Foundations, recommendations and reviews

One of my readers, Brenda, asked for a recommendation for an affordable foundation that wouldn't leave her skin looking cakey. I completely understand her need to find the perfect one because I've tested quite a few, ranging from drugstore brands to the higher end stuff. It can be difficult and time consuming (let's not forget to mention highly expensive)to find one that is everything you need. Onto the reviews...


Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse Foundation
$8

As soon as you open this little guy up, you'll be a happy camper. The silky feel of this stuff is amazing. It's easy to apply due to its creamy consistency and blends well. If you're looking for a foundation to cover discoloration or just give your skin a little lift, this little jar of magic is well worth the eight bucks...and yeah, it goes on so naturally that people will be asking, was she born with it? **Not recommended for acne suffers. You'll need fairly good skin for this foundation girls- or you'll be left with a cakey mess around your breakouts***


Neutrogena Mineral Sheers Mineral Powder Foundation
$10

If you're looking for an alternative to the expensive Bare Minerals foundation, you should try Neutrogena's version. Good coverage, especially for those of us who want to cover up those ugly bags under our eyes. It gives you a wonderful fresh look to your skin, and doesn't appear cakey at all. The only thing I'd recommend changing would be the packaging. The brush is poor quality, and the powder distributes itself in a very uneven way, forcing you to spend more time and effort on your makeup. Your best bet is to pop off the brush and use your own to apply the powder, which will allow you not only a quicker makeup routine, but give you better coverage. Again, not recommended for people looking for tons of coverage or with acne.

Cover Girl Smoothers SPF 15 Tinted Moisturizer
$8

No, it's not a foundation- but once on your face, you'll be amazed. Avoid that cakey melt right off your-face mess this summer by using a tinted moisturizer instead of a heavy foundation. It won't cover up blemishes, but it will even out your tone, cover tiny imperfections, and give you a nice healthy glow. It also doubles as sunscreen, what more could you ask for?

Clinique Almost Makeup SPF 15
$19

A very sheer coverage that is not only waterproof for summer time, but it's also oil free so it won't clog your pores. Healthier pores=beautiful skin. It covers very well, goes on smoothly, and of course, doubles as a sunscreen. Perfect for summer!

Sephora Brand Balancing Liquid Foundation SPF 15
$6

I love Sephora products, my neighbors are use to seeing my UPS man drive up and deliver my beloved Sephora boxes. Here's the thing with liquid foundations, if you have oily skin, it's going to not only clog your pores further, but it will melt right off your face. If you have normal or dry skin, liquid foundations are great to use, and Sephora's brand is no different. It feels light and will even out your skin tone, give you good coverage, and protect you from the sun with it's SPF 15.


Loreal True Match- Super Blendable Liquid Makeup
$10

Extremely pure, contains no pore clogging oils or harsh fragrances. It's packed with vitamins B and E that help nourish your skin. Blends very well and offers medium coverage. Recommended for all skin types.




***Note to my readers who suffer from acne, I will be posting a blog dedicated to makeup for your skin type specifically.***

Product Reviews

I've been trying out some new products lately, here are some that I love and some that I don't!

Chanel Nail Colour in Precious (#163)
Price: $17


I actually ordered this color by mistake, but it turned out to be a good one! If you're always looking for that perfect polish to go over your freshly manicured nails, this is the one! It's a glossy clear with a tiny hint of pink finish. It's gives your nails a healthy glow, and most importantly, doesn't chip! The bottle is fairly small, 0.4oz, but one coat gets the job done. ++ Love it!



The Body Shop- Body Butter
$20
Best thing invented since sliced bread?! It may just be. This body butter from The Body Shop comes in all different scents, including Cocoa Butter, Brazil Nut, Passion Fruit, Mango, and more. Each one is specialized for different skin types. Got super dry skin? Try their Coconut Butter! It works wonders on feet and other extremely dry places like elbows. Oh, and the scents? Heavenly. This stuff is also made into lip balms, yummy!


Sephora- Nail Whitening Pencil
$4
I'm always looking for ways to make my nails look lovely without spending a small fortune at nail salons. So when I came across this nail whitening pencil for 4 bucks, I had to try it. I was pretty excited to try it, after all it claims to whiten and brighten the tips of your nails by simply gliding the pencil under your nail tip. What a disappointment. Not only does this stuff not work one bit, it makes a huge mess. The crayon like tip, when applied, whitens every part of you except where it's suppose to. I had white flakes on my fingers and my clothes. Save your $4 bucks and go treat yourself to a frappuchino instead. I will never purchase this product again. **This pencil includes a cuticle pusher on the cap, which is the only reason it's still in my makeup box.**


Laura Mercier Brow Definer
$20
I was pretty excited to write a review on this stuff. To put it simply, it's just amazing. I have fairly nice eyebrows, not too thick or crazy. With a little tweezing, I'm pretty much ready to go...but I could never achieve beautiful eyebrows. I was scared of eyebrow pencils and "fillers" because I thought they would look fake. I figured it would take a professional makeup artist to give me the eyebrows I dreamed of. Turns out, Laura Mercier is my professional makeup artist. She does all the hard work for you. All you have to do is dab a little bit of this stuff onto a hard angled eyebrow definer brush, and ta-da, you have gorgeous eyebrows.
This stuff comes in three different shades, fair, soft and warm. I would try to stick as closey as possible to your natural color, but if need be go darker rather than lighter. Also, don't be put off by the size of this stuff, which I was at first, but like me you will quickly learn that a little bit goes a very long way. Use this brow definer to add fullness or just for a quick fix when you go tweezer happy. **I highly recommend Benefit's eyebrow definer brush to help apply**


Bourjois Baume de Nuit Night Lip Balm
$10
What I like about this lip balm: it's cute little container, the thick creamy feel of it, and the tingling sensation you get right after putting it on. That means it's working, right? Wrong. For ten bucks and a lip balm that claims to "restore, moisturize, and repair" I was let down. This stuff didn't do anything that your $2 chapstick couldn't do...and it doesn't even smell good! Don't waste your money.


Rosebud Strawberry Lip Balm
$7
A lip balm that actually works and does what it says. It's lightly tinted and strawberry scented. It comes in a generous size, and is in a tin like jar which gives it an awesome vintage feel. I always have one with me, and my friends make fun of me because I often keep one in my purse, one in my makeup box, and one on my desk. Hey, a girl needs her lip balm right?