Hello my blog-reading beauties! With it being wedding season and all, I recently purchased some new things for my kit (and let’s face it, for myself) and wanted to share my finds with you.
I normally do video hauls, but to be honest, they haven’t been getting many views and since I have way more blog readers than Youtube viewers (3,000-6,000 of you visit my site a month, wow!) I thought blogging about my finds would make more sense.
QUICK ANNOUNCEMENT
Because of low viewership, I won’t be doing any more makeup hauls on my Youtube channel. It just takes SO much time and effort to create a concept, film a tutorial, then edit it, so if no one’s going to watch them, it’s not worth it. I’ll still be doing makeup tutorial videos, and if there is a look you would like to see, please let me know in the comments below, I aim to please!
Ok, back to the fun stuff:
Ben Nye’s Banana Luxury Powder has been around for years and is a favorite among television and movie makeup artists. At my friend Ashleigh’s urging, I bought it at Naimie’s last week. Micro-milled for a silky texture, Luxury Powders are translucent with just a hint of color and have a superior matte finish. It feels velvety and gives the skin a soft-focus finish. This particular shade is wonderful for people with olive undertones (Asian and Latino decent) and those with dark to deep-dark skin (African descent, etc). I recommend dusting a small amount under the eyes and down the bridge of the nose with a fiber optic brush. The fiber optic brush allows you to pick up a small amount of the powder, which is all you need. Do NOT pack this stuff on if you plan on taking pictures, because it will flash back and make you look white. A light hand and fiber optic brush are your best bet! And at $9 for 1.5 ounces, it’s a steal.
Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Medium-Deep Bronzer
This chocolate-scented, shimmer-free, matte bronzer is perfect for contouring and creating an all-over deep tan using real antioxidant-rich cocoa powder. To quote Too Faced’s creator, Jared Blandino, “It’s all the tan without the twinkle!” EVERY client I have used this bronzer on has sighed loudly over the chocolatey scent. The color payoff is amazing too. AND cruelty-free. Thank you, I’ll take 10 more.
Illamasqua’s top seller and rightfully so. Having oily skin, I was concerned that this HD foundation would go greasy on me, as Makeup For Ever’s HD foundation sometimes does, but guess what: it’s gave me a natural finish (not dewy, not matte) with medium coverage and lasts all day. It’s truly suitable for all skin types! Its hydrating formula primes, controls shine, hydrates, and smooths your skin while providing natural, buildable coverage. The only downside? The hefty $42 price tag. But some things are worth the money, and finding the perfect cruelty-free foundation that you can buy over and over again is priceless.
I’m a huge fan of the original Purity cleanser by Philosophy. It’s creamy texture doesn’t lather up, but does do a good job of gently removing my makeup without drying my skin out. When I saw that Philosophy came out with a foaming gel version of it, my eyes lit up. Instead of replenishing my usual Purity cleanser, I went for the re-up. This stuff is EVEN BETTER than the original. The gel foams up and the bubbles leave your skin feeling squeaky-clean. Sometimes with the regular Purity, I still have to use makeup remover to get the remainder of my mascara and black liner. Not with the foaming gel, baby. I got out of the shower and saw that my face was completely clean and ready for bed.
My recommendation: if you have sensitive or dry skin, stick to the regular Purity. The cream texture will feed your skin and is a lot more mild. If you are normal-to-oily, time for you to try the Purity Foaming Gel.
NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Antwerp
The beauty world has been abuzz about NYX’s moisturizing matte lip creams, so I finally got my hands on some at Ulta. This is a soft coral-pink color that looks flattering on everyone. It’s beautiful on its own, or topped off with a gloss. Cruelty-free and fabulous! I especially love this for my older clients- it has the ability to blur the fine lines you sometimes find on your lips.
You guys know I have an excessive amount of nail polish (about 100 bottles). This is one of the only polishes that I actually run out of and have to purchase over and over again. It’s a bright, blue-based pink with a neon matte finish (I usually put a shiny top coat over it) It’s PERFECT for all skin tones and has the magical power to make your hands and feet look tan and sexy. PROOF: a grown man walked into the MAC store I was freelancing at last week and told me I had “pretty feet.” No one has ever told me that before. And I’m willing to bet it’s all thanks to this gorgeous neon polish.
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