Mix Matched?

I don't really understand why I even bother to get matched with foundations at Sephora. They always match me few shades too dark. I even told the sales associate that I was thinking of something lighter and she told me it would pale me out. I also told her I wanted my neck and face to match (my neck is much lighter than my face), and I guess she didn't take a good look at my neck! Well, I liked the foundation I tried, just not the color. I know if I decide to get this foundation I will DEFINITELY go lighter! Plus I will go for more of a neutral tone, not yellow.

Lesson of the day: I should do the matching myself, and then ask for their opinion on which ones is best from what I have chosen. 

Does anyone else get matched wrong?

February Favorites 2013

This month I have enjoyed several products. Majority is beauty except for one item, which is a hand soap.

• Bath and Body Works Aloha Orchid Foaming Soap
• This soap is part of the BBW spring/summer collection. I absolutely am in love with the scent! It smells like "iced papaya, guava nectar, sun-kissed strawberries and creamy white orchids."
• Revlon Nearly Naked foundation
• I recently picked this up and have been using it pretty much every day! It gives a nice natural, light coverage. (review coming soon)
• Tarte 12-hr Amazonian clay blush in Blissful
• I believe this is my perfect blush color. I love peachy shades and it gives me a healthy glow.
• Maybelline Great Lash Transparent mascara
• This is a re-found love. I use to use it several years ago but forgot about doing eyebrows. Now that I have been shading in my eyebrows every day, it sets them perfectly.
• Too Faced Glamour Gloss in Sex Pot
• This lip gloss is very nice and I have been reaching for it often to use by itself or to use on top of another lip product. It provides a unique color when combined with other lip products.

Estee Lauder Day Wear Oil-Free Creme

Hey everyone! This is my first skin care product review. Estee Lauder Day Wear Advanced Multi-Protection Anti-Oxident Creme Oil-Free SPF 25 (what a mouthful!) is a day creme that is designed to defend skin against signs of premature aging and diminish their appearance while providing oil-free moisture. It is oil-free and has SPF 25. It is 1.7 ounces and retails for $48.00, but I don't remember buying it for that much. Usually, if bought at Dillard's or Macy's there is a gift with purchase that comes with different Estee Lauder beauty items in a cute makeup bag. 

E.L. Day Wear creme has a pale green color and smells slightly of cucumbers. I do not like cucumbers, but was not offended by the scent, it was bearable. I found that the SPF 25 was actually pretty good. I have gone out on a boat with scorching sun, and I only applied this creme on my face and had an SPF 45 sunscreen on my body, but guess what got sunburned? My body! I found that pretty amazing! 

The moisturizing qualities are average in my opinion. I have had dry patches and flaking from acne medication on an area on my face and it still left it dry. When I apply the creme, it feels almost greasy on my face. It is suppose to be "light weight", but I don't get that feel. This is not the kind of feeling I want before applying makeup. 

Pros:

- Great SPF, kept me sunburnt free

Cons: 

- Expensive

- Felt a bit greasy

- Moisturizing qualities were ok, nothing special or WOW-ing

Would I repurchase? No, I found this creme to be just average. Still looking for an overall great product.

NOTW: Butter London Trout Pout

Butter London is a 3 Free nail lacquer meaning that their nail polishes are not formulated with formaldehyde, toluene, and DBP. They retail for $14 and can be found at Sephora and Ulta. 

Butter London's Trout Pout is a opaque cantaloupe color, although I find it to be a bit salmony pink as well. (The picture below looks  more orange). Formulation was nice, however I did experience a little bit of streaking on the first coat. Although it does not look bright in the picture, the polish is brightly colored and I think it is especially perfect for summer.  I love this nail polish, and I also have La Moss, which is my all time favorite dark color! The bottle is cute, and is actually what attracted me to the product. 

It is so difficult to trying to get the true color of the nail polish with a camera! If anyone has suggestions on how to get the camera to pick up the true colors, please let me know!

Simplicity is Key

I decided to do a really natural look with light makeup. It may look like I used a lot of products, but honestly, since it is powder foundation, it is very light coverage, and I had to build it up. I've realized that most of my "face of the days" pretty much look the same, with the difference of blush and lips, but I like to keep my face looking natural and simple. 

I started off using a sample of Make Up For Ever Pro Finish Multi-Use Powder Foundation, but it did not provide much coverage on its own, so I added some Bare Minerals powder foundation. I still needed concealer to cover up my blemishes, but other than that, everything else was very minimal. 

Face

-Make Up For Ever Pro Finish Powder Foundation in Golden Ivory

-Tarte Waterproof concealer in Fair

-Bare Minerals Matte Mineral Foundation in Fairly Light

-Stila Convertible Color in Peony

-Bare Minerals Mineral Veil

Eyes

-Covergirl Perfect Point Plus Eyeliner in Black Onyx

-Maybelline 24-hr Tattoo in Barely Branded

-Maybelline Great Lash Lots of Lashes mascara

-Cover Girl Eye Enhancers in Brown Smolder

-Maybelline Great Lash transparent mascara

Lips

-L'Oreal Colour Riche Lipstick in Fairest Nude

-Too Faced Glamour Gloss in Sex Pot

FOTN: Dinner

Good evening! Today was my boyfriend's birthday, so we went out with his family for dinner. For make up, I tried something a little different, I used a different powder foundation (over Revlon Nearly Naked) and I tried a new method for eyeliner. 

I used a sample I received from Sephora of Make Up Forever Pro Finish Powder in Neutral Porcelain. For the eyes, I used a black eyeshadow instead of a pencil eyeliner. Surprisingly it lasted all night and did not smudge! (If you are interested in a tutorial, let me know!)

Grilled Cheese a la Essiebutton

After watching Essiebutton's "Grilled Cheese 101", I was inspired to make my own! I love grilled cheese and when I saw how she makes it, I thought I would give it a try. The only difference with mine is that I did not have the amazing bread she had. I used rye bread (which is great!), but her bread was crusty! Normally I make my grilled cheese with cheddar, but decided to go with American cheese. 

It has the perfect golden brown toasted bread. Essie's tip to that gorgeous color is to place the butter on the pan first, then place the bread slice. Perfection! 

Thank you Essie!

Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Cream in Cherry Flip

Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Cream is a lipgloss that is used to make lips look fuller and more voluptuous. I bought Cherry Flip at Sephora for $19.00.  Cherry Flip is a red poppy color. I chose this lip gloss because it is free of shimmer and glitter, and it tingles! Whenever I have a tingly lipgloss on, I feel more refreshed. The formula is creamy and not sticky. It had a nice smoothness. Does it plump? I can see a little difference in my lips, they do become a little fuller, but I'm not looking for anything drastic either. I like a natural fullness.

I think the packaging is so cute! I love the frosted bottle. It comes with a sponge tip applicator. 

Here is the swatch on my lips and my arm. You can see that pigment of lips does make a difference on the shade of the color. The lip gloss is nicely pigmented. 

Here I am wearing it today! I applied it more lightly because I did not want to have such a big burst of color at the moment. 

Easy Heatless Wavy Hair

Hello ladies! Last night I washed my hair, waited till it was damp, and then decided to put my hair in a braid and slept that way. I normally don't have my hair tied in any form when I sleep, but I wanted easy wavy hair for the morning.

When it comes to styling my hair, I am actually very lazy. It has to be an event (i.e. birthday, dinner, etc.) for me to do my hair. If not, my hair will be natural, in a headband or in a ponytail/bun. So if I want something other than that, I will braid my hair at night and in the morning, I have slight waves! It is great because my natural hair is straight. All I do in the morning is take out the braid, put on some mousse and I am out the door!

What quick hairstyles do you do in the morning?

Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque

Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque is used to "help dry up acne pimples, rinse away blackheads, and shrink enlarged pores". I have added this masque to my skincare routine to help dry up some pimples that I get. I haven't really seen it wash away blackheads or shrink enlarged pores, but it does dry the pimples that have little whiteheads on them. If it is an existing pimple that is big and red, it won't really dry that up. I bought this at Walgreens for about $3.

Mint Julep masque is green and smells like mint (obviously stated by the name). It is kind of difficult to squeeze the masque out of the tube, but it will become a bit softer when applying to the face. On the face, it will be "wet" for a few minutes, then dry up to a light mint green color. The directions say to allow to dry for about 15 minutes, but I leave it on for about 30 minutes. To remove, use a wash cloth and warm water. 

It claims to draw out impurities from the pores, leaving the skin clean, refreshed, and smooth. Even if you do not have impurities and are blessed with problem free skin, it can be used to help relax tired muscles and ease tension lines. I have not personally tried it for that, but I do find this masque to be quite refreshing. 

Delicious Chocolates!

I know this isn't beauty related, but I got these Ferrero Rocher chocolates from my boyfriend for Valentine's Day and I would have to say, these are my favorite fine chocolates. They have a smooth chocolate creme that surrounds a whole hazelnut, a thin wafer surrounding that, and all that enveloped in milk chocolate with chopped hazelnuts. Oh! It is heavenly! I have been eating about three a day (oops!) But they are just tempting!  

NOTW: Nails, Inc. Bruton Street

 Good evening! Hope you all had a great weekend! Today I decided to paint my nails with Nails, Inc. Bruton Street. Nails, Inc. classifies this polish as a dusky pink nude shade. Yet, I don't see it as a "nude". It looks more to me like a dusky pink with lilac hues. The application was actually nice with only two coats. The formulation was very smooth and even. I bought this polish at Sephora during the summer for $5.00. I am not sure if it was on sale because they were not going to sell it anymore, or what not, but I did see this shade on Nails Inc. website. At Sephora, Nails Inc. polishes are $9.50, so I think I got a nice deal on it!

Maybelline Lash Stiletto Mascara

Maybellline Lash Stiletto is the mascara that I have been using every day for the last couple of months. I have actually been enjoying this mascara because it lengthens my lashes while still looking natural. It does not provide a lot of volume, but when you try to layer several coats on, it can tend to get clumpy. I only do 1-2 layers of mascara.

Lash Stiletto can be found at drugstores for around $7-8.

Compared to other mascaras, this one has less product, .22 oz. 

The brush is long and very straight. The formula is a bit dry. 

Pros

-Lengthens eye lashes

-Affordable

-Does not flake off

-Looks natural

Cons

-Less amount of product compared to other mascaras

-Does not provide volume

Would I repurchase? Maybe, only because I want to look for a mascara that lengthens and adds volume. I'm still trying to find my perfect mascara.

Have you found your perfect mascara? If so, which one?

FOTD: Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation Review

Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-In-Place claims to be a 15-hour staying power foundation that has a natural, semi-matte finish. The coverage is medium and is buildable, but I usually just do one layer. It is oil-free, dermatologist tested, non-acnegenic, and fragrance free. The foundation comes in a frosted glass 1.0 oz bottle, and is $36.00. 

***(This review is about the older formula.)***

The foundation I have lasts all day, has SPF 10, and is a medium coverage. I have not tested it out to see if the 15-hour is accurate, because I wash my face once I get home. Even if I was to go out again, I would redo my face with a new application of foundation. I have normal to oily skin, and my oil does start to break through as the hours go by. The foundation blends nicely and takes a little bit to set. 

The shade Ecru, is a drop too dark for me, but I bought this foundation at a time when my face was a lot darker from the summer months. So when I wear it, I have to wear some bronzer on my neck to match up the color. (I cannot STAND having my face a different color then my neck, even if it is just a drop different. It bothers me too much!)

Estee Lauder recently reformulated the foundation and added new shades, and since then, they have received lots of negative reception. People have complained that the formula changed, that the SPF was taken away, and so on. But others still find it to be a terrific foundation. I have used a mini sample of the new formulation, and found it to be okay. I personally like the older formula better. 

No makeup

EL foundation on left half of face

Face

-Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation in Ecru

-Maybelline Loose Powder

-Benefit Hoola

-Nars Lovejoy

Eyes

-CoverGirl Eye Enhancers Brown Smolder (for my eyebrows)

-Maybelline Great Lash Clear gel

-Maybelline Lash Stiletto mascara

Lips

-Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Charmed

-Too Faced Glamour Gloss in Sex Pot

Finished look

Pros

-Blends nicely

-Nice coverage

-Stays in place the hours I wear it

Cons

-A tad to dark

-Pricey

Would I repurchase? Maybe, because I want to find a cheaper foundation that still looks nice on my skin. However, if I don't find anything else I like, I would come back to this foundation.

Korres Lip Butters

Hello ladies! Hope you had a great Valentine's Day! Whether you spent it with a significant other, friends, or by yourself, just know that you are loved by someone! 

Korres Lip Butters are a rich, buttery lip balm that melts on the lips and offers a shiny, tinted finish. Shiny and tinted certainly describe these lip butters! They have shea butter and rice wax that help provide hydration and smooth lips. These lip butters are $12.00 on Korres or Sephora and they offer 7 different tinted shades. The ones I have are Jasmine, Pomegranate, Quince, and Wild Rose. They smell great and give a nice wash of color on the lips, which is perfect for a casual day! The only one I paid full price for was Quince, but the other three were in a set at Sephora for $20. I thought that was a great way to introduce myself to the lip butters because I got three full sized butters for the price of less than 2 of them. 

Jasmine is a sheer neutral pink. It provides a nudish color to my lips and delivers high shine. I personally don't use this one much when going out because I like having more color on my lips. However, I LOVE the smell of this one! I don't know how to describe it; I find it amazing!

Pomegranate is a sheer coral shade, and I think it brightens my lips and livens my face up whenever I wear this one. 

Quince is a sheer rose color. I find this one to be the prettiest. I think it is funny that they classify this one as a rose, when there is a Wild Rose shade. 

Wild Rose is a sheer deep red. This one is my least favorite one. I thought the color was going to be more like the cover, but it is more of a pinkish red, not at all deep red. However, it is more pigmented then the rest. Another reason I don't really like this one is the consistency. It is more "jelly" like, where as the others are more creamy. I don't know if that makes sense, but you would have to see it to know what I mean. 

Jasmin, Pomegranate, Quince, Wild Rose

Over all, I think these are great products! $12 is a bit pricy for a lip butter, but I think it is worth it. The packaging is cute and I love that it gives a nice sheer tint that hydrates as well!

Wishful Wednesday

Hello ladies! Today I wanted to share with you my wishlist of products that I would like to try out =)

I'm going to go around in a clockwise motion.

1. Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes Mascara
2. Buxom Stay-there Eyeshadow in Mutt
3. Revlon Nearly Naked foundation in Vanilla
4. Stila Smudge Pot in Kitten
5. Tarte Lipsurgence Matte in Hope
6. Urban Decay Naked Basics eye shadow palette
7. elf mineral eyeshadow primer

If you have tried any of these out, let me know how you liked them! =)

Maybelline Eye Studio Gel Eyeliner

Hey! Hope you are all having a great middle of the week. Here is Maybelline Eye Studio Gel Eyeliner in Blackest Black. It comes in a glass pot with an angled brush. I have been using this brush, but you can use any kind of brush you are use to. The reason I chose a gel liner is because I thought it would be  a little bit easier to use then liquid liner...and it kind of is. The brush technique is a little difficult for me at least, but if I make a mistake, I can use a Q-tip to erase it (unlike liquid liner that dries quickly).

When I first bought it, I thought the texture would be more creamy, but I find it more on the dry side. 

 When I put in on, it does not look like blackest black, but more like black grey. Since it is more on the dry side, it takes several dips in the pot to intensify the color. It is spreadable across my lash line, but it requires several dips as well to move it across.

You can do a normal top liner look, or do a winged eye. 

Pros:

-Found at drugstores

-Easy to use

-If I make a mistake, it can be fixed

Cons: 

-On the dry side

-Brush is a kind of difficult to use

-Not blackest black

Benefit Hoola

Good morning! This is the bronzer I have been using for the past two months. At first I wasn't much for bronzer after my experiences with Bare Minerals Warmth (I kind of looked like an oompa loompa with it!) But I also realized I applied Warmth heavily. After watching several YouTube gurus and how they applied bronzer, I decided to give bronzer a go again. A sales associate at Sephora recommended for me to try Benefit Hoola because it was a lighter bronzer, nothing to orange, and it was matte. She told me since I have fair skin, it would work best for me.

Benefit Hoola comes in a cute box like packaging. It is $28 for 0.28oz. (YIKES! That is pretty much $1 per .01 oz). 

 Hoola comes with a little brush that you can use to apply the bronzer, but personally, I never bother with the brushes that come with a product. However, it is a really soft brush, but I don't know what I would use it for. 

There is also a mirror in the box. 

 Hoola is on the more yellow side when heavily swatched. It is a matte, light brown (compared to other bronzers), and it is far from orange. 

The powder is creamy and not chalky at all, which is nice.

 Here it is blended out.

Pros:

-Light brown

-Matte

-Far from orange tint

Cons:

-Pretty expensive for a little bit of product