Musings of a Muse

Ok, are you listening?

Make sure your listening.

This is important.

For $10 USD or less you can have awesome flawless skin.

Are you in?

If you like the way my skin looks in my photos you can thank my secret weapon which I’ve been using for at least 10 years now.

It creates flawless perfection.

Seriously the best stuff I ever used in my life.

Now you know I HATE drugstore cosmetics within the US however this stuff deserves some serious props.

I discovered this when I was a wee lass and on a student budget and since I started using it I never looked back.

It can be used as my sole foundation, as a quick touch up, as a finishing powder, to hide dullness, to refresh my skin, to create the illusion of pure perfection.

Sounds too good to be true right?

But it’s true.

WHAT IS IT MUSE!?

Physicians Formula Multi-Colored Pressed Powder Palette.

Go figure right?

I’ve seriously used this stuff since I was a teen and I just love it. I recently had to purchase a new one and I thought gee I need to share this with the world.

See? Told you I needed a new one!

So here I am telling you all about my secret weapon that creates the flawlessness you see in all my photos.

The powder comes in a few different color selections but I use Creamy Natural. I think it’s safe to say that Creamy Natural should work on fair, medium, and yellow tone skin. I think this should be flattering on Asian skin but I can’t completely guarantee it as I haven’t yet convinced any of my Asian girl friends to take the dive (they are just as snobby as me when it comes to drugstore beauty brands!). However, it has so many variations of beige in it that I think it should even out yellows very nicely!

The palette is made up of several colors including white, darker, lighter, and medium shades of beige. Each color combines to create this rather amazing shade that’s completely flattering to my skin tone.

I’ve used the product as a finishing powder mostly but I can easily get away with using it as foundation. It’s truly pure perfection. It works amazing well at creating this soft focused look that I’ve never been able to duplicate with expensive powders I’ve tried. It evens out my skin tone, removes dullness, and just makes my skin look beautifully flawless.

I love the packaging too by the way! It’s a two way compact with the powder on top and a small compartment underneath for tucking in the super soft puff application it comes with.

Sadly, it does contain talc and parabens. Parabens are definately a no for many people but I don’t mind them as much and talc has been known to cause break outs however I’ve never experienced that problem with this.

Is it love?

Yes.

If I had to pick three products to take with me on a deserted island would this be one?

HELLS yes!

This one is holy grail material.

I love it and I’m kindly sharing it with you!

Go out, grab some, and try it out! I bet you’ll be hooked!

This is by far the best Beauty Budget purchase I ever made in my life and if they ever axe this from the line I might as well jump out a window! Can’t live without it!

The Muse Approves it big time!

Tried this?

Love it?

Want to try it?

What’s your holy grail powder?

Tell the Muse!

Enjoy some past Beauty on a Budget posts!

Rimmel Underground Spring Collection 2008: Rock, Spark and Spin

Physicians Formula Plump Potion Review

Latest Obsession: Aquafina Advanced Hydrating Facial Spray Review

Beauty on a Budget: Twice as Clean Gift Set

Physicians Formula Flawless Complexion Kit Review

Shiseido Kesho Wakusei Summer Collection Line Up

Terra Eyeshadow Review

When Beauty on a Budget, Goes Wrong: Prestige Skin Loving Minerals Review

A new day and a new concealer lovies!

Time to continue on with my quest for the perfect concealer.

Here’s a cheap one for you that works pretty good. Excited? Don’t be too hyped! It has it’s flaws sadly.

Physicians Formula Circle RX Concealer covers virtually everything and anything and stays on all day. It’s one of the concealers I grab for when I need SERIOUS coverage. If you’re sporting major baggage, deep, dark circles, and just generally bad problems with your under eye area here in lays your solutions.

This stuff sincerely covers anything and everything. It’s extremely pigmented and blends easily into the skin creating a very matte, fresh look to your under eye woes. It’s a yellow based concealer which we all know helps combat dark circles but this does double duty at fighting off severe dark circles and any other drama you have going on under your eyes. Although the color appears to be very yellow it does blend in well and creates good coverage that lasts at least 10 hours or more. The formula is moisturizing enough but I did find it quite drying under my eyes however if you have younger skin this might not be a problem for you. The formula is extremely dense as well and lacks the watery texture that most liquid concealers sport. It’s like a thick cream almost which accounts for ease of application.

Overall, it’s a rather great concealer that does have a few flaws.

The packaging design is both good and bad. One good thing is the very nifty slanted applicator that makes applying easy. Swipe under your eye, blend, and go. Nice. However, the lid is so difficult to get off that you’ll end up removing both the lid and applicator if you tug too hard. Major flaw in my opinion and rather annoying as well.

Secondly, the formula is drying to my eye. If you have dry skin you might want to use this only when you need the 12 hour sleep effect look otherwise avoid it as a daily concealer.

Lastly, it does contain a cocktail of parabens that may turn you off to purchasing this.

Aside from this rants I do think the concealer is a good deal at around $7-9 USD. It does a superior job of covering EVERYTHING and anything plus it has sincerely fantastic wear time.

Is it worth picking up?

Yes, for the price it’s worth having on hand for the days you get an hour or two of sleep and need to look awake and fresh!

Tried it?

Like it?

Not really?

Tell the Muse!

Tomorrow……Bobbi Brown Concealer……Worth the cash? We’ll see!

Make Up For Ever Lift Concealer Review

L’Oreal Visible Lift Concealer Review

Patricia Wexler, M.D. Instant Airbrush Concealer Pen Review

Although I normally favor Lip Venom for my lip plumping needs I couldn’t resist picking up some Physicians Formula Plump Potion Lip Gloss while I was in Harmons recently.

Not a bad Beauty on a Budget find here guys! Total cost for two large size glosses was $8.95 USD and they are seriously big glosses with tons of product inside.

The box promises instant results and plumped up lips of up to 3 times…question is does it really work?

Kinda.

I never ran across a gloss that actually plumped. Most just offer a bite or sting and a formula that’s so thick it gives the appearance of fuller lips which is just the case for Physicians Formula Plump Potion. The formula is extremely thick thus the illusion of larger, plumped up lips comes into play. So physically you’re not obtaining a Angelina Jolie pucker! Sorry ’bout that!

The formula is very thick, dense, and sports a rather weird perfume smell and taste I wasn’t loving. Once it’s on you won’t feel any painful bite or sting however you will notice a rather strange little tightening around your lips that lasts for a few seconds and quickly disappears. The original application is a sticky, tacky mess however the dry down feels very nice, natural, and you’ll barely notice you’re wearing gloss which is an absolute plus for the Muse.

The color I tried out was Rose Potion which is a nice rosy shade that has a metallic finish which looked very nice on. The package also included a free Plump Potion in clear which was great for layering on top of lipstick.

Rocking Out with my Tarte Peaches & Cream Foundation

For the price it was a rather nice deal and the formula is pretty good too plus the color is extremely pigmented.

If you’re looking for a good plumping gloss that offers the benefits of fuller lips, great color selection, and an inexpensive price Physicians Formula Plump Potion is worth checking out!

The Muse thought it was pretty great for it’s $9 buck price tag!

Definitely a Muse Approved Beauty on a Budget find!

Cure your gloss cravings with past posts and reviews on lip gloss I’ve either stashed or trashed….

L’Oreal Infallible Lipgloss Review

MAC Dazzleglass

DuWop Moon Venom Review

Smashbox O-Gloss Review

Am I using the wrong Tinted Moisturizer or are these things WAY overrated?

I don’t see the point.

Even though I’m going to give Physicians Formula Organic Wear Tinted Moisturizer an ok review I still feel like the entire idea behind tinted moisturizer has escaped my feeble little mind.

I don’t really feel like I can leave the house wearing a tinted moisturizer and some blush. It kinda feels like leaving the house in pants without underwear on (unless of course that’s your thing!). Am I making sense?

I guess the general idea of using a tinted moisturizer is to even out your complexion while giving you the benefits of SPF but seriously do you feel like you’re looking your flawless best with just the moisturizer and some blusher thrown on?

I don’t.

A reader e-mailed me yesterday and asked me have I tried the latest craze in the Korean market, BB Creams (Hi Jing!). I promptly replied explaining I had indeed and how I never understood the hype about tinted moisturizers or BB Creams. Neither does anything for me. After some discussions she convinced me that I should not make my final decision on BB Creams until I try a few brands she recommended! After a bit of chatter I’ve decided to reinvest my cash flow into some of these brands to see if they are worth my time! So expect a review from me very soon on some BB Creams. If you have no idea what BB Creams are I’ll explain further in my upcoming review.

All the tinted moisturizers (and BB Creams) have always had a few major flaws in my opinion. coverage, color, and formula. In this case Physicians Formula Organic Wear Tinted Moisturizer has a range of problems with it. I got the lightest shade available which was Fair to Light but like all tinted moisturizers it turns out it’s a rather ugly beige color that does nothing to flatter my medium fair skin tone. The color is a really dull beige which as you’ll notice on my arm, which happens to be a shade darker than my face, looks very off and unflattering.

I don’t need a whole lot of coverage as my skin is perfectly fine without it and if I so choose I can walk out of the house with a bit of cheek stain and some gloss however I feel very naked without product on my face which is a reason this doesn’t work well for me. This doesn’t cover much of anything. My face is occasionally dull so I depend on my foundation to brighten my face up and make it go from tired to flawless however I can’t depend on a simple tinted moisturizer to do that especially one in an unflattering shade of beige!

Two strikes against Physicians Formula Organic Tinted Moisturizer so far!

So far I’m not loving the color or the coverage options on this and you might be wondering if the formula and texture can redeem my poor opinion of this. Sadly, no go. The formula is very runny and watery. Obviously, since it’s Summer, we are looking for lighter coverage however a thicker consistency would make me feel like I was not only gaining more coverage and longer wear but also more moisture. The watery formula fails to make me feel like I have applied moisturizer at all!

I can’t recall the exact amount I paid for this but it’s somewhere between $7 USD and $10 USD. I think it’s safe to say that you can skip this although I will mention the cons of the product which could change your mind about investing your money in it.

Even though coverage, color, and formula wasn’t what I’d have liked to see in this it still has many redeeming qualities.

The formula is 100% paraben free, organic, cruelty free, and has an SPF of 15. It’s a very green makeup product and since many have jumped on board environmental and organic ranges of cosmetics this might be something you may want to consider investing in. I admit, sadly, that I’m not always attentive to what exactly is going on my face and I definately hand out props to Physicians Formula for breaking into this market and offering a range for those of you that are Vegan friendly.

All in all I just wasn’t loving this and can’t recommend it for purchase!

How about you?

Tried and Loved it?

Love Tinted Moisturizers? Which are your favorites?

Tell the Muse!

While browsing through the many Physicians Formula items on display I came across the Flawless Complexion Kit and decided to give it a whirl for myself!

L@@K kids a hot mess waiting to happen!

The kit includes everything you need for minimal makeup while giving a fresh, flawless look to your skin or so it says on the box! It includes a Talc-Free Mineral Face Powder, Talc-Free Mineral Blush, and Talc-Free Matte Finishing Veil.

As I said in an earlier post Physicians Formula can rarely do any wrong with items it releases and in the case of the Flawless Complexion Kit we have a dud. It’s awful.

I normally I use the Physicians Formula Powder Multi-Colored Face Powder and I felt like the Mineral Face Powder in this kit was almost an exact dupe of that powder but it turns out that this particular powder is just rubbish!

The entire kit is $19.95 USD and includes a total of three items. I really thought this was a deal as normally Physicians Formula blushes and foundations run around $9.95 USD each so this was a saving of at least $10 USD for three items. It was like buying two getting one free but honestly it was comparable to flushing my money down the toilet or burning it!

Where to start with how bad this entire kit is. It doesn’t have a single item included in it that’s good aside from MAYBE the finishing powder.

The packaging does get a minor Yay for coolness. I love packaging that includes a little hidden, under the makeup compartment to stash your brush and in this case both the mineral foundation and blush sport that design. This alone gets a Yay from me. Hey, at least it has one redeeming quality right?

The first item I’ll review is the Mineral Face Powder. I’ve no idea what they were thinking when they created this! Where as the Multi-Colored Face Powder is beautifully silky and soft this is absolutely chalky! As I buffed it into my skin I couldn’t help buy cringe. It not only made me look ashy, chalky, and made up but it also gave my appearance an absolutely disgustingly dull look. The glow and health my skin normally radiates was completely dulled as soon as I began applying! It was like someone had a light bulb on and promptly turned it off! My skin was looking fresh and dewy from my prep of toner and lotion but as soon as the powder hit..eeewwwww! What the hell?

I was counting on the blush the kit came with to lighten up the damage that the mineral powder had done! I thought for sure this would redeem my face as is but hells no it made it worst! The blush this came with is a very soft peach shade entitled Blushing Glow. It’s a mineral blush and sports the same bad effect as the mineral powder! As soon as I applied it I got the same chalky, ashy look and terribly gross appearance as if I was playing in dirt or something! You can literally see how many layers I had on at this point! One layer of mineral powder and one layer of mineral blush! At this point I imagine if I sneezed puffs of smoke would rise from my face!

Yuck!

The shade looks pretty enough in the palette but once on I thought it gave off a rather dull bronze look!

Finally, I figured I came this far I might as well finish with the Matte Finishing Veil. It can’t get any worst than this can it? Oh yes it can! The mineral veil is just another un-ending layer of chalk on my face! The brush on this is so harsh I could literally feel it scratching my skin! I’m shocked it didn’t leave some sort of mark on my face it was so hard! It does deserve a mention that the packaging on it was pretty good due to the fact that it dispersed product so well. Tip it and the powder flowed evenly into the brush! Very nice! However, the brush itself was absolute rubbish!

So now my look is complete. One layer of mineral foundation, one layer of mineral blush, and one layer of finishing veil. I imagine my face is bulletproof by this time. I’ve tried ALOT of makeup in my time but never had I felt so made up in my life. I felt like I was sporting a few pounds of powder on my face. On top of that it killed my skin! Killed it! My normally fresh, flawless skin was drowned in a see of disgusting powder that made it look dull, ashy, chalky, and just terrible!

Wow. Just wow. I can’t begin to describe to you how bad this kit truly is! I’m shocked and saddened to say as such because I truly do love Physicians Formula and believe they make some sincerely awesome products but this is awful!

I’m actually quite amazed that one little kit could do so much damage.

As you can see from my FOTD below I’m looking like hell warmed over a few times over:

Verdict: Don’t buy it! Don’t get sucked in by the cheap price and the cool array of products it includes! It’s wasted time and money! The Muse says NEVER again!

Have you tried this?

Love it?

Hate it as much as the Muse!

Tell me about it!

Click to here my ravings about Physicians Formula Cream Mineral Wear Foundation and Concealer! All for under $10 bucks!

Want more Beauty on a Budget? Get a sneak peek of upcoming reviews by clicking here!

Before I begin my review today I think it deserves a mention that I have a serious love affair with Physicians Formula cosmetics. I’ve been using the line since I was a wee teenager and have always felt they have released many products that pack a mighty fine bang for your buck! One of my favorite powders by Physicians Formula made it into my Year End Review for 2007. The line contains some seriously superior products with a really great price tag and it’s probably one of the very few drugstore brands that I trust with my money!

On to the review……

Physicians Formula has been very busy lately releasing all sorts of interesting products such as mineral wear and an organic range of cosmetics. I’ve neglected the line for a bit as I have a few staples that I normally stock up on and as I run low I always have a back up so it’s rare I need to venture into a drugstore to purchase any of the line.

Imagine my delight when I came across a big old display of Physicians Formula at the Walmart empire while shopping with my sister!

One of the first items that caught my eye was the Mineral Wear Cream Foundation. Why did that catch my eye first? It had a free gift attached. The Muse likey free gifts.

I’ve been searching for a new foundation for a while now. I use Morgen Schick Hide and Highlight palette as my main foundation but for some reason I haven’t been able to achieve the flawlessness that the palette normally gives me. My search has taken me on an endless stream of trying and ditching products rapidly as of late.

When I noticed this foundation I figured it was worth trying out for the price plus…did I mention..it came with a free gift!

This foundation is awesome. Oh my god the Muse loves it. It MAY be a tiny bit drying to some but I found it pure perfection. Silky, smooth, easy to blend, amazing coverage and takes my skin from dull to flawless in a snap! Plus did I mention it came with a free gift and it’s cheap as a day chips too? Are you in love with it yet?

One of the main things to love about this foundation is the uber awesome packaging. It comes in a squeeze style tube that has an attached sponge applicator. Squeeze a little bit of product on to the sponge and begin application by running the sponge across your face. I found that the sponge worked great at applying the product evenly and I didn’t have to touch my face a single time to blend! Coverage is amazingly good and my dull skin takes on a very nice smooth, radiant appearance in preparation for my blush. You can apply a very sheer amount if you desire or build up coverage as you see fit. The sponge applicator makes the coverage you seek easy to apply and blend.

The formula is very creamy but does feel somewhat dry once applied this could be because it dries matte but this didn’t sway my good opinion. The product is Talc-Free and claims to be fantastic for extra sensitive skin that are prone to break-outs.

Coverage lasted all day and I had no oily eruptions in the humid weather. The foundation felt weightless and breathable in the warm weather plus I looked put together and gorgeous all day!

The shade I tried was Creamy Natural which is a nice fair shade that will compliment medium fair skin tones. I stupidly didn’t pay close attention to the other colors available so I can’t say for sure if any shades are available for yellow skin tones or darker skin tones. The entire collection always appeared to cater to the fairer skin tone but maybe I haven’t paid enough attention when making my color selections.

The prepackaged foundation had a free gift as I mentioned earlier on which was a concealer click pen. I’ve tried Physicians Formula concealers prior to this and loved them but I’ve never tried this particular concealer. Turns out it’s a very good concealer. My favorite packaging for concealer is a click pen so of course I’m all on board when it comes to that style packaging! The concealer comes in a small pen, click a few times to get the product following, swipe on, pat into place and you’re dark circles are covered up and you appear awake and well rested once again! The formula is creamy and moisturizing plus it blends beautifully so minimal tugging is involved during application. All in all a very nice little concealer for the price!

The entire package cost me $9.48 USD and that’s probably the least amount I’ve ever paid for foundation and concealer in my life. I normally spend close to $30 USD for concealer alone and an additional $40-$50 for foundation. Imagine my surprise and delight that I got both a great foundation and concealer packaged together at least 80% lower to what I’m normally shelling out for product.

In all seriousness if you’re currently on a budget or you’re just looking for a cheaper solution for foundation and concealer this little package can’t be beat! I’m unsure how long they will package the two items together but even purchased separately you’re still saving yourself some serious cash!

I’ve a big supporter and believer in purchasing high end concealers and foundations. I truly support designer brands when it comes to both considering that I get better results, longer wear, and excellent coverage from counter brands! However, Physicians Formula gets a big Muse Approval for purchase as it sports all of the following bang for your buck:

• Long-Wearing
• Creamy, Moisturizing Formula
• Ridiculously Cheap Price Tag
• Excellent Packaging (Sponge Applicator, Click style pen)
• Perfect Matte Finish for Summer when skin tends to become oily

All in all I’m very happy I picked this up and I recommend trying it out for yourself! You can’t break the bank by at the very least testing it out for yourself!

The Muse is all over Mineral Wear Cream Foundation and Concealer from Physicians Formula! We have a winner here!

Use this already?

Love it?

Love Physicians Formula?

Want to try it?

Tell the Muse!

Click here to join in on the discussion of what your Beauty on a Budget finds are!