FACE OF THE WEEK 1/20/14

Hi everyone! As you may already know, I've recently gone through a purge where I cleaned out most of my unused makeup. Said makeup made it's way to a new home where it has been receiving a lot of love (or so I've heard). Having cleaned out, sorted through, and inventoried what's left in my collection, I've since vowed to ensure that I am incorporating 1 palette for use for an entire week. 

Long gone are the days of going through my makeup stash in the mornings on a whim when I felt inspiration had struck, because in all honesty, inspiration hadn't struck. What struck was a rut. I was stuck in a makeup rut.

 I found myself  grabbing for the same tried and true products. Eventually, boredom set in and I was amazed at how someone with  a generous collection could not decide what to use. As it turned out, for me the problem wasn't what I had in my collection. The problem was that I had TOO MUCH of a collection. I was really spoilt for choice. While I do like having options, sometimes too many options leads to indecision..... and that my friends cuts into my morning routine time and adds to the products that lay in my stash untouched.

To help overcome my indecisive ways, I have decided to commit myself to using one palette for the entirety of a week, and to challenge myself to create different looks using just the one palette.  So far, my plan seems to be working.  I've gone an entire 2 weeks without having to go through my makeup drawers to see what to use. Planning ahead for the entire week has taken off a considerable amount of time that I would have spent hemming and hawing and feeling overwhelmed at the vast amount of makeup that I had collected, trying to decide what to use.

If you're interested in seeing what's left in my palette collection, I'll post a picture of that here. All in all, while I tend to think that this is still a generous collection for one person to have, I don't find it unmanageable now. The plan is to live with this for a little while longer while I continue to take stock of what items I really enjoy and what items I may have outgrown. Those will be set aside for donation, and I'll be sure to keep you guys posted on that ordeal. 

Current Eyeshadow Palette drawer

New Products for Rotation

In the spirit of keeping with my new found regime, I pulled out some products that I wanted to incorporate into this week's rotation. 

Tarte Femme Naturale Palette

Face of the Week

Products Used Face:

• Boots No. 7 Beautifully Matte Make Up Base
• Sonia Kashuk Perfecting Luminous Foundation (Cream 03)
• Sonia Kahsuk Hidden Agenda Concealer Palette (light)
• MAC Nude on Board Bronzer
• CARGO Prague blush
• Smashbox blush in Peony
• The Balm Mary-Lou Manizer highlight
• NYX Matt Finish Setting Spray

Products Used Eyes:

• ULTA brand color coat cream shadow in Rose Gold
• MAC Paintpot in Rubenesque
• TARTE The Bright Side double ended eye brightener
• CLINIQUE High Impact Mascara

Products Used Brows:

• BENEFIT Brow Zing
• ELF essentials wet gloss lash & brow clear mascara

Products Used Lips:








With all of this purging and reorganizing and planning and just trying to really appreciate what I do already own, I've learned a few valuable lessons. I no longer feel the need to rush out to Sephora or Ulta to acquire the latest makeup palette release of the season, because in all honesty, I think I already own enough to keep me well groomed for years to come (or at the very least, until the products that I currently own reach their shelf life). Perhaps I'm not your typical "Beauty Blogger", nor due I claim to be.

I also think it would be safe to say that my preference for more "higher end" makeup has gone by the wayside in favor of the more affordable wallet friendly "drugstore variety".  Yes, my Sephora VIB and Ulta VIB status may cease to exist, but in truth, do I really need those products? I guess we'll find out soon enough! So be sure to stay tuned to see if I have a change of heart!

So what are your preferred makeup products? Do you tend to favor the drugstore brands over the more higher end stuff? How do make sure you're getting the most use out of your collection? Please leave a comment below with your tips and recommendations for how you manage your collection!

Thanks again for stopping by!

SKINCARE: WHAT I'M USING

Hi everyone! I thought that I would share with you all the products that I'm using for skincare. In this post I'll cover everything from makeup remover, eye makeup remover, lotions, potions, cleansers and my favorite... masks! So if this is something that you would be interested in reading, grab yourself a drink, sit back and enjoy!

To kick things off, I make sure to wipe off all of my makeup with these Up & Up brand (sold at Target) makeup remover towelettes. It does a very decent job of getting all of my makeup off.

To ensure I've gotten all of my eye makeup off, I follow things up with this Up & Up brand eye makeup remover. It has a bit of an oily consistency, even though the bottle reads that its comparable to Neutrogena's Oil-Free Eye Makeup remover. Still the price is always much less, and if you score a coupon on Target's website, then the price makes it even more appealing to try.

Ever since I scored this little gem on one of Hautelook's flash sales for The Balm Cosmetics, I've been hooked! This particular face cleanser claims to be infused with rose extract and white tea. It's formulated for normal to oily skin, so I thought I would give it a go and see how I liked it. While this can be purchased for around $23.00, I think the price is a bit steep. Another great thing that I love about this cleanser is that it contains Glycolic and Alpha Hydroxy Acid which keeps the occasional breakouts at bay. 
The consistency is liquidy, but lathers up very nicely. I generally use about 2 pumps for my entire face and neck.

After completely washing off all of my makeup, I follow up with the Neutrogena Alcohol free toner. I use toner as part of my daily regime, both morning and night, to help balance out my pH levels on my skin. Using a good toner can also help to close pores and clean away some of those nasty environmental contaminants.

I use cotton rounds for both toner and eye makeup remover. These things come in very handy and it's always a good idea to keep some on hand. Whether you prefer cotton rounds, cotton squares or just regular run of the mill cotton balls, the choice is entirely yours. 

In the mornings, I moisturize using The Balms' White Tea Vanilla Oil-Absorbing Face Moisturizer. I absolutely love this stuff! It quickly absorbs into the skin and leaves a very natural matte type finish. It does not have a slippery after effect as most of the moisturizers I have used have. However, the only thing that has turned me off of this product was the retail price. While I did score this on Hautelook (are you noticing a trend here yet?) at a considerably reasonable discount, I'm not sure if I'm willing to part with my hard earned cash to purchase this stuff. Vanity aside, I have not yet converted into spending loads on my skincare, so I'm always on the hunt for a good deal and a great price.

While I was looking for a cost friendlier alternative to this product, I stumbled upon the Formula 10.0.6  Seriously Shine Free Mattifying Oil Free Moisturizer. Now, here's the thing: while I absolutely love how this product performs, I CAN NOT get over the smell! Usually I am not one to be bothered too much by fragrances and scents in my skincare products (though I typically try to avoid them), I was not at all a fan of this one. It was painful! At first I thought the scent would dissipate a bit, but that was just wishful thinking on my part. I've decided to keep this around for a bit to continue to try it out as a cost friendlier alternative to the Balm's Oil absorbing moisturizer, but I hesitate to think that I will eventually grow to love it,and I may end up returning this after all. 

I've been using the Studio 35 Beauty Alpha Hydroxy Face Cream at night routinely for months now. This can be found at Walgreen's here. I haven't had much luck finding this in store though, so ordering on line is an option for those looking to give this a go. I use this AHA face cream at night as a gentle exfoliator. To date, I've noticed that it's kept my breakouts at bay, it appears to have helped reduce some of my fine lines and wrinkles (mainly on my forehead) and I have woken up with my skin feeling a bit softer and subtler. 

About twice a week a turn to my Neutrogena Microdermabrasion System for a gentle microdermabrasion treatment. This retails for about $25, but you can purchase this at Ulta with the $3.50 off coupon (available online or on mobile app). Overall, I am very pleased with this product. I have to confess that I have never been very privy to microderrmabrasion treatments. Never had one. Wasn't going to go there. But then I picked this up and have become a convert ever since. This system leaves my face feeling uber baby soft! I'm telling you, I've never had skin this soft before! The key I think is to not to apply too much pressure to the device while exfoliating your face, but to rather let it glide over the skin. I follow the recommended usage time on the box, so about 1 minute per facial area. I make my whole way around my face and then go back for a second round, totaling 2 minutes as prescribed on the packaging. The set includes the 2 AA batteries, The Microdermabrasion pads (12 each), and the microdermabrasion applicator. The refill pads retail at about $15, but again, using the $3.50 off coupon at Ulta, I think the price is very reasonable.

I have to tell you that after my first use my skin was softer, brighter, and super fresh feeling! I have completely fallen in love with this product and I highly recommend! 

I've been trying to use a face cream about twice a week to help clear out and reinvigorate the appearance of my skin. But to be completely honest, its one of my guilty pleasures. There's nothing quite like feeling a bit pampered, and if you DIY at home, so much the better. The Freeman's Facial Anti-Stress Mask is my mid week mask. I really do like the texture and the cooling effect. It is quite easy to wash off and it does leave my skin feeling very clean and soft after use. I just pop this on, take a nice hot bath, and all is well in my world!

My end of the week facial mask is by Formula 10.0.6 and it is the Pores Be Pure Skin-Clarifying Mud Mask. Now, this does tend to have a heating feel to it at first, but it's not something that I find uncomfortable or offensive. The scent is a tiny bit sweet, and it does leave my skin feeling very clean and refreshed after washing off. I typically apply this on Sundays while I'm cleaning out my makeup brushes. The price is very affordable, and it can be easily found at Ulta.

One item that I have failed to mention in this post is a good eye cream. Or what eye cream I'm using at the time. Well, the reason for my lack is that I honestly have not purchased an eye cream in ages. I know.... this is a beauty sin! But hear me out: I've been using the Garnier Skin Renew Anti-Puff Eye Roller for as long as I can remember. While this is not an eye cream, it's what I've been using. I was recently introduced to a generous sample size of the LANCER Eye Contour Lifting Cream, which I have been really enjoying. 

My problem with eye creams is such that when I first apply them, I feel a tingly, burning sensation. Because of that, I'm hesitant to purchase a product until I have thoroughly tried it out to see if I'm going to have any adverse reactions or possible allergies to it.So far, I haven't really found a product that I have utterly fallen in love with, so my search for an eye cream continues.

If you have any recommendations for a product that you think that I would enjoy, please let me know!

So, I think this pretty much wraps things up for me on this post. Please be sure to let me know what products you're currently using in your daily skincare routine and if you have any product recommendations that you think I would like! 

Thanks again for stopping by! 

PAIRING DOWN: ROTATING MY COLLECTION

Hi everyone! I hope you have all had a great week! Today I thought I would share with you a recent revelation I had: I have acquired too much makeup! Crazy, I know, but in all honesty, I had more makeup that I could ever use up in my lifetime.

I was conversing with a good friend of mine who was looking into starting her own makeup collection. In truth, she had a very modest amount which could be better described as the "essentials". Her collection consisted of one foundation, one blush, one eyeshadow palette, one mascara and one lipstick (which she has been faithful to for many ,many years. Never venturing out to try out other shades and brands), and one set of ECOTOOLS brushes that consisted of a Powder Brush, Eyeshadow Brush and Liner Brush. When I heard her utter her confessions, I jumped at the opportunity to share with her some of the makeup that I had collected/acquired over the years which I was not using. To make a long story short, she quickly jumped at the chance to stop over my house and "shop" my collection.

In truth, it was a lot of fun sharing tips with her and going over my little treasures that I was all too happy to donate. Yes, this could be considered a purge, but I'm certain that she will be getting a lot of joy playing with new beauty products and not having to spend a dime!

After donating a big portion of my unused makeup, I sat down to take inventory. I quickly learned that the bulk of my collection was in eyeshadow palettes (which I LOVE!) and blushes. I started to thinking "How can I get the most use out of what I have and make sure that I'm using what I have kept so that I do get wear out of these products"? Because in all honesty, this stuff really does have a shelf life. As pretty as those shadows and blushes may look all perfectly organized in their little pots of beauty, I don't want them to go unused.

With the exception of the primer, concealer, foundation, eyebrow gel and mascara, I've decided to rotate the other products after making sure that I have used them for the duration of an entire week.

So here's the low down on the products I gathered up for use for this week.



Boots No 7 Beautifully Matte Primer

My skin tends to be a bit oily. I was in the market for a very reasonably priced mattifying primer that would do the job and not hurt my wallet. While perusing the beauty section at Target one day, I encountered a Boots No 7 sales associate who after discussing my needs quickly recommended this mattifying primer. I could not be happier. While the consistency tends to be on the thick side, it does the job fairly well. I would not recommend applying this primer as you would if you were working with a more silicone based one (i.e. Benefit's Primed and Poreless, Tarte's Clean Slate). The reason being that this one due to it's mattifying properties, if not blending well into the skin it can leave a flaky appearance. What I tend to do with this primer is I work it small sections. A pea sized amount is plenty for my T-Zone area. I tend to apply this on the skin in a pressing motion, meaning I don't wipe this on, I more press it on in small sections so that I can avoid that cakey, flakey look afterwards.



Sonia Kashuk Perfecting Luminous Foundation

I've been working my way through the Sonia Kahsuk Perfecting Luminous Foundation. Overall, while I love the finish of this foundation, I would not say that it is very long lasting. Combined with my oily skin, unfortunately, this product does not hold up for me. Since pairing it with the Boots No 7 Mattifying primer, I've been able to get a good 6 to 7 hours of wear out of this before I notice that the foundation begins to break down.

Sonia Kashuk Hidden Agenda Concealer Pallete

This is one concealer palette that I absolutely love! Because of the fact that it features two different shades of concealer, it allows you to customize your shade. This palette includes a regular yellow based concealer (top left), a salmon colored concealer (top right) which is perfect for hiding those dark circles under the eye area. A more green based concealer (bottom left) which is perfect for concealing redness, and finally a concealer setting powder (bottom right) to set the concealer with. I think that this is the perfect bargain product for the price (retail $10.49). The packaging of this cuts down on having to purchase multiple products. It's compact size is super travel friendly, and the texture of these concealers is phenomenal! They are not formulated in a matter that is too dry or too sticky or even to watery. Sonia Kahsuk totally hit the nail on the head with this one. I cannot rave about this product enough!



Sonia Kashuk Undetectable Cream Bronzer, Warm Tan

I like a bit of a bronzy glow every day, and Sonia Kahsuk's Undetectable Cream Bronzer does just that for me. The texture is super creamy, blends effortlessly, and adds just the right amount of bronzer to any look that I may be doing.

Sonia Kashuk Creme Blush Petal 01

This week I have been getting my wear out of this product. Ever since I purchased this a few months back, I have been reaching for it continously. So it was no surprise that I quickly added it to my weekly routine. This blush is just the right color of pink that I own in my entire collection. It glides on beautifully, is highly pigmented so be sure to use a light hand if picking this product up, and it wears just as beautifully as when I first apply it in the morning.

Stila Convertible Color in Petunia

To switch things up a bit, I decided to add Stila's Convertible Color in Petunia to my weekly rotation this week. While I am happy with the color, the wear and the texture of this product, I much prefer the SK one. The color is not as intense as the SK creme blush, but it does apply very nicely and is super easy to blend.

The Balm Mary-Lou Manizer

While I had read so many raving reviews about The Balm's Mary-Lou Manizer when I found it on Hautelook during one of their flash sales, I quickly added it to my cart. I am not one to usually wear any highlighter in my every day makeup looks, but since I had recently acquired this product, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to get some use out of it by incorporating it into my weekly rotation. I have to say, after giving this product a try, it quickly went from a rotation item to a product that will permanently be in my everyday routine. This highlighter packs a punch, so be sure to use a very light hand with it so that you don't end up looking like a disco ball circa Studio 54 days! I apply this with a Smashbox Fan Brush and use just the smallest amount for my nose, Cupid's bow and cheekbones and it very quickly adds just the right amount of glow.

NYX Eyeshadow Base

While this has been my go-to eyeshadow base for years past, this week it left me shaking my head. Perhaps this is something that has happened before and has gone unnoticed, but this week while paying closer attention to how my products are performing, I noticed that this one left my eyeshadow creasing mid way through the day. While it pains me to say this, this product could have been the culprit, is now moving into my "further research required" box. I had to bring in my trusty UD Primer Potion because this one just didn't do the job.

The Balm Nude 'tude Palette

I have to admit, I had purchased this product during a flash sale on Hautelook and it had gone untouched since making it's way into my collection. There it sat, in my palette drawer with not as much as a finger or brush touching it for the longest time. When I decided to start rotating my products, this was the first palette I pulled out. I was curious to try out some of the shadows and see how they performed. Not only is the packaging super adorable, but the colors are perfectly suited for everyday use. How I had gone so long without touching this is beyond me. Now while most of the shades are shimmery, I found that Sultry, Sexy, Sleek and Serious were matte. I mostly found myself using Sultry as a transition shade to blend out the colors to avoid the overly shimmery look, but overall I found this palette to perform pretty well. As I had mentioned above, I did notice creasing with this, specifically with the shade Selfish, but that may have been due to the base that I was using. Once I switched over to the UD primer, I found no issues with this creasing or any of the colors fading in intensity throughout the day.

MAC PRO LONG WEAR Eyeshadow Carefree

 

I brought this little nugget in to work on the inner corner of my eye and brighten things up. I felt the shade Sassy in the Nude 'Tude palette was a bit too stark white for that purpose. On one occasion, I did use this to place in the center of my eyelid when I felt the finished look was lacking a little something.

 

 

Benefit Brow Zing

 

Paying attention to my brows is a must. For that job I turn to Benefit's Brow Zing palette. I sparingly use this to fill in any sparsity I may find on my eyebrows and finish the look.

 

ELF EYEBROW GEL and CLINIQUE High Impact Mascara

 

To set my brows, I use ELF's Eyebrow gel. I don't usually splurge on products like this because I feel that they all relatively do the same job, and I look to save where I can. Right now I'm working through a sample of the Clinique High Impact Mascara. Overall, I really have been enjoying how this mascara performs. I find that it adds nice volume to my lashes without the gunky look.

ELF EYELASH CURLER

 

IT Cosmetics Bye-Bye Pores

 

To set my look and help erase, or at least minimize the appearance of pores, I've been continuously turning to IT Cosmetics' Bye Bye Pores. A light dusting of this on my T-Zone area and I'm set.

 

NYX MATTE FINISH

Finally, to set everything before I head out the door, I've been using the NYX Matte Finish setting spray. This in conjunction with the Boots No. 7 Mattifying primer has been helping to keep my shine at bay for a majority of the day.

 

 

So, that's it ladies! This is the run down of the products I've incorporated into my weekly routine. I've enjoyed this little venture and experiment I've tried out. I'm looking forward to next week and using an entire new set of products.

 

 

What products are your tried and true? Do you find yourself having to rotate products in order to use them? Have you discovered any makeup products that have gone unloved recently? Please share! I'd love to hear your thoughts and suggestions!

 

Thanks again for stopping by!