Perfect eyes duo highlighter pencil by KIKO

It is one of the hidden treasures with the drugstore price tag that is well comparable with higher end products from brands like Benefit or Too Faced. It goes well with every make-up and makes eyes stand out every time. Let’s have a quick look at this pencil.

Perfect eyes duo highlighter pencil by KIKO

Price: it costs 6,90€ on KIKO website or stores.

Colours: pencil contains 2 colours with different finishes: matt cream colour and pearl beige.

Application: you can apply both colours either at the eyebrow arch to highlight and lift the eyes, in the inner part of the eyes to brighten them up or over the whole eyelid as a base for colour eyeshadows. Both colours have creamy texture and are easy to blend.

Perfect eyes duo highlighter pencil by KIKO

Longevity: pencil alone doesn’t last very long, but with eye primer underneath and powder eyeshadows over, it lasts all day long.

Final verdict: I really like this double ended pencil. It is very practical to highlight eyebrow and eyes area. I use it almost every day. It is not expensive either so really nice product and I recommend it very much.

Luxurious golden bronze self-tan lotion original and Anti-aging self-tanning lotion for face by FakeBake

As New Year parties approach, one of the usual preparation steps is giving yourself healthy glow through some self-tanning (unless you are lucky person coming from the Thailand). I’ve already reviewed Luxurious golden bronze flawless Self-tan liquid by FakeBake and I really liked it so I bought some other products by this brand. Here are quick reviews in case you were thinking about buying them.

LUXURIOUS GOLDEN BRONZE SELF-TAN LOTION ORIGINAL BY FAKEBAKE

Price: 170ml costs 17,11€ at allbeauty.com.

Smell: it doesn’t have any smell during the application however it smells like typical self-tanning product when it’s developing the tan.

Colour: it is already nice neutral brown after first application, after 3 applications you will get a one week vacation colour if you are light skin tone like me (NW20 in MAC). I really liked the colour; it wasn’t orange or red, just a nice neutral darker brown.

Application: it was little bit tricky. I had to use not only self-tanning mitt but also rubber gloves (as suggested on the packaging). This self-tanner lotion had dark brown, almost black, colour indicator which stained my fingers through the mitt if I didn’t wear any gloves (it happened to me at first application). Also, it was strange to put black lotion on my body and I looked very dark. I applied it in the evenings before going to bed; I don’t think I would go out dark like that. Once it dried it didn’t stain my bed sheets or clothes. Following morning I took shower and the colour indicator washed out, only tan colour stayed.

Longevity and fading: it lasted very long time. The same colour (after 3 applications) stayed for a week and only then started to fade away. It wasn’t patchy at all so I didn’t have to scrub my skin for another 5 days if I didn’t want to.

Final verdict: it is very nice self-tanner; the only think I didn’t like was a dark, almost black, colour indicator. It just looked strange to me and I didn’t feel comfortable with. Apart from that, it is really good self-tanner.

Luxurious golden bronze self-tan lotion original by FakeBake

ANTI-AGING SELF-TANNING LOTION FOR FACE BY FAKEBAKE

Price: 60ml costs 18,34€ at allbeauty.com.

Smell: it reminds me of Palmer’s cocoa butter Natural bronze self-tanner scent, little bit of cocoa and citrus. It doesn’t have strong smell when it develops.

Colour: after first few applications I haven’t seen much of the difference. Only after using it for about 4-5 days I could see slight difference in skin tone. The self-tanner gave my skin light tan but I don’t think you could build it up to something darker.

Application: according to the packaging you can use it instead of make-up or as evening application. It has a warm brown colour indicator that gives glow and suntanned look to the skin. It is easy to apply, use a pea size amount and spread it on the face, avoiding eyes area.

Longevity and fading: After these 5 applications when I finally had some colour, I left my face alone for 3 days and the tan started to fade away, new application was needed again.

Final verdict: I’m not sure if I have energy to put this self-tanner on my face almost every night to get some colour. I like better face self-tanners that are more effective where you can see colour after first or second application and which lasts longer than 3 days. I’m not going to purchase it again and I’m still hesitant if I should even keep the one I tested or just give up and throw it away.

Anti-aging self-tanning lotion for face by FakeBake

Dry shampoos: Fresh by Schwarzkopf, Volume refresh by John Frieda and Extra gentle dry shampoo with oat milk by Klorane

I recently used up another 3 dry shampoos that I haven’t reviewed yet so here are few thoughts about them.

DRY SHAMPOO FRESH BY SCHWARZKOPF

Price: it costs around 4€ for 150ml in DI drugstore in Belgium.

Scent: is has strong citrus scent that lingers on hair all day long.

Colour and performance: bottle contains white powder that sprays heavily even when you try to spray lightly. Spray it from the distance otherwise you will end up with white hair which will turn into grey one once you try to brush it out. While it soaks oil really well, it still stays on hair and if you are not blonde it will bother you for sure. It is similar to Dry shampoo Cotton fresh by Schwarzkopf but I feel like this is stronger in every aspect: colour, scent and performance as well.

Dry shampoo Fresh by Schwarzkopf

VOLUME REFRESH DRY SHAMPOO BY JOHN FRIEDA

Price: 8,99€ for 150ml in DI drugstore in Belgium.

Scent: it has very modern scent, fresh and neutral (no citrus or floral); it reminds me of unisex perfume scents. At the beginning I really liked the scent but got fed up with it by the end of bottle.

Colour and performance: it is rather clear than white powder, I think it is due to its purpose: it acts not only as a dry shampoo but is supposed to add some volume. Therefore you can spray it from closer distance (according to the direction on the bottle, spray it from 10-15 cm). It soaks oil very well and adds some volume, more than for example Got2Be Volumania Refreshing styling powder by Schwarzkopf.

Dry shampoo Volume Refresh by John Freida

EXTRA GENTLE DRY SHAMPOO WITH OAT MILK BY KLORANE

Price: around 10€ for 150ml, you can buy it in pharmacies (on the picture travel size bottle of 50ml).

Scent: it doesn’t have any specific scent.

Colour and performance: it reminds me a lot of Batiste original shampoo: the powder is not very white however if you spray if from very close distance it will be visible otherwise no problem with it, it soaks hair oil well and hair look clean and nice.

Extra gentle dry shampoo with oat milk by Klorane

Final verdict: I didn’t like at all dry shampoo Fresh by Schwarzkopf since its scent and colour lingered on my hair all day long. On the other hand Klorane and John Frieda dry shampoos were nice and I would repurchase them however Batiste is still the cheapest option so I will stick with it.

Last minute Christmas presents!

If you are one of those who buy Christmas presents at last minute, here are some make-up present ideas that are not only good quality but also budget friendly. They are all by Maybelline (purely by accident, I’m not sponsored by the brand) that I bought in Bratislava (Slovakia) or Parndorf (Austria).

3 PIECES GIFT SET 

Price: 13,29€ in DM drugstore in Slovakia. This price is amazing! All these three products would cost me around 30€ in Brussels.

What you get:

• Master precise liquid eyeliner that I already reviewed and quite liked.
• The Colossal Go Extreme! Volume express mascara, Maybelline, as a brand, started with mascaras and they are one of the best in the drugstore so I’m sure I’ll like it.
• Forever strong Super Stay 7 days nail polish, this is one of the few nail polishes that stay on my nails longer than 3 days so I’m big fan of them.

3 pieces gift set by Maybelline

2 PIECES GIFT SET “GLAM” 

Price: 7,69€ in L’Oreal outlet in Parndorf, Austria. This set would cost me at least 20€ in Brussels. Maybelline and L’Oreal are (it looks like) by the same company so they share the outlet store. If you are fan of L’Oreal mascara it is a place to be, they cost around 9-12€ (in Brussels up to 20€).

What you get:

• Rocket Volume express mascara, one of my favourites, holds the lash curl like no other.
• Color tattoo cream eyeshadow in colour Gold, these eyeshadows are best cream eyeshadows in drugstore, they last all day on the eyes even without the primer (however if you have oily lids, use a primer).

2 pieces gift set "Glam"by Maybelline

GOLD ECSTASY MAKE-UP PALETTE

Price: 9,99€ in L’Oreal outlet in Parndorf, Austria (I couldn’t believe my eyes, what a price!).

What you get:

• 4 well pigmented eyeshadows (2 with matt finish – dark brown and cream eyeshadow, 2 have shimmer finish – bronze and gold eyeshadow), blendable, you can create few different looks with them. 
• Bronzer with neutral undertone and in satin finish, if you have light skin tone you can use it for contour, if you have medium skin tone it would work better for bronzing purposes. 
• Highlighter with golden undertone, it is very subtle so you can use it not only on the cheek bones but also where you usually suntan to add some glow to the skin. Best for light to medium skin tone. 
• Dark brown pencil, well pigmented, creamy pencil that is easy to smudge to create Smokey look (I wouldn’t use it alone as eyeliner, set it with dark brown eyeshadow for long wearing effect). 
• Lip gloss in red colour if you are going for a retro glam look. 
• Few applicators (eyeshadow applicator, blush brush and sponge) which I won’t use but I think they are good quality. 
• Big mirror.

Gold Ecstasy make-up palette by Maybelline

Gold Ecstasy make-up palette by Maybelline

Gold Ecstasy make-up palette by Maybelline

Eyeshadows from Gold Ecstasy make-up palette by Maybelline

Bronzer, highlighter, pencil and lip gloss from Gold Ecstasy make-up palette by Maybelline

All you need is foundation, concealer, powder, mascara and you are good to go. I think this palette is super travel friendly as it is not huge yet the size of eyeshadows and other powder products is satisfactory. They also had similar kit for Smokey grey eyes (more cool tone colours) in case you’d be interested in something similar but in different colour.

I wish you Merry Christmas, or happy holidays if you are not celebrating Christmas, enjoy them well! 

Rimmel London eye make-up products

It happens often that drugstore brands offer some great and some not so great products in every make-up category. But to find out that most of eye products don’t work for me at all was quite surprising, especially when it’s well-known and well-loved drugstore brand such as Rimmel London. Personally, I love Rimmel face and lip products but when it comes to products for eyes it is a different story.

SCANDALEYES WATERPROOF GEL EYELINER

Price: 5,99€ (in Slovakia).

Colour: it looks like very black eyeliner but it doesn’t have strong colour intensity. You can see it on first eye look picture in my PUPA Vamp! Eyeshadow post. I took the picture in the morning, right after I did my make-up. As you can see, it is not as pigmented as some other drugstore eyeliners (Maybelline and Essence gel eyeliner are way darker).

Texture and application: is has creamy consistency that is quite dry. It means that when you are trying to draw a line in one single swipe it won’t happen. The colour stops after some millimetres and you have to dip a brush in the gel again and repeat it few times before drawing a full line. Of course it doesn’t look good.

Longevity: it lasts all day but due to its colour intensity it looks like faded straight from the morning.

My verdict: it was so dry and not so pigmented that I decided not to use it after few tests. It is either really that bad or I bought really old product. The brush is nothing I would use; it’s all going to the trash.

Scandaleyes waterproof gel eyeliner by Rimmel London

Scandaleyes waterproof gel eyeliner by Rimmel London

Brush from Scandaleyes waterproof gel eyeliner kit by Rimmel London

SCANDALEYES THICK & THIN EYELINER

Price: 5,99€ (in Slovakia).

Applicator: it has cut felt tip applicator which is supposed to give you the option of thick and thin line. However it was difficult to draw the line since I had to pay attention to how I held the pen, I had to make sure that I didn’t turn the pen different way by accident. If that happened (and that was often) it would not only change the thickness of the line but it would also scratch my eye and hurt like crazy. I tried to use it several times but it hurt so much every time that I was about to give up…

Longevity: well, it held well all day so that was ok. On the other hand I used it only 4 times when the pen completely dried out.

My verdict: again either it is very bad product (am I that clumsy and hurting myself with it?) or the pen was very bad (drying after few uses?).

Scandaleyes thick & thin eyeliner by Rimmel

Scandaleyes thick & think eyeliner by Rimmel

GLAM’EYES QUAD EYESHADOW

Price: 6,49€ (in Slovakia).

Pigmentation: can you see any on the picture? Because I had to really make effort to get some pigment on my fingers to be able to swatch it. In the pan the eyeshadows look great but they don’t have any pigmentation. Nothing shows on the eyelids unless you pile it on like crazy.

Texture: the eyeshadows don’t feel dry or powdery.

Longevity: well, I could not test it as I could not get it on my eyes.

My verdict: uff, getting more and more pissed off just by writing about it. Obviously as you can see on the picture, the product is just very, very, bad.

Glam'eyes quad eyeshadow

Glam'eyes quad eyeshadow

HONOURABLE MENTION:

Scandaleyes waterproof kohl kajal in colour 005 Nude (3,59€): it is supposed to be used mainly in the lower water line to brighten up the eyes. However the colour is darker than my skin tone (NW20 in MAC)!!! Let me know if you tried these kohl kajal pencils since I’m not buying Rimmel eyes products ever again.

Scandaleyes waterproof kohl kajal pencil by Rimmel

Scandaleyes waterproof kohl kajal peincil in colour 005 Nude by Rimmel

Scandaleyes shadow stick (4,99€): they are great under the powder eyeshadows to add some intensity to them (maybe Rimmel created these to use them together with Glam’eyes quad eyeshadows?) and they work well this way. If you want to wear them alone, use a very good primer underneath otherwise they crease.

Scandaleyes shadow stick by Rimmel

Scandaleyes shadow stick in colour Bulletproof Beige by Rimmel

FINAL VERDICT:

As I mentioned in the introduction I love Rimmel face and lips products but these products for eyes were just horrendous. I haven’t tried Rimmel mascaras so far but I’m hesitant to do so after this experience. I think I’ll never buy any Rimmel eye product again.

Foundation festival part 6: my favorite drugstore foundations

Finally we are at the last episode of foundation festival and of course we finish with my favorite foundations. I already talked about few of them throughout the week so you can read more about them in those posts. Just to mention them: Lumi Magique by L’Oreal, Matt control 18h by Dermacol, Pure light and Matte fluid foundation by Yves Rocher. There are two more drugstore foundations (or with the drugstore price) that I really like and we are going to talk about them today.

(Just a little bit of information about my skin: I have mostly dry skin with occasionally oily T-zone. Some acne here and there, acne scars, large pores and few wrinkles. Colour shade NW20 in MAC foundations.
What I expect from a foundation: medium coverage, good longevity (more than 7 hours), smoothing my skin texture (hiding pores and acne scars) as well as not accentuating dry patches.)

Lumi Magique foudantion by L'Oreal, Matt control 18h foundation by Dermacol, Invisiwear foundation by EX1 and Matte fluid foundation by Yves Rocher

LASTING FINISH FOUNDATION BY RIMMEL

The brand has changed the packaging recently and I’m not sure if the formula is still the same so I won’t write full review about it. The foundation in old packaging was really nice: good coverage, longevity and not very visible on the skin. I may buy the new one just to test it if it performs the same as the foundation I had before.

INVISIWEAR LIQUID FOUNDATION BY EX1

Price: 30ml costs 13,54€ on lookfantastic, but the site offers very often some % off so I bought it for 10€ (and free shipping).

Scent: it has a make-up scent.

Shades: unfortunately only 5 shades are available. I have shade F100 and F200. Both shades are darker than my skin tone, the F100 has apricot undertone and F200 neutral undertone. I can use it only when I’m selftanned which is such a pity. I sometimes mix it with other foundations just because I like its properties.

Texture and finish: it has creamy consistency; it applies easily with fingers, brush or sponge. It gives semi matt finish and it’s not very visible on the skin. It doesn’t stick to dry patches so it is suitable for dry skin as well as normal or slightly oily skin.

Coverage: it has medium coverage; it evens out the skin tone and covers lot of imperfections.

Longevity: it lasts for 8-10 hours, oily skins girls may need to powder after 5 hours especially on the T-zone.

Invisiwear foundation by EX1

Invisiwear foundation in colour F100 and F200 by EX1

SO WHAT AM I KEEPING AND WHAT AM I GIVING AWAY?

Keeping:

Drugstore:
Invisiwear Liquid foundation by EX1
Lumi Magique by L’Oreal
Matt control 18h by Dermacol (the bottle is empty currently but I will definitely repurchase it)
Caviar long stay by Dermacol
Matte fluid by Yves Rocher
Outlast Stay fabulous in color 820 by Cover Girl (it expires in February 2015 so I will try to use it up)

High end:
Double wear by Estee Lauder (as mentioned before great for evening events)
Miracle Air de Teint by Lancome (not my favorite but it cost a lot so I’ll try to use it unless somebody wants to buy it from me)
Youth Liberator by Yves Saint Laurent (I don’t like this foundation but it cost a lot so I’ll try to use it unless somebody wants to buy it from me)
Restructuring foundation by Peggy Sage (review coming in January)
Waterproof liquid foundation by Makeup Atelier Paris (review coming in February)
HD Airbrush foundation by Makeup Atelier Paris (review coming in February)

Getting rid of:

To my family members:
Outlast Stay fabulous foundation in color 855 by Cover Girl (too dark for me, somebody else will enjoy it more)
Comfort Cream foundation by Yves Rocher
Flawless finish fluid foundation by Yves Rocher
HD Studio Photogenic foundation by NYX
Affinitone foundation by Maybelline
Fit me foundation by Maybelline
Photo Finish 18h liquid foundation by Catrice
Skin evolution foundation by KIKO
Nude Magique foudantion by L’Oreal

Going to the trash:
Colorstay original by Revlon (old bottle)
True Match by L’Oreal (old bottle, almost empty)
Graftobian HI-DEF Glamour cream foundation warm palette n.1 (very old, very nice foundations, great for make-up artists)

Related articles:
Foundation festival part 1: Yves Rocher foundations
Foundation festival part 2: Dermacol foundations
Foundation festival part 3: L’Oreal foundations
Foundation festival part 4: some average drugstore foundations
Foundation festival part 5: some better drugstore foundations (but not my favorites)

Foundation festival part 5: some good drugstore foundations (but not my favorites)

There are few foundations in my collection that I was hesitant to let go but at the same time I realized that I don't grab for them very often because they are just not my favorite. I still think they are nice foundations and it would be a pity not to mention them as they are worth the try.

(Just a little bit of information about my skin: I have mostly dry skin with occasionally oily T-zone. Some acne here and there, acne scars, large pores and few wrinkles. Colour shade NW20 in MAC foundations.
What I expect from a foundation: medium coverage, good longevity (more than 7 hours), smoothing my skin texture (hiding pores and acne scars) as well as not accentuating dry patches.)


REVLON COLORSTAY ORIGINAL AND REVLON COLOR STAY WHIPPED FOUNDATIONS

Price: 30 ml for 13-17€.

Scent: they have a make-up scent.

Shades:
Original: 20 shades in US, about 10 in Europe in each formulation (Normal to oily, Normal to dry skin), my shade is 150 Buff Chamois (in Normal to Dry skin formulation) which is very pale and quite pink so not my favourite colour.
Whipped: 12 shades in US, about 6 in Europe. I don’t remember which one I had but it was similar colour selection as with Original, I could not get the right shade.

Texture and finish:
Original: liquid texture, shake it before the use. Best applied with fingers or brush. Sets on the face quickly so work on one part of the face at a time. It gives matt finish to the skin, looks quite natural if you don't apply too much. Doesn't covers large pores or scars as it is very liquid formula.
Whipped: cream texture, best applied with fingers or sponge. Doesn't dry as quickly as original but I still recommend working on one part of the face at a time. It gives matt finish and can be very visible on the skin if you don't blend it well.

Coverage: both have medium to full coverage, they cover pretty much all imperfections.

Longevity: 
Original: I have formulation Normal to dry skin and it lasts on me only 5 hours then it breaks everywhere. Maybe the Normal to oily skin formula lasts longer.
Whipped: it lasts on me for about 8 hours.

Colorstay foundation by Revlon

Colorstay foundation in colour 150 Buff Chamois by Revlon

KIKO SKIN EVOLUTION FOUNDATION

Price: 30 ml for 12,90€ on KIKO website or stores.

Scent: it has make-up scent with hint of floral aroma.

Shades: 18 shades available (in Belgium at least), the undertone of colours is apricot, so warm undertone but not really the tone I like (I’m more a yellow undertone fan). I have a make-up in shade 107 Creamy Ivory which is light enough for me but with the undertone different from mine so not really my favourite.

Texture and finish: it has thick cream consistency; it is best applied with fingers or sponge. It gives semi matt finish, it smoothes the skin very nicely. However it is visible on the skin the same way as for example Double Wear foundation by Estee Lauder.

Coverage: medium to full coverage, it covers pretty much all imperfections.

Longevity: it lasts for about 8 hours, after that is breaks on T-zone and soaks into the pores. However, it looks still nice from the distance for another few hours. It is definitely a foundation for evening event.

Skin Evolution foundation by KIKO

Skin Evolution foundation in colour 107 Creamy Ivory by KIKO

COVER GIRL OUTLAST STAY FABULOUS 3 IN 1 FOUNDATION (in Europe: FACE FINITY ALL DAY FLAWLESS 3 IN 1 FOUNDATION BY MAX FACTOR)

Cover Girl and Max Factor are the same company and they release usually in Europe (under Max Factor) what sells well in US (under Cover Girl). For example, I’ve been using 2000 calories mascara by Max factor which is exactly the same as my favorite Lash exact by Cover Girl. So if you were lusting after something from Cover Girl, go and check Max Factor if it’s been released in Europe as well (under different name).

Price: 30 ml under 8$ in US, 16€ in Europe (what a difference!).

Scent: almost no scent, maybe hint of floral aroma.

Shades: 14 shades in US, 6 shades in Europe (why such a poor selection?). I bought originally Cover Girl foundations through Amazon and as I wasn’t sure about the shades I bought one in shade 820 which is ok (just the undertone is different) and 855 which is very dark (to be used when I’m super selftanned). 

Texture and finish: it has creamy consistency; it is easy to apply (fingers, brush or sponge). It gives matt finish however it doesn’t stick much to the dry patches. It smoothes out the skin texture and the face looks flawless. On the other hand it is visible on the skin so it is best used for evening events. From all the foundations in this post, this one reminds me the most of Double Wear foundation by Estee Lauder.

Coverage: medium to full coverage, it covers pretty much everything.

Longevity: it lasts very long time, it stays matt for 7 hours and well together for 10 hours.

Outlast Stay Fabulous foundation by Cover Girl

Outlast Stay Fabulous foundation in colour 820 (left) and 855 (right) by Cover Girl

Final verdict: all of these foundations are not bad at all and they are definitely worth trying. Apart from Original Colorstay by Revlon other foundations remind me of Double Wear by Estee Lauder, especially Cover Girl foundation, due to their high coverage and great longevity (and visibility on the skin). Since I own the Double Wear and I wear it only occasionally I don’t think I need all these foundations so I will give them to some friends or relatives (except Outlast by Cover Girl in shade 820, it expires in February 2015 so I will use it till then).

Related articles:
Foundation festival part 1: Yves Rocher foundations
Foundation festival part 2: Dermacol foundations
Foundation festival part 3: L’Oreal foundations
Foundation festival part 4: some average drugstore foundations
Foundation festival part 6: my favorite drugstore foundations 

Foundation festival part 4: some average drugstore foundations

I own few drugstore foundations that I feel like that they perform the same, the average, so I regrouped them in this post and reviewed them really quickly. I’m not going to keep any of these.

(Just a little bit of information about my skin: I have mostly dry skin with occasionally oily T-zone. Some acne here and there, acne scars, large pores and few wrinkles. Colour shade NW20 in MAC foundations.
What I expect from a foundation: medium coverage, good longevity (more than 7 hours), smoothing my skin texture (hiding pores and acne scars) as well as not accentuating dry patches.)

Photo Finish foundation by Catrice, HD Studio phtogenic foundation by NYX, Fit me foudation and Affinitone foundation by Maybelline 

PHOTO FINISH 18H LIQUID FOUNDATION BY CATRICE

Price: 30ml costs under 7€, you can buy it in DM drugstore (Germany, Slovankia) or in Kruidvat in Belgium.

Scent: it has nice light floral scent.

Shades: only 3 shades are available, I have the darkest one called 030 Caramel Beige as the two lighter shades were totally pink and pale.

Texture and finish: it has thick cream texture; it is best applied with fingers or sponge. It is very visible on the skin, more you wear it more it becomes visible. At the beginning it smoothes out the skin and it looks flawless but when it starts to break on the nose and sink into the large pores you have to take it off.

Coverage: medium, evens out the skin tone and covers quite a lot of imperfections.

Longevity: it lasts about 6 hours and then breaks on the nose and sinks into the pores. From the distance it looks ok for another few hours but when you look closer it is a total mess on the face.

Photo Finish 18h liquid foudation by Catrice

Photo Finish 18h foundation in colour 030 Caramel Beige by Catrice

HD STUDIO PHOTOGENIC FOUNDATION BY NYX 

Price: 30ml costs 17,99€ in Douglas (Germany) or 18$ on NYX website.

Scent: it has make-up scent.

Shades: 8 shades to choose from, mine is in shade 02 Soft Beige, which is slightly darker than what I usually wear in winter but it is doable (with little bit more highlighter and good blending).

Texture and finish: it has creamy consistency, it is easy to apply, use your fingers, brush or sponge. It gives luminous finish; you can get semi matt look if you powder. It doesn’t set well on the skin; if you don’t powder it, it will remain sticky all day. It is visible on the skin and transfers easily when you touch your face.

Coverage: almost medium, evens out the skin tone and covers smaller imperfections.

Longevity: it lasts about 8 hours if you have dry skin (but powder it), if you are oily girl you won’t get more than 6 hours out of it and you’ll still look like a shiny star.

Concealer alert: on the other hand, the HD concealer by NYX is my Holy Grail concealer from the drugstore that I always repurchase. It covers well and lasts very long time. It is comparable to verz famous Double Wear concealer by Estee Lauder.

HD Studio Photogenic foundation by NYX

HD Studio Photogenic foundation in colour 02 Soft Beige by NYX

FIT ME FOUNDATION BY MAYBELLINE 

Price: depends where you buy it, it can go from 7€ to 12€.

Scent: it doesn’t have any scent.

Shades: 18 shades in US, 12 in Belgium, 10 in Slovakia. My make-up is in colour 120 which is my summer shade.

Texture and finish: it has creamy consistency, easy to apply (fingers, brush or sponge). It gives semi matt finish (although older version that I bought in US gave me luminous skin).

Coverage: medium, evens out the skin tone and covers some imperfections.

Longevity: it lasts only 5h, afterwards it breaks on the nose and everywhere on the T-zone. I don’t recommend it for girls with oily skin; it is more suitable for normal to dry skin.

Concealer alert: on the other hand, Fit me concealer is great, it lasts well, and it doesn’t dry under eyes area and has good coverage. It is one of the best concealers in the drugstore. The only negative is the colour choice, at least in Europe, even the lightest colour is darker than what I use under the eyes (it actually almost matches my skin tone so it doesn't brighten my face).

Fit me foundation by Maybelline

Fit me foundation in colour 120 by Maybelline

AFFINITONE FOUNDATION BY MAYBELLINE 

Price: under 6€, only available in Slovakia.

Scent: it has make-up scent.

Shades: 6 shades, mine is in colour 14 Creamy Beige which is darker than my skin tone, so I can use it only when I selftan. Lighter shade was just too pale for my skin. If I’d like the foundation I would purchase it and mix it with the shade I have.

Texture and finish: is has very liquid consistency, it is best applied with fingers. It gives matt finish and looks like you powdered your skin. However you should powder it otherwise you’ll get greasy quite soon. It doesn’t smooth the skin texture as it is very liquid foundation. Moreover it sticks to dry patches and accentuate everything that has 3D dimensions (acne for example). If you don’t exfoliate, it will look just bad. It is most suitable for normal skin without imperfections that just needs to even out the skin tone.

Coverage: medium, evens out the tone and covers colour imperfections.

Longevity: it lasts approximately 5 hours and then it gets greasy on the T-zone and starts to fade away everywhere else.

Affinitone foundation by Maybelline

Affinitone foundation in colour 14 Creamy Beige by Maybelline

Final verdict: As you can see, these foundations are nothing special, they don’t last long time and that is the main reason I’m getting rid of them. Plus, after 5-6 hours they don’t look very nice on the skin so there is no reason why I should keep them. On the other hand as you could read above the concealers which come with those foundations (HD concealer by NYX and Fit me concealer by Maybelline) are great drugstore options (another one would be Instant Age rewind also by Maybelline).

Related articles: 
Foundation festival part 1: Yves Rocher foundations
Foundation festival part 2: Dermacol foundations
Foundation festival part 3: L’Oreal foundations
Foundation festival part 5: some better drugstore foundations (but not my favorites)
Foundation festival part 6: my favorite drugstore foundations 

Foundation festival part 3: L’Oreal foundations

L’Oreal is one of the most expensive drugstore brands so of course I always expect the best of it. I tried 3 foundations so far and I must say I wasn’t very impressed with 2 of them.

(Just a little bit of information about my skin: I have mostly dry skin with occasionally oily T-zone. Some acne here and there, acne scars, large pores and few wrinkles. Colour shade NW20 in MAC foundations.
What I expect from a foundation: medium coverage, good longevity (more than 7 hours), smoothing my skin texture (hiding pores and acne scars) as well as not accentuating dry patches.)

L'Oreal foundations: True Match, Nude Magique and Lumi Magique

TRUE MATCH FOUNDATION 

Price: depends where you buy it, it can go from 10€ to 16€ for 30 ml.

Scent: it has make-up scent.

Shades: the colour choice in US is amazing, it is offered in 29 shades!!! In Europe however it is very poor selection, here in Belgium around 8 shades, in Slovakia around 13. Mine is in colour W2 Golden Vanilla which is a good match for me in winter. I bought it in UK since this shade is not available in continental Europe. What a shame. I used the foundation mainly for mixing it with other foundations with good formula but wrong shade.

Texture and finish: it has liquid texture, it is best applied with fingers or brush. It gives semi matt finish, skin looks quite natural. It is suitable for normal to slightly dry skin as it doesn’t cling to the dry patches very much.

Coverage: almost medium, evens out the skin tone and covers some small imperfections.

Longevity: it is not very long-lasting on my skin, only about 5 hours and then it starts to break, especially on my T-zone.

True Match foundation by L'Oreal

Tru Match foundation in colour W2 Golden Vanilla

LUMI MAGIQUE FOUNDATION

Price: from 10€ to 16€ for 30 ml.

Scent: it doesn’t have any scent.

Shades: 12 shades in US, in Europe around 8 shades. Mine is in colour W3 Gold Linen which is darker than my skin tone and I wished I could find W2 (if it exists). I use this foundation mainly in the summer when I’m selftanned.

Texture and finish: it has cream texture, easy to apply, with fingers, brush or sponge. It gives luminous finish (but not crazy luminous) and smoothes out the skin texture. Skin looks healthy and beautiful. It is suitable for normal to dry skin.

Coverage: medium, evens out the skin tone and covers some imperfections.

Longevity: it lasts very long for me, about 10 hours. It is not very common to find a luminous foundation with a long lasting property.

Lumi Magique by L'Oreal

Lumi Magique in colour W3 Gold Linen

NUDE MAGIQUE FOUNDATION (IN US: MAGIC NUDE LIQUID POWDER BARE SKIN PERFECTING MAKEUP)

I won’t write too much about it as it is similar to Lancome Miracle Air de teint that I reviewed some time ago.

Price: from 10€ to 16€ for 30 ml.

Scent: it has light make-up scent with hint of alcohol.

Shades: 18 shades in US, in Europe around 8 shades. Mine is in colour 110 Warm Ivory which is slightly darker than my skin tone but it is usable with little bit more of highlighting and less bronzing.

Texture and finish: it has liquid texture, you have to shake it before use it. It is best applied with fingers. The finish is matt yet looking quite natural. The skin looks like you've powdered it. I don’t recommend it to dry skin girls, it is more suitable for normal skin.

Coverage: medium, evens out the skin tone and covers some imperfections.

Longevity: it lasts only for 5 hours so I use it mainly when I know I won’t stay out for long time.

Nude Magique by L'Oreal

Nude Magique in colour 110 Warm Ivory

Final verdict: True match doesn’t have enough of coverage or longevity and Nude Magique doesn’t stay for long time as well. Those two won’t stay in my collection. On the other hand Lumi Magique is another Holy Grail foundation; it is such a pity that I cannot find my winter shade. It looks so nice on the skin even when it’s dry and stays on for long time so it’s perfect for long working days. I love it!

Related articles:
Foundation festival part 1: Yves Rocher foundations
Foundation festival part 2: Dermacol foundations
Foundation festival part 4: some average drugstore foundations
Foundation festival part 5: some better drugstore foundations (but not my favorites)
Foundation festival part 6: my favorite drugstore foundations