Quick and Cheap Recommendations

I know, cheap is sort of a subjective term. But bear with me. All the products listed here can be found at Walmart or Target (some at Ulta), and are reasonably affordable for the amount of product you get and the quality of it, compared to other brands in the same product category.

Let's begin with the Elf Lip Lacquer in Clear. It costs $2.00 and contains 8 fl oz.  I picked this up because I thought the packing was nice and minimal, and the plastic looked thick and sturdy. I do quite like clear lip gloss, and this was kind of a careless purchase that I didn't really think much about. After applying it, I was happily surprised. For one, it doesn't have that typical mineral-oil flavor that comes with many cheaper lip glosses. Instead, it has a mild vanilla flavor that disappears. In a word, this lip gloss is comfortable. I have been reaching for it constantly, and have made a large dent in the tube.

Next is The Good Stuff intensive nourishment cream (leave-in conditioner), bought at Target for $8.00 for 7.7 fl oz. The story with this one is that all winter I was using the Bumble and Bumble Hairdresser's Oil Shampoo and Conditioner. At first, it made my hair really nice, but over time and as the weather got warmer, I felt my hair getting oilier and oilier. So I stopped using conditioner all together, and my hair got very dull. So I was kind of hapless and frustrated when I stumbled across this product- surprised at first by its reasonable price point. Be aware, though, this isn't some salon/indie hair brand with a magically low price point- it's owned by Unilever.

Still, after washing my hair with Head and Shoulders (because I have a dry/itchy scalp), I applied this to my damp hair. I really like how it brought back sheen and softness to my hair, without making me feel greasy. It also has a really nice salon-shampoo scent that definitely lingers throughout the day.

FYI, my hair is medium-thick is naturally kind of inconsistently wavy. *shrug*.

The mascara that I am currently using and would definitely recommend is The Pret a Volume Smoky Mascara in Velvet Black from Catrice. I did not get the Waterproof one because I feel waterproof sticks to closely too my lashes and is too difficult to remove.

 It costs $.7.00 and you get .37 oz of product. Snooping around other mascaras from other ranges, this mascara is quite hefty and contains more product than the L'Oreal Lash Paradise (0.28 oz), and the Benefit Roller Lash (0.3 oz).

I have seen some mixed reviews of this mascara online. My own lashes are naturally curled and chaotic at times. I don't really want length out of a mascara, just volume and definition, which this mascara most certainly provides. The formula was a bit creamier and easier to work with when the mascara was newer. Some mascaras get better as they "age," but I felt this one was more potent in the beginning. Still, I am continuing to quite happily use this.

Next is Ponds Rejuveness Anti-Wrinkle Cream. I buy mine at Walmart in the mini, which contains 1.75 oz (50 g) and cost maybe $3.00. I can't find the mini online :(. I would buy it from the travel-friendly section. . It does come in two other sizes, the largest containing 14.1 oz (40 g), and currently on sale for $13.82. This is my second time using up a container of this, and I have definitely mentioned this product on the blog before.

Still, it bears repeating. As someone who uses Retinol 1-2 times a week, this is a great product for those days when I am not applying Retinol.  The cream has a strong fragrance, and I usually take a break after using it for a couple of days, to prevent breakouts. If you have sensitive skin or skin that is raw from exfoliation or something else- be aware. Even today because my nose was red and raw from allergies, getting the tiniest speck of this cream on my nose was a bit painful.

Other than that, I really enjoy this cream. It makes my skin feel plump and does minimize lines on the face.

The next one is a newer purchase, the Neutrogena healthy skin anti-aging perfector (whew looong name). Mine is in the shade ivory to fair (10). This one is the priciest item on my list, at $10.59 (Target), for 1 FL oz of product. I have been on the look out for a BB Cream with SPF that is light enough for me. When I saw this, and read that The Muse approved this, I snapped it up.

I was unsure how well it would match me, but I am happy to say that it does a great job of blending into my skin tone:

It don't wear it alone, though, I layer it on top of Australian Gold SPF 50.

Overall, I have found myself pretty open to trying things from Neutrogena, even though some of their offerings are weirdly expensive- like that $15.00 highlighting stick?? If they can scale back the cost of some of their products, I think they would be even in a better spot- because I do like what I have tried from them so far.

And last, we have a brush! The Elf Flawless Concealer brush has been so much more enjoyable to use than my Real Techniques concealer brush. The Elf one costs $3.00, and has a fluffy, outward shaped brush head that is also rounded. I find it to be the perfect shape to blend under my eyes, as well as on my face. The shape of the brush really makes it easy to buff out concealer, rather than patting it or brushing it, which is what I felt the somewhat flat head of the RT brush was doing. I picked mine up at CVS, I believe.

So those are all my recs! Would love to know what you think- have you tried any of these?

Thanks for reading.


*** Redacted Rec: Burt's Bees Intensive Overnight Lip Treatment. Oh hey, if you made it this far down the page, then congrats! I have some bonus content for you- a redacted recommendation. This means that I was going to recommend the Burt's Bees lip mask on the premise that it was cheap, but some simple math has proven me wrong!

I really need to thank one of my fave bloggers, Brutally Honest Beauty. On her instagram stories, she was posting price comparisons of comparable drugstore vs. high-end products according to price per gram or oz, and actually found that in some cases the higher end product was actually the more cost-effective option.

This is true of the BB Lip Mask, which costs $8.68 for .25 oz. This means it costs $34.75/oz.

Let's compare this with a higher end mask- Laniege, a company that is known for its lip masks. Well, theirs costs $20 for .7 oz, or $28.00 for 1 oz. So the Laniege one seems to be the more practical option, especially for a product that does get a lot of use.

In sum,  I redacted it because I don't think consumers are exactly getting the best deal. And now I have something to add to my wishlist- I saw that Laniege had a vanilla option!

My Curated Spring Succulent Palette: Overview and Swatches

Hello hello!

If you've ever given the "makeup organization" tag in my blog a gander, you'll see several posts dedicated to curated/themed palettes that I created out of my single collection. I stopped doing this, to my unhappiness, because I just wasn't being inspired. It's not that the color combinations I chose were not inspiring, it's that they were being housed in utilitarian, plain black palettes. After I gave up on that, my z-palettes were organized into three categories: shimmers, neutral mattes, and "fun" mattes. This was working for me for a while, until I got sick of it.

So enter Colourpop. I thought the palette I ordered from them would be larger, which was my one disappointment. Other than that though, I unintentionally was very much inspired by the design of the palette, and decided to see if I could fit some of my singles into it to build a palette around the design.

Here are my results:

I think this looks so pretty! And I like the balance of warm and cool. We'll go into each shade, and- if I feel like it- why I chose it for the palette. Swatches for each shade, in order of the palette, can be found below. 

1. Clionadh, Strawberry Mousse. While this pink is very light and is hard to see on my skin tone, I do think it looks pretty when built up over primer. It is also useful for blending out the edges of pink and purple looks. 

2. Clionadh, Maize. This is a cooler-toned yellow, which I appreciate it. Overall it's just a happy, vibrant, easy to blend yellow. 

3. Colourpop, Howlin'. This is a matte light warm lilac. I find this shadow really easy to work with. 

4. Nabla, Lotus. This is the one shadow that makes me think I do NOT need the Linda Hallberg Spectral palette. This matte is the perfect purple-pink for me and I love it. 

5. Colourpop, Lay Low. I bought this last summer, but this shade is still going strong. The quality of this shadow is excellent, but I didn't get much use out of it so far, which I don't get. 

6. Dose of Colors, Blueberry Swirl. From my old Eyes Cream palette, which feels like eons ago. It doesn't swatch all that great, but it is a useful muted cool-toned mauve to have around. 

7. BH Cosmetics Neon Chartreuse, depotted from the Back to Brazil palette. One of the few shades that stood out to me, quality wise,  from that palette. 

8. Looxi Green Apple, a warm light yellow-green. 

9. Coastal Scents, Tangelo Tint. 

10. Looxi, Pumpkin Spice Life. 

11. Coloured Raine, Princess. One of my favorite neutral pinks. 

12. Clionadh, Toasted. A very warm brown matte. 

13. Dose of Colors, a cool-toned brown from the Eyes Cream Palette. 

14. Colourpop, Team Captain. This shade is very soft. I barely use it, which I am trying to change. 

15. Sydney Grace, Tiara. A stunning metallic taupe. My description barely addresses how complex and multidimensional this shade is- it can be paired with a multitude of mattes. 

16. CP, On a Whimsy. A soft, pigmented, cool-toned true silver. A stunner. 

17. Looxi, Charmed. A duochromatic highlighter/topper. Excellent for layering or inner corner.

18. Nabla, Calypso. I have reviewed this on my blog before, check out my post here. 

19. Sydney Grace, Officer. This blurple-toned dark grey matte is so effortless and easy to work with and pair with a whole host of colors. 

20. Nabla, City Wolf. A warm grey matte. I've used this a lot and like it. 

21. Sydney Grace, Moon Landing. A brown-taupe matte, also very blendable and surprisingly unique.

22. Sydney Grace, a very interesting and frosty champagne duochrome with a lilac base. I love wearing this on easy, one-shadow days. 

23. Sydney Grace Siren. A blue-toned pink shimmer. Also complex, beautiful, gorgeous shade. Can't be more effusive. 

24. Looxi, Bohemian. A warmer rose-gold that is very intense. I put this in for another pink option, just warmer. 

Please click on the pics for a better view!

In many ways, this palette feels like a culmination of all the collecting I've been doing for that last couple of months, and I really feel I have something that is both inspiring and "me." If it were not for the cool packaging of Colourpop's palette, I don't know if this would ever come to fruition.  I look forward to continue using it!

As always, thanks for reading!

Covergirl TruNaked Peach Punch Eyeshadow Palette: Review and Swatches

Is it bad that I forgot I owned this?

As I was prepping for a skin care declutter (more on that later), I found the palette among all of my skin care products, and I realized I never did give it a good go. So, today I bring to you my results!

The TruNaked line from Covergirl costs about $10.00 per palette. Many of them dupe higher-end palettes, but some do not. The one I purchased, Peach Punch, is meant to dupe the Too Faced Peach Palette, which I have never tried.

Also notable is that the Trunaked line uses a "slurry" formula, as coined by Musings of a Muse, to describe the manufacturing process of pouring the product into the pans, as opposed to pressing loose powder. Maybelline also has this in their City Mini and Lemonade/Soda palettes.

I am somewhat a fan of the slurry type of eyeshadows. However, I do find that when they are tricky, they can be a double-edged sword-the metallics end up being too subdued, and the mattes too soft and easily muddied. Is that true of this palette, though?

Let's get into pictures.

Each shade is swatched below on the back of my hand, which was primed with a foundation mix I was trying out (it did not go well- the mix, I mean).

On the back of my hand, the matte browns were very vivid and pigmented, par the course. The coral/peach matte, which actually contains lavender microshimmers that do not appear on the arm, swatched terribly- even with my finger over primed skin! Some of the more neutral shimmers appear to swatch evenly and with intensity. 

I did two eye looks. The first is a very standard eye look I thought most people would go for when using this palette. 

On primed eyes (that I did NOT set), I first went in with the coral matte on my crease. It seemed to apply evenly and with pigment, but then I went in with the mid-toned reddish brown, located at the far right of the palette. That's when things got a bit muddy and patchy. 

Still, I soldiered on, and applied glitter glue to my lid. I then applied the second shade in the palette, a pink shimmer with gold reflects, which barely showed up on my lid. 

Feeling a bit forlorn, I decided to go an all-shimmer route for Look #2, using  the two colors that swatched the best. I applied glitter glue all over my lid and applied the fifth shade- a brown champagne shimmer- to the inner half on my eye, and the seventh shade- a dark brown shimmer- on the outer corner. Taking a pointed-tip fluffy brush, I carefully applied the two shimmers above my crease, blending them together. 

I really liked how this look came out! 

Let's get to the bottom line. Would I repurchase this palette? No, not at all. It was a bit redundant to begin with, considering what my collection looks like.

You should know that the mattes are finicky- do not use more than one at a time (when it comes to blending). The neutral shimmers are lovely, but not very metallic, and not very unique.

The peach smell, before I forget, is okay. I am pretty sensitive when it comes to fragrances, and this one did not bother me.

I have to say that I don't recommend this palette. I think there are better options out there.

Thanks for reading!

Shimmery Spring Recommendations! (+ swatches)

It seems that Spring has finally arrived! I have a couple of products to bring to you today that you might enjoy if you are in the mood for some transitional spring-time shimmer and glow! As always, click on the pics for higher resolution.

The first product is from Catrice. It is the 3D Glow Highlighter in the shade Pinch of Rose. The pan contains 3 g of product for $4.89. The design mimics ABH's old design for their highlighters, but nevertheless I did find this highlighter pretty unique in its own right.

For starters, it's incredibly soft. Catrice claims that the pan contains "two tones," but I am not sure if I can make them out. Some squares look darker than other ones? Some swatches below:

 Here I tried swatching from different sections, to see if I could make out a difference. The farthest swatch is everything blended together.

And here we have everything blended out.

If you are concerned the product seems too dark for you, I have found the product's pink base looks quite flattering. The highlighter is much warmer in the pan, and I tend to see a silvery lilac reflect, which is quite cool. And don't let the finger swatches fool you- on the skin, it is less metallic and more "glass skin" finish. Highly recommend.

Next, another product from Catrice is their Eye Gloss stick, which I purchased at Ulta for $6.00. I quite like the concept of this, especially if you think about how Mac, Linda Hallberg, and Danessa Myricks all have a clear gloss like product, but for a lot more. Of course, the Catrice pen only contains 2 g, and I should note that I only use it on my face as a highlight. Still, I think it's a nifty product if you want a more natural shimmer and glow on your face.

We also have another lip icing from Pixi, which I picked up from Target for $14.00.  have reviewed the first one that came out as a limited edition collaboration with Chloe Morello. The one I picked up, Toffee, is like the Chloe Morello one but amped up.It is even more jam-packed with shimmer.It does the slightest grit, but also the same comfortable and hydrating formula.

 Pixi on left, Catrice eye gloss on right. 

Moving on, we have a new face product from Milani called Soft Focus Glow Complexion Enhancer, in the shade Nude Glow, the lightest. It cost $11.00. According to Milani, this product provides an instant boost of hydration and brightness. Some reviewers claim it is a dupe for the Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Filter, but I can't verify that claim. All I know is that I find it absorbs quickly, and does leave a nice glow on the skin. I also enjoy the fact that it comes in a pump bottle.

 Unblended, left and blended, right.

And our last product is very exciting- the new Kaja Beauty Bento Bouncy Shimmer (oh my that's a lot of words) Eyeshadow in the shade Orange Blossom! Each shade in the trio contains 0.85 g of product, for a total of $21.00.

The shades are: Sandy Peach, Sun-Kissed Tan, and Baked Cinnamon.

 

Overall, the Orange Blossom Trio is quite pretty and quite easy to use! It has this multi-faceted yet glossy finish, and is just very pretty. I don't have anything else like them in my collection and have been really enjoying using them.

So that's all I got for today! Let me know if you have tried any of these!

Thanks for reading.

My Sheer Lipstick/Color Balm Collection: Reviews and Swatches

With the weather getting warmer, I wanted to make a post of all the (4 total) lip products in my collection that are not quite lipsticks, and not quite lip glosses. They are the sheer in between, designed to be hydrating and give a natural tint to the lips.

Before we go any further, I should say that I have fair cool toned skin, and I love brown-toned lipsticks. My aims when buying brown toned lip products include avoiding ones that are too warm and yellow. All of the products listed are ones that I very much enjoy and use often.

Let's get started!

From left to right, we have:

1.) Clinque Almost Lipstick in Black Honey. I bought this a while ago from Ulta for $18.50. It contains nearly 2g of product. While Black Honey provides a natural, glossy, mulberry stain to my lips, I will say this product is not hydrating. I usually layer it with a lip balm like Carmex or Vaseiline. Still, the color is very flattering, but I do not think I would repurchase. 

2.) Becca Lush Lip Colour Balm in Chai. Originally sold for $22.00, I picked this up by chance for $5.99. It contains a little more than 5g of product. Though I paid so little for it, I would happily pick up other colors in the line as well- like Milk Chocolate.  This also has a natural glossy finish, and is very close to my actual lip color. It is not too warm and the color pigments adhere more to the skin than the other products in this post. It also has a sweet vanilla taste to it. 

3.)  Flesh Fleshy Lips Lipstick in Gorge, a warm brown that looks cooler in the bullet. Gorge costs $18.00 for more than 5g of product, so its a better deal than Black Honey. It is the sheerest product in the collection, but it does deliver in providing a warm tone. The texture is very smooth, buttery, and balm-like and feels quite hydrating. It leaves a natural, glossy finish. 

4.) Lastly, we have the Stila Color Balm Lipstick in Jessie. I originally had the grey-toned shade, Grayson, which I used up completely. Grayson provided a nice bit of coolness to my lips, and I was happy to have paid full price for it, which was $22.00. However, by chance I spotted Jessie, a brown-taupe shade at TJ Maxx for $8.00. It is a bit warmer than I would have preferred, but I do enjoy the formula.  The balms from Stila are probably the most moisturizing, and have the most melty formula. They also have a mint scent to them. Currently Stila is selling them at $8.00 as well.

Hope this was informative! Let me know if you tried any of these!

BH Cosmetics Aurora Lights 10-Piece Brush Set Review

It is no secret that I am a fan of BH Cosmetics. When it comes to their brushes, though, it can be hit or miss. Some of my brushes from them have lasted years, while others have just fallen apart. I do think they are stepping up their game, though, as evident in a more recent (as in a couple of months old already) Aurora Lights set.

Still available online for about $18-$22.00, I was lucky enough to find mine at TJ Maxx, for $13.00. 

The bristles are very soft,  synthetic, and dyed black. I for one am a huge fan of this because I hate staining. The handles are of a solid weight and are a vibrant mint color. The ferrules feel secure on the handle. 

I know that I will use all of these, save for the slanted contour brush. My top three brushes, though, are these:

From top to bottom, we have the

#2 Tapered Blush Brush

#4 Tapered Blending Brush

#10 Detailing Pencil Brush. 

The reason I like #2 and #4 so much is because BH has given me a lot of length so the brush is not too stiff and can be manipulated easily. I like that #4 can be used on both the eye and face, and #2 is a perfect size for applying powder underneath my eyes. 

But the true winner? #10. For some reason, this type of brush has been hard to find. I am getting tired of using slanted brushes to apply gel eyeliner, and thought that this type of brush would give me the most control. I was right- it is a total game-changer. The bristles have some- but not too much-give, so that applying gel eyeliner, and even making a small wing, is easy. 

I even like the bag it came with. The design is printed on both sides, and is of a decent size. I will probably store my makeup for work in there. 

Overall, I think this is a great collection and would recommend it. 

Smashbox x The Hood Witch Crystallized Eye Palette: Review and Swatches

When I saw the packaging for this collection, my inner magpie was screeching. I love geodes and crystals, but I would not consider myself one of those Instagram spiritualists. If belief in such things helps people in terms of the way they think, then sure. I am not entirely sure what The Hoodwitch does, but if she is in the business of helping people, then that is fine by me.

I have also never tried Smashbox eyeshadow or their Covershot palettes before. The price did not freak me out- $29.00- and the inside of the palette reminded me sort of a Pat McGrath palette, color-story wise.

Right off the bat, though, I was a little confused by the different names that were printed on the packaging. The front says Crystallized Eye Palette twice, but the gold foil side says "Rock Me!" Is that a name, too?

And it does not say anywhere on the packaging how long the product is good for upon opening.

Let's get into some pics and my thoughts. As always, click on the pic for better image quality. 

Such gorgeous outer packaging. It is a thick beveled iridescent panel secured to the lid of the palette. 

The packaging is a thick plastic, which feels so sturdy I thought it was wood at first. The lid is magnetic, and can be opened with the little groove. For people with nails, though, this might prove a little unwieldy.

Names are printed on the back of the palette, not on the inside. 

So, lets go shade by shade:

1.) Heart Healer, top left. A champagne/grey duochrome with a pink shift. This works really well in the inner corner.

2.) Sage my Name, top right. A yellow/green toned cream matte. The formula is very soft. I used this to set my eyeshadow primer. Performed as expected.

3.) Inner G, a matte mulberry. A very soft shade. I was very happy with it, because my love of matte mulberries is well documented. The softer and easier to build up, the better.

4.) Light Twerker, a pale pink duochrome similar to Urban Decay Fireball. It is more pigmented and metallic than Fireball, though. It can be worn over top of shadows, or on its own.

5.) All the Heals, a brown satin. This had excellent staying power and can be used to darken up the crease. Though I was not that used to using slightly shimmery satin shades to do that, I quite liked the results.

6.) Mystic Opportunity: a silvery gold light green metallic. This shadow is what swayed me to buy the palette. I have been on the hunt for this type of color for a while now, and this does not disappoint. It is best applied with a finger or on top of glitter glue.

7.) You're Grounded: a very light cool toned grey. I wish this was darker. Though it has a very soft formula, I can't use it on top of set primer. It is just very very light.

8.) Hex Appeal: a metallic gunmetal grey-blue. Same gorgeous formula as Mystic Opportunity.

Below, I wanted to compare Heart Healer with my other pink duochromes, Heart Healer is in the center, and Nabla Millenium is on the right, and 6 pm by Vanessa's Vanity on the left. Heart Healer is a bit cooler toned and brighter. 

Now onto the looks! For the look below, You're Grounded is in the crease, and Mystic Opportunity on the lid. I had to bring in a brown matte from the Maybelline Matte palette just to add more warmth and dimension to this. 

And below, You're Grounded in the crease, Inner G in the crease and outer corner, and All the Heals on the lower lash line. Light Twerker on the lid, and Heart Healer on the inner corner.

Final thoughts? In terms of a cool-toned palette that provides glamorous and interesting options for people, this certainly delivers. Though You're Grounded, the light grey, is a little underwhelming, it can be worked with. I would certainly use every shade in this palette, and I think it holds a secure place in my collection.

Thanks so much for reading!

February-March Faves and Fail

It has been a hot minute, has it not? And by that I mean this blog has been a bit of a ghost town. My sincerest apologies. I know I have explained on the blog before that this period of time gets pretty hectic, and I don't have much room to sit down and prepare posts.

Enough excuses. Just know that there is more to come. As for my favorites, some are things that have already been in my collection, but I have since really come to appreciate. Others are brand new. Most of them, oddly enough, were purchased at Target.

None of them are eyeshadows, which is shocking to me. Eyeshadows are typically my makeup favorite. Right now I am holding off, though, because I am currently trying some Sydney Grace shades. I want to devote an entire post to them, so we will forego any discussion of eyeshadow for now.

Let's get this show on the road. As always, click on the pic for higher-res. 

The first is the PIXI Milky Mist. It cost $15 at Target, for 80 mL of product. I bring this one with me to work. I am very much a fan of facial mists, and I especially enjoy the fact that this provides hydration. Though I have combination skin that can get quite oily throughout the day, I find that the lines on my face are more pronounced by the end of the day, and my skin just feels tired, which this spray helps with. As of now I am not sure if I would repurchase, because there are plenty of facial mists out there, but in the meantime I am very much enjoying this one. I have been using it for a month now.

Soap and Glory Puffy Eye Attack Gel, $14.00 for 18 mL. So this one has pretty mixed reviews on the internet. I am always on the hunt for eye gels, because my eyes are prone to getting a bit swollen in the morning. On my sensitive eyes it seems to prep my skin pretty well. It doesn't sting my eyes in the morning, but at night if I removed makeup and rubbed the skin and then applied the gel, it most certainly stings, which makes sense. It absorbs quickly and doesn't leave the skin sticky. I personally like this gel, and appreciate how it calms my eye area in the morning and night. However, I am always open to different alternatives.

Good Chemistry Body Mist in the fragrance Brainiac. I bought this about a year ago after trying out the tester. It cost $10.00. In addition to a positive first impression from using the tester, the name of the spray was intriguing and reminded me of the Justice League/Supergirl/Superman villain. Brainiac is unlike anything else in my collection. While I usually wear gourmand, creamy, and very sweet fragrances, Brainiac seems very masculine at first, and peppery. It eventually wears down and you can smell a bit of Vanilla. Even though this is a body mist, the fragrance lasts the whole day, which I appreciate. It is a really cool, clean scent, and I would recommend checking it out.

Next, we have a new shade of Butter Blush from Physicians Formula, in the shade Saucy Mauve. It seemed to me that the initial Butter Blush release from PF wasn't very successful, because the shades were a bit too chalky and similar. I think PF is trying to rectify this. Saucy Mauve is similar to Wet 'n Wild's Blazen Berry, but not as sheer. It also lasts the entire work day for me, which is about 7 hours. Now how can I get Butter Bronzer to stay on that long?? I have been using Sauvy Mauve as my only blush for about two weeks now, and I don't know why. I just think it goes with both cool and warm toned looks. It provides warmth and color to the face and has a somewhat lustrous, natural, finish. I highly recommend it.

Then we have two brushes from Elf, both $3.00 each. The left is a tapered highlighting brush, which I now use to set translucent powder under my eye. The other is a concealer brush, which I use now to blend in concealer under my eye. They have replaced my Real Techniques brushes, which I think are not precise enough for that area of my face. The elf brushes are quite fluffy and soft, which is important when working on such a sensitive area of skin.

Makeup Revolution, Supersize Concealer in the shade C1. C1 is the second lightest shade in the range, with neutral undertones. The concealer cost $10.00, and you get more than double the amount of product in the original, which is excellent. I used up the original sized Conceal and Define in about 3 months. I just wish they didn't make the supersize option an Ulta exclusive. Maybe one day.

Alright, so my last two favorites are part of a team, in a way. One "major" makeup revelation I had these past two months has been cream/gel eyeliner. I am a total convert, and no longer want to mess with eyeliner pens. Mac Pro Longwear Fluid Line in Blacktrack, which cost $18.00, is working for me. I use it with the Luxie lip brush. I feel that this option gives me the most control. I also think it is the more economical version, as I was getting overwhelmed with the amount of dried up eyeliner pens that were piling up. My only caveat about this product is that is does leak to my lower lid when I inadvertently apply too much product towards the outer corner of my lid. But that does not happen too often.

And finally, I have one fail, but it is major. Target and CVS are now carrying the Creme Shop, which used to be a K-Beauty brand (I think). I bought their wispy mascara for $9.00, and all I can say is....Nope. Stay far away. This product did literally nothing for me. And this is what it looks like:

A clumpy nightmare.

So, that's all I have on the docket for today. Have you tried any of these?

Thanks for reading!  😊