My Favorite Lips Combos (Neutral/Nude Pink and Berry combos)

I wear a lot of lip products but you can tell when two products really click together and work well with each other. Here are two of my favorite combos:

Let's start off with neutral one; a nude pink.

I use these 3 products to get the best nude pink lip:

I use the Esssence lipliner in "In The Nude", TheBalm's BalmGirls lipstick in "Mai Billsbepaid", and the NYX cosmetics Butter Gloss in "Tiramasu".

Swatches of each product from left to right: liner, lipstick, and gloss. The final swatch to the right is the liner layered with the lipstick and then topped with the gloss. I love this combo because it is so neutral and wearable, and does not have a drying feel.

The berry combo I like to use is Tarte's LipSurgence matte lip tint in "Destined" and Buxom's Lip Cream in "Kir Royale".

 Swatches from left to right: Tarte lip tint and then the Buxom cream. The final swatch is the Tarte lip tint topped with the gloss. I love this combo because of the fresh look it gives as well as how the two products are very comfortable by themselves and together.

Eye PrimerFavorites and If You Should Invest

I personally find eye primer to be crucial and find that they truly make a difference in eye makeup.. with all the ones on the market should you go high-end or stay in the drugstore? Here are my favorites from both ends of the spectrum:

The high-end option- Urban Decay Primer Potions (left to right): Original, Eden, and Sin

 

 I LOVE these and find them amazing. You do not need much of this product to ensure the longevity of your eye makeup. My eye makeup when using these does last the entire day looking fresh and as vibrant as it was freshly applied. The primer in "Original" blends into your skin tone when it is spread across the lid. The one in "Eden" is a yellow tone that cancels out any discoloration on the lids, and the one in "Sin" is a beautiful shimmering taupe that can even be worn by itself for a low-maintenance look. Another thing the Primer Potions are good for is to use the one in "Original" (or "Eden" but I prefer "Original"), but just the tiniest amount, right into the fine lines under my eyes where my concealer creases and blend it out. It prevents my concealer from creasing, too!! These are all trial sizes of the Urban Decay primers and last a super long time! I bought the one in "Original" for $12 by itself from Sephora, and the one in "Eden" and "Sin" I bought from Ulta in a set for around $10-$12. Love these.

The affordable/drugstore option- Essence's Stays No Matter What jumbo shadow sticks (left to right) in "Whipped White Frosting" and "Cute Copper", and e.l.f.'s (eyeslipsface) Eyelid Primer from their Essentials line:

 The two shadow sticks are very nice bases for shadow and have a sort of tackiness that helps the shadows cling to them nicely. These shadow sticks are also nicely pigmented and I find the Copper one to be more smooth. They don't necessarily blend the easiest across the lid, but nothing you can't blend out with your finger. These are very affordable ranging from $3 to $4 and the Essence line can be found at Ulta. The last of the bunch is e.l.f's Eyelid Primer. This blends out to your skin tone like the UD one in "Original" and does prevent creasing, although I don't find it making my shadows more vibrant. This retails for only a $1! This can be found at http://www.eyeslipsface.com/elf/eyes/concealers_and_primers/eyelid_primer, Target, and Walmart (have you seen e.l.f at your Walmart? Mine just recently stocked their lines!).

Swatches:
Top row from left to right: Essence's "Whipped White Frosting", "Cute Copper" and e.l.f's primer
Bottom row: Urban Decay's "Original", "Eden", and "Sin"

 

Which are right for you?

I do not have oily eyelids by any means, and if yours are the same then I suggest you go for any of them, drugstore or high-end!!

However I have heard from people with oily lids that the e.l.f one has not worked for them so to be safe I would recommend going for the Urban Decay ones. Although if you really wanted to try the e.l.f one I would because the $1 is not a huge loss and may work.

 

Favorites

This week I have definitely been into doing new things and switching up the things I'm using.

This picture I posted on my Instagram shows all my favorites and a few other products (now let's figure out what I'm loving)

 

Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid-Mousse Foundation (Ivory):

I have a love-hate relationship with this (97% love) foundation..

I am totally in love with the formula and got this for just around $4 because there was a coupon pad at Ulta. This is matte, longwearing, and full coverage (I do still have to conceal circles and minor redness).. but the shade is where I run into problems. It's just a little too dark, this was the lightest shade too. I can easily fix this by bringing it down the jawline and bronzing but I usually don't like to do that and worry about what my neck looks like throughout the day.

 

L'Oreal Color Riche Le Balm (Nude Indulgence):

I have 2 of these Le Balms (other in Rose Elixir) but I really would suggest this one pictured which is "Nude Indulgence". It is the YLBB kind of color especially for my naturally mauve lips. This really evens out the color and adds shine to the lips. Plus it is very moisturizing.

 

BareMinerals Lash Domination:

I usually don't splurge on mascaras but this one I'm really loving lately. I personally will sacrifice some length for better volume, and this brush help achieve volume and separation with length. It has a Benefit They're Real kind of comb with the spikey bristles but these spiral around, so even when I do go from root to tip and really fanning out the lashes it still has contact with the lashes adding volume and separation. I REALLY love this lately, and will probably repurchase in the future.

 

Covergirl&Olay concealer balm:

At first I really did not like this product because the whole "Olay" part of the title of this product made me think it would work really well under the eyes (which it did not for me, shade was a little orange for my liking), but I recently pulled it out of my collection as a face concealer (on a rare day I don't use my UD 24/7 one). I really like this because it is smooth and natural-looking and just the right shade for my face to use on blemishes.

 

Benefit's Bella Bamba boxed powder:



 

Lately I've also been really loving blush in general, I particularly enjoy this one, Bobbi Brown's "Desert Rose", and BareMinerals's "The One". I think when applied diffused and in the correct place, blush is just stunning.

 

WetnWild Coloricon Bronzer in "Reseve Your Cabana":

I've been making more of an effort to highlight daily this week! Since I have oily skin I just wanted to experiment and play around with highlights because they are (for the most part), shimmery. I've really liked this on top of the cheekbones because it is a fairly neutral golden-y champagne color so it can go with a lot of blushes I top it with.



Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Full Coverage Foundation

This foundation is available at Sephora, Ulta, and Tarte's website for $38.
The only claims on the bottle are that is it oil-free and longwear makeup.

 

I have light skin and I bought the shade "Fair Sand", this has very apparent yellow undertones (so make sure to get shade-matched or swatch shades in person!!). I have very oily skin and this did not oxidize on me at all and stayed true to the shade throughout the day which is very important to me. This did not keep me matte the entire day as I had anticipated, but does a well job with touchups (to touch up I blot with oil sheets and BareMinerals pressed translucent Mineral Veil). The coverage is full but can get cakey QUICK. Definitely start with a sheer layer. I blend this with my Real Techniques or a damp sponge.

The verdict and would I repurchase?

I'm very pleased with this foundation and its good ingredients (all Tarte products don't have parabens, etc.) but I will continue to buy and try different foundations until I find my HG all day matte foundation (currently trying the Rimmel Stay Matte mousse!!) so I will not be repurchasing.





Pantone Color of the Year: Radiant Orchid & how I like to wear it

Radiant Orchid is the Pantone Color of the Year and it's so nice and refreshing for spring! But when I first heard the news that this was the color of the year I wanted to experiment and have fun with it but was confused on how to pull it off on my lips..
Fortunately, I found some ways to wear this color for the girls who usually stick to neutrals like me!
I like my lip products to be comfortable, moisturizing, and pretty (of course)!
I found the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in "Darling".. I got this on 75% on clearance (yay for sales) and I think it has a teeth whitening property just because of its slight blue hue.
The other option I have for the radiant orchid trend is L'Oreal's Color Wet Shine Stain in "Stubborn Plum".
What the packaging looks like:

 

 

 

 

Swatches:



 

 

(Left: Revlon, Right: L'Oreal)

I usually like to top the Revlon off with the L'Oreal one for a prettier and glossier look!

 

 

 

 

Review!! WetnWild Coloricon trios (Specifically in "Silent Treatment")

One of the most affordable makeup brands out there along with e.l.f (or eyeslipsface).. WetnWild!  The ColorIcon trios retail from $2-3 depending on your area. These shadows come in many different shades/trios, and even 8-pan palettes (like the famous Comfort Zone 8-pan palette of neutrals)! This one in "Silent Treatment" has a beautiful taupe as the lid color, a blackened brown as the crease shade, and a shimmering champagne pink as the browbone highlight. Anyways, on to the review..
This is the packaging and what it looks like:

Swatches in natural light:

Quality:
The shadows themselves are very pigmented and blend easily, in fact they blend so easily I often just use the sponge-tip and the other little brush they give you to create my look.
The wear:
I ALWAYS use primer under my shadows so I cannot tell you how they are on a bare lid, but with a primer these last perfectly well throughout the average 8-10 hours I have my makeup on during the day.
The verdict and would I repurchase:
These trios (and specifically this beautiful one) are so worth the price ranging from neutrals to colors that pop! These rival my high-end shadows from Urban Decay and BareMinerals in their pigmentation and wear (with primer). Because of the gorgeous taupe, I would definitely repurchase this trio if I ever ran out, some say it's a dupe for Mac's "Satin Taupe".