Review: CoverGirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 Foundation

I’m a student, being overwhelmed happens. Had to put priorities first, so classes first, blog second. Now that I am finally all caught up, on with the show. It was worth the wait, I've been trying products while away. The first product I want to talk about is a Foundation by CoverGirl that I bought not too long ago. Maybe this has been reviewed to death but, I'm going to throw my two cents on the pile anyway. 

     CoverGirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 Foundation is quite a mouthful. So I'm going to be calling it CoverGirl 3-in-1 for the rest of this review. On the CoverGirl site the description for the product claims that it is an all in one foundation. It also says that it's a long-lasting formula mixing (or fusing) primer, concealer and foundation in one step providing a flawless look that can last all day. 

Too Orange for My Tastes

     The color I purchased was Creamy Natural and by doing so I must say I made a mistake and should have went with a lighter shade such as Classic Ivory. The reason I say this is that upon applying the product I noticed the product gave me an orange undertone that did not flatter my fair skin. This lessened a bit as the formula dried but knowing my skin, I could still notice hints of the discoloration around my hairline and had to apply more product than usual to my neck and such in order to even out my skin tone.

    CoverGirl 3-in-1 tends to be rather liquidy, so much so that when applied with a traditional foundation brush it can end up rather streaky. The streakiness can be remedied by a beauty blender, but I've found using my fingers or a beauty blender to apply the product is great, skipping the foundation brush all together. When applying the product you have to be quick in application. The formula dries rather quickly. I tend to apply 1 or two pumps to the back of my hand then apply quickly and add more product as needed. For as quick as it is to dry, I find you can waste product using too much at once, it will dry before you have a chance to use it. Also if the product is drying when you apply it the formula can appear caked or pull away any other product applied to the area, so you have to keep an eye out for this effect.

     

After Blending Out & Finishing My Makeup

     In my trials of this product I went without primer using this formula as the one step it claims to be. I also tried going without a setting powder. On the days I went without primer I noticed that the product felt heavy and a bit thick after applying, this feeling lessened after letting the product set, however, on the days I tried a light e.l.f primer underneath the formula I didn't notice the mask or thick feeling. I will also say that as I have combination skin. I found a good setting powder to be absolutely essential with this product, especially because of my skin type, as it is not a mattifying formula, nor does it claim to be. On the days I went without a setting powder, I found myself looking oily or shiny within four hours of applying the product. The formula doesn't really move but oiliness just kind of peeks through. Any blush or bronzer I applied over the product stayed in place, even after a 15 hour day, which made me quite happy.

     For what it claims to be I will say with touch ups of setting powder, I can see this product lasting at least most of the day. It has an SPF of 20 but doesn't give off a white cast in photos. I see how it can build to conceal, but you have to make sure the product isn't so dry that you end up with a cakey appearance. I would still conceal with a regular concealer but if I was in a crunch for time, this can work out alright. 

     I will and do recommend this product, its drugstore which means it can be cheap. I think I paid around $8 dollars. It's a great formula you just have to remember the quicker you apply the better. The bottle comes with a pump, which makes it travel and user friendly, just don't forget to leave the pump open unless you want to clog it up with dry product. 

     So there are my thoughts on CoverGirl's 3-in-1. Have you tried this product? What's a product you can't live without?

Polishing A New Year

Lets talk about polish! I work in healthcare and it has highs and lows. I would have to say one of the biggest downsides for me is that I enjoy wearing nail polish. Depending on where you work and what you do, in a healthcare setting, you just aren't supposed to wear polish. I've also had this happen to me while I briefly worked in food service. No matter what you do for a living, sometimes it's just bothersome when you can't express yourself. Wearing nail polish is an outlet for me and also a treat.

     I find nail polish to be a format that I often gravitate towards to express myself. For New Years, I wore China Glaze's polish in Optical Illusion from their Prismatic Chroma Glitter Collection of Spring 2012. Why did I wear it, because to me, glitter polishes are something I wear when I want some sparkle. The whole polish collection also makes me think of confetti. For me it's confetti in a bottle! So of course this was perfect for New Years parties.

   

Here's a quick picture, no base and no top coat along with no clean up. ^_^

This is just 3 quick coats.

     China Glaze's Prismatic Collection is by far one of my favorite collections. I don't tend to wear glitters  but, when I want glitter and sparkle these are my go to polishes. I had to take a picture just to show the beauty of this single polish. It does need a top coat if you don't want a gritty texture, just a tip. I've found however that some top coats can dull the sparkle, so just take care on that. 

     Anyway, this was just a quick post and now I leave you with some more pictures. What are your go to polishes for special occasions? Did you wear a special polish to ring in the New Year? Feel free to share what it was in the comments below.

Review: Too Faced Snow Bunny Bronzer

I must admit that in most of my makeup wearing years, I have never really worn bronzers on a regular basis. Unless someone did my makeup, and put it on me, it just didn't happen. This was until I won seven different bronzers from Too Faced Cosmetics. After that, I had no excuse, at $30 bucks a pop I wasn't going to let my prize go to waste.

     So far, out of the bronzers I won (see my previous post for a list), I have focused on wearing Snow Bunny and I've tried Bronzed & Poreless a couple times. However, with it being the dead of winter in my home state I've been going with Snow Bunny almost exclusively. I feel it gives just a hint of color, I'm not trying to look like a tanning queen or orange in a sea of white. I haven't gone on vacation to lands of sun and warmth. Snow Bunny adds just that right amount of pigmentation without being overboard. It also provides a great highlight that just brightens your face.

     My thoughts on Snow Bunny; if I wasn't into wearing bronzer before, this product has totally changed my mind. Now if you don't want some shimmer or sparkle to your bronzer, this product is not for you. The Snow Bunny Bronzer features different sections to the product. With the right brush you can use these sections together or pick and chose, just make sure your brush is small enough if doing the latter.

     The first section being a lovely white based shimmery highlight. Next to this is the section that really gives you the bronze you're craving. Then there is a baby pink blush with a hint of gold sparkle and a more peachy shade with a white and gold shimmer to add some depth to the pink. 

     Swirl your brush around lightly and volia a touch of color for anytime. This works for everyday wear or special occasions. I'm not the most high maintenance of ladies so I'm very pleased that I can add it to my routine. Especially on those days when I just want to roll outta bed, put on a coat or two of mascara with some gloss and go. A little goes a long way, and that makes this a product worth buying, it will take some time till you hit pan on this one. Definitely see this becoming a staple product in my ever expanding collection of cosmetics. Highly recommend this product. It looks lovely on anyone with fair/light or medium skin like myself. I could see it even on darker tones as well. 

Do you own any Too Faced products? What are some of your go to cosmetics? Feel free to comment below!

The Great Bronzer Debacle.

I am a girl on a budget. Having a family, going to school and saving for our own place all keep my spending habits in check. So when it comes to splurging on cosmetics and other various beauty products, I tend to not. I talk myself out of the products I covet such as Urban Decay's Naked palettes or a a lipstick that costs more than 10 dollars.

     Instead, I stick to the drugstore or shop when there is a major sale or have coupons. This is why I jumped on e.l.f's holiday sale, it's also why I tend to take a chance on contests. All the way back in April of this year, I took part in such a contest on Facebook and Twitter. It was a chance to win different Too Faced products by sharing your tips for using certain products. Everyday, almost religiously, I responded to the days picture.

     One such morning there was a picture of Too Faced's seven most popular bronzers. The collection consisted of Bronzed & Poreless, Snow Bunny, Beach Bunny, Milk Chocolate Soleil, Endless Summer (16 Hour Bronzer), Sun Bunny and Chocolate Soleil. My tip was simple, I essentially said that I use bronzers in place of getting sun. Always wear some kind of sunscreen, if you want some of the real thing.

Later that day, I logged back into twitter and saw something I couldn't believe...I won!

     Sending in my information to Too Faced, little did I know that I would be moving before I received my prize. Sure enough, that is exactly what happened. Months later, having forgot about the contest I reluctantly entered another contest on Facebook by Too Faced. At this time I never knew if Too Faced had ever tried to send my original prize. Assuming they hadn't ever sent my prize, explains my reluctance to enter another contest. My hesitance left me to comment about how I had little trust about entering a Too Faced contest. 

     Then, something even more surprising then winning a contest happened. Too Faced reached out to me, they wrote saying that they remembered me and sent me information showing my package delivery had failed and asking me to send my new address. Two days later UPS was at the door and I was signing for my prize. After months of waiting, after giving up, I had $210 dollars worth of product in my hands. 

     Moral of the story, if you win a contest and don't receive your prize, take a chance and reach out to the contest sponsor. You never know what might happen. Have you ever entered a contest and won? If you could enter a contest for any beauty product what would it be?

Next time, I'll share my thoughts on Snow Bunny.