Shiseido Synchro Skin Long Lasting Foundation Review

Hello to my fellow beauties. Today's product review is a foundation that was sent to me complimentary from Influenster for review purposes.

The Shiseido synchro skin long lasting foundation is a new formula inspired from Japanese beauty culture, made in Japan. This product claims the following:

• Long lasting finish
• Full coverage
• Eliminates dullness with vibrant foundation
• Provides all day wear
• Price is $58 Canadian / 1 Fl Oz

 After testing and using this product out on myself here are my thoughts:

• Formula is a very watery based consistency, lasting power on my skin (oily combo) was not long
• Coverage is light to medium, can be build able BUT it will begin to look cakey
• This foundation made my skin look more dull then vibrant. 
• Clings to dry patches I didn't know I had, which is odd for a water base formula.
• Broke me out instantly with in hours of wear
• Did not cover my redness, had to use a heavy duty concealer to hide redness (Note a good foundation will not need you to use a heavy concealer)

For the price of this foundation my final thoughts are, if your going to spend $60 on a foundation which is pricey it needs to work for you.
This foundation I see would work for those people who have perfect skin with no issues (IE: Redness, acne etc) That is not me unfortunately LOL
Not my favorite formula, your best bet is to ask for a sample first to try it before making the huge money plunge.

Xoxo
MacGirl25

8 Most Worn Things Tag!

Ola Beauty Lovers! I was tagged by a lovely lady on YouTube LoveAmberxo to do this tag. Hope you all enjoy!

Go checkout my YouTube Channel:  http://www.youtube.com/user/MacGirl25Antonietta 

Connect with me:

Pinterest:  AntoniettaNacc

Luvocracy:  Antonietta Nacc

Twitter:  AntoniettaNacc

Instagram:  AntoniettaNacc

Until Next Time Beauty Lovers <3

MacGirl25

February Favorites 2014

Ola beauty lovers! Here are my February Beauty Favorites this month! I hope you all enjoy! <3

Go checkout my YouTube Channel:  http://www.youtube.com/user/MacGirl25Antonietta 

Connect with me:

Pinterest:  AntoniettaNacc

Luvocracy:  Antonietta Nacc

Twitter:  AntoniettaNacc

Instagram:  AntoniettaNacc

Until next time beauty lovers <3
MacGirl25

Lets talk PRO: Interview with a Professional Makeup Artist

Ola beauty lovers! This post is a bit different then my usual raves and rants about products. For those of you who know me well, I am not a professional makeup artist. I am just a woman who has a strong passion for make up and beauty related items. I thought that it would be fun and interesting to see the opinion of a true professional make up artist and pick apart their brain to see what they use in their daily kit on clients.

What better way to turn to the professionals and see what they use on customers, not just on themselves like us beauty gurus.

My next mission was to find a makeup artist who was not biased because they worked at lets say a MAC counter. So I found the perfect woman. Her name is Cassandra and I know her from when I began tanning at my local tanning salon. She is so sweet and great to talk too. So I asked if she would help a sista out and let me interview her. This girls eye make up looks amazing every time I see her, I was just praying that she would be up for the challenge. I was lucky, because she agreed! Before I begin please go follow her on Instagram at @_MAKEUPBYCASSANDRA . Ok let's jump right into it.

Before we begin lets paint a pretty picture, the lovely Cassandra is sitting behind the Tanning Salon desk (because not only is she a make up artist but she also works in a Tanning Spa) and she looks radiant with her bronze glowing tan, and her make up done so simple but bold. Light on the shadow, heavy on the liner, liner is winged out, her lashes are coated with mascara, rocking a nude lip, and her skin is looking FLAWLESS. OK now lets jump into it :)

MacGirl25: What inspired you into Makeup artistry?
Cassandra: I've always had a passion for it. I was always doing other peoples make up for special events, and everyone would tell me how good I do it, so I decided since I enjoy it I would just go to school professionally for it.

MacGirl25: What is your favorite part about makeup application?
Cassandra: Obviously the end outcome, the finished product. The finished look. But if I had to choose a specific portion of the process it would have to be applying eyeshadow. Creating different looks with eyeshadows.

MacGirl25: Lets talk about your favorite products to use. What is your favorite foundation?
Cassandra: Makeup Forever HD Foundation. This foundation is great for editorials, it is easy to match different skin tones with their range of colors and it very easy to blend. The foundation is a medium to full coverage foundation which helps if the client wants a lighter to full coverage.

MacGirl25: What is your favorite concealer?
Cassandra: Mac Pro Longwear

MacGirl25: What is your favorite face primer?
Cassandra: Makeup Forever face primer in the green or clear formula. Both are great, the green helps cancel out the redness and the clear helps with the PH tones.

MacGirl25: What is your favorite setting powder?
Cassandra: Mac translucent setting powder because it is very fine powder that does not give too much of a white cast.

MacGirl25: What is your favorite eye primer?
Cassandra:  Mac Paint pot in Painterly. Great shade to match most skin tones, and helps keep the eyeshadow in place all day.

MacGirl25: What is your favorite bronzer?
Cassandra: Zeda powdered sun bronzer sold here at the tanning salon I work at. Another bronzer I use would be the Mac matt bronzer, or sometimes I will just use a darker shade of a foundation.

MacGirl25: How about your favorite highlighter?
Cassandra: Depending on the clients skin, I will use concealer sometimes, other times I will use a light color foundation and to top it off I will apply Mac Mineralize Skin Finish in "soft and gentle".

MacGirl25: What is your favorite eyebrow products?
Cassandra: I love to use the Makeup Forever aqua brow and / or eyeshadows.

MacGirl25: What brand of eyelashes do you prefer?
Cassandra: Ardel Lashes are great and affordable, if I am working on a client who wants a more dramatic look then I will splurge and use the Mac Eyelashes #36 and #7.

MacGirl25: What is your favorite mascara?
Cassandra: Well I can tell you right now that Mac mascaras are terrible. Even the Mac girls at the counter will tell me that, I have a friend who works there and she tells me that. But the ones I use the most are the drug store brands and if I want to splurge a bit I will use the Makeup Forever Smokey eye. In school they teach us that all mascaras are similar in formula. The key is the type of wand you are using to get that dramatic eyelash look. So I stick to my drug store brands and purchase disposable wands that I like to use for certain looks.


MacGirl25: What is your favorite eyeliner?
Cassandra: When I work on clients I prefer to use gel, Makeup Forever Aqua Creme black is a matt black which is great. I also use on clients Makeup Forever liquid liner and on my self I use the good old drug store brand Annabelle liquid liner in black.


MacGirl25: What is your favorite eyeshadow palette?
Cassandra: I prefer the Mac Palette that I built with my own choice of shadows. I also use the Urban Decay Naked 2 and 3 palettes, and I love using coastal scents for those more bright color looks.

MacGirl25: What is your favorite lipstick?
Cassandra: I love all lipsticks. My top are all from Mac, and they are, Creme de Nude, Candy Yum Yum, Heroine, and Saint Jermaine.

MacGirl25: What is your favorite lipgloss?
Cassandra: I use glosses on clients only, the ones I normally use are from Mac, but I recently purchased some from Motives Cosmetics and I really like them. My clients tell me that the Motives Cosmetics glosses are not sticky.


MacGirl25: What are your favorite makeup brush brands?
Cassandra: My top brands for brushed would have to be Mac, Makeup Forever, and Coastal Scents.

MacGirl25: Every beauty lover knows that to have a great makeup face it starts with what is underneath. What would be your best advice when it comes to skin care?
Cassandra: No matter what your age, it is very important to take care of your skin. That means you need to make sure you wash your face twice a day, make sure you take off all your make up before bed. Make sure you exfoliate at least twice a week. Give yourself masks and facials, doesn't have to be at the spa, even the home masks and facials are good. Moisturizing is very important, make sure you use an oil free, fragrance free moisturizer to avoid any skin irritations or break outs.

MacGirl25: What is your #1 Facial Cleanser brand that you use?
Cassandra: I use the St. Ives face cleanser.

MacGirl25: What is your #1 Facial Exfoliant?
Cassandra: St. Ives Apricot exfoliant


MacGirl25: What type of Face Masks do you use?
Cassandra: I don't use face masks.

MacGirl25: What are your top Moisturizer brands?
Cassandra: Dermologica, St. Ives Timeless skin and Jergens.

MacGirl25: Well that is the end of our interview, Thank you so much for taking the time out and letting me ask these questions.
Cassandra: No problem, thank you, this was so much fun to do.




Well everyone, that was my interview with Miss Cassandra. Loved interviewing her, we had such a good time talking about favorite brands, products etc. If you don't follow her on Instagram please do so at @_MAKEUPBYCASSANDRA

Here are some great photos of Cassandras work. Love her techniques.

I hope this helps you all get an idea of the great products that are out there and used by Makeup Artist Professionals themselves on clients. I intended this interview to be a helpful tool for all my wonderful readers out there. If you ever get overwhelmed and you need a new bronzer, or concealer, or foundation etc and you are unsure where to start, I hope this interview will give you an idea on what the professionals are enjoying and what you can be enjoying as well!

Go checkout my YouTube Channel:  http://www.youtube.com/user/MacGirl25Antonietta 

Connect with me:

Pinterest:  AntoniettaNacc

Luvocracy:  Antonietta Nacc

Twitter:  AntoniettaNacc

Instagram:  AntoniettaNacc

Maybelline Baby Skin Pore Eraser Quick Review

Ola beauty lovers! Everyone and their mom has been talking about this product from the drug store. The Maybelline Baby Skin Pore Eraser is according to most people the drug store dupe for the Benefit Porefessional. I wouldn't say it's an exact dupe, BUT I would say it is very close to it.

The texture of this product is very similar to the Porefessional. That silky feel when you apply a primer to the face to hide the pores. Let's make this clear though, this is not greasy. Just very smooth.

This product is clear, has no skin tone shade to it like the Porefessional does, so it will not adjust any redness in your skin. This is a basic face primer to blur the size of pores. The good thing about it being a clear formula is that all skin tones can use this product not just a selected few.

Packaging is great, has this blue tube similar to the Porefessional. I think the bottle is a bit smaller but you do not need to apply a lot of product as a little bit goes a long way. I think that is the best tip I can give anyone when it comes to primer. You have to know when to stop with the heavy hand because a primer is suppose to make your skin look flawless. When you apply too much primer that's when you begin to look like an oil slick. If you are having issues with primers not working for you it's probably because you are putting too much on. Take it down a notch and I bet it will work out for you!

Wearing this primer or any primer like I said is all about the amount you use for each application. Don't use too much and your primer will make your face makeup last longer. Use too much and you will get oily fast. Don't say I didn't warn you.

The absolute best thing about this product is that it is $8 at the drug store! Yup, that's right, so instead of me having to dish out $38 on the Porefessional every time I run out, now I have the option to spend only $8 for the Baby skin and alternate between the two.

Maybelline Baby Skin in my opinion is a great, less expensive alternative for a face primer. Love it and definitely will be on my repurchase list.

Until next time beauty lovers! <3
MacGirl25

L'Oreal True Match Lumi Foundation Review

Ola beauty lovers! Today is another product review for you all. Now if you know me and my product purchased past, you will know I never purchased drug store foundations in my yearly make up years. I was so afraid to try drug store foundations because I did not want to break out from them. So the only foundation I ever used was the MAC Studio liquid foundation back then. It was a safe zone for me because it did not break me out, had decent coverage etc.

I began to get more adventurous with my foundation brands in the drug store only last year. I mean I have a handful of high end foundations that are good (more reviews on those to come), but I thought to myself, what is the worst that could happen? I may break out? Then I will just stop using the product. Yes it could be a gamble on wasted hard earned money, but if I keep the receipt I can always return it if I do not like it.

This L'Oreal True Match Lumi Foundation is not my first drug store foundation, BUT it is the first one I am going to review. I kept seeing the foundation pop up on YOUTUBE videos. So of course being the Beauty junkie that I am, I got curious and wanted to try it out myself. Keep in mind I am oily to combination skin. So this time of year (dry cold winter) would be the only and best time to try this foundation out. That is what I did.

I am in the shade 06 Sun Beige. They have a few different shades to choose from. The only down fall is you can not test them in the store, so what I did was made note on the shades some of the YouTube girls with similar skin tones as me and went from there. When I applied this shade it was bang on to my skin tone. Yup I am good.

When you first apply the foundation it has this cool soothing sensation of a cold cream. Which is refreshing in the winter time for me because during this time of year I am as dry as a bone most of the day. Application is very easy with this product. Glides on smooth, leaves no streaks. A little bit goes along way so don't over do it.

The foundation gives a luminous glow (hence the name), so the more product you put on the more "glow" aspect you will get out of it. BUT let me just say this, less is more. Don't cake it on because then you will look like a oil slick.

The foundation is medium to full coverage and build able using thin layers. I would suggest using a face primer underneath it for those girls who are oily to combo, or oily skin. It will hold the foundation better. Doesn't matter what face primer just use one for goodness sakes! Dry skin girls don't need a face primer but if you wish to use one knock yourself out.

The wear-ability of this foundation is average to me. I put it on at 8am, by the time 5pm comes around there is still foundation on my face but it doesn't have a long 12 hour wearing time. I would say between 6 to 8 hours at most of wear you can get out of this foundation. Which for me is good because I only use this in the winter, and I use it daily for going to work or hanging out around the house etc. What ever you do, do not wear this if you plan to go to the gym. This will just make you look like a complete oil slick after you sweat.


Now I will be the first one to admit this, this foundation I would not be able to use during the spring and summer time due to my skin type. So cold months would be were I would use this baby. I will stay far away from this foundation in warmer months so I don't emphasize my oily issues. But for the time being in winter, this is pretty decent if you ask me.

The packaging of the product is very useful. It comes in a pump form so it is easy to apply and doesn't make a disaster all over the place. Plus it keeps your foundation in the bottle germ free, so you don't need to dip your fingers or brush in the bottle to take out the product. You don't want to contaminate your product, because then when it goes on your face, that is when break outs will begin to happen.

The price point on this foundation ranges between $16-$21 depending where you purchase it. Realistically for $10 more you could get a higher end foundation. BUT for those of you who don't want to spend that extra $10 this is your alternative drug store foundation when you are looking for a luminous glow.

OK so my final thoughts....pretty good drug store foundation. Different skin types need to be careful how and when they use this foundation as to not make them look greasy. Great hydrating compound for the winter time for me anyway. No scent, which is great. I use this on a every day winter foundation basis and works good. The trick is to get to know how your foundation works for your skin type and once you figure that out you are golden!

Make sure you check out and subscribe to my Youtube Channel: MacGirl25Antonietta

Follow me on:
Twitter: @AntoniettaNacc
Instagram: @AntoniettaNacc

Until next time beauty lovers❤️
MacGirl25

This is me with the foundation on: ☺️

Maybelline The Colossal Volum' Express Cateyes Mascara Review

Hey beauty lovers! I wanted to touch base with you all on this great mascara I have been using for the last couple weeks. The Maybelline The Colossal Volum' Express Cateyes Mascara is AMAZING!

This drugstore brand mascara is very affordable for those of you on a budget and the results are fantastic. Every time I use this mascara people always ask me if I have false lashes on. I smile and say nope they are all real baby. As I bat my eyelashes. LOL C'mon what girl doesn't bat their eyelashes when they get a compliment? It is natural.

Now I have to warn you, when you first open the bottle, the formula of this mascara is liquidity compared to other mascaras I have tried, but do not be alarmed about it. The formula does have a bit of the stink to it but I personally think it is so manageable due the results it gives my lashes.

The wand is a fibre bristle wand that has a bit of an arch to it. I personally enjoy this type of wand because it helps make applying mascara quicker and easier with no fuss. I usually only do two coats using this product but you sure can build it to more then two coats if you want it more dramatic. This formula does not flake at all. It is not waterproof which is a bummer but I can deal with that since the results are perfection. This shade I am wearing is in Glam Black below..

The price tag ranges between $5-$10 depending on where you purchase it but it is very well in the affordable rang compared to some of those higher end mascaras, that do not give you this result I am talking about.

Below are some photos of my eyelashes to show you how well this baby works, along with a couple of pictures of the product it self, in case you all are interested to go purchase it at your local drug store.

Until next time beauty lovers <3
MacGirl25

The Clarisonic Diaries: Nov 23 2013

Ola Beauty Lovers, so I have decided to start a new series of posts about my journey with the one and only Clarisonic. There are so many mixed reviews and opinions on this product that I thought this way would be different for all my readers to see what the process is when introducing a new skin care product to your body.

So I have been using the clarisonic now for about two weeks. I was so excited to get this baby in the mail. I was hesitant to try it for the longest time but one day I got fed up with how my hormonal acne was acting, so I said F**** it lets just try it out. So I bit the bullet and bought this sucker.

As soon as I got it I ripped it open and started reading the instructions. It explains how to take care of it, how to charge it, how the battery buzzes when it is half charged or fully charged etc.

Before I started using this "tool" if you want to call it that, my face was doing OK, not great because I would have acne pop up here and there but it wasn't strikingly brutal. Plus I had heard that this sonic technology is suppose to be great for your skin....once you get over the first few weeks of bad break outs. Although I have heard some people did not experience break outs at all. Anyways this series is going to be my experience with the famous Clarisonic Mia.

With in the first week I noticed that my breakouts on my jaw line and chin were enhanced times five. By this second week, my breakouts in the same spots were enhanced times ten! Now I knew before starting this journey a lot people said that the first month will be your skin purging all the inpurities out of your skin when using this tool. So I mentally prepaired myself....sort of.

Two weeks in and my chin breakouts (which is where I usually get my bad acne) are looking like they came to party on my face and want to stay there! I am mortified. I know I should not pick at them but sometimes it gets difficult especially when you get all anxious and nervous. That is the worst time!

I don't use the clarisonic every day. After a long period of researching and checking out other peoples experiences/reviews, I decided to use this tool every other day or every third day instead of every day. I did not want to butcher my skin that much.

For those of you who do not know what the Clarisonic is (if you really don't know then your living under a rock) it's a  special, expensive tool that is suppose to work as an exfoliant/cleansing system to ensure you get rid of all the dirt and oil off your skin when you wash your face. It can also be used for your body too, but I just want to use it for the face.  

The kit that I purchased comes with the clarisonic mia, a sensitive brush, and a deluxe sample size of the Clarisonic facial cleanser. Retail cost for this kit is $135. So yes this kit is a bit pricey but I figured this device should last me a long time and should be worth it in the long run.

I guess we will see how this product will change my skin, hopefully for the better. This is going to be an interesting journey, sit tight for a rollar coaster ride my friends.

Until next time beauty lovers
MacGirl25

Limited Edition Palettes Part 1

Hi Beauty lovers. I did some shopping lately during the VIB sale at Sephora last week, and I thought it was the perfect time to stock up on some limited edition palette with the sale going on.

The two palettes that I had my eye on, but was not sure if I really wanted to take the leap on buying was the Smash box Full Exposure palette and the Too Faced A few of my Favorite Things palette. I went to look for these in one Sephora location early last week because I saw the palettes online, but I couldn't find the Smash Box one at that location. The Too Faced palette, when I swatched it at the first Sephora location I went to, I don't know why but the shadows seemed a bit dry and flaky. So I didn't pick them up the first time. A few days went by and the sale was still on and so I went to another Sephora location to see if they had the Smash box Full Exposure palette. Good news is they had it, so I was able to swatch it and I was sold on it up front. I also re swatched the Too Faced palette as well, and for some reason these shadows made me melt in love.

Below is a breakdown mini review on these palettes with prices. If you are interested in these palettes please go to your local Sephora to swatch them, OR you can order them online too. Keep in mind these are limited edition so don't wait too long.

www.sephora.com

Smash box Full Exposure Palette: $58.00+tax

• This palette caught my eye online at first. Smash box is a fabulous cosmetic company, out of the products I have tried so far that I own, I have not had an issue with their items. This palette is gorgeous. It comes with 14 eye shadow's, 7 of which are matte finish, and 7 of which are shimmery or have sparkle finishes to them. That is was sold me from the start. You do not find a lot of palettes that have a good balance between matte and shimmery shadows. This one has half and half. BONUS. It also comes with a double ended brush, one side of the brush is a blending brush, the other side is a shader brush to pack on the color. It also comes with a deluxe size sample of their Full Exposure mascara. 
•  The formula of the shadows are great. They are creamy and easy to blend. Not to mention their pigmentation is crazy good. 
• What I love most about this palette is that it is so versatile. With the options of so many matte shades and shimmer shades you can combine them to make any look you want. Go from Day to night with no problems. 
• The palette also comes with a mirror on the top. The palette closes with magnets. 
• The packaging is very similar to the Lorac pro palette and the NARS packaging, so it is easy to get dirty quickly.
• For the price you do get your moneys worth since one of their single eye shadows retails for $18-$20 each and a trio of shadows retails for $36 plus tax! So realistically this palette of 14 shadows at $58 is a steal.
• Using an eye shadow primer underneath, the shadows are very long wearing. 

 Too Faced A Few of my Favorite Things Palette: $64+tax

• This palette caught my eye on line as well. However when I went to swatch it the first time in stores I didn't really love how the eye shadows transferred on my fingers. They seemed dry. BUT when I swatched them a second time at another Sephora location a few days later, the palette seemed flawless. You get 20 eye shadows, 2 blushes, and 2 face powder bronzer's. Also it comes with a deluxe sample size of their Better then sex mascara and a full size lip injection balm in nude. All that for $64 at Sephora. This is a great deal, with all the great goodies inside, this palette is valued at $496! This would be the perfect Christmas gift for a chick who is a makeup lover at that.
• The formulation of the shadows/blushes/and bronzer's are fabulous they are very buttery and smooth. Very easy to blend and so pigmented that your looks will pop.
• This palette does not come with a mirror, but that is OK. I do not really use the mirror that comes with the palettes anyways. 
• The packaging is very cute, pink and cream color packaging. The palette is thin like an Ipad mini. Equivalent to that size of the Ipad, maybe a tiny bit bigger.
• This palette does have a couple of matte shadows, but not as many as the Smash box one does. I think there is about 4-5 matte shades you can use for blending colors together in the palette. 
• The good thing about this palette is that you can get a day look, or a night look with it. So it is versatile if you need to travel and only want to bring one palette, this would be a good one to bring. Not only does the shadows provide options but it also provides face powders. So this is perfect to travel with.
• Also using an eye shadow primer underneath, the shadows are very long wearing. 

If you wish to see swatches on line, please go visit my YouTube channel MacGril25Antonietta to see some swatching done.

I hope you all enjoyed this mini review, stay tuned for Part 2 of Limited Edition Palettes coming soon.

Until next time beauty lovers <3
MacGirl25




Disclosure: I purchased these palettes with my own dollar bills, I am not affiliated with these two companies what so ever.