REVIEW: L'Oréal Infallible Pro-Matte Foundation

Ahhh, the new cult favorite of YouTube. I've been hesitant to try this out because I love the Urban Decay Naked Skin. I'm shade 1.0 in the Naked Skin, and 102 in the L'Oréal Infallible Pro-Matte Foundation. 

I picked up both the foundation and the L'Oréal Infallible Setting Spray because I ran out of my Urban Decay De-Slick and couldn't exactly justify spending $30 on one.

The foundation claims to be a 24-hour wear, demi-matte finish with an air light texture and oil control while providing medium coverage. As someone with oily skin who lives in the southwest where we hit temps over 100 F regularly with monsoons during the summer, I was a little apprehensive this would hold up, especially since it's a drugstore brand. 

I LOVE LOVE LOVE that this is in a squeeze tube. It's much more hygenic and easy to control how much I need. The back of the packaging is easy to read and provides all the information you need at a glance.

The consistency of this is like a happy medium between the Urban Decay Naked Skin and the Tarte Amazonian Clay Foundation. It's not quite as thick as the Tarte one, but not as runny as the Naked Skin is. It stays where I put it on the back of my hand, but is quite soft feeling.

I applied this yesterday morning around 8:30 am with a dampened Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge. It applied like a dream, and set quickly. I set it with a bit of the bareMinerals READY® Touch Up Veil and a couple spritzes of the  L'Oréal Infallible Setting Spray.

Here's what it looked like in natural light. It doesn't feel like I have anything on my skin and it covers all of my redness. I was able to build it up in a couple areas where I want more coverage without it looking cakey or like I was wearing a ton of foundation.

This was about 12:30 or so. The air conditioner at work was broken, so I did end up quite sweaty. It still looks pretty well, and I didn't feel like it was melting off or anything.

Here's what it looked like roughly 2 hours later, once I was able to get inside and cool off a bit. There's a little breakdown on my forehead and the tip of my nose, but this isn't anything I would touch up.

Here's the end of the day, around 9:30 or so. At this point, I've had the foundation on for 13 hours and it still looks really well. My forehead and nose are a little shiny, but otherwise everything has really held up well.

Here's what my makeup wipe looked like when I finally took my makeup off around midnight. I was impressed that there was still that much foundation on my face after wearing it for 16 hours without touching it up and sweating pretty well throughout the day.

Overall, I give the foundation a 10 out of 10. It holds up super well to high temperatures and humidity. My face still looked pretty decent at the end of the day, and I never felt excessively shiny or like my foundation was melting off. I wouldn't recommend this is if you have dry skin or large patches of dry skin because this would definitely cling to it.

What are your thoughts about this foundation if you've tried it? Are you going to?

twitter & instagram: themarzipan

ULTA Haul

Maybe it's just me, but I can never go into ULTA and get only what I need...

Today I went with a list (never happens). I only needed a new foundation brush, some dry shampoo, and a new moisturizer. I wanted to look at face primers as I've been having issues with the Smashbox Photo Finish Pore Minimizing Primer and my current foundation. I looked, and I bought, of course.

Here's my haul. I'll probably do a review of the brush and the primer at some point in the near future.

Batiste Dry Shampoo in Original Scent, $7.99 ULTA

I seriously go through a can of this stuff every 8 weeks or so. It's the only dry shampoo I've found that doesn't make my already grease-prone hair greasier on the second or third day. Life saver during finals week!

Urban Decay Pore Perfecting Complexion Primer Potion, $31 ULTA

I had a tube of this a couple years ago when it was still the white formula and didn't really like it all that much. I felt like it just sat on top of my skin instead of sinking into my pores. I'm hoping this will help with the oxidation issues I've been having with the Naked Skin Liquid Foundation, which I'm totally in love with.

Real Techniques Expert Face Brush, $8.99 ULTA

If you know me, or peek in my makeup bag, the majority of my brushes aside from 3 or 4 are Real Techniques Brushes. I bought my first sets back in 2012 when they first came out at ULTA, and I love them. They hold up super well and don't shed when I clean them. They still feel as soft as they do when I first bought them. I'm hoping this brush will apply the foundation better than my current makeup sponge does.

Garnier Moisture Rescue Refreshing Gel-Cream for Normal/Combo Skin, $7.99 ULTA

I ran out of my Clinique Dramatically Different Gel Moisturizer, and as much as I loved it when I first got it, I started to not like it as much. Plus, it's quite expensive for a moisturizer. I'm hoping this will have a similar effect with a less steep price tag, and that it'll help keep my oiliness to a minimum.

Recent ULTA Haul and March ipsy!

If you know me at all, it's no shock that I'm OBSESSED with all things makeup, and nearly died when my town got an ULTA in November.

I hit platinum with my last purchase, meaning I'll earn 1.25 points per dollar spent, 3x bonus points when offered, and other cool things. I'm now Platinum through the end of 2016.

Recently, I went to grab a few things because they were doing bonus points. I also starting receiving the ipsy bags last month, so I thought I'd do a blog post about both.

ULTA Haul 

Travel Size BB Tinted Treatment 12-Hour Primer SPF 30 in Medium, $10

I picked this up in the medium shade on accident, but it should work well for when I'm a little more tan during the summer and don't want to wear full coverage foundation. It blends seamlessly and leaves my skin feeling lightweight, but still covered.

eos Lip Balm in Coconut Milk, $3.49

I picked up my second (!! it's a miracle, really) one of these. I use it at night before I go to bed and in the mornings at the start of my beauty routine to leave my lips feeling soft and moisturized before I put lipstick on. It's a little too moisturizing to wear right before lipstick, but it's great on its own.

Precision Blending Sponge, $5.99

I originally wanted the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge because I LOVE everything they've put out, but unfortunately my ULTA was out of them. The manager suggested this, and after using it a couple days, let me tell you something. This is AMAZING. My foundation and concealer go on SO smooth and look flawless after. It makes my full coverage Tarte Amazonian Clay foundation feel a little more lightweight and natural.

Trina Sun Daze Medium Clutch, $24

I love this bag! It has a small mesh separator that divides it into parts which makes storing brushes and makeup easier. I can also fit both of my Naked Palettes (1&3), and my Tarte Park Ave Princess Contour Palette in it and it still zips easily with quite a bit of space left inside.

ipsy Floral Fantasy (March 2015)

Coolway Glow Oil Treatment

I haven't tried this yet, but I'm excited to see how it makes my hair look on days it looks flat and dull.

Crown Brush Infinity Shadow/Crease Duet Brush

This is probably what I'm most excited about in my bag this month. I LOVE a good pencil brush, which is what the crease brush is. The other side is large and domed a little bit, which is perfect for blending or sweeping shadow from lid to crease.

Mesmerizing Mineral Duo

Holy cow! These colors are both natural browns with a fair bit of shimmer in them. They remind a bit of the consistency of Urban Decay shadows when I swatched them. Perfect for an easy look as you're running out the door!

NYX Butter Lipstick in Hunk

I'm disappointed with how this swatches, honestly. I was hoping it'd be a deep purple, almost plum shade. Instead, it swatches more fuchsia and closer to the pink end of the spectrum. I'm sure I'll love it, but man, the color is misleading. 

skyn ICELAND Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels

Man, there's nothing more I love than a good face mask, a lush bath, and some TLC for my eyes. I'm really excited to try these out and see if they make any difference on my dark circles.

Let me know what you think! Is there anything you love or hate? Anything you think I should pick up on my next go round at ULTA?

don't you mind, don't you mind?

It's 2 am, I can't sleep, and I am so unbelievably sad.

I am so tired of being sad all the time. I want to see rainbows, not rain clouds.

Depression is like feeling trapped. Having no way out. It creeps up on you when you least expect it, and you damn sure don't deserve it.

Tonight, I am sad. Tomorrow, I hope to be less sad.

I am listening to "Me" by The 1975 on repeat. It's making me feel a little more okay.

oh, I've been thinking about killing myself;

don't you mind?

How Am I Gonna Be An Optimist About This?

Living with anxiety is hard, there’s no lie about it. However, we do have some control over the situation, even when we feel like the walls are crashing in on us and there’s not enough oxygen in the world.

It’s extremely challenging to deal with it in a family or public setting for several reasons. We’re always afraid we’ll get judged, that people will think we’re crazy, or whatever fears we may have about our anxiety. Regardless of the situation you’re in, remember that you will get through it. You’ve gotten through it before and you will get through it again.

Obviously, each situation is different, but here are some tips and tricks that I have had help me when I find myself in situations like this. These may not work for you, but hopefully you’ll be able to use a couple of them.

I firmly believe that the most important part of dealing with anxiety in any situation is communication. Before I go somewhere I’ve never been, or if I know it could be potentially triggering, I make sure to let at least one or two people I’m going with that this could be triggering. I ask them not to worry about it, and that I’ll let them know if I do need a break. Several of my best friends know about my anxiety and I don’t have to tell them before we go places that it could make me anxious, and they’re really good about looking out for me to make sure I’m okay. If you’re with your family, and there’s someone in your family that you feel comfortable sharing with, just let them know ahead of time. It’s better to be proactive than reactive.

I always have a pair of earbuds with me in my purse or backpack. If I’m in class or somewhere that requires me to pay attention, but I feel my anxiety rising, I usually slip an earbud in and listen to a couple of my favorite songs to help calm me down. I have a Spotify playlist that can be found here that has 30ish songs on it that I listen to when I’m anxious. A few of my favorites are Home by Phillip Phillips, Little Things by One Direction, Lego House by Ed Sheeran and I’ll Run by The Cab.

I always know where the nearest bathroom is in relation to my classrooms or meeting rooms or wherever I may be. Sometimes, I just have to take a minute, walk out of the room and take a few steadying breaths and I’m okay. I breathe in a circular pattern like this: inhale for 4, hold for 4, exhale for 4, hold for 4 and repeat until I feel better. If you are somewhere that you have the time, putting on a slow, relaxing song (like Home by Phillip Phillips) and breathing in the way I described for the length of the song.

I always make sure I sit on the edge, or as close to the edge as possible to ensure I can get out if I need to. It helps because I feel like I can breathe easier, and I don't feel trapped. If I sit in the middle of a bunch of people, I end up feeling antsy and like I'm suffocating.  I always feel better if I don't feel like I'm stuck in any one place. 

When in a situation with my family, I find that it's best to be honest with myself above anything else. If I feel anxious or panicky, I excuse myself for a couple minutes and get it back together. If anyone asks, I let them know that I'm okay, and that I just needed to catch my breath. I'm not lying, but I don't feel like putting it out on display for everyone to see. This approach works well for any situation where you may not be comfortable talking about what's going on in that moment.

I hope this has been helpful. If you have any questions, or want me to blog about something else, feel free to tweet me @themarzipan.

Reminiscin'

I'm sure the majority of you that follow me on twitter remember the massive trip I took a couple summers ago to see some of my favorite people. That trip was insane, but left me with some of the best memories that I hold close. I'm gonna recap some of them, and some of the lessons I learned while out there.

• It was absolutely incredible to be surrounded by some of my best friends while seeing the band that has brought us together. There were lots of tears shed, and hugs to be had.
• The show in Boston was by far probably the most ridiculous one by far. Sleep deprived and overheated, trying to drive out of that stadium was ridiculous. (Also, nice leopard print shoes, Alex, don't think I've forgotten.)
• Pittsburgh was brutal. It was the last show of the two week stretch I was doing and I knew I was going home the next day and I don't think I've ever sobbed that bad at one of The Cab's shows before.
• I'll Run hand claps. It's a thing, I'm sorry if you're not old enough to know what I'm talking about.
• Selling merch. God, that was an adventure in and of itself.
• Spending the nights with my best friends. Sorry for spilling ketchup all over your rug, Lauren.

I think the biggest thing I learned that summer was that it's okay to not be okay. It is completely and totally okay to not be put together all the time, and it's even more okay to need to take a vacation and let the people you love help put you back together. The important thing is that you help yourself. It's totally okay to go to your favorite band's concert completely torn to pieces, and just be in that moment. It's okay to let the music heal you. 

“Music is the language of the spirit. It opens the secret of life bringing peace, abolishing strife.” ― Khalil Gibran