#AltheaKorea Makeup Tutorial | #AltheaAngels #AltheaMakeup

A few weeks ago I posted an unboxing of a glorious package I received from Althea Korea, as a part of their Angels Program. I've been playing around with the items they sent me, and am excited to share a super simple look with some of my favorite items from the box!

The items in this post are press samples, received in exchange for sharing my honest thoughts.

L'oreal True Match Lumi Illuminator | Powder & Liquid Glow Illuminators | Swatches & First Impressions

I have been a big fan of highlighters for a while, but the struggle for me to find any that are both beautiful and affordable was real. And by real I mean really big. These L'oreal True Match Lumi Illuminators look beautiful, and their true match foundations and face powders are already a major love of mine, so I was very exited to be able to try all 6 of these.

In this post you'll find swatches of them all.

Liquid Glow Illuminator: W101 Golden, N201 Rose, & C301 Ice.

Liquid Glow Illuminator: W101 Golden, N201 Rose, & C301 Ice.

Powder Glow Illuminator: W101 Golden, N201 Rose, & C301 Ice.

Powder Glow Illuminator: W101 Golden, N201 Rose, & C301 Ice.
Here all four colors are swirled together to form one color from each pan.

Powder Glow Illuminator: W101 Golden: left, right, bottom, and top shade from pan.

Powder Glow Illuminator: N201 Rose: left, right, bottom, and top shade from pan.

Powder Glow Illuminator: C301 Ice: left, right, bottom, and top shade from pan.

My first impressions of these?

The liquid glow illuminators are out for me because they contain alcohol. I would try them on my face over my other makeup just to try them, because they are pigmented and beautiful, but they smell so strongly of alcohol, I just can't handle them. 

The powder glow illuminators look beautiful, especially the Ice compact. I can see myself using the Ice and Rose compacts the most, and probably keeping the Golden compact, but the pigmentation for that shade isn't as nice as the other two. 

Overall I think these are worth the price (they all range between $10 and $13 depending where you find them), and the Ice shades are definitely my favorite!

Interested in seeing shorter daily beauty reviews? 

 Find me on Instagram - @samantha_blogs 

Disclaimer: The Glitter Chic blog purchased the product(s) mentioned in this post for the purpose of review and evaluation. No monetary compensation was received for this post. The Glitter Chic blog will always provide honest opinions, beliefs or experiences on products reviewed. If you have any questions, please contact me at gothickornchic at gmail dot com. This blog contains affiliate links and I may receive a small commission if you make a purchase using one of those links. The Glitter Chic is not responsible for prize delivery. The disclosure is done in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 10 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Maybelline Super Stay Better Skin Foundation & Concealer | First Impressions

Maybelline recently came out with a new foundation with a matching concealer. I have the worst luck with foundation, and tend to stick to the few I have that really work decent for me, but one of those is the regular Maybelline Super Stay, so I got very excited about this.

Shade 10 (Porcelain) and 15 (Ivory).

I am normally the lightest shade of drugstore foundations, but I am trying out two shades because Porcelain looked a little light for my summer skin, and Ivory looked too pink for me. So I hoped that between the two I could make this work.

Pump top - score!

My bare face...

Porcelain on the back of my hand.

I immediately noticed that, not only was this too light, but it was so light it made me look sick. Before I removed it I noticed a few other things as well. Firstly, this was very difficult to blend. I used a light gel primer with no silicone, and usually have no trouble. I applied it with my Up&Up Buffing Brush, which normally works great, but this foundation had a really rough time with it. 

The foundation was patchy, settled into my lines and pores, and showed brush lines in some areas, - when I tried to smooth it out it removed the foundation and pushed the foundation further into my pores.

After washing my face I applied a silicone primer, allowed it to set, and tried out the shade Ivory. 

I was worried this shade would be too pink, but once I blended this shade out on my skin, it matched perfectly! Unfortunately, even with a flat-top blending brush, I still experienced the same problems with the foundation not blending properly and settling where it shouldn't. It wasn't as bad with the silicone primer, but it was still very noticeable. 

Next I decided to try out the concealer. I was hoping I could use the concealer to brighten like I usually use it for, but also that the pairing concealer would "fix" the worst areas of foundation as well. 

I am testing out the lightest color, Ivory (10).

This concealer has a doe-foot applicator.

I dotted the concealer on under my eyes and between my brows, then went down my nose and on my chin and further onto my cheeks to build up where the foundation wouldn't stick. 

The concealer blended out so beautifully! It was a creamy consistency, but offered full coverage which I felt sat nicely on my skin. I do think I applied a little much, I could have gotten away with applying a little less. 

Unfortunately the concealer stayed "wet" on my skin. I checked my face after a few minutes and noticed the concealer had started creasing and looking cakey, so I lightly dabbed it with my finger to try and blend it out, and it all came off! Powder, concealer, and foundation. 

While I am pleased with the shade selection of both products and feel like they might work well for others, I cannot see a scenario where I would enjoy either of these products. They don't set, the foundation doesn't blend or cover properly, and there is obviously no longevity. If you have dry, poreless skin, I would maybe suggest giving this a try - but for oily-skinned gals with bigger pores and fine lines like myself, I would stay away.

Interested in seeing shorter daily beauty reviews? 

Find me on Instagram - @samantha_blogs

Disclaimer: The Glitter Chic blog purchased the product(s) mentioned in this post for the purpose of review and evaluation. No monetary compensation was received for this post. The Glitter Chic blog will always provide honest opinions, beliefs or experiences on products reviewed. If you have any questions, please contact me at gothickornchic at gmail dot com. This blog contains affiliate links and I may receive a small commission if you make a purchase using one of those links. The Glitter Chic is not responsible for prize delivery. The disclosure is done in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 10 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Pacifica Natural Minerals Foundation & Primer Review

A while ago I picked up a few different products from Pacifica at my local Target. These products included their Ultra CC Cream in both shades (medium & light) and their Perfecting Primer Serum. I've been revamping my makeup stash the past few months to include a majority of cruelty-free products, and something for my face was as the top of my list. If I can find something natural, kind to the environment and my skin, and still gives me some lasting light coverage - I'll be in heaven. 

This is what the three bottles look like. They're all the same, just different labels.

We'll start this review with the primer:

Full name: Rose Gold Brightening Primer Serum

(universal pre-makeup primer & skin recharger)

Price I paid: $15.99 for 1oz

What drew me to this primer the most was that it is silicone-free. My pores clog easily, and silicone makes it so much worse. This primer (as well as both foundations) are alcohol-free, which if you're a frequent visitor to my blog or Instagram, you know I am allergic to and will develop cysts from. 

There are no potential acne triggers or sensitive skin irritants in this primer, so I was even more excited to try it out. 

*you can view the cosdna analysis of ingredients here*

All three bottles have this great pump top - I love it! So easy to use, and nearly mess-free!

I'll be honest, when I saw the words "Primer Serum" I did expect a thinner fluid-like product, but this is far from what I expected. This is basically straight-up oil. The glycerin is too thick to allow this product to be comfortable for any skin type that isn't a cousin of the desert. It made my skin look very glowy and healthy, but I had to go over my face several times with cotton pads to get my face to a point where I was comfortable applying something over this. My skin is oily during the summer, so I was very nervous about how this would work, but I'm also curious how it will work for me in the winter when my skin is dry.

Next is the foundation:

Full name: Ultra CC Cream Radiant Foundation with Broad Spectrum SPF 17

(moisture rich color correcting makeup + skincare)

Price I paid: $17.99 each

*Available in two shade: Warm/Light and Natural/Medium

I always have high hopes for foundations that claim to work for all skin types. My skin varies from dry in the winter to oily in the summer, and while I can easily find correlating foundations to suit each skin type, I like having something available that can match my skins' mood swings. Both shades of this foundation are supposed to blend to match most skin tones closest to each specific shade. I purchased both to see how they worked with my skintone. 

There are only two potential (and very low) acne triggers in this foundation, which is not a bother to me. As far as foundation (and sunscreen) goes, this isn't bad at all. 

*you can view the cosdna analysis for this product here*

Swatches of the Warm/Light Foundation

Swatches of the Natural/Medium Foundation

My first irk about this foundation is the packaging. Not the packaging itself, but if you go back up and look at the shades on the box tops, the light foundation clearly looks darker than the medium. This is reason I ended up purchasing both to see how they looked - it was so confusing! Based on the box, I tried the Medium foundation first and it was way too dark for me. Even with my "summer tan" I couldn't get it to blend out light enough to look natural against the rest of my body. So, I tried Light, and even that looked too dark at first, but it quickly changed and lightened up to my actual skin color. This is a very thin formula, but it is thick enough to hold it's form while you're working with it - unlike the primer. The foundation was a bit slick, but but seemed to set up ok on my skin.

As you can see from the before and after - this foundation offers very light coverage and looks very natural. It blends out seamlessly, it was virtually undetectable on my skin once I applied a little powder. The primer left my skin looking dewy and bright. The light really reflected off of it just right and made my skin look so healthy and youthful. 

So, how did it hold up throughout the day?

Well . . . .

It didn't.

This became difficult to photograph, but after setting my makeup, my son and I made a trip to the grocery store and ate a couple sandwiches at the park, then returned home. We were out for two hours, it was warm, but not humid. I was not sweating. Above you can see that the oiliness of the primer was enough to break down my waterproof mascara on my lower lashes.

Same on this eye, and you can see a bit of the oiliness and greasiness from the primer taking over my face.

This primer made my face a disaster. It broke down the foundation, and my waterproof mascara, and made my skin look like it had been sprayed with vegetable oil. 

I give the Rose Gold Brightening Primer Serum a 1/5 - just because the ingredients list looks great and it might work if I had dry skin.

I give the Ultra CC Cream Radiant Foundation a 3/5 - it blended out flawlessly and made my skin look bright and even, but it offered no real coverage for being a "foundation" and not just a cc cream and it disappeared off my face after a couple hours. I'll revisit this ranking if I find it works better without the primer. 

Interested in seeing shorter daily beauty reviews? 

Find me on Instagram - @samantha_blogs

Disclaimer: The Glitter Chic blog purchased the product(s) mentioned in this post for the purpose of review and evaluation. No monetary compensation was received for this post. The Glitter Chic blog will always provide honest opinions, beliefs or experiences on products reviewed. If you have any questions, please contact me at gothickornchic at gmail dot com. This blog contains affiliate links and I may receive a small commission if you make a purchase using one of those links. The Glitter Chic is not responsible for prize delivery. The disclosure is done in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 10 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

GlamGlow SuperCleanse Daily Clearing Cleanser #Review

If you've seen my posts about empties on Instagram, you know that facial cleansers hold a special place in my beauty collection, and I'm always looking for a new one to try. I am in love with GlamGlow's masks, so you can imagine how excited I was when I heard they were releasing two daily facial cleansers! Recently, GlamGlow released a SuperCleanse Daily Clearing Cleanser that rinses away pore-clogging dirt and impurities to reduce the appearance of skin imperfections and create a clear complexion and a ThirstyCleanse Daily Treatment Cleanser which creates a hydrated dewy appearance. Both cleansers are a mud-to-foam formula that removes dirt, oil and makeup without drying out your skin.

I'm trying out the SuperCleanse, since I have oily skin that is prone to breakouts. Here's a highlight of the ingredients:

-TEAOXI® Technology (Eucalyptus Leaf Powder): Delivers natural eucalyptol, natural linalool oil, and powerful flavonoids to soothe and treat skin.
-K17 and Mediterranean Clays: Detoxify, refine skin texture, and balance problem-prone skin.
-Bamboo Charcoal: Provides balanced replenishment to the skin with essential bamboo minerals.
-Black Cumin Seed Extract: Provides antimicrobial and antioxidant properties to help provide a more clear complexion. 

Water, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Kaolin, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Nigella Sativa Seed Extract, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Glycerin, Carbon (Bamboo Charcoal), Propanediol, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Powder, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil, Lactic Acid, Glycolic Acid, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Glyceryl Polyacrylate, Xanthan Gum, Fragrance, Linalool, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin.

I ran the ingredients list through CosDNA and was pleasantly surprised to only find one ingredient to be a mild potential trigger for causing acne or irritating sensitive skin. I'd say that's my que to finally get this mud on my face!

The cleanser comes in a handy pump-dispenser bottle - nice!

We're going to test out it's makeup removing abilities tonight!

The mud is very smooth, with the same smell and color as the SuperCleanse mask.

After applying to my face - doesn't it match my Hello Kitty headband nicely?

After massaging a bit of water into the mud on my face. There isn't much foaming going on, but it feels very nice on my face!

My face sure looks clean!  I love how nicely it rinses away.

When I massaged the mud away with water, I gently massaged the cleanser over my eyes to remove my eye makeup. This cleanser did an amazing job removing even my Benefit They're Real mascara - wow!

I broke out my Neutrogena toner to pull any remaining crud from my skin that the cleanser may have missed, and aside from a few stray specs of mascara, the SuperCleanse really did remove all my makeup!

I am completely impressed! While the GlamGlow SuperCleanse Daily Clearing Cleanser has a hefty price tag, I have to say that with results like these, I think the product is completely worth the price. You can find the SuperCleanse at Sephora for $39.


Disclaimer: The Glitter Chic blog purchased the product(s) mentioned in this post for the purpose of review and evaluation. No monetary compensation was received for this post. The Glitter Chic blog will always provide honest opinions, beliefs or experiences on products reviewed. If you have any questions, please contact me at gothickornchic at gmail dot com. This blog contains affiliate links. The Glitter Chic is not responsible for prize delivery. The disclosure is done in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 10 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Rimmel Matte BB Cream #Review

This isn't a new product by any means, but it's a product that I've neglected to review and thought I'd share it with you all! I have been a big fan of Rimmel London matte face products since I had the chance to try their Stay Matte foundation. Since reviewing that foundation my face has improved greatly, and I no longer need such full coverage.

I picked up the Rimmel London Matte BB Cream 9-in-1 Skin Perfecting Super Makeup in Light with SPF 15 at Target, for about $7. The 9 claims this bb cream has are:

1. Minimizes the appearance of pores. 
2. Evens skin tone.
3. Mattefies.
4. Controls shine all day.
5. Smoothes.
6. Soothes.
7. Conceals dark circles.
8. Helps prevent blemishes.
9. Gives all-day coverage.

It does look a tad dark for my skin this time of year, but it's perfect for me in the summertime.

This had much thinner consistency than the Rimmel Stay Matte Foundation, which is like a mousse in a tube. This product smells light sunscreen and rubbing alcohol, but the scent fades very quickly. It blends very nicely into the skin leaving no streaks or lines behind when using a flat kabuki brush.

It offers just enough coverage to hide my minor breakouts and uneven skintone. It lasts fairly well, especially when I prep my skin with my Hourglass Mineral Veil primer (in the left "before" photo). I do like this product, I just wish the sun protection was higher so I didn't need an additional sunscreen.


Disclaimer: The Glitter Chic blog purchased/received the product(s) mentioned in this post for the purpose of review and evaluation. No monetary compensation was received for this post. The Glitter Chic blog will always provide honest opinions, beliefs or experiences on products reviewed. If you have any questions, please contact me at gothickornchic at gmail dot com. This blog contains affiliate links. The Glitter Chic is not responsible for prize delivery. The disclosure is done in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 10 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Pond's Luminous Finish BB+ Cream in Light

Pond's Luminous Finish BB+ Cream can be found in stores like Target and Walgreens for around $10.

This bb cream comes in two shades, light and medium, and they are supposed to blend into your skin color from those two shades. I am wearing the light shade in this post. I have fair skin, but will also be trying the medium shade in a later post as well.

Disclaimer: The Glitter Chic blog received the product(s) mentioned in this post for the purpose of review and evaluation. No monetary compensation was received for this post. This blog contains affiliate links.