What's in my makeup bag? - Products that I'm currently using!

What's in my makeup bag?

As a beauty blogger, I've tried so many different products over the years. At some points I had about 20 or more foundations at the same time, and was trying so many things and finishing none of them. Since my little break off from blogging, I've cut down on trying so many new things at once, and I'm finding myself repurchasing the same things over again - things that are reliable and that I love!

So, for the past several months (or more), these have been my staples!

MAC Pro Longwear Nourishing Waterproof Foundation - I've gone through around 3-4 tubes of this so far, and I've been re-purchasing this foundation as soon as I run out. It has a solid medium coverage, and it's my go-to when I want my makeup to last on hours on end. It really does last me till the time I want to wash my face, and I don't find that it breaks apart or separates by the end of the night. I do prefer this over MAC's regular Pro Longwear Foundation, but I do like that one as well. ($33)

NARS Tinted Moisturizer - This is my go-to day wear foundation. The formula is creamy and moisturizing and it provides an SPF of 30, which is great for when you're out and about during the day. The coverage is light, but buildable, and evens out the skintone nicely and gives a fresh, clean look. A little expensive for a daily wearing tinted moisturizer, but for now, I'm loving it and I'm getting low on my second tube. ($44)

Estee Lauder Double Wear Concealer - It wasn't love at first sight with this concealer, but after using it regularly, I've grown to love it. As I'm getting older, I find it much more difficult to find a concealer that doesn't age me or give me the "tired eye" look, and I find that this one doesn't accentuate dryness or fine lines. A definite winner in my book, and one that I will repurchase as soon as I run out. ($25)

Urban Decay Naked Concealer - Along with Estee Lauder Double Wear Concealer, I like adding a layer of this concealer on top before I blend the two together. These two concealers work really well as a team, and I love how light and blendable this concealer is. It's a great one if you are looking for a pigmented concealer that doesn't have the density or weight of a standard (heavy) concealer. I like using this concealer in a lighter shade to brighten my under eyes. ($28)

Beauty Blender - I can't live without my beauty blender. I use it every day to apply my concealer, and I use a separate one to set my concealer with powder. It works more beautifully than any brush. ($20)

Estee Lauder Hot Coralline Pure Color Vivid Shine Lipstick Review, Photos, Swatches!

Estee Lauder Hot Coralline Pure Color Vivid Shine Lipstick

Estee Lauder Hot Coralline Pure Color Vivid Shine Lipstick ($26, 0.13 oz) is a light, watermelon pink with bright pink and golden flecks of shimmer. There are tones of coral, pink and peach that are all wrapped up in this beautiful gold tube.

Although you might not be able to tell from the photos, this lipstick has tons of shimmer. So much in fact, that you can feel the slight grittiness of the glitter on your lips during application. The finish is a creamy frost - so if you don't like shimmery frost.. I'd skip out on this one. It's sheer with one coat, and very buildable with additional coats. The main downside aside from the texture is that the formula has a tendency to settle in the lip lines if too much is applied, and unfortunately this color can accentuate dryness.

Aside from that, the color is beautiful and it doesn't stop me from wearing this lipstick frequently. I think it's a fab shade for the Summer and I think it's a great shade for those of you who lean towards those warm, peachy-pink lipsticks - my fav!

Estee Lauder Hot Coralline Lipstick swatched

Estee Lauder Hot Coralline Lipstick on my lips

A handful of products that I've been using lately...

I haven't purchased nearly as much makeup as I use to (as I haven't blogged in so long and haven't found the need to buy in excess), but I thought I'd share some of the products I've been using lately that I haven't talked about before!

Sonia Kashuk Perfecting Luminous Foundation - I purchased this on a whim at Target when I completely ran out of foundation and needed a simple every-day foundation. I wasn't expecting much, but I ended up really liking it for daily wear. The coverage is light, but buildable to a light-medium. It conceals my skin imperfections pretty well and evens out my skintone. The finish is really natural and makes my skin look slightly glowy and fresh, and it lasts all day. I'd compare it to something like L'Oreal True Match Lumi, but with a creamier BB Cream-like texture. The only downside is that the tube only has 0.06 oz (what!?) and you can't unscrew the product to scoop out any last bits of product. With daily use, I finished the bottle in barely three weeks. I will repurchase though, because I do really like it. For reference I purchased the shade Vanilla, which is good for light, warm skintones tones (around MAC NC20 coloring). If I'm around NC30, I'd go for Buff. 

MAC Prep + Prime Beauty Balm - I have still yet to find my absolute favorite BB cream, but recently I've been using this one from MAC. The coverage isn't the best, but it's buildable. If you want a solid medium coverage, you'd have to apply a good amount, and by that point, it feels a little sticky on the skin until it's set with a powder. So instead, I like adding a pump of my regular medium coverage foundation with this and it provides me natural coverage for daily wear. I'll finish the tube, but I don't think I'd repurchase. I think there cheaper alternatives out there that work better. If you use this, I'd love to know what you think of it in the comments. 

Maybelline Fit Me! Shine Free Stick Foundation - As far as foundation goes, this product isn't very good, but I use it for the sole purpose of contouring/bronzing. I purchased this stick in the shade Cappuccino, which is a really nice caramel-brown. I like buffing the product through my cheeks and around the frame of my face to give me a natural, bronzed look. It can also work good as a base for powder bronzer if you have issues with your bronzer fading quickly throughout the day. 

Estee Lauder Double Wear Concealer - I've been wanting to try this concealer for years, and I finally bought a tube along with a fresh bottle of Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation (I'll talk about that later - it was one of my top foundations until it was reformulated and with three days of use I had a face full of acne that took over a month to clear up). I guess I was a bit underwhelmed with the results, as I expected it to have full coverage, but it doesn't. It's thick, yet it's translucent, so I need an additional brightener under my eyes as the shadows under my eyes still peek through. Again, with this product I'll try finishing the tube, but I don't think I'll be repurchasing.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder - This has been my new favorite setting powder. It's really finely milled and doesn't add any color to the skin, it just softens the complexion and adds a soft glow. I use it every day with a stippling brush, and I even like using it with a beauty blender to set my under-eye concealer (you do have to be careful not to apply too much because It can stay in one spot and not move once you've blotted a load to an area). I have this powder in the shade diffused light, and it works perfectly for when I'm lighter or tan. 

Kat Von D Tattoo Eyeliner - Love this stuff! If you like Stila's Stay All Day Liquid Liner, you'll like this one too. The shape and density of the felt tip is perfect for creating a wing, and the pigment is really dark. I still like Stila a little bit better, as it's waterproof, but this one is a for sure second. Plus, I was able to find a three-pack at TJ Maxx for under $10 - was I just lucky? 

Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base - I've talked about this before on my blog, but in the past, I've only used samples from the BB counter. I finally purchased a full sized container, and I've really been enjoying using it daily under my makeup. It moisturizes my sensitive skin really well without irritating it or making it greasy, and it makes my skin look fresh and supple. It's a bit expensive, but a little goes a long way. If you feel uneasy about contaminating the product with your fingers, I'd recommend buying cosmetic spatulas from your local beauty supply store, or even eBay.

Unite Hair Products - I've been wanting to talk about this brand for months. This has been the main brand I've been using for haircare. I learned about it from the salon I go to occasionally, and Unite is the brand they use exclusively. Each time the products were used on my hair I loved the way my hair looked, smelled, and felt, so I would end up buying at least one product each time I'd get my hair done. What I love is that the shampoos are sulfate-free and the products are all free of parabens. My main favorite products are the 7 Seconds Condition Leave-in Spray, U Luxury Argan Oil and my newest favorite, the Lazer Straight Relaxing Fluid, which relaxes my hair really well prior to blowdrying. I've also used a few of their shampoos and conditioners - right now I'm using the Moisturizing Shampoo and Conditioner (I have very dry hair) which work really well, but it's so moisturizing that with repeated use, my hair gets a little weighed down, so I need to use a clarifying shampoo every couple of weeks. Highly recommend Unite - all of their products have great reviews on Amazon.

Estee Lauder Pure Color High Intensity Lip Lacquer Review, Photos, Swatches!

Estee Lauder Pure Color High Intensity Lip Lacquer

Estee Lauder Pure Color High Intensity Lip Lacquer ($25) is described as a full-impact liquid lipstick with high lacquer shine. This new collection of Lacquers is part of Estee Lauder's Fall '13 Metallics Collection that is centered around highly reflective and glass-like finishes for multi-dimesional color. So, if you're looking for a product with loads of color and a high gloss shine, these are it! The formula is also creamy and hydrating with a blend of Vitamins C, E and Conditioners. Available in (12) shades.

Liquid Petal is a medium-dark neutral peach with a hint of pink. It also has a some flecks of very subtle shimmer.

Chrome Kimono is a cool, medium rosy pink with bright pink shimmer.

Fuchsia Flash is a bright blue pink with purple and pink iridescent shimmer.

Hot Cherry is a true cherry red with shimmer. It's a beautiful holiday red that will flatter all skin tones.

Ruby Glow is a deep black cherry with no shimmer.

Electric Wine is a deep ripened plum with shimmer.

The consistency of these lip lacquers are really thick - maybe somewhat comparable to MAC Pro Longwear Lipglass, but they aren't at all sticky. Because of the consistency, sometimes adding a lip balm prior can help add a bit of slip to your lips for these lacquers to glide across, as you might find that you'll need to re-dip your wand a couple of times. Luckily, but you don't have to apply much for full-on color. They are opaque with one coat.

From left to right: Liquid Petal, Chrome Kimono, Fuchsia Flash, Hot Cherry, Ruby Glow and Electric Wine.

Estee Lauder Mirrored Orchid and Glow Fuchsia Pure Color Vivid Shine Lipstick Review, Photos, Swatches!

Estee Lauder Mirrored Orchid and Glow Fuchsia Pure Color Vivid Shine Lipstick

It's official - Fall is around the corner, which just happens to be my favorite time of the year! With Autumn comes all of the beautiful warm colors and the prime time to rock berry/plum and vampy hues. Similar to last year, metallic finishes for the Fall are still very popular.

This Fall, Tom Pecheux, Creative Makeup Director at Estée Lauder created The Metallics Collection that features the cool sheen of metal and the liquid light of lacquer.

"To create the makeup collection, I got inspired by the city, architecture, metal and glass." explained Pecheux. "I think it's nice to look pretty, but it's much better to look amazing."

You all know I love my lip products, so I'll be talking about the new lipsticks first. Estee Lauder Pure Color Vivid Shine Lipstick (Chrome Metal Effect) ($26) provides vivid color with a metal sheen. Amplified gold and silver pearl complex creates dimensional luminous effects, diamond-like reflections and intense chromatic color. As the pearls combine they neutralize liptone. All shades look great on every skintone. Available in (6) shades.

I'll be showing you two of those shades today - Glow Fuchsia, a beautiful shimmery rose and Mirrored Orchid, a lightly shimmered ripened plum. Both shades have a mirrored metallic finish, but they aren't a frost overload and don't look outdated.

Despite all of the fine glitter, the lipsticks glide on super smooth. You can slightly feel the shimmer when you rub your lips together, but it's not at all gritty.

The color is buildable from light to full with a couple of coats. Once worn off, the lipstick leaves behind a pretty shimmery stain.

Estee Lauder Glow Fuchsia and Mirrored Orchid Pure Color Vivid Shine Lipstick

Estee Lauder Mirrored Orchid Lipstick (left) and Glow Fuchsia (right)

Estee Lauder Hot Fuse and Techno Jam Pure Color Lip Shine Review, Photos, Swatches!

Estee Lauder Pure Color Lip Shine

This Spring, Estee Lauder is all about bringing us bright and fun colors in sheer, lightweight formulas. All of the products in the Estee Lauder Pure Color Cello Shots Collection all commonly share the same characteristics of being beautifully bright yet very subtle for a fresh, healthy look.

Estee Lauder Pure Color Lip Shine ($26) is described as bringing a sheer rush of color to the lips. The formula is lightweight, moisturizing and long-lasting.

Available in (6) limited edition shades: Pink Patent, X-Pose Rose, Plexi Pink, Hot Fuse, Techno Jam and Poppy Shock.

Does the description sound familiar? If you've had a chance to look at my previous review for the Estee Lauder Pure Color Sheer Rush Lipgloss, this product is exactly the same - but in lipstick form. Luckily, there is a bit more pigment with these lipsticks.

The two shades I have are Hot Fuse, which is a soft blue-based red, but when applied, it gives off more of a raspberry/rose tone. Techno Jam is a slightly deeper cherry red, and definitely is more red on the lips than Hot Fuse. Both are equally as pigmented, and comparable to something like Revlon Lip Butters. Sheer upon the first swipe, but very buildable to a fairly opaque coverage.

Estee Lauder Techno Jam

Estee Lauder Hot Fuse

Estee Lauder Hot Fuse and Pure Rose Pure Color Sheer Rush Lipgloss Review, Photos, Swatches!

Estee Lauder Pure Color Sheer Rush Lipgloss

The new Spring 2013 Estee Lauder Cello Shots Pure Color Collection is all about playful and bright colors delivered in sheer, lightweight formulas that will keep the skin fresh and glowing all day. Tom Pecheux, the Creative Makeup Director at Estee Lauder says, "This season, I’ve been working a lot with what I call “acqua color”. It’s a gentle, watery look with just a touch of bright, vibrant color."

Estee Lauder Pure Color Sheer Rush Lipgloss ($24) is described as a "cellophane-sheer" gloss that brings a super-sheer rush of vibrant color to the lips with a high shine finish. It's moisturizing and long lasting.

Available in (6) limited edition shades: Pink Patent, X-Pose Rose, Plexi Pink, Hot Fuse, Techno Jam and Poppy Shock.

The two colors I'll be talking about are Hot Fuse, which is a bright cherry red and Pure Rose, a vibrant grape.

Some companies tend to "embellish" the product claims to make their product sound wonderful, but refreshingly, I found the description to be dead-on.

These glosses are super-sheer and tint the lips with vibrant, transparent color. The finish is very glossy, so it almost gives a watery, juicy look to the lips. It almost looks like a very mild stain with a clear gloss on top.

The formula is amazing. It doesn't settle in my lip lines or accentuate dryness and it even makes my lips appear slightly fuller. It's very silky and feels wonderful on. It has a glossy, balm-lip texture on the lips, so when I'm wearing it, I often rub my lips together to be reminded of the softness. No lip balm is necessary, just this lipgloss and I'm good to go.

(I accidentally labeled Pure Rose as Techno Jam)

Estee Lauder Pink Patent Pure Color Cheek Rush Review, Photos, Swatches!

Estee Lauder Cello Shots Pure Color Cheek Rush

The new Spring 2013 Estee Lauder Cello Shots Pure Color Collection is all about playful and bright colors delivered in sheer, lightweight formulas that will keep the skin fresh and glowing all day.  Tom Pecheux, the Creative Makeup Director at Estee Lauder says, "This season, I’ve been working a lot with what I call “acqua color”. It’s a gentle, watery look with just a touch of bright, vibrant color."

Estee Lauder Cello Shots Pure Color Cheek Rush ($28) is a water-based transparent gel that provides the cheeks with a vibrant, yet very sheer stain. It's super lightweight, easy to blend and gives such a natural, fresh and dewy look to the skin.

Estee Lauder Pure Color Cheek Rush is available in (4) shades: Hot Fuse, Pink Patent, X-Pose Rose and Techno Jam.

I have the shade Pink Patent, which is a lovely soft pink that warms up beautifully to my skin. I think it's a shade that's best suited for fair, light and medium skin tones and would adapt well to either cool or warm undertones.

The consistency is exactly what it sounds like - a water-based gel. It's kind of hard to explain because it's not runny, nor is it thick. It's light and airy, but not moussey. I'm not sure I've used any other product like it. It's cooling to the touch and disappears into the skin once blended without any greasy residue.

Application: You can absolutely use your fingers and tap the product into your cheeks, but because it can temporarily stain the fingertips, I like using a small stippling brush such as the MAC 130 or 188 Brush. Since the formula is so sheer and easy to work with, just about any brush would do (I'd stick with a synthetic brush though).

Here are a couple of photos where I was wearing Pink Patent on my cheeks - this is 7 hours after it was applied! I wasn't wearing any other cheek products but a bronzer all over my face and you can see that my cheeks look fresh and glowing.

Reviewing an old favorite: Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation.

Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation

I've talked and recommended this foundation on many occasions, but I don't actually have a post dedicated to it. It's been requested on a few occasions, and since I've been wearing it almost every day lately, it's reminded me of how much I love this foundation and figured it'd be the perfect time for a review on it!

My love for this foundation dated back six years ago when I was in the market for a full coverage foundation. I was recommended Estee Lauder Double Wear and haven't looked back!

This miracle in a bottle claims to provide flawless, lasting coverage that will withstand heat, humidity and sweat while feeling lightweight on the skin and looking completely natural throughout the day.

It's also smudge-proof, oil-free, Non-acnegenic and fragrance free.

There are 21 shades in total, and the shades are broken up into three categories, making it easier to find the right shade for your undertone. *As a side note, neutral in the Estee Lauder Double Wear line refers to peach.

W = Warm (1W1 Bone, 1W2 Linen, 2W1 Sand, 3W1 Tawny, 4W1 Shell Beige, 5W1 Bronze, 6W2 Spice)
N = Neutral (1N1 Ecru, 2N1 Desert Beige, 2N2 Fresco, 3N1 Ivory Beige, 4N1 Wheat, 5N1 Soft Tan, 6N1 Truffle)
C = Cool (1C1 Shell, 2C1 Dusk, 3C1 Pebble, 4C1 Suede, 5C1 Rich Chestnut, 6C1 Rich Cocoa)

*Warm = red, yellow undertones, Cool = pink/rosy undertones. 

When I have no tan (MAC NC15-20 coloring) I use shade 1W1 Bone. When I'm tan (MAC NC35-NC40 coloring) I use 3W1 Tawny. Tawny is slightly light when I'm NC40, but the next shade up (Shell Beige) lacks enough yellow.

READ MORE!

A recent trip to the CCO (Cosmetic Company Outlet)!

I took a recent trip to my "not so" local Cosmetic Company Outlet, as I've had to urge for several months to stop in and see if I can find any good, discounted cosmetics.

I was mostly hoping to get my hands on some MAC brushes, but the items that particular CCO had in stock were a little on the "sad" side.

I did manage to find some things, though!

Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation in 1W1 Bone - After wearing countless foundations that don't get me through a long day, I started to miss an old favorite - Estee Lauder Double Wear.

It's a foundation that I could always rely on that provides full coverage on those shy-of-perfect skin days, is transfer-resistant and long wearing. Love this stuff.

MAC #192 Cheek/Face Brush - A small, synthetic paddle shaped foundation-type brush with a tapered tip that was designed for use of face products, such as moisturizer and/or cream blush. This brush has been discontinued.

I was drawn to this brush immediately as I love using foundation brushes to apply my concealer as opposed to tiny concealer brushes. This brush looked like the perfect brush to apply my concealer. I haven't tested it out yet, but I'm pretty anxious to!

Bobbi Brown Creamy Lip Color in #55 Pink Cloud -The only thing that stinks from buying makeup from a CCO (other than it being very old) is finding an awesome shade, and then later finding that it's a discontinued shade. Le sigh.

Pink Cloud has the potential of being my favorite pink lipstick, but it appears that our love will be short lived, as I'm sure I'll have trouble finding a back-up.

It's a creamy, light yellow-toned pink (which makes it appear slightly coral/flamingo pink in the tube). On the lips it's a little bit lighter, and more of a bubble-gum pink. It reminds me a little bit of one of my older favorite lipsticks by MAC called Colour Crafted (but much more wearable).

MAC Royal Azalea Sheen Supreme - A shade that would typically be very unlike me to purchase in the past. It's funny though how certain colors I couldn't wear when I was tan, are flattering on me now. And vise-versa. I wouldn't get near a blue-based pink in the past (being a tan MAC NC40), but now, chillin' in my au natural NC15 skin, MAC Snob doesn't look all that bad, and my HG MAC Shygirl doesn't look too HG status anymore.

Royal Azalea is a light, cotton candy pink with blue undertones. It's incredibly creamy with opaque coverage, and very comfortable on the lips.

MAC Kissable Lip Color in Enchantee - MAC Kissable Lip Color Lip Glosses were limited edition glosses that launched early last year in the MAC Peacocky Collection. They claimed to be a hybrid of a lipstick and gloss, giving you the coverage of a lipstick, with the finish of a gloss that is lightweight and will last for hours.

Enchantee is a cool toned light pink. It's very lightweight, non-sticky, provides good coverage and lasts longer on my lips than typical lip glosses. Bummer this was limited edition!

 MAC Enchantee, Bobbi Brown Pink Cloud and MAC Royal Azalea.

If you'd like to see individual reviews for any of these products, let me know!