Beauty Blender Knockoffs I’ve Tried

Hi All!

If you’ve been with me for a while, you may recall a post I wrote a few years back comparing the Beauty Blender to the Real Techniques sponge.  When it first came out, Real Techniques’ sponge was widely regarded as a nearly identical to the Beauty Blender.  It was truly the first drugstore dupe of this iconic pink $20 sponge.  It’s now a few years later, and it seems that every drugstore brand has their own version of a Beauty Blender.  In total, I’ve tried four.  How do they compare?

Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge--$4.99 to $5.99
If you want an in-depth review, visit my post from 2015.  In a nutshell, it feels and performs identical to the Beauty Blender in my opinion.  I love the flat edge, and I love how they now sell them in twin packs (you can still buy them individually as well).  I have several of these in my makeup artist kit, and I also always have one on hand for personal use.  A lot of beauty bloggers have commented that the Real Techniques sponge has changed and is no longer as good as it was originally; however, I have not noticed any differences. To me, it’s exactly the same as it was a few years ago.

L’Oreal Infallible Blend Artist Foundation Blender--$5.99 to $7.99
This is another great option.  I liked the color (pink) and thought it also felt nearly identical to the Beauty Blender.  When it's wet, it is larger than the Beauty Blender and the Real Techniques sponges.  The only downside here is that it doesn't have a flat edge like the Real Techniques.  Despite that minor shortcoming, I would buy it again.

E.L.F. Total Face Sponge--$4 to $5
Out of all these options, this one, in my opinion, is the least comparable to the Beauty Blender.  The material is different--it appears more porous, almost like an actual kitchen sponge.  It does become soft and squishy when you run it under water, but it feels noticeably different than the Beauty Blender or all other options mentioned in this post.  It's hard to explain--you would just have to try it to know what I mean!  It's not a bad sponge, but it did seem to absorb a little more product than the others.  It does, however, have that nice flat edge I like!

Flower Beauty Ultimate 3-in-1 Blending Sponge--$7 to $9
This one takes the cake for being the largest sponge.  After you submerge it in water, it gets huge!  It's very soft and has a very similar feel to the Beauty Blender.  I love the light purple color.  It does have a flat side, but it's smaller than that on the other sponges mentioned.  Because it's so large, it can be hard to work under the eyes or in other small areas.  The other edge to that sword is because it's so large, it quickly blends out foundation on large areas of the face, which is nice. 

Final Thoughts
I've come to the conclusion that there's no point in spending $20 on a Beauty Blender.  Even though none of these are identical to it, they are all suitable options that will allow you to achieve similar results.  Really, they all do the same thing the Beauty Blender does.  Although I like them all, the Real Techniques sponge remains my favorite. 

If you have tried any of these or any I haven't mentioned, I would be curious to know your thoughts!  As always, thank you for reading!  I truly appreciate it.

xoxo,

Current Makeup Favorites--Fall 2018

It's time for a current edition of makeup favorites!

E.L.F. Instant Lift Brow Pencil (Neutral Brown)
I ran out of my Perfect Brow Pencil by Anastasia.  While I love that brow pencil and will probably go back to it at some point, I wanted to try something that was a) cheaper and b) retractable.  Enter, E.L.F. Instant Lift Brow Pencil!  The shade neutral brown is perfect for me.  It's not too warm or too cool, but as the name suggests, it is perfectly neutral.  It is a great texture that is easy to work with; it's a bit softer in texture than the Anastasia pencil but not so soft that you go overboard with the first couple strokes.  It's easily accessible (find it at Target, WalMart, Ulta, wherever E.L.F. is sold), and the best part is the price... $2!!

MAC Shape and Shade Brow Tint (Spiked)
I have one more brow product to share.  I had never tried an eyebrow pen but was intrigued after hearing so much on YouTube about the Shape and Shade Brow Tint from MAC.  I have absolutely been LOVING this thing!  The shade spiked is a good one for me--it's a bit warmer than the neutral brown shade mentioned above, but it still works great for me.  It is so easy to get a quick and natural look with the brush tip, but it can also be built up for a more dramatic brow.  Sometimes I'll even start by filling in my brows with the E.L.F. pencil (brows are always my first step in makeup), and if I end up doing a more dramatic eye look than anticipated and need bolder brows, I'll intensify the look with the pen.  The product has the brush tip pen on one side and a powder on the other.  I haven't used the powder very often, as I have found that the pen has pretty good longevity and doesn't really need to be set.  But nevertheless, it's nice to have the option.

L-R: E.L.F. Instant Lift in Neutral Brown, MAC Shape and Shade in Spiked (the brush-tip pen), and MAC Shape and Shade in Spiked (the powder)

Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Natural Lipstick (N9 Copper Pink)
This lipstick (and shade) was the Sephora Beauty Insider birthday gift in 2014.  I absolutely loved the shade and used up the whole thing.  Earlier this year, I remembered how much I loved it and realized that I needed it back in my life!  The bummer about the Rouge Artist Natural Lipstick is that it is no longer sold in Sephora.  The only place I could find it was on Make Up For Ever's website, so I purchased it from there.  I'm so happy to have it again!  It's a gorgeous natural pink with a nice amount of shine.  The only other downside besides Sephora no longer carrying it is that it does have a bit of a scent that I don't really care for, but I'm willing to put up with it because the rest of it is awesome.

MUFE Rouge Artist Natural in N9 Copper Pink

ABH Soft Glam Eyeshadow Palette
I tried not to buy this... I really did.  I have so many options for neutral eyeshadows and had no need for this, but I decided to get it during the recent Sephora sale.  I had never tried any of Anastasia's shadows but have heard consistently good reviews.  Her Soft Glam palette does not disappoint.  The shadows have a great texture and awesome pigmentation.  I love the warm neutral shades.  Most of all, I love that the palette includes everything I need: a brow bone/inner corner highlight, a transition color, and a black.  It also has a nice variety of brown shades and some beautiful pink/plum shades.  It also comes with a dual-ended brush, which is pretty decent.  There are plenty of tutorials on YouTube and swatches online (that would look better than mine) if you are looking for them!

Bare Minerals Original Foundation (Neutral Medium 15)
This has been a favorite on and off for many years.  I've noticed that a lot of YouTubers are re-incorporating Bare Minerals' Original Foundation into their makeup routines.  The shade Neutral Medium works perfectly for me when I have a tan in the summer.  I have had the wrong shade of this product in the past, so it hasn't always looked the best on me.  When you have it in the right shade, it looks so beautiful and natural on the skin.  It truly does look like your skin is perfect and not like you have makeup on.  One of my favorite traits about this foundation is that it's very lightweight and doesn't feel like makeup.  It's also not drying like some powder foundations can be.  If you've used this and haven't been impressed with it, make sure that you a) have the right shade and b) are using a good brush with it.  I've been using their Beautiful Finish Face Brush and love the way the foundation looks and applies with it.

Winged Eyeliner
My final favorite is winged liner in general.  I go through eyeliner and no eyeliner phases.  I mentioned my love for I Dream of Jeannie in my previous post, and my marathon of watching Jeannie episodes over the summer still has me in love with winged eyeliner.


Thank you for reading!  I hope your fall is going well so far, and please let me know what your current favorite products are!

xoxo,

"I Dream of Jeannie" Inspired Makeup

I may only be 30 years old, but I'm an old soul at heart.  One of my favorite (quite possibly my #1 favorite) TV shows is I Dream of Jeannie.  You might have just made the connection--my blog, "I Dream of Makeup," is named after this show.  When I was a kid, my brother and I used to watch Nick at Nite.  Jeannie was one of the shows regularly on that channel, as well as other classics such as I Love Lucy and Bewitched.  I loved them all, but Jeannie was always my favorite.  I loved Jeannie and Tony and their budding romance.  I loved her tricks, her bottle, her pink harem outfit, her "regular" clothes that she'd blink into, and it was no secret that she was beautiful.  Even at a young age, I was in love with the 60s clothes, hair, and makeup, and that still holds true today.

This summer, I re-watched the entire series, and it was just as funny and magical as I remember it being.  I was inspired to recreate Jeannie's makeup.  I noticed that throughout the series, her look changed.  Her iconic winged eyeliner (and a classic trait of 60s makeup) was there from the very first episode, but during the first season, it looked to me like she wore very little shadow on the eyes with a pretty clean bottom lashline.  In seasons 2 and 3, she wore more eyeshadow with more definition on the bottom lashline, and seasons 4 and 5, she wore the shadow a bit heavier in a cool-toned steel gray.  Her lip color changed throughout the series as well; it had more of an orange tone at the start of the series and gradually transitioned to more of a pink nude (my favorite).  The inspo for the look I created was the last two seasons, as that is the look that comes to mind when I think of Jeannie.

Products Used

Eyes
-Milani Eye Primer
-LORAC Pro Palette: Cream (all over), Taupe (crease/transition shade and also used to soften bottom lashline), Sable (crease and used to start building depth on outer portion of eye to create the winged/lifted look), Espresso (layered on top of Sable to build the depth and accentuate the winged shape more and also used on bottom lashline) Slate (lid into crease), Black (winged liner)
-The Balm Mary Lou Manizer highlighter for brow bone and inner corner
-L'Oreal Voluminous mascara
-Ardell Wispies false lashes

Lips
-Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat in Pillow Talk
-Bare Minerals Gen Nude Liquid Lipstick in Swag

The great thing about 60s makeup is that it's still very relevant and "in" today.  I don't ever see winged eyeliner going out of style.  I love how classic and glamorous it is.  Typically when I do a winged liner, I wear little or no eyeshadow--I like to let the liner shine on its own.  However, I will admit that it was a lot of fun to go all out with the shadow and channel my inner Jeannie.  Obviously, I had to wear a pink top too so I could get the full experience.

As always, thank you for reading!  I hope you try this out if 1) you're looking to be Jeannie for Halloween 2) you want to look special for an evening out 3) if you want to--you really don't need a reason!

xoxo,

Bridal Makeup Tips

Hi All!

Last weekend, I had the great privilege of being matron of honor at my sister-in-law's wedding.  It was such a beautiful wedding, and I had a fun day hanging with the girls and getting ready.  I did my own makeup but had my hair done.  With wedding season in full swing, I thought it would be a good time to share my tips on bridal makeup.  These tips work well for brides and bridesmaids but are also great for wedding guests or any special events where you know you'll be in lots of pictures and want to look your best!

Getting ready with my beautiful sister bride!

Get Your Skin In Top Shape
In the weeks leading up to your event, take extra measures to get your skin in tip-top shape.  I got a facial about a week before her wedding to take care of any blemishes/texture issues I was having.  A couple days before the wedding, I used a facial razor (I've posted about these before--I use the Tinkle razors) all over my face to get rid of any hair/peach fuzz.  This will provide a smooth canvas for your makeup to go on!  And it'll make your skin feel super soft.  I also got my eyebrows threaded a few days before the wedding.

Stay Away From SPF
Makeup or facial moisturizers with SPF in them will cause flashback/white cast in photography.  Stay away from these for a wedding or special event!

Double Check Your Foundation Color
As many brides or bridesmaids do, I got a spray tan a couple days before the wedding.  If you do this, make sure you double and triple check the color of the foundation you plan to use to make sure it matches your neck and chest.  Nobody needs that horrible line of demarcation!

Use Primer and Setting Spray... and Go Big or Go Home
I don't use primer on a daily basis but would never dream of skipping it for a special event.  Setting spray is also a crucial element to keep your makeup lasting through the night.  One thing to also keep in mind is that in photos, you will look like you're wearing less makeup than you actually are.  For that reason, you'll want to go a little heavier with everything than you think you should.  Also, unless you have lash extensions, definitely go for false lashes.  They will make a HUGE difference in pictures!  Lipstick is a bit tricky... you want it to last, but liquid lipsticks can sometimes be very drying and uncomfortable.  My best tip is to have a bridesmaid hold onto your lip color so you can touch up throughout the reception as needed.  I will say that I was a big fan of the YSL lip color I wore.  It stayed on pretty well but wasn’t drying, and it was very easy to touch up.

Don't Try Something New/Something That's Not You
Your wedding day is not the time to experiment or go with something bold if that's not you.  The best look for a bride is something that allows her to still look like herself.  Also remember that pictures of your wedding will be around forever, so you want something timeless and beautiful.

I hope these tips were helpful!  If you're curious about the products I wore, please see the list below.  Items are listed in the order I used them:

Primer: Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base and Bobbi Brown Eye Cream (to prep under eye area)
Eyeshadow: Milani Eye Primer, MAC Eyeshadows: Blanc Type, Soft Brown, Mulch, Embark
Eyeliner: L'Oreal Gel Eyeliner in Black
Mascara: Essence Lash Princess
False Lashes: Eyelure/Vegas Nay Bronze
Foundation: Bobbi Brown Stick Foundation 4.5 Warm Natural
Corrector: Bobbi Brown Corrector in Light Peach
Concealer: Bobbi Brown Full Cover Concealer in Beige and Natural Tan (mixed to create perfect shade)
Contour: Bobbi Brown Stick Foundation 9 Chestnut
Powder: Bobbi Brown Nude Finish Illuminating Setting Powder in Nude
Bronzer: Bobbi Brown Illuminating Bronzer in Bali Brown
Blush: NARS Orgasm
Eyebrows: Anastasia Perfect Brow Pencil in Medium Brown, Bobbi Brown Eyeshadow in Mahogany, NYX Control Freak Brow Gel
Setting Spray: Urban Decay Chill
Highlighter: The Balm Mary-Lou Manizer
Lips: Bobbi Brown Lip Pencil in Pink Mauve and YSL Tatouage Couture Liquid Matte Lip Stain in 25 Beige Secret

xoxo,

Lash Lift: A Perm for Eyelashes!?

Hi All,

Happy Sunday!  I'm coming at you today with a summary of my lash lift experience.  In case you haven't heard about this or don't know what it is, a lash lift is basically a perm for your eyelashes.  The spa I go to for facials started offering them in January at a special introductory rate, so I thought it would be a great time to try this out.

Top: Before lash lift
Bottom: After procedure

What Is the Appointment Like?
The appointment took about 40 mins, and I found it to be very relaxing.  For the record, most people find eyelash extension appointments to be very relaxing--so much so that they are able to fall asleep while the lashes are being applied.  If you caught  my post from 2016, you'll know that I did not have this experience because the glue stung my eyes and got into my sinuses, and it was actually very uncomfortable.  Back to the lash lift experience, I did fall asleep during the appointment.  My understanding is that it's similar to getting a perm on your head; she wrapped my eyelashes around a rod and painted on some type of perming solution.  It sounds scary, but the solution was very gentle.  I have extremely sensitive eyes and couldn't feel a thing.  Once she removed the rod, I looked in the mirror, and voila!  My eyelashes looked perfectly curled.

How Much Does It Cost?
This will vary depending on where you live.  Typically though, it is a bit expensive for what it is (of course this is all relative).  My spa charges $85, but I got it done for $65 when they had their introductory rate.

How Long Will It Last?
Similar to eyelash extensions, the life of the perm will be different for everyone.  We all have different hair growth cycles.  Mine lasted a good eight weeks.  I had a preconceived notion that the curl would gradually relax as weeks went by, but that didn't happen.  Instead, it was similar to eyelash extension shedding where lashes naturally fall out and grow back.  The shedding for me happened around the eight week mark.  A curled lash would fall out and be replaced by one of my regular, natural straight lashes.  This continued for a few weeks until all my permed lashes fell out, and I was back to my regular, sad, boring straight lashes.

Who Should Get a Lash Lift?
If you have straight lashes or even lashes that naturally point downwards, this might be something you would enjoy.  If you already have beautiful, naturally curled eyelashes, then 1) I am jealous and 2) you don't need this--save your money!

Final Thoughts
I really enjoyed having the lash lift.  Usually if I'm leaving the house without any makeup, I will still curl my eyelashes because they naturally point straight forward, and curling them would help to give my eyes a lifted look.  The lashes looked great with mascara on them, but I found myself hardly ever reaching for it, as they looked so good bare.  My lashes are naturally dark, but if yours are light, you could consider getting a lash tint in addition to the lift.  Not having to use a curler at all was such a breath of fresh air.  It was especially nice for teaching Pure Barre at 6 AM and waking up with already curled lashes! 

Though I loved it having the lash lift, this is not something I will keep up with on a regular basis, as I just can't justify the cost for something that can be achieved with an eyelash curler.  It is something, though, that I might consider getting again in the future.  For example, it might be nice to have if I go on a long vacation at some point where I won't be wearing a lot of makeup. 

Anyway, that's it!  Please let me know if you have any questions.  I would love to hear about your lash lift experience as well!

xoxo,