Maybelline Dream Cushion Liquid Foundation

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I have been looking for a cushion foundation ever since they came out. The idea behind a cushion idea is extremely fascinating and I have been looking to get my hands on one for a couple of months now. More and more drugstore make up brands have been releasing them, L’Oreal Paris was the first one and then Maybelline released their Dream Cushion. Since I had a coupon deal at CVS, I decided to pick up the Maybelline Dream Cushion in true beige. They retail for $15.99, which is price-y for a drugstore item. However, with a couple of coupons, I got it for around $12 which was a pretty good deal.

The packaging comes with a cushion that you can use to apply the foundation or I have seen people use a brush as well. I find the texture of the foundation to be extremely interesting, it reminds me of a sponge. When I put the cushion into the foundation it sinks in and then expands again which feels pretty cool.

The shade that I got was true beige, which is actually too dark for my skin tone right now.  It also has a slight-y pink undertone which does not work that well with my skin since I have yellow undertones. I am hoping to use this foundation more when it i the summer since currently I look a bit like an oompa loompa when I wear it. However, I do find the application process pretty easy since I used the cushion and I did not have to clean another brush for this product. Although I do find that the cushion gets real dirty real fast. But the cushion made the application quick and easy and it applied very smoothly onto my skin. The foundation does provide light to medium coverage and you can build it up for more coverage. It does provide a dewy finish which may not be too great for oily skin but I do have dry skin so that was not an issue or me. Along the day I did find dry patches especially around my nose areas. However, I did like this foundation since it felt very lightweight on my skin but I do have to play with it more when it is summer to see how I really feel about this foundation.

March 2017 Favorites

I feel like I say this every month, but March has just flew by. It was a pretty busy month for me since it was both my boyfriend and best friend’s birthday! But that also meant a lot of chances to try out new make up and rediscover ones that I have loved in the past.

•  Korres Quercetin and Oak Anti-ageing Foundation: I recently wrote a review on this foundation where I mentioned how much I loved it so it is no surprise that it made my March favorites. This foundation does not make me look dry or cake-y which is what I have been looking for in a foundation. It covers up all my imperfections and makes my skin look smooth and amazing.
• Mary-Lou Luminizer: This highlighter has been on my wishlist for the longest time and I finally picked it up last month. It provides such an amazing glow without being too glittery. I also love how it is a very build-able highlighter so I can add more if I want more glow or I can be light handed and it will be a subtle wearable glow for work.

Clinique Moisture Surge: I was using this moisturizer last summer but I stopped when winter came along for no real reason. Recently, I decided to pick up this moisturizer again and I loved it. It leaves my skin feeling super soft without being too oily. The moisturizer is also extremely lightweight so it does not feel like you are wearing anything at all. Recently, it has been my go to moisturizer for the night time. 

From top to bottom: NYX Lingerie (Push-Up), Wet n’ Wild Perfect Pout Gel Lip Liner (Gone Burgundy), Wet n’ Wild Perfect Pout Gel Liner (Bare to Commit) 

• NYX Lingerie (Push-Up): From the swatches above, it looks very patchy but it actually goes on smoothly on my lips. Push up is a great nude pink color that is perfect for everyday. It dries matte and has a pretty decent amount of staying time but it does transfer. I don’t mind it much since it is not drying on my lips and feels extremely comfortable when I am wearing it.
• Wet n’ Wild Perfect Pout Gel Lip Liner: These were on my wishlist for this year and I finally got a hold of them. The two colors that I own are Gone Burgundy which is a burgundy red color and Bare to Commit which is a nude pink color. (My favorite lip combo for the month of March is bare to commit with  NYX Lingerie Push-Up on top). This lip liner is extremely creamy and goes on extremely easily. It does wear off pretty easily since it is so creamy but usually I layer a lipstick or liquid lipstick on top so it does not matter as much. The colors are super pretty so I do like to wear them alone sometimes!

Korres Foundation and Lip Butter Review

Recently, there was a Korres sample sale going on near where I lived. Most of the products were 50% off or even more; the downside (or upside) was that some of these products are actually discontinued and it seemed like they were trying to clear out the rest of their inventory. I have actually never heard of the brand Korres so before going I went online to find out their best items and I found that their best sellers were all skincare and a lip scrub. However, the sample sale did not have many of their newer skincare items but I did pick up the lip butter in guava for $6 (it normally retails for $12). Another item that I picked up was the Korres Quercetin and Oak Anti-ageing Foundation in light sand for $5 (complete steal but this item is actually discontinued, sadly).

The packaging for these products are pretty sturdy and sleek. I did not really have any expectations for these products as I have never heard of this brand before and I figured since I got them at a super affordable price, even if I did not like them it would not be much of a lost.

The lip butter that I got was in the scent guava, but on their website they have other scents as well. It did smell strongly of guava when I first opened the packaging. Personally I am not a huge fan of any lip products that I have to dip my finger into since I find them to be a bit unsanitary but I wanted to find a good lip butter / lip balm to help my dry lips. The scent is pretty strong  so if you are not a huge fan of super scented products you may not enjoy this one. The lip butter was a bit waxy and it did not make my lips feel super oily after I put it on. However, I do not find that it really moisturizes my lips, it kind of feels like just a film on top of my lips and once I eat or drink water it kind of goes away and I would need to reapply. I stopped using it after about a week of consistent usage since I find that it did not do much for my lips.

The Korres Quercetin and Oak Anti-ageing Foundation that I got was in the shade light sand which I found was a bit light for my skin tone but nothing that bronzer could not fix up. This foundation actually goes on extremely smooth and evenly. The coverage is light to medium and it has a slightly dewy finish. Honestly, this has quickly become my favorite foundation because I find that it does not cake up around my nose at all which is amazing since most foundation do tend to cake up and make me look super dry. Since the foundation does not feel tacky after I put it on, I usually avoid using a powder on top since I find that using a powder does make me look dry (especially around the forehead and nose area). Overall, I find that the finish look super nice and makes my skin look super even and natural.

I am still on the fence about the Korres brand since I have not tried out their skincare items. Despite not liking the lip butter, I really liked the foundation and kind of sad to hear that it is discontinued.

The Balm: The Manizer Sisters

I have been eyeing the Mary-Lou highlighter from The Balm for ages. It was on my beauty wish list for the longest time and I finally decided to pick it up when The Balm was having a 50% off sale. Rather than just picking up the full size of the Mary-Lou highlighter, I decided to go with the Manizer Sister trio which comes with Mary Lou, Cindy-Lou and Betty-Lou. I cannot imagine finishing a full size highlighter so I decided that getting a small amount of the Mary-Lou will not kill me and this way I would have more colors to work with. The palette retails for $28 but I got it for around $16 (since it was during their 50% of sale and plus shipping).

I was honestly so excited to unpack this product since I have been waiting so long to get my hands on Mary-Lou. The colors itself are stunning and I am honestly so impressed with all three colors.

• Mary-Lou Manizer: This is a champagne highlighter color which provides an amazing glow to the face. This highlighter works on a wide range of skin tones including those who are extremely fair.
• Cindy-Lou Manizer: This is a rose highting color which provides a pink glow to the face. This can also work as a blush since it does provide a nice peachy pink glow to your cheeks.
• Betty-Lou Manizer: This is the darkest shade out of all of them and this one will def. be a bronzer on my skin tone. This provides me with an amazing all over glow, like I just went to the beach and tanned kind of glow. I am really excited to use this color for the summer.

When I went into swatch each color, I was amazed at how smooth and buttery each color was. My fingers just glided over each color and they were extremely pigmented. Betty-Lou felt a bit gritty compared to the other two but nothing too bad. The colors themselves are absolutely beautiful on my skin and they have such an amazing glow without being glittery. I am not a huge fan of highlighters that are super glittery, so these are def. right up my alleyway. This palette blew me away, especially since it is pretty affordable and you get three amazing colors. I am so excited to continue wearing these products throughout the month of March and into the summer as well!

 

Makeup Geek “Damaged” Eyeshadows

I have heard amazing things about Makeup Geek single shadows but never got myself to actually buying them. Recently when I was browsing on the sales section, I noticed that some of the shadows were half off because they were “damaged.” On Instagram, some people mentioned that the damage shadows were still really good quality so I decided to go ahead and purchase five of them for $3 each.

I received them in about a week or two which was pretty fast shipping. When I opened up all the shadows, I noticed that most of them were pretty good quality with just small dents on the shadow which is why Makeup Geek was not selling them at full price. To be honest, three of my shadows looked perfect to me, one was alright and there was only one that was visibly “damaged.” As you can tell from the above photo, Bitten is the only one that had quite a lot of dents in it, but all the other ones look perfectly good.

These shadows were so much better quality than I expected, especially for the price. They normally go for $6 which is still extremely affordable. The shadows themselves are extremely buttery and pigmented. I had no problem swatching them and there was very little fall out.

• Beaches and Cream: This is a light peach matte shade that would be a great base color.
• Frappe: This was the shade I was most excited about since I hear everyone talking about this shade. It is a wonderful matte light brown shade that goes amazing as an all over lid color.
• Cosmopolitan: This is a shimmery rose gold color. I honestly expected this shade to be gritty, however it went on super smootly.
• Bitten: This is dark matte maroon shade which would be perfect for the outer corners of the eyes to provide more depth to the look.
• Chit Chat: This is a beautiful purple blue shimmery shade. I wanted to have a nice pop of color in my collection so I picked up this shade as well.

Overall, I am extremely impressed with these eye shadows and I can see myself buying more in the future, especially because they are so affordable.

Smashbox Step-By-Step Contour Stick Trio

Is it obvious that one of my favorite makeup items are contour items. The Smash Box Step-By-Step Contour Stick Trio were actually my first ever contour sets. I was gifted this item and they began my love affair with contour kits. These retail for $45 and you get three sticks: highlight, bronzer and contour.

The packaging is very simple and it comes with a sharpener so whenever one of the pencils become dull you can make it sharp again. They are extremely travel friendly as it is so easy to slip all three into your makeup bag and there is no need to carry a huge palette which is likely to be heavier.

When I first got these, I was scared to use them as I never tried cream contouring before. However, they come with a booklet which provides tips on how to contour based on your face shape. When I first used them, I was amazed at how creamy they were. Since they are sticks, you do not need any other brushes to apply, simply just draw on your face and then blend it out. I like using a damp beauty blender to blend out. They are very forgiving and very easy to use, so if you are a beginner you would have no problem.

• Highlighter: This is a great highlighter for the under eye area and for places that you want to brighten up. It is very creamy and blend-able.
• Bronzer: This is the stick that I have used the least as I find it makes me look a bit muddy.
• Contour: I absolutely love this contour stick and this is my favorite product out of the three. It is so creamy and it is the perfect contour shade – it does not make me look muddy at all.

I think that this trio is a great beginner cream contour kit. They are so easy to use and you do not need any brushes in order to apply. These are extremely creamy and blend-able as well.

Kat Von D Lock-It Concealer Crème Review

Disclaimer: I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes.

I was actually super excited to get the Kat Von D box from Influester which included two shades of the Kat Von D Lock-It Concealer Crème, two brushes and the Kat Von D Lock-It Setting Powder. The item that I was most excited for was the concealer, as I am always in the market for a good concealer. This item retails for $26 at Sephora.

If there is anything I love about Kat Von D products, it is their packaging. The packaging for this concealer is to die for, it is super sleek and creative. I love how I can see the color from the tube and the quality of the packaging is amazing.

When I first began to use this product, I was amazed by the brush as it is so different from any of the brushes that I have seen before. This brush was a lot wider and flatter than concealer brushes that I have seen in the past. Since the brush is shaped this way I find that it is super easy to apply this concealer.

The shade that I use is Warm, which is a bit lighter than my skin tone but I like to use it for a bit of highlighting and brightening of the under eye area. There is a good color selections inclusive of both lighter skinned females and women of color which is a huge plus in my books.

The way that I normally wear this concealer is over foundation, I would use a damp beauty blender to blend everything out. Once that is done, I will go in with a powder to set my under eye area.  After wearing this concealer multiple times, I can say that I am currently loving this concealer for many reasons:

• Very full coverage – pretty much completely hides any pimples and my dark eye circles.
• Great color selection!
• Does not crease on me – I do set this with a setting powder after I put it on
• It lasts the whole day for me – I do use a setting spray once I have applied all my makeup.
• Very blend-able and creamy

I do find a couple of things that I do not like too much about this concealer.

• The concealer is quiet thick – I do find that if I do not use moisturizer or a good primer underneath it can look cake-y.
• It is also a bit drying so as mentioned before a good moisturizer and/or primer is necessary.

Despite the cons, I do love this concealer for days where I want to wear more makeup. It has been my go-to concealer for nights out ever since I got it!

Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit Review

The newest addition to my contour kit family: Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit in light to medium. This was one of the more expensive contour kits that I was eye-ing before I picked up the TooFaced Cocoa Contour. During Black Friday, Anastasia Beverly Hills were having a huge sale and it was 40% off contour kits. I decided that I had to get the powder contour kit and I am so glad that I did. It normally retails for $40 but I manage to get it for $24!!

The packaging itself was very basic and thin (I was shocked at how thin it was). Even though it was very thin, it was very sturdy as well and the shades themselves are removable so you can refill them. I love this idea since I know that there are certain shades that I am going to use more than others and I like that I do not need to buy the whole new palette just for that shade. The only downside to the packaging is that there is no mirror, I think that a mirror will be a great addition to this palette.

The shades themselves are so buttery and pigmented. All the above was two swipes of color and the pigmentation is amazing. They also all go on extremely smoothly and I was extremely impressed with the quality of all these shades. They look amazing on and they blend out extremely smoothly and easily.

The above photo has all of the highlighting shades are that in this palette.

• Vanilla: This is a matte highlighting shade which is a pale cream color.
• Banana: This is another matte highlighting shade which a lot of youtubers love. It is a yellow shade which is amazing for the setting the under-eye area.
• Sand: This is the only non-matte shade in the whole palette, it has a bit of sparkles in the shade (but not overwhelming and you do not look glittery if it is used) but it is described as a “radiant chiffon” color.

The above are all the contouring shades in the palette.

• Java: This is a mocha looking color and does a bit of orange undertones.
• Fawn: This is a true brown shade and there is no orange undertones and this is my favorite contouring shade out of all.
• Havana: This is the darkest contouring shade and it is very warmed tone and has the strongest orange undertones out of all three shades. I do not use this color often as I do find that it makes me look a bit muddy.

Overall, I am so happy with this palette and I am so glad that I finally got my hands on it. It did not disappoint and I cannot wait to play around with it more. The shades are amazing quality as I mentioned before, they go on so smoothly and they are so easy to work with. The pigmentation is amazing and I feel like the powder contour palette is easier to work with compared to the cream contour palette so I feel like it is a great learning palette for beginners.

Maybelline Fit Me Concelear Review

The Maybelline Fit Me Concealer has to be one of the first concealers that I have ever tried. I found it at my local CVS when I was first experimenting with concealers and now four years later I am still using it! To be honest I never realized what a great concealer this was until I began trying other concealers and found myself reaching back to this one. It is extremely affordable, I found it at my local CVS for about $6.50 and there is always deals so usually I can get it at a even cheaper price. There are many beauty bloggers who called this concealer a dupe for the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer  which retails for about $29. Personally I have never used the Nars concealer so I cannot compare to two.

Top: Light ; Bottom: Medium

I own two colors; light and medium. For myself, I find that the shade light works great as a highlighting concealer and on days where I want to step up my contour game I would use the shade light for under my eyes and on top of my nose. However, for days where I just want to cover up my dark circles I would stick to the shade medium. There are a couple of reasons why I absolutely love this concealer:

• It is extremely creamy and I never have trouble blending it out. Usually, I use a damp beauty blender to blend it out and it comes out so smooth and I do not look cake-y at all.
• Does not crease in my under eye area. With setting spray I find that this concealer pretty much lasts me a good eight hours, I can wear it and at the end of the day I do not see any creasing or dry spots.
• The concealer is also very lightweight. It feels really  natural on and I do not find it heavy or sticky.
• The coverage is light to medium. It does cover up my dark circles decently well and it provides a brightening effect for my under eye area. However, if I do have a especially nasty red pimple it does need more layering – but the concealer is extremely buildable so that is not a problem.

There are a couple of downsides that I have found for this concealer:

•  The color range is quite limited; there is only six different shades compare to some other concealers which have about 26 different shades.
• Not full coverage but as I mentioned before it is build-able but never to that flawless finish

Besides the limited color range, I think that this concealer works beautifully for everyday wear. It is affordable and is able to provide me with a smooth natural finish.

Colourpop Ultra Satin Review

As everyone knows, I love colourpop lippies for so many reasons. They have a huge selection of colors and they are super affordable as well; lippies run anywhere from $5-$6. I had previously did a review for the Colourpop Ultra Matte Lipsticks and today I wanted to do a review on the Colourpop Ultra Satin Lippies. These were launched after the Ultra Mattes and although the color selection is not quite as extensive as the Ultra Mattes, it is quickly expanding and for good reason! These also retail for about $6 and you can find them on the Colourpop website!

I have three colors from the Ultra Satin line; the packaging is the same as the Ultra Mattes minus the fact that it says Ultra Satin on the tube. All the Ultra Satins dry to a semi-matte finish.

From Top to Bottom: Barcuda, Calypso, November

• Barcuda: This is a deep rose color with warm undertones. I think that this is a great fall color.
• Calypso: This is a mid-tone pinky nude color with warm undertones.
• November: This was from the Kathleen Lights collection, and it is a mid-tone peachy pink color. I find that this color is a lot brighter than Calypso.

To be honest, I did not think that I would like these as much as the Ultra Mattes, since I knew that these were not transfer-proof and I love lippies that are. However, when I wore these colors I realized that I liked them a lot more than expected for a variety of reasons. The first main reason being that they are not as drying compared to the Ultra Mattes; I can wear these for a full day and they do not bring out the cracks and fine lines on my lips. When you first put on the lippies, they do have a tacky sticky feeling on your lips but it is not too uncomfortable and it does go away as the day goes on (not fully though). These are just as pigmented as the Ultra Mattes, I can get away wearing just one coat but I usually like the color more apparent so I wear two coats. As I mentioned previously, they are not transfer-proof and if you drink or eat anything they will come off, however they do not fully come off as your eating/drinking. The color does transfer a bit at a time but when I finished eating there was still a good amount of color on my lips (aka I did not find the need to touch up). Obviously the more you eat/drink, the more color will come off. Overall, they were extremely comfortable to wear (my lips did not feel chapped after wearing it for a couple of hours) and I wore it for a good eight hours and when I went home there was still a good amount of color on my lips. I cannot wait to try out more colors from this line!