My Go To Makeup

Sometimes you just have one of those days...the roll out of bed, have to get ready to head out the door in the next half hour or less, kind of days. I want to look good and ready to take on the day with out really trying. On those days I reach for my Go To Makeup, makeup that I keep handy for THOSE days. 

     I've gotten in the habit of not leaving the house for extended periods of time with out my Go To routine. I try not to go out without at least primer, maybe concealer plus a setting powder, and for sure have some kind of an eye look going on. It might just be personal preference, but I feel more put together with my eyes done, like I actually tried to get ready. 

     The products in my look are no fail products in my eyes, because who wants to go out wearing a concealer that breaks down less then an hour after you put it on, or an eye shadow that melts or has creasing no matter what steps you take to prevent it (the use of a great primer), or a shadow with no color pay off no matter how much pressure you apply or brush you use.

These are the products I turn to time and again for a no fail, great, put together, easy look:

                                           
                                               Moisturizer: e.l.f Daily Moisture Stick 

I have combination skin, so essential for any dryness, which I tend to have on my cheeks and under my eyes.

                                    Primer: (Currently) e.l.f. Studio Mineral Infused Face Primer

This is just been what I go for lately, my primer changes, but I usually use an e.l.f primer.

Foundation: Covergirl Outlast stay fabulous 3 in 1

I'll use a little bit of this foundation if I have something special (but not too special) going on and really want to hide an imperfections (blemishes...etc.)

 Concealer: CoverGirl & Olay -- Fair/Light

I'll use this concealer under foundation (if I wear any) or for light coverage by itself, it is also buildable and moisture packed, so I don't need to worry about my dry spots in my combo skin, which is always a huge plus for me. ^_^ 

                                     
                                 Setting Powder: NYC Smooth Skin Pressed Powder in Translucent

Combination skin, this takes care of my oily t-zone and chin, doesn't accentuate my dry areas this powder just keeps everything makeup wise in place & it's SO cheap (maybe cost me $3).

                                    Eyeshadow Primer: Wet 'n' Wild - Fergie Take On The Day 
                     

New product to my routine, your eye shadow will NOT move if you use this, and a little goes a LONG way, cost me $3 dollars, only downside is it causes some eye shadow fallout for me, as it drys quite fast.

  

                         Eyeshadow (Palette): Wet 'n' Wild Color Icon Collection in Comfort Zone

I absolutely love WnW's Color Icon 8 pan palettes, actually most of their eye shadows in general, cheap (at around 3-4 dollars) and the pigmentation is just amazing. I also love that I can mix and match with their shadows and make all kinds of looks from a basic neutral, to way out there, theme looks or a classic smoky eye.

                                                             
                                 Mascara: Maybelline Great Lash Mascara in Very Black

Love this formula, also great in waterproof. This is just my standard go to mascara, and it never dries out on me.

Now this is not saying I won't switch it up with different eyeshadow palette here and there but most of the time when I'm in a rush this is it.

What are your go to products(in a rush, no makeup day but I just have to wear this)? 

Do you have a makeup product that you consider your holy grail (if it wasn't made anymore you wouldn't know what to do)? Ever had a favorite product discontinued, what was it? How did you cope, what replaced it?

E.L.F Moisturizing Lipstick (Swatches) & First Impressions!!

During e.l.f's whole Christmas sale extravaganza, I noticed a new lipstick line from e.l.f put out through their studio line. The line is E.L.F's Moisturizing Lipstick collection. E.L.F's site states that the lipstick is a rich, creamy, long wearing formula that will glide on with a velvety, satin texture giving the lips vibrant color and providing luminous shine. Their site also states that the lipstick is infused with Shea, Vitamins A,C & E to provide long lasting moisture. There are ten different colors in the collection. I purchased four of these colors.

Ravishing Rose, Red Carpet, Velvet Rope & Party In The Buff
(E.L.F's Moisturizing Lipsticks)

From left to right: Party In The Buff, Ravishing Rose, Red Carpet & Velvet Rope

Swatches: Velvet Rope, Red Carpet, 

 Ravishing Rose & Party In The Buff

Velvet Rope, Red Carpet, 

   Ravishing Rose & Party In The Buff

Same Order, Better Lighting ^_^

Party In The Buff: A Peachy Nude Color

Ravishing Rose: About the color of my natural lips. 

                        Purple undertone.

Red Carpet: Vibrant Red, with a 

 Slightly Deeper Red/Blue Undertone

Velvet Rope: Vintage Pinup, Red/Orange tone

                                   
So far I've tried Ravishing Rose and Party In The Buff. My initial thoughts are that you need to exfoliate your lips before wearing these lipsticks. Otherwise, you will be noticing how dry your lips were before applying product. Also, so far, these lip colors do not feel moisturizing in anyway. After a few minutes of wear they leave my lips feeling quite dry to the point of feeling chapped. I hope to have a better experience as I wear them more often. I plan to have a full review of these colors up here soon. So stay tuned.

                            Have you tried any of these lipsticks, which colors are your favorites?

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.