Foundation Review: Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet

Here we are again, it's just me and my love for testing out new foundations! A few weeks ago I walked into a department store to finally swatch Chanel's newest addition to their foundation lineup. Of course I'd done my research and I basically already knew my shade so when it came time for the sales associate to push me into a purchase, there was no way I could resist. It felt like a rite of passage to get my first Chanel item so it came home with me and we've been friends ever since!
The product in question is Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet (my shade is B30). I'm sure you've all heard of the ever so popular, similarly packaged Vitalumiere Aqua for ages now, so this release seemed really interesting. It's a water based formula just like VA but the finish is beautifully matte and velvety, hence the name choice. I never jumped the gun with VA but this just seemed too good to be true! Same lightweight feel, light to medium buildable coverage, and it's oil free, which makes it perfect for the summer months. 
What I loved most about this was the feel and the finish! I can honestly say it feels like you're putting on water on your face, there is nothing heavy about it. As you smooth it on, you can start to feel it transform into a sort of powder but the finish is never chalky or dry looking. This isn't the foundation for you if you want a super glowy look to the skin but I think the formula allows the skin to look natural, but just a little less shine-free. This is another one of those "no makeup, makeup" foundations (which apparently are my fave) because it's completely undetectable with a light layer but it's still able to build up coverage where you need it most and not cake up on you. Doesn't that sound like sweet music to your ears?
Application wise, this is definitely one you'll want to smooth on with your fingers. Because of the very watery texture of this, your brushes will likely soak up most of the product! It really just melts into the skin so make sure to pay attention to where you applied it because there have been times where I don't even know where it starts and ends on my face. If you'd like, you can certainly apply it with fingers and then go in with a brush and buff away at any edges! So you've applied it, now the question is, how long does it last? I'd say this has pretty decent staying power for being such a lightweight base but I wouldn't go into it thinking you'll get more than 6-7 hours without it fading a bit. It does do a pretty good job of controlling oils though, so by the end of the day, you still have more of a demo-matte look to the skin. 
Now, the stats. This comes in a 30 mL bottle for $48, which is a little steep but there are others for much more out there on the market! Like I mentioned earlier, it is oil-free but not fragrance free, so you might want to be cautious with that. This foundation has an SPF of 15 so I wouldn't recommend it for flash photography but this isn't a foundation you'd probably choose for a night out. Final thoughts? If you like a lightweight feeling foundation, with decent coverage and staying power, but like a more matte natural look, this is a really great option! Definitely a staple in my foundation drawer for the Spring and Summer!

What's On My Face #2: Day to Night Makeup ft. Orange Lips

Welcome to another edition of What's On My Face! Today I thought I'd show you how I take my makeup from day to night - and it is literally the simplest thing you could ever do! I'm not huge on tons of eyeliner or crazy smokey eyes but when I want to make my look more fun for a special occasion or going out to dinner, a bold lip is my choice. Sure, it may be slightly impractical when you're chowing down on your spaghetti, but you'll look good while doing it, right? 
The look I created has really simple skin, featuring a sneaky purchase I made a few days ago, that is matte but still natural looking. I kept it simple with some primer in my t-zone, a thin layer of foundation, and a few swipes of concealer where I needed it and that was it! For cheeks, I put on a coral hue, making sure to keep it away from the inside of my face close to my nose. Eyes were kept minimal, I didn't play around with eyeshadow, all I did was take some waterproof eyeliner in a dark brown and lined my upper lashline softly and then took an angled brush and smudged it out for an undone look. A few swipes of lengthening mascara in the blackest black you can find, and eyes are finito! Of course, you know me and my love for bold brows so that needed to happen or else this look just wouldn't be complete. 
Alright, now for the fun. During the day, a swipe of a sheer pink gloss gets you through but if you want to embrace the warmer weather and wear this season's hottest makeup trend, you have to go for a bold orange! I definitely stick to my pinks but I've been loving the look of orange lips and I can see myself rocking this for a fun dinner or running errands at the grocery store, but that's just me and my love for a bold lip. If you want to really take it up a notch for night time, Maybe add a bit of black liquid liner and do a little feline slick for a fun edge - but since the lip is already so bold, I'd stay away from adding to much else to the look. Another thing you can try is skipping the blush and going for a more contoured effect with a matte bronzer, I think that would look fantastic! So, what do you think? Are you gonna be trying out the citrus inspired pout this Spring and Summer?
Face: Benefit The POREfessional //  Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet in B30 // NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Custard // Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Tipsy // Hourglass Arch Brow Sculting Pencil in Dark Brunette
Eyes: Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner in Damsel // L'Oreal Telescopic Carbon Black
Lips: Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector in 05 // MAC Lipstick in Morange

Upcoming Summer 2014 Makeup Collection Releases

A few months back I shared with you the exciting new Spring collections, so I thought I'd share my favourites for the Summer season! I never really used to pay attention to limited edition collections but there's always so many exciting releases - some of which actually stay permanent!
NARS have really been impressing me with their seasonal collections (I'm still bitter that I didn't jump on the Guy Bourdin thang...) and the Summer collection is no different. Firstly, their famous lip glosses are getting a bit of a revamp to their formula, packaging, and even throwing in a bunch of new shades - 7 to be exact, making the collection comprised of 30 shades in total! And even better news, these are permanent. They'll be available on the NARS site April 15th and at Sephora and specialty counters May 1st. I must say I'm pretty excited!

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It wouldn't be a beauty post without me mentioning Anna would it? She mentioned the Chanel Les Beiges powders in videos previously and she always goes on about how smooth these are but I never took the plunge. But, when I saw this new release for the Les Beiges Summer 2014 collection, I was all over it. I specifically feel drawn to the Healthy Glow Multi Colour Powder that comes with a highlighter type shade, a light bronzer and a peachy pink blush (my fave!). It reminds me of the Clarins Palette I talked about a while back. I think this compact would be so useful, especially when you want a foolproof glow without having to take out three separate powders - genius! It seems like the official release date for these is May 5th so mark your calendars people! 

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One release I'm just dying to get my hands on comes from Estee Lauder. I was thinking about this the other day but most of my favourite and most used foundations and base products come from Estee Lauder - so naturally, new summer bases being released get my blood pumping and my eyes wide open! I'm usually all about the matte finish and trying to control my oily face but their sheer, glowy bases have been calling my name for some reason. Maybe it's because of the weather warming up, but I feel like having a fresh, natural base with some precision powder going on is just, well fresher. The Double Wear All-Day Glow BB Moisture Makeup (can that get any longer?) has been out for a little while now and it has me very interested. From the reviews I've seen, this looks like it gives a really natural finish but it stays in place all day - it has Double Wear on it so of course I hope the staying power is as insane as the original! Definitely something to look at. But most exciting to me is their even more recent bb cream release for oily, acne-prone skin. Yes, you heard that right. They've finally come around to the idea that blemishes aren't only for 12 year olds anymore! They brought out an entire range by the name of Clear Difference to help against blemishes (out right now!). They have included a serum, which looks amazing, a spot treatment, and a bb cream! It took one good look at that bb cream to know that I had to befriend it - moisturizing, gives coverage, and actively helps treat breakouts - oh boy, this could be the start of a wonderful thing! Clear Difference Complexion Perfecting BB Creme has an SPF of 35 which is perfect for these sun filled months ahead of us and it's oil free AND oil-controlling. I mean, I just can't - where do I sign up?

As you can see, I much prefer the actual colour collections for Spring. Summer collections tend to be a bit too full on for my liking with the excessive amounts of bright colours in their compacts, so I much prefer single product releases. All of these have me very curious and intrigued so when they come out in stores, I'll be swatting up a storm for sure!
Any summer releases you're excited about?