Happy Valentines Day Muggies! 

Valentines day is almost here! So to celebrate we are doing a Valentines inspired weekly challenge! Be creative Muggies and as always have fun!

Here’s the scoop on this challenge:

• Challenge begins Monday, February 6th and ends Friday, February 17th at midnight EST
• Create your best Valentines look
• Post photos of your look here in the forum
• Only 1 look per person, and the work must be your own
• Winner will be announced Monday, February 20th
• Prize will be the fun Kenneth Cole Travel Bag Set
• Two winners chosen: 1 for best look, and 1 at random, so everyone has a chance to win!
• This challenge is open to anyone of any age and from any country

There seems to be this rave of new products out in the makeup world:  Beauty Balms.  Not really a foundation, not a primer, or a moisturizer- it’s an all in one super product that eliminates several steps to your makeup routine.

When I first applied this, it felt like a silicone primer mixed with a tinted moisturizer.  It applies very smoothly and feels amazing on the skin.  For me, it didn’t have enough coverage to act as a foundation and it was so shiny that it emphasized my pores.  I used mine as a primer and it worked well in giving me a dewy finish, but on its own it was just way too shiny (it would be great for super dry skin).

Supposedly it can work as a tinted moisturizer, primer, spf, and skincare complex (promotes cell health and skin’s elasticity)

What is it?

A multi-benefit BB cream that tints, primes, nourishes, prevents, and protects skin in one easy step. 

What I love:

• The silky smooth texture
• The extra moisture needed by my winter parched skin
• The coverage was better than most tinted moisturizers
• When I used as a primer, it gave my skin a dewy finish
• Is nice having skincare properties included, making this a multi-tasker

What I hate:

• The shiny formula emphasized my pores
• Not really sure how to include this in my makeup routine except for “no makeup days”

• Rating:  4 out 5
• Product: 3 out of 5
• Packaging: 5 out of 5
• Quality: 4 out of 5
• Price:  4 out of 5
• Would I buy again?   Not sure…

Price:   $32

Where to Buy:   Sephora  .  Amazon  .  eBay

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When I first saw these creamy eyeshadows at my local CVS, my first thought was “look at all the pretty colors!”  These remind me so much of MAC’s paintpots back in the day when they had colorful ones.  (not sure why they stick to just the boring colors now- *sigh*)

What are they?

Colorful cream eyeshadows that come in 10 shades and last up to 24 hours. 

What I love:

• The rich pigmentation and vibrant colors
• Fair price
• Apply easily and do not feel sticky
• Fun names (not a big deal, but still well thought out )

What I hate:

• Purple color does not show up well
• Not enough neutral shades

I must say that I’m VERY impressed with these cream eyeshadows- especially for the price.  Even the packaging is the perfect size- it’s easy to get my fingers into

The only downside is that if you try to blend the shimmery colors too much, the color starts to disappear.  However, the matte colors are incredibly pigmented and blend very well.  I really don’t have much negative to say about these eyeshadows! Good job Maybelline.

• Rating:  5 out 5
• Product: 5 out of 5
• Packaging: 5 out of 5
• Quality: 4 out of 5
• Price:  5 out of 5
• Would I buy again?  Yes (except the purple one- it sucks.)

Price:   $6.99

Where to Buy:   Most drugstores   .  eBay

In my quest of hydrating my parched and chapped winter lips, I found this tinted lip treatment that actually keeps my lips super soft!  I used to use my beloved Bourjois Night Lip Balm, but since they quit selling in the US (boo!), I had to find an alternate product.

Now I admit this little tube is not cheap, but it’s been the only thing keeping my lips from feeling like sandpiper every night.  They come in 5 different colors for just a slight tint on the lips.  The one I bought was “Plum” as it had the most color…

What I love:

• Very emollient formula that doesn’t feel greasy
• Slightly tinted color for those “no makeup days”
• Smells and feels amazing!

What I hate:

• The price.

I realize that $22 is WAY too much for a chapstick basically, but if you have super dry lips and want something with a little color then these lip treatments are quite nice.   I’m not sure if I would buy any more just because I hate spending that much, so I will continue my quest for something cheaper   It is an amazing product though and Fresh did a great job with their product!

• Rating:  4 out 5
• Product: 4 out of 5
• Packaging: 5 out of 5
• Quality: 5 out of 5
• Price:  1 out of 5
• Would I buy again?  If it were cheaper…

Price:   $22.50

Where to Buy:   Sephora  .  Amazon  .  eBay

NYX says “If you’re addicted to smokey eyes, this kit is custom-made for you. It contains a palette of pigmented eye shadows to create gray smokey eyes, purple smokey eyes, bronze smokey eyes and natural smokey eyes.”

First off, the packaging is made of a sturdy plastic, which makes it ideal for travelling as all the products are kept secure. The packaging is very simple; plain black with white text, and the front reveal small windows to view some of the eyeshadows (similar to their NYX Nude on Nude Palette).  The palette is slightly bulky, but it does contain a lot of different products.

The top section of the palette first reveals a range of eyeshadows which are split into 4 main smokey eyes – classic, purple, bronze and natural. Each section contains 8 individual eyeshadows as well as a quad at the top of each;  the eyeshadows are made up of a range of different finishes. Underneath the eyeshadows is a compartment that contains 6 face products – a matte contour powder and highlighter, bronzer with shimmer and 3 blushes which all contain shimmer. They also provide a small black eyeliner and two applicators (double ended sponge tip and a lip brush).

There is a drawer at the base of the palette, which pulls out to reveal all the cream products: 16 lip glosses, 12 glitter creams, 1 green correct, 1 lavender correcter, and 2 shades of concealer.

Overall, the products in this palette are of great quality. The eyeshadows , for me personally, are the standout of this palette. Most of them are very pigmented and blend easily (with the exception of a couple), and contain a nice selection of different finishes. The face products are also good, but I personally would have preferred a matter bronzer and a highlight with shimmer as opposed to the other way around. The white matte highlighter looked chalky and unflattering. The blushes are also very good in quality, but again I would have like to seen a matte blush or a different shade (as all three blushes were pink).

The lip products were quite good, but some were balms and others were more like a lipstick, making some more pigmented than others. The lipstick ones can initally have a little bit of a tacky feeling on the lips so I do recommend a Chapstick to be applied first. The correctors and concealers, I felt, are good for light to medium spot treating, but are too creamy to be used under the eyes without creasing. The glitter creams were my least favourite part of the palette – the glitter sits of the surface, and after that  glitter has been used, all that remains is the clear gel. They have a patchy application and I personally am not a fan, but they can be good to be used for a party or fancy dress event.

This palette gives you great value, there are so many products that you get and with the exception of a gel/liquid liner and mascara, you can create an entire look with this alone. Most of the products are great quality, so I definitely feel that this is worth the price, even just for the eyeshadows and face products alone.

Rating:

• Product: 4 out of 5
• Packaging: 4 out of 5
• Price: 4 out of 5
• Quality: 4 out of 5
• Overall: 4 out of 5
• Would I buy again? Yes
• Price: $22.00

Benefit the POREfessional Face Primer

This primer is super smooth but doesn’t slide too much- it’s very similar to the Too Faced one but has a slight smell (this is the only reason that it’s not my top pick).  Otherwise it works really well in priming the face!  It has a slight color to it, so it helps hide imperfections and works for every skin type.

Best for:  Combination skin

Price:  $29   (.75 oz)

Where to Buy:   Sephora  .  Amazon  .  eBay

Clinique Pore Minimizer Instant Perfector

This primer was one of my first ones I started using as I have problems with pores on my cheeks.   I love using this primer as it does an amazing job at filling in the pores without clogging them.   It isn’t as smooth as the benefit primer, so this will work well on oily skin as it has more of a matte finish.

Best for:  Combination to oily skin;   Those with large pores

Price:  $18  (.5 oz)

Where to Buy:    Amazon  .  eBay .  Some department stores

MAC Mattifying Gel

If you have oily or shiny skin and need a primer that will give a matte finish, this MAC one is amazing!  It has a gel like consistency (which usually means it slides too much), but this one stays put and dries to a very soft yet matte finish.  Since it is so smooth and is clear in color, it should work for everyone.

Best for:  Any skin type looking for matte finish

Price:  $19  (.75 oz)

Where to Buy:   MAC

Palladio Herbal Face Primer

This is another gel like primer that not only preps the face, but slightly moisturizes.   It glides very easily, so I  use this under the eyes where my concealer tends to cake up.  The price is the best selling point with this one as it’s only $12 compared to around $20-30 that most other companies charge. Because it is somewhat slick, I do not recommend this one for oily skin- it works best for dry skin.

Best for:  Combination to Dry Skin;  Mature Skin

Price:  $12  (.68 oz)

Where to Buy:   Makeup Geek Store

Too Faced Primed and Poreless Skin Smoothing Face Primer

If I had to choose just one primer to wear daily, it would be this one.  The creamy formula is super smooth but not slick, plus it feels amazing on the skin!  Because it has a slight color, it also helps to camouflage any flaws.  It doesn’t fill in pores quite as well as the Clinique one, but it gives a more satin finish vs just a matte one.  The price is also better for the amount you get (Benefit’s is $29 for .75 oz while this is $30 for 1 oz)

Best for:  All skin types

Price:  $30  (1 oz)

Where to Buy:    Amazon  .  Sephora . eBay

YouTube Link of Tutorial

Valentines is right around the corner and we wanted to share a look to highlight your natural beauty with the ones you love.  Because everyone loved this Valentines look last year, we’ve updated this post a bit.  If you don’t have access to the NYX Pine Nut eyeshadow used in the video, you can also use the Makeup Geek Mocha eyeshadow — it’s better quality too

Face:

• Benefit Porefessional Primer   (Amazon) (eBay)
• Eve Pearl Salmon Concealer – “Tan” (Makeup Geek Store)
• Revlon Colorstay Foundation #310   (Amazon) (eBay)
• NARS Loose Powder – “Flesh” (Amazon) (eBay)
• NYX Blush – Peach (Makeup Geek Store)
• Sephora Sculpting Disk (Sephora)

Eyes:

• Palladio Eye Primer   (Makeup Geek Store)
• MAC Pigment – Naked (Makeup Geek Store)
• NYX Pine Nut OR Makeup Geek Mocha Eyeshadow (Makeup Geek Store)
• MAC Iridescent Powder Silver Dusk (Makeup Geek Store)

• Ardell False Lashes – Dura Lash

It has bright, orange based red (#37), Deep, blue based red (#63), dark pink (#16), nude (#24) and warm brown (#61):

#61

#24

#16

#63

#37

Face:

• Benefit Porefessional Face Primer  (Amazon)  (eBay) (Sephora)
• Lancome Tient Idole Ultra Foundation  (Amazon) (eBay)
• Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat Radiant  Touch Concealer (for under the eyes)   (Amazon) (eBay)
• MAC Studio Finish Concealer  (for blemishes)  (Amazon) (eBay)
• Tarte Blush – “Blissful” (Amazon) (Sephora) (eBay)

Eyes:

• Stila Prime Pot – Caramel (Amazon) (eBay) (Sephora)
• Palladio Brow Pencil – Brown (Makeup Geek Store)
• Urban Decay Naked Palette (Amazon) (eBay) (Sephora)
• Darkhorse
• Smog
• Half Baked
• Sin
• Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliner – Black (Amazon) (eBay) (Sephora)
• L’Oreal Waterproof Voluminous Mascara – “Carbon Black” (Amazon) (eBay)

Lips:

• MAC Lipstick – Masque (eBay)
• NYX Mega Shine Lip Gloss – Baby Rose (Makeup Geek Store)
• NYX Eyeliner- White (Makeup Geek Store)

Tools:

• MAC – 219 (Amazon) (eBay)
• MUG Pointed Crease Brush (Makeup Geek Store)
• MAC – 109 (Amazon) (eBay)
• Beauty Blender Sponge (Makeup Geek Store)

• MUG Eyeshadow – “Glamorous” (Makeup Geek Store)
• MUG Eyeshadow – “Brown Sugar” (Makeup Geek Store)
• MUG Eyeshadow – “Bada Bing” (Makeup Geek Store)
• MUG Eyeshadow – “Shimma Shimma” or “Twilight” (Makeup Geek Store)
• use Shimma Shimma if you have fair skin, use Twilight or even Bleached Blonde if you have medium to dark skin
• Gel Liner – True Black (Makeup Geek Store)

Katy Perry has only been in the spotlight for a few years now. In such little time she has had a major impact on the Fashion and Cosmo  world. She is such a risk taker but remains cute and sweet! So this weeks weekly challenge is going to be Katy Perry inspired. Have fun MUG’s and be creative!

Here’s the scoop on this challenge:

• Challenge begins Monday, January 23rd and ends Friday, February 3rd at midnight EST
• Create a look inspired by any picture of a Katy Perry picture
• Post photos of your look here in the forum
• Only 1 look per person, and the work must be your own
• Winner will be announced Monday, February 6th
• Prize will be the fun Stila Lip Glaze Set
• Two winners chosen: 1 for best look, and 1 at random, so everyone has a chance to win!
• This challenge is open to anyone of any age and from any country