NOTD: OPI You Don't Know Jacques!

Let me introduce you to my new favorite nail polish. It's very similar to "Over the Taupe" (previous NOTD post). You Don't Know Jacques! is a deep gray brown with no pearl or shimmer. Love, love, love this color. It's very pigmented and is almost completely opaque with one coat and 100% opaque with two.

This is with only one coat of You Don't Know Jacques! & no top coat. 

Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion Review & Giveaway!

Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion

So, I'm sure you all have recently seen this little white bottle with the red cap all over beauty blogs. I have at least. I was sent this lotion a few weeks ago to test out and review from Skin MD.

Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion is a lightweight, non greasy and hydrating sheiding lotion that can be used on the hands and body. It is said to actually strengthen the skin's natural barrier, offering additional protection from toxins, irritants, & other skin drying substances while helping to retain skin's own natural oils. 

• Vegan
• Hypoallergenic
• Fragrance-Free
• No parabens or colorants

What makes this shielding lotion more effective than other lotions out there?

"Conventional lotions are only effective in the short-term by adding artificial moisture to the skin in an effort to replace natural moisture. The problem is that they are very easily removed and need to be reapplied continuously. This sends a signal to the moisture producing parts of the skin that enough moisture is in present, while in reality the skin doesn’t produce enough moisture to resolve a dry skin problem. Skin responds to this message by decreasing moisture production and thus becomes addicted to the artificial moisturizer. If the lotion stops being reapplied, the skin can go through a phase of getting even drier than before the first application of an artificial moisturizer (conventional moisturizing lotion). Additionally, conventional lotions sit on the surface of the skin, may be greasy or sticky, thus attracting dirt that may contribute to clogged pores." - Wikipedia.org

During winter, my hands get incredibly dry - especially my knuckles. I usually use scrubs and apply heavy moisturizers at night and hand creams throughout the day, but the problem is, I wash my hands SO many times a day, that I'm continuously washing off my moisturizer & re-applying it. So I was excited to give this lotion a try.

The directions are to apply a small amount every 2-8 hours until moisture level improves. Then, just once every 12-24 hours.

The consistency of the moisturizer is very thin and runny. Within seconds of applying this, my hands feel slippery, but they soak up the moisture completely. My hands don't feel oily or greasy. They don't give a silky feeling like a regular lotion may because there is no residue. It dries completely. But, I can feel that my hands are slightly softer with each application, and I really like the cooling, satiny feeling this lotion gives while application.

I tested this out by applying it to my hands and then washing my hands right after. The moisturizer didn't rinse off my hands. My hands stayed moisturized. Yay!

I mainly have been using this on my face (you can use it on your face, body & hands) as a moisturizer before my foundation. I prefer this more for a facial moisturizer rather than a hand/body moisturizer because I don't have the patience to apply lotion to my hands so many times throughout the day. I like applying Vaseline or very heavy creams to my hands at night and wear moisture gloves and get rid of the dryness in one shot.

For my face, I like light, runny moisturizers rather than heavy creams because I don't like my face getting greasy. So for me, this stuff is perfect for my face. Its very light and makes my face feel very fresh and prepped for an even makeup application. It hasn't broken me out. It actually reminds me A LOT of Laura Gellar's Spackle Primer ($25 for 2 fl oz) which happens to be an old favorite of mine.

The Verdict: I do like this stuff, but a this time I'm unsure If I would re-purchase it. Mainly because I always manage to get my hands on GWP (Gift with purchase) moisturizers and I use a lot of generics. It's $18 (4 oz) which isn't bad for a facial moisturizer. Time will tell with this stuff. Once I run out of it, I may want more. :)

Now, it's your turn to try SkinMD Natural! One person will receive a full sized bottle to see for themselves!

Rules:
1) You have be a follower of my blog
2) Post a comment what your all time favorite/s moisturizer is! I'd love to hear what you guys use & love!

I'm thinking this contest will end Friday at 12AM Central US Time. If this happens to change, I'll keep you posted!

Revlon PhotoReady Foundation Review, Photos & Swatches!

 Revlon Photoready Makeup

There has been a huge hype about the new Revlon Photo Ready Foundation lately. A lot of people have compared it to Make Up Forever HD Foundation because its good photographing capabilities. Revlon Photoready Foundation claims to look airbrushed in any lighting, with light reflecting pigments to erase all of your flaws. It's also said to provide complete coverage, yet with a natural finish.

Revlon Photoready Foundation is available in twelve (12) shades:  Ivory, Vanilla, Shell, Nude, Natural Beige, Medium Beige, Cool Beige, Golden Beige, Rich Ginger, Caramel, Cappuccino and Mocha. 

I was pretty torn between choosing #006 Medium Beige or #008 Golden Beige. Before going to the store, I had it in my head that I was going to purchase Golden Beige. But, when I actually looked at the bottles, Medium Beige looked darker and more yellow. Golden Beige looked more neutral and beige. So, I ended up choosing #006 Medium Beige. It's a good color match for my MAC NC40 skin tone. I'm sure it can match MAC NC35-37 coloring as well. 

Revlon Photoready Makeup in Medium Beige 

(You can see the shimmer in the bottle)

The consistency is very light and creamy. It's a bit runny, so it spreads across the skin very well without a primer, and I rarely ever have to go back for additional product after buffing the foundation into my skin.

The coverage is a good medium that is buildable. It hides the majority of my flaws, evens out my complexion and makes my face glowy and airbrushed. It dries to a semi-matte that isn't at all dull.

 Swatch of Revlon Photoready Makeup in Medium Beige

As for the "light reflecting pigments" AKA shimmer particles, the reviews for this aspect of the foundation are pretty mixed. I;m sure it depends a lot on your coloring and skin type whether or not it's going to show. Many people said its overly shimmery, and others said they didn't notice any shimmer whatsoever. When I swatched the color on my wrist and really blended it into my skin, I can visibly see lots of shimmer. More shimmer than I've ever seen in a foundation. Once applied to my face, I didn't any shimmer unless I'm looking at my face close-up in the sunlight, or hours later when my foundation starts to get a little shiny and fade, the shimmer appears. I don't think I mind it too much, but I think sometimes shimmer can work against you if you apply too much, and I think there is just too much in this foundation. I think if Revlon cut out half of the shimmer, It'd be a much better foundation.

The lasting power is good. It lasts me a full day with minor fading. I do get shiny after a few hours, but it's no oil slick, so I'll just make sure to dust my face with a little setting powder. One thing I've noticed is that after a few hours, the foundation looks darker on my face than when it was first applied. I'm not sure if this has happened to anyone else, but it continuously happens with me, so I think if I do re-purchase this foundation, I may re-purchase it in a lighter shade, for when I'm less tan.

It's pretty good for a drugstore foundation. Right now I'm going to give it a 4 out of 5. I will keep you updated with what I think about this! I'm going to wear it for a few more days. I purchased this foundation at ULTA for $13.99.

Here's me at work today wearing Revlon PhotoReady

Update: I love the way this foundation looks when it's first applied, but I don't love the way my face looks a few hours later. I find that the color oxidizes a little bit and in the daylight, my face looks orange. This foundation has great coverage and a pretty finish, but it's not HG material for me mostly due to the oxidation. I will probably finish up the bottle, but I'm unsure if I'd re-purchase it. I wouldn't say this is a must-have and I wouldn't say it's a bad foundation. If you find this foundation for a very good price.. try it out for yourself! I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Covergirl Lash Blast Luxe Mascara Review!

Covergirl Lash Blast Luxe Mascara

So, you all know by now that my favorite mascara is Covergirl Lash Blast. I headed over to ULTA this weekend to pick up a couple of things including a tube of Lash Blast (original) and they were out of stock. But, I saw that there were a ton of Lash Blast "Luxe" in stock.

I've never heard of the Luxe formula, and I wasn't sure whether to get it or not for a few reasons.
1. I was unaware of exactly how shimmery this mascara is; I didn't want mascara with glitter in it.
2. I was unaware of how BLACK it is. I like my mascara to be the blackest black.
3. I wasn't sure if the formula was exactly the same as the original lash blast. I wanted the same formula (I didn't care for Lash Blast Length).

I decided to try it anyway, because I was desperate for a fresh tube and I didn't feel like running all over town for it.

Covergirl Lash Blast Luxe is available in four shades: Black Platinum, Black Cabernet, Black Royale & Black Emerald. I chose Black Platinum; the darkest shade.

Covergirl Lash Blast Luxe Mascara in Black Platinum

When I opened the tube, I wasn't too happy with how black it is. Its more of a dark charcoal grey black with teeny tiny bits of shimmer. It's not overly shimmery. It's definitely not glittery. Once applied, it was super black. I was very happy that It didn't look like I had charcoal colored lashes & I couldn't tell that it was shimmery - only if I pressed my nose against my compact mirror, I could spot a few specks of shimmer. I was also very pleased to see that the formula is indeed the same as the original Lash Blast. I would definitely re-purchase this mascara!

Covergirl Lash Blast Luxe Mascara

Here are my lashes with and without the mascara.

Have you tried this mascara? What are your thoughts? Did you notice any difference?