Thursday, December 31, 2015

Wrap-Up Post: MUA (Makeup Academy Professional)

These were all purchased for me, by my husband, at CVS.

MUA products available at CVS were hit and miss for me. Overall the lip products, minus the lip primer, were hits, while everything else, minus the nude eye shadow palette was a miss. The MUA Crease brush I am neutral on, I will continue to use it, but I am not interested in getting any more of their eye shadow brushes.



Wednesday, December 30, 2015

One Note: e.l.f. Blush Palette in Dark

This was purchased for me, by my husband, at CVS.



I decided to use this for my What's New Wednesday for two weeks in a row so I could use all four colors in the palette. I have always been drawn to darker blush shades and so I was curious how these would work for me.

Review: MUA (Makeup Academy Professional) Metallic Eye Shadow Palette

This was purchased for me, by my husband, at CVS.



Influenster Review: Honeywell Cool Moisture Humidifier

This was sent to me by Influenster, for free, for the purposes of testing and review.

Monday, December 28, 2015

Review: MUA (Makeup Academy Professional) No-Crease Eye Shadow Base

This was purchased for me, by my husband, at CVS.



This is not going to be a positive review. I have heard a review by one other person that was positive. This may work for you, or it may not work for you, I would not spend the $11 to find out when the $5 Wet n Wild Fergie primer works significantly better. Now, on with the review...

Saturday, December 19, 2015

Unboxing of Influenster Spice VoxBox


My husband is helping me by recording the videos I would never feel comfortable to make.

Received these products free from Influenster for the purposes of testing and review.

Saturday, December 5, 2015

Review: MUA (Makeup Academy Professional) Intense Color Moisture Balm in (317) Red

This product was purchased for me, by my husband, at CVS. The last few times I have been in CVS I have not seen anything that looks like it, so it may no longer be available.

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Keep In Mind: October 2015

These Keep In Minds were all purchased for me by my husband and are all brushes. For the month of October a good and a not so good brush really showed me how much the brushes used can influence the joy I get out of applying my makeup; these were the most influential in that regard.

Review: e.l.f. Jumbo Lip Gloss Stick in "In The Nude"

This was purchased for me, by my husband, at CVS.



Saturday, November 7, 2015

Review: MUA Liquid Lipstick in 204 Bright Red

This was purchased for me, by my husband, at CVS.



The MUA Liquid Lipstick in Bright Red is opaque in color, matte in appearance once it dries down, and long wearing. The only truly negative thing I can say about it, is that it is hard to get off once you have it on; I am still trying to figure out the best method of removal after several uses.

Wednesday, November 4, 2015

One Note: Maybelline The Nudes

This was purchased for me, by my husband, once from CVS and then he purchased a second one for me from Rite Aid later.




The Maybelline The Nudes palette was used for two weeks for my What's New Wednesday and Second Try Saturday. For the first three uses I followed the suggested quad applications on the back of the palette, for the final use I came up with my own combination, something I do not normally consider myself very good at which is why I was interested in this in the first place. Used Wet n Wild Fergie Primer all four times.

Monday, November 2, 2015

Empties: October 2015

These were all either emptied or retired during the month of October of 2015. These were also all purchased for me by my husband.

Emptied Products:

L.A. Colors Liquid Makeup in Natural



I only used this by itself once or twice, it was primarily used as a mix in foundation to thicken up whatever foundation I was working through at the time. I have used a string of very light weight foundations and this helped to make them apply a little easier. It is darker than my skin tone and would darken any foundation I mixed it in with, but I was always able to blend out the foundation enough that my husband never noticed the foundation was the wrong shade and it never seemed to turn colors on me while I was wearing it. It is a 0.42 fl oz foundation, so less than half the normal size, but it is also only $1, but the way the bottle works, I was not able to get the very last of it out, though I did get to use the majority of it.

Saturday, October 31, 2015

Wrap-Up Review: Colormates

These were all purchased for me by my husband at either Dollar Tree, 99 Cent Store, or possibly Grocery Outlet. These exact products may no longer be available, but this may still be able to give you an idea of Colormates as a brand.

The Blushes:



Saturday, October 24, 2015

Monday, October 19, 2015

Upcoming Reviews: MUA (Makeup Academy)

These were purchased for me at CVS, by my husband.

MUA as a brand is still relatively new to the CVS shelves and the United States, but is one I have heard mentioned on occasion, as a good brand from the UK, so when it started being stocked at the local CVS's my attention to it did not go unnoticed by my husband who purchased everything shown below.

Saturday, October 17, 2015

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Review: Milani Crystal Gloss for Lips in Sheer Dark Honey

This was purchased for me, by my husband, at Dollar Tree. Availability, unknown.



I have used two other of the Milani glosses in the format so far, one with great success and one with much failure. I was not sure how this gloss would work out when it came up for use on the What's New Wednesday list I have.

Saturday, October 10, 2015

Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Review: Milani Lip Intense Liquid Color in 02 Pink Rave

This was purchased for me by my husband at Dollar Tree within the last couple of weeks from when I tried this; availability is uncertain.



This is actually something, I learned after trying it, that I cannot continue to use. I am allergic to mangos and there is mango butter in this, which explains why my lips started to hurt after a while and why my throat got a bit painful. But I did use it on Wednesday and for a very short bit on Saturday before I figured out it was what was causing the problem and checked the ingredient list.

Monday, October 5, 2015

Empties/Review: Mary Kay Lash Love Mascara in Black

This was a sample given to me by a Mary Kay representative. I would like to note that the Mary Kay representative is someone my husband works with, though not typically directly, they are on good terms. This review is based on my experiences with the mascara that I have used for six months, because that is how long the symbol on the tube says it is good for.


Saturday, October 3, 2015

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Review: L.A. Colors Chunky Lip Pencil in Daring Red

This was purchased for me by my husband at Dollar Tree. As of the time of writing this it was still available in Dollar Trees as part of the regular L.A. Colors line sold in stores.


Saturday, September 26, 2015

One Note: Colormates Eyeshadow in 61624 Bright Eyes

This was purchased for me by my husband for $1 from Dollar Tree nearly two years ago, availability is questionable. This is a one note because I wasn't really planning to review this one, but I did want to see how I could make the colors more useable for me. In the end I was able to find a method I liked and I did monitor the time the eye shadow lasted as well.



Wednesday, September 23, 2015

One Note: Wet n Wild Going in the Wild 34052 Eye Shadow Pallette

This was purchased for me by my husband a while ago. As it was a limited edition palette from Wet n Wild, it is no longer available at the drugstore. This was used for What's New Wednesday and Second Try Saturday because I had never used it since it was originally purchased so long ago and I am trying to feel comfortable using more of my makeup than what I have been using. Calling this a one note because I only used this palette twice and I did not test each individual shadow with the e.l.f. primer for color and wear times necessary for a complete review.



Wet n Wild eye shadows, both loved and feared by me. Loved for their range of colors, reasonable prices, and generally beautiful pigmentation. Feared for their generally beautiful pigmentation. I have had some less than enjoyable experiences with some of the darker of Wet n Wilds deeper/darker eye shadows because they tended to completely cover my eye lid when I apply even the tiniest amount and then blend them out with a separate/clean fluffy brush. So while I love getting all the Wet n Wild eye shadows and my husband knows if he sees a limited edition set at the drugstore that he will make me jump with joy if he buys them for me, I rarely end up actually using them.




Saturday, September 19, 2015

Review: Colormates: Tropical Passion 61652

This product was purchased for me, by my husband, most likely for $1 at either Dollar Tree or Grocery Outlet, I cannot actually remember right now and a scroll through my Instagram account leads me to believe that it was purchased before I started the account. I am not sure if this is still available, reviewing more for type of shadow from Colormates than this particular palette.

Monday, September 14, 2015

Empties: September 2015

These were not all used up this month, this is just when I got around to posting these.

Target's Up & Up Nail Polish Remover Acetone



I like this, it works for me, I already have another bottle that I am using.

Saturday, September 12, 2015

One Note: Colormates Blush in 62332 Cashmere

This blush was purchased at the 99 Cent Store a while ago, not sure of current availability.



Of the four blushes, this one is the second darkest in the pan, but gives a natural looking flush to the cheeks.  When I use this over a liquid foundation that has been set with a powder it shows as a lighter flush of color, which can be built up if desired. When used over a cream blush, normally the e.l.f. shimmering facial whip in Lilac Petal, it shows a little more strongly with less building, and more strongly of the pink. In both cases the blush applies and blends easily. This blush does show more quickly and with less products than the Tawny Peach or the Deeptone blush, so more care is needed if you have a heavy hand with the blush application; it is not uncommon for me to tap a light layer of my setting powder over the blush to tone it down slightly after application.

This is my favorite for the four Colormates blushes I have reviewed.

Thursday, September 3, 2015

Throw Back Thursday: My Original Makeup Collection

While I am not likely to ever share the full extent of my current makeup collection, when I was going through my Facebook photos a few days ago I came across an album I created and shared with my mother to show her what all I had in my makeup collection. This album was created in June of 2012, the reintroduction back to using makeup, and my husband's discovery that makeup is a good distraction for me, was in December of 2011. Once my husband realized makeup was a good distraction he started buying it regularly which is reflected in the quantity of makeup in the photos below.

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Keep In Mind: August 2015

benetint lip balm spf 15: 




This is a no longer available for purchase (as far as I can tell as it was not on the Benefit Cosmetics website when I checked for it) product, that is labeled as already being expired, though I am sure that is more related to the sunscreen part than then lip balm part as this basically didn't get used from when it was first purchased for me multiple years ago, until early in August this year when I rediscovered it while working with the Snupps app trying to get all of my makeup inputted into it. It looks fine, smells fine, feels fine, and so far as not caused a problem on my lips.

I love this lip balm. I love it because it gives a glossy red tint to the lips. I love it because I can use it on days when this is the only makeup I apply. I love it because I can use it on days when I have a full face of makeup on. It just works with everything I have tried it with so far. I also love that when it wears down, you can reapply without having to wipe off whatever is remaining on the lips, and it still looks good; you don't get that with a lot of lip products, or at least I don't.

When this was purchased for it, it was something that I put away and only looked at occasionally, not because there was anything wrong with it, but because I fear using higher end makeup, because when I use up something that is higher end, the odds of being able to replace it are much lower. Now it truly cannot be replaced, so when I found it and realized it was still okay to use, I decided I would try and use it up now. Then I found I loved it, which is a little unfortunate since it cannot be replaced. I did lookup the new Benebalm to see if that would be an option, but it has mango butter in it and I am allergic to mangos.

Thursday, August 20, 2015

Review: Colormates Lipstick & Lipliner Pencil in 62621 Ginger Spice

This was purchased for me, by my husband, at Dollar Tree, a few days before the posted date of this review.





Characteristics of the lip liner:
It is clear when applied
It is smooth when applying, feels like a wax.
Should probably hold the point at a 90 degree angle to the lip because the wood of the pencil can rub up against the lip even at a 45 degree angle due to shallowness of point.

Characteristics of the lip stick: 
Creamy in consistency when applied
Comfortable to wear throughout the day
Has micro-glitter within it, but cannot feel the micro-glitter when rubbing lips together
Does transfer onto teeth when first applied, did not find it there again later in the day when tested.
When wiped off with a napkin, micro-glitter stays attached to lip and also transfers to the chin; would recommend not wiping off, but dabbing off if not in front of a mirror and without access to water to remove glitter.
Does transfer off when eating and drinking
Wear time was at least 3 hours, I always removed before it wore off. I do not tend to wear lip sticks for extended periods of time.

A note about the appearance of the lip stick depending on how you apply the lip liner: 

The first time I applied the lip liner, I applied it just outside my lip line to keep the lip stick from transferring outside of the lip line, with the lip stick being applied only to my bare lips, which worked just fine. The second time I applied the lip liner just inside my lip line along the edge of the lip line only with the lip stick being applied over the top of the lip liner and my bare lips. This resulted in the lips appearing two different colors. The inner part of the lips where the lip stick was applied to bare lips is a slightly lighter, less opaque shade than the outer part of the lips where the liner was applied. I would recommend that if you are used to lining the inside line of your lips with liner only, that you may want to completely fill the lips with the clear liner if you do not want to apply it over whatever makeup may be just outside of your natural lip line. It is only a shade or two darker with the liner under it as opposed to on bare lips so it may not be an issue for some, I myself do not really find it a problem, but I did want to mention it since it may be an undesirable result for others.

I like this lip stick and lip liner duo and will continue using it regularly.

Saturday, August 15, 2015

Review: Maybelline Great Wear Lip: 120 Woodrose

This was purchased for me by my husband at Dollar Tree. Availability is questionable.



The Maybelline Great Wear Lip stick in 120 Woodrose is a creamy matte lip stick when applied. It does have some shine to it initially, particularly if you apply it over a balm, but does dry down to a matte. If you use it without a balm it will dry down more quickly and can make the lips feel dried out which is why I do recommend using a balm under the lip stick. The color is opaque and bright on the lips with a several hour lasting time. Though it will transfer off with eating and drinking, a pink stain does seem to be left behind.
In regards to the balm suggested for use with the lip stick to keep it feeling more comfortable to wear for multiple hours, I would recommend a waxy balm that will help to hold the color in place. On one of the occasions that I reapplied this, I tried it on top of a slick balm, and it did not adhere to the lips well at all, giving a very patchy appearance. When used with a thicker, modestly waxy balm, it goes on smoothly. While I can see the lines in my lips with it on, it does not sink into them and it does not seem to cause problems with any flaky spots on the lips, at least for me.

I enjoy this lip stick and it will stay as part of my day makeup.

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Review: Influenster: Maybelline Superstay Better Skin Foundation

received this product free from Influenster for the purpose of testing and review.  The test requested was for the #betterskinchallenge, a test that would see if the foundation could actually improve the appearance of ones skin over the course of three weeks. I unfortunately was not able to complete that challenge because it appears I am allergic to it. I do not recall ever being allergic to a foundation before, though skin care can be a little more hit and miss so I am guessing it was the skin care part of the foundation that was a problem.




Since it did take a few days to realize what was causing the allergic reaction on my skin, because it built up slowly, I am able to talk about how the foundation looked as a foundation, so I will go over how it worked for me here.


Foundation is medium to full coverage
Longwearing foundation, gives all-day flawless coverage

My plans for the test were to try three different application methods: fingers, makeup sponge, and brush. From there I would use the method that worked best for application for the duration of the three week challenge and onward until I had used up the foundation. I applied the foundation directly on my skin, by-passing my usual moisturizer and primer so that the skin care ingredients would have no barrier to prevent them from working. I also did not use any setting powder, concealer, highlighter, blush, or bronzer so that I could monitor the foundation's appearance on the skin and length of wear with nothing to confuse the results.

Brief summation of my results: 

Light coverage (redness/yellowness only)
Lasts three hours without primer and setting powder on normal skin
Clings to dry patches
Best applied with makeup sponge or brush
Not buildable

Detailed summation of my results: 

The foundation applied best with the makeup sponge and with a brush, specifically one used in a buffing motion. I am including a link to the post on my tumblr showing which brush I found worked best for me. Third day of testing, applied with brush. Because the brush worked more quickly than the sponge, that was the method I opted to continue with for the remaindered of the foundation's use.

When I applied the foundation with my fingers, the foundation skunk into the larger pores on my nose and cheeks, which gave the appearance of tiny, almost white poka-dots on my face. It was also challenging to smooth out the foundation on the skin so as not to have any streaks in the foundation. It also made my skin look very dry as it seemed to develop a flaky appearance no matter how much I tried to smooth it out.

When applied with the makeup sponge, the foundation did not sink into the pores, though it did take a few minutes to blend out on the skin and give an even layer, it did still cling to the dry patch of skin on my chin. When applied with the brush, the foundation did not sink into the pores and it only took a minute or two to blend out over the face in an even layer, it did still cling to the dry patch of skin on my chin.

For all but one of the attempts at use with this foundation I used one pump of the foundation which easily covered the entire face. I would not consider it a medium coverage foundation when one pump is used, but since I sometimes think my definition of what constitutes light, medium, and full coverage, may be different from other's definition, I will explain exactly what it did and did not cover on my skin. 

It did cover the redness of my cheeks and nose well, though the coverage only lasted for three hours before the redness of my nose was completely back and the redness of my cheeks was becoming more apparent. It did reduce the appearance of the yellow under eye circles I have, though it did have a tendency to crease within the first few minutes of application, though a light press of the finger over that part of the skin always seemed to sort that out. It did not cover, in anyway, my freckles, it did not even make them appear less noticeable. When someone describes a foundation as medium coverage, I expect my freckles to be less apparent from how they are without the foundation, this is also why I am usually disappointed by foundations I have tried that have been described as medium coverage. Lastly, it did not in any way cover the darkened spots on my face from healing blemishes. 

I would consider this a light coverage foundation because it did conceal the redness in my skin. I would have almost considered it medium coverage for concealing the yellow under eye area, if it had also faded the appearance of the freckles, but as it did nothing to reduce their appearance, I could not call it medium coverage. I am not sure in what way Maybelline used the foundation to claim a possibility of full coverage, as when I did try to build the coverage by using a second layer, the foundation took on an unfortunate appearance, which I will go over shortly.

The appearance of the foundation on the skin with one pump was good, standing at the counter in front of the bathroom mirror under various light levels, I could not see the foundation itself, only the lack of red cheeks/nose and the lack of obvious under eye circles. When up very close to the mirror I could see the foundation, but its appearance was nearly skin like. There was one area of my face that there was an exception to the skin like appearance though, and that was where my skin was a bit dry. I do not normally get blemishes on my skin, unless in the crease between the nose and cheeks or on the jaw line. A couple of weeks prior I had a couple of blemishes around my chin that were still in the process of healing when I tried this foundation, and so the skin around the healing blemishes was dry. When the foundation was applied over the dry skin, no matter what method, it looked obvious, like it was clinging to the dry patch. Since my skin is very rarely dry, generally only when I have a healing blemish and possibly on my nose when I am having allergies, I didn't see this a problem for me, but someone with dry skin may find this foundation less appealing.

When I attempted using a second layer of the foundation to see if I could build coverage, the foundation looked caky on the skin and was apparent even from the distance of the edge of the bathroom counter to the mirror. It did fade the appearance of the freckles, but I could still see them in the mirror behind the bathroom counter as well, even without leaning forward. Because of this I would not recommend trying to build up the coverage of the foundation, because any improvement in coverage would come at the expensive of very obvious foundation on the skin. I think this occurred because while the foundation never seemed to set quickly, it does set on its own. By the time I would be finished blending it in with the brush, within a few seconds it was set. So when I put the second pump of foundation on the skin and started buffing it in with the brush it lifted the first layer off the skin and mixed it with the second. It took significantly longer to buff the second layer of foundation onto the skin, to get a smooth even layer, and even then it did not look that good. Even though I was able to build the coverage to an extent, given the caky nature of the appearance of the foundation once a second layer was used, I would not consider this foundation buildable.

If I had not been allergic to the foundation, I think this would have quickly become a favorite because of its ability to conceal the redness of my nose/cheeks and to conceal the yellow under eye circles, as I do not mind having my freckles be apparent on the skin. While it did only last three hours on the skin, that was without primer or setting powder, as I developed an allergy to the foundation before I could test it with a primer and setting powder to see how long it would last under normal circumstances.

Thursday, August 6, 2015

Keep In Mind: July 2015

This month's thing to keep in mind is not a makeup product, but a tool to help brushes dry more quickly and prevent water from softening the glue on the bristles, therefore making the brushes last longer.




This is something I have been wanting every since I first learned of them as a couple of my early brushes did end up with some unfortunate misshaping of the bristles due to them laying on one side too long when I was unable to turn them at regular intervals. I had mentioned to my husband at the beginning of the year or the end of last year that I would like one of these one day when he was searching for something else online and, because he occasionally orders makeup for me online, an ad popped up for a brush tree on Amazon. He saved the brush tree to his wish list and then later, when it got closer to my birthday, he did some research into brush trees, found the best reviews on this particular one, and emailed my parents that this would be a good birthday gift for me if they had not already thought of something (my husband had already blown his budget for my birthday an then some when he emailed them). My parents order two of them and they arrived a week or two before my birthday. I was over come with joy because of how much I had wanted to have one of these and now I have two. 

Currently I only have one that I keep put together and the other stays flat because I am running out of room to store things that are not makeup. I know you are supposed to be able to take them back apart to store them flat after use, but it was so hard for me to get it put together (because of my disability, not the product) that I thought it best to just leave it in its ready for use state. Also I wash which ever brushes I use immediately after I have completed my makeup so they get washed every day and therefore, it is rarely not in use. I am grateful to have these and I am glad that one brush tree looks like it could hold all of the brushes I might use in one day, and having two of them means that if for some reason I cannot wash my brushes on one day, I still have the second brush tree so that I can wash two days worth of brushes the next, assuming I am able to.

So far it has helped to cut down the drying time of the brushes that I have dried in it, some more than others. I am also glad to know that my brushes should now last longer and will not be in danger of becoming miss-shapened because for one reason or another, after I washed them, I could not get back to them. It is also making carrying the brushes to be washed and after they are washed easier as I would often drop them before because of my disability again making it challenging for me to hold on to things sometimes.

Sunday, August 2, 2015

Preview: Influenster: Maybelline Superstay Better Skin Foundation

received this product free from Influenster for testing purposes.



The Maybelline Superstay Better Skin Foundation, a foundation that Maybelline claims will make your skin appear better, even when you are not wearing it, after three weeks of use.  They are even specific about how it will improve your skin's appearance in that it should be brighter and more even. I received the foundation in the shade 10 Porcelain, which appears to be a reasonably good match.




Maybelline's statement about the foundation on their website:


Longwear foundation that improves skin's appearance every minute you’re in it.
With the antioxidant power of Actyl-C, a more durable form of vitamin C.
For all skin types. Medium to full coverage.
Why You'll Love It

Superstay Better Skin Foundation gives an all-day flawless coverage and better-looking skin in 3 weeks. The foundation reduces the appearance of spots, dullness and uneveness and gives you a brighter, more even and stress-free skin.
For Best Results

Apply a layer of Superstay Better Skin on skin.



Plans for test:
So now that we see what Maybelline says about their foundation and how they say to use it, let me layout how I plan to do this three week test.
First, since this is supposed to be skin care and foundation, I will be applying it directly to my skin, so no primer for three weeks. This will allow it to do whatever it is supposed to be doing with no barrier at all. This will also allow me to see how long it stays on the skin assuming I can see it. I am also skipping the normal daily moisturizer, though I will continue to use the night one, my skin is not normally dry unless there is a blemish healing or allergies which can cause my nose to be a bit dry.
Second, I am not going to be using any concealer. I have gotten in the habit of putting concealer on first, then foundation, because my concealer I have been using is not a color match for me, so since the concealer would go where I would most need the skin improving benefits, no concealer for now.
Third, I will also be looking at how it looks when applied with fingers, a brush, and a makeup sponge. Once I have decided how I think it looks best for me, I will continue with that method for the rest of the three week challenge.
Fourth, I will not be using any highlighter, blush, or bronzer during the test, just so that I can actually see what my skin looks like with the foundation and if any redness/freckles are showing through the foundation over the course of the day.
Fifth, I will be making any notes I may have about the foundation's appearance on my skin, on my tumblr each day I apply, so you can get an idea what I think of it just as a foundation before the final review post in three weeks.
All little about my skin:


My skin is very fair, something I don't really see when I look in the mirror, but this picture makes it very obvious. I have under eye circles that end up looking yellow/brown most days, but can go dark blue when my body is not processing food correctly. I also have freckles, I don't mind the freckles, but when something says medium-to-full coverage, I expect not to see them, or at least not see them well when using the foundation. My skin also gets red in the cheeks very easily; it is not that red in the picture because I have been being very careful about the food I eat and what I am using on my skin, but that doesn't mean that something won't inflame it during the test.  Since the redness is primarily caused by physical pressure on the skin, poor food choices, and allergic reactions to any number of things, I am not really expecting this foundation to do much for that, but we shall see. I don't really think my skin looks dull, but I am not sure I would say it looks bright either. It is neither normally dry or normally oily. If there is any dryness, it is usually on my nose when I have allergies or when spots on the face are healing, the immediate area around it can appear dry.
I shall do my best to use this foundation every day for three weeks. Once the three weeks is up I shall continue using it until it is empty, but in a more normal fashion, and from there, if there is any added information I can give about the foundation, I will give an updated post from the final review. Since the request for the review from Influenster seems to revolve solely around the skin improving benefits of the foundation, that is why I am testing it for the first three weeks in the way that I am.

Monday, July 6, 2015

Makeup My Mind Daily Makeup Collection

Due to being sick for two weeks and other health related issues I haven’t been able to wear makeup for a long time. I learned of snupps while watching a makeup favorites video and thought it could be useful for me and more specifically, my husband. My husband buys most of the makeup I have and while he generally does a good job of rmemebering what I do and do not have, sometimes he forgets and I end up with a few duplicates.
I am in the very slow process of taking pictures of every item in my makeup collection so that when he is out and sees something he thinks I might want but is not sure if I already have it, he can check. But I also decided having the makeup in current rotation posted as a collection could be useful to me as well. I have made the current makeup collections public, so if you are interested in seeing what I am currently working with, you can find it through the link above.

Monday, June 8, 2015

One Note: L.A. Colors Blush in Spice

This blush was purchased for me, by my husband, at Dollar Tree, for $1.



This blush was tried twice, once on Thursday because Wednesday was not an option, and once again on Saturday of last week. Both of the times I used this blush without a cream base, because I could not find one in a similar tone and it was already showing more pink on my cheeks than the color it appears to me in the pan. When swatched on the back of my hand, both with my finger and with a brush, it showed as the color it appears in the pan. Because the foundation/concealer I am using does not really cover the already pinkness of my cheeks, I think that is why it showed more pink on the cheeks.

I can state that on the cheeks and on the back of my hand, it applied smoothly, and blended out well around the edges. I think if you have a less rosy base to work with, meaning not naturally pink cheeks, this will probably work just fine for you. I really liked the shade it appeared on the back of my hand and if I ever get to a foundation/concealer combo that sufficiently covers said pinkness, I will probably get a lot of use out of this. 

Thursday, June 4, 2015

Keep In Mind: May 2015

L.A. Colors lipstick, blush & eyeshadow all - n - one



This product became a favorite to use during the month of May as a cream blush. When blended out, it gave a nice sheer pink tinge to the cheeks that I enjoyed. It also gives a bit of a glow to the cheeks, which I like, because I think I look healthier when I use this. I have also used this as a lip color, which worked out just fine; I have not used it as an eye shadow yet, although it is something I am considering.

The general order of application for me with this product is as such. First primer, second liquid foundation, third L.A. Colors lipstick, blush & eyeshadow all - n - one, forth translucence setting powder, optional fifth powder blush. I do primarily use it under other powder blushes, but the times I used it without adding a powder blush on top looked nice as well. Typically the powder blush is added more to bring the blush in line with the overall look I am going for as I only have this product in one shade.