KRYOLAN TV PAINT STICK

Being the makeup junkie that I am, I am constantly on the lookout for new beauty finds and bargain buys from a little something that will hardly break the bank, to the not so little something we all need once in a while.

Lately, in a bid to perfect my make up application ranging from the barely there everyday wear to wedding party looks, I have been watching countless You tube tutorials and subbing to a wide range of people, those that knew what they were talking about of course and so, I noticed that they all had these little tubes of paint pots in their kits. Me being me, I quickly discovered that there were the Kryolan TV paint sticks, foundation sticks in an impressive wide range of colours in a handy twist it tube.

Now, I may be a little late in my little discovery here, but It made me think, the days where solely endless tubes of Mac liquid foundations being used, were well and truly over. To be honest, although still popular, I had gotten bored of my Studio Fix in NC42, it was turning into a love/hate relationship. Whilst it provided great coverage for a few hours in the day, it just didn't work wonders on my skin anymore, in fact, it had dried it out, rather unusual since I have always suffered from combination skin for years. Besides, wanting to live up to my reputation as a makeup addict, I didn't believe in restricting myself to just one particular product or brand either.

Having said that though, I don’t usually rush out to buy the new product without researching or reading several reviews on it, my favourite being Make up Alley where I stumbled across nothing but positive stuff. Being a die hard Mac fan and a bit of a snob when it came to other branded foundations, I decided to take the plunge and purchase not one but two shades that were near enough the same, particularly after reading that 100% of users would buy it again.

As I had brought it on line, how on earth did I know what shades to select I hear you ask? I've got to admit though, one of the advantages of the Mac counters were at least you were able to test the product there and then and get some help with application if needed.

In a bid to avoid disappointment, I decided to message a few good make up artists such as celebrity make up artist Naeem Khan and Sukhi Sanghera at Asiana Bridal who both use it extensively on their clients and models and both agreed that FS36 and Oriental would be best suited for a NC40/42 shade in Mac. I decided on two shades purely because I have uneven skin tone, my forehead is slightly darker so I figured getting two shades close to each other would be better, with FS36 being the primary shade, and Oriental, slightly darker as a base for my eyelids and under eye circles which I am forever attempting to get rid of.

Of course I was a little sceptical and didn't want to waste my hard earned cash but I decided to take their word for it, since I figured they probably knew what they were talking about anyway. I was also a great admirer of their work. Now, I guess the initial risk here, as with all on line shopping for makeup would be in knowing what shade to select and hoping  it is the right one for your skin as remember, the great swatch of colours on line are not really true to life. And of course, asking a few good makeup artists as I did before making your purchase would also be a good idea.

Shade FS36- Google Images.

I decided to use the paint stick for a solid two weeks which I thought was sufficient before writing a review, so here's what I think:

If you are looking for a high coverage foundation stick, then this is the one for you. I like the fact that it has good buildable coverage, depending on whether you want medium coverage or full and it really does last all day long, great for brides, wedding and photos.The tube itself is of a good weight and contains lots of the product so a little goes a long way. Unlike other foundations, it didn't require a sponge or brush for application, although, still can be used, I found the heat from my fingers helped in blending it straight away to create a flawless finish with just a touch of a good setting powder as a finish to avoid an over the top dewy look.

Now, a few people had commented that it appeared a bit too 'cakey ‘on them and I could see what they meant. I found that dipping my sponge and brush in a drop of water helped a little in order to correctly blend which of course is crucial with all foundations. I also thoroughly recommend using a good moisturiser or primer (Benefit, That Gal Brightening Face Primer and Gosh Velvet Touch) are usually good and works for me, prior to applying this especially if you suffer from dry skin.

What’s more, is that it also doubles up as a concealer so you don’t have to apply any and I usually top it up a tiny bit under my eyes during the day. I have to say though, it doesn’t exactly smell of fresh roses, paraffinum liquidum, paraffin, candelilla cera wax, hydrogenated poluyisobutane and octyldodecanol are just some of its main ingredients and it may appear quite heavy for those suffering from really sensitive skin so beware, however although it is heavily pigmented, it actually does feel quite light on the skin, although, personally I find its a bit much for daily use and it IS known for theatrical/stage make up so I decided to leave it aside for special occasions.

Putting all the above aside though, the best part of all is that a great professional product such as this doesn’t come with a professional price tag thankfully. I managed to get hold of mine for a bargain price of £10.50 plus P+P from stage make- up shop on EBay as I naturally didn’t trust any other website, one with my payment details and secondly, in buying an authentic product.

All I can say is buy and try now, I'm glad I stumbled across it, and I keep asking myself why I hadn’t come across this before, like myself and several others, you won’t be disappointed!

Buy yours now from: http://myworld.ebay.co.uk/stagemake-upshop/&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2754


xxx