Brand Overview: Antipodes

I've been slowly transitioning my skincare routine to the more natural side and Antipodes is a New Zealand brand I discovered that makes organic and natural skincare products.

The Antipodes Manuka Honey Mask is probably their most well-known product and is what made me fell in love with the brand in the first place. Manuka honey is an antibacterial ingredient that helps to fight acne while still being nourishing for the skin. I find that a lot of acne-fighting and detox masks tend to dry out the skin; this one doesn't do that at all and is super gentle on the skin. Sometimes I get the under-the-skin pimples that are super painful and takes forever to go away, and this really helps to soothe my breakouts and reduce the redness while also giving my skin intense hydration. My face always feels super soft like a baby's bottoms after using this!

Antipodes Juliet Skin Brightening Gel Cleanser is what I've been using as my morning cleanser. What I look for in a morning cleanser is something that's gentle yet effective and won't dry my skin out, and this does just that. It contains the same acne-fighting manuka honey as the mask, as well as superfruit extracts that help to exfoliate the skin to reveal a brightener complexion. Definitely another favorite from Antipodes!

I recently ran out of my Caudalie Beauty Elixir and was looking for something cheaper to replace it, which is why I picked up the Antipodes Resurrect Facial Toner. It's a refreshing and hydrating toner that instantly awakens my skin and perks up my dull-looking complexion; great for mornings where you skin just looks tired and lack-lustre.

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Brand Overview: Caudalie

Caudalie has quickly become one of my favorite skincare brands as every product I've tried from them have made it into my skincare staples. I also love the fact that their skincare products contain mostly natural ingredients which helps to reduce the inflammation and acne on my face.

Caudalie SOS Thirst Quenching Serum is a great serum for all skin types because it gives you intense hydration without feeling heavy on the skin. This is pack full of hydraluronic acid which is the miracle ingredient for plumping the skin. I've also noticed that this has helped to reduce the pigmentation and scarring on my face significantly over time.

Caudalie Lip Conditioner is a great basic lip balm that helps to hydrate and soothe dry lips. It is quite thick so I usually use it before I go to bed to let it do its job overnight, and in the morning I always wake up with super soft lips!

Caudalie Beauty Elixir is a quick pick-me-up for when your skin is looking dull because one spray of this will instantly brighten and tighten your complexion to make it look more fresh and glowing. You can also use this to set your makeup as well as take away the powderyness of your makeup. I go through this stuff super quick because I can't get myself to stop spraying this throughout the day!

Caudalie Divine Oil is a super versatile product as you can use it on your skin, hair, body and nails. It contains a mixture of essential oils that helps to nourish and hydrate you from head to toe. Definitely a must-try from this brand!

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Brand Overview: Benefit

First of all, can we just admire at the adorable packagings from Benefit? I feel like Benefit probably has the cutest packaging on the market, which makes me love their products even more. I did not realize the amount of product I had from Benefit until I started to gather products for this post. Most of these are loves, but I do have a few misses unfortunately.

Benefit Fake Up Concealer is my latest purchase from Benefit, and what drew me to this is the fact that it's supposed to be super hydrating. I suffer from super dry undereyes and I find that most concealers tend to accentuate the fine lines in my undereye area and make them look cakey. This Benefit concealer is super unique in that it has the concealer in the middle and a layer of hydrating balm on the outside so it helps to keep your undereye area hydrated throughout the day. It doesn't have the highest coverage so I wouldn't recommend it to people with serious dark circles, but if you're like me where you just want a bit of hydration and brightening then this is perfect for you. This looks super natural and does not crease or settle into fine lines.

Benefit Watts Up Luminizer is a peachy champagne highlight that helps to impart a sun-kissed glow on your face. The fact that it's in a stick form makes it super easy to apply and blend out.

Benefit They're Real Mascara was a miss for me, unfortunately. I tried it several times and just found that it did nothing for my lashes and even weighed down my curls. I know it's a favorite of many people but it just did not work out for me.

Benefit Hoola Bronzer is definitely one of my favorite bronzers of all time. I'm the type of person who has to wear bronzers all the time because I have a pretty chubby face, and this one from Benefit looks super natural on the face and helps to make my face look more defined and chiseled. It has a grey undertone so it won't look too orangey or muddy on the face.

Benefit Porefessional was one of the first primers that I purchased and I used to love it, but after trying out so many primers over the years I found that it was just mediocre. I feel like there are much better primers on the market and this one is just overhyped. At the moment I'm just trying to use it up but I probably won't be repurchasing it.

Benefit Velvet Eyeshadow in Buckle Bunny is a must-have if you're a neutral shadow lover. It's the most gorgeous shimmery rosy taupe color that's super soft and easy to blend out, and lasts well on the eyes. I love using this shadow for the single-shadow look because it is one of those shadows that just has so many dimensions to it, so you can wear a sheer layer all over the lids and build it up in the outer corner.

Benefit Highbeam is another great luminizer from Benefit. It's a pinky beige highlight that comes in a liquid form so you can use it alone or mix it with your foundation to create a dewy complexion.

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Brand Overview: Kevyn Aucoin

Kevyn Aucoin is a brand that I recently discovered and fell in love with, and I feel like it's a brand that deserves more attention than it receives. I love their elegant and understated packaging, and their products just have a super luxurious feel to them.

Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin is a multi-purpose base product that is my secret weapon for creating a flawless and perfected complexion. You can mix it with your moisturizer or primer to create a tinted moisturizer or use it on its own as a full-coverage concealer. I usually stay away from full-coverage base products as they tend to look cakey on the skin, but this one manages to cover everything flawlessly while still making your skin look like skin. This is without a doubt my favorite base product of all time.

If you've been following me for a while, then you'll know that I have an obsession with cream blushes, and I had to give the Kevyn Aucoin Cream Glow a try after falling in love with their concealer. I have it in the shade Tansoleil, which is the perfect shade of apricot coral color. It dries down to a dewy finish, which helps to give my face an amazing glow. It's also super easy to blend and lasts all day on my oily skin.

Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting Powder is hands down the best bronzer/contouring powder I've ever tried. If you want defined, chiseled cheekbones and a slimmer face, then you have to try this. A lot of bronzers have an orangey undertone which can sometimes make you look like an oompa loompa if you don't use it properly. This one however has a neutral grey undertone which looks super natural and subtle on the face.

As usual, here are the swatches:

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Brand Overview: Chanel

Chanel products are known for their gorgeous packaging and even though a lot of their products are over-priced, I do find that some of their products are so uniquely made that you won't be able to find from any other brands, and so from time to time I do splurge on some of their products.

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Brand Overview: Clarins

Clarins is a brand that I've loved and adored for years, and every single product that I've tried from them have never disappointed me. The price point is also quite good for the quality of product that you're getting.

Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch is one of my favorite makeup primers of all time. It is non-comedogenic and helps to smooth out any unevenness in my skin, making my makeup go on so much better. It also helps to camouflage my pores and makes my makeup last all day.

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Brand Overview: Stila

In this brand overview post, I'm reviewing the brand Stila, which has quickly become one of my favorite brands for buying color makeup. Their makeup are really high quality and their prices are on the more affordable side in high-end makeup.

Stila In The Light Palette is definitely one of my favorite palettes in general. It consists of a collection of matte and shimmery shades, and you can create looks from natural everyday to smokey night-out looks. All of the colors are super pigmented and easy to blend.

Stila Kitten Eyeshadow is probably Stila's most well-known product and it's been super hyped up over the years. It's the most gorgeous shimmery champagne color that works to instantly brighten your eyes, and works well with all skin tones; it's an absolute staple in my makeup collection . You can wear it as an inner-corner highlight or swipe it all over your eyelids for a simple everyday makeup.

I've mentioned the Stila Convertible Color in Gerbera before in my cream blushes post. It a beautiful coral color that's a must-have for the summer time because it helps to instantly create a healthy, dewy complexion, and acts as a blush and highlight in one.

Stila Long Wear Lipcolor in Daring is something that I bought on a whim during the winter time when I wanted a darker lipcolor. It's this oxblood red color that's super in for the fall and winter. It goes on pretty smooth and moisturizing, and as it dries it stains your lips and lasts all day throughout meals without being drying on the lips. I'm definitely planning on going back and picking up more colors from this range.

Here are the swatches for Kitten, Gerbera and Daring:

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Brand Overview: Dior

When it comes to high-end makeup, Dior has got to be one of my favorite brands. Even though their prices are quite up there, I do think that you're getting what you paid for in terms of quality. Dior is known for making very wearable, natural makeup that is great to wear on the daily basis.

Amber Diamond is probably Dior's most popular and hyped up product. It is a powder highlight with very finely-milled shimmers that can be worn both on the face and on the eyes. This is my go-to highlight as it just creates the most beautiful and sophisticated glow that doesn't look tacky at all.

Dior Nude Foundation is my foundation of choice when I want to achieve a flawless yet still natural complexion. It has a medium coverage and dries matte while still making your skin look like it has a glow from within. It is a fluid-based foundation so it has a thin consistency and feels very light on the skin.

Dior Nude Hydrating Concealer has the same concept as the Dior Nude Foundation in that it also feels light and looks very natural on the skin, while also providing good coverage. This is my go-to concealer during the colder months as it is the only concealer I found that won't emphasize my dry patches.

Dior Skinflash is an amazing concealer to use under the eyes to create a bright, glowing look. It has the same concept as the YSL Touche Eclat, but it works so much better. I find that the YSL Touche Eclat barely does anything for my undereyes- it doesn't cover anything and it is not very hydrating so it often settles into my fine lines. Dior Skinflash on the other hand provides medium coverage and cancels out any darkness I have in my undereye eye area. It is also super hydrating and doesn't crease at all.

Dior Addict Lipgloss in #957 is a dark berry red color that is great to wear all year-round. It is very hydrating on the lips and doesn't feel sticky at all. It is pretty pigmented so it can be worn on its own or over other lipsticks, and it makes my lips look super juicy and glossy. Dior Addict Lipstick in #681 Icone is a very wearable pink color that is great for everyday makeup. Again, it makes my lips look super moisturized and hydrated.

In my last skincare post, I mentioned the Dior Creme De Rose as my favorite lipbalm. It just feels super luxurious on the lips and hydrates my lips like no other.

Here are the swatches:

               

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