Quick Fall Transition: High and Low End

[All purchased by me]

Revlon Berry Smoothie, Clinique Black Honey, NYC Wine n Dine, Bareminerals Daredevil

It's pretty easy to see these are all in the same family.  The Revlon Lip Butter and Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey feel similar on the lips. They're both balmy and light on the lips with a buildable pigmentation.  The Revlon is definitely more pink and less berry but the focus here is on the formula similarities, not the color.  Next up are two products that I just mentioned.  Emily Noel just did a blogpost on this NYC Liquid Lip Shine here and validated that this is a total steal of a product!  This Bareminerals gloss is good.  Check it out.

Discontinued Lancome quad, Chanel Illusoire, Wet n Wild in Silent Treatment

This is also something to show more of the color family, not necessarily the product.  I like the copper shade in that Lancome quad and the forest green adds something special to boring neutral looks.  If I hadn't just thrown the ELF quad in Luxe (only $1 and I dropped it on the train so not going to save it), then I would recommend it here too.  I actually like the way those colors work together better.  That Chanel cream shadow is everything.  It's a showstopper in shade.  It looks kind of similar to the shade next to it in the Wet n Wild trio.  It may not be as multi-dimensional as the Chanel shade but it has a similar effect.  That Smashbox pencil I mentioned a few posts back in Black Gold is also SUPER recommended.

Bourjois Healthy Mix, Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk

 Out of all the bases I've used, the Giorgio Armani is probably my favorite of all time.  It just has a perfect airbrushed effect that still manages to be skin-like.  People rave about this fora  reason and I think it's the perfect pick-me-up base.  The closest thing I've found in finish to the Armani is the Bourjois foundation, another popular option around the blogging world.  It doesn't stay matte on me as long as Armani, so it's not highly recommended for oily skin but I think it's a solid one to consider and an all around good base. 

A High End-Free Holiday? Some of my Favorite Drugstore Products

[All purchased by me, one NYX lipstick was a gift from a friend]


I think it's very hard to stay away from high-end makeup normally but its going to be even harder with all of the new releases that are gearing us up for the holiday season (a little too early in my opinion).  This year, I'm going to try a little harder to stay away from the big palettes and fancy packaging.  I don't think this is going to be so realistic around Sephora Friends and Family time,  Luckily for me, a lot of the new things landing at the drugstore (particularly lip products) look very interesting.  I thought this was a good time to look through some of my favorites from the drugstore.

     

The three eye products shouldn't be a surprise since they are well-supported favorites of many people in the beauty community.  The Physician's Formula Lash Booster eyeliner in Ultra Black is very similar to Asian liquid liners.  Most liquid liners, even the ones in a pen form, don't have as fine of a brush type as this.  This formula does really make my lashes look fuller over time if I use this and the serum consistently.  I photographed this with the Revlon Just Kissable Balm Stain below, oops!


  Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze is easy to love, with a creamy and long-lasting formula.  The color is a shimmery mid-tone bronze and super flattering.  I purchased the L'Oreal Infallible eyeshadow in Bronzed Taupe to use with Bad to the Bronze. Alone or used together, this is a gorgeous shade of bronze that's very similar to Bad to the Bronze.

For cheeks, I think this NYX cream blush in Natural is super pigmented, smooth and easy to blend.  I don't really see any aspect of this product that isn't well worth the dollars this costs.  It's definitely one of the most pigmented blushes I own, high or low end.  You can see in the picture below that the texture is really soft and indents with brush fibers. 

I really don't know why NYX Black Label lipsticks are not mentioned as a favorite in every drugstore lip product list.  The formula is absolutely dreamy  and buttery smooth.  They have a semi-shiny finish and aren't sheer or overly opaque.  They're more comfortable than some more expensive lipsticks out there and I think they're definitely worth checking out.  Heiress is an almost perfect nude with a slightly plummy/pink undertone.  Brick is an almost terracotta red-orange.  It is a really great color choice for fall.

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Honey has been on my lips nonstop.  It's so low maintenance and easy to touch up during easy-going makeup days.  It really enhances the color of my lips and works across such a wide range of skin tones.  I definitely recommend this shade to anyone who wants a long wearing and flattering lip color.

Top (L to R): PF liner in Ultra Black, Revlon Honey, NYX Heiress, NYX Brick.  Bottom (L to R) NYX blush in Natural, Maybelline Bad to the Bronze, L'Oreal Bronzed Taupe, Bad to the Bronze under Bronzed Taupe

 

 

Underhyped Products

[All purchased by me]


On the flip side of products that I bought but didn't feel strongly about, I think some of the things I really enjoy aren't really discussed on the big, wide world of Internet beauty blogs.  I guess this comes from just buying and liking a lot of makeup.  Hopefully, some of these things are kind of new to you and finding something interesting! 

NYC Liquid Lip Last, Bareminerals Moxie lipgloss, Maybelline Eyestudio Palettes, Real Techniques base shadow brush. Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof eyeliner, Sephora Flashy Liner Waterproof, Clinique High Impact Curling 

NYC Liquid Lipshine in Wine n Dine:
A super-opaque, non-sticky borderline liquid lipstick that smells like buttercream and comes in a nice range of non-frosty shades, these have come a long way since the lipglosses NYC offered back in the day.  If you're interested in the Rimmel Apocalips (Show Offs), but think that they're too intimidating or want a wine option for the Fall, this is the one for you.

Bareminerals Moxie Lipgloss in Gutsy
For another highly glossy, non-sticky and pigmented lip option, this is a really nice one to try, especially if you want a minty taste.  It isn't plumping and there's no tingling sensation, which I prefer.  I'm pretty sure Bareminerals and it's sister company Buxom make some of the better lip products available of any high-end brand and I'm excited to try some more out.

Maybelline Eyestudio Color Explosion in Caffeine Rush and Forest Fury
These seriously remind me of Asian drugstore shadows in their creamy texture and shimmery finish.  They include a glitter topcoat like many Asian brands and offer good pigmentation that isn't over the top.  The applicator includes a smaller end that can be used in the crease or as liner and is better quality that any other drugstore sponge applicator I've found.

Real Techniques Base Shadow Brush
I know Real Techniques brushes get tons of hype but the eye brushes kind of get overlooked and I can understand that since synthetic bristles don't pick up as much product as natural hairs.  However, this is my go-to brush for applying and blending shadows on the eye when I'm not doing an overly smoky look.  This is more pointed than the Mac 217, so it fits in the crease better.

Sephora Flashy Liner Waterproof in Flashy Violet
Pigmented purple liners are very hard to find, just like pigmented purple shadows.  This is very creamy, pigmented and long-wearing.  These might have been discontinued but I believe Sephora has replaced them with a different formula and more colors.

Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof in Moray
I have these in several shades and they are pretty amazing.  They walk the line between super creamy and super long-wearing and are retractable which many of the new "gel" formula liners are not.  I find these easy to use, easy to blend and then set for  the  majority of the day.  If you find these in a set like I did, I think these are a great buy.

Clinique High Impact Curling Mascara in Black
This is my holy grail (HG) mascara.  It holds a curl, amplifies volume and exaggerates length like nothing else I have ever tried.  Since the brush is curved, I can coat my lashes with the curve side up then flip over to reach the lashes on the edges.  It is the kind of waterproof formula that removes only with warm water, a feature found usually on Asian mascaras.  If you're someone who prefers to remove all eye makeup in one swipe, this might frustrate you.  However, I find splashing warm water on my eyes is a little less harsh than tugging my eyes with a cotton pad.  

Indirect Light: NYC Wine n Dine, Bareminerals Gutsy, two Maybelline Caffeine Rush shades, two Maybelline Forest Fury swatches, glitter topcoat shade swatched above, Sephora Flashy Violet, Stila Moray

In Direct Sunlight

There you have it!  I can recommend any of these products and I hope something here offers a solution to something you're looking for! 

Q&A - Volume I



Although I am not a makeup artist, I am an avid consumer and during my many years of buying/applying/thinking about makeup I seem to have collected some bits of advice.  My friends seem to go to me for beauty-related questions and I think it's helpful to put some of my responses in blog form.  Since I am not a professional, please take my advice with a grain of salt but also see if you can find anything of value to you in these posts. Hopefully you find it as interesting as my closest girl friends at least!

1. What's the point of the grey cast caused by many popular Korean BB creams?

This really is a question that applies to BB creams from Asia and specifically Korea.  It seems most BB creams that can be purchased in American drugstores or the majority of high-end BB creams as well act more as tinted with a stable tint that doesn't adjust as it comes in contact with the skin.  Korean BB creams act differently and many have a definite "grey cast" when they are first applied on the skin.  I can't be certain what the ingredient is that causes this strange color (titanium dioxide is my best guess) but what I do know is that I prefer these types of BB creams so much more than the tinted moisturizer that just have "BB" splashed on their label for marketing reasons.  That in itself could constitute an entire separate blog post but to get to the point of the question, I believe that Korean BB creams do adjust somewhat to skin tone and the greyness has an immediate brightening effect.  The grey kind of makes your face a little scary and stark at first, but then the other brightening effects of BB creams kick in.  As soon as the grey cast goes away (and it will) as the BB cream dries down, the finish becomes dewy and the color adjusts itself to be much more skin-toned.

Bottom line: the grey cast goes away and has an initial brightening effect but will eventually adjust to a color that is skin-like and natural.

2. What kind of neutral eye look should I pair with a bright lip?

I just bought a Rimmel Show Off Lip Lacquer in Stellar and the color is super bright. It's almost a neon coral red color that is so fun for Summer.  I could do a comparison between this and the NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream since they have similar formulas.   In any case, the bright color definitely pairs nicely with a neutral eye.  My choice for wearing this lipstick is actually another new purchase:  the Bareminerals The Epiphany duo from my last post.  I think my preference is to keep the eye look classic, not smoky for daytime.  This means winged liner, not smudged out liner.  For night, you can get away with a lot on your eyes if you're comfortable with that kind of look.  I think the tone of lip color is something to keep in mind as well.

Red: I think gold is an amazing color to make the color red easy to wear.  With a warm red, there's no way a true gold can go wrong.  If you wanted something less "holiday season" than that, try a light champagne-y gold.  It comes off as really classic and old Hollywood.  

Pink:  There's a lot of range with this shade, ranging from a purple-pink to a light bubblegum pink.  I like cool tones with pink shades, a nice taupey brown or a grey eye always seems to suit a pink lip.

Coral:  Strangely, I think coral lips really benefit from a similarly orange-toned eye look.  I think this is one lip where you can get away with a monochromatic look.  A reddish copper or true orange looks fun and fresh, especially for warmer weather.

3. Is there a nude lip liner out there that will suit every lip color?

A bit of a challenging question since I don't really wear lip liner.  Lisa Eldridge's color for the Boots line in Nude is very flattering and works well at perfecting your lips.  However, personally, I think lip liner is only really necessary for darker lip colors.  The whole concept is just too much work to match up every lip color you own.  I think red lips always benefit from having a liner but outside of that I wear lighter colors alone and darker colors usually as a stain.  In my opinion, I haven't found a "universal" lip liner.  

There'll be more posts like this in the future.  I think some questions may deserve their own post, for example a run-down of controversial ingredients in cosmetics, a breakdown of mask types and high/low end recommendations.