Tag: makeup tips

Setting Spray Showdown Round 2: One/Size, MAC, Milk, Danessa Myricks, Milani, and Hourglass

Featuredby liftbakeloveLeave a Comment on Setting Spray Showdown Round 2: One/Size, MAC, Milk, Danessa Myricks, Milani, and Hourglass

Welcome back to the Setting Spray showdown! This is the second full round in my setting spray showdown series, where I’m testing popular formulas side by side to see what actually makes a difference in real life. I’ll be doing the same makeup, with the same lighting, for at least 16 hours for each test. I’ve also been testing all of these setting sprays for months before doing these elimination rounds. For this round, I did all of the matches in this post since I’ve already talked about each spray at length in previous posts. In this post, all links are affiliate links (thank you for your support!), but all opinions are my own.

Round 2, Match 1: One/Size On ’Til Dawn Mattifying vs MAC Fix+ Stay Over – This one was honestly frustrating to kick off this round with because these are two of my favorite setting sprays, and I’d genuinely recommend either depending on what you want. If you’re looking for a more matte, smoothed, blurred finish and maximum hold for your makeup, One/Size absolutely delivers. It mattifies, blurs, and keeps everything in place all day. But the MAC Fix+ Stay Over surprised me by keeping my makeup staying looking good just as well as the One/Size while also having a better skin finish. It managed to smooth and blur while still maintaining a hydrated, skin like, slightly dewy finish, and my makeup still stayed together all day. I was really impressed that it held its own against the One/Size while also making my skin look hydrated and natural, so MAC is moving on. Note that I have dry skin and it’s the winter, so if you have combo or oily skin, you might really like One/Size.

Round 2, Match 2: Milk Makeup Hydro Grip vs Danessa Myricks Blurring Balm Spray – I want to be fair to Milk because on its own or compared to plenty of other sprays, it really does work well, but head to head, Danessa Myricks made it obvious which of these two was moving on. The Milk side looked good at the start, but it looked way more textured as the day went on and the makeup seemed to fall apart faster. By end of day, it looked a more broken up on that side, almost like I hadn’t used a setting spray at all relative to the other side. The Danessa Myricks side, meanwhile, stayed noticeably smoother, blurred, and put together all day long. Everything stayed melded and cohesive instead of separating and getting textured. Way more easily than I expected, Danessa Myricks is moving on.

Round 2, Match 3: One/Size Powder Melt vs Milani Make It Last Dewy – This was another round where I really struggled to pick a winner. Right after spraying, Milani Make It Last Dewy looked more natural, while One/Size Powder Melt looked noticeably glassier and glowier. Both melted my powders together nicely, but the Milani felt like it slightly thinned the makeup, while One/Size kept everything more intact at the start. By my 6:30 p.m. check in though, most people I sent photos to actually preferred the Milani side because it looked smoother, even though the One/Size side held the makeup a little better. By the end of the day, both sides honestly still looked great and I’m not sure you’d really be able to tell the difference. So, I’m giving this round to Milani for that tiny bit of a smoother, less textured, more natural finish overall, and the huge price difference between them. The One/Size is still one of my favorites, and I will absolutely be finishing this bottle, but I feel confident recommending the Milani for a dewy, melt your makeup together spray.

Bye round: Hourglass Veil Soft Focus moves on. Because of the number of sprays in this showdown, one of them had to get a bye round this time, and Hourglass Veil Soft Focus is the one moving on automatically based on how the bracket shook out. I don’t mind at all, because it was one of my favorites from Round 1, and I’m excited to see how it stacks up against the Milani Make It Last Dewy.

Who’s moving on from this round: MAC Fix+ Stay Over, Danessa Myricks Blurring Balm Spray, Milani Make It Last Dewy, and Hourglass Veil Soft Focus.

What other products would you like me to review? Let me know if there’s anything else you’d like to see here, and thanks for reading! As always, some links may be affiliate links that support the blog, but all reviews/opinions are completely my own and unsponsored.

About-Face Brand Review: Testing Olive Foundation Shades, Brown-Toned Products, and More

Featuredby liftbakeloveLeave a Comment on About-Face Brand Review: Testing Olive Foundation Shades, Brown-Toned Products, and More

I’ve been trying out a bunch of About Face products lately, and I have to say, I’ve been pretty impressed overall. Some of them have quickly become staples in my routine, while a few have some quirks worth mentioning. I wanted to share my thoughts on what really stood out—both the hits and the misses—and why some of these are definitely worth checking out. Thank you to About Face for sending me a few extra products to test – products marked with * are ones that were sent, otherwise I bought things myself. In this post, all links are affiliate links (thank you for your support!), but all opinions are my own and unsponsored.

The Performer Foundation in F2 Olive and L2 Olive* – I love this foundation so much I have it in two shades (one for winter and one for summer). This is a super lightweight serum-y medium coverage foundation that builds really easily. It has a skin-like finish that’s hydrating but not overly dewy. It doesn’t dry out my skin, and it wears really well throughout the day. I particularly love that they have actual olive shades – this is one of the only foundations I own that I don’t have to wear with a green color corrector. In the swatches, L2 Olive is pulling a bit more yellow than I find it to be in real life but keep in mind these are definitely warm olive shades. The packaging isn’t my favorite because I don’t prefer a giant doefoot, but that’s not enough to keep me from using this constantly over my other foundations. *I bought the original two bottles myself, and the brand sent me a new L2 Olive which I’m so excited to have.

F2 Olive, L2 Olive, Capulets

Matte Fluid Eye Paint in Capulets – I’ve been using the Merit Solo Shadows so much as one and dones or as a base that I totally forgot I had this About Face liquid eyeshadow. I decided to try it again, and I’m so happy I did. It’s so easy and fast to throw on and blend out with a finger or a brush. It dries fast enough that I can easily put other things on top of it but not too fast that it gets stuck where I don’t want it. Capulets is a perfect light brown that doesn’t go orange on me (as someone with an olive undertone, that tends to happen a ton with browns). It also has great lasting power so I love to throw this on when I only have 2 seconds and then can add other things on top of it later in the day, and it’ll still look just as good.

Cheek Freak Blush Balm– This blush dries down to a matte finish that actually lasts such a long time for a cream blush. It starts off really balmy so it’s really easy to pick up on a brush or finger and blend into the skin, and then it stays where it is. I also love how the packaging matches the color of the blush since I have three of these – it’s always easy to find the one I want. Laid in particular is a super bright pink blush that is just the quickest way to that flushed look, especially in the summer. If I want to look really awake and hydrated, this is my go to since it’s so bright and flattering. Get Some is a warm rose that gives a soft, natural flush that pairs well with almost any makeup look. I wanted it to be more brown but it definitely leans more in the red direction on me. Score is a beautiful bright purple that is so good for warm olive skintones. This was one of my first real purple blushes, and I’m so glad it introduced me to how good purple looks on me.

Laid, Score, Get Some

The Curtain Call Set & Smooth Loose Powder* – This powder is a bit tricky for me because it ended up being a little too drying for my undereye area, which is usually my primary use for setting powders. However, I have it in the pink shade, and it actually works really well for brightening around other parts of my face, especially the center of my forehead and other areas where I want to highlight without using an actual highlighter. It has a finely milled texture that blends seamlessly without emphasizing texture, making it perfect for targeted brightening rather than an all-over powder. If you don’t have incredibly dry skin, you might really love this powder, and I do really like how the pink doesn’t actually read as pink on my face.

Coquette and Side Eye

Blurred Matte Lip Plump Soft Matte Liquid Color in Side Eye and Coquette* – I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved this formula. It has a soft matte finish that’s incredibly comfortable and doesn’t dry out my lips at all, which is impressive for a matte lip product. It genuinely does make my lips appear plumper and smoother. The plump comes from a mentholy/minty type of ingredient, so be aware if you’re sensitive to that. Side Eye is a “nude brown” but I find it leans quite warm and almost turns too orange on me. I’m happy it doesn’t though because I think it’ll be great for summer with bronzy looks. Coquette is a classic soft pink that just looks really nice. For my high contrast features, I wish it was a little bit darker, but it’s easy to throw on and goes with a lot of what I tend to wear. The staying power is fantastic, and even as it wears off, it leaves behind a soft, even tint.

What other products would you like me to review? Let me know if there’s anything else you’d like to see here, and thanks for reading! As always, some links may be affiliate links that support the blog, but all reviews/opinions are completely my own and unsponsored.