Makeup MAYhem Day 31 - Review of Anastasia Beverly Hills DipBrow Pomade in Dark Brown

Claims: A smudge-free, waterproof pomade formula that performs as an all in one brow product. This creamy, multitasking product glides on skin and hair smoothly to create clean, defined brows. The standout formula works as a brow primer and provides color, sculpture, and shading. It is ideal for oily skin and in humid climates.

Price: $18

Size: .14 oz

Shades: Blonde, Auburn, Dark Brown, Chocolate, Ebony

Where Can It Be Purchased: Anastasia Beverly Hills, Sephora, Ulta

Hey guys! So today I will be doing a review of the Anastasia Beverly Hills DipBrow Pomade in Dark Brown. This product has been well raved on youtube and the blogging world, and as a result I knew I had to give this a try eventually! I had such a difficult time getting a hold of this product    it was consistently sold out at my Sephora and Ulta for the longest time. Just recently, I was able to get a hold of it during my latest Sephora Haul. After wearing this product consistently for two weeks and doing a first impression video, I am now ready to do a review on the product.

Packaging:

I have always been a fan of Anastasia packaging, but this product is slightly disappointing. The top is a chic black plastic cap, and the bottom portion is made of a sturdy acrylic material. The pomade is also lightweight and as such, won't weigh down your makeup bag. Upon closer inspection, I noticed that about of the packaging is empty. As seen by the picture above, all of the .14 oz of brow product is held in the area where the cap is screwed on. While I do not necessarily mind this, I would've rather had the space being used to its capacity, and making the product a little bit slimmer for my makeup bag. That is not to say that its not a small packaging, as I am eye balling the dimensions I can safely say that it is no more than 3 inches in height and length. Personal preference wise, I would've wished that it was a bit smaller but besides that, I do like the packaging. 

Swatch of Anastasia Beverly Hills Dip Brow Pomade in Dark Brown

Shade Selection and Pigmentation: 
With five shades in the range, it offers some variety, but not a whole lot. In comparison to other Anastasia Brow Products, such as the Brow Wiz (review) where there is currently nine shades in the selection, the Dip Brow Pomade has five shades. If you live around near a Sephora and Ulta, definitely swatch the colors to make sure that it will match your eyebrows. I personally feel like if the demand for more colors is high enough, they will expand the selection! This time last year Brow Wiz had six shades, now there is currently have nine shades to choose from!

I had to decide between Chocolate and Dark Brown and after swatching them in store, I picked Dark Brown because it had a cool undertone whereas Chocolate had a warm undertone. Pigmentation is the last thing you need to be worried about. In the swatch below, the left swatch was just me lightly touching the pomade and dragging it across my hand (live swatch here during my first impression) while the right swatch is blended out. A little product goes a long way, as seen by my first impression video. During my first application of the product onto my eyebrows, I accidentally used too much product. If that occurs, your product can still be blended out, it will take some time (and patience) to do so.

Application:
I have tried three brushes in applying this product each having varying levels of success. First and foremost, the most affordable option is the Elf Studio Small Angled Brush ($3) is a very effective brush to apply the pomade. I find that if I do not pick up excess product when using this and it distributes the pomade very nicely in my brows. Only downside of this brush is does not have a spoolie to blend out the product. The next affordable option is the Real Techniques Brow Brush from the Starter Set Collection. Using this brush is my least favorite application method. It picks up too much product, as seen here in my Sweet as Candy Tutorial, making it a bit wasteful. Again, this brush does not have a spoolie to help blend out the product. Lastly, I have used the Anastasia Beverly Hills #12  Brush here in my daytime smokey eyes tutorial. This is the most expensive brush I have used this product with, and its also a very effective. It picks doesn't pick up excess product, distributes the product nicely, and has a spoolie to help blend out the product. If you are looking for an affordable brush to use this product with, I recommend the Elf Studio Small Angled Brush and picking up mascara spoolies from places such as Sally's Beauty Supply or a brush like Elf Essential Eyelash and Brow Wand. If I could go back in time, that's what I would've done instead of picking up the #12 Brush from Anastasia, its a great brush and all... but I would rather spend $18 on a multitude of other things. Regardless of what brush you decide to use, it is essential to have a spoolie when using this product, it will be difficult to use a brow brush alone on to blend out the pomade.

The key thing about this product is using a light hand when you dab the brush into the pomade. For me, I start off with light one dab on the pomade, and start off by distributing the product in the middle of my brows, working my way to the tip before working my way back to the front. Remember, you can always add more product back in, but if you add too much from the start you will spend more time on blending your eyebrows. Luckily, the product doesn't set immediately and you have some time to clean up any mess ups! The Dip Brow Pomade is also very blendable, which is a huge plus for a product that is so pigmented. Biggest downside of the application process, it takes me slightly longer to use this product than any of my other brow products. For those days where I am rushing, this product is not something I will be reaching for.

How Does It Look On Me?

I fine with the Dip Brow Pomade I can create both a dramatic eyebrow as well as a natural eyebrow. The key to how dramatic the eyebrows are is how much of the pomade you are using and how much you blend. Below, I have two pictures demonstrating two different days where I wore the eyebrow product!

From Talk Through Tutorial Feat. Daytime Smokey Eyes

From Talk Through Sweet As Candy Tutorial

Staying Power:
This product has lasted on my eyebrows for at least 10 hours without the use of a brow gel to help it. By the end of 10 hours, it still looks like when I initially applied the product! This has lasted through the Florida humidity and my oily skin! While this claims to be waterproof, I find that the more accurate term is water resistant. I did test this product out in the swimming pool, and this product faded about 50% of what my initial application was. Not too bad (considering I spent an hour in the pool swimming about 20 laps), but something to keep in mind if you are going to be entering the waters.

Final Verdict:
I can safely say that this product is worth the hype! It lasts all day and I am very pleased with the results! I do recommend you give this product an extended period to learn how to use it, for me it took a small learning curve to figure it out! I won't necessarily recommend this product for beginners, I feel like this product is probably best suited for those who are already used to using some sort of eyebrow product, whether it be a brow powder or brow pencil. If you are constantly in a rush, I would not recommend this product for you. However, if you have can spare a couple of more minutes in your makeup routine, I would definitely suggest you to check this out! While this is an $18 dollars, I do feel like this will last me a long time and the results are spectacular!

What is your current favorite eyebrow product? Let me know in the comment section below! Since it is the last day of Makeup MAYhem, I decided to upload another video today! Check it out here! Hope you guys enjoyed me posting everyday in May, not sure how my posting will be for June yet... but will definitely keep you updated!

Be sure to check out my giveaway here (open internationally)!

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Makeup MAYhem Day 29 - Would You Rather Tag

Hello everyone! Hope you are having a wonderful day! I was tagged by the lovely Meghan over at Today's Beauty Obsession to do the Would You Rather Tag. There are so many things that I have been tagged in the past that I have lost track of... don't worry though! I'll get around to doing them eventually! I hope you guys enjoy this post, and keep reading! I inserted a couple of throwback pictures of blog posts, instagram pictures...all those shennigans!


Would you rather lose all of your mascaras, eyeliners, lipsticks, and lip glosses or lose all of your palettes and eye shadows?
Such a hard question! I would rather lose all my mascaras, eyeliners, lipsticks, and lip glosses! My eyeshadows and palettes are really expensive.... so it would be cheaper to replace the mascaras, eyeliners, lipsticks, and lipglosses (plus, I have a lot of products in there I know I won't be buying again...unlike my eyeshadows/palettes where there are only a couple I would get rid of!)

Would you rather chop all of your hair off or never be able to cut it again?
I would rather chop all hair off! I am very comfortable with short hair and I do not mind having short hair! Although, I do have a rather embarrassing picture that I would like to show you here. I was in third grade, been in the sun a lot that summer, and was rocking bangs and a headband.

Would you rather have coral cheek or pink cheek?
Either or is fine to be honest! I don't have a preference... but I have a bigger pink blush collection so I guess I naturally I gravitate towards pink blushes? (now that I realize this, I'll probably run out and grab coral blushes...)

If you had $1000 to spend, would you rather buy clothes or make up?
Clothes! Just because I have tons of makeup nowadays and at this point in time, the only products that are "missing" in my collection are of the neon variety! I spend more time shopping for makeup rather than clothes, as a result the majority of my clothes is now limited to free college t shirts and gym shorts.

Would you rather apply lipstick as eyeliner, or eyeliner as lipstick?
Uhhh..... woah. Both of them sound really gross D: Probably lipstick as eyeliner... it somehow seems less toxic then eyeliner as lipsticks?

Would you rather only shop at MAC or Sephora?
Sephora! Don't get me wrong, I love Mac...but there is variety at Sephora basically wins, hands down! A lot of my go to brands are there (or what I picture as my go too brands). Sephora has Lancome (for the foundations and mascaras), Tarte (for the blushes),  Clinique (for their nifty acne cream)... and so much more!

Would you rather only use one eye-shadow colour or one lip colour for the rest of your life?
Definitely eyeshadow! I usually end up gravitating towards the same color family anyways, sticking to neutrals... so I wouldn't be missing out much. Now for lipsticks, I own a lot in the same color family...but I love the difference a slight blue or orange undertone can do to a color!

Would you rather wear winter clothes in summer or summer clothes in winter?
Summer clothes in the winter! I could always layer clothing to keep myself warm. Plus, I live in Florida so it doesn't get too cold for too long!

Essie Nail Polish in Bond With Whomever and Peach Daiquiri

Would you rather have dark nails or bright nails all year round?
Definitely bright nails year round! I love bright colors, how can I resist wearing that over dark colors? I do like vampy colors...but I would definitely pick bright colors before picking dark ones! Throwback to the day my friend Jenny did an gradient effect on my nails here.

Mac Lipstick in Brave

Would you rather give up your favorite lip colour or favorite eye product?
I would rather give up my favorite eye product! There are tons of eyeshadow dupes out there in the world... and to be honest... I really don't have a favorite eye product. Lip products, on the other hand, are completely different! Can't give up Mac's Brave!

Would you rather only be able to wear your hair in a ponytail or a messy bun?
Oooh....this is difficult! I would say ponytail, just because a messy bun always ends up falling into a ponytail!

Would you rather never be able to paint your nails again or never use lip gloss?
Definitely would rather never to be able to paint my nails again! I love my lip products, and even though I don't wear lip gloss too often, I definitely wear that more than nail polish!

Would you rather shave your eyebrows and have none at all or sharpie them in everyday?
Sharpie them in every day? There is a such thing as a spoolie brush right?! That way it can at least look a little less harsh... but if I'm not allowed to use a spoolie to blend out my eyebrows...then I guess my eyebrows will be very dramatic! It's not the first time I've rocked that look before!

Would you rather live without make up or nail polish?
Definitely would live without nail polish! If you asked me four years ago, I would say both (crazy right?!), but now I definitely can not live without makeup! I mean...have you seen my makeup collection? Absolutely insane how much I've accumulated within the last 3 years...

If you are reading this, I tag you! Let me know what you guys would choose! Be sure to check out my giveaway here (open internationally)!

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Makeup MAYhem Day 27 - Old & New Products in Makeup Rotation Week 3

Hello guys! Today I will be sharing with you the makeup I will be wearing this week. Some of the products you may recognize from last weeks makeup rotation, I did that on purpose so I could continue to test the products out more while updating you on my current thoughts on them! Some of these products featured here are old favorites that I am revisiting, but the majority of them are new! I hope you are having a wonderful day and hope you will liked reading this post!

For my primer, I will be using the Benefit Porefessional Primer. I'm still trying to determine how much it softens my imperfections...and whether or not it helps with oil-control. I do like this primer overall, so but I haven't made a final decision on what I think about it (and whether or not its worth grabbing again). For my foundation, I will be mixing Lancome Teint Miracle Foundation in Buff 6(W) and Mac Pro Longwear Concealer in NW25. I'm nearly out of my Lancome foundation, so I wanted to try to finish it out. I have to mix it with the concealer to make it match my skin more (plus, it provides more coverage). The Mac concealer is too dark for me to use by itself (but by the end of summer, I'm sure it'll be the only thing that matches my skintone with the amount I've been out in the sun). It is a fantastic concealer that you guys need to try out if you haven't already! For any other concealing I need, I will be using the CoverGirl and Olay Concealer Balm in Light. First impressions wise, this is a great concealer... it's very creamy, blendable, and doesn't crease much under my undereye area. For blush, I will be using Inglot AMC Face Blush in #58. I recently picked this up this weekend (along with two more eyeshadows from them), and from swatching it at the counter the formula seems amazing. This is hands down, one of the softest blushes I own (if not the softest blush in my collection!). For bronzer, I will be using the Elf Studio Golden Bronzer in Golden. It used to be one of my go-to bronzers (as seen by the fact that I hit pan on it). It's a great bronzer for all over face bronzing, but it has a bit of shimmer so I don't use it for contour. To set my makeup, I will be using Becca Fine Pressed Powder in Wheat. Like I mentioned in one of my videos, I'm not totally convinced that this is good for oil control. Still, I'm going to be testing this out to make sure that my instincts are right.

For my eyes, I don't have a lot of products I am sticking to...mainly because I plan on filming a lot of tutorials this week (so I gotta mix up the eyeshadows)! For my eyebrows, I am finalizing my opinion on the Anastasia Beverly Hills Dip Brow Pomade in Dark Brown (first impression video). Needless to say, I think this may be my favorite brow product ever. For eyeliner, I will be using L'Oreal Infallible Gel Lacquer Liner 24 Hr in Blackest Black and Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner in Perversion. I suspect that the L'Oreal eyeliner has expired... I'm nearly positive the formula's changed and dried out... but I just wanted to make sure before I throw it out. In it's newest condition however, it is an amazing eyeliner! But of course, all things must come to an end and makeup is definitely one of those things. The Urban Decay Eyeliner in Pervesion has changed my mind on their infamous formula. Previously, I have tried Zero and Whiskey and it failed to impress me...the staying power wasn't great and the eyeliner never set. However, Perversion is so much better than the other colors I've tried...it lasts and when it sets, it stays in place! This week, I will also try to see if my Tarte multiplEYE Lash Primer is dried up or not... I've had it for awhile now, It was great when I first got it, it added so much length to my lashes! But, like I said earlier, makeup doesn't last forever! Lastly, I am giving another chance for the BareMinerals Lash Domination Mascara to impress me. Hopefully when the formula dries a bit more, it will work better for my lashes.

For lips, I will be mixing up my lipsticks but sticking to my newest lip liner, Mac Lip Pencil in Subculture! I adore my lip liner in Vino, so I wanted to try out another lip liner from them! I wanted a pinky nude lip liner, and this was recommended to me by one of the ladies at Mac. Definitely excited to try this out!

What products are you guys using this week? Have you guys tried any of these products? Let me know in the comment section below!

Be sure to check out my giveaway here (open internationally)!

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Makeup MAYhem Day 25 - Skincare Routine Part 2

Hello guys! So today, I will be letting you guys know what skincare products I am currently using! This post is long overdue, I've have multiple people prodding me to get around to posting my skincare routine. To be honest I haven't been completely satisfied with all the products I have been using. Then, I realized that I was being silly and if I were to continue to delay the post, I would never get around to posting this at all! As such, now we have a post detailing the skincare products I am currently using in my lengthy. Some of these I consider holy grail status, others I'm anxious to finish so I can try something new!

Just a heads up, this is a long post, so I hope you guys are ready for reading it! Hope you enjoy and be sure to check out Part 1, where I talk about my Skincare Philosophy and Tips on Having Clearer Skin.

In the mornings, I like to first start off with the the Tarte Pure Maracuja Oil. This is the first facial oil I've tried, and I have to say that I have noticed a difference in how bright my skin is the more I use it. Then, I go in with the Clinique All About Eyes Serum to depuff my eyes in the morning. Once that is settled, I will go in with an eye cream to moisturize my dry under eye circles. Currently, I am finishing up the StriVectin-SD Eye Concentrate for Wrinkles and the CVS Age Refine Eye Cream. Both of these eye creams are very moisturizing...but I haven't noticed much change in the fine lines underneath my eyes (which exist after the many years of pulling on the sensitive area to put my contact lenses into my eyes). After that, I go in with the Kiehls Photo-Age Correction High Potency Spot Treatment, focusing on the areas were I have dark sots on my face. Lastly, I go in with the Elizabeth Arden Perpetual Moisture to moisturize my face. Since this has no SPF, I then go in with a moisturizer containing sunscreen.

  

These three moisturizers are ones that I am currently trying finish before buying another moisturizer with sunscreen. Unfortunately, none of these moisturizers I would recommend to my readers. Out of these three, Avalon Organics Vitaminc C Renewal Moisture Plus Lotion SPF 15 is the thickest in consistency and has the tendency to give me a white cast. Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream Sun Defense for Face SPF 50 (Review), is the most liquidy but has an awful fragerance. Lastly, Puristics Totally Ageless Daily Anti-Aging SPF 15 has the best consistency, but gives an weird residue on my face when I rub it into my skin. With these three moisturizers, I usually mix it with Elizabeth Arden Perpetual Moisture to make it a lot easier to apply and to prevent a white cast. For a moisturizer with sunscreens that I have used in the past and recommend, check my review of Clarins UV Plus HP Day Screen. After all of this dries and sets into my skin, I start applying makeup on my face (if I'm feeling fancy!)

When I'm cleaning my face at the end of the night, I like to first start off with an eye makeup remover to remove any eye makeup I am wearing. I am currently using the Up & Up Waterproof Makeup Remover, which is Target's answer to the cult favorite Neutrogena Makeup Remover. After I remove my eye makeup, I use wash my face using a gentle cleanser to remove the rest of my makeup. I am currently using, Kolarmy Active Cleansing Milk for that task. This cleansing milk is nowhere near as strong as a product I would like to use for this step, wouldn't recommend and waiting for it to run out before I can try something else. In the past, Olay Cleansers have worked very well for me in this step.

Next, I will jump into the shower and use a stronger cleanser with my Olay Cleansing Brush (a drugstore alternative to the uber popular and uber expensive Clarisonic). I am currently using Neutrogena Oil Free Acne Wash. I like to have a bit of salicylic acid in my cleansing products to help prevent breakouts to occur. This does dry out my skin slightly, so I don't recommend this for dry skin. Once I am finished cleansing, I exfoliate my skin using the St. Ives' Blemish Control Apricot Scrub. I can use this exfoliator every day, but I know with a lot of people this is a bit too harsh for them to use everyday. If that is the case, the Sensitive Skin version of the scrub is where I will direct you too. Once I am finished exfoliating, I go in with a toner. Currently, I am trying to finish up the Avalon Organics Vitamin C Renewal Balancing Toner before I decide to chuck it in the trashcan. This is probably the worse toner I've tried, highly regret making this purchase. It leaves a weird milky film residue on my skin when I use it. Needless to say, just because the product is organic, doesn't make it a good product.

For my body, I use mainly these two products. I use Dove Sensitive Skin Nourishing Body Wash with a loofa to make sure my body is squeaky clean. For the loofa, I try to get an exfoliating one, because I haven't gotten around to finding a body scrub that I like. For my feet, I use Freeman Bare Foot Peppermint and Plum Foot Scrub with Tea Tree Oil. This is probably my third foot scrub from the, and I have to say that this works like charm (and my feet go through a lot of damage)!

Once I finished washing my face, I go into my night time routine which contains the majority of products I am using in the day. Unlike my daytime routine where I am usually very consistent on using all of the products, I am usually more lax about my nighttime routine. When I feel like going through all the steps, I start off with the the Tarte Pure Maracuja Oil. Then, I will go in with an eye cream to moisturize my dry under eye circles with StriVectin-SD Eye Concentrate for Wrinkles or CVS Age Refine Eye Cream. After that, I go in with the Kiehl's Photo-Age Correction High Potency Spot Treatment, focusing on the areas were I have dark sots on my face. I haven't used enough of the spot treatment to form an opinion on it, but I will definitely let you guys know what I think about it! Lastly, I go in with the Elizabeth Arden Good Night Cream to moisturize my face. On days when I don't feel like going through all the steps, I usually stick to just eye and night creams and go to sleep!

At least once a week, I exfoliate my lips using Lush Mint Juleps Lip Scrub or Santa's Lip Scrub. By doing so, I am able to ensure my lips will be perfect to put matte or bright lipstick on. After exfoliating my lips, I go in with Maybelline Baby Lips in Peppermint to moisturize my lips. Absolutely adore these products here, definitely recommend you try if you haven't already.

For acne spot prevention and treatment, there are a couple of things I have in my arsenal. I use Noxzema Ultimate Clear Anti-Blemish Pads twice a day, usually once in the morning and once at night. I have gone through countless of these pads, and now I consider it to be an essential in my collection! For spot treatment during the day, I usually stick to either Kate Somerville Eradikate Acne Treatment or Clearasil Daily Clear Tinted Acne Treatment Cream. Both of these contain sulfur, which is not as strong as salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide, but they are  still very effective. When I am using these multiple times a day, I notice a difference in diminishing my acne by day three, if not earlier. Between the two spot treatments, I recommend the Kate Somerville Eradikate, it has a tendency to work a lot faster than the Clearasil one. Only downside is that you have to use a Q-tip to grab the product out of the Kate Somerville (and the price is more hefty).  At night, I would use the Clearasil Daily Clear Vanishing Acne Treatment Cream. This product has benzoyl peroxide, and is a bit harsh on the skin... but nevertheless every effective. It has a tendency to dry out my skin, so I honestly don't gravitate towards using it. In the past, Clinique Acne Solutions Gel has been very effective on my skin... I've been meaning to go repurchase it but as you can see, I still have a lot of product to finish before doing so!

About once a week, I try to use a mask to ensure that my skin isn't being clogged up with products that I may have missed. I alternate between Freeman Avocado and Oatmeal Facial Clay Mask (which focuses on cleaning out my pores) and Lush Cupcake Mask (which is great for whenever I am breaking out). If you aren't oily skin, I would not recommend Cupcake mask, because this will strip the oils away from your face, causing your skin to be drier. Otherwise, I highly recommend both of these masks!

Once in awhile, I will opt to use a paper mask. These are very popular in Asia...and rightly so! The Young Skin Cucumber Mask is very hydrating, perfect for the days when my skin is feeling dry. I stock up on these when I am in Canada, the Asian markets over there have so many goodies that we don't have over here! About once or twice a month I go in with Biore Pore Strips to further ensure that my pores are clean. Usually the Freeman mask does a really good job at cleaning out my pores, which is the reason why I don't use this as often!

Last, but not least, for any scars on my body I use the  ScarZone Scar Diminishing Cream. This product I have used for years, highly recommend it! It's the only thing I use to clear up my scars, and it has worked wonders!

Long post right? So, just for a recap, the products I recommend are as follows:
Elizabeth Arden Good Night Cream, Elizabeth Arden Perpetual Moisture Cream, Freeman Avocado and Oatmeal Facial Mask, Freeman Peppermint and Plum Foot Scrub with Tea Tree Oil, Kate Somerville Eradikate Acne Treatment, Lush Cupcake Mask, Lush Lip Scrubs, Maybelline Baby Lips, Noxema Ultimate Clear Acne Pads, ScarZone Scar Diminish Cream, and Tarte Pure Maracuja Oil.

What products do you guys use in your skincare routine? Do you guys have any products you would like to recommend? Let me know in the comment section below!

Be sure to check out my giveaway here (open internationally)!

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Makeup MAYhem Day 23 - Spring & Summer Lip Picks!

From Left to Right: NYC Expert Last Lip Color in Forever Fuschia, OCC Matte Lip Tar in Pretty Boy,  Revlon JBKBS in Sweetheart Valentine, Rimmel Show Off Lip Lacquer in Apocalyptic, and YSL Rouge Volupte Lipstick in 13

Hey guys! Today I will be doing a post showing you the lip products I will most certainly be wearing the most in spring and summer! I was requested to do this post by Megan Joy and I finally got around to doing it! In this post, I have featured three drugstore, and two high end picks! It would've been even...however my Mac Impassioned is missing...and I have absolutely no idea where it is! I've gone through all of my purses and makeup bags, and its not there! Currently very upset right now... but in the mean time, lets get back to the main topic of the post: bright lip colors!

From Left to Right: NYC Expert Last Lip Color in Forever Fuschia, OCC Matte Lip Tar in Pretty Boy,  Revlon JBKBS in Sweetheart Valentine, Rimmel Show Off Lip Lacquer in Apocalyptic, and YSL Rouge Volupte Lipstick in 13

NYC Expert Last Lip Color in Forever Fuschia: Retailing at $1.99, this is the cheapest in the bunch of products I have here today. It is also the most underrated. To be honest, if Influenster didn't send me this product, I wouldn't have picked this up in the drugstore. Once I applied this on my lips though, I realized that I was missing out! By far, this is the most blue toned out of all the lip products I have here today. It is a true fuschia and it is perfect for that bright pop of color that no one is expecting (especially since it's borderline purple). 

OCC Matte Lip Tar in Pretty Boy: This came in a set Pink Prism with a primer and another lip tar, retailing for $19 at Sephora. I posted a first impressions video on my Youtube channel, and I have to say this is by far one of the longest lasting lip product I have in my collection. Although the application of this can be tedious, I still feel like this is a fantastic product to use! This is another fuschia, but it is more on the pink side rather than the purple. 

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Sweetheart Valentine: Retailing at $8.99, these Revlon jumbo lip pencils are still a favorite throughout the beauty community. Don't be fooled by the swatch, this lip product can be built to be really bright on the lips. I've had this for over two years now, and I still use this product constantly! This is more of a bright hot pink lip!

Rimmel Show Off Lip Lacquer in Apocalyptic: Priced at $4.79, these liquid lipsticks are absolutely stunning! This is a bright pink fuschia liquid lipstick.  I have a detailed review of this here, and I have to say that even though its been about a year since I got it, I still love this product! The pigmentation is great, and I love the finish that this lip product gives. 

YSL Rouge Volupte Lipstick in #13 Peach Passion: Retailing at $35, this bears two distinctions in my collection. One, it is the only coral lip product I own and two, it is the most expensive lip product I own. I usually like to top this one off with a gloss, because it has a tendency to making me look a tad bit washed out. Otherwise, it is a fantastic lip product!

What lip products will you be wearing this spring and summer? Let me know in the comment section below! Be sure to check out my giveaway here (open internationally)!

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Makeup MAYhem Day 22 - Happy (Belated) One Year Blogiversary + Talk Through Tutorial

Hello everyone! So I came along here to embarrassing celebrate my one year blogiversary a couple of days late. Addicted to Makeup officially turned 1 on May 18th... and I somehow forgot to make note of that! D: I'm such a bad parent!

I just wanted to write a post and say thank you to everyone who has supported me in my madness in documentation my obsession with makeup via beauty blogging. The amount of encouragement from my readers, fellow bloggers and friends never ceases to amaze me. The fact that the blog just surpassed 100 followers on bloglovin' also made it even better as well!

I'm so thankful to have met every single one of you through the nifty thing we call the world wide web. Hopefully one day I will actually get to meet you guys in real life!

I'm on my last leg of doing Makeup MAYhem, and I have to say its been the most challenging, yet rewarding, things I've done for awhile. If all goes well as planned, I will have successfully completed the challenge of posting a Youtube video and blog post every other day...for all of May! Besides completing school work, this may be one of the few things I've stuck through consistently!

As always, thank you for sticking around! Enjoy the makeup tutorial I have posted on my YouTube channel today, featuring Daytime Smokey Eyes!

 

Be sure to check out my giveaway here (open internationally)!

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Makeup MAYhem Day 21 - Drugstore Wishlist Wednesday #2

Hello everyone! Guess what? I just recently hit 100 followers on Bloglovin! (insert quick victory dance). Thank you everyone for following reading and/or my blog... I know I haven't been the most active of bloggers so it means a lot that a lot of you have stuck around! Be sure to check out my international giveaway here, may have added an extra entry since I reached the milestone!

Today in Makeup MAYhem, I will be showing you what products I have been wanting to get from the drugstore. I've been spending a lot recently, and I'm going to cut back for awhile and not spend on makeup (brushes on the other hand, is a different story). In the meantime, I have plenty of products I have been eyeing for awhile, this time it is another Drugstore version (considering how I have almost exhausted my other Drugstore wishlist)! Hope you guys enjoyed this post!

CoverGirl Ready Set Gorgeous
Price: $9
Will I Buy: Potentially
Reason: This foundation is supposed to have oil controlling properties and that sounds really tempting for a girl with oily skin to try out in the summer weather. I've heard mixed reviews on this foundation, some people love it and other don't. As you guys probably know, I completely adore the CoverGirl Outlast 3 in 1 Foundation, so I'm hoping this one may give me the same result! May try this...once I finish a foundation (or return one...who knows!)

L'Oreal Magic Nude Liquid to  Powder Foundation
Price: $11
Will I Buy: Potentially
Reason: The more I hear bloggers talk about this foundation, the more I want to get it myself! What got me really intrigued about this product is that it goes liquid to powder, which is very similar to my CG3in1. This foundation has light to medium coverage, which is perfect for the summer time. I may give this a go in hopes that it works well for my oily skin during the summer heat.

L'Oreal True Match Foundation
Price: $9
Will I Buy: Probably
Reason: One of the most raved about foundations online, this foundation is something that is supposed to suit every skintone, and it also provides decent coverage. I'm loving L'Oreal True Match Lumi for mixing, so I can only imagine how wonderful this would be!

Maybelline Dream Wonder Pressed Powder
Price: $7
Will I Buy: Potentially
Reason: I do not currently have a pressed powder that gives me coverage... so I feel like this product would be perfect for me! This, out of everything here, may be the first thing I pick up from my wishlist when my wallet gets back to buying conditions. Hopefully this also has good oil controlling properties... or else it'll be a useless buy!

Maybelline Color Elixirs by Color Sensational
Price: $8
Will I Buy: YES
Reason: Probably a lip product I would not hesitate to pick up, once I have enough coupons! I've tried this lip product from one of my friend's stash, and I love it! It's not sticky and its a pigmented and opaque gloss! The only thing keeping me away from purchasing it is my wallet!

NYX Stay Matte Not Flat Powder Foundation
Price: $10
Will I Buy: Probably
Reason: I do not have a powder foundation that is suited for oily skin. The name of this foundation is intriguing, and if the claim is true, I feel like I would enjoy the foundation a lot. I like my foundations matte, but I do not want a washed out appearance. Once I finish a powder foundation, this will be the first one I reach too.

Physician's Formula Nude Wear Nude Glow Powder
Price: $15
Will I Buy: Possibly
Reason: First of all, lets admire the packaging of this. It is absolutely adorable! Besides that, this seems intriguing... I don't own a pressed powder that causes my skin to be luminous. If I am going to buy, it'll be during the winter months when its safe to look dewy.

Physician's Formula EyeBooster 2 in 1 Lash Boosting Eyeliner + Serum
Price: $11
Will I Buy: YES!
Reason: One of my good friends, loves, this eyeliner. She swears by this, saying that it stays all day and doesn't budge one bit! While I do love my Wet n Wild MegaLast Eyeliner, I would like to find an eyeliner with a finer tip. The only liquid liner pen that I have really enjoyed is the one from Stila (due to the fine tip it has). I'll get my hands on this once I'm finished with at least one of my other liquid liner pens.

Revlon Color Burst Matte Lipbalm
Price: $7
Will I Buy: Possibly
Reason: As many of you guys may know, I am a huge fan of the original Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains. They are, by far, some of the most long lasting lip products I own! The only thing holding me back from buying this...is the fact that I already have a lot of jumbo lip products, and I'm unsure if I really, truly want more.

Rimmel ScandalEyes ShadowPaints
Price: $5
Will I Buy: Possibly
Reason: Out of the whole bunch of products I have on my wishlist, this is by far something I know for sure I do not have in my collection. While I do have cream eyeshadows, the uniqueness of the application of this cream eyeshadow makes it intriguing. I haven't heard many people talk about this product online, so for that it may be a (somewhat legitimate) reason to pick it up!

What products have you been itching to pick up? Let me know in the comments below!  Be sure to check out my giveaway here (open internationally)!

*These images were taken from the respective company websites

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Makeup MAYhem 19 - New Product(ish) Makeup Rotation Week #2

Hello everyone! So today, I will be doing a second edition of Makeup Rotation. This week's products will mainly be featuring relatively new products from recent hauls on my blog and youtube channel. A lot of these I've used a couple of times, others I haven't used at all! I'm very excited to try these products out (and will hopefully be giving you a thorough review of some of these in the future)! Keep on reading to see what products are being used!

Face: 
To start off, I will be priming my face using Benefit Porefessional Primer. A cult favorite product for many, and out of the four primers that I have tried this is one of my favorites so far. It definitely fills in pores, and I will be able to test out this week how good the oil controlling properties of this is. For foundation, I will be using Maybelline Fit Me Shine Free Foundation in Natural Buff that one of my best friends Jenny gave me when she was cleaning out her makeup collection. She adores this foundation, but had to part with it because she made the commitment to switch to only cruelty-free makeup products (something I greatly admire)! For any concealing, I will be using CoverGirl and Olay Concealer Balm in Light. I recently picked this up in Walgreens sometime last week, because it was 50% off (and because I was pretty sure that this is getting discontinued). I've heard many great things about this product from many bloggers, and I can't wait to try this out. To set my makeup, I will be using Becca Fine Pressed Powder in Wheat which my mom got for an extreme discount...$10! Naturally, I will test this out to see how effective it is.

For cheek products, I will be using Benefit Hoola Bronzer, Sleek Blush by Three in Pumpkin, and Benefit Watts Up Highlighter. Hoola is fast becoming one of my holy grail bronzers because well I can contour with it with my skintone! The Sleek Blush by 3 I received in Vanessa's package of our makeup exchange (linky) and to be quite honest... I haven't used it all due to how bright the colors are (which is ironic because I chose the blush because of the brightness of the colors). I'm going to testing how pigmented these blushes are and hopefully not walking out of my house looking like a clown. Watts Up is a beautiful highlighter that I received in Sephora's Birthday perk last year. Definitely recommend if you are looking for a cream highlighter!

Eyes: 
For my eye brows, I will be using the Anastasia Beverly Hills Dip Brow Pomade in Dark Brown. I did a first impression here and I know I will need to play around with it a whole lot more to get used to it. For eyeshadows, I will be using Bare Minerals Ready Eyeshadow 4.0 in The Happy Place that I won at the Promise Phan meet up. For eyeliner, I will be using Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner in Perversion. I've tried two eyeliners from the line...and so far I do not like their eyeliners at all (I feel like I may be one of the few bloggers in that boat...maybe this one will change my mind). Lastly, Bare Minerals Lash Domination Volumizing Mascara in Intense Black which I also won at the Promise Phan meet up will be tested out.

Lips:
For my lips, I will be using Bite Nude Luminous Cream Lipstick in Lychee and Musk and OCC Lip Tar Test - Primer, LoveCraft, and Pretty Boy. For those days where I am not wearing much makeup, you can expect me to wear one of the OCC lip tars to kick up my look up a notch. Otherwise, I will be wearing the Bite Lipsticks.

Have you guys used any of these products? What products did you get recently? Be sure to check out my giveaway here (open internationally)!

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Makeup MAYhem Day 17 - Four or More Makeup Tag

Hello everyone! So today I will be doing a tag that I first saw in Emilynoel83 over at Beauty Broadcast (video here). This tag is meant to showcase makeup products you have four or more of (for some reason or another). While looking through my collection to write this post, I realized that while I have a lot of makeup, I don't have a lot from the same product line. As such, I decided to write up this post to show you what products I own and give you a peak into my thoughts (or a refresher since some of these... I already had a review on!)

Elf Studio Baked Eyeshadow in Bark, Burnt Plum, Enchanted, Pixie, and Toasted - Review
These were my first introduction into baked eyeshadows, and boy do I have to say that these are some of my favorite shadows to play with. The colors in here are generally very pigmented and very easy to apply. I created a look with these back in the day when I first started blogging, but now that these have resurfaced again I know that I need to do either a makeup tutorial or look again (especially with the newer shade I got, Burnt Plum)!

Inglot Eyeshadow in 353, 07, 09, 12 - Review
Looking for affordable eyeshadows with Mac quality but half of the price? Enter into the land of Inglot, where single eyeshadows are $7 a piece. The quality on all of these are absolutely lovely, very pigmented and no fall out. The eyeshadows are not too soft and do not get all over the place (unless your little sister wants to play with your makeup). Highly recommend you to check Inglot out (especially if you have a counter nearby and don't have to drive 2 hours to grab things)

Jordana 12 Hour Made to Last Eyeshadow Pencil in Eternal White, Pink Evermore, Continuous Almond, Tenacious Brown - Review

Minus Eternal White, these are great eyeshadow bases to enhance, brighten, and add to staying power of your eyeshadows. Now that its summer time and I have more time to experiment with makeup, I have started gravitating back towards cream products because of how much of a difference it could make to my makeup! 

Jordana Easyliner Retractable Lip Liner Pencil in Rock n Rouge, Baby Berry, Sedona Red and Tawny

While I do like the color that these provide as a base to my lip products, I do not think they elongate staying power significantly enough for me to justify buying more. They don't go on smoothly on my lips, dragging instead of gliding which makes it very unappealing for me to get ever again. While the price is very affordable on these, I wouldn't recommend. 

Jordana Twist and Shine Lip Stain in Sweet Pink, Cranberry Crush, Rock n Rouge, and Honey Love

I grabbed these initially thinking that they would be cheaper alternatives to my beloved Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains. In the several months that I have these, I have to honestly say that these are forgettable in my makeup collection. While I do use these, I don't really gravitate towards them as necessities. The pigmentation on these are nice, but they feather out of my lip line so easily (and I can't be bothered to wear lip liner to help combat the issue). For a no fuss lip product, I say skip and go to Revlon, but the colors are beautiful. Honey Love is comparable to Revlon JBKLBS in Honey, but Honey Love is slightly darker. For a wearable Berry lip color, I recommend Cranberry Crush, which is what I primarily wore this fall and winter.I grabbed these initially thinking that they would be cheaper alternatives to my beloved Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains. In the several months that I have these, I have to honestly say that these are forgettable in my makeup collection. While I do use these, I don't really gravitate towards them as necessities. The pigmentation on these are nice, but they feather out of my lip line so easily (and I can't be bothered to wear lip liner to help combat the issue). For a no fuss lip product, I say skip and go to Revlon, but the colors are beautiful. Honey Love is comparable to Revlon JBKLBS in Honey, but Honey Love is slightly darker. For a wearable Berry lip color, I recommend Cranberry Crush, which is what I primarily wore this fall and winter.

Mac Eyeshadows in Amber Lights (not pictured... MIA), Cranberry, Humid, Saddle, Satin Taupe, Sumptuous Olive, and Woodwinked
I honestly have to say that these eyeshadows are THE BOMB. While they are pricey ($15) to get them in a pot (which I foolishly did when I initially started buying them), the quality and pigmentation is worth it across all the shades I have. I did my research on the majority of them, picking favorites from many of my favorite youtubers as well as picking from Mac makeup artists recommendation. I know I will continue to add on this collection slowly (but surely)

Mac Lipsticks in Brave, Cream Cup, High Tea, Impassioned (not pictured...MIA), Syrup (not pictured...currently MIA), Viva Glam I
Oh Mac lipsticks, while I may not have too many of you, I do know that you may be my favorite formula of lipsticks ever. Once I started on Brave... I was hooked from there and purchased the rest (minus Cream Cup, which was won during Vanessa's giveaway over at Citron and Guavaberry last holiday season). You can expect this products to grow, especially since my favorite lip products is Mac.

Rimmel Show Off Lip Lacquer in Apocalyptic, Celestial, Comet., Luna, and Out of This World - Review
These liquid lipsticks are awesome (minus Luna...which isn't that pigmented and makes me look washed out). The formulation of this product is great, not too overtly sticky and not too greasy. Still highly recommend this product if you haven't tried it! For those of you who may be wondering what my favorite lip product out of this bunch is, its still Celestial (which I wear on a constant basis!)

Wet n Wild Color Icon Palette in Comfort Zone, Petal Pusher, Sweet as Candy, Silent Treatment, I'm Getting Sunburnt and Walking on Eggshells
These are raved a ton in the blogging and youtuber world, and boy is it deserved! Love the pigmentation of these shadows, they are very comparable to what I currently own from high end brands (if not better!) Only downsize, packaging sucks...which is the reason I've essentially lost two eyeshadows from the Petal Pusher palette (and part of Silent Treatment)!

What products do you guys have a lot of? Let me know in the comment section below! Be sure to check out my giveaway here (open internationally)!

I tag:
Allison at Mercuteify
Daphne at Subgenre of a Dream
Jenn  at A Beautiful Zen
Shayne at Queen of All You Can See
Steph at Fun Size Beauty
Vanessa at Citron and Guavaberry
and all of you! I want to see your tag post if you have done this before, or later on!

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Makeup MAYhem Day 15 - Review of Naturelle Biotera Ultra Moisturizing Shampoo and Conditioner

Claims: Biotera Ultra Moisturizing Shampoo is a super-hydrating formula for very dry, coarse hair. Blended with botanical extracts to help naturally replenish moisture, making hair more manageable, soft and shiny. UV inhibitors help protect against harsh environmental factors. Biotera Ultra Moisturizing Conditioner is a super rich formula that deeply conditions and rehydrates very dry, coarse hair. Blended with botanical extracts and lipids to help lock out humidity and frizz while locking in moisture. Makes hair silky, soft and manageable. UV inhibitors help protect against harsh environmental factors.
Price: 13.19 (retail price according to the website...but I'm almost positive they always sell this for 7.99)
Size: 33.8 oz/1 L
Where can I buy: Sally Beauty

Hello guys! So today I will be doing a holy grail product spotlight, the Biotera Ultra Moisturizing Shampoo and Conditioner. I was first initially introduced to this product by the ladies working Sally Beauty Supply as being a dupe for the Matrix Biolage Shampoo and Conditioner (which is something I adore to death). So naturally, I knew I had to give this shampoo and conditioner combo a go.

The version I got was the jumbo size, 33.8 oz. This size lasts for about 3 months (and would probably last longer if my whole household..all 5 of us.... weren't using this together). I usually buy this product when they are doing a buy one get one free sale over at Sally's Beauty Supply, which makes it about $4 for the Shampoo and Conditioner each!

In regards to the claims, I truly believe that this product makes my hair very soft and has successfully moisturized my hair. Prior to using this shampoo, my hair was extremely dry and I was relying on the Matrix Biolage Shampoo and Conditioner to help it out. Once I discovered this shampoo and realized how good it was, I didn't look back. While I don't think this lathers well as the Matrix Biolage Shampoo and Conditioner, I feel like it does the job just as well, cleaning my hair thoroughly and ensuring that my hair is moisturized and shiny. The fragrance in this shampoo is not too overwhelming, I don't find it to be detestable like some shampoos can be. The quality of my hair has significantly improved since using this product. While the shampoo has sulfates as an ingredient, I haven't noticed deleterious change in my hair, rather I have noticed an improvement using this shampoo.

Now having waist-length hair, there are very few products I know that I can rely on to ensure that my hair maintains its quality and strength. After discovering this shampoo and conditioner combo, I find that I do not reach for an expensive brand, such as Matrix, anymore. The Biotera Shampoo and Conditioner does the job just as good, if not better than other higher end brands for a fraction of the cost. I highly recommend this product for those of you who have long hair and need to maintain and replenish moisture in your hair.

Ingredients for Biotera Ultra Moisturizing Shampoo

Ingredients of Biotera Ultra Moisturizing Conditioner

What is your current favorite shampoo and conditioner. Be sure to check out my giveaway here (open internationally)!

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