April Beauty Haul

There's something that just makes me so excited about new beauty products.

I'm super excited to try all of these things out. Some are old favorites (Clump Crusher Extensions and Becca Ever Matte Primer) and others are things that I can't wait to use (Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer, Beautyblender Solid, Deborah Lippman Blue Orchid, Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow in RSVP, and Benefit Gimme Brow).

Review of Smashbox CC Cream

Hey guys!

Let me just say, it seems like within the next month, my life is going to just explode. I have this big capstone project (the biggest and final of my career) due on April 14, and right now my entire life revolves around trying to make it work as well as dealing with all the stresses of state testing and getting the students to actually pay attention to me instead of wishing it was spring break.

But anyway, in between preparing lessons and sleeping, I've been testing some new face products. One of those is the Smashbox CC Cream. This was recommended to me by a makeup artist and Sephora and I've been trying it out for a couple of weeks, so I thought I'd share my thoughts with you.

As you've probably heard, CC creams are great for people with problems with redness and dark spots. They offer a little bit more coverage than a BB cream, but are still usually a light to medium buildable coverage.

According to Sephora, this Smashbox CC Cream is supposed to be a color correcting cream that "fades imperfections, even complexion, and prevents future discoloration." It has SPF 30, supposed to be lightweight, neutralizes and brightens skin, as well as primes, perfects, and protects. It adds moisture without creating extra oil.

My Thoughts:

Overall, I think this is a pretty good product. It feels pretty nice on my skin (by the way, this month I've been STRUGGLING with combination skin, both insanely oily with dry patches around my nose and chin). I find that toward the end of the day, it can get a little oily (what doesn't?) and it can cling to dry patches as well. But it is lightweight and doesn't make me feel like my face is caked with makeup.

I'd say this is a light to medium coverage, but very buildable. One thing that I have noticed, is that after wearing for about 15-18 hours, this can still be on my face in some of my less oily places. I'm shocked that it lasts that long for just a CC cream. Of course, in my red areas, I do notice it starts to wear in the 6-8 hour area, but that's pretty decent.

This is after about 10 hours of wear

It covers my redness pretty well without any concealer, and I usually just wear some powder over it. I do use a primer underneath, because I find that it really clung to my dry spots without that. I also use a moisturizer and apply this with a Beauty Blender to make sure that I didn't get any of those awful patches. This definitely applies patching and awful if you don't blend it in well.

I haven't noticed any long term skin benefits, but I've been using it two weeks, so it's tough telling on that. I wear the color fair and I think it might be a smidgen yellow on me, but I think it blends pretty well into my skin color.

However, I do think $42 for 1 oz of product is ridiculously steep. I'm not sure if I'll repurchase just because of that fact alone. But I am enjoying it right now and I'm going to continuing using it in a rotation with other products. Is it better than the Stila CC Cream? Yes, without a doubt. I think it offers much better coverage and feels so much better on the skin.

Have you tried out the CC Cream rage or do you think it's too gimmicky? Also check out my Stila CC Cream review too.

First Impressions of Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara

Hi guys!

Recently I picked up this little Beauty Blogger sample kit from Too Faced. I mostly picked it up because I wanted to try the Better than Sex mascara. Honestly, I wanted to try this mascara mostly because of the name. Hey, that's pretty much the sole reason why I went out and bought NARS Deepthroat and Orgasm (they are great blushes though, besides the names).

Let me tell you, the name might make you cringe (or giggle if you are me), but this mascara is amazing! I've tried it twice, and already I am contemplating throwing out the $23 for the full size. It's that good.

I've been loving the Rocket, which I thought was the bee's knees, but this just might be better. The brush is super similar to the Cover Girl Flame Out mascara. Which sucked in my opinion. But something about this brush is just better. It somehow reaches all my lashes and just defines and lengths them, while making them huge!! Seriously! Three swipes and I thought my lashes might hit my eyebrow!

So here are a bunch of really bad pictures taken with my Iphone, but I just want you to know, that I'm super obsessed with this stuff. It's perfect!

This picture shows that one eye has mascara, one doesn't.

So as you can see, I love taking pictures of myself. And I really think Better than Sex is a great mascara. Yes, I can see how it can get a little clumpy, just if you have the Rocket or Clump Crusher on hand in case things get crazy, I think it's fantastic. It might be my all time favorite high-end mascara.

February Favorites

Hey guys!

So February is over and I couldn't be more excited! I want Spring and flip flops and flowers, so the quicker that we get done with February and March, the better in my opinion. Except as I'm writing this, it's snowing outside, typical Colorado.

Anyway, this month I tried a ton of new products, so I'm kind of excited to share my February favorites with you. Hopefully, this month I'll be able to share some more product reviews with you, as well as hopefully some room updates as far as decorating goes.

So let's take a look at things that I've been loving of late!

Essie Fiji

This is a pretty popular color for a lot of people, and this month I got to see just how amazing of a color it is. It's pretty, feminine, and neutral (but with a cute pop of interest). I loved it on my nails, much to my surprise. I'm pretty sure that this light pink is going to be a spring staple for me this year. I love that it's completely opaque (I hate nail polish that's still sheer).

Beauty Blender

This month I've been experimenting a lot with new face products, so I finally caved and bought the Beauty Blender from Sephora. I must say, this thing is amazing! It's great on full coverage foundation and fantastic on a lighter coverage CC cream. No matter what, it leaves the makeup looking flawless and super natural. Plus, it lets me keep my fingers nice and clean! I'm already wondering how I've gotten this far in life without one!

The Body Shop Mango Lip Butter

I picked this up back in January from Ulta in a holiday gift pack that was on sale. This stuff smells amazing!! I'm been obsessed with all things peach and mango this month, and this stuff definitely helps make me a little more obsessed with mango! It is thick and buttery, and instantly helps relieve sore lips.

MAC Naked Pigment

I've been wanting this stuff for a few months now, and I finally got to my MAC counter and bought it. I'm so happy that I did, because I've found out just how amazing this looks as an all over the lid color. It's shimmery and a little glittery, but in a subtle sort of way. I think it looks amazing with the colors of the Naked Basics palette (which is a favorite this month too!). I've experimented applying this wet and dry, and both are gorgeous. I'm currently loving it applied dry though, because I think that makes it a little bit less shimmery.

First Aid Beauty Skin Rescue Deep Cleanser

My skin went absolutely crazy this month. From oily to acne filled (four zits on my face at once was insane, I haven't had any breakouts like that in like six months!) to now dry, my face has seen it all this month. One thing that I made myself commit to doing is actually cleansing my face after removing makeup. I'm awful about that, but with the help of this cleanser, I've been doing it consistently for two weeks now and this has made a huge difference I think to the way my skin feels. This instantly makes my face feel clean and nourished, soft and healthy. It helps get off any last traces of makeup and I think has helped me calm my skin down (I'm down to just one tiny breakout up my lips).

Maybelline's The Rocket Mascara

I mentioned earlier this month I was giving this stuff another try, and I'm so happy that I did! It's amazing! It adds so much volume without clumping while adding some length! I can't believe that I ever stopped using this stuff! Plus it's amazing on my lower lashes!

Bath and Body Works Market Peach Hand and Body Cream

I mentioned that I'm obsessed with all things peach and mango, and I blame this stuff for fueling this addiction. I love it! If you love the candle, you need this lotion! It smells like amazing fruitiness and makes my skin so soft without being greasy!

Milani Luminoso Blush

Another old favorite, I started using this again this month as well. Can you tell that I'm in the mood for spring? This is the perfect pretty coral blush. I think it's even prettier than NARS Orgasm. And applied with the Real Techniques Blush brush, it's even more amazing. It gives such a pretty, feminine glow.

Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette

Hands down my favorite UD palette, I started using this again with the MAC Naked pigment. I use Naked 2 and Faint in the crease and foxy on my brow bone, which makes the most beautiful, everyday look. I'm convinced that whenever you use those three colors, you will just look gorgeous. I feel like I've gotten every penny I spent on this palette back just by how much I've used it.

Bath and Body Works Raspberry Peach Macaron Candle

I was super excited for the release of the Sweet Shop scents this month and I honestly didn't expect this candle to have been my favorite. It smells amazing! Fruity and sweet, it's like the perfect combination of spring and winter. It burns amazing, has a great throw, and I think the packaging is so adorable. You have got to smell this stuff if you love raspberries or peaches.

Love looking at past favorites? Take a look at what I was loving a year ago in my February 2013 Favorites!

Foruma X Nail Polish in Perfection!

Of late, I've really been enjoying Sephora's Formula X nail polish line. Mostly I love the packaging and their wide range of colors, but I've also found that they are a pretty solid line of good quality polish (do they beat Essie? No, Essie is still my favorite, but I do think these are better than OPI and China Glaze).

I currently own three colors, and this past week I picked up a sample size as a 100 point reward. It's in the color Perfection, and I couldn't agree any more with the title. It's so pretty!

It reminds me a lot of OPI's You Don't Know Jaques. It's kind of a moody gray purple (unfortunately my poor lighting makes this look more brown, but it's definitely a neutral gray purple.

This polish I managed to get about 5-6 days without chipping, which is really good! And it applied really well (probably the best out of the Formula X polishes that I've tried). I'm already looking forward to painting my nails this again!

I love neutral colors and I can definitely see myself buying the full size of this soon!

Have you tried Formula X polishes? What's your favorite color?

Review of Stila CC Color Correcting Cream

Hi Guys!

A couple of weeks ago I had a pretty big Sephora gift card haul that I talked about on the blog.

One of the most exciting things that I picked up was the Stila CC Cream. To be honest, before the makeup artist suggested this product, I had never even heard of it. And besides the Kitten eyeshadow (which I adore), is the only Stila product I've even tried. So I was a little skeptical of using it.

I've now used it for about two weeks, so I thought that was enough time to give a pretty good review of my thoughts about it.

So according to the Sephora website, the description says that this CC cream is a "skincare meets cosmetics hybrid, offering the ultimate in color correction while creating a flawless, natural looking complexion."

It also says that this CC cream has:

-SPF 20 with broad spectrum protection

-Color corrects to reduce hyperpigmentation

-Softens fine lines and wrinkles

-Adapts to skintone

-72 hours of hydration

-Brighter, more youthful looking skin

-Without Parabens

-Oil Free

-Sheer-medium buildable coverage

-Matte to Satin Finish

So as you can see, that's a lot of stuff.

First Impressions

So when I first tried this, I wasn't really impressed. See, I have pretty oily skin. I wouldn't say it's as bad right now as the height of July, but I can still get pretty oily if I don't use Urban DeSlick spray or powder.

And the very first thing I noticed when she put it on me in Sephora, was how oily it is upon application. However, when she set it with powder, that went away instantly, which was nice. It became a very nice matte finish. In fact, it was even less oily than the Garnier BB Cream for Combination to Oily skin that I had been using previously.

So as far as the application goes, the description isn't lying when it says that it comes out green. It does, just like one of the primers that is green. The makeup artist told me that this would be great on the redness in my cheeks and nose area. From what she told me and from what I've observed in using it, it works much better if you kind of warm it up and rub it in place for a couple seconds before spreading it. The makeup artist claimed that this was to perfectly match to your skintone, and maybe that's true, but I see it more as just making the pigment come out instead of having the weird streaking green color correcting stuff stay caked on your face.

It's thicker than the Garnier BB Cream, but average to what I've seen from brands such as Smashbox.

This is definitely a sheer coverage CC cream. I feel like it kind of blurs and it sorta tones down my redness, but it's not medium coverage, even when layered with a second layer (I haven't tried a third layer yet because A.) it's $44, so I treat it like liquid gold and B.) it is really oily upon first application and I'm not ready to see if a third layer makes it really really really oily.

My recommendation with Stila's CC Cream, is that you find a really great coverage powder. Currently I'm using the Sephora Collection 8 Hour Mattifying Foundation (jury is out on the that as well, but that's a different review for a different day), but I've also used the MAC Stuido Fix Powder and both are really good in conjunction with the CC cream. I like to think that this CC cream is more of a color correcting primer in actuality, making your powder the real star. Which is not the purpose at all, but it's how I feel it works best. If you want light coverage, you need to use powder with it, preferably a foundation powder.

As far as scent, it smells kinda sunscreeny, but nothing obnoxious that would deter me away from this product. It fades pretty quickly. And so far it hasn't broken me out either, which is great.

Oh and in case you are curious about application, I have tried this with mattifying primers (samples of the Becca Ever Matte and the Korres Pomegranate Mattifying Primer) and using my Urban Decay De Slick spray as a base and all three work pretty equally, with my findings being that the De Slick using leaves me the most matte. Of course, no matter what primer I use, I always follow after the CC cream, powder, and blush with the De Slick spray.

I also use my fingers and haven't tried any other way of applying this. Also, I'm the color fair if that helps.

But my final thing that I have to say about this product is the price. It's $44 for 1.3 oz. That's a lot, especially considering this is sheer coverage. I'm still weighing the price, but I'm pretty sure it's not worth it. I'm not sure at this point whether I'll repurchase, but if I do (or don't), I'll let you know.

(Interested in more CC Cream reviews? Take a look at this one about Smashbox CC Cream!)

Manicure of the Week: Deborah Lippmann Daytripper

Hey guys!

Recently I picked up Deborah Lippmann's Daytripper from Sephora. It seems like I've wanted this color forever. Mostly because the color is simply the most gorgeous pinky coral ever. Unfortunately, the polish is $17, so I've had to put it off for pretty much years. I received a gift card for Christmas from my aunt, so I felt like that was the perfect time to splurge.

First and foremost, the color doesn't disappoint. I adore this color and think it's perfect for toes, spring, summer, and especially Valentine's Day. Sephora describes it as a "pink melon" shade and I think that's pretty accurate.

Unfortunately, I'm not too impressed with the durability of this polish. I found chips in less than two days, which I almost never encounter. But because the color is so pretty, I'm willing to deal with polish that chips easily.

Have you tried this? Do you think it's worth the hype?

Sephora Gift Card Haul

Hi there!

For Christmas my aunt gave me a gift card to Sephora, which was pretty much like having a second Christmas in my book. See, I usually buy my higher-end stuff from Ulta because I like their rewards point system better (although, maybe it's just the Ulta stores in my area, but I always seem to come across the snottiest employees, so I definitely don't visit there for the customer service or their coupon policy), so I don't get to play around with brands such as NARS or some of the other awesome stuff at Sephora.

I knew coming into Sephora that I really wanted some new face products. As much I love the Garner BB cream for combination/oily skin, I know deep inside that the shade is just too dark and yellow for me. And I really wanted to dabble in some higher-end stuff while I could.

After talking to a makeup artist and getting my skin color matched with their new computer program (seriously, I have no clue how it works, but it was beyond cool to watch), she recommended for me the Stila CC Cream. She matched me to the lightest shade, which I would have never thought would match me, but I think it looks pretty good.

In all honestly, I had never heard of it before. In a week or so I'll give a better first look at it, but so far I really like it.

I also picked up some more face powder (she recommended the Sephora brand, which I'm kinda skeptical about, but I'm too lazy to drive to MAC to pick up more of the Studio Fix powder).

Two total random things I never intended on buying were the Josie Maran Bear Naked nail polish removing wipes and Deborah Lippmann's Daytripper. The wipes called me because they have polar bears and peppermint scent and Daytripper is a color I've been lusting over for just about two or three years.

Overall, I thought it was a successful trip to Sephora.

And in case that wasn't enough shopping, I then went to Ulta to do some more damage. I had triple rewards points for the week, and I couldn't pass that down (why does it seem every time I actually have a good coupon or deal at Ulta, is when I don't need to buy anything? I think they plan this...).

 

 

I needed a new Urban Decay De-Slick spray really bad, so  picked up another full-size one.

 

Everything else I got was just truly impulse shopping and the promise of 3x reward points.

 

They had Body Shop lip balms 50% off, so I got this set of three (coconut, shea butter, and mango flavors) for $6.99. Which means that I essentially got 2 of them free, which is awesome.

 

And this Too Faced Beauty Blogger kit totally called me. Mostly because it has a sample of the Chocolate Soleil bronzer and the Better than Sex mascara. First of all, if something promises to smell like chocolate, you know I'll be all over it. Second, I love mascara. And I love products with kind of dirty names (one of the main reasons why I own the two NARS blushes that I do, although the colors are definitely worth it even if they weren't named anything raunchy). And I love samples. So I snatched this up fast.

 

Finally, I picked up this Real Techniques blush brush because I've heard amazing things about their brushes and thought this was a good place to start.

 

 

Last but not least, I had to pick up a new floral/fruity body wash. And Victoria's Secret always comes through for me.

 

 

 

 

I'd say it was a successful trip. I love trying out new things and I think I have a lot of great new options.

 

Have you gone shopping recently? Let me know if there's any products I should try out? 

 

First Impressions of Benefit's They're Real! Mascara

So thanks to Sephora's free birthday gift, I recently got to try out Benefit's super popular They're Real! Mascara.

I've heard so many rave reviews about this mascara, but because I thought the $23 price tag was a little steep, plus my hesitancy to try Benefit products (just because I've never tried any before), I just avoided it.

When it comes to higher end mascaras, I find it so hard to justify using them. It's something that I go through super fast, like usually it takes a month or so for me to finish one, and I can't justify spending that much money on something that dries out so fast or gets used up so quickly.

But I love free samples, so I'm excited to tell you guys my thoughts on my first couple uses of this mascara.

On Sephora's website, it says: "A jet-black mascara that lengths, curls, volumizes, lifts, and separtates for a spectacular 'out to here' look."

Basically, it's supposed to be long wearing, black, and very dramatic.

So what do I think about They're Real!?

I really like it! It definitely defines and separates my lashes big time. And at first I kind of scoffed at the dramatic look it claims to have. But after building t up, it was a clean dramatic look. You know how many bold drama mascaras are super gloopy, clumpy, and messy? This isn't.

It doesn't smudge, flake, or budge at all during the day. It's even kind of difficult to take off for a non-waterproof mascara. Which isn't a positive, but you know.

So would I purchase this mascara once this insanely small sample size runs out?

Ugh, that's so tough. If I had an extra $23 laying around, then yes. I loved the way it makes my lashes look. I'm all about volume and length, and this definitely provided it. It's an easy mascara to use. But the price is so hard to overcome.

Have you tried this mascara? What are your thoughts? When it comes to high end products, what are ones that you will buy and others you don't think are worth splurging?

Urban Decay's 24/7 Liner or MAC's Technakohl

Over the course of the last couple of months I've been testing out a new eyeliner: Urban Decay's 24/7 Liner in Perversion. If you are at all familiar with the eyeliner world, Urban Decay's 24/7 Liner is pretty much everyone's holy grail.

 

Now if you are familiar with my blog, you know that I completely adore MAC's Techankohl eyeliner in Graphblack. It was the first black eyeliner I've ever used consistently, and obviously, the first high-end eyeliner I've ever used. I could go on and on about how amazing this eyeliner has been for me over the course of the last year and a half.

But I was beyond curious to see what all the hype over the 24/7 Liner was.


Source

Here are my thoughts on the Urban Decay pencil:

It's super creamy, super black, and goes on effortlessly. I've said in the past how impressed I was with the Technakohl liner being so effortless. The 24/7 Liner is easily the most effortless eyeliner I'll probably ever use. It's so black and pigmented, I literally can't explain it. It's the most dramatic black you can think of. I once that the MAC Graphblack was black, but it's a much softer, grayer black in comparison (both are good, it just depends on what look you are going for).

So while I was majorly impressed with the depth of color, ease of use, ability to get both a precise and soft line, there were some major drawbacks to the 24/7 Liner. One of the biggest problems: the fact it needs sharpening. I didn't know my hatred for sharpening eyeliner until it flaked off and stained a favorite shirt of mine. That was beyond annoying, let me tell you. I also realized that the staying power was not my favorite. I had my hopes up because I swatched it on my hand and it stayed on...even after a shower! That's impressive! But on my eyes, it would somehow wind up all below my eyes, my nose, my inner corner...everywhere. I don't touch my eyes. It was August and September when I was wearing it, so it was hot. But if an eyeliner can't hold up to August heat, I don't think it deserves a place in my makeup routine...especially if it's $19.

Oh and another really annoying problem with this eyeliner? It would somehow find a way to get stuck in my lashes, and then when I'd go to curl them, it would rip them out. Yet another huge downside of a super creamy formula.

In case you are wondering, I eventually got so fed up with dark black goop being all over my face, that I switched back to my deeply loved MAC Technakohl Liner in Graphblack. Yes, it's not as black as the Perversion liner (the only thing that the Urban Decay kind had over my MAC favorite). But it's easier to layer on. I don't have to be as careful. My eyes can be as watery and sweaty as they like, and still have the eyeliner on at the end of a 12 hour day. It's easy to remove with a good makeup wipe, it doesn't rip out my eyelashes, and my favorite thing, it doesn't need sharpening. Plus, it's $16 and part of the Back to MAC program.

Source

I know that a lot of people would disagree with me, and maybe testing it in the hotter, more humid parts of summer wasn't so smart, but now I can't imagine not using my Technakohl liner.

I do plan in the future to try the NARS eyeliner that's in the mechanical pencil form. Also, feel free to recommend your favorites!
 

July Favorites

I really can’t believe that July is over! I’m really not even ready to get into August because that means that once again I’m moving into another place and beginning my senior year of college, as well as my final semester in my college town!

Anyway, I have a few favorites for the month of July, so let’s take a look at them!

Suave Moroccan InfusionShampoo & Conditioner, Essie Hip Anema, Covergirl Shimmering Sands, Neutrogena Clear Pore Cleanser and Mask, Stila Kitten, NARS Orgasm Blush, L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes Excess, Market Peach Candle

 

Suave Moroccan Infusion Shampoo & Conditioner

I raved about these haircare products last month too, but I really just can't get over how amazing this products are! Not only are they inexpensive, but they work better than all other drugstore and high-end shampoos and conditioners combined! It leaves my hair silky and smooth and super easy to work with! I love this products!

Essie's Hip Anema

This was a nail polish that at first I wasn't too sure about. I'm not a huge fan of orange, and this color is definitely on the orange-y end of red. However, I think this is an overall great red color for summer!

Covergirl Shimmering Sands Trio

I've talked about this eyeshadow trio a ton before, but this month I rediscovered it. I think these are the most perfect neutral eyeshadows! The middle color is particularly my favorite, which has actually hit pan for me, so you can tell that I'm obsessed with it.

Neutrogena Clear Pore Cleanser and Mask

So I've been loving this cleanser and mask since about April, but I thought I'd finally talk about it this month. It's been so humid and hot here that like most people with exceptionally oily skin, I thought for sure my face would be covered in a million huge red blemishes. However, it hasn't! Now it's always a combination of factors, but I thank this product in large part for keeping my face mostly blemish free the last few months. I love that this skincare product can be used two ways. The everyday cleanser is great and about once a week I do the mask, which tingles and makes my face feel so clean and fresh! It's been a summer must-have for me!

Stila Kitten

In June I finally purchased this eyeshadow and fell in love! I adore champagne/pinky colors and this one is gorgeous! Unfortunately midway through July I dropped it and it broke! I was devastated! It's such a soft eyeshadow and I knew before I even purchased it, that it often does that. So I went out and bought a second one and have made sure to be extra gentle and careful around it. This and Urban Decay's Sin are my two favorite all over eye colors! I love pairing this with Naked 2 and Faint from the Naked Basics palette!

NARS Orgasm

In July, I found myself often reaching for what I consider to be one of the best summer blushes ever: NARS Orgasm. This shade is light and so pretty for summer! Although I often grumble about it's staying power and how it's a little too subtle for me, this shade went perfect with my summer makeup looks. You can get a better peachy-pink than this.

L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes Excess Mascara

This month I tried a new mascara, and if you read my review of it, you know that I love it! I'm a huge fan of L'Oreal mascaras and this one definitely doesn't disappoint! It leaves my lashes long, dramatic, and voluminous! Even though it's not waterproof, it stays all day but is not a hassle in the least to remove. Plus it has cute packaging! I'm kinda in love with it, honestly.

Bath and Body Works Market Peach

I don't know about you, but late in the summer like this, I'm totally not sure what kind of candle scents I want to use. Because of the heat, sweet scents are often a little annoying to me because they are so heavy. Nothing screams spring to me more than flower scents. So that pretty much just leaves fruity scents, and in my opinion, none are better than Market Peach. This just screams late summer for me. While I love this, I really can't wait to get my hands on some fall candles though!

 

Check out June's favorites and my July lusts too! Thanks for reading!

 

Summer Park Meadows Haul

Hey everyone!

My summer school classes finally wrapped up, but I’ve been super busy getting my life together and starting summer in between. But I did manage to sneak in some time and visit a dear friend and do some major shopping recently.

Pretty much all the stores I bought stuff from are ones that I only get to visit a couple times a year, if that. I seriously wish I lived closer to these (maybe it’s a good thing though?). Anyway, let's take a look at some of the fun things I got!

 

 

My friend and I went to the Vera Bradley pajama party launch, and the first 50 or so guests got a free reusable shopping bag! So that was fun to get! I also picked up the set of three cosmetic bags in Summer Cottage. It was 40% off and I really couldn't help it! I think the set of three cosmetic bags are not only cute, but super practical for traveling and makeup storage! Plus the colors are perfect for the 4th of July! (I adore the little daisies on them as well!)

I also shopped around at Lush a little. I had been in Lush only once before, and after sniffing around, I wasn't really impressed. But I decided to try out some products at the recommendations of the salesgirls there. I picked up American Cream Conditioner, Cynthia Sylvia Stout shampoo, and Catastrophe Cosmetic Fresh Face mask. So far I've tried all these products out and I'd say I liked them pretty well for a first impression!
 

Then I went to Urban Outfitters and picked up a couple more of the BDG V-neck tees. I love the prints on them and I think they are so cute for summer! Both have floral prints and I can't wait to wear them.

And inside Forever 21 I picked up a brush I was eyeing a while back in my monthly lusts post and a little bow necklace that was only $1.80. I don't know if other people feel the same way, but I absolutely hate shopping in the store at Forever 21. I get way too overwhelmed with everything there.



 

Finally what's a trip to the mall without stopping to look at some makeup at MAC and Sephora? At Sephora I decided to finally invest in a nice bronzer (Tarte's Park Avenue Princess) and I got decided I wanted to try Tarte's blushes then many people rave about them. The makeup artist suggest I try Dazzled (which is described as a soft rose/kind of plum shade). So far I really liked both!

I also stopped by the MAC store and picked up another Technakohl eyeliner, which I'm almost out of. I also picked up a couple of eyeshadows in Jest(the one on left and wedge, the one on the right). So I'm excited to try those out!

So overall it was a fun trip and I can't wait to go back!

 

 

 

Urban Decay De-Slick First Impression

Hi guys!

If you remember a post last month about a tiny Ulta haul, you saw that I picked up the Urban Decay De-Slick setting spray on a whim as I was standing in the check out. That day my oily skin was going crazy (lots of humidity) and I wanted to try anything that promised to fix it.


De-Slick Makeup Setting Spray

Admittedly, it wasn’t until about a week or two ago that I opened it up and started using it. But I thought with the weather getting warmer, and oily skin out there getting worse and worse, it would be interesting to write some of my first impressions down.

From Sephora:

"Oily skin has met it's match! De-Slick mists on weightlessly to control oil, deflect surface shine, and keep skin looking beautifully matte. High-tech ingredients help keep foundation, shadow, and blush from smudging, sliding, or fading-so you hardly ever need to touch up...It actually lowers temperature of your makeup and helps it stay put and keep skin looking smooth, but never shiny."

At first you might be asking yourself what the heck they are talking about. I mean, when I first heard of this stuff about a year ago, I decided it must be glorified water that people are paying $30 for (or in my case since I bought the travel size, $14).

But lots of people swear by this, both for oil control and for makeup setting, so I figured desperate times call for desperate measures.

First off, let me just say that I'm SO happy they changed their packaging. I don't know about you, but if something is in ugly packaging, I'm not really tempted to purchase it. And the old bottle wasn't very appealing to me. But the new one looks sleek, clean, and a lot less...crazy.

So how this spray works is basically you shake it up well, then spray it over your skin in the pattern of an X and T. You can spray your skin anywhere between 2 and 4 times.

If you are wondering how I use it, here's the breakdown:

-Before I put on any makeup, I spray all over like they describe, the X and T pattern.

-I wait 1-3ish minutes until it dries.

-Then I put on my face makeup on (usually I just wear powder). Sometimes I put primer on afterward, but I prefer it actually without primer. If you use a liquid foundation/BB cream/tinted moisturizer and also wear powder, spray after powder.

-Then I apply my blush, although I've put the blush on after my second application. I'm not sure which I prefer, but the bottle says to apply the blush first.

-I spray all over again in the X and T pattern.

-Then I do my eye makeup!

So it's not super hard and doesn't make my makeup application take too much longer thankfully!

After about two weeks of wear, what do I think?

I love it!

It works with my powder fantastically! It makes it stay on forever, shine free, less oily feeling, and while making it look significantly less caked on. It's so natural and nice looking!

Plus it's great for summer because you know how it claims to reduce the surface temperature of your skin? Yep, it does that. It feels so nice!

And I used to get only about 4 hours out of my powder. Now? I get easily 6 hours if not more! During 70-80 degree weather! Plus rain!

It's completely eliminated the need for primers for me also, which is a bonus!

I tried the MAC Fix Plus for a day, and that made me so oily in comparison. So seriously, try out Urban Decay's De-Slick. And my tip for great application: make sure to use it before you apply your foundation! That's the key!

Seriously guys, this might just be my summer holy grail product!

What are your warm weather must-haves? Do you think setting sprays like De-Slick, All Nighter, and MAC Fix Plus work? Or are they just overpriced water?

 

First Impressions of Becca Ever-Matte Poreless Primer

Hey everyone!

A while back I went to Sephora to buy some blush. While I was there, I picked up three sample primers to try out as well. The one I'm reviewing today is the Becca Ever Mette Poreless Priming Perfector.

I reviewed the Cover FX primer a few weeks ago, so I thought it was time to finally review this one as I’m wrapping up with the little sample (by the way, those tiny little samples last forever when it comes to primer!).

 

According to Sephora:

"A silicone-free primer that perfects the face, minimizing pores and mattifying even the most oily skin for up to eight hours."

"Control(s) excess oil while minimizing the appearance of pores. The instant mattifying effect completely eliminates shine! This lightweight formula also creates a smooth matte surface for long-lasting foundation. Along with being sweat and humidity resistant, this product is free of silicon alcohol, and fragrance."

So that promises a lot to being that have been having enormous difficulties with their oily skin, like me. I mean, if something promises to reduce the oil on my face, sign me up for that!

When the makeup artist at Sephora first showed me this sample, I wasn't sure what to think. First of all, it has a tannish, skin color look to it. I've seen white, green, clear, and even coral colored primers, but not a skin color. I was a little concerned (just a note for the future, it doesn't transfer any color on to your skin). She also warned me against using too much, because it could make me more oily (I think that's what she said about this one, but I think that's just a good rule of thumb in all products).

So after using this for about the last two weeks, here are some obervations:

The Good:

-When putting this on your face, it instantly has a cooling, nice clean feel to the skin.

-Didn't make my skin any more oily than it was before.

-My makeup stayed about 1-2 hours longer with powder, almost all day with Revlon's BB Cream.

-Since it's free of silicon, it doesn't have that weird silicon texture.

-Had an instant matte feel and look to makeup.

-Didn't break me out.

-Controlled my oil for the most part.

The Not So Good:

-Odd texture. It was really hard to blend. Now after reading Sephora's site, you are supposed to warm it up in your hands before use. So maybe that would explain it? But it was just really more of a hard butter texture than that of most primers I'm used to.

-Didn't rid me of oil 100%. I don't think anything would though. But it made it managable.

So that pretty much sums it up, but there is one last really important question: would I purchase this in full size? Yes. I would without a doubt, and despite the $36 price tag (why is primer more than foundation?!). The packaging is sleek, the product worked well, and I'd say even if it only reduces 10% of the oil on my face, it's worth it.

And in case you are wondering, would I buy this instead of the Cover FX primer? Most definitely!

 

 

First Impressions of Cover FX Mattifying Primer

Hey guys!

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been really struggling with two problems: oily skin and random pimples popping up on my chin. I’ve changed face washes, quit using BB cream, changed from the Up and Up makeup wipes to the Simple Ones to no avail. They are still there. Then I decided that it could be my primer I’m using (the ELF Mineral Infused Face Primer from Target). I picked this up at the beginning of the school semester, and I’ve been having trouble since about that time. It’d make sense I guess.

Recently I popped into Sephora to FINALLY purchase NARS Deepthroat (yay!). I know it’s been like ten years in the making. Anyway, while I was there, I made sure to scan everything. When one of the makeup artists came up and asked me if I had any questions, I asked her about face primers for oily skin, and she pointed out three of them, and this Cover FX MattifyingPrimer with Anti-Acne Treatment was one. She gave me samples of all three (which will also be here on the blog, this is just the first one I’ve started with).

Sephora

What intrigued me at first about this primer was the “anti-acne treatment” that is right in the title. I mean, with the breaking out, I’d been wanting to try some more spot treatments for my problem areas, and essentially this primer is one big spot treatment. It does have Salicylic Acid in it, which is what is in most acne washes/spot treatments. I’ve never heard of a primer or something having that, so I thought that was pretty darn cool.

Also I was interested in seeing how a primer made especially for oily skin would work. In my experience with primers, they all just seem like the anti-oily skin remedy. And I had never heard of Cover FX (I was thinking along the lines of Smashbox, Tarte, or Benefit for a primer). Another thing I was super excited about is the friendly skin properties of the ingredients. It has Willowbark extract and is without parabens and sulfates and other stuff that skin apparently hates.  

I used this primer for a little over a week (those samples sizes go far haha). Here is what I noticed.

• The smell. It definitely smells and feels like an acne spot treatment. If you hate this smell, you probably won’t like this primer. I don’t mind it, but I definitely notice it.

• It’s sticky when applying and hard to blend. Once again, I blame the acne treatment for this. But honestly, once it’s on my face it doesn’t feel sticky. It feels cool. And it is hard to blend, but I’d just advise go light in application and then reapply a tiny bit if you need more.

• Two days after using it, I noticed how glowing my skin looked without makeup on. It looked lovely! No new pimples. The old ones were fading away. And my skin didn’t feel as oily.

• The staying power with powder was around 4 hours (about normal).

• My chin was a little oily, but everything else was fantastically matte and not even heavy feeling. This was in weather that reached into the 60s-70s.

• My skin looked healthy, normal, small pores, no crazy discoloration. Just happy.

Overall I really like it! I haven’t tried the other two samples yet, but this could definitely be something I’d spend $38. I’ve never tried a high-end primer before though, so we’ll see. The price isn’t something that makes me happy (particularly for such a small amount). But if it makes my skin healthy, then I’d be all for it. Especially with the acne treatment.

Do you have a favorite high-end primer? Do you think primers are really necessary?

Here's my review of the Becca Ever-Matte Primer, another sample I picked up!