Tag: neutrogena

Music Muse Makeup: Festival Season

.Reading time 5 minutes.

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When Coachella hits its officially festival season. I’m sure like me, many of you have lusted over the perfectly mused, slightly lived-in makeup and outfit vibes of Victoria’s Secret models, musicians and fashion bloggers. My motto for a great festival look is bronze, highlight and a pop of color. I love to use bronzes for festival looks as they give that desert vibe that looks messy yet chic. With so many festival or even just summer concerts, I’m already booked for Beyonce and The Lumineers!, you can wear a bronzy look like this all summer long. Keep reading for how I got this look.

Makeup Look

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Moisturizer: Neutrogena Hydro-Boost Gel in SPF 15 (so important to wear sunscreen to any outdoor event this season. I like to use a moisturizer with SPF and a foundation/BB cream with one too).

Foundation: Urban Decay Naked Skin One & Done Hybrid Complexion Perfector in Light. (This features SPF 20 and has both foundation and concealer properties so you only need one step! For this look I used concealer as well, but you definitely don’t need it).

Concealer: Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer in Fair Neutral.

Powder: Maybelline MasterFix loose powder

Brows: Colourpop Brow Pencils in Bangin’ Brunette and Black N’ Brown (previously blog post shows how I use these). Topped with NYX brow mascara in Espresso

Eyeshadows:

  • Crease: Too Faced PB&J Palette shade Peanut Butter (any warm soft matte shadow will do)
  • Lid and Inner Corner : Jordana Made to Last Liquid Eyeshadow in Forever Sand (I buy mine at Walgreens; a liquid or cream eyeshadow gives that highlighted gleam and won’t budge).
  • Browbone: Too Faced PB&J Extra Creamy (any off white shadow will work)
  • Lower lashline: Too Faced PB&J Peanut Brittle with the darker bronze shade in the Carli Bybel palette on the outside. Her lighter bronze would work in place of Peanut Brittle.

Liners: 

Lashes: L’Oreal Carbon Blac Telescopic Mascara with Ardell Demi Wispies cut in half on the outer lash. (Cut your lashes in half for a more natural lash look, honestly I’d just go with mascara for a festival).

Bronzer: L’Oreal Glam Bronze in Light $14.99. So I could not find this online at all. It’s a new limited edition bronzer and you get a very large pan. I think the color is a bit cool, but it is pretty great for really fair skin like mine. I didn’t think it looked muddy at all. I put photos below incase you find this in-store; I got mine at Walgreens.

Highlighters: MAC x Rihanna RiRi Hearts Cream Higlighter in Diamonds (this is from 2013, but any liquid or cream gold highlighter will do I love Benefit’s Watts Up as well). I topped this with the gold shade in the Carli Bybel palette (3rd highlighter in). Get your paws on her palette soon, it’s going to be discontinued in June!

Blush: NYX Ombre Blush in Strictly Chic

Lips: Colourpop Ultra Satin Lip in Tansy topped with an old Bath and Body Works gloss (any tinted gloss with shimmer will work) You defintely want a no fuss lip look for these types of events. I love Colourpop’s Ultra Satin lips, they’ll stay all day and wear comfortably.

Top: Forever 21 Festival Collection (similar here and here)

Necklace: ASOS Pieces Benna Statment Necklace (sold out :(, but I love ASOS’s costume jewelry, it lasts long and looks/feel expensive without Urban Outfitters prices) Type in silver statement necklace in their search and you’ll find a ton of similar options.

 

Colourpoppin’ Into Spring: Brows and Ultra Satin Lip Review

.Reading time 6 minutes.

 

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Happy Spring everyone! Sorry I’ve been a little makeup-post MIA, but my skin was freaking out over the past month and I finally got it to behave. Listen to your Momma when she tells you less is more; I swear with all the skincare obsession you see on Youtube and social media you want to just pile it on. That’s not to say skincare isn’t important, but just remember if a simple routine works for you don’t feel the need to add this oil and that cleanser and a toner to the mix, but do always add a sunscreen for daytime. I’m loving the Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel in SPF 15; it’s light, doesn’t smell like sunscreen, hydrating and doesn’t break me out! Anyway, on to this post which is all about my favorite affordable brand, Colourpop. I swear each season they kill it even more. Read on to hear my stance on their new brow and Ultra Satin lip products!

Review and Swatches

 

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Colors from left to right: Petit Four, Marshmallow, Lost, Cozy, Lyin’ King, Tansy, Frick ‘n’ Frack, Echo Park, Magic Wand

Colourpop’s Ultra Satin Lips retail for $6 and hit the market right as many bloggers and makeup lovers started to lose faith they’d get a long-wearing lipstick that didn’t dry the shit out of their lips. Well welcome the best formula I have ever worn, and I mean ever. I purchased nine shades in a variety of colors, and not one color wears any less than the others, which can often happen with darker colors that aren’t a matte. Speaking of, these lipsticks are not transfer-proof, but they do stay put on your lips for about 6 hours with eating and drinking. They are honestly the perfect lipstick. You get that longevity you love from a matte without the crusting and drying of a matte liquid lipstick. Seriously, I would hitch these things if I could. All the shades are great, but particular standouts for me are Frick ‘n’ Frack (I wear this almost daily), Cozy (the perfect spring coral with a hint of spice), Magic Wand and Lyin’ King (best name ever). 10/10

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Brow pencils in: Black N’ Brown and Bangin’. Brunette Bangin’ Brunette brow color.

So for the brows, the pencils retail for $5 each and the brow color retails for $6, I still am working with these to see how much I really like them. The pencils are much creamier than say the NYX Microbrow Pencil, and if you’re not careful you can get really heavy-handed. I personally use Bangin’ Brunette (the lighter pencil) in light strokes in the beginning of my brow through the arch. Than I use Black N’ Brown towards the tail, and brush through it all with the spoolie. I like to use the brow color if I’m going out, I think it’s  a bit intense for everyday. The one thing I don’t love about these is how long the handle/twist up is, it makes it really awkward to hold and you can only get a little product out. Overall, for the price I think these are a win, but if you don’t mind spending the extra $5, I still prefer my NYX microbrow pencils. 7.5/10

Makeup Look and Products

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Moisturizer: Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel

Foundation: Fiona Stiles Luminous Concrete Foundation in 01 Porcelain 

Concealer: NYX HD Concealer in CW01 Porcelain

Powder: Maybelline Masterfix Powder

Brows: Colourpop Brow Pencils in Bangin’ Brunette and Black N’ Brown with NYX Espresso Brow Mascara

Eyeshadows: 

Mascara: L’Oreal Carbon Black Telescopic

Liner: Jordana Cat Eye Liner in Black Leather and L’Oreal Silkissime in Black

Lashes: Ardell Demi Wispies (remember to cut your lashes to fit your eye shape)!

Blush: Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Blush Palette– Hush

Highlighter: Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Moonstone

Lips: NYX lipliner in Ever and Colourpop Ultra Satin Lip in Frick ‘n’ Frack

Top: Express

Nameplate necklace: Baublebar

 

Fresh Faced Spring Makeup: L’Oreal Lumi Cushion Foundation Review

.Reading time 5 minutes.

IMG_4663Spring weather seems like it’s finally going to make an appearance in New Jersey this week and I’m itching to wear some of spring’s newest trends (blog post to come on spring trends!) and try out some new looks. I purchased the L’Oreal True Match Lumi Cushion Foundation, also is it just me or are foundation names getting longer than texts from your Mom? Anyway, I wanted to review this probably 3 weeks ago but I still couldn’t determine how I felt about it. So after week of trying this out I have a verdict! Read on below for the review and as always this drugstore makeup look.

Review

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So cushion foundations are all the rage right now, this spring is definitely stepping out of the matte looks we’ve been seeing for the past two years. This cushion foundation is light to medium coverage, as are most cushion foundations. It features a puff applicator that may be useful for touch-ups throughout the day, but I didn’t like the way it applied my foundation. This foundation is on the pricier side for a drugstore foundation at $16.99 and you only get 0.52 oz of product, whereas you normally get 1 oz for most foundations. There’s also 12 shades, but if you are extremely fair you may have a hard time as I did. There isn’t a standard N1 or W1 like the original True Matches which I find to be frustrating. But, N2 works okay for me when I blend it out.

I’ve found that the best way to apply this foundation is with a Real Techniques sponge, rather than a brush or the puff applicator. I can build it easiest this way; this foundation will only build to a medium coverage so keep that in mind. For being a “lumi” foundation this formula dries my skin out like crazy, even with a moisturizer or primer underneath. This is why it took so long for me to test because I wanted to make sure another product wasn’t drying out my skin! I also typically don’t have sensitive skin, but this gave my skin tiny textured bumps (they go away after a day or so, but still not thrilled). I’m not saying this won’t work for your skin type, but I really, really wanted to like this and I just can’t with the way my skin is reacting.

I think I can use it up, but I will not repurchase. I personally think Maybelline’s Dream Matte Hydrating Foundation is  better value and more hydrating, with better coverage. Or if you love L’Oreal’s foundations go with the original True Match Lumi, which is an old favorite of mine. An overall score for me is 5/10. Let me know your favorite cushion foundations because I think they’re great for spring and summer!

Makeup Look

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Moisturizer: Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel SPF15 (found mine at Walgreens in-store; can’t find on their website).

Foundation: L’Oreal True Match Lumi Cushion Foundation in N2 Classic Ivory

Concealer: Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in Fair 

Powder: Maybelline Master Fix Setting Powder 

Brows: Maybelline Brow Define and Fill Duo in Deep Brown (just used pencil side) and Maybeline Master Brow Drama Palette in Deep Brown to fill in. Set with NYX Brow Mascara in Espresso

Eyeshadows:

  • Crease: NYX Matte Shadow Dance the Tides and Milani Earthy Elements Palette 3rd shade (orange color) in the outer crease.
  • Lid: Dance the Tides in the outer lid, wit Earthy Elements Palette 2nd shade (camel brown) on the center and inner lid.
  • Browbone: 1st shade (frosty beige) Milani palette.
  • Lower lashline: Orange and camel shades mixed.

Eyeliner: Top: Jordana Cat Eyeliner in Black Brown. Bottom: Maybelline Gel Pencil Liner in Glazed Toffee.

Mascara: L’Oreal Telescopic Carbon Black with Maybelline the Rocket on top (an oldie but a goodie)

Blush: Colourpop Supershock Cheek in Bonus (discontinued) similar Holiday.

Highlighter: Colourpop Highlighter in Wisp (on tops of cheeks, bridge of nose and cupid’s bow).

Lips: Lipliner: Jordana Easy Liner in Sedona Red. Lipstick: Colourpop Ultra Satin Lip in Cozy (review of these coming soon!).

Top: Marshall’s.

Fun Fact: Look created while throwing it back to Fall Out Boy’s Under the Cork Tree