Soap & Glory Hand Food: Quick Review

I always have a problem with hand creams, since there's nothing worse, to me, than having an oily residue on your hands. I'm desperate for one though, since my cuticles are always dry.  I purchased the smaller size of this, and have been using it for a month so far.  I will probably continue to buy the smaller size, since it fits more conveniently in my purse.  It is a non-greasy hand cream with shea butter, macadamia oil, and marshmallow.  Marshmallow???

This hand cream is almost perfect.  My hands have never been in better condition, and it leaves them feeling so soft.  I apply this whenever I start to notice my cuticles are looking a little dry, or when I'm just bored.  I rub it all over my hands and massage it into my cuticles.  It dissolves completely into the skin within a minute, and there is absolutely no trace of residue left of my hands.  My only con about it is the smell.  It neither smells good or bad; however, it is subtle enough to tolerate.  I just wish it smelled good, of course.

I would definitely recommend this, especially for the cold-weather months that can be harsh on the hands.  The appearance of my cuticles has improved significantly, and I'll definitely be repurchasing this product.  It's only $6 for the small size!

Essie's Merino Cool

-Jillian

Urban Decay Naked Skin Foundation vs. Make Up For Ever HD Foundation

excuse the empty UD foundation...

While I should be job searching, I decided to do a foundation review.

These two contenders have been raved about across the beauty universe. MUFE's HD foundation does have the advantage over UD's Naked Skin, being that it has been out much longer.  Here's my recent foundation history...

I was using bareMinerals, which I have a love-hate relationship with.  I was always afraid to use a liquid foundation, because the thought of slappin' some liquid skin on my face just intimidated me, whereas a lightweight mineral powder just seemed more safe for my acne-prone skin. However, bareMinerals just did not do my skin very much justice.  It didn't have the best coverage, and it was definitely visible on my skin.  After much skepticism, I finally decided to get brave after all the hype I'd heard about MUFE's HD foundation, and I stepped into the liquid foundation world.  MUFE's HD Foundation was like my first love; therefore, I keep going back to it.

Once UD released the Naked Skin Foundation, I just had to try it.  Being a HUGE fan of the Naked eyeshadow palettes, I had to see what this was about.  The name in itself was everything I wanted: a foundation that looked like my bare nakie skin.  What I'd liked about the HD foundation was that it claimed to be invisible on the skin, which it was, but being as insatiable as I am, I wanted to try something else with the notion that it could possibly be better. So, I went out and bought the Naked Skin after a few weeks of it being on the market and reading great reviews about it. 

Here's how it's gonna go: I will review MUFE's HD foundation first, and then come in with UD's and the comparisons.

MUFE HD Foundation

Coverage  

The HD claims to be a medium-to-full coverage foundation, and the coverage is extremely buildable.  You don't need much at all for your entire face.  I use maybe a quarter size for my face, and, if my skin is behaving, I usually don't need any more than that.  As for concealer, I don't need much at all with this foundation.  Usually, I just need under-eye concealer unless I have a stubborn blemish.  The foundation itself does a pretty good job at covering little blemishes.  I have a few acne scars, and it blurs them flawlessly.

Wear

The foundation does not claim to be long-lasting.  My skin is oily, so I've always had trouble with my foundation practically disappearing within a few hours of wearing it. I will admit, I have to blot my skin a few times throughout the day, but it does seem to keep my skin looking good all day.  I apply Maybelline's Dream Matte finishing powder over all my foundations, which I'm not quite sure gives me a dreamy matte look for more than maybe an hour...  Let me tell you, this foundation photographs extremely well, just as it claims. My skin always looks pretty decent on camera when I'm wearing this foundation.  It claims to "create a soft-focus effect, which is designed to meet the coverage concerns of those in the spotlight.  It leaves your complexion with such a flawless finish, it can withstand bright or harsh lighting." Sounds like it's for someone who's always followed by the paparazzi, which I am, of course...(joke).  

Breakouts

I've gone through an entire bottle of this, and I never had any pore-clogging problems.  It is oil-free, which is a plus.  Although, it does not advertise to be "non-comodogenic," I asked the Sephora "expert," and she claims it is.  

Shades

It comes in 25 shades, which is awesome!  I use the shade N125-Sand, which is for light skin with beige undertones.  It matches my skin perfectly, and, I can say with confidence that there is a shade for everyone.

Overall

I would definitely recommend this foundation, as it does seem to live up to the hype it gets.  I have never heard anyone say that they did not like it.  It is truly worth a try if you're looking for a natural, yet flawless finish.  Even if you think this may be too much for every-day wear, it is great for going out and taking pictures. I guarantee your skin will glow in pictures.  It is just beautiful, and is my current foundation favorite (spoiler alert). 

I have also tried MUFE's Mat Velvet +, since my skin is more on the oily side.  However, the HD foundation seems to have a more velvet-y texture than the Mat Velvet. I think I would've loved the Mat Velvet had I not already tried the HD foundation.  While I did like it, it just didn't give the same effect as the HD.

Natural lighting, wearing MUFE HD

UD Naked Skin Foundation

Coverage

This product does not explicitly state its coverage level.  Instead, it claims to be "customizable."  While I do agree with this claim, I believe it's a medium-coverage foundation.  I felt that the more I added, of course, the more visible it became, so I tried to use as little as possible, since I was looking for the natural look. It also claims to photograph well, but I feel that the MUFE HD gives a more flawless appearance on camera.  This foundation is extremely watery, which may contribute to it's thin texture and, ultimately, needing more for better coverage. It did cover my flaws pretty well, but I did find I needed a bit more concealer for discoloration, whereas the MUFE usually took care of my uneven skin tone.  This foundation did look really good in the sunlight, and it was virtually invisible.   

Wear

What I like most about the foundation is its demi-matte finish, meaning that it's just the right amount of matte, just the right amount of dewy.  I will say the finish is absolutely beautiful.  I did receive compliments on my skin when wearing this foundation.

Breakouts

I had more of a problem with breakouts with this foundation than with the HD foundation.  After finishing my bottle, I switched back to the HD foundation, and I have noticed less breakouts and pore clogging.  

Shades

It comes in 18 shades.  The BIG mistake that I made was listening to the Sephora employee when she recommended the 4.0 shade, which worked for me at first, but later, I noticed it was a little too yellow for me.  Then, I read on the Sephora site that the shades ending in .0 are warm tones, while the shades ending in .5 are cool tones;  I am more on the cool than warm side.  I made the shade work, even though it seemed to be a bit too yellow for me.  So, keep that in mind when choosing a shade.  

** Tip: If silver jewelry looks better on you, you are cool-toned; if gold jewelry looks better, you're more warm-toned

Overall

I think this is a great foundation. It had some pretty stiff competition, but it is truly a good product, nonetheless.  I think if I had chosen the right shade, I would've had an even better experience with it.  I think this product would be really good for aging skin, with its collagen boosting and moisturizing ingredients.  

Natural lighting, wearing UD Naked Skin

While the Urban Decay bottle can be a bit misleading since it's much larger, both these foundations come in a 1 fl. oz. bottles.  The UD is $38, while the MUFE HD is a bit more at $42. 

Both foundations are great products, and I would recommend both.  Everyone's skin is different, and I found that the HD worked better for my skin.

What are your favorite foundations?  Any recommendations for oily skin?

My next victim: 

-Jillian

Essie's Mochacino

I was a little skeptical about the way this color would look on my nails, despite its beauty in the bottle.  However, it looks absolutely beautiful on my nails.  The pictures do not do it justice.  I have already gotten so many compliments on the color.  A lot of people think it's shellac, since the finely granulated shimmer gives it some dimension.  I think it's going to be my go-to taupe color! It definitely needs a minimum of two coats to get a opaque color.  I also added a top-coat for extra shine.

 natural light, no flash
(This picture makes it appear a bit darker than it really is)

 Without sunlight, with flash

I know it has been so long since I've posted, but school has been dominating my life even more than usual lately.  I had 5 exams in the past 2 weeks.  I guess that's what happens when you take 18 hours!  I asked for it, but I'd do whatever it takes to expedite my graduation! I'm going to play catch-up on posting these next few days because I am currently on "Fall Break".  Fall Break, meaning that I don't have class on Thursday or Friday.  Why they make it seem like a big deal and call it Fall Break, I don't know, but I guess I can't complain that I got out of two days of class. 

 

Until later today,

 

Jillian 

Mani Monday: Essie's Angora Cardi

As promised...

I think this has easily become my go-to color.  It is such a unique color, and I'll probably have this on my nails way too much this season!

p.s.
I just noticed that my blog is very nail polish-dominated right now.  I'll work on that; I've been a bit of a nail freak lately. 

-Jillian

Essie Fall Haul: Chinchilly, Mochacino, Merino Cool, & Angora Cardi

So, I went a little nail polish crazy at Target yesterday.  While my Target was all sold out of the new Fall line Essie just put out, I found some great colors for Fall that are part of their permanent collection that I've had my eye on for a while.

 Top to bottom: Chinchilly, Mochacino, Merino Cool, & Angora Cardi

A Closer Look

Chinchilly 

as gray as gray gets.  The photos don't differentiate it well enough from Merino Cool, but the difference is that Chinchilly is slate-gray, whereas Merino Cool has a purple undertone.  The Essie site describes it as a sleek granite gray.  Sleek granite, huh? Trust me, it's that classic gray you need in your Fall nail polish collection.

Mochacino 

a taupe color with silver shimmer.  Essie's site describes it as "a perky gray with shimmer."  I am still apprehensive about how this color will look on, but it sure does look pretty in the bottle.

 Merino Cool

You can never have too many versions of gray, I suppose.  This is another gray, except this one is more of a smoked dark purple to me. What separates it from Chinchilly is that it is a darker charcoal gray with a purple undertone. 

Angora Cardi 

This one is my favorite of the bunch (spoiler alert: guess which one I'll paint my nails first).  It is a gorgeous color.  I would describe it as a burgundy-maroon color.  The Essie site, however, describes it as a creamy dusty rose.  I was curious about what Angora was and how it could be a type of cardi, so I Googled it.  It's a type of wool (along with many other definitions, but I assumed the wool went best with "cardi").  I'm very curious as to who gets paid to come up with these names and descriptions! What a job!

Of course, the O.P.I. names are a lot more ambiguous.  I'm convinced there's a jar of puns they just pull out of when they come up with a new color.  There's a color called "Uh-oh Roll Down the Window." I hardly find names that actually reflect the corresponding color.  Like that matters...

Anyway, I have only swatched the colors on individual nails, but stay tuned to see what they look like on!

-Jillian