I’ve been fortunate to get my paws on some fun products lately and I wanted to give you the entire lowdown once again on some of my favorites!
I’ll spare those who aren’t interested and have you click below to continue reading.
I’ll spare those who aren’t interested and have you click below to continue reading.
Pressed Powder
I was looking for a product that I could swipe on over my foundation, or after work before happy hour to freshen up my face. I don’t like the chalky look that most give you, so I was pleasantly surprised with Too Faced Amazing Face pressed powder. It’s such a smooth powder and the finish is flawless. I’m on my 3rd one and don’t imagine I’ll need to find another product like this for a long time!
I was looking for a product that I could swipe on over my foundation, or after work before happy hour to freshen up my face. I don’t like the chalky look that most give you, so I was pleasantly surprised with Too Faced Amazing Face pressed powder. It’s such a smooth powder and the finish is flawless. I’m on my 3rd one and don’t imagine I’ll need to find another product like this for a long time!
Lips
Oooh, I’ve been having too much fun with lip color these days. Some of my fall favorites:
Bare Minerals Pretty Amazing Lip Gloss in Panache and Bravado- I’m cheating by recommending Panache because it’s a discontinued color, but I get it off eBay when I need more! Bravado is a beautiful fall color that I think would look great on just about anyone. Pretty Amazing isn’t real sticky and gives solid color. (Pictured to the right)
Stila Long Wear Lip Color in Paramour- I love to wear this over a thin layer of Vaseline. It’s what I call “heavy/bold sheer.” It’s not a solid color, it does have some natural looking sheerness to it, but its more pumped up color. It’s super easy on the lips and feels great. Comes in some beautiful shades! (Pictured below)
Lorac in Vanity- Just a great creamy color. Very rich, not sticky at all. (Pictured all the way at the top)
Oooh, I’ve been having too much fun with lip color these days. Some of my fall favorites:
Bare Minerals Pretty Amazing Lip Gloss in Panache and Bravado- I’m cheating by recommending Panache because it’s a discontinued color, but I get it off eBay when I need more! Bravado is a beautiful fall color that I think would look great on just about anyone. Pretty Amazing isn’t real sticky and gives solid color. (Pictured to the right)
Stila Long Wear Lip Color in Paramour- I love to wear this over a thin layer of Vaseline. It’s what I call “heavy/bold sheer.” It’s not a solid color, it does have some natural looking sheerness to it, but its more pumped up color. It’s super easy on the lips and feels great. Comes in some beautiful shades! (Pictured below)
Lorac in Vanity- Just a great creamy color. Very rich, not sticky at all. (Pictured all the way at the top)
I had a question last time I did this type of post about tinted moisturizers and blush. I have to say, I’ve tried some tinted moisturizers and just can’t get into it. I tried Philosophy and Laura Mercier and the Philosophy one was just strange, it seems to go on unevenly and didn’t really “tint” anything. I liked the Laura Mercier one better but I fail to appreciate their purpose. I stick to just plain moisturizers, I think you get much higher quality in a plain moisturizer than you can in a tinted one. For example, I adore Lancome High Resolution. I have the sister product for my peepers too! Helps a lot with under eye darkness (although lets be honest, does anything truly fix those dark circles? Not that I’ve yet to find).
As for blush, I tend to go more for the bronzers. On a special night, or just outside of work, I might throw a touch of blush on the apples of my cheeks, but day to day, just a sweep or two of bronzer is all I need. And for that I’m currently using a basic Ulta brand bronzer (Baked Bronzer). It was only $10 and does the trick. In the past I’ve used Bare Minerals bronzers and blushes but the loose powder can get messy. I think bottom line, pick a color you like more than anything. Pressed colors are neater and less messy. I don’t think you need to spend a lot of money on blush or bronzer.
As for blush, I tend to go more for the bronzers. On a special night, or just outside of work, I might throw a touch of blush on the apples of my cheeks, but day to day, just a sweep or two of bronzer is all I need. And for that I’m currently using a basic Ulta brand bronzer (Baked Bronzer). It was only $10 and does the trick. In the past I’ve used Bare Minerals bronzers and blushes but the loose powder can get messy. I think bottom line, pick a color you like more than anything. Pressed colors are neater and less messy. I don’t think you need to spend a lot of money on blush or bronzer.
I’ve learned in my years what I’m willing to spend money on and what I’m not. Unfortunately my “Splurge List” is much longer than the “Save List” however it’s something that I enjoy, it makes me feel good and hey, it gives me something to write about!
Splurge
Eye shadows- Cheap ones won’t give you the color intensity that higher quality products will. They’ll be light and fade quickly.
Primers- Eye primers are a daily thing for me now but face primer only comes out when I’m getting dressed up.
Foundation/concealer- This is your base so you want something that won’t clog your pores, that matches your skin really well and does its job all day. You won’t find this in drug store brands.
Lips- You can find any color imaginable in a drug store but what I’m judging on is longevity and how the product feels when it’s on. Is it sticky? Is it really long wearing without making my lips as dry as the Sahara? There are sticky high end lip glosses, but they’re getting better. I really love the Bare Essentials one listed above for this very reason. Great color, not too sticky.
Mascara- I once had a boyfriend who I tested. I put Cover Girl on one eye and They’re Real on another and asked him to tell me which looked better. I figured he wouldn’t be able to tell, but he was floored by how much better the “expensive” eye looked. That was all the proof I needed.
Splurge
Eye shadows- Cheap ones won’t give you the color intensity that higher quality products will. They’ll be light and fade quickly.
Primers- Eye primers are a daily thing for me now but face primer only comes out when I’m getting dressed up.
Foundation/concealer- This is your base so you want something that won’t clog your pores, that matches your skin really well and does its job all day. You won’t find this in drug store brands.
Lips- You can find any color imaginable in a drug store but what I’m judging on is longevity and how the product feels when it’s on. Is it sticky? Is it really long wearing without making my lips as dry as the Sahara? There are sticky high end lip glosses, but they’re getting better. I really love the Bare Essentials one listed above for this very reason. Great color, not too sticky.
Mascara- I once had a boyfriend who I tested. I put Cover Girl on one eye and They’re Real on another and asked him to tell me which looked better. I figured he wouldn’t be able to tell, but he was floored by how much better the “expensive” eye looked. That was all the proof I needed.
Save
Blush and bronzer- For me, I don’t need to splurge on this. Ulta or Sephora brand usually does the trick for me. It give me enough color without breaking the bank.
Moisturizer- I could go either way on this one. I love my Lancome lotion, but I’ve also used Dove for years and loved it. I think now that I have aging skin (coming up on 30, y’all!) I tend to go for anti-wrinkle creams, and they’re never cheap regardless of where you get them.
Nails- I have been doing my own manicures all year with a Sally Hansen base and top coat in one! This stuff is incredible. I can get a manicure to last an entire week with this product. I use OPI for color, but Sally Hansen makes that color last so much longer than any other product I’ve found. Definitely recommend it!
Chap stick- Again, I can save or splurge on this. I used to Splurge on Sugar and I still love it, however my newest love is a Nivea Berry Swirl chap stick and it feels amazing. It also smells delicious. I buy out Ulta whenever they have them in stock, they’re difficult to come by so keep an eye out for them!
That’s all I have for now, but I welcome any questions and suggestions! I’m happy to let you know my experience with anything I try! Cheers!
Blush and bronzer- For me, I don’t need to splurge on this. Ulta or Sephora brand usually does the trick for me. It give me enough color without breaking the bank.
Moisturizer- I could go either way on this one. I love my Lancome lotion, but I’ve also used Dove for years and loved it. I think now that I have aging skin (coming up on 30, y’all!) I tend to go for anti-wrinkle creams, and they’re never cheap regardless of where you get them.
Nails- I have been doing my own manicures all year with a Sally Hansen base and top coat in one! This stuff is incredible. I can get a manicure to last an entire week with this product. I use OPI for color, but Sally Hansen makes that color last so much longer than any other product I’ve found. Definitely recommend it!
Chap stick- Again, I can save or splurge on this. I used to Splurge on Sugar and I still love it, however my newest love is a Nivea Berry Swirl chap stick and it feels amazing. It also smells delicious. I buy out Ulta whenever they have them in stock, they’re difficult to come by so keep an eye out for them!
That’s all I have for now, but I welcome any questions and suggestions! I’m happy to let you know my experience with anything I try! Cheers!