The Lazy Day Look

June 20, 2015 in Makeup

This past week I've just been so not feeling it when it comes to doing my makeup. I spent the week waking up grumpy at 5:45 and wanted to spend as much time as possible in bed. I still reached for some products because I didn't want to face the barrage of, "Are you sick?" "Why do you look so tired?" etc etc I get on days I choose to go barefaced at work, and I still wanted to put some effort in to look presentable. I found that even slapping on a lazy edit of products helped me feel more at ease and better prepared for the day.

On days like this I just can't be bothered with my usual base products - even tinted moisturizers feel heavy and suffocating if I don't want to be wearing them. I instead reached for the Glossier Perfecting Skin Tint. It's super lightweight and totally melds with the skin so you don't feel it there at all - the only evidence it's there is the super even and glowy quality it gives to the skin. Of course when I'm in one of these "don't feel like it" phases is when my face decides to turn against me and erupt in breakouts. I pulled out my NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer to cover up any blemishes because it blends quickly and lasts all day long.

No matter what, I have to have my brows done. I'm totally ok with leaving the house with no makeup on, but I feel 100 times better if I've at least done my brows. So using the Anastasia Dipbrow Pomade every day this past week was a no-brainer. I was able to easily fill in my brows and keep them looking natural so as to not overpower this minimal look. For eyes, all I did was curl my lashes and add a coat or two of the L'Oreal Telescopic Shocking Extensions Waterproof Mascara. I like this one for minimal makeup days because it gives lots of length and definition rather than dramatic volume. And it doesn't smudge down my face, even with my primer-less oily eyelids.

I wanted to add some color back into my skin, so I grabbed the Stila Convertible Color in Lilium. I just quickly dotted this on the apples of my cheeks and blended it out with my fingers. It leaves the loveliest soft pink flush that looks really natural and makes me look like I'm actually a cheerful morning person. And like my brows, I feel incomplete if I haven't applied a swipe of highlighter to my cheekbones. Lately I've been using the ColourPop highlighter in Smoke N Whistles exclusively. It gives the most dewy-looking shine to the cheekbones without being glittery, the texture is divine, and it's super affordable. It's a win all-around.

Lastly for my lips, I applied the Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment in Petal - it's pretty close to my natural lip shade so it's the ultimate MLBB for me. I love wearing tinted balms on workdays because they're easy to reapply and they keep my lips hydrated in the dry air conditioned office.

What do you reach for for a lazy day look?

The Game-Changers

June 16, 2015 in Makeup, Skincare

I recently watched Amelia Liana's video with Claire Marshall about their "Top 10 Game-Changing Products," and it really got me thinking about what some of mine are. We all have those products that it seemed that the first time we used them, everything just clicked into place. For me, I didn’t really get into beauty until about two years ago, so these “aha” moments probably happened later than most people’s.

The thing that totally changed my skincare routine was the Body Shop Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter. I don’t even remember what I was using to remove my makeup before I found this - probably some form of face wipes (cringing forever). But this really just melts all traces of makeup away, even the most stubborn waterproof mascara, without having to rub or tug at the skin too much. My skin is definitely happier that I’ve been using this - I’m on at least my fourth tub now.

Another skincare staple that really changed the game for me was the Pixi Glow Tonic. Everyone raves about this, but for good reason. I had never even heard of acid toners until last year and scooped this one up to try due to the hype around it. It instantly transformed my skin from clogged, congested mess to clear and smooth. I was afraid of using acids to exfoliate before trying this as I have quite easily irritated skin, but I’ve found that it’s much gentler than a manual scrub and I’m left with better results. In the year I’ve been using this I’ve really noticed a difference in my skin - bad acne scars have faded, and while new spots still leave scars, they fade much more quickly than they used to. I don’t think I’ll ever be without this.

The last bit that I guess fits into the skincare category is the Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask. Before I got this I was a bit of a lip balm hoarder (see my Favorite Lip Treatments post for evidence - this was right when I first started trying the Agave Lip Mask. Also don't laugh because it was one of my first posts on this blog), but now I only have two or three I go between. Before I tried this, my lips were super sensitive and I would get random allergic reactions to products for no reason - sometimes the Nuxe Reve de Miel would be heavenly to use, other times I would develop a painful rash at the corners of my mouth. This lip mask seemed to completely turn that around - I use it every night without fail (in fact, I can’t fall asleep without it on), and I always wake up with smooth, moisturized lips. A tube has lasted me for a long time too - I’m just now finishing my first tube that I started back in September, and again, I slather on a good amount of this every night.

Realizing what I truly look for in a makeup product has been more of a gradual process, but I still have three products that really stand out. Before I tried the bareMinerals Complexion Rescue, I thought I had to compromise good coverage in a tinted moisturizer-type product for something that was actually moisturizing. Depending on my skin on a given day, even my favorite tinted moisturizers could feel a little chalky and tacky. The Complexion Rescue, however, is a very lightweight gel-cream hybrid that feels so nourishing on the skin. It gives great coverage as well - I’d say it’s almost up there with the NARS one. I really love that it smooths over any dry areas and quenches my skin’s thirst while still evening out my skintone. And it leaves the most beautiful glow that’s never tacky, score.

Speaking of a beautiful glow, starting this spring I’ve really been after that perfect glowy skin. The area of my makeup collection that’s grown the most quickly (besides those neutral lip products) has to be highlighters. I just didn’t get them at first, finding many I tried just too glittery or too bronze-y gold. Enter the rms beauty Living Luminizer. I had heard this mentioned loads of times on just about every Into the Gloss Top Shelf, but it took me such a long time to finally get my hands on it. But now I know what I really need to look for in a good highlighter. It leaves the most beautiful sheen on the skin rather than a discoball glitter effect, and every highlighter I get my hands on now gets compared to this. It really is the best of the best for a natural, yet still noticeable glow, and despite getting quite a few more after this that I love, this is still the one I reach for the most.

Lastly is the Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade. I spent the longest time as a loyal customer to the Brow Wiz, but I think I’ve finally left that behind in favor of the Dipbrow. I was finding that with the Brow Wiz, it was quite a bit too easy for me to end up drawing on very blocky brows (and now I have to live with those awkward brows in all my graduation photos from last year, whoops). Even when I don’t take the time to draw on individual hairs with the Dipbrow (which I love to do when I have lots of time to get ready), the result always comes out so much more natural for me. I think I’ve really gotten the hang of it now, and I’m pleased to say I think I’ve had a “good brow day” every day for the past month now (really hoping I didn’t just jinx myself there).

What are your “game-changing” products?

FOTD: Date Night

June 13, 2015 in Makeup

I was wracking my brains trying to figure out what to write about for today’s post when I realized I was actually going out on a Friday night for the first time in awhile. Usually my boyfriend and I stay in and watch a movie - we have a system: he always gives me three choices and then I pick from there. We also always eat way too much during the movie, usually something involving cheese (I made the best spinach artichoke dip a few weeks ago that was smothered in cheese). Anyway, since I went out, I thought I’d show you how I ended up doing my makeup.

Not straying too far from our usual plans, we went to the movies and saw Spy (I loved it - Melissa McCarthy is hilarious and I’m glad she’s finally getting the recognition she deserves *huge Gilmore Girls fan here*). Afterward, we planned on picking up some chicken wings for dinner because people at work had gotten some for lunch yesterday, leaving me craving them all day!

Yesterday my skin was feeling really dry and was also looking quite a bit more red than usual, so the scientist in me immediately kicked in and I mixed up my own concoction. I decided to mix one pump of the NARS Sheer Glow Foundation in Mont Blanc with a tiny scoop of the First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream and the result was perfect - the coverage of Sheer Glow but slightly dewier, and it felt great on my skin.

I was happy with the coverage so I moved onto eyes without bothering with concealer. I used my usual Anastasia Dipbrow Pomade in Medium Brown to fill in my brows - I tend to bounce between this and the Brow Wiz a lot, but I think I’m finally coming to terms with the fact that Dipbrow is the winner for me. For eyes I grabbed my new ColourPop Super Shock Shadows (see my full haul here) in Hanky Panky and Plunge. Hanky Panky makes the most amazing crease shade (it would be perfect for a no-makeup makeup look), and Plunge is an excellent pale champagne gold. I finished off the eyes with a bit of the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Corrupt and lashings of the L’Oreal Shocking Extensions Telescopic Waterproof Mascara - an old favorite I recently rediscovered. It gives the most incredible length to the lashes, fans them out, and holds the curl all day. I’m not sure why I ever wandered from this one.

Going back to my cheeks - since my face had been red, I didn’t want to use a super pigmented blush. But I still wanted something there to add some color back into my skin, so I reached for the Stila Aqua Glow Watercolor Blush in Rosewater. I figured the neutral pink shade would be perfect, and the sheer (but buildable) formula would make it easy to only add a pinch of color to my cheeks. I topped it off with my new favorite highlighter by ColourPop in Smoke N Whistles on my cheekbones, brow bone, and inner corners. The subtle pink shade and tiny silver shimmers give the skin an almost glossy look that I really love.

Since I was going out of my comfort zone and deviating from my usual plans of sitting on the couch in pajamas, I decided to step out of my comfort zone with a bold lip as well. Since I was going to be sitting through a 2 hour movie and then gorging myself on Honey BBQ wings, I needed something that would stay put and not need touching up. It was a no-brainer - I immediately reached for my Sephora Collection Cream Lip Stain in Always Red. I think the red popped nicely with the monochrome outfit I was wearing, and I didn't feel uncomfortable in it whatsoever. At the end of the night, it was still totally intact and I needed to use olive oil on a cotton pad to remove it.

What kind of looks have you been going for lately?