PoofyGypsy

Tricks for Tired Eyes (Part 1)

2016-02-25T21:06:00.001-05:00

There are just some days where you wake up and can't open your eyes, in every sense possible. You're sleepy and want more shut eye, but even once you're up you can't open your swollen, puffy eyes. Feeling tired is frustrating, and looking tired is even more frustrating. The good news is, it is possible to disguise those tired eyes (ooh that rhymed!). The two main things that make your eyes look tired are puffiness, and dark circles. I am going to talk about the first part, the puffiness, here and I will talk about how to treat the darkness in another post soon.

Puffiness can be treated with a number of tools. Moisture will cure any crepiness which can make you look older and more tired. Cooling will cause cells to contract and reduce swelling/puffiness. Massaging will increase blood flow which will also reduce swelling. There are now a number of products that can give you the moisture, cooling, and gentle massage all in one. These all-in-one products not only make it easier, but faster, which is nice when you're tired and probably either late or moving slowly. Here is a list of my favorite all-in-one puffy eye cures. They all provide a very smooth moisture, which will also make any makeup you put on top of it go on smoothly (I will talk about those products in the next post). They all either have cooling effects from the ingredients, or have a metal tip which is cooling to the touch. The metal tip, especially a roller-ball, also massages the eye area, giving you all the puffy cures in one.

Boscia Super-Cool De-Puffing Eye Balm

Ole Henriksen Ultimate Life Eye Gel

Milk Makeup Cooling Water

Origins No Puffery Cooling Roll-On

Olay Fresh Effects Eye Awakening Cream

Clinique All About Eyes Serum Roller

Garnier Anti-Dark Circle Eye Roller

Clinique Even Better Eyes Dark Circle Corrector

Benefit Cosmetics Puff Off

First Aid Beauty Eye Duty Triple Remedy

Lip Treatment Loves

2016-02-02T20:57:00.002-05:00

The Groundhog said we'll have an early spring today, but my lips are definitely feeling winter. It seems like I am constantly trying to keep them from cracking, peeling, flaking, and just comfortable. Soft, smooth lips are not only more comfortable for you, but help your lipstick go on smooth and look better. Have you ever noticed someone wearing lipstick where it's all cracked, or clinging to flakes and patches on their lips? Yeah, not cute. The key to soft, smooth lips is a combination of exfoliating and moisturizing. I always have moisturizer on my lips,and I try to exfoliate every other day or so. Here is a list of my tried and true, my most loved lip care products, exfoliants and moisturizers:

Fresh Sugar Lip Polish

GlamGlow Poutmud Fizzy Lip Exfoliating Treatment

LUSH Bubblegum Lip Scrub

Bite Beauty Whipped Cherry Lip Scrub

Bliss Fabulips Sugar Scrub

Tarte Maracuja Lip Exfoliant

Clinique Sweet Pots Sugar Scrub and Lip Balm

Jeffree Star Velour Lip Scrub

Herbivore Coco Rose Coconut Oil Lip Polish

The Body Shop Wild Argan Oil Solid Oil Lips

Farmacy Lip Bloom

Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask

Vaseline Lip Therapy Cocoa Butter

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Intensive Lip Balm

Morphe 9B Blush Palette-Review and Swatches

2016-01-19T21:06:00.000-05:00

I have wanted to talk about this palette for a while, but it was sold out for so long! It's back now, and if you can get your hands on it, I would definitely advise you do so. Get it here. Plus, now it's on sale! You get 9 pans for $19.99, and they are good sized pans. Below I put a MAC blush next to the palette, and you can see how big they really are, especially for a palette.

MAC Margin and 9B

The formula is amazing. They are so smooth, and holy crap are they pigmented! The swatches on the right are literally one swipe. That excellent color payoff means your money goes even further too, because you can use so little. Sometimes highly pigmented blushes kind of scare me because it can be really easy to overdose and end up looking scary or clownish. And we all know that once you've applied too much, it can be hard to correct. These blushes are so blendable though. They are super pigmented, but not in the way where you apply one dab and look psycho.

The shades are great too. There is a nice range of warm and cool, matte and shimmer, peaches, pinks, and mauves. A few of the shades could be very close dupes for the cult favorite NARS Orgasm. Below I swatched Orgasm across all of the 9B shades, and you can see a few are very close. In the photo you can also barely see Orgasm, but you can really see the 9B swatches and see how much more pigment they have than the NARS.

NARS Orgasm and 9B

NARS Orgasm across the top of 9B

Overall, it is a great palette. If you don't have a large blush collection, or if you like to wear a variety of shades or want to experiment, you need this. The price is definitely right and the product is good. I just love that the quality of the blushes is great, there is such a wide range of shades (and all are nice, not like some palettes where you only use half of them), and they are all in one palette. Everyone loves eyeshadow palettes, but I feel like it's not very often we see a blush palette. Love it!

Best Foundations for Pale Skin

2016-01-06T16:40:00.000-05:00

It's Winter! And for some of us, that means that our complexion starts to match the snow outside (if you live somewhere like I do). I'm not exactly tan ever, in the Summer I might get to an NW20 in MAC, if I've gotten a pretty good tan. I used to fake tan, but the last couple of years I just couldn't be bothered and I embraced my Snow White skin.

I have had trouble finding foundations that were the right shade since I started wearing foundation. A lot of brands don't even make a shade light enough, let alone in a formula I like. This list is not necessarily my favorite foundations or favorite formulas, this is a list of the lightest, fairest, palest, milkiest, most porcelain shades out there. There is a variety of price points, formulas, and finishes so you can pick which one works for you within the list of the lightest and fairest foundations I've found.

NARS Foundation in Mont Blanc

Cover FX in N0 and N10

Lancome Tient Miracle in 2C

MAC Foundation in NC15

L'Oreal True Match Lumi Foundation in N1-2

Rimmel Stay Matte Foundation in 010 Light Porcelain

Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Invisible Cover Foundation in Y205-Alabaster

Maybelline Foundation in Porcelain Ivory

Dior Nude Air in 010 Ivory

bareMinerals Complexion Rescue Hydrating Gel Cream in Opal 01

Maybelline Fit Me in Porcelain 110

NYX Mineral Stick Foundation in Porcelain

And if you like powder, here are the fairest of them all. From drugstore to high-end, sheer to powder foundation, mineral and not.

Make Up For Ever Pro Finish Multi-Use Powder Foundation in 110 Pink Porcelain

Maybelline Fit Me Powder in 110

bareMinerals Original Foundation in Fair

Lancome Dual Finish Powder Foundation in Matte Porcelaine I

L'Oreal Infallible Pro Matte Powder in Porcelain 100

Smashbox HALO Hydrating Perfecting Powder in Fair

December Favorites

2016-01-04T20:33:00.005-05:00

December flew by like it always does, but one reason it always goes so fast is because of all the festivities. With so much going on-friends and family in town to see, holiday parties, and lots of places to be and people to see all leading up to New Year's Eve, it's a busy month. I feel like I wore a lot of makeup in December. I was either going full out glam and rocking a party
look, or needing to quickly throw on a little makeup to look awake before running around to the next place. These are the products I reached for literally almost daily all month long, and I used whether I was going with glamorous and dramatic, or quick and natural.

Cover FX Custom Cover Drops

These things are my holy grail. This summer I didn't get anywhere near as tan as I usually do, which still isn't saying much, but I was already wearing my winter foundation shades in December. Usually I can go until about February before I have to break out the truly ghostly shades. I didn't want to buy more, even lighter foundation, and frankly, I don't know of many or any brands that would even make a shade that light. This was the perfect answer. These are concentrated drops of foundation that you can mix in with your foundation to adjust the shade. You can also mix them in with moisturizer, BB Cream, anything you want. It is not meant to be used as foundation by itself, because the color in it is super concentrated. But that is what makes it so genius for mixing in with other products. I bought the lightest shade, which is literally almost as white as a piece of paper, and I have been adding a drop or two to my foundation to lighten it, which has worked perfectly. I'm sure I'll be adding more as Winter goes on, but this is THE PERFECT solution for anyone who already has a foundation they really like, but the shade isn't perfect for you. Brilliant!

NIVEA for Men Sensitive Post Shave Balm

I know, right?? Men's aftershave? I heard NikkiTutorials talk about this on her YouTube channel a few months ago, and I feel like everyone in the beauty community has been trying it since. She said it worked great as a primer, and since I'm always hunting for a primer I love, I had to try it. One of the main ingredients in it is Glycerin, and Glycerin creates a tacky surface, which makes things stick to it. I wanted to try it for a good month or so before telling you how I felt about it, but I really like it. I rub it on for a good minute or so until it feels sticky, and then my foundation not only goes on really smooth over it, but it lasts forever. I never really notice that a primer makes my foundation last that much longer, but there were lots of days this month where I used this, and then noticed my foundation still looked good 12 hours later. It smells a little manly (which actually I don't mind), but the scent goes away quickly. It's also super cheap and from the drugstore, so I have to say, it might be my favorite primer now.

LORAC Unzipped Gold Palette

I love this palette so much. Each color is absolutely gorgeous, and the variety between them is awesome. There were so many days when I only used this palette for my entire eye look, whether I was doing dramatic and smokey, natural, or anything in between. There is a great variety of mattes, shimmers, and metallics, cool, warm, and neutral, and the lightest to darkest shades. I don't even know what else to say about it, other than it is seriously the perfect palette. This is one of those VERY few eyeshadow palettes that I could take with me on a vacation, and seriously not need to bring any other shadows. You can create so many looks with this palette. It is great and gorgeous no matter what mood you are in or what the occasion. The formula of the shadows is super blendable too, even the metallics. They are buttery smooth, and even Unafraid, which at first looks like it has a scary amount of glitter in it, is so smooth, and the shimmer is so fine, that you don't get a ton of fall out, and it can be worn other than to a bling-appropriate party.

Morphe E4-Angled Contour Brush

I know everyone is probably sick of hearing me talk about this, but it's just so fantastic. It literally does almost everything. I grab it to contour, to blush, to bronze, to highlight, to set, to bake, everything. It's seriously the best brush for almost any powder, and even some cream products, ever. And it feels so luxurious and soft, you just want to keep blending. If you want to hear me go on about it more, or other Morphe brushes, check out This or This.

NYX Liquid Suede Cream Lipstick in Soft-Spoken

I love liquid lipsticks. Especially now that they have started making formulas that last all day, but don't crack or totally dry out your lips. I was excited to see NYX make one since the brand is so cheap, and I really liked the formula. It didn't last as long as some, but it did for quite a while, and it felt creamy and smooth as long as I had it on. I liked this shade in the store, and then as soon as I got home and put it on, I noticed it looked very, very close to the cult-favorite Kat Von D Liquid Lipstick in Lolita. You can see the two next to each other below. Major drugstore dupe alert!! These Liquid Suede lipsticks are a great drugstore dupe for the Kat Von D Liquid Lipsticks, but this shade is totally Lolita. If you have been wanting Lolita, but it's always out of stock, or if you want to pay less than half the price, I would definitely say pick up Soft-Spoken. There are not nearly as many shades in the NYX line as the Kat Von D, but the shades they do have come in a great variety. I like this product a lot, but for the price, it's definitely a staple.

NYX Slide On Eye Pencil in Golden Bronze

Apparently I couldn't stop with the metallic eyes this month. I love bronze on the eyes, especially on green eyes, and this pencil is sooooo smooth. The name "Slide On" is very true, it really does slide on without skipping or leaving any chunks, but it also stays put and lasts long. It's basically a gel in a pencil. I bought a couple other shades I liked this one so much, but this shade was definitely my most used. It looks very different in different light, like in the pictures below. It definitely has more orange in it than some bronzes do, but I like copper tones too so I actually liked that. It can look very dark and copper in low light, or much more golden bronze (just like the name?) in brighter light.

Urban Decay Brow Beater Microfine Brow Pencil

I am just going to come out and say it. After using this Urban Decay brow pencil for a month or so, I am so done with my Anastasia Brow Wiz. Scandalous, I know. This one has the same fine tip as the Brow Wiz, and the same spool brush on the other end, but the texture of the pencil puts Brow Wiz to shame. I feel like with brow pencils they are always either dry and hard to work with, but last a long time, or softer and go on smoothly, but don't last long at all. This is the best of both worlds. I feel like I said that about Brow Wiz at one point, but this is so much softer and smoother. I didn't realize how hard, and hard to work with, the Brow Wiz was until I started using this. It glides on so smooth, doesn't tug at your skin, doesn't leave chunks of pencil, the creaminess does well at holding brows in place, and it blends out so much easier, but it also lasts.

beautyblender blendercleanser Solid

Like I said, I wore and used a lot of makeup this month. That also meant my brushes were constantly dirty, and my eye brushes constantly had a color on them other than what I was going to use that day. This is made to clean the Beauty Blender, and it does a very good job at that, but it is amazing for cleaning brushes. I know I have mentioned it before, but I used it a lot this month. I have tried all kinds of vinegar, baby shampoo, and other concoctions to try to clean my brushes, none of which every really got them clean, even after lots of scrubbing. With this, I literally wet my brush, rub it around for a few seconds on the solid, and everything just comes right off.

Tarte Lash Curler

I use an eyelash curler almost every day, and this one is definitely the best I've ever used. A lot of them seem like they are not wide enough to get all my lashes at once, and I have to curl them in two segments, but this gets them all in at one time. It also has a firm grip and curls my lashes more than most lash curlers. There's not a lot of exciting things to say about why you love a lash curler, but I will say this one is my favorite and was the only one I used daily all month long.

Ulta Haul

2015-12-14T16:05:00.000-05:00

I did some damage at Ulta. Enough said. Let's discuss...

I should also say that I made this purchase about a month ago. Usually I write about them right after I buy them because I'm excited about new things and like to talk about why I picked things out. This time, I decided to wait until I had used them for a while, so I can still mention why I purchased them, but also talk about how they worked and how I liked them, so you can decide whether you would want to purchase them too. What do you think, do you like the waiting and reviewing better?

Soap & Glory Heel Genius

I am always looking for foot cream. My feet, I'll just say it, are pretty janky if I don't take good care of them, especially in the cold, dry winter. I like a lot of Soap & Glory products, and when I tested some of this in the store I loved the texture. It's not a thick butter, or greasy cream, it's actually more of a gel. I like that because I can put it on morning and night. I struggle with foot products because I like the really thick ones for how moisturizing they are, but I hate the feeling of them during the day in socks and shoes. I didn't think this would be as moisturizing because it's a thinner, gel texture, but it left my feet super soft after only one use even. It absorbs relatively quickly, so you can actually walk around after you put it on, even if you don't put socks on right away, and it doesn't feel all slippery inside socks and shoes during the day. I love this stuff. I have been using it morning and night for a few weeks now and see a total difference. After only a week or so even, my mom commented on "how good my heels looked". Definitely worth a try if you haven't found one you love yet, or maybe even if you have.

Tweezerman Brush iQ Mini Face Countour Brush Set

So, NikkiTutorials talked about this set, and I was so intrigued by Tweezerman making brushes that I had to try it (I also wanted another flat brush so it was perfect). The set comes with a rounded, almost pointed face brush, a flat chisel brush, and a sponge. The sponge was meh. If you don't already have a BeautyBlender or Real Techniques sponge, then this isn't bad, but if you do you'll be using those instead. However, the brushes I actually really like. The pointed one is nice for so many things, blending concealer under your eyes, contouring, highlighting, it has a ton of uses for the whole face. The flat chisel brush is great for contouring, it just makes it so easy. I literally just line it up where I want my contour, drag it to draw the line, then move it in really small motions up and down to blend it a bit, and done. You can also use this with translucent powder under your contour to really sharpen that line if you want a strong contour. They are both pretty soft and blend well, I just wish the handles were a little longer, but I did travel with them last week and it was great to have them so compact!

NYX Angel Veil Skin Perfecting Primer

Another YouTube recommendation, this one by Kathleen Lights. She talked about this primer recently and recommended it for people who may not usually like a silicon based primer, which is me. I think they always set to the weirdest texture on me. It's like they are slimy and dusty all at the same time, neither of which are good. This one is cheap since it's NYX, so I decided to give it a shot. I do have to say the texture is nicer than a lot of silicon primers, it doesn't feel too slippery or too chalky after you apply it, and makeup goes on top of it very smoothly. My foundation did just glide over it, but I didn't notice that it made my foundation last any longer. I don't have a lot of problems with texture on my skin, but if you do, you may really like this to give you a smooth canvas before applying foundation.

Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Liner

This is my favorite gel liner out there. I talked about the pencil version recently in my October Favorites, which is absolutely mind-blowing amazing, but I like the gel in a pot style for when I'm doing thicker eyeliner on top or a wing. So many of them seem to drag, or go on chunky, or skip when you're drawing them on, but this just glides on so smooth that it's easy to be precise and clean on the first try. I own the MAC gel liner which used to be my go-to, but this has replaced it, especially at this price.

Simple Cleansing Micellar Water

I had heard a lot of great things about the Garnier Micellar water, and really wanted to try that actually, but they didn't have it in my store, so I picked this up to try instead. Micellar waters are all the rage right now, and I have to say that based on using this one, I'm not sure why. This did not remove my mascara at all, did not dissolve my foundation, and takes several cotton pads per eye to get everything off, even on light days. I'm going to still try the Garnier one when I find it, to see if maybe this one by Simple is just a bad one before I decide how I feel about Micellar water in general, but we'll see. I will definitely report back if I find and try that one, or any others, because I'm still skeptical.

NYX Prismatic Eyeshadow in Jaded

Can we talk about this color? I really did not need another eyeshadow, but I saw this and instantly thought "oooo so many holiday looks". This is a metallic, almost duo-chrome shadow that is a true emerald, almost forest, green. I love green eye looks, especially around the holidays, they just feel so festive. I love that this is metallic, and that in the right lighting, it is almost a duo-chrome finish (meaning it looks two different colors in one depending on what angle you look at it) with some bronze in it, as you can kind of see in the photo.

Tarte Lights Camera Lashes Mascara

Another standby product, always in my collection. I wrote about this in my favorite mascaras post over a year ago, and it is still definitely in my faves. There are 3 mascaras I have to own at all times, and this is one of them. It gives you instant, dramatic volume, not a lot of clumps, and you can build it up for even more. It also works well on top and bottom lashes, and doesn't flake off or make them brittle. Need I say more?

Too Faced Hangover Replenishing Face Primer

As I mentioned with the NYX primer, I don't have a lot of problems with texture on my skin, but I do like all the moisture boost I can get before my foundation goes on, especially in the winter when it can really start to clink to dry patches on my cheeks. This is such a nice, softening and moisturizing primer, but doesn't make you shiny by the end of the day and doesn't make your foundation wear off faster, like some moisturizing ones seem to. It smells amazing, like the coconut water that's in it. if your dry, or just like a dewy finish, you will love this. If you are more oily, or like a matte finish, I can't really say because that's not me, but you might like the NYX better.

Tarte At First Blush Deluxe Amazonian Clay Blush Set

I LOVE Tarte's Amazonian Clay blushes. I already own a couple, including the super-cool, self transforming Energy shade I wrote about in my May Favorites. These blushes are just so freaking pigmented, but still so completely blendable. If you could think of every quality you want in a perfect blush and put it in one, Tarte has done it. They also have a great shade range. But anway, this set. The set came with four shades that I not only don't own from Tarte, and a few that I don't own anything like. The four shades include Ecstatic, describes as "matte nude melon", Epic-"matte poppy pink", Embelish-"shimmer plum rose", and Entertain-"shimmer rosy pink". I do like that they included two mattes and two simmers, and that Tarte's shimmers are not really shimmery. They aren't like some that leave chunks of glitter on your face, they have a very fine shimmer that just looks more like a highlight and blush combined, great for when I'm lazy. The shades did swatch a little differently than they looked in the pan. Overall they look "less brown" I would say, which I wasn't totally disappointed about. A nice variety of mattes and shimmers, and a set of a pink, nude, peach, and plum shade in a great formula. If you're in the market for blush, this is a great taste test.

Noteworthy: MORE Morphe Brushes

2015-11-18T18:50:00.000-05:00

I wrote about my collection and love of Morphe brushes in a post back in April. I said then that Morphe are not only the best quality, but cheapest, best value brushes I have tried. My obsession has continued, and my collection has expanded since that April post. This post will cover all of the new Morphe brushes I have collected since then. And I have to say, I think they have gotten even better! They were fantastic, especially for the price then, but now I feel like the quality is even more fantastic in and of itself, let alone the for the price. They came out with a new Elite collection, which several of these are from, and is the best quality of all the Morphe collections I've tried. They are seriously the softest brushes ever. That line is a little more pricey than the others, but that still means they are around only $11 instead of $8.

Eye Brushes

E30

This is just an all around excellent blending brush. It is from the Elite collection, which are by far the softest Morphe brushes. It just feels luxurious when you use it. It's a bigger brush, which makes it really good for diffusing color and blending, or for quickly putting color on a large area.

E30, E13, Real Techniques, Sephora, Real Techniques

E13

This is actually very similar to the E30, but a little smaller and more dense. This is just one of those blending brushes that everyone should own, and once you do, you will use pretty much every day. The picture above shows this and the E30 compared to a Real Techniques, Sephora Brand, and Real Techniques Bold Metals eyeshadow brush. I definitely like these better because they are so soft and blend shadow so seamlessly and effortlessly.

E18

This is seriously the brush I have been searching for my entire makeup-wearing life. I like using shadow on the bottom lashline, whether I'm smoking it out or not, but I find that every pencil brush I try either doesn't blend well, or just plain hurts the delicate skin under my eyes. Again, this is from the Elite collection so it is SUPER soft. It also does not have the pointed tip that most pencil brushes have. The rounded shape not only helps blend and smoke out shadow easily, but makes it not feel like you are stabbing the skin under your eye. I have tried other rounded brushes for the lower lashline, but they are always too big and blend shadow so far down your under-eye that you start getting the Panda effect. This is small and precise enough that you can control where the color goes, but blend it easily and smoothly while not hurting yourself. Absolutely the most perfect, best lower lashline/smokey eye/smudged liner/under-eye brush I have ever tried! I compared this to the G27, and the very popular MAC 219 pencil brush below.

G15 and Tarte

G15

This brush is great for packing on eyeshadow or pigments and getting really concentrated color. I love flat, dense, synthetic brushes for packing color onto the eyelid, and I used to always use a Tarte brush (compared to this on the right), but I am liking this even more now. It is a little shorter than the Tarte brush, which helps it pack on even more color and make the color even more concentrated. This is great to use with metallic or duo-chrome shadows where you really want dense, concentrated color on your lid and aren't worried about blending. *Hint: spray it with a little MAC Fix+ before you pick up color to make it even more concentrated.

G27

Obviously I am obsessed with the E18, but this is a really good pencil brush too. This has more of the traditional, pointed pencil brush shape, but the bristles are soft enough that you still don't feel like you're ripping the skin, like I sometimes do with the MAC 219. It doesn't diffuse color or smoke out color as well as the slightly larger, fluffier, rounded E18, but when you want a slightly more precise line under your eyes, this is perfect. The point gets up close to the lashline, but how soft it is still lets you blend enough so you don't have harsh lines under your eyes. You can see this compared to the E18 and MAC 219 above.

B19

Um, so basically take everything I said about the G15 and repeat it here, except this one is smaller. This is another one I use almost every day because it is the perfect brush for highlighting the inner corner of your eye. It is so teeny tiny that you can really get into that inner corner of your eye and put the highlight exactly where you want it.

B11

I feel like I own so many angled liner brushes, but don't really like most of them. I use these angled brushes both to apply gel eyeliner and to apply color to my brows. So many angled brushes are just too fat and almost fluffy, that it seems impossible to create a straight line, a precise line, or a line with sharp edges. Then the brushes that are thinner and not fluffy, always seem to have bristles that are too long, so they almost bend when you apply pressure and can't get a sharp line with them either. This (and the very similar, but slightly different sized Morphe angled brush from my first post) are about the only angled brushes that are short and thin. This makes getting a straight, sharp line much easier.

M432

This is a flat definer brush, but absolutely the best one I have used. I have a few other Morphe ones too, which are good, but this is my favorite. I feel like a lot of flat liner brushes have bristles that are just too long and don't seem to pick up or deposit any color. This brush picks up so much color with just one little sweep, and makes packing color on, whether it's shadow, cream, etc., super easy and fast. I love using it to put shadow really densely on my lower lashline (and the flat shape makes getting really close to your lashline super easy) and then blending it out with the E18. It also super soft and feels so luxurious.

Face Brushes

E2

I feel like commenting on how these brushes, especially any of the "E" or Elite line of brushes, are super soft is getting repetitive, but seriously, they are!! This is such a luxurious powder brush. I love this for powdering my face, so much. It's so giant that it covers your whole face quickly, and how big and soft, but still kind of dense it is, means you quickly get a good amount of coverage, but you never look dusty or over-powdered. Here I compared it to the Real Techniques powder brush. You can see it's pretty similar, but it is even softer, and a little denser, which makes applying powder even quicker. It's also really nice for bronzing when you want a buffed-out glow, not a sharper contour.

E4

Again, this is soft and the perfect density. This brush is the ultimate multi-tasker. It is just so good for so many things. It's an angled brush, and the head is the perfect happy medium between the rounded, wide heads and flat, slim heads that most angled brushes seem to have one or the other. This is great for bronzing, blush, soft countouring, highlighting, everything! I actually use it so much and for so many things that I bought more than one. You can see it compared the very popular Kat Von D Shade/Light brush. It is a little bigger and slightly fluffier, which I really like. It diffuses the color easier and I have an easier time blending and buffing out color with this than the Kat Von D.

M439

Everyone already knows about this brush because of Jaclyn Hill, but she's right, it's a fantastic foundation brush. It's head is so fluffy and big, and the perfect density, bristle length, everything. You can see it next to the Urban Decay Good Karma foundation brush and the Real Techniques Buffing Brush, which I like both of, but aren't nearly as good as the M439. The M439 has shorter bristles than the Urban Decay, a larger head than both, a rounder head than the Real Techniques, and more dense than both. This makes it really fast and easy to buff foundation into your skin, and it manages to not only buff quickly, but it buffs out so smoothly it's crazy. The Urban Decay sometimes leaves some streaks in my foundation, and the Real Techniques leaves streaks and takes forever, but this is brush is point-blank fast and smooth. It makes buffing your foundation in feel luxurious. Normally when I'm done buffing I think "whew, glad that's finally over", but now I almost want to keep going it feels so nice!

M100

This is a nice blush brush. Plain and simple. It is not one of the brushes I am going to tell you to add to your cart if you're going to make a Morphe purchase today, but it's nice. I like that is is smaller, so it allows you to get a precise placement with your blush, and it's still fluffy enough that you can blend that precision and have no harsh edges, but I definitely reach for the E4 most days instead of this.

M178

This is another one that is nice, but not one of the first few I would suggest you purchase. It's smaller than the M100, and has a pretty flat head. I like that I can use it to contour, highlight, or blush, it works well for all. There is nothing "wrong"with this brush, it just isn't one I reach for as often as others. As I'm sitting here trying to think of what to say about it, I'm not as inspired to rant about how amazing it is like I (clearly) was about some of the others. Again, it's nice, just not amazing.

M501

This is my favorite highlighting brush I own. I used to say that about the M438, which I wrote about in my first Morphe post, and is in the middle of the picture to the right, above the M501. The brush on the top is the Real Techniques Setting Brush. You can see that the M501 is a very similar, tapered shape like the M438, but this one is a bit smaller. It's really the exact same brush except for the size. I still love and use the M438 every single day, but now I use that to set my under-eyes, and use the M501 to highlight (I used to set with the Real Techniques and highlight with the M438, but now I just barely use the Real Techniques). The M438 is great for setting because the point gets into the corners of the under-eye area and it's big enough that it doesn't take forever to pat powder over the whole under-eye triangle, but it is almost too big to highlight, it's not very precise. The smaller size of the M501 makes it easier to control where you place your highlight, which is especially nice if you're highlighting anything other than tops of cheekbones like upper lid, tip of nose, or center of forehead. You want to be able to have a little more precise control over where the color goes in those areas, and this does just that. The point gives you even more control, but it's soft enough, and the bristles are long enough, that it doesn't pack on too dense of a highlight, and lets you be precise, but still diffuse the color perfectly at the same time.

M458

Now THIS brush is precise. This makes contouring so easy it's not even funny. I actually don't even know what else to say about this brush, it's just so precise and easy for contouring, bottom line. How flat and slim it is really gets up under cheekbones (or draws a defined line where they should be, for those of us who don't have them) so you can get that sharp, defined contour right where you want it. You can see it next to the Angled brush from Real Techniques, which I do like for contouring, and I used to think was precise, but that brush is so much fatter than the Morphe that it's nowhere near as precise. I do sometimes like using the Morphe to precisely place my contour where I want it, then softening it with the Real Techniques. This brush also makes contouring your nose easier than any brush I've ever tried. I've attempted to contour down the sides of my nose to make it look slimmer several times, and uslaly with not-so-pretty results. This made it so easy. I just hold the brush with the flat top down the side of my nose, move it up and down a little for a second, and bam, my nose is contoured and doesn't make me look crazy or muddy. Speaking of brushes for contouring, I know a lot of people love the NARS Ita brush, but I did not. That brush seriously hurts my face. The bristles are just stiff and sharp, and it honestly hurts. If you had the same experience, this is a perfect dupe that doesn't hurt. Or, if you like that brush, or have been wanting to try it, I honestly think this works better, feels better, and is less than half the price.

October Favorites

2015-11-09T20:54:00.001-05:00

Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Waterproof Gel Pencil

This is definitely a new all-time favorite. I have already gone back to buy it in other colors. This is THE smoothest, longest lasting, boldest color payoff gel eyeliner pencil I have ever tried. I love gel pencils in general, but this is the best one I have found. It is great for so many things too. To line the water line when you're doing a smokey eye, I have never found a pencil that goes on so black, so smooth and lasts so long. Normally when I line my water line, it's gone in an hour, this lasted all day and night. I also love smudging it all over my lid as a base for shadows, and just as a normal eyeliner pencil, it is awesome. My only gripe is that it only comes in a few colors. I will definitely use the black, brown, grey, and purple it comes in, but I wish there was more. I have to say just pencil to pencil, I like this better than the Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner, which we all know and love (and I still do) but I will keep buying those too because of the shade range.

Batiste Dry Shampoo

I wouldn't say I was my hair frequently. Having naturally curly hair, I honestly wash my hair 2 or 3 times a week. My curls usually still look good on day 3, but my roots could use a little freshening up, and this is by far the best dry shampoo I have tried. A lot of dry shampoos make my scalp itch so badly it's almost painful, even though I don't spray them directly on my scalp. This one is so gentle, but it still absorbs some of the oil and freshens up. I also find a lot of dry shampoos are just plain stinky, but this smells sooooo good. All of the Batiste dry shampoos smell good, but the Wild is by far my favorite. Definitely a product I will never be without again.

Morphe E18 brush

I am always looking for the perfect brush to smudge out my lower lash line, and I have finally found it! A lot of pencil brushes, I think, kind of hurt when you're blending on that delicate undereye skin, but this is the absolute softest brush ever. It's rounded so it doesn't feel like it's stabbing you like some of the pointy pencil brushes do. I am obsessed with Morphe brushes, and I wrote about a lot of them in depth Here. I've also gotten several new ones since then, which I will be writing about very soon!

BECCA Backlight Priming Filter

There is only one work for this primer: Gorgeous. It has a golden-pearl cast that makes your skin just glow. The sheen looks a little overwhelming at first, but when you put foundation over it, it tones it down slightly, and this absolutely beautiful glow is created. I like putting the sheen under foundation, which makes it more of a "lit from within" glow, and makes you look radiant. I know some people feel like putting a powder highlighter over their foundation looks too shiny or too fake, but still want to glow, and this is the PERFECT solution for that.

Belif The True Cream Aqua Bomb

This moisturizer is perfect for days that I still need a good amount of hydration, but don't want something thick or sticky. It is a gel-like consistency, which means it absorbs pretty fast and it dries to a beautifully soft and smooth finish. It gives a cooling feeling when you apply it too, which is so refreshing. I love this moisturizer. It didn't irritate or break me out either, just a good dose of hydration that was non-sticky and absorbs beautifully. It's also a pretty blue color, which just makes it even more fun...

Nugg Hydrating Face Mask

I still like a hydrating mask, even if I have a moisturizer I love. This baby does the trick, and it's cheap! The container also has enough in it for at least two uses. It feels kind of gel-like when you apply it and is super hydrating. It smells good, didn't irritate my sensitive skin, and your skin feel soooo soft the minute you rinse it off. Definitely one of my new standbys. I also found that using this at night kept me hydrated all night. I would use this, then put the Aqua Bomb over it, and would be nice and hydrated in the morning.

How to multiply your eyeshadows

2015-11-05T21:42:00.000-05:00

Have you ever wished you could multiply your entire eyeshadow collection by only buying a few new products? Wished you could find a different finish of a shade you already own? Tried to find a color that doesn't seem to exist? Wished a shade you own could be slightly different than it is? There is a super easy way to make all of these happen. This is one of my favorite tricks.

I know using an eyeshadow base isn't exactly revolutionary, but using one that isn't nude or clear can be pretty game changing. You can instantly transform a shade you already own into one you've always wanted, one that doesn't exist, or one with a totally different finish. And if you buy a few different shades of bases, you can multiply your entire eyeshadow collection in seconds. Again, it's not revolutionary, but I do think it's a pretty exciting trick.

Here, I turned one eyeshadow into six. I made it lighter, darker, more shimmer, more matte, and different shades, just by changing what I put under it. I used MAC Coppering to demonstrate. On the left, is a swatch of just the pure eyeshadow. The next five swatches are Coppering over different bases. You can see how much it changes the shade and the finish. Below are the bases I used, in the same order.

Rimmel Soft Kohl Kajal Eye Pencil in Pure White
NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Cottage Cheese
NYX Eyeshadow Base in Black
NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Black Bean
Benefit BADgal Liner -I have the old version, but the new one is practically the same thing

All of the bases have a slightly creamy texture, which really grabs onto the shadow and changes it so much more than if you just layered shadows.

I used:
Matte white which made the color brighter
Shimmery white which made the shade brighter and more metallic
Sheer matte black which deepened the shade
Pure black which deepened the shade even more to make it much darker and slightly more matte
Matte black which deepened and really mattified the shade

I realize those descriptions don't sound too different from one another, but in the picture, you can really see how much it changed the shadow and how different they look.

Fall Lip Swatches

2015-10-14T16:10:00.000-04:00

I'm on a lipstick kick lately. As summer ended and I started putting away all my oranges and neon pinks, I brought out all my favorite fall lipcolors, browns, berries, purples, and actually nudes. I typically think of spring when I think of pale pinks and nudes, but I have been really liking pairing them with some of the warm, smokey eyes for fall. I swatched lipcolors in every shade and formula, and here are my favorites for this fall!

Brow Products: Reviews and Dupes

2015-09-14T16:34:00.000-04:00

Brows are big now. In every way. It seems like everywhere you look now, there is another brand coming out with more and more new brow products. I've been testing a lot of them out over the last few months. I've found some good ones, some bad ones, and some excellent dupes. There were some good and bad both from the drugstore and high end. I tried lots of different brands, formulas, applications, and types. Here is the breakdown:

Waxes

Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade

This is by far the most intense product on this list. It is a thick pomade in a jar which you apply with a flat or small angled brush. It creates very precise lines and intense color. It also holds like nothing else. Your brows will not move. You don't have to have much brow hair for this to stick to either, which makes it good for someone with sparse brows. It is a little too thick sometimes and can get clumpy, but if you make sure to run a spool through it after you paint it on, you should be precise and chunk free. Definitely not a product for every day, but I do like it a lot for hot days when normal brows would sweat off, or when you want really intense brows to frame a bold makeup look.

Gels/Mousses

Maybelline Eyestudio Brow Drama Sculpting Brow Mascara

This is probably one of the most subtle products on this list. This type of brow product that looks like mascara is the most subtle overall, but this one is probably the most of the group. It does a nice job of plumping up your brow hairs and holding them in place, but if you have sparse brows and there isn't much for this to cling onto, you'll probably want to skip it. It doesn't flake off like some gels can, and is fast to apply, which is nice for mornings when you're not doing a lot of makeup. The ball shaped brush isn't nearly as awkward to use at it looks like it would be.

L'Oreal Paris Brow Stylist Plumper

Again, a gel so you need some hairs for this to cling to, but this one fills in bare or sparse spots better than the Maybelline. I find this one is a little bolder, which I like. It doesn't hold quite as well as the Maybelline, but people who don't like stiff, crunchy, gelled brows will like this texture a lot. I also like how small the spool is so you can be precise and not end up with it on your face.

Rimmel Brow This Way Brow Gel

The spool on this one is a little bigger, but not so big that it's messy. It really thickens brows without getting clumpy or looking plastered like some gels can. A great daily staple for anyone regardless of what your natural brows are like.

Benefit Cosmetics Gimme Brow Volumizing Fiber Gel

The spool on this one is almost too small, but not quite. It is definitely precise, which is great if you really want to get into some sparse spots and put more product there than you do the rest of the brow. If you want to have the same amount of product all over and apply it in one swipe however, I would opt for the Rimmel. This one also has fibers, which are great for filling in bald spots or making it look like there are more hairs where there aren't. It does get a little crunchy when it sets, but not uncomfortable or flaky. I also like how teeny the whole package is, great for keeping in your bag on the go.

Pens/Markers

Lancome Sourcils Tint Longwear Eyebrow Pen

This one is up there with the Anastasia pomade for the most intense. It is a marker with fluid stain in a felt tip. Think of a liquid eyeliner pen, but for your eyebrows. This color is intense, but also the longest lasting of all of them. This would be the best brow product on the list for people with very sparse brows, because it does not need to grip onto hairs, you just paint it right on. However, that also makes it, in my opinion, the most unnatural on the list. The look this creates does not in any way look like natural brows or allow you to draw in little flecks that would look like hairs.

Pencils

NYX Cosmetics Micro Brow Pencil

ATTENTION!! This is a total drugstore dupe for the Anastasia Brow Wiz, which everyone loves. I am not kidding, this is almost an exact replica, but for less than half the price! They both have super fine tips, which is great for drawing natural looking hair-like strokes and for getting precise outlines. Both have a spool on one end which is super handy, and both have mechanical twist up pencils which means no sharpening, just always a thing, precise tip. The Brow Wiz is usually by far my favorite, but I have to say this has replaced it now because it is just as amazing, but way cheaper.

Maybelline Brow Define & Fill Duo

This is an...interesting product. It has a thin, mechanical tip too, but not as thin as the Brow Wiz or NYX pencils, and the other end has a pointed sponge instead of a spool. The pointed sponge grabs powder from inside its cap which matches the pencil. You are supposed to use the powder to set the pencil after you draw it on, but I found it just made my brows look unnaturally matte and flat and kind of cakey. I also find that I never grab my pencils that don't have a built in spool, so I probably will not be repurchasing this one.

MAC Eye Brows

OK, I take back what I just said. this is the only pencil I do still reach for despite not having a spool. I wish it did have one, but I still use it because I love it. This is one of the creamiest pencils I've ever tried for my brows. Some of them you feel like you have to break the tip in order for color to go on, but this one just glides on so smoothly. It also has a super skinny tip, which I love, and comes in a much wider variety of colors than most.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz

I feel like this is everyone's favorite, and for good reason. It's smooth, skinny, precise, has a spool, comes in a ton of colors, it's great. It glides on smooth, stays put, it's everything you want an eyebrow pencil to be. And as I said, so is the NYX. I know I keep saying it, but seriously, they are practically identical. I didn't think a pencil would match this one, but NYX did. I still love this one, but I will probably buy it less frequently now since it's more expensive.

Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil

This has the twist up, the spool, and a creamy smooth pencil, but the pencil has a wide, flat wedge tip. It is kind of strange to get used to at first, but I did really like it once I got used to it. It's good for days when you don't need to be as precise and want to be quicker with your brows. It is a little on the drier side instead of creamy smooth, but it also stays put longer because of that. Overall I like this one, but it's on the pricier side, and there are cheaper ones I like better, so I probably won't own many of these.

Maybelline Brow Precise Shaping Pencil

This pencil was recently reformulated. I had tried the old formula before and it was THE WORST pencil ever. Eew. It was a super thick and waxy pencil that hardly deposited any color, but deposited gigantic chunks of wax. It was disgusting. The casing around the product, the actual pencil, was plastic and impossible to sharpen too. The whole thing was just awful. So naturally, when I saw they redid it, I had to try it to see if it was any better. It is definitely better, but still not great. They made the casing more wood, not thick plastic, so at least now you can sharpen it like a normal pencil, and they made the product much less waxy. Now it doesn't feel like you're wiping solid grease on your eyebrows, but it is still not smooth and creamy, and it still feels thick, unblendable, and kind of chunky. It does deposit some color now. Not much, but some.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Perfect Brow Pencil

Apparently I just don't like non-mechanical brow pencils much, because even though this is Anastasia, I don't like it very much. It again is too dry and thick. This does deposit a nice amount of color, and does not deposit chunks or balls of wax, but it is just not as smooth and easy to use as the twist up kind. I like it and use it, but I think I will not buy many more of this style of pencil since apparently they are just not for me.

My Favorite Acne Products

2015-06-12T11:33:00.000-04:00

I mentioned in my May Favorites how during that month, my skin freaked out. I have seriously never experienced this before, and never seen my face look like this. It feels like I have had more breakouts this month than all of my life combined. Normally, my skin is very dry, so this was new to me. Therefore, I did lots of research and made lots of purchases of skin clearing products. These are the products that I found worked. So many acne products seem like you use them and they either do nothing, or they make you break out even more. These were the products I kept going back to, and saw results from. Here are my new skin clearing standbys:

I found that using a mask a few times a week helped clear the spots I had, and have prevented more from popping up. Both of these felt tight on my face after a few minutes, which I like. I like to feel the masks tightening up as they dry, almost like you can feel them pulling everything out of your pores. The two I found that I really liked and really saw results from were the Origins Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask to Clear Pores and Mario Badescu Cucumber Tonic Mask.

I always use a toner after I cleanse my face. Speaking of cleansing my face, I actually did not change the cleansers I used. I did try a more acne specific toner, the Burt's Bees Garden Tomato Toner, and found that this product made a huge difference. This reduced the size of any existing spots literally overnight, and I think really helped prevent more. I did find it to be pretty drying, which is probably why it got rid of spots so well, but almost a little too drying for my non-acne prone areas. I used this over my whole T-zone after cleansing my face, but I used my normal toner on my cheeks, which were still kind of dry and not breaking out. I don't use it all over, every day anymore now that my face has cleared up because it is so drying, but I still use it all over a couple times a week to prevent more, and it works great to pat on any broken out areas.

Speaking of broken out areas specifically, I found three spot treatments I really liked. The Mario Badescu Drying Lotion works great as an overnight treatment, but only an overnight treatment because it leaves a big pink spot wherever you apply it. Two others that work great overnight, but are clear so you can also use them during the day are the The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil and the Origins Super Spot Remover Acne Treatment Gel. The Tea Tree Oil definitely has a strong scent, but I actually kind of like it, and you really don't smell it after you apply it. The Origins one was probably my favorite. It was perfectly clear so I could use it at night or during the day, it has no smell, and it is powerful. As an overnight treatment, the Mario Badescu worked well, but this worked noticeably better. The Tea Tree Oil was a close second, but this was definitely the best.

The last thing I switched up was my daily moisturizer. I still used the same night cream, but during the day I opted for a lighter moisturizer. I used the First Aid Beauty Skin Rescue Daily Face Cream and like everything I've ever tried by First Aid Beauty, I love it! It was moisturizing enough to smooth out my dry patches, but light enough to not clog pores or cause more breakouts. People with oily skin will really like this because it's so light and drys so smooth, yet nourishing. For acne prone or oily skin, this is definitely the must-have moisturizer.

Before

After

In these before and afters, you can see my skin has definitely cleared up, and stayed that way. I still have some hyper-pigmentation from where the acne used to be, but those do lighten over time. If they start to bother me, I'm sure you will see a post on tone correcting skincare too!

Before

After

May Favorites

2015-05-31T22:09:00.001-04:00

I haven't blogged much of May, and that's because I have been super busy. Super busy had lead to stressed, which apparently lead to my skin freaking out. I have had more acne this month than most of life combined (or so it feels), so I have not been wearing a ton of makeup and have been focusing on trying a ton of new acne products instead. So many actually, that instead of including any of them in this post, I am going to just do another whole post soon on my new favorite acne products. Since my skin has been freaking out, I have been trying to play up things like my nails, lips, or eyes in order to divert any attention from the skin on my chin and forehead. Here's what I've been using all month to do so.

Maybelline Colossal Chaotic Mascara

I love Maybelline mascaras. Simple as that. They are not only the best drugstore mascaras, but they can stand up against some very high end mascaras that cost four times as much. I mentioned their The Falsies mascara in my March Favorites, and a couple Maybelline mascaras were in my list of My Favorite Mascaras, but holy cow you guys, this one is awesome! I might almost call it a drugstore dupe for the very popular and very loved Benefit They're Real mascara. The wand does not have plastic bristles, but it is packed very dense, and makes your eyelashes equally as dense, with very few coats. The wand also bends at the end, and if you hold the wand vertically and just use the bent end to really get the ends of lashes and in the corners, you can quickly and easily pack on very dense volume without clumps, which is always my favorite. It does a nice job with lengthening too, which a lot of mascaras designed for volume don't.

Tarte Amazonian Clay Skintuitive 12-hour Blush-Energy

I saw this on the Sephora website and got super excited because I love the LipSurgence Skintuitive Lip Tint which "responds to your skin’s natural pH and energy, giving you a personalized tint that is truly your own unique shade of pink". I love the color the lip tint gives me, and I love seeing my very olive friend wear hers, because it truly does come out a completely different shade on both of us. It develops into a soft, baby pink on me, and almost a bright-rose on her. Naturally I had to try the blush, which says it "reacts to your skin’s natural energy and pH to deliver a custom, natural-looking, pink shade flush", much like the lip tint. It comes out a pale, peachy-pink on me (on my finger in the swatch it barely shows up), but I love the shade it creates. It is soft enough that I can wear it with minimal makeup, but it gives enough color that I can really wear it with any look. I already own a few of the Tarte blushes, and know I love the formula, but I really did like the shade this left on me. I want to have my olive friend try it as well and see what shade it creates on her. If you've tried this or the lip tint, let me know how it comes out on you!

DevaCurl Light Defining Gel

I raved about this in my Best Styling Products for Naturally Curly Hair back in October, and it is still the holy grail. It is strong enough to beautifully define my curls with no frizz, but not so strong that it leaves my hair crunchy. It is the only product that is absolutely the best of both worlds. The perfect balance of definition and hold, without being crunchy. It also does an amazing job of maintaining my curls overnight when they are slept on, and I still have perfectly defined, frizz-free curls on day two (or three, or four).

Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipstick in Craft

Everyone has been raving about the Anasatsia liquid lipsticks for a while, and I have been trying not to buy more lip products until I use a few up, but this color was such a gorgeous berry, and unlike anything I own, that I had to try it. It comes out a gorgeous berry shade that is gorgeous for summer, and will definitely transition well into fall. The formula is nice and long lasting without being drying. I like this shade especially because it's unique, will wear well for multiple seasons, and will look good on a lot of skin tones.

Tarte Amazonian Clay Waterproof Brow Mousse

I have been really liking this formula as the humidity is starting to set in. I really like brow waxes or pomades because they give you color and hold in one product, but a lot of them feel really heavy, or can move when it's warm or damp, but this one stays put. The mousse texture of it makes it feel a lot lighter than some other brow products which come in pots, jars, or pans, and the waterproof part of the formula definitely stays put. It seems like with brow products you often have to choose light feeling, or waterproof, you can't get both in one, but this one finally has both a lighter texture and staying power.

Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Polish in Sugar Fix

These polishes are so good, and I am obsessed with this color! I reviewed these Gel polishes in my very first blog post, and I have built quite a collection since then. They are still amazing, and after trying other two-step non-UV gel polishes (several new ones have come out since I reviewed this even), these are still my favorite. I won't go into too much detail about why I love them so much (you can read that in depth in my review) but they are so strong, last at least a week without a chip, dry quickly, are easy to apply and easy to remove. And can we talk about this color? Blue is my favorite color to begin with, but this is one of the best blues I've found. It's somehow neon and pastel at the same time, and somehow baby blue or kind of a purple-blue periwinkle at the same time depending on the light. In the sunlight in the photo at the top it looks like a bright baby blue, but sitting at my desk in the photo on the bottom, it looks like a pastel purple-blue, and both colors are gorgeous, and so much fun for the warmer weather.

What have you been loving this month?

Noteworthy: Morphe Brushes

2015-04-29T18:41:00.000-04:00

I heard about Morphe brand brushes about six months ago and decided to order a few and try them out (I'm always nervous buying a brush if I can't feel it first). I figured I would try just a couple, and since they are so cheap, I wouldn't be too upset if I did not like them. They came in the mail, and I was instantly addicted. The quality is amazing! Even more amazing considering that they are all under $20 and feel better than some $50 brushes. Over the past 6 months both my addiction and my collection have grown.

I feel like quality brushes I love are hard to find, let alone quality brushes that aren't expensive. When I say these are cheap, I mean CHEAP! The most expensive one on the entire web store is still less than $20. The variety is also super impressive. They make so many brushes, it can almost be hard to choose. But...if you're having trouble choosing, they sell sets too. I think well priced, quality brushes are something everyone wants and needs, so I have to spread the word about Morphe. Below I'll list all the brushes I have accumulated, and a little about them.There are also several brushes that are a perfect dupe for higher-priced brushes like Sigma, Urban Decay, Real Techniques, and more, but these are cheaper and feel like better quality!

Brush Sets

Set 690-6 Piece Deluxe Contour Set $17.99

That's right, $17.99 for a set of SIX brushes.This is the only brush set I've purchased from them, but it's great! It comes with three large and three small brushes, all shaped with contouring in mind, but can definitely be used for foundation, cream blushes and bronzers, eyeshadows, concealer, and more. The large angled brush is a perfect dupe for the popular Sigma F84 Angled Kabuki Brush $24. I'm telling you, Sigma seemed liked the best value brushes in the world, until I discovered Morphe. There is a also a round buffing brush, which is a perfect dupe for the Sigma F82 Round Kabuki, $24, the Urban Decay Good Karma Optical Blurring Brush, $25, and the Real Techniques Buffing Brush, $17.99 in a set of 4. Then there is a tapered buffing brush, a spot on dupe for the Sigma F86 Tapered Kabuki $24, made famous by Jaclyn Hill blending her concealer with it.

Urban Decay, Morphe

Sigma F86

Real Techniques, Morphe

Sephora, Morphe

The three smaller brushes in the set are almost mini versions of the three larger. There is a small angled fluff, a small tapered fluff, and small round fluff, which is a perfect dupe for the Sephora Collection Pro Airbrush Concealer Brush #57, $24, and I actually like this one way better. The bristles are slightly shorter and denser, which makes this buff out my concealer much smoother, and avoid any streaks that the Sephora brush sometimes leaves. It's also softer, which is great on delicate under-eye skin. If you've ever thought about the Sigma P86, P82, or P88, these are dupes for those, only better and cheaper (those are $19 each).

Face Brushes

M224 - Oval Camouflage $2.99

M510-Pro Round Blender $7.99

Real Techniques, Sigma

This brush is amazing for setting your concealer and/or highlighting the top of your cheek with a powder highlighter or luminizer. It picks up just enough product that you get a glow, but it's not blinding, and it applies it so smoothly. I realized it reminded of my Real Techniques Setting Brush which is the same price, but not as soft, and has a flatter head which comes to more a point than the perfectly round head of the Morphe.

G6-Flat Buffer $13.95

Urban Decay, Morphe

Real Techniques, Morphe

This brush is amazing for foundation. I like flat top brushes for foundation because you can really press the pigment into your skin, but what I love most about this brush is how small and dense the head is. I like how small it is because you can really get into those places that can be hard to blend, like angles around your nose, and buff them out. Bigger brushes just can't do that sometimes. I like how dense it is because that helps you use less foundation. You aren't necessarily applying less to your face, but because the bristles are short and dense, the brush doesn't suck up a lot of your product like larger brushes can. You can end up with the same amount of foundation on your face, but having used a whole lot less out of the bottle. My two favorite brushes before this one were the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush $8.99 and the Urban Decay Good Karma Optical Blurring Brush, $25, which I still like, but have been using a lot less since I got this smaller, denser, flat topped brush.

M178-Mini Detail Contour $4.99

M100-Mini Tapered Blush $3.59

M438-Pointed Contour $9.99

When I first saw this, it instantly reminded me of the Sigma F35 Tapered Highlighter $24 even though it's called "contour". Whatever you want to call it, this brush is versatile. It works great for contouring and for highlighting because it's pointed so it's precise, but it's fluffy enough that it doesn't pick up way too much product.

MB5-Deluxe Duo Foundation $13.95

I'm not sure why this brush is called a foundation brush, because (in my opinion) it's WAY too big for foundation, but it is absolutely great for blending bronzer. This is my new go-to bronzer brush, the best. It picks up just the right amount of product, or if you apply the product with a smaller, more precise brush, this brush is perfect for then going over it to blend it out. It just diffuses the product so beautifully.

Eyes

G24-Blending Fluff $7.95

This brush is everything for blending eyeshadow. The dome shape, the fluffy bristles, it's just perfect for blending. It is also a perfect dupe for the Sigma E40 Tapered Blending $16, which every blogger and YouTuber raves about, and is amazing for blending, but I have to say, this is half the price and probably twice as good because it's even fluffier. It's also a great dupe for the Sephora Collection Pro Crease Brush #10 $22, and the blending brush from the Real Techniques Starter Kit $17.99.

Morphe, Sephora, Sigma, Real Techniques

Sigma, Morphe

M433-Pro Firm Blending Fluff $5.99

Um, hello, can you say not just dupe, but exact replica of the much loved MAC 217 Blending Brush $24? The Sigma E25 Blending $14 was everyone's favorite dupe for the MAC217, but this is less than half the price of even the Sigma brush.

M321-Bullet Crease $2.89

This is great for so many things. I love it for getting in the inner-corner, for getting precisely in the crease, for packing color in the outer-corner, and for blending and smoking out the lower lash line. I used to always use my MAC 219 Pencil Brush $25 for blending my lower lash line, but I now like this even better. The MAC brush has natural fibers, which means it doesn't pick up as much color. I like that this has synthetic fibers to pack on more color. I still use the MAC when I really want to blend out, or don't want as harsh of color, but this is great for that and so many other things. I would definitely say this is one of the first to buy if you're starting a collection.

M330-Blending Crease $5.99

M160-1/8 Angled Liner $1.99

B75-Flat Liner $2.99

Now that I've written an entire novel on Morphe Brushes, have you tried them? Do you like them? What's your favorite?

Look of the Day: Spring Trend-No Makeup Makeup

2015-04-15T17:46:00.000-04:00

A huge trend for this Spring is the "No Makeup Makeup" look, which after a winter of dramatic contouring, and bold, vampy lips, is extremely refreshing. A lot of people describe this look as "you, only better", which I think is actually a great way to look at it. You are not trying to change any of your features, you are just enhancing them. You still look like you, just a natural looking, best version of yourself. This look is great for absolutely anyone. For people like me who feel (more?) comfortable with a full face of makeup, this is a refreshing way to look more natural, which is perfect for spring, but still feel like you have enough makeup on to be comfortable. For people who don't wear a lot of makeup (whether that's because you're not comfortable with it, or because you don't like doing it), this look is a great way to not feel overly-done, but still enhance your natural look. It really is a win-win look. I am really comfortable in this look, and I think it is the perfect, fresh look for Spring.

Face:

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind The Eraser Concealer

I put this in an upside down triangle under my eyes and along my nose, and on any other area of my face that might be really red that day.

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural

I then put this over my entire face. If I want fuller coverage I will use a sponge and press it into my skin. On days I don't want as much coverage, I will buff it on with a small powder brush.

Benefit Cosmetics Hoola

I use a kabuki brush and dust this onto my cheeks and forehead. I use a larger brush and bigger strokes here because I am just trying to warm up and bronze my complexion, not specifically contour.

Clinique Cheek Pop Blush in Peach Pop

I pop this onto the apples of my cheeks to bring some life back into my face.

Eyes:

Clinique All About Shadow Quad in Teddy Bear

This quad is perfect for this look. I swipe the lightest shade under my brow, the second shade on my lid, the third shade in the crease and just blend. If I want a little more definition I'll put the darkest shade in my outer corner.

Maybelline Master Kajal Liner in Midnight Brown

These are super blendable, even though they don't feel super creamy. I draw this on my top and bottom lash line close to my lashes. I then just use my finger to buff out the line on the bottom and make it less harsh, but I leave the top line because I like that to be a little darker.

Lancome Hypnose Drama Mascara

I curl my lashes and put a few coats of this on top and bottom lashes, easy as that.

Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil

I fill in my brows with this powder-pencil. I like this product for my brows when I'm wearing a more natural look because the powdery finish of it really diffuses the color and doesn't look too over the top next to more natural eyes.

Lips:

Rimmel London Exaggerate Full Color Lip Liner in Innocent

I draw this around the edge of my lips and slightly onto my lips, leaving the very center of them blank.

MAC Creamsheen + Pearl Lipstick in Peach Blossom

I talked about this in my December Favorites, and I'm still loving it for Spring. I put this over my lips, and the color it makes when combined with the Rimmel liner is a gorgeous peachy-nude, perfect for Spring.

I feel like a lot of people like to lighten up in the Spring, and this look is so refreshing. What's your favorite look for Spring?

March Favorites

2015-04-06T13:06:00.002-04:00

I have been really liking a more natural look lately, and I will be doing a post about the "no makeup makeup" look very soon. I have been wearing relatively the same look all month, which for me means I really like it. That's even weirder because the look has been pretty muted and neutral, and I usually love very bold eyes. I'm not sure what happened to me this month, but I have been consistent with a natural look. To take that look from day to night, or just when I feel like punching it up a bit, I will add a bright lip. Here are the products I have been reaching for on the daily throughout March.

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind The Eraser Concealer

This stuff is by far the best drugstore concealer I have tried. The creamy consistency almost reminds me of MAC Pro Longwear Concealer. It doesn't grab onto your skin and lock down quite as well as Pro Longwear, but this stuff is very creamy and blendable, it blends out wonderfully, and has what I would call medium buildable coverage. As I said, I have been into a slightly more natural look lately, and I have been grabbing for this all month long. I have been using either a BB cream or a tinted moisturizer and then layering this over any areas that I want a little more coverage, or I have been using this under my eyes and on blemishes first, and then putting a mineral powder over it, like the one I am about to mention as my next favorite.

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural

I know mineral powder is a heated topic for most people. I feel like people either love it or hate it, and either way, they feel very strongly. I used to be obsessed with bareMinerals, and had a bad breakup with it a few years ago, which I wrote all about in my Did bareMinerals Start Bothering Your Face?? post. If you have ever read my page, you know I am obsessed with what I like to call "creamy powders". Powders that feel almost buttery smooth and creamy, but are not actual creams. I talked about the Lancome Dual Finish Versatile Powder Makeup in my Empty Products #2 post, and the benefit cosmetics Hellow Flawless! in my Empty Products #1, so clearly, I use them a lot. I would have to say this reminds me more of those type of creamy powder foundations more than what you normally think of when you think of mineral powder, especially because it's pressed. Medium but buildable coverage, smooth texture that looks airbrushed, and a natural-matte finish. I have been using this either instead of foundation by itself, or over a tinted moisturizer for touch ups or more coverage, and really liking it.

Maybelline The Falsies Mascara

I mentioned this in My Favorite Mascaras a while ago, and I am still loving it. I am a mascara junkie, but this one is one of the few constants in my drawer, and one that I know I can always reach for when I want a reliable mascara. "Reliable mascara" might sound weird, but you know how some mascaras seem like they give you different results every time you use them? This one is so consistent. When I just know I want full and lengthy lashes, quickly, without hassle, I always grab this one.

Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Backstage Bambi and Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Berlin

On the days I am rocking the more natural look lately, sometimes I feel like punching it up a bit, or want a bit more drama for night. When that happens, I have been popping on a bright, bold lip, and it really livens up the "no makeup makeup" look. I love these formulas. they stay on forever, and dry like a stain, but don't feel dry or crack. I do have to say I have had one for a while, and I noticed that the formula started to separate in the tube, so they might not last as long as some other formulas, but that probably won't matter because you will want to use them up once you try.

Gerard Cosmetics Buttercup Lipstick

These lipsticks are awesome. They are so buttery and creamy, and super pigmented at the same time. This is one of the shades Jaclyn Hill created with Gerard Cosmetics, and I have mentioned a few of her others on my blog too, which I love, but this is my favorite of her 4. It is a light, nude pink shade, but not the kind of nude that leaves you looking postmortem, it has enough pink in it to be nude but still give you life. The website also has great packages and a lot of discount codes which usually end up getting you half off and making each lip product only $10. Definitely worth it.

Pond's Evening Soothe Wet Cleansing Towelettes

I mentioned The Body Shop Chamomile Silky Cleansing Oil in my Winter Skin Savers and I love anything with Chamomile. I also love anything that makes my nighttime routine quicker, so I had to try these. They have the most subtle scent, but it is very relaxing, and they do not burn or irritate my skin and leave my face stinging like almost all wipes do. If you have sensitive skin like I do, definitely try these. They remove so much foundation and makeup. I wash my face after I use these wipes, and then I use a toner. Usually when I just wash my face and then use a toner, the cotton pad will have some makeup residue on it, but when I use these before I wash, the toner cotton is completely clear.

OCC Lip Tar in Anime

This is another one I have been reaching for to punch up my natural look lately. I love neon lips, especially neon pink, and Spring makes me so excited to start wearing bright colors again. The second it got above 40 degrees this was the first neon I reached for and it has not left my purse all month. The Lip Tars are kind of annoying to apply, but they have serious staying power once you do apply them. I also love that these dry matte, but still feel super creamy and moisturizing, not chalky or dry like a lot of mattes do. And they come in sooooo many colors!! I used their Stained Gloss formula in my Look of the Day: Monochromatic Marsala post (and I am still loving that shade), which are basically the same thing, just a glossy, shiny finish, and both are great. I

As I said, I have been pretty consistent (and apparently really basic) this month with what I've been reaching for, and I'm still amazed that I have no colorful eye products in my favorites, what a change for me. What have you been loving this month??

Spring Fever!

2015-03-18T21:29:00.001-04:00

So I know I haven't posted in a couple of weeks, and I'll be honest, I was in that February Funk that seems to happen yearly. As I mentioned in my Current Obsession: Coconut Oil post, it has been nothing but cold and dark here. I can handle that most of winter, but toward the beginning of March, I am over it and just feel so blah. However, both the sun and temperatures have finally broken now, I feel like my perky self again, and I am getting super excited for spring! I love this time of year when I start bringing color back into my makeup routine, and move from the deeper, vampy shades (which I do love too) of winter to brighter, sunnier shades of spring. I dug through my makeup and pulled out some of my favorite eye and lip shades (and of course included swatches) to lighten up, brighten up, and look festive for Spring, which does officially start later this week. I know pastels for spring isn't exactly revolutionary, but I get so excited to bring some more colorful, softer hues into my makeup routine this time of year. Here's what I'm excited for at the moment.

Eyes

L-R
Clinique Chubby Stick Shadow Tint for Eyes in Lavish Lilac
Benefit Cosmetics Creaseless Cream Shadow in Always a Bridesmaid
Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Asphyxia -This swatch looks super light, and barely shows up on my stark white arm, but this shadow is not nearly as sheer as it looks here. It definitely isn't bright and bold, but it's not as invisible as it looks here. It is a beautiful soft color that you can really make more bold with a white base, or you can put it over the Benefit cream shadow and really brighten the purple.
MAC Eyeshadow in Beautiful Iris -Same for this one as with the Urban Decay. My camera just did not want to pick up these shades, but I promise they really do show up and both are gorgeous!
L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow in Golden Sage
Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Urb-This is a shade that came in an old palette. The closest I have found is Make Up For Ever Artist Shadow in I330 Linden Green
Lancome Color Design Palette in Jade Fever-I swatched the lightest green, largest color in the palette

Lips

L-R
Maybelline Color Sensational Rebel Bloom in Lilac Flush

Revlon Colorstay Ultimate Liquid Lipstick in Ultimate Orchid

MAC Mineralize Rich Lipstick in Divine Choice

We all know I love a good pink. And one of my favorite things about these mid-tonal pinks is the fact that the same color can look completely different in different lighting. It's almost like they are self-adjusting to the lighting in the room sometimes. In the two pictures below, the top picture is inside a room in the middle of the day, and the bottom picture is just a few feet away in direct sunlight.

Revlon Color Stay Balm Stain in Cherish
Same here, a few feet away and then in direct sunlight. I also never realized until looking at this and the MAC Divine Choice side-by-side, but these two are really close! I may have just accidentally found a drugstore dupe for one of my favorite MAC lipsticks!

Too Faced Melted Liquified Long Wear Lipstick in Melted Frosting
And again, inside and then in direct sunlight.

Sephora Cream Lip Stain in 07 Cherry Blossom
And again...

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Lip Pencil in Obsessed
The color on this one didn't change so much from inside to in direct sunlight, but it did get much more metallic in the direct light.

Review: Too Faced Better Than False Lashes

2015-03-04T21:13:00.001-05:00

I had been curious about lash fibers for a while. It seemed like a really easy way to beef up your lashes more than just a mascara primer (which I'm often disappointed in) and not as over the top as most false lashes (which can sometimes just look too fake). It did seem kind of weird to brush hair-like fibers onto your eyelashes. Wouldn't they get in your eye? Finally my curiosity got the best of me one day while I was in Sephora, so I grabbed the Too Faced Better Than False Lashes Extreme and decided to give it a try. I've tried it a few times now to figure out how I really felt about it before I reviewed it for you, and after those few times, I am totally wowed. This stuff is fantastic, gorgeous, amazing, quick, easy, beautiful, noticeable results. Shall I go on? Indeed, I will...

It does take a little getting used to, but it's super easy. Not getting used to as in learning how to use it, but as in not feeling weird brushing white hairs on your lashes. Once you apply it though, you realize how easy it is and how the fibers don't all just fall into your eyes. Then you see the results annnnnnd you're hooked. I loved the results the first few times, and then I decided to experiment and put another mascara I already love for plumping, the Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara over it as a very last step, and it seriously got even better!

The set comes with two tubes, one larger tube containing black mascara, and another smaller tube containing the fibers. Here's what you do:
1) Apply the black mascara just like you normally would
2) Apply a few swipes of the fibers on top of that black mascara. I would definitely recommend only one or two swipes. Speaking from experience, applying three or more is when the fibers do actually start to fall in your eyes, and that's not fun. Plus, the one or two really is all you need.
3) Apply the black mascara again over the fibers to seal them and obviously make your lashes black again.
4) Go in with the Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara and pop that on top of what you just did. This step is optional, but I really like the boldest lashes possible, and this amps up what you just did with the fibers even more. Watch how many layers you keep adding, because if you're like me and you get mascara happy, you can end up slightly clumpy. I don't necessarily mind that, as I like really dense lashes, but if you want length and separation more than bold and dense, you may want only one swipe. You can see between the Step 4 picture and the final result picture the difference between one swipe of the Better Than Sex, and several swipes of it.

Current Obsession: Coconut Oil

2015-03-01T21:37:00.000-05:00

I have been in a serious battle with my skin the last couple of months. It has been below freezing in Michigan for the last couple months solid, and my skin is suffering from it. I just cannot keep up with amount of moisture my skin is craving in these cold, dry days. One ingredient has been a big help, and made a big difference in my daily struggle with dryness, and that miracle is Coconut Oil. I have been rounding up every product I can find which contains Coconut Oil, for my hands, hair, lips, anywhere. These are my favorites out the many Coconut Oil products I have tried lately, and have definitely helped in making a difference in my dryness. I have always liked Coconut products because I love the smell, but lately I have realized how much I also love the oil for it's performance.

SheaMoisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl & Style Milk

I mentioned this is my Best Stying Products for Naturally Curly Hair and I am still loving it. In that post I mentioned it as a product to loosen your natural curls, but now I might say that that's only the case in warmer, humid months. In the dry winter months like now, it gives enough moisture to actually enhance my natural curls and not just make them a dry, frizzy mess. It is a heavier product, so in the warmer, more humid months it can work to elongate natural curls, but lately I've been loving it for moisturizing, smoothing, and adding bounce to my curls.

SheaMoisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie

I would have to say almost all of the same about this product as the Curl & Style Milk, but this is even heavier than that one. This one is so thick that it does still elongate or loosen my curls, even in the dry winter weather. Sometimes I want my curls to stretch out into more of beachy waves than to spring up into bouncy curls, and on the days I'm in the mood for waves, this product is so moisturizing and thick that it smooths and elongates my curls no matter how dry the air.

Yes to Coconut Ultra Moisture Conditioner

When I first used this, I looked at in my hand and thought "this is so thin, it's never going to be enough moisture", but I was so, so wrong. It is oil based, with the Coconut oil, so it does not need to be super thick and feel like paste, but it is still amazingly moisturizing. My hair feels so moisturized and soft the second I rinse it out. I have gone through several of these already and I am totally hooked.

Yes To Coconut Coconut Oil Body Wash

I mentioned in my Winter Skin Savers that I love washing my face with oils in the drier months, so it seemed only natural to try washing my body with an oil as well. This isn't strictly a Cleansing Oil like the face wash I mentioned, but more of a shower gel mixed with Coconut Oil. It does lather, unlike a Cleansing Oil, but it does leave a smooth, super moisturized feel the second your rinse off, much like a Cleansing Oil.

Pacifica Indian Coconut Nectar Body Butter

This is a body butter with an amazing scent and long lasting moisture. I like that it comes in a squeezable tube which makes it more portable. I tend to apply the Trader Joe's butter in the morning, and then keep this one in my bag with me to reapply as needed throughout the day when I start to feel dry again.

The Body Shop Coconut Lip Butter

This lip butter is so light feeling and so smooth and non-sticky, but so moisturizing at the same time. It is like the best of both worlds. The only downfall is that it does leave a white tint on your lips, which especially in the winter can make me look almost postmortem so I tend to only wear it at home, but I do apply it frequently while I'm there.

EOS Visibly Soft Coconut Milk Lip Balm

I love the texture of all EOS lip balms, and this feels very similar, but even smoother. It's like you can feel the Coconut Oil in this one if you've used their other products. This one does apply clear and feels so soothing on my lips. I keep one on my desk at work and almost compulsively reapply it all day long.

Trader Joe's Coconut Body Butter

This stuff is the bomb. It is much thicker and more moisturizing than the Pacifica, which is why I like to apply this one at home and then use that on top of it as needed. I love how thick but smooth this formula is. It is super moisturizing and thick, but doesn't feel greasy. I love The Body Shop's Coconut Body Butter, and have gone through many of those, but since using this one, I actually like this one even better, and it's cheaper, a win-win.

Look of the Day: Cool Tone Smokey Eye

2015-02-26T12:41:00.002-05:00

Color is one of those things I think a lot of people are intimidated by, but it can actually be very fun and very wearable. This look used cool tones, blue, purple, and teal to be exact, but it will look good on all eye colors and skin tones. You can also use this same technique with any 3 colors you want. You just need a deep shade, and mid shade, and a bright, and you can can recreate several versions of this look. I will list all the products I used below if you want to recreate this exact look, but definitely pick any three shades of your own, use the same technique, and have fun creating new combinations!

Technique:

1) Messily rub the NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Black Bean along the top and bottom lash line, and up along the inner and outer corner of top lid, then smudge a bit with your finger.
2) Using the Real Techniques Shading Brush, pat the deep shimmering blue shade from the Smashbox Double Exposure Palette over all of the black pencil and across the crease to connect the corners.
3) Use the same brush (cleaned, or a different one) and run the shimmering royal purple shade from the Too Faced The Chocolate Bar Eye Palette inside of the blue on the upper lid. Be sure to leave an open space in the middle of your lid. Also take this just below the blue on the lower lash line and connect it at the outer corner, using the Accent Brush from the Real Techniques Eye Starter Kit. You can mix some of the deep blue in with this if you want a stronger lower lash line.
4) Again with that same brush (clean or a different one), pat Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Peace on the center of the lid to fill in that space you just created. Buff it into the purple so the two fade into each other and there aren't any harsh lines between the shades.
5) Take the Deluxe Crease Brush from the Real Techniques Eye Starter Kit and the matte beige shade from the Smashbox Double Exposure Palette or from the Too Faced The Chocolate Bar Eye Palette and buff back and forth in the crease, at the top of the blue to buff out that shade and get rid of the harsh line. Take a little more beige and buff it under the purple on the lower lash line to again get rid of harsh lines and diffuse the color.
6) Take the Deluxe Crease Brush again and Stila Eyeshadow in Kitten, and put that right under the brow and blend it into the beige you just applied to highlight. Also pat some into the inner corner.
7) Apply mascara and you're done! You can use false lashes if you want a more dramatic look.

Products Used:

NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Black Bean
Real Techniques Shading Brush
Smashbox Double Exposure Palette
Too Faced The Chocolate Bar Eye Palette
Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Peace
Stila Eyeshadow in Kitten
Real Techniques Eye Starter Kit

Haul! Sephora, Ulta, and MAC

2015-02-18T21:49:00.000-05:00

Apparently after doing an Empties/Products I Hit Pan On as my last post, I felt like it was time for a shopping trip. I actually did quite well with self-restraint this time, and this is a roundup of trips to Ulta, Sephora, and MAC. I got some necessities and some experiments. But enough about my thought process while shopping, let's get to the products!

SheaMoiture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie

I like a lot of SheaMoisture products for my naturally curly hair, a few of which I mentioned in my Best Styling Products for Curly Hair, and I kept hearing good things about this, so I decided it was time to try it. I used it today, and I have to say, it might be my favorite of their products. It really helps your natural curls be their best. It is very moisturizing so it really smooths and defines curls, but it is not extremely thick or heavy, so it will not weigh down or flatten your hair. I got lots of body and volume, with really well defined curls, the perfect combination. It also holds and maintains curls really well. Your curls stay in tact and hold up, even when sleeping on them, which is always great because you can go a few days between washes and still have in tact curls.

Dove Quench Absolute Conditioner

I needed conditioner, and I'm always experimenting with drugstore brands in hopes that I will find a fabulous, cheaper one. I have liked other Dove products before, and when I saw the word "Quench", I grabbed it. I am so happy that Natural Hair has become a movement, and brands are finally making products to enhance your natural curls instead of only products to relax or straighten them. Anyone with curly hair knows that there is no such thing as enough moisture, so this was an obvious choice to experiment with. It is from their new Quench Absolute line along with a shampoo and a few styling products. I have not tried it yet, but you will definitely hear about it again if I like it.

NYX Cosmetics Jumbo Eye Pencil in Cottage Cheese

Don't ask my why they chose this name for this color, but once you get over the gross sounding name, the color is actually gorgeous. It is a beautiful pearly white. I like these Jumbo Pencils a lot. They are great for many different uses. This pearly white shade will be a beautiful highlight which you can easily just draw onto your brow-bone and inner corner. These pencils are nice and creamy, so they blend out well, and they have great staying power, which makes them good bases for powder shadow too. This is the swatch on the left in the photo. I swatched it next to a similar product I bought (and will get to in a minute) to compare.

tarte Tartelette Amazonian Clay Matte Eyeshadow Palette

I finally caved and had to join the Tartelette craze. I've been eyeing it for a while, and I felt like it was in every single January Favorites video/post I saw, so it was time. I caved and finally bought it. I love matte shadows, and this is an entirely matte palette with 12 shades in a gorgeous range of light to dark, neutral, warm, and cool shades. I would definitely recommend this palette, especially because of all the tutorials it has been in lately. If you are new to eyeshadow, or afraid of mattes, or just want some new looks, there are tutorials EVERYWHERE using this palette, which makes it a great one to buy, then see what tons of different people have done with it, and try it yourself. Seriously, just Google it and tons of tutorials will come up, you can play for hours! Matte shadows can be kind of chalky sometimes, but these blend really well. I am very excited to try some of the looks I have seen others creating with this, and to create some of my own.

Kat Von D The Kat Eye Set

I saw this set and noticed that it included a mini version of the Tattoo Liner, which I absolutely love. It is the perfect size to stash in your purse for touch ups. This liner has a super fine tip, which makes it really easy to be precise, and it is the blackest black ever. I just realized I don't think I've ever mentioned this pen before, and I'm shocked. The set also came with a mini Immortal Lash 24 Hour Mascara, which I have never tried, but the brush looks like something I would definitely like. It has a spiral of very tiny, flexible bristles, which get more dense toward the tip of the wand, where they come into a ball shape. I love mascaras with a ball tip. They make it super easy to really bulk up your lashes. I love applying a few coats with the wand horizontally, and then turning it vertically and brushing just the ball through lashes. It really bulks them up, and I love volume on lashes. Again, I haven't used it yet, but you'll know if I like it.

Lacome SOURCILS TINT - Longwear Eyebrow Pen Ultra-Precise

Apparently I was in a pen mood after the Kat Von D set. I was intrigued when I saw this in the store, and after playing with it, I thought I would really like it. Like the Tattoo Liner, it has a very fine pen tip, which draws on a precise, extremely long wearing liquid. It is extremely buildable. One swipe gives you a light, natural color, but you can go over it a few times to really get a bolder color. I like that because I don't always want the same color all over my brows, and this gives me that versatility in one product. I can lightly fill in my brows, draw a precise edge on them with the fine tip, and then go over the bald spot I have in one brow a couple more times to make that color match the rest of my brows. I might be hooked on this very soon. I bought the lightest shade, 01 Blond, which seems like it will be a decent match. The shade range was limited, only four shades-this, which is the lightest, an orangey shade which would actually probably be really good for red heads, a cool deep brown, and a black.

tarte Colored Clay CC Eye Primer Stick

I mentioned in my last Products I Hit Pan On that I had used up my beloved Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion Tube-Original so it was time for a new eye primer. I have looked at this one a few times, and I really liked a few things about it. I like how creamy it is, but dries to a texture that you can tell won't move. I also like how it comes in a stick form, so you can draw it on and then blend it out, and I like how it is tinted so it will cover the veins that are visible in my eyelids and sometimes show through lighter shadows. I use eye primer not just on my lids to keep eyeshadow from creasing and last longer, but I also sometimes use it under my eyes to prep for concealer, which keeps that from creasing just like it does the eyeshadow. This seemed easier to use under my eyes since it is a stick, and again the tint seemed beneficial. I have used it a few times so far and really liked it. On days I have lots of eyeshadow on for several hours, I do notice it fades a bit, which it wouldn't have with the Urban Decay primer. However, I like the tint in this one better, as it provides a more neutral base for shadow so you really see the true color, unaffected by your lid color, and the staying power is fine for everyday use.

Sephora Collection Brow Enhancer in 06 Pearly Opal

This is another eye pencil for highlighting, in a pearly white shade, but this is much lighter than the NYX pencil, and has a bit more of a pink base than stark white. I will use this in the exact same way, on my brow-bone and inner corner of my eye to highlight, but when I want a more subtle look than the NYX pencil, which is very bright. In the swatch, the NYX Pencil is on the left, Sephora on the right. This pencil was also a little less creamy than the NYX pencil, which means it will not blend out as effortlessly, but will probably last longer. It is still creamy enough to blend out, and the fine pearl in it is really pretty.

MAC Pencilled In Tinted Lipglass in Heroine

I am obsessed with the MAC Lipstick in Heroine, which I featured in my Current Obsession: Purple Lips, and have been for quite a while, so I was SUPER excited when they finally made a Lipglass to match it. I like the matte finish of the lipstick, but sometimes you just want a glassy mirror finish. I usually used a clear or similar (as close as I could find) glosse over Heroine, but now there is finally a match made by MAC. Their Lipglasses can get a bad rap for being rather sticky, but I find that when you put them over lipstick, they really aren't that sticky. You can see in the side-by-side swatch that the gloss is slightly lighter than the lipstick, but that's to be expected because obviously it is more sheer. And together (in the photo of my lips) they are absolutely stunning. This collection doesn't state that it is limited edition, and I certainly hope not, because I will be going through many of these.

Products I've Hit Pan On/Empty Products #2

2015-02-11T22:41:00.002-05:00

Philosophy Cranberry Medley Hand Cream

I mentioned this and the set it came in as part of my November Favorites. I went through this stuff quickly, and loved it! The set came with three scents, but the Cranberry was the first I used up. It just smelled so festive and perfect for the deep winter. It had a mix of crisp fruity fragrance with warm, spicy undertones. And can we talk about the formula? Granted, Philosophy makes a lot of great formulas, but this has to be one of my favorite hand creams now. It is deeply moisturizing, but not greasy, and if you've read my Winter Skin Savers or My Favorite Fall Skincare, you know that I love any product that feels super thick and moisturizing but that your skin actually absorbs and doesn't just leave a greasy film. This definitely was one of those products. Unfortunately it was a limited edition Holiday set, but they do make the same formula year round in less festive scents.

Lancome Dual Finish Versatile Powder Makeup

I love this powder. It's very similar to the Benefit Cosmetics Hello Flawless! which I talked about in my Products I've Hit Pan On #1. Apparently I love a good versatile powder. I love a powder that is creamy and light at the same time. This is aptly named "Dual Finish", but it really could be called at least Quadruple, because it really is that versatile and there are so many ways to use it. It comes with both a powder puff and a sponge which can be used wet or dry, but you can also use it with a brush. So many options. Use the puff dry for a sheer matte finish, great for setting foundation or giving a sheer finish over moisturizer on minimal makeup days. The sponge can be used dry for a more full coverage, matte finish, or damp for more radiant full coverage. The two methods I use most are definitely with a dry brush or dry puff over foundation, and with a damp sponge over just moisturizer on days I do not want a ton of coverage. It has such a velvety, natural looking finish. It is so creamy and smooth. I have never felt a powder so buttery. It almost feels like a cream, but is a powder, and works like the most versatile of both. This stuff is so versatile in fact, that I can even use it year round, no matter what my skin is like, because there are so many ways to apply it. So much that I actually own in two shades, a winter and a summer.

tarte Airblush Maracuja Blush in Shimmering Pink

I am really getting into cream blushes. They just look so natural and radiant, and youthful. I hit pan pretty quickly on this one, which is especially impressive because you really don't need much. I pat it on my cheeks with either my finger or a stippling brush, and just buff it out into natural glowing perfection. This formula is so blendable. It is possibly the most natural looking finish I've tried. It looks kind of shimmery in the pan, but the shimmer is so subtle when you apply it, that it really just gives you a completely naturally lit-from-within look. I haven't been using this on super made up days, or when I am doing a full on contour and highlight, but on every other day, by itself, over bronzer, mixed with a little highlighter, it is absolutely gorgeous. It also does a fantastic job of bringing life back into your face after you apply full coverage foundation, yet still looking completely natural. I will definitely be repurchasing, and possibly in more than one shade.

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion Tube-Original

We all know and love this stuff. It is an absolute necessity, a standard, a staple of anyone's makeup collection. And once you use it, you will never be happy without it again. A lot of people prime their eyes with concealer, which does definitely make your shadow last longer and stay in place without creasing, but it has nowhere near the power this does. If I prime my eyes with concealer, I will find my eyeshadow creasing or fading by the end of the day, but with this it just does not budge. It will look like you just applied it hours later (even the next day, dare I say?). It does come in a few different shades, which you can use to color correct veins or darkness on your eyelid, or to alter or intensify the color of your eyeshadow, but I still like the colorless Original the best. It also lasts forever! I use this almost every single day, and this tube took me at least a year to use up. I honestly don't even remember when I bought it it's been that long, but I definitely already have another one ready to go.

Maybelline Pumped Up! Colossal Volum Express Mascara

I included this in my list of My Favorite Mascaras, and I definitely still love it, and keep going through them. I won't talk too much about why I love it because you can ready why there, but let's just say I still love it, keep going through them, and keep replacing them.

The Body Shop Spiced Vanilla Body Butter

I found this body butter in a pile of bath products I was going through last month and wondered how on earth I could have a Body Shop Body Butter I didn't know about because I go through a lot of them. Well I found this one, discovered that this scent was actually another limited edition holiday scent (I think from last year?) and went through it very quickly. Their Body Butters are amazing, and how wonderful they are for that deep moisture we need in the winter especially, and I loved this scent. When I found this jar, the scent didn't sound familiar, so I went looking online and discovered it was a previous holiday scent, and then I was really disappointed becuase the scent was so good I wished I could buy more. they do make a vanilla that is very close to this, and almost as good, but this was like that vanilla with an extra hint of clove spice. I will probably be replacing it with the vanilla soon.

January Favorites

2015-02-05T12:22:00.001-05:00

Conair True Glow Cleaning Skin Beauty Treatment

I talked about this recently in my post where I called it a Clarisonic Drugstore Dupe and I'm still obsessed. Seriously, how did I think my face felt clean when I used to wash it with just my hands? I use this about every other day because I find every day starts to irritate my super sensitive skin a bit, but even on the days in between I am amazed at how soft, smooth, and just absolutely clean my face feels. I won't talk about it too much because you can read about it in my previous post, but holy wow, I am still amazed, and (again) at half the price of the Clarisonic! Amazeballs.

Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer

So, this stuff is a game changer. I'm just going to say it, it is. There are a few traits in a concealer that I am always looking for, and are hard to find, especially all in one, but so far (I haven't had it the whole month of January, but the weeks I did were so good I had to include it) this one is the trifecta. First, it has full coverage without looking cakey or dry. I am very fair, so I have a lot of veins and blue that come through under my eyes, but this totally covers it, and smoothly. I took these two pictures from what are normally very unflattering angles for under-eyes, and they still don't look blue. Second, as I mentioned, I am fair, but this concealer comes in a shade (the lightest, Fair Neutral) that I can almost actually highlight with! I have found concealers I love like the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer, which come in shades light enough to match me, but trying to highlight or even finding a shade that looks any lighter than my foundation can be difficult. This concealer was so light I could actually highlight with it. And third, it does NOT crease!! Usually to get a concealer that does not crease, it needs to be a very thin texture so that it won't settle into lines, but a thin texture doesn't always cover so well. However, this one is super creamy, full-coverage, and still does not settle in lines or crease, which would also make it great for more mature skin.

Sephora Cream Lip Stain in 15 Polished Purple

I am obsessed with this formula. It is so smooth and non-drying, but it lasts forever. It applies, feels, and looks just like a lip cream, but it lasts just like or actually better than a stain. Apparently the name "Cream Lip Stain" is very accurate. I talked about the shade 01 Always Red in my Holiday Glam: Red Lips post, which is the shade that got me addicted to this formula. It is a gorgeous, classic, eye-catching red. Anyway, back to this month's color, 15 Polished Purple. It is definitely eye-catching as well, just in a very different, much darker way. This color is fantastic for this time of year. It is a very, very deep purple with the most subtle hint of shimmer running through it. The shimmer looks overwhelming in the tube, but when you apply it you just barely see it. It is also buildable. I went over it a couple times to really deepen the color (I'm wearing it in the pictures above in the Naked Concealer photos too). I wore this through dinner and drinks one whole evening and I only touched up once in the many hours I had it on. I have loved this formula for a while, and they recently they released a few new shades. In the newly expanded shade range, there are definitely some more subtle than these two, so if you haven't tried the formula yet, I highly recommend it.

Kat Von D Shade + Light Contour Brush

This brush is seriously amazing for highlighting and contouring. It has a rounded, tapered dome shaped brush on one end, which is perfect for highlighting under the eyes and on top of the cheeks. The tapered dome shape really gets under the eyes nicely. The other end has a flat angled brush, which fits perfectly under the cheekbone and makes drawing a contour line super easy. Both ends have synthetic bristles which pick up just the right amount of product so you can't easily overdose, which is extra important with highlighting and contouring. The bristles also feel really nice, and they are super soft to the touch, but not so soft that they don't pick up any product. It also comes in what is described as a "coffin shaped" case. Whether or not you think it looks like a coffin, having a perfectly sized plastic case is super convenient, especially for a double sided brush, which you can't just stand up in a jar like you can other brushes. I like the handle length as well. Some brushes for highlighting and contouring have really short handles, which can sometimes make blending harder, but this has a nice extended handle between the brushes.

Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Milk

If you read my Favorite Fall Skincare or my Winter Skin Savers, you know that I am really into cleansers that are not your traditional texture. I love cleansing oils and balms, but now I have also discovered that I love cleansing milk. This does have a milky texture, which you can apply right to dry skin and tissue off or rinse off as you normally would when washing your face. It removes makeup so well it's amazing, and I love that it's gentle enough to use on your eyes too, because it removes even mascara really well. I actually discovered it when I was in Sephora and had a bunch of lipstick swatches on my hand. I used a tester of this to wipe them off my hand, and I was amazed how clean my hand came out. I was impressed so I bought it and I have really liked how well it removes makeup, doesn't irritate sensitive skin, and leaves a moisturizing feel on the skin.

Smashbox Double Exposure Palette

This palette is a total go-anywhere palette. It has the perfect combination of cool and warm tones, colors and neutrals, mattes and shimmers, you name it it's in here. The shadows are also formulated to be used wet or dry, and when used wet, you get a very different finish or color than dry, which actually means you get double the already wide variety of shadows in the set. It comes with a great variety of 14 shadows, which become 28 if you wet your brush first. Speaking of brushes, it comes with a double ended brush which works great with these shadows. The dome end can really buff out color when dry or really pack on the color when wet. The angled side gives a blurred line when dry and a more precise line when wet. The variety in this thing is amazing. I am going away for a long weekend this weekend, and this palette is the only eyeshadow I'm bringing because it has everything I could need for almost any look I will want to do.

Look of the Day: Moondust Eyes

2015-01-29T22:20:00.000-05:00

I did this look the day I tested the Wayne Goss Powder Under Foundation Method and not only did I end up loving the powder under foundation technique (read why in my link above), but I loved the whole look. I also mentioned recently how I've been liking Metallic Eyes, and the Urban Decay Moondust Eyeshadow, which I used for this look. I made a metallic smokey eye with bronzed dewy skin and nude lip. The best part of this look is that you can actually use any color of the Moondust Eyeshadow and just use the same technique to get several different looks. I used the Zodiac shade which I LOVE. It is a black base with green and purple metallic, almost hologram looking shimmer to it. I think this color would be flattering on a lot of skin tones, but is rather bold, so grab whatever shade you like best, there are 7 to choose from, and follow the same technique for a holographic, metallic smokey eye.

Eyes

1) Messily put a black base on your lids for the shadow to stick to. I used the NYX Jumbo Pencil in Black and drew all over my lower lid and a line along my lower lashes. You can be messy, because right after you draw it, you are going to use your finger and smudge it out a bit.
2) Use a fluffy brush and buff NYX Eyeshadow in Maybe Later into and just above the crease, this will be our transition shade. Keep using windshield wiper motions to make sure that there are no harsh lines and it is buffed out. Blending and blending and blending is the key here.
3) Pat your finger into the Urban Decay Moondust Eyeshadow in Zodiac and then press your finger onto your eyelid over the smudged black. Keep grabbing more and pressing it on until you get as bold of color as you like. Then take that same fluffy brush you just used in Step 2, and without putting more shadow on it, buff the edge of Zodiac into your crease so the two blend together and everything gets buffed out. Again, blend.
4) Take a smudger brush like the Sephora Pro Smudge Brush #11 and wet it with a setting spray like MAC Fix+. Then dip that into Zodiac and mix to get an almost creamy consistency of shadow on the brush. Now press that onto the center of the eyelid and along the lower lash line. Once it starts to dry, take another small but dry brush and buff more shadow onto that to diffuse the line a bit and make it connect with the Zodiac on top of the lid.
5) Put the NYX Jumbo Pencil in Black on your lower waterline and a thin line along the top lashes. I didn't want too much liner for this look because I really want the Zodiac to be the focus.
6) Curl your lashes and apply mascara. I used the Too Faced Better Than False Lases Extreme, which is absolutely amazing, and I will be doing another post about soon. I used that on top and my tried and true Maybelline The Falsies Mascara on the bottom, which I talked about in My Favorite Mascaras.
7) Highlight under the brow, above the transition shade with MAC Eyeshadow in Nylon

Face

As I said, I did this look when I tested the Wayne Goss Method of applying powder under your liquid foundation. For an in depth explanation of what I did, how it worked, and what I thought, you can read that post here.
I then bronzed my cheeks, nose, and forehead with Smashbox Bronze Lights in Sunkissed Matte and applied BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector in Rose Gold, which I gushed about in my October Favorites, to my cheeks slightly above and overlapping some of the bronzer.
I put Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Diffused Light above that for some extra highlight.

Noteworthy: A Clarisonic Drugstore Dupe!!

2015-01-27T13:44:00.001-05:00

Conair True Glow

Finally! A sonic skincare brush that looks, feels and works identically (if not better) to the Clarisonic, but for half the price!! Big beauty and skin trends usually end up eventually being copied by less expensive drugstore brands. Sometimes these less expensive dupes are also less quality. Not always, but I would say usually. However...the day we have all been dreaming of is here. There is a drugstore dupe for the Clarisonic Mia2 sonic skincare brush. It is half the price and just as good. It is the Conair True Glow Cleaning Skin Beauty Treatment. For anyone who has wanted to try or purchase a sonic skincare brush, but the price was holding you back, your answer is here!

Clarisonic Mia2

Sonic brushes have been all the rage since Clarisonic invented theirs, and several brands from Clinique to Olay have made their own versions, but so far none of them could compare.That is, until now. This brush looks, sounds, feels, and works just like the Clarisonic Mia2 , but it is half the price. AND, it actually has some features I like better. The Clarisonic ($149) has 2 speeds and a pulsing timer for 60 seconds. The Conair ($80) has 3 speeds for even more options, and actually pulses every 10 seconds, 6 times, for a total of 60 seconds. I actually like that better because you can clean 6 zones of your face equally for 10 seconds each, unlike with the Clarisonic where it seems like you can still be on the spot you started when the 60 seconds is up. Both come with almost identical two-prong chargers, but the Conair has a charging stand that it sits in, which I really like because it stands upright when you're not using it. I like it because it can dry better being upright, and it probably stays cleaner standing up than just laying on the counter like the Clarisonic. The Conair also comes with two brush heads unlike the one that comes with the Clarisonic.

Conair Sensitive Brush Head

Clarisonic Sensitive Brush Head

Speaking of brush heads, not only is the Conair brush half the price at $79.99, compared to $149 for the Clarisonic, but the brush heads are almost half the price too. You can purchase either Normal or Sensitive brush heads for the Conair, at $8.39 and $14.99. These are the only two options, unlike Clarisonic which offers several brush heads, but each at a whopping $27.00. Replacing your brush head regularly is important, and if they get overused and too worn, they can actually start to irritate your skin. The cost of the brush heads alone would be good reason to choose the Conair, regardless of the initial cost savings on the brush.

These sonic brushes are all the rage for a reason, they do feel amazing and leave your face feeling noticeably softer and cleaner. I use mine three times a week, and even in the first week noticed that my skin felt softer. I talk about my dry skin and flaky patches frequently, but this has really helped. I noticed much less flaky, dry skin even in just the first week. I also have very sensitive skin, and this has not bothered it at all. Usually any harsh abrasive or physical exfoliant can really irritate certain spots on my face, but this has not bothered my skin at all, only improved it!

Bottom line, I would recommend a sonic brush to any skincare junkie, and the one to buy is the Conair True Glow Cleaning Skin Beauty Treatment.

PoofyGypsy

Tricks for Tired Eyes (Part 1)

Lip Treatment Loves

Morphe 9B Blush Palette-Review and Swatches

Best Foundations for Pale Skin

December Favorites

Ulta Haul

Noteworthy: MORE Morphe Brushes

Eye Brushes

Face Brushes

October Favorites

How to multiply your eyeshadows

Fall Lip Swatches

Browns and Berries

Plums and Purples

Nudes

Brow Products: Reviews and Dupes

Waxes

Gels/Mousses

Pens/Markers

Pencils

My Favorite Acne Products

May Favorites

Noteworthy: Morphe Brushes

Brush Sets