NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream

It officially feels like fall!  I was in the hunt for a new lipstick that would be fitting for the season, and I wanted something matte and something with good staying power.  There has been so much hype over Kat Von D's Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in the shade Lolita.  From pictures, Lolita looked like the perfect brownish pink I was looking for.  Unfortunately, it has been sold out everywhere for at least the last month.  I decided that I wasn't going to wait forever for Lolita to come back.  So I took to the internet in search of a dupe.  Someone on Pinterest claimed that the NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in the shade Cannes was pretty similar,  Naturally, I ran out to Ulta to pick it up.

While I don't have Lolita to compare the color to, it's exactly the rosy, brownish pink I was looking for.  It has a doe foot applicator, and the formula is mousse-like and goes on easily.  I like the scent--it smells like straight up cake batter!  It dries fairly quickly, and I like to use two layers to ensure even, opaque application.  It feels lightweight and comfortable (or at least as comfortable as a long-wearing matte lipstick can be).  It feels similar to the Sephora Cream Lip Stain once it dries down if you are familiar with that product (which I love!).  The NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream has pretty decent staying power--I don't think it's as long lasting as the above referenced Sephora product, but it's pretty good.  While not completely transfer resistant, it doesn't transfer as easily as most lipsticks I own.  That is one of the main reasons I like these types of lip products; I hate seeing lipstick rings around my water bottle.   This lipstick will fade when you're eating, especially if you're eating something with a lot of oil.  So while the staying power is good, this isn't a product you can just use once in the morning and have it look the same at the end of the day.  You will probably need to take it with you for touch-ups.  I find that I only need to touch it up one or two times throughout the day.  Another great thing about this product is that you don't have to constantly look in the mirror to see if it's feathered outside your lip line.  The applicator and formula provide a lot of control, and it will stay where you put it.

As with any long-wearing or matte lipstick, I would recommend exfoliating your lips prior to use, as it will accentuate dry patches.  The best way to do this is to use a lip scrub (or even a toothbrush to buff off the dead skin), then apply a moisturizing balm and let that sink in while you do your makeup.  When you're ready for lipstick, wipe off the extra balm before applying the lipstick--that way, the balm won't compromise its color or longevity.  I would also like to mention that as with any long-wear lipstick, applying a balm or gloss over it will re-liquify it, and it will transfer very easily onto a glass, water bottle, or anything your lipstick comes into contact with.  I learned this from emilynoel83 on YouTube and have found it to be true, so I would advise against putting anything like that over this lip product.

The verdict?  Thumbs up for NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream!  I really do like it and think it's great quality at a price point that can't be beat.  I definitely want to get a few more colors at some point.  It comes in 29 shades, so chances are you'll find something you like in this line.

Thank you for reading!

Updated Skin Care Routine

Hello everyone!  I'm here today with an updated skin care routine.  I am one who takes skin care very seriously and am diligent about keeping my skin in good shape.  This might seem like a lot, but I try to keep it as simple as I can, and I think it's possible to find good skin care at good prices.  Keep in mind, though, that even among people with similar skin types, everyone has different needs.  This is the routine that has been working for me (I have pretty normal skin) over the last year or so, and I hope it will be helpful to you in some way, shape, or form.

Morning Routine
*I use the CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser with my fingers to wash my face.  This is a gentle cleanser that is great for sensitive skin.  Since I'm not having to wash off makeup in the morning, I don't need a harsh or serious cleanser.  This stuff is great for gently cleaning my skin and making it soft and smooth to prime for makeup application.
*I then spray about three spritzes of the Murad Hydrating Toner on my face and let it dry as I brush my teeth.  This toner smells like peaches and doesn't dry my skin out.
*If I have any blemishes, I'll spot treat with Clean & Clear Persa-Gel 10.
*Next is eye cream.  My favorite for daytime use is the Origins GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream.  It has a nice cooling feel and a pink tint to help brighten.  It leaves a smooth surface to apply concealer over.
*Last is moisturizer.  This varies, but it's always something with SPF.  Depending on what I'm doing that day, I will either use CeraVe Facial Moisturizing Lotion AM (stay away from this if you are oily), Garnier Ultra Lift Transformer, or It Cosmetics CC Cream.  The Garnier and It Cosmetics products work as a moisturizer and base in one for me.  The difference is that the Garnier cream is more of a moisturizer with a slight tint that works to brighten up my skin (very light if really any coverage), whereas the It Cosmetics cream is more like a full on moisturizer and foundation blended together with medium to full coverage.  All three of these moisturizers work well for me.

Evening Routine
*The first step is removing makeup.  This is important!!  If you don't remove your makeup before you wash your face at night, you're never really going to clean your skin--all you're doing is removing some of your foundation.  My favorite makeup removing product is the Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm.  It works really well at removing both eye and face makeup.
*I then wash my face with the CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser.  This is still gentle but cleanses a little better than the other CeraVe cleanser I use in the morning.  At night, I use my Clarisonic Mia 2 with this cleanser.  I know it's expensive, but I've had this for about two years now and have seen a huge difference in my skin since I started using it.  It works to lightly exfoliate, and it really cleans your skin a lot better than just your fingers would do.
*Next, I go over my face and neck with Up & Up Deep Cleaning Pore Treatment as an additional measure to make sure every last trace of makeup is gone from my face.
*About every other to every three nights, I go over my entire face with the First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads.  They exfoliate and brighten your skin, and they also work very well to fade hyper pigmentation/dark spots from blemishes.  They are a bit pricey, so I like to cut them in half to double the uses I get out of them.  Note: If I have dark spots I'm trying to get rid of, I will use a half pad just on the spots every night.
*Eye cream is next.  I like the Roc Eye Cream.  It's moisturizing but not too greasy, so you can use this in the morning under concealer as well.  When I travel and don't want to bring two separate eye creams, I just take this one.
*Moisturizer is last.  In the summer, I use the Neutrogena Oil-Free Sensitive Skin Moisturizer.  In the winter when my skin is drier, I prefer the Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizer for more hydration.  Don't forget to put both morning and evening moisturizer on your neck!

As always, thank you for reading!  Please feel free to share any of your skin care tips or favorite products with me!

Brow Pencil Showdown: Anastasia vs. NYX

If you saw my post from a few months ago, you know I'm loyal to my MAC Pro Longwear Waterproof Brow Gel and Tarte Amazonian Clay Brow Mousse.  I still adore and highly recommend both of those.  Due to the eye surgery I had a week ago (PRK--more on that later), I am unable to wear eye makeup for two weeks.  Since I have also been keeping my face makeup minimal recently, I thought this would be a good time to do a little brow pencil experiment.  Of all the brow products I've used, I think tinted gels and pencils are the most beginner-friendly.  The problem with tinted brow gel is that you can't get very precise with it, but you can with pencils.  They are also extremely travel-friendly; I like to keep one in my purse at all times just in case.  While you will definitely get more bang for your buck with a brow mousse, pomade, or powder, a pencil is great to have in your arsenal.

The two pencils I'm comparing today are the Anastasia Brow Wiz in Medium Brown and the NYX Micro Brow Pencil in Ash Brown.  They both contain 0.003 oz, and packaging-wise, they are nearly identical.  They both come in a black container with two caps--one contains a pencil, and one contains a spoolie.  The pencils are both twist-ups and are both the same size and have the same consistency.  The spoolies feel identical on both.  Marlena from Makeup Geek posted a video comparing the two, which can be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=caQMhYEdt2M.  She mentioned that they seemed so similar that she thinks they're made in the same factory (and she would know--she has her own fabulous line of cosmetics).  Both pencils have decent longevity.  They usually last all day on me but can tend to rub off in some areas if I wear them to the gym.  Setting them with a clear brow gel helps them to not rub off as much in this case.

Left: NYX
Right: Anastasia

Left: NYX
Right: Anastasia

So, what are the differences between the two?  The obvious difference is the price--$9.99 for the NYX vs. $21 for the Anastasia.  The more subtle difference is color.  I would say they both have a decent color selection--the NYX one comes in eight shades, and the Anastasia one comes in nine shades.  I did notice a slight difference in the color undertones between the two brands.  Anastasia seems to have a good variety of warm, cool, and neutral shades, whereas the NYX shades overall seemed more neutral/warm.  Ash Brown is one of the cooler shades in the NYX line, but even that shade was warmer than Medium Brown from Anastasia.  Don't let this scare you though.  When I say "warm," I'm not talking auburn red like those old Maybelline brow pencils.  I think the colors in the NYX line are still pretty neural for the most part, and I really like the Ash Brown shade on me.  I think most people could find a good color in both lines, but if you need something very cool toned, you might need to look to Anastasia to find a more suitable shade.  I'm wearing Anastasia on the left side and NYX on the right side.  While similar, you can see that the left side looks more ashy and the right side has a little more richness to the brown.

Naked brow

Filled in with NYX Ash Brown

Filled in with Anastasia Medium Brown

Left: NYX Ash Brown
Right: Anastasia Medium Brown

Left: Anastasia Medium Brown
Right: NYX Ash Brown

Left: Anastasia Medium Brown
Right: NYX Ash Brown

Is the Anastasia pencil worth it, or should you save your money and go for the NYX product?  NYX is my pick, and as long as you can find a suitable color in the line, I think it would be yours too!

E.L.F. Mad For Matte Palette

Earlier this year, ELF released some new eyeshadow palettes.  I had heard the most positive reviews about Mad For Matte.  I didn't have any all-matte palettes, and it was only $10, so I thought, why not?!

The palette contains 10 shadows and comes packaged in a sleek black container.  Size-wise, I compared it to the Urban Decay Naked palette since it's one that I have and one that a lot of people are familiar with.  The ELF palette is quite a bit smaller and a little bit thinner (granted, the Naked palette contains 12 shadows instead of 10), which makes it perfectly travel-sized.  I like that it fits in my everyday makeup bag without taking up too much space.  There is also a good sized mirror inside, which is always a nice feature.

Nice packaging, but it gets dirty easily!

The shadows themselves are pretty soft and are well-pigmented for the most part.  I have swatched all the colors on my arm, and some (mostly the darker colors) swatched more easily than the others.  While they are not as soft or pigmented as Urban Decay, Lorac, or some other shadows from higher end palettes, they are not sheer.  They deliver enough color and can be built up.  They are also not as blendable as the higher end shadows, but they still blend out well enough.  The majority of the colors are warm to neutral with a few cooler tones included.

Arm full of swatches!  #2 in the pan is looking more yellow in this picture--it's actually a very pale pink.

Swatched in more natural light

I've been playing around with the palette a lot over the past couple months, and my favorite shade is #5.  It's such a beautiful warm reddish brown, and I think it makes the green in my eyes pop.  #4 is a nice peach-toned transition shade that I use every time I do a look with this palette.  #3 is a nice warm brown that I like to put in the crease (right below where I apply #4).  #2 is my favorite to highlight underneath my brows.  While #10 is far from the most pigmented black shadow on the market, it's always great to have black in a palette.  I actually like how it's not super pigmented, and I've been loving using this as my top liner with an angled brush.  It gives beautiful definition, but because it's not super dark and black, it's very soft and subtle.  I love using #6 as my bottom lash liner, and it's also great to throw on the outer corner of the eye for a little more shadowing/definition.  It's also a great brow color--if you have dark hair like me, give it a shot.

My favorite way to wear this palette is:
#4 for the transition shade (in between the crease and brow bone)
#5 all over the lid
#3 in the crease (sometimes--this is not necessary)
#6 on the lower lashline (and sometimes on the outer corner of the lid, but it looks good both with and without this step)
#10 on the upper lashline
#2 under the brow

I was wearing this eye combo in this picture from my Estee Lauder Double Wear post

...And I wore it again today!

That sounds like a lot of steps, but it actually goes by quickly!  This is a very flattering and very warm-toned look, but for something more cool-toned, this is what I came up with:
#4 for the transition shade
#7 all over the lid
#3 in the crease (skip this if you don't want any warmth to this look)
#8 in the outer corner and on the lower lashline
#10 on the upper lashline
#2 under the brow

The pictures aren't really doing the shadows justice--the warm and cool looks I described look more different in real life than in pictures.  I did pull in a shimmery shadow from a different palette for my inner corner highlight for both looks, but it's totally feasible to use only this palette for your whole eye look and use #2 as an inner corner highlight.

I think you've all figured out by now that I really like this palette!  I've been wearing it constantly since I bought it.  I think it's very reasonably priced.  I have not seen it in the ELF section at my Target, but you could check your Target or find it on ELF's website here.  Even if you like shimmer, it's always good to include matte shadows with any look, and you could supplement your shimmery shadows with this palette.  If you prefer to wear all matte colors, this palette is great on its own.  I am very happy to have this in my collection and would recommend it to anyone!

My Favorite Beauty Hacks

Hello Everyone!

My post today is a random hodgepodge of tips and tricks that I find helpful and use all the time.  I have probably mentioned some of these in past blog posts, but they are worth mentioning again.

*I love using bronzer as an eye shadow.  This is a quick and easy way to add some dimension to your eyes without looking overdone.  Often times, especially if I'm rushing to get ready, I will just throw some bronzer into the crease and call it good as far as shadows are concerned, but this trick also works well as a transition shade with heavier eye shadow looks.  I like to use a Sedona Lace EB 09 or a Sedona Lace Tapered Blending Brush to apply it.  Also, when you use the same bronzer on your eyes and your face, it helps to make everything look pulled together nicely!

*I like to apply my eye makeup first because I smudge my mascara all the time, and it's much easier to clean up if you haven't done your face makeup yet.  If you do smudge your mascara...

*No worries--it's easy to clean up!  If it's regular, non-waterproof mascara, give it at least 60 seconds to dry on your skin without touching it.  Once it's dry, all you have to do is wipe it off with a dry q-tip.  Seriously, it comes right off!  It's a bit more difficult to clean up waterproof mascara, but it can still be done.  First, let it dry.  You'll need a q-tip and some eye makeup remover.  I like to use Neutrogena Oil Free Eye Makeup Remover (it says oil free, but it definitely has something oily in it) or any of the other types that have two layers that you shake up.  Note: I've tried the Target and Walmart brands, and they both work great.  Anyway, shake up the eye makeup remover and dip end of the q-tip into it.  Before you touch your face with it, absorb the extra makeup remover by pressing the q-tip into a tissue.  Clean up the smudge on your face, then take the other end of the q-tip and moisten it with a little water.  Go over the areas you cleaned up with the eye makeup remover, and you are good to go!  Alternatively, the ELF Studio Makeup Remover Pen works wonders and is a little faster than using the eye makeup remover and q-tip.  It's a great thing to keep on hand, and I have one in my makeup kit for freelance jobs.

*I use a razor on my face!  I love the Tinkle Eyebrow Razors, but other brands make them and sell them at drugstores.  I use these on my upper lip and to clean up the tops of my eyebrows.  There are videos on YouTube that demonstrate how to use them.  Sometimes, I even use them all over my face to remove the peach fuzz.  It makes my foundation go on so much smoother!  They don't hurt, they're cheap, and they stay sharp for a long time.  I used to use cream hair removers on my upper lip and have saved a lot of money by switching over to these!

*I used to think lip liner was too high maintenance, but now I can't get enough of it.  While you can line your lips and fill them in before applying lipstick, I most commonly use lip liner after lipstick.  I find that lining (not filling in) my lips after I've applied lipstick helps to clean up the edges and fix any mistakes I might have made.

*If you're going to wear a matte or long-wear lipstick, exfoliating your lips beforehand is a must!  The ELF Studio Lip Exfoliator is awesome and costs $3.  Exfoliate and follow up with moisturizing balm.  Let the balm sink in as you do your makeup, and when you're ready for lipstick, wipe off the extra balm.

*Multi-tasking brushes are great when you're in a rush, when you're traveling, or if you're on a budget.  My favorite for the face is the Real Techniques Blush Brush.  It works so perfectly for setting powder, bronzer, and blush.  While it's not the ideal brush to apply cheek highlighter, it can work.  My favorite multi-purpose eye brush is the above referenced Sedona Lace EB 09 (which is basically the same as a MAC 217 or Sigma E25).  It's great for applying color to the lid and the crease.

I hope these hacks were helpful!  Let me know if you try any of these or if you have any good tricks of your own.

Contouring with a Sponge & My First Attempt at "Baking"

If you haven't already heard, "baking" is the latest technique gone viral in makeup.  And no, I'm not talking about putting your makeup in the oven.  Baking (sometimes referred to as "cooking") in the makeup world is a technique used to set your makeup, further emphasize any highlighting and contouring, and give a flawless finish.  I have heard that the drag community has used this tip for years, but we can thank Kim Kardashian's makeup artist for its recent spike in popularity.  I thought I would give this a try and blog about my experience.

What It Is and How It Works 
The idea behind baking is to first apply your undereye concealer (and bring it down using the triangle method for highlighting) and your cream or powder contour product.  You then apply a heavy layer of loose translucent setting powder (you just get it on there--don't do any blending yet) over your concealer and around (not over) your cheek contour and let it sit for a few minutes.  As the powder sits and "bakes," it mixes with the heat of your skin to set your foundation and concealer to make it last under extreme heat and add some extra oomph to your contour to make your face look even more sculpted and flawless.  Once the product is done baking, you brush off the excess with a fluffy brush.

My Attempt at Baking

What I Used 
I used my fingers to pat in Benefit Erase Paste in Medium underneath my eyes.  This is a great concealer but needs to be set with powder because it doesn't dry, so I used Bobbi Brown Retouching Powder in Yellow with a damp Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge to set it.  I didn't do any baking on this area--I just set it as I normally would with the powder.

For my contour, I used L'Oreal True Match Super Blendable Powder in N8 Cappuccino.  I decided to try something new here and use the Real Techniques sponge rather than a brush to contour.  I picked up some of the L'Oreal powder with the pointed end of the damp sponge and pressed it into the hallows of my cheekbones.  I did the same thing on my temples to contour my forehead.

After this, it was time to bake.  I used the above mentioned Real Techniques sponge and Bobbi Brown powder and applied a heavy layer of powder on the tops of my cheekbones and underneath my cheek contour, leaving no space between the L'Oreal powder and the Bobbi Brown powder.  I let it sit for about three minutes, then I brushed off the excess with a fluffy brush (I used the Real Techniques Blush Brush, but any fluffy face brush you have will work).  At this point, I had already done all of my makeup except blush.  I finished off the look with NARS Blush in Orgasm and applied that with a Sedona Lace Large Angled Contour Brush.

Baking and looking like a freak

Results and Mistakes I Made 
I really wasn't all that impressed with the results; I didn't think my face looked noticeably more contoured or flawless than it did before I followed the baking procedure.  I don't think this technique would be so popular and raved about by professional makeup artists if it didn't work, so I must have made a few mistakes.  I'm pretty sure I didn't let it bake for long enough--I waited about three minutes, and after reading more into it, I found that it is suggested to wait five to 10 minutes.  I also messed up on my left cheek--I was a bit too sloppy and inadvertently covered part of my contour with the setting powder.  I also didn't bake under my eyes and didn't use enough concealer.  In doing more research, I've discovered that it is recommended to go heavy with concealer and powder.  In retrospect, I probably shouldn't have used Erase Paste.  I should have used a thinner concealer and used the triangle method to highlight.  I'm guessing that the combination of these mishaps are why I didn't see any life changing results.

Left: Post-contour and pre-bake
Right: Post-bake but pre-blush.  There is hardly a difference in these two shots.

The finished product with blush added

 I think you are technically supposed to use a translucent powder, but this yellow one by Bobbi Brown is the only loose setting powder I have.  I can't say for sure, but I don't think it's a huge deal that it was yellow.  If anything, the yellow tone just added more brightness.

Overall Thoughts 
I didn't dislike the results, but I also didn't see any notable improvement over my normal makeup application.  I also think this technique can be time consuming and is not practical for most of us on a day-to-day basis,  I usually do my eye makeup first, so by the time I got to the baking portion, I only had lipstick to apply as I waited.  I also needed to apply blush but couldn't do that as I was baking.  It would make more sense to do your face makeup first in order to maximize your time and productivity because you could do your eye makeup as you let your face bake and not lose as much time.  Still, it is an extra step, and if you're getting ready for work at 6 or 7 AM, you'll likely not be too excited to add this to your routine.  Not only that, but this step requires A LOT of concealer and powder, and doing this regularly would not be good for your wallet or your face.  I have read that those with more mature skin should stay away from this technique, as the powder will emphasize fine lines.  I do think that if you know how to bake and can make it look the way you want it to, it would be a good thing to do for special occasions.

I mentioned that I tried contouring with a sponge, and I loved the results!  It was similar to the effect of contouring with a cream product, which tends to look more natural than powder products.  After placing the product where I wanted it, I just kind of rolled the sponge over the product to blend it out a bit more.  It didn't need as much blending as it does when applied with a brush--there's just something about the sponge that makes it look blended out as soon as it's applied!  I will definitely be doing this regularly.

 I will keep experimenting with baking and will do a follow-up post once I have it down.  If anybody has any tips, please leave a comment below!  Thank you all for reading, and let me know if you try this out!

Whiten Your Teeth For Less!

Who doesn't want whiter teeth??  Well, unless you're Ross in the Friends episode where he leaves the paste on for a day too long :).  All jokes aside, having a beautiful smile complemented by nice, white teeth can be as much (if not more) of a game changer as any makeup product.  I had never paid that much attention to teeth whitening until about a month before my wedding two years ago when one day, I suddenly realized "Oh crap!  I need to whiten my teeth!"  I bought some Crest Whitestrips (which are not cheap!) and used them almost daily right up to my wedding day.  Sadly, I didn't notice much of a difference, and I really wish I had known about the product I use now before I got married.

That product is Plus White Premier 5 Minute Speed Whitening Gel.  There are a couple options in this line.  You can either buy a kit that includes the gel, a post-whitening rinse (although now it looks like it comes with a pre-whitening rinse), and a double-sided tray, or you can just buy the gel itself.  I have seen this brand at Wal-Mart and on drugstore.com.  The kit runs about $8 to $10, and the gel itself is around $5 or $6.  The first time I bought this, I bought the kit.  The tray it comes with is pretty worthless and doesn't really stay in place well, so I bought a couple basic mouthguards at Wal-Mart and followed the instructions to make my own trays (one for the top and one for the bottom) that fit my mouth perfectly.  They only cost about $0.97 each and work really well.

As far as using the product itself, you first floss and brush your teeth, then you squeeze a thin layer of gel onto the trays and leave them in for 5-20 minutes.  The instructions say to do this twice a day for up to two weeks when you're first starting out with this system, and that is exactly what I did.  If you have the kit, you then follow up with the rinse after you remove the trays (at least I did--it has changed to a pre-whitening rinse since I last had the kit).  Unfortunately, I don't really have any before and after pictures to show (I forgot to take them when I started using this over a year ago), but I saw a huge difference after about a week.  I left mine in for about 15 minutes each time.  After the two weeks are over, you use the product once or twice a week to touch up.  I do twice a week for 15 minutes, and I find that to be sufficient to maintain the results from the first two weeks.

After having used this product for over year, I definitely recommend buying the gel alone if it's available.  The rinse didn't seem to make any difference.  I can't speak to the effectiveness of the new pre-whitening rinse, but I can tell you that the results without using any rinse are very good. You will also most likely need to buy your own trays anyway, so it's not worth buying the kit for the tray.  It is worth noting that as with any whitening product, this can make your teeth more sensitive.  Mine feel a little sensitive the day after I whiten, but it doesn't bother me.  If you are concerned about this, you might want to try the gel made for sensitive teeth.  I also want to mention that if you get a lot of canker sores like I do, be very careful when using this product while you have one.  If the gel comes into contact with a canker sore or any other sort of trauma in your mouth, it HURTS!  I definitely recommend using Kanka, Orajel, or any other type of numbing product before using the whitening gel if you have a sore.  Another tip I have is to run the trays under water and use your toothbrush to make sure you get all the gel off after you use them.

Overall thoughts?  I love this stuff!  It's easily accessible, it's cheap, and most importantly, it works!  I would highly recommend it.  I hope this was helpful, and let me know if you try it out!