I received the Studio Gear CC Cream in the shade Linen for review purposes from Brandbacker (a full page worth of explanation soon to come). I did a survey a while ago to get a small sample (no review necessary), and when I saw that the full sized version was available I jumped at the chance since the sample size was a shade too dark for me.

There are three shades: Linen, (pictured) Natural, and Wheat. It has an SPF of 20 (yay!). It's said to be non-oily, prevents fine lines, and is supposed to restore skin elasticity (no idea how to test that).

I've been wearing this foundation for a while now, and first off I want to say at how impressed I am with how well it held up. I'd say it's light to medium coverage, and blends easily. My skin has been quite dry lately which has become a problem since almost all of my foundations are for oily/combination skin. I had heard that CC creams are usually for dryer skin types, and as someone who is used to oily skin this had me worried.

The dry patches were not made more noticeable when I had the foundation on, and my skin (usually I look at my forehead) was oil-free as far as I could tell. I did not use a powder over the foundation.

The wear, as I said earlier, was better than expected. I do a lot of running around/walking up and down steps at my part time job, and this foundation held up pretty well.

The above is a picture of how the foundation comes out of the bottle like some other products you've heard (think Almay Smart Shade) it starts off white and the color comes out when it's rubbed on the skin.

I use a typical amount. Not too much, but I can't use it sparingly or else there simply isn't enough. It's not too liquidity.

Overall: I really like the Studio Gear CC Cream. I feel as though it could be used by most skin types. The longevity, color, and overall quality is something that I like. My major gripe is that there is currently only three colors. If you are super super pale Linen may be too dark (it was riding that fine line for me), and if you have a dark skin tone Wheat may be too light.

Studio Gear CC Cream retails for $34 (1fl oz) and can be found online. You can get 10% off using the code bloggercc through their website.

Have you ever tried a CC cream? If so, which is your favorite?

Sample provided for review

Studio Gear Holiday Smokey Palette | Swatch and Review

A while ago I received an invite to join BrandBacker. It's a site where a blogger can join campaigns designed on advertising a product. It took several months before there was a campaign that actually suited me.

I received this pallet from Studio Gear to review, and show you guys. It's a beautiful collection of shimmery shadows, and a blush; perfect for a smokey look (hence the name; Holiday Smokey Palette).

Keep reading for a review. All opinions are my own, but you guys know that.

They're not as opaque as some eyeshadows out there, but for someone like me, who is a big chicken when it comes to makeup, this is perfect. I do with Glimmer was more pigmented, as it is my favorite color out of the set. Below is a picture of the colors swatched. I used a brush to swatch, and had a slight issue building the color up, even though I did notice that other bloggers had no issue.

I did notice that I had some fallout when it came to Frost, but the others were fine.

Snowy Glow is a nice blush color, and gives off a slight rose tint. The glitter isn't too noticeable after it's applied, and it's easily blendable. Platinum lives up to its name I would describe it as a metallic silver, and is the most opaque of the bunch. Coal is black with gold glitter scattered in it, which isn't easily noticeable to the naked eye (but wow does it show up on camera), and is the most sheer of the bunch. Glimmer is a shimmery gold, while Frost is a shimmery white. Great for highlighting.

The pallet comes with a mini tutorial on how to apply the colors to achieve a smokey look using the colors provided. However, my favorite way to use this pallet is to put my Maybelline Color Tattoo all over the lid, then apply Glimmer on the outer corner, and if I'm in the mood; lightly apply Coal to the crease.

I thought that they wore quite well, and were very easy to work with. I find myself reaching for this pallet more than my Avon one that I've been using. I really like it, and it's not a product that I would normally reach for.

The Studio Gear Holiday Smokey Palette normally retails for $40, but is on sale at a special introductory price of $25. Add that on with a 10% off your entire order (Code: SGHOLIDAY. I believe there is no expiration date at the moment), and you have yourself a lovely little holiday deal =) It is available online at studiogearcosmetics.com.

This pallet was sent to me through BrandBacker, and as always all opinions are my own.