Review: Nars Light Reflecting Loose Setting Powder

        Today's post will be on the highly raved Nars Light Reflecting Loose Setting Powder, which is a relatively new addition to the brand's vast collection. This powder has been sold out at my local Sephora for the past 3 months, so when I saw that it was in stock 2 weeks ago, I HAD to get it (I know, makeup addict problems :3)

Pressed vs. Loose: This powder currently only has 1 variant called "Translucent Crystal", but it comes in 2 different types of formulas: the pressed powder version and the loose powder version. I bought the loose version after swatching both the loose and pressed. I noticed that the pressed version is not as finely milled as the loose version. When I swatches the pressed version I could feel a slight grittiness, perhaps from the crystals, whereas the loose powder felt like a silky soft nothing (as you can tell, I'm really good at describing things *sarcasm*).

Now that we have that out of the way, we can talk about the awesomeness of this powder.

 So What Is It All About Anyway?: What's great about this powder is that it caters to all oily/normal/and dry skin types. The setting powder is a matte finish but the crystals in the powder reflect light to give your skin a luminous (not oily) finish when any source of light hits the face. It's translucent and can be worn by women and men of all skin tones, though I recommend that women of color use a light hand with this product because it can cause a white cast if applied with a heavy hand, as most translucent powders will. 

The powder is infused with "Photochromic Technology", which claims to diffuse and adjust light throughout the day (although I have no idea what that means fo
r your skin aside from possibly looking better than the normal). It has microfine minerals that are abundant in glycerin and vitamins to help with combatting dryness. 

My Thoughts: I immediately noticed how soft and silky it felt on the skin. The crystals are visible but extremely fine. When applied and blended well, the crystals can barely be seen unless you were to stand up-close in front of a mirror to purposely look. This powder lives up to its claims on being lightweight, silky, and ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL ON THE SKIN. I use it as an all-over setting powder after foundation or bb cream and it seals my look and gives an air-brushed look to my skin. Fine lines around my mouth and under-eyes are visibly reduced, the powder doesn't cling to my dry patches, and my T-zone is less oily throughout the day. Most importantly, it keeps my foundation/bb cream in place. 

Another way I would use this powder is to highlight the cheekbones. This gives the most natural highlight if you prefer a very matte finish to the skin and would rather not use this as an all-over powder. When light hits your cheekbones, your cheeks will have the most gorgeous bright sheen to them. 

Overall: Fine, silky, beautiful loose powder that lives up to its claims. A little bit of product goes a long way, so it's worth the price point of $39 CAD.  

Sephora Haul! - Shiseido, Hourglass, Ole Henriksen, Shu Uemura, Marc Jacobs, Josie Maran, and more!

Yay my first haul posted for the blog! Post under the comment section below if any of you lovelies would like a review on any particular product. Have a beautiful day! :)

Marc Jacobs Beauty - Lash Lifter - Gel Volume Mascara

Caudalie - Vinoperfect Enzymatic Peel Mask

Stila - Sheer Color Tinted Moisturizer Oil-Free SPF20

Hourglass - Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil

Kat Von D - Tattoo Liner

No Bleeding Lips Secret Lip Liner

Anastasia - Illumin8 Eyeshadow Duo

Stila - Eyeshadow in "Kitten" 

Dior - Dior Addict Lip Maximizer High Volume Lip Plumper 

Shu Uemura - UV Underbase Mousse SPF30 PA+++

Shu Uemura - Silk Smooth Eyeshadow in "White Silver 909" 

Benefit - Benetint

Ole Henriksen - Perfect Truth CC Creme SPF30

Ole Henriksen - Perfect Truth CC Eye Creme SPF15

Josie Maran - Coconut Watercolor Cheek Gelée

Josie Maran - Argan Color Stick 

Nars - Light Reflecting Loose Setting Powder

Shiseido - Bio-Performance Super-Refining Essence

Deborah Lippman - Nail Polish in "Happy Birthday"

Review: Sephora Waterproof Smoky Cream Liner - Cafe

Hi beauty enthusiasts! 
Todays review will be on the Sephora Collection Waterproof Smoky Cream Liner. 
Little backstory: I have tried MANY gel eyeliners, from high end to drugstore, with all failing to provide a crease-less wear. I have hooded, oily eyelids and gel eyeliners tend to crease and transfer onto my under-eye area. Many waterproof, long-lasting formulas have failed to be effective on me.

At a reasonable price point of $15 CAD, I figured it was worth a shot after hearing much hype from the Sephora Rep. I purchased the brown shade in "Cafe". To my surprise, this eyeliner exceeded my expectations, and it is easily my favorite gel eyeliner. 

Packaging: Very basic packaging, a simple plastic jar with  4.5g (0.15oz) of product in it. I actually think it's the plastic jar that prevents the liner from drying up so quickly, unlike my MAC gel liner in "Blacktrack" and MAC Paintpot in "Painterly" which are so dry that the product has receded from the edges of its glass container.

Texture: VERY smooth and creamy it's unbelievable! It can definitely be smudged out before it sets for that sultry, smokey, or natural look! Impressively long-lasting on the waterline- although I would personally set it with a similar eyeshadow color to ensure it doesn't budge. 4 months into having this gel eyeliner, it still has not dried up and is still as creamy as when I first purchased it.

Colour: A great dark brown shade that isn't khaki brown in color like a lot of brown eyeliners I've come across. This dark brown shade gives a more natural look than black ( called "Must Have", which I intend on purchasing soon ^^)

Upholding Claims: As it claims, it is a waterproof eyeliner that's long-lasting on the eyes. To test these claims, I swatched the eyeliner and washed my hands with water, then moderately scrubbed the eyeliner. Result: Did not budge, VERY LITTLE of it flaked off, but did NOT smudge. Did it crease though? It creased so little on me that only I could notice it if I were to look very closely into a mirror. With an eyeshadow primer, it doesn't crease on me.

Overall: This eyeliner is truly a hidden gem amongst the many popular Sephora Collection products. It's cheaper than a lot of the other gel liners from competing brands sold at Sephora, and it holds up just as well if not better.