily and started to feel sensitive from the sun. My friend whipped out this powder sunscreen and we all started reapplying our sunscreen. This product comes in 3 shades, light, medium, and tan. Retail at $28.

Personally, I think this is a neat and convenience product. When applied, it is quite transparent. Meaning, it won’t alter the color of your makeup if you have any on. Actually, I could not feel that I was wearing anything. I would not use this as the only source of sunscreen as I can not tell if it will give adequate sun protection. However, it is a great touch up powder with the added benefit on sunscreen. I know I am supposed to reapply my sunscreen every few hours but when I am already oily and/or sweaty, why would I want to rub sunscreen lotion on top of that? Yuck! So, I guess I’ll pick this up for the summer.