Skindinavia - Great Products from Beginning To End!

A few mths back I heard about Skindinavia on a makeup artist forum.  Many artists were raving about their setting spray and w/ wedding season right there I thought why not give them a try!

Often times one of the biggest compliments I can get as an artist is when a bride comes back to me and says my makeup looked amazing even at the end of the night!  In fact some of my favourite pictures are the ones where I see the bride at the reception dancing it up looking as flawless and beautiful as she did 10 or 12 hrs earlier when I first applied the makeup.  Having the makeup last through the heat, tears and kisses of a wedding is also one of the biggest concerns for brides so having a good setting spray to give it that extra bit of hold is always a good thing.  I always tell brides - It's like hairspray for the face (except a lot less sticky) ;) and in fact sometimes I think just the idea of using a setting spray at the end of the makeup applications helps the bride feel more secure and confident that her makeup is going to last...and when I'm doing it it always does ;)

But Skindinavia doesn't just have a setting spray - they also have a Primer too!  Basically, they are hitting your face w/ their Temperature Control Technology in the beginning and end of the makeup application. For those that are wondering what exactly "Temperature Control Technology" is and how it works follow this link.

The benefits of this technology include:  Oil Control, Diminished Shine, Skin retains moisture longer, Keeps makeup fresh throughout the day and prevents colour loss.  Plus all of their products are formulated w/out Parabens and they are Hypoallergenic, Non-Comedogenic, Oil-Free, Breathable and Lightweight on the skin.  Pretty much every person I use the primer and setting spray on comments on how refreshing and nice the mist feels on their skin at the beginning and end of the makeup appt.

The Primer is their newest product and I should also mention it's silicone free which is a major bonus for a lot of people and I know personally I sometimes find silicone primers have too much slip or can ball up on the skin.  It also helps to minimize redness, uneven skin and large pores.

One of my favourite things about Skindinavia has got to be their Pro Program!  Not only do they often have awesome Deals and Makeup Artist Kits but if you are a Pro and sign up for their Pro program and email them after you've made your order they will DOUBLE your order for FREE - YES you read that correct!!! Even if you aren't a Pro you can take advantage of their Makeup Artist Kits and great shipping rates for both USA and Canada!  I love when companies don't charge an arm and a leg to ship to Canada - I've literally not ordered from some companies b/c their shipping was ridiculous!

Another great plus is the little travel size bottles of the setting spray and/or primer that come w/ the order. I'm all about condensing my kit so I just refill those little bottles from the big bottle!

So w/ all these great benefits and the hot weather upon us I definitely think Skindinavia is a company worth checking out!

From The Lab - Primers

I'm always on the look out for a great primer so when a relatively new company called From The Lab contacted me to try out their Eye and Face Primers I was totally game!  I've actually been using these primers regularly for the past couple of mths on myself so the must be pretty good as I'm still using them lol!

First I'll start w/ the Eyelift Primer No. 328 - Like all eyelid primers it's primary purpose is to help eye makeup last longer, prevent creasing of shadow and also enhance the vibrancy of eye shadow.  I'd definitely say it does all of these things.  I don't wear eye shadow most of the time to be honest but for special occasions I do and I didn't have any sort of eye shadow creasing problems while wearing it.

What makes this primer just a little more "special" then some of the others on the market is it does have a luminous finish w/ just a touch of shimmer so it looks great alone w/out shadow if you just want to neutralize and brighten up the lid area a bit.  But beware if you're looking for a matte eye primer this is not the primer for you!

It also has beneficial ingredients like Para Cress Flower Extract which help w/ collagen production and increase skin's natural lifting capacities and it helps reduce fine lines and wrinkles so not only will this help your eye makeup stay put but it also acts as an anti-aging lid cream - bonus!

Face Primer No 327 - Like the eyelid primer the face primer's main purpose is to help your skin look more smooth and luminous and to prolong your face makeup day to day.  I do use a primer every day on my skin before my foundation b/c I have OILY skin!  What I like about this primer is that it doesn't feel greasy or thick going on like some other face primers on the market - very light!  But one thing I'll say is beware the colour - it's lightly tinted white and it says it dries invisibly and works on every skin tone but I don't know if I totally believe that for darker skin.  It worked on me but I do have hesitations that it would be a good fit for darker skin tones..that's just my personal opinion.

Like the eye primer it also has anti-aging  benefits in the form of Peruvian Rhatany Root Extract.  It also has anti-irritants to reduce inflammation, calming the skin and Sarcosine visibly minimizes the pores.

Also, it should be mentioned that all their products are paraben free and not tested on animals...I know that's a big thing for a lot of people these days!

These products are not available in stores yet and are done through a membership program on their site. They are available to both USA and Canada which is great b/c it's annoying for us Canadians when places won't deliver here ;) and they promise a 100% satisfaction guarantee promise - if you aren't happy return the products for a refund!