Cream Contour

2014 was the year I really started experimenting with contouring my face. I learned pretty quickly that cream products were my friend in this arena. 

While any contour can get out of hand without careful application I think cream products just blend out better and give you a little more freedom to fix your mistakes.

Since my go-to cream contour is no longer available in the states (why Illamasqua?! Why?!) and because I wanted free shipping on my last SpaceNK order I picked up the Kevin Aucoin Candleight and Sculpting Creamy Glow Duo. I have one of the Creamy Glow blush shades (Tansoleil?) and it is a fantastic cream formula but, does it measure up to Illamasqua's Cream Pigment in Hollow?

Lip Liner for Noobs

I have been resisting this. 

Something about the whole lip liner thing makes me feel very high maintenance and like I am spending too long doing one thing.

OCC had other plans for me though. 

I added this to my cart with the rest of my Black Friday Haul goodies thinking this was a more warm toned brown pencil but in reality it is the prefect my lips but better lip pencil. 

Go figure. 

So with OCC's Cosmetic Color Pencil in Trick in hand I sat down to see how I felt about this oft neglected step in my beauty routine.

Confessions| Lotioning for the Lazy

When it comes to the different areas of personal grooming there are definitely areas where we all falter.

Now not the important things (showers, teeth brushing, deodorant, etc... hopefully.) but, some of the extra things are known to go by the wayside around these parts. 

Nothing is easier for me to skip than lotion although, now that I'm getting older it seems more and more like a necessity.

I think I may have found a way to make lotion easy on myself.

When the Points Matter

If you are a frequent beauty shopper you know that there are a plethora of rewards, points, and loyalty programs that stores are always clamoring for you to be a part of.

 I always sign up.

When it comes to the drugstore you really do save money by having the card but; when it comes to higher end retailers, often times feel like the rewards you get don't merit the money you spend.

Now is not one of those times.

The Summer Lip : New From Rimmel

Rimmel Moisture Renew has had a bit of a makeover! The formula and the packaging have been given a lovely update in time to freshen up the Summer selection at the drugstore.

In addition to a new formula and new packaging, the color lineup has been updated and vastly improved if you ask me.

I picked up two colors and they are the only things I've worn so far this week.

Eye Cream Confessions

I have a confession to make. I haven't actually purchased and eye cream in over a year. Like most skin care aficionados I use my eye creams every single night but, I'm not really so sure they actually DO anything. 

Let me explain.

I don't notice a difference when they are there vs. when they are absent and as a result I have a really hard time spending money on them. So my policy, and it has worked well for a while is to just aim for samples of them. 

Let me further explain...

It's Just Makeup!

I have been DYING to try this product. Not only has it been hyped to hell but the name (and price tag) just seems to claim so much perfection that it's impossible not to be a little curious. 

Now that I have FINALLY tried the Chantecaille Just Skin Tinted Moisturizer I have some thoughts...

I'm Talking About B.O. Again

Oh the great deodorant debate. I have hemmed and hawed and tried and failed with the natural deodorant bandwagon a lot this year. The quest if by no means over but, I wanted to see how an easily accessible drugstore find stacks up against the competition. So when put to a simple work day test how did the Tom's of Maine Long Lasting deodorant in refreshing Lemongrass work?

The Sample Chronicles #1

I love a good foundation/primer fad. Spray on makeup in a can, luminizers with no shimmer, bare skin, just skin, no makeup makeup. Tell me that you can make me look perfect without anyone knowing that I don't just look perfect and I will at least make an effort to test your claim.

I'm not a chump and, I am not made of money. When those to worlds collide you learn how to politely ask too rude for their own commission sales girls for a nice sized sample.

So first round of the Sample Chronicles goes to: Chanel Le Blanc de Chanel

Can You Put A Price Tag on Meh?

 This past weekend I was in the mood to treat my self. (#treatyoself) and I plunked down 30$ for a fancy new something from Marc Jacobs.  I already have the Starlet Palette and I do really love it even though I tend not to reach for it all that often. 

As I was swatching in Sephora I gave the Shameless Bold Blush in the shade Irresistible a go and boy was irresistible more than just a name that day.

The One That Everyone Talks About

The Origins Super Spot Remover. This one has been on my list for quite some time but in truth shelling out $15 for a teeny bottle of spot remover took some time to sink in.

So does $15 for .3 fl oz of product really work.

Sun Protection For Your Nails?

I came across this Formula X Neon Top Coat in Sephora last Thursday and was immediately drawn into the notion of a Top Coat that made your nail color stay truer longer was a neat idea.

If you have used Seche Vite or any other top coat product that claims to be quick drying then you'll know that as the polish wears on, it very often discolors and becomes somewhat dull after the topcoat dries.

But does a topcoat with added UV protection actually do the trick?

Bronzer as Blush

I do this post every spring. It's a little misleading because I kind of hate bronzer.

That's a lie. I don't HATE it, I just feel like it doesn't do anything for my pale yellow complexion and the practice of applying it can just go so wrong so quickly. Sometimes I like to look for blushes that do similar things to bronzers but, never really commit to the bronzer itself. Until now.

I may have finally found a technique for wearing the elusive bronzer in my collection as a healthy warm blush flush.

Trust the Master?

The way I have always cleaned my brushes has once and truly been out done. 

Watch out Dr. Bronner, The Master is in town.

Kill It With Fire

On this very gray day, this very sunny photo is looking oh so nice! I am currently stay-cationing (sort of) and visiting my parents while their house is being painted, and it is so gloomy out today. So gloomy. I don't mind the gloom, or the rain but it is SO COLD again. I can't handle it.

Anyway, the last time I was home I made a pilgrimage to Ulta and picked up a few things for myself, which you can see here, and one of the things that made it's way into my bag was the Mario Badescu Glycolic Acid Toner. After months of looking for an exfoliating toner I could afford to plump for how well does it work?

*Insert Arch Pun Here*

Brows are a tricky thing. Don't fill them in, apply makeup as normal and you risk looking strangely unfinished. Go a little over board with the tinted gel and look like an angry cartoon character all day.

The balance between finding the right product and applying it properly can be a hard thing to find, but after 5 years of dallying with my own I think I have come to some very important conclusions.

I'm A Big Fan

Confession: I have never owned a fan brush. Of all the brushes in my beauty arsenal, they seemed to be the most unnecessary.

Then it happened. I needed to spend 3$ more dollars at Ulta to use my $3.50 coupon. So this $6.99 Eco Tools Jumbo Fan Brush slipped and fell into my basket.

A Vast Improvement

I did not think cotton balls could be that exciting. I know everyone talks about the Shiseido Facial Cotton and how it is 100% worth $10 a bag. I'm sorry, but I'm just not going to do that. (Feel free to call me out on my bullshit in a year when I break down and buy them.)

Ok well I'm not going to do that right now. I will, however, buy these amazing Muji cotton squares again for a whopping $2.25.

Primed for Conversion

I generally subscribe to the theory that when it comes to makeup, less really is more most times. Now that's not to say there aren't days where I pile the shit on like it's my last day on earth but, generally speaking, I like to err on the side of less.

 

For this reason I tend to avoid primers. On top of never really encountering any that did anything of note, I felt like it was just one extra step, and one extra thing for a brand to sell.

 

Ladies and Gentlemen: Meet the exception.

The Great Deodorant Debate...

The deodorant struggle is REAL around these parts. REAL. 

Some backstory...

I was never really concerned about natural vs synthetic/chemical indredients in my deo until about a year ago. Out of a genuine curiosity (naturally sparked by numerous blog posts) I opted to try making my own. Recipe here - LINK! When that worked (well for a while-more on that later) I decided why not keep it up with the good for me ingredients and leave store-bought deo's behind?

Well here's why not.