Base Duo, Best Concealer Trick for Blemishes and a Throwback Sunday?

[This post is all over the place, but I purchased everything or was given to me by a friend]



I considered doing a monthly favorite post but since my inbox is inundated by these right now, I think you guys might want a change of pace.  This post is broken into 3 parts:

• Base pairing discovery of the month!  I have very oily skin and I think with the combination of colder weather these two products really get it done.
• My secret way of concealing blemishes effectively.  Seriously, I've tried everything and this is the best accidental pairing ever.
• I was in Nordstrom Rack.  I found the Urban Decay Deluxe Shadow Box for $10.  It was purchased.  It's only $10 on the UD website but there's shipping involved. 

Hourglass Mineral Primer Veil is  a very high -end primer that I probably wouldn't have thought to try myself but was given this by a friend.  It feels very silicone-y and silky on the skin.  Although it doesn't feel particularly different from many primers on the market, I think it acts as a great barrier between your skin and the foundation you use.  I don't notice a huge difference in oil-control and longevity with this and other foundations but for some reason, the Almay Clear Complexion Makeup really latches on and creates a great base.  Separate from the primer, this is already my favorite foundation from the drugstore (yes, even over the Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum).  It's a light texture, medium coverage foundation with a matte (but not powdery) finish.  I've said before that I don't like heavy feeling foundations yet those are geared towards oily skin.  This is meant for my skin type but is super liquidy.  They've since added a pump to this but I don't think the formula has changed much (if at all).  It doesn't have alcohol, which is also surprising for such a light foundation.  I apply this with a stippling brush or buffing brush.

I would say my favorite traditional concealer is Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage.  It works best with a tiny precision brush and is very opaque and long lasting.  However, I always owned it in a shade too light for me and it can emphasize dryness.  The Real Techniques Deluxe Crease brush is like a tiny kabuki/buffing brush that's great for working product into a tiny area. Used with the Everyday Minerals Base in Matte, this is an amazing, opaque and most importantly, undetectable way to hide blemishes.  It works over the reddest areas with ease and doesn't look cakey which is completely counter-intuitive, I know.  It's replaced my other concealers for heavy duty concealing or for days where I skip foundation and just use this.

This is a very "old" palette that has UD's original eyeshadow formula.  I don't think I've ever tried the new formula so there's no comparison there but I was really drawn to the two purples and the bottom row of neutrals.  Sadly, as with most purples, they are the hardest to get to show up in the palette (but the vibrancy makes up for this) and the neutrals are gorgeous.  For $10, if you're going to place an order anyway, add this to your cart for an fun palette option.  

UPDATE:  The purple shadows are extremely vibrant on the eye and SO PRETTY.  I can see why UD really set themselves apart from the beginning with their shadow quality!

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! 

Lip Stain Crazy: Make Up For Ever Aqua Rouge and The Face Shop

[All purchased by yours truly]

I think that warmer weather causes me to get more into the light texture/high impact lip thing in a  big way.  That, or I am lazy and can't be bothered to retouch my makeup very often throughout the day.  Whatever reason it may be, I bought a few lip stains that I thought were different and interesting enough to warrant a post. 

From The Face Shop I got two lip stains that are very different: Lovely Me:Ex Aqua Tint in 01 Juicy Cherry and the Lovely Me:Ex Milky Tint in 02 Baby Peach.   From Make Up For Ever (MUFE) I got the Aqua Rouge in 18 which is called "Coral" even though I know MUFE has a habit of not naming their shades. 

Face Shop Juicy Cherry, Baby Peach and MUFE 18 Coral

Per special request, I have been on the hunt for a Korean lip stain that rivals Benefit's Benetint.  Since this Juicy Cherry shade is the first that I've tried, I don't know yet if anything else is comparable but it is a very nice stain on its own.  With a doe-foot applicator and a very thin watery consistency, the stain is easy to apply and feels very comfortable on the lips.  There's no extra "layer" of product feeling on the lips and the result is a bold easy to wear red.  My biggest complaint with this product is the taste.  Anyone who has worn lip stains like this knows that they can taste very artificial and chemically.  I haven't used this on the cheeks because rosy flushes always make me think of cold weather.  If you can get past the taste, this is a really good budget lip stain choice!

I already own one of The Face Shop's Milky Tints (check it out in an earlier post on my Spring Edit) in the pink shade.  I thought I would like the orange shade in the range better but this peach one really caught my attention.  It's a light pinky-orange shade that looks natural.  In fact, I sometimes think that this is a little too natural and needs to be built up on my lips for better pigmentation.  I think that is the biggest drawback for this formula.  The Milky Tints lack the boldness of the Aqua Tints because they have a bit of a milky opaqueness that is the trait of most non-red stains.  This one doesn't have as much of a strange taste and I prefer to wear this on my cheeks for an easy shade that is very light and very natural.  

I think reading beauty blogs really pushed me into wanting a MUFE Aqua Rouge because otherwise I am not very interested in these long-wearing formulas from any brand.  After the storm of posts on this product when MUFE launched and sent their PR samples out, I was pretty sold on the formula but in particular, this color.  I am a sucker for coral as I have said and this looked so pretty I had to have it.  On me, this reads a little bit light and more orange than pink.  I have a certain affection for pinky corals so this one is a bit out of my comfort zone but I love the shade nonetheless.  The paler base of this shade makes it pop a bit more than an average coral so it isn't necessarily a neutral shade.  As regards to the formula, I think that this is very long-wearing but still not an "all-day" kind of thing.  It's very drying and emphasizes any flaking/dryness your lips are suffering so exfoliating and heavy duty lip balm is needed.  You really have to use the gloss that comes with it or else your lips feel like they're being vacuumed of moisture when this dries or "sets".  Overall, I like that I finally have a coral lip color that actually lasts (albeit not through a meal) but I don't see myself rushing out to get other shades in this formula.  

Impulse Purchase: Bareminerals Ready Eyeshadows

[All purchased by me]


Ulta is a total vacuum for the money in my wallet.  Their gifts with purchase, buy one get one and other promotions sucker me into spending more time and money in that store than is humanly necessary. I purchased an eyeshadow quad and two eyeshadow duos from the Bareminerals Ready line and have no buyers remorse.  Do I wish I spaced out my purchases?  Maybe.  But when you're recommending these eyeshadows to a friend IRL and not just through this blog, you also get tempted into treating yourself to a few.  

The Bareminerals Ready eyeshadow formula is something I'm already familiar with since I bought The Star Treatment 8-pan palette around the holidays.  As people who've reviewed or used this formula knows, the color payoff, blendability and lasting power is outstanding.  These are definitely some of the best eyeshadows in my collection and I think if you purchase the 8-pan limited edition palettes especially, the value for money is worth it for the medium-high range price.  My only complaint about the original palette I owned was the complete lack of matte shades.  I prefer shimmery shades but we all know sometimes a matte is just necessary for blending out an eye look.  There are still only a couple mattes in the new palettes I bought but it's enough to appease me for now.

L to R: The Happy Place, The Epiphany, The Phenomenom

I'd wanted The Happy Place palette since it was released and I was especially drawn to the grey-purple matte color in the bottom left and the bright metallic coral in the top right.  If you remember my last post, I LOVE pinky orange colors for the Summer. 

Top Left and Clockwise: Peace, Imagine, Euphoria and Exhale

Sorry about the shadow cast in these photos.  If I didn't use the lid to create a shadow over the palette the colors became very washed out.  This is a pretty good representation of their actual real-life shade.  

Next, The Epiphany is an absolutely knock-out neutral duo.  The metallic shade is reflective, smooth as butter and packs a punch.  I think this creates an amazing smokey eye when using the matte shade with a heavier hand and it also can be toned down by using less for daytime.

L to R: A-Ha and Foreshadow

Last but not least, the most impulsive of all of these was The Phenomenom.  I dragged my feet about buying more of these eyeshadow palettes for a while because the shades never jumped out at me besides the two palettes above.  The whole motivation for this purchase came from a buy two get one free deal above the display of these shadows.  This duo is colorful yet not gaudy at all.  I really think people who are scared of color should consider these types of shades because they're flattering and not showy.  I like using the light dusty purple all over the eye up to the crease and then blending out the gold shade above the crease.  Purple and yellow is one of my favorite bold shadow pairings but this duo makes it much more wearable and approachable.  Almost ethereal in a way which is a really nice way of describing any makeup look.  

L to R: Azure Iris and Golden Iris

I swatched all these colors together and you can see how the metallic shades really pop out.  The closest in formula to those shades would probably be the L'oreal Infallible eyeshadows that are essentially tightly packed pigments.  Bareminerals is known for their original pigment eyeshadows but none of the "wow" factor is lost in the pressed form.  Can you tell I'm a big fan?

Top Row: The Ephiphany (A-Ha, Foreshadow) The Happy Place (Imagine, Exhale, Peace, Euphoria)
Bottom Row: The Phenomenom (Azure Iris, Golden Iris)