So pumped to tell you about these gems! Let's get it goin' :)
One of the recent makeup trends that I've really been diving into is using a pink highlight. If you've read my Buy or Bye on Makeup Revolution's Vivid Baked Bronzers & Highlights, then you'll know that I'm obsessing over the whole line at the moment. The Peach Lights highlight is a pale pink nude with a pink shimmer reflects running through for a really unique finish. I'd go as far as to say that it's flattering on everyone as either a highlight, or a blush topper at the very least. I've been reaching for it for about 90% of this past month which says a lot for any highlight let alone one at a drugstore price.
This product photo does it no justice and you're really going to want to see swatches! To read my full review with pictures, swatches, and links for all of the Makeup Revolution highlights and bronzers, click here.
Directly underneath I have a fun sized Benefit Cosmetics Boi-ing Eye Bright Compact duo which I purchased from Ulta's travel kiosks. I've had this guy for a while now and haven't really found a knack for either side until now. You'll probably already know that my skin has been freaking out lately after switching up some skincare. What does that mean? Brekouts! So fun and always a pleasure to deal with, am I right? Ughβ¦so in midst of restoring my skincare routine, I've been testing out concealers in my stash and am happy to report that Boi-ing has passed with flying colors for coverage. Both products are horrifically dry for under eyes, in my preference, but the concealer is what's been saving face as of late. Unfortunately the Eye Bright side hasn't gotten too much love, but I've still got a couple of other ways I'd like to try out before reaching my final verdict.
If you enjoy Benefit's Eye Bright and have any suggestions, be sure to let me know! I'd love to hear them :)
I've been thoroughly impressed with my Ipsy subscription primarily because it introduces brands and products that I'd not often select on my own. This Mica Beauty Cosmetics Cream Eyeshadow in Bronze (exclusive shade to Ipsy) is a perfect example of that. This is so nice! Very long wearing and the color is a stunning warm golden/orange bronze. My only gripe with the product is that it's very dry (hence the visible cracks) so you literally have only seconds to blend before it starts to set. Fingers will work best to apply as their warmth will heat up the product. If you have oily lids like me, you'll get over the dry factor real quick and appreciate just how well it wears throughout the day. I'm talking no-crease wear on its own or with shadow overtop.
*If you'd like to try the Mica Beauty Cosmetics brand, sign up with their email newsletter and receive 45% off of your first purchase!
Oh, you already know I'm all about that Becca Cosmetics life. Brace yourselves, this post will have me sounding like a broken record no doubt haha.
The Ombre Rouge Eye Palette has, to no one's surprise but my own, blown my socks off. For such a simple and sophisticated palette, this collection of shadows sure knows how to add a twist to keep things interesting! I was initially drawn to the warm shade selection thinking that it'd be a similarly used 'companion palette' as my Naked 2 Basics. Though this still holds true, these Becca shadows all live a double life. In the pan they look classic and pretty straight forward, but once swatched they pull surprisingly richer in hue.
The finishes of these shadows range from matte to satin matte and all work beautifully in any eye area you choose to apply. I've worn these shades both in the crease as well as on the lid and have had nothing short of a beautiful experience. If I had to compare the formulas of these shadows to another brand, I'd say that they're a slightly more dry version of the It Cosmetics Naturally Pretty shadows. Better yet, it's a cross between It Cosmetics and MAC shadows.
If you'd like to see my IG swatches post, I'll be adding it to the Instagram que at the end of this post.
Essence Cosmetics has been a recent discovery for me this year and I could not be happier. This line has some hidden gems at such a low cost that are worth looking into and with no buyer's remorse aftershock.
I purchased a few nail products from the line and have absolutely fallen head over heels for The Gel Nail Polish Top Coat. I'm not a huge nail fiend given that it drives me to the brink of insanity when I have to wait for them to dry let alone have my clumsy self not smudge them! Needless to say that I can certainly appreciate any product that extends the life of my nail lacquer, saving me from myself and having to do them every couple of days.
I've been pretty impressed by the Seche Vite top coat for a while now, but this new Essence Cosmetics discovery has it permanently demoted as it works better and is at a fraction of the price ($3.99). My manicure lasts about a week and a half now before it needs changing as opposed to something like 5 days. Now before you freak out like I did about the word "gel" in the title, it's luckily not a thick goopy layer that's going to be impossible to get off. This Essence polish is just as easy to remove as Seche Vite! I'm so pleased with it and couldn't be more thankful to have this in my life.
Stila is a brand that I've also not delved into too much until recently. I've caught myself doing more double takes after purchasing a few items from Nordstrom's Rack last month. In the Smitten With Kitten Set (Currently on sale for $10) I received this deluxe sized Convertible Color in Kitten which has been making my highlight pop like crazy! It's a beautiful pale golden shade that deepens in hue depending on lighting; very similar to Benefit's Watts Up! highlight. Loving it under highlights like Becca's Champagne Pop and Moonstone the most, but also looks fab lightly applied in the center of the lips. Tempted to just slather this sucker on lol...
The Becca brand is never far from my lips these days. Get ready for it; here goes another one. I purchased the Radiant Glow Collection Kit at Ulta and have been loving everything in it. In particular, the Under Eye Brightening Corrector has been saving the day when my under eyes are struggling to look awake and refreshed. Is there anything this brand does that I won't love? I'm just about convinced that they can do no wrongβ¦
This eye corrector has an extremely unique use as it can be worn alone, under, or over your favorite concealer. It has a brightening pink hue which really helps cancel out any darkness, but the real trick is in the teensy light reflectors this whipped formula has. I know people may get nervous at adding something with "reflective" properties under the eyes, but I've actually been using this method for years with Wet N' Wild's Reserve Your Cabana Bronzer to set concealer. The slight shimmering effect helps create an optical illusion, canceling out darkness and emitting light. This all sounds very majestic lol but I promise it works. Just don't go applying Champagne Pop under your eyesβ¦that won't work out haha.
Just for reference, the Becca Eye Corrector is very similar to the Amazing Cosmetics Amazing Concealer in creaminess, coverage, and brightening, just in a potted format with mousse-like texture. I'll have to do a comparison post in the future to give you guys a better idea. Let me know if you're interested.
Back to Essence Cosmetics, I've also been incredibly obsessed with their Silky Touch Blush range. The collection has 4 shades available (at Ulta) and I've been getting really great use from all of them. The blush pictured is in the shade 'Autumn Peach' which is a burnt peachy coral with super fine shimmer laced through for that added glow.
The formula is very similar to a mineral blush as all 4 give off a healthy flattering sheen. My favorite way to apply them is with a long bristled duo fiber brush to give a perfect wash of color and sheen. I'm currently using the Coastal Scents Classic Medium Stippling Brush (BR-C-S55) for a buildable wash of color (so good).
Let me know if you'd like to see a full post on these beautiful blushes, swatches and all. I'd be happy to do that for ya.
I've had this Lorac PRO Mascara sitting in a drawer for longer than I'd like to admit. I purchased this in a PRO To Go kit a while back on Haute Look which also contains some of my favorite brushes. The mascara has been pushed back mostly because of its monstrous brush applicator. Is it not intimidating? haha f I'm honest. it does have a learning curve, but once you get the hang of using the wand, it's pretty amazing at creating length and volume without weighing down or clumping your lashes. The brush does really well at grabbing every lash, despite what you would think because of its size. The pointed tip is also really great at separating top lashes and coating lower lashes for a plump effect.
The formula is on the dry side, but I don't find that it flakes off midday which is very much appreciated. I think that apart from all of these great factors, another favorite characteristic is that it's so incredibly easy to remove at the end of the day! The fact that I don't have to rub my eyes to get product off is such an amazing feeling.
Back up top we have another Makeup Revolution item. This time around it's the Vivid Baked Bronzer in the shade Golden Days. This product struck a sweet spot with me as it reminds me so much of my current favorite bronzer, Becca's Athena, which is sadly no longer available. The main reason I love them both is because they give off a slight sheen that is very skin-like which makes it look particularly natural vs. using a matte product.
My favorite way to use this is not only for bronzing the face, but also as a base layer of product under a matte, deeper, and cooler toned contouring powder. I've found that a bit of warmth, with matching undertones as your skin (in my case, yellow), will do the trick to making that contouring illusion more believable.
Layering a bit of bronzer under contouring products will also make your deeper shades much more blendable which, of course, will be more visually convincing as well.
Lastly, I have Philosophy's Renewed Hope In a Jar moisturizer. This has been like a tall glass of water for my parched, irritated skin. If you've been keeping up with my latest posts, you may know that I ran out of my favorite Hope In a Jar Moisturizer and in an effort to use up other products in my stash, I've completely backtracked in the skin department. So irritating, literally. Though I do feel like I'll most likely repurchase the original formula here soon, I can't deny that this product has been slowly transforming my skin back to a healthy state.
Over time, using this line has helped control my acne and irritation by quenching my skin's thirst, hence controlling the over production of oil. Such an odd skin type to wrap your head around, I know. Dehydrated and oily raises eyebrows for me too.
I will most likely use the original formula in the day time and this Renewed version for night. It's slightly richer and has a sort of mildly slippy finish where as the original is literally like a drink of water for your face. If you'd like to read more about my experience with the original formula, be sure to check out the Instagram related posts ad the end of this review. I highly recommend this line in general.
*Be sure to visit my October Empties post for links, and tips to saving money on Philosophy items!
Woohoo! I always feel so accomplished after these long-winded posts and I think you should too! Thank you so much for taking the time to read my thoughts. Please let me know what you've been enjoying this month. Link me in a comment to any posts you've done ;)
Keep in touch! Don't forget to visit my Instagram and Tumblr to keep the fun going, Beauties. See you around!
