Primer Wars: Laura Mercier vs. Julep

I've fallen in love with primers. They act like a base, helping your makeup last longer, and usually also help to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and to minimize pores. I've recently been testing two-- one that makes my skin dewy, and the other mattifying in an effort to determine which one I like better, and frankly, I'm torn.

This weekend I tested them both out, leaving the rest of my makeup unchanged, so you can see the difference.

On the left, is Julep's Blank Canvas Mattifying Face Primer. Sulphate and paraben-free, this primer goes on matte, as advertised. It left my face feeling very silky- my makeup went on smooth, and stayed on all night. (I also slept in it-- bad beauty habits (ack!!!)-- and it was still there in the morning.)

On the right, is Laura Mercier's Foundation Primer. I can't tell if this is sulphate-free, but the ingredients list proplyparaben and methylparaben, so its safe to say, it definitely includes parabens. While this one is also very silky, it definitely goes on looking a little dewy. In fact, it almost looks like its not completely absorbed, even though it is. As you can see, it leaves your skin with a glow-- my coworkers even commented on how my skin looked luminous.

Neither Julep nor Laura Mercier test their products on animals, nor do they contract third-parties to test on animals.

Overall, this is a tough call, simply because I like both the matte and dewy looks, depending on the day. I guess it depends not only on which look you prefer, and how much you care about parabens in your skin products. I'm not sure how I feel about parabens-- on one hand, I'm not sure if it is harmful, and on the other, I question if its worth the risk, especially if its easy to find products that exclude them. In the mean time, I will continue to use both, and try and look for a paraben-free dewy alternative!

Do you use primers, and if so, which ones are your favorites?

Transformed by CHANEL

A few weeks ago, Suzanne invited me to join her (and Allison, Michelle, Molly and Jess) at a pampering session at Saks. Our evening began with a perfume sampling courtesy Bond No. 9. To be honest, I have mixed feelings about Bond No. 9- there are some scents that make me gag, but there are others that I'm completely obsessed with, particularly Chinatown, High Line, and Madison Square Park, but at $170+ for a small bottle, I'm going to have to be 100% sure that I absolutely LUUURVVEE the scent before I buy it.

After the sampling, we were invited to the Chanel counter to test out the Sublimage skin care system.

The skin care products are extremely luxurious, and while they did give us samples to take home, I haven't tested them out yet.  While there, they let us know of a makeup event with CHANEL National Makeup Artist Sterling Williams.

As someone who ABSOLUTELY ADORES makeovers, naturally, I signed up.

Saturday rolled around, and I walked into my CHANEL appointment looking like this (As you can tell, I have absolutely NO makeup up on).....

And walked out looking like this......

I cannot even tell you how much I LUUUUURRRVVVEEEEEEEE this look. I almost always do a smoky eye, so the bold lip was a big change for me. I felt so completely glamorous!!!

If you're curious, the products used on me were:
Vitalumiere Aqua Compact #50 --- I instantly fell in love with this product and bought it
Soleil Tan De Chanel Bronzing Powder in Desert Spice
Poudre Signee de Chanel Illuminating Powder
Joues Contraste Blush in Rose Bronze
Les 4 Ombres Quadra Eyeshadow in Spices
Stylo Yeux Eyeliner in Noir Intense
Le Volume de Chanel Mascara
and last, but certainly not least, the bold lip was achieved with Rouge Double Intesite in Ruby Lite-- obviously, as key to this look, I bought this one too.

With the man himself: Sterling Williams

I had such a FABULOUS time at my makeover which I carried into Girls Night with the Jenn's- AJP and JV!!

If you have the time, I highly recommend you take advantage of a makeover opportunity and try out a new look. Who knows, it may unlock an entirely new side of you!!! 

Product Testing: Mascara's Brush-to-Brush

So I stopped into Sephora today to pick up a few things, and while I was there, I decided to try out two different mascaras that both claim to mimic false eyelashes.

The contestants:

Benefit They're real: $22 at Sephora

Too Faced Better Than False Lashes: $35 at Sephora

How to:  The Benefit mascara is just like a regular mascara, except with a special formula and special brush. But as such, you just put it on like you put on any other mascara, wiggling your wand as you make your way up your lashes.  The Too Faced mascara is the three step process: apply mascara, then apply the white nylon fibers, then apply mascara again.

The claim: both claim to make your lashes look as thick and long as falsies

The verdict: 

The eye on the left has the Benefit product, and the eye on the right has the Too Faced product. Please ignore the dark circles under my eye- I'm not wearing concealer

So, I will preface my verdict by saying that I was using the Sephora mascara wands, so any impact from wand design was negated. As you can see, both eyes look pretty comparable- a nice improvement in length and thickness overall, but nowhere near sticking on falsies. In the end, I ended up buying the Benefit They're Real because I liked the feel of it way better. The Too Faced felt very tacky, and even now, I feel like my top and bottom lashes are going to stick together on that eye.

So there you have it: Great products if you're looking for thicker, longer lashes, but they won't replace your falsies!

Have you tried either of these mascaras? What did you think? Do you have another brand that's your favorite? 

Product Testing: Foundation Primers

So, a few months ago, I was shopping at Sephora, looking for some concealer, when I decided to do one of their mini-makeovers. The makeup artist started off by using a foundation primer- a product I was completely unfamiliar with. Turns out, if you're looking for your makeup to look flawless, and stay all day, then foundation primers are key! Essentially like a paint primer, the foundation primer smooths out your skin and creates a base for your makeup. Sounds pretty good, no? The makeover looked really nice, and I decided to pick up the Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer. Then a little while ago, I received the Benefit Porefessional in my Birchbox, and so I decided it might be interesting to compare the two.

Smell: Neither one really has a smell to it

Texture: The Smashbox primer is a clear liquid. It feels a little tacky on your fingers, but goes on your face very easily. I was told to wait a minute or two after I put it on my face before I put on my foundation, so I do that with both primers. The Benefit primer is lightly tinted, although I'm not sure the tint really does much, at least not for my skin tone. It feels powdery, and almost feels like you've brushed mineral powder or pressed powder on your face.

Results: Honestly, I can't tell the difference between the two.

Price: The Smashbox product comes in a to-go version (0.5 oz) that ranges from $16-$17 and a full size version (1 oz) that's between $36-$42. The Benefit product is $29 for 0.75oz. There really isn't much different in the price per oz. Please note that all these prices are from Sephora. 

Animal Testing Policy: Smashbox explicitly states on their packaging that they do not test on animals. On their website, they go on to further state that they do not ask other to test on their behalf, except where required by law. Benefit does not state that on their packaging, but provides more information on their animal testing on their website. And no, they don't test on animals either although they cannot make the same claim for the raw materials used in the products.

My preference: At the end of the day, I personally prefer the Smashbox primer for two reasons: (1) It comes in a small enough package that I can slip into my purse-makeup bag, and (2) I prefer the texture over the somewhat powdery feeling Benefit product. Either way you choose, you won't go wrong!

I will however, leave you with one warning about ALL primers: you HAVE to wash your face and remove your makeup before you go to bed if you're using a primer. By its nature, its supposed to block your pores, so lack of makeup removal will result in zits!!!

Do you use makeup primers? What's your favorite brand?