Deals & Steals: Hard Candy - Glamoflauge Heavy Duty Concealer

Good Morning ladies! Sorry for the intermittent posts lately, I've been a busy girl! Today I'm reviewing a product that I am quite amazed with and wanted to share with everyone. A while back, I won a Twitter contest from Hard Candy and this was my prize!

This is Hard Candy's Glamoflauge Heavy Duty Concealer. I was super excited when I realized that this was my prize! I love a good concealer and we have yet to get these in Canada (at least in Calgary). I'm not sure if you can tell from the photo, but this is a HUGE tube of concealer and will probably last me forever! It is bigger than the Clinique All About Eyes concealers for comparison (which I already think are huge haha). 

I like to have a lot of difference consistency concealers for different problems - liquid for under eyes, cream for blemishes, cake for other blemishes haha and of course my Maybelline dream mousse for everything! I have a really hard time covering blemishes so I'm always looking for a new concealer to do the job, this one is incredibly impressive!

First off, they sent me the shade medium, which I was kind of skeptical about because I am pretty fair. The surprising thing about this concealer is that it is extremely neutral in its undertone! There is no pink, orange, red - it's a true beige. I was happy to see that because I don't have many distinct undertones to my skin so this ended up being extremely versatile for me! It also blends into skin really well and is almost undetectable. 

Honestly, this is probably the most pigmented concealer I have ever come across (I'm sure there are many more pigmented - I'm just going with the ones I have in my collection!) This concealer covers every single bit of redness you may have in your skin and completely neutralizes it out! When I first tried it, I couldn't believe what it was covering and how little you needed to get the job done! I also love that it comes with the tiny concealer pencil (which also gives amazing coverage with a different consistency) that is great for using on blemishes, broken capillaries and other tiny imperfections that you need to be precise with. 

My only issue with this (the cream part - tube) is that it can build up on the skin and be noticeable if you apply too much. This is easily corrected if you go over it with a damp sponge or just be very careful about how much you are applying - you only need the TINIEST bit! I know this is a very inexpensive concealer (not sure of the price because it isn't in Canada) and would definitely be worth a try if you are looking for a highly pigmented concealer at a great price! 

L'Oreal Touche Magique

Good Evening ladies! Hope you are all having a great day and are close to your Holiday Vacations! In keeping with my "flawless skin" quest, I have yet another concealer (highlighter - hybrid sort of deal)!

This is L'Oreal's True Match Touche Magique. It is a play off of the infamous YSL Touche Eclat in that it is an illuminating concealer that draws light to wherever you put it - as well as providing some coverage. 

I have never tired YSL Touche Eclat but I have read the reviews! I do like a good highlighting concealer though and have tried quite a few of the more inexpensive brands. The one I really loved was The Body Shop's Lightening Touch, which is super fluid and has a great sheen!

I'm a pretty big fan of L'Oreal's complexion products, so when I saw this on sale at Superstore, I had to pick one up! I got this for $9.99, and regularly at Superstore they were $11.99. As you can see from the photo, this pen is pretty small and doesn't contain much product. It has a brush applicator and a twist bottom to get the product to come out.

The brush is pretty stiff and doesn't work well for blending. I like to apply it under my eyes, on my nose to mouth fold and on the brow bone then blend with my fingers. The shade selection is fairly limited with only 6 (I think..) options that include ranges of their True Match foundations, like the light warm shades and the cool light shades etc. They do blend very well though so there is no worry about not finding a correct shade!

Pros

- Price - Not bad at $9.99 compared to other illuminating concealers

- Accessibility - You can find L'Oreal anywhere!

- Blends great

- Creates a subtle luminosity

- Good, light/medium coverage of dark circles

- Looks really natural, not cakey at all

Cons

- Small Tube, not much product

- THICK consistency, I was really surprised by this

- Limited shade selection

- Poor Brush applicator

Overall, for what this product is I much prefer The Body Shop's version. This is TOO thick for an under eye concealer because it makes it a chore to blend and you end up tugging on the eye area. That being said, this is in no way a bad product! I like to use it to cover redness on other areas of my face because it does give good coverage and a luminous finish that looks natural. If you want to try this product I would definitely not discourage it! But if you prefer something more liquid and illuminating (more like Smashbox's Photo-op) I highly recommend The Body Shop's Lightening Touch! Its only $14 and comes with much more product (I'm out of it right now or I would have done a review on that too!) 

Thanks for reading ladies! XOXO

Deals & Steals: E.l.f. Conceal + Beauty SOS Set Review

Conceal Set

Hey Girlies! As you may know from my recent posts, I have not always had the best of luck with the e.l.f. cosmetics line. I recently purchased their Holiday Natural Eyeshadow Palette (click for review!) and wasn't entirely thrilled! But, I decided to press on, determined to find something I like from the e.l.f. line! With that being said, I this was my next purchase, the Conceal +Beauty SOS kit.

1st Product - Tone Correcting Concealer

I picked up this kit at Zellers for $4.99, which is a pretty good price for 3 products! (Not as good as the US price, but still! haha) The first item this kit contains is the e.l.f. Tone Correcting Concealer. I hadn't tried any of e.l.f.'s concealers so I was really eager to test this out! 

Concealer Shade - Light Beige

Surprisingly, this kit only comes with one shade option. I've always been curious why companies do that, it doesn't seem like something that would increase sales! The shade it comes with is light beige, which is great for my light skin! I think it would be a good fit for anyone with light/light-medium skin tone as it is very forgiving and blendable!

Swatch

I find this concealer to have quite a yellow base, which is good for me because I have no pink undertones and hate when I get pink-based products! I'm quite impressed with how well this colour fits my skin tone, so that was a nice surprise!

Pros:

- Creamy, blendable

- Forgiving colour (will work on many skin tones light/light-medium)

- Not cakey

- Doe-foot applicator for precise application

- Dewy finish: good for undereyes

- Moisturizing

Cons:

- Sheer: not much coverage but good for under eyes

- Dewy Finish: not good for blemish coverage

- Contains ingredients known to potentially clog pores (mineral oil, microcrystalline wax)

- Again, so sheer, will not cover blemishes

Final Verdict

I'm confused about the marketing for the product. It is said to be a blemish covering concealer but no matter how much I built it up I couldn't get it to cover a blemish! That being said, I really like it as an under eye concealer or slight redness concealer! Its soft and blendable and gives a nice moisturizing finish to under the eyes! I wouldn't say "don't buy this" I would say, "don't buy this for covering blemishes" though! There are many other better concealers for blemish coverage (I'm sure some of e.l.f.'s other concealers work great for this!) But, I would recommend this as an inexpensive concealer option for light/sheer under eye coverage and moisturization!

Concealer Brush

The 2nd product in the kit is this cute little concealer brush! I was actually quite excited for this, I can never have too many concealer brushes! I also have had really great experiences with e.l.f.'s brush collections!

Synthetic hair

I think this is a great all around concealer brush to have! I really like the "smallness" of it for pinpoint application of concealer to blemishes! Its very easy to use, has great hairs and works well! I won't do a full list of pros & cons for this, its a good brush especially for a $1 USD! Another point, I'm not sure why they included this as the concealer has a doe-foot applicator but good for me because I like it and can use it with all my other concealers! :)

Zit Zapper

The 3rd product is the most exciting for me! I've been wanting to try e.l.f.'s Zit Zapper since I saw it on their website sooo long ago! I'm always on the look out for the "miracle cure" for my breakouts and am constantly trying new products! This is a really handy little stick you can take with you and apply throughout the day. I love that it is clear because that is rare for breakout busters!

Roller Ball top

It also has a super convenient roller-ball top! I love not having to touch the product, it makes it so easy to use! This contains some known breakout fighting ingredients and is great to use in the day time!

Pros:

- 1% Salicylic Acid - to fight breakouts and clogged pores

- Witch Hazel, Tea Tree oil - to further help with breakouts

- Clear: able to use during the day

- Non-Drying (Finally!)

- Price $1 USD!

Cons:

- Salicylic acid is a better preventer than treatment

- Roller-Ball (although I love it!) may not be very hygienic

- Contains Alcohol: not my favourite ingredient

Final Verdict

Honestly, this product isn't perfect. It does have a few cons but I really feel like in this case the pros outweigh the cons! Its a good option for people struggling with breakouts. I'm happy you can use it during the day with no signs that it is there! I will continue to use this, and I will recommend it for minor/rare breakouts. It probably won't help much with large breakouts or chronic breakouts! For the price, I would definitely recommend trying it out to see how well it works for you! It has worked for me (although I don't think the test was fair because it was "my time of the month" and nothing would help!) by decreasing the size of my breakouts. If you are curious at all, try this out! The price is definitely worth it! :)

I'm a "Concealaholic"!

I love how Benefit put it when they came out with the “Confessions of a Concealaholic” palette, because that’s exactly what I am, a “Concealaholic”! If there were only one makeup product I could have it would be concealer, hands down, no questions asked! On that note, I have quite a collection of them because I’m always looking for a new and better concealer. I have compiled a list of my favourites (for all different skin problems) and hope it helps you guys out with your quest for the perfect concealer!

Undereye Concealers

I have hereditary dark circles so I need to conceal under my eyes. They aren’t too bad but bad enough that if I’m not wearing concealer I look tired and run down. I’m always looking for a great non-cakey, brightening and covering concealer for under my eyes that looks natural. Here are a few of my all time favourites!

Maybelline Dream Mousse Concealer

Maybelline Dream Mousse

 I love this because its light and airy but has amazing coverage! I use it everywhere! I only got it a few weeks ago and its almost half gone :( Thats how much I love it!

Rimmel Recover Anti-Fatigue Concealer

Rimmel Anti-Fatigue Concealer

This is awesome because its amazingly well priced (Usually on sale at shoppers for $2.99) and covers great as well as having brightening properties! I used to use The Body Shop Illuminating pen but this gives the same results at a fraction of the price! Its super creamy/liquidy and blends great!

Benefit’s Erase Paste

Benefit's Erase Paste

This is for SERIOUS dark circle days! I don't use this as often as the other two but when you need some real coverage, this is great! It is thick and you only need the tiniest amount! You also have to blend this in really well but if you take the time and set it with powder it will give you a brightening, well covered look all day!

Blemish Concealers

I, like many others, struggle with breakouts so I need a great concealer to cover that up! I find that covering blemishes is a lot trickier than covering undereye circles or general redness. You need something thick enough to stay and cover but non-cakey so as not to draw extra attention to the blemish. It’s a delicate balance! I’ve tried so many I can’t remember them all, here are some of my favourites!

Maybelline Mousse Concealer (Again)

Another View of Maybelline's Dream Mousse

Again, Love it! I use it on blemishes for super light, non-cakey coverage with incredible pigmentation! It stays all day and looks invisible, I LOVE THIS!

Benefit’s Boi-ing

Benefit's Boi-ing

This is another great concealer! It is super a thick, cream consistency and covers anything you might need covered! I find it works and stays much better when set with powder but it doesn't crease or slip away! I have this in light and medium and mix them for my perfect shade! This is a great consistency for blemish coverage. 

Sally Hansen’s Concealer Wheel

Sally Hansen's Concealer Wheel

I like this for blemish coverage because of its thick, cream consistency as well as the array of colours and correctors. If you have major redness, you can use the green first to counteract, then they flesh shade to conceal. The yellow and lavender are also great for colour correction all over the face! This is my Dupe for Lise Watier's Concealer Wheel and is much more inexpensive!

Redness/Overall Concealers

For something like all over redness, you can’t use something thick, but it still has to provide great coverage! I get redness on my cheeks and on the sides of my mouth and eyes. I find liquids are best for covering large areas of redness so I tend to stick to those!

Clinique All About Eyes Concealer

Clinique All About Eyes Concealer

This is a great moisturizing concealer. It doesn't clog pores and has a great consistency that is perfect for blending over large areas. The best part about this concealer is the tiniest bit goes a really long way! I have two of these in different shades and mix them together to get a perfect shade! This has great pigmentation and coverage without a heavy feel!

Maybelline Mousse Concealer

AGAIN! I'm not going to put another photo, you guys get that I LOVE THIS!

Neutrogena Eye Perfector SPF 25

Healthy Skin Eye Perfector

I know this says "eye perfector" but I don't like it around my eyes. Its thicker than I like for that area (I use it occasionally for the sun protection is provides) but works really well as an all over concealer for large areas of redness! I set this with a great powder and I'm good to go! This also includes extra beneficial ingredients for skin just like the other products in the Healthy Skin line.

Overall Winners

As you can tell, I personally have a clear winner! I am in love with Maybelline’s Mousse Concealer! It works so well for me and covers everything I need covered without any cakey-ness! My second runner up is Clinique’s All About Eyes Concealer. It is super moisturizing (without being pore clogging) and provides a great amount of coverage for the light texture it has. Obviously, I also love Benefit's Confessions of a Concealaholic because it combines a ton of my favourites in one little package! (Benefit's Boi-ing (2 shades), Benefit's Erase Paste)These three are what I can’t live without and is what is always in my makeup bag! What are your favourite concealers? Let me know!