I Wanna Be That Gal

I wanna be that shiny happy person people sing songs about. Or at least I want to look luminous and lovely. I keep hoping I will find a miracle primer that will fix the slightly larger pores around my nose and camouflage my emerging crows feet, while making me look soft and luminous. So far, my two faves are Prime Time and Tarte. But always hoping something will work better, I was happy to give That Gal, a pink primer by Benefit, a spin.

That Gal comes in a container that you twist to make the primer come up through a little holes. ;-) It is a frosty pink, non-silicone feeling lotion that you can use all over your face or to make your cheekbones pop. If you use it all over your face, it will give you a dewy, happy glow - depending on your foundation coverage.

It does not change the overall color of your foundation, giving you the dreaded face/neck mis-match. You can also wear it over your foundation as a highlighter, instead of a primer. While I'm not sure it gave my makeup any additional staying power, I liked the way it perked up my skin on a tired Monday. In fact, as tired as I was, I would call it a bit of a life saver!

I like this. Check it out!



Copyright 2009, Gouldylox Reviews

Laura Mercier Flawless Face Kit

Recently, I was hunting for some summer makeup. In all honesty, I am a mineral foundation girl, but in the summer, I can't wear my Bare Escentuals because it contains bismuth and I am one of the unlucky ladies who itch in humidity when wearing it. I wanted something easy, with a little coverage that didn't feel too heavy. After trying on several brands, I opted for the Laura Mercier Flawless Face Kit. For the right price, it comes packed with a tinted moisturizer, 2 concealers, a powder, a primer, a puff, a sponge and 2 brushes- all in a little bag. As I mentioned before, I was having concealer issues and thought after playing with it in the store, it might be the right one for me. After wearing it for several weeks, here are my thoughts.

I love the brushes and tools this kit comes with. They alone are probably worth the price of admission. The powder is top notch, but comes in a pot that is so small, I am perplexed how to easily use it, without shaking some on to the puff or using the medium sized flat brush it comes with. When used with the concealer, the brush and powder combo are wonderful together. But just shaking some powder onto the puff for a full face application seemed really wasteful. The tinted moisturizer is really nice for weekends or days when you don't need any real coverage.

When I first put this on, I LOVED how my skin looked. Dewey and fresh, I was a happy camper. However, I did notice that my makeup slid off rather quickly when I wore the tinted moisturizer, which is a bummer, since I took the time to apply it. If I just needed to run out quickly and wanted a little polish, then this is perfect. But when I applied blush and the rest of my face, it had no staying power. I also wasn't thrilled with the primer. Perhaps I prefer the more silicone/satin feel of primers like Prime Time. But even when I used the primer with the tinted moisturizer together, my face still slid south super fast.

For a quick, vacation no-mess face, this kit might be right for you. If you need more coverage then this might not be the best option.

I'm ehh on this item. I bought it. You should test it first. (unless you need the tools and the concealer, then it's a steal.)