BEAUTY ALIXIRS

If you have straight lashes like I do then you know that short of using waterproof mascara, which is really hard to remove, almost no regular mascara alone will keep them curled.

In comes Etude House Dr. Mascara Fixer! Before trying this mascara primer, I tried the MAC lash primer, which didn't keep a curl, and the Shiseido. While the Shiseido is great, it is pretty pricey at $25 CAD per tube. Etude House Dr. Mascara Fixer is about $8CAD on eBay!

The tube has a simple design and the brush is pretty standard as well. The formula of this baby is amazing! I curl my lashes and apple 1 coat of this and use any normal non-waterproof mascara over top and voila-- curled lashes that last all day and can be easily removed with bioderma or warm water. 

Here are some photos of the product in action (Warning: Super close-up eyeball action):

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(Naked lashes)

(Naked Lashes. LOL @ selfie reflection.)

Lashes - Curled with Shiseido Eyelash Curler

Applying Etude House Dr. Mascara Fixer

Curled lashes with Dr. Mascara Fixer. Lasts all day!

With Dr. Mascara Fixer and 1 coat of Lancome Hypnose Drama Mascara.

xoxo,

alixirs

Laura Mercier Matte Radiance Baked Powder in Highlight 01 comes with 7.5g or 0.26oz of product. On the skin it's a warmish champaign colour which adds a little drama to your everyday highlight. It's very finely milled and applies beautifully with a finger or brush.

The Sleek Face Contour Kit in Light comes with a highlight and contour. The highlight is the one I use more. It's the most intense highlighter out of these four, and probably the least finely milled. It's also the most affordable of the four, and is very close to the Laura Mercier one except more intense and on the white-pinkish side. This product comes with 14g of product (highlight+contour).

MAC MSF in Perfect Topping was a limited edition shade. The veining in the product makes each one unique. Perfect Topping is the warmest of the four with a peachy undertone which works well as an everyday highlighter. Similar shades in the range include Lightscapade, which is lighter and whiter, and Soft and Gentle, which is more of a golden champagne.

MAC MSF comes with  10 g or 0.35 oz of product. 

Hourglass recently launched their Ambient Strobing Lighting powders and I was delighted to see Incandescent light among them. (shown above in the middle of the Ambient Lighting Palette). When this palette first launched this shade immediately became a favourite, though I had to use it sparingly as the palette itself cost $67 CAD at the time and each shade of powder inside was only 3.3g. This powder is my favourite for every day. It's one of those highlighting shades that has little to no sparkle, but just brightens up the skin. It's definitely appropriate for wearing at work, even in the most conservative of offices.

Above and below are some swatches, from top to bottom: Laura Mercier Matte Radiance, Hourglass Ambient Strobe Lighting powder in Incandescent, Sleek Contour highlight in Light, and MAC Mineralized Skinfinish in Perfect Topping

xoxo,

alixirs

I'm a huge advocate of wearing sunscreen every day, all year round. Skin damage and premature skin aging is largely due to UV damage. In particular, UVA rays have a longer wavelength, which penetrate the skin at a deeper level and cause skin aging. 

The SPF commonly shown in North American sunscreens is an indicator of protection against UVB rays. Typically, the higher the better. In Asia and Europe, UVA ray protection is displayed as a "PA" rating, from PA+ to PA++++. Needless to say, PA++++ provides the most protection.

 I've tried a few sunscreens available in North America, including some from Neutrogena and Shiseido. Quite frankly, the best facial sunscreens are from Japan.  My favourite is the Allie UV mineral moist neo with SPF50 and PA++++.

Ingredients: Zinc Oxide 9.2%, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate 7.5%, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate 2.5%, Octocrylene 0.2% Water (Aqua), Alcohol, Octyldodecyl Myristate, Butylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Glycerin, Isohexadecane, Triethoxycaprylilsilane, Methicone, Polysorbate 80, Nylon – 1 2, Xanthan Gum, Polyglyceryl-10, Diisostearate, Sorbitan Oleate, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ectoin, Algae Extract, BHT, Soluble Collagen, Averrhoa Carambola Leaf Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Royal Jelly Extract

The product comes in a 90g squeeze tube. It also comes in smaller sizes if you just wanted to try out the product. 

The texture is very light and has a mild alcohol smell. It spreads very easily and is quickly obsorbed into the skin.

This sunscreen wears very well under makeup and doesn't feel greasy at all! It leaves your skin dry to the touch and would work well with all skin types. 

I've gone through 2 tubes of this stuff and will definitely continue to repurchase once I run out. 

Do you wear sunscreen daily? Have a favourite sunscreen? Do share!

xoxo,

alixirs

Both colours are basically translucent on the skin and work wonderfully as a finishing powder, or when you want to reduce shine.

I've layered it on with a dense brush and it still never looks cakey or overdone. If you're in a rush and not sure which powder to use over your foundation give the Guerlain Meteorites powder a try. 

I've had both of these for over 2 years and there's still a lot of product left. If you're interested in trying the product I would even recommend purchasing the product together with a friend and splitting the product inside. 

Have you tried the Guerlain Meteorites powder? What is your favorite finishing powder? Let me know!

xoxo,

alixirs