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!!