 **These pictures are from Sephora's, Walmart, and Beautylish websites.** For the next part of The Good, The Bad and The Eh, we're doing Loose Powders. Loose powder is obviously not travel friendly but it also has more uses than just setting the face. You can tidy up a messy dramatic and winged eye with some loose powder. You can use it under the eye to catch fall out from shadows and then just sweep it away. You can "bake" with it which essentially just makes your makeup stay through a hail storm. A lot of people bake to clean up contour and some bake under the eyes as a highlighting technique. I do not bake under the eyes because it really accentuates fine lines in my opinion. I actually don't bake much at all. I do however like loose powder to set the under eye area, especially certain kinds which I will explain. I also like setting the face with loose powder for a heavier makeup application. If I had to choose I would pick pressed powder over loose powder most every day but I've found some really good ones that make a difference. So starting with the Good: My go to powder for a few years for every purpose for a powder possible is the RCMA No Color Powder. This is inexpensive. I think you get like 3 oz of products for around $10-$12. I get mine from Frends Beauty, it's also available at Beautylish. This is ideal for baking. It's great to set the under eye as well. It's just all around great. It's not overly matte finish in my opinion, it's more natural finish. Which I like because it doesn't take away from the overall look and finish of your makeup. A great powder that I've really like recently is the new Becca Soft Light Blurring Powder. Now this is a tricky powder. I only use it on the perimeters of the face because this is super luminous and it's a peach tinted powder. It mimics "golden hour lighting" which is the ideal lighting around sunset and sunrise that makes beautiful pictures. I didn't like this at first because I used it all over and on my nose it was super noticeable with a sheen and I hated it. I was totally going to return it. I decided to give it another try and this time avoid the areas where I didn't like it. So I used it on the cheek bones up the temple around the forehead and a light dusting down the sides of jaw. I really loved it like that. It totally did blur and my skin looked like a living filter. My favorite combination is this powder with the Smashbox Radiance primer which is "golden hour" lighting as well. Some of you will not like this. It will be a total fail. Some of you will love it. I do not think there is an in between. This is $38 for .35 oz of product. Which is expensive when you think about it. I've found my favorite loose powder for under the eyes specifically through this little quest of powders. It's the Cover FX Perfect Setting Powder the Illuminating finish. I don't find it overly illuminating I just find that it sets the concealer beautifully and blurs any lines as best as it can. Let me also add, just for kicks, there is no powder out there that is going to photoshop your face. It's not possible to completely transform your skin's physical appearance with the application of powder. So while there are great products that help us, we have to keep our goals realistic in the process. Moving on, it comes in a light shade which is a sheer translucent and then a medium shade with a warmer undertone and it's just lovely. It comes in an original finish, a matte finish and then this finish. It's $35 for.35 oz or $10 for .14 oz Last for the Good ones is the Coty Airspun Translucent powder. This is very inexpensive, less than $10, I got mine off Amazon but it's also in my Walgreens and Walmart has it for $5.97. I paid right at $10 for mine. You get a very nice amount of product. This has a very subtle peachy pink color, it also has a strong fragrance as well. Which is odd if you ask me. I feel like this is great for light baking. Where you aren't really packing on a ton of opaque powder, your just doing a more sheer to light application which is going to look better anyway. This also sets the under eye really well, as well as the rest of the face no matter if you use a brush or a sponge. You get 2.3 oz for around $10 like I said and that is a nice amount of product especially if you like to bake. I don't recommend baking with super expensive powders. It's just wasteful when there are other options out there for less and for more product. Now lets move onto the Eh powders: First up the Kat Von D Lock It loose powder. I swear I don't try to bash her stuff. I have plenty of products that I love from her. I think I should just give up on the entire Lock It line though. This isn't bad by no means. It does a good job of setting the face. I don't really like it under the eyes all that much and basically there are just some things I prefer over it. It does come in a travel size which I do really like and that is what I bought so I could just give it a try. Side note: There are other loose powders in the line that are for brightening and what not. This specific one I'm talking about is the Translucent. Next is the No 7 Translucent Powder. This is good but it's not great. It's kinda expensive and still considered "drugstore" makeup which I think it crazy because it is not drugstore prices. You get a decent amount of product but I think it's just mainly good for setting the face with a large brush. Not great for baking, and not impressed by the way my under eye area looks when I have it on. On to the bad.... I'm just gonna go ahead and piss all of you off in one go. I don't mean to but here it is: I don't like the Laura Mercier Translucent setting powder OR the Brightening Powder that is for under the eyes. They both do not work in my opinion. The Brightening Powder emphasizes lines and imperfections under my eyes and the Laura Mercier just doesn't do much at all for my face. I don't like it for baking because I feel like the RCMA is the best for that and even the Coty Airspun is better in my opinion. I just don't like it and yes it will set the face, most loose powders do, but there are others that are way cheaper and work way better. So I'm sorry. I hope you can forgive me and we can still be friends.
Both of these pictures are using the Becca Soft Glow Blurring Powder around the perimeter of the face. The one on the left is using the Coty Air Spun to set the under eye area which did really well. The one on the right is after 8 or more hours of wear and my skin still looked super smooth and hadn't creased at all. I'm pretty sure the under eye was set with Algenist Color Correcting Finishing Powder I believe. It was also around 9 pm when I took that picture with a ring light situation on my phone, versus the left side which was taken in natural light early in the day. The one on the bottom is using Coty Airspun on the entire face and the Cover FX to set the under eye. Taken in natural light, about mid day. (Please excuse my brows, they didn't want to act right that day.) 
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 So this post is what I like to call "The Best Press On Nails Known to Man". I love press on nails. I play guitar, type a lot (obviously), and play piano and it's awkward and almost impossible doing some or all of those things with long nails. So I love nails that I can just pop on and off at my convenience and the best part I CAN RE-USE THEM AGAIN. So I stumbled upon this shop on Etsy called Nail Muse. They have affordable nails and really cool styles from neutral to bold. I love that as well. I ordered a set of foiled nails and then she actually sent me two other sets along the way. So all together I have 4 sets of nails. I prefer Coffin nail shape. I'm a size small because I have super short nail beds. I also like the Oval shape, I've had those. I'm a fan of basically every nail shape actually. From Square to Stiletto and in between I like them all but Coffin is my favorite. These nails are salon quality. They're thicker than normal press on nails that are flimsy and thin. Definitely not cheap looking or cheap feeling. So the quality is A+ as well. I use a salon glue to attach them to my nails so that it's a stronger hold and doesn't pop off as easy as other drugstore nail glues. These actually look better on my nails than acrylic or gel nails. They don't even look like press on nails. They aren't as thick as acrylic or gel nails can be on the nail bed so to me that looks better. So here's how I like to wear them. I love these for events or date nights. Basically anytime I wanna step it up a notch and especially if I'm wearing a lot of rings and bracelets that's going to draw attention to my hands. My natural nail bed is wide and not cute. I don't want to walk around with chipped nail polish because I am so lazy when it comes to keeping up with a manicure. Plus they may my fingers look longer and more dainty. So I love the convenience for these. I'm gonna leave some pictures down below of how they look. If you like press on nails then I think you would LOVE these. Check it out on Instagram Nail Muse: @lydiaelize Me: @lovemascara      It's time for another round of "The Good, The Bad, and the Eh." This time we're talking about powders. It's going to be a 2 part though. This one is going to be pressed powders. The next will be loose powders. I'm going to preface by saying this is just *my opinion*, so don't get offended if I don't like one of your favorite powders. It's not personal, it's makeup lol. So lets's start with the good. I actually have quite a few that I really like from different price points which I love. I like for options of all sorts to be available. First up is my Holy Grail, my absolute favorite, my one and only for a good year or two and it's the Algenist Color Correcting Finishing Powder. For a very long time this is all I would use to set my under eye area. I absolutely love it and I recommend it to everyone. It's quite mesmerizing to look at with the different colors in it but it's totally transluscent on the skin. It's not a powder that claims to "airbush" or "photoshop" the skin. Algenist works with "AlgaCorrecting complex plus an algae-derived ingredient combine for glowing, luminous-looking skin". Of course with anything that is luminous or light reflecting there's a blurring aspect that comes to the skin. I actually love that in a finishing powder more than anything else. I don't think most primers do a good job of living up to that, and some foundations do a good job and some don't. However, a powder that you use to set and basically finish your makeup is ideal to be the luminous and blurring step in the makeup. I do not find that it makes you luminous from a highlighter quality, I believe it just simply color corrects and gives you an overall pulled together finished look. Which is all I really want. I would choose that over intense luminosity and intense smoothing. I just want to look pulled together and makeup to be on point but not too much, not too heavy, or unrealistic. This is at Sephora and it's $38 for .32oz . My second favorite powder is my 2nd in running to the Algenist powder. It's the Too Faced Primed and Poreless Pressed Powder. Now this is a matte transluscent (slightly pink) smoothing powder, it's also available as a loose powder. I've not tried the loose powder. I went in as a total skeptic of it's smoothing abilities and blurring claims. I am happy to say I was definitely wrong about it and it's my go to powder for under the eyes, and it's also my go to powder for large pores. It's a thin veil of product and to me there is a visible difference of the appearance of my fine lines under my eyes and the appearance of the pores as well. I also love that it can be dusted on and work just fine or it can be pressed in with a sponge and have the same effect and a matte finish. I love it very very much. The packaging is also adorable as well. It's $30 for .35 oz. This give a more "perfect" finish to makeup where you definitely look Instagram worthy. It's the closest thing I've found in pressed powders to a "photoshop" quality. Next is a great light reflecting and overall finishing powder which is the Hourglass Ambient Powder in Diffused Light. This has a yellow cast to it and it's a really subtle luminous "banana" like powder. For such a long time everyone set their under eye with a yellow-ish banana shade from either Ben Nye to ABH Contour Palette Banana shade. This is a luminous version and I feel the best choice if you want that shade. This was in the first line of the Ambient Powders which was amazingly successful and to me sky rocketed the Hourglass brand. They have other shades but this is what I would use to set the face. The others I feel are a bit too luminous except for Ethereal Light which is a cool white sheer powder. They are now available in travel size which is $22 for .049 oz of all the shades. The full size is $46 for .35 oz which is expensive on both counts. There have been several Ambient formulas but the original is the best. Now onto some really great affordable options. Most recently the Wet n Wild Photo Focus powder. This is a silky sheer powder. It's a bit luminous and it's tested specifically to work well under flash photography and in pictures. It does work very well. It's around $6. They don't have a translucent shade but they have a nice range of shades and I don't find them overly pigmented so I think you'll be ok with your shade or a shade lighter and a fluffy brush. Another great matte finish powder is the Maybelline Fit Me Matte and Poreless. I do not feel like it's as good as the Too Faced Primed and Poreless but I do feel like it does help with larger pores and it's definitely matte. It's a good alternative and it's something I like to keep on me in my purse or traveling to touch up and blot my T-Zone. Also if it breaks or gets damaged, or lost, you've not lost an expensive powder and I personally feel like it's always good to have 2 powders. Whether they're the same or different but one for your vanity or counter space when you're doing your makeup and one to take with you where ever you go.  Now moving onto the Eh powders. They're neither great or terrible they're in the middle and they're just alright. The reason they're worth mentioning is because it might help you choose a better powder for yourself. Or it might help you avoid a powder that's not right for you. Covergirl Tru Blend. I like this because it's actually pigmented and it provides a nice finish. A satin-matte finish and a bit of coverage as well. However it doesn't set the under eye for me and it emphasizes lines more than I would like. Which is why it's in this category. Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Pressed Powder. Don't kill me. I know, I know, everyone talks about how wonderful it is and how smooth it makes the skin. Don't get me wrong as a setting powder for the entire face, it's very very nice and it does give a smooth finish to the skin that you can feel. I have an issue with this because it oxidizes my under eye concealer. It's $45 and I feel like for that price it shouldn't oxidize. Before you ask, no it doesn't matter what concealer I use, it still oxidizes it and if I use too little that it doesn't set the under eye and then the under eye creases terribly. I have some pictures that are not photoshopped or anything that will show you the difference of this versus other powders. I would prefer any of the powders in the "Good" section over this and for the same price almost, I would choose the Hourglass powder. Now onto the bad. This is just my opinion. It's not the Gospel guys. These just didn't work for me. So don't get offended. Covergirl Outlast. This is the new formula or new packaging at least. Some love it but I find it very ordinary and not that great. It's lovely to the touch and very silky feeling. It's a sheer pigment and it's only 3 shades, or that's all I seen. I just don't think it's amazing or even good and I much prefer the Wet n Wild to this one. Mainly because I find the shades very peachy and not what I like at all. Next is also going to be a fan favorite that I just never liked, which is the older formula of the Make Up For Ever HD pressed powder. They have reformulated and I hear it's quiet nice. I do not like this in the loose or the pressed formula, or at least the old one. I find that again like so many others it makes lines more noticeable and I just don't enjoy it. Which HD is High Definition which means essentially everything in that filter, finish, or whatever is going to be more defined and I do not want that. I want the blurring filter, finish, etc. I want the smoothing, I want the luminous, I don't want to be more detailed. Which I'm sure is not what they meant but if we just break down the name that's kinda what it implies. I would like to try the new formula though just to see if it's finally the immaculate powder that it should be. So that's all I got. Those are what stand out. I narrowed the list down quite a bit. There are plenty of decent powders out there but I'm trying to discuss the ones either heavily talked about or the ones flying under the radar that I wish people would talk about.
Ok so just for a comparison, on the left we have Too Faced Primed and Poreless Powder on the under eye area. We have Wet N Wild Photo Focus setting the rest of the face.
Now on the right (just ignore my attempt at Faux Freckles) I'm using the Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish powder under the eyes and also the rest of the face. It's just dusted on. The pictures are taken with the front facing camera on my phone, in natural light, at a window. It's not photo-shopped (obviously). Also this is right after I had finished the makeup and took pictures. Not after 4-8 hours of wear later.
For months....I mean months, I have been trying to test and compare my Foreo Luna to my new(ish) Clarisonic Mia 1 that I got from Ulta a few months ago. My Foreo I actually first had the Luna Play that was a fail only because it didn't give you the 100 face washes it claims to have. Then I went to the Luna Mini which I liked but it was a bit to bulky and too small so it was weird to hold and then finally landed with the Luna 2 for Combination Skin. Which I used for over a year and loved it. I decided to try the Clarisonic just basically because of testing purposes to be honest. You definitely don't need both, but I feel better traveling with the Luna instead of the Clarisonic because it's smaller and doesn't take up much room.
Now as far as the Luna goes, I love it. It's easy to use, easy to clean, makes my skin feel so smooth and I can control the pressure because my hand is doing most of the pressing. With the Clarisonic, it's heavier so thus I find it can be very abrasive and almost painful if you aren't using the correct head for it. I recommend starting with a "Radiance" head and move up from there with the Clarisonic because going straight in with deep pore is kinda painful I find. So I started with the Radiance Head first. It was super soft and felt nice but I didn't feel like it really exfoliated and got in there like my Luna did and was actually disappointed. So I went to the Sensitive Head. This for some reason flat out hurts my skin. That's when I figured out that I had to control the pressure my self by not pressing hard at all on my skin. Then I went to the Deep Pore head one night, when I had a lot of texture and just really wanted to SCRUB my skin. By then I had learned to go in with a light hand first and apply more pressure as tolerated. So as far as how they handle cleansers, I think the Luna does a better job. It lathers better and I feel like you can use less. When I use a Clarisonic it seems to take forever to get a lather of any kind going and I have to use more cleanser on it, it seems. When it does finally lather though it lathers a lot which I tend to like. It's easier like I said to clean the Luna rather than the Clarisonic. Which is where replacing the heads on the Clarisonic would be necessary. I feel like as far as the exfoliation process, the Luna does a better job at getting into every curve of the face. The Clarisonic though, feels like it does a better job exfoliating all together though because it is more abrasive, more bristles, you can choose how abrasive you want it to be buy choosing different heads and that's what makes the difference is the head attachments for it. Which need to be changed out periodically I feel. If you have super sensitive skin I think you should go with the Luna Sensitive or Ultra Sensitive and not a Clarisonic of any sort. If you are used to exfoliation like for example: I do Microdermabrasion, peels, AHA's and so on. All things that are going to exfoliate the bejeezus out of your skin. So therefore I think it's easier for my skin to adjust to the Clarisonic and it not be too harsh after you learn how to use it. Also it provides a better exfoliation in my mind because it's abrasive enough to really compete with the other forms of exfoliation I already use. I feel like Normal skin that doesn't get irritated too easily could handle it well too. With the Radiance head maybe, MAYBE, sensitive skin could handle it. I do not use a Clarisonic if I'm going to do my MicroDerm that night or an intense peel. I use my Luna. If my skin is staying really smooth and not getting too much texture I like to stick with the Luna because it's easier, however I can see where the Clarisonic is a better exfoliation and a deeper "cleanse" than the Luna and can be used every night, if you're skin handles it well. Basically there is no clear winner here. They both have their place, where I can find times when I'd choose one over the other. IF I had to choose though....I'd go with the Luna. It worked just fine and I don't really feel like the Clarisonic has made my skin any smoother than the Luna did. If you didn't use all the exfoliation that I use then yea I'd say get the Clarisonic if it suited your skin well. Due to my in depth skincare routine though I don't feel as if it's exactly necessary. Still these are both really good they both have their pro's and con's. The good news is if you buy them from Ulta or Sephora and they don't work you can return them and get your money back because they are expensive. The Luna 2 is $199 The Clarisonic Mia 1 is $129 So there is a $70 difference between the two. Of course you might be content with the Luna Mini which is $99. It's totally your call.
It's time for another "WIATAT". This time I want to discuss two products from Fiona Stiles. Which has now piqued my interest so much that I need every product she's EVER. PUT. OUT. So I got the Sculpting Palette first, just on a whim while I was shopping on Ulta's website. I wanted to give it a whirl cause I'd seen Tati Glam Life Guru use some of her stuff. I was blown away with how amazing this was. I have medium to deep. I always prefer to go darker. I just do. These powders blend so amazingly well. The undertone is amazing. It's absolutely perfect for contour from light sculpting to heavier sculpting. They work with any brush and even a sponge. That's right folks. You can sculpt with powder on a sponge. A damp sponge even. So since that was amazing I went back to get the Multidemensional Color Palette because there are 3 blushes with different finishes, a bronzer, and 2 highlight shades. Again it was amazing. The blush is SUPER pigmented. It's shades that I wouldn't typically go for but I was so sold on the Sculpting palette that I didn't care what shades were in the Face Palette. SHE COULD'VE SOLD ME A GREEN BLUSH FOR ALL I CARE. I STILL WOULD'VE BOUGHT IT. Cause I know the formula would be awesome and somehow, someway it would transform into something amazing. They have a hashtag that is "#mistakefreemakeup and they're right. I've really thought I had ruined my makeup one day with too much blush but no. No my friends, I blended it with my powder brush and it turned into, what I can only assume, is pure magic on my face. The bronzer is absolutely perfect with it's golden tone and the highlight shades even the darker one is super wearable and pigmented. Not to a strobing effect and blinding highlight mind you but a lovely sheen. More noticeable than say the Laura Mercier Highlight 01, but less intense than Becca Opal I feel. Formula wise every powder I've tried is consistent and soft and smooth not chalky or dry. I've already stated that they blend like a dream and they do no matter what tool you're using which I think is part of why I love it so much. It's not so much about your tools because the products, in this case, do the work for you. That's hardly ever the case I find. Aside from the fact that her products are amazing she's a highly sought after makeup artist for A list celebs, photographers, and so on. What I think stands out about her work as far as a makeup artist is no matter if it's editorial work, red carpet, runway, whatever, it always has a flawless and fresh look to it somewhere in the makeup. They might have a bright blue wing but somewhere you're going to see that signature style of fresh and flawless makeup. Not necessarily "dewy", "grunge", "everyday", or "bold" but it's perfect and flawless. It's blended but sculpted, it's enhancing your natural brow shape but clean, it's natural lashes that look like falsies. Again I say, because there is no other word that comes to mind, it's flawless. Her signature is "flawless" makeup. I don't feel like she's talked about as much as she should be, and I don't feel like her products are talked about as much as they should be for sure. I highly recommend you at least try some of her products I definitely recommend any powder for the face whether it's a blush, a bronzer, highlighter, contour, whatever it may be, I love everything she's put out for the face especially. Of course I'm going to try more of her stuff. I want to try her shadows, loose powder, foundations, all of it. Eventually, I will own the entire line, I'm just saying. You can get this on Ulta that's what I recommend you do. Get you some points it's just the best way overall.     It's been a little bit since I've done a Collective Haul. I recently got some cool stuff I feel, and I'd like to share them with you. I know that's a horrible opening line but I've been watching a lot of Kathleen Madigan on Netflix and I've apparently adopted the "to the point" and "matter of fact" tone that she has, which I admire. So there ya go. Moving forward with this haul.
I got a lot of stuff from Ulta from cashing in all my points which was up to $260. I actually halfed it with my friend because it's just fun to shop with friends. So that's what we did. We had our respective mermaid tail blankets, one laptop and a heating pad with some oatmeal cookies in the midst and online shopped for random stuff. It was a great day. Some other stuff is from Sephora, Beautylish even made it into this one, Cover FX and Stila, and as always Frends Beauty because you gotta have Frends.....yes I did do that, no I don't care if it's corny. So lets start with Ulta: I got 4 more sheet masks for #SaturdayNightSheetMask. I'm up to 16 I think now. I got the Tony Moly Snail Hydro Gel Mask because quite frankly it sounded disgusting. So naturally it piqued my interest. I got another mask from Leaders because I really enjoyed the last one I had, when I finally figured it out, and this time I got the Balancing mask. I got a Sea Kelp Mask which I also thought was odd but hey I'll try it. Last but not least I got a "Watery Blue Flower Calming Mask" from Goodal. I love sheet masks because they're an inexpensive way to pamper your self and also an easy way to scare someone since you kinda look like Michael from Halloween. I finally caved and picked up the Pore Minimizing Primer from Smashbox. Not the big guy the travel size guy because it's pretty much the only Pore Minimizing Primer or Pore filling primer for that matter, that I even like and can tell a difference with. I only use it in my T-Zone because that's my only problem area so thus this little travel size will last me quite a while. Plus I love the texture of this, it's thick and I really like that I feel like that's why it does a better job than other primers. Next I got two Catrice Camouflage Creams. I got yellow and pink. Both work for under the eyes. The pink is the Wake Up Effect and the yellow is the Anti-Shadow. Which actually I find yellow correctors work well at canceling out minor redness too. They have other shades and they have regular colors as well to use as full coverage concealer. These are something I find need to be worked with a little bit because they aren't super "creamy" meaning they need to be warmed up with your finger to get the right consistency. They definitely are full coverage and they do work. I love a lot of Catrice products actually. I'm a huge fan of their Waterproof Concealers, they are awesome. I also love their All Matt Plus Shine Control Foundation which is $4.49 and it's pretty full coverage as well. I think it's fantastic. There are also products I hate. I've never found a product in this line that was just "ok" I either loved it or hated it. Which is odd but there are far more hits than misses. I got another Tarte Shape Tape. I went with Light Sand this time instead of just Light. I love this concealer as does most everyone else, so there's no point in me discussing it further. I got a Makeup Revolution Strobe Highlighter. It's new, it's a duo chrome. I find that I don't care for their highlighters because they never have a sheen to them. The don't act like highlighters and catch the light. This is the same but it does have some color to it and doesn't settle into fine lines or emphasize pores. So that being said it's like the most subtle highlight known to man. If that fits your criteria be my guest to try it out but I feel most people won't like it. I do love their blushes and blush palettes that often have baked shades in there that can pass as a highlight so again they have some hits and misses too. I got the new Bare Minerals Invisible Bronzer in Tan. Alright let me start by saying, I don't own anything Bare Minerals other than the Bare Skin Serum Concealer. I was talked into that by my friend Edie that works at my Sephora (Hi Edie!) and she was totally right because it is lovely and it's a suitable concealer for everyone in my opinion. So I seen that they released Bronzers and Highlights and they looked very lovely. I decided to go for the bronzer because I'm in a bronzer state of mind right now. I'm going to just go ahead and say I love this and it is probably going to be my go to bronzer for the next foreseeable future. They had 4 shades I got Tan which is pretty dark in the pan but it's beautiful on the skin and just melts in to well with the rest of your makeup. They done a fantastic job. I will probably buy the highlighter now that the bronzer has awoken my soul to the possiblilities that I've not given Bare Minerals a fair shot. I apologize Bare Minerals. Lets move on to Frends Beauty: I'm gonna preface this by saying at least 75% of my makeup probably comes from Frends Beauty. They have, in a lot of ways, a better selection for artists than Sephora or Ulta. From SFX to tools to set makeup and to regular everyday makeup. They have skin care, hair care, self tanning and so on. I love their variety and I love the brands that are accesible to me through them. I know I sound like a broken record but if you join their membership you get 10% off your purchase. It's free. I'm not paid to say that I just think it's nice. I'm not sponsored by them. I bought all this stuff. Although they have sent me stuff in the past, I bought this stuff that you see here. First I made my first purchase of Viseart. I bought the Warm Matte palette and the Petit Pro palette. I got the Petit Pro first to see if I really did like the formula. I really liked the mattes (there's 4 mattes and 4 shimmers), I wasn't overly impressed with the shimmer they were good just not life altering. So that made up my mind to then buy a full palette of mattes from them and I do not regret it. They are as lovely as everyone says. Their pigment is what gets me. There are shades that look like there would be basically no noticeable difference in the color if you look at the pans. Then, my friend, you apply them with a crease brush no less and see "oh wow that's an entirely noticeable color difference". Lets face it most of the time we see the subtle color change in the pans but not on the skin but this is not the case which is why I'm now sold on Viseart being the MVP of matte eyeshadows. I also seen where the Theory palettes are at Frends as well as Blush palettes and more. I got 2 Lorac blushes and it's entirely Rheannon's fault. We follow each other on snap chat, we often talk to each other a lot about either nothing or something and one night we swatched our blush collection for each other based on what the other one would like. I was then convinced that I needed 2 Lorac blushes in my life. They are right up my alley though. They are smooth, they blend wonderfully and they're vibrant but deeper shades and I love deeper toned blushes. I got Technicolor which is a darker peach and Aura which is a berry shade I would say. I also love matte blushes and these are both matte I do believe. Frends Beauty started carrrying Inglot last year and I think I placed like 5 orders afterwards. I was so stoked. I will tell you that you are not living life to the fullest in a makeup aspect if you haven't experienced their AMC Pigments. Especially the more duo chrome shades. I got 2 more shades, I think that puts me at 6 pigments in total. I just love them they are so high shine and gorgeous. I love using them with Mehron Mixing liquid on my brush, it's just a good time for all involved. Now lets move on to Cover FX and Stila: First Stila. I got the new Magnificent Metal duochromes in all 3 shades. They're mermaid themed. The shades are Into the Blue, Sunset Cove, and Sea Siren. They're beautiful. I've actually not even tried the original line yet and I want to, to compare them since these three are duo chrome. I'm going to do a full review on them I do believe so I won't go into too much detail about them yet. They're available on Stila's website only right now, and I think they will be in Sephora in April. Now to Cover FX. I went in hard. I got the Full Coverage Cream Foundation in N20, the Natural Finish Oil Free Foundation in G20 and a little radiance duo that had the radiance primer and infusion drops in it. I've not had the chance to really try them all day yet. I can say I do think that I will love one and then hate the other more than likely because they seem very different. I'm waiting to see how they do all day though before I make my final judgements. What I love about Cover FX though is that their products are uniquely different from each other. The coverage is always mind blowing in the best way. Not that it's supreme coverage, some of it is but all of them look phenomenal in what ever category they've been put in. Like Natural Finish is such an odd texture to me but on the skin it's the healthiest my skin has ever looked I do believe. The Full Coverage takes very little product to get to a great coverage so therefore it doesn't feel heavy or smothering in the least. It feels like nothing. Which I find quite amazing. Moving on to Sephora: I actually got a Cover FX item there as well. It was in the travel section for $10. I got the Illuminating loose powder. It's actually quite a good size. I love setting the under eye area with it and I do think that's probably all I will use it for. So I believe this container is going to last me quite a while as I don't bake under the eyes or anything. I also got the new Marc Jacobs set of lip glosses. Which are 3 full size lipglosses and a makeup bag for $54. I know that's a high price but based on how much they are individually it's an awesome deal. It comes with French Tickler (sheer subtle sparkle peach) Pink Steam (metallic sparkle purple pink) and the new shade Want Me? (opaque nude pink). This is part of the limited edition Marc Jacobs X Julie Verhoeven Velvet Reality collection. The art for the packaging and the makeup bag is bold, colorful and eye catching. Completely avante garde and editorial looking in my opinion. There are more sets than just the Enamoured With a Twist collection which is what I have. It's very beautiful and I love the different turn that Marc Beauty took with this. On to the other products that were bought for a purpose: I got the Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish powder in Fair. This is expensive. This is one expensive powder, that even though I do like it I probably won't repurchase. I got this because I'm compiling a 2 part blog post of the best, worst and in between powders both pressed and loose. I didn't just buy it on a whim, I bought it due to the fact that Charlotte Tilbury makes phenomenal products, and that the claims behind this and what people said about it gave me good enough reason to try it. It's supposed to make the skin feel very smooth and look airbrushed (obviously). I will get into it a little more in those posts but the packaging is beautiful and very thin. I thought based on product shots online which was just a front shot that it would be bulkier. No it's very slim and sleek. I like that a lot and it definitely feels luxury. Now for the polar opposite both in price and product. I got the Coty Airspun Transluscent Loose Powder. I ordered mine from Amazon I think it was around $8-$10. It's quite big. I note that this is an under the radar favorite in the makeup community, especially for baking. So I wanted to try it, my first thought is that it looks a bit pink to me instead of other translucent powders. They either look white or a skin tone shade but this one looks pink and it looks a bit like a satin finish from what I can tell in the container. I have this in mind specifically for baking the jaw line. I've heard about it for so long that I just thought now would be the opportune time to give it a whirl. I'm literally swimming in powder folks. Pressed powder and loose, I have a ton that I'm working through to find out what's really great and what's not so awesome. So that covers it for my collective haul. I do hope you've enjoyed it. Come over to snap chat (loveandmascara) to see these things as soon as I get them. Follow me on twitter if you'd like (loveand_mascara) and as always follow me on Instagram (lovemascara) and lets be friends. Okay bye.  It's Saturday Night Sheet Mask. So this week we're trying the Whamisa Organic Facial Mask Green Essence Lifting Real Kelp Sheet. This is a two piece real kelp mask that is soaked in one bottle of fermented Sea Kelp and bamboo serum. Yes. Fermented. It's quite different. I don't really like 2 piece sheet masks. However, my skin did feel wonderful after using this. You leave this on for 15 minutes. Definitely lay down or the bottom part is going to slide off cause it's thicker and heavier. I did like how it was easier to match it up with the contours of my face. The top part anyway. Which I recommend you put on first and enjoy the fact that you look a bit like batman. I did some facial massage after I took it off to really work in the serum. Which makes all the difference (obviously). This claims to be "organic" but on the back it says 90.37% Organic. I can't read the ingredients it's all in Korean it also says "Pure Natural Ingredients". **Whamisa actually commented on my Instagram picture and said that the reason for the 90.37% Organic statement on the back was because some natural ingredients haven't yet been certified Organic. So they like to be completely transparent with their customers but they wanted to make sure that their customers know it is 100% Natural ingredients. As you know in my skincare whenever possible I prefer to not have "fragrance/parfum" when I can, and that is super hard to find in sheet masks. So I love that there is no question about ALL the ingredients being Natural. Which it does say on the package as I stated above so I didn't really worry about that. My thoughts on this is I really appreciate the honesty with that. I found it somewhat confusing when it said that but not in the sense that I didn't know whether or not it was truly "organic" rather because I couldn't read the ingredients myself on the package to figure out what was in it. I truly do not feel like it was "false advertising" I figured it was something technical but like with every review I give you the claims and exactly what the product says. Most companies don't bother to reach out or clear things up for you and most companies wouldn't be that forth coming with information. I take that into consideration when I'm buying a product. As do most people because in all honesty if I see something in store and I'm confused by it, I just won't buy it. I won't get my phone out and try to research the product unless it's extremely expensive or something that I really really want, it's just something I won't try simple as that. Companies, I feel, know that which is why I think a lot of them don't disclose that all their ingredients haven't been certified as fully organic yet or whatever else may be the question, so they won't miss out on sales. So that just wins my respect even more from Whamisa. Again I want to say I appreciate them for reaching out and clearing up the confusion for at least one customer, me lol.** I also will post the ingredient deck from the Ulta website for you as well: "Laminaria Japonica, *Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Laminaria Japonica Extract, *Lactobacillus/Aloe Barbadensis Ferment Filtrate, Serenoa Serrulata Fruit Extract, Angelica Polymorpha Sinensis Root Extract, ****(-)-alpha-bisabolol, Trigonella Foenum-Graecum Seed Extract, Natto Gum, Leonurus Sibiricus Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Dioscorea Opposita (Wild Yam) Root Extract, *Camellia Japonica Seed Oil, *Centella Asiatica Extract, *Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Anemarrhena Asphodeloides Root Extract, *Bambusa Vulgaris Leaf/Stem Extract, Chlorella Ferment, *Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Extract, *Corylus Avellana (Hazel) Seed Oil, Angelica Keiskei Leaf/Stem Extract, Citrus Junos Fruit Extract, Royal Jelly 0.05, **Paeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract, Xanthan Gum, **Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Plantago Asiatica Extract, **Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, ****Adenosine, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Aniba Rosaeodora (Rosewood) Wood Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil, Cymbopogon Schoenanthus Oil. *Certified Organically Grown **Natural Preservative ****Ecocer" It has a bit of a fermented scent to it. Not overpowering or disgusting but definitely has a scent. You also feel a bit like a Sushi Roll. I don't think I'm going to repurchase this. It worked well and I love the results, I just don't like the two parts and I prefer a gel or sheet mask. Also, it was $14 which I've had better masks for less. If those things don't bother you though, you can pick this up at Ulta. I would like to add that I do find this a soothing mask. Just not a relaxing mask lol.  Here I am looking like batman. Also, for some reason the color of this mask brings out a faint green shade in my eyes. Which is cool.  This is the after effect. I feel like my skin is brighter and definitely feels smoother.
 This week's Saturday Sheet Mask Is the Andalou Instant Lift and Firm Hydro Serum Sheet Mask. I got this at Ulta it was $5 but it's on sale right now for $4.24 right now. I really like Andalou skin care in general. I've used the Q10 Night Cream for quite a while, it's lovely, and I feel like their price range is always good. This mask is "certified Organic". It has fruit stem cell complex and Reversatrol Q10 in it. I'm going to leave some descriptions from the Ulta website as well as the ingredient deck: "Andalou Naturals Instant Age Defying Hydro Serum mask is formulated with: Resveratrol Q10: Resveratrol combined with Coenzyme Q10; super antioxidant complex that helps to defy wrinkle formation, inhibit cellular damage, stimulate skin-firming collagen and elastin to decrease fine lines and smooth skin. Goji Glycopeptide: Combines firming, lifting and strengthening of proteins, rich in Vitamin A & C, helps to hydrate and soothe the skin. Argan Oil (argania spinsosa): Deeply moisturizing, rich in fatty acids (oleic, linoleic), nourishing and protecting. Sodium Hyaluronate: Forms and regulates moisture on the skin. Non-GMO verified, Cruelty Free, Verified Gluten Free, Vegan Aloe Barbadensis Juice*, Sodium Hyaluronate, Vegetable Glycerin, Fruit Stem Cells (Malus Domestica, Solar Vitis) and BioActive 8 Berry Complex*, Argania Spinosa (Argan) Oil*, Resveratrol, Ubiquinone (CoQ10), Lycium Barbarum (Goji) Glycopeptide, Biosaccaride Gum, Bisabolol, Amorphophallus Konjac Root Powder, Allantoin, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Aspalathus Linearis (Rooibos), Hibiscus Sabdariffa and Camellia Sinensis (White Tea) Extracts*^, Phenethyl Alcohol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citrus Aurantium (Petitgrain) and Geranium Maculatum Oils* Non-GMO verified *Organic ^Fair Trade" My thoughts on the mask are that the sheet is super thin, I didn't like that at first because it didn't seem very "soft" on my skin like other masks. I feel like some people would prefer a thicker sheet, sometimes, because it tends to absorb and hold more serum in the cloth thus more product for your face. I quickly realized that it was very beneficial though because it easily contoured to my face and clung everywhere. It was actually so this and clung so much that it almost looked invisible on the skin. So I feel like my entire face was covered as good as it could be from any mask. It felt very cooling on the skin the entire time, almost cold. You can leave it on for 10 to 20 minutes. I left mine on for 10, as my skin was quite sensitive and the cold was a little uncomfortable at first. I hope they'll put out some more sheet masks because I really do like the thin mask that fits well, the price, and there's no artificial fragrance as an ingredient. As far as an "instant life and firm" I don't notice that all that much but I do feel like my skin looks brighter and definitely smoother both in texture and in appearance. So I guess since I can see that it's smoother you could say that it probably is more firm. My skin doesn't show terrible signs of wrinkles much so I don't know what it would do for that. My thought is: since it's not expensive and it's certified organic, I'd give it a go for sure. I've had some better masks but I really liked this and will probably buy more.  |
ErinI'm from Tennessee. I'm a makeup and skincare lover. I have always enjoyed creating looks but I love to help people with product knowledge and application even more. I've been able to start blogging and do these things I love because God has seen fit to bless me with the opportunity. Thanks for stopping by and visiting with me! 
  
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