I'm not a Youtuber, but MissChievous had a good tag going and I had to do it!
1.) Would you rather lose all of your mascaras, eyeliners, lipsticks, and lipglosses or lose all of your palettes and eyeshadows?
My mascaras and eyeliners because I use more drugstore brands in them, so they are easier to replace than my eyeshadows.
2.) Would you rather chop off all your hair or never be able to cut it again?
If it could be donated, chop it off. If it had to be thrown away and I could get it trimmed, no haircuts.
3.) Would you rather have a coral cheek or a pink cheek?
Pink because it can be appropriate at any season. Coral is more of a summer color.
4.) If you had $1000 to spend, Would you rather buy clothes or makeup?
Clothes. Especially professional clothes and tailoring costs.
5.) Would you rather apply lipstick as eyeliner, or eyeliner as lipstick?
Eyeliner as lipstick because I've done it before and there are pink, red, and orange eyeliners out there.
6.) Would you rather only shop at MAC or Sephora?
SEPHORA!!!!
7.) Would you rather only use one eyeshadow color or one lip color for the rest of your life?
I'll use my Red Taboo for the rest of my life! I need variety in my eyeshadows!
8.) Would you rather wear winter clothes in summer or summer clothes in winter?
Winter clothes in summer because I can still peel the layers off to my t-shirt and jeans.
9.) Would you rather wear dark nails or bright nails all year round?
I'm not a big nail fan, but dark nails. I have a pretty Illamasqua color that looks like Uma Thurman's nail polish from "Pulp Fiction."
10.) Would you rather give up your favorite lip product or your favorite eye product?
(Very tough question) I guess my favorite eye product because I have many eyeliners that work very well, but Red Taboo is the perfect red lipstick for me!
11.) Would you rather only be able to wear your hair in a pony tail or a messy bun?
I've done both for quite a while, but I'll say bun because it keeps my hair off my neck.
12.) Would your rather never being able to paint your nails again or never use lipgloss?
Nails. I don't paint them much anyway.
13.) Would you rather shave your eyebrows and have none at all? or sharpie them in everyday?
If I had to shave them, I would fill them in every day. I love having eye brows!
14.) Would you rather live without makeup or nail polish?
Nail polish. One last time, I don't paint my nails that much.
Feel free to do this yourselves and if you do, let me know so I can see your post whether it's on Blogger, Facebook, or other sharing site.
-M
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Skincare Review: Organix Ever Clear Teatree Willowbark (for Oily Skin)
Skincare is essential to beauty. The better your skin looks, the less makeup you'll need. I love trying new skincare products, especially organic and natural products for drugstore prices. If I can find something as good as high end for a lower price, I'm a happy person.
I love the company Organix- I've used their shampoos and conditioners and I switch back and forth between them and the L'Oreal Everstrong haircare products. When I found out that they came out with skincare systems, I wanted to try them. At the time, I was using a couple of higher-end products and was searching for cheaper alternatives. I hoped that I had found replacements in the Organix Teatree and Willowbark line (for oily skin), so I bought the trial system- a small amount of the cleanser, toner, and treatment lotion. On the Organix website, it boasts: "This 3 step system that is naturally better than Proactiv® contains antimicrobial tea tree oil to provide relief along with a natural salicylic acid derived from willow bark to penetrate and reduce the size, swelling, and redness of acne, while patented EverMat™ complex is clinically proven to remarkably reduce skin shine, pore size and sebum flow."
So, does this system do what it claims? Well, I cannot say anything about Proactiv except that I hate the commercials, but the system works really well with my skin. The cleanser (used with my Clarisonic) cleansed my skin really well. Every time I stepped out of the shower, my skin felt super-soft and not too dry. The toner felt very refreshing and didn't strip my skin of its oils as some tend to do. The anti-acne treatment lotion was my favorite part of the system. I used it more for pore refining because I don't get a lot of pimples, but my pores tend to be on the big side and this lotion is recommended for the treatment of pimples and clogged pores. After using the system for over a month (plus moisturizing with my Clinique Moisturesurge), my skin looks better than ever!
Final thoughts on the system: It is amazing! I will continue using the cleanser and lotion, but I will go back to my high-end toner because even though the Organix one was lovely, I still like my old toner better. Plus, toner lasts forever with me, so I don't mind spending a bit more for it.
If you have oily skin and want to try something more natural and organic, I would definitely recommend this system. If you have any specific questions about it, leave a question.
Hope my fellow oily skinned people found this useful. If you want to check out this system or the Ever Radiant and Ever Ageless lines, click here.
-M
I love the company Organix- I've used their shampoos and conditioners and I switch back and forth between them and the L'Oreal Everstrong haircare products. When I found out that they came out with skincare systems, I wanted to try them. At the time, I was using a couple of higher-end products and was searching for cheaper alternatives. I hoped that I had found replacements in the Organix Teatree and Willowbark line (for oily skin), so I bought the trial system- a small amount of the cleanser, toner, and treatment lotion. On the Organix website, it boasts: "This 3 step system that is naturally better than Proactiv® contains antimicrobial tea tree oil to provide relief along with a natural salicylic acid derived from willow bark to penetrate and reduce the size, swelling, and redness of acne, while patented EverMat™ complex is clinically proven to remarkably reduce skin shine, pore size and sebum flow."
So, does this system do what it claims? Well, I cannot say anything about Proactiv except that I hate the commercials, but the system works really well with my skin. The cleanser (used with my Clarisonic) cleansed my skin really well. Every time I stepped out of the shower, my skin felt super-soft and not too dry. The toner felt very refreshing and didn't strip my skin of its oils as some tend to do. The anti-acne treatment lotion was my favorite part of the system. I used it more for pore refining because I don't get a lot of pimples, but my pores tend to be on the big side and this lotion is recommended for the treatment of pimples and clogged pores. After using the system for over a month (plus moisturizing with my Clinique Moisturesurge), my skin looks better than ever!
Final thoughts on the system: It is amazing! I will continue using the cleanser and lotion, but I will go back to my high-end toner because even though the Organix one was lovely, I still like my old toner better. Plus, toner lasts forever with me, so I don't mind spending a bit more for it.
If you have oily skin and want to try something more natural and organic, I would definitely recommend this system. If you have any specific questions about it, leave a question.
Hope my fellow oily skinned people found this useful. If you want to check out this system or the Ever Radiant and Ever Ageless lines, click here.
-M
Another Blast From the Past: Makeup Sponge Trick
Today, there was something I had to do before going to the grocery store because I wasn't careful: get rid of the white deodorant marks from my shirt. This is one of those techniques I've been doing since high school because it works quickly and effectively.
Quick story about how I learned this trick: When I picked up my issue of Seventeen (At some point in my high school career, I don't remember the year), they were raving about these special sponges to get rid of deodorant marks. It intrigued me until I saw the product and the price. It was a packet with two round makeup sponges for $15! I'm not even kidding. I laughed so hard at the article. At least it let me know that you can use a makeup sponge to get rid of those white streaks.
Now for the actual (very simple) technique. Hold the streaked fabric taut and use little pushes to move the sponge down the deodorant marks. Keep doing this until all the white is gone. That's it! It's simple, but it works wonders for clothes!
-M
Quick story about how I learned this trick: When I picked up my issue of Seventeen (At some point in my high school career, I don't remember the year), they were raving about these special sponges to get rid of deodorant marks. It intrigued me until I saw the product and the price. It was a packet with two round makeup sponges for $15! I'm not even kidding. I laughed so hard at the article. At least it let me know that you can use a makeup sponge to get rid of those white streaks.
Now for the actual (very simple) technique. Hold the streaked fabric taut and use little pushes to move the sponge down the deodorant marks. Keep doing this until all the white is gone. That's it! It's simple, but it works wonders for clothes!
-M
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Quick Tip From the Past: Lip Gloss
One thing that I learned from a fellow makeup enthusiast a long time before I got into makeup was how to make lip gloss last longer.
A lot of the time, when we "run out of lip gloss," we've really only used the half that the wand can reach. The rest is stuck to the sides. So how do you get that stuff off the sides and on your lips? It's really simple: hot water. Just fill a cup or glass with hot water and use a clothespin to hold the lip gloss bottle in the water, stopping right before where the bottle and the cap meet. Leave the gloss for five to ten minutes, when the gloss has melted from the top, then take it out and let it cool before using it again. This will add a good month or more to your gloss, depending on how much you use it.
I hope many of you out there in cyberspace find this useful.
-M
A lot of the time, when we "run out of lip gloss," we've really only used the half that the wand can reach. The rest is stuck to the sides. So how do you get that stuff off the sides and on your lips? It's really simple: hot water. Just fill a cup or glass with hot water and use a clothespin to hold the lip gloss bottle in the water, stopping right before where the bottle and the cap meet. Leave the gloss for five to ten minutes, when the gloss has melted from the top, then take it out and let it cool before using it again. This will add a good month or more to your gloss, depending on how much you use it.
I hope many of you out there in cyberspace find this useful.
-M
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Product(s) I'm Loving: Real Techniques Brushes (and NOT because she mentioned me on her Real Looks Blog)
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| Real Techniques Travel Essentials |
When working with makeup, it is essential to have good brushes, whether they are expensive like MAC or cheap like EcoTools. I have brushes in every price range and have favorites and those I don't reach for unless the rest are dirty. I hardly ever invest in a full set of any brand, but that changed with Real Techniques by Samantha Chapman. This is the first brush range where I got every single brush. (Not all at once, of course!) Here are a few overarching reasons why I love these brushes:
- They are 100% synthetic, so they are easy to clean and cruelty-free!
- All of the larger brushes have flat bottoms, so they can stand up on your table and their bristles don't roll in spilled makeup
- All of the multi-brush sets come in this pack that folds into a stand, holding all your brushes up, even those without flat bottoms
- They are all so soffffffft!
- They are all labeled for those who are new to makeup, even though you don't have to use the brushes as labeled.
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| Core Collection |
The only downside I have found in these brushes goes along with a reason I like them- the synthetic bristles are easy to clean, but they take forever to dry! That's the downside of any synthetic brush, but if that's the only flaw I could find, these brushes are doing well. Don't think I haven't tried to find something wrong just because I admire Sam Chapman.
Here are all of the brushes/brush sets:
- Blush Brush
- Core Collection
- Detailer Brush for concealer, but I love it as a lip brush
- Pointed foundation brush
- Buffing Brush (My favorite foundation brush!)
- Contour brush
- Slanted Foundation Brush
- Kabuki Brush (It's a fold-out, modeled after the Sephora one.)
- Lash/Brow Groomer
- Shading Brush for the eyes
- Travel Essentials
- Essential Foundation Brush
- Multi-Task Brush (Perfect for blush and/or powder if you need to limit the number of brushes you can carry.)
- Domed Shadow brush
- Starter Kit (for eyes)
- Base Shadow Brush
- Deluxe Crease Brush (I use it for concealer.)
- Accent Brush
- Eyeliner Brush (I don't like this one as much because I prefer an angled brush for eyeliner.)
- Brow Brush (I use it for eyeliner.)
- Stippling Brush (The most popular of the brushes. I had to try three times to get it!)
- Powder Brush
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| Starter Kit |
My Favorite Brushes:
- Buffing Brush- I love my foundation to be sheer and this brush does that job so well.
- Crease Brush (Used as a concealer brush)- It blends concealer a lot better than other brushes on me.
- Detail Brush (Used as a lip brush)- Small so I can outline and fill in my lips easily.
- Multitask Brush- It's fluffy enough to apply a sheer layer of powder, but dense enough to apply blush.
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| Stippling Brush |
If you have any questions about these brushes, don't hesitate to leave a comment and ask me!
-M
Note: This is not a sponsored blogpost. I wanted to rave about these products because I love working with them. I wish I was paid to promote them! Photos are screenshots from Ulta.com.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Gel Moisturizers: Original vs. Cheaper vs. Natural
Let me preface this note:
I have the worst combination skin that needs special care so I take care of the oil slicks through my T-zone without irritating my cheeks and temples, which are dry and a bit sensitive. When I was buying my first Chanel foundation (I wanted to treat myself that day.), the lady who was applying the foundation on me noticed that my temples were dry and flaking a bit. She asked what moisturizer I used and I answered with Clinique's Dramatically Different Gel. She pointed out it wasn't doing the full job for me and that Clinique had a moisturizer that was a step up in moisture, but soaked in just as quickly as Dramatically Different. She went to the Clinique counter and came back with a 0.5 oz sample (Yes, that big of a sample.) of Moisture Surge. My first application was like a tall drink of water to my face, but it didn't leave a sticky layer like most moisturizers do on my skin. It only took a tiny bit of product to cover my face and neck as well, so that sample jar lasted about two and a half months.
I used Clinique for a few months and found out that Garnier was making a similar product called Moisture Rescue. Since I will use a cheaper product that is as good or better than an expensive product, I had to try it. The results of my find will be posted later in this post.
A little while later, I decided to go paraben-free in my products when I could and my beloved Clinique had methylparaben, which is not awful, but still a paraben. I searched high and low for another gel moisturizer and found Korres Pomegranate cream-gel moisturizer
So, which gel moisturizer works best? Well, that depends on you. The results posted below are what happened for me, so the results for you may be different, but if you have a really oily T-zone and really dry cheeks, these results will probably be the same for you.
Let's start with Garnier's Moisture Rescue. It comes in a 1.7 oz. jars for $5-$10 depending on where you live. While I can use a tiny pat of moisturizer from the expensive bands, I have to pile it on with this stuff. If you have normal skin to oily all over, this might be for you.
The Korres is a nice, natural option. It comes in 1.25 oz. jars for $32. It is creamier than the other two moisturizers and takes a tiny dab to cover everything. I loved the way it applied and thought I had found my replacement moisturizer...until thirty minutes later when I still felt a sticky layer of moisture on my face. It was too much for my skin for a day lotion, but it has made for a lovely night cream.
Clinique Moisture Surge is the best of the three I have used so far. It comes in two amounts: 1.7 oz. for $34 or 2.5 oz. for $46.50 It is light enough that it doesn't make my skin feel icky, but potent enough to fully moisturize my skin. This and the Korres moisturizer last for months and months!
Bottom line: Clinique's Moisture Surge is my holy grail moisturizer- the moisturizer I will reach for more often than not (especially for day)- Korres is my night cream and moisturizer I will use in any and all hotels (dry air city!), and I have since swapped my Garnier Moisturizer away.
I hope at least some of you found this helpful and that you find your holy-grail moisturizer!
-M
I have the worst combination skin that needs special care so I take care of the oil slicks through my T-zone without irritating my cheeks and temples, which are dry and a bit sensitive. When I was buying my first Chanel foundation (I wanted to treat myself that day.), the lady who was applying the foundation on me noticed that my temples were dry and flaking a bit. She asked what moisturizer I used and I answered with Clinique's Dramatically Different Gel. She pointed out it wasn't doing the full job for me and that Clinique had a moisturizer that was a step up in moisture, but soaked in just as quickly as Dramatically Different. She went to the Clinique counter and came back with a 0.5 oz sample (Yes, that big of a sample.) of Moisture Surge. My first application was like a tall drink of water to my face, but it didn't leave a sticky layer like most moisturizers do on my skin. It only took a tiny bit of product to cover my face and neck as well, so that sample jar lasted about two and a half months.
I used Clinique for a few months and found out that Garnier was making a similar product called Moisture Rescue. Since I will use a cheaper product that is as good or better than an expensive product, I had to try it. The results of my find will be posted later in this post.
A little while later, I decided to go paraben-free in my products when I could and my beloved Clinique had methylparaben, which is not awful, but still a paraben. I searched high and low for another gel moisturizer and found Korres Pomegranate cream-gel moisturizer
So, which gel moisturizer works best? Well, that depends on you. The results posted below are what happened for me, so the results for you may be different, but if you have a really oily T-zone and really dry cheeks, these results will probably be the same for you.
Let's start with Garnier's Moisture Rescue. It comes in a 1.7 oz. jars for $5-$10 depending on where you live. While I can use a tiny pat of moisturizer from the expensive bands, I have to pile it on with this stuff. If you have normal skin to oily all over, this might be for you.
The Korres is a nice, natural option. It comes in 1.25 oz. jars for $32. It is creamier than the other two moisturizers and takes a tiny dab to cover everything. I loved the way it applied and thought I had found my replacement moisturizer...until thirty minutes later when I still felt a sticky layer of moisture on my face. It was too much for my skin for a day lotion, but it has made for a lovely night cream.
Clinique Moisture Surge is the best of the three I have used so far. It comes in two amounts: 1.7 oz. for $34 or 2.5 oz. for $46.50 It is light enough that it doesn't make my skin feel icky, but potent enough to fully moisturize my skin. This and the Korres moisturizer last for months and months!
Bottom line: Clinique's Moisture Surge is my holy grail moisturizer- the moisturizer I will reach for more often than not (especially for day)- Korres is my night cream and moisturizer I will use in any and all hotels (dry air city!), and I have since swapped my Garnier Moisturizer away.
I hope at least some of you found this helpful and that you find your holy-grail moisturizer!
-M
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