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Best translucent powders (review & swatches)

translucent powders

At least once a month I get asked a question regarding translucent powders that are intended as the finishing touch over your entire make-up. These powders are supposed to mattify the skin and prolong the wear of your make-up while giving the skin a softer and flawless appearance. There are countless translucent powders in the market and the quality varies so I decided to write a short post about my personal favorite translucent powders which might come in handy.

translucent powders

Personally, I like the translucent powder to be very finely mild, mattify the skin and at the same time live up to the name translucent. Some (like the Trend It Up powder) leave a white cast over the face which can make you look unhealthy, even slightly gray. I try to stay away as far as possible from powders like that.

RCMA NO-COLOR POWDER (14€, 85g)

translucent powders RCMA No-color powder

I waited a long time to finally get my hands on the RCMA No-color powder. The texture of this powder is incredibly soft so it’s very easy to blend out and completely translucent when applied correctly. It gives the skin a nice appearance, blurs the fine lines and mattifies well. The price is great considering you’re gettting a hefty 85g of product. RCMA is the only powder in my collection that can compete with Laura Mercier translucent powder when it comes to setting the under-eye area. The only negative is the packaging – as you can see I’ve already broken the lid off mine meaning I can no longer travel with it.

LAURA MERCIER TRANSLUCENT LOOSE SETTING POWDER (33€, 29g)

translucent powders Laura Mercier translucent loose setting powder

This is a really expensive translucent powder, but worth every cent in my opinion. Because of its price, I only use it over the eyes (except for special occasions). With every use, I can be 100 % sure that the concealer won’t settle into my fine lines which is what I expect from this powder. It has a slight yellow undertone so it can slightly darken up any illuminating concealer, but the difference is negligible. If you’re looking to invest into a good translucent powder, this would be my recommendation. The packaging is simple – I turn the closed jar upside down, shake it once or twice, turn over again and open. There is just enough powder on the sifter for both under-eye area with that particular method of use.

PAESE COSMETICS RICE POWDER (18€, 15g)

translucent powders paese cosmetics rice powder

Paese cosmetics Rice Powder is the first rice powder I ever used so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. The formula is dry and a bit crumbly, so it’s a bit more difficult to apply as the RCMA and Laura Mercier that are both more compact. Regardless, it gives the skin a nice finish and is easy to blend out. The sifter is a bit different than in other packagings – you can turn it around and literally close the entire jar, for example before traveling. That way, you can make sure you won’t find the entire 15g on the top of the sifter once you open it again. I would recommend this powder for normal or dry skin, but I have a feeling it could potentially bunch up on really oily skin.

AVON MARK HD FINISHING POWDER (5€, 9g)

translucent powders Avon Mark

Avon set a new high with the Mark line and their HD finishing powder is no exception to this rule. I use this powder daily for my under-eye area, but I normally don’t use it all over the face because it’s a bit more difficult to blend it out and can leave a slight white cast. The packaging is OK – it has the same sifter as Laura Mercier or Paese – just close it, turn it around, shake a couple of times, turn again and open. The powder should be waiting for you on top of the sifter. I prefer this way of getting it out as opposed to sifting it directly into my hand. I feel that would use up more product and create a big old mess.

translucent powders

If I had to use only one translucent powder for the rest of my life (and someone else would pay for it), I would choose the Laura Mercier translucent loose setting powder, but to be honest, each of the powders above will work almost as great. The best price-performance ratio goes to RCMA which you can get through Beauty Bay. Of course, there are probably other great translucent powders out there I don’t know about yet – do you have any suggestions? Until next time, stay beautiful!

Avon Mark: top and flop products

Avon Mark

I am quite partial to Avon Mark line as you may well know if you’ve been following my posts for a while. I love the visual elements of the brand with the stunning black and white prints and combinations that look great both live and on the photos. Since I’ve tried quite a few of their products by now, I chose the top (and some flop) products to talk about today.

Avon Mark: lip products

Avon Mark Plump It Lipstick

Let’s start with the lipsticks since I already wrote about them *here*. Mark Plump-it lipsticks are absolutely gorgeous, soft and comfortable on the lips. They are also quite long wearing as I can usually get away with re-applying only once every four hours. My favorite shades are Divine Wine, Reddy to go and Rose Kisses.

Avon Mark Plump-it lip gloss

Unfortunately, I’m less impressed by Avon Mark Plump-it lip gloss which is supposed to give you a look of full and plumped-up lips. I wasn’t able to figure out the exact active ingredient (my money is on peppermint) but the tingling that comes with the use is absolutely something I don’t enjoy at all. The shade Mauve is gorgeous to wear independently or over a regular lipstick, but I don’t think we should sacrifice feeling comfortable just to look pretty – do you?

Avon Mark plump it lip gloss  View Post

Summer makeup routine 2017

summer makeup routine

I hate nothing more than the feeling of my make-up sliding up and down my face in warm summer days. Unfortunately, this feeling is often confirmed once I take a look in the mirror, but this only happens when I don’t do my summer makeup routine when applying make-up. Today, I’m introducing a couple of tricks on how you can make your make-up last longer throughout the day, regardless of the heat!

summer makeup routine The Ordinary high adherence silicone primer

I won’t go on and on about moisturizing the skin and applying a layer of SPF – surely, you’ve memorized the importance of that by now. I start my routine with a primer. I get so many questions about The Ordinary high-adherence silicone primer (which I already wrote about *here*) that I thought I’d show it to you one more time. In short, it’s not my favorite primer, but it does make for a good base before foundation application and somewhat prolongs its wear time. If you choose a primer without silicone, your make-up will last that much longer. I also apply an eyelid primer – currently I’m using the Avon primer which is quite soft and can be blended easily all over the eyelid. It also covers up discoloration and minor imperfections at the same time.

summer makeup routine Bell Hypoalergenic liquid foundation

I follow the primer with Bell Hypoallergenic Mat & Soft liquid foundation (more about it *here*). My skin has been looking better for the past couple of weeks meaning I don’t need a full coverage foundation. I like Bell liquid foundation because of the slightly matte finish  – if I want my skin to look more dewy, I can apply highlighter or liquid illuminator later on. Time permitting, I apply the It Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye waterproof concealer. The formula is thick and quite dry so I need more time to blend it properly without any visible transitions, but I know that it. will. not. budge the entire day.

summer makeup routine L.O.V perfectitude 3in1 prime and fix spray

Naturally, you then apply all other make-up products such as bronzer, blush, maskara and so forth, but don’t forget to lock your foundation to prolong the wear time! For the past few weeks, I’ve been reaching for Paese transparent powder focusing the most on the under-eye area since the concealer tends to sink into my fine lines. It’s a really great product, very soft and fine which means it blends out nicely, not leaving a gray hue over the face as some other powders do. After completing my look, I give my face a couple of spritzes with L.O.V Perfectitude 3in1 Prime & Fix spray (more about it *here*) which really makes my make-up stay in place. For a cheaper alternative, I can also recommend Avon Mark fixing spray.

Sometimes, even all of these steps won’t help and you’ll need to freshen up your make-up during the day. I tend to blot my face with some blotting sheets (the best and cheapest are made by Essence) and then apply a new layer of a translucent powder that’s always in my purse. My favorite is the Rimmel Stay Matte which you can find in any drugstore. I hope this post helps and your make-up will look great all summer long thanks to this summer makeup routine. Until next time, stay beautiful!

Top 5: summer nail polish 2017 *** Top 5 lakov poletja 2017

summer nail polish 2017

Summer is officially here and you can tell just by looking at my nails. I went through the new nail polishes I acquired recently and chose five that I find the prettiest and will definitely be using both on my hands and feet this summer: the perfect summer nail polish of 2017.

summer nail polish 2017 Essence Colour Boost Instant Party

Essence Colour Boost in the shade Instant Party is a bright pink polish, perhaps a bit darker than it appears in the bottle. The whole Colour Boost line is incredibly pigmented, so I always only apply one coat for perfect coverage.

summer nail polish 2017 Catrice IcoNails Mermayday Mayday

Catrice Iconails (which I already talked about *here*) in the shade Mermayday Mayday is a beautiful polish in an emerald color. This is the current shade of my toenails and I believe that the polish will remain mainly intact for the entire vacation, including swimming and walking on beaches. This formula is one of the most long-wearing I’ve ever come accross.

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Summer Favorite: Avon Glow Bronzing Pearls

Avon Glow Bronzing Pearls

Every once in a while, I come across a make-up item that I immediately associate to a certain season. One of such are the Avon Glow pearls that waited patiently in my closet for summer to come. Now, I use them every single day.

Občasno se v moji zbirki ličil najde kakšen izdelek, ki ga neposredno povezujem z določenim letnim časom. Eden takšnih so tudi Avon Glow biserčki, ki so v moji omari potrpežljivo čakali na poletje, sedaj pa ne mine dan, da jih ne bi uporabila.

Avon Glow pearls are packed in a small jar which is just the right size that I can attack them with a brush but they can’t fly out during that process. When i received them, they were protected by a foam cover so they wouldn’t get shattered during transport. They have a very light floral scent that I don’t mind at all.

Avon Glow biserčki so pakirani v majhnem lončku, dovolj majhnem, da iz njega ne pobegnejo, ko se jih lotim s čopičem. Ko sem jih prejela, so bili na vrhu zaščiteni s peno, da se ne bi poškodovali med pošiljanjem. Všeč mi je rahel cvetlični vonj, ki pa ni premočan.

Avon Glow Bronzing Pearls

I use two shades – Radiant Glow (left) and Pink Bronze (right).

Sama uporabljam dva odtenka, in sicer Radiant Glow (levo) in Pink Bronze (desno).

Avon Glow Bronzing Pearls

Radiant Glow pearls are a bit darker so I use them for a little bronzing action. They contain micro glitter that gives the skin a nice healthy glow which is why I consider this to be a summer product. There are two colors of pearls in the jar – dark pink pearls and light brown pearls, sort of moccha color.

Kroglice v odtenku Radiant Glow so nekoliko temnejše in jih sama uporabljam kot nežen bronzer. Vsebujejo tudi mikro bleščice, ki koži podarijo nekaj sijaja in svež izgled. Prav zato se mi zdijo še posebej primerne za poletje. V škatlici sta zmešana dva odtenka kroglic, in sicer temnejše roza kroglice in svetlo rjave kroglice, podobne barve kot kava z mlekom. View Post