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Ponds BB+ Cream Review!

A lovely package arrived in the mail a couple weeks ago from Influenster and I was quite surprised with how generous they were. Since I was luckily chosen to be one of 200 beauty bloggers to review the newest BB cream on the market, I was more than ecstatic to open what the package contained.

If you haven't already caught my drift, this post is all about the Ponds BB+ cream :)



Heres what the product claims to do straight from Ponds.com Click!  

Flawless in Seconds, + More Even Tone in 2 Weeks!
POND'S® Luminous Finish BB+ was created with Tone Perfecting Complex. It works by targeting the source of dark spots on skin’s surface – visibly fading them for a difference you can see. It also delivers a special pigment system designed to blend flawlessly into a variety of skin tones and immediately conceal imperfections with natural-looking coverage.
Available in Light and Medium.

Essential Features
  • Superior* Coverage of Imperfections
  • Superior* Visible Dark Spot Reduction
  • Superior* Non-Greasy Feel, with a Matte Finish
  • Broad spectrum SPF 15 sun protection
  • Non-comedogenic – won’t clog pores
  • Dermatologist tested
  • Hypoallergenic

So how does the product really perform?
Below are pictures of me without any makeup on. As you can see I have quite a lot of dark pigmentation on my cheeks from past acne scars and marks. I also have quite a lot of broken capillaries around the sides of my nose and my skin is quite uneven.

My Skin type:
I have sensitive acne prone skin. I tend to gravitate towards product aimed toward sensitive skin and when it comes to foundation I prefer lighter foundations that provide great coverage.
My bare face part 1 :P sans ponds bb+cream

My bare face part 2 :P

My bare face part 3 :P lots of broken capillaries around my nose and acne scarring on my cheeks

This BB+ cream comes in two shades: light and medium. Theres quite a difference with color with the two so I'm not quite sure how the color match would work for people who are somewhat in between. I'm an NC42 in mac as a reference and the medium shade worked quite perfectly for me.




This product has an interesting thicker gel like consistency. If you're familiar with Cliniques stay matte foundation, this product has somewhat the same consistency but provides a lighter coverage.

Below are comparison pictures of tinted moisturizers and BB cream that is currently out in the market:

Left to right: Sonia Kashuk Radiant tinted moisturizer tan, Garnier BB cream for oily skin medium deep, Ponds BB+cream in medium,Urban Decay tinted moisturizer in bulletproof, Maybelline BB cream in Natural (Asian version)

Left to right: Sonia Kashuk Radiant tinted moisturizer tan, Garnier BB cream for oily skin medium deep, Ponds BB+cream in medium,Urban Decay tinted moisturizer in bulletproof, Maybelline BB cream in Natural (Asian version)

Upon application you definitely notice that this product has a very pleasant flowery scent. Ponds is known for their fragrant products so that is quite a staple. For someone who has sensitive skin, I would prefer something fragrance free.

smiley face with Ponds BB+ cream under natural lighting
demure smiley face with Ponds BB+ cream under natural lighting
Ponds Bb+ Cream under flash
 
Ponds Bb+ Cream under flash
Final results and thoughts:
I am actually quite fond of this product. It feels very lightweight on the skin and provides a decent coverage. This product has not broken me out despite the fragrance so I was actually quite pleasantly surprised about that. I haven't really tried asian brand BB+ cream so I don't have that to compare as far as coverage with this product. I haven't quite used this product long enough to see any results of whitening dark spots in my face so I guess I'll have to update you guys on that =)

As far as the finish, the name luminous can be quite misleading since this product leaves your face quite matte which I was pretty happy about. This product lasts a good 4-5 hours depending on your skin type, I have really oily skin so I set mine with powder.

Price and where to find it: I'm not sure if its out yet but I believe its 9.99 and can be found at your local drugstores

Hope this was helpful!
<3 Angelica

Dont forget to like ponds facebook page! :) click!

NARS 'Voulez Vous' Cheek & Eye Palette (Nordstrom Exclusive) Review and Swatches!

*insert Christina aguilera's wailing......voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir...ummm lady marmalade anyone? :P

Leave it Nars to come up with another provocative name to market its product. I am an avid drugstore collector and this is palette is definitely a splurge for me! As my very FIRST Nars product purchase (Nars virgin..haha!), I think I may have done very well especially if you see what this palette contains :)

Nordstrom presents another stunning beauty exclusive for Fall 2013!



So heres a description of the product straight from Nordstrom.com Click!

Abandon your inhibitions or play the coquette with NARS' exclusive gifting collection. A covetable, provocative palette features two iconic blushes and a foursome of sophisticated signature shadows.

Palette includes:
- Eyeshadow in Molokaï (0.03 oz.).
- Eyeshadow in Antananarivo (0.03 oz.).
- Eyeshadow in Rangoun (0.03 oz.).
- Eyeshadow in LHASA (0.03 oz.).
- Blush in Deep Throat (0.15 oz.)
- Blush in Dolce Vita (0.15 oz.).

                         
                               Can we all just pause and take a moment here and swoooooonnnn!

 Can you tell I'm slightly overly excited about this palette?!?  

Heres a size comparison to the Urban Decay Naked palette
Swatches from Left to right: Deep throat blush, Dolce Vita blush, Eyeshadows: I have no clue which one is which! it doesnt say on the box :(



I tried finding a dupe but nothing was really close to anything. The one shadow that was closest to the matte light brown in the palette is Naked from UD and Brown from Nyx.

For the eyeshadows I think all of them have good pigmentation. I love how this palette included a nice bright highlight and a matte light brown for blending. As far as the name, I'm not really sure which ones which since the box or the back of the packaging said specifically which ones which.

I believe all of the shadows are limited edition colors (I lied they're not! lol :P). The highlight shade is very similar to Stilas kitten but is a smidgen warmer, but not too noticeable. The light brown shade is similar to Naked from Urban decay. As far as the gunmetal color, nothing really came close to it. The color is a unique bluish purplish gray. As far as the brown one, the closest I can find is Stila's Fig eyeshadow.

Nars is well known for their blushes so I dont really think I need to talk any more about that :P

Final thoughts:
If you're familiar with Nars product prices, I think this product for $59 is definitely worth it! As a Nars virgin, I think this palette is definitely an awesome starter to the brand. Not only do you get 2 of their famous blushes, you also get 4 eyeshadow colors! All in all I think this palette is a definite must have for all makeup lovers!

Hope this was helpful!
Love,
Angelica <3

M.A.C. 'Illustrated' Face Kit (Brown) (Nordstrom Exclusive) Review and Swatches!

First I would like to say Happy early birthday to meee!!! If you havent met anyone who would greet themselves a very early happy birthday, then you have might have just found the very first one.

In celebration of my very early birthday, Ive decided to spoil myself a wee bit and bought a couple of beauty exclusive products available at Nordstrom for their anniversary sale. The item I shall be talking about in this post is the M.A.C. illustrated face kit in brown.


Heres a brief description of what the set contains from Nordstrom.com click!
A special-edition fabric-wrapped compact features exclusive illustrations by witty fashion designer, Rebecca Moses.

Kit includes:
- Powder Blush in Melba (0.18 oz.): a soft coral-peach.
- Satin Eyeshadow in Orb (0.03 oz.): a soft peachy satin.
- Veluxe Pearl Eyeshadow in All That Glitters (0.03 oz.): a beige with gold tones.
- Satin Eyeshadow in Smoked Sepia (0.03 oz.): a rich brown.
- Matte Eyeshadow in Showstopper (0.03 oz.): a dark brown.
- Cremesheen Lipstick in Ravishing Clean (0.018 oz.): a light peachy coral.
- Satin Lipstick in Myth Light (0.018 oz.): a neutral nude.
- Duo brush with 275 SE Medium Angled Shading Brush and 316 SE Lip Brush.


If you are a practical makeup user, or someone who doesnt collect M.A.C. products, then this kit would be a dream for you as it is for me! I find M.A.C. to be a wee bit pricey so when they put together palettes and face kits like this I get oooooberly excited!!!




Heres a size comparison of the palette with the Urban decay Naked palette and a 4 shadow palette from MAC.
I love that this palette is travel friendly and it isn't so thick! I think! I'm in love!

Swatches of the kit I think you can pretty much tell which ones which lol :P




The eyeshadows, the blush and the lipsticks definitely have awesome pigmentation. I think the sheerest of the eyeshadows in this kit is showstopper, the dark brown but definitely can be buildable.

Overall I think this kit is absolutely beautiful especially for someone on the go! For $49 I think you definitely get your moneys worth especially if you dont own a lot of mac makeup products. A lot of people have loads of M.A.C. products so you might just pass on these colors since they might already be in your collection.

This kit is also available in plum which I dont have in hand since I wont be getting that one till my actual birthday in August lol :P

I hope you guys find this helpful!
Love,
Angelica <3