Anyone who travels a lot will tell you how painfully boring airport layovers can be. You see throngs of people walking with a purpose, knocking into you while dragging their luggage at 100mph like their life depends on it. And then you’ll also see another bunch of people walking aimlessly like a bunch of zombies looking for their next feed.
Scratch that…actually airport layovers can be quite interesting for people watching.
Do you know what else airport layovers are good for?
Shopping. Lots and lots of duty free shopping and that’s how I got my hands on Bobbi Brown Intensive Skin Serum Foundation SPF40 from KLIA.
Initially I wanted to write a short review for this foundation as a part of FOTD (face of the day) post but I changed my mind after seeing how different this foundation is on others in comparison to me.
Just to change things up a little, I’m going to get my claws out first today.
The ^&$$%#^%&*^!! packaging.
The first two times I used this foundation, I had zero problems with it. I was on cloud nine, the dropper was fuss free and easy to dispense the perfect amount needed. And then I read the instruction on Sephora.com
“Suggested Usage:
-Shake the bottle well and pull the dropper out halfway.
-Squeeze and hold the bulb while reinserting dropper completely into the bottle, then release.
-Remove dropper from the bottle and squeeze the bulb to dispense foundation onto hand or brush.”
All effing hell broke loose when I did that. It was an eruption of foundation all over the bottle and it was a &*%&$%%^$!!!! mess! My heart weeps for the amount of wastage and I was tempted to scoop the mess for that day’s application but I told myself “Shireen, you are NOT! stooping that low…ever!”
My suggestion? Don’t pull the dropper out half way and then press the gawd damn bloody bulb, just do the whole damn routine with the bulb deep inside the bottle. In my mind it’s the same thing without the whole damn mess.
Now that we got that sticky, messy bit out of the way, let’s talk about the good and why I’m head over heels in love with this foundation.
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| All that I need for a full face application |
Let’s talk about the texture. It’s not too thick but neither is it runny and light so it’s a comfortable middle which makes it blend so easily into the skin. It does have a faint lavender scent to it which I personally find to be pleasing but judging from what I’ve read online, some are not a fan of it.
I’m going to touch briefly on lavender oil being one of the ingredients in this foundation because I have seen a few making a huge fuss out of it and it was also the sticky point on Paula’s Choice review. Now, I am in no way an expert however in making my own research on lavender oil and why some people are up in arms about it, I came across this article (read here). The article is written by an essential oils expert that disputes the fact about lavender oil being..well, for the lack of a better word or in this case, phrase; is the evil of all evils that is out to destroy the world you know as your dearest skin. I’ll leave it to you to make your own judgement that unless you are allergic to lavender oil, is it really as bad as some make it out to be.
Another interesting ingredient that was listed is cordyceps which is a very popular Chinese herb and has long been used for its healing properties when ingested. It is most commonly given to new mothers so their body recuperates faster. I am not sure how effective it is when applied topically however, Bobbi Brown must have found something to have this expensive herb added into this foundation.
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| WITHOUT primer |
The finish of this foundation is what really won me over, it gives the most healthy, radiant, luminous glow to my skin, something that has been severely lacking as I get older. It gives a medium coverage depending on the amount that you use. I do advise to start very little and slowly build it up as needed because it’s easy to over-apply with this foundation and it will look cakey.
I rarely use a primer beneath this foundation because I love how hydrating it feels on my dry skin. It’s not the most long lasting foundation without primer as I usually notice some fading at the 6 – 7 hours mark however, I easily get a 9-10 hours wear with a primer. Be forewarned that if you have large pores, you best use a pore minimizer primer or this foundation will highlight them so clearly to the point the man on the moon is able to see them.
Bobbi Brown Intensive Skin Serum Foundation is one of the best if not the best high end foundation that I have ever tried and it’s well worth the money. That being said, I think this foundation is only suitable for dry, normal and combination skin but with some powder. Unfortunately, I don’t see oily skin lovelies enjoying this as much as I do because of its hydrating nature.
MOTD: Experimenting with pink eyeshadow
This look was inspired by Pam (read here) and Rachel (read here) very recent collab on how to wear pink eyeshadow. Initially I wanted to use Urban Decay Gwen Stefanie eyeshadow palette because the shade Harajuku is one of the most stunning, wearable pink but I was determined to use Smashbox Full Exposure palette since I vowed to myself that I will be using it for the next two weeks. I had to dig out the long forgotten Medusa Makeup eyeshadow in shade Dessert Rose for this and I’m quite happy with the result.
My eye shape is really wonky (thanks dad!) so it’s almost impossible for me to photograph the eye makeup when I am looking into the camera but I am pretty proud to successfully capture how it looks from the side.
What do you think about wearing pink eyeshadows? Do you think Bobbi Brown Intensive Skin Serum Foundation SPF40 is right for you?