New Brow Goodies

With so many new brow products on the market, it's hard to not be intrigued.  I recently picked up two new pencils and a clear brow gel to test out.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Definer
This is a new release from the brand.  Similar to their Brow Wiz, this is a retractable pencil with a spoolie on the other end.  Unlike the skinny tip the Brow Wiz has, the Brow Definer has a larger, flatter, triangular-shaped tip.  If you are one who likes to lightly fill in sparse areas, the Brow Wiz would be the way to go.  However, if you're like me and go for a bold brow ever day, I think you'll love the Brow Definer.  Since it's bigger, it covers more area per swipe.  It's so much faster than the Brow Wiz!  I picked up the color Soft Brown and think it's perfect for me--it has just a bit more warmth than Medium Brown.  The formula is waxy and has good lasting power.

L'Oreal Brow Stylist Definer
Similar to the Brow Wiz or NYX's Micro Brow Pencil , L'Oreal's Brow Stylist Definer is a retractable pencil with a spoolie and has a very fine tip.  I already know I like both the Brow Wiz and Micro Brow Pencil, and I wanted to see how L'Oreal's version compares.  They are all very similar in packaging and quality.  Brow Wiz has the waxiest formula of all three, followed by the Micro Brow Pencil and the Brow Stylist Definer.  Brow Stylist Definer was, in my opinion, is the softest in texture and glides on more easily than the other two.  Despite the soft texture, its longevity is pretty decent.  I chose the color Brunette, which is almost the exact same shade as the Micro Brow in Ash Brown.  Despite the fact that I have almost black hair, I don't typically go for the darkest shade in brow products.  Brunette is a good color for me and isn't too warm or too cool.

L-R:  NYX Micro Brow in Ash Brown, L'Oreal Brow Stylist Definer in Brunette, ABH Brow Definer in Soft Brown

I also picked up L'Oreal's Brow Stylist Plumper Brow Gel in transparent to set my brows after using the pencils.  It's a good clear brow gel with decent hold (not the strongest by any means, but good enough).  The wand is on the smaller side, which is neither here nor there for a clear formula.  I'll need more time to decide if I like it more than NYX's Control Freak, but so far, so good.

Thank you for reading, and if you've picked up any new brow products recently, please share your thoughts with me!

Training Your Hair/Changing Your Part

Moving your part is a fun way to change around your look.  After 15+ years of parting my hair to the left, I decided it was time to change it up.  I'm not sure what exactly inspired me to do it, but I thought I'd try parting my hair down the middle to see how it looked on me.  Training my hair to part down the center has taken a lot of patience, but three months later, I think my hair has finally gotten the hang of it.  If you are looking for some tips on training your hair to part either on a different side or down the center, here are a few words of wisdom that may help you out.

Part It Right After You Shower
After you wash your hair and take it down from the towel, comb through it and immediately part it where you want it.  This will help your hair to dry in the right position.  You can use a rat tail comb to get an even part.  More often than not, I just use my pinky finger.

Direct The Heat From Your Blow Dryer
This is very important and is something I was doing wrong initially.  When you're trying to train your hair for a new part, DO NOT flip your head over to blow dry it!  Doing so makes it harder to get it to part back in the right spot and creates lots of flyaways at the front of your part.  Instead, point the nozzle of the dryer down and direct the heat downward from the front of the part.  Use your fingers to help smooth the hair down as you dry it.

Use Product To Tame Flyaways
I tried using hairspray, serum, and a few other products, but Big Sexy Hair's Big Boost styling cream is my favorite.  It provides light hold but is not shiny or heavy.  I found that the hairs at the front of my part wanted to go in every direction because it wasn't used to parting down the middle.  This stuff really helped to keep it under control.  Clear brow gel also works and is a great on-the-go solution since it's easy to keep in your purse.

Sleep With Bobby Pins
I got this very helpful tip from my hairdresser.  I would also keep them in my hair at home during the day or in the car (and I'd take them out before getting out of the car).  Not only does this help to direct the hair, but it also helps to keep the flyaways at bay.

Be Patient!
Successfully re-training your hair is not something that will happen overnight.  As I mentioned earlier, it took my hair about three months to learn the center part.  It requires extra maintenance, and you will also have more volume on one side than the other for a while.  But these little annoyances will all go away eventually, and it's worth it in the end.  I am loving my new center part and think I'll keep it for a long time.

I hope this was helpful, and please share your tips with me if you've changed your part!

No Foundation Pump? No Problem!

If you're like me, it drives you crazy when foundation doesn't come with a pump.  If it's packaged in a squeeze tube, that's fine, but the old glass bottle sans pump packaging is nothing short of annoying.  Fortunately, I've come across a couple solutions to these foundation dispensing problems.


Beautymp.com
This company, which can be found beautymp.com, sells pumps for many different foundations.  They usually have a 20% off coupon code on the top of their site.  I purchased the pump for Maybelline's Fit Me Matte and Poreless Foundation (which is a great drugstore foundation).  This is what the foundation looks like with the pump on it:

 The pump comes with a cap.  The quality is decent, and you can control how much product it dispenses by the amount of pressure you put on it.  It is not a perfect fit on the foundation, and you can tell in the last picture how it creates a bit of a mess on the side of the bottle.  Fortunately, though, it didn't make a mess inside my drawer.  The full price on this pump is $6.99.


MAC Foundation Pump
I wanted to compare Beautymp's pump to MAC's.  The MAC foundation pump is more easily accessible, as it can be found at MAC counters, MAC stores, and various sites online.  While it is made specifically for MAC foundations, I found in doing research that it also fits several other brands of foundation.  Here is what the Maybelline foundation looks like with the MAC pump on it:

This pump comes with a cap and also twists to lock.  Like the Beautymp pump, it has good control and allows you to pump out as much as you want.  It is also not a perfect fit on the bottle, but it's an improvement over the Beautymp one.  It covers more of the screw portion of the bottle and creates less of a mess.  I also like how it's black--this gives it a more sleek look (I know, this is a petty detail).  This pump retails for $10, and you can usually get free shipping when you order online.


Overall Thoughts
If you pay full price for the Beautymp pump, it ends up being around the same price as MAC's with shipping.  I have read many reviews on Beautymp's products, and it appears that some pumps fit the foundations they are meant to work with better than others.  Maybe they just missed the mark a bit on Maybelline Fit Me.  I do think their site is innovative, and it's a very cool concept.  They are definitely on my wavelength when it comes to the importance of foundation pumps.

If you plan to order the MAC pump for a non-MAC foundation, it's a good idea to do a little research beforehand to see if you can find any information about whether or not it is a good fit for your particular product.  If it fits, even if it's not perfect, I think this is a good way to go.  It's also worth mentioning that NARS sells a foundation pump for $6, and this is an option that may be worth exploring as well.

I hope this gave you some good ideas to improve your foundation's packaging.  While both of these options worked for me, I prefer MAC's pump for my Maybelline foundation.  Thank you for reading!  Please let me know if you try either of these and let me know how they work for you.

Your Best Lashes For Less

If you want stronger, longer lashes, there are plenty of expensive serums on the market that promise to do great things.  I've heard success stories, and I'm sure they really do work.  I've also heard that castor oil is a more natural (and a much more affordable) option that may not yield the same results but could help condition and stimulate hair growth.  I figured I'd have nothing to lose by giving it a shot.

Disclaimer: I am already lucky enough to have naturally long, thick, and dark lashes.

Products
All you need is a bottle of 100% pure castor oil and a q-tip or a spoolie.  I purchased this oil from drugstore.com.

What To Do
It's really simple.  Before bedtime, all you do is dip a q-tip or clean spoolie into the oil and wiggle it through your lashes as you would a mascara.  This is a thick, viscous oil, and I try to scrape off any excess oil so I don't get too much.  One dip is enough for both lashes.  I've found it's even enough for both brows, too.  If castor oil can stimulate hair growth, why not get your brows too?

Results
I started on December 30 and took the after picture 48 days later on February 15.  I used the oil most nights with a few exceptions due to laziness or being out of town.  In total, I would estimate that between the before and after pictures, I used the oil 35 times.

Before

After approximately 35 applications

You may or may not be able to see a difference in the pictures.  I don't as much see a difference as I feel a difference.  My lashes overall feel softer and stronger.  The biggest change I've noticed is in curling them--they hold a curl much longer and better than they did before.  I haven't noticed a difference in length--if they are longer, it's not by much.  But as I mentioned earlier, I didn't need any help in the length department anyway.  My brows seem a little bit more full than they were before, although I'm hoping that with continued use, I will see more of a difference.

Final Thoughts
I can definitely tell that it's working on my lashes--this is no placebo, folks!!  I think it's working on my brows too, but I need more time.  I will continue to use castor oil on both my lashes and brows .  How long will I keep this up?  As of now, I think forever!

If you've been wanting to try Latisse, Nulash, or any number of other lash serums out there but don't want to pay the price, give this a try first.  You might be pleasantly surprised.  If you do try it, please let me know what you think!

A Few Of My Favorite Things: February 2016

Here's a little peak at what I've been loving lately:

Eyeshadow Base
MAC's Pro Longwear Paint Pot in the color Layin' Low is my new favorite in this category.  I have tried so many different primers, and I've even tried using concealer as a base.  Nothing is a better match to my skin tone than this product.  It is perfect under eyeshadow or alone.

Winged Eyeliner
I change my eyeliner often.  For weeks or months I'll be into no wing.  Recently, though, I've been wingin' it.  My current favorite eyeliner pens are L'Oreal's Infallible Super Slim and Physicians Formula's Eye Booster 2-in-1.  Both are liquid liner pens.  The L'Oreal pen has a stiff felt tip.  Physicians Formula's pen has a flexible brush tip.  They are both awesome for creating a little wing.

Mascara
This one surprised me.  It's a mascara I never would have thought to try had it not been for my friend, Julie, bringing it to my attention.  Maybelline's Colossal Cat Eyes Mascara has worked surprisingly well for me.  It has a smaller curved brush, and I like how the formula is on the drier side.  It's not the most dramatic mascara but gives nice definition.  It also works well over Benefit's new lash primer.  Thank you, Julie, for recommending this to me!

Falsies
Ardell's 120 Demi lashes are perfect.  They're fluttery and not too long, so they look great with both heavy eye makeup or no eye makeup at all.  These are the lashes I wore on my wedding day.  They also fit my eye perfectly, and I don't need to trim them.

Blush
ELF's Studio Blush in the color Mellow Mauve is my go-to fall/winter blush.  The large dent I've put in this pan speaks for itself.  It's a gorgeous blush that flatters all skin tones.  And it's cheap!

Lipstick
MAC's Lipstick in the color Blankety is a stunning nude that works well on all skin tones.  Its finish is categorized as amplified--it's very creamy and pigmented and leaves a nice sheen on the lips.

I would love to know what your current favorites are.  Thank you for reading!

It Cosmetics Naturally Pretty Essentials Palette

It Cosmetics is becoming one of my favorite brands of makeup.  I love their CC cream, brow pencil, powder, and brushes, so I was really excited when my aunt got me their Naturally Pretty Essentials Palette for Christmas.  This might have been limited edition because I can't find it on Ulta's  site or It Cosmetics' site.  I did find it on The Shopping Channel (linked above), although it is currently sold out.  This palette features all of the following (description taken straight from The Shopping Channel):

• (18) Anti-Aging Individual Eyeshadows - 6 Trios  (.54g /.019oz each) 
• (3) Blush & Blush Tint (2.5g/.088oz each)
• (6) Anti-Aging Collagen Lip Flushes (.34g/.012oz each)
• (4) Bye Bye Under Eye Anti-Aging Concealers (.43g /.015oz each)
• Vitality Glow Anti-Aging Matte Bronzer (3.74g .132oz) 
• Bye Bye Pores Silk HD Anti-Aging Pressed Powder (3.74g/.132oz) 
• Hello Light Anti-Aging Powder Luminizer (5.2g/.183oz)
• Hello Light Anti-Aging Creme Luminizer (3.2g/.113oz)

Top: Bye Bye Pores translucent powder
Bottom: Matte Vitality bronzer

L: Hello Light cream highlighter
R: Hello Light powder highlighter

Bye Bye Undereye Anti-Aging Correctors
L-R: Light, medium, tan, deep

Top row of eyeshadows.  Bottom to top: Heavenly, Earth Angel, Espresso, Love, Warm Glow, Honey Glow

Middle row of eyeshadows.  Bottom to top: Je Ne Sais Quoi, Ipanema, Jet Black, Angel Kiss, Sunset Smoke, Graphite

Bottom row of eyeshadows.  Left to right: Nude Silk, Amber, Venus Love, Je Ne Sais Quoi, Lucky Lavender, Plum Passion

Blushes bottom to top: Natural Flush, Sweet Cheeks, Rose Glow

Lipsticks bottom to top: Ruby Slippers, Believe, Nude, Naturally Pretty, Live, It Girl

Mini Reviews  
*Highlighters: They are both beautiful and good quality.

*Undereye concealers:  I was not a fan.  I tried them several times, and they were really drying and emphasized fine lines under my eyes.

*Bronzer:  It's very velvety in texture and has a beautiful warm undertone.  I like this and find that warmer bronzers/contour shades look better on me than cooler tones.

*Translucent powder:  Love.  I already own this in full size, and the one in the palette feels nice and silky just like the full size.

*Eyeshadows:  They are decent.  Some shades have better color payoff than others, and this is pretty typical for most palettes.  Overall, the darker shadows seem to be better quality than the lighter ones.  I like that it includes a black, even though it's not the blackest shadow on the market.  My favorite shades are Ipanema (a pretty bronze) and Venus Love (a beautiful brownish burgundy).  It's interesting that they included the shade Je Ne Sais Quoi (a champagne) twice--I guess they assume that will be the most used.  While it's possible to create several looks using exclusively the shadows included in the palette, I wish they had included more matte shades.  Most of the shadows have some shimmer or sheen to them.  Fortunately, none of them have chunky pieces of glitter.

*Blushes:  The blushes are all nicely formulated and very soft.  I like the color Natural Flush best.  It's dark enough to show up on my skin tone.  The other shades would work well on more fair skin tones.

*Lipsticks:  They seem more like glosses with pretty decent pigmentation than lipsticks to me.  The colors are pretty, and they're not sticky.

Overall Thoughts  
I think this would be a great palette to travel with because so much is included.  It's important to know that often times with value palettes like this, the quality of the items included is not the same as the quality of the items sold individually.  I think a lot of times, companies have to do this in order to keep the price point so low and make it a good value.  I would say that with this palette, the quality of almost everything is pretty good.  The translucent powder feels like it's the exact same formula as if you were to buy it individually.  I haven't tried a lot of the other products individually, so I can't say how their quality compares.  To me, the worst parts of the palette are the light eyeshadows that don't have a lot of pigment and the concealers.  My favorite components are the bronzer, highlighter, and the two eyeshadows mentioned above.  I think it is a good value and is worth the investment if your makeup collection is lacking some of these items or if you want something that's good to travel with.

Thanks to my aunt for sending me this, and thank you for reading!  Please share your thoughts on this palette with me if you've tried it.

Eggies Case Update

Hello Everyone,

I wanted to give everyone an update on my eggie case.  If you missed my review on this cool case for your makeup sponge, you can find it here.  When I last posted, I was using the Real Techniques makeup sponge.  I have since thrown out my sponge, as it's become worn, and it was time.  I had a Beauty Blender in my stock pile, so I'm currently using that.  It fits perfectly in the case as well.

In my previous post, I referenced a shipping issue I had with the case.  The company found my review and was kind enough to offer me a refund on the shipping!  As I suspected, she mentioned that they are a new company and had some shipping issues during their first few weeks but have now resolved those issues.  I took them up on their offer, and they promptly refunded me $4.00.   This is a great startup with five star customer service, and I would highly recommend supporting them by purchasing an eggie for your makeup sponge.  You can purchase your eggie here.

Thanks for reading, and thanks to Eggies Case for reaching out to me!