Eye Primer MAGIC

Like most people, I initially thought primers were a scam. Especially eyeshadow primers...UNTIL I FOUND THE URBAN DECAY EYESHADOW PRIMER POTION. 

I was in Sephora shopping for eyeshadows when the sales girl asked me if I needed any help. I told her that I was looking for a good pigmented eyeshadow because the ones I have go on very faint. I told her that the eyeshadows I was having a problem with were MAC, and asked why this was happening. She brought out this primer and told me how amazing it was. She said it could make any eyeshadow (drugstore or high end) look pigmented, and I didn't believe her until she showed me....

So I am here to show you just how amazing this stuff is..... (please excuse the poor lighting in my photography, I haven't quite figured out how to capture the perfect product photos for my blog yet)

Here is a photo of the holy grail primer.

The consistency is very light and fluffy, and it rubs in very easily.

 This is the palette I am using to demonstrate how well this primer works (which is also amazing by the way)

The top eyeshadow is "Busted" without the primer, and the bottom is "Busted" with the primer

 Here is the same photo but with flash

 And this is what happened after I rinsed my hands with water and patted them dry.....

As you can see, not only does this primer make your eyeshadows more pigmented, but it actually helps it last. I had to scrub the remaining eyeshadow off with a towel after I rinsed my hand in the picture above. Overall, I would recommend this to anyone looking for a product to help their eyeshadow last, and look more vibrant!

What primer is your favorite, and which eyeshadows are a must-have for you?

My Skincare Favorites

As I have mentioned in my previous posts, I have dry, acne prone skin. I feel like my skin type makes it impossible to wear makeup and have that flawless foundation look, which sucks! Despite this, I do have a few skincare favorites that help me manage my frustrating skin type.

My Clarisonic is one of my absolute favorite skin care products. If you are hesitant because of the price (like I was), don’t be, because it is SO worth it. I have always struggled with getting into a night-time skin care routine, and this has helped me tremendously. I enjoy, and even look forward to washing my face with my Clarisonic because it feels and looks so much better when I do! It doesn’t irritate my skin, and I find that it cleans my skin much better than I ever could without it.

The IMAGE line. 

I don’t know if very many people are familiar with this line, but it is amazing.

Ageless Total Facial Cleanser: (Paraben free) This seems to be great for all skin types (I’m only 20, and it’s the ageless line). It lathers up, and it is really good at taking makeup off. I always feel like my skin is extremely clean after using this cleanser, and I really like seeing the results after using it with makeup on.

Vital C Hydrating Cleanser: (Paraben free) this cleanser is pharmaceutical-grade, and it contains essential antioxidants and vitamins to soothe dry, dehydrated and rosacea skin. I personally like to use this particular cleanser in the morning when I don't have makeup on because it doesn’t lather up. But don’t be fooled, this cleanser does in fact clean your face, and will remove makeup. I love to use this when my skin is extremely dry (like in the winter) because I feel like it adds that little extra bit of moisture I need.

Clear Cell Salicylic Gel Cleanser: (Paraben free) This clear cell line is obviously for people with acne prone skin because it draws out excess oils and impurities. It is exfoliating, but it isn’t too drying (which most acne washes are), and I find that I could use it every day (although I don’t). I think that it has made a difference in my skin, and is helping keep my breakouts under control.

Clear Cell Medicated Acne Masque: (Paraben free) This masque is amazing, and I can feel it working while I’m using it. It draws out impurities and excess oil, while also soothing red acne lesions. Depending on the severity of your acne, you can use it a few times a week, or even a few times a day (which I wouldn’t recommend). It is a little bit drying, but I would have expected it to be much more drying than it actually is. I feel like this product has made a huge difference in my skin, and I love using it.

Vital C Hydrating A, C, E Serum: (Paraben free) This is for damaged, sensitive rosacea prone skin and it is absolutely amazing! I know I’ve been saying that over and over again but it smells amazing and feels even more amazing, especially on dry skin. It soaks in quickly and doesn’t leave a greasy residue. I use it morning and night, and have seen and felt a noticeable difference.

Ormedic Balancing Bio-Peptide Crème: This is organic and paraben free, and is extremely hydrating. Its smells like oranges, which is absolutely amazing, and it is by far the best moisturizer I have tried. A little bit goes a long way, and the vitamins and nutrients it gives your skin really helps hydrate it. I absolutely love this product.

Glamglow 

Thirsty Mud: (Paraben, Sulfate, and Phthalate Free) This masque is amazing. I haven’t purchased the full size, but I cant get enough of the sample I received. It is super hydrating, and it leaves your skin feeling extremely soft. I cant stress how amazing this product it….

Overall, I absolutely love all of my skincare products. They are all amazing, and I truly believe that they have made a noticeable difference to my skin. What are some of your favorites?

my "HOLY GRAIL" foundation search

I am constantly searching for that "holy grail" foundation that will make my dry, acne prone skin look flawless. I have yet to find it, and I'm sure I'm not the only person who hasn't. I feel like I have tried every product imaginable, and I am always hoping that someone else's "holy grail" foundation, will be mine too. I thought that the Nars Sheer Glow Foundation was it, but it doesn't seem to have the lasting power I was hoping for. So as my search continues, I am wondering....what is your "holy grail" foundation (if you've found it)?

NARS Sheer Glow Foundation Review

I am always looking for the next best thing. As I mentioned in my last post, I still haven't found my "holy grail" foundation, and I am always on the lookout. I find makeup reviews very helpful, but I always feel like a piece of key information that I want is missing. SO, I am going to review my current foundation in hopes of helping anyone who is considering buying this foundation.

About my skin: My skin is very dry on my chin and around my mouth, but oily on my nose. I have red spotting from acne on my chin, and large pores on my nose that can unfortunately look textured with certain foundations. I also have rosacea and freckles on my cheeks, with dark circles under my eyes.

Foundation: NARS sheer glow foundation

Color: Mont Blanc

Purchased at Sephora for $45.00

PROS:
I love the consistency and the color options. Its silky and sheer (as I'm sure you guessed from the name) and it blends flawlessly into your skin. I love that the color perfectly matches my skin because it means that I don't have to cover my entire face with it. Additionally, the fact that it is sheer allows it to be build-able without looking cakey. I usually apply two thin layers (one after another) to achieve medium coverage.

CONS:
I was having my makeup done for a wedding and the makeup artist accidentally pulled the cap instead of twisting it. As a result, the inside part of the cap broke, and some of my foundation leaked out. Now I have to rubber band saran wrap around the lid so it doesn't spill (you can purchase a pump for $6.00 which is nice, but I think that it should come with one).

Another thing that I do not like about this foundation is that it settles into the dry patches on my chin. I find that this makes my foundation look cakey only on my chin, and everywhere else looks normal.  Despite this, through trial and error I have realized that this is worse when I use a beauty blender, VS my urban decay foundation brush.

It doesn't last like I was hoping it would. Im not sure if it has something to do with the way it settles into my dry spots, but I find that it looks the worst on my chin after a few hours. I can see my acne spots showing through, and overall, it just looks dry and gross. I have found that this doesn't happen as bad when I use it with the Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer, which is good.

Overall: I love the way it applies and blends perfectly on my face (except on my chin). I wouldn't recommend it to people with very dry skin, or very bad acne because although the coverage is build-able, it doesn't last all day. I find that my acne starts to show through after a couple of hours. BUT, I have found that the Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer keeps it on much better than some of the other primers I have tried (I.E Napoleon, Laura Mercier, Benefit, Bare Minerals). I really like this foundation, and I feel that it would look amazing on someone who doesn't have dry skin, or acne. Unfortunately this isn't my "holy grail" foundation... and so my search continues.

The Bachelorette Finale: "Is it too good to be true?"

I am a sucker for "trash" TV. I love all things bachelor/bachelorette and I was "team Josh" from the beginning. Andi kept saying, "I feel like its too good to be true", and at first it bothered me. I started thinking about what she meant, and I thought it had to do with the premise of the show. I am sure everyone would agree that traveling around the world is an easy situation to fall in love in. I thought to myself, "you're right Andi", it probably is "too good to be true" you haven't even experienced real life together.

I then thought about the beginning of any relationship, and how much work it is to keep all of your flaws and crazy in. You're trying to hide all of the bad so you don't scare away someone good (at least that's what I did). You don't realize it while you're doing it, but now that I am completely comfortable around my boyfriend of 5 years, its amazing to me how uncomfortable I was around him for so long. There was so much about me I didn't let him see, and its so refreshing to not have to hide anything anymore.

After thinking about all of this I began to think "how could anyone not fall in love when they are pretending that they don't have flaws?" I thought, of course its "too good to be true", you're traveling the world while you put life on hold. No fights, no compromise, nothing to worry about. I laughed as I realized how right she was, their relationship was "too good to be true".

AND THEN, it came to me. "its too good to be true" isn't a bad thing. It isn't negative at all. It's a blessing. It means that what you have is better than what you dreamed you could have. Sometimes when your love is so strong, and so amazing, you think its "too good to be true". It wasn't about the show, or the traveling, or that their relationship was lacking anything. It was the feelings they had. Those feelings were so real, that they believed it was "too good to be true".

I constantly worry about my relationship. I worry that I don't deserve someone as perfect as Zach when some people don't have anyone. I worry that one day I will have used up all of "the good" I deserved and the man I love won't be mine anymore. BUT, I constantly have amazing realizations that my relationship is actually better than anything I could have ever dreamed of. I realize that I am so incredibly lucky, and that is what I try to focus on. Despite all of my flaws (that are finally all out on the table), someone loves me for me. It's truly incredibly, and it is "too good to be true". BUT, I shouldn't worry, I should accept that it actually is "too good to be true", and realize how lucky I am to be able to say that.

Baxter the Boxer: My Furry Child

I have always said that I like my dog more than I like most people, and that is the absolute truth. There are too many adorable reasons why I am so obsessed with my boxer. Some of the things I love the most about Baxter are things that my guests can't stand. For example, he doesn't understand personal space....and I love it. He sleeps under the covers on the pillow next to me and I wouldn't have it any other way....most of the time.

 

     

Is there something that you love about your pet that other people can't stand?

Welcome!

I am completely new to blogging.  I created this blog because I think that there is truth to learning about love. Everyday I learn something new, not only in my love life, but about the things I love in life. Everyone can relate to life passions, and I hope to shed some light on the passions in my life that I am still learning from. I hope you enjoy.