Beauty Squared Round-Up for January 11, 2015

Hey there lovelies,

Second Sunday of the New Year and how are we all fairing so far? Did you make resolutions? If so, how are they going?

Here's the Beauty Squared Round-Up for Sunday, January 11. There's a lot to share with you so, let's goooooooo!

• Rae of The Beauty Notice shares her favourites from 2014. If you've got dry and dehydrated skin, you'll find some product recommendations in there.
  
• It's the new year, so why not try something new with your makeup look? Fashion Magazine's Beauty Panel share their change-up tips here.
  
• Here's another argument for trying something new makeup-wise and tips from Alle of XOVain.
  
• And if you typically wear quite a bit of makeup, for the new year why not try a fresh-faced look like Nic of Pixiwoo which she demonstrates here?
  
• If you're experiencing cold, dry weather where you are right now, you're likely noticing changes to your skin and hair. Here are some helpful links.
• Paste Magazine's round-up of natural beauty products for winter.
• Your grandma probably used to use them (maybe still does!), and here's why you should take a look at cold creams if you're skin is dry and dehydrated.
• You might need to rethink your makeup to suit the weather too. Here are some tips on winterizing your look.
  
• Some more natural beauty treatments:
• Cate Blanchett's DIY body scrub.
• 11 Weird Beauty and Health Treatments You Need to Know
  
• MUA and beauty blogger Lelo shares part one of her journey to clear up her acne.
  
• Gray eyeliner: why you should wear it.
  
• Tips for becoming blonde and maintaining it.
  
• How to keep your undereye concealer from creasing.
  
• A look at a new mascara coming from L'Oreal - Miss Manga Punky Mascara. It allows you to sculpt your lashes into shapes!
  
• Fashion designer Victoria Beckham has collaborated with Nails Inc. on two nail polish shades to coincide with her Spring/Summer 2015 collection.
  
• Red lipstick - Growing Up Meant Learning How To Wear Red Lipstick.

Beauty Squared Round-Up for January 4, 2015

Hello and a Happy New Year to you! How has 2015 been treating you so far?

Here's this week's round-up of beauty-ful links. 

• Let's start with some look backs at 2014 with Temptalia's favourite products of 2014 and her least favourite products of 2014.
  
• Tracey of Beauty Reflections names her favourite products of 2014.
  
• Beauty trends from 2014 that Glamour magazine are looking forward to moving on from.
  
• Beautezine's favourite product launches from 2014.
    
• Some beauty resolutions for the new year that should be easy to keep.
  
• Thinking of cutting your hair shorter in the new year? Check out the #cleartheshoulders Instagram hashtag for inspiration.
  
• No-shampoo regimes. Here's what you need to know.
  
• The latest trend in skincare is facial oils. What are they and why should you be using them?
  
• You've heard of the Clarisonic, right? No? Read on.
  
• Are you a redhead? Here's how to wear bright lipstick.
  
• Think gel eyeliner is just about the cat eye flick? Think again.
  
• Looking for a new foundation? Here are some that won't dent your bank account.
  
• Got pimples? Here are some masks and treatments that can help.
  
• The power of perfume.
  
• We've all had favourite beauty products get discontinued. We're not alone. Some women go pretty far in trying to get their favourites even after they've been discontinued.
  

Hourglass Cosmetics Immaculate Liquid Powder Foundation Review

I had been hearing a lot about Hourglass' Immaculate Liquid Powder Foundation. There's a video on the Sephora Hourglass page that really sells it (under related videos). I was intrigued after watching it but also very aware of the price tag - $64 CDN for a bottle. So I went to Sephora and tested it and then got a sample to take home. I was half hoping that I loved it because it sounds miraculous and half hoping that I'd hate it because of the cost. 

The description:

Taken from the Hourglass website. 

Consider Immaculate the miracle foundation for oily skin. This breakthrough liquid to powder formula absorbs oil, camouflages imperfections, and delivers a long-lasting velvet matte finish - without the need for touch-ups. In a consumer study, Immaculate's advanced formula was shown to target oily, acne-prone skin. 

• Breakthrough liquid-to-powder formula delivers an unparalleled matte finish with real longevity that lasts all day, eliminating the need for powder, blotting tissues or constant touch-ups.
• Cashmere Kaolinite Clay, an advanced new clay, offers exceptional oil absorption - absorbing 75% of its weight in sebum while retaining moisture in the skin. 
• The oil-free and water-resistant foundation goes on smoothly and dries down instantly to a soft, velvet finish that never looks dull or flat.
• Unlike matte foundations of old, Immaculate's superfine treated pigments provide unsurpassed coverage without looking cakey or mask-like, or feeling dry on the skin.
• Ideal for oily or blemish-prone complexions or those seeking a medium-to-full coverage foundation with a velvet matte finish.
• Research results: Based on a 4-week consumer study on 30 women with oily, acne-prone skin:
• 100% reported an improvement in overall skin appearance and skin smoothness
• 100% reported that the product worked without drying skin out
• 83% reported a decrease in oil production and the need for touch-ups
• 80% reported a visible improvement in acne scars
• 70% reported a visible improvement in pore size
• 63% reported a reduction in a severity of breakouts
• Also infused with clinical levels of two active treatment ingredients - Phytostem Edelweiss and Lavandox - that have short- and long-term anti-aging benefits.
• Free of oil, parabens, phthalates, gluten, fragrance, synthetic dyes, nanoparticles and vegan-friendly.

Impressive stuff, right? Considering the reputation of Hourglass products, it's not terribly surprising. And I recommend trying this foundation if it sounds like it'll suit you. For me though, I had some issues with it.

The skin:

My skin is combination - oily in the T-zone area (forehead, nose and chin) as well as on the cheeks closest to my nose. I have pronounced pores here and here is where I tend to break out. My cheeks, temples and jawline are normal in comparison. Pores here aren't visible and I don't tend to get shiny here. I do get breakouts along my jawline, as many people do. 

The review:

I got a sample of Immaculate in Vanilla - and it's worth noting that Immaculate comes in a decent range of shades - Porcelain being the lightest and Chestnut being the darkest. There aren't a lot of dark shades, which is sadly common among makeup lines. Undertone-wise, a decent range. 

I tried Immaculate on three separate occasions. The first time I applied it on clean skin that I'd treated with a primer (Benefit's The Porefessional). No moisturizer as is my practice most days.  I used my fingers to apply it to my skin and a foundation brush to buff it out. It goes on fairly sheer at first, and dries to powder very quickly but you can layer it for areas that require more coverage. I applied it all over my face. It gave me an even, matte complexion which I always find a bit off-putting since I'm quite fair. I look ghostly with a full face of foundation and nothing else on. It looked dry on my skin but still sheer, somehow. So the pink of my skin showed through, even with layers of Immaculate on top.

I applied the rest of my makeup - concealer, setting powder, eyeshadow, brows, mascara, blush - and I since I was still feeling like it was too ghostly pale and flat, I used my Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Diffused Light (my review is here) to soften it and give my skin a hint of a glow.

When examining my face a bit closer, I noticed that Immaculate didn't do a great job on reducing the appearance of my large pores and to make things worse (and weirder), it had settled into pores I didn't know were visible on my lower cheek, close to my ear. As in, made them terribly visible. And any dry patches of skin were highlighted. I also felt like it made my skin look a little too dry and matte overall. 

In terms of the wear, it did do so very well. I got a full day wear out of it and I didn't need to blot as much as I normally do. When touching my face, some product came off on my fingers towards the end of the day than when freshly applied. It held up pretty well though and didn't feel quite as pale and matte over the course of the day. It also looked fairly natural in natural light. 

But I hated that it made visible pores that I didn't realize were visible. Not cool. But I thought maybe my skin wasn't moisturized well enough so I tried wearing it again after a good exfoliating and moisturizing. It was a little better, but still enhanced the drier patches of skin, and highlighted those pores on my cheek as before! And still the dry

Sigh. 

But I thought that perhaps it might be my skintone - not oily, problematic enough? I tried wearing it again, but mixing a tiny amount of BB cream (Vichy ProEven - review here) since mixing a drier, thicker product with one with more viscosity can help keep it settling into fine lines and pores. The BB cream may help with the drier patches of skin as well. The application was better in terms of the dry areas and the pores, though the problems still existed, and the BB cream didn't seem to change much about the Immaculate foundation apart from making it slightly less matte.

Still, three tries and still more frustrating than successful for me. 

In summary:

• Immaculate is matte. Too matte for me.
• The patchiness - perhaps my skin is dehydrated with the change in season (or in general) but I was disappointed with the emphasis of these dry areas.
• The visible pores! Immaculate claims to reduce the appearance of large pores and I only wore it for three non-consecutive days, but to enhance what it's supposed to reduce? Disappointing.

If you have oily skin or acne-prone skin you might want to check it out, but if you've got combination skin you might want to steer clear, regardless of whether you've got acne, blemishes, oiliness, etc because you might run into the same problems. If you want to try it, go get a sample at Sephora, don't pay $64 for a bottle. If you have dry skin, stay away!

I tried to take photos, but I struggled to capture the issues I mentioned on film. I can say, in a positive for Immaculate, that it photographs pretty well. I'm wearing it in the photo below, mixed with the BB cream and topped with the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder. To be fair, it looks very nice on in this photo but not so up-close or in natural light.

Here's a close-up shot of the area where pores that aren't normally visible are visible with Immaculate. Right near my hair, under my cheekbone you can see it. This is worse to the naked eye, my camera's flash evens things out considerably in photos. 

Grade: C

Vichy Normaderm Total Mat Oil and Shine Control Fresh Hydrating Gel

Vichy's new Normaderm Total Mat Oil and Shine Control Fresh Hydrating Gel is a hydrating mattifier for skin that's naturally oily. It works to control oil as well as sweat for clean-feeling, matte skin that lasts all day. Vichy sent B2 this product for review.

According to Vichy this gel can withstand the effects of heat, humidity, stress, and intense physical effort. It also contains glycerine to hydrate the skin for up to 24 hours and provides a matte, smooth, clean skin all day long. This product is suitable for sensitive skin and contains salicylic acid, a keratolytic, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory active ingredient. It gently exfoliates for a more even skin tone.

A particular claim to note is that according to Vichy this product is anti-perspiration. It contains perlite, a volcanic molecule which can absorb more than three times its weight in water and encourages the evaporation of perspiration. 

Vichy Normaderm Total Mat Oil and Shine Control Fresh Hydrating Gel 

30 mL $27.95 CDN

Total Mat

Jill: I have a very oily t-zone and normal to dry cheeks, and have been using various mattifying products for over a decade now. My favourite is Clinique Pore Minimizer T-Zone Shine Control (discontinued a few years ago), and I will be using this product as a guideline for comparison. My daily routine is to use a mattifier after after my daily moisturizer (Lancome Beinfait Multi-Vital SPF 30) and before applying any makeup. I find that my skin will stay matte for a maximum of 3 hours in the summer (slightly longer in the winter, about 4 hours) before I have to use blotting sheets or powder to reduce shine.


I used Vichy's Normaderm Total Mat in two ways: first, I tested it as a moisturizer alone, and second I used it as I would a normal mattifier, after my usual moisturizer. Total Mat has a very light gel texture and a pleasant scent. On the skin it feels moist and fresh.


I found as a stand alone moisturizer, it performed well on my t-zone, but did not give me sufficient moisture on my cheeks. I did find it kept my t-zone matte for about 3-4 hours, but I did find my skin getting oily (as usual) after that.


As a mattifier over moisturizer I found it slightly less effective, only offering about 2-2.5 hours of shine control. I do wait about 5 minutes to let my moisturizer sink in, then I blot my skin with a tissue before applying any mattifying product. I found Total Mat did not work as effectively at controlling oil and shine as my standby Clinique T-Zone Shine Control. However, I did find that over my usual moisturizer my skin felt more hydrated throughout the day. 


I found the performance of this product satisfactory but not excellent. As someone with a very oily t-zone I need a product with stronger oil control properties. I am also a strong believer in sun protection, and as such I would not normally use a product like this on it's own without using a product with SPF. 


Grade: B

Catherine: 


My skin is naturally oily in the t-zone and in the summer, I'm constantly shiny. I've learned to embrace "the glow" because there's no way possible I can fight it. I use primers to help keep my makeup from melting but I've never tried using a mattifier. I used the Total Mat Oil and Shine Control Fresh Hydrating Gel as a mattifier but since it claims to be hydrating, I applied it without moisturizer to test it. It didn't provide me with much moisture at all on either my t-zone or my cheeks. I figure the hydrating part of it is because many mattifiers can dry out the skin in a bad way, sucking up the sebum but also the natural moisture.


Total Mat felt fresh and smooth on my skin. Like Jill, I give my moisturizer time to absorb before I apply anything on top. I use Garnier BB cream as my moisturizer and because it has pigmentation to it, it's interesting to see how products I put on top, like primers and mattifiers, affect the texture and look. 


The Total Mat worked well on top of the BB, and instantly made my skin look less shiny. Not matte, entirely, but it certainly took away the shine from the BB. I used it on my t-zone and areas with large pores only and found that it kept my skin from melting my make-up quite well, depending on the day. On cooler, drier days, I saw very little shine and melting. On warmer days, I needed to blot less and saw much less shine.


Total Mat claims to be non-irritating for sensitive skin, and although I can't speak to that claim, I do question the strong fragrance. Sensitive skin often doesn't react well to strong fragrance so it's a fail on that count. 


But Total Mat Oil and Shine Control worked pretty well. I wouldn't say it kept my skin matte all day, but it did keep the oil and shine at bay for a few hours longer than without it. Perhaps on summer skin that's more natural than oily, it might have a better effect.


Grade: B

Vichy NormaDerm Tri-Active Masque Review and Photos

In March, Vichy Laboratories launched two new products in their Normaderm collection. The Normaderm collection is meant for acne-prone skin. Beauty Squared was sent the new Tri-Activ Masque and Total Mat Oil and Shine Control for review. Since neither Jill or I are prone to regularly occurring acne, we thought it best to wait until summer when our skin was oilier and more prone to breakouts. 

The Tri-Activ Masque is a mask for imperfection-prone and sensitive skin. The "tri-activ" refers to three actions:

1. Purifies - eliminates sebum and impurities
2. Exfoliates - to unclog pores
3. Mattifies - clarifies complexion for a purer and mattified skin

It contains a combination of clay, salicylic acid and glycolic acid and can be used as a face mask or as a cleanser. According to Vichy this product immediately purifies skin eliminating excess sebum, leaving skin mattified for 3 days. In addition this product is suitable for sensitive skin, contains soothing agents to leave the skin without discomfort and dehydration, and is paraben, soap and alcohol free.

The Tri-Activ Masque comes in a 125 mL tube and costs approximately $19.95 CDN. 

A close-up of the instructions on the back of the tube.

Tri-Activ Masque 

Jill: I have combination skin, with a oily t-zone and normal cheeks. I live in a very dry climate and the warm weather of summer makes my t-zone even oilier. I do suffer from acne when I'm stressed or sleep deprived, but my breakouts generally consist of one or two cystic acne pimples in my t-zone (I do not suffer from large scale breakouts).


This product reminds me of a more sophisticated version of Noxzema, it has a similar scent and creamy texture which I find pleasant. I found it refreshing as a cleanser, and it left my skin feeling clean and oil free. For my t-zone, this cleanser was great, but I did find it a touch drying on my cheeks. I would definitely use this cleanser in the summer, but it would be too drying for my cheeks in the winter and fall months. And while I did find the product to reduce my excess sebum, I did not find it left my t-zone mattifed for 3 days. 


I did prefer using this product as a mask once or twice a week, and as a mask I found it to offer a deep, but not overly aggressive cleansing. Using Tri-Activ as a mask is nice because you only need to apply a thin layer of mask and it dries very quickly so it's fast but effective. Like Catherine I found I had to work the mask quite heavily with water to remove it, but in removing it you do get some exfoliation.


Generally I found this cleanser to be good for a product aimed at acne prone skin. It cleanses and mattifies quite thoroughly but in a gentle manner. 


Grade: B

Catherine: My skin tends to be oily in the t-zone and normal on the cheeks. I live in a climate that is often quite steamy and hot in the summer. My skin tends towards very shiny in the summer, both from oil, moisture in the air and perspiration.

I used the Tri-Activ Masque as both a cleanser and a mask and I liked the effects of both. As you might imagine, as a cleanser it has a similar but less intensive effect than as a mask. I am really impressed with how well it sucks up all the oil from my skin and leaves it smooth and soft. I leave the mask on until it dries and in order to rinse it off, you need to work the residue with your fingers so you're exfoliating at the same time. Adding water to the dried mask and working it creates a creamy residue so it's pleasant to use.

I do find that it's difficult to completely rinse off the mask once it's dried. I really need to work at it and I always use a toner to make sure that my skin is as clean as possible. I've been using it on my throat, chest and upper back as well, since I get breakouts in those areas in the summer. It has a refreshing, tingling, tightening effect and definitely reduces the oil production of my skin.

Grade: B

Beauty Squared Round-Up - June 3, 2012

Here are the stories that caught our attention this week:





This is a great makeup tutorial video for anyone with acne. The beautiful, brave girl in it suffers from cystic acne and you can hear the emotion in her voice when she's barefaced in front of the camera. And look at the beautiful finished product when she's finished!

Un-photoshopped, photoshopped.

German Vogue's June issue is running an 11-page spread featuring Peter Lindbergh's un-Photoshopped portraits of prominent German women including supermodels, actors and Vogue's editor-in-chief. 

The New England Journal of Medicine published a study of a 69 year old man who worked as a trucker for most of his life. As a result of spending so much time driving a truck, the left side of his face received much more sun exposure than the right and the results are startling. Doesn't this make you want to wear sunscreen?

Can yoga help prevent wrinkles and sagging in the skin on your face? 

Real Beauty has a list of the best highlighters to make your skin luminous and glowing this summer. 

Also for summer, here are some tips on how to detangle wet hair. You know, for after jumping in the pool, lake or ocean on those hot, hot days. 

Bloxsun makes sunscreen fabrics in the form of hats, scarves and gloves to protect you from the sun's damaging rays. 

InStyle offers 11 Hair Rules You Need To Break (some may surprise you)!

Florence and Machine's new video, directed by David LaChapelle is just as over-the-top, dramatic, glamourous and spectacular as you might expect and Florence is pushing the beauty and fashion envelopes again. Florence looks absolutely stunning and I kind of love her hair. 

Beauty Squared Round-Up - May 20, 2012

Here is what grabbed our attention this week in the wonderful world of the Interwebs:

With her iconic Vidal Sassoon five-point-cut, Peggy Moffitt was one of the faces of the Swinging 1960s thanks the above photo, shot by her husband William Claxton. Still rocking that hair cut and the makeup that made her famous, she takes a look back at her life in this short film made in conjunction with the Total Look exhibit at MOCA's Pacific Design Center.

Can having bangs give you a lazy eye? That rumour has been circulating on the Internet this week but MSNBC says it isn't true, so fringe easy.

England is celebrating Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee this year and Harrod's is celebrating by asking 31 designers to give St. Edward's Crown a makeover. You can see the designs by Mulberry, Paul Smith, Cavalli, Valentino, Lanvin and others here.

British fashion design is celebrated in a series of new Royal Mail stamps featuring Vivienne Westwood, Paul Smith and Alexander McQueen among many others. 

Despite fashion brands claiming that using thin, young, white models in their advertising is meant to be aspirational for consumers (wanting to be young, thin, white and beautiful means you'll want to wear what that model is wearing), no research has been found to prove this. In fact, women are more inclined to buy when the models in ads looked like them.

Pixiwoo features a makeup tutorial for redheads, using Christina Hendricks as inspiration. It's a very pretty, soft and simple make-up look designed for fair skin but by simply using darker colours, it can be adapted for darker skintones as well. 

If you're on Facebook you've probably noticed some of the above Facebook ads. Dove has launched a new Facebook app as part of the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty, that allows users to "makeover" negative ads. Currently available in the UK and Australia only, but hopefully it'll be available in North America and the rest of the world soon!

H&M was criticized recently for ads in which a model was made to look very, very, very tanned and very, very, very skinny. H&M has apologized since and a clever street artist in Hamburg has put his own touch on the ads as a visual reminder that the images we see are not always real.

Tanning prematurely ages and dries out your skin, and increases your risk of developing skin cancer. As we head into summer, are you feeling shy about baring your pale skin? Take a look at these photos and embrace your natural skintone! 

Ever spot a girl on the street and wonder what products she uses? The FaceTime feature on Stylelist.com features everyday lovelies who reveal some of their beauty tips and tricks.

Yogurt, that miracle food that helps us lose weight, eases digestion and gives us strong bones and muscles, among many other things. But it can also help to prevent acne, according to this 'Foods that Help to Fight Acne' article.

Spring is all about colour, with the bright green grass and leaves, colourful blossoms and fresh-as-fresh-can-be produce available at farmer's market. Take some inspiration from these colours using Makeup Magpie's tips.

A company that allows you to design your own shoes? Sign me up! Check out Shoes of Prey.