themakeupnut: April 2015

Fit Me Hydrate + Smooth Foundation

I am a huge fan of the Maybelline Fit Me concealer and I am always on the lookout for a long lasting luminous foundation. So when I saw the Fit Me Hydrate + Smooth on sale at Shoppers Drug Mart for $7.99, I scooped it up. With the name Hydrate + Smooth, you would think this was made for people with dry skin maybe hide my giant pores, right? Not so much.

Maybelline recently renamed this foundation the Fit Me Dewy + Smooth in the US. It is the same formulation as the Hydrate + Smooth (which is the actually the original Fit Me foundation just repackaged). O_o . For the purpose of this review, I am going to call it the Hydrate + Smooth since that is what my bottle says. Confusing, right?

The Hydrate + Smooth is meant for normal to dry skin. Maybelline states this will give you a dewy and seamless finish. The Fit Me foundations are priced in the $8 to $12 range here in Canada and come in 14 shades. I picked out the shade 120 – Creamy Ivory. The consistency of the Hydrate + Smooth is very fluid which made blending it out a dream. The glass bottle has a sleek square shape. Simple but sleek. It doesn’t come with pump though - boo.

Initially, it went on smooth, spread evenly, had medium coverage and felt lightweight plus it was a great colour match. I was excited! I thought I found a new drugstore foundation. But….about 20 minutes after I set the foundation with a powder, the foundation settled in my pores. Like really settled. It exaggerated my fines lines and made my pores seem even bigger than they were. I even tried using the Hydrate + Smooth over different primers, on its own, with different setting powders, still no bueno. Every single time, it would settle and make my skin look worse than when I had no foundation on. Not good at all. The foundation also had no luminosity to it and it broke down around the 5 hr mark for me. There was nothing left to fix.

I have always had large pores and have always found primer to be a great fix for this issue. But for me, even primer was no help with this foundation.

Sadly, I have to give the Fit Me Hydrate +Smooth a big thumbs down. If you have dry or dehydrated skin, I don’t think this is the foundation for you.

The Fit Me range also has a new foundation formula called the Matte + Poreless. I didn’t get this one initially because I thought it would be drying from the name, Matte + Poreless. But I have heard that this formulation does work well for dry dehydrated skin. I think I just might try that one out.

What did you think of the Fit Me Hydrate + Smooth, aka Dewy + Smooth aka the original formula? Did you have a similar experience? Should I give the Matte + Poreless a try or am I sucker for punishment?

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It’s Topbox time! Once again I opted for a prive box (preselected brand specific box). There was a pretty good selection for prive boxes for April; NeoStrata, Bioderma and I think Philosophy was still an option. But as soon as I saw the NeoStrata box, I immediately clicked on it. Dun and dun! For some reason I am all about skin care right now. Well there is a reason. I want to freshen up my complexion and when I saw the glycolic peel and lotion my mind was made up! NeoStrata can be pricey here in Canada so this sampling is a perfect way to test out the products. Plus I have been using the NeoStrata 5% glycolic toner for the past few months and I love it.

April 2015 Topbox | NeoStrata

NeoStrata Skin Renewal products are ideal for all skin types, uneven dull skin and all ages. NeoStrata does state on their website that it is recommended to build skin tolerance slowly when using products containing glycolic acid. If you experience skin sensitivity, suspend its use for a few days and resume gradually.

Skin Renewal Peel Solution 20ml

Full Size: 50ml/$75
Ideal quick fix for uneven and dull skin. The glycolic acid will help eliminate the dead cells responsible for the rough skin. This solution contains 10% glycolic acid and 10% gluconolactone, the highest potency available of AHA to achieve results after only 1 treatment.
I am little scared of this one but can't wait to try it. I hope it is not too strong for me.

Moisture Intense Hydrating Cream 20ml

Full Size: 50ml/$30
Ideal for replenishing skin's moisture. The skin is softer, more comfortable and supple.
I think this Hydrating Cream is a great addition to the box. I am really going to need it after the Peel Solution.

Glycolic Renewal™ Smoothing Cream 5% Glycolic Acid 15ml

Full Size: 50ml/$39
Moisturizes skin, while exfoliating dead cells on skin’s surface, and maximizing skin renewal. This daily moisturizer helps reveal a smoother, more radiant, and visibly younger skin.
YASSSS! I was eyeing this up at Shoppers Drug Mart but since we received a coupon card for London Drugs, I may have to go there for it.

Bonus Item:

Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration sunscreen Lotion SPF30
Everyone received a 59ml sample of this in their Topbox this month. Hawaiian Tropic was my poolside sunscreen last summer. I like that it waterproof and affordable. It is a staple in my pool bag. This one is going in my purse.

I am so feeling this Topbox! I want new skin (well nicer skin) and I hope this delivers. Plus the sample sizes are really decent. Fantastic. Love it! Let’s just hope I don’t have any peeling mishaps. HA!

What were your thoughts on the NeoStrata TopBox?

Topbox is a monthly Canadian beauty subscription. For $12 + pst ($13.60), you can have 4 beauty samples sent to each month. Sign up at Topbox.ca.

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Simple Micellar Cleansing Water

I have been eager to try a drugstore micellar water for awhile now. I tried a sample of the Bioderma Sensibo last year and loved it. But I went through it so fast that I was deterred from buying a full sized version. So when I saw an affordable drugstore option, my curiosity got the better of me.

I came across the Simple Micellar Cleansing Water last month at Shoppers Drug Mart, it was so new in-store that the price wasn’t even on the shelf yet. I was so jazzed when the price check came up as on sale for $5.99/198 ml. I snapped it up right away.

I have been curious to see if it can remove my makeup as well as my two current favorite methods; Neutrogena Makeup Remover towelettes ($8.99/25) and the La Posey Roche Rosaliac Micellar Gel ($24.99/200ml).

Keep in mind, you will need cotton pads when using a micellar cleansing product. The cotton pad, once moistened with the micellar water, will act like a magnet to remove the gunk on our faces.

I have been using the Simple Micellar Cleansing Water every night for the past 3 weeks to remove my makeup and here are my thoughts;

The Simple Micellar Cleansing Water is gentle on my sensitive skin and it does leaves my skin feeling a bit hydrated. It takes about two cotton pads soaked (on both sides) with the micellar water to get the majority of my makeup off. Even though my face looked clean, I could still find some residue on my face afterwards. I found that the Simple Micellar Cleansing Water didn’t quite take off a full face of makeup well enough for me to walk away without rinsing off or washing my face. Plus this did not remove my mascara very well at all. I still need an eye makeup remover for that.

So why am I still using it? While the thought of one product being able to remove makeup and cleanse your face without rinsing sounds appealing, I do not expect my makeup wipes or micellar products to be a replacement for a good ole’ face washing. I guess I am hard wired to use soap and water to keep my face clean. My expectations for micellar products are to get the facial cleansing process started. To start the breakdown and removal of the makeup on my face so the actual cleanser can work better. Simply put, the Simple Micellar Cleansing Water works great as a basic non-irritating makeup remover.

For me, the Simple Micellar Cleansing Water did a better job at removing my makeup than the Neutrogena Cleaning towelettes. Cost effectiveness, it is also the better choice. Travel wise, not so much. I would be worried about the snap top bottle leaking when travelling.

The Simple Micellar Cleansing Water is actually great for small clean ups when you have a goof up when applying makeup. Put a little on a q-tip and wipe away. Hello Goodbye Panda Eyes!

I also found it great to use as a morning cleanser. I use it to remove the residue of my night cream and any eye goop leftover from the night before. I do rinse my face with water but that’s more to wake myself up than anything else.