Beauty Swap #2: Makeup & Cheesy Spiel

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Beauty Swap is a weekly series where I share my brief thoughts on the latest beauty finds and rediscover long forgotten favorites. The series is aimed to encourage everyone – myself included – to give new life to well-loved products that are hiding in our drawers, while incorporating new and exciting things to our routine. You will also get a sneak peek at the products I have selected for the next swap at the end of each post! Read more about the series here, or click here to catch up on previous posts.

So, here’s your classic “sorry for the absence of posts” spiel:

Hey guys! I know I meant to post more often this month, but I grossly underestimated how little blog access I was going to have while my Mom and sister were visiting. In the end I was able to squeeze in 1-2 posts per week tops, and had to put the new Beauty Swap series on hold. Good news though, I am actually very into it and will be incorporating the series into my regular weekly schedule. Simultaneously, I also had to deal with some back-end blog issues that prevented me from writing posts when I actually had the time, so there’s that too. The issue is solved – for now – and fingers crossed I never have to deal with this stuff again.

BEAUTY SWAP #2:

I did some makeup swapping recently, and let me tell you, it was both a challenging and a fun experience. The worst part of swapping in new makeup every couple of weeks is that your routine gets totally shaken up and you can’t just do your face in 5 minutes as usual. Well, apparently new experiences create new neural connections in the brain, making you smarter and improving memory… or something like that. New makeup makes you smarter, who woulda thunk, eh? I’ll make sure to tell that to my husband next time he gives me a side eye at Sephora. 🙂

Here’s what I’ve been using for the past 2 weeks:

• 100% Pure Luminous Primer* ($37 for 1 fl oz)
• Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Ultra-Light Skin Perfecting Makeup SPF 15 10 Beige ($50 for 1 oz)
• Amazing Cosmetics Perfection Stick Fair* ($23 for 0.13 oz)
• 100% Pure Green Tea Fiber Brow Builder Medium Brown* ($22 for 0.16 oz)
• BY TERRY Glow-Expert Duo Stick Peachy Petal 2* ($48 for 7.3 ml)
• Le Metier de Beaute Face Kaleidoscope After Dark ($95 for 0.49 oz)
• PIXI by Petra Lengthy Fiber Mascara* ($16 for 0.23 oz)
• Estee Lauder Pure Color Love Lipstick 430 Crazy Beautiful* ($22 for 0.12 oz)

THE GOOD:

100% Pure Luminous Primer* ($37 for 1 fl oz) is bomb if you are going for a dewy, luminous complexion. Best part is, it only makes the face look dewy, on the skin it never feels greasy or heavy. If anything, it has more of a comfortable, flexible matte feel, like a good primer should be.

I don’t know how they do it, but 100% Pure Green Tea Fiber Brow Builder* ($22 for 0.16 oz) is the perfect dupe for my fave Benefit Gimme Brow with a better and healthier formula. There are only 2 shades available, but both look very natural, richly pigmented, and last through the day without melting off.

Yep, I’m still a huge fan of PIXI by Petra Lengthy Fiber Mascara* ($16 for 0.23 oz), and I believe it’s a must-have for anyone looking to lengthen their lashes or add some serious volume. I am obsessed with this mascara! Not only does it make my lashes look ten miles long, it also doesn’t give me raccoon eyes by the end of the day.

I will be sharing a full review on these soon, so this is more of a quick sneak peek. Estee Lauder Pure Color Love Lipstick* ($22 for 0.12 oz) formula really impressed me! The variety of colors and finishes was outstanding, and the brand even released some fun colors, like eggplant purple and plume green glitter. I took 430 Crazy Beautiful for a spin and thoroughly enjoyed the smooth buttery formula that felt more like a creamy balm on my lips. Loving the new packaging too!

Swatches Top to Bottom: Estee Lauder Pure Color Love Lipstick 430 Crazy Beautiful, BY TERRY Glow-Expert Duo Stick Peachy Petal 3, Le Metier de Beaute Face Kaleidoscope After Dark, Amazing Cosmetics Perfection Stick Fair, Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Ultra-Light Skin Perfecting Makeup SPF 15 10 Beige, 100% Pure Luminous Primer.

THE OK:

I had Amazing Cosmetics Perfection Stick* ($23 for 0.13 oz) for quite a while now, and decided to give it one last run before tossing. It still has the same great coverage and it doesn’t budge even if I apply it prior to foundation, but I feel like over the years the stick turned a little drier and stiffer. Not surprising, since it’s been in use for a couple of years and I probably should have replaced it by now, but I definitely recommend giving it a try if you’re looking for a great spot concealer in stick format.

The reason BY TERRY Glow-Expert Duo Stick* ($48 for 7.3 ml) is in the OK group rather than the GOOD group is purely subjective. It is too pigmented! Like, the tiniest smidgeon of the coral color turns my cheeks into glowing traffic lights, so it’s a bit challenging to apply if you’re in a rush. However, if you prefer highly pigmented products then this bluish/highlighter duo is definitely worth trying, because the formula is absolutely gorgeous and wears like a dream.

Le Metier de Beaute Face Kaleidoscope in After Dark ($95 for 0.49 oz) was a limited edition palette released exclusively for VIP club members, so it was never available for sale outside of the program. It contains two eye shadow pans, one blush, and one bronzer for a complete makeup look. I am a huge fan of LMdB eyeshadow formula, which is buttery smooth and pigmented. I was also reminded that their face products are just so-so: the bronzer was dusty and dry, and the blush was pressed together too hard so it was difficult to get it out of the pan using my softer brushes. Still, I love the selections of colors in this one, they are perfect for fall!

THE ‘MEH’:

I used to love Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Ultra-Light Skin Perfecting Makeup SPF 15 ($50 for 1 oz) when I first bought it, then I found another foundation that I wanted to use, then another, and another, and eventually I completely forgot I still had this one. Thanks to clever packaging, the formula didn’t oxidize much and still looked, smelled, and applied like it’s brand new after I gave it a good shake. The reason I put it in the ‘meh’ category is probably not the product’s fault, per se. Thing is, beauty industry moves so fast and there are constantly new products getting released with new and improved formulas, so I feel like Vitalumiere Aqua is lacking compared to some of the more recent releases with more elegant finishes. The product still has a ton of devoted fans around the globe, but as a beauty blogger I value a good formula above all else, even if that means I have to say good bye to a product I used to love that doesn’t cut it for me anymore.

COMING UP:

And here is what I will be swapping in next:

• Perfect Canvas Skin Finishing Serum* ($55 for 1 oz)
• Lancome Teint Idole Ultra Long Wear Foundation 090 Ivoire* ($47 for 1 oz)
• Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer Fair Neutral ($29 for 0.16 oz)
• European Wax Center Browfection Brow Powder Duo Sepia/Sienna* ($22)
• 100% Pure Fruit Pigmented® Pretty Naked Palette* ($46)
• Wander Beauty Unlashed Volume & Curl Mascara* ($24 for 0.32 oz)
• e.l.f. Cosmetics Velvet Matte Lipstick Flirty Flamingo* ($3 for $0.14 oz)

* Indicates PR samples.

Have you tried any of these products? How often do you swap your makeup, if ever? Let me know in the comments below!