This month there was a lot of stuff that I bought due to things to get ready for such as prom and weddings, and also the Sephora sale that went on, along with some other sales that happened this month as well.

Just a little disclaimer I just pulled these pictures off of Google because it's really difficult to set up all this stuff and get a good picture. So I went to the websites and Google and just used that picture of the product. So these are not my actual photos.

First up we have the Tarte Sculptor. I actually got this in shade 3 which is not the shade shown. It's quite dark actually. I have an entire blog post up about this with swatches.

Next is the Kat Von D Shade Light Contour Palette. This was my first thing I knew I wanted from the Sephora sale. I have a post on this as well. I love this palette it has surpassed any palette or powder contour that I've used thus far.

Next is the Urban Decay Naked Skin concealer. (I'm not saying the entire name) I have a blog post on this as well. This is very unique. I myself truly love it.

Lastly is some shadows from Makeup Geek. When I order from MUG I always buy 4 shadows at a time. I'm not sure why but I always do that. I bought these because I feel like I have every neutral color you would ever need and I'm really trying to build up my really bright colors in my Z Palette especially primary colors. I just posted a picture of my Z Palette with swatches in the previous post.

In this set:

Becca Mineral Blush in Flower Child. I have a post on Becca blushes as well and this one is in it if you want to read more about them and see swatches. This is a cool toned pink blush and Becca blushes are my favorite blushes by far. 

Makeup Forever Step 1 Equalizer Mattifying Primer. I've not talked about this in length and that's because I'm going to get some more. They offer a ton of primers in this line (I guess it's a line). I got the mattifying one for clients because especially with teens it can be a real pain to try to control the oil. I myself wanted the smoothing primer which is what I'm going to get next and then the radiance primer (I think that's what its called). This is a really good primer. I'm super picky with primer. I don't really like the silicone "slip" feel alot of them have like the Hourglass Veil Primer and the Porefessional primer from Benefit. This didn't have that feeling to it. It also worked great and smells really good too. I have used it on my skin even though I'm not oily and it's really made a difference anyway with how well my foundation goes on and lays. So I love this and like I said I want to buy at least one more to compare.

Lena Lashes in Bisera. I got these on the 50% off sale they just done and let me say I love these. They are like a toned down version of my beloved Bianca lashes from them. I also want to just say how amazing they done with shipping. They've really stepped up their game I had my lashes within 2-3 days of ordering them. Not from when they said they shipped but actually ordering them. I always wanted these too but they were always sold out. They have a more natural look to them as well. Check my Instagram (@lovemascara) for what they looked like on.

Younique Moodstruck 3D Fiber Lash Mascara. I could've said that backwards. I have an entire post about this and I also have a link to the side of the desktop version and the bottom of the mobile version if you want to purchase this. Keep in mind I don't sell this.

Revlon Colorstay Foundation for Combination to Oily Skin. I got this in shade Buff which is incredibly light. I bought this for prom makeup because this is a really great foundation for Oily skin. It used to be my favorite foundation period especially in highschool. I will say that they have re-done the formula I think. I like it better now. It's much thinner than what it used to be and it is full coverage I guess but just barely. I feel like it's more medium coverage now but buildable. It still smells like paint which was always kinda annoying but it is a really good foundation none the less. They also offer it for Normal to Dry skin types but I've always preferred the Combination to Oily version.

Ardell Lashes in Wispies. These are my favorite drugstore lashes and they're right up there with Red Cherry #213 that are my all time favorite. The reason I love these is because the band is perfect and it needs no trimming for my eye. I really don't like trimming lash bands because they never fit right or look right and lashes that have to be trimmed always itch my eyes and I don't know why.

Evian Mineral Water Spray. I got this for hydrating the face in the mornings. I wouldn't use it to set the makeup but maybe refresh the makeup if it were looking really cakey. I like to prep the skin with it. It's not that expensive either. It's available alot of places including Sephora and Frends Beauty in several different sizes.

Revlon Eye Arts in Peach Prism and Desert Dazzler. I have an entire post on these and my favorite is the Peach Prism.

Lastly we have

Loving Tan 2 HR Express in Dark mousse. I have a review on this and it wasn't the best. I have kept using it only in smaller amounts and it's gotten easier to apply. It still streaks and is time consuming with the mitt they sent because you have to press so hard. I think a regular foam mitt would work better like the St Tropez mitt and Walmart has self tanning mitts now. I'm going to try using it on the chest and neck with a synthetic buffing brush like Jaclyn Hill said and I think that will help. I will say that showering exactly two hours later does help it tremendously especially if your application wasn't so even. However the longer you leave it on the darker it becomes and the areas that messed up are still noticeable even after the shower. So if you want it to be quite dark I recommend being very very careful when applying and take your time using small amounts and sleep in it and then shower or shower in say 6 hrs. If you're pressed for time though or it didn't apply so evenly definitely shower in 2 hours. Also I recommend first trying it after you've applied body lotion. I use the Jergens BB Body Cream. 

Maybelline Fit Me Matte and Poreless Powder. So far I've loved all the Fit Me products I've tried. I actually got this because I didn't have a single pressed powder that was matte and a face powder. I had the Hourglass Ambient Light powder in Diffused Light which has a sheen to it. I also had matte powders in contour kits but they were more for highlighting so I just wanted a pressed powder compact. I got this at Walgreens and got it in the Matte and Poreless formula instead of the original and I really do like it. I love the packaging but I also really like the powder. I wish it had more yellow in it because mine is quite neutral but it's quite pigmented and I really do like it to set my makeup with.


So that's it for the month of April. It was a lot of stuff for the month but I also had a lot going on and keep in mind I had a lot of discounts and coupons that I used.

Hey you, how's it hangin? I'm currently pretty sick so I've not been able to do as many looks and what not. However, as I'm all laid up in bed I can still talk about makeup, which is why we're here anyway right? So a little while ago I did a post on tips for oily skin. Now I want to cover tips for dry skin. I'm on the dry side myself. Right now it's more normal, but I definitely tend to get dry. 

What I've found with having good skin is: consistency, and not changing the important things up as often. If it isn't broke then don't fix it. So I rarely change facial cleansers or moisturizers. I do try different masks more often than not. I do change up my makeup remover wipes from time to time as well. I try to have the simplest routine possible without skimping on what my skin really needs. I just really hate taking my makeup off and doing the whole regimen more so at night so I try to do as little as I can at night. Which usually calls for products that can do multiple things.

Now I don't have very sensitive skin. So I can't really speak for those that do. So definitely take that into consideration if you have that issue.

• First thing is hydration on the inside. So drink plenty of water. Water really plumps your skin up and helps even out your complexion as well as flushes out toxins and ridding the skin of impurities.  
  
• Hydration on the outside.Starting with lighter hydration first. I don't like going over board before I put my makeup on and what not. So here's some products that are great for lighter hydration: Caudalie Grape Water (this is good for sensitive skin as well.) This is a toner mist. It's a moisturizing toner actually in a aerosol spray. So you just spray it on the skin after cleansing and I usually do it before my night creams, you could possibly use this and go to bed since it moisturizes and tones but I don't do that. Another good hydration that's in a mist is the Evian Facial Sprays. This is just mineral water, I don't feel like it's a toner or anything but it's great to hydrate the face before makeup or just refresh the face through out the day. Another good spray is MAC Fix +. This is a cult favorite. It smells amazing and it can be used as a prep spray or finishing spray but it will make you very dewy. It has vitamins in it which is so wonderful for your skin. It's also great to spray on your foundation brush to make texture issues, that are more noticeable with foundation, less noticeable.
  
• Another great thing for hydration that's a little heavier is oils. So Argan Oil obviously is great to moisturize with at night. Seaberry Oil from Fresh is another good one. Also adding a drop of Almond Oil of Jojoba Oil into a pump of your foundation onto the back of your hand is really useful too. Argan Oil is the heaviest of all of them but it's the game changer. I recommend it even to oily people because I was oily and gave it a shot and I credit it to making my skin more normal than oily. There is also a "Light" version of it that isn't so heavy as well as an Argan Milk.
• Creams for hydration. I'm going to specifically talk about hydrating creams right now and then we'll get into good everyday moisturizers for day and night. So specifically for mega hydration is Glam Glow Thirsty Mud. Now you can leave this on the skin for however long and rinse it off or you can just rub it in at night and sleep in it and not wash it off. I use this if I'm incredibly dry and I don't wash it off. This is an AMAZING product for those of your who are supppperrrrrr dry. Give it a shot. I'm pretty sure they sell it in a small size and the big size, it's also in a lot of Sephora skin care sets so you get more bang for your buck that way. Another one is Clinique Moisture Surge Intense. It's marketed for dry to very dry skin. So both of these would be excellent options if you're the driest of dry.
• Moisturizers for night: for nightly use I really love Origins Night-A-Mins its very thick and feels incredible smells like oranges and has lots of vitamins and goodness for the skin. I also love L'Occitane Precious Cream. They have it in a night cream formula but the original one is quite thick itself so I use it at night. It smells so good and it feels great on my skin. Very calming. Those are the two that I go back and forth with depending on my mood. Like I said I don't change moisturizers up that often so therefore there is only two that I would talk about.
• Moisturizers for day time: An old favorite of mine and for summer is Olay Anti Wrinkle moisturizer. The original version not the new ones with the yellow on it. I like the old school one which can be hard to find but my Walgreens usually has it. It has SPF 15 in it which you need to use SPF daily and it just smells great to me. I don't use it as much now because I have other things but I always have a bottle on stand by. Right now I like Origins Ginzing moisturizer paired with the Evian Spray. On it's own it's not gonna be moisturizing enough for super dry skin. It's good for oily, combination, and normal but when I'm super dry it absorbs too fast and doesn't do enough so I use it with a spray because I do like how light it is on the skin. In the summer I use things with higher SPF. I reach for Peter Thomas Roth Max Sheer All Day Moisture Defense Lotion (such a long name) it has SPF 30 in it. It's heavier and I don't like the smell really but I do appreciate the protection it gives and that it's the perfect amount of hydration for the skin.
• BB Creams: If you are very dry BB Creams are very beneficial if you're oily maybe I would skip this. A really good one is Dr. Jart+ Water Fuse Beauty Balm. It has SPF 25 in it. It's specifically made for hydrating the skin. I also like their Black Label Detox BB cream too, but for very dry skin I would use the Water Fuse. BB Creams can also take the place of your moisturizer in the morning as well. So if you want a little more coverage you can use a BB Cream which blurs imperfections before you use your foundation. If you don't necessarily want a foundation the Smashbox BB Cream works well as a foundation by itself. Most BB Creams provide some form of coverage to smooth and even out skin tone.
• Foundations: Foundations are tricky for dry skin just as they are for oily skin. So look for ones that say "luminizing" or "hydrating" or "Moisturizing" so on so forth. The ones that have a dewy finish are the ones that are going to be the most hydrating and work best on dry skin. It may not make dry skin very luminous but it would be better than using a matte finish foundation that clings to your dry patches. So some good ones are Laura Mercier Silk Cream Moisturizing, Laura Mercier Moisture Supreme, Loreal True Match Lumi, NARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation (for more normal to slightly dry skin), Revlon Colorstay for Normal to Dry skin, etc. I know that's a lot of foundation but there really is a bigger variety of foundation formulas for dry skin than there is for oily skin. 
• Eye Cream: If you have a dry eye area (like myself) than it makes you look much older than you are and it's incredibly noticeable so you have to moisturize that area morning and night. I use Algenist Complete Eye Renewal Balm at night because it's thicker and in the mornings I use Origins Ginzing Refreshing Eye Cream because it's thinner but also has a pink tint in it to help mask under eye circles. Another important thing is you can moisturize the eye area as many times as you need to before applying makeup. Each time you moisturize it your just making it more plump and filling in those lines to make you look younger and makes your concealer and corrector go on so much easier and they won't settle in fine lines as easy. I wouldn't recommend that to those who are oily or don't have problems with the under eye like I do but if you're in that boat with me it really does help. Always moisturize your lid as well. If you don't want to do it before makeup because it may cause the makeup to crease then do it at night for sure.
• Toner: A lot of dry skin people skip toner because they think it drys the skin out more, but toner is necessary for really getting the dirt out of pores and evening out your skin tone along with keeping it from looking dull. I personally like stronger toners that you use a cotton pad with but there are also sprays you can use like the Caudalie Grape Water or the Beauty Elixir. I am currently using the old school Sea Breeze astringent for sensitive skin, really inexpensive but very strong and makes me feel incredibly clean. I also love the Clinique Step 2 Clarifying Lotion ( I hate that they call it lotion. It's liquid people.) for Normal to Dry Skin. It's probably my favorite and I actually feel like it's the best on the market. The Caudalie has the more comfortable moisturized feeling but the Clinique  gives you that really "clean" fresh feeling without drying you out.
• Exfoliating: You may not have to but I do exfoliate. I use Neutrogena Black Head Eliminating scrub and I also use Peter Thomas Roth Exfoliating Gel Peel which is now called Firmx Peeling Gel. None the less the Peeling Gel makes your skin feel so soft. So if you're really having a texture issue along with your dry skin try, this because it makes my skin so soft and gets rid of all the dead skin (it literally rolls off the face as you rub). Where as scrubs are good to get into the pores and clear them out.
• Last but not least Cleansers: I prefer my cleansers to have salicylic acid in it, I just like it for my skin so I use Peter Thomas Roth Anti Aging Cleanser. If you're super dry GlamGlo also has a Thirsty Mud Cleanser that is supposed to go hand in hand with their Thirsty Mud mask/lotion. 

So there you go I know it's a lot of information but that's good because there are a lot of options out there for dry skin. I didn't include makeup removing things just because I wanted to focus more on the skin and how to make it look better and feel better. Dry skin can look rough and feel very tight and uncomfortable, just as dry lips can crack and hurt. So my best advice is water to rid the skin of impurities and help balance it and then work out a regimen especially at night that works best for you. Its gonna take a while to figure out what is and isn't enough but it's worth it in the long run because we can change our makeup but we can't change our skin. Good skin is the key to flawless makeup and you have to take care of it, not just for looks but for aging and to protect it against the sun and risks of sun damage and skin cancer. It starts with you and your willingness to commit to it. Which I encourage you to do more than anything else.

I'm attending a wedding tomorrow and it's supposed to storm and be rainy all day. Usually I always wear my hair down because it's long and I just like loose curls but since the weather is gonna be terrible (they're calling for tornados people) I decided I should do it up. I really don't have any skill nor have I ever attempted an Updo on myself so I searched YouTube of course and found some easy updo's.

I stumbled across this one from The Small Things Blog. Which I love this blog by the way because I've seen so many pins on Pinterest about it.

They also have a YouTube tutorial on it too.

I'll break it down as best I can. This a messy style updo. So it's two sections: the top half of you hair above your ears sectioned off (clip it out of the way) and then that leaves the lower half. So you put the bottom section in a pony tail then you make it into a messy bun with another elastic holder. When you've done that you start cleaning it up by taking bobby pins to secure it to your head. Hers looked a lot more cleaned up than mine (like a perfect sock bun/donut). But I kinda liked the messiness of it. So with the top section, you put it in a pony tail and then split the part of the hair above the elastic and pull the tail through. It'll make it look twisted. With the tail you make it into a smaller bun above your lower bun and secure it with bobby pins.

Mine looked a lot messier than hers. Hers was a lot more clean and elegant. But I did really like mine. It turned out better than I thought.

My hair had a lot of product in it too. It had volumizing mouse and volumizing spray for back combing/teasing. I had also curled it earlier in the day. You could do this though if you have a little bit of a wave naturally. Like air dried hair would work too.

So for full step by step instructions I would look into her blog or YouTube. This probably took me about 3-5 minutes to do that's not including the product I put in my hair and teasing the hair some so allow time for that.

The products I used was mainly Loreal Boost It High Lift Creation Spray and a little Schwarzkopf Sparkler Spray (for shine) and then some Paul Mitchell Hot off the Press hairspray. The one that made the most difference was Loreal.           XoXo

This week my stand out product has been the Shade Light Contour Palette from Kat Von D. I've not put it down and am just completely in love with the formula of it. I have a full blog post of it with swatches and a comparison to the Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit as well. So go check that out if you're interested in more information about it.

Have a good week!

Welcome to another edition of my Bauble Bar series. These earring were my first purchase from Bauble Bar and they are also my favorite.

Eyes:

MUG: Appletini and Poolside

Sugar pill: Lumi

Luxy Lash: Woke Up Like This

ABH: Soft Peach and Blanc

Face:

Nars All Day Foundation

MAC Warm Soul Blush

Kat Von D Shade Light Palette

Laura Mercier Highlight 01

Lips:

Gerard Cosmetics: Buttercup

Very seldom do I say that something is unbeatable, holy grail, must have, so on so forth. I can honestly say that Becca blushes are a must have. Not that you need every color but just one in a shade that you like. There are 6 colors available and they run for $32 which is a lot for a blush. At least one of these shades are always sold out online at Sephora. The formula is really very creamy and it's beyond pigmented. So trust me a little goes a long way. What makes these amazing I think is the glow that comes from them. Almost like a duo chrome. It's too the point that I don't feel like Highlighter is necessary when I wear them. I'm showing 3 here. One of them is my mom's though for her birthday. Relax, she knows that if I buy something for her makeup related I'm gonna open it and swatch it first. 

From left to right in the compacts its: Flowerchild, Damselfly, and Songbird. The swatches are like that from right to left.

Top left is Songbird. I've had it the longest and its a dark coral with a gold sheen. It's beautiful on tan skin and really makes you look like you've been in the sun all day. It's perfect for summer nights on a date or what not because it blends so well into contour and bronzer but it makes the skin look dewy from the glow it has.

Top Right is Damselfly. This is described as a bright coral I believe but I think it's more a really good peach shade. It's not bright in my opinion but it's also got that sheen to it that actually seems a more pearlescent glow to me. I swatched EVERY single peach blush I had and nothing came close to this. Maybe the closest I could get would be the same peach color as Makeup Geek Bliss blush but it's completely matte where this is not. Benefit Coralista is similar in tone as far as how deep a color can be but it's definitely a different sheen and also has glitter in it. So this shade is unique as far as peach blush goes. 

Bottom Left is Flowerchild. This is pink with the same golden sheen to it as Songbird seems to have which makes it stunning. It's very bright though. I didn't expect it to be as bright as it is. The pink in it is cool toned like a cotton candy bright pink but then you add the golden glow and it makes it unique. If you're thinking it would be similar to NARS Orgasm then I would disagree. The pink in this shows through more than it does in the NARS one. 

The swatches are in the correct order as I just listed them.

So if you want to look healthy or like you've been in the sun try these. If you like products that make it to where you can skip using other products, in this case highlighter, try these. If you need a blush that's smooth, and applies like a dream, TRY THESE. 

On a side note: these are talc free. Also Sephora has a great return policy so should you for some reason not like it, you can get your $32 back because I know that's a lot of money to spend or waste if, by chance, you don't like them.

This makeup is all things you can find in the drugstore.

Eyes:

Loreal Pressed Eyeshadow on Smoldering Plum and Amber Rush

Revlon Eye Art in Peach Prism

Milani Taupe eyeshadow

Face:

Maybelline Fit Me Foundation

NYX dark circle corrector

NYX HD concealer in Yellow

Maybelline Fit me concealer in 10

Maybelline Fit Me in Coconut for contouring

Maybelline Fit Me matte and poreless pressed powder

Milani Bella Rose blush

Lips:

NYX Nude Pink Lip Liner

Loreal Rose Symphony lipgloss

So during the Sephora sale I got a few things and I actually placed an entire separate order just for this concealer. It's the Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer. Good Lord what is with the super long names people? How many adjectives do you need to name a product? Anyway, I totally bought into the hype about it and I have a weakness for concealer so therefore I felt like I needed it. This is part of the Urban Decay "Naked" line. When it came, it was actually a lot smaller than I thought. It's shorter than my NARS Radient Creamy Concealer but just a little less product. The NARS concealer has .22oz and this is .16oz for $1 less. So it's more compact and I do like that about it but it is less product. This retails for $28 for .16oz. 

It's a "high coverage concealer that provides buildable, weightless coverage and leaves an invisible, Naked Skin finish." according to the Sephora description. I completely agree with the weightless coverage, it really doesn't feel like anything is on your skin which is great. I can't stand feeling like my skin in smothering or my foundation and concealer is too heavy. It actually goes on somewhat sheer, that kinda freaked me out. However, I blended it with my finger and it gave good coverage without having to build it. So it definitely could be built up but I recommend just using a small amount first and then go from there if you want to add more because you may not need it. Now I only got this to use under my eyes and it's not something I would use for blemishes. Reason being, this is a little more thin than I prefer for blemishes I prefer thicker creams for imperfections. I set this with Laura Mercier brightening powder just a very small amount but it didn't seem like it really needed to be "set". It has a very nice satin "skin like" finish, not shiny or matte but seeing as how the under eye area can crease easily I set it just to be on the safe side.

I really can't compare this to anything, it's very unique. I was running out of my NARS Radient Creamy Concealer and wanted to try this. The NARS one is thicker and heavier but has a very nice finish and I do really like it. The applicator bit the dust quick though on it so I have to use disposable doe foot wands to get out product. Like I said NARS is $1 more and you get more product so there's that but it is heavier. The Urban Decay major selling point and the thing that makes it so unique is just how weightless it is. I mean like air people. So that is the best part about it to me. I also really like the color I got. I got Light Warm. It was a really good pale yellow based concealer and I find that NARS Custard although yellow based is too dark. So if you like pale yellow based concealers and you're in the light shade range possibly fair, this is a good one to try. 

I'll sum this up as best I can and give you all the high points first: it's thin but good coverage, it's weightless (again, like air), its buildable should you need more coverage, it's a skin like finish, it has a good pale yellow color that is hard to find for fair to light skin tones.

Low points: $28 is a little steep for it to be as small as it is. Especially since the product itself is thin and not thicker. (You get more product in MAC Pro Longwear Concealer which is liquid and $20 for .30oz which is almost double this) This also only has 8 shades. 

So my final verdict is that, for the color that I got and the formula, I think this is a great product. It's really different, unique, and feels really good on the skin. 

Shade: Light Warm

So today's makeup is colorful as always, because let's face it colorful is my neutral.

Eyes:

MUG: Mango Tango, Pixie Dust, Bitten, Corrupt, and Peach Smoothie and Insomnia pigment. Gel liner in Immortal.

Lashes are Hollyhood from Luxy Lash

ABH: dip brow Medium Brown

Face:

Nars All Day Luminous foundation

Kat Von D Shade Light Contour Kit

Becca Flowerchild blush

Lips:

Gerard Cosmetics: 1995 lipstick

Outfit details

Old Navy Boyfriend Jeans

JCrew Polka Dot Sweater

Earrings from Bauble Bar

Sunglasses Betsey Johnson

Sandals Tory Burch

Bracelets everywhere (etsy has good ones)

This week my stand out product is the Revlon Eye Arts. In particular Peach Prism. I used them both this week though and they are just easy, they didn't crease, they stay intensely "foiled" through out the day and they work just as well on the lower lashline as they do on your lid. So awesome for summer. I have an entire post about them. So go check it out if you want to read more about it.

Have a great week!