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.

Modern Renaissance Palette, Makeup Forever, Lipsense and Urban Infusions

Happy November 3rd my Kats and Kittens!

Halloween is in the rear view member, it is a glorious Fall day and I have some product reviews to share with you.

The products for today's discussion are:

Anastasia: Modern Renaissance Palette
Urban Infusions Moisturizing Lotion
Charlotte Tilbury Full Fat Lashes
LipSense in Nutmeg
tarte's tarteist Clay Paint Liner
Jeffree Star's Ice Cold Highlighter
Makeup Forever in M-540 Taupe

So let's get down to business and let me embarrass myself by putting a picture up. Note: I take horrible selfies.

The video, if it actually plays, is me rubbing my lips and then showing you that there is ZERO transference. None. Zip. Nada. It's the LipSense. I love long lasting lipsticks. I have many in my makeup arsenal but this one doesn't break apart. And no other lipstick I've ever tried can say the same. There is always breakage around hour 4. They start to flake up, get chewed off or wind up on my coffee mug. *The video sucked and I'm not showing it*

Not this one. You begin to see breakage on the inner portion of your lip around hour 6. Around hour 8 is where it doesn't look as great but it is still there. Bonus! The one caveat is that you need to make sure and reapply the gloss. The gloss is what gives it moisture and not feel like a desert has taken up refuge on your lips.

There are three things that I do not like about the product though and one is the initial burn. It has alcohol as one of its ingredients and there is a slight burning sensation. I've been told, and read, that this doesn't last for long and it is working to rid your lips of dry and flaky skin. Crossing my fingers on that one.

The second and third things are minor. The color is long lasting and if you decide, in a few hours, that you want to change out of that color and go for a different one...it is hard to remove. I'm sure there are easy ways but everything I have tried has involved vigorous scrubbing. Like I said though, that is a minor concern. Most people wear their lipsticks out and then reapply.

The third thing is finding the right color for your needs. LipSense has a ton of different colors in shimmers, frosts and mattes. I lucked into seeing my colors in person by having a wonderful friend that is selling the product. However...there are so many you want to swatch and test out and unless you have someone that has samples of all the colors, you are out of luck. Unlike Sephora, Ulta, Macy's, Nordstroms, Mac etc...you don't have that ability. My suggestion would be to pick a shade on the chart that closely resembles your favorite lipstick color and try it out.

Next up: Anastasia's Modern Renaissance Palette

This palette is a makeup enthusiast's wet dream. It screams FALL! The warm tones can be worn by absolutely everyone. The transitional shades are easy to blend out and packing on color is incredibly easy. The only thing I caution on is that these are highly pigmented eye shadows. That means you take only the barest amount and blend, blend, blend before picking up more.

Divine. Using this and the Naked 3 palette ensures your eye shadow is on point for any occasion. Pick this one up and you will definitely not regret the purchase. I am not going to lie to you, the price...it's up there. Take a look at the Sephora website Anastasia Modern Renaissance

Next on the review is Urban Infusions' Moisturizing Lotion. I had the great pleasure of working with one of the owners and I wanted to try some of their lotions. Anyone who knows me, knows that I love lotion. I have been a dedicated Bath and Body Works user for over a decade. Even though BBW is a great body lotion, it can be overpowering. And it does leave a residue on your hands that can be very off-putting.

Many people avoid hand lotions because of the feeling left behind. You know the one. You put it on and it takes forever to be absorbed and then disappears in an hour.

Not this one and to test it out...I've been using it on my face as well as my hands and feet. I have extremely sensitive skin and this absorbs beautifully. There is not sticky residue. Your hands and face feel satin smooth.The scents are mild and pleasing and it is an all around fantastic product. I cannot urge you enough to try this out.

The website doesn't feature the lotions at this time but you can visit the Urban Infusions Facebook page to learn more. Trust me...you are going to want to try their products out. It is plant based and all organic. Your skill will love you for this!

I will tag my LipSense provider in the posting and you can visit her party page for details on how you can purchase a LipSense product. The same goes for the Urban Infusions products.

Try these out and let me know how YOU liked them.

Kardashian Contour?

Hello my darlings!

Today's installment is courtesy of the contour revolution. The sweeping movement to use those dark, brown pigments or shadows that give you the Kardashian sculpt where your face is transformed. The use of highlighters, powders, creams, and concealer that gives that golden and shadowed visage.

But..................................................... (and there is always a but), it isn't a look for some demographics.

Some simply look overdone and the contour only makes them seem as if they have a faux, too bronzed skin tone. It isn't a good look.

Contouring the traditional method of using a dark powder (or foundation, cream etc) and a highlight has its place and far often it is overused. We look at Youtube videos, instructional videos or read up on how to use it. And for some it does work. But if you have pale skin and do not tan easily, it is not the look for you.

But.......................I want that prominent cheek bone. I want to make my face look slimmer.

Rest assured my little minions it is still possible to sculpt your face and give you a flattering, not bronzed and overdone, finish. In fact it is absolutely 100% effective for most skin tones.

What devilry do I have to sign up for in order to get this look?

It is easy. All you need is a good eye shadow, blush and the right highlighter. Let me explain.

I have pretty fair skin that does not take well to the traditional contouring. And when I tried using the traditional method, I looked fake baked. And I tried many different contouring kits. The ones with a darker shadow, medium shadow and what many consider a highlighter. They simply did not work. But I'll share with you what did and explain how to apply it successfully.

Let's start with the basics which are always your brushes. You will need a small contouring brush, cut brush or a sponge. You will need a fan brush and a short blush brush.

The contouring powder you will need is a taupe powder or cream that falls closer to a gray. This is your base for creating the defined look. Next you need an all purpose blush. For fair skin types one blush that stands above the rest is NARS Orgasm. (To be honest it is a blush shade that everyone should have. It is flattering to every skin tone.)

A good highlighter is next. Skip the highlighters that come in standard contour kits. It is not the one you want because those tend to be only suited for medium skin tones. You want a pale shimmer, a pink shimmer or even a blue shimmer highlighter. I highly, highly recommend two brands.

Jeffree Star's Skin Frost line. There are some incredible shades available. Just remember, though, that you want a paler color. Stay away from the overly warm. I highly recommend using Ice Cold and Peach Goddess together to create a great multidimensional effect.

My other go to favorite I recently discovered is Urban Decay's Afterglow 8 Hour Powder Highlighter. I chose Sin and Aura.

Take your contour brush and swipe the contour shadow and tap against your hand. This removes excess product. You want to slowly build your contour shade because it is much easier to blend and add than it is to remove.

Imagine a line that stretches and swoops from the top of your ear down below your cheek bones that ends a few inches from the corner of your mouth. If you are worried that you don't know where to swoop and stop, simply suck in your cheeks. That is the natural curve you want to create a shadow. That area is what will bring out your cheek bones.

Apply your powder and blend, blend, blend but try to stay within that natural curve.

Next comes your forehead and temple. Imagine the number 3. The 3 starts at the center of your hairline. It goes along the hairline to your temple and then to the hollow of your cheeks. Make SURE that you use the minimum amount of color. Dip in taupe shadow, tap and then move it along your skin.

Let's tackle that jaw line. Your jaw line is what will help slim your face, help eliminate any less than thin area beneath your jaw. The effect will be a more pronounced jaw. Same principle as before. Use the shadow sparingly. Remember: You can always add more but taking it away is a pain in the ass.

Your blush should be just a subtle pink or salmon to the apples of your cheek. Use as little powder as you can. You don't want the porcelain doll effect. You want just enough healthy pink that livens up your face and adds depth.

Highlighter time! Get out that fan brush. Remember all the lessons above in regards to be judicial in the amount of product? This is where it is very important. Highlighters need to build and the amount varies on where it is applied. You will be applying this to your upper cheekbone directly beneath the outer corner of your eye, the bridge of your nose, the cupids bow and right above the arch of your eyebrow.

Fan the brush through the highlighter, tap and sweep. I use two different highlighters. The first one is the darker highlighter that is more of a peach tone. The peach tone will add tremendous depth against the taupe contour. Sweep it on top of your cheekbone, above the arch of your eye and down the bridge of your nose.. Then add just a little bit at your cupid's bow on your upper lip.

Now it is time for highlighter number 2. This is an optional step. I love using a lighter highlighter because I want my cheeks to not be as round and it adds a step of glam to your makeup look for the day. I absolutely love Jeffree Star's Skin Frost in Ice Cold. It is GORGEOUS. He has others in a Mint and now in shades such as lavender. You can't go wrong with these unless you put too much on at once. These are hyper-pigments and a little goes a long way which is good because they aren't as cheap as others. I'd gauge them to be a bit middle ground in the price line.

There you go! No need to look like you are a fake bake contour. No need to let bronzers give you that orange glow. Use taupe's and create a depth that is incredible. Fair skin people unite and say Hell No to the Orange Glow! We can't all be olive toned beauties where the standard contour works.

White Concealer...You Must Be Joking!

White Concealer...you must be joking right?

Actually my dolls, my kats and kittens, my reason for sharing my love of makeup, I'm not joking.

Let's rewind a bit. Lately I've been trying new brands of makeup and looking at tricks and tips that are a bit more edgy than I normally default to simply courtesy of YouTube. I'll be honest with you. I spend a several hours on the weekends simply watching YouTube videos. I love learning about new tips, tricks, techniques and products. Invariably between surfing videos and watching my favorite makeup stores, I wind up purchasing something new.

It's an addiction. It's an obsession and maybe there is a bit of a makeup hording problem. Okay so hording is a little harsh.

But let me tell you about two products that have changed the game and I want to share a tip with you that I've been trying out for the last month or so.

I really love the Kat Von D Lock-It foundation but it can be a little too much so I use it on days when I'm looking for a total full coverage face. It's absolutely magnificent if you are going full on because it gives you a flawless finish.

I had read about the new primer from Kat Von D that is in the Lock-It product line and initially I was against ordering it. I have several different primers. * Stay tuned below for my tip for using primers*. But I was running low on my Too Faced Hangover Primer and thought about the best primer to use on the Lock-It foundation.

I finally gave in and tried the Lock-It Primer.

It is a game changer. It is absolutely light and keeps my makeup from sliding around. And that is something that not a lot of primers can guarantee simply because of the formula. Most primers are put in just the areas of coverage needed but then it leaves lines where the foundation feathers out. This primer is perfect for your entire face. And using it with the Lock-It foundation changes the full face coverage's game.

You use less of the foundation and you get a look that is polished and looks fantastic. No more sliding foundation. No more lines where the makeup slides and begins to look spotty. Even the nose (which is always a problematic spot when it comes to applying foundation) works out perfectly.

As always the caveat is using this with the appropriate foundation. I've mentioned time and time again that formula's are something you should inspect before ANY makeup is purchased. Here is the primary ingredients in the Lock-It foundation:

Water, Dimethicone, Phenyl Trimethicone

Here is the primary ingredients for the primer:

Water, Shea Butter Ethyl Esters, Jojoba Esters

Look primarily at the first two ingredients because it is those that make the combination of the Lock-It foundation and the Lock-It primer so extraordinary. Both start off as water based. Check out the second ingredient. A Dimethicone and a Shea Butter Ethyl Esters.

Now past blogs, and foundations/primers do not combine a -icone with a water in their ingredients simply because in most foundations these two would counteract each other. A -icone is going to be slick. A water is going to go on more sheer and go into the skin.

What magic is this?! Who sold a soul to the makeup Gods????

These two babies were born to be forever united.

I can't even begin to tell you how smooth this combination comes together. You can use a stippling brush, one of the popular oval brushes (which you know I absolutely adore the concealer brush because of its density and it easily applies foundation for an air brushed finish), and a beauty blender.

You MUST try this duo.

Now on to the next product from the Kat Von D line that is pretty new. Kat has taken a cue from Too Faced's Born this Way line of foundations and concealers, with making a huge range to fit any skin tone. It's pretty awesome in a world where you are limited to Fair, Neutral, Buff and so on.

But there is one concealer within the line that is very different than what you may have see before and what you have used. It's the

Lock-It White Concealer.

This isn't a taupe. This isn't a fair. It is absolutely white. No if's, and's or but's.

If you have under eye circles, want to provide some amazing highlights... this baby is for you.

I put on my regular concealer and then add this sparingly to my under eye area, down the bridge of my nose, a dot above my cupid's bow, a dollop between my eyes and a little bit on my chin. Blend in gently and you are rocking the effects. It makes contouring easy, it makes your highlighted area pop and if you have dark circles...banished.

It is amazing. Especially for us pale skinned creatures. It is absolutely gorgeous when contouring. Tanned or darker skin tones...this is the primer you have been waiting for your entire life.

This is a game changer and if you combine it with the Lock-It foundation and primer you are going to easily contour AND have an airbrushed finish. Trust me.

I am going to be honest about one thing though. Price. These three items do not come cheap. The foundation is $32.00, primer is $32.00 and the concealer is $26.00. Click on the hyperlinks to purchase them at Sephora. (If you buy makeup...my first choice is always Sephora because of the killer rewards program and they are a bit more upfront with you. Plus if you become an awards member you get free make-over's.)

I know, I know...that's a bit much for makeup. But these have a lot of product that lasts, you don't have to apply much so it really evens out in the long run. For me it is worth it.

Gals, I can only say this, "Try these out." You can ALWAYS return them to Sephora for a refund. They have a no  hassle return policy.

Now I said I was going to give you a tip on concealers but that was before this long ass post. You'll have to wait until another time.

Kisses, Hugs and all that jazz!

Makeup Eraser Glory

Let me first start off by apologizing for the huge delay in posts. My goal, when starting out, was to share tips, techniques and products that hopefully would inspire each of you to share your tips, techniques and products you love.

Now that we have that out of the way I want to talk about removing your makeup. One of the biggest mistakes most of us make, and I try my best not to do it. It's sleeping in my makeup. When I have a full face makeup I always take it off but when it is just a light powder and minimal eyes...I lazy out.

When I totally wash my face, its with the Aveno  foaming face wash and I  also use an maracuja or coconut oil to remove my eye makeup. *Tip...that is the best way to remove waterproof makeup and it leaves your skin feeling soft and supple.*

But there are times when I use makeup wipes. They are handy and are a fast way to get ready for bed and prepare your face in the morning. And you can't discount how easy they are to pack in your bag.

The problem I've always run into was that you go through them quickly and unless you have a place that you can get them super cheap...they can be expensive when they begin to add up.

The answer to any of the dilemmas above is the Makeup Eraser. It is a long piece of a polyester blend and is completely organic, chemical free. And best of all??? It is good for almost 1000 washes. And let me explain how it works and how those number of washes are incredible.

When you get your Makeup Eraser you are instructed to wash it in the washing machine first and then air dry. Next is to remove your makeup. Wet the Makeup Eraser and start taking your makeup off. One side is super, super soft and the other side is super soft to exfoliate. It completely removes any type of makeup.

That's it. When the Eraser is complexly dirty you simply wash again. I use mine all week, every night and its ready to hit the washing machine on Sunday. So imagine kicking those makeup wipes to the curb and buy something that works even better, and is cheaper!

The cost for the Makeup Eraser is around  $20.00. Don't buy it at Sephora because it is more expensive there. I found mine on Amazon. Here is the link. Don't buy the knock-offs either.

Go grab you one and then let me know how you like it. Or if you already have one...share your story, good or bad, on how it works for you!

Love, Kisses and Hugs.

Me :)

A Brush by Any Other Name...

A Brush by Any Other Name...

First let me apologize about the delay in posts. With graduation for my daughter approaching and the end of my oldest daughter's Freshman year, combined with work; I've not had enough time to pick through my huge stash of products I would like to post a blog about. That being said, this blog is one of those essential tools that women use. An applicator.

The hot new product of the year has been these brushes.

These brushes (and there are several brands now) are the "big" thing lately. There are countless YouTube videos, vlogs and blogs about these applicators.

The first, and undoubtedly best, came from arti's. The price tag definitely reflects the pioneer brush, and without a doubt it is probably worth it. The raves on the foundation brush are through the roof. You can pick up one of these brushes for $55.00

I didn't want to spend that kind of money on a brush so I found a set on Amazon and thought, "Holy crap this is a great deal! I can get a set of these for $20.00." Wahoo! I was extremely excited about trying these out and with such a range of brushes, I was confident that I would finally master the art of blending beautifully. I would be able to chuck my beauty blender, and MAC stipple brush to the "seldom use" drawer.

The brushes arrived and were unboxed quickly. The first tell tale quality alert came with the packaging. It was very cheap but I pushed on because I couldn't wait to try them all.

I grabbed my favorite foundation and tried out the largest. Nope...too big. Then I came to the 2nd and 3rd brushes. Excellent. Now to try out the smaller brushes for my eyes and eyebrows.

Failure. They were cumbersome and didn't blend well and I felt like I was about to snap them off.
And that was even true of the larger ones that did successfully apply my foundation. The narrow neck, combined with flimsy plastic handles, made application a bit awkward and I felt like there was no support to the brush head.

I've used these brushes for over a month now and I can say, without a doubt that the 2nd and 3rd round brush absolutely work. The 2nd to largest is not pictured because Maesin snagged it from me. But that's okay because the 3rd largest (shown as the 2nd from the left) really did the job perfectly for me.

If you notice the small oval brush pictured 3rd from the left, you'll see that it has been used. I tried to use this brush for concealer and it was an epic fail.

Concealers, in my opinion, have to be applied with a damp beauty blender. It is the only way to really get that product into the skin and produce a flawless finish. This holds true to under eye circles as well as highlighting.

I do give one or two of these brushes a solid A. They do not absorb as much foundation as a beauty blender, however you shouldn't apply the foundation directly to the brush. Your best bet is to dot your face with foundation and then let the brush do its magic.

The brush is very densely packed with soft bristles. It is that denseness that makes this brush a far superior applicator than other makeup brushes. All of my other makeup brushes for foundation tend to leave swirls that have to be blended and blended. And I have some very high end brushes. MAC ain't cheap y'all! But this brush, even though it is the knock-off from the original, works. I get an airbrushed finish and I get compliments on my makeup. I was told that I had beautiful skin. That is definitely a WIN! Your makeup foundation should give you that flawless finish. That's the goal of any foundation you use.

Before I leave you to your day, I do want to pass along a tip that I learned by watching other's videos. Many of the MUA will remove a bit of product from areas that tend to get cakey. For me these are the lines around my mouth and the edges of my cheeks. I tried it and it definitely helped removing the wrinkles and/or made them less visible. You should try it sometime.

My final advice is this: buy one or two of the round brushes. Don't buy the largest because it is way too big to use on your face for foundation and it does diddly squat for powder. It's just awkward.

Pick up one that is a bit smaller and try it out. Be forewarned though that it is something you will have to get used too because it has a different feel in your hand.

My score:

Blending: A+
Construction: a very weak C
Price: varies (start off a bit cheap and then invest in a high quality oval brush)
Does it work?: Yes but it takes some practice.