Makeup Lately #9

June 15, 2017 in Makeup

I was looking back through my archive of posts recently, and I realized I haven't written a "Makeup Lately" post for almost a whole year. My makeup look probably hasn't strayed too far over the course of the past 10 or so months, but since I'm using probably all new products, I figured it was a worthwhile update.

I've been starting my makeup each morning with the Glossier Perfecting Skin Tint. This is probably my favorite base product of all time, and I always find myself going back to it. I like to doodle it all over my face and blend it in with a beauty blender. For concealer, I've fallen head over heels for the new Milk Makeup Flex Concealer. This reminds me a lot of the Glossier Stretch Concealer, in that it doesn't cake up or dry out on my skin, but it gives a little bit more coverage. I especially love it for under my eyes.

For brows I haven't yet strayed from my trusty Glossier Boy Brow in Brown - most days, I'll only use this, but sometimes I'll add a bit more definition with the NYX Micro Brow Pencil in Taupe. It's a really good dupe for the ABH Brow Wiz in my opinion. I'm pretty averse to having to use brushes on a day to day basis, so I always stick to cream eyeshadows. I've recently found a hidden gem in the Revlon Colorstay Creme Eye Shadow in Praline (730) - it's the perfect "am I wearing a color on my eyelids or are they just looking mighty dewy today?" kind of shade. It has the perfect amount of sheen and no chunky glitter or shimmer, and it stays put all day on me without a primer. I really need to go check out the other shades, because this formula is a definite hit.

When I want something a little deeper, I've been using the Burberry Eye Colour Contour Smoke & Sculpt Pen in Rosewood. It looks just like my beloved Burberry powder eyeshadow (also in Rosewood), but with the ease of a cream eyeshadow stick. This is a super lovely formula as well - it blends easily and sets rather quickly. It does crease a teeny bit on me without a primer, but any creasing blends right back out with a quick pat with my fingers. I forgot to put my mascara in the photo, but I've taken a quick break from my beloved Wander Beauty mascara to test out the new L'Oreal Voluminous Lash Paradise Mascara. I've been LOVING this. I got the regular version, when normally I always go waterproof for drugstore mascaras, but this doesn't smudge at all throughout the day. It also holds the curl in my lashes really well. It can get clumpy if you layer too much on, but I love the effect of just one coat, so it hasn't been an issue.

For cheeks, lately I've branched out a little from my usual Glossier Cloud Paint + Haloscope duo. I've fallen for the Smashbox LA Lights Blendable Lip & Cheek Color in Mulholland Mauve over the past couple months - the shade is absolutely perfect. It adds a bit of definition and warmth to the cheeks since it's got a bit of a brown tone to it, but it also brings some rosiness as well because of the mauve. It's super easy to dot on and blend out, and so far it's been 100% foolproof. I love it. For highlighter I haven't been able to put the Nudestix Nudies All Over Face Colour in Illumi-Naughty down. It's a beautiful, barely-there highlight that shines a subtle, pearly pink when it catches the light. It's definitely one of the most beautiful highlighters I own.

I change up my lip products regularly, but lately my favorite combination has been applying a layer of the Glossier Generation G in Leo and then dabbing a bit of the Gen G in Like on top. It adds the perfect amount of pink, leaving me with a perfect "MLBB" shade. I've been liking a little more of a glossy look to the lips, so I've been dabbing on the new Glossier Birthday Balm Dotcom over the top - it's just as hydrating as the original, but it has a little bit of holographic shimmer and smells just like vanilla cake. This is one to jump on for sure.

What are your everyday makeup picks?

I mentioned quite a few bits from Glossier in this post, and you can get 20% off your first Glossier order by shopping through my rep page. I make a small commission on orders through my page, so I appreciate every order! I use the money I earn through the rep program to improve this space, from equipment to products to review.

New In | Highlighters

June 14, 2017 in Makeup

The one product I still have the hardest time resisting is a good highlighter. Lately I've been testing out a whole bunch, trying to find the next best thing. With summer upon us, I've really been going for a glowy look, so it's been fun to try a few new products. Most of these are quite natural-looking on the skin rather than the more metallic highlights I used to be into - I guess this is growing up.

bareMinerals Invisible Glow Powder Highlighter | The name really says it all on this one - it looks so natural on the skin, making it look like you're just glowing from within. This powder formula isn't quite as buttery as other formulas I'm used to (because it's a baked formula), but it still blends effortlessly and melds into the skin - it doesn't look powdery whatsoever. It uses reflective pearls to mimic the look of sunlight reflecting off the skin, and it comes in four different shades that will work for any skintone. I have the Fair to Light shade that gives a pale, almost icy sheen that's just beautiful. My sister was the one who told me about this, so kudos to her for finding such an underrated gem.

Diorskin Nude Air Luminizer Powder | On the other hand, this one has been getting lots of hype lately. It's one of the most beautiful products I own, surely, and it performs just as beautifully as it looks. It has a super buttery formula that glides onto the skin with ease. When heavily swatched, some shimmer is visible, but on the skin it really looks like a dewy sheen. I have the shade 001 Nude Glow, and while I originally wanted the pink shade (which is 002, but the testers in my Sephora were labeled wrong), I really love it. It's a lovely neutral champagne shade that doesn't pull too warm on me.

Ilia Beauty Illuminator | Even though I'm head over heels for stick highlighters like the Glossier Haloscope and Nudestix Nudies, I just had to give this one from the natural beauty brand Ilia a try. For one thing, the palest shade is called "Polka Dots and Moonbeams," which is one of my favorite Frank Sinatra songs. It leaves a beautiful sheen on the skin without a hint of visible shimmer. The formula is a bit stiffer than something like the Haloscope, so I like to apply it with my fingers rather than directly from the stick.

Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat Glow Shot Liquid Highlighter | There aren't many liquid highlighters I use consistently, so I was really interested in trying this beauty when it came out. I got the shade 1 Daylight, which is a super pale, neutral gold. I'm so excited to have finally found a gold highlight I can wear. The effect is definitely subtle, but the cream feels gently cooling on the skin and leaves you looking quite radiant. There's a little bit of a scent when first applied, but it dissipates quickly. This is probably the standout of the bunch here, and it's the one I've used the most so far. I'm quite tempted to pick up the rosy shade (2 Sunrise) next!

Becca Light Chaser Highlighter | I think this is the newest release of the bunch, and it's definitely the least natural-looking of the five I have here. These new highlighters from Becca use some of their original best-selling Shimmering Skin Perfector shades with an added duochrome flash. I have Champagne Dream Flashes Bellini, which is a base of Champagne Pop with a peachy-pink shift. Again, my sister suggested this to me as being similar to the Milk Holographic Stick in Mars - she's right, and they look absolutely beautiful layered together. The formula doesn't feel as soft as Becca's original highlighters, but it's still just as easy to apply and looks just as lovely on the skin.

Have you tried any new (to you) highlighters lately?

The Repurchases | Five Products Worth a Re-Buy

June 13, 2017 in Makeup

Being someone who's quite beauty-obsessed, I often see running out of one product as an opportunity to try something new. But there are a few products that I just can't be without, so whenever I run out, I need to run out and repurchase (or just keep multiple backups).

Glossier Perfecting Skin Tint | This is my absolute favorite base product. I love the effect it has on the skin - it's quite smoothing and perfecting and gives an incredibly healthy-looking glow. One reason I've repurchased countless bottles is because it's so versatile. Not only is it beautiful on its own, but it also mixes really well with other products to help them look more skin-like.

It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream | Speaking of base products, this is one of the only other bases I've ever repurchased. Like the skin tint, it gives a skin-like, slightly dewy finish, but it has a whole lot more coverage. I actually love mixing the two together to get the perfect amount of coverage. This is a great option for everyday because it sheers out and builds up well, leaves the skin looking perfected but natural, and has an SPF of 50.

Glossier Boy Brow | This is one product that I am terrified of running out of. I'm pretty sure I have about four or five backups right now, because it's just that good. I'm perfectly comfortable leaving the house without makeup, but I always feel better when I fill in my eyebrows, at least a little. The Boy Brow fills in and fluffs up my brows, and it's great on its own or as a base for other brow-filling products. I love that it holds my eyebrows in place for the whole day without being stiff or crunchy - this is definitely "your brows but better." You can get 20% off your first Glossier order through my rep page.

Wander Beauty Unlashed Volume & Curl Mascara | This is such an underrated hidden gem. I really like mascaras packaged in tubes, for one thing - I feel like you have a better chance of getting more product out before having to throw it away. This gives such a beautiful, fluttery look to the lashes that's perfect for everyday, and it also builds up nicely to something more dramatic without getting clumpy or spider-y. It's not waterproof, but it still manages to hold a curl on my stubborn lashes and doesn't smudge all over my oily eyelids. This stuff is some kind of magic, and I highly recommend picking up a tube in your next Sephora order.

Dior Addict Lip Glow Color Reviver Balm | If I could only use one lip product for the rest of my life, this would be it. It's a lovely, hydrating lip balm, and it gives the lips a really pretty flush of color. This comes in four shades now, but the original pink shade is still my favorite. It's one of those products that supposedly works with your body's pH/temperature to create your own custom color. I do find that it shows up brighter on my lips than other days. It creates the perfect, healthy, "just-bitten" flush to the lips that works for pretty much any occasion.

What products will you always repurchase?