Careprost aka Latisse

Lately I've been noticing that there has been a lot of emphasis on lashes.  Long full lashes are so in right now and I've been feeling a little left out.  It's not that I don't have adequate eyelashes...I do and if I were a normal person I would be very happy with them.  Unfortunately, with all of the emphasis on super lush lashes, I've been feeling a little down on my own.  In the past I have tried the Urban Decay Lush Lash system which worked ok.  You can see my review here.  Since I've discontinued using that, I didn't really notice any falling out or anything but they are shorter now and I've noticed that they have not been holding a curl lately which makes them look a little shorter.  I had originally seen a Groupon for Rapid Lash Eyelash Renewal Serum and bought it immediately.  I later decided to look into that product online and found that they had recently re-formulated it and it no longer included the active ingredient that made your lashes grow.  This was little more than a conditioning gel for your lashes.  Fortunately, it was only $25 shipping included so I do not feel so bad about it.

After that, I spent a few hours (days) looking at reviews of the best eyelash serums.  I've known about Latisse and have been thinking about buying it since it came out but I do not have $120/month plus a doctor's visit to spend on it.  I came across a message board while looking through before and after photos of Latisse and someone had mentioned that Careprost was basically the generic version of it and could be found for much cheaper online.  The reviews online are mostly favorable with very few people mentioning a little irritation and eye redness.  While my eyes (just my left one) are a little sensitive, I decided to bite the bullet and order it anyway.  I bought mine from alldaychemist.com for $10 a bottle (I got 2) with shipping being $25.  To be honest, I really should have bought about 10 bottles in order for the shipping to be worth it but didn't want them to expire.  Shipping was relatively quick (about 2 weeks) considering it was coming from India and I did not need a prescription.  Alldaychemist.com was nice enough to throw in a little liner brush which they usually charge $1 for.

Battle! MAC Face and Body Foundation vs MUFE Face and Body Foundation

I'm going to be doing a review/comparison of the Face and Body foundations from MAC and Make Up For Ever.  They have some similarities and some differences. Face and Body foundations are light weight liquid foundations that are intended for the face and body (obviously).  They tend to be water resistant and silicone based.   The coverage is very sheer but buildable because of the silicone allows the foundation to completely set and more layers can be added on top without getting caky. The finish is dewy or satin if you decide to powder. 

MAC:

$33 maccosmetics.com

Spring cleaning! Products I've used up.

I've been collecting some empties over the past few weeks so I could do an empties post.  A lot of these were purchased and loved then left behind for a new and improved product.  Fortunately, I like to switch it up a lot so I have gone back to these and used them all up.  It was not intentional, I wasn't doing any sort of project 10 pan sort of thing, I just happened to finish some things and wanted to share my experience.

Pumpkin Facial?!?!

I know it's not fall anymore but I still long for pumpkin facials.  Since they are a seasonal thing and we are 6 months away from said season, I have to do mine at home.  I found a recipe online that I absolutely love and want to share it with you.  If you google pumpkin facial, you'll see a lot of recipes that include pumpkin puree, honey and milk.  Those are alright but my absolute favorite is below.

Pumpkin is rich in zinc, which helps purify oily, blemished complexions. Pumpkin enzymes also work to gently exfoliate the skin without any abrasive particles.

7 Deadly Sins of Beauty Tag

So I've seen this tag going around on the internet for a few weeks now and decided to take part in it too.

1. Greed: What is your most expensive/inexpensive beauty product?  

Does a Clarisonic count?  No, ok...umm It's probably my Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation.  A big love for me with an equally big price tag. The most inexpensive beauty product is probably my E.L.F. liquid liner pen.  I'm not sure why I still keep this around because it is crap.  It dries out before you reach the end of your eye.


2. Wrath: What Beauty products do you have a love/hate relationship with?  

Hmmm, That's a tough one.  I usually return stuff that doesn't work for me.  I think I'm going to have to go with my airbrush machine.  I like the way that airbrushing looks but it takes FOREVER!  I end up using a lot of product and it can take me up to 30 minutes just to do the foundation.  I have to lug out my air compressor, mix foundations, spray my face, wait for it to dry, do a second layer, mix foundations again because I have run out, finish second layer, dump out the rest, bust out my rubbing alcohol, clean the thing and try to remember to wrap it back up nicely and put it away before I move on to my next thing...no thank you.  It is reserved for bridal makeup and very very special occasions only.


3. Gluttony: What is your most delicious beauty product?  

Oooh, YSL Rouge Volupte Candy.  I got them recently and they are the most luxe things I own.  I love pulling them out of my purse and just looking at them.  They are super flattering and moisturizing too so I think it's well worth the pretty pennies I paid for them.

4. Sloth: What products do you neglect to use due to laziness?  

Kind of a lot of stuff.  If I'm really tired, I won't use my Clarisonic to wash my face.  Sometimes in the mornings, I'll just run a cotton pad with some toner over my face in lieu of washing it.  I have not been using my eye lash serum recently.  It has been a good 2 months since I've used a foundation primer and I forget to use mascara primers sometimes.  I do however, always wipe my face before bed and moisturize twice daily.  I use sunscreen, lip balm and eye cream daily.  I also do a full face of makeup every day so I wouldn't say I'm lazy, I just forget stuff sometimes.

5. Pride: Which beauty products give you the most self confidence?  

That's a tough one.  Probably concealer or brow powder.  I never ever leave the house without those on.


6. Lust: What attributes do you find most attractive in the opposite sex?


I like a very charismatic smile.  The personality has to be there too but a lot of straight, white teeth make me weak in the knees. 


7. Envy: What items would you most like to receive as a gift?  


I don't let other people buy me makeup because half the fun of it is shopping for it myself.  Also, I know better than anyone in my life what works for me and I will generally go out and get stuff myself before I let anyone know I want it in the first place.  I would however, like a new Michael Kors watch that I've been dying to get for the past few months.  

Review : Hourglass Immaculate Liquid Powder Foundation

Good afternoon blogger-world.  I'm sitting in my kitchen right now, sick with a sinus infection.  I have been home from work for the past few days nursing my poor throat back to health.  I've been meaning to write a review on this foundation for a little bit but have not had the time recently.  As you'll recall, I purchased this foundation in the color porcelain almost 3 weeks ago and talked about it in this post.  I went back a few days later and picked up the shade Nude as well which is a few shades darker.  It made very little sense for me to be using sunless tanner and try out the palest shade this brand offers at the same time.  Nude is the perfect shade for me the day after sunless tanning and one pump of each will usually get me through 2-3 days after that.  Porcelain is the same shade as my natural skin tone (pale pale pale).

Here's what Hourglass has to say about their newest foundation.

$55 Hourglass.com

An ultra-mattifying, anti-aging foundation that absorbs oil, camouflages imperfections, and ensures a long-lasting flawless finish—without the need for touchups.

Comparison - MUFE HD Finishing Powder vs. MAC Invisible Set Powder

Hello again!  As promised, here is a comparison/review of the MUFE HD Finishing Powder vs. the MAC Invisible Set Powder (in case you didn't get that from the title).

As I mentioned in a previous post, I recently purchased both of these powders within a week of each other.  I'll start with a review of each and then compare the two.