May 18, 2017

Favorite Matte Lip Products (part 1)

I'm counting this as part one because let's be honest, you know my collection is going to grow a lot more. These are my top favorite matte lip color formulas from liquid lipsticks and lip crayons. So grab a coffee or and a snack. this is going to be a pretty lengthy post about me raving about these lip products.




Bare Minerals Matte Liquid Lip Color
If I had to pick a favorite liquid lipstick, it would definitely be these. There is no fuss with these and are perfect for everyday. The only one bad thing to say about these is that they do transfer a little but on a plus side, they transfer gracefully and don't leave a lip liner mouth. However, these are incredibly comfortable and light weight but no dryness. Their whole range of colors are also in the nude family and there's a shade to work with every skin tone. I honestly can't stop wearing them and everyone should try at least one. The names aren't my favorite, but I have it in the shades "swank", "xyz' "bo$$" and "swag". Also, these smell like chocolate pudding and it's intoxicating. These will always be a favorite in my collection.

From left to right: Swag, Bo$$, xyz, Swank



Ofra Liquid Lipstick in Mocha
You guys, this is the dupe to Lolita from Kat Von D. I feel like at this point there's a lot of dupes out there but this is extremely similar and a lot more comfortable. The formulation is a little bit thicker on the lips. It dries down matte, doesn't transfer, and the best part is that it doesn't dry out my lips like Lolita does. Unfortunately I only own one color but now I'm hooked on the formula and I'm curious to try out more. On a major plus side, Ulta now carries Ofra so lots of yays! Also there's a more in depth review of this from my May Favorites 2016 if you want to keep reading more about it.



Meet Matt(e) Hughes Long Lasting Liquid Lipstick:
I adore these. Definitely similar to the Ofra formulation expect a lot lighter on the lips, no transfer, and fades gracefully just like the Bare Minerals one. I find that the more neutral shades apply much better then the darker shades. As much as I love the red shades, I do find that these apply patchy and unevenly so that would be my only down side to these. I have these in the shades, "committed" "trustworthy" "charming" (all nude-ish shades), "loyal" and "adoring".  Finally, these smell spot on like Girl Scott Thin Mint cookies. Clearly smell is very important to me.

From left to right: Committed, Charming, Trustworthy, Loyal, Adoring


Sephora Lip Cream Stain:
I first fell in love with these when there wasn't too many matte liquid lipsticks out on the market yet, but it was pretty affordable compared to Kat Von D and a lot more comfortable. I had the shade 01 Always Red and it is essentially the perfect, classic matte red. It gives you perfect, velvet soft red lips and it's almost kind of mesmerizing. These are comfortable and transfer proof but I do find drying and flakiness maybe around 7 hours in. I think I find this more with the darker shades as well. I have two of the nude shades in 23 Copper Blush and 41 Vintage Rosewood. They also have bright fun colors in the line to experiment with (personally I'm eyeing down the lavender shades).

From left to right : 23 Copper Blush, 41 Vintage Rosewood,  01 Always Red


Smashbox Always On Matte Liquid Lipstick
I got this in a Sephora Play Box a while back and it has been my favorite items I got from these subscription boxes. I have it in the shade "Driver's Seat" and I love how it's a coral but very subtle and wearable. Besides the colors, it's the formula that I'm blown away about. I had a pasta dish with oil in it one day for lunch and even though it was starting to get a bit drying on lips, it didn't flake off the and color was still on there after eating. I'm hooked on these and I'm really curious to try out more including the metallic line.



LIP CRAYONS
Of course most of these lip crayons are not transfer proof, but they all provide excellent comfort and fade away gracefully.

NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil:
A little pricey but this is by far one of the most comfortable lip pencils I own. I did receive this as a Sephora birthday gift I believe 2 years ago? I have it in the shade "Cruella" The formula is creamy, matte and has no tugging. This also pairs beautifully as a base before adding the Sephora lip cream stain "01 Always Red" on top. They also make certain shades in this deluxe size as a duo if you're curious but don't want to commit to the whole $27 for one lip pencil. I've also featured this in my Favorite Red Lipsticks if you want to check that cool stuff out.



Inglot Lip Pencil:
I feel like this brand definitely could use more recognition but I haven't heard these about these much throughout the beauty community. These are a bit easier on the budget and are retractable. I have them in the shades 32 and 22.
Right to left: 22, 32



NUDESTIX Lip and Cheek Pencil in Belle:
This was another perk I got from the Sephora Play Box and this is very similar to how creamy the NARS lip pencils are except I like these just a bit more because you can also use these for your cheeks. This blends and applies beautifully on the cheeks and lips, Very easy to work with for everyday, plus I love products that can be used as mutlitaskers. Swatches of this can be seen in my January/ February Favorites post since it's currently hiding in my room somewhere *sad eyes*. 

e.l.f Matte Lip Color
Finally, for something a little bit easier on the wallet but still looking for an easy matte lip, these $3 ones from e.l.f are fantastic. I would suggest using a liner for the darker shades since they aren't the best at cleanly lining the lips. These do have a built in sharpener in the bottom which can help it to a fine tip. These are a little bit more thicker and aren't as creamy as the nars and nudestix, but for $3 it's still providing comfort and that matte look. My favorite, probably top favorite in lip colors of all time is Praline. I can't get enough of that shade especially for the Autumn months.

From right to left: Tea Rose,  Praline, Scarlet Night


HONORABLE MENTION:

Jouer Long- Wear Lip Creame in Paypaye:
I know this product is leading more towards "matte but metallic" products, but I have to mention this because it was a product that I didn't think I was going to be obsessed with. I picked this up at IMATS 2 years ago and it has been one of my most used products. I love to pop this in the middle of my lips on any matte lip and almost ombre it out. It gives it a "fuller lip" effect and I'm blown away at how much I love using this to give an extra bright shimmer.

It also smells spot on vanilla frosting *eyeballs roll to the back of the head*



So you think that was  big enough list? As I mentioned in the beginning of the post I'm sure there will be a part two coming up in the near future but for now I figure I throw out those few favorites. What matte lip colors do you really enjoy using or provide the best comfort? Any suggestions?

May 7, 2017

April Favorites

April hasn't been the easiest of months, but despite life's stresses, I've been trying my best to be thankful for the things I currently have and to take that with me throughout a personal growth for the month of May. However I do have some great products that have been fantastic throughout this month and definitely have become part of my routine.



BEAUTY:

I FINALLY got this product for a discounted price at IMATS this year (I believe for $15?). If you can get your hands on it and use the ulta coupon on top of it, (and ebates for that cash back!) it's well worth it. The concealer blends beautifully underneath the eyes but doesn't look cakey or like makeup. The gigantic wand is a bit much for a product that requires little application since a little goes a long way. The best way I use this is about three dots under the eye, let it sit for about 15-20 seconds, and then blend it out. I find that letting it sit for a bit helps it set and provides better coverage. Overall, excellent concealer and I'm excited for this stuff to last me a while.



For the past couple of months, I've been dealing with some harsh cystic acne around the chin and mouth area. It has been difficult at times as it has brought my self confidence down but I'm trying my best to regain from that. Lately, using retinol at night has been reacting well with my skin (I will give a future post if all things work out!). However, whenever using retinol, you always want to go in with an spf to prevent further harmful damage to the skin especially when using strong skincare products. Since I'm incredibly lazy, this setting spray has been my go to especially with spring and summer coming around the corner. It's not my favorite nozzle as far as "fine mist setting sprays" but I love it because it has spf 50 which makes it great especially for full outdoor days. I currently have the travel size which is great to reapply throughout the day, but it also sets your makeup and refreshes. So essentially you're getting a 3 in 1. The smell of rosemary isn't my favorite but it will do. I'm definitely intrigue in finding other sprays that have spf in it since I find it the easiest way to incorporate it into my routine. But no matter where you are at in your skincare regime, use spf!




Not that I should be encouraging anybody out there to go out and buy a $14 deodorant (come on let's be real, some of the drugstore clinical deodorants are $11-$12) but this deodorant has always been a favorite of mine. Spring and Summer are horrible months for my pits (yup just sharing that to the internet world). I'm sure I'm not the only one, but this it such a great product because it almost has a cooling effect which provides relief but helps tremendously with odor. An added bonus is that it's all natural. So if you want to splurged for your pits, this isn't a bad choice. They have a bunch of different scents that I haven't tried yet, but I have my eyes peeled on the lemon vanilla scent.


SKIN:
Once again, I don't want to get too much into my skin routine for the month of April since I was using a lot of different products in hopes of getting rid of my cystic acne. However, I have been fully removing my makeup every night and I always go in with a double cleanse (or would you say double remove? not sure). THIS EYE MAKEUP REMOVER THOUGH. This is one of the best ones I've tried and it saddens me that its so expensive. It's non-greasy and removes eye makeup in seconds. I hold it down with a cotton pad for 5 seconds and wipe away. Even on days when I go very full out on makeup, it gets rid of it so easily and it's so nice to not fuss with removing eye makeup for once. I'm going to say it, but it makes me look forward to removing my makeup at night. If you can get your hands on a sample of this, I would highly recommend it.





Next in the routine I've been going in with this balm. Essentially, it's similar to coconut oil and you could use that instead to remove your makeup, but I find that coconut oil hasn't been helping with my breakouts and that the residue from the coconut oil doesn't fully go away (which I understand because it's providing moisture back to the face but I'm just not a big fan of it). A little goes a long way with this product. I just warm it up between my hands and rub all over my face (dry! cleansing balms and oils don't work on wet skin since oil and water don't mix), eyes, and remove in circular motions with warm water. Just recently I started using a warm washcloth and cover my face afterwards. A surprisingly quick and easy way to really help you unwind at the end of the day. Getting ahead of myself, but this does the majority of the "removing makeup" process and of course my favorite part is that there is no strange residue afterwards. Finally, can we appreciate the baby size version that was a Sephora 100 point perk? I still save this as my traveling size one but also because it's so stinkin' cute. 

I bought this during my trip to IMATS this year and they had a fantastic deal (I believe 2 for $20 plus you got a free mini travel size). Micellar water is of course very big right now and a lot of companies started making their own but I decided to give the original brand a try. Of course, this is great for nights when you can't fuss with the whole "removing makeup routine" and requires no water to rinse off. However, this has been the last step in my skincare regime before going in with a cleanser just to ensure all makeup is remove. I find that this is the best way for the cleanser to work properly and to actually see results (which makes sense because you wouldn't want leftover makeup and dirt to effect these results). I adore this stuff. It's so gentle and great for sensitive skin but I think what I love, is how plump the face feels afterwards. It doesn't feel like it's stripping the skin. I also really love that it's fragrance free and once again, a little goes a long way. I'm still curious to try other micellar waters especially those from the drugstore, but for now this has been a great product and I'm really glad I picked up 2 big bottles.

BOOKS:

You Are A Badass by Jen Sinero
Not finished with the book yet but I can already tell you it's a big favorite of mine. Yes it's a self- help book but no judgement there because to be quiet honest, this book can accommodate to many people. If you're feeling down about the current situation of your life or think that things are "always bad" for you, this book will change your perspective on things. I'm not saying that you're going to be super happy everyday, but it will make you re-evaluate what you should be contributing your energy and time to. To be grateful for what you have and to make the time to always love yourself. I know it sounds pretty straight forward, but there's a good amount of tough love and a little bit of sarcasm that makes me enjoy this book. It reminds me to make the time for myself and the things I enjoy but to also not to take life too seriously. It's definitely helping me to embrace the self-love a lot more and knowing that the only thing that's controlling my happiness is me.

amazon

TV SHOWS:

Great British Baking Show
This month I've been watching a lot of "pure" and non drama related shows. It's British people with accents baking stunning desserts and everyone is actually really nice to each other. Honestly what more could you want? I've also started watching the Masterclass version of the show, where Paul and Mary (the two main judges) show you how to properly make their favorite desserts seen in the show so naturally I want to start making these so I can consume them all for myself. You'll also come to understand why Mary Berry is the cutest human being ever (her last name is berry! what's not to love?)



Bob Ross The Joy of Painting
I remember fully enjoying this show even a kid and as an adult, I love it. I've been watching this whenever I fall asleep and I forgot how relaxing this show can be, Just from the sound of his voice and to the sound of the brush strokes and mixing of the paints. It reminds you to just enjoy the simple things and to not take any of the flaws too seriously.

So yes, April for the most part has been a bit stressful, but I'm still in the progress of growing and bettering myself. Surrounding myself with people who are willing to support that and I feel pretty good seeing where things are heading♥