A Drugstore Surprise

A few weeks ago, I encountered a makeup catastrophe.

My MAC Technakohl eyeliner had experienced a painful death (pretty much it wouldn’t twist up and the liner would just crumble into a big dramatic black blob). Unfortunately, the nearest MAC counter is almost an hour away. And while I usually consider the $15 liner reasonable, the cost of gas to buy said liner, would just be too ridiculous.

So I was left eyeliner-less. I raked my brain, trying to remember what my favorite beauty gurus on Youtube and on beauty blogs said were their favorite drugstore eyeliners. A lot of them really like felt tips, liquid and gel liners, which all look amazing. But I really just like mechanical pencil liners. And I looked around Target and just didn’t see anything that looked very good. And when I did, every other girl in my college town did, and it was sold out.

So then I remembered a recent tutorial that my favorite Youtuber (Dacey Couture) did that involved Physician’s Formula eyeliner. She didn’t give a review on it, but it looked really nice and I like that Physician’s Formula is natural and cruelty free. And when I looked at Target I was drawn to the brown eye trio. I have green eyes! Why the brown eye one? Because it came with both brown and black (plus purple, but that wasn’t a selling point) all for $10. And they are mechanical.

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I went for it. And I’m so glad I did!

What I Love:

·         Cruelty Free

·         Mechanical

·         Natural

·         I got three for only $10

·         They glide on so smoothly and easily

·         They have great staying-power (like 8 to 10 hours)

·         Can smudge for a softer look

·         Comes with a sharpener too, if you want a more precise clean line.

·         Rich color

Pretty amazing! It’s literally just like my MAC Technakohl liner. It doesn’t have quite the same staying power (the MAC version can stay even after using the most powerful waterproof makeup remover), and it’s not quite as deep color. But since you get three liners for $5 less, it’s pretty much worth it.

I loved it so much, that I when I saw the Nude Trio at Walmart recently, I purchased it too!

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 So have you found any drugstore makeup that has surprised you? Or any that has surpassed your high-end favorites?

Tarte's Smooth Operator Review

So almost over a month ago I purchased Tarte’s Smooth Operator tinted moisturizer from Sephora. I had heard pretty great stuff about it on Youtube and I had just fallen in love with the Lights, Camera, Lashes!, so I wanted to try it out. Plus, Smashbox’s BB Cream at the time wasn’t really clicking with me, and I wanted to try something new.

I went to Sephora, was color matched to Agent 08 (it’s for light complexions with pink undertones, but if you look at it, it’s a lot darker than some of the medium complexion colors. It’s definitely a product that I would go into Sephora or Ulta and look at, and one that I think you need to be matched by a makeup artist).

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According to Sephora’s website, Tarte’s Smooth Operator:

·         Is SPF 20

·         Oil-free

·         Light-to-Medium Coverage

·         It’s free of parabens, synthetic fragrances, and phthalates

·         And has things in it that are supposed to make your skin look healthy and young

·         It’s 1.7 oz for $36

Here’s what I think:

Instantly compared to Smashbox’s BB cream, it was like fresh air. The cream is very light. And a little goes a long way. Unlike the BB cream, which felt like I needed more than a pea size to cover my face, Smooth Operator really only needs a pea size squeeze.

It’s easily blendable and doesn’t leave any steaks or anything funny. It has great coverage, very comparable to the BB cream, It doesn’t leave my oily skin any more oily, which was especially helpful in the 100 degree days of August. Like the BB cream, I noticed it left a sort of matte, powdery finish. I do cover my face up with my MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural to reduce oil and shine, but I noticed the matte finish before that step.

Some reviews on Sephora’s site say that there’s glitter, but I’ve never noticed any. It has a great range of shades, unlike a lot of other BB creams or tinted moisturizers.

I absolutely love that Smooth Operator is $3 cheaper than the Smashbox BB Cream and offers .7 ounces more. I know, it doesn’t seem like a big deal, but anything that is cheaper and lasts longer is a plus.

I think it has great staying-power. I’d say on me, it’s about 8 hours or so, which is all I really ask out of my makeup.

The only thing that I dislike about this product, is that after using it, I’ve had about five or six more pimples. Which, considering my skin has been really clear the last 10 months, is a bit disappointing. As a result, I’ve just made sure to give my skin a day or two a week where I either don’t put on any face makeup, or just my powder, and that when I do wear this, I make sure to really clean my face off with my Neutrogena Night Calming Towelettes.

So would I repurchase? Yes! I love this tinted moisturizer and it’s one that I love! It’s cruelty free, natural, and the container is cute too! I absolutely love Tarte and I can’t wait to try more of their products!

Update: Now a couple months later, there are a few other things I've noticed about this tinted moisturizer. First, it seems to break me out after wearing it, no matter what. And not just a tiny little pimple. I got pretty much a quarter size one on my cheek, which was frustrating (and painful!!). So now I pretty much avoid it. I'd still be tempted to wear it when I'm looking for better coverage, but it's really not worth breaking out over.

Do you have a favorite face product? Ever tried any of Tarte’s other products, and if so, do you have recommendations?

A Drugstore Surprise

A few weeks ago, I encountered a makeup catastrophe.

My MAC Technakohl eyeliner had experienced a painful death (pretty much it wouldn’t twist up and the liner would just crumble into a big dramatic black blob). Unfortunately, the nearest MAC counter is almost an hour away. And while I usually consider the $15 liner reasonable, the cost of gas to buy said liner, would just be too ridiculous.

So I was left eyeliner-less. I raked my brain, trying to remember what my favorite beauty gurus on Youtube and on beauty blogs said were their favorite drugstore eyeliners. A lot of them really like felt tips, liquid and gel liners, which all look amazing. But I really just like mechanical pencil liners. And I looked around Target and just didn’t see anything that looked very good. And when I did, every other girl in my college town did, and it was sold out.

So then I remembered a recent tutorial that my favorite Youtuber (Dacey Couture) did that involved Physician’s Formula eyeliner. She didn’t give a review on it, but it looked really nice and I like that Physician’s Formula is natural and cruelty free. And when I looked at Target I was drawn to the brown eye trio. I have green eyes! Why the brown eye one? Because it came with both brown and black (plus purple, but that wasn’t a selling point) all for $10. And they are mechanical.

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I went for it. And I’m so glad I did!

What I Love:

·         Cruelty Free

·         Mechanical

·         Natural

·         I got three for only $10

·         They glide on so smoothly and easily

·         They have great staying-power (like 8 to 10 hours)

·         Can smudge for a softer look

·         Comes with a sharpener too, if you want a more precise clean line.

·         Rich color

Pretty amazing! It’s literally just like my MAC Technakohl liner. It doesn’t have quite the same staying power (the MAC version can stay even after using the most powerful waterproof makeup remover), and it’s not quite as deep color. But since you get three liners for $5 less, it’s pretty much worth it.

I loved it so much, that I when I saw the Nude Trio at Walmart recently, I purchased it too!

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Aren't these just the prettiest colors? It has a black (always good to have a back-up!), a brown called Pewter, and a champagn color. So lovely and natural!

 

So have you found any drugstore makeup that has surprised you? Or any that has surpassed your high-end favorites?

Quick and Natural College Makeup!

Hey! Sorry for the lack of writing this past week! My sorority's work week kept me busy from 9-7 (at the earliest) every single night since last Sunday! I'm super excited to have that out of the way, but schools does start today, so I'm just jumping into that!

So a lot of girls think that when attending class, natural makeup, or none at all, are the ways to go. It's definitely up to personal preference. I know that I kinda like to go all out if I'm gonna do it. However, there is one exception to that, and that is when I see my boyfriend. See, he hates makeup. Especially if it's on me. I love it that he thinks I'm beautiful in my natural state. And I'm glad that he loves the real me. Only problem is: I love makeup and like wearing it!

For the times that I'm hanging out with him, or days where I don't want to do a full look, I've made this routine that is the perfect balance between the completely makeup free look he likes, and the made up look I favor.

1. Tinted Moisturizer/BB Cream/Very Lightweight Foundation

When it comes to choosing face products, I liked it keep it light and as natural as possible! I hate the feeling of stuff on my face, so I always lean toward things like BB Cream or Tinted Moisturizer. These aim just at evening my skintone, but still helps me look natural (I have a chicken pox scar next to my eye, and usually products like these won't touch that. I don't mind though because I love the scar!). Currently I'm using Tarte's Smooth Operator tinted moisturizer (which has SPF 20, perfect for walking to class) and am really liking it (full review soon!).

 

2. Pressed Powder/Setting Powder

As you probably already know, my MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural is one of my favorite products I use. It feel amazing on my skin, giving it an airbrushed quality after I put the tinted moisturizer on. It's light and I hardly feel it. Plus it keeps my face oil down. I haven't looked into the world of drugstore powders, so if you have any suggestions, comment! I'd absolutely love to know some good ones!

 

3. Blush

There is nothing like a nice natural blush to make you look awake and ready to go! I personally favor NARS Orgasm because of it's peachy glow (it does have small little golden glitters in it!) and how easily it's applied.

 

4. MAC Paint Pot in Painterly

When I'm meeting up with my boyfriend, he absolutely hates any eye makeup. So basically, I stick to things that he can't see, just ones that I can. And sometimes, my eyes look like they desperately need some shadow. When that's the case, I use my Paint Pot (which is usually my eyeshadow base) lightly across my lids. It's a quick, easy way to open up your eyes, to reduce red and puffiness, and any other little bumps or veins. Just be sure to either choose a color that's your skin color, or accept the fact it won't be completely natural.

 

5. Eyelash Curler

I love mascara. I love big lashes. I love my eyelashes touching my brow bone. Only problem: my boyfriend hates it. Which is sad. But through time, I've learned a way to naturally define my lashes without coats of mascara. And that is simply just curling them! I know. It's really innovative, right? But I've found that my eyes, once again, just pop so much more once they are curled. Now I've been blessed with better than average lashes, so this works for me. However, I can't emphasis enough how naturally pretty this is! I use my MAC Lash Curler, but of course Revlon makes an amazing drugstore one!

 

6. Lip Balm

If you need more color on your face, go for a tinted lip balm! However, I keep it even more natural by just going with a couple swipes of just plain chaptstick. Lipstick and gloss are definitely not happening on most days for me, which is good because my boyfriend finds it weird haha. I prefer either the tinted Baby Lips from Maybelline or just my yummy and smooth Eos (the little egg shaped guys...definitely love the lemon!).