Guerlain: Lingerie de Peau Invisible Skin Fusion Foundation

Back in 2015 I purchased my bottle of Guerlain Lingerie de Peau, which is still to date the most I've ever spent for a foundation. While high-end foundations (and skincare in general) is no longer my thing as I've since realized there are many high quality and more budget friendly options from Korean and other international brands, I figured I would post up my impressions of this in case anyone was debating whether to buy this.

I posted up a video with me trying out the foundation live, so feel free to watch to get a better feel of the consistency.

To start with, the packaging is quite typical of high end brands, in a transparent and hefty glass bottle. The price is certainly not for the budget seeker, as a 1 oz bottle runs for $63. That said, what always drew me to this foundation is the incredibly smooth and natural coverage it gives my skin, without causing flakes and other issues (which I too commonly experience with other foundations due to my dry skin.)

The reason I haven't reached for it as much as hoped (I mean I've had this now for 5 years, but just can't bear parting with given how much I paid...) is because of the relative lack of skincare benefits and SPF vs the many Korean alternative BB creams I have, which also give good coverage. It feels unnecessary as well for me to wear such a high coverage cream in my day to day, as while I want to impress people, I'd rather do it while wearing something that's better for my skin.

I've included the ingredients snapshot below - indeed, a lot of stuff in there featuring chemicals (as I find to be true with most classic Western brands) and also SPF 20 is quite insufficient for daily use. As an aside, if your tinted moisturizer or foundation contains greater than SPF 30, you can usually use your FSA funds towards its purchase, as it qualifies for SPF benefits (at least for me that's been the case). Thus, it's always a shame when foundations shirk us with not only less protection but remove that option (and especially when they're as pricey as this one!)

That being said, the finish is undeniably beautiful. The consistency of the product is fairly runny, enabling an even application, and it never feels drying on my skin unless I've worn for the whole day (in which case, I do sometimes see some cracking). It's not the most moisturizing though, and I find my skin generally reacts better to hydrating BB creams and such. 

I keep this product sealed up in my fridge for now, which I hope will help it preserve its efficacy and strength. My recommendation for you? The landscape of face creams / foundations is so broad now, so venture out beyond the big names. It's a good foundation, but if I could go back in time I would not repurchase, as you could get 2-3 other great options for this price. 

 

Ipsy: August 2017 Glam Bag Unboxing

[Belated post] As of Aug 2017 I had been a loyal Ipsy subscriber for almost 2 years, and for good reason as each bag provided a plethora of worthwhile items. This month's bag contained the following:

First Aid Beauty

Skin Rescue Deep Cleanser with Red Clay

 

I haven't used many First Aid Beauty products, but this cleanser is surprisingly effective. It squeezes out a translucent red color, and is something between a cleansing milk and a traditional foaming cleanser. It doesn't foam up per se, but it definitely gets soapy, yet manages to be non-drying (and I have very dry skin, so am normally extremely sensitive to this. It also gets out all of my makeup, which I was surprised by - seriously, even eyeliner. 

The only thing I'm not a fan of is that it contains Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate as a top ingredient, which accounts for the slight foaming action. I'm not a fan of any Sodium Lauryl type product, as they can be very damaging to the skin. But I do like this and find it fun to use.

Eyeko

Black Magic Mascara

 
All Eyeko eye products, be they mascaras or eyeliners have generally impressed me, as I have historically experienced very little smudging (which is always a concern with monolids). To be honest, I unfortunately wasn't able to give this product a fair shake, as it dried up in its packaging before I had a chance to use it (this was about two years later). That in itself is a down mark for this, as I would hope that unopened mascaras could last longer. But alas.

LXMI
LXMI Crème du Nil Pore-Refining Moisture Veil 

 

This is definitely my favorite product of the month. I just feel like moisturizers are the most worth the money, especially when they are all natural like this. It squeezes out as a white cream, and is not heavy yet still moisturizing. I would definitely take their advice and use it together with a facial oil.

Ingredients

water, butyrospermum parkii (shea nilotica) butter, glycerin, squalane, octyldodecyl olivate, caprylic/capric triglyceride, candililla jojoba/rice bran polyglyceryl-3 esters, glyceryl stearate, cetearyl alcohol, aloe barbadensis leaf juice, hibiscus sabdariffa (hibiscus) hydrosol water, vanilla planifolia (vanilla) hydrosol water, hibiscus sabdariffa flower extract, sodium hyaluronate, gluconolactone, sodium stearoyl glutamate, stearoyl lactylate, xanthan gum, sodium benzoate, fragrance*. *natural.

 

I sadly lost details of the remaining two products (an eyeliner and stencil face brush), I think the brush was quite good but the eyeliner isn't super memorable

Ou; Glo

High Collagen Face Mask

I received this with my bonus points; to be honest I have no memory of it, although at this point all face masks seem interchangeable to me (all are hydration focused and to be honest not something I'm the biggest fan of since they make my hair greasy)