Savings Saturday: Getting The Most Out of Foundation Packaging!

As I showed in a previous post, the foundation I am currently using is the 

Nars Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer. (Review in previous post!) 

As of of my favorite products, I had to replace this since it was starting to run low. I'd wanted to make sure I was using most of it since it is a little pricey! Sorry Nars, but you cost about $42! For the past week I have been twisting off the top and have been assaulting the top of my hand with the packaging in an effort to get out the remaining product. Until today, when I thought about cutting the top of the packaging to get out any remaining product. So I tried this and I was amazed at how much product was inside! The amount of product remaining in the packaging, will probably last at least two weeks!

 I'm so amazed by this and just had to share!

Since I cut the packaging apart, I will be storing it in a plastic bag so it doesn't dry up and spill.

 So much product left inside!! 

I'm going to try this with my Makeup Forever Matte Velvet Plus Foundation as well! 

That may be a little harder to break into! I will show that if I conquer it!

Does anyone have tips on saving the product inside tricky packaging? 

Thoughtz Thursday: Being Positive

I wanted to start something new on this blog, and that being once a week to have a Thoughtz Thursday Post! This will be anything positive, inspiring, thoughtful-good quotes to live by. I've always loved quotes, ever since I was a teenager and had a book of quotes that I would write down my favorites. I think it's so powerful when you find word that truly mean something to you, and can relate to your exact situation. I guess that is the power of the written word. 

I think that too a lot of times we get caught up in the daily tasks of life and can forget to take a minute. I like to look at Pinterest at night before bed, and look at positive quotes. I find this helps me to sleep better. I also think that trying to be positive-although hard at times can help the situation. I need to get better at this, and maybe mindfully expressing this and trying- will help!

So here are a few of my favorites for Thoughtz Thursday:

*Always Need Coffee!*

And one more…

Lorde *Tennis Court*

Love this song.

What are some of your favorite quotes?

I'm Back, New Year, Current Foundation Routine!

I'm back!~It's been a very long time since I've posted, but I guess I can blame that on my busy life! I can't believe yet another year has gone by and we're now in 2015! I wanted to get back into posting again because I have some great products to share! 

Current Foundation Routine

Nars Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer
$42 Sephora

I recently changed up my foundation routine during the summer months because I wasn't into wearing heavy makeup with all the heat and humidity! I tried the Nars Tinted Moisturizer in (Terre-Nueve), and have loved this product! It blends so well into my skin and has great lasting power. Its a very light consistency and doesn't feel heavy at all. I have combination skin which is very sensitive and prone to break outs if I introduce new products. This has not irritated my skin at all, and gives my skin a great finish. I like to mix the Nars Tinted Moisturizer with Makeup Forever Matte Velvet Plus in 110. This helps to create a more matte finish, as the Nars Tinted Moisturizer is a bit yellow for my skin tone. The tone is better for my during the summer months, but now I am back to my usual pale self! The combination of the two products creates the perfect shade. 

Makeup Forever Matte Velvet Plus Foundation
$36 Sephora

I started using this foundation about two years ago and have been loving it ever since. This foundation is very light weight and doesn't feel heavy at all. It's very sensitive on my skin and doesn't cause any breakouts! A lot of foundations have made me breakout and I need to use an oil-free formula. This foundation comes in a many shades, and for me the lightest shade (110) works out best. A lot of foundations lean too yellow based for me which can be difficult to match my skin tone. This foundation mixes great with the Nars Foundation and I really like the finish when paired together! 

These two products are a bit pricey so I try to take advantage of the the Sephora Friend's & Family sales when I need to repurchase. I previously was using Revlon ColorStay for years, but it recently aggravated my skin-so I had to find other products! But these have been working very well!

Primer

Urban Decay-All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray

Love This Product!

I have been using this for years now and wouldn't go without it! It really helps my makeup to last all day and feels so cooling when you spray it on your face! I use this after I wash my face in the morning, before I put on my makeup. I like to also use this after I finish my makeup to lock it in. I got this at Ulta in the smaller size for $14. I feel like this size lasts a very long time! 

What are you favorites products for your foundation routine? I'm always looking for great new products for foundations and tinted moisturizers! 

Up Next:

Benefit Push Up Eye Liner Review

Urban Decay Liner

Mac Paint Pots-Essential To Eye Shadow Routine!

Nail Polish of the Moment!

Just a quick post to share my newest favorite nail polish. I was at a local beauty supply store over the weekend getting some hair products I ran out of, when I began to look at nail polishes. (Always a dangerous part of the store to venture into!) However, I only picked up one polish and was able to show great control! Anyway, I picked up Essie's Guilty Pleasures. I would describe this as a bright coral pink as the color is true to the bottle...It's a great bright color that can be worn all year!~This is such a pretty color! I've only been wearing it for a day and have gotten so many compliments!

Essie Guilty Pleasures

( On top  of my BirchBox! lol)

Not the best picture of my nails wearing this polish. But I'd taken it before I removed some of the excess polish from my cuticles...At least you can see the color on my nails!

Great color if you're looking for a new nail polish!

New Product:

Maybelline DreamLumi Concealer

Just picked this up yesterday since I've heard great things about this. This product is supposed to work as a concealer and highlighter for under eyes, around the nose and mouth. I got the lightest shade, Ivory, since my skin is very light and it seemed to match very well. I've only used this for one day, and so far I think it works well as a highlighter. Not quite sure if it gives great coverage as far as concealer. I will have to investigate a little more! Let me know your thoughts on this product!

Next Up:

September BirchBox

Favorite Products of Summer-Part 1

So I am back! I realize it's been over a year, but I really wanted to get back into blogging! I have so many great products to talk about! I figured I would post my favorite products of the summer, since the summer is coming to an end. So sad,  I know! However, I love the fall just as much as I love the summer months! I love wearing boots, leggings, sweaters, dark nail polish colors, warmer scented candles, leaving falls off the trees and the pretty colors! Now that I've ranted all about fall...here are my favorite products of the summer.

From Left: Click the links to view products.

Mac Mineralize Skinfinish in Blonde-I bought this in the beginning of the summer with one of the MAC collections that had come out. I love it because you can use it as a highlight or use the darker pink as a blush. It's a very versatile product! Try your MAC counter and see if they still have this in stock! Love it!

ELF Studio Brush ($3)-Target- Amazing Brush and for only $3 it has amazing quality! I love using this to apply setting powder and it also works great for applying mineralize powders. 

Tweezerman Tweezers-I've been using these tweezers for a while now, and they are seriously amazing! They work so well, and are still sharp considering I've had them for about a year. Definitely worth the money spent!

Eyeko-Skinny Liquid Eyeliner Pen-  - I received this product in my BirchBox for July. Love this product! It has amazing staying power and doesn't budge. I have year round allergies and my eyes tend to water from time to time, but this product stays put all day! Great for applying a thin line on the top lash line.

Urban Decay Eyeliner in Ransom- I got this eyeliner in a set at Christmas time, but I've been using it a lot recently. It's a dark purple and is great for adding a pop of color on the bottom lash line. Great staying power!

Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette- I got this a few months back and have been using it most every day. It has great neutral colors, but you can also create great smoky looks as well. Favorite colors: Half Baked, Snake Bite, Y2K.

EOS Lipbalm- I just got this yesterday and love it! Great lip balm and keeps your lips really moisturized. Plus, it smells amazing too! This one pictured is in honeysuckle.

Seche Vite-Fast Drying Top Coat.-I recently repurchased this topcoat because I went through my other bottle. This topcoat makes your nails dry in about one minute which is great when you don't want to wait forever for your nails to dry!~It's about 6.99 depending on where you purchase it. I got mine at Bed Bath & Beyond, and you can use their 20% coupons to save money as well. 

Essie Nail Polishes in Raise Awareness & Lilacism- Great bright colors for summer or year round. I've used about half the bottle of each polish!

Juicy Couture rollerball in Viva La Juicy-Love this perfume! It's such a great scent. I can't really describe perfume scents but it reminds me of flowers and summertime. I really want to buy the full sized bottle!

Harvey Prince Perfume in Hello- I got a sample of this perfume in my BirchBox, and have loved it ever since. I've been using it everyday since I received it!

Philosophy-Miracle Worker-Miraculous Anti-aging Eye Cream-
I bought this eye cream about a year ago, and recently ran out of it! I got it when Sephora had their 20% friends and family sale, so now I'm trying to wait it out until I get another friends & family coupon since it is so pricey. But, this really works well and I think it's helped reduce under eye wrinkles and circles.

Chi Silk Infusion-I've purchased this product on and off for years, alternating between this, Biosilk and most recently Morrocan Oil. I ran out of Morrocan Oil so I went back to using Chi Silk Infusion, and seriously I'm finding no difference between the two. The Silk Infusion works great for smoothing down any frizziness in my hair after flat ironing and makes my hair look shiny.

Chi Iron Guard-I've been using this product for years before using heat on my hair. It works well, but I feel like you can find a cheaper alternative at the drugstore. I'd really like to try the Tressume heat tamer spray when I run out of this!

Chi Shine Infusion Spray-This is probably my hands down favorite product ever! It's a heat protector that also adds shine to the hair when flat ironing. It reminds me of a lighter version of Morrocan Oil, but in a spray.  I've purchased this countless times, and never flat iron my hair without it!

Bad Gal Lash Mascara by Benefit  I've been using this mascara for about a year, and I still love it. It works great to length my lashes and create volume. It doesn't flake off or transfer on me at all during the day which is great. I think there are probably similar drugstore products out there, if you want a cheaper alternative.

That's about it for my summer products! Please share some of your favorites in the comments! 

Urban Decay Anniversary Palette!

Urban Decay 15th Anniversary Pallete

$55

Urban Decay Anniversary Pallete!!! So I just ordered the Urban Decay Anniversary Palette from Sephora two days ago and it came in the mail already. Love that Sephora has amazingly fast shipping. However, the UPS man actually threw it onto my porch and it bounced off the door and landed a few feet away. Pretty funny that the box is marked FRAGILE in black letters....But at least it was packaged surrounded by packing materials so it was fine! Anyway, I was soo excited to get this palette because the shades looked gorgeous! The pallette has 15 full sized eye shadows and sells for $55. I was drawn to it because it has a lot of great nuetral browns/golds, and also more vibrant colors-pinks, purple, blues, and a matte black. This one pallete is great for traveling because it has day and night colors. Some of my favorites are Midnight Rodeo-which is a shimmery gold, and Deeper that is a warm brown gold. Deeper is extremely pigmented and a little goes a long way with this! But it is so gorgeous!

From Top-Vanilla, Flow and Chase-Not the best pic of these! Vanilla is a really pretty champaign with shimmer. This color works great as a brow highlight. Flow is a slightly darker color than Vanilla and is a really pretty lid color. Chase is my favorite of these three, and is a bright gold that is similar to Urban Decay's Half Baked or Mac's Amber Lights. The consistency of these eye shadows is really nice and smooth. They seem like Veluxe Pearle finishes if being compared to Mac shadows. There is some fall out when working with these, but I feel as though this is comparable to the Naked Pallete. All in all, I love this pallete! I've only used it for one day so far, but I am so excited to try out other colors!

Let me know your thoughts if you have purchased this palette! What are your favorite shadows in the palette?

Lush Haul!

I have a few items from Lush that I am currently loving from my last visit to the store. So, I thought I would share some of the products that I picked up. I tried some new things, but also picked up some favorites! I was really excited because they opened a Lush back a few months ago at the mall I frequent the most. This can be a good and bad thing because now it's a lot easier to go to Lush, rather than driving a lot further! I picked up a few bath bombs, soap, and bath melts.

From Left:

Think Pink Bath Bomb, MMM Melting Marshmellow Moment, Think Pink Bath Bomb, Ma Bar, Honey I Washed the Kids Soap, Bohemian Soap (sample).

This was the first time I had tried Think Pink Bath Bomb. It smells really good, with hints of lavendar. I think this was the strongest scented product that I bought, because my whole Lush bag smelled like this Bath Bomb!~Think Pink is a smaller sized bath bomb, which I like because they were half the price of the larger bath bombs. It also turned the water pink and left remnants of little pink hearts. So cute!

My favorite product of all is the Marshmellow Moment bath melt. This smells amazing as well, and can be broken up so it can be used many times. It makes the bath water feel silky, which is really nice.

Ma Bar-I purchase this almost everytime I go to Lush. Ma Bar is a bubble bar, that smells like Vanilla and Carmel. It smells sooo good! This too, can be broken into small pieces to be used in several baths.

One of the things I've wanted for a long time was Honey I Washed the Kids soap. I've heard so many people talk about this soap so I really wanted to give it a try....I must say, I am loving this soap! It smells so good! It has hints of honey and lemon and is very moisturizing.

What are your favorite Lush products? Anything that I should check out for next time?

What's In My Makeup Bag? (Fav. Products)

Rectangle Mac Small

Makeup Bag

$28

So above is my new makeup bag that I got a few weeks ago. This purchase was long overdue and the old makeup bag I was using needed to go! I decided to get a makeup bag from MAC because I've always admired them in the store and online, they look so sheik! The makeup bag I decided to purchase is part of the "Signature" collection, in the Small rectangle size. There are three sizes to choose from, mini, small and medium. I opted for the small since it was a perfect size to put in my purse and carry it around on a daily basis. The great thing about this bag is that the material is stain resistant. Powder can be wiped right off, which is great because I know many times this has happened to me. Inside my makeup bag:

Contents:

Top left to bottom:

Loreal Intense Liquid Liner

Mac Mineralize Skinfinish Natural (Light Medium)

Mac Eye Kohl in Feline

Mac Mineralize Skinfish in Soft & Gentle

Mac Lipglass in Morning Glory

Nars Blush in Angelika

Mac Creme Color Base in Pearl

L'oreal True Match Powder (W1)

More detail on some of my favorites:

Mac Mineralize Skinfinish Natural

Love this powder! I've reviewed this before on my blog. It's such a great natural powder that gives a great finish after applying. This really helps set my foundation (Revlon Color Stay).

Mac Creme Color Base In Pearl

This is one of my favorites! I use this as a highlight to give to a brighter look to my cheek bones. This is great toward the end of the work day when my makeup has kind of faded. This definately brightens up my makeup when I am looking tired.

Mac Eye Kohl in Feline

This eyeliner is great because it is really black. I use this on my waterline, and carry this with me to touch it up throughout the day. My only criticism of this is that it does not last all day. I don't know if it because my eyes tend to water at times, but I do have to reapply if I want it to stay on. Anyone have any suggestions on longer lasting eyeliners?

Nars Blush in Angelika

$27

Love, love this blush!~It's a perfect medium pink color with shimmer. It gives a great glow, and really brightens. Love this as well because it is very pigmented and it will last all day. I usually apply this at around 6 am, and it will last until I get home at the end of the day.

Mac Mineralize Skinfinish in Soft & Gentle

$28

One of my favorite highlights!~This is a great highlight that creates a really pretty bronzy sheen. I apply this after Mac's Creme Color Base in Shell and gives a great dewy look.

Loreal Intense Liquid Eye Liner

Love this for lining my upper lash line. It's a great liquid liner that is very easy to apply, so if you are just starting out with liquid liner, this one is great to learn with!~I carry this with me incase I need to reapply toward the end of the day. It is very long lasting and I really don't need to reapply, only if I am going out after work will I reline my eyes for a more polished look.

So that is what's inside my makeup bag. What are some essentials that you carry with in your makeup bag? Is there any great products that you carry that I need to try?

Next up:

Nars Blush Review and Comparisons

Favorite Mascaras

Great Hair Care Products

Product Haul: Mac, Nars, Juicy Couture

I realize it has been a while since I have posted! I would like to make a resolution to try and post more often. I have alot of new products I'd like to share so I need to get on that! I have picked up a few new products from gifts and recent purchases so these are a few that I am very excited about.

Mac's Cham Pale Collection came out the day after Christmas (I know great timing, right?) So I had pre-ordered two things that I really wanted to try. I picked up Feline Eye Kohl because I had been wanting to try this for the longest time. I really like this product, but I do think that Mac's Smolder is probably almost just as good. Although Feline is a little more black than Smolder.

Kohl Power Eye Pencil

Feline

$14.50

Rose Ole Special Reserve Highlighting Powder

$28.50

I also picked up Rose Ole Special Reserve Highlighting Powder. This product is very similar to Mac's MSF's. I really like this product and it works great as a cheek highlight. I am really loving Mac's MSF's to use in the same way. A good dupe for this would be Mac's By Candlelight or Soft and Gentle MSF.

Mac Well Dressed Blush

$18

www.maccosmetics.com

I feel like I have talked about Mac's Well Dressed a lot on this blog, but seriously this is my favorite blush! It's the perfect soft, light pink blush and works great on lighter skin tones. I also think that it would work on darker skin tones as well. You could also use this to tone down a darker blush to make it appear more natural. With all that said, I had to repurchase this yet again. I think it's about the third time I've repurchased this blush.

Nars Albatross Highlighting Powder

$26

Loving this product! Once again it is great for highlighting the cheeks and gives a great glowing look. Sephora describes it as a "sheer light golden sheen". I find this true, although it is very pigmented as most Nars products are and has great staying power.

Juicy Couture Perfume: Couture Couture.

Roll on: $18

Sephora: Couture Couture Perfume

Love this perfume! It has such a nice, light airy scent.

I got the rollerball to try out at first. I am loving it and want to pick up the full size! I am trying to expand my perfume collection and try some new things. Can anyone recommend perfumes that I should try?

Next Up:

Mac Eyeshadow Haul

Fav. Opi Nail Polish

Smoky Eye Look w. Mac Shadows

Favorite Hair Products

Nars Angelika Blush

Angelika Blush

Sephora.com

$26

Nice Swatch lol

Just a quick post on my new favorite, Nars Angelika blush. I needed a new blush that was a light pink color and stumbled across this one at Sephora. It isn't exactly a light pink blush, more like a bright pink with small glitter throughout. It is a very pretty color and gives such a pretty bright pink color to the cheeks. Beware: it is VERY pigmeted!!! So for me the biggest challenge is trying to apply it with the slightest of hand! I'm used to Mac's Well Dressed which is such a light pink that you need build up the color. However, for Angelika you only need the tiniest bit on the brush for it to show up brightly. I really am loving this blush! So if you want a bright pink blush, you might want to check out Angelika. Also, Sephora.com is having the Friend's & Family 20% off sale till Nov. 3rd. (just enter FF2010 code in the promotion box). I forgot about the sale when I ordered online...I called Sephora and they said they couldn't apply the discount to my order after the fact. So annoying!~But I am happy to share it with others. :)

What's your favorite blush?

Next up:

Favorite Mac Lipsticks

Urban Decay Naked Pallet!

Urban Decay Naked Pallet $44

http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P267200&categoryId=B70

I was in Sephora yesterday and saw the Naked Pallet. I've looked at the pallet before in the store and always thought about getting it, but it was always sold out. But today, there was one left so I decided to buy it.

This pallet comes with Urban Decay Primer Potion (an eyeshadow base) and a double sided 24/7 eye pencil in Zero and Whiskey. I've been wanting to pick up these eye pencils for a long time too!

I was amazed at the pallet and how many colors it had that I would use on an everyday basis. I guess that's the whole point of the pallet since it designed for neutral looks! From light colors to neutrals, to darker browns this pallet has countless looks that you can create that are work/school appropriate.

From Left:

Virgin, Sin, Buck, Side Car, Half Baked, Smog, Dark Horse, Hustle, Creep, Gun Metal.

I love the color Virgin (1st shadow on left) and Sin that are great colors for the lid/highlight/and inner corner of the eye. I also love Smog and Half Baked as well.

Side Car is also really pretty but it is very shimmery. I feel like I may need to apply this wet to get it to apply with less fall out.

Overall thoughts:

Since I have only had this for a day, I can't really give a full review. I will update with my full thoughts later on. With that said, in just using this for a day, I am really loving this pallet. Since many of the shadows are shimmery they do have a lot of fall out when applying. However, this is a great pallet for work and just when you want a pretty, but more neutral look. Also, it's great for travel since you can bring this one pallet with you.

What are your favorite shadows using this pallet?

What are your favorite neutral shadows of any brand?

Favorite New Nail Polish

I know I haven't posted in a while, but decided to do a post on my favorite fall nail polish colors. I love the fall for the dark nail polish colors. These go perfect with a nice neutral eye look!

Essie: Little Black Dress

I got this color last week and have been wearing it ever since. This is a great dark color for fall since its a very warm color with a really nice sheen. Although it can appear almost black at quick glance, under the light it's a true brown. I wasn't sure how I'd like brown nails, but it looks really pretty on.

Yodel Me on My Cell, Metro Chic, Do You Lilac It?, Russian Navy

Loves these!~Yodel Me On My Cell is a really pretty blue with turquoise reflects. This is a shimmery fun color!

Metro Chic: Very pretty lilac/gray and more of a matte shade.

Do You Lilac It: Bright lilac color...my go to fall nail polish!~I've gotten so many compliments on this!

Russian Navy: Dark blue/purple. Love this color because it really looks different in every light. Sometimes it's very dark blue but then the light will hit it and you'll see dark purple. Great fall color!

Depending on where you get these the prices will vary. Sally's Beauty Supply, Ulta and online should have these! Also, Metro Chic is Sephora by Opi so try Sephora for that one.

Websites:

Sephora OPI Nail Polish

Next up:

More Fall Favorite Nail Polishes.

New Fav. Blushes!

I am back...finally!~I have a lot of new Makeup items that I picked recently that I will be posting in the next few days. I definitely need to get better with more frequent posting!

Nars Orgasm

Sephora/Nars Blushes

So the other day I was at Sephora and was looking at the Nars display. I have admired all the Nars products for so long and so many people have said great things about the brand. However, I have never owned anything from Nars before. I decided to start small and just get a blush...In swatching many of the blushes, I opted for the famous Orgasm. I decided on this one because it's a really pretty pale pink/peachy color. It does have some shimmer, but I don't think it is too much at all. It is great for summer and gives a great glow. I have light skin and it shows up great on my skin tone. This blush is VERY pigmented so I think it would work for darker skin tones as well.

I apply this product using a Sigma/Mac 168 angeled brush to the apples of my cheeks. I use a very light hand with this because it is very pigmented. I then like to apply Mac's Mineralize skinfinish in By CandleLight (Into the Groove Collection), using a 116 brush to my cheek bones. After that, I take a small amount of Mac's Mineralize Skinfinish in Petticoat with the same brush, and sweep it over my cheeks. I find that this combination gives me a great summery glow.

Mac MSF

Petticoat

Mac Website/MSF Selection

All of these products are dupe-able, so you can find lots of alternatives if you don't want to buy Nars or Mac. You can purchase any peachy/pink blush and a highlighter at the drugstore. Physician's Formula Shimmer Strip works great as a highlighter and this can be bought at CVS. Happy rest of summer!

What is your favorite Blush Combo for summer?

Up Next:

Mac's Fab. Felines

August Favorites

Favorite Lipsticks

Nailpolish