FOTD with coastal scents, tarte & beautyblender (+ reviews)

I received my mini Sephora order the other day and had to share two of the products..

The beautyblender sponge ($25 for 2pack)

Here is the beautyblender right out of the package (the indent went away) Looks like a normal, basic sponge, right? Why would anyone pay $20 for a sponge? well, I understand why now.

You can use it dry or wet, but its super easy to wet it, run it under water for a second and squeeze it, it’s like magic. It kind of inflates (but isn’t even noticeably wet) You place your liquid foundation spotted around on your face, then just dab/pounce the large end of the beauty blender all around your face. When you wet it, it doesn’t soak up and waste much of your foundation, as most sponges would do.

It applies foundation flawlessly, I understand what the craze with this product is about now.  Additionally, you use the pointy end to bounce in concealer. It shapes perfectly around your eyes/nose/t-zone area. Great product, and I would totally recommend it. I was also skeptical about paying $20 for a sponge, but this is a staple in my makeup, and has amazingly put my tarte airbrush finish foundation brush to the side for awhile.

The other stand-out product I received was the:

Tarte Amazonian Clay Waterproof Brow Mousse ($28)

I have sparse brows, that just won’t grow, so I’ve tried many products to help fill and shape them. So many eyebrow pencils/fillers are just the wrong color, don’t last, or just don’t look natural, but I think I’ve found a great thing in this product.

I order Taupe (a natural blonde color) and it blends nicely, I enjoy the mousse formula, it lasts and helps shape my brows. The brush is really handy because it both combs and has the brush end.

In the photos below I’ve used both the beauty blender & Tarte emphasEYESAdditional Products:

• Coastal Scents 88 Palette
• Nars Sheet Glow Foundation in Santa Fe
• Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Dark Circle Eraser
• Tarte smooth operator amazonian clay finishing powder
• Maybelline the Falsies mascara
• Revlon matte ‘pink pout’ and Revlon super lustrous lipgloss in Pink Pop
• mark. glow xpert face shimmer
• Loreal carbon black Lineur Intense liquid eyeliner
• Revlon Luxurious Color Smoky Crayon
• Estee Lauder Broze Goddess Sea Star Bronzing Blush – Blush soleil

(in the photo above, the flash kind of washed out my face, it’s not the makeup’s fault)

Repping my Detroit Tigers + bad picture taking + bad lighting =

I’m adding these pictures just because I used the beautyblender & tarte amazonian clay waterproof brow mousse, so you can get a better idea of the payoff…

Sidenote: I don’t do any retouching to these pictures, considering I’m trying to showcase the makeup and how the product works and looks, so there will be imperfections and whatnot.

Have you tried the beautyblender or tarte brow mousse? I recommend them!

St Patty’s EOTD using coastal scents

Quick post of todays st patricks day makeup:

Done with the coastal scents 88 color palette and wnw mauve outta here lipstick. I’d be happy to list all products/tutorial if anyone is interested.

New Nikes | ShopatHome.com | Smoothie Recipe

Monday in a nutshell – work | kickboxing | teen mom 2

Monday in depth: I’m in week three of my new graphic design/marketing job and I won the lottery with my boss. I work closely with her and she is pretty awesome, just to show her appreciation she sent me a $50 Sephora gift card this weekend. At lunch today, I decided I have absolutely no control when it comes to bread or pasta. Seriously, I cannot stop eating if you put either in front of me, until the point I can barely move. And that’s a pretty sad thing considering all of this juicing I’ve been trying to do, but I have no idea how to control it.

Anyway, I came home from work and my new shoes had come in..

 

Nike Women’s In-Season TR 2 Training Shoe. I figured I’d been wearing my Nike Free Run’s so much, that I should invest in another pair. I was looking into Brooks but once I tried these on, and the built in memory foam cushion, I was sold. They’re not the most attractive shoe, but they do what they need to. The tongue is attached to the side of the shoe, so it doesn’t slide all around during exercise. Obviously tonight was the first workout I’ve used them on, but I feel like they will break in nicely and are very light.

Since I ate so much bread and crap today, I decided to give my juicer a break and bust out the Ninja Mega Kitchen again.

Strawberry-Banana-Oatmeal smoothie

• one carton of fresh/frozen strawberries
• two very ripe bananas
• 3/4 cup of old fashioned oats
• 1 tbsp flaxseed (estimated)
• 1 tbsp wheat germ (estimated)
• 1 tbsp chia seeds (estimated)
• ice cubes if not using frozen fruit
• almond milk
• It was a little bland, so I dumped some frozen mixed fruit into it (grapes/peaches/cherries/mango)

So I put in my Sephora order, to use the gift card, and I tried to control myself and not spend higher than $50.00, I purposely didn’t let myself buy anymore basics, like mascara/foundation/lipsticks, so I went with the beautyblender I’ve heard so much about and the Tarte Amazonian Clay Waterproof Brow Mousse. Then I just threw some random sale items into my cart, used a code for a free deluxe sample of Peter Thomas Roth FirmX and the usual three free samples. Can’t wait for it to come in, and I’ll be sure to review them.

Are you familiar with Shopathome.com?
http://www.shopathome.com/?IAFCG=ClhCf71t2c4iN80QdI7jSA==

Basically, every time you shop online, you earn a certain percent of cash back, which you will receive in a check. I signed up (free) in November and have gotten a check for $75 so far, which really added up during Christmas shopping. If you do a lot of shopping online, you should probably sign up, it’s completely legit and free (and I can understand while writing this how it could sound like a gimmick)

For example, I bought my shoes at Finish Line and got 6% cash back of my $70 total. With my sephora order I got 8% cash back on my $66 order. Some stores offer 12% cash back, etc, It definitely adds up.

Ps. I would not be promoting this if I hadn’t already received and cashed checks from the company. They are the same kind of program as Ebates.com, but I’ve found ShopatHome.com offers higher cash back and will match 110%. If my explanation was confusing, feel free to ask.

http://www.shopathome.com/?IAFCG=ClhCf71t2c4iN80QdI7jSA==

ok, Teen Mom time!

Most used products this month {February}

So I’m a few days late, but I decided I’m going to list a few products I found myself reaching for a lot in February.

Clinique Moisture Surge – Extended Thirst Releif ($37)

This is a perfect moisturizer for my normal skin. It’s a gel formula that isn’t thick, but super moisturizing. I use it in the morning and it literally just soaks into my skin so quickly and easily and I can tell my skin is just sucking it up.

“Light, comfortable cream/gel plumps skin with hydration for a full 24 hours. Fine lines, flakiness and tightness are washed away. In their place—a sense of supple, firm, vibrant well-being, even through shifts in humidity. One ‘drink’ and skin looks and feels happier, healthier. Oil-free.”

Pond’s dry skin cream

While we are talking about moisturizers, I also really enjoy this Ponds dry skin cream. It’s completely different than the Clinque above, but has its own qualities. It leaves my face a slight bit greasy, but I’ve learned that goes away shortly and almost leaves a glow to your face. This is incredibly moisturizing, doesn’t clog pores, and no wonder it’s been around for so long.

Albolene Cleansing Concentrate Moisturizing Skin Cleanser ($10)

I was at my boyfriends parents house and needed a makeup remover, so I borrowed his mom’s, Albolene moisturizing cleanser. No offense to parents, but I was just expecting something mediocre, especially in this old school packaging. Well, this stuff is pretty amazing. You can literally scoop some out on your fingers or a cotton ball and rub off your makeup, while at the same time it’s moisturizing your skin. It doesn’t burn or irritate my eyes (most things do) and really gets the product off. I was thoroughly surprised by this product and will definitely be purchasing it.

“Albolene Moisturizing Cleanser liquifies on contact with your skin to gently and thoroughly dissolve makeup, dirt, and even mascara. Smooth on Albolene Moisturizing Cleanser, tissue off and see how much cleaner and softer your skin can be. Leaves no soap-and-water dryness.”

Omega 8004 Masticating Juicer

I’m obviously on a juicing kick, so this had to be mentioned. I got it in February and have given it a lot of use already, I’m very satisfied with it and haven’t even tried making anything besides juice with it yet (almond milk…)

Mason Jars

It would be wrong of me not to include mason jars. I’m in love with them, I’d like to use them for everything, but for now I will settle for drinking my juice out of them.

MAC paintery paint pot ($18.50)

“A highly pigmented eye colour that goes on creamy but dries to an intense, vibrant finish. Long-wearing, colourfast. Creates seamless coverage without weight or caking. Blends smoothly over the lids. Cream-based, can be mixed with M·A·C shadows and liners.”

This is my favorite eyelid tone corrector, you’ll notice in my makeup tutorials that I tend to start with this paint pot (which blends in effortlessly) and then just apply a crease color, it makes everything look smooth and pop. You can use it for a full makeup look or apply alone with some mascara for a simple look.

Incase compact backpack for 15″ laptop ($80.00)
View / Purchase here

With my new design job starting this past month, I’ve had to tote my laptop everywhere, and this backpack comes in handy. There is a faux-fur slot specifically for the protection of your laptop. Then there are a ton of other zippers and holders for everything else you would need to carry around, including the cords. It has a padded back panel and shoulder strap, can be worn across your chest, which is really convenient. Bonus: awesome colors available

Kohl’s studded candies boots (no longer available)

I love these boots, of all my boots, I seem to always grab these. They are a perfect mix between casual and fancy. They are originally $100, but I scored them for about $25 on black friday.

Old Navy Activewear

ugh, I just went to the Old Navy website to show a few pictures, and of course I want to go on a full on shopping spree. The stuff at Old Navy in general fits me really well, at 6-foot, it is not easy to find clothes. Old Navy carries so much online (unfortunately not talls in stores) and the Active line is my favorite.

Under Armour – Women’s Armour Bra DD Cup-  ($58.00)
Purchase / View here

This bra is made in your actual cup size, it has bonded seams which eliminates rubbing around the arm area. I’ve purchased a lot of VS sports bras, Old Navy, etc, but being DD makes it a little harder to just throw on any sports bra. It hurts me a little to pay $60 for a sports bra, but since getting this one, I hate having to use any of the others. I am still on a mission to explore more heavy duty sports bras for boxing/boot camp classes. Overall, this is a really nice, comfortable, supportive bra.

Milani luminoso baked blush

It leaves a healthy, radient flush tone to your skin. I can wear this really easily and it’s just an overall pretty color. I’ll definitely try more of these baked blushes, they’re an inexpensive price for good quality.

Aveeno daily moisturizing lotion ($8.00)

Well, it’s obviously winter. As much as I like scenty lotions, this stuff is an original and just feels like it’s quenching better than scent based body lotions. Made with natural oatmeal  blended with rich emollients to moisturize skin for a full 24 hours. Perfect for those times when your skin just needs some extra attention.

Herbal Essences Set Me Up Heat Protection Spray ($4)

This has been the heat protectant I’ve been reaching for most this month, it seems to do the job (you can’t exactly tell with products like) but I’m happy with the one.

What heat protectant spray do you use? I’m always looking for a better alternative.

Maybelline Falsies Mascara

I really like this Mascara, but I think I’m at my last few uses right now and I’m dreading throwing it out, even though I have about 12 other mascaras that need to be used, I’d rather run out and buy another one of these. I think there are a few different Falsies variations I’m going to look into, as well.

Dove Nourishing Oil Care Nutritive Therapy Conditioner ($4.50)

I asked my stylist what the best drugstore shampoo/conditioner brand was, without sulfates, and she recommended Dove. I’ve been using mostly Dove products when I don’t feel like purchasing high end items, especially if they work just as good. I like this conditioner, it is two toned, one golden ribbon of nutritious oils.

“Dove Nourishing Oil Care Nutritive Therapy Conditioner dramatically transforms and smoothes even extra dry, rough and frizzy hair. This is the next generation of conditioner with a golden ribbon of treatment inside. The gold stripe is balanced with weightless nutri-oils that deeply nourish and replenish essential nutrients without a greasy feel. The white stripe contains conditioner that seals cuticles to lock in nutrients and smooth frizz. Dove Nourishing Oil Care Nutritive Therapy Conditioner offers the instant deep nourishing power of a treatment in the time of a conditioner for amazing smoothness, softness and shine.”

BBC (TV Series) Sherlock 

Such good characters, and captivating storyline. I watched this series about a year ago, but I’m having the boyfriend watch them now, and they are filming the third season currently, can’t wait. If you’re looking for a great show, check this out.

Coastal Scents 88 Warm Palette ($18)

Besides the Naked palette, this would be my most recommended palette to people. 88 eyeshadows for 18 dollars, you do the math. You get every neutral/warm color you could ever need, and they all have great pigmentation. I love the whites for a highlight/inner eye color and the deeper colors for crease, or you can create a smokey eye or anything you could really dream of. I’ve had this palette for a few years not (along with some fo their others) and I haven’t even made a dent in them, GREAT BUY!

What were your favorite February Products?

Wet N Wild “Silent Treatment” + Maybelline Color Tattoo – FOTD

I’ve been a big fan of the Wet N’ Wild palettes since I discovered they are both cheap and highly pigmented. I’m sure many of you also relate WnW products to the cheap makeup you got as a tween, like lip smackers, and wouldn’t think of it as a great addition to your nice makeup collection, but it is.

This was my first attempt actually using the Maybelline Color Tattoo pan as a base color & I paired it with the Wet N Wild Silent Treatment Trio Palette

Eyes: MAC Paint Pot: Painterly ( I love this as a starting base for the eyelids, it’s the perfect color for my skin tone, it can also be worn alone for a basic, natural look)

Maybelline Color Tattoo: Tough as Taupe
WnW Silent Treatment palette (bottom grey color) and middle dark color in crease
Loreal Lineur Liquid Intense Black Liquid Eyeliner
Revlon Luxurious Color Smoky Crayon (waterline)
Maybelline Volum’ Express The Falsies Mascara
Benefit Eye Bright (nice highlight color
Maybelline MasterShape by eyestudio in blonde (brows)

Face: Maybelline Superstay 24 Hour Foundation in Nude
Milani Baked Blush in Luminoso (finally got it, it’s a perfect luminous color)
Milani Bronzer Duo

I’ve been a big fan of my Candies boots from Kohl’s this winter. I scored them for about $20 (regular $100) on Black Friday.
Jacket – Forever 21
Tank – Target
Jeans that fit a 6 foot person – Vanity
Earring I lost this night – The Limited

Pictures later in the night after I started to get sloppy (cut me some slack, I get to go out and drink lots, like once every three months)

Lastly, I’ve been wanting to try this cereal, Honey Bunches of Oats Greek Honey Crunch. I’m not a big fan of cereal, but this caught my interest. It’s pretty awesome. I haven’t actually sad down and ate it with milk, but it’s a great snack to just munch on. yum.

Revlon Super Lustrous in Pink Pop

I’m a big fan of the color pay off on the Revlon Super Lustrous in Pink Pop. Here are a few swatches, I’m more of a matte lip color fan usually, but I really like this line of lip glosses. They stay fairly nicely and aren’t all goopy and slimy like some. They also make your lips look nice and full, nude lustre will always be my favorite of the bunch.

MAC Please Me Lipstick Swatch & FOTD with Naked Palette

Today is day 1 of 10 of working the North American International Auto Show, I’m drinking coffee out of my monogram cup which makes my brain and mouth move 200 mph and wasted some time messing with makeup this morning, resulting in a FOTD post:

 Lips: MAC ‘Please me,” a really pretty matte light pink.
Foundation:  I had to go spray tanning for my bridal show this weekend and I still have a bit of color, so I’m trying to use up some old foundations, I mixed a dark (Loreal true match super-blendable makeup in warm) and light (Maybelline Fit Me in 110)
Eyes: Naked Palette (sidecar, toasted, hustle, creep & naked) then depened the color with Lorac Single Eyeshadow in black.
Eyeliner: Loreal Carbon Black Lineur Intense Felt Tip Liquid Eyeliner & Essence Long Lasting Eye Pencil in Black Fever for waterline.
Mascara: Maybelline Falsies
Contour: e.l.f. Contouring Blush & Bronzer Palette
Blush: e.l.f. blush in “Blushing Rose”
Brushes: Sigma eye brushes, Tarte Foundation Brush, & Real Techniques expert face brush (perfect for contouring)
Earrings: The Limited, I believe

Here is the lipstick with no flash, I really like the color of this lipstick but it is very drying. I feel like I have to be really cautious when I wear it, because it’ll make all those little cracks throughout my lips after a while and ends up looking terrible. I’d love to find a dupe for the MAC ‘Please Me’ to compare.

Why in the world is the “new post” box so small? I can see like a quarter of each picture.
Anyway, if you know of a lip color similar to MAC’s Please Me, let me know!