Sep 10, 2011
Quick Tip: Sharpening
Before sharpening pencil products such as eyeliners, lipliners, shadow sticks, concealers, etc., pop them in the freezer for about 5 to 10 minutes. This allows the tip to harden, that way you lose less product when sharpening and also prevents breakage!
Sep 2, 2011
August Hits and Misses
Hello everyone,
Another month has flown by, and the fall season is finally approaching. With that said, I've compiled a list of beauty and personal items that I used throughout the past month. As the title of this post suggests, there are items I liked, and others that I didn't like as much. This is my first post of this nature, but I plan to continue posting monthly and sharing my new discoveries!
Hits:
MAC Powder Blush in Dame
I've been wanting a pink blush for a long time. Not a peachy pink, not a bright pink, just a regular pink blush. This shade happens to complement me perfectly since it has some blue undertones, and my skintone is on the cooler side. It doesn't look like I'm wearing blush, but that I'm blushing naturally. It also lasts almost the whole day, which is more than I can say for many blushes.
Korres Lip Butter in Jasmine
This lip butter smells like sugar cane, leaves lips extremely soft, and it's the perfect nude-pink shade to use on a bare face, or if you are wearing a smokey eye look.
Burberry Brit Sheer Eau De Toilette
This scent was perfect for summer, and I definitely intend on wearing it during fall as well. Light, clean, fruity and fresh, it's definitely a new favorite. Fragrances are hard to describe and recommend, so you'll just have to smell it for yourself when you get a chance.
Maybelline Lash Discovery Waterproof Mascara in Very Black
I bought this mascara because I wanted something with a tiny wand to use on my bottom lashes. Works pretty well, doesn't smudge, and also works well on my inner corner top lashes that are practically invisible to the naked eye. Gives a very natural look.
NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk
This chubby eye pencil is quite pigmented. The color payoff is a rich, matte white, and while many use it as a base to make colorful eyeshadows pop, I prefer to dot it on my inner corners and smudge it a bit with my fingertip to get a bright look and diffuse my dark circles. Those with darker skin tones might prefer to use a champagne or a more warm-toned shade.
Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow/Liner in r.s.v.p.
I've been cursed with having oily and double-fold (i.e. droopy) eyelids. Due to this curse, I can't ever dare to wear eyeshadow without help from my trusted primer. Even then, cream shadows have always been a danger zone, because they tend to crease on even the driest of lids. So when I got this shadow as part of a Benefit kit from Sephora, you can imagine my concern. The first time I tried it, I didn't even wear it outside because I was afraid it would crease badly and eventually disappear. Not the case! I am happy as ever to inform that this shadow stayed on, just as if it was a high quality powder applied onto primed lids! This became my go-to shadow of the month. Since summertime calls for simplicity, a simple wash of this gorgeous champagne color was enough to add some sheen while not looking too overdone. I should mention that I applied this to my bare lids, with no primer. Also, it smells kind of like caramels.
Aveeno Continuous Protection Sunblock Face Lotion SPF 30
I am a devoted Allure reader, and in every issue there's always that article reminding us that we must wear sunblock daily. However, the problem with me and sunblock is that we don't exactly get along very well. I have an oily complexion, and most sunblocks feel like I just applied a nasty coat of Vaseline (or some kind of heavy oil/cream) all over my face. They sting like crazy around my eyes, they stink, and I end up getting tiny bumps all over as a cause of clogged pores. Instead, I try to wear makeup with SPF, but that's not enough. In a moment of desperation I came across this product from Aveeno. It still leaves my face looking quite shiny and dewy, but it doesn't feel heavy at all. The smell is light and pleasant, and to my surprise, it doesn't sting my delicate eye area. Win!
Secret PH Balanced Deodorant in Shower Fresh
This deodorant smells great, but not too overpowering where it acts as your main perfume. Also, it might be the PH-balancing factor, but I haven't experienced any sweating, and the smell lingers until you're ready to wash it off at night. It's completely invisible on the underarm, and I don't really have a problem with white marks on clothes. Definitely will repurchase.
mark. No Place to Run Longwear Eyeliner in Jet Set
This eyeliner has been a favorite for some time now. I've never found a liner that stays on my lower lashes/water line as well as this one.
Misses:
Neutrogena Deep Clean Long-Last Shine Control Cleanser/Mask
I purchased this cleanser because I have oily skin, and even more so in the summer months. I don't know if it was because I was using it with my Clarisonic, but I felt like this wasn't really cleaning my face. It was a bit too thick, and I noticed breakouts after about a week. Also, the smell is pretty strong, and it didn't really control my shine at all. Hopefully one of my friends is luckier than I was, since I plan to give it to one of them :).
Neutrogena Makeup Removing Towelettes
I am in the search of the perfect makeup removing wipes, and these definitely weren't it. Luckily, I purchased the travel-size pack that only brings seven wipes, so I forced myself to finish them, but I didn't like them one bit. They left my face feeling like I needed to wash it, and after using them my eyelids and the surrounding area was red and sensitive even though there was barely any tugging. They removed the makeup pretty well, but my skin wasn't happy.
Thank you very much for reading!
Another month has flown by, and the fall season is finally approaching. With that said, I've compiled a list of beauty and personal items that I used throughout the past month. As the title of this post suggests, there are items I liked, and others that I didn't like as much. This is my first post of this nature, but I plan to continue posting monthly and sharing my new discoveries!
MAC Powder Blush in Dame
I've been wanting a pink blush for a long time. Not a peachy pink, not a bright pink, just a regular pink blush. This shade happens to complement me perfectly since it has some blue undertones, and my skintone is on the cooler side. It doesn't look like I'm wearing blush, but that I'm blushing naturally. It also lasts almost the whole day, which is more than I can say for many blushes.
Korres Lip Butter in Jasmine
This lip butter smells like sugar cane, leaves lips extremely soft, and it's the perfect nude-pink shade to use on a bare face, or if you are wearing a smokey eye look.
Burberry Brit Sheer Eau De Toilette
This scent was perfect for summer, and I definitely intend on wearing it during fall as well. Light, clean, fruity and fresh, it's definitely a new favorite. Fragrances are hard to describe and recommend, so you'll just have to smell it for yourself when you get a chance.
Maybelline Lash Discovery Waterproof Mascara in Very Black
I bought this mascara because I wanted something with a tiny wand to use on my bottom lashes. Works pretty well, doesn't smudge, and also works well on my inner corner top lashes that are practically invisible to the naked eye. Gives a very natural look.
NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk
This chubby eye pencil is quite pigmented. The color payoff is a rich, matte white, and while many use it as a base to make colorful eyeshadows pop, I prefer to dot it on my inner corners and smudge it a bit with my fingertip to get a bright look and diffuse my dark circles. Those with darker skin tones might prefer to use a champagne or a more warm-toned shade.
Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow/Liner in r.s.v.p.
I've been cursed with having oily and double-fold (i.e. droopy) eyelids. Due to this curse, I can't ever dare to wear eyeshadow without help from my trusted primer. Even then, cream shadows have always been a danger zone, because they tend to crease on even the driest of lids. So when I got this shadow as part of a Benefit kit from Sephora, you can imagine my concern. The first time I tried it, I didn't even wear it outside because I was afraid it would crease badly and eventually disappear. Not the case! I am happy as ever to inform that this shadow stayed on, just as if it was a high quality powder applied onto primed lids! This became my go-to shadow of the month. Since summertime calls for simplicity, a simple wash of this gorgeous champagne color was enough to add some sheen while not looking too overdone. I should mention that I applied this to my bare lids, with no primer. Also, it smells kind of like caramels.
Aveeno Continuous Protection Sunblock Face Lotion SPF 30
I am a devoted Allure reader, and in every issue there's always that article reminding us that we must wear sunblock daily. However, the problem with me and sunblock is that we don't exactly get along very well. I have an oily complexion, and most sunblocks feel like I just applied a nasty coat of Vaseline (or some kind of heavy oil/cream) all over my face. They sting like crazy around my eyes, they stink, and I end up getting tiny bumps all over as a cause of clogged pores. Instead, I try to wear makeup with SPF, but that's not enough. In a moment of desperation I came across this product from Aveeno. It still leaves my face looking quite shiny and dewy, but it doesn't feel heavy at all. The smell is light and pleasant, and to my surprise, it doesn't sting my delicate eye area. Win!
Secret PH Balanced Deodorant in Shower Fresh
This deodorant smells great, but not too overpowering where it acts as your main perfume. Also, it might be the PH-balancing factor, but I haven't experienced any sweating, and the smell lingers until you're ready to wash it off at night. It's completely invisible on the underarm, and I don't really have a problem with white marks on clothes. Definitely will repurchase.
mark. No Place to Run Longwear Eyeliner in Jet Set
This eyeliner has been a favorite for some time now. I've never found a liner that stays on my lower lashes/water line as well as this one.
Misses:
Neutrogena Deep Clean Long-Last Shine Control Cleanser/Mask
I purchased this cleanser because I have oily skin, and even more so in the summer months. I don't know if it was because I was using it with my Clarisonic, but I felt like this wasn't really cleaning my face. It was a bit too thick, and I noticed breakouts after about a week. Also, the smell is pretty strong, and it didn't really control my shine at all. Hopefully one of my friends is luckier than I was, since I plan to give it to one of them :).
Neutrogena Makeup Removing Towelettes
I am in the search of the perfect makeup removing wipes, and these definitely weren't it. Luckily, I purchased the travel-size pack that only brings seven wipes, so I forced myself to finish them, but I didn't like them one bit. They left my face feeling like I needed to wash it, and after using them my eyelids and the surrounding area was red and sensitive even though there was barely any tugging. They removed the makeup pretty well, but my skin wasn't happy.
Thank you very much for reading!
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