August 2014 Favorites

Hey everyone! I hope you are all enjoying the weekend. Today I am sharing with you my August Favorites. I don't know about anyone else but I am so ready for Fall! I'm not the biggest fan of summer because I get super cranky in the heat but give me my blankets and a cup of hot chocolate and I am a happy camper! A lot of these products are rediscovered products since I have been on a low buy for some time but these are still really great products to try out if you haven't already!

On my nails this month I have ben loving Zoya's Lola.I've worn this a few times this month and it's a really pretty bright cool toned pink with blue/purple duochrome shimmer. Perfect for summer!

On my cheeks I have been wearing a rediscovered product a ton and that is TheBalm's Hot Mama Blush. It's a peach pink with gold shimmer. This blush is so so shimmery!!! but not in a chunky way. I had this on and I caught a glipse of myself in the mirror and literally had to think back to recall if I had put highlighter on my cheekbones because there was such a strong presence of the gold shimmer on my cheek. I would even say skip the highlighter when you use this blush. If you like peachy pinks I definitely recommend this one especially over Nars Orgasm just because i think it's a smoother application and less expensive!

 

My highlight fav. of the month is Benefit's Watt's Up. I'm just jumping on the bandwagon with this one and only becuase I received a sample of it but I do really enjoy this as a highlight - it's a cream to powder champagne highlight. I have a post about it here.

For my hair I have been loving using this styling wand by Remmington (I use the 1/2" to 1") I'll start by saying that this isn't even mine but my sisters! 

It has 3 levels of heat - I always use the highest level. I tried this one day after I got home from work on a Friday and didn't feel like washing my hair and it worked SO well on my 3rd day hair! the only negative about this is that for me, it ONLY works on my really dirty hair. I find the curls created with the wand hold up better than when I use my straightener to make waves - idk if that has anything to do with the product itself or not. I love using the wand a lot better than a curling iron or a straightener becuase I can keep the ends of my hair straight - I just really like that look and I can accomplish it really easily with the wand - I definitely want to try one with a thicker barrell - I know the NuMe wand is big right now on YouTube and they are giving tons of beauty channels codes for our use.

 

I have been loving a couple of lip products this month.  Love Love Love the Rimmel Show Off Liquid Lip Lacquer  in Celestial. Color payoff is amazing and it feels really comfortable on the lips! I got about 2-3 hours wear out of this. o\One down side is that it does leave your lips feeling a bit dry so I have been using a soft lips balm underneath this product.

 

The other lipstick i have been enjoying is the Revlon Pink About It Matte Lipstick– So I contemplating selling this in a blog sale but decided to give it one more go and ended up really liking it. Unfortunately, I jut looked it up online and saw that it's been discontinued! Pink About it Is a medium bright pink shade. On some it may even look a bit coral and pull more pink with orange undertone. The formula is not too drying for a matte finish - probably the most comfortable matte I own to wear.

My favorite skin care product this month is an AHA which is a collection of compounds such as glycolic acid, lactic acid, citric acid, etc. The AHA I have been using is a drugstore brand called Alpha Hydrox with 10% Glycolic AHA. I use this as an exfoliant, instead of a harsh scrub and it has made my skin so much smoother and very soft. 

Top to Bottom: Hot Mama, Celestial, Pink About It

What products have you been loving this month!?

MakeupGeek Store First Impressions

Hey everyone! I am really excited about today's post - I received a MakeUpGeek order a couple of weeks ago and was just able to get some swatch shots in the sunlight. I ordered 6 eyeshadows and one of the only blushes that wasn't out of stock.

In the order that they appear in the photos below, I got: Peach Smoothie, Creme Brulee, Gold Digger, Chickadee, Moondust and Cocoa Bear. The blush I purchased was Smitten which is what I have on in the photo below (I am also wearing Cocoa Bear in the outer V). I also purchased a large black Z Palette from the MakeUpGeek Store. 

From my swatching, right off the bat, I can say that the shadows are really pigmented. The matte shadows are a little on the chalky side but are still really blendable and smooth to apply - just make sure you tap off your brush to avoid fallout. It is obvious she tried really hard to give us affordable dupes to many of MACs eyeshadows and  honestly, in my opinion, she succeeded! I think that the color pay off is actually better than MAC.

I have already done a couple of looks with the matte eyeshadows and found that they lasted all day with my usual eyeshadow base (Mac Paint Pot). I can't attest to the more satin but as soon as I play with them I will share my looks and report back! From what I can tell from swatching them, they are buttery smooth.

Descriptions:

Peach Smoothie: A warm matte peachy beige.

Creme Brulee: A soft sand matte shade with a hint of peach undertones.

Gold Digger: A warm metallic yellow gold.

Chickadee: Matte rusty orange.

Moondust; Metallic grey taupe.

Cocoa Bear: A matte medium deep brown with red undertones. 

You really can't beat the price of these shadows. They are $5.99 for the eyeshadow pans which is unbelievable given the high quality feel.

Eyeshadow Ingredients List here 

Onto the blush - Smitten is a gorgeous matte apricot shade. It reminded me a lot of Illamasqua's Lover blush which shattered on me last year (R.I.P. Lover). It's a lighter blush but really brightens up the cheeks nicely. As the product is blended into the skin the color transforms into a beautiful natural flush. Smitten was very long wearing on me. I applied it yesterday morning around 7:30AM and it lasted well through the work day. 

Peach Smoothie, Creme Brulee 

Gold Digger, Chickadee

Moondust, Cocoa Bear

Peach Smoothie, Creme Brulee, Gold Digger, Moonstruck, Cocoa Bear

Chicadee, Smitten Blush

Do you own any MakeUpGeek Products? Let me know your favorites in the comments!

Mac Blush: Trace Gold

Guess what day it issss!!!!!! No matter how many times I see that commercial I can't help but laugh.

Anyway....I feel like I have not talked about a blush on my blog in ages. I have definitely been on some sort of lip craze kick and have been neglecting my beloved cheek products. Today I am going to talk about Mac's Blush in Trace Gold which is a sheertone shimmer - not my favorite finish in a blush but something about the golden bronze shade to this made me need to have it. 

This comes off as a very golden neutral shade with a hint of bronziness on my NC20-25 skin tone. I would say that any one who is NC30 or up, it would provide to be a nice golden highlight. It does have quiet a bit of shimmer that gives my skin the most amazing glow. Even with the shimmers, the texture of Trace Gold is very smooth! It does not have that gritty feeling some shimmer blushes do. 

I also really love applying this over some over my more matte blushes if I want a little bit of a glowing look. Because it is a sheerone it works well over many shades, despite its golden tones.

Like all MAC blushes - Trace Gold does not really last more than 6 hours before fading.

July 2013 Beauty Favorites

Hello lovlies. I am finally getting around to posting a monthly favorites!

 Lets start with the roots! The BigSexyHair dry shampoo is the only dry shampoo (other than when I used baby powder way back when) that I have tried but I find it to be good stuff! I usually put this in my hair either the day after I wash my hair or on the third day. It gives your hair a thick, almost dry texture but even on the third day it gives you a second day look. BigSexyHair Dry Shampoo also provides great volume with no teasing necessary. Tousling your hair will provide it enough lift for nice volume. The one trait of this product that could make or break it for some people is the scent. It smells like coco coffee. I don't mind it at all, but if you are scent sensitive this may not be the dry shampoo for you.

Filling in my brows has been an overall favorite of mine during the months of June and July. I always thought my brows were dark enough but after using mac espresso to filly my brows in - I feel like my whole look changes! 

Along with Mac's Espresso eyeshadow, another favorite for the month of july is this angled brush from Crown Brush. The bristles are stiff so it works well for precision. 

Mac's Coral Bliss Lipstick is a practically perfect coral lipstick for summer. It's a creamsheen so it's nice and moisturzing on the lips and it provides a slight sheen. It's not too pink, peach, or orange - it's a perfect blend of all three! Normally creasheen's don't last very long but I find they last a couple of hours with a good lipliner.

Maybelline's Fit Me Blush in Medium Neutral is just a blush I've been wearing to give my face a very subtle flush. I have had this for a while but was not so enthused with it until now. It just provides a very pale rosy color to my cheeks and it does have a nice sheen to it. These are VERY sheer. Even the swatch below took a lot of building up before it came through in a photo. I was very into minimal makeup this July, and even throughout the summer so this was an easy choice for a daily blush - and it was only $5 :)

I know a lot of beauty bloggers are over the BB cream craze but the Garnier Skin Renew Miracle Skin Perfector B.B. Cream is very appealing to me! I wear this a couple of different ways. Sometimes I will use this as both my moisturizer and foundation, add some concealer and set it all with a little powder and head out the door. Sometimes I apply 2 layers to even out my skin tone and add a touch of either Nars Sheer Glow or the Revlon Colorstay Whipped foundation over top. It's a very hydrating BB cream so it does give a dewey look until you set it. My skin appears brighter and very even toned when I wear this as just my base. It comes out of the tube almost looking like a mix between a mousse and a cream. One negative to this is the scent. It has a strong smell like alcohol that's not pleasant, but it does dissipate after it's bended in.

I am so upset to have hit pan on my Mac's Prolongwear Sun Dipped Bronzer. Sun Dipped really warms up my face without looking muddy or orange. It lasts all day and the packaging is so perfect. I have a full review of this bronzer here. 

I started using the Sally Hansen Airbrushed Legs  at end of June when my tan really started to become apparent. I have the shade medium for  a little extra color on my legs, but what I really love this stuff for is how flawless it makes your legs look. This covers up any bruises or other imperfections you have on your legs. The spray makes your legs to appear to be wearing nude stockings. I don't know how you should apply it but I spray the product from the aerosol can into my hands and rub it all over my legs. This might sound like my legs would look really uneven with this method but this is a streak free product! Great for summer months when you are looking to show off a little leg!

Welp, those are my monthly favorites! I have already begun making notes of my August favorites - maybe I will post in time for September :)

MAY 2013 Favorites

And another month goes by and we are 6 months from Christmas. How crazy is that LOL. Okay I don't want to get so ahead of ourselves so I will go on with my favorites !

I purchased the Paul Mitchell Deep Cleansing Shampoo at a beauty supply store for $7 when my hair had that 'it needs to be cut 'feel. I don't know if you ladies can relate, but my hair can tell when it's ready to be trimmed. It doesn't feel clean when I wash it, it has build up, and the ends don't cooperate when I style my hair The Paul Mitchell Deep Cleansing Shampoo really helped my hair look and feel clean. The shampoo washed the buildup away and my hair looked healther than it actually was . This shampoo also has a nice lemony scent to it which I love also. 

tarte tipsy blush: Aside from this being a beautiful blush, Tarte's products are cruelty free which is a major plus for me. 

Tarte's Amazonian Clay Blush in Tipsy is a stunning matte coral shade that lasts all day. I went away to Dewey Beach a couple of weeks ago and this was the only blush I packed. It lasts all day, is totally bendable, and the color is just stunning! (full review to come)

NYX Cherry Cheese Cake Lip Butter Gloss - this opaque orange lip gloss has been pairing perfectly with the tipsy tarte blush. These non sticky, buttery glosses feel really smooth on the lips and are really comfortable to wear. The orange shade is rally great for summer as well. You can read some more about the NYX butter glosses here

Bath and Body Works White Citrus Body Lotion - I hadn't been in a bath and body works in, probably years, until recently. I was looking for a citrusy lotion and I found the White Citrus to be perfect. The scent has a hint of grapefruit and lemon and is not overpowering whatsoever! The Triple Moisture Body Cream leaves my skin felling really nice and smooth without that greasy feeling some lotions leave behind. 

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Concealer in Neutralizer - I did purchase this when every blogger was raving about it and frankly, I did not like it at all and had no idea what the hype was about. However, I gave it another chance and think it was a matter of me using it improperly. Anyway, now that I am getting enough product out of the tube I am enjoying it much more. I find it lasts all day and does not crease! The neutralizer shade is a great shade because it conceals and brightens under my eyes. 

Real Techniques Powder Brush - I love this brush when I don't want to buff a bunch of powder on my face with a kabooki. The Real Techniques powder brush is really nice and fluffy. The bristles area so soft and it applies powder really nicely to set my makeup

Illamasque Panic Blush

Next to Nars, Ilamasqua makes my favorite blushes. I only have a couple but the two that I do have are amazing. This is Panic, a cherry red matte blush. This is a highly, I repeat highly, pigmented blush and appearance can turn hazardous if overly applied! Seriously, less than a tap is needed in order to get a beautiful cherry glow on your cheeks. I suggest using a stippling blush to apply the product then you can buff and blend into your skin. 

A lot want to compare this blush to Nars Exibit A, but they are completely different. Nars is a fiery orange and not a true red by any means.

The quality of this blush is top notch. It lasts all day and the texture is so smooth. I was so hesitant to purchase this because it is so not a 'me' blush but I am so thrilled with it.

I am pretty pale, around NC20, and I really like the way it looks on my skin tone.

Mac Archie's Girls Betty Cream Soda Blush

I can't remember the last time I purchased something from a Mac Collection but when I saw swatches of this blush I knew I had to have it. Betty's blush in Cream Soda is a soft coral shade with a hint of pink undertone - perfect for spring.  Cream Soda is a satin finish so it does have a slight iridescence to it. 

Because it is so light it does take a couple a bit of blending to get it to show up but when it does it leaves your face with a nice glow. This will be tricky for darker skin tones since it does seem a bit chalky when you add a few layers.

Out of all the different brands of blushes I own, I find Mac wears the worst for me. The staying power of Cream Soda is no different either. I would say mid day I would need to re-apply some more. 

 Here are some comparisons: 

This product may be sold out online but check your local Mac stores - they should still have some left in stock!

February Favorites 2013

March is here and we are one step closer to spring :) I am surprised I got this post done in time considering there were only 28 days to February! Allow me to get started

Eyes and Cheeks:

Wet n' Wild Brule: This is the my lids but better eyeshadow I have been looking for! It has been sold out pretty much every time I go to search for it in any drugstore. I finally found it at a CVS and I am already regretting not purchasing a bunch of backups. It is a creamy nude tone color that matches my skin tone perfectly. I have been using this as a wash of color all of my lid and then something like Soft Brown  or Wedge by Mac in the crease for a simple everyday - work look.

Mac Blush Cantaloupe - This is one of Macs Pro shades that I received in a swap. It does not look like much in the pan by any means but on my NC20 skintone it gives a really nice neutral flush.

L'Oreal Colour Caresse Shine Stains - I am going to do a proper review on this product very soon but I had to share this today because I have but I have been wearing this all month! These are especially good for going out at night when I don't have room in my wristlet for any sort of lip product. I swipe some on before I head out at it lasts a good portion on the night! After the gloss fades it leaves a nice color stain on your lips. I have the shade Rose On and On - a wearable pink shade.

Lip Combo Alert - NYX Pumpkin Pie + Laura Mercier Lip Glace Bare Naked: A nude combo I have been loving. Bothe of these products are amazing enough on their own but together they look so nice. They can be seen work together here


Nyx Jumbo Pencil in Milk - This was a product I rediscovered this month. I really disliked this product when I first bought it. I wore it as a base but it creased terribly on me. This month I have been only wearing this in my inner corner to brighten my eyes up and I find it works really well for this purpose!

Queen Helene Scrub I was looking for a new exfoliator and I came across this in the drugstore - Honey and Oats Scrub by Queen Helene. It's such a successful scrub because unlike most other scrubs I have used, the ingredient that is actually meant to scrub does not dissolve!! Your not working quickly to scrub each part of your face before the exfoliators disappear on you. I only really use then when I find I have dry patches of skin that I need to scrub away.

My favorite nail polish this month was definitely L'Oreal's Now You Sea Me. I rarely wear the same polish more that 2x in a year let a long in one month! I have a full post on this polish here

Chanel Joues Contraste Blush In Love

I have gone this long without owning any Chanel JC blushes. I was lurking around e-bay a little while back and came across a seller of display size Chanel blushes, and all these other lovely Chanel products. Instead of paying the $42.00 for the standard packaging, I received this for $30. the only downside is that it is not as travel friendly (it does come with a plastic cover). But it was a beautiful color for a cheaper price so I though it was worth it. 

This bush is what I wanted Nars Orgasm to be. It is more sheet, and less glittery than Orgasm, which is why I love it so much more. Chanel's In Love is the same beautiful coral - peach color with golden shimmer that blends beautifully onto the skin. The texture is velvety and definitely worth the splurge if you have some spare cash!