blog Archives | Page 39 of 202 | Makeup By Kim Porter

blog

The Blog

Review: Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector Oil-Free B.B. Cream ‘Deep’ {Swatches}

April 25, 2013 by Kim S. / blog, Reviews / 4 Comments

I’m a BZZAGENT, and through my membership I was provided for free the Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector Oil-Free B.B. Cream. This is the second BB cream I’ve tried. Wait, really this is the third… The first I tried was the Maybelline Dream Fresh BB and the second one Is AJ Crimson’s. I didn’t get to use the Maybelline BB Cream since I got the wrong shade; I wound up giving it to my sister. She’s supposed to review it for me.

What are BB Creams?

BB Cream’s are beauty balms. They’re really popular in the Korean and Asian community, us American’s are just now getting into them. It seems like we’ve gotten into them, and run away with the idea. How are we up to DD creams? What in the heck? Anywho….Dermatologists used BB creams for healing scars caused by laser skin surgery. After laser surgery, the BB cream was used to protect, soothe protect, and regenerate sensitive skin while covering redness and laser surgery scars.

BB creams offer the following benefits:

* Produces a very natural, “no makeup look”
* Provides coverage like a foundation, and in most cases is non-comedogenic (doesn’t clog pores)
* Similar to a tinted moisturizer, but with more benefits
* Conceals all types of pigmentation, discoloration, acne and other blemishes
* Has healing properties that soften, smoothen and refine skin
* Encourages skin regeneration to create and maintain youthful skin
* Contains UV Protection for healthy skin (SPF levels differ for each brand/product)
* Anti-wrinkle and skin-lightening benefits (depending on the brand)

About the Garnier BB Cream

Save time with just one multi-benefit product that offers advanced skincare + immediate skin perfecting coverage. This hybrid formula renews radiance, brightens complexion, evens skin tone, hydrates and protects with SPF15 UVA/UVB sunscreen. Get results you can see and feel instantly.
-Renews, Brightens, Evens, Hydrates, Protects
-SPF 15
-Dermatologist tested

My Thoughts

Many times I’ve mentioned my oil t-zone. During the warmer months, it gets worse, which is why I stay away from heavier foundations in the summer; I use tinted moisturizers. When I received the Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector Oil-Free B.B. Cream I was excited because it was meant for people like me who suffer with oily skin. I love a nice a looking matte or natural finish after applying my foundation, and this gives the same finish.

The Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector Oil-Free B.B. Cream is available in the following shades: Light/Medium, Medium/Deep, and Deep I was sent shade ‘Deep’. To my surprise it matches perfectly. It makes my skin look brighter, and more even.

Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector Oil-Free B.B. Cream Deep Before & After — Lips: Ellis Fass Milky Lips Shade #L306

The Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector Oil-Free B.B. Cream is lightweight. Don’t let that fool you into thinking the coverage isn’t great because it is. This BB Cream hides the few dark spots that I have very well, and it doesn’t feel heavy on my skin. What’s great about it is that the coverage is buildable. If you’re not satisfied with the coverage of the first application just go back and add more where you need it. I like that even after an 8-hour or more work day, my face is still pretty much oil-free.

One thing that I did not like about the Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector Oil-Free B.B. Cream is that it is not moisturizing. My skin felt a little tight after applying it. Overall, I do like it. It isn’t too forgiving on areas where there is dry skin, so keep that in mind.

Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector Oil-Free B.B. Cream Deep Swatch — Right side is the BB Cream blended in

Would I recommend?

If you have dry skin, the Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector Oil-Free B.B. Cream may not be for you. For $12.99 it isn’t bad. I will definitely have it in line for my summer makeup routine and for my lazy makeup days. Now I have something to compare my AJ Crimson BB cream to. A review on that will be up later.

Visit garnierusa.com to learn more about Miracle Skin Perfector Oil-Free B.B. Cream and the rest of their revolutionary Skin Renew line.

Check out Garnier’s Facebook page to recieve a $1-off coupon on Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector Oil-Free B.B. Cream.

Have you tried any BB Creams or the Garnier BB? What do you think?

Disclosure: This product was provided for free by Garnier through BZZAGENT for review consideration. I was not compensated for this post. These are my honest opinions.

Review: AVEENO POSITIVELY RADIANT® Intensive Night Cream

April 23, 2013 by Kim S. / blog, Reviews / 1 Comment

I’m a member of Influenster, and through my membership I was provided for free the AVEENO POSITIVELY RADIANT® Intensive Night Cream for review consideration. I was happy to review AVEENO products since I used to use them religiously during my high school and early college days. I swore by the AVEENO Clear Complexion Foaming Cleanser and Daily Moisturizer.

My Evening skincare routine does consist of a night cream – Cerave PM Moisturizer, and sometimes I will use Perricone MD VitaminC Esther 15 prior to my night cream application, and wake up with brighter, smoother skin. The AVEENO POSITIVELY RADIANT® Intensive Night Cream suggests it would provide the same results I was achieving through my regular night time moisturizer and serum, so I gave it a try.

What is the AVEENO POSITIVELY RADIANT® Intensive Night Cream?

Brighten and even skin tone with AVEENO® POSITIVELY RADIANT® Intensive Night Cream. Formulated with ACTIVE NATURALS® Total Soy Complex and vitamin B3, this advanced night cream leaves skin smooth and healthy looking. This oil-free night cream will help keep you looking fresh and luminous.

My Thoughts

For the most part my skin is normal; I do tend to get oily in my t-zone, but who doesn’t For that problem, I tend to stay away from skincare products, especially moisturizers that contain oil. I was happy to see that the AVEENO POSITIVELY RADIANT® Intensive Night Cream is oil-free.
The AVEENO POSITIVELY RADIANT® Intensive Night Cream is specially formulated to target what AVEENO calls the “5 Factors of Radiance”, which means this night cream will improve tone, dullness, brown spots, texture and blotchiness. Not to mention leaving your skin fresh, awake and luminous. The AVEENO POSITIVELY RADIANT® Intensive Night Cream does help with leaving your skin smooth, and healthy-looking. It also revives my dehydrated skin.

I exfoliate as much as my skin allows, and I keep my skin hydrated externally by moisturizing, and internally by drinking crap loads of water; therefore, I really had no issues with dull, tired skin. I mean, my skin isn’t perfect. There are those nights where I’ve had one too many drinks, and my skin the next day is dryer than who knows what! That’s where using the AVEENO POSITIVELY RADIANT® Intensive Night Cream comes in.

The texture of the cream is well, creamy. It isn’t oily or greasy. It glides on smoothly, and blends into the skin without much manipulation; I love that! I hate when I apply a product and have to continuously rub and rub in order for it to absorb.
I dislike the scent. I don’t like anything going on my face to be scented, especially my night creams. Although the scent is light, I dislike it.

Would I recommend?
I would recommend the AVEENO POSITIVELY RADIANT® Intensive Night Cream. It does what it is supposed to do as far as smoothing, softening and hydrating. I can’t attest to it diminishing brown spots or correcting blotchiness, since I haven’t used it long enough. At $16.99 per 1.7 oz, it is priced well. It’s less than what my current night time routine moisturizers cost, and it does the same things.

Where to purchase?

AVEENO POSITIVELY RADIANT® Intensive Night Cream can be purchased at Drugstore.com or Target.com

Disclosure: This product was provided for free by AVEENO through Influenster for review consideration. I was not compensated for this post. These are my honest opinions.

Tutorial Tuesdays: Snapguide & How to create a Work Safe Purple Smoky Eye

April 23, 2013 by Kim S. / blog, Makeup Looks, Tutorials / 0 comments

My sister told me about an iPhone app called Snapguide (available for iPad, too). Snapguide is a free app that allows you to create pictorial or video “how-to guides” to share with the Snapguide community. There are many topics covered on Snapguide, one of them being beauty. I only recently started playing around with it, and demonstrated how to create a work safe purple smoky eye. The guide is user-friendly, too! Going forward, I will use this app for my ‘Tutorial Tuesday’ posts.
So far, I like Snapguide because it allows you to add the list of tools, products or ingredients you need to create whatever it is you’re creating. It also allows you to add step-by-step instructions, and as I mentioned before, videos and pictures. This is a great app for beauty bloggers like me.

Here’s my Snapguide on how to create a Work Safe Purple Smoky Eye

Lately, I’ve been using MAC Fig1 eyeshadow. I used that eyeshadow in this tutorial. If you didn’t know, I love me some purple. Did you see I added some purple to my hair? Check my instagram MakeupbyKimPorter for photos.

Check out How to Create a Work Safe Purple Smoky Eye by Kim Porter on Snapguide.

Please let me know if you think this is helpful, and if you think I should continue to use Snapguide for my Tutorial Tuesday posts.

Do you use Snapguide? What do you think about it?

Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post. This post is for informational purposes only. All opinions expressed are 100% honest and are my own.

Fragrance Fridays: L’Occitane La Collection De Grasse

April 19, 2013 by Kim S. / blog, Reviews / 2 Comments

Collection de Grasse Travel Set

At least one month ago my husband picked up more Almond Shower Oil, plus the Almond Milk Concentrate. The sales representative also gave my husband a sample of one of the latest fragrances from the L’Occitane La Collection De Grasse, which is their Spring 2013 collection. She had run out of three of the four scents, and was left with only Vanille & Narcisse, which is fine with me because I fell in-love with it. I guess that’s why it is described as “warm and intoxicating” because intoxicating was it.

Vanille & Narcisse Eau de Toilette

Karine Dubreuil, the private perfumer for L’Occitane, developed the L’Occitane La Collection De Grasse as a reminder of her childhood.

“It’s really a love story between L/Occitane and myself. I was brone in Grasse, I was raised in Grasse, I studied in Grasse. Creating this collection was just like writing about what I grew up with… my emotions, my heritage. I think that’s why we understood each other right away.”

-Karine Dubreuil

The L’Occitane La Collection De Grasse consists of four fragrances: Jasmin & Bergamote (elegant & romantic), Magnolia & Mure (mysterious & sophisticated , Vanille & Narcisse (warm & intoxicating), and The Vert & Bigarade (fresh & vibrant). For more information on these scents, check Glitter Gloss Garbage.

Jasmin & Bergamote Collection

Magnolia & Mûre Collection

Vanille & Narcisse Collection

Thé Vert & Bigarade Collection

Now back to Vanille & Narcisse, which I’m wearing today! If you follow me on twitter (@MakeupKimPorter), I tweet whenever I wear this. That’s how much I love it. I’m surprised since I don’t really care for vanilla scents, but this one isn’t overpowering at all! I guess what I also like about it is the blackcurrant in it. Also, for it to be an Eau de toilette it lasts a long time. I’d definitely purchase this, and soon since my sample is running out!

The L’Occitane La Collection de Grasse is fairly priced; the Eau de Toilette $75, Shower Gel $18, Body Milk $20, Perfumed Soap $8 or you can get the whole set for $95-$113. It’s actually on sale right now for $95, I’d jump on this because it’s the perfect Mother’s Day Gift.

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. All opinions are my own and are 100% honest.