Princessa's Beauty Corner

Clean Scene by Murad

2010-08-14T22:47:00.000-07:00

I don't want to call this a 'skin care routine' post, because I don't really find those helpful. I think everyone has such specific needs when it comes to their skin that the most we can really take from those types of posts are good skin care product recommendations. Which is great, don't get me wrong. There's so much out there between the drugstore and department store brands that it can be unbelievably overwhelming trying to wade through it all to get to the products that will work for you. That's the best thing about the online beauty community.. we all do the hard work for each other, testing and grading the huge number of products out there.

I've been having a terrible time with clogged pores recently, and have been frantically trying to find something to clear my congested skin. I ended up buying Murad's new lines' 'Craving for Clean' cleanser and 'Begging for Balance' moisturizer on a whim, not realizing I was making the perfect choice. The line was created for the younger population (hence the packaging and sickly sweet smells, which I'll get to later), targeting their skin's needs. Most automatically associate teen skin care with acne fighting products, but the line utilizes skin-balancing ingredients rather than the more often seen bacteria killers. The star ingredient in this line is 'Yumberry', which may be hard to take seriously, but is a super anti-oxidant.

Clean Scene 'Craving for Clean' Foaming Cleanser
For the price, this may not seem worth it for it's simplicity. It might seem like the overpriced equivilent of a drugstore cleanser, but I've decided the price is comepletely justifiable. Standard foaming cleansers from my local drugstore dry my face out like no other. Somehow this standard foaming cleanser from my local Sephora manages to keep my skin's balance from getting out of whack. As promised, this cleanser does foam up a good deal. On it's own, this doesn't remove all of my make up, but I always use a seperate remover anyway. Then again, I pile the stuff on; I would not doubt this cleanser's ability to efficiently remove every last trace of light to medium make up. This cleanser smells artifically fruity, but not in a clear-your-sinuses way. It's not overly obnoxious. For those of us who don't seek fancy pants ingredients in our cleansers, just something to get our faces completely clean without over-drying, this could just be The One.

Clean Scene 'Begging for Balance' Moisturizer
I'll keep this short and sweet: this is basically my dream moisturizer. Oil-free, light, skin-balancing. For my skin's condition right now, I've struck gold with this one. It won't harrass my poor pores, yet it does a great job of hydrating my dry cheeks. On a side note, the brand claims the moisturizer has mattifying properties, but since I use it at night I cant vouch for those. This one smells even stronger than the cleanser, but I mean, it smells like candy! It might bother some though.

Although I was immediatly put off by the overwhelming fruitiness of these products, I'm now loving what they're doing for my skin. They leave out all the bells and whistles, which I can get from masks and serums without worrying about overloading my skin.

The cleanser costs $17, the moisturizer goes for $22.

The cleanser's ingredients are: Water, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Glycol Distearate, Butylene Glycol, Myrica Rubra Fruit Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ascorbic Acid, Chitosan, Zinc Gluconate, Sodium PCA, Betaine, Sorbitol, Glycine, Alanine, Proline, Serine, Threonine, Arginine, Lysine, Glutamic Acid, Polyquaternium-4, Disodium EDTA, Propyl Gallate, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Limonene, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Chlorphenesin, Fragrance, Red 33 (CI 17200)

The moisturizer's ingredients are: Water, Dicaprylyl Maleate, Diisopropyl Sebacate, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Sorbitan Stearate, Stearic Acid, Cetearyl Alcohol, Myrica Rubra Fruit Extract, Salicylic Acid, Bisabolol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Dimethicone, Ascorbic Acid, Chitosan, Zinc Gluconate, Sodium PCA, Betaine, Sorbitol, Glycine, Alanine, Proline, Serine, Threonine, Arginine, Lysine, Glutamic Acid, Propyl Gallate, Allyl Methacrylates Crosspolymer, Ceteareth-20, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Sclerotium Gum, Disodium EDTA, Aminomethyl Propanol , Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Hexyl Cinnamal, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Limonene, Linalool, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Methylisothiazolinone, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Chlorphenesin, Fragrance.

Birthday Love

2010-08-10T22:10:00.000-07:00

My birthday just passed, and as usual, most of my gifts came in the form of a small plastic card. I've already got down to business putting them gift cards to work!

MAC Lipglass in 'Lovechild'

Lovechild is a beautiful mauvey plum with golden shimmer. Anything mauve goes well with an olive complexion, so even though I don't normally gravitate towards darker colors, I knew I'd like this one.

MAC Eyeshadows in Mythology, Saddle, Soft Brown (no base)

Just some swatches of some well known colors. I needed medium and light warm browns, so I picked up Saddle and Soft Brown. Mythology is one of my favorite crease colors.

Conceal FX Camouflage Concealer in Light-Medium
Left eye (your left) completely bare, right with concealer
I really don't want to jinx it, but I think I might have just found my holy grail under eye concealer. I'm usually weary of anything that claims to "self-adjust", but I've read too many good things about this concealer to not try it. Cover FX describes this as being self-adjusting, water-resistant, and 'hi-definition'. It also has a built-in primer. It went on yellow when I first applied it, and I was instantly dissapointed because I thought it was another bad color match. But as I blended more, the pigment magically harmonized with the coloring of my foundation. It might not be totally seamless around the edges, but the coverage factor and texture of this concealer beats that of any I've ever tried. I know this line is over-used, but since you need so little to achieve full coverage, this product is a great value. $25 at Sephora.

the Balm Mary-Lou Manizer

LOVE. That pretty much sums up my feelings towards this highlighter. Unless you like an extremely subtle highlight, I can't think of any reason to not like this luminizer. I fully expected it to be chunky and glittery, but it isn't either of the two at all. It gives you a gorgeous glow. You have to see it in person to understand exactly what I'm talking about. I much prefer powder highlighters to creams/liquids, because the latter make me look greasy. This is hands down the most flattering highlighter I have ever used. The packaging is adorable, and the compact has an sturdy mirror built right on. Plus you get a ridiculous amount of product.

Urban Decay 24/7 Eye Liner in 'El Dorado'

Lastly, a UD 24/7 pencil. I've been wanting this one forever. El Dorado is a true gold, creamy and pigmented as are all of the 24/7 liners.

That's all for now. Hope you're all enjoying your summer :)

FOTD

2010-08-09T21:38:00.000-07:00

I've done this with my eyeshadow like 4 times this week because I love how the colors look with my skin color. I dont remember what I have on my face is terms of foundation and blush, but who really cares about that anyway.

On the eyes..
NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk (base)
Orb (lid)
Embark (crease)
Cork (to blend out darker brown)
UD 24/7 in Zero
Lancome Hypnose Drama

And the lips..
Shy Girl l/s
C-Thru l/g

Looove pinks on the lid with warm dark browns in crease or outer v. Another good pink to use with Embark is Da Bling.. the MA in mac did my eyeshadow using only those two colors and it looked amazing. The trick is to keep the dark brown defined in the outer v.. don't overblend it all the way into your lid.

The Balm Time Balm Concealer

2010-08-09T20:12:00.001-07:00

I picked up the Balm's concealer a few weeks ago. I actually went in for Cover FX's liquid concealer, but I loved the Balm's bronzer, so I made a last minute decision change and came out with the 'Time Balm' concealer instead.

So on top of my hereditary dark circles, I now have reddish rings around my eyes because I've started using RapidLash (which is amazing so far, by the way). They've subsided a lot, and the picture below is right after I rubbed off all my eye make up, so don't be put off by how scary they look, haha.

Before foundation & concealer:

Left eye (your left) with just foundation, right with concealer:

What It Is: A full coverage concealer with anti-wrinkle properties.

Consistency: The concealer is very creamy. I actually dislike this because of the greasy look. It spreads very easily, though.

Coverage: The color I got, Medium, is very yellow, so I thought it would cover darkness well. The concealer itself is extremely pigmented, but the color wasn't right at all. It left me with a greenish tint under my eyes. You can tell in the picture the edges look unblended.. it was hard to get it to blend with my foundation.

Staying Power: The coverage lasts about 5-6 hours on my skin. I didn't like how my under eye area looked after a few hours though.. kind of creasey and bumpy and weird.

Final Thoughts: I wasn't impressed by this. This might work for other imperfections on the face, but for under eye circles, it was too shiny for my liking. Plus the texture wasn't amazing. It might work better for more mature skin, since it's drier.. and the concealer fights wrinkles. I'm going back for that Cover FX one I've heard so many raves about. I'll review that bad boy as soon as I get my hands on him.

Micabella Eyeshadows

2010-07-27T12:20:00.000-07:00

Here are the Micabella shadow swatches I promised. The three colors I got were 'Coral Reef', a peachy color with golden shimmer; 'Carnival', a super shimmery gold-bronze; and 'Diligence', a deep, plum-y brown.

Side to side comparisons, left side swatched dry, right side swatched wet using Visine.

Finally, a look I did yesterday using Carnival. I used Nylon in the inner corner, Micabella's Carnival on the lid, Embark on the outer lid, and Blanc Type to highlight.

Bad Lighting Woes

2010-07-21T11:54:00.000-07:00

So I visited my best friend over the weekend. She actually lives right by the city that has my nearest CCO (still an hour and a half away!), but for some crazy reason that didn't occur to me until the last day I was there. I did manage to pick up a bunch of other make-up though. Along with what I'm about to show, I got three Micabella eyeshadows. If you haven't heard of the brand, they're a mineral make-up line that you'll find at many mall stands. It's funny, because normally I am not the type of person to fall for a good salesperson's tactics, but this girl sucked me innnnn! I really was only coming up to check out the colors, but somehow she managed to sell me 3. It probably had to do with the fact that she was able to relate to me, since we had similar ethnic backgrounds.. a great way to sell is to relate to the customer personally. In retrospect, I guess I felt obligated, like if I didn't follow through with the sale I'd be letting her down. But I didn't even know her! I could have walked away. The eyeshadows are really gorgeous though. I'll do a separate post on them, with swatches and a look.

Moooving on.

The Balm Bahama Mama Bronzer is the only product I have by The Balm. I've been looking for a bronzer for a while, and had my heart set on finding a matte one, but I swatched this in the store and it looked pretty enough to make me want to try it out. It does have a sheen to it, just more subdued than how it shows up on my hand. The color is perfect, no orange. The texture is smooth.. I apply with a 109 in really quick, circular motions. It truly does make me look tan, not like I have anything applied on my face. Say hi to my weirdly pale looking hand.

NYX Blushes in "Terra Cotta" and "Mauve"
I got the blushes in the first store I've ever found with a full NYX display.. I am so excited now. I went for Terra Cotta because, surprisingly, I think it makes a pretty highlight. Like for a bronzer or dark blush when applied extremely lightly. I don't know if I would use it as a blush, the color is kind of weird on my skintone for that. Mauve is a pretty mauve-pink (color description skillzz). Just a good everyday shade, but one I'd definitely apply with a light hand as well.

MAC Eyeshadows in "Brown Script", "Jest", "Beautiful Iris", and "Samoa Silk"
I got Brown Script because I've been in desperate need of a warm brown, whenever I do any eyeshadow look with browns they always blend out into a gray or even purple.
I used to have Jest but returned it because I had too many similar colors, but I caved in and bought it again because the pigmentation and texture of this shadow are unbeatable.
Beautiful Iris makes for a gorgeous inner corner or lid color with any purple look.
Samoa Silk is the best example of how much mac's lighting will throw you off. In the store, I could have sworn it was a pale yellow. Then I brought it home and realized it was almost exactly the shade of Peaches blush. I'll see what I can do with it, though.

In the store, this lipstick looked both gorgeous, and like an exact dupe of mac's Shy Girl. I has SG on that day, actually, and spent 30 minutes comparing the two with this face D: ...trying to decide whether I should spend the $12 for a color so similar to one I already have (WHO CARES IF THE SHADES ARE EXACT MATCHES, THE FINISH IS DIFFERENTTTTTTT!). So in the end I bought it, of course. Whisper is a sheer, peachy color with gold glitter... on my hand and under Victoria Secret's lighting, anyway. Back home, this morphed into a metallic finish, gold-flecked sheer lipstick.. thing. It's not ugly, it's just not worth the money. The good thing about these lipstick is that they are very creamy and moisturizing. That can be a bad thing too though.. I kind of like my lipstick with a bit of grip. Applying gloss over this lipstick would be a slippery nightmare.

That's it for now, check back for the mineral eyeshadow swatches!
Happy Wednesday ;)

FOTD

2010-07-10T21:07:00.000-07:00

I kept the make-up very neutral today, I just didn't feel like having a lot piled on my face. When doing neutral make-up I don't worry so much about color coordination as I do about defining my features as naturally as possible.

(Products are always MAC unless stated otherwise)
Face
Tarte Smooth Operator "Agent 14" (Disguise)
Tarte The Eraser "Bare 04"
Sonia Kashuk loose powder "Colorless Matte"
Harmony blush (to contour)
Peaches blush
By Candlelight MSF (to highlight)
Eyes
Painterly Paint Pot
Swiss Chocolate (brows)
Orb
Cork
Ricepaper
Embark (as liner)
Maybelline Colossal Mascara
Lips
Shy Girl lipstick
C-Thru lipglass

MAC In The Groove + Masssssive Haul

2010-07-10T17:46:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I may have gone a little.. overboard.. with the make-up shopping this past week. But I had the sudden urge to get myself some bright lipsticks, now that it's summer. And that sudden urge happened to fall on the same week mac's massive collection came out.. so that's how I wound up where I am right now. Broke... but with so many pretty colors!

All Styled Up (Cremesheen)
This is from In the Groove. I chose this over "I Like It Like That" because that one seemed way too purple and I thought this was more bubblegum-pink.. but I was wrong. The two lipsticks are soo similar, I have no idea why they came out together. "All Styled Up" is more pink, but the purple is definitely there. I don't really like shades like this on my skin, the only thing they work well with for me is dark smokey eyes.. and even then, I'd much rather go with a different lip color.

Speed Dial (Cremesheen)
This is a well known permanent color, kind of a brighter version of "All Styled Up". "Speed Dial" is medium blue-pink with some golden shimmer in there. I really like this color.. it's the barbie pink I've been looking for. With this lipstick I find that I need to apply several layers to get full color-payoff, but that doesn't mean it isn't a pigmented lipstick.

Vegas Volt (Amplified Creme)
I've been lemming a bright orange lipstick, and that's what I went in for. This is what I came out with, instead ("Morange", you're next on my list). It's a bright coral, which I think pulls more pink than orange. I personally like that.. I think pinky-coral is way more flattering than orange-y coral. This is a great color for summer, and can be layered to achieve different levels of color.

Looooooove love love love love this lip gloss. I bought it to go with Vegas Volt, but I think it'll be gorgeous with just about any shade of lipstick. It can tone down oranges, add a hint of peachy coral to your pinks, and it goes hand in hand with coral shades.

Harmony is wayyyy lighter than this, I swatched it heavily to show it's undertones. It's just a muddy brown color that works amazingly well for contouring for a large bracket of skin tones.
Blushbaby is a brown-ish pink that's totally matte. It works well with neutral looks, or if you have loud eye make-up or lips and need to a subtle cheek color.
Peaches is pretty self-explanitory, a matte, true peach color. I think it looks really good on both light and tan skin tones. It doesn't look ridiculously peachy on the cheeks, it blends out into a believable, natural color.
Pink Swoon is a gorgeous cool pink, made famous by Kim K. It's extremely pretty, my new favorite pink blush. It looks more sophisticated than other warmer pinks that can make you look too young.

By Candlelight Mineralize Skinfinish
Famous MSF that I missed out on when it came out with Warm & Cozy. I'm sure a lot of you have seen it a million times, but here it is on my skin tone for reference. The texture it amazing, and it seems to adapt to whatever your blush color is when using it as a cheekbone highlighter.

Lilicent Blushcreme
I know this is a popular one, and I've checked it out in the store a few times, but it never seemed as pretty when I'd swatch it. I'm happy I finally got it though. When actually applied to the cheeks, it becomes a really pretty peachy pink. I like using this on it's own with a Cream Color Base to highlight, or more commonly, under a powder blush.

Bust out those bright lippies, though, seriously! Summer is the most fun season in that you can get away with pretty much anything when it comes to bright colors, so take advantage of it.

Have a good weekend :)

Natural, Affordable Skin Care!

2010-07-07T11:55:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I feel like I'm throwing away my money when I purchase high end cleansers and toners. I'm still young, so it just doesn't seem like the high price tag is justifiable for the benefits I'm getting out of products that stay on my skin for such a short period of time. My thought process is that as long as I'm getting every last trace of make-up off and cleansing my skin with something gentle, I'm taking good care of my skin. Although I'm not as strict about make-up, when it comes to skin care, I make sure to keep it as natural as possible. Luckily, there are way more natural products in drugstores now than there was even 5 years ago. I love that you can find organic skin care lines at your local drugstore, in the same price range as it's chemist brand neighbors down the aisle.

I want to share my favorite natural drugstore products. I use 2 of these daily, and the other 2 weekly, and they all do a great job of taking care of my skin.

Yes To Cucumbers Calming Cucumber Facial Cleansing Gel: Of the three versions of Yes To products (the other two are carrots and tomatoes), the cucumber line is created for sensitive skin. This cleanser definitely doesn't make my face red in spots like some others do. It is very gentle, yet still does a good job of cleansing my skin. I don't use this alone to get off my make-up, though. As with any cleanser, I use something before-hand. If you have dry skin, don't be put off by the word "gel". My skin in combo, and when I use this cleanser in the morning, it doesn't make my dry spots feel tight in any way. This contains organic cucumbers, green tea, dead sea minerals, aloe vera, olive oil, broccoli, and other ingredients you won't find in most drugstore skin care. This doesn't contain parabens, petroleum, or nasty SLS. The last thing I have to say is that the cleanser smells divine. The scent reminds me of one I'd smell in a spa. It always puts me in a good, calm mood. The whole time I've been writing this paragraph I've been flipping the cap open to take whiffs.

Alba Sea Algae Enzyme Facial Scrub: Another great smelling product. If anything, at least smell these next time you're at the drugstore. Hahah, no, I really don't like when people go on about how great a product is because of it's smell. But if something works well, a good smell can make a huge impact because it makes the experience of using the product a pleasurable one. Anyways, I use this about every other day. The exfoliating factor in this is corn cob meal, which make up the actual grainy beads. Sea algae enzymes and aloe vera, according to the brand, rid your skin of impurities, revealing a cleaner complexion and increasing circulation. I usually use this in the shower, after the steam has opened up my pores a bit. It's important not to be to rough, or this will make your skin break out in angry red spots. The exfoliating beads are doing the work for you, you don't need the extra force of your hands. After I use this, my complexion definitely looks brighter, and my skin feels smoother. My flaky spots are gone. Unless you need something a little more heavy-duty, I think this could be anyone's favorite exfoliator. It does an amazing job.

Boots Botanics Conditioning Clay Face Mask: My skin has become more and more prone to clogged pores this past year. This was actually the first mask I've ever bought and used regularly. Before this, I used the occasional home-made concoction for dry skin, but nothing meant to pull anything out. This clay mask contains Burdock, which has been used for centuries as a blood-cleanser. On the less gory side of things, it also does a good job of ridding your skin of toxins and impurities. After using this, my pores are visibly reduced in size. My skin looks and feels deeply cleansed. There may be fancier products with fancier ingredients on the market.. but like I said, I'm still young and as long as I'm keeping my face clean, I'm happy and my skin is happy.

Alba Green Tea SPF 30+ Sunscreen: I bought this because I wanted to start being religious about keep the back of my hands and chest area protected from the sun (those are the tell tale spots when it comes to a woman's age!). The packaging is very practical, no pumps, just a flip-top cap so you don't end up with the product all over your purse. What I was pleasantly surprised by was how well it fares as a facial moisturizer. This sunscreen has it all, natural broad-spectrum SPF, with some good-for-your-skin ingredients packed in there. Not to mention it's water resistant. It does go on a bit greasy, but I promise you it dries really nicely. My skin absorbs this well, and I'm able to apply make-up over it just as I would be with any other moisturizer under. It has a spf of at least 30, which is great because for many moisturizers with spf, the typical number is 15. And even then, I'm worried about that number being reduced by the fact that the product is in fact a moisturizer, and not a sunscreen. I wouldn't replace my facial moisturizer with this, but for the summer months this is definitely what I'm using daily. And don't slap me, but this smells extremely good.

Prices vary from store to store, but the Y2C Cleansing Gel typically retails for about $10. Alba Facial Scrub also goes for $10 in most stores. The Boots Clay Mask retails for $8.99 at Target. Alba Green Tea Sunscreen averages around $12.

St.Tropez Self-Tan Bronzing Lotion

2010-06-18T14:52:00.000-07:00

So I was in the market for a new self-tanner to use specifically on the face. The 'Sublime Bronze' one from Loreal works great on my body. But when it comes to the face, drugstore tanners either turn me orange or break me out. Usually both. So I thought I'd seek something nicer. After spending a solid 30 minutes at Sephora's self-tanner display, it came down to choosing between a gradual tanner and what I ended up buying, St. Tropez's vaguely named 'Bronzing Lotion'. I went with this one because it was the only tanner in the whole lot whose directions implied that it was to be used on the face.

What It Is: St.Tropez (pronounced tro-PAY, ladies) Self-Tan Bronzing Lotion is a tanning lotion that claims to help users achieve a deep, believable tan that lasts longer than with most tanners. This is because it utilizes the ingredient 'Erythrulose', which works like a slower-developing version of DHA. So basically, after the DHA's effects begin to fade, Erythrulose got yo back.

Application: The first thing you notice is the color of the lotion.. a ugly shade of green. This tint is vital though, because it counteracts any orange. I applied to a freshly exfoliated face, using my fingers. It blended easily, and immediately I saw a bronze effect. It faded quickly, but only because the actual color was beginning to develop.

Smell: This product smells amazing. Seriously, no DHA smell at all. Like many, the company has some fancy odor-blocking technology. St. Tropez has it down pat, though. I can't describe the scent at all, only that it smells exotic and tropical to me.

Initial Results: The morning after I first used this tanner, I was extremely pleased with how my face looked. There was a healthy dose of color, but not as deep as some tanners have taken me. The color was nice and even, and I didn't see any spots or blemishes on the face. My skin felt really smooth, too.

Further Results: I wanted to be darker, so I used this for about 3 days after the first time. As far as color, it's strange because it seems like the results sort of plateaued around the 3rd application. Color is buildable, so I don't know why that happened. It still gave me a nice tint though. I also noticed that it seemed to be clogging my pores up a bit, but I think this was partially my fault for not exfoliating enough, trying to keep the color on my face. In the after picture below, I look substantially darker, but the natural light might have exaggerated my color a little.

After picture was taken 3 weeks after inital application. I applied the lotion 3 consecutive nights each week.

My final thoughts on this product are that it does a amazing job at what it's made for, so I'm only slightly dissapointed I couldn't get the results I wanted in terms of color. What I love is what it's brought my skintone to. Before, I had neutral undertones on my face, my coloring didn't pull more in either the warm or the cool direction. That's always made it difficult for me to find complimentary colors for my skintone when it comes to make-up. Now I have a light-medium olive complexion, and I think it's sexayyy. I love how my old eyeshadows and lippies look fresh with my new color. I'm so happy I found this product and will continue to re-buy it unless I find something better.

This retails for $30 for 4 oz, the bottle I got. There's also a 8 oz bottle for $40, so you're saving a lot of money there. Not the cheapest tanner on the market, but since I'm only using it on the face this bottle will last me a while.
The ingredients, taken from the box, are: Water, Dihydroxyacetone, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Apricot Kernel Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Sorbitan Stearate, Dimethicone, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Matricaria Flower Extract, Ceteareth-20, Sclerotium Gum, Butylene Glycol, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Bisulfite, Fragrance, Benzyl Salicylate, Cinnamal, Cinnamyl Alcohol, Citronellol, Coumarin, Eugenol, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Geraniol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Hydroxycitronellal, Isoeugenol, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Linalool, Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde, Citric Acid, Caramel, Yellow 6 (CI 15985), Red 40 (CI 16035), Blue 1 (CI 42090).

Summer Hair Care

2010-06-18T12:06:00.000-07:00

SUMMERS HERE! Well.. almost. But it definitely feels like it.
We're adamant about protecting our skin, and slather on the sunscreen (we do, right ladies!?). So what do you do to protect your hair? Give it a rest from all the heat tools and products? Most of us, when we decide to give our hair a break, think that's all it takes to start repairing the hair. Actually, that state of mind can do way more harm than good. The serums and hairsprays, and all other products we gunk up our hair with during the year do dry out our locks and cause build-up.. but they can also protect our hair! Many hair products have some spf factor in it, protecting our hair from one of it's worst enemies.. the sun. Also, we tend to be more mindful of our hair-care regimen during the year, clarifying and deep-conditioning. Our summer low-maintenance hairstyles allow us to fall behind on our keep-up.. who honestly wants to sit inside, sweating profusely, a shower cap and warm, damp towel plastered to her head?! So this is how, at the end of August, many of us find ourselves with a head full of dehydrated, damaged, frizzy hair.

Fortunately, giving your hair a break (which does work miracles!), is easy to do right as long as you keep a few things in mind. Even if you don't decide to go the au natural route, keep my 3 basic (but necessary) rules in mind this summer:

Protect Your Hair From The Sun (and wind.. and salt water.. and humidity...)
Direct exposure from the sun is extremely damaging to the hair. Imagine blasting your hair with the highest heat setting on your blow dryer for about 5 hours.. that's the equivalent of what you're doing when you're at the beach with nothing protecting that hair! There are so many easy things to do to protect your hair, that will save you tons of stress later.
One of the most obvious is busting out the hats. This is the quickest fix. Next, I highly suggest investing in a product specifically designed to protect hair from the sun. Whether it be a leave-in conditioner, serum, whatever. Trust me, there are hundreds out there, and they're especially easier to find during summer. Use it any time you'll be out for anything other than a quick trip. When I'm going somewhere I'll be swimming, I find the easiest thing to do is whip up a mixture of water, sunscreen, and a little bit of leave-in conditioner. If I'm laying out for a while before I swim, I keep my hair under a hat. But as soon as I'm out of the water, I douse my hair in the mixture. This works wonders.. not only is my hair protected from the sun, but I don't have to deal with the post-swim uni-dreadlock. After you comb it through (bring a wide tooth comb with you any time you go swimming), it gives hair a gorgeous wet, sleek, perfume ad look.
Also, a great quick tip I want to add.. one I remember reading somewhere. To protect your hair from chlorine and salt water, wet your hair with some some water, whether it be from a bottle or water fountain, before getting into the pool or ocean. This prevents either elements from penetrating your hair to a point where it can damage it.

Condition Like Crazy!
Summer is when we should be the most concerned about conditioning our hair.. not when we should be all laissez-faire about it. As a rule of thumb, avoid products with alcohol in them. These will dry your hair our way further than the elements already will naturally. It would be beneficial to cut down the number of times a week you shampoo. Your scalp will produce more oils in the hot months, and your natural oils are the best conditioner for the hair. In any case, make sure you without fail deep condition once a week. If you have anything other than oily hair, you could bump it up to two or three times a week. You can deep condition with anything. A store-bought deep conditioner (let me know if you need help picking one out for your hair type, I've tried them all), olive oil, jojoba oil, coconut oil, bananas.. chances are you know what works best for you. One awesome thing about the sun is that it's like a natural heat-cap! Oil treatments are useless on the hair without some kind of heat to allow the oil to penetrate, so douse your hair in any kind of oil, sit out in the sun, and enjoy your hot oil treatment!

Trim Your Hair Regularly
Split, ragged ends are extremely common at the end of summer. If you're taking good care of your hair with the aforementioned rules, they shouldn't be that bad. But inevitably, they're going to be there, so get rid of them before they get too high up. Don't think of summer as your break from trims, or you're going to need to cut off a lot of length at the end of the season.

My 3 rules seem pretty obvious, but it's surprising how many people throw any hair-care sense out the window during the summer months. Just like it's so much easier to gain weight than it is to lose it (ugh), it's way easier to rack up hair damage than it is to undo it. So do yourself a favor and keep that hair healthy this summer!

Have a safe and happy summer :)

MUFE HD Invisible Cover Foundation

2010-06-13T11:53:00.000-07:00

Maybe 3 foundation posts in a row is overkill.. but then again, maybe it's not. There are thousands of reviews for Make Up For Ever's famous "high definition" make up.. you could definitely say it has a cult following. Thing's never seem to work out for me quite the same as they do for most, though.. so I wasn't surprised that this didn't blow me out of the water. Here's my story of how it worked out for me:

What It Is: Sephora's site describes this as being an oil-free foundation, with medium to full coverage. Marketed (sort-of) as a camera-friendly foundation, it's supposed to give your skin that "soft focus" effect, and prevent you from looking all funky on screen and in pictures. It boasts a few fancy ingredients.. relipidium, to boost moisture content; fucogel (can't science come up with some prettier names?), forms a barrier between your skin and the nasties floating around in the air; and finally, sericite..this, and I quote straight off the website, "enables rays of light to spread more widely across the face". Sounds pretty impressive. Speeding rays of light, beaming across your face, further and wider than any rays of light have sped across it before!
Application: Anyways, I used a classic foundation brush with this, like I do with everything. No stipplers or buffers or sponge eggs. I like the coverage and finish a plain old foundation brush gives me. The consistency was extremely runny, but it blended easily. I needed about 2 full pumps for the whole face.
Feel: The foundation felt extremely light and pleasant on the face. It also felt nice and moisturizing.
Look: The shade I got, 120 (medium-light with yellow undertones), seemed okay at first. But in retrospect, 123 would have probably been better as the shade description is an exact description of my skin tone: light with olive undertones. I definitely noticed that "soft focus" effect it promised. The problem was, the areas that had that looked great, but the areas that didn't look bad in comparison. The upper lip, between the eyebrows, and the nose area all looked kind of weird and drab compared to the rest of my lit-from-within face. The coverage was medium, nothing more. It didn't cover everything, but I'll give it credit for how much it brightened up the under-eye area. What I didn't like was that this did not work well when layered. It quickly turned a orange shade and looked really chalky.
Staying Power: This would probably fall under the "Look" category, but it's such an important point I didn't want anyone to overlook it. This foundation will make you shiiiine! Upon initial application, the finish is pretty close to perfect. But after about 2 hours, my face begins to shine in a way that no powder can cover up. It's the weirdest thing. As far as longevity, the coverage does last throughout the day. The shine factor is just too much for me though.

Final Thoughts: It didn't work out for me the way it did for tons of other people. It looks amazing on camera, but not so much in real life. It's funny because maybe the whole HD thing is what's wrong with it in the first place.. is it just me or does a pixelating foundation sound better than a high definition foundation? I need those flaws blurred out!

Ingredients, taken from Sephora's website: Aqua, Cyclopentasiloxane, Neopentyl Glycol Diethylhexanoate, Mica, talc, PEG-10 Dimenthicone, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Phenyl, Trimethicone, Sodium Chloride, Lauroyl Lysine, Dimenthicone Crosspolymer, Glyceryl Caprylate, Methylpropanediol, Butylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Sodium Myristoyl Glutamate, Cyclohexacyloxane, Methylisothiazolinone, Sorbitan Sesquileate, Silver Oxide, Propylene, Carbonate, Fragrance, Methylparaben, Fagus Sylvatica Extract, Hydrolyzed Yeast Protein, [+/- CI 77891 )titanium Dioxide), CI 77491 (Iron Oxides), CI 77499 (Iron Oxides).

NP Set Pasarella Powder Foundation

2010-06-10T22:09:00.000-07:00

I've never liked powder foundation.. I feel naked with it on. It doesn't cover anything I need covered, and on top of that it never lasts for me. But there are those days when I can't stand the thought of painting on thick liquid foundation. Those would be the hot, sticky days that make up a lot of the year where I live. Now that summer has rolled around, powder foundation has become my new best friend! I recently picked up NP Set's "Pasarella Powder Foundation" from target. Here's what I thought...

What It Is: A compact powder foundation that claims to be unlike other powder foundation's in terms of it's moisturizing abilities. Contains Shea Butter and Pomegranate Extract, which seems to be this line's signature ingredient.
Application: After applying primer, I used the sponge the foundation came with to apply an initial layer on the cheeks, chin, and forehead.. basically where I want the heaviest coverage. Then, using a kabuki or mac 109, I get some powder on the brush and go over the rest of the face, blending everything out as I go.
Look: This gave me medium-ish coverage, heavier than most powder foundations, but still not what I'm used to. It didn't give look chalky in any way.. which is great because that's the reason I stay away from powder foundation in the first place.
Feel: Even though it didn't look powdery, it definitely made my face feel dry. This might not be the case with oilier-skinned wearers, though. I always finish my make-up routine with Fix+ anyway, so I wasn't bothered too much by how it felt.
Staying Power: This foundation's longevity is pretty impressive, it lasted a solid 3 or 4 hours for me (this is powder foundation we're talking about!). What I didn't like was that anytime I rubbed my face with any kind of fabric or cloth, the foundation would transfer right onto it.

Final Thoughts: The results I got from this foundation were definitely beyond what I expected. I love using this on lazy or hot days when I just don't feel like doing the whole enchilada when it comes to my make-up. For it's price, though, I would definitely not buy it again. It didn't do that much better than my previously reviewed Neutrogena powder foundation. My hard-earned dollars would better be invested in quality liquid foundations, and saved when it comes to the powder type...

This retails for $30 at your local Target. You can also find it at http://www.npsetcosmetics.com/.
The ingredients are: Talc, Corn Starch, Ethylhexyl, Methoxycinnamate, Triisostearin, Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate, Dimethicone, Zinc Oxide, Myristyl, Trisiloxane, Soybean Glycerides, Zinc Stearate, Chlorphenesin, Potassium, Sorbate, Polyperfluoroethoxymethoxydifluroethy, Peg Phosphate, Shea Butter, Dimethiconol, Tetrasodium Edta, Morus Alba Root Extract, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Silica, Corn Oil, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, BHT, Ascorbyl Palmitate MAY CONTAIN: Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides, Ultramarines

Almay Clear Complexion Makeup

2010-06-03T19:47:00.000-07:00

So I bought Almay's Clear Complexion liquid foundation about a month ago, and have been using it regularly. At first I was ecstatic about it, amazed that the best foundation I'd ever used I had found at the drugstore. Since then, how I've felt about it has changed. At first, it gave me the smoothest looking skin any foundation had ever given me. The color match was perfect, and although I doubt it has enough salicylic acid in it to actually combat pimples, it was definitely wasn't breaking me out. My review will be for the results I'm getting with this now.

What It Is: A liquid foundation that is made with natural ingredients like meadowsweet (purifies skin), chamomile, and aloe (both skin calming ingredients). It also contains salicylic acid. I got it in the shade "Naked".
Application: I applied this with a regular foundation brush. The consistency is thick, so a little goes a long way.
Look: This foundation gives great coverage. Right after application, my skin looks pretty flawless. The problem for me is that it doesn't always last. Though not all the time, it usually changes it's color on me throughout the course of the day. It also makes me look a bit on the greasy side after 4 or 5 hours.
Feel: This felt very light on the face, and didn't make me feel like my pores were clogging up under it.
Staying Power: The coverage does last me until the end of my (7 or 8 hour) day. Unfortunately, it does make me look oily, and sometime's a little pink..

Final Thoughts: I'm dissapointed that this didn't work out for me in the end. But I guess that's what I get for celebrating too early. I still reach for this on day's I won't be out for a long time. But with it's inconsistent results, I just can't depend on it to last me throughout my typical day.

Biiig Haul

2010-06-02T10:13:00.000-07:00

I've really been into blushes lately, with summer coming up. Tan skin goes well with bright blush and some lip gloss. So I've spent way more on blushes this past month than I should have been spending.. but they're all so pretty! Here's some stuff I've bought recently:

Laura Geller baked blush palette, Bare Minerals "Precious Pearl" blush, Nars "Madly" blush, Mac "Tilt" and "Steamy" eyeshadow, Mac Studio Finish concealer in NC25, MUFE HD foundation in shade 120, and Mac Dazzleglass in "Sugarrimmed"

Woo!

Here's a close up of the blushes:

Laura Geller blush swatches:

I love the finish on these blushes. I do love my matte blushes, but sometimes I don't like how done-up they make me look. These blushes are pigmented, but not too dark in color. The shades themselves are gorgeous, and versatile too. Sunswept would make a pretty highlighter, in my opinion. The swatch is heavy, but one swipe gives a sheer, iridescent silver-pink.

I picked up the Nars blush on a whim. It looked so pretty in the store. It's a muted pink-brown, with shimmer. I was hoping it would be a nice hybrid of blush and bronzer, but unfortunately it's not that spectacular looking on my skin. It just looks muddy. Also, it's shimmer doesn't translate onto my skin, which was a disappointment. The Bare Minerals blush, on the other hand, is my new love. It's a mauve-pink that I think looks beautiful for every day when applied lightly, and even better applied a bit more heavy-handed with dramatic looks.

The eyeshadows:

Steamy is a well-known colors. It's a teal with a very pretty sheen. Tilt is another popular color. It's a iridescent sky blue, but with violet undertones that reflect light in a gorgeous way.

Ohh my goooodnessssssss do I love this lip gloss! The camera doesn't do it any justice.. it's the perfect color in real life. Normally I don't pay any attention to the colorless shades in a set of lip glosses, but I'm so glad I got this one. It's an extremely pale, milky pink with allll different kind of pearl in it, the most prominent being blue (yay for whiter teeth!). However it may look in the picture, this gloss looks amazing in real life. On it's own and topped over any lipstick, this gives me shimmery, full lips. Go to your nearest Mac store or stand and try this on!

Lastly, the concealer:

I've used Studio Finish in the past and hated it. I thought I'd give it another try, though, with a darker color this time. NC 25 is very peachy (almost orange-y), so I thought it would work well to counteract the colors I got going on under my eyes. Well, it did, but just like my last go with this concealer, the pigmentation faded once the concealer had set. It may look alright up above, but after 10 minutes I'm left with a gray cast under my eyes. Worst of all is the finish on this concealer. It's really chalky and highlights everything on my skin. The only thing I like about this is it's brightening properties. Oh well, on to the next one

I'll be doing a review on MUFE's foundation soon.. it was the first thing I bought of the whole haul, and I've been wearing it for a few weeks now. I'll have that post up soon :)

Blue Turned Teal EOTD

2010-06-01T23:23:00.000-07:00

I can only wear super neutral make up to my new job, which has been driving me crazy. So lately I've been on a huge color kick, and doing all kinds of colorful looks on my day off. This is what I came up with today:

I used a generic shimmery color from a Hard Candy baked shadow duo on the inner corner, Urban Decay's Shattered on the lid, Contrast on the outer-v, and Prussian over the Contrast and pulled into the crease. I used Shroom to highlight. I used all blue's, but it kind of turned into a teal look somehow..

Enjoyyy :)

EOTD

2010-05-29T14:09:00.000-07:00

1. I used Painterly paint pot as my base.
2. I packed on Urban Decay's Blunt (love!), from the Skull Shadow Box, in the inner corner and lid.

3. I applied Amber Lights on the outer lid and into the crease.

4. With a dense blending brush, I deepened the crease with Antiqued. 5. I used a tiny bit of UD's Oil Slick to bring some depth into the outer-v. I made sure to blend it out really well, so the black didn't muddy up the earthy colors.
6. Blanc Type with the 224 to highlight.
7. I used Rimmel's "Spark It Up!" liner in Tiger's Eye on my waterline.

8. I then applied Blacktrack fluidline on the upper lid, and finished with Maybelline's Colossal mascara.

I also want to throw in a quick picture of how my toes are done. I'm not huge on nail designs.. I get acrylics myself, but I love blinged out toe nails. I've never tried to do my own nail designs, but I got some nail art pens, and this is what I came up with :)

Crappy iPhone pic:

EOTD

2010-05-27T20:28:00.000-07:00

Found my usb cord.. I have a few eotd's to show.

1. I used Mac's Cream Color Base in "Pearl" as my base.

2. I applied Orb in the inner corner, then extended the color out onto the lid. Towards the outer part, I only covered about half my lid space with it, packing it closer to the lash line.

3. I applied Passionate in the middle part of my lid.

4. I mixed a few different purples from the 120 palette together on my 239, then created a deep purple outer-v.
5. Using a lighter mix of purples and the 217 brush, I applied the new color around the darker outer-v.

6. With the 224, I blended everything together. Then, using the same brush, I got some Orb and applied it starting from the inner corner, bringing it up and in to the other colors to pull everything together.

7. At this point I added more of whatever I needed. Orb in the inner corner, more Passionate on the middle of the lid.

8. Using the 224, I used Blanc Type to highlight.

The second look is a easy taupe-y smoky eye. I used Shroom in the inner corner, Era on the entire lid, Satin Taupe in the crease, and Carbon to deepen the crease. I lined my upper lid with a black pencil liner, then smudged it out with the black shadow using a pencil brush. Then, using that same brush, I picked up some color off the tip of the eyeliner, and smudged the liner along my bottom lashline, connecting it with the liner on the upper lid.

Luscious Red Lip Tutorial

2010-05-24T23:35:00.000-07:00

Finally I get around to this! I have so much to upload, but I lost the USB cord to my camera so unfortunately all that will have to wait :(
For now here's another tutorial I made.. another basic one, while I get the hang of making picture tuts. This was pre-foundation, so don't hate on my skin.

My Take on Luscious Red Lips ;)

Always start out with a freshly sharpened pencil to get rid of bacteria and give you more precision. I used some nameless liner I've had forever since I don't opt for red lips that often.

To prep the lips, I exfoliate gently with a warm washcloth, then smooth something moisturizing on them (I prefer alba's unpetroleum jelly or aquaphor to a wax-y lip balm before lipstick).

Begin by lining the cupids bow (the top-of-a-heart shaped section of your upper lip) from the middle point up and outwards. Then line the bottom lip. On both the top and bottom lips, leave about half an inch of unlined space on each side of the line.

Finish lining the upper lip by starting from the outer corners and connecting to what you already drew. Repeat the same for the bottom lip: outer corners to previously drawn line.

Use one side of a q-tip to blend and soften the liner into your lips.

Use the opposite end of the q-tip to clean up any messy edges.

Lined lips :)

Using whatever red lipstick you choose, brush a thin layer of color onto your lips with a lip brush. I used Sally Hansen's (Natural beauty) inspired by Carmindy lipsticks in "Sangria".

First layer of lipstick. Not too thick.

If you want your red lips to last through the day or night, do not skip this step! Set your lip color by pressing your lips down on any type of tissue.

This layer will last and last, and creates a base for the second layer of lipstick. The cracked look is what you're aiming for, it's what shows that the inital layer of lipstick is really worked in there, and there will be no funky looking skin-colored lines in your lips when you smile!

Apply a second layer of lipstick. If you want a matte-ish finish, you can continue to brush on color until you get to your desired result. But the look I'm going for is luscious, not business! It's often said that adding gloss to red lips will goop up your look, but I beg to differ.

I finished off with a single layer of clear gloss, and I'm done! I usually pair red lips with nothing more than some winged black liner and sweep of bronzer on the cheekbones.

Hope you enjoyed :)

My First Tut!

2010-05-12T16:37:00.000-07:00

I've always felt like it's hard to capture a good, realistic picture of my make-up on camera so I don't take enough pictures.. but I promise I'll start :)
I thought a good start would be with a tutorial, so cut me some slack because this is my first tutorial and I'm still figuring out all the settings and quirks.. What I did was a look I always go to if I'm feeling indecisive about eye make-up that day. It looks clean and classy, and it's versatile enough to work with everything from bold red to shiny nude lips. I used all mac products, unless I mention otherwise. Of course, you could use anything you have that matches the color description. I think this look works best when the shadows are as close to matte in finish as possible.

I started by packing Blanc Type (a creamy, beige-white) onto the lid with the 239.

Then, using the 224, I swept Cork (any light-medium brown) into the crease following a windshield-wiper motion. This creates an outline for the darker brown while contributing to the graduating effect.. doing this step before the dark brown makes application less messy for me.

I then took a dark brown, which is the liner color from Benefit's Big Beautiful Eyes palette (any dark matte brown will do), and used the very tips of the 239 to first apply the color in a v shape, then one side of the brush to pull the color up into the crease color.

This picture is after two steps. First, I used the 217 with Swiss Chocolate (medium brown), blending the dark brown and Cork into each other. Take time to blend the dark brown on the outer v in with the Blanc Type during this step. The point of the medium brown is to merge the borders of the dark and light shadows together. For my highlight, I dipped the 224 into some more of the Blanc Type and lightly swept it along my brown bone.

Next, with some cheap beauty supply store brush, and Blacktrack Fluidline, I lined the upper lid. It wasn't exactly the closest line I could get, but you can never tell after my mascara :) I set the liner with Carbon (matte black). The black liner is a key step in this look, it pulls everything together and makes it classy.

I mascara'd up those eyelashes and lined my waterline with white liner.

Finally...

The camera just doesn't doesn't capture this quite as beautifully as it looks in person, unfortunately, but it's my favorite eyeshadow look.

Hope you enjoyed.

NYX Lipstick Swatches

2010-04-28T21:14:00.000-07:00

I took the time to swatch all my nyx lipsticks, because I really do like them a lot. I have trouble with most lip products, within an hour they all give me the dreaded white ring, no matter what I do to my lips to prep them beforehand. It drives me crazy, I have to carry baby wipes around with me and basically re-apply my lipstick or gloss every hour. If anyone goes through this, or knows why it happens pleeease let me know :)
These are all amazingly creamy in texture, and super pigmented. The staying power isn't the greatest, but I get at least 2 hours out of these if I don't eat or sip my water too often.
Anyways, I was gunna do these swatches on the lips, but most of the lippies aren't that flattering without liner underneath (show every crack on the lips), and I wanted to provide true-to-color swatches. If I get a request though, I'd be happy to take some pictures of all of these on the lips.

Swatched heavily, slightly edited to get the best color depiction, (L-R):

Femme, Jupiter, Louisiana, Tea Rose, Heather

Femme and Tea Rose are my favorites out of these. The others are fun colors, but I could live without them. Those two colors have the least shimmery finish, which is rare in the range of nyx lipsticks. Jupiter is a great shimmery barbie pink to layer on top of a flat-pink lipstick, since it's sheer but glossy in finish.

Summerlove, Pumkin Pie (yes, pumkin!), Mars, Perfect, Thalia

Summerlove doesn't show up as much more than shimmer on my arm, but it's actually a pigmented fleshy nude. Thalia is way lighter on the lips, but turns into a darker shade after a couple layers. My absolute favorite is Pumkin Pie. It may look kind of funky in the swatch, but it makes for a great warm nude lip with a similar gloss on top. The name is so accurate, it really looks like pumpkin pie. Mmmm. One of my favorite lip combos is this lipstick with Yes to Carrots lipgloss in "Playful Nude" on top.

Last two colors, Sash and Castle:

These are $4 on the nyx website, but I think that's really overpriced for the actual product. I buy them from $1 at my local beauty shop.

The ingredients, taken from nyx's website: Ceresin Wax, Polyethlene Wax, Microcrystalline Wax, Beeswax, Lanoline Oil, Isopropyl Myristate, Mineral Oils, Octyl Palmitate, BHA, Propyl Paraben, Mica, Titanium Dioxide, D&C Red No.A1 Lake, Pearl Powder, Iron Oxide

MUFE Full Cover Extreme Camouflage Cream

2010-04-27T20:46:00.001-07:00

On my never ending quest to find the perfect undereye concealer, I thought I'd check out some of the cult classics. With pigmentation on the mind, I headed straight to the Make Up For Ever display in Sephora. Does MUFE make anything sheer? I avoided the palette, because from my experience those scream cakey under eye's. Instead I opted for the liquid, "Full Cover". Here's the verdict:

What It Is: This is described as a full-coverage liquid concealer, oil-free and waterproof, and able to cover everything from blemishes to scars and hyperpigmentation.
Application: I used this before foundation. I applied about 2 pinpricks of product on the back of my hand. I dipped a flat concealer brush into it, and began patting it on at the darkest part of my circles, under one eye. I let it sit while I did the same to the other (no more than 4 or 5 seconds). I went back to the eye I started with and blended the concealer into the rest of the undereye area, using only patting motions. Then the same with the other eye. I like to use this method when I work with liquid concealer so there's some time for the product to set on the darkest part's of my circles. It's important to work quick initially though. You can always go back in with more product.
Look: Once the concealer was fully dry, I didn't like the finish that much. It was almost kind of fuzzy. The pigmentation was good though. After I applied foundation, the area looked better but some product did rub off. I don't think this color could work for me over foundation, so I didn't like how that worked out.
Feel: This concealer dried quickly, which some might find makes it hard to work with. It did feel a bit dry, but didn't seem to dry out the area by the end of the day.
Staying Power: This did not budge for a solid 6 hours, but by the very end of the day my undereye area did have that (inevitable) grayish cast.

Excuse the pasty skin, terrible lighting:

Final Musings: All the fabulous ratings aside, I don't see what the big deal is. It had good pigmentation, but the lack of color correction left me with uncovered circles. I didn't like how the product highlighted my imperfections, more so than covering them up. Maybe it's just not a good concealer for the undereye area. On blemishes and redness around the nose, this worked great. I tried it on a tattoo by the way, since I've heard this can cover them up, but it didn't come closer than any others I've tried. You'd definitely need to bring in the color wheel and full coverage foundation. C+

Full Cover costs $40 at Sephora.

Neutrogena Mineral Sheers Powder Foundation

2010-04-22T23:20:00.000-07:00

I've been in the market for a new pressed powder. I havn't had a good enough experience with a high end brand's powder to decide there's a big difference (for me) between those and a good drugstore brand, which is how I ended up in the Neutrogena aisle at Target.
I remembered reading once somewhere that dermatologists suggest those with sensitive skin buy only Almay and Neutrogena from the drugstore. I dont have particularly sensitive skin, but when it comes to face products, I thought it'd be a safe bet to follow that rule of thumb.

I ended up buying the Mineral Sheers Powder Foundation Compact in shade 50, "Soft Beige"

What It Is: A mineral powder foundation pressed into a compact. Neutrogena's website says it's oil-free, noncomedogenic, and frangrance-free. It has SPF 20, but I wouldn't suggest depending on this.. you'd have to pack it on to get the full protection factor.
Application: I used this as a foundation and as a setting powder. As a foundation, I used primer, then applied this with the sponge it came with (actually quite nice), damp. As a setting powder, I sheered it out over my face with a soft kabuki. I liked the added coverage it gave me on top of my foundation.
Look: As a foundation, this gave me medium coverage with a matte finish, but I packed it on. This is definitely a sheer foundation. Over liquid foundation, this mattified any dewiness I got initially. I didn't like this, so I used Fix+. The color was too light for me, and it seems as if all these powders run light (hello mineral foundation). This didn't melt into my skin the way I'd expect a mineral powder to, but if blended really well, there's no powdery finish.
Feel: Although the product is supposed to have moisturizing elements, it left my face dry and tight-feeling when used as a foundation. It felt and looked better after I spray my face with some Fix+. As a setting powder, it did not feel as dry, but I still set with the spray.
Staying Power: As a foundation, (with the primer) this lasted about 4 hours. Not impressive. To set liquid foundation, the powder worked well, extending the liquid foundation's longevity.

After 2 hours:

Final Musings: I think this serves me well for the purpose I bought it for.. to set my foundation. It created a smooth base for blushes and bronzers so they wouldn't apply streaky, and made my liquid foundation last longer. My biggest problem with this is that it doesn't seem like it would last at all used as a foundation. I can't imagine how long it would have lasted had I not used a primer. I would go a color up next time too, although the shade I got is workable. All in all, I don't think this outperforms the next drugstore powder. The difference, I guess, is in the ingredients, so it comes down to you and your skin's needs.

This foundation costs $12 at Target, but I've seen it around with prices ranging from $9.99-$13.99.

Ingredients: Mica, Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate, Zinc Stearate, Silica, Dimethicone, Oryza Sativa Starch (Rice), Magnesium Myristate, Methicone, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Tocopheryl Acetate, Retinyl Palmitate, Pantothenic Acid, Panthenol, Glycine Soja Flour (Soybean), Alumina, Silk Powder, Water, Polymethylmethacrylate, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Methylparaben, Propylparaben

Elf All Over Color Sticks

2010-04-08T18:57:00.000-07:00

Just wanna share some quick swatches and my take on Elf's All Over Color Sticks.

My local target just expanded their Elf display, and now they have all kinds of stuff that I've only ever seen online before. I have a few of their lipglosses (the Stila lipglaze knock-offish ones), and they're really pigmented and pretty. I have a huge problem with all their lip products' offensive smells though, so I mostly stay away from the brand...

Anyways, here are the swatches:

Lilac Petal is a light, rosy pink with silver shimmer. Blended out on the cheeks it gives a really pretty, innocent glow. I've mentioned before, I tend to stay away from pink blushes.. but this looks really fresh and pretty if applied right. It could also make a good highlight for cream blush if you use a light hand.
Pink Lemonade is hard to describe.. it's a toned down fuschia, with some rosiness to it. Almost like Lilac Petal's badass sister. I actually hate how this looks on my cheeks, but it works well on the lips. I shade them in with a nude pink pencil, then use a finger to press the color on, then smack my lips to blend it out. Of all 3 colors I own, this is the most pigmented.. trust me, I was surprised by how thickly the color laid on when I was applying it to my arm. I promise you it's not nearly as scary when used sheerly.
Persimmon is my favorite out of the bunch. It an apricot, bronzey shade.. not as mauve as the camera captured it at all. But then again, it depends on how much you apply. I love how this looks on my cheeks.

In same order as picture above:

These smell citrus-y on application, but, ewww, after I wiped the swatches off my arm I gave it a whiff and it smelled TERRIBLE. Like plastic and the smell of cleaning solution in a public bathroom. I've worn these all day before and I didn't smell anything funky at all... so hopefully that's the case with everyone else. These are sticky in consistency, and a bit hard to blend out. The Sonia Kashuk flat topped blusher brush works great, otherwise I'd recommend just using your fingers because your brush will shed trying to blend these out. I don't like the finish of these on their own (really greasy), so I set with a dusting of powder.

Overall, you can't go wrong with unique colors for a buck, which make the color sticks winners in my book :)

Target Haulin'

2010-04-07T01:40:00.000-07:00

I love Target ;)

I got Sonia Kashuk's loose powder, NP Set Liquid Veil (so excited about this one), Almay Clear Complexion foundation, an Almay lipgloss, and a Revlon lipgloss.

Sonia Kashuk loose powder in 02, "Colorless Matte"

I actually had the white one before. My thinking was that it was translucent, but it wasn't until I was done with it that I realized it was not in fact translucent, and wayyy too light for my skintone. So this time around I picked out a darker color, but even now I think going a shade darker wouldn't hurt. Two words for the finish of this powder: ethereal glow. For around $11, you get .14 oz, which I've heard many a complaint about. I never shopped Sonia Kashuk before, so I'm not feeling the pain about this powder shrinking in size over the years. But this lasts a really long time! My last jar lasted me around 8 months. You don't need to use a lot of product. What I don't like though, is that it doesn't seem to set my heavier foundations the way a pressed powder would. That, and it sometimes it cakes up my concealer if it's a cream formula. It works great to finish glowy TM's though, and the finish it delivers for the price makes this one a keeper for me.

Next swatches:

NP Set Liquid Veil in "Houston"
I love liquid highlighters, for the sole purpose of mixing them in with my foundations and TM's. The product description is so strange though. The jar states it is for hint of color, and it's called a "veil". Nowhere does it use the word "shimmer", or say something along the lines of "use on the cheekbones or for an all-over glow". So is this a highlighter?! I tried mixing it in with my foundation, but it didn't do squat. I also tried using it as a highlighter on certain parts of the face, and it didn't show up there either! Maybe it was too closemy skin tone, and I should have picked out a different color. Whatever it was, I'm so dissapointed. I was really hoping this would lend my foundation some golden shimmer for a pretty glow. This also comes in a pink shade, "Paris", and a darker bronze shade, "Buenos Aires". Liquid Veil Retails for $15.

Almay Pure Blends lipgloss in "Nude"
Gives my lips a pretty sheen. Really subtle, but still pretty. I prefer to use natural products on my lips most days, so their advertising sucked me in. Although the color is nice, I had a terrible experience with this. For one, the texture is terrible. It is so ridiculously gritty, applying it makes me feel like I've sworn off lip exfoliation for years. That, paired with the gross plastic smell... for $6, I wouldn't recommend this gloss at all.

Revlon lipgloss in 070 "Glossy Rose"
I don't normally buy drugstore lipglosses, but this one was marked down to under 2 bucks..I couldn't resist. I actually ended up loving this gloss! The name describes the shade perfectly, but my opinion of it in detail is that it is a mauve-y rose with golden shimmer, more accurately depicted in the swatch than on my lips. It looks really elegant... I would love to have this exact shade in a lipstick. This gloss isn't sticky in the least bit, but it has surprisingly good staying power. On my lips it had no scent, which makes it even better.

That's it for now. For nowwwwww....