Five to Try

August 09, 2016 in Makeup, Skincare

One of my favorite things to do is to try new products. I not only love the excitement of opening up something new, but figuring out whether it works with my skin or general makeup aesthetic is so much fun. And of course when I find something I love, I just have to shout about it here for all of you.

Jouer Daily Repair Treatment Oil* | I love a good facial oil, and lately this one has been a great addition to my skincare routine. It contains a bioretinol complex that has the positive effects of retinol without the irritation commonly experienced. It also contains both rosehip and starflower oils to nourish and rejuvenate the skin. This oil keeps my skin moisturized all night long - usually I have to top up my oil at night with one last layer of night cream, but with this one I don't. It leaves me with incredibly smooth and plumped skin come morning, so I just can't get enough of it.

Farmacy Honey Potion Renewing Antioxidant Hydration Mask* | If you're not only looking for a nice hydrating mask but also an incredibly relaxing one, definitely give this one a go. It's a thick, honey-like (surprise) consistency when you first take it out of the pot (it comes with a spatula to make scooping it out easier), but once you spread it over the face and begin massaging it in, it gently heats up and turns into more of a silky cream. It's really quite nice. I'll be writing up a more in-depth review of this soon (if that's something you'd want to see), but for now I'll just tell you it's my favorite mask at the moment.

Dior Fusion Mono Eyeshadow, 'Meteore' | I picked up this beautiful eyeshadow about a week ago after I had heard them mention it in Fat Mascara, my new favorite podcast. I always assumed these were cream eyeshadows, but they're actually more of a hybrid gel-powder. It's quite unique. The Meteore shade is a beautiful copper shade that's perfect for everyday. The pigmentation is on the more sheer side so it just lends a hint of definition and brightening sheen to the eyelids. I've been patting this on just about every morning.

Pixi MultiBalm, 'Sheer Sculpt' | When I heard that this was a similar shade to Kevyn Aucoin's famous Sculpting Powder, I was sold. It definitely is a perfect contour shade, and it's such a blendable cream. Even on my pale skin it's easy to get a natural-looking contour. I much prefer working with creams than powders, so this has even replaced my Sculpting Powder - I gave it away to my sister as soon as I tried this!

Urban Decay Beached Bronzer, 'Sun-Kissed' | I've been debating this bronzer all summer, and I finally caved. I'll admit it was the packaging that did me in, but luckily the product inside is just as beautiful. I have the lighter shade of the two and it's really the most perfect bronze shade. It's not orange-toned at all, but I think it actually has a bit of a reddish tone, which I really love because it makes it the exact color I would turn if I could actually tan. The powder is nice and soft, but not enough to kick up too much dust. And it's pigmented, but not so pigmented that it leaves a huge streak on your face. It's just perfect.

What new products have you been trying lately? Have you tried any of these?

*Some products mentioned have been sent to me for consideration, but all opinions are my own. Please see my disclaimer for more information.

If I Could Only Pick One

August 06, 2016 in Makeup

I've been seeing a few posts like this around lately, and I thought it would be fun to go through my collection and see what I would pick if I could only choose one product from each category to wear day in and day out. It was a lot easier than I was expecting, so maybe that should inspire me to go through my collection and downsize.

PRIMER: BECCA Backlight Priming Filter | This is only one of two primers I own, and it's definitely the one I reach for more. It gives the skin such a nice glow that works under any foundation. I even like wearing this on its own on no-makeup days if I feel like my skin's looking a little dull - this perks it up right away. I feel like it helps my makeup stay on longer as well, which some glow-inducing primers don't really do.

BASE: bareMinerals Complexion Rescue | This was probably my hardest choice, as I do love a good skin-like base. The Complexion Rescue is such a perfect product - it's lightweight and non-greasy, but it gives a good amount of coverage and a whole lot of glow. It feels so creamy and hydrating on the skin too - some tinted moisturizers I've tried have felt chalky on my skin, but this one's just so smooth. I love that it has the extra SPF in there, too.

CONCEALER: Glossier Stretch Concealer | I've recently heard this described as a "solid tinted moisturizer" and that really is right. It's one of the first concealers I've tried with a dewy finish, so it really goes well with all the dewy foundations I like to use. It gives a more sheer coverage, but it layers easily without ever getting cakey. I like that I can apply this to the drier areas on the sides of my nose that get red without it catching on every little dry patch - this is definitely one to try if you can.

BROWS: Glossier Boy Brow | I've said before that if I only use one product before rushing out the door, it's always something for my brows. The Boy Brow is my favorite because it's unlike any tinted brow gel I've tried - it's more of a cream, so it sets the brows naturally without looking or feeling crunchy. The tint gives the perfect amount of pigmentation, too, so it does a lot of the work of filling in my brows for me. I usually follow this up with some kind of brow pencil, but if I could only choose one brow product, it would always be this.

EYESHADOW: Burberry Wet & Dry Silk Shadow, 'Rosewood' | This is just my favorite eyeshadow. It's got the most beautiful formula, and it's a gorgeous plummy-bronze color. It works equally well dusted on for an all-over wash or packed on for a little more drama. This is also one of those magical eyeshadows that turns a slightly different shade when blended out, so it looks like you're wearing more than one eyeshadow and have put in a lot more effort than you really did.

EYELINER: Colourpop Creme Gel Liner, 'Brew-Haha' | I forgot to include this in the picture, but this is probably the best pencil liner I've ever tried, and it's only $5. It never smudges on me throughout the day, even in the waterline, and the Brew-Haha shade is the perfect deep brown for every day.

MASCARA: Too Cool For School Dinoplatz Escalator Mascara | This is a new addition, but I'm already obsessed. It gives me a good whack of both length and volume without getting too clumpy, and because it's a tubing mascara, it never smudges or flakes on me. This is no easy feat, because every single mascara seems to smudge under my eyes. And as a bonus, it washes off with only warm water.

BRONZER: NARS Laguna Liquid Bronzer | This gives me the most natural-looking bronze glow out of any bronzer I've tried. The liquid blends seamlessly into the skin without disturbing any makeup underneath, and the soft golden shimmers in it add a natural glow that's never glittery. I'm in love.

BLUSH: Stila Convertible Color, 'Lilium' | I don't wear blush every day, but when I do I love this fresh, creamy formula. It's super easy to dab on the cheeks and blend out with fingers, so it's a good product to toss in your bag for on-the-go touchups. The color Lilium is the perfect neutral pink that goes with anything and adds the softest flush to the cheeks.

HIGHLIGHTER: Glossier Haloscope, 'Quartz' | I know, another Glossier product. I'm a bit highlighter-obsessed, but I have no doubt in my mind that this one is my favorite. It gives off quite an intense radiant glow, but it still manages to look totally natural. It uses real crystal powders and a blend of nourishing oils as its source of sheen, so no wonder it makes you look so healthy.

POWDER: Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder, 'Diffused Light' | I don't wear powder much these days, but this is always the one I go for if I do. (Actually I'm pretty sure this is the only powder I own). It sets makeup without making it look powdery or cakey and keeps the glow intact - can you tell I have a type? The Diffused Light shade is slightly yellow, so it also works great at softly canceling out redness.

LIPS: Urban Decay Vice Lipstick, 'Sheer Liar' | This was the hardest decision for me, but in the end I went for this fabulous new formula in a versatile nude shade. The Sheer Liar color can be patted on for a barely-there, "my lips but better" look or applied more liberally for a decently-pigmented hit of pinky-browny-peachy nude on the lips. It really is the perfect nude because it's got a bit of every tone mixed in.

I definitely recommend going through your collection to pick your one product of each - it was actually really fun! Let me know what you'd choose!

A 15-Second Face Mask?

August 04, 2016 in Skincare

If you're lazy like me but still like a good old pamper sesh, then listen up. I'm pretty much a skincare fiend at this point - I love trying anything I can get my hands on. I recently read up on the Blithe Energy Yellow Citrus & Honey Splash Mask on Barely There Beauty, and I knew it was something I had to try. It's called a "patting water mask," so essentially it's a very thin fluid that you can pat on and get the effects of a face mask in just 15 seconds. Are you sold yet?

This comes in three varieties - the yellow one is supposed to be brightening, the green one (green tea) is for soothing more oily skins, and the purple one (berry) is for rejuvenating the skin. As you can see, I went for the yellow one. You may remember from my Summer Skincare Essentials post that I'll try anything if it claims to be brightening. I was totally fascinated by the concept of these. I didn't understand how something like this could possibly give any results, but I'm drinking the KoolAid now. There are a few ways you can use this, but the way I like to do it is by pouring half a capful into my hands in the shower, facing the stream of water, and patting it into my skin while the water is hitting my face. I really feel an instant change in my skin - it feels more plump and smooth, and my skin doesn't feel tight when I get out of the shower (it usually does if I don't use this).

These are quite potent (this one smells like straight up lemon juice), so if you've got sensitive skin I'd be careful. My skin is a little sensitive though, and I haven't had a problem. I just make sure the liquid is mixing with plenty of water from the shower when it's being applied to my skin. It's quite an awkward experience at first and you're going to feel like you're doing it all wrong, but I promise you'll get it. I use this a few times a week and really look forward to my showers on those days. I'm a nighttime shower-er, but I could see these, this yellow one in particular, being quite energizing in the morning. The radiance this gives my skin is really noticeable after a shower, to me at least. I love that I can just do this as part of my shower routine and not have to sit around waiting for a traditional face mask to dry, so I can give myself a little pamper no matter how busy I am.

TL;DR if you take a shower at my house I'm going to force you to use this because it's really great and quite amazing that something so watery can make the skin feel so nice.

Have you ever tried any of these "Splash Masks?" I really want to try the purple one next, and I want to convince my mom to try the green one!