Affordable makeup but does it work?

Hello Kats and Kittens!

As promised yesterday, I reviewed a new makeup haul. This one is from Wet n' Wild. I tried out their new Photo Focus Foundation, the Photo Focus Concealer, the highlighter, long wearing matte lipsticks, gel lip liner and some nail polish. I also gave a 2nd chance to the Younique 3D Mascara.

So let's start with the Photo Focus Concealer as concealer is what I apply first after lotion and primer. *I did not purchase their primer so I don't know if it is works. For this I used my First Aid Coconut Primer which I highly recommend. I'll link it down at the bottom so be sure to check it out. Their entire line of skin care products is pretty banging*

The concealer was definitely full coverage and it blended easy with my damp beauty blender. *You are getting your blender thoroughly soaked...right? It should swell to become twice its size and then you wring it out*

My only gripe is the smell. It smells very chemically which a lot of makeup does but it doesn't mean I have to like it. Other than the smell it was pretty good. I'd give it an 8/10 but what I'm going to boost that one point because it is ridiculously affordable. It is $3.99 and it comes in 6 shades. That is pretty impressive.

Next up was the Photo Focus Foundation. Right off the bat let me confess that once again I did not like the smell. It wasn't overpowering but there was still a chemical smell. Getting past that and into long lasting coverage...it was a solid win. The foundation is pretty bad ass, you get great coverage that is build able and it lasts quite a long time before separating. It did not leave my skin oily or dry, just a perfect combination of the two. And get this! The foundation is only $5.99 and comes in 20 shades! That is amazing. I'm a makeup snob and my regular foundations run over $30 but this little cheap beauty definitely stood up to the big dogs in the makeup world. I'm not saying it is on the same level but it is definitely coming up fast in the race. 9/10 due to chemical smell.

As I progressed in the rest of my normal face routine using non-Wet n' Wild products, the foundation and concealer stayed in place. I came to the portion of my makeup routine that I tend to mess up and that is the lips. Either I color way outside the lines or I'm drawing them too small. The Perfect Pout Gel Lipliner at $2.99 was worth the chance at not getting the right shade for my skin tone. And I'm glad it was cheap because one of two was WAY too pink. I can't do pink lips. The other color was pretty good. Wet n' Wild has 6 shades and I have to say that they went on smoothly and didn't bleed. That is definitely a plus. 7/10

The next makeup to get its time to shine is the MegaLast Liquid Catsuit Matte Lipstick. I would say that these are super long lasting and they cost $4.99. They come in 13 shades, none of which are the really funky colors that are like a rainbow on your face. These are pretty standard colors. The doe foot applicator allowed for precise strokes but I didn't overly care for the tackiness. Long lasting lipsticks definitely are drying and you have to give them time to set. These, I felt, took a little bit longer than some of the higher end products. There are definitely worse ones. The color lasted quite a long time before flaking. You can even do the kiss test on the back of your hand and see little transference. 8/10 due to tackiness

I played around with the MegaGlow Makeup Stick-Highlight ($3.99) and was super impressed. The color was phenomenal and the highlight...Daaayyyuuummm kats and kittens. You have holographic highlight with a lot more precision than powder or cream. The highlighter builds to an incredible glow that carves out your cheekbones and gives you a dewy finish. I highly recommend. It blended out nice. I'd put it on a run slightly below Urban Decay's and Jeffree Star's highlighters. Not top of the line but definitely a close 2nd or 3rd and that is saying a whole lot considering the sheer volume of highlighters on the makeup market these days. 9/10

The one product that absolutely blew my mind was the 1 Step Wondergel Nail Color. It beats my OPI. I can't believe I could even write that. The beautiful, smooth coverage was seamless to apply, the applicator spread evenly and the shine is incredible. You could definitely get away with a one coat application but I still recommend two and a top coat to seal it in. And I tested out how easy it was to remove and it does phenomenally. No harsh scrubbing to peel it up and no special nail polish remover. Each of these will set you back $4.99 and there are a ton of colors to choose from. I definitely recommend "Lavender Out Loud" Rating: 10/10

I'm hesitant to voice my opinion about the final product and that is Younique's new formula for their 3D lashes. I've tried it two times. The first time I didn't apply correctly and had massive, itchy fall out. The second time the look was great but the fall out a couple of hours later was maddening. I will say that I think a majority of the weird looking eyelashes that resemble spider's legs is the wrong way to use this product. High end mascaras have the same issue but not as bad because you are dealing directly with the product and not trying to add in a crap load of fibers. This mascara does wonders for thickening and giving you those lush, full lashes but the tiny fibers need some serious work. I used a comb and separated the lashes that were clumping together. Maybe the fall out was due to me not sealing the fibers correctly. I'm giving this a maybe. It still doesn't compare to my Charlotte Tilsbury but then again...I don't think it is considered a high end mascara. If I were to advise Younique it would be to redevelop the fibers and gel and go for the "thickening" aspect. Spider legs on your lashes looks tacky. Sorry but I'm not really sorry for saying it. You needed to hear it/read it. Don't do it. It doesn't make you look like you are wearing false eyelashes. Go the thickening route and you will be super happy and it will give you lusher lashes that stand out for all the RIGHT reasons. I'm not rating this product yet because I want to play around with it a bit more.

All in all I was super happy with the results of this makeup test and think it says quite a lot about makeup. You can get a flawless finish using cheaper makeup. I'm not telling you to throw out your high dollar makeup but I am telling you to not pass on the less expensive. This haul definitely proved that affordable makeup is within everyone's reach.

Till next time my Kitties!

Soft, dewy skin...OH myyy!

Soft, dewy skin with a kiss of radiance. Who doesn't want that? It just breathes vitality and youthfulness regardless of the age of the skin. We put on our moisturizer. We slather on our primer but is this all there is?

No, it is not.

Make up is ever evolving in its pursuit of perfection and we need to stay abreast of the latest and greatest. It's why I'm testing these for you. It's a struggle. Won't lie...okay that is a lie. It really isn't a struggle getting to test new products. I'm a makeup junkie.

So lets talk about my current favorite moisturizer right now (and you'll get to know it more in-depth when I review the corresponding foundation.) It is the tarte drink of H2O hydrating boost. It is a gel and it is soothing, refreshing and makes your makeup glide on. I'm not kidding about this moisturizer. It is good enough I have to keep Maesin out of it on a regular basis. Unlike lotions, this leaves no heavy residue which is going to rock come this summer. It is the perfect moisturizer when you want to go full on natural.

 The whole Rainforest of the Sea Collection is pretty awesome. Tarte also has maracuja oil and this phenomenal eye cream. I can't remember off hand if I've already talked about it. If not then I'll cover it in the full face tarte review later down the line.

But you still need a primer with this if you are planning on any foundation. Even BB Creams tend to need a little extra help. There are, however, a lot of new products hitting the market that are more than one trick ponies.

tarte Brighter Days Highlighting Moisturizer

I've used this highlighting moisturizer a few times with mixed results. Let me clarify that it is incredible for highlighting areas for that dewy glow. It leaves you incredibly moisturized. However, I don't recommend this as a total face primer/moisturizer. It definitely leaves the entire face illuminated and that isn't the best look. We've all seen YouTube or makeup spokes people that seem to have diamond skin in areas and honestly...I'm kinda over it. It just looks like a painting, kinda Andy Warhol-ish. Don't get me wrong, I love highlighters but I think there is a limit.

I changed up how I was using this and since then it has worked beautifully. I apply my moisturizer and then take a tiny bit of the Brighter Days and apply it where I know I'll be using highlighter, or just using it alone. Works excellent.


First Aid Beauty's Coconut Skin Smoothie Priming Moisturizer

First off, the smell is absolutely wonderful. It has a very light coconut fragrance. Bonus for being a moisturizer and a primer in one. This is a relatively new product line for me and so far there haven't been any real misses. I've used just this several times when I am out and about and not wanting to bother with makeup. Your skin is left hydrated and with a shimmer. If you want to minimize the entire face shimmer, just put it on areas where natural light would hit.

L'Oreal Magic Lumi

This is the best drugstore light infusing primer I have found and it is a rockstar! It is affordable and the luminescent glow is like the moon setting on a tranquil sea. It is pretty poetic. I still have to caution that these are not meant to be full face lotions/primers. If you don't mind your face glowing and looking a bit slick...go for it. But I feel that is wasting the product.

Folks...it is perfectly okay, and even maybe encouraged, to mix primers and lotions. The only caveat I mention is what I've said a hundred times. Pay attention to the ingredients. You don't want your foundation sliding off due to a mismatch of water based or silicon based. Keep it in the same family and you'll look flawless. Anyway...I highly recommend trying this one out if you aren't near a Sephora. (If you live near a Sephora you can get samples of all the others to test out prior to purchasing.)

Laura Mercier Foundation Primer - blemish-less

Let me go on record and say that there is not a single product from Laura Mercier that I'm not in love with and want to stockpile. I have her makeup oil and it is incredible with foundation. Talk about healthy, glowing skin! (I've mentioned it before.)

However Laura ain't cheap and I'm always looking for a bargain or sample first before I dive right in and ring that credit card charge. I urge people to always sign up for loyalty rewards programs because the points add up. I believe I received this sample from Sephora. (I'm currently saving up for a makeup party in NYC. I've got a long way to go!)

Unlike the prior moisturizers, this one does not have a highlighter but it worked wonders on my pores. I have enlarged pores around my T-Zone and this glided over like butter and my foundation did not speckle or pull apart. Magic! Oui Oui!

Urban Decay Optical Illusion Complexion Primer

Before I jump in on a review of this product, I need to explain why I purchased it. I tend to like primers and foundations that are from the same line when using them. It saves me the hassle of looking for the ingredient list or wondering if the formulas are going to be a mismatch. I purchased the Urban Decay All Nighter Foundation about a month or so ago and tried it out. The first time I used it with a tarte Hangover Rx (my all time favorite primer) and it was splotchy. It is incredibly full coverage and you have to work with it quick if you don't want to spend 30 minutes blending and blending with a damp beauty blender.

I was pretty close to returning it (Please remember that if you use Ulta or Sephora...they have an extremely lax return policy. Even if you have used it a time or two they will take it back for in store credit or a total refund.) I already have the Kat von D Lockit which is phenomenal and ultra full coverage so I really was a bit disappointed. Then UD released their Optical Illusion line up and I wanted to give it a try. I applied the primer and then applied a light coat of the All Nighter foundation. The difference was phenomenal. The foundation blended far better than before and the coverage was perfectly balanced. SWING and out of the ball park!

This complexion primer is actually a part of a line up of the 2017 Spring Collection. There will be new vitamin mists, primers, setting sprays and more and I cannot wait to check them out. I have the B6 prep spray (goes on before moisturizer. Yes I know we are building a crap load of layers but sometimes ya gotta take care of ya skin) from their previous line and it rocks the kasbah!

So there are a few products that you may want to check out. I promise that whenever my broke ass finally gets a camera for taking quality video, I'll show you what the products look like on my skin, or if I can convince someone else to be my makeup model.

I think we are seeing a new trend in makeup and there will be a lot of new products on the market that bring out a youthful, dewy finish. This spring and summer makeup line ups should be pretty interesting and look good on any skin.

Hacks Part Duex otherwise known as Hack2!

In our last session, my kats and kittens, I gave you some weird, yet practical hacks to use for your beauty regime. I have some more and let me preface that some are so freaking wacky it is insane. And some may just be one person's strike to boredom. That being said...let us begin!

Hack #6 DIY Lipstick

This is a hack that has many people skeptical and there is argument about if it truly works. I'll tell you that it does but it definitely doesn't compare to lipstick. Here's what you need and the steps you'll need to take.

* coconut oil and olive oil (you can use just one if you like but the combination of the two is still the most popular. 1/2 tsp of coconut oil and 1/4 olive

*small containers (those daily pill boxes work really well and so do contact lens holders)

*tooth pick or any small stick for mixing. (I think wooden chop sticks work best)

*something small to mix it in. Those small glass bowls work the best. And I mean the very small bowls. The larger it is, the more gets left behind.

*Crayola crayons. (It has to be Crayola.)

You'll also need a few kitchen supplies such as a butter knife, oven mitt, paper to cut on, cutting board and a pot for boiling water.

So why does it have to be Crayola? It's the pigment. The Crayola crayons are highly pigmented and have nontoxic wax. You can even eat the buggers. I'm sure one or two of you tested it out as a little kid. :)

To get started, fill your pot with just enough water that will come up half way to your small glass bowl (or jar). Let it come to a boil and then back it down to simmer. You want it to still be at a very slow boil but not to the point of it spitting water everywhere. (not good for the crayon mix)

Remove the paper wrapper from the crayon. You can use any color, which is the draw here, but you'll have much better results with the darker colors.

Put down paper onto your cutting board and chop up the crayon into little small pieces. The paper will help protect your cutting board. Try to get the pieces as small as you can because it will melt faster.

Put your coconut and olive oil into glass bowl. Carefully lower the bowl into the hot water and begin stirring. Make sure you have your small containers out. Once all of the crayon is melted smooth, lift out the bowl and gently pour into your molds. Let it cool completely.

Once it has cooled completely it is ready for use. I'll give you a tip...use your finger instead of a brush. The warmth of your finger will allow more transfer.

So now you have the ability to have a lipstick in every color Crayola makes and they do look good once on. Are they the same quality as traditional lipsticks? No but  they make up for that with being made of fewer ingredients. And they cost a lot, LOT less.

So there you go! There is your hack. Stay tuned for more.

Hacks! Hacks! DIY Beauty Hacks Part 1! How did you survive without these beauty hacks?

I am a sucker for Pinterest and Youtube. I probably watch Youtube at least once a day. Okay that isn't true. I watch hours of it when I have the opportunity. My one main subject is, of course, makeup. I watch tutorials, reviews and look books. I do watch other feeds but the one lately that I'm drawn to is Beauty Hacks.

Beauty hacks are hilarious because mostly these failed experiments are brought to us courtesy of Pintrest. I think most people have this weird fascination with all of the grandiose things you can do, or make, on that damn website. The truth of the matter is that most of the alternative methods/products on the website is unattainable by most people. But yet we still visit it for hacks, recipes, fashion and DIY tips for the home.

To save you the time of browsing through a lot of hacks, here are the 5 I have tried and they actually kinda work. *Please note that I am not a professional crafty person and that the results, while achievable, still require more work upfront. There is no real order here as far as easiest to hardest.*

Hack #1:  BB Cream

BB Cream is the slightly less expensive cousin of foundation/primer. It is great because most of the time BB Cream is a mixture of lotion, primer and foundation. So rather than piling on all three you can simply use one product (not counting sunscreen).Summer is one season where the BB Cream is most wanted simply because it sits lighter on the skin. Or people with great skin and need less coverage than with a medium or full coverage foundation. But BB Cream, while still not as expensive as foundation and primer, is still spendy on a product you may or may not need. Here is your hack: don't buy it, make it. Yes, you read that correctly (and may already know this hack) make your own BB Cream. Simply take your foundation, primer and face lotion and combine it. By customizing this hack, you can have greater control on the coverage and the color. Pale one day and bronze the next? Change the amount of foundation added.

Hack #2: Concealer

Ok...this beauty hack is on the weird side. Wait, let me try again. It is an outside of the box hack. There are a lot of hacks coming that are pretty weird. This one is just "re-purposing" Concealer is used in two ways. It covers up imperfections such as zits, scars or dark shadows and it is used to add highlight to an area. This hack is designed more for the first purpose of covering up imperfections. If you run out of concealer and have a zit from Hell, simply take some of the leftover foundation that crusts up around your pump, lid or dropper. Don't even act like you don't have some! It's just a fact of life, much like the toothpaste junk. Take a dab and apply. Easy peazy!

Hack #3: Applicator for foundation (and concealer and highlighter and whatever else you need to apply onto your face!)

This is one hack that you are going to think is absolute whack, but bear with me. There are lots of ways you can apply makeup on your skin. You can use a brush, a beauty blender, a sponge, a cushion and even your fingers. But did you know you can use a boobie cutlet? You know. The chicken cutlet looking bra insert that you use to make the ladies fluffier and more perky. It's silicone feeling addition to bras that give us the va-va-va voom we want.

Yep...that little squishy thing. You use that in place of a brush, sponge, beauty blender or your fingers. Here is why it works: it doesn't absorb foundation like your other applicators which results in less foundation etc being used. It does come with a few downfalls. The first is that it feels like a dick slapping you in the face if you get too vigorous. It also takes some practice and getting the right rhythm and application technique down just right. Once you do that then you are golden. This hack can make blending seamless. I don't recommend this for powder though. The silicon pad will pick up powder easily but it picks up too much. So skip its use for powder, and eye shadow...oh and also eye linger, mascara and don't use it on your eyebrows. I mean you can use it but that is really going to take Wizarding Level 12 to get it on properly.

Hack #4: Using a fork as a contour stencil

Remember when you were a kid and you would try to suspend a spoon from the tip of your nose? Well now you get to play around with a fork! With contouring all the rage, and it doesn't look like it is stopping any time soon, perfecting your nose can be a little problematic. You get it right one time and the other attempts fail. You wind up with a nose that looks like you had a botched nose job. Not attractive! Here is a short cut. Place a fork on your nose and line up the fork with your nostrils and the center of your nose.

See? You highlight the center and contour the sides. You are left with a perfect nose and it is repeatable provided you use the same fork, and place it in the same was. But lets stamp this Hack as Fact!

Hack #5 Spoon for  cut crease

So the new makeup trend is the cut crease. I'm not talking about you getting into your crease and blending so it flows seamlessly. That is a cut crease but not what I'm talking about, even though I guess it still applies regardless. I'm rambling, let me go on. The crisp cut crease helps those who have mature, hooded or eyes that have a bit of extra skin or droop. This is a method for making your eyes look larger and giving you a dramatic pop. Here is what I'm talking about:

See that line...that is a cut crease and let me tell you...it is gorgeous. The artistic beauty that you can attain with makeup, a brush and a spoon is pretty sweet. Now this isn't a look for everyday unless you want it every day to which I say...Hell ya! The one thing this absolutely teaches us is how easy we can change the structural look of the eye. So the spoon technique is this:

This MUA is using it to give herself a very crisp line. At this juncture you can blend, blend, blend and make it a seamless look or you can go in and add that sharp edge. Either way it is gorgeous. So yep the spoon isn't just for slurping down your cereal or soup. You have to try this!

Bonus Hack!

Congratulations you have reached the bonus level. You've made it through some basic makeup hacks and now you can rest. But you need to take off that makeup before you do so and here is one more hack for the road.

DIY Makeup Remover Wipes

I always advocate thoroughly removing your makeup each night. It is important to clean your skin. The better care you afford your skin, the better complexion. There is no one right way to go about it though. I love my Makeup Eraser and then a quick cleanser some nights. Other nights I do the full facial, exfoliate, mask and then moisturize. And occasionally I am just beat and want to grab a makeup wipe. This is especially true when I've messed up my makeup and need to redo quickly.

I've seen packages of makeup wipes sell for more than $30 and that is absolutely outrageous. If your disposable makeup wipe costs more than .25 each...you are getting ripped off. No if's and's or but's. You don't need to go out and buy them if you are using them at home. Now if you want to keep a pack in your car or purse then find a reasonably priced set. My local Asian market sells a huge variety for about $3.00 for an entire container and they come in a variety of scents.

For home use....make your own! Making your own makeup remover wipes puts you in charge of what goes on your face. A manufacturer can tell it is cruelty free, vegan, no preservatives, natural, organic etc but you really don't know that for sure. So skip the guessing game and make some yourself. You will need a small Tupperware bowl with a lid, a roll of heavy duty paper towels that are soft, a large, sharp knife, baby shampoo, a little bit of lotion and some water. That's it.

Your bowl needs to be able to fit half the paper towel roll. You saw the paper towels in half and place them in the bowl. In a separate bowl mix water, lotion and baby shampoo. You don't want it overly soapy, you just need it to gently cleanse. Test out the fluid on the back of your skin. If it wipes off well without any soapy or lotion residue then you have the right mixture.

Add enough water to come up maybe 1/4 of the way, place the lid on and shake...shake...shake. You want to get the paper towels wet but not overly saturated. Drain the remaining water until there is only a slight amount at the bottom of the bowl. That's it. Cap and set aside for later use. I store some of the liquid in a bottle to wet the wipes as needed.

So there you go! Some simple but unexpectedly useful beauty hacks. If you have a hack and want to share it...let me know!

What the Hell? The Hell You Say!

I love starting off with a very emphatic statement. It is something I say quite often but in this case we are discussing Elizavecca MilkyPiggy Hell-Pore Cleanup Mask.

That's quite a mouthful! Depending on how current you are with makeup trends, you may have not heard of this mask. There are several Youtube Makeup Professionals, and Enthusiasts alike, who have reviewed this product. *On a side note you really need to check out some of these guys and gals because they offer a load of tips. Tati, Graveyard Girl, Vintage or Tacky and Wayne Goss to name a few.*

This mask is pretty unique. It has a very catchy name and the process of removing unwanted junk on your skin is spot on. This is the mask to end all masks if you need to remove blackheads, whiteheads or simply a buildup of dried skin.

 I've used this product about 3 times and it is definitely interesting. I use masks about once a week to help my skin and when given the opportunity to try the Hell-Pore mask, I had to jump on it. Even at my advanced age of 29+++++ (haha!) my skin does have issues with blackheads around my nose and along my temple where my glasses sit.

You open the package and the first thing you realize is that 97% is in a foreign language. I'm guessing it may be Chinese or Korean simply because these countries often have unusual products and right now are the happening trend.

The instructions are pretty scarce if you cannot read the package but you get the general drift of how to use it. You clean your skin, gently pat dry and then apply the mask. Pretty standard stuff.
You then wait until it completely dries. I will give you this tip, and it applies to all masks: use a thin, even coat that avoids the baby hairs around your hairline and your eyebrows. You don't want to give yourself an accidental waxing!

So now your mask is dry and you start to peel. This is the point where I'm not sure why the Youtube MUA/MUE belly ache. This mask definitely pulls out imperfections and it does it a little painfully. I don't think it is painful but there are those who do and it really depends on how used to masks you are and what your tolerance level may be. It could also be that I haven't used it correctly...that actually may be the truth because it certainly isn't my skin not needing it.

When I used it on Maesin I was pretty quick about ripping it off because I wanted to see if that would yield greater results and surprisingly it did. I'll test it again going slowly because I want to know which way removes the most impurities.

Hell-Pore can be found on many websites and apps but the best price so far seems to be from Amazon. I'm including the link here. It retails for $11.30. That is a very good price for a mask! I have two other masks I use, an Elizabeth Arden and the Caudalie Set. I am in love with Caudalie. Simply in love with the mask, serum and lotion. I urge you to snatch up a sample set and give it a whirl!

Back to Hell-Pore...this is product that you need to give a chance. It is pretty unique and the same company offers up other products designed to give you glowing skin with less imperfections. It is pretty cheap and if you have Amazon Prime you will not have to pay for shipping.

Give it a try and let me know how it works for you!

Stop! Dewy finish? Yes please!

Get oily!

With winter finally making its appearance it is easy to let your skin suffer. The warm, dry air in our homes can become problematic. You stay hydrated, you moisturize and still feel as if your facial skin is brittle and stiff. The outside air doesn't help it either. But there are some additional steps you can take to ensure you have baby soft skin that glows and gives you a dewy finish. You just need to get oily!

Before jumping into the products you can use on/for your skin, it is best that we talk about your skin. Your skin is the largest organ in your body and has the incredible job of keeping all the necessary bits in and keeping infections at bay. Skin is complex. It is easily dried out and in patches can be extremely oily. So to say you should add oil to your skin can be a bit confusing. Won't that make your oily skin even worse? Won't it cause breakouts?

The answer is no. In most cases it is not going to cause breakouts and it can actually help reduce oil production. When you consistently apply products to eliminate oily skin, it has the opposite effect, the same with washing your face too often. As your skin dries, your body kicks into overdrive and your sebaceous glands produce even more oil. This is a never ending cycle. It's the same type of cycle when you use EOS lip balm or Chapstick. It softens your lips but the moment it wears off...your lips are dryer than before so you reapply.

Dermatologists recommend that you do not over wash your face as well. It strips the skin of its natural oils but did you also know that your oily skin is due to genetics? If you suffer from overly oily skin, you are probably producing an excess of dihydrotestosterone. This wonderful hormone probably made its debut on your skin during puberty. And you here you thought puberty was just a squeaky voice, awkwardness with your crushes and just being clumsy in general. Pfft.

We could spend a lot of time on the ways to discourage oil production, get it off the skin and discuss medicines but those are all remedies for ridding yourself of oil on the follicle level. The tip I'm going to share with you now is one that will improve the appearance of your foundation and give you a dewy complexion without making your skin an oil field.

Here's the tip: apply oil to your face. I was hesitant about doing this because my T-zone can be very slick. But after watching some of my favorite MUE and reading about this tip, I decided to give it a try. Currently I use an oil to clean off my makeup, especially my mascara. I didn't want to use that so I searched for a different oil that would go beneath my makeup. After careful consideration, I decided to go with Laura Mercier's  Flawless Skin Infusionde Rose Nourishing Oil (1.0 ounce).

It is $62.00 a bottle if you do not find it on sale or use a discount. It is spendy, I am not going to lie. However...this bottle will easily last a year  and that is with almost daily use. It smells wonderful. A light hint of rose adorns your skin and you are left with this dewy, glowing finish that will come through your foundation.

I cannot recommend this enough. Even with the current rage being matte everything, you can still have this effervescent glow that comes from the drop or two of oil. You only apply a few drops, rub your fingers to spread it and then pat it gently onto your skin. Voila! Beautiful, fragrant skin that gives off a dewy finish. You can use this as a substitute for lotion or you can use it with.

If you do not want to spend that money, there are other oils out there that I hear are quite great as well. Tarte has their Maracuja Oil (the 1.7oz jar) for $48.00 on Sephora. There are others on Sephora and Ulta that work the same way. You just want to use caution in the type of oil you use. Some are better suited for removing makeup.

This winter give your skin a much needed break from the dryness brought on by the cold, wind and even the heat in your home. Give an oil a chance.

Value your skin and health...Be aware of where you purchase your makeup!

In a past post I discussed makeup (as if that is a shocker) and the discussion in question is where to purchase your makeup.

I admit that makeup, especially the good kind, is hella expensive. If you don't buy drugstore brands then your wallet takes a hit. And I'm not bashing drugstore brands as there are a lot you can find which are amazing dupes for high end makeup.

There is one thing you should NEVER, NEVER do however and that is buy makeup on Ebay, an overseas website or any of the other "discount" sites. Why? Because those are rife with impostors and that $20 savings could turn out to be a very costly mistake. Costly in the wallet for doctor visits and wasted money.

Do you see the common thing about each of these? They are all super cheap! Win...right.

No, I'm afraid not. First let's take a look at the first picture. Lime Crime is a great makeup that is highly pigmented, vegan and all natural. You are never going to buy the legit Venus I and II palette for that much. Take a look at the packaging. Notice anything other than price? There is no name. Now take a look  here and check out how the real packing comes.

Let's move on down to Younique, Too Face's Peach palette and the Jeffree Star Skin Frost.

Once again you have bargain basement prices. I'm not saying that you will always crap out when shelling out a few bucks for makeup but you'll never get the same quality. In fact most of the dupes come from China. I have a big issue with that just on the animal cruelty side of things. China tests on animals and that is a no go for me.

Second, and this is the most important, China and other countries that offer dupes will recreate the formula with cheaper material. Check out this link to read about the dangers. You could be putting lead on your eyes.

Not good.

The most popular brands all have scams. Even if you luck out and don't wind up seriously sick, you are still not getting the quality you expect.

Here is my suggestion, and I hope you take it: Buy from reputable websites and sellers. Ulta, Urban Decay, Sephora, Younique, Too Faced...etc, you get the drift, all will gladly sell you the real deal. Always go to your trusted sources. It may cost you more but you will be buying the real thing.

Trust me on this one. If you want great, safe makeup then buy directly, through a reputable website or store, or your local Younique gal.