Favorite Products of 2010 !

This post has been a long time coming. ( ´•         A       •`  ) 2010 was actually the first whole year I've worn/bought/used makeup. That's right, I actually didn't REALLY start wearing makeup until the beginning of my sophomore year of college, fall of 2009. What I mean by I didn't "really" start wearing makeup till then is that I never really bought or used products before that. Yeah, I wore some funky silver liner for fun in the 6th grade, but makeup wasn't used by me until probably my senior year of high school. Even then, I only wore bronzer, the occasional eyeliner, and mascara once in a while. I don't know if that really counts. Anywho, as I was saying before I got off track, is that 2010 was a big year because that was my makeup frenzy. Just from a year, I've accumulated more makeup than I can use in my lifetime, and now I'm here to share what worked/I liked best.

1. Primer: Philosophy's The Present. There has always been a lot of speculation on whether primer is needed or not. I don't use them everyday, but If I'm out for a long time, it's a must. Primer does help keep your foundation on longer, that's their purpose after all. If you find the right primer, it can even make your foundation look better! After I apply The Present, I wait about five minutes for it to dry (if you don't wait, prepare for some gross looking foundation). After I apply my foundation, my skin looks amazing. Not airbrushed, but pretty darn close.

2. Foundation: NARS Sheer Glow. This was a tough category. I use a different foundation every day of the week, and it's so hard to narrow down which one I like the most. I went with Sheer Glow because the coverage is nice, and the formula doesn't look or feel heavy. I use the colors Stromboli and Punjab. Other foundations I was considering were Revlon's Colorstay, Diorskin Nude, and MAC StudioFix.

3. Tinted Moisturizer: Physician's Formula Healthywear. I prefer this over ALL my tinted moisturizers, including one by the popular Laura Mercier. This provides more coverage AND has an SPF of 50, which is darn close to amazing in my book. I always forget to put on sunscreen, so this solves my problem.I use the color Light to Natural.

4. Powder: MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Natural. Sometimes, tinted moisturizer can leave me looking sooo greasy, even though I naturally don't have oily skin. I switch powders regularly, depending on if I want extra coverage, etc. I like MAC's MSF the best because it does the simple job of making my face not shiny. Period. I use the color Medium Plus. It's a bit light, but the next color is Medium Dark, which is way too dark for me to powder with.

5. Concealer: Amazing Cosmetics concealer. To be honest, this is just the best out of my bunch of concealers, but I feel like I'm still not completely satisfied, and I don't know why. It's thick, so you just need a bit, and it covers up my undereye circle great. But... it still doesn't make me look FLAWLESS, ya know? I still really like this though.I use the color Medium Beige.

1. Blush: Rock and Republic Contrived. I am the proud owner of all 12 available colors. That's how much I like them. They're super pigmented, and super pretty to look at. These really will last me forever since I barely even use any product at one time. My current favorite color is All Nighter, which is a bright hot orange with a sheen. I use it lightly on my lips and it gives me a pretty coral glow.

2. Bronzer: NARS in Laguna. I was debating between this or Benefit's Hoola. I went with Laguna because it's more golden in tone, and I use it to make me look tanner, and I use Hoola more for contouring. Everyone lovesss Laguna, so I guess I don't have to explain it. It's simply a nice bronzer. ( >          ε         ~ )

3. Highlighter: Eyeko 3-in-1 cream. I've blogged about this before, and I still love it. The cream formula is very easy to apply. It has a golden glow, which I always find nicer than the silver ones. I use it on my cheek bones and down the bridge of my nose. PRETTTY.

4. Lipstick: NYX Round lipsticks. I'm still on the search of a lipstick formula that won't dry out my lips and glides on as nicely with as much pigmentation as my NYX ones. I like NYX because the colors are opaque and they are the least drying ones I have. My favorite colors are Honey and Circe, both nudes, and both have almost been used up...

5. Lipliner: Sephora Nano lipliners. I'm not a big lipliner person, and I only own a few. This is actually the first lipliner I've ever owned. I bought it after Lollipop26 raved about it and called it her HG a long time ago. I use the color Native Nude to OVERline my lips and sometimes to fill them in to tone down my natural lip color. Lately I haven't been filling them in because my lips have been really dry.

6&7. Lipgloss. Smashbox Lip Enhancing glosses and Rock and Republic. I couldn't pick just one, so I felt like I should mention both. I like the Smashbox ones because they're very pigmented, and I like the R&R ones because they make my lips look plump due to the glossiness, and they come in nice sheer colors. My favorite Smashbox ones are Pout and Sand, and my favorites in R&R are Muse and Vacant.

1. Eyeshadow Primer: LORAC Behind the Scenes. GASP. Yes. I didn't say Urban Decay or Too Faced. No, I'm not going crazy. I really do like LORAC's the best. I feel like it makes my shadows the most vibrant, and the staying power is better too.

2. Pencil Eyeliner: MAC Pearlglide. I discovered this pretty late in the year, but OH EM GEE. It's the bee's knees. It glides soooo smoothly, like BUTTAH. The pigmentation is amazing, and it stays on forever! Nothing bad to say here! My favorite color is Black Swan, which came out with the Tartan Tale Holiday Collection.

3. Liquid Eyeliner: Loreal Lineur Intense. This is my favorite RIGHT NOW, because I ran out of my Stila one, which honestly stays a little better. But, I've used the Loreal one for a really long time and I still love it. It's easy to apply and gives dramatic color.

4. Gel/Cream Eyeliner: MAC's Fluidline in Blacktrack. DUH. This is the eyeliner I used to use all the time. I've gotten too lazy to whip out a brush lately, but it's still the best formula I've tried.

5. Brows: Anastasia Beverly Hills Highlighting Brow Palette. I use this every single day. It has three different colors you can mix to get the perfect color.

6. Mascara: Maybelline Full and Soft. This is my go to mascara. It gives me great looking lashes, volume and length, but keeps them soft at the same time. There's nothing I hate more than clumpy hard lashes!

7. Eyeshadow: MAC. I own tons of eyeshadow, and I like most of them, but nothing makes me happier than a MAC one. They come in tons of shades, and most of them are pigmented and smooth (it's hit or miss). My favorite color of all time is Cork.

1. Facial Cleanser: Philosophy's Purity. I use this to cleanse my face of makeup at the end of the day (or uhhh the next morning if I'm lazy). It takes my foundation off great and leaves me feeling clean.

2. Face Wash: Origins Checks and Balances. I've never had a face wash as silky as this one. You only need a little, and it lathers up to be a silk-like consistency on your face. The smell is a little hippie-ish, but the formula is amazing.

3. Moisturizer: Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion. I have Normal to Dry skin, and I use this every single morning before my primer or foundation. It gives me a smooth finish to work with and leaves my skin smooth and... errr... pliable?

4. Lip Treatment/Chapstick: Neosporin Overnight Renewal Therapy. I have really problematic, sensitive, lips. I'm forever trying out new lip products to achieve kissable soft lips. It's a long journey. I really enjoy this one because it's very hydrating. I actually use it during the day too. Oddly enough, it has the consistency of a thin face moisturizer.

5. Makeup Setting Spray: Makeup Forever Mist & Fix. This stuff really does what it claims. It certainly makes my makeup last longer than it would without spraying this first. I have to be careful to spray it quickly and from a far distance though, or the spray will be too thick.

6. Eye Makeup Remover: Talika Lash Conditioning Cleanser. I never ever use my facial cleanser to try to remove my makeup. It just doesn't work that way. I always wear eye makeup, be it full out, or just mascara. This stuff removes all that gunk like a dream, AND conditions my lashes at the same time.

1. Body Wash: Philosophy's Candy Cane. Smooth, Luxurious, Smells like Peppermint. HIT. The smell doesn't last long, and it very faint, but I love the way it smells when I'm taking a shower.

2. Gradual Self Tanner: Origins the Great Pretender. I like to use this to give me a healthy glow every once in a while. It smells really nice when you apply it, really minty and not at all like a self tanner. It does fade to a slight self tanner smell though. It's easy to apply and it's impossible to get streaks. The only downside is it has shimmer, so I like it best when I apply it and shower the next day.

3. Body Lotion: Victoria's Secret Pink Fresh & Clean. I don't use lotion very often, only during the summer to get rid of ashy legs/knees. The lotions I like best come from the Victoria Secret Pink lines, because of the nice scent. This one smells very lovely.

4. Self Tanner: Sun Labs. This is an instant self tanner. It doesn't make me orange, because of it's green undertone, and I'm left with a bronzey look. You have to be careful with it because you can get a bad case of self tanner hands. I'm too lazy to use a mitt or glove, so I just wash my hands after doing each "section" of my body. I own this self tanner in medium, dark, and very dark. I also own various versions of it, such as an overnight one.

5. Body Spray: Victoria's Secret Pink Fresh & Clean. I love this scent so so so muchhh. (Hence why I also use the lotion). I can't describe it, it really is fresh though.

6. Perfume: Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy. I love this so much. The strange thing is, it's totally not my type of scent. I stay away from florals, but this one just WORKS on me. Isn't it weird that fragrances smell different depending on who the person is? Oh, and I also adore the pretty bottle!

WHOO. Wow. I didn't know that would be so long. That took forever and a day. I hope I didn't bore you guys! Let me know what you think of these products, and feel free to ask questions!

Thanks for reading & I hope to post more soon. (School's been kicking the living daylights out of me!)

♥Au Revoir! 

September Favorites

I'm always a bit late with these Favorites posts aren't I? Well lucky for me, It's a gloomy Saturday and I decided to not go into work. THUS, finally some free time! I've been stuck in a rut routine for awhile, which has only gotten worse since school's started.

Urban Decay Eden Primer Potion: I've been using this everyday instead of the usual UDPP, probably because I think the formula is like 5X better. It's perfect for matte eyeshadows, and a little goes a long way. I must stress that last part, because if you use too much you'll have pale pastel yellow lids. Gross.
Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliner in Zero: Not much to be said of one of everyone's all-time favorite liners. It glides easily, and doesn't tug. It's also very long lasting. I actually use this under my MAC fluidline in Blacktrack for extra staying power.
Loreal HIP eyeshadow duo in Shady: Perfect shadow combo when I don't have time to look though all my eyeshadows. The lighter shade goes all over the lid and the dark brown in the crease and the lower lashline. You know the drill.

MAC Gingerly blush: A perfect rusty peach shade. I've been trying to dip into my MAC blush stash for awhile because I feel so wasteful since I rarely wear blush. This applies to my cheeks very close to a peach bronzer for a nice warm look.
Benefit Hoola bronzer: I love matte bronzers but I don't own too many of them. I like Hoola because it looks very natural when I contour my cheeks, which is the only reason I use it. It's also a great shade, not too dark and not too light. The effect isn't muddy and looks great.
MAC Lustre drops in Sun Rush: I use this on top of my cheekbones for an extra glow. I use one drop for both cheeks, so I have barely even dipped into it! It's gonna last me forever and a day.

ELF Studio Powder brush: I've had this for awhile but never got around to using it. I know it gets many raves, and at first I didn't like using it as a foundation brush because the coverage was too heavy compared to using my stippling brushes. However, I've been reaching it for it everyday for awhile now. It applies foundation much quicker than my other brushes because it has alot more width and density. It also makes my foundation look flawless! Love.

On another note: 
Have you guys all seen "The Social Network" yet? 

If not, you HAVE to go watch it. I saw it opening night. My friend literally dragged me to watch it, and forced me to go half an hour early to get seats. There were literally ten people in the entire theater including us. However, I have to admit, I LOVED it. It's such an intelligent movie, not what I expected at all. AND, the acting was superb! I know some might find it boring because of the intensive dialogue, but it's brilliant, and I could listen to the banter for hours. The filming was also great. A lot different from the usual movies nowadays. I'm foreseeing some awards...

Happy Saturday!

Belated August Favorites

GAH. I know this is super late. I feel like I'm always apologizing for my lack of blogging. Forgive me again!
This post has been ready to post since the beginning of the month, but I haven't had any free time =(.
Lately I've been using the same products almost everyday, with the same exact looks. I really enjoy my easy routine now, I've cut the time I do my makeup in half!

Nars Laguna Bronzer: This has been the ONLY cheek product I've been using. I use it to contour and skip the blush. It gives a nice tan/glow affect that looks polished. Plus, it takes me less than a minute to do.

Maybelline The Falsies mascara: I've had this for awhile now but never got around to using it because I'm a regular Full n Soft user. This really does give your lashes dramatic volume and length. However, the wand is too awkward for me to want to use on my bottom fringe.
Loreal Linuer Intense: Easy cat eye. Nuff said. Only problem is that it isn't waterproof at ALL, so be careful.

MAC Cork e/s: Blends wonderfully in the crease, or I can use it as an all over lid color for a minimalist brown look.
Maybelline Age rewind concealer: I've just reviewed this so you guys no how much I love it =).

Rock and Republic lipgloss in Muse: If you guys remembered, I didn't like this when I first got it. It looks really sheer on the lips and is pointless. However, paired on top of a nude lipstick, it tones down the drastic nude and gives a peachy sheen.

August was a minimal makeup month, and it's been continuing into September... I admit it, I've been lazy with my routine!

July Favorites

I feel like I rarely do favorites because I switch products so often. And once I do find products I use a lot, I don't want to feature them over and over in favorites. July worked out because I fell in love with products that I haven't featured before.

EcoTools Bronzer (kabuki) brush: LOVE. I know this has been featured on a lot of blogs already, but I figured one more wouldn't hurt. This brush is great. I've been using it all summer to apply by bronzer. The bristles are dense and it has a thick sturdy handle. Not the best for travel, but I love how soft and dense it is.
NYX e/s in Iced Mocha: This is a color very similar to Satin Taupe by MAC. It's the perfect all over the lid color, and is so easy to apply and wear.
The Body Shop Shea Butter lip butter: This stuff is awesome. It's so moisturizing for my lips. I use it slathered on at night. The smell is also very "natural", nothing fruity or floral.
MAC Peachstock lipstick: This has actually been a favorite for months now. I bring it with me everytime I leave the house. It's a good nude with peach. The peach add-in is nice so I can avoid looking dead.

Korres Monoi Oil Warm bronzer: This is a good bronzer to use because it leaves a natural bronze look, since it's not very dark.
MAC Stereo Rose MSF: I've already talked about how much I love this. I've seriously worn this almost every day since I've gotten it. It creates such a lovely flush and sheen on my cheeks. The bronze veining creates a golden glow with the coral blush.

Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage Concealer pot in SC03: This is everything you need to hide flaws disguised as a little pot. One side is for undereyes, the other is for blemishes (etc), and when you unscrew it, there's  setting powder underneath.
NARS Pressed powder in Beach: Even though I'm not a big powder person, this NARS one is great. It keeps my from getting oily from the summer sun, and it's definitly not cakey. I only use it on days that are super hot, and if then, very lightly.
Revlon Colorstay Active foundation in 07 Golden Beige: First of all, this is a good color match for NC35-ers. Second, I LOVE this formula. I never hear anyone talking about this foundation, but in my opinion, it actually works better than its Colorstay counterpart.

Bye July, Helloooo August!

March Favorites

March is finally over and April's starting (Note: I can't STAND April, because here it just means rain all the time).
There were a good amount of products that I found myself using quite a bit this month.


Maybelline Quad in Natural Smokes

I Heart Maybelline eyeshadows. I really like these quads, and natural smokes is slowly becoming my favorite (after Chai Latte). I grab this when I have no idea what to wear on my lids. It's simple and wearable.

NYX Single Eyeshadows in Champagne and Ray

Champagne lends a really nice wash of color on my entire lids. Ray is Mac's Goldmine's dupe. It's a true gold and I use it mainly near my lashline, because I tried it all over the lids... and well, my eyes were REALLY gold.

MAC Eyeshadow in PHLOOF!

This is a really nice highlight color. I reach for it almost everyday to place under my brows.

MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack

Oldie but a goodie. I had it for the longest time, but I never liked it because I preferred my Loreal HIP cream liner. But this month I realized, guess what? Gel beats Cream.

Benefit High Beam

I've always loved this product, but I never really used it in the past. Highlighting my cheekbones was always a skip I preferred to skip. Lately though, I've been using this everyday and I love the way it makes my face look dewy in the morning light.

Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Beige

Here's something else I like to use to highlight my cheekbones. Not really much to say about it except that it's awesome!

Revlon Superlustrous Lipgloss in Life's a Peach and Lancome Juicy Tube in Over the Rainbow

Life's a peach is a cult drugstore favorite. I usually pair it over nude lipstick. Over the Rainbow looks like a white-clear color but it's actually REALLY prismatic. I understand why it's called Over the Rainbow, there are so many different colored reflects in the gloss, it also looks good over a nude lipstick. (What can I say, I love nude lipsticks!)

Of course there are a lot more products that I liked and used this month, but these were the ones I really felt were worth talking about =)

What are your March favorites?