Cosmetic Confessions

I have been MIA!

2011-06-29T21:53:00.000-07:00

Hello my lovely readers! I apologize for being totally MIA from blogging and uploading on YouTube lately. I just needed a break and my life has been a bit crazy but I promise you I have many posts and videos coming up very soon! I'm planning some summer hauls, summer beauty tips and reviews of some new products that I have fallen in love with over the last month! Stay tuned!

XOXO, Caitlin

Gold and Pink Easter Look

2011-04-24T20:29:00.000-07:00

I posted this video last night and thought I would share it on my blog as well! Just a cheerful pink and gold makeup look in celebration of Easter and springtime! I hope you enjoy!

Fab or Drab Volume 5

2011-04-13T19:00:00.000-07:00

Hello my lovelies! I thought I would do another Fab or Drab post for fun, but I promise some more reviews coming up soon!

Basically a Fab or Drab is just me letting you know some things that I am really loving right now and some things that just aren't so great. I would love to hear what you think is Fab or Drab right now in the comments! So here goes!

Fab

-Pastel Cream Nail Polish- Oh how I love me some cream-finish, pastel pink, purple, green, blue and yellow nail polishes! Now that spring is on its way I am so happy to ditch the taupes, greys and jewel tones of fall and winter for some pretty, happy pastel colored nails!

-Gradual Tanning Lotion- Due to lack of sun during the cold winter months my skin has been looking hella pale. Last week I looked almost ill every time I looked in the mirror. My solution: Nivea Summer Touch gradual tanning lotion, which made me look a lot more healthy after a few days of use (just remember to exfoliate!).

-Bright Colored Lips- Because I am looking so pale (see above) I have found lately that nude lips just haven't been doing it for me. I little bit of pink or berry colored lip gloss has been just the trick to warm up my face. Bonus: I find that brighter colored sheer lip glosses minimize the look of chapped lips which I have definitely been suffering from!

-Ballet Flats- I wear heels to work almost every day so by the weekend I am so looking forward to wearing flatter shoes! Now that the snow has melted off all of the sidewalks I have been able to wear cute ballet flats without fear of wet feet (or wrecking my shoes)!

Drab

-Exams- Nuff said! I'm sure all of the college students out there agree with me on this one! Don't worry everyone- the end is near and summer is right around the corner!

-Full Coverage Foundation- I have been wearing MAC Face and Body Foundation for many months now but the other day I tried a full coverage foundation and just did not like the results. It accentuated the dryness on my skin and just did not look natural. Remember girls- makeup should enhance your features not be a mask!

-Chapped Lips- No matter how much lip balm I apply or how many times a day I exfoliate my lips, they just end up chapped and dry every single day! Add lipstick to the mix and it just looks like a mess! Any suggestions would be GREATLY appreciated.

Thanks so much for stopping by for some Cosmetic Confessions! Have a beautiful day!

xoxo, Caitlin

Video: Pretty in Pink Spring Makeup Tutorial

2011-04-13T18:35:00.000-07:00

Just showing you a tutorial I posted a couple of days ago. I am really excited that spring is just around the corner (or already here for you lucky readers who live farther south than me-which is just about everyone!). I decided to do this monochromatic pink look in celebration of spring! So its pretty, shimmery pink on the eyes, cheeks, and lips. I hope you enjoy!

NOTD: Sparkling Grape Soda

2011-04-02T14:06:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Saturday! I just wanted to post some pictures of the nail polish I have on right now because I thought they were cute =)

I'm wearing L.A. Colors Color Craze nail polish in Tropical Breeze and Star Light. I thought it would be cute to put the sparkly Star Light color only on my thumb and ring finger!

I thought the Tropical Breeze was a unique purple color that is nice for spring :)

It took three coats of Tropical Breeze to get the opacity and smoothness that I wanted but it applied evenly without any streaks and dried fast. I put two thin coats of Star Light on my thumb and index finger. I have bought a few L.A. colors polishes before and I really liked how they performed, but I cannot comment on the wear time of these polishes because I only applied them this morning!

Please excuse the cut on my palm in this picture! I know it looks kind of gross!

I hope you like this look. What is your favorite nail polish of the moment?

Thank you so much for stopping by! Have a beautiful Saturday!

xoxo, Caitlin

Review: Hard Candy Undercover Agent Undereye Brightener & Concealer Duo

2011-04-01T20:41:00.000-07:00

Hello my lovely readers! Today I have another review for you and its for a product that I was every eager to try after I saw it in the store because I am a self-professed concealer junkie. I have been cursed with perma-dark circles and I am always on the hunt for another great undereye concealer. I have get to find my absolute holy grail, but here are my thoughts on Hard Candy Undercover Agent Undereye Brightener & Concealer Duo.

The first thing I must comment on is the unusual packaging of this product. The brightener comes housed in a squeeze tube with the nub of concealer sitting on the top of the brightener lid (sorry if that makes no sense, it's hard to explain!). While I give them props for being creative, it can be kind of annoying because when you go to remove or replace the lid of the concealer, you run the risk of scraping a piece of it off with the lid!

Now on to how I feel about the product, or should I say products themselves. I was actually very impressed with how the undereye brightener performed. It did have a brightening effect without having any detectable shimmer or glitter in it and it applied smoothly to my undereye area. I used this both with the concealer included in Undercover Agent and some other concealers and products layered over the brightener very well. It does make your undereye area pretty shiny looking, so I would definitely recommend setting the brightener-concealer combo with a light powder.

Swatches of Undereye Brightener unblended, Undereye Brightener blended, and Concealer

The concealer in Undercover Agent was okay in my opinion, but it certainly wasn't the star of the show. It felt kind of sticky to me and did not do the best job of covering my dark circles. I recommend this concealer for younger skin without any fine lines and for people who only have minor undereye circles to cover up (unlike myself). I used the shade Light, which matched my skintone but did not correct the color of my dark circle very well.

Unfortunately, this product only comes in three shades: Light, Medium, and Tan, so there are definitely people who will not be able to find their perfect shade match. For $6 I recommend buying this product for the undereye brightener alone because it would work on any skin tone and I really liked how it performed!

This along with other Hard Candy products can be found at Wal Mart. I picked up a few other Hard Candy products while I was there so expect reviews of those soon!

Overall, I would recommend this product and would buy it again, but only for the undereye brightener and not for the concealer part. Fortunately, the tube of undereye brightener is a generous size and you only need a tiny bit for both eyes so I foresee this lasting me a long time and it is definitely worth the $6 in my opinion. Also, you may really like this concealer if one of the shades matches you and you have only minor dark circle to cover.

Thank you for stopping by for some Cosmetic Confessions! Have a beautiful day!

xoxo, Caitlin

Review: Maybelline Full 'n Soft Mascara

2011-03-26T20:04:00.000-07:00

Hello my lovelies! I'm sick in bed today so I wasn't able to film any tutorials or take pictures of a FOTD but I thought I would bring you a review of a product I have been trying for the past couple of weeks.

i know I have mentioned it in a few videos before, but I LOVE drugstore mascara. I can honestly tell you that I have never before spent more than $15 on a mascara in my whole life because I have been perfectly happy with mascaras from the drugstore!

I recently bought Maybelline's Full 'N Soft mascara after hearing some good reviews. I have been using it for the past couple of weeks and while I think it is good, it has not become a new holy grail product for me.

This mascara would be the perfect everyday mascara for someone with average lashes. I really like the shape of the brush as it grabs onto every lash but never clumps. Because the mascara is very soft and flexible after it dries, it basically never flakes! I also had no problems with smudging throughout the day (I was using the "washable" formula for reference).

The main issue that I had with this mascara is that it took a lot of work to make my lashes stand out at all. My lashes are very short and have hardly any volume on their own, and because I don't have much to work with in the first place I really had to work with this to get to it coat every lash and get the effect that I wanted. As I said before, this mascara would be perfect for somebody with decent lashes looking for a natural-looking mascara. If you have short, thin lashes like mine, you may want to look for something that gives a little more oomph for a little less work.

Overall, I will continue to use this product but I don't think I will be repurchasing it after this tube has run out. I love the "soft" part of "Full 'N Soft" but it just did not deliver on the "full" part.

Does anyone have a recommendation for a good drugstore mascara that both lengthens and volumizes without clumping, smudging or flaking? Perhaps I am asking for too much :P

Thank you so much for stopping by for some Cosmetic Confessions! Have a beautiful day!

xoxo, Caitlin

Fab or Drab Volume 4

2011-03-22T18:20:00.000-07:00

It's time for a Fab or Drab because I haven't done one in quite a while! Basically its just a list of a few things that I am loving and not really loving so much right now.

Fab

Spring Makeup Collections- Although I loved the taupes, grays and jewel tones of the fall and winter, I'm really excited to see some of the beautiful pastels colors of the spring makeup collections!

Bronzer- It's still very blah and gloomy where I live and after months of cold, cloudy winter my skin is looking PALE! I'm pretty sure if I didn't wear bronzer I could just go outside and blend into the snow so bronzer is a necessity as of late!

Moisturizer and Lip Balm- I can't get enough! My favorites right now are Elizabeth Arden Green Tea Honey Drops Body Cream and Lip Smackers 100% Natural lip balms.

Strawberries- I don't know what it is, but I have been having insane cravings for strawberries and have been eating tons of them lately. They are just so yummy and sweet :)

Drab

Smeary Mascara- It seems like every time I look in the mirror my mascara has smeared all under my eye. I never had this problem before and I don't know what it is because I have tried many mascaras and they all smear! I just really don't like the hassle of removing waterproof mascara :(

Close-toed Shoes- I really just can't wait to wear cute sandals, flip flops and wedges! I am so sick of wearing boots, flats, and sneakers through all the messy slush!

Freezing Rain- Where I live it can't decide if it wants to be winter or spring so it has been raining but the temperature is still below freezing! It makes my morning commute a bit of a nightmare. Sighhhh

I know this was very random but these posts and fun to do and I hope they are also fun to read! I would love to hear what you think is Fab or Drab in the comments below!

Thanks so much for stopping by for some Cosmetic Confessions! Have a beautiful day!

xoxo, Caitlin

Depotting My Urban Decay Primer Potion Sure was Worth It!

2011-03-14T14:32:00.000-07:00

Hello my lovelies! If any of you watch my tutorials on YouTube, you will know that I use Too Faced Shadow Insurance in almost every single video. But what you don't know is that my love for eye primers started with Urban Decay Primer Potion. A purchased a tube of UDPP a lonnngg time ago and I absolutely loved the stuff. I used it every day for quite a while but when I ran out I purchased Too Faced Shadow Insurance simply because the packaging was so much more hygienic and you could actually get all of the product out of the tube!

Now I'm sure some of you have seen tutorials on YouTube about depotting UDPP into a small container by cutting open the tube and until last week I had never got around to doing this. I simply left my tube of UDPP in my drawer for months after I couldn't get any more of it out of the tube and every time I would look at it I would feel a bit of frustration about how much money I spent on a product with such stupid (albeit very cute) packaging.

Finally a couple of days I decided I would try my luck at cutting open the tube to see how much was inside but I expected the remnants left over to be dried out and unusable. I grabbed a cheap IKEA knife (don't try this with a good knife in case you ruin it!) and I started sawing away!

It took a few minutes, mostly because I didn't want to slice my fingers off but the rewards inside were so worth it!

As you can see from this photo, I hadn't even used half of the primer in the tube! Not only was over half the tube still full, but the primer inside was not dried out at all!

I used the wand from the tube to scoop the product out of the tube into a little jar (this actually worked quite well at getting all of the product out of the tube).

I'm so happy that I actually took the time to do this! I forgot how much I love this stuff and now I can keep my Too Faced Shadow Insurance in my kit and use this jar of Urban Decay Primer Potion on myself!

Here is what the jar looked like after I smoothed out the product. There is enough in there to last me for months! Just make sure you get a container with a lid that seals out any air so that the product does not dry out.

I'm so glad I didn't just throw my tube of Urban Decay Primer Potion away when I thought it was "empty". If you have an old tube of UDPP lying around or if you think your tube is almost empty, I definitely recommend trying this out!

Thanks so much for stopping by! What is your favorite eye primer?

Have a beautiful day!

xoxo, Caitlin

Review: LUSH Happy Blooming Bath Melt

2011-03-13T11:33:00.000-07:00

Hello my lovely readers! I thought I would bring you a review today of one my current favorite bath products from LUSH!

Ahhh...who doesn't love a nice bubble bath. I know I sure do but I find that lately due to extremely dry, harsh weather where I live my skin has been super dry and the bubbles in my bubble bath have not been helping matters. While it doesn't make fun pink bubbles in my bath tub LUSH Happy Blooming Bath Melt has been working wonders on my dry skin.

Yum! This picture looks good enough to eat!

As you can see from the picture, this bath melt is split into three sections and you are only meant to use one section per bath. I was a little sceptical because this bath melt is already a bit smaller than some of the other ones and I felt that only using one third of it would not even make a difference in my bath water. Boy was I wrong! One little wedge of this bath melt is packed with cocoa butter and other essential oils which melt into your bath and get to work softening your skin. It also contains calamine powder which can help sooth your skin, especially if you have any itchy dry patches or rashes.

I absolutely love how my skin feels after using this product in my bath. The oils sink into your skin, leaving it silky and soft but not greasy like some of the other LUSH bath melts I have used in the past. I don't even need moisturizer after I use this product and I ALWAYS use moisturizer after a bath or shower so that's really saying something!

Unfortunately, there is one fairly substantial issue with this product and that is the scent. If you have ever tried LUSH products you know how strong the scents can be and this product is no exception. LUSH describes it as smelling like cherries and passion flower, but I felt that it smelled more like synthetic cherry candy with the afternote of play-doh, lol. I didn't mind the smell myself but scents are very personal and the scent of this product is so strong that there is no way you could ignore it. I recommend smelling this product in store instead of ordering it online just in case you don't like the scent.

Also, as with most LUSH bath product that contain cocoa butter, the Happy Blooming Bath Melt does leave a residue around your bath tub. This is not a big deal to me because the moisturizing benefits of this product far outweigh the risk of me having to clean my tub right after I use it!

Overall, I think that this is an amazing product if you like the scent, which I do. I have tried a few other LUSH Bath Melts in the past, and this one is by far the most moisturizing on my skin. Also, the fact that it lasts for three baths instead of one is a definite bonus!

Thank you so much for stopping by! Let me know what your favorite bath products are! Have a beautiful day!

xoxo, Caitlin

Review: Alba Un-Petroleum Multi-Purpose Jelly

2011-03-09T18:42:00.000-08:00

I know this is not the most exciting product ever and the name makes it sound pretty weird but I HAD to post my review of this product because it has become one of my beauty staples and I have been using it literally every day for the last 9 months!

A bit of background info: I used to apply Vaseline to my lips every night before bed and would sometimes even put it on my hands or my face as well if my skin was particularly dry. In the summer I became more informed about skin care products and started researching some of the ingredients in products that I was using every day. I already knew that Vaseline is a petroleum biproduct, but many of the articles that I read described how Vaseline basically sits on the surface of your skin like a layer of plastic instead of absorbing into your skin and having a moisturizing effect.

Because I did not want to keep applying ineffective petrochemicals to my skin, I sought out a more natural product. Alba Un-Petroleum Jelly is what I found and boy I am glad I found it!

Instead of using synthetic petrochemicals, Alba Un-Petroleum makes use of natural ingredients such as castor oil, coconut oil, beeswax and vitamin E. It is unscented and has a texture that is remarkably similar to Vaseline but the best part about this product is that it ACTUALLY MOISTURIZES my skin and lips!

Instead of just masking the dryness, this product actually absorbs into my skin and lips so that they feel smooth and soft the next morning. I now apply this product every night before bed and it has really helped prevent chapped lips throughout this extremely cold and dry winter that we have experienced where I live.

And its not just for lips! Here are some of the ways that I use this product:

-Sometimes I mix this with my night cream if I need some extra moisture on my face over night. It does not clog pores! If you need some extreme moisture on your face you could apply this directly to your face overnight.

-This is now my favorite eye cream! I know it does not have any anti-aging ingredients but it is the only product that gets rid of the dry, flakey skin that I sometimes get on my eyelids (weird, I know!). I apply it around my eyes a couple of times a week before bed and when I wake up my eyes feel so smooth and look brighter too!

-This product works well as an eye makeup remover! It is oil-based so it can blur your vision for a few seconds after you use it but it removes even waterproof makeup very well.

-When my feet are really dry, I spread a thin layer of Un-Petroleum Jelly on my feet, put on a pair of socks, and leave it overnight. It sounds kind of gross, but when I wake up my feet feel so soft!

-I also use this product on dry elbows and cuticles. You can use it basically anywhere that you have dry patches!

Besides being a truly amazing product, Un-Petroleum Jelly is 100% vegetarian, hypo-allergenic and best of all cruelty-free! At $5.99 for a 3.5oz (100g) bottle, it costs a bit more than Vaseline but I little goes a long way so one tube lasts me months!

I know I rambled on a fair bit about this product but I really, really love it and wanted to share all of the different ways I use it on a daily basis! I definitely recommend this to pretty much anyone, especially if you have dry skin and lips or are looking for a natural alternative to Vaseline.

Thank you so much for stopping by for some Cosmetic Confessions! Have a beautiful day!

xoxo, Caitlin

My First (Reasonably Successful) Attempt at Purple Gradient Nails

2011-03-08T22:00:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures of purple gradient-style nail polish that I tried out earlier today. I have finals this week so naturally I am finding many things to do as a (not so productive) alternative to studying =P
I think this is a really fun and not too difficult way of spicing your nails up a bit without having to go to a nail salon or glue on false nails! Once I have more practice with this technique I will post a tutorial on it, either a picture tutorial on here or a video tutorial in my YouTube channel.

One word of warning when trying nails like this: basically, you are layering bands of nail polish further and further down your nail so that the tip has about 8 coats of nail polish on it by the time you are done. Make sure you have enough time to let it dry completely because even though the top layer feels dry, the under layers are still squishy and prone to smudging! As well, I recommend using a fast drying top coat to help speed up the process. I have a review on my favorite nail top coat of all time coming soon!

I'm pretty happy with how these nails turned out for a first try! Let me know what you think. Thank you so much for stopping by. Have a beautiful day!
xoxo, Caitlin

My Top 10 Drugstore Products!

2011-03-06T19:01:00.000-08:00

Here is a video I uploaded a couple of days ago showing my 10 favorite drugstore products. It was so hard to pick because I love drugstore products so much but I can safely say that these are my favorites...at least right now!

I hope you enjoy the video! I would love to hear some of your favorite drugstore products in the comments section as well!

Thank you for stopping by for some Cosmetic Confessions! Have a beautiful day!
xoxo, Caitlin

Pretty in Pink Makeup to Beat Those Winter Blues

2011-03-05T17:43:00.000-08:00

As you can see from the design of my blog I LOVE pink! Where I live it has been so cold and gloomy and snowy and grey and yucky and... you get the picture. I have been craving sunshine and springtime but because I cannot control the weather I have been turning towards my makeup collection to brighten my day instead! I have been wearing a lot of pretty pink makeup lately and while making me happier as I get ready in the morning it has also brightened up my pale winter skin. Here are some of the products that I have been loving right now to try and beat the winter blues:

Eyeshadows: Potted shadows L-R MAC Naked Lunch, Too Faced Beauty Mark, MAC Falling Star; Unpotted shadow: MAC Mylar

Lip Products L-R: NYX Round Lipgloss in Ballerina Pink, Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick in Pink Blush, NYX Round Lipstick in Louisiana, Amuse Long Lip Pencil in Sexy Pink

Here is a pink look that I did using the eyeshadows pictured above. Expect a tutorial on this look coming soon!

I hope these pretty pink colors help brighten up your day! Thank you for stopping by for some Cosmetic Confessions!

xoxo, Caitlin

Purple Smokey Eyes using MAC and Sleek

2011-03-05T16:42:00.000-08:00

Here is a look I did a couple of weeks ago. I really liked how it turned out so I decided I should share it on my blog. I am going to try and include more information about my YouTube videos on my blog from now on!

Here is a list of the products I used:
Too Faced Shadow Insurance
MAC Eyeshadow in Beautiful Iris and Naked Lunch
Sleek Original Palette
MAC Pigment in Grape
Urban Decay 24/7 Pencil Eyeliner in Lust
L'oreal Voluminous Mascara
ELF Blush in Pink Please
Stila Silk Shimmer Gloss in Kitten

I hope you enjoy the video! This look would be great if you are going out for an evening dinner or to a nightclub. I like doing bold dramatic looks like this even if I don't always wear them out because it is so fun to play around with makeup!

Thank you so much for stopping by my blog! Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
xoxo, Caitlin

Fab or Drab Volume 3

2011-02-01T18:34:00.000-08:00

Okay so apparently I have already failed one of my New Years resolutions which was to blog more. I could go on and on with excuses that school has been so busy and yada yada OR I could do a quick "Fab or Drab" post with the promise that a review will be coming soon. So here goes!

Fab

1. Spring makeup collections- I miss pastel colors! Although I love the taupey greys and browns that I have been wearing lately, I am SO looking forward to pastel pinks, lilacs, yellows, and aquas of the spring makeup collections.

2. Bronzer- It has been MONTHS since my skin has seen any sunlight due to the fact that its winter and I wear SPF everyday so my skin is extremely pale to the point where it looks almost blue tinged. Yikes! Thank goodness for my NARS Laguna bronzer which I have been wearing everyday in an attempt to not look like Casper.

3. Colored eyeshadow bases- this might seem obvious to any makeup lover but I generally used to avoid colored bases or cream eyeshadows thinking that they might crease or make my eyeshadow look less smooth. Alas, I was wrong. If used under a good eyeshadow primer, colored bases can really make you powder shadows POP and add a new dimension to them that they wouldn't have all on their own.

4. Girl talk- Good ole coffee with the girls will cheer me up any day. Whether its to vent about work, gossip, talk about boys or shoes (or perhaps more intellectual topics), a good girl talk is sometimes a necessary part of my week.

Drab:

1. Winter- ugggggghhhhh I am SO sick of winter! I live in a particularly cold area and have been having a bad case of the winter blues as of late. I can't wait to see the snow melt and some flowers pop out of my garden :)

2. Dry skin- this goes hand in hand with winter and I don't know what i would do without some good moisturizers come this time of year. I am particularly loving Lush massage bars as a body lotion and my favorite Jamieson Naturals Vitamin E day cream for my face.

3. My eyebrows- They haven't changed much in a very long time (I never did buy in to the super skinny brow trends) but lately I have been obsessing about my eyebrows, wishing they were more symmetrical, had higher arches, were more defined, I could go on and on. But really there is not much I can do besides groom them, fill them in as well as I can and try to live with them. I mean they are only eyebrows!

Well I hope that was fun to read. Let me know what your feeling Fab or Drab about! Thanks for stopping by!

xoxo, Caitlin

"Beauty" Tips for When You're Feeling Sick

2011-01-07T21:38:00.000-08:00

In my previous post about my New Years beauty resolutions I said that I definitely wanted to blog more in 2011 but now you might be wondering why its January 7th and I only have one blog post up. The reason for this is because I have been SO sick with a sinus infection for the last week! I have literally been laying in my bed for the whole week and I don't even remember the last time I was this sick for this long. Luckily I prefilmed some videos so I should have something new up on my youtube channel soon but until then I thought I would do a brief post on what I do that is sort of beauty related when I'm feeling sick that also helps me feel and look a little better!

1. I know we have all heard it before but drinking lots of water both when you're sick and when you're well keeps you hydrated which in turn improves the appearance of your skin, making it healthier and more luminous. When you're sick, drinking water can help your body flush whatever nastiness it is trying to get rid of out of your system. Additionally, it is important to drink lots of fluids if you are taking medications, as they can be a lot for your kidneys to process. I have been drinking a ton of mint tea this week because it has the added bonus of soothing my throat!

2. Even though I haven't really left my bed all week I have still made sure to take proper care of my skin by cleansing and moisturizing it. Being sick definitely hasn't done much for my complexion (I'm looking pretty dull and pale) but by at least washing and moisturizing my face I have done what I can to keep my skin in good shape :)

3. Applying a product like Carmex or Blistex Lip Medex around the nostrils will help prevent irritation, redness, and flaking around the nose. This has definitely helped me this week because after going through a few boxes of tissues my nose is pretty raw!

4. Get as much rest as you can. This might seem obvious but neglecting to take care of yourself when you are sick will probably just prolong the illness, if not make it worse. Additionally, making sure to get enough sleep can prevent dark circles under your eyes from getting worse when you are sick (which I tend to find happens after a few days with the flu or a bad cold).

I hope you find this post helpful, especially if you are feeling sick right now. I'm loaded up on sinus medication which makes me pretty drowsy so I'm doing what I can for Cosmetic Confessions for now! Expect some more interesting posts soon, I will have one up as soon as I feel better! Until then, enjoy your weekend!

xoxo, Caitlin

I'm Feeling So-So About Wet n Wild Mega Eyes Creme Eyeliner

2011-01-03T11:57:00.000-08:00

When I heard that Wet n Wild had come out with a creme eyeliner I was quite thrilled. I have recently been using some of their Color Icon shadows and I'm really impressed so I knew I had to try their Mega Eyes Creme Eyeliner. At around $4 a pop these cream eyeliners are much less expensive than even most other drugstore cream or gel eyeliners, but do they compare? Unfortunately not, in my opinion, and I'll tell you why...

The Wet n Wild Mega Eyes Creme Eyeliners come in two shades: Black and Eggplant. I opted for the eggplant shade because it looked so beautiful and I already have a few other black gel and cream liners. The product comes packaged in a nice looking box and as a bonus it also comes with the little brush. The brush is not bad, I wouldn't use it for initial application as I have many other better brushes but I might put this in my purse makeup bag for touch ups. The cream eyeliner comes in a cute little round glass container. In my opinion the packaging is very nice, especially for the price, but my issues are with the product itself.

I wanted to like this product, I really did! But as you can see in the swatch below, the product was just not very pigmented. It went on unevenly both on my hand and on my eye, and when you try to go over it a second time the product sort of clumps up. Additionally, the color does not look half as beautiful on the eye as it seems in the pot. It was a sort of lackluster purple color whereas in the pot it was a beautiful, shimmery, vibrant purple color. I'm curious to see if the black shade of this same product has the same pigmentation issues because it would be great to find a $4 black cream eyeliner.

In addition to the pigmentation issues that I had, the product did not go on as smoothly as other cream or gel eyeliners that I have tried. The staying power was decent, it didn't smudge or smear on my lids when I wore it all day, but when the product doesn't initially look good on, I don't really care how long it lasts!

Overall, I think that there are much better cream and gel eyeliners out there. From the drugstore I personally prefer Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner. Although it costs about twice as much as the Wet n Wild one, it is much more smooth and pigmented. I will still have to try the black shade from Wet n Wild to see if it is more richly pigmented than the eggplant shade. For now, I will stick to my Wet n Wild Color Icon shadows which I love! Do you have any recommendations for other Wet n Wild products that are good? If you do, please leave a comment. I love a new drugstore find!

Thank you for stopping by my blog! Have a beautiful day!

xoxo, Caitlin

Beauty Resolutions for 2011

2010-12-31T17:39:00.000-08:00

Oh New Years, the time of champagne, sparkles, countdowns and, of course, resolutions! I don't know about you, but my past experiences with New Years resolutions usually end up being ignored by the second week of January. So instead of telling myself that I will lose ten pounds, stop cramming for school exams, and keep my bedroom perfectly organized at all times, I figured beauty resolutions would be a lot more fun and probably a lot easier to keep (at least until February hehe!). So here are my beauty resolutions for 2011:

-Use less makeup wipes and deep cleanse my face more: I always make sure that there is a bottle of cleanser in my bathroom but once I'm getting ready for bed and feeling a bit tired I find it so much more convenient to just wipe my face clean with a makeup wipe. The problem with this is that it doesn't get your face perfectly clean like regular cleansing does. So even if it takes a minute more and is a little less convenient, I'm going to try to properly cleanse my face every night before bed.

-Take better care of my eyebrows: my eyebrow hair is very light so its not super obvious when the plucked hairs start to grow in but I really hate the texture of eyeshadow over top of unkept brow hairs. Compared to most people I probably take pretty good care of my brows, but I would like to pluck the strays just a little more often in 2011.

-Exfoliate my body at least once, preferably twice, a week: I am pretty good about exfoliating my face (I do it about three times a week with a gentle facial exfoliator), but exfoliating my whole body takes a bit longer so I find myself procrastinating about it. In 2011 I resolve to exfoliate my body more as it just makes skin look so much more luminous!

-Last but not least, blog more!!!: this isn't really a beauty resolution but I was pretty bad about blogging in December so I definitely resolve to blog more. I have so much planned for this blog and my youtube channel of the same name so stay tuned to Cosmetic Confessions in 2011 for lots more reviews, tutorials, hauls, and other fun, girly things!

Happy New Year everyone!

xoxo, Caitlin

Wet n Wild Has Me Lusting Over This Palette!

2010-11-12T19:15:00.000-08:00

I have a confession: I love drug store makeup. I know its hit and miss but high end products can be too, and there is nothing more satisfying than finding an amazing drugstore product at a steal! I never used to use drugstore eyeshadows because I found most of them to be chalky and unpigmented but after absolutely loving the Wet n Wild Color Icon singles, I had to try one of the Wet n Wild Color Icon palettes ($5). And boy did it deliver!

I opted for the Color Icon palette in Lust because I loved the plum and silver tones. The palettes consist of six shades: two neutral shades, two medium shades, and two dark shades. What is really awesome about these palettes is that the shades on the left side of the palette are matte while the shades on the right side of the palette are shimmery, allowing you to create a multi-textured look (and avoiding making your eyes look like a disco ball!). Cue the swatches!

The eyeshadows themselves are pigmented, blendable and long lasting when worn over a base. While they aren't as soft as some of my other eyeshadows, they are thoroughly impressive, especially for the price! The rich plums and shimmery silvers in this palette are perfect for fall but I'm definitely eager to try the other palettes from this line (aptly named Greed, Pride, and Vanity).

One of the trade offs in getting high quality makeup for low prices is often the packaging and this is true for the Color Icon products. Although it is functional and fairly durable, the packaging is very plain and simple. One thing I do like is that the clear front of this palette allows you to easily see what is inside without having to open it.

Overall, I am so happy that I found a great range of eyeshadows at low drugstore prices! I am definitely going to buy more of the Wet n Wild Color Icon products so be prepared for some more reviews and swatches!

Thank you for stopping by for some Cosmetic Confessions! Have a beautiful day!

XOXO, Caitlin

FTC Disclaimer: Purchased by me, all opinions are my own.

Benefit Full Finish Lipstick in Do Tell

2010-11-09T19:29:00.000-08:00

I purchased this lipstick at the Sephora on 5th Avenue back in May at the insistence of the most fabulous makeup artist. For most of the spring and summer I wore pale pink or nude lips whenever I wore lipstick and therefore this color didn't receive much attention, despite me thinking that it was a beautiful color. Now that it is fall I have been wearing this lipstick whenever I want a slightly rich but not-to-dark shade on my lips.

I have never tried any Benefit lip products before this, and I must say I am impressed. The product goes on smoothly, feels silky on my lips, and is slightly moisturizing. Although this is a full coverage lipstick, it does not have a heavy matte texture. The finish is more glossy, meaning that you could wear Do Tell beautifully without having to wear a gloss over it.

The shade itself is a slightly cool toned pinky mauve. I think it is neutral enough that both cool and warm toned ladies could pull this off. This shade would look good on a wide range of skin tones from pale to medium-dark. While it is not a vampy berry color, I think this is the perfect everyday fall lipstick shade.

The packaging of this lipstick is functional and sturdy. The glossy black tube with white writing does the job; however, it is nothing too special. This lipstick has no detectable scent which is kind of nice as perception of smell is so subjective.

Overall, I am very impressed with this product. It is silky, pigmented and long-lasting. Here is a FOTD with me wearing Do Tell for your reference.

Thank you so much for stopping by my blog! I hope you found this review helpful and come on back, I have lots of reviews coming! Have a beautiful day!

XOXO, Caitlin

FTC Disclaimer: Purchased by me. All opinions my own.

Fab or Drab: Volume 2

2010-11-06T22:07:00.000-07:00

Due to the fact that I am still trying to sort out my pictures, etc. from my computer crash (see post below). I figured I would do a "Fab or Drab". I find things like this very fun to read on other people's blogs so hopefully you find it fun on mine as well :D

FAB:

Christmas Collections/Makeup Gift Sets: Its that time of year where all of the makeup companies are releasing their Christmas collections and gift sets! I love holiday makeup with its rich reds and shimmery golds! I also find gift sets very exciting as they are usually a good deal and they allow you to try things you wouldn't necessarily buy full sized right off the bat.

Sleek Palettes: These palettes are only $11.75 each (although when I ordered mine they were only $10 each) and they are beautifully packaged and very high quality eyeshadows. Expect a review and swatches coming very soon!

Hot Chocolate: Brr its getting cold here and nothing is a better treat to me right now than a nice hot mug of hot cocoa with marshmallows on top. I like it best made on the stovetop from scratch :)

Ankle Boots: I have a great pair that I bought in California. They have about a 2-3 inch heel so I can walk in them for days and they look good with so many things: leggings, skinny jeans, dresses, you name it! I am currently on the prowl for another pair because they are so dang versatile and cute!

DRAB:

Computer Crashes: Need I say more? Nothing frustrates me more than technical difficulties because I usually don't have the computer geek skills to fix them. Thankfully my boyfriend does and that is the reason why I am sitting here typing this to you :)

Dry Skin: Sooooo annoying! Every night before bed I slather my lips in lip balm and coat my hands with body butter and every morning I wake up to cracked lips and dry skin :( I live in a very dry area and once the cold weather rolls in its a constant battle with dry skin! I'm sincerely jealous of all you girls who live in warm, humid climates!

Midterms: I'm sure all of my fellow students agree with me on this one! Its crunch time and studying for 25 hours a day doesn't leave much time for pampering :(

I hope you enjoyed hearing about what I think is Fab or Drab at the moment. As always I tried to be positive and put more "Fab" than "Drab" because its very easy to complain but its nice to take a minute to enjoy the good things in life :)

Thank you so much for stopping by my blog! Have a beautiful day!

XOXO, Caitlin

FTC: All products mentioned were purchased by me. I am not being compensated for this post.

Why I have been MIA

2010-11-06T18:35:00.000-07:00

Just a quick message letting you know why I have not posted anything on here or on youtube for a while. My computer crashed, like literally "couldn't turn it on" kind of crashed and I had to delete everything currently on my computer in order to fix it :(

That included all my video and photo editting software, stock photos, FOTD and makeup photos I had taken, the intro that I use for my videos, etc, etc I could go on and on. I am currently working very hard to get everything up and running again.

But for some good news: I have lots of fun posts and videos in the works including a review and tutorial using my new *favorite* foundation, some reviews of some inexpensive but awesome new eyeshadows I bought, and some colorful eye looks.

I will try to have these things up as soon as possible (providing I don't run into anymore technical difficulties LOL). Stay tuned for more Cosmetic Confessions!

XOXO, Caitlin

Skin Care 101

2010-10-16T14:40:00.000-07:00

This thoroughly exaustive post is meant to complement the skin care video that I put up on my youtube channel. You can check that out by clicking here!

This is going to be quite a long (somewhat text book style) post because I am VERY passionate about skin care! This post should give a bit more in-depth information about skin care products and their uses for those of you who are interested! So lets get started!

The first thing that I wanted to mention was that I switched to an all-natural skin care regimen about 4 months ago and it is working wonders for my skin! Although I do not suffer from acne, I have always had issues with sensitivity, redness, and irritation. Since eliminating all of the products containing irritating (and potentially carcinogenic) ingredients from my skin care regimen I have seen a great improvement! Some of the things that I try to avoid include parabens, pthalates, sulfates and petroleum by-products.

Now, moving on to the actual skin care products and why they are important:

Cleanser removes dirt and impurities from the face and prevents clogged pores. I recommend using a milky cleanser if you have dry skin or a foaming cleanser if you have oily skin.

Toner restores the skin's ideal pH. Cleanser is basic but the skin functions best at an acidic pH of about 4.5-5.5. Toner converts the skin's pH back to its ideal acidic pH. It also removes any residue left behind from cleansing and reduces pores. Toner should not be applied to the eye area. I also recommend avoiding toners that contain large amounts of alcohol or witch hazel as these are very harsh/drying on the skin.

Moisturizer helps to hydrate the skin. If you have dry skin try a moisturizer that has more moisturizing properties but if you have oily skin look for an oil-free moisturizer. I recommend using a thinner moisturizer for the day time and a richer moisturizer for overnight.

Eye cream moisturizes the delicate eye area. Eye creams often contain anti-aging or brightening ingredients in them. I like to use an eye cream at night for moisture and an eye gel in the day under my makeup. It is actually necessary to wear eye cream in addition to regular facial moisturizer because the molecules in facial moisturizer are too large to be absorbed by the skin in the eye area.

Sunscreen is very important! If you want more info about sun protection, check out the post I did a while back.

Exfoliators/scrubs remove any dead skin cells from the surface of the skin. They can improve the complexion, making it smoother and brighter looking. Avoid exfoliators that are too rough as they can damage or irritate the skin. I recommend using exfoliators with microbeads in them, as they do the job but they aren't too harsh!

There are many different types of facial masks available, including moisturizing masks, clarifying masks, and exfoliating masks. I like to use masks containing clay, as the clay extracts your pores by sucking all the stuff out of them. Sounds gross but it works!

Acne treatments often contain salicylic or benzoic acid to kill acne-causing bacteria.

Serums usually contain high concentrations of anti-aging ingredients or vitamins to nourish the skin. I don't think that serums are necessary for everybody (I don't use one!) but they can be useful if you are having issues with your skin or if you want to fight wrinkles!

I know that was very long but I hope it was helpful! Check out my skin care video as well for my product recommendations and skin care routine! Thank you so much for stopping by my blog!

xoxo, Caitlin

I'm Pleasantly Surprised with Wet n Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow Singles

2010-10-05T20:23:00.000-07:00

Mention of the brand Wet n Wild takes me back to my days of being a broke 13 year old on the verge of becoming makeup obsessed! Wet n Wild was pretty much the only makeup I could afford back then and even though the quality wasn't the greatest it made me happy (I remember that the lipglosses smelled like rocket candies hehe). Flash forward seven years and, while my makeup budget has grown exponentially, it seems as though Wet 'n Wild products can still make me happy!

That's where Wet n Wild Color Icon eyeshadow singles come in. At around $2 a pop these single shadows are nothing short of impressive. I found them to be richly pigmented, blendable and comparable to shadows that cost ten times as much!

The Color Icon eyeshadow singles come in seven shades: Sugar, Brulee, Nutty, Penny, Lagoon, Envy, and Kitten. They all looked very beautiful but I opted for the Lagoon, Envy, and Kitten which are vibrant jewel toned shades.

As you can see the packaging is nothing special, just a clear plastic case, but it does the job. I had no issues opening the durable case, and it is nice that you can see the eyeshadow color when the case is closed without having to open it or check the label.

I found that these shadows were soft enough to be pigmented and nicely blendable but they did not stir up a lot of powder so I did not experience much (if any) fallout. When applied over an eyeshadow base they lasted all day without any fading, creasing, or smudging. I found that Envy applied the smoothest while Kitten was the least smooth and pigmented, but I suspect that this is due to the beautiful gold sparkly shimmers that Kitten has.

From left to right: Envy, Lagoon, and Kitten

The only possible con I can think of for these shadows is that the limited shade range may make it difficult to do an entire eye look with only these shadows, but I'm sure that this isn't a problem for all of you makeup-obsessed girls out there who probably have a ton of other shades that could be used to make a look along with these ones. Overall, I found the quality of these shadows to be very impressive and the fact that they are so inexpensive makes me really happy (who doesn't love a good deal!). I am most definitely going to be buying the rest of the shades that I didn't get and I'm going to have to try some of the other new Wet n Wild products as well!

I hope you guys enjoyed this review! If there are any other Wet n Wild products that I should try let me know! Have a great day and thank you for stopping by my blog :)

xoxo, Caitlin

FTC: All products purchased by me. All opinions expressed are my own.