If you guessed 19 years old, you’d be RIGHT! I bought these when I worked in my first makeup job at Merle Norman. They still work great and I haven’t even sent them in for sharpening! I clean them with rubbing alcohol and they are good to go.
If that’s not an endorsement for a product’s quality, I don’t know what is!
So, I have some bad makeup habits I’m trying to break! In 2015, it was bad brows. I watched a bunch of tutorials and I stepped it up big time. Thanks, YouTube!
Next year, I have a few “resolutions” I’d like to try to remember.
1. STOP BLOWING ON MY BRUSHES. OMG, you guys, I even got yelled at on a makeup counter for doing this. I still catch myself doing it. GROSS! Bacteriaaaaaaaaaaa.
2. Placing contour and blush too damn low on my face. Oh man, this is so bad. It ages you and drags the face down. Dear self, do the trick with the brush handle from top of ear to edge of mouth…then do not deviate below that!
3. Getting eyeshadow too far out/down on the outside corners of the eyes, dragging the whole eye down. There’s a reason some people use tape. I mean, talk about another thing that ages you…shadowing your crow’s feet? Let’s work on that.
4. Going too matte on the whole face. Again, this is an aging thing. We are no longer a greasy 17 year old and it’s not 1983. Calm down with the powder explosions.
5. Nudes every day. OH GOD SO BORING. You are not boring! Change it up. Why do you have all that zany MAC and UD?
6. Either get your bangs trimmed more often or grow them out, but the barrettes thing is getting stupid.
So, do you have anything you’d like to change about your beauty game?
So, I finally replaced my waaaaaaay too old Beauty Blender. I couldn’t bring myself to blow the cash on another (got the first one in a swap, anyway), so I got the Real Techniques sponge last night at Walgreens. For 1/4 the price, I actually like it better! Then again, almost everyone on YouTube agrees, it seems. I got the double pack for $10.00.
Today’s makeup is a more dramatic eye and well, I needed moisture for my lips, so I chose a Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick and still put gloss over it.
FACE:
Tarte Clean Slate Poreless Primer around t-zone, Rimmel Lasting Finish 25 Hr Foundation 010 Light Porcelain, MAC Pink Studio Finish Concealer under NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Chantilly under the eyes set with MAC Set Powder in Invisible, spot concealed with NC15 MAC Studio Finish Concealer, whole face set with MAC Set in Invisible, MAC Sculpt Powder for contouring in Bone Beige, NYX Cream Blush in Natural
EYES:
Urban Decay Primer Potion, Urban Decay Smoked Palette (green shade on lid and for lower liner, dark brown in crease, pale shade for highlight), Urban Decay 24/7 Liner in Perversion for tightlining, Maybelline Master Precise Liquid Liner in black for top liner, Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara Black
LIPS:
Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in Let’s Get Naked with Lorac gloss in Rock and Roll
Today, I kept my makeup casual and easy. I put on my foubdation, concealer, and cream eyeshadows with my fingers and wore cream blush for extra hydration. I just wasn’t feeling like anything too bold today. I love this soft look!
FACE:
Rimmel Match Perfection 010 Light Porcelain, MAC Concealer Palette Pink under eyes w/ NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer and NW10 to spot conceal, MAC Set Powder Invisible, NYX Cream Blush Boho Chic, MAC Sculpt Powder Bone Beige for very light contour
EYES: Bobbi Brown bone Cream Eyeshadow, Urban Decay Naked 3 palette (omg I forgot the shades?!), Maybelline Master Precise black liquid liner, Covergirl Clump Crusher mascara Very Black (let’s never be apart again), Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Duo Ebony (light shade)
LIPS: Very light layer of Nuxe Rève de Miel lip balm under Kat Von D Studded Kiss Lipstick in Lovecraft
PS — NYX Cream Blushes are on clearance at Target for about $4! I got “Boho Chic” and “Natural.” I already had “Glow.” I love these when my cheeks are dry in the winter, so I should be good to go for the cold months ahead!
So, I swear I’m feeling like wearing red lips for all of December! Part of this is that I have my fancy Nuxe Reve de Miel lip balm and a sample of Fresh Sugar Lip Scrub, so my lips almost look normal and healthy. Enough to fake it, anyway… Today I really went for that red lip and retro minimal makeup.
FACE:
Tarte Clean Slate Poreless Primer in T-Zone, Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation in 010 Light Porcelain (ASOS, EBay, or Amazon for this UK-only shade), MAC Set Powder in Invisible in T-Zone, MAC Bone Beige/Emphasize for contour and highlight, Illamasqua Katie powder blush
EYES:
Bobbi Brown Cream Eyeshadow in Bone, MAC shadows in Vanilla, Kid, Brule, and Mystery, Wet N Wild H2O Liquid Liner in Black, Maybelline Super Sizer Mascara Black (blah), Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Duo Ebony (lighter shade), ELF Clear Brow Gel
LIPS:
NYX Liner in Hot Red, Maybelline Creamy Matte Lipstick in Siren In Scarlett
You guys, I’m a bargain shopper. I hunt down deals like it’s my job. I hate paying full price for anything and I love finding inexpensive, high quality items that get things done, or expensive items on mega clearance. That’s why for years when I saw bloggers rave about this $20 lip balm, I rolled my eyes and figured this was just another item that gained cult status because it seems luxurious and special as it’s imported from France.
I was wrong.
It’s fall in the mountains. My electric heat is murdering my skin. My lips looked something off the set of The Walking Dead. All the amazing matte lipsticks I had finally been able to wear (improved creamy formulas like Maybelline Creamy Matte) suddenly were doing awful things to my lips. I tried Eos (meh), Jack Black (fairly ok), Malin + Goetz (decent), and hourly slatherings of Aquaphor, including before bed. I made sure my Sensodyne toothpaste was SLS free (it is). I drank a ton of water.
When the cracking and peeling turned to flat out bleeding into my mouth, $20 started to sound not so bad. I mentioned the product to my husband, who works at Target, where they carry it in the import section. Then I was like…”nah, I seriously cannot pay that much for lip balm!” And then he came home with it the next day because he knew I was miserable. (Did I mention he’s a keeper? I gave him many “fancy imported kisses” yesterday!). The product is actually $19.00 at Target and double the size of most balms, at half an ounce, so that took some sting out of the price.
Nuxe Rève de Miel is not like any lip balm I’ve ever tried. In the jar, it has this lovely creamy honey look. It feels a bit stiff to the touch, but the magic happens when you warm the formula up. That’s when the mix of beeswax, honey, and oils warms up and…what is this? It actually penetrates into the lips to plump and hydrate them instead of just sitting on top of them! Aquaphor and Vaseline are good for protecting, but this actually penetrates and that’s when the healing really takes place. What’s so great about this is it lasts and lasts…hours later, even after drinking and eating, it’s still there. I put it on before bed…still on 8 hours later! Crazy! And the fragrance is so light and delicate…like grapefruit and honey. I’m extremely sensitive to smells because of migraines and this light and natural scent is delightful. It doesn’t linger for too long, either.
The most interesting thing about this treatment is that it has a matte finish, making it a good choice for men, as well, who need protection from the elements and don’t want glossy lips (FYI, the Jack Black balm is also matte). The awesome thing about this matte finish is that if you use it sparingly, it makes a great base under lipstick without changing the color or finish of the lipstick. Just try that over Aquaphor – you’ll end up a greasy mess!
At about 24 hours, the area of my bottom lip that has been jacked up for two weeks is finally healing. I’d say by tomorrow, my lips should be golden. This is staying in my winter dry skin arsenal along with my humidifier and Nivea cream. Yeah…it’s that dry here!
Nuxe Rève de Miel…I will find a place in my budget for you! And bloggers…sorry I mocked your fancy $20 lip balm. I admit it, YOU WERE RIGHT. 😀
So, how do you care for your skin in the winter?
Kristin and I have been absent from the blog for a bit, having been victims of Stupid Life Stuff, but I have a couple of posts lined up that I am pretty excited about! First up, a quick post about today’s look – a casual fall look featuring warm colors.
MAKEUP:
FACE: Smashbox Photo Finish Primer on T-Zone, Rimmel Lasting Finish foubdation in Light Porcelain, MAC Studio Finish Concealer in NW10 to spot conceal, no powder, NYX HD powder blush in Taupe to contour, Benefit Dandelion Blush, MAC Lightscapade Mineralized Skinfinish to highlight
EYES: Too Faced Shadow Insurance, MAC Vanilla shadow to highlight, INSPR eyeshadow in Carnival, Urban Decay Black Velvet 24/7 Liner, Covergirl Clump Crusher Mascara, Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Powder Duo Ebony with mini brow brush
LIPS: NYX Nude Pink Lip Liner and Rimmel Kate Moss matte lipstick in 105
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I love this fall look because it’s warm, but still neutral enough that I can pull it off with my cool toned skin and hair.
What are you wearing this fall?
I recently made a purchase to go with my wedding band that I’m pretty happy with – a pave set band of Charles & Colvard Moissanite to wear when I want some sparkle. Moissanite is a lab stone that has none of the ethical concerns of diamond mining/blood diamonds and are incredibly affordable compared to comparable diamonds. I can wear my sparkle guilt free, and if something happens to the ring, I won’t cry for weeks and weeks! I think this sits nicely with my wedding band. Stacking rings are a trend I’m loving at the moment.
Nail polish is “Daul” by Zoya.
When the weather starts to change, I start to change up my makeup a bit. I start to wear more dramatic lip colors and often reach for plums, berries, burgundies, and wines. MAC Rebel is a lipstick in their permanent collection that is perfect for when the days just start getting shorter and the leaves are just starting to drop.
MAKEUP BREAKDOWN:
Face: Smashbox Photo Finish Primer on t-zone (this is an experiment to see if this behaves badly with my foundation, which is water based), MAC Face and Body Foundation (2/3 N1 mixed with 1/3 White), NYX HD Concealer in Porcelain around nose and under eyes (I am now rationing my NARS concealer, ha!), MAC Studio Finish Concealer in NC15 on random pigmented spots, face set with Rimmel Stay Matte Powder and a puff to set and mattify, NYX HD Blush in Taupe to contour, MAC Mineralized Blush in Gentle, no highlight needed with dewy foundation and shimmery blush.
EYES: Urban Decay Primer Potion, MAC eye shadows in Shroom and Satin Taupe, L’Oreal Super Slim liquid liner black, Cover Girl Clump Crusher mascara black (I could not use Too Faced Better Than Sex for another day….ugh…more on that later), It Cosmetics Brow Power pencil
LIPS: NYX Lip Liner in Deep Purple, MAC lipstick in Rebel
WOW this lighting washes me out. We got new light bulbs. Not sure I’m a fan!
So, fall is almost here and the weather is getting cooler. This time of year I get out my darker lipsticks, even for daytime wear. I was so happy when Maybelline brought out their Creamy Matte lipstick in Divine Wine, because it’s a very close dupe for a MAC lipstick discontinued many years ago, called Carnal. Divine Wine isn’t a purple based wine, it’s actually a burgundy shade with a red base, and that’s hard to find these days when most wine shades lean purple (though I like those a lot, too). I will probably get at least one backup of this, since I am not sure if it’s limited edition.
This shade will not look quite as dark if you aren’t as pale as I am.
MAKEUP BREAKDOWN:
FACE:
Smashbox Photo Finish Primer, MAC Studio Fix Fluid NW10, NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Chantilly under eyes, NYX HD Concealer in Porcelain around nose, Cover FX Cream Foundation in N10 to spot conceal, MAC Invisible Set Powder to set, NYX HD Blush in Taupe to contour, Benefit Dandelion blush, Guerlain Meteorites in Clair to brighten
EYES:
Bobbi Brown cream shadow in Bone as base, MAC shadows in Shroom, Satin Taupe, and Vex, L’Oreal Super Slim Liquid Liner pen Black, Anastasia Brow Duo Ebony (dark side), Too Faced Better Than Sex mascara
LIPS:
Skone Luxe Double Eye/Lip Pencil in Wine, Maybelline Color Sensational Creamy Matte Lipstick in Divine Wine
What’s your go to fall lipstick?
A Bad Homance 