February Favorites

Another month has come and gone and now it's time to share my favorite beauty products for the past month.  I've really been trying to shop my stash this past month but there are some new products featured in this post.

My favorite eyeliner for February was the MAC Creme liner in black.  It has definitely lived up to my expectations.  Once activated with water, it becomes a very inky black that does last all day.  This is by no means waterproof but I have had no issues with it moving until I wash it off at the end of the day.  The best part is that it doesn't take a lot of product compared to MAC's fluid line so I think this will probably last me for the rest of the year.

$16.50 MACcosmetics.com

My next favorite is a paint pot by MAC in the color Rubenesque.  This is a peachy shade that suites my skin tone nicely.  It can be worn on its own or layered under shadows for more color impact.  I find myself reaching for this over any other bases that I own.

I purchased the Vichy Dermablend foundation at CVS earlier this month and while I find it to be too thick for foundation, it really has made its way into my routine as a concealer for my face.  This creases a little too much to be worn as an under eye concealer but it covers blemishes and discoloration very well. A little goes a long way so if you use it sparingly, it is undetectable once blended.

$19.50 MACCosmetics.com

I have been loving the peachy warmness of MAC's Style blush.  The slight shimmers make my skin look radiant without accentuating skin texture.

Chanel Pro Lumiere has fought its way back into my heart this past month.  If I make sure to wear a primer and powder, it looks absolutely flawless.  It's a lot of work but if I am planning a night out, this is my go-to foundation.

I've been wearing a lot of neutral eye shadows this month which makes me think I really need to purchase the Urban Decay Naked Palette.  If only it would come back in stock anywhere.  My favorites include Soft Brown, Sable, Saddle, and Honey Lust.  I'll generally wear at least two of these colors every single day.

Another favorite of mine has been MAC's pearl glide eye liner in Industrial.  I like wearing this light shimmery blue on my lower lash line to bring out the blue-ish tones in my eyes.  I do have green eyes but they are quite light and paired with the right color shirt or eyeshadow they can sometimes look more aqua than straight green.  I wore this eyeliner with MAC's Yogurt, Soft Brown, Saddle, and Brown Down eye shadows on Valentines day and it looked really beautiful.

My Favorite bronzer of the month has been Benefit's Hoola.  This is a new product to my collection and will probably remain there for as long as Benefit keeps selling this product.  This matte bronzer is perfect for contouring as well as giving the sun kissed look to my face when I feel like being tan.  I like to bring this down my neck to blend my foundation with the rest of my body as well.

$8.95 LushUSA.com

Before I get into brushes I'd like to mention a product that I purchased a few months ago from LUSH.  I used it a couple of times as a toner but didn't really think it did anything special.  It is the Tea Tree Water and I recently started using this before my moisturizer.  I find that it wakes my skin up in the morning and helps control the oil throughout the day.  It doesn't smell pretty but it smells clean - Kind of like lemon juice concentrate.


As you know I purchased some brushes from Sigma this month and wanted to give myself ample time using them before I did a review.  I still find myself reaching for these more than my MAC brushes every day.

I find that the Chanel Pro Lumiere foundation goes on best when used with a traditional foundation brush as opposed to the flat top kabuki brush I generally use.  I like the Sigma F60 for this because of its synthetic bristles and smaller shape.  It applies the right amount of product without absorbing and wasting too much.

When I'm not using the Chanel foundation I like the F82 for liquid foundations.  I find the smaller, denser brush gives me more control than the F80 and allows me to get into smaller places on my face like under my eyes and around my nose.

Like the MAC 252, the sigma E60 is great for applying all over color.  The tip is great for applying color along the lower lash line as well as into the crease and on the outer V.

I think my favorite of all the sigma brushes is the E40.  The MAC 224 was my favorite brush of all time for a long time and the E40 is coming in a close second.  The larger, fluffier head is great for blending out the crease as well as concealer on the face and under the eyes.  I find this to be much more versatile than the MAC 224.

Well those were my favorites.  Most probably came as no surprise because they are such tried and true products.  As the weather is getting warmer I've been finding myself getting a little more bold with colors and using a lot less on my face.  I can't wait for spring to come.  I desperately need a change.  Please let me know if you want a review of any of the products mentioned above.

Upcoming reviews:
Mabelline One By One Mascara
Vichy Dermablend foundation
Pantene Beautiful Lengths conditioner
Milani HD concealer
Clarisonic Mia

FOTD

Today's FOTD is inspired by my new makeup from CVS and Lisa Eldridge's video on concealing spots.  I started breaking out again recently (it's hormonal) and so I've been trying to figure out the most natural way to cover my breakouts.  I stumbled upon Lisa Eldridge's video on concealing acne a while ago and have wanted to try her technique ever since my face blew up a week ago.  She has a wonderful philosophy that instead of covering your whole face with a mask of makeup, you should use a really sheer foundation all over to even out your skin and then conceal spots with a concealer or heavier foundation.  I tried it today and I have to say, I'm really pleased with the outcome.


I started out by priming my face with my Murad Oil Control Primer down my nose and on my forehead.  I then mixed Chanel Pro Lumiere in the color Shell (1.5) with my Shiseido Sun Protection Liquid Foundation SPF 42 and then added some of my MAC Lightful Deep Ultra Moisture Creme to thin it out a bit.  I squeezed out a little bit of the Vichy Dermablend Foundation and mixed it with my MAC Pro Long Wear Concealer in NW25 because the color was a little light.  Using a MAC 217 Brush (like Lisa in the video) I lightly brushed the heaver foundation over the spots that needed some more concealing.  I wouldn't say it looks natural...I defiantly look like I'm wearing a lot of makeup and there's nothing any cosmetic can do about texture but I do like the final outcome. 

FACE:
Murad Oil Control Mattifier
MAC Lightful Ultra Deep Moisture Cream
Chanel Pro Lumiere (Shell 1.5)
Shiseido Sun Protection Liquid Foundation SPF 42 (#20)
Vichy Dermablend Foundation (Opal 15)
MAC Pro Longwear Concealer (NW25)
MAC Blot Powder Loose (light)
Benefit Bronzer (Hoola)
MAC Mineralize Blush (Nuance)
MAC Blush (Dame)
MAC MSF (Shimpagne)

BROWS:
MAC Eyeshadow (Embark)

EYES:
Urban Decay Primer Potion (Sin - all over)
MAC Paint Pot (Indianwood - Lid, Up to crease)
MAC Pigment (Jardin Aires - Inner Corner)
MAC Pigment (Tan - Lid and into the crease.  Also smudged out eyeliner on top and bottom)
MAC Pigment (Chocolate brown - Crease)
MAC Eyeshadow (Carbon - Outer V and smudged out eyeliner)
Milani Liquif'eye Liner (Black - Upper lashline and water line)
MAC Haute And Naughty Lash

LIPS:
MAC Lipstick (Honeylove)

Hoola Barbados in a box

Eyeshadow Primer Potion in Sin Eyeshadow Primer Potion from Urban Decay is unmatched by any other in the beauty industry! The genie in this bottle fulfills three wishes: eyeshadow that lasts, more vibrant and lasting color, and absolutely NO creasing.

The Search For The Perfect Foundation

I've been thinking about starting a blog for a while now so I thought why not start now.  I'm on the hunt for the perfect foundation right now.  I've used a lot and I still haven't found my Holy Grail foundation yet.  Having lost my tan from the summer now, I'm in need of my winter color so why not take this time to search for the right formula for my skin as well. A little background on my skin first. I have very oily acne prone skin with dark circles under my eyes, lots of acne scaring, large pores and a few new pimples that my proactive has not taken care of. 

Foundations I'm considering:

$42 NARScosmetics.com

NARS Sheer Glow - I used the color Stromboli in the summer when I had a very deep tan.  In MAC terms I was probably a NW30-NW35.  I thought it was the best foundation ever.  Less noticable pores, excellent full coverage, long lasting.  Seemed to be the holy grail for me.  I am now using the color Deauville which is the perfect color match for me.  Unfortunately, it always seems that when my skin is lighter, foundations don't cover as well.  I've found that my large pores are back and the acne scars aren't being covered as well.  The dark circles aren't being covered as well any more and it doesn't seem to be lasting as long either and my face looks oiler faster. I may be returning this but I think I'll give it a little more time. 

$54 Nordstrom.com

Chanel Pro Lumier - I used the color Cameo.  I like this foundation. It made my skin look even but for $54, it should do a whole lot more than that.  Despite some of the reviews I've read for this foundation, I did not have a problem with it staying.  It covered well enough but I found that I needed to use a concealer for spots on my face too.  It was really liquidy and was kind of messy.  I only had a sample so I can assume that it's not quite as messy when you get the full bottle. Another draw back was that you definatly need to use a setting powder.  There is no way around this.  Powder powder powder.  I had to use a setting powder and a mattifying gel but it looked pretty nice after all of that work.  No real caking.  Overall, it was ok but it's way too much work for a product that I think should do it all at that price point.  I will not be purchasing a full size bottle.

$42 Nordstrom.com

  

Laura Mercier Silk Cream Foundation - Initially I got a sample of the rose ivory which was PINK! Not the right color for me so I kind of ignored it for a while.  I recently got a sample of cream ivory which was the right color for me.  This foundation is also only ok.  It didn't do anything very special.  It looked nice but didn't really stick around either.  Didn't cover as well as I would expect either. Probably not going to get the full size either. 

$40 Sephora.com

MUFE HD foundation - I had this in the summer too and when I first got it, it was the best thing I had ever used.  Since I've tried other foundations, I've found that there are better ones out there.  I wish this was the perfect foundation for me because I get a professional discount at MUFE. Once again, needed concealer, not really buildable, didn't help with the oil.  Just nothing special.  I did however notice that my pores appeared smaller when I used it. 

$26 MACcosmetics.com

MAC Studio Fix Fluid - I used this foundation for really long time.  I never had any problems with it breaking me out or anything.  It lasted for a long time and didn't make me look oily or anything but it sometimes did look a little cakey.  I liked it but the color wasn't exactly right.  I tried NC 15 and NC 20. The NWs were too pink for me so that wasn't an option.  I probaby won't go back to this.







I'm not sure the perfect foundation is out there for me.  It's the one thing that I just can't find that suits me.  I don't like using the matte foundations like NARS Sheer Matte or the MUFE Matte Velvet Plus because I don't find that they keep me matte any longer than other foundations and they tend to looke cakier on me.  Maybe it's out there, maybe it isn't.  Today I'm going to give the Laura Mercier a little more love.  I recently got the LM primer so maybe it'll work with that.  We'll See.