Concealer is Not the Enemy

Rimmel Match Perfection

From speaking to clients and friends I've realized that a lot of women are anti-concealer. Most think they don't need it, or it's just not necessary. The fact is, it's totally necessary. Unless you have a flawless complexion like most kids or some lucky high school girl; concealer should be your best friend.

I'm currently trying to overcome my foundation addiction, and think I've moved on to concealers now. I don't think it's any better, but it's a work in progress. So far, my favorite concealers are, MAC's pro long wear and Rimmel Match Perfection. Since I'm trying to save everyone a buck, or two, I'm discussing the Rimmel. 

I was a little skeptical about this concealer at first because I had tried their foundation and was not impressed. I ended up returning it. I'm not sure why I picked up this brand of concealer, but I'm glad I did. I love that it's 2-1 type deal. You're concealing and highlighting all at once. That's usually the case with concealers since you are going a couple shades lighter than your normal foundation, but this seems to leave a really nice finish. It really does brighten you up a lot. It does not tend to crease too much which can be the issue with some concealers.

The concealer application on this can be a bit of a nuisance. It's like pen / brush. You have to push and twist to try to get some of it out. I'm not to clear on it now to be honest. I just know I make it come out one way or another. You can either apply it directly to your face with the applicator on the concealer itself, or apply it on your hand and then put it on your needed areas with your finger or brush. I usually use my finger when it comes to concealers, but it boils down to preference. Another thing I'd suggest is to make sure to blend it out fairly quickly after applying. It tends to dry fast, so you want to make sure you blend it out before that happens.

All in all, it's a good little concealer. You can't be the price. Depending on where you go, you can probably get it around $5 to $6 dollars. Totally worth it. 

True Match

My true match. 

Lately I've become obsessed with foundations. I think it started when I began sampling every single foundation MAC had. It was interesting to see the difference finishes. I usually don't recommend MAC foundations for everyday use, but that's a different entry. 

Last week while at Walgreens I decided to pick up true match by L'Oréal. I don't think I've ever bought over the counter foundation. Ever. I know it sounds ridiculous but it's totally true. Don't get me wrong, I bought eye shadows, lipsticks and blushes. Products like that. Oh, and I always buy my mascara at Target. I rarely ever buy name brand mascara. It's not worth it ladies. It's the same thing. You're basically just paying for the name. Again, that's another entry.

I'm not going to lie, I was so excited about coming home and trying this foundation. I have no clue why especially since I'd be totally contradicting myself. I always tell my clients to invest in good foundation. I still think it's a good idea but times are tough. Not everyone can drop $40+ dollars on foundation. 

When I got home I discovered I had picked up the wrong shade. I was 90% sure the shade I was picking was wrong but unfortunately they don't let you swatch at the store. By the time I went back to exchange the product there was no doubt in my mind what shade I was. I went home and immediately began to play with the product.

My first reaction to it was that it was very light. It felt a little weird. I think it might of have been because it was so light and I'm not use to that. I have to say though, for it being so light it has great coverage. I wore it all day and found my makeup to stay in tact. I didn't get shiny much and only had to blot once. It gave me a really pretty matte finish, which is what I usually prefer. When I was applying the product I felt like I was able to apply and build as needed. You can't do that with all foundations, you'll start to see the creases later in the day. One of the things I learned with my Mac foundation experiment.

I was pleasantly surprised at how happy I was with the product. I really like it. My only complaint would be that packaging is very small. If you use it everyday you'll probably be having to replenish frequently. Considering the price I guess it's not too bad. 

Highlight, Highlight, Highlight!

The precious.

The color may look a bit peachy but it doesn't look like that when applied.

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If someone asked me what my favorite makeup product is, I'd have to say highlight. I don't think you can have enough of it. As a matter of fact, I remember my instructor telling me the same thing. MAC recently came out with a collection called A Fantasy of Flowers, which is still available in case you're interested, and I think is probably one of the prettiest so far. The color are all soft and floral. They're mainly spring hues. It truly is a lovely collection. Whenever I work at MAC I always rave about this line.

I had been wanting to purchase Perfect Topping, my favorite product from this line, for a bit. I never got around to it or would always buy something else. Makeup artist problems, am I right? About a week ago I finally bought it (truth be told thanks to my brother) and was one happy gal. I had applied this on several clients before and they loved it. Seriously, I think I sold it 9 times out of 10. It's such a pretty highlight. It really makes your features pop.

How to apply:

Applying highlight is very simple. You want to focus on your T zone. You go straight down your forehead, nose, above the lip and a little on the chin. You want to apply above your cheekbones. This will help bring bring a pop to those features. 

The chart below will help show what I just explained.

Photo courtesy of Faces of Beauty

Nars Smudge Proof

I've recently come across an issue that I was fortunate not to have before. Eye shadow creasing. Sad times guys. I'm not sure when it started, but it has. Funny thing is it only happens with one eye, my right eye. I've tried several different primers and none were getting the job done. By the time I'd get home, my right eye lid looked gooey and yucky. I almost lost hope and figured I'd just have to reapply my right eye makeup throughout the day to keep it looking fresh. Along came Sephora to save the day. I don't exactly remember what I ordered, but I do remember receiving that glorious sample. Nars Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base. I wasn't too stoked about it at first, having been let down quite a few times. Boy, was I wrong. That primer turned out to be the best! My eye shadow stayed in tact all day. I was amazed! Not only that, that primer make your eye shadow pop. It really brings out the color beautifully.

If you have oily lids, or just want something to enhance the color in your shadow, try Nars. It seriously is an amazing product. It spared me from having to invest in an eye patch due to my oily lid. Well, maybe not to that extreme, but it sure felt like it!

Best primer, ever!

so it begins...

I have been wanting to start a beauty blog for quite sometime now. I'm not sure why I didn't, but here I am. My first official blog. I'm nervous and excited. I hope you enjoy it and I'm able to provide some good tips and valuable information. I also want to apologize in advance for all my grammatical errors. I'm sure there will be many (if there isn't any, yet), so you have been warned. 

Some of you may know that I already have a personal blog. There is no specific theme on that one. I pretty much just talk about random moments, things or places. I only bring it up because I realize I had actually made a entry raving about a Nars lipstick I had bought a few years ago. I guess you can say that was my first official beauty post, so what better way to kick off this blog than sharing it with you. 

My Nars review.