You've probably heard a ton about the new Morphe Flawless Beauty Sponge. It's on everyone's favorite list right now and for good reason. I bought it totally because of the claims people were making. I thought at first I wasn't going to like it as good as the Beauty Blender cause I think it feels completely different and obviously it's shaped different. However, when I dampened it and started using it, it quickly took it's seat at the top of my fave beauty sponges which are just: Real Techniques, Beauty Blender, and now this Morphe sponge. I can't speak for the black one and the shape doesn't appeal to me at all with that one because I like a more pointed tip. This one, I love, it gets really big and it applies makeup so fast. It also is the best at not soaking up foundation out of all the sponges I use. Plus you still have that pointed tip to really get into those small spaces and blend out the under eye. I'm just all for this sponge. It's $6.99 and I don't think that can be beat, especially for how good it is. There are plenty of affiliate codes out there from some of your fave gurus. So definitely find you one. Next is their concealer. This is $4.99 and you get 12g of product the packaging itself is only around 3" tall but it's still a good amount of product for a price point that can't be beat. I don't hear a lot of people talking about this and for God's sake I don't know why. In my opinion, this is really REALLY good. I'm gonna put this out there, and feel free to disagree with me, but I think this is just as good as Tarte Shape Tape. It's not necessarily as creamy, per se, I find this one more "mousse like" in texture (kinda like NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer only way better) where the Shape Tape has more oil that makes it more shiny more creamy looking at first. I feel like the consistency is the same. and the coverage is really close if not the same. I did one eye with the Shape Tape and one with the Morphe Concealer and I didn't see a difference. The Shape Tape may have just a bit more coverage and longer wear but when used with the Morphe Sponge I don't think the Morphe Concealer looked any different. Which is my next point. I think it works best with a sponge. It works well with a brush or your finger don't get me wrong but it blends better, doesn't crease hardly any, and keeps it's coverage better with a sponge. I'm just super impressed by it. Plus, they have a really nice shade range. From pale to deep skin tones they have a lot to offer. I have shade Sand in the Morphe Concealer and I feel like it's a more neutral base than Shape Tape "Light". However, the Shape Tape has the same performance whether it's used with a brush, your finger, or a sponge. Where I think Morphe's concealer performs best with a sponge, and still does quite well with a brush or your finger either one but I do notice just the tiniest bit of creasing toward the end of the day when used with something other than a sponge. I'm wearing it here in this look. I set it with the Laura Mercier Translucent powder and even baked it with that, I think. I also use the Tarte CC Cream that is a corrector for under the eyes to cancel out dark circles, but I always use a corrector, cause momma has some dark circles kids. Also I'm using the Makeup Forever Ultra HD Foundation Stick as my foundation.
So in order I go: Corrector Foundation Concealer Set Bake (optional)
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I got the opportunity to work with Michael Todd Beauty and try their Antimicrobial Sonic Blend brush recently. It's my first time trying a brush that "vibrates" basically or uses "sonic speed", the reasoning behind the antimicrobial sonic technology is for blending ease, keeping the device cleaner, and avoiding clogged pores or irritation thanks to the sonic speed which keeps you from dragging or stretching the skin, while blending with an airbrush finish so that makeup isn't just sitting on top of the skin.
So I think this is very different. Not everyone would like it, I realize that, but if you have major concerns about germs, sensitive skin, or you're already having some elasticity issues I think this is a good investment. Also much like a beauty blender sponge, in the fact that it can be used for a ton of things other than just foundation, this is similar because it can be used with foundation, powders, contour, blush so on so forth. The sonic speed making it the most powerful blending tool you'll have. Which I think is awesome for contour especially. I find that even if I make a mistake or do too much contour this really helps me blend that in and actually works better. This has 3 speeds I think, I use the lowest speed. This can be the equivalent of up to 200 strokes per second. The one thing this claims to do which I tend to agree with is that it does not leave lines or streaks on the face from foundation and that's true. I had to play with this for a little bit before I got the hang of it and I prefer using this with thicker foundations in particular stick foundations and I prefer going in downward sweeping motions instead of circular buffing motions. I find a sweeping motion just does better, coverage wise for me. This gives a very airbrushed finish. I have used it for most everything from foundation to blush and in between but my preferences for using it are foundation, concealer, and contour. Especially contour. Cream or powder, doesn't matter it just really does a fantastic job of blending it and also shaves quite a bit of time off your routine. You charge this with a usb cord that comes with it, I'm pretty sure mine was fully charged in about 30 minutes or less. It was no time at all. The box comes with whatever color handle you chose of the SonicBLEND (black, tortoise, or pink), a charging cord, a brush head, 1 year warranty and user guide. It retails for $99. The brush head itself can be replaced with a flat top brush head sold separately or a natural round top brush head. The one it comes with is more of a domed shape. I prefer flat tops usually but from a contouring and concealer standpoint I actually prefer the domed shape it comes with. I've used this with all sorts of finishes and formulas of foundation and the one thing I notice is that I really don't like thinner, more sheer coverage foundations with this because it does blend it so well it almost seems like you're losing what coverage you do have. So I much prefer this for an awesome application of harder to work with foundations like creams, sticks, and intense full coverage foundations because if I'm being honest, I want the most full coverage yet airbrushed and blended look possible when it comes to my makeup. That's just me though, I like to be very pulled together and I prefer to use more makeup than some people. Also, from a professional stand point I love this for big events. Like brides, or pageants or whatever it is you're doing that you need your makeup to look flawless all day long. This is a great professional tool for that and like I said earlier a lot less time consuming than say normal brushes or sponges. Let alone much cleaner and safer for the skin. Like I said this retails for $99 but I'm going to leave a link here for 20% off your purchase. Check out some of their other bundles they have right now as well on their site. I seen a SonicBLEND and then a Sonic Clear brush bundle for Breast Cancer Awareness that was being offered for 40% off that bundle with code "Pink" and they have the cutest Sonic Clear brushes on the face of the planet in my opinion. So if you're considering getting this, look at it as an investment. It's cleaner, safer, and maintains your skins health better than other tools. It's an true air brushed finish where other things just claim to be. It's a quicker way of applying makeup. It's also multi functional for so many different products, which means less brushes to use and clean later on. Lets get real, we all hate "brush cleaning Sunday" with a passion. So, I know that people have been re-creating Snapchat filters as makeup some. Nikki Tutorials has done some, I seen in Glamour where a whole fashion show used Snapchat Filters as their makeup inspiration. I thought it was so cool, and even though I'd done a few in the past I really wanted to step it up though for Halloween. Mainly because, these would be so cool for a group of friends to do for a party or maybe an at work theme for you and your co-workers to do for Halloween if you get to dress up. A lot of them are really easy to do. So I wanted to do this, then I asked my friends to let me make them into some filters as well, and then I tagged some of my makeup friends to try it too.
So I'm just gonna start with the actual ones I done for Halloween, not the ones I had done previously. My first one was the Blue Butterfly mask filter. I actually went a little extra though and bought some blue butterflies to stick on my face. Which made this super easy. Plus they were super inexpensive, I got them off ebay. So for the blue mask. It was so easy and you didn't have to be really careful and detailed with it. I used Ben Nye cream paint in blue with a regular wedge sponge and applied it all over the face as the base. Then I set it with Neptune shadow from Makeup Geek. The mask also has a super highlighted and shiny look. so I used a few different duo chromes. Starting with the Milk Makeup Holographic Stick which is a duo chrome it self. I went over it with Makeup Geek duo chromes in Sugar Rush that has a teal duo chrome, and then Black Light duo chrome that has a purple-y blue duo chrome. I mainly went around the edges and then down the nose with this. Around the eyes is super smokey with black shadow. Not precise at all. Just very blown out. I actually already had a shadow on so mine doesn't look as black as I wanted but I did use Corrupt from Makeup Geek over top of it. Plus, I added lashes. I didn't even worry that much about brows. I kinda defined them some just so they wouldn't get lost but I didn't sculpt them. Next up, I used Tarred black lip liner from OCC to darken the the outer parts of the lip. The only blue lip color I had was Bondi Beach from Ofra which is a bit brighter of a blue. So I needed a darker lip liner to make this work. However, if you have Echo from KVD that would be perfect. I used Ardency Inn Punker Liner for the two little butterflies that I drew myself. Use my code "LOVEMASCARA" for $$ off your purchase if you want to. Then I just glued on the butterflies for the final 3d effect. This was super easy. I love messy looks that don't require a lot of thought, or precision with them because it's very hard to mess those up. You could use blue paint from Walmart Halloween section even. I get my Ben Nye paints from Frends Beauty because they offer so much for SFX, not just Ben Nye. They have Mehron, Kryolan, Temptu, etc. So depending on how much you want to invest you could get a few colors, a color wheel or even entire palettes. Sign up for their free membership and you get 10% off your purchases. So stay tuned for more Snapchat Filter Makeup and if you re-create any then feel free to tag me because I'd love to see it! My Instagram is @lovemascara and my Snapchat is: loveandmascara follow me on there as well, I do a lot of tutorials and mini reviews. I hope to see you try some of these and keep an eye out as I add to the series through out the month.
nI love an overnight mask, sleeping facial, anything that works on your skin over night. I just find those are the best types of masks or skin treatments because they work for hours without being disturbed, rubbed off, covered up by makeup, etc. So recently I've been trying the Exuviance Overnight Recovery Masque which is suitable for normal, combination, dry or vulnerable skin types. It's best to seal this with your moisturizer which I think is extra cool. So basically it's literally locking the mask in, so it'll do it's job. This is to be used on face and neck, wait 5 minutes for it to absorb, follow with night cream, and rinse in the morning. It can be used 2-3 times a week or however often you need to soothe your skin even if that's everyday.
So lets talk about the brand some. Exuviance was created by Drs. Van Scott and Yu. They are well know leaders in cosmetic dermatology. They discovered Glycolic Acid which is used in lots of skin care now, I'm sure you've heard of it. They were actually the first ones to patent the first Glycolic Peel. Which is a nice little history lesson for you. They went on to create more patents for other anti aging ingredients that have been scientificaly proven to be beneficial to your skin. So basically Exuviance is as "high tech" (if you will) as you can get when it comes to skin care right now, it's like the HD of skin care. I'm going to leave you a quote about the company. "Exuviance skin care is clinically proven to reduce lines and wrinkles, increase firmness, smooth texture and even skin tone with a patented bionic blend of highly evolved Polyhydroxy and Alpha Hydroxy acids." This is ideal for maturing skin. Or if you're just starting to notice wrinkles or fine lines. It's the highest quality and highest strength of ingredients without causing your skin to be irritated or sensitive due to the powerful ingredients these products house. Their main goal is protecting your skin without irritating it. In particular, protecting it against environmental dangers more so than just the sun with the idea of this sleeping facial so you can revitalize and heal your skin while you sleep. It's a water/gel mask that works and combats those pollution and other environmental issues you're exposed to every single day. I'm gonna insert some key factors of the product here from the site: "Product snapshot: • Anti-Pollution Complex includes antioxidant Lilac Cell Culture Extract and PHA/Bionics to help neutralize the effects of daily pollution and environmental damage • Prodew® refills deep reserves of natural skin moisture, restoring a feeling of suppleness and comfort • PHA/Bionics and Evening Primrose Oil strengthen skin's protective barrier • Unique water-gel sleep masque melts into skin and is suitable for normal, combination, dry, or vulnerable skin types" One of the main concerns as far as "environmental damage" is obviously UV rays which will only get worse as the ozone layer fades away, no longer protecting us. What I really like about this product is that it not only attacks the unwanted, harmful, threats on the outside but also it works from the inside as well. Example: it helps protect from metals found in your water that you drink and bathe in. So your health and skin comes first with this company. This is also going to help your skin create a barrier itself so that your skin starts to protect itself from harmful exposure and helps restore and maintain the skins natural hydration. We all have natural oils in the body and some have an over production while others have lost some of theirs and they have to add in more to their skin care regimine. A lot of oily skin types are scared to add in hydration as they think it will be worse for their oil production. Which in all actuality it could possibly even out your oil production making you less oily. I understand the concern though, which is why I say start with this. It will help balance your skin out and it's to be rinsed off in the morning. It also doesn't make you feel "greasy". You do feel it when it goes on but once it's absorbed you no longer feel that way. I'm going to insert another quote about their ingredients and how they work, because it'll be much easier to understand than me trying to hopefully convey it corectly. "A potent Anti-Pollution Complex, including antioxidant Lilac Cell Culture Extract and PHA/Bionics, helps neutralize the effects of pollution and environmental damage such as free radicals and harmful metals that can break down collagen and prematurely age the look of skin. Prodew® helps refill deep reserves of natural skin moisture NMF (Natural Moisturizing Factor), restoring a feeling of suppleness and comfort. PHA/Bionics and Evening Primrose Oil strengthen skin’s protective barrier for a stronger, more resilient tomorrow." As I always say, invest in your skin. Find something that works for you and don't be hesitant to make your skin a priority because without good skin, your makeup won't look as good, you won't look as healthy, you'll age faster, it's just the golden rule in the beauty community: Take care of your skin. I always tell you to invest in your foundation and the truth of the matter is your skin is your foundation. I find this really makes a difference in my skins texture when I use it. It doesn't cause extra oil production. It feels a bit sticky while it absorbs into the skin but I don't mind. So far I've noticed only good things about this product and it's holding up to it's claims. This retails for $65 and is 1.7 oz. I like using a thinner layer because too much can tend to crumble and not absorb, so it seems a bit wasteful to use a large amount. You can get this at www.exuviance.com or http://https//www.neostrata.com/product/exuviance+overnight+recovery+masque.do **This post was powered by Brand Backer** Over the last month I have been on a search, nay, a quest, if you will, for awesome AFFORDABLE makeup. So of course some fave stand by brands like Makeup Geek are a given, but I dove deep in the aisles of inexpensive makeup to find hidden gems and try new things. So recently Walgreens started carrying Soap and Glory and No7. Now these are more expensive than your typical "drugstore" makeup but the beauty with this is that Walgreens and Ulta for that matter have coupons and rewards so you can save money. So I'm gonna go by brands. I think it'll be easier to break it into price categories going from the highest to lowest price point as a whole. With Soap and Glory I only like two things so far. The One Heck of a Blot foundation (total recommendation from my friend Rhea) and the Pillow Plump XXL clear gloss. I got mine from Ulta and it was buy 1 get 1 free plus $3.50 off a $15 purchase. The foundation was $19 there though (and still is mind you) and it's $14 at Walgreens. The gloss is $14 at both Ulta and Walgreens though. The foundation is a "Liquid to Powder" and that's true. It goes on really nice with good coverage and dries down to a powder/satin finish. What I will say though is there is only 4 shades and that's a BUMMER. It also doesn't work very good on very dry or mature skin in my opinion. I used it on a client the other day and it just sat on the skin. It didn't blend or anything. On younger skin and normal all the way to oily skin types I think it does really well. I know Walgreens always has coupons and sales, with up to 7% cash back from Ebates. Ulta still has their coupon but keep in mind it's $5 more at Ulta. The gloss comes in numerous shades but I got clear. My reasoning for getting a plumping gloss was because I like the Dior Maximizer and the only reason I use them is because I do use the Lip Enhancer tool that you see from time to time on Instagram. So like I said I like the Dior one but was running out so I decided to get this. It smells like chocolate which is a bit odd but not bad. It's about 3x more tingly than any other plumping gloss I've tried. I use the Lip Enhancer in conjunction with a pumping gloss for a more lasting effect. This is super super tingly. So if you don't like that, don't get it. sNext is No7 cosmetics. I have 3 things from them. The Stay Perfect medium coverage foundation, the shimmer palette in Rose, and the Translucent loose powder. All 3 things are around $12-$14 each. I've only seen this at Walgreens where I live, I know it's sold in Boots as well. This company has a very luxurious feel to them, the packaging looks expensive with the gold compacts, the glass bottles and so on. The Stay Perfect foundation I really really like. It's definitely medium coverage but it doesn't oxidize and has a natural finish. They also come in a ton of shades which is great. The shimmer palette in Rose is the lightest of the 3 palettes I seen. The packaging is gorgeous. It's very similar to a shimmer brick. It has four rows of different colored shimmers for a bronzey-pink highlight. It's incredibly soft. SO SOFT. It has great pigmentation. I would like to see a shimmer palette that has very fair tones because on me the Rose shade is still a bit darker than I would like but it's still wearable. To me this is just as good as the Lorac Lightsource highlight, not as intense as a Becca highlight but similar in texture. The translucent loose powder is really nice as well in my opinion. It's not white, it's an Ivory/beige. I used it to set my under eye and it worked well. I tried to use it to bake and it work fairly well. The RCMA No Color Powder is better in my opinion and less expensive I think. This is more convenient though seeing as it's in Walgreens now. This sets the entire face beautifully and you can really go in and apply a heavy amount and it still look very nice which I like. So whether you apply this with a sponge and heavy or with a fluffy brush and lightly, I think it would work well for you. Next I'm gonna talk about some products from Kiko Milano, which is an Italian brand. They are available online and they do have some very nice products. They run a lot of sales as well which is when I would buy from them. You can sign up for emails and get $5 off your first order I got quite a few products from them because their mascara was on sale for $5 and it's usually around $14. I also picked up some other products. Not everything was great but some things really were. So first I really like the Soft Touch blush. I have shade 108. It's definitely soft. It's also very pigmented when applied. More so than just swatching it on your hand. So bear that in mind and don't get too heavy handed with this. This is currently $3.80 and there are 2 shades. Another blush I really like is the Blending Wave Multicolor Blush. Which is a two tone/ombre style blush. I have shade 4 it's on sale for around $6 marked down from $12. This again is super soft and pigmented like crazy. The packaging is cool and the product looks cool on the inside. It's just all around good. I got 2 mascaras from the company. The one that I like was the Volume Attraction. At the time it was $5 but it's $12 now. It's hard for me to find mascaras that make a difference on my small thin lashes. This coats them very well which makes them more noticeable and really builds at the base of the lash line. The brush is a simple brush similar to my all time fave mascara L'Oreal Carbon Black, only a bit smaller. The pigmentation is really great, it's very black which is awesome and with the fact that it coats the lashes evenly it just makes my lashes stand out even more. Moving onto a more recognizable brand I have two things from Physicians formula. First off is their Butter Bronzer. Now you've probably heard every big beauty guru talking about this and for good reason. It's a natural satiny finish bronzer. I always love their bronzers in general. This one is amazing though. The packaging is awesome per usual. The scent though is coconut tropical goodness. It smells like summer. It's not an over powering bronzer, it's not overly orange, it's just a really good bronzer. It's on sale at Ulta right now for $9. Keep in mind you still have that $3.50 off coupon to consider, plus at least 3% cash back from Ebates. Next is the Organic Wear Jumbo Mascara. This is not something I would typically like, because I'm hard on mascara like I said. The wand is plastic (I stab myself in the eye with those it never fails) and it's also huge. BUT this is really good. It really lifts the lashes in my opinion and doesn't over load your lashes with product so you can build and build without getting super clumpy spider lashes all of the sudden. The packaging again is adorable, it's a big green leaf. This goes for $10. Next is Makeup Revolution. This is sold at Ulta. What I like about this brand is the face palettes they have, except the Beyond Radiance palette. I think this brand has great palettes if you're needing to start a kit or wanting to try different shades of blush, bronzer, contour and highlights, etc. without breaking the bank. First is their blush palettes. All of them. I love all of them. I am partial to the Ultra Blush and Contour palettes out of them all. They have 6 shades that are matte to satin finish and then 2 shades that are highlight/baked/shimmery shades. The formula is great and the packaging is sturdy. These are only $10 and they have a lot of product inside of them. I also really like the Pro Illuminate and Ultra Bronzer. They are both $7 and I'm pretty sure they have .52 oz in the pan, which is huge. The Pro Illuminate only comes in one shade but it's a dead on dupe for the Becca formula. It's a very warm gold shade though so keep that in mind. The Ultra Bronzer is soft and pigmented. It has no shimmer or shine to it which I love. It's quite warm as well but not overwhelming. It's super pigmented so again don't go in with a heavy hand I use mine with a fluffy brush from Real Techniques. The Matte Blushes are quite big as well and super soft. They have very bright colors so I suggest looking at these in person if possible because the one I have is much brighter than it looked online. However, they are only $5 and can be returned to Ulta. Catrice Cosmetics are slaying my life right now. Don't get me wrong there are items I don't care for but a lot of what I've tried has been really good. I have their 18hr wear All Matt Plus Shine Control foundation. This was $5 when I bought it and now it's went back up to $9. Catrice foundations tend to run dark from what I hear and that definitely is the case with mine. I got the lightest shade which did oxidize to a darker shade and different undertone but I figured it would so I was ok with that. They only offer 5 shades which sucks. I will say I use more of this than you would with a normal foundation, I think it needs a generous amount of product to get you the desired full coverage it claims to be. It performs really really well though. I had no issues wearing this for 9 hours. It stayed matte for the most part and it didn't get patchy, lift, move around or anything. So I really really like this. I wish it was still just $5 though cause that's an amazing find. Next is the waterproof Liquid Camouflage Concealer. I bought 2 shades in this, the lightest two. There are only 3 shades and these are super pale so, again, not much to offer in shade range, but I kid you not this is one of the best concealers I've tried. At the time when I bought them from Ulta they were $4 and now they're $6 which isn't bad. I use this on the under eye area and it's got great coverage, while not being super thick. I feel like it's similar in texture to the Urban Decay weightless concealer and better than the Too Faced Born This Way concealer. I can't say how much I love these enough, just try them. Another good product from Catrice is their bronzer. It's soft and a neutral tone. To me I think it's kinda similar to Hoola Bronzer from Benefit but maybe a bit warmer. It's matte and pigmented. It's $6.49 right now. They also have a light shade in it which for very fair skin I think it would be ideal. Wet and Wild has been doing alllllll kinds of good lately. The products I'm gonna talk about are what I feel don't get enough love. Their Photo Focus Eyeshadow Primer. This is like $4 and it's better than my Urban Decay, Too Faced, Nars, Benefit, basically all my more expensive eyeshadow primers. I have the oiliest lids ever. There has been no primer until now that would keep my shadow from creasing and this does. I set it with a bit of powder before I start applying my other shadows. My eye makeup doesn't transfer, doesn't crease, it stays the same all day. Next is the Photo Focus Setting Spray. This is around $5. The spray or mist on this is even and in my opinion similar to the All Nighter spray from Urban Decay. Maybe not as strong as that one but close. I think for an everyday setting spray this is really really good. Lastly is their Come Correct Celebrity concealer. This is under $5. This is a dead dupe for the It Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye concealer. Same texture, same thickness, same effect and coverage. I use this to clean up mistakes, cover blemishes, sculpt brows, and even on my under eye area. For the under eye though I recommend blending it out with your finger and not a brush and then setting it, doing one eye at a time. I just like that better because it's so much thicker than other concealers. It's totally full coverage and amazing. Last brand I wanna talk about is Essence. I have a few things from them as well. I got a free tube of their Forbidden Volume Rebel mascara (I accidentally took a shot of the originial mascara and not the Rebel. Rebel looks the exact same in packaging only it's red) with purchase and I like it better than the original which is the other way around for a lot of people. For me though I like this wand better and the way it coats my lashes fully. This is $4.49 and available at Ulta. Next is their Pure Nude Highlighter that's also $4.49. I wish they had more than just one color but this is a good dupe for Champagne Pop I think. It's warm bronze-y shade and super, I mean super, pigmented. I also like their eyeshadow primer: I Love Stage Eyeshadow Base which is $3.49. This isn't AS good as the Wet n Wild but it's still very good. I notice creasing after about 7 hours or so. I will say I hate the color of this. It's very orange. However, after blending it out and applying a light matte shadow to set it, it's not noticeable, on me. So those are some brands and products that really stand out to me, that I feel are just as good as things you would find at Sephora. Other great affordable mentions are: L'Oreal Carbon Black Mascara L'Oreal Lineur Intense liquid liner Colour Pop Gel Liner in Swerve Makeup Geek, JD Glow, Colour Pop, and Coastal Scents single shadows Morphe Brushes new concealer Colour Pop Lip Liners and Satin Liquid Lipsicks Jordana Lip Liners Elf Blush palettes Max Factor Masterpiece MAX mascara I'm sure there are more awesome products that I just haven't tried yet but these are what's standing out right now. I don't hear people talking about a lot of them so I wanted to talk about them. |
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! Categories
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