March Favorites

Sorry this blog is late. March was really hectic, although I have a feeling the next two months will be even more crazy with all the wedding plans. Anyway, here's what I've been loving this month....

1. Revlon Illuminance Creme Shadow in Precious Metals (top) and Seashells (bottom): I've been interested in getting colored bases for a while now, and while I like paintpots, I didn't want to have a bunch of single creme bases, so when I saw these at Ulta I went for them. Precious Metals stuck out to me the most because metallics are (and have been) so big, and this palette has gold, silver, copper, and a rusty redish brown which is really pretty. Then since Ulta was having a buy 1 get one half off sale, I grabbed the Seashells set which is made up of two soft pinks, a grayish pink, and a whitish pink. They're just really soft colors I thought would look good for the Spring and even the Summer. These do have good staying power. They're work great as a base, but not sure if I like them on their own. Maybe the light pinks, but not the metallics--they need eyeshadow on top because they blend out really sheer. These are also pretty glittery/shimmery (some have more glitter and others are just shimmer) which I usually don't like to much, but if I keep them just on the lid, it's fine. I'm thinking of getting some of the other ones because I really like these.

2. Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion in Eden: This is sort of like a more liquid version of Painterly paint pot. You all know I love my Painterly, but in the warmer weather it tends to crease after wearing all day, and I've been wanting to try this product for a long time. I'm glad I got it. I like that it's more yellow base because it cancels out the redness on my eyelids. My eyeshadows still show up as pigmented as they do with Painterly. Since it's new, I haven't had trouble with the packaging yet, but I guess I'll deal with it when I get to that point. :)

3. Smashbox Lip Enchancing Gloss in Smitten: I've always been a fan of Smashbox lipgloss. They have great colors and last a long time. I like how versatile this color is. If I wear it over a nude lipstick or very light pink, it looks more light pink, but if I pair it with a darker color, it comes off darker.

4. MAC Cremesheed Glass in Boy Bait: as you can probably tell...it's empty! I never finish lipglosses, they always end up getting old and gross before I do, but I finished this one off this month because 4 out of 7 days a week this was the lipgloss I was wearing. I love it. I'm going to get a new one as soon as I go to the MAC counter. It's the perfect nude pink color! I love pairing it with Hue lipstick the most.

5. Nivea A Kiss of Moisture: This gets included as a favorite this month because I've been really sick all month and since I've been breathing through my mouth more at night (can't breathe through my nose :( ) my lips have been horribly chapped and this has save my lips!

What are your favorites for March?

Cheers!

Daily Foundation Routine

I have FINALLY figured out a good everyday foundation routine! It's very simple and basic, but (cross my fingers) my skin has been behaving lately. I don't have as many break outs and my overall skin texture is improving since I've started eating healthier. I'm giving credit to my diet for the way my skin is looking because I haven't changed much else. This routine doesn't cover everything, but I'm trying to let my skin be and not completely cover it up too often). So here is what I reach for on my day to day basis:







1. Make Up For Ever HD primer: I use this in No 5 (? the blue one) only because that's the kind I've been using for a couple of years now. I got it in that color initially because it was suppose to be good for fair complexions. I don't see much difference as far as my complexion goes when I use it, but it does make my concealer and foundation go on smoother and last longer, and it makes my pores appear smaller. I'll probably branch out and try one of the other colors at some point, but for now this primer is amazing and I'm happy with it.



2. Garnier Nutrioniste Skin Renew Anti Dark Circle Roller: This is a tinted eye care product but I don't use it as a skin care product, I use it as concealer. I got it because TiffanyD has been raving about it for so long, so I thought I'd give it a try and I'm so glad I did! This does do a good job as a concealer on it's own. I use it right underneath my eyes and on my dark circles. It also works as a good concealer base for days when I need a bit more coverage, and on those days I reach for...



3. MAC Select Moisture in NC 15: Taking the Sigma E49 I blend this concealer in only on my dark circles. I don't get this too close to right underneath my eyes because it tends to settle in fine lines.





4. MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Natural in Light: Last but not least, I use the Sigma F45 to blend this powder into my skin. I know I've talked about this powder a lot on my blog so I wont go over it again. BUT it's amazing!





Add on: Everyone once in a while I do want/need more coverage, and on those days I grab my Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Airbrush Spray Makeup in Light. I just did a review on this, but basically this foundation just gives me that something extra I need. It is not full coverage by any means, but when combined with my MSFN, it does a good almost medium coverage. Like most liquid foundations, I prefer to apply it with a sponge, although I've been trying it with my fingers and that works a lot better than I thought it would.

What are your foundation staples? Have a great rest of the week everyone!

Cheers!

Sigma Brushes

I while ago I mentioned I finally broke down and bought Sigma brushes. I'm--in--LOVE with these brushes! They're really good quality (only one brush had hairs falling out and that was only the first few times I used it) and compared to most high end brushes, these are waaayy cheaper. They're awesome!

Top:

F45. This was the one I was looking forward to the most. MAC's version of this is over $50 and I've been wanting it forever, but I couldn't bring myself to spend that much money on a brush. So glad I didn't because the F45 is my favorite out of all of these! It's great for applying powder. I didn't realize powder foundation could look so natural, but this brush buffs it in til it looks like my skin. I love using this with my MSFN because it provides me with just the amount of coverage I need on a daily basis. My only complaint is that I wish it came with a small pouch so I could protect it.

Bottom from Left to Right:

F30: Very large fluffy brush. If I'm wearing liquid foundation I use this to dust on some powder, or sometimes I use this to apply my Hoola Bronzer. I've been liking Hoola a lot more now that I have a brush that does a good job of applying it.

F50: I love this brush for blush and for blending out any harsh lines from bronzer and blush. I have tried it with liquid foundations since that seems to be what it's used for the most, but I personally prefer a sponge.

E55: This brush does a great job packing on color. It also works well when it's damp and mixed with eyeshadow. Sometimes when you get a brush wet, they don't apply as well, but this one is so dense, it does.

E30: I don't normally wear eyeshadow on my lower lash line because I always end up putting way to much, but I love how narrow the tip is. It gets just the right amount of product on it, even I can't screw up butting eyeshadow on my lower lash line.

E40: Another favorite. I have the MAC version of this (224?), which is actually a bit smaller and more dense, so I like it more for blending eye shadows, but I love using this Sigma brush to blend in my concealer! It gives me an airbrushed finish. Works under my eyes and over pimples. I'm still playing around with concealer formulations, but it seems to work the best with liquid and powder. It doesn't work very well with cream.

E25: This brush didn't come with the set. It's a mini version they threw in for free. I didn't like it at first, but I just got the Naked Pallet (I know, it's about time!) and I love using this brush when i use Naked or Buck. It covers the outer half of my lid in a heart beat. Great for when I'm in a hurry. However, I don't use this brush with eye shadows that have any glitter in them, because it's so fluffy, glitter and fall out go everywhere.

Are there any Sigma brushes you love that you think I should check out? What brushes are you loving right now?

Cheers!

February Hits and Misses

I've decided I like doing this type of collective monthly haul blog. In a way it helps me keep track of what products I've tried out and liked or didn't like, and it lets you guys know what caught my eye this past month.

1. Wet N Wild Natural Blend Lip Shimmer in 102 Sugar: Miss. Way to shimmery. I couldn't even tell what color it was underneath all that shimmer.

2. Almay Intense I-Color shadow for brown eyes: Miss. Funny enough, I didn't even realize I grabbed the right eye color, I just picked the shadows I liked the best. Again, a product with too much shimmer, tons of fall out, and I realized after I had done my eyes, I own colors like this so I returned it. The colors did have good pigmentation though.

As you know, I have been on a liquid foundation hunt for a while. I decided to give up because I like what I've been wearing for my every day makeup (I promise to do an updated foundation routine soon). It doesn't give me a lot of coverage, but my skin has been clearing up so I don't need as much. However, while my skin looks good in real life, it looks just okay in photos, and I have to take engagement photos (tomorrow actually) and wedding photos soon, so I've been desperately trying to find a liquid foundation that will work for me because I think liquid foundations tend to give a more flawless look in photographs.

So I gave 3. Covergirl Clean Makeup (oil control) and 4. Maybelline Fit Me a try. Both of which were misses. Covergirl's was awful. Sorry, but it was cakey, didn't cover, and I was oily within 1 1/2 hours. Yuck. Fit Me however went on very much like Diorskin Nude did, but it broke down within 2 hours as well. :( I was giving up on liquid and decided I was just going to with my MSFN and hope for the best when...

5. Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Airbrush Spray Makeup in Light: HIT!!! I can't believe how lucky I am that I stumbled upon this and it. is. AMAZING! I'm very tempted to considered it my HG liquid foundation. It took me about five tries to figure out the best way to apply this but once I did it looks flawless. It is definitely sheer to light coverage. I think you may be able to build it up to medium coverage but the lightest shade, when built up, is too dark for my skin :( [if only they would make a Fair shade]. I'm an NC15 by the way, so maybe if you skin is darker you can build up the coverage. Anyway, I have to have a very light layer of this over my skin for it to match. This on its own (no powder or concealer) looks like my skin. I applied it to half my face, and you couldn't really see much a difference between this and the no makeup side, BUT...this is an awesome base for my MSFN and when I put that on top, I do get more coverage.

Pros: lightweight, natural looking, easy to apply and blend, long lasting, and holds it own against oily skin! yay!

Cons: does have a weird smell that lingers for a bit which I'm not a fan of, but oh well, and not a

good range of shades.

Neither pro nor con: The spray can. I neither like nor dislike the packaging. It's interesting. I just spray a bit onto a dry sponge (tried wet and dry actually works better for this foundation) and press it into my skin then blend it out. Also, the price. It cost me $15 for 1 oz, which for a drugstore product seems expensive, but if this was a MAC foundation or a Dior foundation, we'd all be jumping up and down and celebrating over the price, so for a foundation that works, I'll spend $15 no problem.

6. Urban Decay Primer Potion in Eden: Hit. I like this product a lot. I think it's like a liquid version of MAC paint pot in painterly. (sort of...). I got this right at the end of February though, so I haven't had time to really try it out. I'll let you know what I'm thinking of it as I try it more.

Any of you find something special in February?

Cheers!

p.s. sorry for the long review on the Sally Hansen foundation, but I'm so excited about it!

February Favorites

1. Paul Mitchell Extra Body Root Boosting Spray: I was really impressed with this product. On it's own it does okay, but if I mix it with either a mouse or gel...I have amazing volume!

2. ShortSexyHair Hard Holding Gel: I love using this when I don't want to blow dry my hair straight. I just put a dime size amount in my hand (I have very short hair), rub my hands together, then scrunch my hair. Then using the lowest heat on my blow dryer, I

run warm air all over my head while I toss my hair. It makes my hair come out really pretty.

3. Redken Full Frame 07: This is a volumizing mouse, and it's probably the best one I've ever used (and I've tried ALOT). I just love the way it holds my style and gives me volume without weighing my hair down.

4. Sigma Brushes F45 (kabuki) and E40 (blending): I finally got Sigma brushes!!!!! I've been wanting some for a long time, but have never broken down and bought any, but this month I did for a Valentines Day gift for myself and I'm so glad I did! They're amazing! I plan on doing a full review on all the bushes I got but I had to include these two in my favorites. The F45 makes my Mac MSFN look flawless and gives me more coverage and the E40 is great for applying concealer. I never want to apply concealer with my fingers again!

5. Benefit High Beam: I got this product last month and I've been really loving it. It's a great highlighter. I like using it as a highlighter or mixing it in with my moisturizer.

6. MAC Eye Kohl I Get No Kick: I bought this in January also and I love using it on my lower waterline and lower lash line. It makes my eyes pop and since it's such a light color, it's hard to goof up with which is great for me because I always mess up when putting any color on my lower lash line.

7. Last but not least, one of my favorites this month as been Bright Eyeliner. I was feeling pretty blah last month about makeup so I made myself wear ridiculously bright eyeliner a few times a week as a pick me up and I forgot how much I love colored eyeshadow! I usually go to neutrals but colors are fun! The palette I'm showing is from Stila and unfortunately you can't get it at Ulta or Sephora anymore (which is funny since this just came out in December), however I looked it up online and you can buy it online. Just go to Google Shopping. But this is the palette I've been using all month for my bright eyeliner. I just get a brush wet, then apply a thick line at my upper lash line.

What have you been loving this month?

Cheers!

Face Off: Face Powders

Top: Benefit Get Even in Light

Bottom Left: MAC Studio Fix Powder in N3

Bottom Right: MAC Minineralized Skin Finish Natural in Light

I took this picture a while ago when I was putting together blog ideas, but I have used up all of the Benefit powder and the MAC MSFN (and repurchased a new one). I stopped using the MAC Studio Fix powder and am Back-to-MAC-ing it.

To compare these products...........

Benefit Get Even is more of a blot powder or setting powder. It does okay controlling oil, but tends look cakey, and I noticed it made my skin look dry in places I didn't even realize may be dry. I like that it had a mirror and the inside of it was actually big enough that I kept a wedge sponge in there that I changed every week. I also liked that it was yellow based so it helped with midday redness. However, overall, I wouldn't purchase it again or recommend it. In the end, this was just your basic blot powder.

MAC Studio Fix Powder is a powder foundation. I've blogged about this plenty of times, but I don't really get along with liquid foundation (although that hasn't stopped me from trying to find one that I like), so I tend to stick with powders. Surprisingly though, this powder made my skin oily! More oily than some liquid foundations. It was really weird. The coverage and is great, but after two hours, I was an oil slick. And, unfortunately, it broke me out :( but most MAC foundations do. I personally would not repurchase, but I think it may work for some people so I would tell a friend to check it out.

MAC MSFN: Holy Grail for sure! Love, love, love this powder. This is a pressed mineralized powder and it is amazing!!!! I plan on doing an updated foundation routine soon, but basically, this has sheer to close-to-medium coverage (depending on what you apply it with. I personally like applying it was a Kabuki brush which gives me more coverage). I notice I don't get as oily throughout the day when I just have this on which is great! Two down sides: it doesn't last all day, so I do reapply if I'm going out in the evening, and no mirror. If this came in a mirror I'd keep one in my purse and one in my makeup drawer, but since I need a mirror for touch ups I use a blot powder that has a mirror. Still, definitely think everyone should check this out!

What are your go to powders?

Have a great week everyone!

Cheers!

January Finds: Hits and Misses

Hits and Misses blogs are going to sort of be like a monthly haul video. I'm going to go over products I bought or tried out for the month and tell you which ones I thought were hits and which ones weren't.
Diorskin Nude Fresh Glow Makeup: Hit. I stopped in at Macy's earlier this month to look at a Dior powder. I wasn't impressed with it, but the sales woman talked me into trying this product. I really like this foundation. It truly looks like my skin only better. It goes on quite sheer, I think it would be easy enough to build up, but I like a sheer coverage so I didn't try that. This looked great with MAC MSFN over it. It did look a little oily after two hours, but once I touched up it looked (almost) the way it did when I first put it on. And surprisingly, my face never looked that oily after that. I still had to touch up one more time in the course of the day, but my face didn't look oily. The product itself is a hit, however the price is not. It's over $40 and I haven't decided if I want to spend that much money on it so I'm looking at trying some cheaper foundations and seeing if they're just as good.

Benefit High Beam: Hit. I've been wanting this product for a long time yet I always manage to talk myself out of buying it. Well I'm glad I didn't do that this time. I LOVE this highlighter. It's so much prettier than any powder highlighter I've ever used. It's very easy to use a light hand with this. I would recommend blending this with your ring or pinky finger though, because when I use another finger, the product ends up over a larger area then I wanted (if that makes any sense?). I'm still playing with this trying to find the best way to use it, but this really was a good purchase.

Lancome Definicils: Fail. I got this as a sample from Sephora, so I'm glad I didn't waste any money on it. Basically this is a fail because when I put it on, it makes me look like I have only 5 lashes. Not pretty.

On a trip to MAC, I picked up these four products....

Pinch O' Peach: Hit. This is a sheertone blush. I talked about this in my January Favorites blog, but basically it's a great pink color for my skin tone and brightens up my face. I really like it.

Rubenesque Paint Pot: Fail. I've heard so many great things about this paint pot but it didn't do anything for me. I have Painterly for an eyeshadow base, so since this color doesn't really show up on me, I didn't see any reason to keep it. It went back a few days later.

Eye Kohl in I Get No Kick: Hit. This product came out with one of the January collections. I haven't been following the MAC collections much but January had three new collections come out so I was curious enough to check them out. This is the only product that stood out to me because it's so different. It's like a champagne highlighter in stick form. I like putting it on my lower waterline and lash line the most.

Face and Body: Fail. This went back as well. I actually really liked this product when it first went on. It looked a lot like Diorskin Nude. But this has no staying powder at all. I was oily after just 1 1/2 hours, and this does not look good after touching up. Plus, after about five hours, there was no makeup left on my face.

Let me know what you guys think of this type of blog. Should I continue to do this each month?

Cheers!