Illuminare Sienna Sun and Florentine Fair

Swatches. Done on the inside of my wrist Sienna looks dark but it really matches my level of tan right now. All three shades are identical across finishes, which is nice for ordering online .

State of the nail address

Left hand. Did a wee bit of filing as much longer than this and I can't lift things or open things properly. I chipped my right pointer today shampooing the carpet :( 

I will be sad when/if I have to file them back to nubbins . I took this while waiting for dinner.

Illuminare Foundation Trial Size in 3 finishes

So I bought this, I think I stumbled onto this brand off of a site that sells oily skin products called "Mattify Cosmetics" 

I am always, ALWAYS on the hunt for a foundation that holds up on my skin. I generally stick to long wear formulas with full coverage, but I also love illuminating foundations as long as they hold up to blotting and powdering touch ups. I have oily skin, and will usually get shine 4-5 hours after application of a really good foundation with primer. But blotting and powdering normally allow me to get through a full day. I just tested the matte formula on this when I went out to dinner tonight and the coverage is amazing. It says to use a pea sized amount and they aren't kidding. I used slightly more and was borderline chalky-I tend to over apply-I could have buffed a smaller amount further as it remains pliable until you set it. But the matte is very matte and really sticks onto your face. I think my T zone is less oily now than in my 20's and I got fantastic wear. Normally my nose gets shiny during dinner but this was matte until I got home. I'll try to post swatches. My match was the darkest of the trio, Sienna something. I'm tanned, perhaps NC35? At the max. Bought this from ebeauty.ca , the shopping channel owns them I think.

Edit #1

Used the fantastic finish today in Sienna Sun-walked down to the mall and back in pouring rain. This foundation has a dewy effect and is a tad more sheer than the matte. It's been several hours and my skin still looks glowing and natural. I did set with powder. I've always identified with oily skin-I did use a different base (skinn orchid gel primer) than with the matte yesterday-but for a moisturizing formula it did not get shiny. Very pleased with this-I'll try it again during an oiler skin day to be sure.

Edit #2

Fantastic finish and humidity are no bueno on my skin. Took it on vacation, I get quite shiny. Humidity is no ones friend however, and I would still use this here. Extra coverage and the matte seem so similar I can't tell the difference. 

Zoya Wednesday

I don't even remember buying this, did it come in a glossy box ? No idea. It is similar to China Glaze "for Audrey " which is a nod to Tiffany blue. No top coat on this, I was worried the seche would yellow and this blue does seem to have yellow tones already. Two coats, faint visible nail line, all in all a nice light blue.

Real Techniques Brushes

When I stopped in to Winners to troll the beauty section before work today I saw.... THESE. Pixiwoo's Sam Chapman brand brushes. These were available in London Drugs of all places, and they were inexpensive. I got them for even less!! 7.99 CAD each, and the eye brush set for 14.99 rather than 19.99. These brushes are amazing quality for a very low, low price and it's commendable that Sam wanted to keep her line affordable for her viewers. Why spend upwards of 50 bucks on MAC brushes (or any other brand for that matter)when you can use these? I'm not a huge fan of using any kind of brush to apply foundation since I feel the results aren't as even as using your fingers or a beauty blender, but I am always willing to try-and using a brush keeps your hands clean and uses much less product than a sponge. I've got various other foundation brushes-they're like paddles-clarins and another I bought off Sephora ages ago, and I have a few MAC stipling/duo fibres as well as a Kabuki but I don't like how they move the foundation around my face. Which is probably due to my lack of skillz, but whatever. I REALLY like the foundation brush, it's compact, dense and easy to use. The brushes are sturdy, and have great handles. They're synthetic, which makes no real difference to me as I'm not super big on the cruelty-free bandwagon, and I really urge you to keep an eye out for them at your local winners. Powder brush is big and fluffy, and I can always use powder brushes since I always set my foundation with some kind of powder.

http://realtechniques.com/videos/blog#the-brushes