Curiously Carmen

Estee Lauder Fall/Winter 2014 Media Preview Event (Part 1/2!)

Hi readers!

Two weeks ago, I was invited to Estee Lauder’s Fall/Winter 2014 Media Preview Event. It was a lovely afternoon spent learning many new facts about the Estee Lauder brand and meeting other people with the same passion for beauty!

This two-part post is going to be more focused on the event itself rather than a review of all the products. I will try to write reviews of the complementary products that I received in the coming months!

There were staff from Estee Lauder, as well as the PR company that invited me to attend this event. Staff from both parties were really welcoming and made us feel comfortable. In particular, I had a great conversation with the makeup artist on-site, Fiona! Props to great and kind service from both ends, I was very impressed.
photogrid_1409528231420We were first greeted by breakfast platters, and a variety of different drinks!
photo 1 (3)Some of the products Estee Lauder has lined up for the upcoming season! Our host told us that each one of those eyeshadow palettes were inspired by the pictures behind them. I really enjoyed all the shades and palettes that were there, as well as the packaging of the eyeshadows.

The palettes had either a lipstick or nail polish shade that complimented the colours in the palette. Furthermore, the lipstick packaging is actually magnetic, so no need to worry about not putting on the cap all the way by accident and ruining the whole tube.
photo 2 (2)
Moving on, the picture at the top left is a closeup of one of the new eyeshadow palettes. It was my favourite, since I loooove golden and champagne tones. At the top right, is a preview of a new line released by Estee Lauder called AERIN.

I believe it might be launched already by the time my post comes out, but the line is created by Estee Lauder’s granddaughter, Aerin Lauder. The AERIN line is more youthful, simple and neutral, as Aerin herself prefers simplistic makeup.

The bottom left picture shows the night repair lotion, day lotion, and BB cream. Last but not least, the one at the bottom right is their new cream, made with the natural antioxidant benefits of the lovely pomegrante fruit. Like the AERIN perfumes, it smelled absolutely lovely and was my guest’s favourite product that day.

Anyways, that’s it to the first part! The second part will include a revolutionary foundation brush, gold infused foundation, and a makeover! Keep posted and thanks for reading!

-Carmen

Lancôme – La Base Pro Makeup Primer

Hi readers!

I received this as a sample from Shoppers Drug Mart when I recently purchased something from their beauty department. My thoughts on this primer are mixed because on the two separate occasions I wore it, I got different results.

I don’t think I would purchase this product just because I got different results so I’m not too sure how reliable it would be, nor would I want to spend $40+ on a product I am iffy about.

I’ll start off with the application.  The primer came out like a gel, but when you applied it, it became very soft on your face, almost like a powder. I noticed that it felt very slippery and oily, and I had a feeling that my foundation would not last….  Keep reading to find out why. 
lancomeFirst impression: After applying all my makeup, I noticed that I looked really cakey and streaky. To put it frankly, it did not look nice and I felt like all my pores were magnified. I didn’t really have time to reapply it, so I tried blending it more with my brush, which helped a little.

Overall, my first impression of it was that even though it did have that “satin-soft finish” (or slippery/oily as I call it, hah) it left my face feeling pretty heavy. I never knew it was even possible to have “streaky” foundation until this product came along. (Basically, it means I saw a lot of my stroke marks from my brush).

At the end of the night, my foundation was still on  even though my face felt heavy. Unfortunately, I didn’t get any pictures in good lighting and ended up deleting the initial ones. I was really disappointed with my first impression on this primer, and was glad I got this for free.

Second impression: I didn’t want to lose hope on this primer! A few nights after, I decided to only apply the primer to half my face and ask the boyfriend which side looked more pore less & even. I was hoping that he would say the side that I didn’t put on the primer to conclude, but he actually said that the right side looked smoother!

I noticed that this time, my foundation did not appear as streaky or cakey as the initial time, even though all the products and amount were the same. I noticed that unlike the first night, my skin didn’t feel heavy or gross the whole night- I even forgot I wore it. Here is a picture I took at the end of the night:
lancome faceConclusion: After reading reviews, I noticed that users with the same skin type as mine (combination/oily) had the same problems. Therefore, I conclude that this foundation would be better suited for you if you had dry skin. It all makes sense now!

My face was probably oilier during my first application since I just took a shower before applying (I don’t know why, but my face becomes oilier after I shower) which is why it looked so cakey and streaky. The second time, I don’t remember putting on any heavy moisturizer or showering before.

That meant that my skin was drier my second time, which was why I had more success with it. But yeah, I don’t think I would buy this primer or use it again – I’ll probably give it away to a friend that has a dry skin type.

-Carmen