A Mom With A Blog: beauty

Showing posts with label beauty. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Maybelline The Nudes Palette

There has been a lot of hype and talk about the Maybelline The Nudes Palette lately and frankly I can understand why. Never before has there been a palette release by a drug store brand that is quite like this. Yes, there are those JUMBO eye shadow or various makeup kits that always seem to flood the shelves around Christmas as stocking-stuffer ideas, but no one really takes those too seriously. Often cheaply made, poor quality and gimmicky because of the season.

This on the other hand, is the drug store's first serious attempt at trying to rival high end brand and quality palettes for a fraction of the price. Of course, I was sucked in immediately and had been watching the makeup shelves for it's release since I first heard about it.

Photo courtesy of Ulta.com

Overall, I was pretty darn impressed, but there is room for improvement. There is a nice mix of matte and shimmer colors, which, I always thinks is important in mixing both within an eye look. Otherwise if you use all shimmer in a look where you are supposed to have the "nude" appearance, that doesn't look too natural to me.

I found that the taupe-y colors had pretty terrible color pay-off and were hard to blend. I suppose that would be my only complaint honestly. Luckily the darker colors of the palette seem to have better pay-off and blend-ability. The last thing you want is to use that matte black in the lower left hand corner with the inability to blend out the harsh lines. Scary!

Honestly, there's not much more for me to say about this palette. I like it and I will continue to use it despite the taupe colors leaving me less than impressed. This would be a really good starter palette for someone who is just getting into makeup and is on the fence about buying high end brand palette's (which, I still think everyone should invest in a good high end palette).

If you are having trouble finding this palette at your local drug store, you will most likely have more luck shopping this little beaut on ulta.com. If you are weary about paying shipping, have no fear! They have all of your drug store essentials and after you spend $50, shipping is free. So, in other words you can just stock up on all the things that you get normally and they can come right to your door. Saves a trip to the drug store!

Have a great week!

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Loreal Lumi Foundation Review

If you've noticed, I'm on the hunt for a new foundation. As I may have mentioned in the past, I've been using department/high end brands for several years. Now that my go to foundation no longer works for my skin, I'm on the search.

First try, MAC Matchmaster Foundation. View my review here. Since I'm still reviewing foundations, I'm sure you can guess how the MAC foundation turned out if you haven't already seen the review....

Next on the list - Loreal True Match Lumi Healthy Luminous Foundation.

I tried this foundation after seeing Jaclyn Hill use it on one of her get videos on Youtube. I don't remember which video it was specifically, but she said that it was great for people with normal/combination to dry skin because it would hold the luminous finish better than with those with oily skin. She described it as being one of the most natural looking foundations. So, I gave it a go.

One of the reasons I typically use department store or high end foundation is because I think it is super necessary to get professionally matched to your right shade. After working at a makeup counter, I can tell you that probably 75% of the people walking in to get matched, were previously wearing a foundation shade that was totally, TOTALLY wrong. With drug store makeup, you must buy the product, then test it, and if it isn't right, so back to the store and beg for an exchange or refund. And trust me, they don't like that. So, in an effort to try and make sure I bought the right shade the first time, I visited the Loreal website to see if they had any tips or tools for shade selection. They had this fancy tool where you can answer various questions about your skin tone and texture to help select the right foundation formula and shade. All in all, I was pretty impressed with their recommendations for formula, however the shade was definitely off. What they recommended for a shade is actually a shade darker than what I purchased, and what I purchased is actually a tad too dark for me. But if you aren't sure what type of formula of foundation is right for your skin, this tool is a handy start to figuring that out.

First impression - Luminous look, check. Blends easily, check. Color matching, eh, as mentioned I could probably use a hair lighter for a shade but summer is approaching soooo.....

If you aren't used to a foundation with a dewy finish, you will probably not like this foundation. In a way, you literally feel as though your face is tacky the whole day. And if it's tacky, I assumed that it would mean that it's staying power isn't fantastic unless set with a powder - therefore, diminishing the dewiness...which is the point of the foundation.....Quite the ugly little cycle there.

The very first day I wore the foundation, I only did a light setting of my concealer because I wanted to maintain that dewy finish. I went golfing in the morning and out to lunch with my husband. When we got back into the car and I was in natural light, I took a look in the mirror to see how it was holding up. I was still dewy, but it made me look oily....which I'm not naturally. Ok, not a big deal, I can add powder to that. Out of a random urge, I took my fingers and rubbed my face near my jawline to see it's staying power and I literally. wiped. all. the. makeup. off! SERIOUSLY!? I had a visible, noticeable difference between the area I just wiped, and the area I didn't. I didn't even push hard; just brushed my face. And again, the color matching wasn't too far off at all, but I could so obviously see where I didn't have makeup and where I did.

Wow. So, the next time I tried the foundation, I knew that I definitely needed to set it better. I took a translucence mineral powder and set my whole face. This of course took away the super luminous dewy finish, but I was actually okay with that. Since setting it, the staying power is quite a bit better, but overall, still disappointing.

Back to the drawing board I guess. I'm going to be near Lincoln for a family reunion campout at the beginning of June so I will be making a much needed run to Sephora to continue the hunt for the perfect foundation. Bare Minerals Bare Skin was just recently released and is in my sight....more on that to come!

Monday, May 5, 2014

MAC Customer Service Review

This definitely isn't going to be one of the most lively of blog posts. I mean, it's customer service talk here! However, if you are anything like me, customer service is a big dang deal and I expect greatness from companies, or at least a valiant effort.

Recently I posted a review on the MAC Matchmaster foundation and mentioned that unfortunately I was going to be attempting to return it. Considering I purchased the foundation at a MAC counter that is like 200 miles away from where I live, I obviously wasn't going to drive all the way back to make a return.

I first contacted MAC through their website and used a fancy little chat box to talk with an artist. They gave me an email address to contact to get the return going. Great! Let's do this. So, I emailed. And I waited. And waited.....Then I waited some more. After about 5 days I thought, that's enough. Next step. I got back onto the MAC website and using that fancy little chat box, explained the situation to the artist. She this time provided me with a phone number. Ok, we are getting places now!

Called the number and was transferred to the corporate office (not sure why, they helped me regardless). She took down my mailing information and said that a refund in the form of a check would be sent to my house in 4 to 6 weeks. A'hem, excuse me? Four to six weeks!? Geez. Ok, that's a bit of time but at least I'm getting my money back I suppose. She then informed me that I wouldn't have to send back the foundation to the company; that I could just keep it.

Honestly, that was one of my biggest fears of this whole return process is that they were going to make me pay shipping to send the foundation back. So although I now that this foundation that I don't know what to do with since I'm not going to use it, at least I'm not paying any money to get rid of it.

Yeah, the customer service is taking quite a bit of time. That email address provided to me was obviously not helpful and it's going to take forever to get my money back. However, the end result (getting my money back) is what mattered most to me. And it looks like I'll be getting just that. So, the expected return is between June 2nd and June 16th. If I don't get my money back within that time frame, believe me you'll (and MAC) will hear about it.

Moving on to trying new things!

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

MAC MatchMaster Foundation Review

I've been on the hunt for a new foundation. For the past 8 years, I've been using Estee Lauder Double Wear Light. It's varied from different shades, but as of late, I was the 1.0 - the fairest shade available. Now my skin has a lot of olive undertones, so even at that shade, I didn't feel as though I looked super pale just because of my undertones. But believe or not, I've become even lighter than the 1.0 and need something else. Side note, I've stopped tanning purposefully about 2 years ago. Skin cancer ain't cool kids. Protect yourself. Anyway, so even with the color change and Estee Lauder not being able to accommodate, I did feel as though I don't need quite as much coverage as the DWL was providing.

Since it has been so long, I really didn't know where to begin with a foundation search. I've been following some makeup Guru's on Youtube which is helpful in a lot of areas, but when it comes to foundation, everyone's skin is different, so it's hard to really take someone's recommendation and expect it to work for you too.

Which is why I hope you take my foundation reviews with a grain of salt. What may work or not work for me, might be an entirely different situation for you based on skin differences. What I will try to do in this review is provide my observations in wearing this foundation.

Here is the MAC Matchmaster foundation:

Here is the description of the foundation from MAC's website - Uses Shade Intelligence Technology to bring customized shades in a flawless demi-matte finish with medium, buildable coverage and broad spectrum UVA/UVB SPF 15 protection. Gives perfect colour purity without looking ashy or chalky, reduces shine on the skin's surface and helps to absorb excess oil. Conditions and soothes skin while minimizing the appearance of pores and imperfections.

Let's break it down. I've always been skeptical of anything that has any sort of "smart shade technology." Maybe it's just because I don't understand how it works, but I mean come on! You mean to tell me my foundation is smart enough to adjust itself to match my skin tone?! GET OUT! Yeah I'm not buying it. When I was getting matched at the MAC counter in Omaha, I was pretty frustrated with the MAC associate. She seemed in a hurry to make a sale and didn't really try any other colors on my except for the 1.0. Her words were and I quote "it may be a shade too light for you but this foundation will adjust for you. Will that be all today?" Well, if it's a shade too light, shall we try the next shade up ma'am? As someone who used to work at a makeup counter for Estee Lauder, I couldn't imagine saying something like that to one of my clients. So, my first impression was a bit sketchy. But, benefit of the doubt right?

Demi-matte finish - Yep, I would say that is a spot on description.

Medium, Buildable Coverage - Ooooo so close. I need something with medium and buildable coverage for sure. Lots of redness and texture on my face that I wish I could get rid of. When I would apply this foundation, I would do one coat over the whole face, then touch up and build some more foundation in areas where it needed a little more attention. I would follow up with MAC Studio Finish concealer and set with a powder. First glance, the finish and coverage looks great. A couple hours later, it's like my foundation has magically disappeared. The lasting power is absolutely terrible. I am constantly reapplying and that just doesn't make for a very nice finish when I've already applied bronzer, blush and a highlight.

I do feel that this foundation made my skin look like skin. When freshly applied, it wasn't ashy or chalky as indicated. It felt like I wasn't wearing anything. Unfortunately a couple hours later, I wasn't. But, I digress. I was recommended this foundation because I have normal combination to dry skin. So the fact that this description says that it absorbs oil, I'm wondering what that MAC counter associate was thinking with this recommendation. It didn't further dry me out thankfully. But I wouldn't say that my skin felt any more conditioned or soothed from wearing this. And it most certainly didn't make the appearance of pores disappear after a couple hours.

So, like I said earlier. Take this review with a grain of salt. Well, take ANY of my reviews with a grain of salt for that matter. What works for me may not work for you. I hope that I was able to provide some insight on how the foundation performed on my skin to give those of you with similar skin types, or even completely opposite skin types.

My big hurdle now, is attempting to return this foundation to the MAC company and get my money back. I bought this at the closest MAC counter to where I live which is 200 miles away. I am most certainly not making the drive just to return it. So I am curious as to how the customer service for my predicament will be. Maybe that will be a followup review - MAC Customer Service Review!

Anyway, back to the drawing board on finding a new foundation. I will keep you posted! Sorry for the ramble!

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Physicians Formula Mineral Glow Pearls Review

For a while now, I've been dying to achieve a makeup look that leaves a nice sheen to my cheekbones. Something that can give me a glow without being too glittery, and define my cheekbones even more than just a contour shade and blush. Like this:

Jaclyn Hill - check out her Youtube page here

Look at those cheeks. I love the look. Dewey yet not overdone. That's what I wanted.

I've seen a lot of different highlighting products that can be used on that upper cheekbone to help achieve that look. Unfortunately, a lot of them, are quite expensive. Here are a couple I've considered -

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Ethereal Light $45.

Mac Mineralize Skinfinish in either Soft and Gentle (left) or Lights Capade (right) $32

Too Faced Sweethearts Perfect Flush Blush in Candy Glow $30

There were a couple others, but theses were the highest contenders. Notice that not one of them is under $30. Now, don't get me wrong, I am definitely a fan of high end makeup and believe in it's magical powers. However, if I can find a dupe that works just as well but is cheaper, you can bet your ponies I'm getting that instead. All three of the products above are very different in formula and color. Those are just the ones that I have seen and touched/swatched in person. The color doesn't need to be spot on to one specific shade, no no. Just something that works for my skin.

I was determined to find something that would be a good dupe in general for a highlighting powder. And I think I found it! Let me introduce to you.....

Physicians Formula Mineralize Glow Pearls in Translucent Pearl (for all skin tones) $13.95

I'm so stinkin' happy right now. $14 is a lot more manageable than $30...or $45 for that matter with the Hourglass Ambient Light! Now, is the texture of this formula as great as the others mentioned above, well no. Its not as smooth, maybe even a touch on the drying side. However, it's really not that bad. Definitely an acceptable alternative. I couldn't wait to try it and I'm happy I bought it. Maybe in the future when I'm a millionaire I'll go out and buy the Hourglass, but for now, this product does what it's supposed to do and I like it. So if you are interested in getting some glowy highlight on those cheeks of yours, I would definitely recommend this. It comes in a couple other shades as well for more medium skin tones. So pick obviously what you think would be best for your tone. However the one pictured above, is supposed to work on all skin tones.

Much love,

Thursday, April 24, 2014

L'ORÉAL Infallible Silkissime Eyeliner Review

I've been on the search for a new, fantastic, black pencil liner. I was tempted to go with an old stand by (the Urban Decay 24/4 glide on pencil), but honestly, I didn't want to pay that much.

I can't even tell you what drew me in to the L'Oreal Infallible Silkissime Liner at the drug store. I saw it, I bought it. Eh. What do you do?

Here is what it looks like before I give my review -

Before I review any product, I like to use it no less than 10 times. I feel like by the tenth use, I have a handle on getting to know the product and how I use it. So lets get to it.

This liner is extremely rich, soft, and glides on beautifully. You really don't have to apply much pressure to the liner as it comes off so easily onto the lid. It's smudge-able if you take a smudger brush or Q-tip to it before it completely dries. Once it dries, its much harder to smudge. Which is why I can't understand why halfway through the day, the liner is traveling all over my eyelids. I hate raccoon eyes, and this liner makes me look like I've cried at some point during the day. I've tried using primers before application as well as setting it with some black or dark shadow. Nope. Still moves. I might also add that people who have particularly oily skin might see that their makeup is more apt to moving than others however, I have normal/combination skin for the most part. I can't imagine what this liner would do on someone whose eyelids become more oily than mine.

This was such a big disappointment. Especially since I was so excited when I first applied it and saw how rich in color it was. It's beautiful when it first goes on, but it's all day performance is WAY under par. I won't be purchasing this again.

I am interested if anyone else has had any experience with this liner - I would love to hear your input!

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Self Tanner Review

Let me just start off by saying that I haven't been a big self-tanner user. Quite frankly, the chance of ending up streaky just scares me away from it.

About 2 years ago I worked at an Estee Lauder counter as a makeup artist. Time after time I saw customers come in asking for a decent self-tanner. Now, I could very well (and did) regurgitate the information that Estee Lauder provided about the product, but that's never been good enough for me. In order for me to feel as though I was giving the best information possible, I felt like I need to try the product to know.

So I sucked it up, put on my brave face and purchased the Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Revelation Tinted Self-Tanning Gelee for Body. Whew! That's a mouth-full!

I read the instructions fully and was quite nervous that I was going to somehow mess this up and look like a freak. But, I just went for it. I rubbed, and rubbed, and rubbed to try and make sure there were not streaks or discoloration. Luckily, it seems that I did okay! I checked over my legs in some natural sunlight on the front and back and everything looked fairly even. The instructions say not to wear any clothing on the area applied for 15-20 to allow it to dry. It felt dry to the touch, but I see why they suggest that. I found the littlest area that could use some more blending about 10 minutes after application. I started to rub with my fingers and it still blended quite nicely. So, even though it feels dry, it's not quite set up yet.

After one application I saw dramatically different, and very flattering results. It definitely has a strong, tanning lotion odor, but I don't mind it. I could see that it might be off putting to some however. It made my legs look more tan and left a beautiful, bronze-y finish that left them glistening in a way that made them look very moisturized. After that, I wanted to go darker (addicted!!) I added another application to my legs later that week and also began to apply some to my chest, upper back and upper arms (where I'm freakishly pale). It was so flattering. I couldn't believe that this product made me a lover of self-tanner. So much healthier than real tanning! And so incredibly easy!

Highly recommend :)

Saturday, April 19, 2014

Let's Talk Foundation Brushes....

Ok, since this is my first brush post, allow me to make it be known that although I am a Sigma Beauty Affiliate, and the majority (not all) the makeup brushes I use are Sigma, doesn't mean that I speak volumes for every single one of their brushes. In all honesty, there are some that I am definitely not fond of. However, I would have never become an affiliate if I didn't think that their brushes rock overall...I mean, why would I want to promote something I didn't like? Also note, that when it comes to actual foundation brushes, I haven't used any other brand besides Sigma in, um, YEARS. So to give you a review on a different brand would be irrelevant. What I am going to review here is review which Sigma foundation brushes I have found to be the best, and which ones are frankly coming up short.

With that aside, let's get to the brushes.

The very first foundation brush that I tried from Sigma Beauty came in the Basic Face Kit (here). Here is a picture of the kit:

I was a rookie years ago and only thought that there was one kind of foundation brush. Yeah, naive. Anyway, so the kit includes this F60 foundation brush - the only and only foundation brush that I thought existed. It is pictured above on the far right. I had no idea what that F50 brush (second from left) was for (we will get to that in a second). So, overall as a foundation brush, yeah the F60 rocks. It makes foundation easy to blend and apply evenly. Grade A in functionality for sure! But then, I made the discovery of what it was like to use that silly looking F50 brush.

Ok, if you are new to brushes, you might have the same reaction I did when I saw the F50. How in the world is that supposed to give me even coverage? I mean, when you look straight down onto the brush, its not like all the bristles are tightly compacted. I automatically assumed that the brush was going to eat a large amount of product and be wasteful. But, I figured I would give it a try. Without doing any research on how to use it (yeah, dumb), I dabbed some foundation on the apples of my cheeks, chin, forehead and a little on my nose and began stippling the brush into the product and distributing it throughout my face. After I spread the product by stippling I began to use circular motions to blend it out. Oh, Em, Gee. It was the most amazing finish I have ever had. Ever. And it was way easier to use than I thought it was going to be. From that moment on, I didn't use the F60 brush for foundation EVER again. So yes, the brush did a great job. But I found one MAJOR downfall that has actually left me no longer using it as a foundation brush. The bristles fall out super easily. I've gone through three of these F50's in just a little over a years time and I wouldn't say that I am particularly hard on these brushes during use or cleaning. Sigma Beauty has been pretty amazing however in that when I told them my brushes fell apart, each time they sent me a new one, FREE OF CHARGE. Even though they did such a wonderfully nice thing for me, it does get rather old always having to replace a brush - and I almost felt as though it was like I was taking advantage of the company. I didn't like that feeling.

So, I was on the hunt for a foundation brush again that could give me the kind of finish that the F50 did, without being so delicate. And, I found it! I purchased the F80 Kabuki Brush from the Sigmax Collection.

I love this brush. Enough said. It gives me the same airbrushed, flawless finish as the F50, yet it is leaps and bounds better in terms of durability. My only regret would be buying this brush individually as opposed to buy the whole kit pictured above. I'm the other brushes in the kit are just as amazing.

All in all, here is how I use my F60 and F50 brushes now that I use the F80 solely for foundation. The F60 is now my undereye concealer brush. I currently use Maybelline Instant Age Rewind in the Brightener shade. I will apply it with the applicator from the product and then use the F60 to evenly blend. It seems to work pretty well for this. Now, that darn F50 that falls apart. I'm currently using it to apply my bronzer. Yeah, weird right? Anyway, it seems to do a decent job on applying it actually. I'm sure that it will eventually fall apart like the other F50's I've used, but for the time being, it's working. I am definitely a use-it-until-it-falls-apart-or-is-no-longer-functional kind of girl.

I hope that this review is helpful for you to find a great foundation brush. Please excuse that my blog is currently undergoing a major revision. I took down all of my old posts for updating and housekeeping. Don't worry, I have many plans for future posts and how to update old posts. Updated posts will be labeled as such in the title, and I already have one I posted yesterday on my Coastal Scents collection. More posts to come very soon!

Thank you for reading and have a wonderful Easter! I would love to hear from you!

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

My Coastal Scents Collection! - UPDATED!!

I LOVE Coastal Scents. Talk about bang for your buck. Here I will show all of the palette's that I have collected over the past year from Coastal Scents as well as the price because, well, let's just be honest, the prices rock. I however will not be providing swatch pictures because that would take a long time!! I mean think about it, the four 88 palettes alone would take me five years :) But I find that the coastal scents website (www.coastalscents.com) provides pictures that are pretty true to what they look like in real life. I would recommend all but one of these (the smokey palette) :)

Revealed Palette (Urban Decay Naked 1 and 2 dupes!!) $19.95