Benefit Bad Gal Bang Mascara Review

 

During my visit to The Makeup Show, I received a generous bag of goodies to try and review from the participating brands. It’s one of the most fun parts of visiting the show, because I get to try a ton of new things. I’ve discovered a lot of great products this way. In this year’s bag, media visitors received Benefit Bad Gal Bang mascara. I was surprised. First, this product has been out for a little while–it launched in February of this year. But then I realized I didn’t hear a ton about this, and I haven’t heard about it recently. So I honestly didn’t know what to expect. But I’m always down to try a new mascara! I’ve been test driving Bad Gal Bang for a few days now, and I’m ready to share my thoughts.

First, what does Benefit have to say about Bad Gal Bang?

BADgal BANG! 36 HOUR* FULL-BLAST volumizing mascara creates MASSIVE volume without weighing down lashes. The gravity-defying formula builds volume the more you layer, and contains aero-particles, one of the lightest known materials, derived from space technology. This innovative intense pitch black mascara layers easily for bigger & BIGGER impact. Its custom big Slimpact! brush is streamlined to reach root-to-tip, corner-to-corner, upper & lower lashes for BIG VOLUME WITH 360° REACH!” 

Wow…so my mascara has space technology particles in it. Fancy. 💁🏻‍♀️

The brush on this mascara is a tapered synthetic bristle brush. It’s fairly large, so I was kind of intimidated about getting it into the corners of my eyes without bumping my nose or something, but I managed to get into those harder to reach areas of my eye area without incident. It doesn’t have those pokey-scratchy bristles that some synthetic brushes have, either.


I would say you can definitely see volume has been added to my lashes. They look thicker and blacker, similar to the (probably enhanced) photos on the Benefit website. I also definitely see added length. In this photo I’ve applied just a single coat. To be honest, I’m not a mascara layering kind of gal. I don’t have the patience to layer my mascaras up. If they don’t work with one or two coats, I’m over it.

A large reason behind my intrigue towards Benefit Bad Gal Bang mascara was its claim of being smudge-proof. I’m not sure if it’s due to my eye shape, but everything smudges on me. EVERYTHING. (Translation: I’m pretty sure it’s due to my eye shape, but also don’t want to admit that since hitting my 30s I need much more emollient under eye products that are also contributing to the problem.)  So when a mascara claims to be smudge-proof, my ears perk. I’m happy (and shocked) to report no smudging with this mascara! It’s not waterproof (but does label itself water-resistant), and yet doesn’t smudge. Impressive, Benefit. I see you.

Lastly, I did a wear test after curling my lashes (a step I’m 99.9% of the time too lazy to do). My lashes often point straight down and get stuck to my bottom lashes, but today they’ve remained curled with this mascara. They aren’t exactly reaching for the sky, but I still call this a win.

So is it worth paying the high end mascara price? Well I’m certainly glad I got to try it for free first, because shelling out high end prices for a mascara that has to be thrown out in 3-6 months is not my style. But I have to admit, this is a great mascara and I’m really happy with it. Would I repurchase? It’s definitely within the realm of possibility. The lack of smudges is a pretty big deal to me. This mascara might just be the one that gets me to cross over to the high end mascara dark side.

Benefit Bad Gal Bang mascara retails for $25 for a full size, and $13 for a mini at Sephora, Ulta, and Benefit’s website. Don’t forget your Ebates. ;)

Current Favorites – March 2017

I’m not very good about doing consistent monthly favorites posts like other beauty content creators out there. Um, my bad? I just don’t try that many things every single month that I’d be able to have a whole list every month. Also, the beginnings and very end of the month are always very busy for me at work, so I don’t always have time to really give it some thought.

Anywho, here’s a few things I have been loving on lately, both in February and so far in March. I got a really nasty cold at the end of February, and some of these were just lifesavers that have helped me with that, since everyone knows being sick does GREAT things for your skin, right? ;) There’s a definite theme with these favorites: hydration. Being sick had me at lizard status.

Complexion-wise, I’ve been trying a lot of different foundations lately. Or rather, re-trying. I spent a lot of time earlier this year going through my foundation stash, which resulted in me wanting to try out a lot of foundations I hadn’t worn in a while. I also tried out the It Cosmetics Confidence in a Compact serum foundation, which I will have a full review on soon. However, when I got sick, my skin around my nose and upper lip was so dry and raw from being rubbed with tissues that no foundation went on comfortably (or attractively, I might add). I found one combination that worked enough to get me through the reptilian stage…

Trusty MAC Studio Fix powder (I wear shades N3 and NW10…wearing N3 in the pic above) and Make Up For Ever Full Cover concealer (I wear shade 2, which has been discontinued 😭). I use about a grain of rice size amount of concealer to spot conceal areas I need to, and then just go over everything with a light application of the MAC powder. The powder has a lot of coverage, and it sat okay on my super dry skin without looking (t00) scaly. Then I just wear a really natural looking blush that kind of matches the redness in my nose so it looks like maybe I just have a little color vs. a bright red clown nose. My blush colors of choice are Urban Decay Afterglow blush in Video or Wet ‘n Wild Color Icon blush in Rosé Champagne for something with more of a sheen. I’m wearing Video in the pic above.

Since being sick includes a lot of breathing through your mouth (cute, huh), that means dry lips! I’ve been kind of needing a break from all of the popular matte lips lately anyway, but that whole situation forced me to avoid them. For about a week straight I think I only wore lip balm. My lip balm of choice is Epic Blend. I like their Hemp and More Moisture formulas. For products with a little more color, I’ve been wearing my Vasanti Cosmetics tinted lip balm that I have loved for years. Unfortunately they’ve completely redone the line and I can’t recommend the new ones because I haven’t tried them. I also still use my It Cosmetics lip treatment quite frequently. It’s half gone. Eep!

Skincare-wise I have spent a lot of time slathering myself in moisturizer lately. I’ve been using a combo of Caudalie Vinosource S.O.S. Thirst Quenching Serum topped with It Cosmetics Confidence in a Cream. The rich cream combined with the extra hydrating serum have made it just a little easier to turn my lizard skin nose back into a regular person nose. 🐽

Other than that, I’ve really been spending a lot of time just shopping through my stash and trying out a lot of various things, so no other true favorites to report at the moment. But I’m always curious to know what you guys have been loving, so let me know!

Products I’ve Repurchased

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I always find it interesting to know what products people have repurchased time and again. It truly says something when even beauty addicts, who are consistently trying new things, return to old favorites. So why not return to blogging with some tried and true faves of my own? I’m breaking them down into categories.

Skincare

I definitely have the most repurchased items in the skincare category, so let’s start there.

Neutrogena Acne Stress Control Triple-Action Toner ($8.49, Ulta)
I couldn’t even tell you how many bottles I’ve gone through of this stuff, but it’s several. I love that this product is so good, even though it’s really inexpensive. The price is really great considering you get a huge 8 oz bottle. The active ingredient is 2% salicylic acid, which helps keep breakouts and clogged pores at bay, but since it is in a formula with camellia and cucumber, it isn’t irritating or stingy on my face. If you have very sensitive skin this may cause a little irritation because it does contain alcohol, but it has worked out fine for me.

Pixi Glow Tonic ($15, Target)
Another fantastic, inexpensive skincare find that I have purchased more than once. This is another acid toner (generally I would use this in the daytime and the Neutrogena toner at night). Pixi Glow Tonic contains 5% glycolic acid in a very gentle alcohol-free formula with aloe and ginseng. I experience no stinging, no redness, and no irritation, and I’m about 2/3 of the way through my second bottle. This toner is designed to keep your skin looking even and radiant. I definitely notice a difference!

Murad Acne Spot Treatment ($18, Sephora)
Murad has two acne spot treatment products. This one is not to be confused with their “fast fix” product, which is a benzoyl peroxide-based product. The one I’m in love with is simply called acne spot treatment and it is a 3% sulphur active ingredient treatment. There are only a few different actives that treat acne, and for me I prefer sulphur treatments to benzoyl peroxide. It’s way less drying and irritating. I only see a teeny bit of drying with this product, whereas benzoyl peroxide has more than once given me itchy dry patches. Not cute. Anyway, I am on my third tube of this handy stuff, which is great at helping to reduce the inflammation of breakouts, which is ultimately what causes them to be so painful (and noticeable!) and also what causes scarring. A little bit goes a long way, so in order to get through multiple tubes I have been using this product for years.

MAC Cleanse-Off Oil ($32 & free shipping, Nordstrom)
When I’m wearing makeup and/or sunscreen, I prefer to double cleanse. I use MAC Cleanse-Off Oil as my first cleanse. It’s great at removing even the heaviest makeup (even waterproof mascara or bits of lash glue). This cleanser emulsifies with water, so you don’t even really need to do a second cleanse if you don’t want to. If you have dry skin, you may not feel the need. The oil is formulated with no mineral oil, and contains soothing oils like olive, evening primrose, and jojoba. If you’re at all acne or clog prone, you may want to follow up with a second cleanser. I do just because I like to be extra squeaky clean, and because my skin has been more normal-to-oily than dry lately. As an added bonus for this product, you can recycle the packaging with Back 2 MAC.

Mario Badescu Enzyme Cleansing Gel ($14, Ulta)
For a cleanser with chemically exfoliating actives in it, this cleanser is so very gentle. I think it would work well for just about any skin type. This cleanser exfoliates with hydroxy acids from papaya and grapefruit extracts. It’s gentle enough that I have even used it with cleansing devices like the Foreo Luna or Clarisonic and had no irritation. If you have dry skin that is prone to clogged pores, this will help to keep them clear without irritating your skin. I love that the packaging is no-nonsense and without any frills that would drive up the price, too. I’m on my second bottle, and still loving it!

Garnier SkinActive Moisture Rescue Refreshing Gel-Cream for Dry Skin ($8.99, Ulta)
Do you think this moisturizer has a long enough name? Because I’m not sure. This moisturizer is sold in a dry skin formula and a normal skin formula and I have tried both. Though Garnier says the dry skin version has 2x more moisturizing agents, I don’t notice a huge difference. This moisturizer is better for people who have normal to slightly dry skin rather than those who have very dry skin. I think it actually works great for skin that is dehydrated and producing too much oil to compensate, because it is so very light weight. The name says gel-cream, but it is very much a gel texture. It’s not going to give you a heavy night cream feeling at all. I think it wears very well under makeup, and on days when I need even more hydration I just use a serum first.

Hair Products

Hair products are another area where I am pretty settled into a routine and I know what I like.

Psssst! Dry Shampoo ($6.99, Ulta)
I wait ’til this stuff goes on sale and buy them a couple at a time. This is a very basic, yet well-performing dry shampoo. I have bangs–dry shampoo is a necessity. I flip my head over and spray it at the roots, or spray it into my bangs and then comb through and sort of “fluff” them out for refreshed hair.

Alterna CAVIAR Anti-Aging Replenishing Moisture Shampoo & Conditioner ($32 each, Sephora online)
Once upon a time several years ago, the good folks at Alterna sent me a PR package with these two products in it, and thus began my love affair with really pricey haircare. I used both bottles up and then totally willingly forked over the cashola for my own more than once because this stuff is amazing. I have fine, color-treated hair. It tends to be on the dry side vs. oily, and I also heat style with a blow dryer and flat iron very regularly. I try to take very good care of my hair because if you’re going to pay $100+ to color it, you want to preserve that color or it’s throwing money away. These products are luxurious and sulfate-free, and make my hair feel oh so silky. Even the ends of my hair are in great shape and I believe I owe it to Alterna! It’s tough to swallow paying $64 for your hair care, so I do sometimes stray with L’Oreal’s sulfate free products, and I stock up on Alterna during events like Sephora’s annual VIB 20% off sale.

Makeup

Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Ultra Definition Liquid Makeup ($40, Sephora)
I’ve purchased this bad boy twice, even though it is far from cheap. The shade range is pretty extensive, and shade 0.5 matches me very well. It is described as a radiant finish, and looks very skin-like. The coverage is medium, and somewhat buildable. If you are looking for something to even out your skintone and wear well without looking like a mask, you’ll probably like this. If you have extremely oily skin or a lot to cover up, probably not as much. I loved this the most when my skin was normal to dry.

L’Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte 24HR Foundation ($12.99, Ulta)
As my skin became more normal to oily, I wanted a more matte foundation. The hype was huge surrounding this foundation’s launch, and for good reason. I love this foundation, possibly even more than the Urban Decay. It has easy, hygienic packaging that is travel friendly, a decent shade range (I wear 101 Classic Ivory), and wears very well throughout the day. The coverage is medium to high medium and buildable. Though it says matte, it’s not a dry or flat looking matte. It’s like your skin but better. At the end of the day I can feel oil on my t-zone, but the foundation doesn’t break up or smear, etc. It may require a bit of touching up around hour 12-13, so I raise my eyebrow at the 24HR claim, but you should never really wear foundation for 24 solid hours anyway. For less than half the price of Urban Decay, I am sold!

Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer ($28, Sephora)
While the Urban Decay foundation has been replaced in my go-to lineup for the moment, the accompanying concealer remains a favorite. This concealer does wonders for brightening up my under eye area and inner corners of my eyes. It blends out nicely and the fact that it is light enough to brighten even on my pale complexion is impressive. I wear shade Fair Neutral.

Maybelline Volum’ Express The Rocket Mascara ($6.99, Ulta)
I’ve repurchased this mascara easily 3 to 4 times. I love that it not only volumizes, but also lengthens. Most recently, I’ve been trying out the waterproof version of this (picked it up when I went on a cruise), and it is VERY waterproof.

Sedona Lace Synthetic Round Top Brush (480) ($18.95, Sedona Lace)
Simply put, my favorite foundation brush. It’s so dense, so soft, and blends foundation out like a dream. It also washes very well, and looks freaking adorable with the pink and black ombre bristles. They do not bleed or shed. Awesome all-around brush. I love it so much I needed a second one in my arsenal so I never have to be without it, even when one of them is drying from being washed.

Sedona Lace Synthetic Small Round Dome Brush (217) ($16.95, Sedona Lace)
My favorite concealer blending brush ever. It’s pretty much a smaller, less dense version of the 480. It’s a small, compact fluffy brush that blends concealer out even better than my fingers. Worth every penny, and I just had to get another one.

 

What are some beauty products you love so much that you’ve purchased them more than once?

February Beauty Favorites

february beauty favorites

Hey everyone! Let’s talk Feb Faves. As I was compiling my favorites from the month of February, I realized there’s a very pinky theme. That was totally unintentional…just kinda worked out that way! I do really love pinky rosy shades on me though, and have been digging a sort of monochromatic look where I have rosy tones on my eyes, cheeks, and lips. The rose colors always look amazing with green eyes, too.

Fragrance

February was dominated by one single perfume for me: Marc Jacobs Oh Lola. Oh Lola is a fruity floral scent that I’ll admit, I did not love as much when I first took a whiff. It’s very sweet. But my reason for loving this perfume is the dry-down. Oh my god. It’s the sexiest dry-down I’ve got in my collection. The notes of Oh Lola are listed as “pear, effervescent raspberry cocktail, peony, magnolia, cyclamen, sandalwood, tonka bean, and vanilla absolute”. Once the fruit and peony are done punching you in the face and they settle down and snuggle in to the base notes, this fragrance is incredible. If you spray your decollete with this perfume, by midday/evening you’ll want to motorboat yourself. The 1.7 oz bottle I have retailed originally for $68, but since this perfume launched in 2011 it’s available at a bunch of outlets for much cheaper. If I had one criticism of this perfume it’s that the 1.7 oz bottle is a bit top heavy, so I have to be careful I’m not knocking it over all the time.

Skin  Care

My skin still goes through times when it’s super dry, but lately has been more combo. I am super dry around my nose and mouth, but oily on my chin, and normal everywhere else. Every day I used to use the Makeup Forever HD Elixir on my nose to give it that extra surge of moisture before makeup application. I used up my HD Elixir and…it’s discontinued. That product was not cheap, but my little bottle lasted over a year. I was willing to shell out a pretty good chunk of cash for a proper substitute, and with that in mind I picked up Caudalie Vinosource S.O.S. Thirst-Quenching Serum on my recent trip to Frends Beauty. I had read about this serum on Sephora’s website, but after talking to someone at Frends who had used both the Caudalie and the HD Elixir, I was sold. She was also bummed about HD Elixir being discontinued and said the Caudalie would be good to use instead. I’ve been using it pretty much every day for the last couple weeks, and I love it. I apply it before my regular moisturizer to the areas that need extra hydration, and my makeup goes on smoothly instead of clinging to dry patches.

I switched toners in February, sort of on a whim. I finally joined the rest of the class in 2016 and got myself a Target RED card, which got me 15% off. I picked up Pixi Glow Tonic after hearing tons of raves from bloggers and Youtubers. The ingredients are what drew me in though, because it’s a 5% glycolic toner that claims to also be gentle enough for all skin types. It does contain calming ginseng and aloe, and so far is extremely gentle. It’s also alcohol free. I’ve been using it about a month, and it’s been great for my pores, and some of the hyperpigmentation I have from previous breakouts. It doesn’t sting at all, and doesn’t leave my face feeling dry or stripped after using it. The bottle Target sells is 3.4 fl oz/100 ml for $15. It’s very nice, and if you are looking for a new toner, I suggest checking that out. Pixi’s website also carries a larger size 250 ml bottle for $29 (free shipping on $25+), which I might grab after this little guy runs out.

Makeup

I’ve been shopping my stash and not adding too many new makeup items to my collection the past few months. Shopping my stash lead me to rediscover my It Cosmetics Vitality Lip Flushes. I have two, the more well-known Je Ne Sais Quois, and Damsel. Damsel is my love, my baby. I’m obsessed. I have worn this lipstick practically every day in February. Even if I don’t start out with it, I’ll put some on later in the day. It’s so pretty, so flattering, and soooo comfortable to wear. It leaves a nice pinky stain afterward. I’ve worn quite a bit of mine down, and this is one of those few makeup products that I will not wait to run out before I purchase a new one. I do not ever want to be without this again! Here’s a pic of me in Damsel:

medamsel

With that lipstick I’ve been wearing a lot of rosy, pinky eye looks. On my easy lazy days I use MAC Girl Friendly paint pot (discontinued). If I’m going for more of a put together look I add shades from either the Urban Decay Naked 3 palette or the Tarte Tartelette palette (particularly from the middle row). I’ve also been feeling a fleeky highlight lately, and there’s nothing subtle about TheBalm’s Mary Lou-Manizer. I apply that with a fan brush and glow to the gods. I’ve also put Mary Lou on my eyes for a nice pop of shine.

Beauty Tools

I’ve rekindled my romance with my Beauty Blender! We are recommitted and very much still in love. I had lost mine, or so I thought, and purchased a new one from Frends not too long ago. And of course right after she arrived, I found my old ones. The old ones are still in decent enough shape, so now I just have a family of pink sponges. Also on my recent trip to Frends, I picked up a new brush. I have no business buying new brushes, but I fell in love with the Stilazzi S133 Synthetic Brush. It’s a small tapered brush in the perfect size for setting my undereye area with powder. And it’s. So. Soft. Another brush I’ve been loving on a lot recently is my Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Small Powder/Blush brush. OCC gets a lot of recognition for their cosmetics, but their brushes are really awesome. The small powder brush is the perfect little brush for applying blush to the apples of my cheeks. The fibers are a custom blended synthetic (vegan, cruelty free, etc.), and again it’s just so soft and feels nice when I use it.

That’s it for my Feb favorites! What beauty products were you loving this past month? Anything you’re excited to try next month?

Just Spotted: Embryolisse Lash Boosting Serum

embryolisselab

This beauty news is HOT off the press! 30 minutes ago Embryolisse just announced its upcoming LASH BOOSTER! I am so excited. Very little is known about the product yet, except that this is the packaging:

In the comments on the image, they said it has a mascara wand and is applied like a lash primer.

Shut up and take my money, Embryolisse. I’m hoping they have this for The Makeup Show LA! All of their products have such high quality ingredients; I’m sure this is going to be really nice. So exciting! I will update as soon as they give a launch date. Does the idea of an Embryolisse lash booster get your buying hand tingly?

ColourPop Lippie Primer Review

ColourPop Cosmetics is a new brand that is causing quite the stir in the beauty community. I don’t know any fellow bloggers who aren’t already in love, or at least eager to try the line. One of the major appeals to this line is the price– nothing is over $8. Their color products (they make lipstick, lip liner, blush, and soon to release highlighters) are amazing, and I promise to do more reviews of them soon. But I recently picked up this lip primer and felt an almost immediate need to share it with you.

According to ColourPop, the Lippie Primer “enhances the wear of any lip product and keeps your lips looking and feeling healthy”. It is colorless and feels like a balm going on. When I say balm, I mean one of those slightly waxy balms without a ton of slip to it. My lips are left feeling slightly tacky once it is applied. It is said to contain “itty bitty spherical beads” that help to fill in lines, giving lips a more full and plump appearance. This also helps to make lip products go on more smoothly.

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I purchased the Lippie Primer not only to wear with ColourPop’s matte lipsticks, but with any matte lip product. I absolutely love this primer. It helped my NARS Satin Lip Pencil stay on all day at The Makeup Show LA, and helps keep my lips looking less dry and cracked while wearing any matte lip color. It contains mango, avocado, and shea butter to help with the moisturizing effect. However unlike wearing lip balm under a lipstick, this doesn’t sheer out the color in any way. Your lipstick or gloss will look just as vibrant as if you wore it with nothing underneath.

If you’re a MAC addict, you might be asking yourself if this is similar at all to MAC Prep ‘n Prime Lips. YES, it is! But compare price tags. The MAC lip primer is $16 while ColourPop Lippie Primer is just $5. I’m so in love with this that I’m thinking of buying a second one (to keep in my purse) the next time I place a ColourPop order. And even at buying 2 of them I will still spend less than on MAC, haha!

ColourPop Lippie Primer is available from ColourPop.com for $5. Note: this product is made in LA and not tested on animals. 

If you’re new to ColourPop, you can use the code “THANKSBABE” for $5 off your first order, which is a free lip product. ;) Enjoy!

NARS Launches False Eyelashes May 2015

NARSlashes

If you love false lashes, it’s time to get excited! NARS launches their new false lash collection Friday, May 1st 2015. The collection includes 8 styles of lash. Let’s get to know them, shall we?

Numero 1 – Designed by Francois Nars himself to compliment any eye shape.
Numero 2 – Medium length with uniform volume.
Numero 3 – Graduated lash lengths from end to end.
Numero 4 – Provides length and lifted curl.
Numero 5 – Dramatic curl in a wispy lash.
Numero 6 – The most dramatic look in the line for length and curl.
Numero 7 – A densely packed dramatic lash.
Numero 8 – Lower lash falsies.

These lashes will be available at NARSCosmetics.com and NARS boutiques starting Friday, May 1st. They retail for $20 each.

My Hourglass Cosmetics Makeover

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Yesterday I had the pleasure of attending an Hourglass Cosmetics event at Sephora South Coast Plaza. I got to meet the absolutely lovely founder of Hourglass, Carisa Janes, and get my makeup done by one of the Hourglass MUAs. It was cold, windy, and rainy in SoCal yesterday, but well worth “braving” the weather! I love the look that MUA Laura came up with for me, and wanted to share the product breakdown with you!

Complexion: First, Laura primed my skin with their No. 28 Primer Serum. I have very dry skin, and the No. 28 Primer Serum contains 14 essential oils, 10 plant oils, and 4 vitamins all meant to help hydrate your skin as it primes it for makeup. As a bonus, it smells magnificent! After massaging in the primer and letting it sort of ‘marinate’ for a minute, she applied Illusion Hyaluronic Skin Tint. Even though this product is a tinted moisturizer, it provides medium to full coverage so only needed to be used sparingly. Laura also used a tiny bit of Hidden Corrective Concealer after the eye look was done since some eye shadow fallout had to be cleaned up and some coverage was removed in that process. She also used a fluffy shadow brush and the Ambient Lighting Powder in Incandescent Light (exclusive to the Ambient Lighting Palette) around my eyes to highlight the area.

Cheeks: Hourglass just launched a new shade of their Ambient Lighting Blush called Incandescent Electra, and I’m in love. It’s the perfect coral for my skin tone. Laura used that along with a hint of Ambient Lighting Powder in Radiant Light, which is a bronze shade (but sheerer than their new Ambient Lighting Bronzer).

Eyes: For my eyes, Laura used colors from the Modernist Eye Palette in Color Field, which is the one with the khaki green shade in it. She used the brown-taupe shade wet as an overall base color on my lids, and lined my eyes with the green shade (also used wet). She also used the highlight shade to blend out the brown. I really like the eyeliner she used, which is a mechanical Gel Eyeliner. She used it to tightline as well as line my water line, and the color is so perfectly black. I’m also wearing Film Noir mascara, which I’ve already tried and loved previously. Still love it!

Lips: Laura first applied their No. 28 Lip Treatment Oil to help bring some moisture into my dry lips. It has a pleasant botanical fragrance and felt really nice. After it had a chance to sink in for several minutes, she dabbed off any excess and applied the color. The first product she used was Panoramic Long Wear Lip Liner in Muse, a really pretty coral. These liners have a convenient blending brush on the end. After the liner she applied a light layer of the matching Muse Femme Rouge Velvet Creme Lipstick, and Extreme Sheen High Shine Lip Gloss in Lush. The gloss is a lighter, slightly more pink version of the lipstick and liner.

Brows: I had done my eyebrows previously to arriving, because I’m totally vain and really hate leaving the house without any brows on. Rather than re-do them, Laura left them as they were. I used Billion Dollar Brows brow powder in Taupe and Anastasia Beverly Hills clear brow gel.

All of the Hourglass products mentioned are available for purchase at Sephora. I’m relatively new to the Hourglass world, and definitely left with some new things to add to my wishlist! The item at the top of my wishlist is definitely the Incandescent Electra blush. I just love a good glowy cheek!

Have you tried any Hourglass products?

ELF Glitter Primer Review

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The e.l.f. Glitter Primer is, as the name suggests, an eye primer meant especially for glittery shadows. If you’ve ever worn glittery eye shadows and noticed little bits of sparkle flaking off and ending up all over your face throughout the day, you understand why the need for such a product exists! I mean hey sometimes glitter all over your face is the look you’re going for, and if that’s the case rock on with your bad self. But for the rest of us, there’s e.l.f. Glitter Primer.

Unlike other eyeshadow primers that leave your eyelids basically just feeling like a smoother version of themselves, e.l.f. Glitter Primer leaves the lids feeling slightly tacky or sticky. It feels a little weird, but the stickiness is what keeps the particles of glitter in place. I use an amount roughly the size of a lentil on each eyelid. It feels smooth going on and doesn’t cause irritation at all. It really cuts down on fallout! I have used this primer successfully with ColourPop’s glittery SuperShock shadows, as well as some of Urban Decay’s sparklier shades with much success. I also really like using this primer with baked shadows! Baked shadows tend to be shimmery and kind of all over the place since essentially you’re scraping powder off the surface to apply it to your eye. Having a stickier base helps keep the powder in place and look more vibrant when it is applied in a packing or patting motion.

Each tube of Glitter Primer is 10.5 ml, or about the size of an average lipgloss tube. The price is a pretty unbeatable $2. I haven’t seen this primer in store displays at Target, so to my knowledge you can only get it from e.l.f.’s website. I definitely recommend giving this a try!

MAC Red, Red, Red Collection Info

MAC-Cosmetics-Logo

This collection may be called Red, Red, Red — but there’s plenty of near-red type colors to enjoy if you aren’t into the color full-out. I appreciate this since red has never really been my thing, haha. This collection launches 12/26 in North America and will be at all locations. Pro discount available.

MAC Red, Red, Red Collection – December 26th 2014

Lipstick: 

Lady Bug – yellow tomato (Lustre) – permanent
See Sheer – grapefruit pink (Lustre) – permanent
Toxic Tale – bright coral (Satin) – repromote
5-Alarm – soft orange red (Lustre) – new/LE

Cremesheen Glass:

Nectar Sweet – soft pink peach – repromote
Meteoric – mid-tone vibrant coral – repromote
Night is Young – bright red cream – repromote

Dazzleglass:

Love Alert – raspberry red with red pearlized pigments – permanent

Eye Shadow:

Give Me Fire – soft pink champagne with pearlized pigments (Lustre) – new/LE
Red Alert – rusty red mid-tone copper (Veluxe Pearl) – new/LE
Strike While Haute – true red (Matte) – new/LE

Beauty Powder: 

Hot Sensation – sheer pale peach highlight – new/LE

Casual Color: 

Out For Fun – cool coral – new permanent shade
Secret Admirer – coral pink – new/LE
Red Obsessed – soft rose – new/LE

Nail Lacquer:

Impassioned – bright warm pink (Cream) – permanent
Red Red Red – creamy orange red (Lustre) – new/LE
Rouge Combustion – pink red with sparkles (Frost) – new/LE