Saturday, July 5, 2014

Maybelline Dream Pure BB Cream with acne treatment- review for acne prone skin




Hello!

If you followTaylorpiebeauty on Istagram, then you probably know I have been working on review for this product. For some reason I have a love/ hate relationship with this BB cream. If you're not familiar with this BB cream let me tell you a little bit about it. 

This BB cream is made by Maybelline and it sells for $8 at most drugstores. There are 5-6 shades in 1fl oz squeeze tubes.  It's made for combination/ or blemish-prone skin. This BB Cream features 8 great skin benefits(listed below) that create healthy looking skin. 
It has 2% Salicylic Acid , which is one of the highest amount that you can get without a prescription. 

Uses
for the treatment of acne
helps clear up acne blemishes and allows skin to heal

8 Benefits
1. Clears acne ✔️✖️
2. Conceals imperfections✖️
3.Minimizes the looks of pores✔️✖️
4. Reduces the appearance of redness✔️
5. Adjusts to skin tone✔️
6. Hydrates and Smoothes✖️
7. Enhances and clarifies ✖️
8. 0% oils and lightweight feel✔️✖️

How does it perform

Does it clear acne?
Personally, I didn't notice a difference in the appearance of my skin. I already have Saliciylic Acid in my daily treatments and believe the BB Cream just over did it. Everytime I wear it my skin gets really dry and feels irritated. BUT with that put aside, I haven't experienced clearer skin.

Does it conceal imperfections?
No, it's too sheer to conceal major imperfections and it's not buildable. When I have more than one layer on it looks cake-y and feels heavy. 

Does it minimize the appearance of pores?
Somewhat. It hides some pores but if you have large pores, then the BB cream accentuates them. Also, as the BB Cream fades your pores start to show through.

Does it reduce the appearance of redness? 
Yes, it evens out your skintone just fine. So if you have redness anywhere on your face you may like this BB Cream.

Does it adjust to your skin tone? 
Yes, I picked the color that was within my shade range and it matched perfectly to my skin.

Does it hydrate and smooth?
No! It leaves my skin feeling dry and makes my acne peel even worse. My skin also didn't look or feel smooth.

Does it enhance and clarify?
No! It made my skin dry and cake-y.

Does it have a lightweight feel?
Yes and no. If you apply a very thin layer it will feel fine for a couple hours. However, it starts to feel heavy throughout the day. 
If your like me and want more coverage then I'm sure you'll want more than one layer. BUT.. If you do that then you're left with a mask feeling and I gotta say it's not too comfortable. 
I gave it a check mark above because on the directions it does say " for best results apply a thin layer of Dream Pure BB cream on skin. Can be used with or without a moisturizer". So keep that in mind if you are worried about it feeling too heavy. I'm sure some people love it and others hate it. 

Just for a reference here is a picture of my acne




The packaging
The packaging is nice.
 It comes in a squeeze tube. Which is good for sanitary reasons. 
The lid stays on tight and it's easy to remove.  
The packaging itself is very slim and easy to travel with.
Overall, I love the feel, look and colors of the tube this BB Cream comes in.




The consistency and finish
The consistency is just right. It's neither too thin or thick. Which surprises me because it feels so mask like on my face.
I feel that its best if you set it with a powder in the tzone. Otherwise, I feel as if it truly never sets and feels tacky.
It dries to slightly dewy finish. If you have oily skin I don't think you will enjoy it. Oil can easily break through in the tzone.
The coverage is sheer. It's not buildable(if you don't want cake-y skin). 
I can wear it for two hours before it starts to crease and fade. 



Final thoughts
The concept of this BB Cream is genius. I know anyone with acne would love to have a BB Cream that looks gorgeous on the skin. Unfortunately, this BB Cream didn't work out for me. It didn't treat my acne or conceal it. It looks unnatural on my face. It makes my skin dry. It doesn't improve the appearance of my large pores. The wear time isn't very long. I do like the packaging, price, the consistency and how it adjusts to my skintone. I don't hate this BB Cream to the point that I need to throw it away. I will probably finish it but I'm not going to repurchase it.

2 of the 8 benefits worked. 3 of the 8 benefits sort of worked. The rest(3) did not.
(all of the benefits are listed above)


Pros
Packaging
Price
Consistency
Adjusts to skintone
Doesn't clog pores
Reduces redness
Minimizes small pores

Cons
Minor scent
Cake-y
Causes dry skin/accentuates dry patches  
Loses the battle against acne
Sheer coverage
Doesn't minimize large pores
Wear time is short
Oil shines through after awhile


I'm sad to say this BB Cream is NOT TaylorPie approved.

Have you tried this BB Cream? What are your thoughts?



Here is a before and after picture. My model said she thought it felt light weight. However, she doesn't need as much coverage on her face. She has mild acne on her forehead and clear skin everywhere else. I did notice a difference on clear skin. It looks very natural and makes the skin look flawless. That still doesn't change my mind about my review, though. I based my review on skin that is very problematic, such as mine. You might enjoy this if you have periodic breakouts but if your skin is like mine then I say stick to foundation.


Thanks for reading, TaylorPie

Friday, July 4, 2014

Happy Independence Day




Happy Independence Day! Thank you to all of the wonderful people who serve our country. May God bless every single one of you. 

What are you doing for the 4th of July? 
Me? I'm staying home and potty training. Let's hope yours is better, haha! 

Thank you, TaylorPie. 

Thursday, July 3, 2014

Wet N Wild Megaslicks BALM STAIN review and swatches

Hello! 
It's been forever since I posted anything on my blog. I went on vacation, I'm busy with bridesmaid stuff and I'm preparing to go back to school... Not to mention I have a three year old! Anyways, the inconsistent blogging has come to an end. Yes, I do have plenty of things to do but the world of beauty isn't going to wait on me ,haha. 

Let's get started shall we?
Today, I have a pretty awesome review to share with you all. I picked these Megaslicks Balm Stains up at my local Walmart about a month ago and I have to say I'm surprised with the quality. I know Wet N Wild has legendary lipsticks but I didn't expect much from their Balm Stain. So don't be fooled by the price tag! 




The claims
Now you can amp up your lips with one stick for a kissable pout in no time. To keep your pucker-perfect, these all NEW lip balm stains glide on smoothly while conditioning the lips. Enriched win Acai Palm Oil, this amazing formula forms a protective shield on the lips to prevent feathering. Complete with six great shades and continuos moisture, the formula leaves the lips with a unique minty, dolling sensation. No matter how long the kiss, this balm will last and last.

 

Price
$2.93 each

Shades
6 shades: lady and the vamp, red-dy or not, Rico muave, a stiff pink, pinky promise and nudist colony 

Ingredients
Not listed 

Where can I buy them?
I purchased mine here.


Are the claims true?
They apply smoohly✔️
They condition the lips.✔️ A Stiff Pink does but Pinky Promise not so much. 
Doesn't feather✔️
Moisturizing✔️✖️To some degree(more info under the individual swatches)
Minty sensation✔️
They stain✔️ AStiff Pink stains beautifully but Pinky Promise is to sheer to notice.
 
I also want to point out that the balm stains do not have a scent. 

The packaging
The packaging feels cheap. Sometimes the lid falls off but hey, I would rather have cheap packaging than a cheap product. 




A stiff pink
I can't get over how pretty this shade is! It's definitely bright and perfect for this time of the year. 
This shade is very glossy looking but absent of shimmer. 
It's not tacky or annoying.
 It doesn't cling to my dry patches or dry my lips out. So, the Moisturing claim is true from that aspect. I don't think it can replace a chap stick but I'm comfortable enough to wear this alone. 
The pigmentation is bright and opaque. The left swatch is one stroke and the right is three strokes(it pretty much looks the same).
It applies evenly and doesn't feather outside of the lip line. 
The glossy wear lasts for about two hours, then your lips are left with a stiff pink stain. 
The stain fades evenly and looks lovely for up to five(ish) hours. 

I definitely recommend A Stiff Pink!


Pinky promise
This shade is very hard to photograph (probably just me haha), resulting in my pictures being bright from the light over my hand. 
Pinky Promise is a very shimmery pinky or peachy nude shade.
It's not tacky or annoying.
It's not as moisturizing as A Stiff Pink but at the same time it doesn't dry my lips out. 
It may cling to rough dry patches but you should be fine if your lips are moisturized before hand.
The pigmentation is good for this shade. Some might say it lacks in that department but it's meant to be a sheer nudy pink. So I give it a thumbs up. The left swatch is one stroke and he right swatch is three strokes in the picture above.
It applies evenly and doesn't feather outside of the lips.
Pinky promise lasts for about a hour then it's pretty much disappears. I don't notice a stain left behind but it might be too sheer to really notice.
Even though it doesn't last long I still love this shade. It's great for a quick look and it's super cute. Plus, I love using it on the center of my lips for a pouty look.

I recommend this shade if you're willing to work with it. It's so beautiful on the lips.


Have you tried the Megaslicks Balm Stains?

What are your thoughts?

Are they TaylorPie approved? Yes, the quality is all there and the price tag is nice to your wallet. 

Thanks for reading, TaylorPie.