Stila's Illuminating Liquid Foundation - Did it light up my life?

 

Hey gang! 

Little bit of a late post this evening and it's a review of Stila's Illuminating Liquid foundation. I'm all about a little illumination lately - glow enhancing primers, dewy foundations, light reflecting concealers, blush, bronzer, powder you name it! So clearly, this foundation was to be a perfect fit in my ever growing wardrobe of dullness obliterating products, right?

Wrong. I have to honestly say I was deeply saddened by almost everything about this product (sigh..) and with such a high price tag, I have to share what I've learned.

Firstly, this foundation's shade range comes in wittily appointed amounts of wattage. Being pretty fair, I was the lightest shade - 10 watts. This is a great colour for me, neutral undertones, no orange overcast and no noticeable pink or yellow. I was initially happy with testing it out, the shades are great, the problem was I didn't test it on my face - but more on that later. 

Secondly, the pump is extremely cheap feeling and looking. Why top off a lovely glass bottle with a cheap "plastic-but-painted-a-metallic-silver-to-look-like-metal-and-it's-already-peeling-off-in-certian-places" pump? For $50.00 CAD I expect a LITTLE more...

Anyway, moving on to what really matters, the formulation. I would have completely overlooked the tacky pump if the formula had been amazing or even relatively good for that matter.

The formulation starts out looking promising although it is much thicker than what I've come to know and expect from foundations labelled "liquid". I would class this as more of a cream foundation, especially since it's oil based. You'll see what I mean in the next photo.

Also, when I select a foundation with "sheer to medium" coverage, I don't expect it to be so incredibly pigmented and hard to blend. This is the swatch just spread over my hand. As you can see you can't see any of my skin through it (although it isn't thoroughly blended.) I was surprised at this as I was looking for something sheer, and usually products labelled "illuminating" are just that. Again, this Illuminating foundation is making up rules of its own.

This is the foundation after I blended the begeezus out of it with my fingers. It doesn't melt, sink into or blend with skin at all. The pigment in it is just so heavy it doesn't let it do any of those things. There also isn't much illumination in this product. It just feels thick and heavy on the skin even after I blended it off with a damp sponge to try to sheer it out. Not only that but I actually had someone comment about my "cakey" foundation that day. It had settled into every line and pore on my face (and I'm 23 I didn't think I even had lines!) and made me look old, dull and greasy.

I'm sad to say this product did nothing good for me. I probably won't be trying any more of Stila's foundations either at risk of the same thing happening. For the price I expected more, frankly I would have expected more out of a foundation that cost 1/5th of this. 

Summary

Stila's Illuminating Liquid Foundation

10 Watts

$50.00 CAD

Available at Sephora and Shoppers Drug Mart

Have you tried this foundation? Did you have a similar experience or did you love yours? Let me know in the comments section below!

 

Stila Travel Palette - Fabulous in Fiji

I love these little palettes! If you haven't seen them, they are little "books" from Stila that include 4 shadows and a convertible colour. This is the last (or so I thought..) in the series of 5, called Fabulous in Fiji. (Turns out there is a new one (the sixth) called Adventurous in Aspen..which I now NEED! lol)

As always, this comes with four shadows, a convertible colour and a mirror. I was so excited to finish my collection with this one (although it is now NOT finished lol) and was so happy when I finally found it at Murale in Canada! These all retail for $10 USD and $13 CAD, amazing deal! Of the five I own, this is my VERY LEAST favourite... I actually don't think I will ever use anything from this palette but I needed my collection to be complete! 

Here are the swatches of the shadows and convertible colour. This palette is supposed to be beachy and tropical (like Fiji!) so there are brights and a bronzing colour. The shadows are (from left), Palm, R&R, Wave and Escape  and the convertible colour is called Plumeria. As you can see the colours are very pigmented and very soft feeling, great quality! They also aren't super sparkly, just a pretty shimmer! The convertible colour is kind of orange for a bronzer but blends out nicely (I might use it in the summer). The bright blue in this palette is almost exactly the same as the bright blue in the Trendsetting in Tokyo palette. I'm really not into blue eyeshadow, or green for that matter, so this was more of a "collection" purchase than a "wearing" purchase haha. 

Do you all have any of the Stila Palettes? My favourite is Pretty in Paris (plums and neutrals) - whats yours?

Thanks for reading! XOXO

Tutorial: Stila's Pretty in Paris Palette

Pretty in Paris

So here is number two in the Stila Travel Palettes, Pretty in Paris. I LOVE this palette, to me it is the prettiest one (yet)! This palette contains, like the others, four shadows and one convertible colour! The colours in this palette are very warm and earthy and I think they are fantastic for fall!

Paris - An inside view

Heres a view of the inside of this palette. As you can see they are all very warm and rosy colours that are perfect for fall! The colours in this palette consist of Jolie (top left), Crepe, Chocolat (bottom left) and Cherie (all french! :)) The convertible colour in this collection is a limited edition shade called Rosebud and is my favourite of all the palettes! It gives an amazing rosy, just outside glow that is what I picture when I think of fall!

Pretty in paris eye Look

In this post I opted for a muted, soft, girly look! I started with NYX Eye Primer in Nude all over. Then took the softest shade in the palette Crepe (Soft Pink Shimmer - Top left in Photo) and applied it all over my lid to the brow bone and on the inner tear duct. Next, I took a medium fluffy brush and packed on the medium shade, Cherie (brown/cherry shimmer - Top Right in Photo) up to my crease. Next, I took my contour brush and used Jolie (Burgundy/brown with Pink undertones - Bottom Right in Photo) and packed it gently into the crease to create a contour. To finish off, I took Chocolat (Chocolate Brown - Bottom Left in Photo) and used it as a liner both under and over my eyes. I didn't wet the brush like I did in the Road to Radiance tutorial because I wanted a soft definition.  

Another view

I love this look because its so wearable for everyday! Just add a little mascara and you are good to go! This look is so great for fall with all the warm tones and burgundy shades! This is my go to right now, I feel like I'm in Paris when I use it!

I hope you enjoy this look, I really do and wear it often! :)

PS I should have filled in my eyebrows...haha

Tutorial: Stila's Road to Radiance Palette

Road To Radiance

I am absolutely in love with the Stila Travel palettes! What an amazing deal for only $13 CAD you get four shadows and an (amazing) convertible colour! This is the first in the series and is called Road to Radiance Across the USA. I will be honest this wasn't my favourite palette when I first got it, but the more I used it, the more I loved how it looked!

Inside View

The colours in this palette are very girly and all in the pink/purple family. Starting at the top left is Southern Belle, Snow Bunny, City Chick (bottom left) and Valley Girl. The convertible colour is in a limited edition shade called Hibiscus.

Road to Radiance Eye Look

Here is the look I created with this palette.  I started by priming my eyelids with NYX eye primer in Nude. Then continued by sweeping the Valley Girl shade (bottom right - muted pink) all over my eyelid, not past the crease. I packed on this colour by gently tapping the brush against my lid instead of sweeping to get a little more pigmentation. Next, I took the Southern Belle shade (Top left - Vivid Pink) and worked it into my crease, again, tapping to add extra pigment. After working the crease shade in I took the darkest colour, City Chick (bottom left - metal grey/purple) and lined my upper and lower lash line. I also dampened my eyeliner brush to increase the intensity of the colour. Lastly, I took the brightest shade, Snow Bunny (top right - white shimmer) and highlighted my brow bone and the tear duct. This is only one way you can use these colours to make a look! 

Another View

I love the vivid pop of pink in the crease! It makes this look so fun! I also used Revlon Grow Luscious Mascara on my top and bottom lashes to accentuate them!

I hope you all enjoyed this look! I have all the other travel palettes as well so there will be more to come! :)