The Barefaced Glow

August 16, 2016 in Makeup

If you counted up all the words I've dedicated to glow-giving products on this blog, I'm sure you'd have something of Gone with the Wind proportions. But I'm back with two more products I've been absolutely loving to cheat my way to sunkissed, glowy skin.

I mentioned my new love of the Urban Decay Beached Bronzer in Sun-Kissed last week in my Five to Try post, and I've grown even more obsessed with it in the week that's passed. This is the perfect shade of bronzer for me. It warms up the skin, but it has a slight reddish tone to it, so it really mimics a natural tan - at least it does for me, someone who only turns into a sweaty tomato in the sun rather than a bronze goddess. The powder is so finely-milled and soft that you can't even detect it on the skin. I usually prefer cream products for a natural look, but this one has quickly topped my usual picks. It really just looks like I've spent time out in the sun rather than threw a bunch of powder on my face. I like to wear this one on my cheekbones and also over the bridge of my nose - I kind of give myself a fake sunglasses tan, but in a cool way.

For the "glow" portion of this glow duo, nothing looks more natural on the skin than the 24/7 Touch-Up Skin Perfecting Cream. I mentioned this in my Peach & Lily Haul from a couple months ago. It's a makeup/skincare hybrid that not only adds a glow to the skin with the most undetectable shimmer ever, but provides anti-aging and brightening benefits for the skin as well. This is described as a "shimmer cream," but I certainly don't see any shimmer in it when I apply it to my skin. It just adds the most dewy-looking sheen that looks like I've just spent the last day bathing in moisturizers. It's been the perfect pick on more minimal makeup days - I can have an intense glow that still looks entirely like my own skin. It goes absolutely perfectly with the Urban Decay bronzer to get me on my way to that Bronzed Goddess status I so wish my pale Irish skin would allow.

What are your favorite products for a natural glow?

The Neutral Blush Edit (Take 2)

August 13, 2016 in Makeup

Around this time last year I wrote up my first Neutral Blush Edit - I guess my love for barely-there blushes will just never die. When going through my collection for this post I was surprised at how many neutral blushes I had picked up since my last post about them - although to be fair, it's the only color I wear, so there haven't been any other blush purchases besides these.

I'll start out with the two outliers - I've got one on the cooler side of neutral pink, and one on the warmer brown side. The NARS Blush in Impassioned has been an everyday grab since I got it from my boyfriend for my birthday. I absolutely love the shade as it never makes my cheeks look too rosy - I usually avoid blush on very hot days because I tend to turn into a tomato-face, but the shade doesn't exacerbate that. It's a beautiful cool mauve shade that looks so natural on the cheeks. Sadly, I think this was limited edition from their spring collection. The warmer option is the Clinique Cheek Pop Blush in Nude Pop. I love the formula of these, so I'm so glad I picked up a more "me" shade. It's just a true nude shade that, again, doesn't make my cheeks rosy in the slightest but rather adds a bit of definition. This is my most-worn of the bunch.

I surprisingly only picked up one non-powder blush (well, two if you don't consider Colourpop powders). I've only gotten the Milk Makeup Blush Oil in Ripe in the past month, but it's quickly become a solid favorite. It's super easy to apply as it's a rollerball, and the formula is lovely - it blends so easily and adds more of a sheer tint. It has such a dewy sheen that makes the skin looks so fresh and alive. The Colourpop Super Shock Cheek Blush I've gotten within the last few months is the shade Birthday Suit, a true neutral pink in a satin finish. This is my first Colourpop Blush, and I'm totally in love. They're super easy to dab on with fingers and blend out, and the satin finish really makes the cheeks "pop."

The oldest blush in this roundup is the Too Faced Love Flush Blush in Baby Love - I almost forgot to include this one as it's been a favorite so long that I could have sworn it was in my original post. The shade is a dusty pink with some gold shimmer, although the shimmer shows more in the pan than it does on the skin. This has reminded me to throw it back in my everyday makeup drawers to remind me to use it more, because it's really such a great blush!

The last two I've got are probably the prettiest, packaging- and product-wise. I finally caved and got the Charlotte Tilbury Cheek to Chic Swish and Pop Blush in First Love, and I still can't get over the fact that I think I chose the shade that looks the most like a boob. But hey, it was the neutral one! The idea of these is to use the outer shade all over the cheekbone and the "pop" the inner shade on the apples of the cheeks. I've usually just been swirling them together, though, and it's equally beautiful either way. The formula is just as you'd expect from Charlotte Tilbury - an amazingly soft and smooth powder that just glides onto the skin and melds into it perfectly. The newest blush I've been testing, that also falls into the neutral category, is the Marc Jacobs Air Blush Soft Glow Duo* in Kink & Kisses. There is a more nude shade that I'm dying to get my hands on, but this is the prettiest duo of pinks. The formula provides more of a sheer wash of color, which is perfect for me and my rosy cheeks. I've seen people use the two shades separately, but again, I've just been swirling them together. It leaves such a radiant finish on the skin without containing any shimmer, and it's virtually undetectable. I don't know what kind of wizardry they're pulling down at Marc Jacobs Beauty, but seriously, guys, keep it coming.

What are your favorite neutral blush shades? Have you tried any of these?

*Marc Jacobs Air Blush was sent to me for review by Influenster, but all opinions are my own. See my disclaimer for more information.

The Return of Max Factor

August 11, 2016 in Makeup

US beauty lovers rejoice - Max Factor is back! I've been sitting by jealously as my favorite UK bloggers rave about product after product from this brand, and now we can all finally get our hands on some. Max Factor has come out with a small collection (curated by none other than Pat McGrath) that is now available at drugstore.com, amazon.com, Walgreens, and Target. Their idea when selecting the products to release was to fuse modern and classic - a cat eye with a nude or a rose lip. The products now available in America are the Masterpiece Max Mascara*, Masterpiece High Precision Liquid Eyeliner*, and two shades of the Colour Elixir Lipstick*.

Let me just say I'm already in love with the mascara. I've been using it every single day since I got it, and although I got sent the product for free, I'm going to be going out and buying a few backups. It gives me the perfect amount of volume, definition, and length, and it holds a curl really well throughout the day. What's sold me, though, is the fact that it isn't waterproof and still manages to last all day long on me. The shade available is Velvet Black which is just as it sounds - a rich, opaque black that really adds drama to the lashes. I've had to wear my glasses for the past couple weeks, so I've been really glad to have this to still add some definition to my eyes.

I was a bit confused when I opened the liner - instead of the typical pointed nib you get on felt tip liquid eyeliners, this one has more of a paddle shape. I'm terrible at doing liquid eyeliner, so I kept an open mind and hoped this shape would help. It certainly helps when lining my actual eye, but I'm still getting to grips with using it to draw a wing. Keep in mind that I'm horrible at doing winged liner with any eyeliner pen, so I don't fault this product at all. The shape works well to make sure you get down as close as possible to your lashes, so you're not left with a weird gap of skin. It therefore makes the lashes look so thick. The color is a rich black that doesn't have any sheen when it dries down, which I'm always looking for in a liquid liner. Again, I'm impressed!

Left to right: Charlotte Tilbury Kim KW, Max Factor Simply Nude, Charlotte Tilbury Super Cindy, Max Factor Maroon Dust

The lipsticks are also quite lovely. They're creamy and have a nice sheen, but I don't feel like they're going to be slipping and sliding all over the place if I want to eat or drink something. Because of their more moisturizing texture they won't last through eating, but they do fade evenly and are easy to touch up. The shades available are Simply Nude, a beautiful true pinky nude, and Maroon Dust, what I think I would call a terracotta rose. Upon swatching them I instantly thought they reminded me of the two shades of the Charlotte Tilbury Hot Lips Lipsticks I recently got, and lo and behold they're quite similar! So if you wanted to get your hands on Kim KW or Super Cindy, definitely check these out instead.

Overall I'm so impressed with these products, and I'm hoping more products from Max Factor will be available in the US in the future! Until then, my list of things to buy if I ever go to the UK has just gotten significantly longer. Have you tried any of these products yet?

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