Milk Makeup MVP Gift Set

Holiday gift sets are coming fast.  New from Milk Makeup is the MVPs Set. 

In the set, housed in a clear zip top bag, you get 7 minis of their top products.
-Kush Mascara
-Hydro Grip Primer
-Cooling Water
-Watermelon Brightening Serum
-Glow Oil Lip & Cheek in Glimmer 
-Highligher in Blitzed 
- Bronzer in Baked

 These are nicely sized, great for travel or purse stashing as well as trying them if they're new to you.  For me, this is the first time I'd tried many of these products and I'm really loving several of them. The Cooling Water Stick under my eyes ( feels lovely)  and the Glow Oil as a lip balm/stain especially. This set definitely seems like one where everything in it should be something your giftee or you will use.

Milk Makeup MVP Set is $ 45 wherever the brand is sold incl. MilkMakeup.com

Higher Education Spring Break SPF 30

While Summer may be officially over, it's still hot out there.  And the sun is still shining so we need to keep that SPF on every day.

 I've had this newish one from a new to me brand called Higher Education Skincare in my stash for some time  and have used it over the last couple months under makeup . Sometimes over a separate moisturizer ,sometimes not. It's a nice pick for combo/oilier skins as it's a lightweight, sheer, almost matte finish that adds light moisture (aloe vera, glycerin, squalene, vitamin e ) . So it acts as a little bit of skincare too. Green tea and grapeseed extracts turn up at the end of the ingredient list for a small antioxidant boost. 

Also even there's 4.00% zinc oxide , there's no white cast. The broad spectrum SPF 30 is rounded out with Octinoxate 6.90 % and Octisalate 3.00% . 

Higher Education , if you're not familiar is a newer brand that has a dermatologist on board in  Dr. Susan Cox of California to vet formulas . They also donate 3% of  net profits to WE School , division of WEcharity.org .

The fragrance is minimal , a little bit of a cocoa butter scent and the brand is cruelty free.

Higher Education Spring Break SPF 30 is $ 25 for a 2.5 oz tube

Milk Makeup Flex Foundation Stick

I do love a stick foundation and am glad more brands are coming out with them. New is Milk Makeup's  Flex Foundation Stick. 

The Flex Stick has medium , buildable semi- matte coverage.  It's not heavy or cakey but with a more natural finish once it sets and warms up. It covers nicely and blends out well but definitely benefits from prepping skin as I did find it a bit dry and matte on application ( I have combo skin ,oily  T Zone for reference). 
Once on, as skin warmed up the finish became more natural . 

I had light oil breakthrough on the nose within a couple hours and needed a powder touch up in about 6 hours and there was some wear off in the oily areas.  It is a very comfy, light feeling formula that works really well as a portable touch up stick. With its smooth creamy formula it goes over the day's makeup easily. 

For combo skin like  mine and normal it's a nice segue into fall weather makeup. If you're drier you'll need good moisture underneath first but that's most likely what you're doing anyway.

Ingredients include marshmallow root powder to help with comfort on face and keep makeup from caking or creasing, chamomile for soothing and redness reducing.  And it is not oil free having sunflower seed and lavender oils but it's very non greasy. 

There are 36 shades . I have two at the lighter end of the colors and the palest is very light.

Milk Flex Foundation Stick is $ 36 at Sephora.

Gucci Memoire D' Une Odeur

Gucci has gone in a very different direction with their new Memoire D' Une Odeur . I'm not sure what I think of it.

I am not crazy about the name , but I do love the bottle.
The fragrance opens sharp with bitter almond note and then a soft jasmine. The jasmine is not warm or lush, more airy.  Chamomile features prominently as does musk and there is also a mineral feel to the scent.  By the drydown cedarwood comes in with the mineral and herbs lingering . 

 I'm not a fan of chamomile or too much musk  so that colors my impression. To me it's very old fashioned or maybe just old smelling with a camphor and astringent tone.  It wears very soft and light, almost a skinscent and changes a lot from the opening to drydown and that's a good thing. 

I have to give it to them for creating a scent that doesn't smell like everything or anything else out there. I think us mega perfume fans often lament lack of originality , and this is different.   They were willing to do different. It's gotten people talking from what I've read and that's a good thing.   I like that people are conversing about perfumes.  And I've heard over on Insta from fans who like and ones who do not.  Where do you fall ? 

Gucci Memoire D' Une Odeur is $ 95 at Sephora for 2 oz EDP or $ 34 for .25 rollerball.