What’s in My Makeup Bag: April

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Not sure if it’s just me, but sometimes some of those most-loved products I once found amazing just kind of stop working for me after a while. Usually, when this happens I take a little break and when I go back, they once again, blow me away and I find myself thinking “why did I ever stop using this??”

This happens every single time.

This is exactly how I’ve been feeling lately about one of the very few powders I’ve been using for the last year or so. Never thought I’d like anything nearly as much as my beloved Diffused Light, but I guess you really should never say “never.” Finding a finishing powder that helps set makeup, keeps those slightly oily parts in check while also making sure that my very dry skin stays happy, is quite a mission. My favorite new makeup purchase this month definitely ticked all the boxes. Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Instant Retouch Setting Powder is pure perfection. There really isn’t anything I don’t love about it. The formula/texture is silky smooth, very fine and weightless; it has a natural, sheer matte finish and adds a bit of that “filtered” look to the skin.

Love using it all over the face as a finishing powder and for setting my concealer. It’s one of the very few powders that don’t settle into those tiny lines in the inner corners of my eyes. The shade “Butter” is a perfect match for my fair skin, and other than the amazing formula I also really like the packaging and (this is probably a first for me) the sweet vanilla scent. Most of the time I’m not too crazy about scented makeup products, but this one is very delicate and there’s something strangely calming and nostalgic about it. This powder does help my foundation stay in place all day without drying out my skin, but the “less is more” approach is definitely important to remember here.

Okay, moving on, although I seriously could write an entire post devoted just to that powder.

You might recall that I don’t love blush and other cheek products, but they’ve kinda been growing on me. The texture on my cheeks has improved a lot after laser treatments and at-home microneedling. Playing around with a little color and definition is SO much more fun when it doesn’t accentuate my textured acne scars. Nars Liquid Blush in Luster is one of my most-used liquid blushes. I love how easily it can be sheered out, and this makes adding a natural-looking blush/color very quick and simple. Meaning, I don’t have to use my blush brush to blend and even it out until my cheeks start to itch. This particular shade is also very subtle and perfect if you like your blush on a more peachy/golden side, rather than pink.

Lioele Beyond The Solution BB Cream– man, does this BB cream bring back memories. It’s kind of funny how even makeup products can take you back in time and remind you of some of those fun memories, eh? I used to be obsessed with Lioele’s Triple The Solution back in my (very short-lived) YouTube days. I used it as my base/foundation every day for a few years. Beyond The Solution has a very similar formula, although it doesn’t have SPF. It has amazing coverage, it feels very hydrating on the skin and is very quick and easy to work with- perfect base for when you’re in a hurry. The only downside is that it comes only in one shade, which is a bit too dark for me, but usually using a lighter setting powder does help make the shade look much more natural. It reminds me a bit of IT Cosmetics CC Cream, just a bit more lightweight and easier to blend.

Glossier Stretch Concealer + Skin Tint– I’ve been using both on pretty much daily basis for a while now. The Skin Tint doesn’t give me any coverage at all, but I actually really like using it under or mixed with other base products. It works really nicely with my dry skin. The Stretch Concealer is a different story. Love the generous coverage it provides, and how lightweight and hydrating it feels on the skin. You really need only a very small amount of product to get decent coverage, although I do wish it was a bit more long-lasting on my skin.

YSL Les Sahariennes Bronzing Stone in Sunstone is one of my favorite bronzing powders. It’s not too dark, orange or muddy, looks very natural on my fair skin and has a soft, matte finish. Perfect for adding a little shape, definition, and color, without looking over the top. You can see what it looks when applied on the skin in this post.

I wrote about my favorite spring lip colors a few weeks ago, but for some reason failed to mention one of my favorite bright pinks. Givenchy Rouge Interdit Satin Lipstick in Infarose has a silky smooth formula and it’s very bright and intensely pigmented. I don’t usually wear such bright pinks too often, but I can’t resist this one. Despite it being such an intense color, it doesn’t bleed or get all over the place. I actually don’t even use a lip liner with these lipsticks- they just have a really awesome formula and they have no trouble staying in place all day.

Becca Backlight Priming Filter– this is a bit of a strange and perhaps slightly disappointing product. When I apply this on my skin, it definitely makes it look much better. It smoothes, blurs and adds that really pretty glow. The problem that I have with this “primer” is that it doesn’t work very well with most foundations. I haven’t noticed any difference in the wear time, although it does help get a smoother base application. The beautiful glow that the Backlight Priming Filter adds also doesn’t really show through once I’m done applying my foundation, powder and everything else. I did try mixing it with some sheer-coverage foundations (like Guerlain’s Meteorites BabyGlow) and had more luck with that pretty glow showing through. I guess I just expected a bit more from this primer? Definitely looks beautiful on its own, though.

This pretty much sums up most of the makeup products I reached for in April. A lot of it is “repeat offender” kind of stuff, so it doesn’t make much sense to talk about them over and over again.  In case you couldn’t tell, the Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Instant Retouch Setting Powder was the big winner this month. :)