November 2014 Eyeshadow Palette of the Month: MAC Leopard Lux Quad

Hi there! After my recent birthday/holiday splurges, I think it’s best if I try to focus on using one eyeshadow palette a month. I am a complete eyeshadow/blush lover (or hoarder), so I figure I would start choosing one palette to use each month to ensure that all of my eyeshadows get some love. . I think I have enough eyeshadows to last me all the way until 2016, but I’m sure that won’t stop me from getting more at the next makeup sale.

Of course, there are exceptions to every rule, one being that I will always use MAC Brown Script no matter what palette I’m using because it’s such an awesome transition color for me. Without further ado, below are swatches from MAC’s Leopard Lux Quad, ENJOY!

Top To Bottom: Furiously Fabulous (VP), Style Predator (VP), Notoriety (V), Wild By Nature (M) 

What eyeshadow palette are you using this month?

What's in my ZPalette?

I FINALLY did it! I uploaded a video to YouTube! Please enjoy and don't forget to like, subscribe, and share. 

In this video, I describe my 'depotting disaster' story and provide my personal opinion on the zpalette. Depotting is such a pain and I think that the MAC palettes are the best buy for the money as the ZPalettes do not hold up well when traveling (specifically for air travel). 

Here are some close ups of my ZPalette. As you can tell it's already a little dusty from the Wet N' Wild eyeshadows and I am already worried that the colors are going to mix together, but I'll stick it out to see how things go. 

Uh Oh! Birthday Makeup Shopping….

I went overboard, or did I? I go back and forth between thinking I brought too much and then I think, well heck, it was my birthday and it’s good to have something that you love. What do you think? Below is a list of my makeup purchases. I’ll add pics of the beauties as soon as they are in my grubby, little hands.

MakeupGeek Store Buys

• Cocoa Bear
• Chickadee
• Barcelona Beach
• Cupcake
• Bitten
• Moondust
• Envy
• Mango Tango

AND a gunmetal “To Go” palette to put all of them in!

Then I happened to be browsing crystalis007.com (one of my favorite YouTube beauty bloggers) site and noticed that she had some pretty darn good items on the Blog Sale page. These items aren’t brand new, but they’re pretty dang close and they’re new to me.

Crystalis007 Blog Sale

• MAC “O” Lipstick
• Mac Eyeshadow Quad in Colour
• MAC Eyeshadow Quad in Leopard Luxe

What have you hauled lately?

Product Probe: Make Up Forever Artist Shadows

As a makeupaholic, I knew when the hype started surrounding the new, re-formulated MUFE Artist Shadows, I would have to try them out. I read a few reviews and was only a tad bit disappointed when they arrived, but we'll get to that in a minute. 

First off, these shadows are pricey. When I say pricey, I mean $21 each. I let them sit in my Sephora cart for at least a week before I decided that I would spend the money. The upside to the pricing, is that when you purchase a MUFE palette (2-pan or 3-pan) for $1, you can get 3 eyeshadows for the price of 2, so I paid $42 for the eyeshadows and $1 for a 3 pan palette.

Now on to the slight disappointment. After watching reviews of these shadows on YouTube, I expected them to be insanely pigmented. In my opinion, they aren't as pigmented as a LORAC eyeshadow, but they are easy to blend and buildable, which makes it all better. I would probably purchase these again because these are slightly larger than MAC eyeshadows and I would like to try out different colors to see if the pigmentation differs depending on the finish.

Below are swatches from left to right: Pink Brown (matte), Pink Ash (satin), Rust (Iridescent). 

Do you own any MUFE Artist Shadows? What do you think?

Randomness: Project 10 Pan Update

Morning Lovelies! I had a post all geared up and ready to go this morning, but it just didn’t feel quite right, so instead I’m posting an impromptu project pan update (yay). While I’m not going to show the actual products because I haven’t made a big dent since the weekly makeup basket (shown here), I thought I’d share with you what I’ve actually finished so far. Mind you, this is makeup only (which is pretty darn hard to do in my opinion). So here’s the list of items I’ve finished with P10P items in purple.

• Make Up Forever Mat Velvet + - This used to be really mattifying for me, but lately hasn’t seemed to hold a candle to my Revlon Colorstay. I would repurchase this again.

• NYX HD Concealer – Still not quite sure how I feel about this one. I did like the applicator and the price!

• Loreal Voluminous Carbon Black Mascara – At the price, can’t beat it with a stick. I would definitely repurchase this once I get through some of my deluxe samples of mascara.

• Clinique Stay Matte Foundation – I don’t even know why they put ‘Stay Matte’ in the name of the foundation. It may be good for normal skin, but did not work on my oily t-zone.

• Model in a Bottle – I really like this setting spray, but would like to try the Skindinavia setting spray for comparison.

• Anastasia Brow Wiz – I need this in my life. ‘Nuff said

• Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer – Same as the Anastasia Brow Wiz, it’s a must have.
• Lorac Behind the Scenes Primer – I can’t really tell the difference between the staying power of this and the Urban Decay Primer Potion, I’ll buy whichever is on sale.

Weekly Makeup Basket – October 13th, 2014

So.....this week's makeup basket is pretty much unchanged from last week, that's why there are no new pictures :(. I have been having the worse breakouts lately and in order to figure out what the heck is the cause, I decided to go back to some of the basics. I stopped using the Tarte Clean Slate primer this week because of the small bumps that I've noticed in the areas where it is applied, and I also switched out my Lancome foundation for the tried and true Revlon Colorstay. I don't know if anyone else feels like this, but I'm somewhat bummed out with the high end foundations I've tried so far. Not 1 holds a candle to the Revlon Colorstay for oily/combination skin, does anyone else feel this way? I also noticed that my skin is clearer when I used the Revlon even though the product doesn't claim to have any acne fighting ingredients. *Sigh*, what is a girl to do. I'm thinking of stopping with the high end foundations for a while, until I decide if they are really worth the price (I haven't found one yet that is really worth the higher price tag). 

What's in your makeup rotation this week?

Lorac Mega Pro Palette (Limited Edition) -_-

Seriously Lorac? Couldn’t make a few hundred thousand more Mega palettes so that everyone could get one? Unfortunately, the Lorac Mega Pro palette is selling out everywhere, but Amazon is due to have 1 more shipment coming in, so if you are interested sign up now to get an e-mail notification when the palette becomes available, I promise you won’t regret it. 

Product Probe: Z-Palette's

If you've read yesterday's post, you are all too aware of my hellish, self-inflicted ordeal with depotting some of my eyeshadows. Despite my trials with depotting, I really do love the idea of being able to make a custom palette with eyeshadows, blushes, and bronzers that I already own. Not only does this help me use products that I am less-likely to use due to bulky packaging, or the fact the the product is hidden in my drawer under other products. With me making a point to love all my products, having the ability to add a blush or an eyeshadow to a weekly palette makes getting ready for work SOOO much easier (since I seem to wake up at the very last second, every single day). So on to the review.....

I was so excited to receive my Z-Palette, which I purchased from the Makeup Geek store online. Not only are Z-Palettes available in various colors, they are also fairly priced at $20 for a large palette (the size shown in yesterday's post). One of the good things about Z-Palettes is that they come with square and round magnets that have stickers on the back, which can be easily attached to various product pans, if the pans do not automatically stick to the bottom of the palette. Unfortunately, for the price, I am not a fan of the decorated cardboard that is used to make the Z-Palette. While it's sturdy for sitting on one's makeup vanity, if you try to clean it, it's a wet mess. I would much rather spend $8 for the large MAC pro palette, which is made of more durable materials. I really want to love the Z-Palette, but for the price and the material, the MAC palettes are a much better buy (and you can buy the same magnet stickers online starting at $3 from Amazon).

Do you own a Z-Palette? What's your preference?

Depotting Disasters!

For some strange reason, last week I decided it would be a great idea to depot some of my ‘less’ used eyeshadows and fill up the z-palette that I ordered from Makeup Geek months ago. After watching countless YouTube depotting videos, searching Pinterest, and looking at blogs, I was up for the challenge….and then I got started. Depotting is not for the faint of heart and I learned that I am the faint of heart. Not only did I have to rip up the packaging for the Urban Decay Ammo Palette to get the shadows out (luckily I wasn’t head over heels in love with shadows), but I also got powder and shadow all over my vanity. Some of the shadows have huge chunks missing from them as scars from the move. After all of the struggle, I also learned (the hard way) that domed products DO NOT fit into the standard z-palette, hence I cannot close the palette with my Laura Geller baked blush in it. I have learned my lesson, I am officially against depotting and plan to buy all future shadows as individuals if I plan to transport them. L

Have you tried depotting? 

Weekly Makeup Basket – October 6th, 2014

In an effort to consciously use more of my makeup products (and feel less guilty about all the 2014 holiday collections I’m going to purchase), I plan to start doing weekly makeup baskets. This will help me focus on specific products in the mornings and not get distracted because I literally have the attention span of a 2-year old when it comes to makeup. So without further ado, let’s get into what’s in this week’s makeup ‘basket’.

(Items in purple are part of my project pan)

•  Tarte Clean Slate Poreless Primer
• No. 7 Shine Free Face Primer
• Covergirl & Olay Simply Ageless Eye Corrector (I hate this - wrong color and too heavy)
• NYX Matte Bronzer

• NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Cashmere
• Revlon Brow Fantasy (Dark Brown) 
• Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes Mascara (deluxe sample size)
• Urban Decay Primer Potion (sample)

• Lancome Teint Idole Ultra 24-hour Foundation 
• Kat Von D Lock It Tattoo Powder Foundation

• Urban Decay Ammo Palette - I recently depotted this into a z-palette. Not sure how I feel about depotting other products to save space, seems like a hellish, messy process.
• Jordana Easyliner Retractable Pencil (not shown)
• MAC Brown Script (shown between the blush and UD Ammo Palette)
• Laura Geller Baked Blush (not sure what color - purchased this on HauteLook

What do you use on a weekly basis? 

Product Probe: Make Up For Ever Mat Velvet + Matifying Foundation

As I am nearing the end of my bottle of Mat Velvet + foundation, I figure it would be a great time to provide a review.  I ordered this online from Sephora in June 2013 for $36.00, which isn’t bad for a ‘high-end’ foundation. It is now October 2014, which seems like a long time to finish this foundation, but during the past year, I also focused on finishing a Clinique foundation that I hated but forced myself to use until the very last drop.

Would I repurchase this foundation? Heck yeah! I have oily/combination skin and I love a matte finish. This foundation wears well for a 10-hr workday with minimal touch ups. I apply this foundation with my brush / real techniques sponge (depending on my mood) and then set with a powder. While I won’t purchase this immediately, because I have 3 or 4 other foundations that I would like to use first, this is definitely one of my top 3 foundations.

Have you ever tried the Make Up For Ever Mat Velvet +? What’s your favorite mattifying foundation?

Project 10 Pan (P10P) Pitfalls

In yesterday’s post, I briefly mentioned how disillusioned I was when starting my project pan. I was WAYYYYY off track and over ambitious with the products that I chose, but I’m way too stubborn to just give up. So after 4 months of project pan, I am modifying the rules a bit.

I am allowing myself to purchase makeup after I finish any 10 products or if I haven’t reached my goal by October 16^th (my birthday), I am allowed birthday splurges.

Yep, I said it. I am determined to finish and even if I don’t finish before my b-day, I plan to continue my project pan. While I do plan on purchasing for my birthday, if my project pan items are not finished, I will not be opening any new products. I am freakishly scared about makeup expiration dates, so I don’t want to open anything new until I can commit the time to thoroughly enjoy it.

Now on to the mistakes I’ve made when undertaking my Project Pan:

#1  Not giving myself a timeframe. Shoot, if I would’ve given myself a 2-month timeframe I probably would’ve been more serious in this undertaking and would’ve have gotten bored with my makeup (hence the lack of blog posts).

#2  Not picking items that were close to being finished. My bad. I should have chosen products that were on the brink of being finished that way I could have a sense of accomplishment, especially when I started with the Kat Von D powder foundation, it was practically brand new. I am all about the small wins.

#3  Not giving myself any wiggle room. In retrospect, I should have picked more than 10 items so that if one product was taking too long, I could still finish at least 10 things. Adding a few ‘extra’ products would’ve also given me some variation and change to stop the boredom of a constant project pan.

Are you currently on a project pan or focusing on using some of your products up? Any advice on how I can improve my next P10P?

Project 10 Pan…Is it time to call it quits?

In June, I posted the details of my project 10 pan here and to be honest, it’s been a long one. I must admit that I was completely disillusioned about the amount of time it takes to finish makeup products, but I did learn some valuable lessons along the way, which I will share later this week. Until then, here is a peek at what’s been going on with my project 10 pan items.

 1.   Anastasia Brow Wiz - finished 5/21/14

 2.   Model In A Bottle Setting Spray – finished 5/23/14

 3.   NYX HD Concealer – finished 5/12/14

 4.   Tarte Clean Slate Primer -> This one is taking forever to finish because I HATE  it.

 5.   Kat Von D Lock It Tattoo Powder Foundation -> I like this for setting my liquid foundation, but by the end of a long work day it seems to slide off. I like the MAC Mineralize Skin Finish (MSF) better, but maybe it's the primer that I'm using.

 6.   Lorac Behind the Scenes Primer – 8/1/14?? 

 7.   Too Faced Primed & Poreless Face Primer – I haven’t use this in a while because I’m trying to focus on finishing that dreaded Tarte primer first.

 8.   Clinique Stay Matte Oil Free Foundation – finished 8/20/14

 9.   Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer – finished 6/24/14

 10. NYX Matte Bronzer – I use this for a slight contour so a little goes a long way, I can see a dip in the pan so this is a good deal for the money.

A Little Fall Fun!!

So after my very sad post about my project pan (which I’ll do an update on later this week), I decided to write today about happier times. We are officially entering Fall, yay! Is anyone else excited? Fall and Winter are my favorite times of year, not only because of the weather, but also because of all of the holidays and family time that comes along with the season. One of my favorite things about this time of year are the HOLIDAY COLLECTIONS! I am already eyeing the Tarte collections and I plan on getting my grubby little hands on it as soon as it is available online or in-store. Am I the only make up lover out there that WANTS ALL THE MAKEUP? Lol! I can never have enough or too much.

Do you plan to purchase any of the 2014 Holiday Collections?

Project 10 Pan Update!!!!

It has been a long two months and it’s been a really long, boring project 10 pan. I’ve been really struggling to stay focused and find myself frequently getting bored with my project 10 pan items. In any case, here’s a quick update.  Oh and I’m thinking of holding off on ‘panning’ the Kat Von D Lock It Tattoo Powder Foundation. I have hit pan on it and would like to continue to use it up, but it’s a little heavy for the summer weather….so I may remove it…hadn’t made up my mind quite yet.

 1.      Anastasia Brow Wiz - finished 5/21/14

 2.      Model In A Bottle Setting Spray – finished 5/23/14

 3.      NYX HD Concealer

 4.      Tarte Clean Slate Primer

 5.      Kat Von D Lock It Tattoo Powder Foundation

 6.      Lorac Behind the Scenes Primer – 8/1/14 ?? 

 7.      Too Faced Primed & Poreless Face Primer

 8.      Clinique Stay Matte Oil Free Foundation – finished 8/20/14

 9.   Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer – finished 6/24/14

 10. NYX Matte Bronzer

Randomness: I Want To Buy….

New Makeup!!!! I know I’m on a project 10 pan. I know I really don’t NEED new makeup, but…..with a stressful semi-new job and no school for the summer, I really want to purchase some shiny, new products that I probably won’t even open. I am trying to break away from my hoarder mentality, but it’s hard when there is so much makeup out there that is just waiting for a new home. So for your entertainment, I’m going to list all the products that I've been eyeing lately along with some pictures (courtesy of Sephora.com).

1. Nars Creamy Concealer

2. Nars Sheer Matte Foundation

3. Benefit 'They're Real' Eyeliner

4. Bobbi Brown Corrector

5. Ellis Faas Creamy Eyes

Randomness: MyCosmetics App

Guess what?! I recently downloaded the greatest app ever! Okay, maybe not the greatest app ever, but it's pretty darn good if you love your makeup and want to keep your stash organized. It not only helps me ease some of my makeup hoarder anxiety, but it is also very easy to use. Basically what the app does is allow you to track when you open a product and the product expiration. Below is a screenshot of what the app looks like along with a step by step of how to use it. Enjoy!

This screen appears once you click on the app icon. From here you select the category of makeup you want to enter or review.

I selected powder, which is where I entered a powder that I opened up this morning. Now a list of entered items under the powder category appears by brand and product name. To add a product, simply click the '+' in the upper right corner.

By clicking on the powder I want to look up, the app shows the product info., expiration date, and a picture if one was taken. I haven't added a pic to this one yet, but I'll update this post with a picture this week.

Project 10 Pan (Here We Go)

For the past month, I’ve been heavily considering starting a project 10 pan (P10P), but couldn’t decide whether I was ready to fully commit to any period of time where I don’t shop for makeup. Well after finishing a few products in May and steady working on a few more, I’ve decided that now would be a good time for me to embrace a ‘use what you got’ aka ‘no buy’ project. My goal with this project is to purchase less makeup (and hopefully save some $$$) and also to enjoy the products that I already own. I do plan on purchasing products that I ‘need’ and run out of, like foundation. My collection is not huge by any means, but I want to stop the madness before I’m too far gone and overwhelmed.

So enough of the guilty, I-really-want-to-buy-more-products-and-am-making-a-list-as-I-write-this-post chatter. Below is the list of items that I plan to complete before purchasing any new 'non-necessity' makeup items (a few of them are already finished due to my wanting to start in May, sorry):

1.      Anastasia Brow Wiz - finished 5/21/14

2.      Model In A Bottle Setting Spray – finished 5/23/14

3.      NYX HD Concealer

4.      Tarte Clean Slate Primer

5.      Kat Von D Lock It Tattoo Powder Foundation

6.      Lorac Behind the Scenes Primer

7.      Too Faced Primed & Poreless Face Primer

8.      Clinique Stay Matte Oil Free Foundation
9.   Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer – finished 6/24/2014
10. NYX Matte Bronzer

Have you ever done a Project Pan? 

A Blast From the Past

Well looky looky! While I was trying to log-in to my gmail account, I happened across this old blog post that I wrote on December 26th, 2013. This post was created on my personal blog site before I started makeupcraze, but I thought it would be nice to re-post it here. Spoiler alert: I never started this challenge, LOL!!!!!!

Going Into A New Year - Makeup Challenges 2014

So I have officially decided to go into a makeup no buy! I'm sure plenty of people say that because of the new year, but surprisingly this is not the reason that I decided to accept the challenge in today's coupon sending, consumer spending market. I am embarking on this journey solely due to the fact that I have so many products and need to learn some discipline. Like any journey, this one is going to be rather difficult, especially since it's so hard to avoid that pretty new blush or that shiny new package of lipstick that is supposed to be a life-changer. I suspect that the no buy will be fairly easy in the beginning since I just placed a Ulta order 5 minutes ago and I'm expecting some product from an Hautelook order (blushes from The Balm) that I placed during the Thanksgiving holiday. The most heart wrenching step of this journey will be to resist the temptation of YouTube. I am not yet an 'official' YouTuber, but more of an innocent bystander that gets caught in the crossfires of the Sigma brushes (which I hoped to have purchased by now) and the Benefit products. I plan to walk this path until March and see how it goes by then I should be completely out of foundation and hope to shed my Makeup Hoarder shell of a personality. 

What are you giving up in 2014? Please comment below.

It’s a Dirty Job, but…….

Somebody’s got to do it! SMH, if I could get someone else to do it, I would. Unfortunately, not everyone would clean my beloved makeup brushes as well as I would and lately I’ve been super lazy about cleaning them. I know, I know! So this week I got up off my lazy you-know-what and gave them a good scrub. I used baby shampoo and also tried a little white vinegar for the hard-to-clean foundation brushes. Now that everyone has had a bath and I’m running out of baby shampoo, I’m considering purchasing the MAC Brush Cleaner just to try something new. I’ve tried the Beautyblender solid beautycleanser bar for my brushes. I am not a fan. I’m open to any recommendations that you lovely ladies may have (says my inner makeup junkie).

How often do you wash your makeup brushes? What’s your cleaner of choice?

Product Probe: Clinique Stay Matte Oil-Free Foundation

Whew! That’s a long name for such a seemingly small bottle of foundation. I purchased this product at my local Clinique counter in Belk. I’ve made the mistake of ordering the wrong color of foundation before and wanted to be color matched before I purchased. Honestly I only really purchased it because it came with a free gift. With this product, you get the typical 1 oz. of product in a plastic bottle, which isn’t so bad since the product squeezes out. Overall, I am not a fan of this product. For $23, this isn’t a very matte foundation and even though it’s lightweight, it does not provide the full coverage that I like. I find that it separates easily and does very little to control my oily skin even with a oil control primer (hourglass mineral veil). All in all, I would not repurchase or recommend this product for someone with my skin type. Those with normal to dry skin may really love the formulation.

Have you tried any Clinique Foundations?

Project X Pan Expedition

Long time no see, right? I’ve been very busy moving and haven’t had time to post, but I’m back and ready to go!!!! Lately I’ve been really considerate of the amount of money that I spend on makeup. Granted I don’t regret any of my purchases (even the ones for products that SUCK!!!), but I, like many other makeup lovers, want to take the time to enjoy the products that I have and know I love (like my NARS blush). At this point, I’m considering attempting a Project Pan. If you are unfamiliar with Project Pan, it is goal setting at its best. The idea is that you have to use up X amount of products before you buy new makeup, except to replace an item that you need and don’t have a backup of. While I don’t have a GINOURMOUS collection like some beauty lovers, I sometimes dream about the day I use up my NYX jumbo pencils or my Naked 3 palette. I am undecided, but would love to hear input from you lovely ladies.

Should I do it? How big is your makeup stash? 

Beauty Wish Lists

Am I the only one that maintains a list of future beauty purchases? There are so many great products on the market and in order to remain some semblance of self control, I create lists of products that I would like to try (one for MAC and one for Sephora/everywhere else). I also frequent Sephora.com and love items that I want to try in the future. By keeping products on my radar, it helps me control my makeup spending and it allows me to fine tune the list and separate things by the items that I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY want.  Here are a few of the products I want to try in the future, but will NOT purchase until I use some up some of my current goodies.

Here are my top 5 Wish List items:

1.       Inglot Eyeshadows and Blushes – Freedom System Items so that I can put them in a z-palette.

2.       NARS blushes – I own seduction and I love it more than any of my other blushes

3.       MUG (MakeupGeek) eyeshadows, pigments,  and eye brushes (specifically the liner , pencil, and outer v brushes)

4.       Estee Lauder DoubleWear Foundation – This is supposed to be great for oily skin, but I haven’t purchased it yet because I have 3 foundations that I want to use prior to getting a new one. (Currently rotating: MAC StudioFix Fluid, Clinique Stay Matte Foundation, and Lancome Teint Idole)

5.       MAC blushes – I plan to finish filling my MAC blush palette that only has 1 item in it to date. I specifically want to purchase Coppertone, Blunt (for contouring), and a shaping powder as well.

What’s on your makeup wish list?

Product Probe: Model in a Bottle

Price: $18.00

According to the product’s website, Model In A Bottle is a matte makeup setting spray that is supposed to allow makeup to last all day with little to no touchups. I was hesitant to purchase this product as it can only be purchased online and is not available in any major retailer (like Sephora or Ulta). I brought this product 2 years ago at cherryculture.com. While I enjoyed it because it lives up to its claims, this setting spray is highly fragranced, sprays heavily, and is difficult to obtain, unlike the Urban Decay and Kat Von D setting sprays. I would probably not repurchase it because of those reasons, but if you are willing to purchase online, this is a must have. The price seems a bit high, but I have used the product 3 or 4 times a week for the past 2 years before I ran out.

What’s your favorite makeup setting spray?

Wait….You Put That Where???

No, I’m not writing about that. Get your mind out of the gutter! There are many very unusual beauty secrets that are not only a little weird, but they’re also very affordable alternatives to expensive makeup products. One of my personal favorites is Milk of Magnesia. While this is commonly used as an antacid or laxative, it’s also a great primer. I actually used this (hubby gave me the side eye when I brought it) and it does stop you from becoming an oily mess by the end of the day. I know it sounds strange, but this is a great alternative to the Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer. Another beauty favorite is Preparation H. This little gem not only reduce the size of hemorrhoids (if you have that problem), but it also reduces under eye puffiness. And let’s not forget about the Monistat Chaffing Gel, not only is it good for ‘other places’ but it’s also another great primer. Who would’ve thunk it?

What are your unusual beauty secrets?

Randomness: The Great Lash Divide

While many love the look of lash extensions also known as false eyelashes, I have yet to be amazed by them for my makeup looks. They look great on others, but the amount of time it takes to apply correctly and then conceal with eyeliner (which I have yet to master) seems like too much time to spend on any given day. I typically tend to spend 30-45 minutes every morning on my makeup. Am I the only one out there that feels like this? Maybe it’s because while my natural lashes aren’t super amazing, they’re not sparse. I just feel like adding extensions to them would really just be more work for me without that great of a payoff. I probably just haven’t found the right brand of lashes yet.

Where do you stand on falsies? If you like them, what are you favorite brands and style (maybe I’ll try a few)?

Product Review: NYX Butter Gloss & Soft Matte Lip Creams SUCK!!

If you love makeup like I do, you watch plenty of YouTube videos and try as many new products as you can get your hands on without becoming the crazy makeup lady. Well, these 2 products thoroughly SUCK! Despite all the YouTube hype, these products were a complete and utter waste of my hard earned wages! I guess I should count my lucky stars that they are inexpensive. While most Youtubers rave about how butter and smooth these products are, the NYX Butter Gloss makes my lips so dry that they peel and the Matte Lip Creams don’t apply well, they are a matte, splotchy mess. One swipe and I knew it wasn’t going to work (but to be fair, I kept trying to use it to see why people loved it so much). I would NEVER, EVER recommend these two products! Stay far away and save your pennies!

What are your thoughts on the NYX Butter Gloss & Soft Matte Lip Creams?

The Cure for an Oily Girl: Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer

Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer

Price:    $18.00

Size:      0.33 oz.

As many of you may (or may not) know, I have oily skin. Very oily! To the point that when I tried out the L’Oreal True Match Liquid Foundation, I was a grease slick after less than 3 hours of wear. Anywho in my quest for a ‘holy grail’ primer, I ran across the Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer. This primer claims to provide a smooth finish to your foundation and reduce shine and the best part is that IT WORKS! The look of the primer is very similar to that of Milk of Magnesia, but has a slight silicone feel when applied to the face. Over the past month or so, this primer has kept my oily skin under control and has helped prevent my midday face blot. While I am still going to test out other primers (because I’m an obsessive makeup hoarder), I will definitely repurchase this primer in the future.

What’s your favorite primer?

Coming soon: MUG Eyeshadows & Pigments

Hey y’all!!!!! It’s been a hot minute since I’ve posted, but only because I’ve had plenty of work and not shopping to keep me busy. With that being said, what better way to come back than with a HAULLLLL!!!!!!!!!! I recently placed an order for a few of the highly raved about Makeup Geek (also called MUG) eyeshadows and plan to review them after I have tested them out a bit and of course a review wouldn’t be complete without swatches (yay!).

Stay Tuned…..

Skincare: Michael Todd True Organics

Lately I’ve been getting more breakouts than usual, a lot more. Because of this I’ve been looking to change my skincare routine. I recently used up my Neutrogena Facial Scrub (that didn’t seem to help with my acne at all), but I decided to take a jump into something different (and a little over hyped), Michael Todd True Organics. This skincare line is all natural so I figure if it doesn’t work at least I’m not putting harmful chemicals into my skin. I’ve been using the products for about a week and things are looking up; however I’m not ready to give a full analysis on this line yet. Stay tuned for a future review!!