Loreal HIP Shocking Shadow Pigments in Restless (918)

Loreal HIP Shocking Shadow Pigments in Restless (918):

To start off I need to make a confession. I have never owned or tried MAC's pigments. This seems sacrilegious in the makeup community, but I just want it to be known that I cannot compare that product to this one.

That being said, I really like this drugstore-brand pigment. I got the highlight shade so it was not showing up when I tried to swatch it, but it is a shimmery cream color with peach, pink, and gold reflects. I love the instant shimmer it gives my eyes. I like applying it under the brow bone and in the inner corner of my eye to really highlight those areas and make my eyes pop. It is also surprisingly a great highlighter for just above the cheek bones. It brings a glow to my face and makes me look a bit angelic.

An Eden tip: Apply your favorite lip gloss and then press a bit of the pigment onto lips, concentrating on the center of the lips, for a little extra shimmer.

It even comes with its own little brush. How convenient!

Skindinavia Makeup Finishing Sprays

Skindinavia Makeup Finishing Sprays in Dance! Active Use Makeup Hold and The Original Makeup Saver:

These sprays remind me of the MAC Fix+ sprays with more specific purposes. The Dance! Active Use Makeup Hold is meant to be used if you're doing some serious sweating and want to keep your makeup in place. I could see this coming in handy in a sweaty club in the summer time or for a trip to the beach. The Original Makeup Saver is just the normal version that is to be used to keep everyday makeup fresh and in place throughout the day. The brand also talks a big game about the instant "glow" that the sprays give your face, but I think that glow comes with spraying your face with liquid more than anything else because that glow didn't last too longer than the spray took to dry on my face.

The sprays are oil and paraben free which I think is a must in a skin care product and they do keep makeup in place. They didn't really come in handy for me as much I thought they might, however, because I don't wear foundation or any kind of heavy base that would need to stay put. I also use eye primers for my eye makeup to keep it in place so I think my primers pretty much have my eyes covered, so-to-speak.

Overall I think the concept of the product is great for someone who is seriously active throughout the day and wants long lasting makeup coverage or for keeping foundation in place.

I have to be honest, however, and say that if you are willing to shell out the cash, MAC's Fix+ Rose does the exact same thing, but smells like roses. Just saying...

Makeup at the Gym...What's the Verdict?

Makeup at the Gym...What's the Verdict?

My university just built an incredible new state-of-the-art gym and it is absolutely amazing, but get a bunch of college students to sweat it out together and the inevitable question becomes...how do I look working out?

When I go to the gym I have nothing on my face. Zero. Absolutely no makeup whatsoever. But there are many girls, I notice, that have anything from a full face to a coat of waterproof mascara. I can't see the purpose of wearing any myself because a) it would just get sweated off so what's the point? b) it would cause a sweaty mess and look ridiculous on my face and c) it could seriously clog pores.

I mean I know everyone looks gross at the gym and it would be nice to be able to look a little more put together, but that's just really not an option for me. I will look gross and just hope that I don't see anyone I know. I am ultra paranoid about my skin care and think I would worry too much about greasy/pore clogging bacteria if I was wearing any. Sweat is gross enough, right? Are there any avid gym makeup fans out there that could explain this to me?

FW 2010 Musings

I was surprisingly thrilled to see such clean, fresh faces walking down the runways this season. Marc Jacobs, Adam, Erin Fetherston, Philosophy, Thakoon, Jason Wu, Preen and more rocked a very non-makeup makeup look. I am a fan of the natural face myself so these runway makeup looks were serious inspiration. I love a dewy, glowing face with maybe just a pop of bold somewhere. Narcisio Rodriguez had a neutral face with bold brows and Marc Jacobs' models rocked the clean look with major mascara. I think the very best bold pop, however, came from Vena Cava and their clean-faced models with bright orange lips. Gorgeous!

Daring enough to try the look yourself? Check out:
MAC's Meltdown lipstick

Make Up For Ever's Flourescent Orange 201 lipstick

Illamasqua's Blaze lipstick

Anastasia Lash Lifting Mascara in Black

Anastasia Lash Lifting Mascara in Black:

I got this as my free gift for getting to yet another 100 points on my Sephora Beauty Insider card. It is a nice little mascara sample size, good for traveling, and it is very black which I like. I don't really see the "lash lifting" element of this. My lashes were just where they normally are after applying and I even needed an eyelash curl with this when I normally don't when using my CoverGirl LashBlast. However, the more I use this the more I like it. It is the most natural looking mascara that I have ever tried. It's my lashes, just longer and fuller. There is nothing I dislike more than clumpy, flaky, gunked-up eyelashes and I feel like I spend most of my time with my favorite mascaras trying to avoid this in the application. With this product I don't even have to worry about it. Bonus? It will fit nicely in a clutch so it's good for evenings out.

I was not initially convinced on this one, but I am definitely a convert. I'm glad that I stuck it out!

Nars Orgasm Illuminator

Nars Orgasm Illuminator:

I have been coveting the Orgasm Illuminator for way too long and now I finally have it! It is everything I hoped it would be and more. The sheer hints of pink, peach, and cold shimmer, the almost gel-like texture, the dewy glow that it produces...perfection in a bottle! I like to use it as a highlighter above my cheek bones or a blush on the apples of my cheeks with a bit of bronzer for a springy glow, but you can apply it all over the face or even put it in your foundation or moisturizer! Very versatile. Totally gorgeous. Just what my skin has been waiting for all winter long!

CoverGirl and Olay Simply Ageless Corrector Concealer in 230

CoverGirl and Olay Simply Ageless Corrector Concealer in 230:

I was looking for something to cover my second-semester-senior-year dark under eye circles and I thought of this product because I loved the cream blush version so much. The under eye area is seriously fragile and this creamy formula seemed like just the ticket. Olay is exactly what I want under my eyes! Here comes the "but"...

I applied this to the back of my hand and it literally disappeared. I mean it was gone! It blended perfectly in with my skin tone. Then I bought it, brought it home, and applied it under my eyes. Wrong color! It actually looks like I have two yellow streaks under my eyes. The shade is far too yellow for that part of my face. Oh well. For every success there's bound to be some failures! I do love the color though and will use it as a regular concealer for bumps/discolorations/etc. I really need to get myself a color wheel. Green for red...what covers purple circles?

Tarte Natural Lip Stain Pencil in Amused

Tarte Natural Lip Stain Pencil in Amused:

I realize that I am months behind in buying this stain, but in my defense it was out of stock at three Sephoras that I visited AND online! So I finally got my hands on one and let me start by saying that I LOOOOVE the color. Yes, it requires capital letters and all of those o's to describe my love for this hot pink hue. It is bold, fun, sexy, and youthful. I feel dressed up when I have it on even when I'm wearing sweats and the color really does last for hours. It is seriously natural, leaving out parabens, petro-chemicals, phthalates, sulfates, preservatives, glycols, gluten, and GMO's. It also has LipSurgence technology which supposedly gives a "6,000 increase in lips' moisture content" or so says the packaging. Here is where we hit a snag. I have never in my life put a more drying product on my lips. How is this possible? 6,000 times the moisture! That's a lot of moisture! Well, I suppose not all products react with everyone in the same way. I am seriously bummed about the way it sucks out any moisture my lips seemed to have retained in this dry winter air. The color, however, is absolutely worth it. I will just wear a clear gloss on top and reapply as my lips get dry!

Now I just need to find this in every color...

Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick in Airy Fairy

Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick in Airy Fairy:

I had been hearing raves about this Rimmel lipstick shade on YouTube tutorials (it's the fav color of fafinettex3) and thought I would give it a try. I love the way that the neutral/pink has just a hint of gold reflects. It goes on my lips very smoothly and is a great all around daytime color for me. It shows up as almost nude. I would really need to be in the right lighting for the pinky/gold to show up on my lips, but I needed a nice neutral lipstick so I am definitely not disappointed. I should have known it was a little bit bland for me when my mom exclaimed that she needed to buy it for herself when she saw it on me. We always joke that she had a million lip colors all in the same neutral/blah shade. Her absolute favorite lip color of all time is MAC's SlimShine in "Bare" so I think that says it all. I'm really liking the texture of this lipstick though. Not too chalky or cakey and it really does last.

Overall verdict? I will enjoy it while it lasts, but probably won't repurchase.

CoverGirl & Olay Simply Ageless Sculpting Blush

CoverGirl & Olay Simply Ageless Sculpting Blush in 201:

I am in love with this cream blush. The mix of the blush with the Olay cream swirled inside creates the softest, most easily blendable cream blush that I have ever tried. The color is light but easy to build up so it doesn't give you clown cheeks. It stays put once it's on and doesn't slide all over your face like some cream blushes I've tried. I'd have to say that the silky smooth texture of this cream is what hooked me, but the color keeps me coming back for more. It is the perfect rosy glow for a pale winter face. I am not a huge fan of heavy bronzer in the winter because...come on girls...it just does not look natural. So I rely on blush to put some color back on my sheet-white complexion. This definitely does the trick!

Now let's just see if I can get my hands on some of the cream blushes from the MAC Lilyland collection...

EcoTools

EcoTools Brushes:

Cheap Thrill Alert!!!

This travel set of brushes is cruelty-free, super soft, and was five dollars at Target for all four brushes. The set came with a kabuki brush, a blush brush, an eyeshadow blending brush, and a concealer brush. They are small enough to take anywhere, but big enough to use easily. Alicia Silverstone has come out with a line of cruelty-free brushes with EcoTools which I will definitely be checking out.

Does cruelty-free matter in your brush choices?

My Name is the Next Big Thing?

Some of my new must-have products are sporting my name!

Hourglass Prodigy Hydrating Lip Gloss in "Eden":
I have heard amazing things about this Jetsonesq futuristic gloss. Not sticky, super moisturizing, and amazing colors...what's not to like?
http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P256901&categoryId=C17271

Urban Decay Primer Potion in "Eden":
The classic eye makeup primer now comes in a shade! It reminds me of the MAC paint pot in Bare Study, but it provides the staying power of the classic UDPP product.
http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P254226
searchString=urban%20decay%20primer%20potion%20eden

Stila Eyeshadow in "Eden":
A pinky brown shade with just the right amount of shimmer. Classic for daytime or a great highlight for evening looks.
http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P8431&categoryId=B70

Check them out!

Matrix Sleek Look Blow-Down Extreme Creme

Matrix Sleek Look Blow-Down Extreme Creme:

Every once in a while we all make a beauty purchase mistake. This is my most recent offense. I am always searching for the perfect product to blow dry my hair with and I found it in the Living Proof straightening balm, however, being $14 for a tub the size of a golf ball, I would say that I am still in the market for a cheaper product. This was about $15 dollars at Target, but was literally about 10 times the size of my Living Proof favorite so I thought I would give it a try.

FAIL!

Hate is a strong word, but it is a rare hair experience when you feel the need to re-shower after applying a product. I put this in my damp post-shower hair before blow drying and it immediately felt gunky, sticky, knotted, messy, etc. I tried to run a wide tooth comb through my hair to smooth out the mess, but I couldn't get the comb through my normally silky-soft damp locks! I would have gotten right back in the shower to get the goop out, but I was in a rush so I just tried blow drying my hair. I could barely get my round brush through my strands!

The world did not come to an end, but I was not at all thrilled with the results. My straightened hair felt like it had way too much product build-up even though I had only used a dime sized amount of this cream and nothing else. My hair was also not nearly as soft as it normally is after blow drying. I took my semi-stiff and greasy feeling locks out that night and all I could think about was washing my hair. Obviously it did not look as bad to others as I assumed that it looked myself. It was really more of an ew-my-hair-feels-disgusting problem than anything else. Lets just say that I was self-conscious to say the least.

I would never subject my friends to this product so I guess it will go into hair care Siberia at the back of my products cabinet. Oh well. The search continues...

Has anyone else found a straightening/blow dry cream comparable to Living Proof? I fear that there is no such thing. Damn those MIT scientists for coming up with only the best in blow drying technology!

CoverGirl ShineBlast Lipglosses

CoverGirl ShineBlast Lipglosses in 835 (on the left) and 805 (on the right):

These two glosses were a must-have for me as soon as they hit shelves. Anything with Pat McGrath's name attached to it is okay in my book! McGrath is the creative design director of Proctor & Gamble Beauty and CoverGirl, being a Proctor & Gamble brand, gets the McGrath touch on it's products.

I find the 835 peachy/coral color to actually be a great nude/clear gloss. There is really no color apparent when applied to my lips...bummer. Then I tried on 805, which looks just as great in the tube as it does on my lips! It shows up, after a few coats, as a racy hot pink with just a bit of glittery shimmer. Absolutely fabulous for a night out, or if you just feel like having a little extra something going for you on a Monday morning.

I can tell you right now that 805 will be on my lips for weeks to come!

Neutrogena Deep Clean Oil-Free Makeup Remover Cleansing Wipes

Neutrogena Deep Clean Oil-Free Makeup Remover Cleansing Wipes:

These wipes are miracle workers in terms of makeup removal. The sheets have a clean, non-sticky feel on my skin during and after use and they smell clean and fresh. They make my skin tingle in that just-washed way that cleansers sometimes produce. They remove both face and eye makeup and are extremely gentle. I can use them all over my eye area to take off shadows, liners, and mascara and they don't irritate my eyes one bit. I find that other removers can be greasy, oily, or irritating to my skin, but these little towelettes have none of those annoying qualities!

Overview: They are cheap, easy to find, and work great!

CoverGirl Lipslicks in Clear

CoverGirl Lipslicks in Clear:

Cheap Thrill Alert!!

I have a little obsession with this product. It is like a glossy chapstick that smells semi-waxy (which I happen to love) and keeps my lips super smooth. I go through many tubes of this because I keep one in my top desk drawer and am constantly applying it while I work at my desk. It gives the sheerest shimmer to lips and is ultra cheap. It can be found at any drugstore!

Only downside? In my opinion, it tastes absolutely awful. So don't lick your lips and wipe it off before eating!

Night Time Skin Care Routine

Night Time Skin Care Routine:

At night, no matter how late it is, I will always without question complete this entire routine.

I wash my face with a derm perscribed 10% sodium sulfacetamide and 5% sulfur cleansing cloth. Sodium Sulfacetamide and sulfur prevent bacteria from bring produced on the skin and eliminate existing bacteria.

I then use my moisturizer (see Day Time Skin Care Routine post).

I end by applying a thin layer of 0.1% Differin Gel (derm prescribed) all over my face. Differin is a topical retinoid gel that clears pores of built up skin cells that can turn into blemishes. It is also effective in treating acne scars or marks. Luckily, I am fairly mark-free, but my dermatologist has explained this positive effect of the gel so I figured it's worth mentioning.

My Morning Skin Care Routine

My Morning Skin Care Routine:

I am a skin care freak. I never go to bed without not only washing my face, but doing my entire skin care routine start to finish. It took me a while to find a dermatologist who was just as serious about skin care as I am and we did not stop trying different products until I was completely satisfied with my complexion.

Every morning I start off by washing my face with Neutrogena's Oil-Free Acne Stress Control Power-Foam Wash. It is a fluffy, light foam that contains 0.5% salicylic acid which helps to shed dead skin cells and unclog pores.

I have combination skin (super dry in some places, oily in my t-zone) so I use this Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisture for Combination Skin moisturizer. It is non-greasy, absorbs quickly, and moisturizes my dry areas.

To finish off I apply NeoBenz (prescribed by my derm) which is a 3.5% benzoyl peroxide cream. This kills any bacteria on my skin what could cause potential blemishes.

My Beauty Bag Essentials

My Beauty Bag Essentials: The Beauty Booty that Never Leaves my Bag

Let my start by saying that these are simply the beauty essentials that I keep in my purse at all times. I also have other things cluttering up my bags i.e. Advil, gum, eye drops, extra contacts, etc. It was hard to narrow down, but these are my absolute have-to-have purse essentials...like I would not walk out of the door without them.

In terms of hair items I keep it basic. I have extra hair ties, bobby pins, and a little travel brush (the weird orange thing in the bottom right hand corner).

For my face I always keep oil absorbing sheets on hand for blotting purposes. I think this CVS brand of sheets works exactly like the Clean and Clear brand, but it's less expensive. I also have hand sanitizer because college is dirty and I've already had the Swine Flu. Gross! I also carry a little mirror around. This one I got at a bazaar in Istanbul. It's intricately decorated on the outside and has one regular and one magnifying mirror inside. Haggling with Turkish market men isn't really my thing, but I got a pretty good deal on this. Just a few lira!
I also have Rosebud Salve which is just a clear pot of gloss with the most amazing rose scent and just a hint of glossy shimmer. It moisturizes my lips like no other product out there and it's small enough to fit in a clutch!

For what I suppose you could call "body" needs I keep bandaids in there for tricky high heel situations where my feet need a helping hand as well as one or two Clinique solid perfumes. I like these because they come in a chubby pencil form so I can just doodle it on my wrists instead of getting my fingers all messy in a solid perfume pot. The sticks come with their own extra large pencil sharpener and I love the fruity scents. The set of three came with Clinique's classic Happy scent as well as this Wealth of Flowers scent and a Citrus scent. They are all nice and refreshing for a quick scent touch-up.

I definitely add different items to my bag in addition to these essentials depending on where I am going, what I am doing, how long I will be out, etc. For example, if I am going to an event at night I may bring along the lip color that I have chosen for that evening or if I know I'll be on campus in class all day I will bring a mattifying powder compact for quick face touch-ups during the day. Water bottles, mini tissue packets, and some random jewelry also seem to make it into the bag more often then not.

What are your purse essentials?

Nexxus Humectress Luxe Ultimate Moisturizing Leave-In Spray

Nexxus Humectress Luxe Ultimate Moisturizing Leave-In Spray:

This leave-in conditioner has been a staple for me in the last week and it's not leaving my post-shower routine any time soon. I heard great things about this product and thought I would give it a try. I used to use the John Frieda Leave-In Conditioning Spray, but I found that I was always one squirt away from gunky hair. This leave-in product takes just a few sprays to make my hair dry insanely soft and feel incredible without any heat styling and I have yet to find my hair drying into a sticky mess. I just spray a bit in my hair after I t-shirt* dry it and then let it air-dry. Bam! Soft, touchable hair that took me about 20 seconds to do. I can't ask a hair product to do much more than that!

*I dry my hair with an extra large cotton t-shirt instead of a towel because the less friction that is rubbed onto hair, the less frizzy it will become. The cotton is much more gentle on my frizz-prone locks. It's a cheaper version to those expensive hair turbans and special drying cloths. Try it out!

Vaseline Sheer Infusion Body Lotion

Vaseline Sheer Infusion Body Lotion in Botanical Blend:

I have to rave about my new lotion obsession! I used to use Vaseline's body oil, but it was just too, well, oily. It would get all over my clothes and forget trying to put on jeans with that on my legs! This lotion dries within about a minute and isn't greasy at all. It has the lightest fresh scent which I love because I like unscented lotions that won't compete with my perfume choice of the day. My skin feels the smoothest it has ever felt with any lotion I have used before and that says a lot because I had be quite the lotion collector. I have tried tons of lotions and those others just can't compare. It will take an insanely fabulous lotion to get me to ever stop using this one!

It has STRATYS 3 which you may have heard about if you have seen the impressive acrobatic commercials for this lotion. It basically means that it treats multiple layers of the skin. Hey, I believe it!

Vincent Longo Rosewood Luster Diamond Lip Gloss

Vincent Longo Rosewood Luster Diamond Lip Gloss:

A sparkly pink gloss that won't disappoint! If you're in the market for a gloss that will really add some shine to your lips, this will do the trick. I like it better than MAC's Dazzleglass line of glosses because I find that the shimmer in those can be gritty on my lips. The sparkles in this formula are super fine so the gloss is smooth, yet shiny! The soft pink is seriously punched up with gold reflects so it's perfect for an evening look.

Vincent Longo Pearlessence Lip/Cheek Gel Stain

Vincent Longo Pearlessence Lip/Cheek Gel Stain:

This stain is such a pretty pinky/purple color. It has a hint of shimmer in it that gives your lips and cheeks a soft glow. It is different than any other stain I have tried in that it is easy to apply, lasts until I attempt to get it off, and has just the right amount of shimmer. It's a good way to mix up my normal pink or red lip looks because it has just a bit of purple undertones. Other stains that I've tried have made my cheeks look like I just ran a marathon or exited a sauna because of the amount of redish pink pigmentation in them, but the purple in this stain stays away from that issue without being noticeably purple on your face.

What's your favorite stain?