Saturday, April 3, 2021

Sunny Days and A Zoya Darling Floral Dotticure

 

Press Sample

It's been a toasty week as we've been in the 90's, and I think we just might hit triple digits at some point this weekend! The plants have been loving the weather and throwing out blooms, and I had to grab the Zoya Darling Collection for another floral manicure.


I really loved my Monet/Impressionist painting-inspired florals from the previous week, but I wanted a more obvious floral look this time around. I opted to go with a quick dotticure version for a fast nail art design.


To create the look, I started off with Zoya Tweedy as my base shade. I then used a dotting tool to create different sized petals using Val and Joyce. I then dotted Mara over Val and Kayleigh over Joyce.


I love dotticures because you really cannot mess them up, and you can come up with some cute designs if you want something other than a randomly sprinkling of dots (which I also love).

Have you picked up Zoya's Darling Collection for Spring 2021? Zoya has also released their new EasyNeon Collection as a preorder for those eager to get some eye-searing brights on their nails! I'm enjoying the spring shades a lot right now, but with our temps soaring, I'm going to want to brights soon!

Until next time, dear readers, have a wonderful day!
XO!



Helpful Links

Wednesday, March 31, 2021

Protect Your Skin with All About Soo's Sun Stage Sunscreens

 Happy hump day, dear readers! I hope you've had a wonderful week so far! The temperatures are suddenly soaring this week after several chilly days last week, and I am loving it! No matter what the weather is like, it is still important to wear sunscreen. Obviously it is much easier to remember to do so what it is sunny and bright outdoors. With the weather heating up and more people wanting to be outside (although sunscreen inside is still recommended!), what could be a better time than to share new-to-me sunscreens? Let's do this!



I had the opportunity to try out two sunscreen products from Korean brand All About Soo. Both offer high protection at SPF 50 and conveniently offer a mostly hands-free application.

Sun Stage Mega Cushion SPF 50+ PA++++

Cushion compacts are popular with Kbeauty products, and we're certainly seeing them more here in the US! While I'm not an expert in Kbeauty products, I haven't seen a cushion compact sunscreen before.


As expected, it opens up to the puff applicator on top.


Simply remove the puff, flip the top layer up, and the cushion containing sunscreen is below. A quick dab with the puff transfers the sunscreen on to the puff for easy dabbing on to your face.


This sunscreen is quite sizable and is larger than the size of my palm!



Sun Stage Cool Stick SPF50+ PA++++

Another option is this twist scroll-up sunscreen applicator. The Cool Stick SPF contains Glacial Water and water mint to instantly cool the temperature of your skin.


Simply remove the cap, scroll up the product, and swipe across your skin for both a subtle cooling affect and protection from more of the sun's rays!


The packaging is a little smaller than the cushion compact sunscreen, but it is still quite sizable and fits comfortably in the palm of my hand.




Left: SunStage Cool Stick
Right: Sunstage Mega Cushion Compact

As you can see, not only are the application methods different, the sunscreens look quite different from each other when applied to the skin. The cool stick applies with just the slightest bit of blue-green which blends in with the skin. It leaves a dewy finish to the skin: great for dry and normal skin types, but not so ideal for those with oily skin. That said, it plays well under makeup so the dewy finish can be hidden with cosmetic and powdering options! That makes the cool stick a good option for those who have a darker colour and want to avoid the white cast of many sunscreens.

As you can see in the photo above, the cushion sunscreen does leave a white cast on the skin, so it is more suitable for paler skin tones or those that wear makeup to bring your skin back to its normal colouring. It dries down to a softer, skin-like finish: not dewy but not a harsh matte either. I think this formula would work well for any skin type.

I'm not really sure which of these sunscreens I prefer. I personally prefer the finish of the cushion as a combination skin girl (not to mention the heat is going to make me glisten with sweat very soon), but I'm not too crazy about the white cast. While I do wear makeup, I don't wear it every day. The white cast does make it a necessity! As for the cooling stick, I like not having to worry about the white cast but I don't need extra shine on my face. I suppose a quick pop of powder would mute that dew quickly. I've been using the stick a lot on my upper body lately: chest and shoulders, as I don't mind the glow there!


I was provided both these sunscreens for review/consideration directly from the brand, but if you are US based, you'll have to purchase from a Kbeauty supplier. I have included links about for these specific products from ECosmeticWorld as they carry both of these products, but they can be found elsewhere. I have no affiliation whatsoever with ECosmeticWorld, so please feel free to shop wherever you prefer! I just wanted to provide a convenient location to purchase should you be interested in both of these items.

Have you tried either of these sunscreens from All About Soo? If so, which did you try? If not, what style of application would you prefer to use? I'd love to hear from you!

Until next time, dear readers, have a wonderful day!
XO!




Connect with me on Social Media!

Saturday, March 27, 2021

Highlights from the Beauty Spotlight Team

 


Have you had a busy week? Have you not had the time to catch up on blog posts from the week? If so, the Beauty Spotlight Team is here for you to help you play catch up on our group's favorite posts from the week. There is a little something for every beauty lover out there, no matter what your preferred product type! Without further ado, here's a latest set of links to check out!


Are you using EXPIRED beauty products? If you are not doing a yearly Spring Cleaning, you are. Find out when your beauty products expire and how to prepare our beauty stash for Spring as Barbies Beauty Bits shares HOW TO SPRING CLEAN YOUR BEAUTY PRODUCTS!



Jen over at Laugh, Love, Contour has really thrown herself into the Spring season this week, and it shows! One of her posts this week features nail art using shades from Zoya’s new Darling Collection for spring. If you’re hunting for nail art suggestions, be sure to check out her Impressionist painting inspired floral look for a quick and easy nail art design!



Red Eyed Lacquer released her Think, Think, Think Collection this week and Kristi over at BeginNails has swatches of her Winnie The Pooh inspired collection. 



Have you ever had a hot flash? If so you’ll really appreciate Hot Girls Pearls. Prime Beauty shows you how pretty they are and how very useful especially with warmer weather heading our way.



Lola’s Secret Beauty Blog gave you a preview of Boxwalla’s April Beauty Box: Spring in Spain featuring Twelve Beauty, and now you will want to read the full review. This is an amazing value featuring two ultra-luxe, and highly effective, products!



Are you interested in makeup subscriptions? Ipsy has grown through the years and the boxes are no longer just samples. Allison from Never Say Die Beauty found some keepers in her latest bag. Would you?


Connect with me on Social Media!


On Instagram

© Laugh, Love, Contour. Made with love by The Dutch Lady Designs.