Battle of the BB Creams continues!

ICYMI: Round One and Round Two. My verdicts were that Wet N Wild's entry was none too shabby, but was a little color grabby. And Maybelline didn't particularly make a BB Cream, but what they did actually make was very nice.

At any rate, on to round three!

This round, we're on to Olay!

Olay Fresh Effects, they of the beautiful and bright packaging, threw their hat in to the BB Cream ring. And, since I spent most of the Maybelline entry crabbing about the fact that I think Maybelline actually made a foundation and just called it a BB Cream, let me be clear - of all the drug store BB Creams that I've tried, Olay Fresh Effects comes the closest to what I imagine the Eastern market BB Creams to be like. It's not just a light coverage foundation. It's a lotion. That just happens to be tinted. Which, just to point out the probably obvious, means that if you're one of our oily skinned sisters, this is probably not your jam, it's probably too emollient for you. And if you're one of our dry skinned sisters, this will probably be among your favorites.

My before shot came out just a tad blurry, but in the sake of...making everything equal (?) I'm going to run it anyway. Rounds one and two also included bare faced shots of me, if you really feel the need to get a good look at my no makeup wearin' mug. :D

I think at this point, I had on a bit of mattifying lotion, and that was about it. Pretty good skin day, as they go. Little redness, some uneven texture issues (which no BB Cream, regardless of how awesome, is going to fix...). None too shabby.

After shot. 

My skin certainly looks brighter, and has a bit of polish to it that it didn't before. But notice how the red around the nose is still visible? So the coverage is to the lighter side. Although I suppose if coverage was that much of a sticking point for me, I'd be discussing foundations, not BB Creams, right?

And I've found that in the past, I've also had trouble with this BB Cream grabbing my powder cosmetics. In fact, in person, my chin looked pretty orange. I applied my bronzer with the biggest, fluffiest brush that I had. 

The Olay Fresh Effects BB Cream though, loses out with me for one problem, and unfortunately, it's one you can't really see all that well in the pictures. Simply - it runs warm. The colors are warm. And I'm not - I actually fancy myself a bit of a Neutral tone. I've found that warm colors make me look cool toned, and the cool makes me look warm. 

So the "flaws" in this cream - couldn't completely camouflage the redness around my nose, little color grabby with the bronzer, scented for some inexplicable reason...those are all things I can look over. And if your skin runs to the dry side, you should overlook them too, cause this is a good product. It's just warm, and I'm not. Although, given that it's January and I'm in Michigan, I'd sure like to be. ;)

So so far, the winner in the "Battle of the BB Creams" is Maybelline, just by default. I stand by my contention that they didn't make a BB Cream at all, but when your competition is color grabby (Hi, Wet N Wild!) and limited in color choices (Hi, Olay!), you come out lookin' alright.

One more cream in our "battle!" See you next time!

I'm well moisturized, and working on my video skills...

This week, I get well moisturized, and continue working on my videos! I don't feel like I've got a house that's very conducive for videoing - the best places to sit and film a video, have warm lights! And that's no good!

At any rate, this week we're discussing moisture, courtesy of our friends at Olay!

First up, the Olay Fresh Effects "Long Live Moisture!" moisturizer. This moisturizer promises the "rich hydration of a lotion, with the light feeling of a gel". And that's mostly exactly what you get. If you've got dry skin, or just otherwise like a richer feeling lotion, this ain't your guy. If you want a light, basic moisturizer that will absorb quickly and get you on your way, and you don't mind scents - you have met your match, right here!

Next up, on this Olay moisture-stravaganza, the "Bright On Schedule!" eye roller. I talked about this once via text, back in the Spring (read it here.), so gave it a video try, just to really cover all my bases.

Similar to it's sister "Long Live Moisture!", "Bright On Schedule!" is a light, fast absorbing, all purpose eye cream. If you need your eye cream (or moisturizer) to be doing something specific, if you like the feeling of a richer, creamer lotion, Fresh Effects is not the line for you.

If you need a basic, all purpose moisturizer or eye cream, and you don't mind scents, you'll be very happy with either of these products! If you need or want a richer moisturizer, or you need something specific from your products (sensitive skin, anti-aging, etc.), or you're bothered by scents, you need to keep walking past these two.

So, I like to think I'm doing alright with this video thing, for being a new kid at it at least. I'll keep trying. ;)

See you later, my lovelies!

Road Testing a Look...

Also known as "I'm sure glad I trusted my instincts on this one!" Tuesday.

My husband's company Christmas party is this coming weekend. I love it. It's one of a handful of times a year where I just get to go all out, full fledged, no holds barred, glam. Yes, I'm sure you're surprised to find out, being a part time grown up like yours truly, doesn't allow much opportunity for glamour.

So, since it's one of my few chances, I take it. New dress, get my hair done, new makeup, the whole nine. This year, while I was out on Black Friday, I picked up a few things, with an eye toward them being part of my Christmas party look. Instinct told me I should probably test 'em out, so tonight I grabbed up a few, and gave it a dry run.

Here's my guys. All by NYX. In this pic, you see:

Stay Matte But Not Flat liquid foundation in Nude

Stay Matte But Not Flat powder foundation in Nude

Matte Bronzer in Light

Illuminator in Enigmatic

Cream Blush in Boho Chic

The SMBNF power foundation is actually perfectly fine as a foundation in it's own right, just for this particular occasion, I wanted more coverage. Enter the liquid foundation. I was intimidated by the Illuminator too, because it was pink, and I typically buy illuminators in gold. And it was light pink, and illuminators never give off much color in the first place, but even still. Sometimes you get freaked out, know what I mean?

Just so you can see what I'm workin' with, here I am, washed, prepped and primed:

I used the Olay Fresh Effects mattifying face wash, and "Long Live Moisture!" moisturizer, along with L'Oreal Revitalift Miracle Blur (Oil Free). Not bad. Some big pores, a little ruddiness, nothing major and tragic to cover, right?

I get out my Beauty Blender, the SMBNF liquid foundation, and go to town. I pretty quickly realize the error of my ways. In fact, I took a picture of my realizing it, in my bathroom. I don't like to take pictures in my bathroom if I can help it, the lighting is a little warm, but even still. This is no exaggeration;

Do you see the problem I have? As in, I went from "a little redness and some big pores, but nothing terrible..." to looking like a jaundice patient?! In one round with a beauty blender?!

That's the SMBNF liquid foundation only. That's it! But for some reason, at this point, I didn't stop, I kept going. I dutifully powdered, and highlighted, and contoured, and bronzed, and blushed, and did everything I could. I got it up to here;

Yeah. That's what I got to. And this isn't even a super great picture, as quality pictures go, but I like it because at the bottom, you can see the light hit my collarbone, and you can see just how wildly off in color and tone this Stay Matte But Not Flat foundation is.

The kicker? "Nude" is the second to lightest shade they make in this line. Kid you not. It's this dark, and it's the second to lightest shade that they make. Whoever is in charge of shades for the SMBNF line...apparently doesn't know any pale people. This is madness.

And oddly, Boho Chic, the cream blush? Was one of the darkest my CVS had. I had to resort to just stippling it on with my finger, and not even attempting to blend it, just to be able to see it!

Although the bright spot, if you want to look for one? The Enigmatic illuminator? The one I was so intimidated by? I didn't notice any difference between it, and any other illuminator I've ever used.

So a foundation that's bonkers, it's so dark (the formulation is nice, it's just a shame that no one that's any lighter than, say, a Kardashian sister, can possibly use it), a blush that has almost nada for pigmentation, but a nice illuminator. I wasn't exactly batting 1000 on my last NYX shopping trip, was I?

Sure glad I tested this before the day of the party! Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got an Ulta reciept to find! Until next time, my lovelies!

Bright on schedule? You betcha!

(Note: my seven year old helped me with these pictures, so some of them aren't great. We tried. Haha...)

After seeing the latest commercials for the Olay Fresh Effects line, promising a full nights sleep, no sleep required, I knew that I had to have it. I don't get a full nights sleep...well, ever - and I know I'm not unique in that. Even the slightest.

Olay promises that their Fresh Effects line will give skin a "refreshing blast of hydration" with honeysuckle and white tea. And judging by the looks of the advertisements, I'm a few years removed from their target market (ahem...), but I'm also a sucker for new products, so...you know how that goes. :D

The Bright On Schedule eye awakening cream uses a unique three roller ball system as the applicator. And I know that the roller ball applicator system isn't unique (Garnier has been doing it a while now), but Olay has THREE! They promise that it cools the eye. Does it? On it's own, I find it hard to believe that it would. But I popped mine into the fridge, for a little extra cooling power. Wowza!

The cream is easy to use - give the tube a little pinch, and apply to the eye. Bingo, bango. If you can apply lip balm, you can use this. I typically find that it absorbs quickly and easily, although the other day, I had a little trouble - I guess I went a little overboard, and found that the excess, rather than absorb, formed a crust under my eye. I went in to several stores before my son was nice enough to point that one out...oops. The texture is light, and silky smooth, so if you know you need eye cream, but don't generally like the feel of thick lotions, you should get along nicely with this one.

The one thing I've noticed in using Olay products for the last few weeks? They smell. It's perfumey, and it's a nice enough scent, but if you don't like smells on your face, you'll have a hard time with this particular quality. I was initially so thrown off by it, that when my seven year old got to me in the school pick up line, I promptly bent down to his level, and went "Smell my face!" He liked the smell, I've gotten used to it.

It takes almost no product to satisfy your needs, and as such, one tube lasts a long time. I've had it probably two months, and I've hardly scratched the surface!

The good stuff. Bright, cheerful packaging. Easy to use, easy to understand.

The three ball roller, with a little bit of product squeezed up. This is slightly blurry, this is one of the ones my seven year old took. :)

How easy the product is to use! Like I said - if you can use lip balm, you can figure this stuff out! :)

My rolled, rested, refreshed eyes! Instant sleep, no sleep required!

I totally bought this eye roller just on a larf - saw the commercial, went "Huh, that looks interesting...", the spokesmodel had gorgeous skin (because of COURSE she did...), and ordered it on Amazon. I love this stuff. I'd buy this again in a minute. I highly recommend it. The ingredients seem pretty standard issue for lotion, so unless you've got trouble with scents, you're probably fine that way. I recommend!

I've actually talked about this one more than once - the other time, I did it on video!