Last weekend, I was invited to a birthday party at a friend's place. Figuring it was the perfect time to begin commenting on beauty products, I snapped up a few pictures and I've been meaning to post this update ever since. I don't particularly enjoy mooching off my parents' money all the time, so I use my own money when shopping for things which I consider to be solely for myself. Unfortunately, this is why none of the makeup I use is shocking expensive. All my makeup not bought from drugstores has been gifted to me.
Here's a quick review of makeup that won't kill your budget but that also does the trick. I didn't want to start a makeup review and then skimp on details, so this is somewhat long. That's why I added pictures of everything, to help you skim for just the reviews you want to read.
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| What you're looking at here is the finished appearance. Under minimal light of course. I'll be uploading a better picture later. It looks super natural, which is usually what I'm going for. However, right before I left the house, I decided to take a chance and paint my lips a deep maroon. |
and realize you never use more than a select few?
What a waste.
On the right are the two main brushes I use. The skinnier one simply says "foundation brush" on the
handle. I'm not sure where it's from because it was
a gift that I received quite a while ago. I
use it to apply my liquid foundation, but recently,
I've begun using just my fingers because I think
that allows for smoother blending. The Bare
Escentuals brush is...complicated. I have mixed
feelings about this brush. The very first time I used
it, I hated it. It was so rough! But over time, I
have come to appreciate it's texture. I use it with
mineral foundation (the absolute best), and I
believe it is the best kind of brush for applying that
specific foundation. If you're a person that really
needs a a soft brush, I would steer clear from
this one.
Here's the liquid foundation I use as well as the mineral powders. The liquid foundation, quite frankly, I found disappointing. Don't get me wrong, I love a light foundation just as much as the next girl, but if it doesn't offer coverage, I don't want it's light weight. I know some of you might be wondering about the fact that the color is light-medium and I assure you, my foundation is not 6 shades lighter than my actual skin tone. I just happen to be fairly lighter than most brown girls. The foundation is white when you put it on, and it's supposed to smooth away into your skin color. It does so, offering minimal coverage. I don't have awful skin, but I do have spots that I would like the foundation to smooth out, and this definitely does not catch those. With particularly visible blemishes, I dab on some neutral colored face powder that I also received as a gift. I don't use concealer, frankly because dabbing more makeup on a trouble spot isn't going to allow it to heal. I don't want to aggravate the problem, just lightly dust over it until it's barely visible.
The mineral foundation does not disappoint, its very light, absorbs perfectly into my skin and especially for people with slightly oily skin, the minerals seem to absorb it right up. I never have to deal with that caked on foundation look that most people suffer from. The mineral do wonders for your skin.
Lastly, the illuminator. When I first purchased this, I loved it. It's got a very pink sheen to it, and it sparkles in a very pretty way. You can definitely use this instead of blush. However, when I purchased illuminator, I was really hoping for something that would work with any makeup colors that I was wearing that day. This is really more of a pink shade. I can't wear nude or darker colored lipstick without this taking away from the effect. I suppose they gave consumers a fair warning though by painting the container a light pink.
On the left is the blush I use. Basically just a Neutrogena blend, I tend to break out on my cheeks occasionally so I just play it safe and use Neutrogena. When I first began using it, I never really noticed any color, but now I really do see it work. If you're not one to use a very dramatic blush, this one is for you. Of course, I keep darker shades in handy seeing at how those are necessary at times. But on a day to day basis, this is what I opt for.
On the right then is all my eye makeup and a lip gloss stick from Sephora. As I'm sure you've guessed by now, the lip gloss stick was a birthday present. Looking at it, it seems a waste of $10. That's what I originally thought. But having used it every day since, I'm beginning to love it. I just toss it over my lipstick color that day and it provides a nice boost of shine. The colors are translucent as well, so sometimes with lighter lipsticks, I feel it's almost possible to mix shades. If you're the kind of person that opts for pinks and nudes on their lips a lot of the time, then this is a pretty good buy. It spices up any old lipstick you've had sitting around for a while.
I use liquid liner, from NYC. Frankly, it was just the cheapest one at the store and I've never particularly seen a difference in types of liquid liner. I've purchased $40 eyeliner and have never really witnessed a difference. One thing that bother a lot of people though, is the brush. Some people prefer a stiff foam brush, because it helps with a cleaner appearance. Others prefer the traditional brush which requires some practice for a smooth line. This one comes with the traditional brush. I've been doing my eyeliner long enough that it isn't really much of an issue anymore. I suppose it just takes time. I've also learned that it helps to angle your mirror downward slightly and paint almost literally on top of your lashes. Afterwards, you can thicken it up more if you feel it's necessary. A little surprise I discovered in this eyeliner is that it glitters! I've never actually seen it glitter when I'm wearing it, but when I remove the liner, there's always glitter on my makeup remover pad and around my eyes. So that's a pretty surprise. I usually find that eyeliner with glitter in it is more gray than it is black, but that's not the case with this one, which I really do like.
Next is the eye pencil. That's literally all it is. It was part of a makeup set from Sephora that I was given as a present. It's very soft and I find that it smudges easily. Take that as you will. I personally like eyeliner that smudges a bit, just because it provides some definition. I use this on my bottom water line and a good smudge can really make a difference there.
Lastly, the mascara. This is Covergirl Volume Exact. It's excellent. Or I should say was. Just today I purchased a new mascara, I'll be doing a review once I've actually used it more than once. The wand on this mascara is not like the typical wand, I added a picture to the bottom actually. It's very skinny and almost looks like someone stripped off all it's bristles. My mom actually recommended that I try it. And, I love it. It defines each eye lash singularly and there's NO clumping involved. It was an excellent mascara while it lasted.
Well, that's all for tonight folks. What an exhausting review. See you next time!
xoxo lollipoplaiba
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