Kat Von D Lock It Foundation Review

KvD X Beauty Blender complexion Set

It's here! Finally I'm getting around to writing this review on
Kat Von D's Lock It Foundation

I gave my skin a wee break from makeup this month to try

detox & replenish my pores, but I was dying to try this out the whole time!

I ordered from Sephora US and saw this "custom complexion set" complete with 

Beauty Blender & samples to try. Knowing I was in need of a new BB & also

 saving money with this set, I had to get it!

♥

Available at Sephora

Lock It Foundation - $35usd (Sephora NZ $65nzd)

Beauty Blender - $20usd

KVD x BB set - $46usd (Sephora NZ $69nzd)

www.sephora.com/katvond

The set contains what is pictured above^ Lock It Foundation, Black BeautyBlender, 

sample of the Lock It Primer & sample of the Beauty "Blendercleanser"

Lets talk about the main product in this set, the Foundation of course!

Lock It Foundation - I'm sure you've heard of it before, it's been floating around

for a few years now & well known as a very Full Coverage, long-lasting, flawless foundation!

Is it really that good though?

Kat Von D did this collab with Beauty Blender because it's recommended as the best tool to apply this foundation with, to get the best results. 

I wanted to test the foundation using a BB on one side & Flat top brush on the other (as usual) but I also tried using the Lock It primer underneath on a different day, to see if it was needed.. Before & After pics below! 

♥ PACKAGING ♥

Let me quickly mention the packaging of this foundation! It is, in typical Kat V fashion, so punky & cool! It has a pump dispenser, thick, double-lined plastic container with Kats tattoo style writing & roses all over. It feels very sturdy & strong, not heavy or breakable. One feature I love is the KvD dispenser cap, it stops product accidentally coming out & prevents messy situations in your makeup bag! (I did hear a rumour of a possible change of packaging, I'm unsure if the product itself has changed)

<-- This is one pump of the foundation, it's quite thick but spreads out & blends easily. I got full coverage on my whole face with this amount of product!

♥BEFORE & AFTER♥ (without Primer)

(not tanned, just different lighting)

This foundation promises a Full Coverage, 24 hour wear that is 

Oil-free & Transfer proof with a Matte finish, for ALL skin types.

Available in 19 shades, I chose Light 44 (Light Complexion w/ Beige undertones)

"Formulated with 21% pigment, this formula was developed with propriety pigments to match a broad range of skintones with bold, full coverage. Natural polymers absorb oil for a Matte, soft finish & added emollients provide a velvety texture for smooth, hydrated skin"

Flat Top Brush

Full coverage, but surprisingly still looks quite natural, imperfections & blemishes are covered. Blended out easily on my skin & lasted well, it didn't look cakey considering it's quite a thick foundation. I would recommend this technique for a night out or long event, if it suits your skin type, I imagine it could look cakey & accentuate drier skin types if applied with a brush.

Beauty Blender 

I can see why this is the recommended technique, using a damp Beauty Blender helps to easily blend out the thicker foundation while still keeping the pigmentation & coverage! My skin looks naturally flawless & the imperfections are covered. It lasted well & doesn't look as flat & matte in comparison to the brush side, the BB soaks up any extra foundation that would usually sit on top & cake up throughout the day. I would recommend using a Beauty Blender if you have drier skin or you're using this for everyday. 

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised with this product! It does everything it promises (except 24 hour wear, I have no idea about that haha) I didn't need to set with a powder afterwards & that's a bonus! I loved the finish using a Beauty Blender & this set is a fantastic idea. The only negative thing I can say, & it's completely personal opinion, but I don't like the smell! The box says fragrance free but it almost has a dirt or clay kind of smell? I can't really explain it... Now lets see if it looks any different using the Lock It Featherweight Primer underneath..

♥BEFORE & AFTER♥ (with Primer)

We all know how much it sucks to need two different products when you can probably get the same outcome using one! 

"A hydrating, water-based primer that's specially designed for long-wear foundations. Ultra-hydrating formula the preps your skin for perfect application & comfortable all-day wear. Milky texture infused with nourishing ingredients like Vit B5, aloe vera, jojoba & shea" Sounds great!...

Well, I'll admit, I LOVE the finish with the primer, it looks radiant & more natural but still has full, even coverage!

It made the foundation effortlessly blend on my skin (I used a brush for my whole face this day)

I would highly recommend trying the primer with this foundation if you have drier skin, with the hydrating ingredients I think it would make it much more workable for your skin type!

LucyLoves! xx

Too Faced Chocolate Bonbons Palette

Swatches & Review

I'm back with another review for you guys, today it's all about the 
new addition to the Too Faced Chocolate Bar range -
Too Faced Chocolate Bon Bons palette
16 Matte & Shimmer, Heart shaped pops of colour, sugary brights & go-to neutral shades
infused with their Chocolate scented, antioxidant-rich, cocoa powder formula.

♥

I couldn't make up my mind about this palette at first, it reminded me a lot of the makeup

we had when we were little - Pink, heart shaped with bright colours? Did I really need it?

I have the original Chocolate Bar palette & I adore it, the shades & pigmentation 

are perfect, they blend like butter & are very versatile..

I caved & ordered it knowing I would get the Too Faced shadow quality.

Below I've added swatches + two looks I've done using just this palette

www.toofaced.com 

  This palette became available in December (2015) at Sephora, Ulta & the Too Faced website

As you can see, the packaging is like the other Chocolate palettes, 

a rectangular tin & the delicious cocoa smell, similar to that of a real chocolate bar.

The palette is pink & the shadows are in a heart shape, 14 regular sized & 

2 larger shades used for highlighting - "Satin Sheets" & "Divinity"

With the pops of colour & cooler-toned matte shades, this is the perfect addition

 to the Chocolate Bar collection, to create limitless combinations & eye looks!

Available at Sephora & Too Faced, NOT Limited Edition ;) 

For $49.00 USD (Approx $74nzd)

Check out the swatches below!

♥ SWATCHES ♥

Almond Truffle - Matte, mid-tone cool Taupe

Satin Sheets - Shimmer, Pink Gold Champagne

Cashew Chew - Satin, cool-toned Beige w/ fine shimmers 

Cotton Candy - Shimmer, Icy cool Pink

Cafe Au Lait - Shimmer, Golden Silver Taupe

Dark Truffle -  Shimmer, deep Plum Brown

Pecan Praline - Matte, cool-toned Greyish Taupe

Totally Fetch - Shimmer, cool-toned Fuchsia Pink

Sprinkles - Shimmer, light cool Pink w/ Golden reflect

Molasses Chip - Shimmer, Golden Bronze

Malted - Matte, dark cool Brown w/ Gold glitters

Bordeaux - Matte, red-toned deep Brown

Mocha - Matte, neutral mid-tone Brown

Black Currant - Shimmer, deep Purple w/ Pink glitters

Earl Grey - Shimmer, deep greyish Teal Blue

Divinity - Matte, Cream White with neutral undertone & slight sheen 

I'll be honest, the shades swatch on my skin quite shear, like "Totally Fetch" & "Earl Grey", I had to swipe 2-3 times to get good colour payoff for these swatch pics. But the colours show up much better on the eyes, they actually feel slightly more buttery than the original Chocolate Palette (only slightly!) & blend super easy. I didn't think I would reach for this palette as much as I do, I love using "Mocha" or "Almond Truffle" everyday in the crease, & "Satin Sheets" is not only a great inner corner/brow bone highlight but makes a stunning face highlight too!
It depends on your preference of shadow shades, this is a very versatile palette, but it doe's sit more on the cooler side with the Pinks & Grey tones in there..making it quite different to the other two Chocolate palettes

(Front of the palette)

(Valentines eye using only the Bon Bons palette)

Crease/Lower Lash line - Pecan Praline, Mocha to deepen
Lid - Totally Fetch (using brush, then finger tip for opacity)
Outer V - Malted
Brow Bone - Divinity
Inner Corner - Sprinkles

(Everyday eye look using just the Bon Bons palette)

Crease - Mix Almond Truffle, Mocha & Pecan Praline
Slight Cut Crease - Bordeaux & tiny bit of Malted 
Lid - Cashew Chew
Brow Bone - Mix Divinity & Satin Sheets
Inner Corner Highlight - Satin Sheets



LucyLoves! xx

stila Cosmetics Aqua Glow Serum Foundation

♥
Finally, I am back on the blog with a review for you guys!

I've had a lot going on the last couple of months & it's been hard to find some writing time,

but I'm here with a new Foundation to show you all, my fave makeup product to review.

www.stilacosmetics.com

Review w/ Before + After pics

Stila Cosmetics recently came out with a few new products, the Aqua Glow range.

Consisting of blushes, primer, concealer & the foundation. 

With new, innovative formulas - Water/Gel based & Serum like products.

The new products, as well as a few older ones (like the Liquid Lipsticks) have been

 repackaged in gold & have a new luxurious feel.

The golden new style is what caught my eye to this foundation, also the name -

Aqua Glow, Serum Foundation I thought "Serum Foundation? Hmm?"
In my Sephora cart it went and $45usd later, I hoped I would like it...

It's available in 10 shades (I got "Fair Light") & you get 30ml of product.

♥

Stila promises Medium - Full buildable coverage with this foundation, 

and a natural, radiant finish. It has advanced multi-reflective colour pigments 

to instantly even skin tone & blur imperfections, pores & fine lines. 

With Ionized water, advanced Hyaluronic Acid & Essential minerals, 

the Serum formula helps hydrate and nourish for glowing skin with healthy radiance.

One cool thing about this foundation, it has a Drop Applicator & the pump

 rises when you twist open the lid! Very cool!

♥Before & After♥

So as usual, I applied with a Beauty Blender on one side, & Flat Top Brush on the other,

I used ONE pump for my whole face & am pretty impressed with the coverage!

      BEFORE                                                     AFTER

 Beauty Blender:

Medium coverage, evened out skin tone & blemish scarring is mostly covered.
 I feel the BB causes this foundation to sit on top of your skin as oppose to blending in & setting properly.

You can see above, the right side of my face is shinier & it felt like the foundation was slipping off my face

 Flat Top Brush

Full, Natural looking coverage, even skin tone & imperfections are covered. 
I definitely prefer using a brush with this foundation, it buffed & blended it in to my skin properly. You will however need to set it with a powder to ensure it lasts the day. 







It's very radiant & dewy, I wouldn't recommend this product for those with oilier skin. I have normal/combination skin & I still think this would be better for me in the colder months when my skin needs more hydration. At the moment it's Summer where I live & I can't say it lasts very long in the hot weather haha! I Love the finish & coverage, but I think the serum base causes the foundation to slip around, it feels like I've just put fresh beauty oil on that doesn't soak in...

For now I'm rating it 3/5 and will have to try it in Autumn/Winter

If you're interested in the Aqua Glow Blushes, check out my review 
on the one I got last year, very interesting idea for a blush..
- Stila Aqua Glow Blush Review


LucyLoves! xx