Review: [Too Faced] Cocoa Powder Foundation

Since I bought the Too Faced Milk Chocolate Soleil Bronzer, I had been thinking about getting another product from Too Faced's cocoa product line. I know most of you would think about the Chocolate Bar or the Semi-sweet Chocolate Bar Eye Shadow Palettes right away, but I already have quite a few palettes with similar shades in my collection so I decided to get this Cocoa Powder Foundation. You'll see that in this post I'm comparing this powder with my most favorite powder foundation and setting powder, the Benefit Hello Flawless Powder and the Japonesque Velvet Touch Finishing Powder.

I wanted to get the shade Light but but I thought it was a little too pink for me while the shade Golden Light was a little too dark, so the only option I had left is Fair. Now, I kinda regret not getting the shade Golden Light.

Claims:

• Exclusive Cocoa Complex is a proprietary blend of antioxidant-rich cocoa powder and moisturizing cocoa butter that work together to hydrate and smooth skin and boost your mood
• Eight flexible shades work on almost any skin tone
• Oil-absorbing
• Medium-to-full undetectable coverage
• Hyaluronic filling spheres diminish the appearance of fine lines and pores and aid with long-lasting hydration
• Crystalline Powder is made up of hexagonal-shaped platelets that slide over each other to bring out skin’s natural radiance while added pearl powder creates a soft focus effect leaving skin with a luminous rose petal finish
• Vegan Friendly
• Paraben Free

Rating kisses (out of 5): 

The packaging is very similar to the Soleil bronzers except that the color is black, not gold and that there's a sponge included underneath the actual powder.

It also smells like yummy chocolate just like the Soleil bronzers, which I love. Also, who doesn't like cocoa powder that is antioxidant-rich and may prevent or delay some types of cell damage?

It is claimed to "glide on seamlessly, blending into skin for a weightless, plush-matte, rose petal finish." Although I can see some particles in the pan, these particles don't show up on skin at all. Thus, the finish is somewhat matte and pretty smooth so I guess that looks like rose petal finish. The powder is also very fine so it does feel weightless on skin.

Now, because it is a powder foundation, I have to talk about its coverage. The coverage is light to medium; it is not medium to full like the Benefit Hello Flawless Powder. That is the reason I don't like to use it as a foundation but as a setting or touch-up powder instead.

As a foundation, I don't think it is enough to diminish the appearance of fine lines and my large pores! Because the coverage is too light, it is also hard to tell if it lasts long or not as a foundation.
As a setting powder, it does help blurring fine lines and pores but not as well as my holy grail Japonesque Velvet Touch Finishing Powder. My T-zone starts to get shiny after 4-5 hours with this powder as compared to 7-8 hours if I use the Velvet Touch powder. Thus, it's oil-absorbing feature is average

My final thought is that I really like it because of the fact that it has a very nice soft texture and smells amazing. I don't love it like I love my Japonesque Velvet Touch Finishing Powder which actually blurs my pores a lot or my Benefit Hello Flawless Powder Foundation which has more coverage, but I can see myself repurchasing it just to bring it with me everyday to touch up. I really enjoy putting this powder on.

So ... if you've tried it before, let me now in the comment section below!

Review: [theBalm] Sexy Mama Anti-Shine Translucent Powder

Sexy Mama Anti-Shine Translucent Powder is one of the popular products from theBalm that I had wanted to try. I got mine and Kohl's with my Kohl Cash so I paid only $10 instead of $20.

Surprisingly, this translucent powder doesn't have the white color like my Japonesque Velvet Touch Finishing Powder or the Skin Food Peach Sake Silky Finish Powder so it might be less scary for ones who don't have fair and light skin. There's no scent so people who are sensitive with scented makeup don't have to worry.

Rating kisses (out of 5): 

Pros:
- Cute and light packaging, good for travel.
- Kills shine instantly.
- Doesn't cake.
- Good oil-control

Cons:
- Texture is not very fine, feels a little grainy when I touch it.
- Doesn't blur my imperfection. ( I know it doesn't promise to do so but I expect that because of the price)

Review: [Skin Food] Powder, Toner, Makeup Remover and Masks

Today will be about the first Skin Food products I've purchased including Peach Sake Silky Finish Powder, Peach Sake Toner, Rose Shake Point Makeup Remover, Black Sugar Strawberry Mask Wash Off and Banana Yogurt Mask Wash Off. I bought these products from my favorite Korean cosmetics online store Honestskin.com.

Skin Food has been known for using natural ingredients for its products and I had been wanting to try them out. Overall, I've been enjoying these products and I'm sure I will buy more from the brand.

Peach Sake Finishing Powder (and Peach Sake Pore Pact)

    

Rating kisses (out of 5): 

Pros:

• Nice peachy scent
• Affordable 
• Just as the name suggests, it is a finely milled powder that is silky smooth, very comfortable to wear. I'm amazed with the quality of this powder considering its price.
• Makes my face soft like a baby's butt (might be a con 'cause I can't stop touching my face, lol)
• Decent oil control
• Cute vintage cardboard packaging that looks like wood

Cons:

• Might be too white for darker skin tone
• Not for travel since it's a loose powder
• Comes with just a little amount of powder
• The buff is soft but not very useful. It's better to apply with a brush

I also want to talk a little about Peach Sake Pore Pact. I bought it by accident and gave it to my friend. The pore pact is also smooth but needs a little rubbing to pick up enough amount of product. It has the same peachy scent. It is too small for my liking but because it's light, it's easy to be carried around.

Peach Sake Toner

Rating kisses (out of 5): 

Pros:

• Again, nice peachy scent
• Slightly smooth out my complexion 
• Takes away the remaining makeup, dirt and oil making skin feel very clean and fresh
• I can't read the ingredient list in Korean but it doesn't feel like having alcohol. (UPDATE: it does have alcohol listed as the second ingredient. Also, sake is Japaneses wine, duh! So I'm moving this bullet point to Cons.)

Cons:

• I like the glass sake-bottle packaging which makes it look high-end but the bottle is heavy and can't be dropped. Needless to say, traveling with it is a bad idea.

Rose Shake Point Makeup Remover

It has 2 separated layers so you have to shake before use.

Rating kisses (out of 5): 

Pros:

• Gentle for eyes and lips yet remove makeup pretty well
• Doesn't sting make my eyes since it doesn't contain alcohol
• Nice rosy scent which I love!

Cons: None

Black Sugar Strawberry Mask Wash Off and Banana Yogurt Mask Wash Off

Rating kisses (out of 5): 

Pros:

• Smells yummy!!!
• Black Sugar Strawberry exfoliate face and lips gently
• Skin feels smooth afterwards 

Cons: None

I use the Black Sugar Strawberry once/week and the Banana Yogurt twice/a week. Because I like to apply mask while I'm in the shower so when my skin seems to look brighter, I'm not sure it's the result of the shower or the masks. One thing I'm pretty sure is I normally have to apply moisturizer as soon as I get out of the shower because my skin normally feels dry and tighten but after using the masks, I don't have to anymore. However, for those having dry skin, I advise you not to rely on the masks and still follow your moisturizing routine. 

Review: [Japonesque] Velvet Touch Finishing Powder

After failing to find a powder foundation, I'm going back to liquid foundation/BB cream and instead had been looking for a good finishing powder that can keep my face from getting oily during these hot months. My current favorite: Japonesque Velvet Touch Finishing Powder (only available at Ulta for now).

Talc is listed first in the ingredients. I personally don't concern it too much of a danger but you can pass this product if you want to avoid talc. Read about talc: http://www.cosmeticsinfo.org/HBI/26

Packaging:        

I have to admit that this product caught my attention with its artistic packaging although it's just plastic, nothing fancy. Don't you think it's awesome that no single powder has the same pattern? Hmm, making me feel special ... I appreciate the mirror included. It comes with a thin good-quality sponge but I prefer using my EcoTools Sheer Finish Kabuki brush.

Texture:            

This is the smoothest and silkiest powder I've ever touched. If you know the feeling of touching very soft and creamy powder eyeshadow (like Lorac Pro), you will know what I'm talking about. It is finely milled and even states "Microfine Finishing Powder" on the box; I think this technology is the main selling point. What else? It doesn't look cakey despite how much I put on and feels so light that I think it just melts right onto my skin. My face doesn't feel itchy like when I use the Urban Decay Razor Sharp Ultra Definition Finishing Powder. Sorry UD's fans, I'm just super sensitive to the feel of powder on my skin.

Performance:    

This powder has only 1 universal shade (01) which is transparent; that means it doesn't change the color of my foundation. However, be sure to apply evenly or you'll end up with white marks of powder on your face. I love how it creates such a polished look and smooth out my complexion given the fact it's transparent. It doesn't emphasize pores and fine lines.
In terms of mattifyng effect, it does eliminate the shine on my face instantly. Although this completely matte finish doesn't stay the same for the whole day, my extremely oily t-zone is less shiny than it is without the powder. My skin looks glowy - not shiny; if I like my make up to be matte all day, I would need to reapply 1-2 times during the day. I haven't tested it when I'm more active outdoor and sweating, but I don't think any powder can withstand the sweat.

Scent:                

When I sniff the powder on the pan directly, it has a faint unpleasant scent, smelling like melting plastic. I don't actually smell anything when I apply the powder with a brush but if I use the sponge, the sponge stinks so bad! I think people who are very sensitive with scented makeup will not like this fact.


Overall, I like this finishing powder very very much so it has become my current go-to powder. The scent is hardly noticeable since I normally use a powder brush. Now I can't go out without the perfect matte finish this product gives. I haven't found any other powder that can give me such a nice look and a great feel so I'll stick with this one for a very long time.

Have you tried this powder yet? Feel free to leave a comment about what you think and don't forget to join my blog for more beauty posts ;) .