Urban Decay De-Slick Mattifying Gel

Like most ladies out there, I’m also plagued by the annoying oily T-zone. I guess the Philippines’ hot weather also is to blame for this problem. So of course I’ve been on the lookout for a product that will banish or at least reduce the shine that comes out few hours after I put on my make-up. I started googling up products that could help me, and I found a few that I’d love to try. I was intrigued with Benefit’s Porefessional (which promises to minimize the look of pores and reduce oil), MAC’s Matte Cream and Clinique’s PorePerfector to name a few. I had narrowed down my choice to Benefit’s and MAC’s when I came across Urban Decay’s De-Slick Mattifying Gel on line. I decided to get this one instead mainly because it was being offered in a travel size. This is perfect as I wanted to road test it before actually getting a full-sized one (the same goes for Benefit’s Porefessional and MAC’s Matte Cream, though I’ve no hope of getting a travel sized MAC Matte as MAC rarely comes out with travel sized versions of their products)

According to the Urban Decay website, this product is

"A  lightweight gel that keeps skin matte and oil free. De-Slick in a Tube provides oil control and oil-absorbing action in an easy-to-use formula. The gel is completely color-neutral, so it works great on naked skin, under foundation, or over makeup. It's formulated to help tighten your pores for a youthful, shine-free finish. It's a great compact-free alternative to stay shine-free day or night!"

I was so happy to when I got this especially since the product comes in a perfect mini-sized version of the original packaging! It comes in a tiny 5ml tube complete with box in Urban Decay’s signature lavender color (cuteness!).  

how cute is this! seriously! and it's the perfect size for your make-up kit!

But, I am even happier now, nay ecstatic, because the product is a miracle!!! I squeeze a tiny amount on my fingers and rub it, then gently pat it over my made up face (T-zone mostly). Immediately after the application, I can feel a slight tightening. My cheeks feel super smooth and matte, and they stay that way all throughout the day! I put it on say, around 10am, and it keeps the oilies at bay til around 3pm! How cool is that?! I don’t have to use blotting papers every hour anymore, though I still pat some powder around noon.

An important thing to remember is that this is NOT a primer! Don’t use it under foundation; it’s meant to be used over NOT under make up.

LOVE:

-          Lightweight

-          Keeps oil away

-          Makes my face shine-free

HATE:

-          Not available locally

-           A bit on the expensive side (retails for $28 for the full-sized tube)

-          Must be applied with a light hand; too much can leave a whitish residue

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This product seriously rocks!  buh-bye oiliness, hello smoothness! 

Mac Prep + Prime Highlighter in Bright Forecast

A few weeks ago, I visited the MAC store in Glorietta to get a bottle of Studio Fix fluid foundation.  I’ve been using the Studio Fix Powder+Foundation, but I wanted to try the liquid as I’m currently in the quest for my Holy Grail liquid foundie. Anyway, the make-up artist (who was very nice, by the way. A breath of fresh air from the other snooty MUAs), recommended this product when she heard me complain of the dark circles I have. She said my circles weren’t so dark, and that I would probably benefit from a highlighter worn on top of my concealer. She tried on this product on me, and it was love, love,love!

I could immediately see the difference! Although my Studio Fix concealer ‘s doing a good job in covering my dark circles and the broken capillaries I have, it wasn’t giving me the brightness that I wanted. Well, this highlighter certainly does! I wanted to get the highlighter then and there, but decided to wait and do a little bit more research.  I didn’t wanna buy it on impulse and later regret it.

Anyway, this is the official description on MAC’s official website:

A pen-style highlighter that efficiently brings a soft sheer wash of colour to the skin. With its precision application, adds radiance just where you want it. Goes on smoothly for cushion-soft wear. Use over makeup for highlights, touch-ups or under makeup to brighten and prime.

The highlighters come in three shades :

 Radiant Rose is a light shell pink color. This is great for very fair skinned ladies.

 Light Boost is a soft creamy pale yellow great for lighter skinned girls. It will give slight coverage and a brightening effect.

 Bright Forecast is described as a mid-tone peachy coral. I think this is the best for Filipina skin because of the peach tint; it works great on skin tones which have warmer or darker tones.

So a few weeks after I first tried the highlighter, and after reading all the reviews on it (hehehe), I finally caved in and bought my very own! I got the Bright Forecast for my NC30 skintone. I’ve been using it for about a week now, and I must say…NO REGRETS! This highlighter truly delivers! I even tried it out on its own as a concealer, and it worked fine. The dark circles under my eyes are noticeably covered and over all, the areas where I dab this little baby on become brightened without being too shimmery. LOVE,LOVE,LOVE!  

 

LOVE:

-          Doesn’t settle into fine lines

-          Dries into a soft, matte finish

-          Looks natural

-          Brightens the undereye subtly

HATE:

-          The packaging! The click pen type brush pen is nice, but it’s so hard to control the amount of product that comes out.

-          You need to click and click and click before the product comes out, then you end up with way more than you need.

-          Size. For the cash you have to shell out, you won’t be getting much (only 3.6 ml)

after many clicks, too much product tends to come out. :(

 Oh well, you only need a little product at a time so I guess 3.6 ml will last long (I hope!)

So, there you have it. My new best friend – bright forecast! I recommend this to girls who don’t need a lot of coverage and who just want to brighten some areas on their face.  

Product Details:

Name: MAC Prep + Prime Highlighter in Bright Boost

Price: 1350.00 pesos at MAC counters