Almay Smart Shade Butter Kiss Review

When I saw these advertised, I was so excited to try them. I have tried the lip butters from Revlon, L'Oreal and Maybelline and so far, not great. I was really hoping that these really affordable ($6.99 at target!) lip butters would work, and I was so happy to see that the brand sort of assigns colors regarding skin tone which really helped me decide. I ultimately bought two shades: Berry-Light which is for the fairest skin tone, and Red Light-Medium, which is the next skin tone after light.

My first impression was "oh my god, these are so much better than the Revlon ones!" And after a couple weeks of testing them out, they still are so much better than any other lip butter I've tried. They are nicely pigmented, and very easy to apply, and actually feel nice on the lips. I found with the Revlon ones were way too creamy, and the pigment was uneven and with the L'Oreal ones, I found them to be too glossy, and for the Maybelline ones, they were more pigmented than the other two and are the only ones that feel similar to the Almay one, but are more shimmery.

I think these are amazing drugstore lip products and will be trying some new colors soon!


xx : )

January Beauty Favorites

This month, I have been loving only a few products that I have used mainly in the last two weeks of the month, as school just began again on Jan. 19th.

The first product is one that I have loved for a while but I have now just got back to using it and that is Revlon's Colorstay Foundation for Normal/Dry Skin in 150 Buff. It covers my redness really well, and looks amazing on my skin. I find that it lasts all day (8am-9pm) and is the perfect shade for my fair complexion. This foundation is the only foundation I have found in the drugstore that gives full coverage without looking cakey. This is definitely my favorite foundation of all time. (I'm already on my 5th bottle!)

The next product I have been loving this month is The Body Shop's Honey Bronzer in the shade 01. This is the best bronzer for anyone with fair skin. I think this is an amazing bronzer. Its not shimmery whats-so-ever, and can be used as either a bronzer or as a contour, or as both! Its amazing!

Thirdly, I have been loving Kat Von D's Tattoo Liner in Tropper. Its so easy to apply, does not transfer onto the lid and dries very quickly. Its super black as well. When its time to remove it, I find Neutrogena's makeup wipes work the best. The only thing I don't like about this product is the price: $19 at Sephora. I think that that is jsut a bit too much for this liner, and although I use it everyday, I don't have $19 dollars to spend on an eyeliner that often. Other than that, this liner is amazing!

The next thing I have been loving is Mac's Zoom Fast Black Lash Mascara. This is in my top 3 mascaras of all time. It gives me the right amount of length not to hit my glasses and the perfect amount of volume and gives my lashes a sort of fluttery look. I first tried this with a sample I got at the Mac counter in Nordstroms so I recommend asking if they have any samples so you can try it before buying the full size. I now have the full size and have been using it everyday for the past two weeks.

The next thing I have been loving is Almay's Smart Shade Butter Kiss Lipstick in 10 Berry Light. This seems like it would be like Revlon's LipButters but I find this not as creamy, so therefore so much better! Its super pigmented and so easy to apply and feels more like a balm than a lipstick. I went and also picked up the shade 80 Red Light-Medium which a much brighter, red color rather than a bright berry color. The shade range I believe is Light, Light-Medium, and Medium, with I believe four shades each: nude, pink, red, and berry. This is an amazing lip product and very affordable at Target.

The last thing is a nail polish and it is Sonia Kashuk Nail Colour in Naval Academy. Its a gorgeous dark blue color that last about 4 days and is very affordable! I purchased mine at Target.

That is it for my January Beauty favorites : )

Follow me on twitter, tumblr, and instagram  xx

Morning and Evening Skin Care Routine

Every morning, or on days when I plan on wearing make up, I use a couple of products to help keep my dry skin hydrated throughout the day. I am not that good at keeping up with my skincare routine, but I do try doing it at least once a day, whether in the day or evening.

For the morning, I would first use the Aveeno Smart Essentials Daily Detoxifying Scrub and I find this a very gentle scrub with a mild but pleasant scent and perfect for mornings. Given its a scrub, I find a lot of scrubs will turn my sensitive skin redder than it already is but not with this scrub! Its gentle but does the job and I feel my skin feels a lot smoother and applying makeup is better.

The next thing I use is Boots Expert Anti-Redness Serum. I have used this serum for a while now, and am on my third bottle already. I find this serum at radically reduced my redness, and have made wearing blush possible, without looking embarrassed or as if I have a fever, which is how red I can get.

The last thing I apply in the morning is Simple Replenishing Rich Moisturizer. I am still testing this out, have been for a couple of weeks but so far I find this is a very nice moisturizer for daytime. I do use this for a nighttime moisturizer but I find its not as heavy, therefore, not as moisturizing as others I've tried, which means I'm still on the lookout for a nighttime moisturizer.

Evening Routine 

Given than I am wearing makeup, the very first thing I use is the Garnier Clean+ Nourishing Cleansing Oil. I'm already more than half-way done with my second bottle of this. Its almost the perfect cleansing oil I've tried. I find it removes almost all my makeup and does not dry out my skin. The only thing I noticed about this is that although it can remove gel liner, or so the one I have, it cannot remove Kat Von D's Tattoo Liner. I find that this product will only fade down, not actually disappearing.

The next thing I use is the Biore Deep Pore Charcoal Cleanser. I don't know if you're supposed to use two cleaners, but I find this helps clean my face even more, and because its a bit minty, it tingles the skin which I love. This is a really great product and I think if I had to chose between this one or the Garnier oil I would have to go with this one because it feels nicer on the skin whilst applying it.

The rest of my evening routine consist of applying the Anti Redness Serum and the Simple moisturizer.


I hope this was insightful and interesting : ) 

xx

2014 Favorites

Hello everybody! 2014 was a very interesting year for makeup for me as I expanded my knowledge and my makeup collection : )

The following are my favorite makeup products of 2014 : )

Makeup:

First off, face makeup. I've been loving two foundations this past year one having been mentioned in a previous blog post which will be linked below:

L'Oreal Visible Lift Blur Foundation in 201 Light Ivory 

Covergirl truBlend Foundation in Li Ivory 
This is a very light coverage foundation perfect for warm California weather. I found it evened my skin tone, toned down the redness, and stayed on very nicely all day. Its great for dry skin and is easy to blend with either a sponge or a makeup brush.

L'Oreal Magic Anti-Redness Correcting Primer 
This is green! This will literally make you skin look green when first application BUT have no fear once blended into skin and with a foundation over it, any redness you many have will be gone (or toned down extremely depending on how red you are). I have the reddest cheeks ever so this product has been amazing. I find the fuller coverage a foundation has, the better however.  

Other face products are mentioned below, some with links leading to past blog posts decribing them in more depth : ) 

 
E.L.F Maximum Coverage Concealer 

E.L.F. Contouring Blush and Bronzer in St. Lucia 
This is a very affordable and very shimmery product but the shimmer is not overpowering, but instead gives a very lovely look to the skin. The bronzer looks too dark for my fair skin, but I find blending it in with my face powder helps tone it down to create a very pretty sun-kissed glow to the skin. 

Wet 'n' Wild Coloricon "Bronzer" in 743A Reserve your Cabana 
This says bronzer, but is not, even for my pale complexion. What I love about this is that its a gorgeous highlighter. Its glowing and gleaming and all the right words when describing a beautiful cheek highlighter. The only little thing that's not so great is the smell this product as; its very noticeable when applying this product, and can be overpowering and a bit too sweet but I find that the scent does not linger; its only there when you open the product.

Milani Face Powder in 01 Light 

Benefit Hoola Bronzer 
This is a great, but slightly expensive bronzer by benefit that is matte, and can be used as a contour and/or bronzer. Its great with my fair skin and does not look orange. I find Benefit sells a lot of value packs with a sample size of this bronzer that I recommend buying first to make sure it suits you and I also find that this sample size has lasted me for over a year, continuous use for over 7 months of that. 

Eye Makeup 

L'Oreal Lash Out Butterfly Mascara 

Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eyeliner in "Navy" and "Lionfish"

Sonia Kashuk Eyeliner palette

Rimmel London Waterproof Gel Eyeliner

Jordana Color Effects Eyeshadow powder in 08 Perfect Team
This is an eyeshadow duo with a white and a black. I rarely use the white, if I do its to help blend my cream color and my eyebrow highlight. The black shade is the best black eyeshadow because there is no fallout whats so ever. I use this to set any gel eyeliner and it works perfectly.

Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze
This is an amazing everyday shade and one of the easiest color tattoo shadows to use. I find some of the other colors can be a bit drying and hard to blend but this one works amazingly.

Smashbox eyeshadow palette in "Cosmic"
Although there is fallout with the darker shades, this palette is perfect for everyday because you have a black eyeshadow, two neutral colors, a shimmery neutral color to add some sparkle and two blue shades to add some color to your look. I love this palette as you can see I have barely hit pan on the two neutral shades. I just think this palette is amazing and very useful when  I don't want to be messing around with other palettes trying to find all the shades I need; this palette as them all.

Nails 

I've been loving Revlon's Colorstay range, particularly the colors 225 Jungle and 250 Rich Raspberry and also Revlon's Colorstay Gel Envy in 620 Rush. These are great, affordable nail polishes with great color range. They last for about a week which is very good though I do find the gel envy lasts not as long as the normal range.

The other nail polish I've been loving is Sonia Kashuk's 04 Sweet Dreams nail polish.

Lips

Maybelline Baby Lips in Grape Vine 

A very easy to apply lip product that leaves your lips moisturized and with a lovely color. The color is very sheer but visible.

Laura Mercier Lip Glace in Opal 

A yummy smelling lip gloss that feels amazing on the lips and gives a gorgeous glowing color. 

Buxom Full on Lip cream in Kir Royale
By far my favorite of the bunch, this lip product tingles my lips and stays on for a very long time, ultimately staining my lips. The color pay off is fantastic and the product feels very nice on the lips. 

Covergirl Colorlicious lip gloss in Berrylicious 
This lip gloss is the perfect everyday shade. Its a light dusty rose mauve with no shimmer and feels very nice on the lips. 

NYC Smooch proof lipstain 16H in 498 Berry Long Time 
Amazing, matte lip color for every day. Easy to apply and will go with any look.

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in 460 Blushing Mauve 
An everyday rose-mauve lip color that you would need a mirror for but it feels amazing on the lips and is perfect for any look, evening or daytime. 

MAC Cremesheen lipstick in Hang-up  
The best feeling mac lipstick I own. Its very creamy, and can be worn blotted to a nice stain or full on for a dramatic look.


That is it for my 2014 favorites, I hope you found this helpful and interesting! : ) 

Happy New Year! xx


 

October Favorites

1. This month I've been loving Sonia Kashuk Eyeliner Palette. I did a full review here. This was great for easy, daily looks. The black eyeshadow is one of the blackest eyeshadows I have tried and there is little fallout. I love using the black and grey for everyday smokey eye looks.

2. The next thing I've been loving is the L'oreal Visible Lift Foundation. I also did a review on this product. Its very easy to apply, provides light to medium coverage but I feel that with this foundation I don't need anymore coverage. It feels great on my skin and matches my skin very well.

3. For nails, I have been loving Essie Nail Polish in Wicked. Two coats will give a very opaque, deep color that almost appears black, but is in fact oxblood. Its a gorgeous autumn color that lasts for a good 3 days without terrible chipping. 

4.  The next thing I've been loving is The Balm's Mary Lou Manizer. This is the most beautiful highlighter ever. Its very intense, and a small amount goes a long way, but it is gorgeous. I love applying some to my inner corners of my eyes to appear more away. Its also beautiful as a cheek highlight.

5. The last thing I've been loving is the Body Shop's Shea Body Mist. It smells super clean and fresh and is not overpowering and can be reapplied throughout the day.

Other Beauty Favorites include these three products mentioned in this post

For non-beauty favorites, I have been loving Season 10 of Supernatural on the CW. Only 3 episodes so far but I am enjoying every second. I won't say much for fear of revealing anything but I definitely

recommend the show, which seasons 1-9 are aviable on Instant Watch on Netflix. ^.^

A movie I enjoyed this month is the 1985 film "Clue". Its based off the board game and its really really good! Its full of mystery and humor and a great ending! The cast is amazing, the script great, and really keeps you entertained.

Watch the trailer here 

 Thank you for reading! ^.^

Recent Beauty Favorites

Over the past two weeks I have been loving three certain products and decided to dedicate a blog post to them. They are all drug store products which is a bonus! ^.^

1. E.L.F Maximum Coverage Concealer in the shade porcelain 
This is the best drugstore concealer I have ever tried. It provides great coverage, does not look cakey, and actually matches my fair complexion. I find this concealer to cover redness and can act has the only base I wear for the day, skipping foundation all together. Its creamy, easy to apply with fingers and/or a brush.

2. Covergirl Smoochies Lipbalm in "#2cute"
This is a super creamy lipbalm. Although its not the most moisturizing, it does not dry out my already rather dry lips. The color is gorgeous and does contain some shimmer which I thought I wouldn't like but on days where I need some color on my lips, this particular shade adds the perfect color that works for the autumn season. Its a bit berry and a bit of a red color that is 100% wearable and easy to apply; No mirror needed!










3. L'Oreal Lash Out Butterfly mascara in Blackest Black
This is one of my all-time favorite mascaras! The formula is great; I find my lashes look great both once applied and by the end of the day with no smudges or flaking. Its sort of a wet and dry formula; the lashes do not clump, but if I shut my eyes right after applying, there will be a bit of transfer but my lashes do dry and there is no transfer after a minute or so. This mascara is amazing and gives my lashes a very lovely affect that does not interfere with my glasses. 






These three products are actually great to be used in one full face of makeup without needed to apply anything else! I highly recommend checking out these products next time you're at the drugstore! ^.^

Thank you for reading!

September Favorites

This month was a very hot month and so my makeup routine involved makeup that could last all day in this summer weather.

The first product I've been loving in September is Rimmel London Match Perferction blush in 001 Light

This blush is perfect because its not shimmery! Its perfect in the sunlight and my skin doesn't look like a disco ball. The blush comes with 3 colors; a light peachy pink, a more mauve pink, and a pinker mauve color. I tend to mix the deep mauve with the lighter pink but swirling your brush in one color or all there colors creates a beautiful shade.





The second favorite for September is Miss Jessie's Pillow Soft Curls.

This is the best product ever! I'm serious! I have naturally curly hair but without the proper styling gel, it ends up a frizzy mess with the curls random and not in any nice form. With this product, I get my hair wet and then wait until its no longer dripping water and I apply a bit more than a quarter size on my palm, rub my hands together, and then just spread the product all over, focusing on the ends. And then i take whatever is left and run my hands through my bangs. I then scrunch my hair upwards and sometimes I would tilt my head upside down and scrunch my hair towards my scalp to really get the curls formed. I'm left with my hair like the picture below and through out the day my hair stays like that apart from looking wet; it makes my hair stay looking darker (wet) longer than when I don't use the product but it does dry fully and I'm left with gorgeous soft, non-crunchy curls! Another bonus is that this product smells DIVINE!

  

The third product I've been loving is Milani's Face powder in 01 Light.

This is a great powder for hot weather! I find my dry skin feeling super soft and my concealer and foundation staying much better with this powder over it. It also smells lovely! I have already hit pan on it from using it every day in the last 3-4 months! I will say that this powder does not provide noticeable coverage. 

My fourth September favorite is non-beauty and its the TV Show Doctor Who (BBC America). This 8th season is so good! I was at first not really liking the 12th Doctor, but after last week's episode, I am liking him more. Still love Eleven and Ten, but I am starting to like the new Doctor. I am loving Clara though even more! She is amazing and just is written so well this season. I didn't really like her in season 7 but now I am loving her! I think so far, my favorite episode of this season as been episode 3, Robot of Sherwood, which featured Robin Hood!

My fifth favorite of September has been a youtube channel and that is Essie Button Vlogs!

She has a beauty youtube channel as well (which I love) but this month I've been loving her vlogs! She recently had some vlogs in August when she and her boyfriend, Aslan, traveled around Scandinavia but in September there were a couple of vlogs that are just perfect. She is so funny, so amazing, and very interesting to watch! I definitely recommend checking her out, especially now because she's doing Vlogtober! ^.^

And that is it for my September Favorites! I hope this was interesting and if anyone wants to say hi or recommend a product for review, please send me an ask (anon or not) on my tumblr ^.^