Blushing Beauty

Hello and happy Valentine's Day! I hope your day has been filled with sweet treats from someone special (yes, this includes treating yourself)!

After lip products, blush has found a way to become my second favorite category of beauty products! I love experimenting with different shades of blush to compliment my complexion and give my skin a nice, natural flush! I also enjoy playing with varying levels of blush intensity. For day looks, I tend to keep it subtle, but look forward to dates and other outings where I might want to amp it up a bit. I have also switched the method of applying my blush, as well as well where on my cheeks I place the blush. I tend to use the "cinnamon bun" method, as dubbed by Mally, which creates more control of the blush's intensity. I now prefer to apply the blush just under my cheekbones, behind the apples of my cheeks, instead of on top of both. It allows me to create more dimension and keeps my cheeks from looking rosier than they already are!

Another type of cheek product I enjoy and that is complementary to blush is highlighter! Who doesn't like their skin to glow? Now, I am personally not a fan of using so much highlighter to the point of looking like a glow worm, but I do like to add a bit of sheen to the tops and/or apples of my cheeks (where I used to apply my blush). I do not use bronzer nearly as often; however, I have a couple bronzers that have a matte or satin finish. This makes them easy for me to use for the occasional contouring.

Brands that make my favorite blushes include MAC, theBalm, Milani and NYX. I enjoy highlighters from MAC, theBalm, and Becca. Do you love blush and highlighters as much as I do? What about bronzers? If so, which brands and shades to you prefer? What techniques do you use to apply cheek products? Where on your cheeks do you apply them?

Just Lipstick, Please

Hey! It's been a while, I know. I hope the start of 2017 has treated you well, in spite of all the changes seen and events endured as of late!

I just wanted to share with you how much I love lippies. Of all the makeup products I own, the vast majority of them are some type of lip product: lipsticks, lip glosses, lip balms, lip liners, lip scrubs...you name it, I probably have it!

What I have come to realize is this: While it's fun to explore the latest beauty trends, including these hybrid lip products (i.e., liquid lipsticks) and various formulas (e.g., matte vs. satin), I will take a regular ole' tube of lipstick on any given day! Sometimes I don't want to fuss with an oddly-shaped applicator, and I certainly don't want to have to nurse the product on my lips all day...just give me a decent tube of lipstick, in a standard formula, with pretty packaging, that complements my skin tone. I will also take a sheer to moderately opaque gloss as a topper (and to soothe my lips midday). BareMinerals' Marvelous Moxies are perfect for this, but could also be worn alone if desired!

Not only have I recently observed a shift in my desire to wear just plain old lipstick, but also a transition in the shades I wear (most recently from browns and nudes to pinks and reds). Some of my favorite brands that meet the need for "just lipstick" include Wet 'n Wild, Maybelline, MAC and Nars. What are your favorite brands and shades? 

Haulin'

Happy Hump Day! I'm happy to be one more day closer to the weekend, as I cherish my personal time to recharge and do as I please.

I have made a few successive purchases over the past month or so from various shops that have resulted in a decent haul; I thought I would share a quick look at those products as I continue to test them out!

From rear to front, left to right: 
theBalm's In theBalm of Your Hand palette (ModCloth); Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in Caramel (Sephora), MAC's Dej Loaf lipglass (online exclusive - MAC Cosmetics), MAC's So Select (exclusive to MAC Select members) and Cosmo lipsticks (both from MAC Cosmetics), BeautyBlender beauty.blusher (Sephora);
Tom Ford Beauty's eye color duo in Ripe Plum (CCO), MAC's lipliners in Plum and Spice (MAC Cosmetics), Urban Decay's Brow Beater brow pencil in Neutral Brown (Sephora), Too Faced Peanut Butter palette (Ulta), Sephora Collection's Solid Sponge & Brush Cleaner (Sephora)  

bareMinerals Divine Decadence 8-pc Spring Set (QVC)

top to bottom, left to right:
Absolute Indulgence Blush in Ginger Spice, Baseline Silky Cream Eyeliner in Rich Black;
  Diamond Light Mineral Veil Finishing Power, Shadow Quickie Cream Eyeshadow in Topaz, Marvelous Moxie Lipgloss in Big Tease, Lash Domination Volumizing Mascara Petite Precision Brush in Intense Black, Smoky Smudger Brush, Feather Light Brush

Stock photo from QVC: Sorry I forgot to take the lids off of some products so you could see them better!

These are some sample-sized products I managed to snag with some of the above purchases.
Top to bottom, left to right:
Clinique High Impact mascara, MAC False Lashes Mascara, MAC Prep & Prime Skin, Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara, Urban Decay Sheer Revolution Lipstick in Liar (full-sized, forget to include in earlier pic), Clinique lipstick in Matte Magenta (full-sized, got as a bonus for counter purchase), Marc Jacobs Le Marc Lip Creme Lipstick in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Marc Jacobs Highliner Gel Eye Crayon liner in Blacquer;
Clinique mini shadows (Mink, Seashell) & blush (Smoldering Plum), Too Faced Love Flush blush in Love Hangover, Too Faced Hangover Replenishing Face Primer

That's all for now. That's enough, right? I think I am good for at least a little while. I will you keep you posted on how some of these work out...a few may end up on my list of favorites!

Mini-Haul: Walgreens

I recently stopped by Walgreens on the way home from work to pick up some eye makeup remover and to see if this location had any items from Milani's spring '16 collection. I lucked up...I ended up getting what I needed and picked up a few other items to try!

From left to right: Wet n Wild's new small concealer brush ($.99!), Garnier's Nourishing Cleansing Oil (on clearance!), Milani's new Everyday Eyes shadow collection in Earthy Elements, Rimmel's new Brow This Way brow gel, Rimmel's oil-free eye makeup remover (my fave of this category).

Walgreens had all of the items from Milani's spring line except the foundation/concealer, brow gel, Eye Tech Define and the infamous Amore matte lip cremes (don't get me started). I wanted to pick up a lip treatment, but early reviews state there is no tint in this product, so I passed. I will have to try one from YSL or Sephora's brand, as I would like a little color in the lip product. I also considered the transparent face powder, but it seems to have no storage for a puff, so I held off on getting it. I will wait till I run low on my Black Radiance primer to try Milani's newest primer products. I would love to try the foundation/concealer product if and when it hits stores in this area.

I am now in the middle of trying all of these products...hope to share some reviews about some of them soon!

REVIEW: NYX Intense Butter Glosses, round 2

One of my favorite makeup items to shop for is lip products, namely lipsticks and lip glosses. In today's world of beauty, those categories aren't so cut and dry anymore, with products like liquid lipsticks and lip tint oils having emerged. I am usually anxious to try new lip products that have claims like high pigmentation and long wear. I have more lip products than I could ever use up; however, I try to get as much use out of them as possible!

Having said that, I was happy to see NYX added additional colors to its line of Intense Butter Glosses. I tried some of the original Butter Glosses and wasn't too pleased, as the product did little for my pigmented lips, nor did it last long. When the company released the Intense version with claims high pigmentation, I bought some colors, loved them, and have bought a couple more since. When I learned of these recently added shades, I knew I had to get more! 

From left to right:
I first bought Toasted Marshmallow and Spice Cake, then got Tres Leches, and later picked up Funnel Delight. I got the new shades Apple Dumpling and Cherry Custard last weekend.

Swatches from left to right (with flash): 

Toasted Marshmallow, Spice Cake, Tres Leches, Funnel Delight, Apple Dumpling, Cherry Custard

Apple Dumpling is a peachy-toned nude (compared to Tres Leches, which is more tan). I can wear it with or without liner, whereas I always couple Tres Leches with a brown liner. Cherry Custard is a beautiful, vibrant red that is suitable for everyday wear.

I enjoy wearing these because they glide on easily, are comfortable on my lips, have high pigmentation and last for a decent period of time. The Intense Butter Gloss does come off pretty easily when eating or drinking, but it's a pleasure to reapply. I can't wait 'til the spring/summer season to get some of the brighter shades!