Holy Grail Products for the Eyes

I figured after doing a lot of reviews, it would be a great idea to do a post about all the products that I truly love and cannot live without.  These are the things I reach for everyday and can depend on to perform every time.  This edition focuses on eye products and the next will be face and lip products.  I wholeheartedly recommend these items to anyone.

SHU UEMERA LASH CURLER ($19.90 on Amazon) - if you have ever complained about eyelash curlers that pinch your skin, pull your lashes out, make your lashes stick to the curling pads, or, God forbid, chop your lashes off, look no further.  There is no comparison to any other lash curler and I've tried an ton.  Even those goofy heated ones, this is hands down the best.  It gives your lashes that nice wide eyed natural looking curl without leaving them looking crimped and sticking straight up.  You can use it on lashes that have mascara on them without the lashes sticking to the pads.  The pads last just about forever, I've had mine for years and there isn't event the hint of a dent in them.  I love this curler so much I have three.

MAYBELLINE THE ROCKET MASCARA Waterproof in Very Black (~$6-7 at the drugstore) - I have very fine straight short lashes that will not hold a curl unless the formula is waterproof.  This mascara holds my curl like a champ and it has out performed many high end mascara's I've tried.  I'm looking at you Benefit They're Real, Guerlain and Dior.  It does not make the super long but once I curl my lashes and put a coat or three of this on, my lashes are curled until I'm ready to take my makeup off.  It doesn't flake or smudge but will require a waterproof eye makeup remover to get off.  For days when I'm feeling like a super glam look without glueing false lashes on, I will curl my lashes, put a light coat of this on to lock my curl, wait for it to dry and then layer a lengthening mascara on top such as the Benefit one.

LIOELE AUTO EYEBROW PENCIL ($13.98 on prettyandcute.com) -  I cannot leave my house without coloring my brows in because they are so sparse.  I discovered this brand after hearing Jenn on From Head to Toe rave about how much she loved it.  One pencil lasted me about 9 months using it every single day and I am down to the very nub and will need to order another soon.  The tip is not round, it's kind of like a tilted rectangle, or parallelogram for you nit picky folks, and the formula is not too creamy or too waxy.  I use the color grey which matches my skin tone and hair color perfectly.  Anything too much darker would look too harsh.  It is a twist up and does not require sharpening, and the other end has a convenient spoolie to brush out your brows and blend in the color.  You can purchase it on http://www.prettyandcute.com - just use the discount code KLOVE10 for 10% off.

MEET MATT(E) NUDE FROM THE BALM ($42) - I've only recently gotten into using matte eyeshadows and I am in LOVE with this palette.  You can easily get natural daytime to ultra smokey night time looks and the shadows are huge.  The peachy color is a perfect blending color to smooth out harsh lines and I just think you get such a sophisticated eye look with matte colors.  They are very well pigmented and go on smoothly without any chalkiness.  I suggest using a primer or a cream shadow as a base for the color to cling to and if you do you won't have any issues with creasing or fading.  Who doesn't love adorable packaging?

GUERLAIN TERRACOTTA TOUCH Glow Enhancing Perfector -($43 on Sephora) - this is a splurge item for sure and I blame my cousin Vanessa for getting me hooked on this crack.  You use it under your eyes and on your cheek bones and under your brows to get a beautiful highlight.  It does a good job of concealing under eye circles IF they aren't TOO dark.  You may need something with more coverage under this if you do, then layer this on top.  I have not found anything that takes away my "tired Mama face" like this.  It brightens me up, gives me a beautiful glow where I want to highlight, and I even use a touch of the down the bridge of my nose and on my Cupid's bow.  Make sure you use a hydrating eye cream and wait at least 5 minutes to let that soak in before applying this.  I usually dot it under my eye with my ring finger or use a dense Sigma P80 flat top brush to stipple it in if I'm feeling particularly fancy.  Fingers blend just fine.  I usually put this on AFTER my foundation because the foundation does a decent job of concealing the darkest parts and this finishes it off.  I recommend setting it (and your Tzone in general) with a finishing powder.

PHYSICIANS' FORMULA 2in1 LASH BOOSTING EYELINER - ($10-12 at the drugstore) - ok if you love a felt tip liquid liner, you need this in your life.  The formula applies butter smooth, lasts all day long without smudging or flaking.  The felt tip is long enough and flexible enough for precise cat's eye winged liner and you can often take advantage of drugstore sales to get a great deal.  Once I've applied this I always like to set it with a similarly colored powder shadow just to keep it from budging.

Another month of awesome from Ipsy May 2013

Once again the Ipsy monthly beauty subscription has beaten its competitors to a pulp.  The comparison was so staggering that I've finally pulled the plug and said sayonara to Birchbox, who was my first beauty sub love.  For a paltry $10 a month this is what I received from them.

Here is the roundup and price point for each of the items:

Full sized Zoya nail polish in Blu (a robin's egg blue) - $8 retail

Full sized Pacifica Roll On perfume in Tahitian Gardinia - $12 retail

Mini Pacifica Coconut Crushed Pearl Bronzing Butter - $7 retail

Full sized Mirabella lipstick in Daydream - $22 retail

Sample of Yaby concealer in Honey - $4.85 retail

AND as a bonus for being a good customer - they sent me a full sized Urban Decay Moondust Eyeshadow in Glitter Rock! - $20 retail

So my $10 this month got me $71.85 worth of products!

The Pacifica brand is pretty easy to find in Target and Whole Foods - I'm a fan of their Blood Orange scent, and while the Gardenia is more floral than I usually reach for, I will still probably use it on occasions when I want to feel particularly girly.

I'm not much of a bronzer user but I will probably use this to try to get rid of my running shorts/sports bra tan.  Hopefully this won't turn me into an Oompa Loompa.

I have a love hate relationship with Zoya.  Their jelly polishes are so finicky and tend to bubble on me, their Pixie Dust polishes are sheer LOVE.  This pale blue creme polish is a meh to me.  The color is pretty for springtime but its a little gloppy and doesn't self level all that well.  I will add a few drops of polish thinner and see if that redeems this one.

This Yaby concealer was not a hit for me.  The color wasn't salmon enough for my under eye circles and it didn't work for my blemishes.  The texture wasn't all that blendable and it settles into my fine lines.

The Mirabella lipstick has a nice feel to it, creamy and not drying but the color is a fail.  Frosty 80s Barbie pink does nothing for my skin tone and it makes my teeth look yellow.

I am pretty thrilled about the Urban Decay shadow bonus.  Ipsy really outdid itself and the high end shadow single was the icing on the cake.  It is a glittery pink with iridescent sparkle.  Definitely not your daytime everyday shadow look, but for an evening out it really gives your eyes a pretty pop.  Lots of fall out with this folks, so I used a finger to apply and would suggest an eye primer to keep everything in place AND do your foundation after your eyes so you can easily brush away the fall out on your cheeks.

The Survival series of Beauty Subscriptions stands at Birchbox and Glossybox CANCELLED, Ipsy, Julep and TestTube still going strong.

Well played, Ipsy, well played.

Contouring - lose 5lbs without even trying

Have you ever wished that you had more defined cheek bones or that your face didn't look quite so puffy and round?  There are a few really easy make up techniques that you can use to give your face a little more definition and make it look like you've lost 5lbs without even working at it.  By playing up the natural shadows on your face, you can make your face look slimmer using a matte bronzer or even a matte shadow if you can find one in an appropriate shade.  As always, with any application - practice makes perfect and you can always wipe it off and try again.

The effect should always be subtle, and you should always apply with a light hand.  In the photos below, the only difference is the addition of a bit of matte bronzer to the hollows of my cheeks and to my jaw line and temples.  You should have to look pretty closely to see a difference between the two.  You don't want a streak of dark that is too noticeable, especially during the day.  You have a bit more room to play if it's a night time look as far as going more dramatic with the contour.

You can figure out where to apply by looking in the mirror and making a "fishy face"  sucking your cheeks in.  You want the contour to start at your hairline and be in a slight triangle shape with the wider area starting at the hair line and it coming to a point that ends in the line that comes straight down from the outside corner of your eye.  Don't bring it in too close to your mouth, you want the color to be the darkest at the hairline then softer as you get to the middle of the apple of the cheek.

You also want to apply it along the jaw line to make that area look slimmer as well as along your temples and hairline for a bit of warmth.  Usually if I'm using a bronzer to contour, I don't bother with a different color as a "bronzer".  It's just easier to sweep the same color under the jaw and along the temples to give my face a bit more life.

Here are a couple of brushes that I use pretty regularly.  The one on the left I use when I'm looking for a quick bit of definition.  The angled shape lets you get right into the hollow of your cheek and the soft fluffy bristles don't pick up too much product which looks too unnatural on the skin.  Keep a clean powder brush handy to blend out the bronzer if you over do it.  The Real Techniques Contour Brush I like for when I want a more precise application or when I'm doing my makeup for a special evening out.  Both work great, and even a plain old blush brush would work fine with powder bronzers.  If you have a cream bronzer that you want to contour with, just use your fingers in the same area and it will work just as well.  I prefer powders because my skin is oily and cream bronzers as well as blushes tend not to last very long on my skin.

Angled contour brush and Real Techniques Contour Brush

When picking a good bronzer to contour with, you want to stick to matte shades that do not have any shimmer or sparkle.  You are trying to deepen the shadows in an area and shimmer will only make that area look more noticeable.   The ones that I have listed in the picture below work for tons of skin tones and the texture is very easy to work with and they do not look orange on the skin.  You do not want to look like Snooki or an Oompa Loompa trust me.  They are in descending order of price with the NARS Laguna being the most expensive and the NYX Matte Bronzer really in the drugstore price range.  I reach for all three pretty equally, but will say that the Too Face Chocolate Soleil smells the best.

Top to Bottom:  Nars Laguna, Too Faced Chocolate Soleil, Nyx Matte Bronzer

You can also lightly contour your nose by using a fluffy eyeshadow blending brush and put the bronzer down the sides of your nose to make it look a little thinner.  Be cautious not to over do it in the nose area or your face is going to look really odd.

There are days when I skip the blush entirely and just add a bit of contour with lip stick. brows and mascara, then I'm out the door.

Birchbox April 2013 - Women's Health Box

I was ready to bash this month's box, really I was. I find that getting foil sample packets a bit of a disappointment, and I did not get the full sized chubby lip crayon that I was seeing on other people's blogs.  The subscription envy was strong this month.

Let's take a peek at the contents shall we?

Caudalie's Huile Divine - which is their response to the Josie Maran Argan oil phenom
Nexxus Anti Aging Hair serum
Strivectin anti wrinkle eye cream
YoungBlood's Anti Shine Mattifier
3 Weleda Body lotion samples

I hate to admit it but I'm actually going to use most of these samples (save for the hair serum one which sounds kind of hokey to me)

The Caudalie oil smells fantastic even if it is not exactly earth shattering and transformative on my hair. I'll give the YoungBlood mattifier a go in my T zone to see if it can keep my foundation from sliding right off my face after a few hours.  And who would say no to something that might actually help my fine lines and wrinkles.

Not me baby, not me.

So even if the Birchbox this month didn't blow my socks off, it was solid.   And I can deal with solid.

You can't outrun a bad diet

I've been fat a long time, and unhealthy for even longer than that. At my heaviest I weighed 188lbs, and on a 5'2 frame there is no way to shake it where the word FAT did not come out. I stopped shopping in department stores because having to go into the fat ladies section and trying stuff on was just demoralizing. I avoided photos, I ignored my expanding waistline as much as my huffing and puffing at the smallest exertion.

About a year ago my doctor gave me the Come To Jesus talk about my health and future. I was staring down the barrel of Type II diabetes if I did not get my shit together, and my weight under control.
It's kind of amazing how much denial one can be in until someone rubs your nose into your own pile of crap and tells you your choices are killing you.

So I started exercising, a lot. I lost 10lbs and two dress sizes and put on lots of lean muscle over the course of 6 months using P90X and TurboFire from BeachBody. I still feel TurboFire is my soulmate workout, and would recommend both programs whole heartedly.

It took me that long however to realize that you can't outrun (literally and figuratively) a bad diet. Exercise cannot cancel out the crappy food you put into your mouth and those choices are what end up sabotaging your results.

So in October I started a program called Take Shape For Life, which is a diet plan based on Medifast food with an awesome health coach (Shawna Barboni shawnaATbarboniDOTorg) who helps motivate you along the way.

I was and still am conflicted about these kind of diets where you severely restrict your calorie intake using prepackaged food and drop weight really quickly.  I'd done Nutrisystem, Weight Watchers and SlimFast in the past, and nothing was able to keep the weight off.  I always felt these kind of plans were essentially cheating your way to a slimmer body and didn't do anything for your cardio health at all.  In three months I dropped an additional very stubborn 15lbs and another dress size. I wasn't the model Medifast client and I didn't have an enormous amount of weight I wanted to drop. I cheated here and there and I continued to exercise vigorously.

What my time on TSFL taught me is that there is no one solution. You cannot approach it as you would a short term diet, and all your choices, make a difference. My short stint on Medifast helped me look at food as fuel, and use it as a tool to a greater goal. The quick 15 lbs helped to further motivate me and challenge me to take my fitness to another level by starting to run regularly.

My TSFL coach lost over 100lbs, so you can see that it is darn effective.

I still use some of my leftover Medifast meals to help control my eating choices during the week but I'm in a cardio focus these days. It is nice to have the options nearby when I am tempted by my kids' snacks or the drive thru.

I don't feel like I've been cheating anymore by using TSFL to help drop some weight. It has motivated me to become even more active, to push myself farther than I thought I could go, but it isn't the only weapon in my arsenal either.

I'm probably about 15 lbs from my dream body, and currently at my "goal" weight as far as dieting is concerned. I'm going to work on my endurance, muscle tone and overall strength and I figure the rest will be along shortly.

MOVE more, EAT better, BE BETTER.

Double chin city - 2006?

March 2013

St. Patty's Day 10K

Step out of your comfort zone and rock a bright lip for Spring

The weather is warming up, and nothing says sunny longer days to me like a bright lip color.  I used to see other women rock a bright lip stick and think that would never work on me.  Too bold.  Too attention whoring.  Too much.

Lemme tell you, I trained myself to wear bolder lip colors, and now that I have conditioned myself to reach for them regularly, the mental perk I can get from a gorgeous Vivid Rose or a Classic Red lip is fantastic.  Think Marilyn Monroe, Dita Von Teese, Scarlett Johanssen or Gwen Stefani.

The iconic bold lip color is a classic beauty staple that ANYONE can pull off.  Even you Miss Shy Wallflower lady who only wears plain chapstick.   And come on, what guy has EVER thought too himself, wow that is a fabulous nude lipcolor you are wearing.  None.  No one.  Seriously.  There was a scientific study done somewhere.  OK maybe not, but a man will notice a bold lip 100x over a neutral or nude color any day.

Cool toned brights (think more blueish undertone and   less orangey) will make your teeth look whiter and look great on just about any skin tone.  A great one that I really like is the Vivid Rose from Maybelline's Vivids collection.

Anytime you are going with a bold lip, the rest of your makeup should be minimal.  So, neutral eyes and soft cheeks.  The statement lip should be the only thing making a statement.

Step 1 - Pick out a color that you love how it looks in the tube.  Ignore the voice that says "Oh my GOD YOU HUSSY".  Trust me, the bitch don't know what she's talking about.

Vivid Rose with natural face

Step 2 - Wear it as a stain.  This is the most forgiving sheerest application.  Take the lip stick and tap it against your top lip and transfer to the top lip.  This isn't a smear or swipe.  Just tap it on lightly, then rub your lips together to transfer the color.   You can build the color up bit by bit until you get to where you start to feel a bit awkward about wearing a bright color.  Remember, we are pushing boundaries here.  Then go out and run your errands, don't look at your lips too much, and don't think about it.  That wasn't so bad was it?

Sheered out lipcolor as a stain

Step 3 - Wear it as a lipstick.  Swipe it on, blot, and don't let yourself get talked out of it.  Keep in on the whole day, reapply after eating or drinking.  Smile when people compliment your lip color, because they will.

Rinse, repeat, be fabulous.

Step out of your comfort zone,  you can do it.

NOTD: Springtime quick art

Revlon Colorstay in Marmalade, Kiss Nail art polish in White and Zoya Pixie Dust in Vespa on the accent

TUTORIAL: Brows 101

Brows can really add polish to your makeup, and frame your eyes.  Mine are naturally sparse and uneven, so filling them in is a must for me.  Here you can see what a difference a few minutes makes by shaping and doing your brows.  Forget stencils, they are not shaped to the perfect brow for your face shape and can be awkward to work with.

Right side brow filled in and shaped

When picking a brow pencil or a brow powder, go a couple shades lighter than your natural hair color. As you can see here, my hair is black but my brow powder and pencil are a gray/slate color.  The lighter shade will look less harsh on your face then extremely dark brows.  I prefer to use both a pencil and a powder together.  The pencil is used to fill in the gaps and the brow powder is used over the entire brow to darken it slightly.  The spoolie brush is very important to use after applying pencil or powder to brush the color out and blend it in so it looks more natural and remove any stroke marks.

Spoolie brush, brow pencil, angled brush, brow powder

Before you start, map out your brow shape.  Here I am just using the end of my spoolie brush and showing you where your brow should start and end, and where the highest part of the arch should be.  When you pluck your own brows, keep in mind that thinner brows make you look OLDER.  Slightly fuller brows are more youthful so be sparing in your plucking, just pluck the stray hairs that are outside of your natural brow line and avoid overplucking and drawing them back in.  It's not flattering, trust me.

Your brow should start at the line that is matched up with the outside tip of your nose, it should end on the same angle as the outside corner of your eye, and the arch should be highest at the angle that goes through your pupil from the edge of your nose.  You can mark these points with a bit if brow pencil and wipe away the mark when you are done if it helps.

Before you start filling in your brows, use the spoolie or brow brush to brush your brow hairs both upward and downward, looking to see which way looks best for your brow shape.  You don't want to pluck away everything before you do this, one of those stray hairs may just need to be combed into the right shape!  Avoid over plucking from above your brow, the natural arch usually is the best look, just clean up underneath and keep things fuller toward the inner corner with a gentle taper to a thinner outer corner.

Using your brow pencil, and light short strokes, fill in any sparse areas that you need, then use the angled brush and brow powder to lightly darken up your entire brow.

Use the spoolie again to brush through the brow to blend in the color so it looks natural.

An optional last step is to use a clear mascara to brush through your brows and keep them in place.  This may be a good idea if your brows are particularly thick and unruly but I usually skip this step.

Instant volumizer for fine, flat hair

My hair is flat.  Like a pancake.  Getting any sort of volume into it is an ordeal and it can't hold a curl if my life depended on it.  I don't like teasing my hair because trying to run my fingers through it afterwards makes me think it's like a rats nest and who wants that on their head.

I had been hearing about new dry shampoo sprays coming on the market lately but avoided them because of the dreaded grey cast they often leave on people with very dark hair.  I also don't like the idea of going more than a day or two without washing my hair with a liquid shampoo.  I don't trust a dry shampoo to do much more than fragrance my hair.  

Since my hair can get oily and I work out regularly, the idea of using a dry shampoo after a particularly sweat session just icks me out.  That being said I am mostly going to review the volumizing aspects of this product.

You spray it into your roots and let it sit for a few minutes, then work it into your scalp with your fingertips.  I used it on slightly limp hair that hadn't been washed in a day and a half.  After the first couple of sprays it leaves a white powder on your hair but disappears into your scalp as you work it in and it absorbs the oil.  The scent is pretty strong with a vaguely floral tone to it, not unpleasant but if you are sensitive to perfumes this might not work for you.  

After working it into my hair really well,  I was pleasantly surprised to find that my locks were definitely fuller. I'd say as much volume as if I had teased the under layer with a comb, without the damage to my hair.  It also did a good job of both freshening my hair as well as absorbing the oils and perked up my hairdo.

I probably would not recommend this as a full time shampoo because I could see the powder building up on your scalp and that just sounds foul.  I wouldn't use it after a workout unless you REALLY had to be somewhere fast because  not sure it could completely absorb all the sweat in your hair.

Overall a pretty good product that fits into a niche and is worth a try.

DIY: No Sew Two hour TuTu

And now for something a little different.  I am running a 5K this Saturday and for fun I figured I'd wear something kind of colorful and bright.  It's the Run or Dye 5K where they spray you with washable color during the course so I'll be crazy looking at the end anyhow. I had wanted to wear a tutu for my last 5K but didn't get a chance to make one so I was determined to follow thru for this run.  After looking online I found some instructions on how to easily make a tutu, no sewing required!

This would be a great project for little girl's dress up, fairy and princess tutus are all the rage these days I hear.

Required Supplies:

• tulle in whatever colors you like - 8 yds for a grown up, 4-5 for a little girl 
• ribbon or elastic - enough to wrap around the waist and tie a knot
• scissors or a rotary cutter (this is way faster than scissors)

Step 1:  Measure out your ribbon or elastic by wrapping it around the waist of the person you are making it for and mark the inside of the ribbon where it meets so you know how much length the tulle will have to cover

Step 2:  Cut the tulle into strips about 3" wide and half the width of your tulle (about 24").  The quickest way to do this is to fold the piece of tulle in half, then in half again, and cut this folded fabric into 3" strips.  Then unfold the tulle to the half folded mark and cut at that fold.  A rotary cutter makes this part super fast but if you don't have one, scissors work too.  The pieces do not have to be perfectly 3" wide, and they don't have to be even.  Do not spend too much time OCD'ing on how even your cuts are.  Move on.

Step 3:  Once your tulle is cut, take several strips of the tulle and lay it across your palm.  The more strips you use, the more the tutu will puff outwards at the sides, the fewer you use, the more droopy it will be.  I found that using 6-8 strips each time worked the best for the tulle I was using.

Step 4:  Starting at one mark on the ribbon, fold your strips in half and lay it over the ribbon or elastic, reach your fingers through the loop and pull the ends through to form a knot over your ribbon.  Pull it tight and smooth out the tulle.  Continue while alternating colors as you like until your reach the other mark on the ribbon and the length you need is covered.

Step 5:  Wear your tutu and be fabulous.

Foundation application - Beauty Blender, Paddle Brush, Flat Top Kabuki,and Fingers

What if I told you that how you apply your foundation is as important to how it looks on your face as the actual foundation you picked out?  Drugstore or high end, what you use to put it on your face can make it turn out like an airbrushed perfect canvas or like you put it on with a cement trowel.  The common misconception is that a foundation will look the same on the skin if you put it on with your fingers, a brush or a sponge.

So let's say that you've managed to pick the perfect color matched foundation for your skin, but when you apply it - it is cake face city and you look like a halloween mask, OR the foundation doesn't cover enough or looks patchy on the skin.  A little trial and error with different ways of application could turn a horrible foundation into a great match.

I will talk about four different ways of applying your foundation and the pros and cons of each.  Fingers, flat top kabuki style brush, paddle foundation brush and a Beauty Blender.  I won't be talking about the various Beauty Blender dupes in this post, that will be left for another day.

Most people start out applying foundation with their fingers, usually dotting it around their face and blending it into the skin with their fingertips.  This is the easiest method since it doesn't require any additional tools, but it's also the method I find is the most problematic when it comes to the result.  The most noticeable side effect is applying too much foundation to the skin (especially when working with liquid foundations), which you will see in cake-face and pigment pooling into the pores.  Most foundations look best when applied in very thin layers and built up only in areas where you need it most.  The exception to this rule seems to be with foundations that have a mousse texture such as Revlon's Colorstay Whipped or the Maybelline Instant Age Rewind The Lifter foundations.  Both seem to be best applied with fingers and worked into the skin in circular motions.  Using your fingers results in the heaviest coverage and may work best for people who are looking for really opaque foundation coverage.

The Beauty Blender sponge has a very unique texture, which results in an amazing natural looking airbrushed finish with liquid and creamy foundations.  You wet it first, and wring it out well - this causes the sponge to nearly double in size.  Using it damp will keep it from absorbing too much of your foundation and wasting it.  You can use it either by dipping the sponge directly into your foundation and bouncing the sponge against your skin to apply it OR by first dotting the foundation onto your skin and using the sponge blend it into the skin (using the same bouncing motions).  The only kind of foundation I've ever found that I did not LOVE using with my Beauty Blender are the mousse textured foundations.  This is my favorite method of application, hands down.  The coverage starts out relatively light, but you can build it up by adding additional thin layers of foundation,  allowing you to get maximum coverage without it looking cakey.

Wet / Dry

Flat top densely bristled brushes or "kabuki" style brushes are also very popular for foundation application.  Before I discovered the Beauty Blender, this was my preferred foundation tool.  Some have a completely flat top, others have a slight dome shaped top but styles work in very similar fashion.  When using this style of brush, after you dip it into the foundation (or have dotted the foundation on your skin) you can either stipple (tapping the brush over your skin) or swirl the foundation onto your skin.  You may find that swirling can leave visible brush strokes on your skin, so a combination of swirling then stippling away the brush strokes may work better for you.  The coverage that this style of brush gives tends to be less than using fingers but more than a Beauty Blender on the first pass.

Real Techniques, Sigma, and a Mineral Foundation brush

Densely packed bristles with mostly flat top

The last foundation tool I'll mention is also my least favorite to use.  The traditional paddle foundation brush is used to brush on the product in up and down strokes and you can also lightly press the brush into the skin as well.  This one leaves the most visible brush strokes, can also highlight the peach fuzz on your face if you have any.  I find that this style brush deposits too much product leaving your face looking distinctly cakey.

Paddle style foundation brushes:  EcoTools, Real Techniques, MAC knockoff

Side view - very flat brush

One way I thought would be a very good visual representation of how foundation would look going onto your skin using each method was to apply it to a blank sheet of paper.  You can see in the top left that the circle where I used my fingers is the most opaque.  This can translate into too thick a layer of foundation being applied to the skin which gives you that cake face effect.  If you use a flat top brush, stippling is the better application method over the buffing/swirling it into the skin.  The tapping motion of the stippling deposits it into tiny dots that mimics the air brushing spray of pigment onto the skin.  It ends up pretty natural looking without the brush stroke problems of the swirling method.  The up down strokes using the paddle brush is my most disliked application (aside from fingers).  The Beauty Blender manages to apply the thinnest amount of foundation in a layer to the skin, and building it up as much as you need in just the areas you need more coverage ends up with the best application of all the tools used.

Clockwise from Top Left: Fingers, Flat Top Kabuki (stippling), Paddle brush, Beauty Blender (bouncing), Flat Top Kabuki (swirling)

Hope this helps!

DUPES: The Blush edition

As I've gotten older and a little more money conscious, I discovered that there are a lot of very affordable alternatives to my high end (and ridiculously high priced) blushes.  Some of these dupes are not exact replicas, some are more like sisters than twins, and some look more different in the swatches, but when applied to the cheeks, are indistinguishable.

I tend to gravitate to blushes that look like a natural flush, and one of the most iconic of these is NARS Orgasm.  There is such a loyal fan base for this blush that suggesting a drugstore alternative may be blasphemous to some.  It is a peachy pink blush with a hint of a shimmer, and when applied to the apples of the cheeks makes you look like you've just well, had a rather good roll in the hay.  And who doesn't want to look that satisfied?   However, at $29.00 the original Orgasm is a steep proposition.  Here are a few drugstore alternatives:

ELF's Contouring Blush from the Studio Line is spot on in color, with less of a shimmer, but is chalkier and not as finely milled as the NARS version.  It requires more product to build up to the same intensity as the high end version, but at only $3.00 each on the ELF website or at your local Target - you can afford to pack it on.

Milani has two offerings that are similar to NARS Orgasm.  Dolce Pink is in the same color family but a little cooler (pinker) and Rose D'Oro is a bit warmer (peachier).  They look pretty much identical on the face though and are a very reasonable alternative at $7.99.  Milani's blushes are long lasting and finely milled, so they apply and blend extremely well.  I'd venture to say that I actually prefer the two Milani blushes over the NARS which was not as pigmented.

The Balm's Hot Mama is another one of those peachy pink blushes, but is stronger on the peachy side than the pink.  It retails for $20.00 and can also be used as a highlighter on the tops of the cheekbones.

Another Milani dupe for this one is Luminoso, and again at $7.99 you can get an identical look with high end quality color and application on the cheap.

Saving the best dupe for last, Tarte's Amazonian Clay12HR  blushes are pretty amazing.  They are highly pigmented, easy to blend out, and the colors are just beautiful.  You will pay a premium for looking that pretty at the cost of $26.00 for a blush.

Wet N' Wild's Color Icon Blush in Pearlescent Pink is an EXACT color match without the chunky sparkle that Tarte's Splendor has.  It is as pigmented, and lasts just as long, without any hint of chalkiness.  I know some of you ladies out there are turning your noses up at the mention of the high school makeup horror that was Wet N' Wild in the 80s & 90s.  Trust me - they have revamped their formulations and these blushes are GREAT.  And they cost $2.99, seriously, that is less than a Grande Caramel Macchiato.  You may find that some of their blushes are TOO pigmented.  Use a light hand, and a clean powder brush to blend it out if you go too heavy the first time you apply it.  Duo Fiber brushes are great for any highly pigmented blush or bronzer.

REVIEW: TestTube - New Beauty's contribution to the monthly beautysubscription

I've tried a few monthly beauty subscription services so far - Birchbox ($10/month), Ipsy Glambag ($10/month), Glossybox ($21/month), Julep Maven ($19.99/month), and now New Beauty's TestTube ($29.95/every two months - so equivalent to $15/month.  I had heard about it on Emily Eddington's YouTube Channel, and she had gotten her's from QVC.  The QVC version has different products in theirs, this review is on the one you can get from the New Beauty web site.

This month's TestTube was an absolute knock it out of the park HOME RUN.  Here is what I got for my $29.95:

Full size TARTE Amazonian clay 12hr blush in Flushed - retail value $26
Full size Dr. Brandt Pores No More Cleanser 3.5oz - retail value $35 (this retail cost of product alone is more than the entire TestTube!)
Stila Face The Day Multi Use Moisturizing Gel Cream - deluxe sample - value $11
Full Size Mally EverColor Starlight Waterproof Eyeliner in Midnight - retail value $15 (forgot to put this into the photo - oops)
ColorScience SunForgettable SPF30 powder - $10.95
Simple Makeup Removing Cleansing wipes - $1.40
Vichy LiftActive Serum and EyeCream - $8

So I got about $108 worth of products for $30!

This subscription has completely blown Birchbox,  Ipsy and Glossybox out of the water.  It's less than I pay for Glossybox, and the contents were far superior.  If this month's Glossybox isn't amazing, I'm so dumping you.

The stand out product so far has been the Tarte Amazonian Clay 12hr Blush.  I love this product and own it in two other colors.  It lives up to its long wear claims, it is HIGHLY pigmented, and when applied with a light hand SPARINGLY, it gives you the most beautiful natural looking flush.  Just stunning.   I have used the cleanser once so far, and am still working on an opinion for that.  The ColorScience mineral sunscreen might be a good choice for those days that I want to add some better sun protection over a foundation that might have a lower SPF than the SPF 30 I prefer to wear daily.

The value of this subscription is EASILY proven to be far exceeding the cost to me, and I can't wait to see what the next TestTube has in store for me.

REVIEW: Physician's Formula Healthy Wear Tinted Moisturizer SPF 50

I am always on the look out for multi tasking time savers.  Some days I just don't have the time for a full face of makeup, but I still want to appear a little more polished than having just rolled out of bed.

I've been turning to a tinted moisturizer for those days and have been pleasantly surprised with the Physician's Formula Healthy Wear Tinted Moisturizer SPF50  (no that isn't a typo - SPF50!)  It retails for $14.95, a bit expensive for a drugstore brand, but just wait for a Buy One Get one 50% off sale or a 40% off sale which is pretty common for Physician's Formula products.  Being a woman of a certain age -ahem-  I appreciate a high SPF sunscreen to help combat premature aging like fine lines, sun damage and wrinkles.  You ladies who are still young, put on your damn SUNSCREEN.  Trust me on this one.  Just fucking do it.  EVERY DAY.  Yes, even when it's cloudy.  DO. IT.

Ok back to the review.  This comes in a plastic bottle with a pump top, and is available in 4 shades.  I always appreciate a pump top, it makes for less spillage and is more hygienic than the twist off top bottles.  The bottle is a standout neon orange and bright pink.  The consistency is very runny, and I've applied it with my fingers on days I need a little extra coverage, and with a Beauty Blender for days I'm looking for a little more sheer coverage.  You are not going to get more than a light-medium coverage with this product.  It isn't really meant to cover up every spot on your face.

It does however beautifully blur your imperfections.  The sun damage isn't quite so noticeable, and your skin tone is evened out.  You can use this directly on clean skin without the use of a primer or sunscreen or moisturizer.   See I just saved you 10 minutes right there.  It has no fragrance, no parabens, and is oil free.  It does not however control your own oil like a mattifying foundation might.  If you tend toward the oily/combination side, you will see T zone shine through after about 3 hours.  Adding a primer or a setting powder will help this last longer, but don't expect marathon kind of performance from ANY tinted moisturizer.

It is very blendable, and your skin still shows through for quite a natural look.  This is perfect for you ladies who are not used to wearing makeup regularly, or who don't want to look "made up".   You can easily just smooth this all over, add a bit of lipstick, and blush if you have that extra minute, then get out the door and on with your day.  I am actually liking this quite a bit better than the Garnier BB Cream that I reviewed recently because it does not cake up at all, wears down evenly without clinging to my dry spots and has a better sun screen.

This is what I wear when I know I am going to be spending a good bit of time in the sun, (the zoo, the beach, running days) and I can be confident that my skin is protected and I look polished.  If you are going to bother to put on sunscreen, why not have it make your skin look better at the same time?

One thing that you need to be aware of with anything that has SPF in it, there is something called "foundation flash back"  in flash photography.  Something in the sunscreen will cause a white cast on your face when it's hit with a flash, so keep that in mind.  Don't wear this if you are going to have photos taken cause you will look like a ghost.

Eeep!  Ghost face!

Overall I think this would be a great option for just about any skin type, the finish is demi matte, that becomes luminous as your own natural oils come out.  It's just lovely after about 2 hours and looks like your skin but better.  The SPF50 is the highest I've seen in any drugstore option, and only one BB cream I know of has something as high.

Packaging:    B+

Color Match:   A

Finish:     A

Longevity:  B

OVERALL GRADE:   B+

REVIEW: Garnier BB Cream for Combination/Oily Skin

I am a fan of Asian BB creams, specifically, the Korean BB creams.  They deliver on their promises and I've found that the western attempts at jumping onto this beauty bandwagon to fall short.  Most of the time the American "BB Creams" are nothing more than a glorified tinted moisturizer.  I had heard some good things about the new Garnier BB Cream made specifically for Combination/Oily skin (retail $12.99) and I had a coupon so why not.

It comes in two shades:  Light/Medium and Medium/Deep

I went with the Medium/Deep and it seems a little too dark for my NC25-NC30 skin tone.  I could see it get a little orangey as it oxidized and the lighter shade might have worked a bit better.  The consistency of this was pretty runny and I had to get it on my face pretty quick before it ran down my hand.  I used a damp Beauty Blender and no primer underneath this to see how well it would really control my oily skin.

The coverage is somewhere between light and medium.  It does a decent job of blurring your imperfections but it does not cover them up completely.  You can sell see the sun damage on my cheeks peek through, but it does not seem to pool into my pores or fine lines after initial application.  I did not set this BB cream with any powder like I normally would in the T zone.

It has a strong floral smell so if you are sensitive to fragrance, this might turn you off.  I did not notice it after application so it dissipates pretty quickly.

The photo below is after about 4 hours of wear and I think it looks really lovely.  The finish is just starting to get a little luminous from my natural oils blending with the BB cream.  The glow looks radiant and not greasy.  I am really liking this BB cream thus far, but am a little worried that the coverage will not make it to the end of my day through my oily skin.

Here we are 10 hours after application (sorry for the glass imprints on my nose).  You can see how oily my forehead has gotten, and the coverage is breaking down quite a bit.  After about 6 hours, the BB cream starts to wear off unevenly.  There are dry patches that the BB cream clings to if you look closer.

As in this close.  See on my nose there is some dry skin there and the BB cream is only left on the bits of skin.

Overall I think this is a really good drugstore BB cream.  It's got a decent SPF20, and looks pretty good for about 6 hours.  If you don't need a long wearing foundation, aren't looking for too much coverage, and like a natural look, this might be a nice match for you.

Packaging:   C

Consistency/Texture:   B

Longevity:  B-

Finish:  A

OVERALL GRADE:  B-