Five Products I'm Trying to Finish This Fall

You know you've been teaching for too long if you label your pictures things like "Fall18." But hey, this is just what it says on the tin: five products I want to finish in fall 2018. For the record, I consider December 1 the first day of winter. The calendar says December 21, but does it wait that long to get stupid cold? Nope, so I'm going with September-October-November for fall.

MAC Strobe Cream -- This is an old standby that I've repurchased a zillion times, but the tube is getting a little old, slash, I keep getting distracted by other highlighters. I'll likely use this up by wearing it to work. The black line next to the word "Strobe" shows how much product I have right now.

YSL Touche Eclat #2 -- While I enjoy this product, I'll never get over the $42 price tag. I mostly use it as an undereye brightener, and in that capacity, I like the Maybelline Dream Lumi concealer just as much. I can't tell how much of this is left, but I'd guesstimate that it's about half full.

Stila Huge Extreme Lash (deluxe sample) -- No amount of volume is worth a formula this wet and clumpy. Because I can get this mascara to work if I apply it super carefully and really clean up my eyelid afterward, I'm stubbornly refusing to throw it out until the end of September.

Milk Makeup Gel Brow in Pilsner -- This is an okay brow pencil, but it's just okay, and I definitely prefer a harder formula than this for my day-to-day looks. I've already used up quite a bit of this pencil!

Laura Mercier Caviar Stick in Vanilla Kiss -- Do I like this cream eyeshadow? No; it never seems to dry down, leaving me with slightly sticky eyelids if I apply too much. Is it a good color? Yes, but Wet n' Wild Brulee is just as nice and it only costs $2 per pan. Am I going to finish this anyway? Yes, because it's bearable when used in small amounts and I'm too lazy to apply powder eyeshadow at seven in the morning.

If you want to join me in finishing five products and you use Instagram, try using the hashtag #5ff. I'd love to see what you're using up!

I Did My Makeup with Single Use Samples

I have a weird obsession with beauty samples. I don't just mean the deluxe samples that are miniaturized versions of the full price product, although those are my favorites. I mean any kind of sample: foil packets of face cream, whiffs of perfume sprayed on glue and covered with a bit of paper in magazines, cardboard sheets with a swath of blush on them...you name it, I've probably hoarded it. But it's not wise to stockpile samples when you're preparing to move, and since that's my goal this summer, slash, I was feeling a little emotional about walking out of my college for the very last time, I decided to do a Face of the Day using only samples.

There was one minor snafu: the foundation sample I'd gotten from a MAC associate some time last year definitely smelt off. Also, I've yet to see a single use mascara sample. For those reasons, I used products already in my collection for my foundation and mascara. Everything else is from a sample card or sachet.

The above photo shows my starting point: a thin layer of Buxom Some Show Skin foundation mixed with a dot of MAC Strobe Cream, pressed in to my skin with a Beauty Blender. I put my mascara on later.

The first sample I used was the Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Ultra Longwear Concealer in 1N. I almost always hate the totally flat foundation and concealer samples that include just a dot of product under a sticker because it's never enough to do your face. So imagine my surprise when I tapped my finger in to that little smear of concealer, dabbed it on my undereyes, and immediately realized I'd applied too damn much. Despite being a thin, lightweight formula, this stuff has a surprising amount of coverage; I was able to put a-bit-too-much on my undereyes and soften up my forehead blemish. There was some creasing in my fine lines after an hour or two, but I think that's because I used too much concealer, and it was easily tapped out. I actually taped that stupid sticker down so I could re-use the sample! So far, so good.

Next, I used the Bite Beauty Multistick in Biscotti for blush. Experiencing the texture of these reaffirmed what I said in my anti-haul: they're nice for the cheeks and might work on the eyes in a pinch, but the formula is just too stiff for my lips. You can see that the product actually popped out of its blisterpack, showing that it's drier than it looks.  That said, it blended out decently, and I got a ton of product in that little packet. I'm considering taking one of the other two shades from that sample to Toronto this summer so I don't have to pack as much.

Last, but not least, I applied a little Peter Thomas Roth 24K Gold Pure Luxury Lift and Firm Prism Cream to my cheekbones as a highlight. I've used this product before and I like it just fine, but the color is more golden than I usually go for, and it's certainly not worth the massive price tag. I also think the skincare benefits are overstated, but to be honest, I wouldn't apply something this frosty all over my face, anyway. ("But, Renee, the MAC Strobe Cream"--is not as gold or as frosty; stop pointing out my hypocrisies, dammit.)

Everything's great so far, right? My skin looks good and nothing is performing horribly. This is going to look amazing!

Hold up. This is me. I have to ruin things.

You see, I got a sample of the Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade. And I've used Dipbrow before and truly enjoyed it. So what's the issue?

Well, my friends, they included a brush with the sample. I applaud the effort, but really, I don't know who is going to actually use this extremely tiny, not-the-best-quality brush to apply such a pigmented product!

Except yes I do, and it's me. I'm the one who said I was going to do as much of my face with samples as I possibly could, and that brush counts as a sample!

Adults get to make choices. I am not proud of this one. Let's move along, because the next thing on the list is actually damn good.

It's the Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion in Sin. Look, I remember when there were YouTube feuds over whether the original Urban Decay primer was better than my standby, Too Faced Shadow Insurance. (UDPP vs. TFSI, anyone?) Frankly, I remember liking them about the same; the only real difference was that I thought the Too Faced had a slightly nicer texture, and that's why I've kept using it. But ooooh, the Sin shade! It's frosty champagne goodness that applies smoothly and looks like eyeshadow. Seriously, if I wanted to pretend I was trying, I could throw this on, add another color to my crease, do some quick liner, and call it a day. Suffice to say that Sin went straight to my Sephora wish list.

 I always have to cut these types of samples open. It sucks. Please stop, beauty companies.

The lipstick was not quite as successful. It's the NARS Powermatte Lip Pigment in the shade Who Fucking Knows, It's Not On The Packaging. I checked the fancy box it was tucked in and the annoying chastity belt of a foil packet that held the applicator, and nothing. I thought it was American Woman, but the shade on my lips is far cooler and more purple than the warm, chestnut-y shade they show on Sephora.

Your guess is as good as mine. As for the formula, it's pretty solid as far as liquid lipsticks go: it's a thin, smooth liquid that's opaque with one layer, it starts drying down within a minute, and it lasted through cookies, spring rolls, and a glass of wine. Yes, that's what I ate for dinner. Again: choices.

It's tempting to say that this was just a funny one-off experiment that went totally awry, but I did learn some things. For starters, I'm way more likely to buy a product if I get several uses out of the sample. The Urban Decay sample provides more than enough primer for the upcoming week, so I taped off the little opening in the packet and put it away in my container. Compare that to the NARS liquid lipstick, which you can't store properly after pulling out the applicator. In that vein, there is clearly some packaging that is less frustrating than others. If I can't reseal it, I toss it, no matter how well the product works. Companies, if you want us to fall in love with your line via samples, you gotta give us some easy-to-open, easy-to-close packaging!

And of course, this proves that samples work. Like I said, I put the Urban Decay primer on my wishlist right away, I'm interested in trying the Laura Mercier concealer more, and while it's not my cup of tea, I'd have no issue recommending the NARS liquid lipsticks based on my experience.

So keep sending us new and improved samples, beauty companies, because we love them and they work! ...but don't let me have any more for now. I can't be stuffing taped-up blister packs of blush in to my luggage.

The Fruits of My Operation Use-It-All Labors

After months of using every product in my collection just once (barring a few special occasions) and doing some real soul-searching about what kind of makeup I really do love and wear, I've managed to greatly reduce my stash. The pictorial evidence is nice, but sometimes, numbers speak louder than words. Here's a little look in to my stash and how much it's been reduced over the past 3 months via my blogsale, swaps, and RAOKs:

• 39 lipsticks and stains -- was over 100
• 20 lipglosses -- was over 50
• 9 highlighters -- was 17
• 29 powder blushes (plus one backup) -- was over 50
• 14 cream blushes -- was 31
• 5 foundations and concealers -- was 9
• 2 mascaras (not including samples) -- was 4
• 14 pigments -- was over 100
• 9 eyeshadow palettes
• 24 single eyeshadows
• 9 cream eyeshadows

Overall, my collection used to take up space in/on:

• the entire top of my dresser,
• 5 Sterilite container drawers,
•  2 jumbo
• 3 small/flat
• the tops of 2 Sterilite containers, and
• a cup on my desk.

 The amount of space my reduced collection takes up:

• 3/4 of the top of my desser,
• 2 Sterelite container drawers,
• 1 jumbo
• 1 small/flat
• and a cup on my desk.

FOTD: Back to My Roots

Yesterday, I realized something truly shocking: I haven't worn winged liner for three weeks. Three weeks! What happened to the days when I couldn't wear liner without winging it out?! What actually happened was that I straight out stopped wearing eyeliner for a while, excluding a bit of black for tight-lining, because I got crazy-lazy. So when I decided to wear the beautiful Makeup Forever Rouge Artist Intense lipstick in #37 that a kind friend had sent me, I knew the only eye makeup that could do it justice was a stark black wing.

BASE: MAC Face & Body foundation in N1 + White, Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer, MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Natural in Light

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EYES: La Femme brow pencil in Taupe, Too Faced Shadow Insurance, Wet n' Wild eyeshadow in Brulee, MAC eyeshadow in Wedge, DiorShow Maximizer lash primer, Prestige My Biggest Lashes mascara, Urban Decay 24/7 liquid liner in Perversion, Milani Liquif-eye eyeliner in Black

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CHEEKS: NYC Blushable Creme Stick in Pink Flash [D/C], Makeup Forever Uplight in #22

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LIPS: Elizabeth Arden Lip Fix Creme, Makeup Forever Rouge Artist Intense lipstick in #37

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Also, here's a close-up of the MUFE Uplight--I'm really impressed by how well this product catches the light in flash photography, yet it looks super-natural in real life and in natural light photos.

The Three Ways I Use Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer, part 3: Full Coverage

METHOD #3: Full Coverage

  EDIT: 5/11/2015 -- Thanks for all of the continued interest in this series! For more recent tips and tricks on using this product, check out my Kevyn Aucoin tag.

I'm not opposed to boasting about KA SSE's opacity--in fact, I do it often--but it's extremely rare for me to wear it as a full-coverage foundation. I don't find most full-coverage foundations very flattering on my skin, it essentially blanks out my face, and I have to use an extra product to make this method work: a primer. Of course, if you wanted to try this method, you could use any primer you wanted, but the most unique primer I've found, and the one that seems to work best with this foundation, is...

...the Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Primer. Predictable but true! It's notoriously expensive for a tiny product; as you can see here, the tube is even smaller than some mascara tubes. But you only need one pump of product to do your entire face, and that's a surprisingly teeny amount of product. Also, if this method ended up working perfectly for you, consider the primer your "regular repurchase" item--many people repurchase their foundation three or four times a year, but because the actual KA SSE lasts for so long, you'd only need to replace it every 2 years or so and would instead repurchase the primer. And again, you can use a different, less expensive primer if it suits you better. This is just the product that seems to work best for me.

I start with by pumping one pump of the primer on to a finger tip. Then I use another finger to pick up some of the primer, which I rub in to my face section by section. What I like about this primer is that it has a creamy, almost moisturizing feel, and it smooths my skin out without feeling slippery or silicone-y. The perfect surface for a thick foundation! (NOTE: Some people also mix the Kevyn Aucoin primer directly in to a dab of the Sensual Skin Enhancer and apply it that way, but I find that this sort of "direct mixture" doesn't spread over my skin as well. Weird, huh?)

I dab tiny amounts of the Sensual Skin Enhancer on top of my primed skin, again going section by section. I usually break my face up in to three sections: cheek and chin, other cheek and nose, and forehead. As always, be sure to use a teeny, TEENY amount of the foundation! The usual suggestion is "a blob of foundation the same size as a grain of rice," and that's a pretty fair estimate.

Once I've blotted on the foundation, I start buffing it in with a soft, dense brush; my personal favorite is the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush. I usually do some sweeping motions to sort of "disturb" the product and keep it from settling on my face as a bunch of dots, then I do small, circular buffing motions to really work it in and make it look more "natural," so to speak. If my skin is exceptionally sensitive, I'll work in smaller sections and sort of "roll" the product in to my skin with my fingers.

I apply a smidge more KA SSE to my undereyes using my fingers, as that part of the face is uber-delicate. The result is this: your entire face is blanked out. Actually, you can get even more coverage than this by using a hair more product and buffing a bit less, but anything more than this is a bit too much for my face. I never contour, as my face is quite thin and can look borderline horsey, but others may prefer to put some "shape" back in to their face after it's been blanked out like this. I do set my skin with a sheer powder and a bit of setting spray when I use this method, but that's because I'm terrified of full-coverage foundations moving and revealing my makeup secrets to the world.

And that's it! That's how I apply the Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer. There are tons of other ways to apply this incredibly pigmented, versatile product, so I highly recommend that you do some experimenting of your own and find what works best for you. In the meantime, I hope these mini-tutorials have been helpful. :)

Part 1: Spot Concealing | Part 2: Light Coverage | Part 3: Full Coverage

Operation Use-It-All Update!

Operation Use-It-All is quickly drawing to a close, even though I never thought I would get through all of my products! :) This challenge has helped me rediscover some lost loves and purge other items that just don't work for me, even though they're absolutely beautiful in the pan and on others.

I also realized something while I was doing this project: I was consciously skipping over products that REALLY stuck out in my mind, ie, Chanel Dragon RAL or Urban Decay Quickie cream blush. This very careful avoid-the-product dance was brought on by two feelings: "I have no idea what I'd pair that product with" OR "I only get to wear it once until I'm done with this challenge, so I need to make sure it's a special occasion!" Any products that prompted the former response have been moved in to a bag and put in my closet for the next month, along with some products that just haven't 100% wowed me lately, just to see if I miss them.

I would say that I've cut the size of my stash in half. I would like to get my stash even smaller, as I hope to find an education job and move in to my own apartment very soon, and moving with a huge stash is, in my experience, very hard. But something I could fit in one or two USPS flat-rate boxes and ship to myself? Not a problem!

Bad Outfits #9 and #10: Keeping the Essentials

I knew it was going to be a rainy, icky day, so I wanted to brighten it up by wearing...um, lots of black. But hey, I love black, I love fishnet, and I love Doc Martens, so it's a winning combination, right? I assumed I was going to go for a short walk and yoinked this on:

But then I realized it was still kind of Pennsylvania-warm-and-humid-and-sticky outside, and I was probably wearing a bit too much. (No, really!) I also decided that I really wanted to wear a dress and I really didn't want to deal with my hair. So I kept the essentials--black, Docs, fishnet--and switched out the rest. I'm actually surprised that this $5 dress went so well with that fishnet top; you can't even tell it's a separate piece!

Then I got back in to my pajamas to do work, only to find out that my services aren't exactly needed today. Ah, well. Such is life!

FISHNET: Hot Topic fishnet shirt

BOOTS: Dr. Marten's 1B60

CROP TOP: Body Central

MILITARY CAP: thrifty find

JEANS: Forever 21 skinny jeans

DRESS: thrifty find

EARRINGS: Jolliffe Jewelry

 BASE: Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Primer, Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer in Sx02, Skindinavia setting spray

EYES: La Femme brow pencil in Taupe, Too Faced Shadow Insurance, false lashes by Darkness (style WZO?), Prestige My Biggest Lashes mascara, Milani Liquif-Eye eyeliner pencil in Black, Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow in Skinny Jeans, Wet n' Wild Comfort Zone palette

 

CHEEKS: NYC Blushable Cream Stick in Plaza Pink [D/C]

LIPS: Sue Devitt lipgloss in Coral Sands

And a kind-of important note! I'm actually going to be in North Carolina for the next 10 days or so, so I won't be able to send out blogsale items and may be a bit delayed when it comes to responding to comments. I have a few posts queued up for when I'm gone, so the blog shouldn't be entirely blah and dead in my pseudo-absence. :)

Bad Haircut, Great Lipstick?

Pretty much everybody has been frustrated by a hair stylist at one point or another. I didn't have to deal with that sort of frustration for about 10 years because I had very long, one-length hair, so if somebody made a mistake at my yearly trim, it was easily overlooked. They cut too much off? Eh, it's still really long, and it'll grow back. They cut it slightly uneven? Eh, I'll go to someone else and write the extra inch off as a necessary loss.

Then I went crazy and decided to get a "real" haircut. Those of you who've been with me since my YouTube heyday may remember this; I was pretty darn excited, and the results were exactly what I wanted. None of they layers were shorter than my chin, I could still pull my hair back easily, and it looked soft and full.

Unfortunately, I got this haircut when I still lived in North Dakota, and because I was so busy preparing to defend my portfolio and move back to Pennsylvania, I didn't have time to go back. Instead, my sister clipped out a buy-one-get-one haircut coupon for a salon I've never heard of, and I got a truly icky hackjob: the lady cut all of the layers out of my hair and made it quite short. I figured I'd let it grow out, especially since I'm nigh on flat broke, but my mom offered to buy me a quick little cut from her regular stylist, and I decided to try and get my layers back.

Alas, this woman just didn't listen to me. Don't get me wrong, she's a doll of a lady, and I didn't mind her so much when she trimmed my uber-long hair...but even then she didn't listen to me. I'd tell her to take off 2 or 3 inches, she'd take off upwards of 6. I told her not to use hairspray or to tease my hair in to a bouffant, she gave me a big stupid 80s beehive as a "parting gift." In a sense, she's just dense: you can repeat yourself a half dozen times (and believe me, I did), but it just bounces off of her like a she is rubber and I am glue, whatever I say bounces off of her and STICKS IN MY DAMN HAIR.

As you can hopefully see in these pictures, she not only cut my layers uneven, but she also cut them too short. Yes, there are layers that stop at my chin...but there are also layers that barely graze my eyeballs. She practically gave me bangs, and if there's one thing I don't have patience for, it's bangs. When I try to pull my hair back, I get tons of pieces that just dangle out, even if I do an obnoxiously high Gidget poinytail. And the bottom-most layer is so barely-there that, when I manage to get a braid in my hair, it looks like I have a raggedy rat tail.

And of course, she globbed a bunch of garbage in to my hair before I left the salon. My hair is prone to frizzing, and she knows this, so she asked if I wanted her to put any anti-frizzing product on before she used her blowdryer. Polite, yes, and politely declined, because I knew I'd be washing it the next day, and then I could use my own favorite product. So what does she do? She globs product on my hair! To make matters worse, it's an extremely heavy, sticky, shiny, stiff product; as she's rubbing it all over my scalp, she says, "Now, this is the EXTREME hold version, and I think it's just too much and too sticky, so if you wanted to use it, I'd say just get the regular one." ...WHY ARE YOU PUTTING IT IN MY HAIR, THEN?! This garbage just made my hair look like a disgusting 1980s mullet, and it pulled it down so much that it revealed big bald spots all over the top of my head.

When I finally got my glasses back on and looked at the result, I was kind of horrified, but I tried not to show it in front of my mother. "You really cut these layers too short," I said as gently as possible. She just stared at me blankly, so I pulled a tendril straight (it barely touched my nose) and showed it to her. "I actually showed you where I wanted these to hit."

Her excuse? My hair is fine and curly. Apparently, that makes me a unicorn whose opinions and preferences don't matter. And I must be the last unicorn, too, because I find it hard to believe she's never had another customer with fine, curly hair over the past 20-some years.

I was slightly less horrified after I washed my hair and got the gunk out, but it's still not what I wanted. People keep telling me it "looks really nice" and "isn't horrible, Renee, you're overreacting," but that really isn't the point. The point is that, once again, a hair dresser didn't listen to me and what I wanted. If she had some concerns about cutting my hair that way, ie, "I think that will make you look bad," then she should've said something. She didn't. She just didn't listen. And I'm just so tired of dealing with hair dressers and this sort of nonsense.

I have, fortunately, figured out how to  braid it at night. The shorter layers are so short that I can't braid them with the rest of my hair, and they're also too short for me to do the criss-cross braids I like. But I CAN, if I'm careful, braid the longer layers, then gather the shorter ones at the top of my head and do another braid. It feels kind of weird and it's a pain in the arse to do, but at least it keeps my hair from getting tangled at night.

BASE: Missha Perfect Cover BB cream in #13 + MAC Face & Body foundation in N1, Clinique Airbrush Concealer in 01 Fair, Skindinavia setting spray
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EYES: Too Faced Shadow Insurance, La Femme brow pencil in Taupe, Maybelline The Falsies mascara in Very Black, Milani Liquif-Eye eyeliner in Brown, Wet n' Wild eyeshadow in Brulee, MAC eyeshadow in Wedge, ELF Essential liquid eyeliner in Coffee
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CHEEKS: Milani mineralized blush in Luminoso
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LIPS: Vincent Longo Gel-X lipstick in Neu (blotted down), Jack Black lip balm

Trying-New-Stuff FOTDs

It's always a little scary taking pictures of myself and going out in public whilst wearing makeup I've never worn before. But hey, it's gotta be tested! I was in sort of a rush for both of these sets of photos, so clearly I'll have to violate the rules of Operation Use-It-All and try these lipsticks a few more times. For science! For the sake of reviews!
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BASE: MAC Face & Body foundation in N1 + White, Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer in Sx02, MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Natural in Light
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EYES: Too Faced Shadow Insurance, La Femme brow pencil in Taupe, Maybelline Color Tattoo cream shadow in Tough as Taupe, Jordana Fabu-liner in Black, Maybelline The Falsies mascara in Very Black, Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Pearl, Milani Liquif-Eye eyeliner in Black
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CHEEKS: NYX cream blush in Boho Chic, Becca Shimmering Skin Perfecter in Pearl
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LIPS: NYX Long lipliner in Auburn, Shiseido Lacquer Rouge in RD607 (Nocturne)

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BASE: Maybelline Dream Fresh BB cream in Light, Clinique Airbrush concealer in 01 Fair
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EYES: Too Faced Shadow Insurance, La Femme brow pencil in Taupe, Lancome Le Crayon Khol in Black Ebony, Jordana Best Lash Extreme Volumizing mascara, MAC Cream Color Base in Hush
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CHEEKS: NYX cream blush in Glow, MAC Cream Color Base in Hush
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LIPS: Elizabeth Arden Lip Fix, Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Boy
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And of course, a FOTN from the incomparable Scarlet Fairweather!

Review: Neutrogena Healthy Skin Compact Makeup SPF55

Note: image from Drugstore.com

Sigh. I really don't want to do this.

It's not that I suddenly dislike writing reviews, because I've got a lot of opinions and I'll probably always love stating them in loud and obnoxious ways. But I like to do reviews with a mixture of positives and negatives, pointers for using a product, who this might work best for, etc...unfortunately, I can't say too many nice things about this product. It has a very high SPF and it's not the worst foundation I've ever tried--that's about as nice as I can get.

I was really excited to try this product, partially because it was a gift from Miss Scarlet Fairweather, partially because it was advertised as a comfortable, light-coverage cream foundation with excellent UV protection. I adore MAC F&B, but it can get a bit old having to wait for my sunscreen to sink in first, then blending two foundation shades together, THEN buffing it all in to my skin for a good 5 minutes. Sometimes I just wanna rush out the door, and I figured this foundation would be the key. And hey, I really loved the Neutrogena Healthy Skin liquid foundation in Natural Ivory 20! I only stopped wearing it because it looked bad in most photographs and didn't last as long as I needed it to.

This product looks so much worse, not just in pictures, but in real life. I think the only people who could really make this foundation work would be people with inordinately perfect skin (and hey, mine ain't that bad) that isn't oily or dry and has a bit of an orange cast to it. That's it.

Quick backtrack here. I received this foundation as a gift in the shade Classic Ivory 10. My experiences with the liquid foundation suggested that shades starting with an odd number (10, 30, 50, etc) were warmer, while shades starting with an even number (20, 40, 60, etc) were cooler. Sure enough, this shade looks like a light, creamy yellow in the compact, about NC15 in MAC terms. It's actually a decent compact; it comes with a sponge and a mirror, and it's pretty sturdy.

While the mirror is handy, the sponge certainly isn't: it's the worst way to apply this foundation, especially if you use it dry. Dampening the sponge helps a bit, but not much, and you'll still end up with too much product on your face. It applies a bit better if you rub it in with your fingers, but then you'll get pretty much zippo coverage. The best way to apply this foundation--and the way that I applied it in these pictures--is with a dense flat-top brush, like the ELF Studio powder brush. It blends the foundation as much as it can be blended (more on that later) and will actually give you some coverage.

Here are pictures of my skin after applying a layer of the Neutrogena Healthy Skin Compact foundation with the flat-top brush. Yes, I look horrible, and it's perfectly apt, because this foundation feels horrible. It's not necessarily heavy, but it's greasy to the touch and a complete pain to blend out, as it clings to any skin that's even remotely dry and slides right off of my oilier areas. You can't really layer it for more coverage, because...well, that would take forever, first of all, but even more importantly, it cakes up easily. As you can see in these pictures, it lightens up some of my small blemishes and freckles, but it certainly doesn't cover them; you'll need a really good concealer if you plan on using this product. It also as a bit of an orange cast to it--super flattering, yeah? To make matters worse, this foundation absolutely reeks of sunscreen, even after you've applied it.

The sunscreen smell isn't exactly a surprise. After all, this IS a high SPF product, and the listed ingredients are pretty much all sunscreens. And as a sunscreen, it's not too terrible. I took a half an hour walk wearing this product and no other sunscreen and didn't burn at all...but the very slight sweat on my face made it cake up even more, and I came home looking worse than before and feeling completely disgusting.

The last straw, for me, was trying to blend powder products on top of the foundation. It's basically impossible. I used a satin-ish blush today, and dear God, the amount of buffing I had to do JUST to make it look decent! It still isn't completely blended in to my cheeks. Even setting powders end up looking horrible, because this foundation stays slightly wet and just CLINGS to any dry substance that floats within a 6-inch radius of your face. (Yes, that includes cat hair.) The amount of work I had to do to make today's super-simple look passable is unacceptable.

My face today, only looking decent after ridiculous amounts of buffing and copious quantities of concealer.

Again, this isn't the worst foundation I've ever used. You can get a bit of coverage out of it, the sunscreen in it actually works, and it didn't make my sensitive skin break out. But did it make my skin look good? No. Did it last long? No. Was it easy to use, or did it provide such a beautiful effect that it was worth the extra effort? No. This is just an unflattering, unusable product that I can only see working on an Oompa-Loompa super model. I can't wait to get it off my face and toss it in the trash, because there is no way I'm donating this awful product to my sweet cousin or drag queen sisters.

Rating: 0 out of 5.

EDIT: just realized I never posted the swatch picture!

 

Ribfest FOTD

BASE: MAC Face & Body foundation in N1 + White, Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer, ELF Complexion Perfection powder, Skindinavia setting spray

EYES: La Femme brow pencil in Taupe, Anastasia brow gel, Too Faced Shadow Insurance, Jordana Best Lash Extreme Volumizing mascara, Wet n' Wild eyeshadow in Brulee, Lancome ColorDesign eyeshadow in Pink Zinc, MAC eyeshadow in Satin Taupe, Jordana Fabu-liner in Black, Lancome Le Crayon Kohl in Black Ebony

CHEEKS: Bobbi Brown blush in Pale Pink, Becca Shimmering Skin Perfecter in Pearl

LIPS: NYX Round lipgloss in Mauve [D/C]

As you can probably tell by the title, my friends and I spent the day at Pittsburgh's Ribfest. This netted us $10 promotional credits at River's Casino, which we managed to parlay in some cash money for happy hour. And of course, my diet went out the window and my makeup melted the barest smidge...but only a smidge!

Favorites: Top 5 Lipstick Formulas

In case my blog title didn't give it away: I'm a little lipstick obsessed. Sure, I go nuts for highlighters and own an unhealthy number of blushes, but at the end of the day, lipsticks are my go-to feel-good product. I can layer on eyeshadows, rub in foundation and concealer, draw the most precise cat-eye ever...but until I've got something on my lips, my face may as well be bare.

I did a version of this on YouTube a while back, and while I still love all of the formulas I listed there, I've tried some new things and found some even greater loves. The list also features a good mix, in my opinion: there are 2 drugstore formulas, 2 high end, and 1 mid-end. A fair warning, since everybody's tastes are different: I almost always prefer a lipstick that is creamy-but-not-oily, opaque, and wears for at least 3 hours without needing a touch-up. My lips also tend to dry out easily, so while I love a matte lipstick from time to time, I've finally admitted that they will never be the most comfortable or flattering formulas for my lips.

#5: Revlon Just Bitten Balm Stains; semi-sheer to opaque; glossy finish.

Ok, so these technically aren't a lipstick. But they don't moisturize my lips, so they're not a balm, and they last for 4-5 hours while providing a whole lotta color, so I don't consider them a true gloss. They're essentially a glossy lipstick in a wind-up pencil form, which makes them great for travel. They apply smoothly and layer well, so you can apply one or two layers for a sheer wash of color, or keep building up the color until they're completely opaque. Overall, these are what I wanted the Clinique Chubby Sticks to be. Shades shown: Honey, Darling, Sweetheart.



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#4: Estee Lauder Pure Color Lipsticks; semi-sheer to opaque; cream and frosted finishes.

I wish I had discovered these elegantly-packaged beauties sooner. The Pure Color lipsticks are creamy, dreamy, and oh-so-smooth. Most of the shades are opaque, but if you've got pigmented lips like mine, some of the nudes will require an extra layer. I obviously go for the cream finishes, but frosts like Melon are stunning if that's your thing. They've also come out with some derivative formulas (Vivid Shine and Velvet). The only reason these aren't higher on the list is because their staying power is kind of "meh": about 2-3 hours, depending on the shade. Shades shown: Pinkberry, Cherry Passion.
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#3: Revlon Super Lustrous line; opaque; cream, frosted, and matte finishes.

Forget the Revlon ColorBurst lipsticks that everybody raves about: most of them apply sheer on pigmented lips, dry me out after an hour, and come in blah colors. Super Lustrous is where it's at. This formula has been a company mainstay for roughly 50 years (or 60--math is not my strong suit), and it's still one of the best products they product. I personally avoid the frosts, but they look lovely on others. Their mattes are some of the few I can wear, though I often top them with gloss to add a bit of moisture. The best are the creams, which are opaque, smooth, and available in a stupidly wide range of colors. The wear time on these varies from formula to formula and from one shade to the next, but they usually last for at least 4 hours before I feel the need to touch up. Added bonus: some of the shades have a matching nail polish available! Shade shown: Cherries in the Snow.

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#2: Lancome Rouge in Love Lipsticks; opaque; cream and frosted finishes.

I didn't expect to love these so much, especially since their frosts are glittery messes (at least by my standards) and their lipstick shape is not the usual "tear drop" (am I picky or what?). But the wear time and overall look won me over. The flat shape of the bullet actually makes it easier to get a more precise application, and they can wear like iron for up to 6 hours. What keeps them from being my #1, however, is that they feel a bit more like a satin (meaning they're a smidge dry) and they wear off super-easily if you use gloss. Shades shown: 307 Sweet Embrace, 181 Rouge St. Honore.
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#1: MAC Amplified Cream Lipsticks; opaque; cream finish.

At the end of the day, these babies are still the queens of my heart. They're completely opaque, come in oodles of beyond gorgeous shades, and last surprisingly long without feathering; I get 4-5 hours of wear before I need to touch up. They also don't fade much faster if you put gloss on top, though this can make the darker shades feather. Shades shown: Dubonnet, Impassioned, Chatterbox, Petals & Peacocks.

Nom nom, lipstick, nom!

And now, the face of the day! It's been a rough week for me, emotionally and financially, so of course I whipped out some red. Or rather, a lot of red. I seriously didn't realize I'd matched myself up that much, but hey, it definitely made me feel better!

BASE: MAC Face & Body foundation in N1 + Missha Perfect Cover BB cream in #13, Clinique Airbrush concealer in 001 Fair, Skindinavia setting spray

EYES: La Femme brow pencil in Taupe, Too Faced Shadow Insurance, DiorShow Maximizer lash primer; Prestige My Biggest Lashes mascara, Milani Liquif-eye eyeliner in Brown

CHEEKS: MAC matte blush in Frankly Scarlet, Estee Lauder Shimmery Jewel Powder

LIPS: Lancome Rouge in Love lipstick in #181 Rouge St. Honore

Bad Outfit #7: Granny Shoes + NOMMAGE!

This lurvely picture was posted on MakeupAlley and really inspired me. Obviously, if I'd wanted to stay true to this look, I would've used JUST the Free Love eyeshadow across the lid and a glossy red lip, but it's inspiration, not copying, right? I also wore my "granny shoes" today: chunky-heeled lace-up booties. Not my usual style and not something I'd normally buy--I actually got them for a funeral--but I can't deny that they're comfortable as all get-out, and I wanted to give my Docs a rest. :)

TOP: thrifty find
SHORTS: Mossimo jean shorts (removed the belt it came with)
SHOES: Connie leather top slip-ons
EARRINGS: Jolliffe Jewelry

 BASE: MAC Face & Body foundation in N1 + Missha Perfect Cover BB cream in #13, Clinique Airbrush concealer in 001 Fair, Skindinavia setting spray

EYES: La Femme brow pencil in Taupe, Too Faced Shadow Insurance, Jordana Best Lash Extreme Volumizing mascara, Urban Decay eyeshadow in X, Urban Decay eyeshadow in Freelove, Wet n' Wild eyeshadow in Brulee, Jordana Fabu-liner in Black

CHEEKS: Kevyn Aucoin Celestial powder in Candlelight

LIPS: NYX Long lip pencil in Pinky, Sleek True Colour lipstick in Amped, C.O. Bigelow Rosebud Salve

I also made one of my all-time favorite breakfast-and-snack foods: banana bread! Mmmmm. Here's the recipe I use for my banana bread, with some potential modifications to suit your tastes. :)

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon (or to taste)
1 tablespoon of nutmeg (or to taste)
a pinch of salt
2 1/4 cups mashed overripe banana (roughly 6 bananas)
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup butter

TOOLS:
3 bowls
2 loaf pans
spoon
oven

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 2 loaf pans.
2. Mash your bananas. Set aside for now.
2. In a seperate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
3. In another bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar. Add your eggs, mixing well, then slowly add your bananas. Mix until blended, but don't smooth out all of the banana chunks!
4. Pour the wet ingredients in to the dry. Blend until fully moistened.
5. Split the batter between the two loaf pans. Bake for 60 minutes or until a knife/toothpick inserted into the center of the loaves comes out clean.

ADDITIONS/ALTERATIONS
1. These loaves come out a little "short." If you prefer a "regular-sized" loaf, pour all of the batter in to one loaf pan. You can also add a 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder to make the loaves rise a bit more.
2. Walnuts are a truly awesome addition to banana bread! The only reason I didn't use any here is because we were all out. :(
3. You can make the recipe healthier by using 1 cup of all-purpose flour and 1 cup of whole wheat flour, substituting egg whites or Egg Beaters for whole eggs, etc.
4. I love spice, so I sometimes use less cinnamon and nutmeg and add a tablespoon of ground cloves, ginger, or allspice for more "bite." If you want the bread sweeter, try adding a dash of vanilla.
5. You can also use this recipe to make banana muffins! Bake for 24-28 minutes instead. I like to add dark chocolate chunks when I do this. ;)

Bad Outfit #6: Old Lady Skirt

I'm really big in to a lot of "old lady stuff," as my mom calls it, but only if I can mix it with things that are a little "edgier" and more "me." I dig doily-lace dresses over spiderweb fishnets, crop pants and slip-on shoes with a studded leather jacket, and of course, long printed skirts with big, butch boots. (Ok, so I like my big, butch boots with just about everything; that's beside the point.) I also decided to try something new with my eyeliner: no wings at the end, and I started it at the center of my eye instead of the inner corner. It certainly "alters" the shape of my eye a bit, but I still prefer my wings. :)

I was in a real hurry to get ready today, so I threw on some simple stuff and took a few quick pictures, hence the meh photo quality and bedhead brows--my apologies. Also, my face and the backs of my shoulders are quite dark versus the rest of me, and I think I'm just going to have to start whitening up my face with something closer to regular skintone, IE Missha Perfect Cover--MAC Face & Body is beautiful, but too sheer to really lighten up my face and make it match. Luckily, the disparity is not all that noticeable to the naked eye.

TOP: OP t-shirt, from Wal-mart
SKIRT: thrifty find
BOOTS: Dr. Marten's 1B60
NAIL POLISH: OPI Skull and Glossbones

 BASE: MAC Face & Body foundation in N1 + White, Clinique Airbrush concealer in 001 Fair, ELF Complexion Perfection powder, Skindinavia setting spray

EYES: La Femme brow pencil in Taupe, Too Faced Shadow Insurance, Jordana Best Lash Extreme Volumizing mascara, Benefit Creaseless Cream shadow in Birthday Suit, Essence gel liner in London Baby, Becca Shimmering Skin Perfecter in Pearl

CHEEKS: MAC Sheertone blush in Pink Swoon; Becca Shimmering Skin Perfecter in Pearl

LIPS: Sleek Pout Polish in Powder Pink

I also figured I'd show you a picture of my brand new work space. Now that my brother and sister are both back at school and I'm officially living at home, I have all of my stuff upstairs in my bedroom...for the first time in 6 years. After living out of boxes that're haphazardly stacked in the dining room and basement, this is downright surreal!