Benefit Gimme Brow New Shade

Benefit re-vamped their whole brow lineup over the summer.  They brought out some new products, re-packaged the existing ones, and they also added some new shades to a few of the existing products.  I while back, I mentioned that while everyone seemed to love their Gimme Brow, it only came in two colors, neither of which worked for me.  The light shade made my brows look grey, while the dark one made them look too black.  For at least a couple years, I've been wishing for an in-between shade in this line.  Lucky for me, Benefit made that happen.

Gimme Brow in new packaging

Gimme Brow now comes in 1 (light), 3 (medium), and 5 (dark).  Light and dark did not change--these were the two colors that existed before.  Medium was their new addition, which is described as "golden blonde to medium brown--warm."  You'll see in the swatch that it is a great neutral to warm shade that would work for a lot of people.

Shade 3 (medium)

I love how this gel has fibers in it to make your brows more full.  It really works well in that way.  It fills them in lightly, so for me, it's perfect if I'm not wearing any other makeup.  The hold it gives is pretty good as well.  It is buildable, too.  The pictures below will show naked brows, one layer of Gimme Brow, and two layers.  Full disclosure--my brows are freshly threaded, so they don't look as sparse here as they sometimes do when they're in desperate need of a waxing or threading.

Naked brow

One layer of Gimme Brow in shade 3

Two layers of Gimme Brow in shade 5

The only thing I don't like about this (besides the price) is that it's not completely waterproof.  While it claims to be water-resistant, it does tend to fade for me during an intense cardio workout (Pure Barre Platform, anyone??).  If I'm just sweating lightly and going about normal day-to-day business, the longevity is fine.

Thanks for reading!  I hope you give this a try if you're in the hunt for a new tinted brow gel.  

Travelling Back 10 Years: Makeup I Wore In High School

One of my senior pictures taken in 2005!  It was the summer between my junior and senior year.

I am currently subscribed to over 70 YouTubers, but with an increasingly busy daily schedule, I'm pretty selective about the videos I choose to watch.  I was immediately intrigued by one of Kathleen Light's videos titled "Makeup I Wore In High School."  I watched the video and thought it was such a fun idea.  It inspired me to think back to what I wore in high school and see if those products are still around today!

Foundation
I don't think I started wearing foundation until about junior year in high school.  I can't remember what all I tried, but I remember using Almay Clear Complexion Makeup when I was a senior.  I used to love this stuff.  It's still around today, although they have changed the packaging and added a pump.  Side note: I also remember loving Almay Truly Lasting Color in college.  In fact, I'm intrigued to try it again...

Concealer
Sticking with the Almay trend, I remember using and liking Almay Clear Complexion Concealer.  It's also still around today.  I used this on blemishes, and I don't remember if I used concealer under my eyes at that point.

Blush
More Almay!  I used a pink blush from them in white packaging.  It looks like it's not around today.  I was also a fan of the CoverGirl Cheekers Blush (not sure which color).  It is still available today, and they've updated the packaging.

Eyeshadow
The CoverGirl Eye Enhancers 4 Kit Shadows take me way back to when I was about 12 or 13 years old.  It was the first makeup product my mom ever bought me.  It's still around today, and they've also updated the packaging.  Sadly, I don't remember the exact name of the quad I had, but it had a couple pink shades and a couple brown shades.  It's funny to think back--I remember at first not even knowing that you could mix the shades or that there was any way to incorporate multiple shades into one look,  Every day, I'd pick a different one out of the quad to wear.

Eyeliner
It was almost always black pencil eyeliner once I got to the point of wearing it.  I used the CoverGirl Perfect Point Plus liner and remember liking it.  I think I also tried a couple others, although I can't remember which ones.

Mascara
Yet another CoverGirl product... does anybody remember their Fantastic Lash (I think that's what it was called) in the red tube??  OH MY GOD.  That stuff was amazing!  Why do companies get rid of good products??  Anyway, it had a traditional mascara wand type (not a rubber one), and I used and enjoyed all the varieties (they had a regular, a waterproof, and a curved brush).  SO GOOD.  I would still be using it today if it was available :(.  I also dabbled in some Maybelline mascaras.  I liked their Sky High Curves one (another great product that got discontinued).  I'm sure there were others, but those are the only ones that stick out to me today.

Lips
I was a lip balm girl in high school.  I think I also had some CoverGirl lip glosses, but for the most part, it was various types of lip balms.

Thoughts 10 Years Later
Looking back now, the only thing I wish I had done differently was fill in my eyebrows.  I actually remember getting my makeup done at the Bobbi Brown counter one time, and they filled in my brows.  I immediately went into the bathroom in Nordstrom and wiped it off.  I wish I could go back in time and talk some sense into my teenage self.  I also didn't use any bronzer, and I don't think I even knew what highlighter was.  Looking back at my makeup routine, it was simple, I used products I liked, and for the most part, it worked.

Thank you so much for reading and travelling down memory lane with me!  I would love to hear what you used and loved years back.

Hair Hack

By now, you've probably heard that coconut oil is a miracle beauty product (in addition to being useful in the kitchen!).  One of its many uses is as a leave-in conditioner for your hair,  I've done this before, and my favorite way to do it is to put a little bit on the ends of damp hair right before I blow dry it.  The key is to use A LITTLE BIT.  Well, last week I went a little overboard.  I ended up using way too much, and I brought it up to about my ear instead of just keeping it on the ends.  The result?  Stringy, greasy hair that looked like it hadn't been washed in a week.  I was so upset!  I typically only wash my hair twice a week, and with how much hair I have, washing it is a large undertaking.  I thought I'd have to wash it again, then I got an idea.  Fortunately, it worked.

All I did after blow drying my hair was use dry shampoo.  I put some on the roots as I normally do, and I sprayed it in the lengths of my hair as well.  It completely did the trick!  It absorbed all the greasiness, and my hair looked perfectly normal.  It's totally fine to put dry shampoo in the lengths of your hair--just make sure you rub it in really well so you don't see a white cast.  I found the best way to do this was to rub the hair in between my palms.  After doing this, I brushed it out to make sure it was evenly distributed.

So there you have it, a super random hair hack.  Hopefully you won't make the mistake I did of using too much oil, but if you do, give this a try!

Thank you for reading!

I've Found My HG Lip Balm

Makeup junkies always like to talk about their "holy grail" products.  I try to save this term only for products that really deserve it.  Guys, I've found my lip balm.  I've truly found my holy grail lip balm.  And it's one that's made for men!

This tube of wonderful goodness to which am referring is Jack Black's Intense Therapy Lip Balm SPF 25.  There are five flavors to choose from, and I opted for the original mint and shea butter variety.

The product has a nice thickness to it (think Vaseline but a little thicker), and it's incredibly moisturizing.  Probably my favorite part about this stuff is that it stays on my lips for HOURS.  That never happens--I'm one of those who is compulsively applying lip balm 1000 times per day.  Depending on what you're eating or drinking, it can even withstand that.

The mint flavor is really nice.  It's not too overpowering like some other mint lip products I've tried (some are even so strong they've burned my eyes).  That does not happen with this.  It's also quite a bit thicker than the CO Bigelow Mentha Lip Shine and lasts quite a bit longer on the lips.  It has a nice cooling sensation (again, not overpowering) and feels great.  I also like how it's not TOO glossy.  The finish is almost like a satin-matte with just a little bit of something.  That probably has to do with the fact that this was made for men.  It makes your lips look beautifully healthy.

Long story short, this stuff is amazing.  I would highly recommend that you go pick up a tube immediately.

Thanks for reading!

Favorites: June 2016

Summer is officially here!  As the seasons change, so do my favorite things.  Here's a look into what I've been loving lately.

Skincare
I've been loving Cetaphil's Oil Control Moisturizer SPF 30.  I still get a bit oily after several hours, but it's much less greasy than the CeraVe moisturizer with SPF I had been using previously.  I always have blotting sheets in my purse, so any excess oil is easily taken care of.  It's a bit pricey for drugstore skincare, but it's the best daily moisturizer I've found yet.  And it comes highly recommended by dermatologists.

Makeup
Bare Minerals Original Foundation is the only foundation I've worn all summer.  I have purchased several of these over the last 10 years and have used it on and off.  Every time I start using it again, I forget why I stopped.  It just does something for my skin that no other foundation does.  It's completely undetectable and gives the illusion of "I have perfect skin" rather than "I'm wearing foundation."  I wear the shade Medium Tan.  It feels great on my skin.  It's pretty.  It works.  It also makes me a little bit nostalgic--every time I use it, I think back to my freshman year of college when I first discovered it.  Good times.

Lipstick-wise, I've been really into MAC's Lipstick in Please Me and Anastasia's Liquid Lipstick in Crush.  We all know that MAC lipsticks are fantastic, Please Me is (in my opinion) the perfect pink.  Crush is the first of Anastasia's liquid lipsticks I've tried, and I'm impressed.  I certainly did not need another pinky nude; however, I didn't have any in my collection that were in liquid format.  The color is beautiful, and it lasts all day through eating and drinking.

Left: ABH Liquid Lipstick in Crush
Right: MAC Lipstick in Please Me

I rediscovered a blush that I hadn't used in a while--ELF's Studio Blush in Pink Passion.  It's one of those blushes that might scare you at first glance, but it's much more wearable than it appears in the pan.  It gives the prettiest, freshest glow.  I wore it on my wedding day, so it is obviously a favorite of mine.  And like all ELF products, it's super affordable!

Perfume
I've found a combination I love--Victoria's Secret Coconut Passion Fragrance Mist combined with Bobbi Brown's Beach Perfume is dynamite.  It takes me to a happy place of being on a beach in Kauai.  I love both of these scents on their own, but they are even more of a delight when mixed together.


What have you been loving this summer?  Thanks so much for reading!

Beachy Waves for Summer

When it comes to hair, it's all about messy beachy waves this time of year.  This is one of my all time favorite hairstyles and one that I tend to rock even in the depths of winter.  After watching a video by MakeupbyTiffanyD on YouTube (click here to watch), I was inspired to try out a new (to me) technique.

Products, Tools, and Technique

While this can easily be achieved with a wand, I used my 1" Conair curling iron (mine is super old but still works great).  I always use some type of dry shampoo and/or texturizing spray on my roots and through the lengths of my hair to prep it and give it some grit. Garnier's Texture Tease is a great (and cheap!) option.  I did my curls the way I normally do (starting near the roots and leaving about an inch out at the ends).  Instead of curling every piece away from my face as I normally would, I curled the front pieces away but then alternated every other piece (one going away from my face, then one towards my face, etc).  I loved the result--this really did help to achieve more of a wave than a curl.  I also thought it added more volume and dimension and gave more of that messy, disheveled look I was after.  After letting my hair cool for a few minutes, I ran my fingers through the waves and pulled them apart/fluffed/tousled them.  I added a bit more texturizing spray for even more of an un-done look, then I finished off with some Flexible Control Hairspray by Garnier.

If you're looking for a way to get beachy waves, I'd recommend watching Tiffany's video and trying this technique.  You can always try it and do little things and tweak it to make it your style.  

Thanks for reading!

CeraVe Cleansing Cloths: Ultra Gentle??

I've been loyal to CeraVe skincare for quite some time.  While I'm not a skincare expert, I do know that many dermatologists like this brand, and I also know that fragrance does not belong in skincare.  It's hard to find makeup removing towelettes that are unscented (the only ones I've found so far are by the brand Simple).  Therefore, I was psyched when I saw these wipes at Target and couldn't wait to try them out.  I figured if they're by CeraVe, they have to be good, right?  Boy, was I wrong.

First of all, I detected a scent right away.  It wasn't the typical floral or fruity smell that wipes usually have.  It smelled like... whiskey.  No joke.  This was an  unwelcome surprise.

Then... I used it on my face.  I've never had a more painful experience with makeup removing wipes.  It appeared to remove my makeup pretty well, but it stung my skin (and my eyes!!).  Since I've been using Differin and Aczone for my acne, I thought maybe it was just that my skin had become more sensitive, and I thought maybe they would be ok to continue using, even if they stung.  A few days later, I used one to remove my liquid lipstick... and it stung my lips!  That has never happened before, and there is no way my lips would be affected by either of my prescription creams.  That was the final straw, and at that point, I rendered these wipes unsuitable for the face.

If you can't tell already, I really regret this purchase.  Not only did they cause pain, but they were expensive--$8 for one pack!  I don't understand how this went so wrong--they are highly rated on beautypedia.com.  Who knows, maybe I got a bad pack, but I'm not willing to spend another $8 to find out.  I would not consider these to be "Extra Gentle" as stated on the packaging.  I'm very sad that these were a total fail for me.  If you are brave enough to try them, I would be interested to hear about your experience.

Thank you for reading!