REVIEW | KEVYN AUCOIN THE SENSUAL SKIN ENHANCER

Awhile back, I did a post called ‘Disappointing Beauty Products‘, in which this product was included. I didn’t hate it, but for the price, I wasn’t necessarily floored by it, either.

At the time, I was dealing with some major skin issues and acne flare-ups, and everyone and their mother swore that this would cover it like nothing else out there. Well, when applied to my semi-oily skin, it did absolutely nothing for me. And then a few weeks ago, I was surfing Poshmark (which I’ll get into later) and found it for nearly half the retail price.
In my shade.
Eh, what the hell…..
I placed my order.

So let’s back up for a second here. First I want to share what it is, and what it claims, per Sephora;

Cover all your bases with The Sensual Skin Enhancer. This all-in-one, waterproof formula delivers complete coverage when used as a concealer, highlighter, an allover foundation, or to contour your features. Infused with jojoba and honey, it works to hydrate the skin, and it is formulated with minerals that support the skin and is sweat proof and transfer resistant for full coverage and long-lasting wear.

If you want to see my revised, full review, keep on reading!


PACKAGING 

img_0596Big things come in small packages? Yeah, basically. The whopping 0.63 oz of this multipurpose formula comes and small, burgundy pot with a twist off lid that simply says ‘Kevyn Aucoin’ across the top. The shade information can be found on a sticker on the bottom of the pot.

FORMULA

This stuff is incredibly thick; it’s easy to go overboard, in which case you’ll likely end up hating the finish and cursing your wasted money (much like I did at first). But when applied sparingly and blended rather quickly, it melts into the skin for a ‘your skin but better’ look. It’s very creamy and hydrating (get your powder ready, babes!) thanks to ingredients like honey and jojoba. One of the greatest things is that it comes in 16 shades (I wear SX03 for reference), broken down by tone and undertone, making it fairly easy to find the best match for you.
For a drugstore comparison, this is comparable in formula to the Hard Candy Glamoflague Heavy Duty Concealer.

APPLICATION & WEAR

So here’s what made me dislike it the first time around; I used way too much, didn’t use a primer, didn’t powder, and didn’t set it with a spray. All on acne-ridden, combination/oily skin. Admittedly, not my brightest move, and quite frankly, I should have known better.
However, what made me give it a second chance, is the fact that my skin has been drying out lately (I think it knows it’s about to turn 30), and because this is so hydrating, it was worth giving it another look.

So here is the best way I’ve found to apply it (at least for me);
I prime my skin with the Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Water (another product I didn’t love, but has grown on me), and then spot conceal with the Kevyn Aucoin SSE and a Real Techniques Fine Liner Brush to apply it. I then blend with a Morphe M173 brush, and set it with my It Cosmetics Bye Bye Pores Silk HD Anti-Aging Micro-Powder. If I’m feeling a little too ‘powdery’, I’ll set it all in place with the Smashbox Primer Water or some Urban Decay Chill Makeup Setting Spray.

So far, I’ve only used this as a concealer – quite frankly, putting this all over my face scares me, because it’s so heavy. And I’ve yet to apply it under my eyes because well, it’s thick. And creamy. And will probably crease. But hell, with enough powder to set it, it may work well. And this little pot will last literally forever because you need so little product to cover everything you want.
I’ll admit, I am glad that I gave this product a second chance. It lasts all day long, doesn’t slip around or break down once it’s set, and while I’ve yet to test the validity of the waterproof claim, I can tell you that it’s been rather warm and humid around here lately, and it stayed exactly where I put it. All. Freakin’. Day.

OVERALL RATING : 5/5


Have you guys tried this stuff yet? It’s available on sephora.com  (online only, it’s not sold in stores) and it retails for $48. I know, I know. That’s expensive. But given that I’ve figured out how to ride the learning curve like a pro, I’d totally pay full price again and again! Leave me a comment and let me know what you think!

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DISAPPOINTING BEAUTY PRODUCTS

 I feel like I’m forever writing about rave-worthy products; but let’s be real, there are more than enough disappointing beauty products on the market, and we’ve all had our fair share.

So today I thought I’d share with you some of my most disappointing purchases! Let’s get started!


H&M GOSSAMER LIP STAINS ($9.99/hm.com)

 

 I have a whole review on these (click here to read) but the long and short of it is that, while they swatch well on the back of the hand, once they hit your lips, they settle into the slightest lines or dryness, giving you ‘butt hole lips’ (you know what I’m talking about!) and then before you know it, they’re gone! The swatch lasted two days on my hand, but it was gone in a matter of moments on my lips!
And beware, H&M does not accept returns on beauty items (which if I had known prior to purchasing, I wouldn’t have – that’s kind of a red flag to me) so save yourself the aggravation, and just skip on down to ULTA for worry free shopping!

MAYBELLINE FACESTUDIO MASTER PRIME ($9.99/drugstores)

 

 These primers come in three varieties; Smoothing, Redness Control, and Illuminating. And none of them do what they claim. Not one. They’re almost like glorified face lotions repackaged with false promises. If you’re looking for a good drugstore primer, click here. But I honestly recommend you don’t waste your hard earned money on these.

SMASHBOX PHOTO FINISH PRIMER WATER ($32/Sephora)

 

 While we’re on the topic of primers, here is another one that I was severely disappointed by. This is nothing by glorified, $32 water. I was actually really excited to try this, too, because it’s been super hyped up all over the internet, and some of my favorite YouTubers swear by it – but it did absolutely nothing for me. If you want to know more, I have a whole review on it here.

URBAN DECAY DE-SLICK MAKEUP SETTING SPRAY ($30/ULTA)

 

 I bought this for the same reason everyone else does – oil control. While I did like that, just like the other Urban Decay setting sprays, it does spray in an even, fine mist better than any other brand I’ve ever tried, it did absolutely nothing in terms of controlling my oil and keeping my makeup matte or in place. In fact, I get better results from the Chill Makeup Setting Spray over a mattifying foundation than I ever got from this product. Within an hour, it seemed I was oilier than ever! I exchanged it for the All-Nighter spray, and I’m much happier!

COVERGIRL LASHBLAST PLUMPIFY MASCARA ($11.99/drugstores)

 

 I love every mascara from the ‘LashBlast’ line – except this one. The wand is awkwardly huge, scratchy, and twisted, making it impossible for me to get my lashes anything but clumpy. And unlike the typical not-too-wet, not-too-dry ‘LashBlast’ formula, this one seemed unusually wet, which made it even harder to apply. I returned this within like, 8 hours, I hated it so much. It wasn’t even worth keeping and tossing into my mascara drawer and waiting for it to dry out some; there was just no making this work for me.

NYC SMOOTH SKIN BRONZING POWDER ‘SUNNY’ ($4/Target)

 

 This has been called a dupe for the Benefit Hoola Bronzer – I don’t own it, so I can’t speak to that. It’s also been said to be the number one matte drugstore bronzer that everyone loves to contour with. That it’s natural looking, never fake or orange, and works for everyone. Yeah, if everyone had warm undertones. My skin ranges from ‘printer paper white’ in the winter all the way up to a solid golden bronze in the summer, and nowhere along that color spectrum could I make this shade work for me. Nowhere. However, if you’re looking for a good drugstore bronzer, check out my post here, and if you’re in the market for a drugstore contour shade, try here.

KEVYN AUCOIN THE SENSUAL SKIN ENHANCER ($48/Sephora)

 

 I think this is quite possibly the most expensive beauty item I’ve ever purchased. But suffering from a case of #youtubemademebuyit, I did my research, watched reviews and tutorials, and placed my order. This is a super duper, teeny tiny tube of concentrated cream based pigment, that can be used incredibly sparingly as a heavy duty concealer, or sheered out with your favorite mixing medium (i.e. a moisturizer or face oil) for a flawless finish foundation. Maybe on someone else. For me, no matter what I did (and I’m aware of the extreme learning curve with this product) I just couldn’t make it work. It clung to dryness, it sank into my pores, it settled in fine lines – and it angered a minor blemish that I tried to cover with it to nearly double it’s original size. As much as I genuinely wanted to love it, I ended up returning it. I don’t have like, a burning hatred for it; it just simply wasn’t for me, and for what I paid, I couldn’t justify keeping it around to not use it.


Have you guys tried any of these products? What are some of your disappointing beauty buys? Leave me a comment and let me know!

Come follow me around social media!
Twitter, Pinterest & Instagram : @dlynnesposito
Facebook : Affordable Gorgeous
Snapchat : dlynnesposito

And feel free to reblog this post and share my social media with your friends! Your support means so much!

LOTS OF LOVE!!
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