Marcelle HydraC Radiance 24H Hydrating Fluid Review

Among the attendees at the first Toronto Beauty Blogger Meetup was Isabel Picard, Director,  Public and Consumer Relations for Groupe Marcelle.  It was a pleasure to meet her and she flew in from Montreal to attend the event.   Marcelle and Annabelle are two of the lines under Groupe Marcelle
, based out of Montreal, Quebec.  These two drugstore brand cosmetic and skincare lines are available in Canada and have been around as far back as I can remember when I first ventured into the makeup section at my local Shoppers Drug Mart. They have a wide rage of products and provide excellent value for the price.  Isabel's company was more than kind to us when it came to giving us goodies to try from their lines.

Over the last month I have been trying out their products and will be posting reviews on what I think about them.  I will start with my review on the Marcelle Hydra-C ComplexE  24H Hydrating Fluid.   This moisturizer is made for all skin types and is enriched with vitamins C & E and is hypo-allergenic, perfume free and non-comedogenic which means it won't clog pores.

The texture and consistency is medium to light weight and absorbs quickly into the skin.  I never felt like I needed to apply more product after the initial absorption and my skin still felt okay throughout the day.  If you are looking for a more intense or emollient moisturizer then this may not for you, its more on the lighter side and perfect for the spring and summer months.

I find that one pump does my entire face and most of my neck area which indicates to me that a 50ml bottle will last about 2-3 months with daily use, twice a day.  Not bad for $22.50 Cdn.  I have to say that over the years I have noticed an positive growth in Marcelle's overall advertising, packaging and expansion of their product line.

It should be worth mentioning that I did not get paid and will not receive payment for reviewing any products from their line.  Merci Isabel!  I had the opportnity to speak with Isabel about life, work, and rabbits among other things :)  I think she's swell.

Please check out Isabel Picard on Twitter and on Blogger:
missipp.blogspot.com and  http://twitter.com/Mtl_MissIPP


Thanks for stopping by. xxNadia

CoverFX: Happy 10th Anniversary!

CoverFX has recently celebrated its 10th anniversary.  Happy Birthday CoverFX!!  I was introduced to this line by my sister back in 2003 at Shoppers Drug Mart.  At the time I was suffering from a mild case of rosacea on my cheek and I could never find anything that would calm down that red which plagued my cheecks and not in a good way.  Since then the product line has grown and includes many exciting products which I carry in my personal and professional makeup kit.  Unfortunately, I was unable to attend their anniversary party but Melissa Shum, the Cover FX Social Media and Marketing Coordinator in the Toronto area was kind enough to include the gift bag which all attendees received.  Let me tell you, the goodies were awesome and I am in love with The Big Cover Up.  After a long week of being by my sister's side at hospital that package that awaited me at my side door was a welcomed sight.  Thanks Melissa you made my week!!

 Typically, I switch between two types of foundations, Natural FX which is a water-based liquid foundation and Cover FX which is a total coverage cream foundation with SPF 30.  Frequently I mix both of these to get a foundation and concealer all-in-one-product.  I also like using the Cover FX Matte in medium for contouring my cheekbones, in addition to using it as a mid-tone eyeshadow colour.

What's awesome is CoverFX's latest launch, The Big Cover Up includes among other things a foundation/concealers and loose powder all in one container along with the perfect foundation brush.  Its going to be a must have in my makeup travel kit.

Professionally, I use this on clients and it photographs beautifully. The above two pics are of myself using the Natural FX on the left and photographed indoors under a skylight  and the other is a mixture of Cover FX total  coverage cream sheered out with a pea size amount of Brite Prep FX, a brightening foundation primer with a photo-aging defense of SPF 50!  Normally, I am not a fan of primers, its not my thing, but this primer I really, really like.  It has that slight irridescent glow which can be applied underneath your foundation or mixed in with your foundation and you can do what I do and dab the tiniest amount of Brite Prep FX between your ring fingers until is melts really well and dab on the high plains of the cheekbone after you have applied your foundation.  Another alternative I use to 'cut' the foundation and sheer it down is to use a couple of spritz of organic rosewater, works like a charm.

I have received many compliments when I wear this foundation.  Occassionally I have heard comments that CoverFX can be heavy looking, but I find that it all depends on how you prep your skin and how the product is applied.  Its a good idea to have a light hand when applying their foundations because a little product goes a long way and a well exfoliated and moisturized face will make all the difference in any makeup application.  I like to use clean fingers when applying the Natural FX foundation but I find that layering with a foundation or stippling brush gives the face a nice polished effect.

If you're wondering what shade I am wearing in the pics I am wearing series E40.  Typically, I teeter between the M and the E series.  Cover FX can be found in Canada at The Bay, Shoppers Drug Mart and Sephora.

Thanks for stopping by. xxNadia