How to Highlight your face! + Swatches of ALL of my products!

 Hey Everyone! While I was browsing my blogger dashboard at all of the new postings, I came across a new post from Kandee Johnson that was titled "How to Highlight Cheekbones like a Pro". I thought I already knew how to highlight my face.. but once I read her post.. I had actually learned a lot! I just started using her method and it's been working great. I thought I had to share with you guys..

Kandee's method for highlighting is applying a cream highlighter with your fingers on top of your cheekbones after all of your makeup is finished. Then, SET your cream highlighter with a powder highlighter! She mentions the best brush to use is a Duo-Fiber brush (such as the MAC 130 or 131) because it doesn't pick up very much color. By using a regular blush brush.. you will end up with too much product on your brush. (I've done this way too often and looked like I was punched with a bag of glitter. Lol!) You can also use a fan brush.. it's designed to not pick up as much product and it's shaped perfectly so when you pat the brush down on your skin, it will apply the product in a thin line (on top of your cheekbones). 

*Why is this news to me?? I never thought about applying a cream and powder. Yes I do this for blush sometimes and I of course do this for my foundation. But It never crossed my mind to do it for my highlight as well. Also, I don't use a highlight often.. but I now know that you only need the thiniest bit. As I watched Kandee apply her highlight.. it was like an AHA moment. She did so little work and her cheekbones looked amazing! And, even though her makeup was matte looking.. her highlight made her face appear dewy and fresh. I always knew how to apply highlighter and where to apply it.. but I didn't know how much and where to stop, blend, etc. You only need to pat it in a small area above your cheekbones (the highest point of your cheek that sticks out) so in certain lighting, the light will catch your cheekbones and make them look more defined. 

You can view her tutorial written in her blog post along with her favorite products by clicking here. But! I highly suggest you to WATCH the video! Click here to watch the video.

Also, I included swatches of all of my highlighting products for you guys!

 Swatches from Left to Right: Yves Saint Laurent Touche D'or Golden Touch for the Face (LE). This has been released on a few different occasions with the last release for the Holiday 2010. It's a liquid highlighter pen with a brush applicator (just like Touche Eclat). It has a thin creamy consistency and gives a nice glow to the skin. The color is a pearly, shimmery golden pink. Product info here.

Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat #1 Radiant Touch. A liquid highlighter pen with a brush applicator. A creamy liquid consistency that is a luminous peachy pink with no pearl or shimmer. Product info here.

Yves Saint Laurent Eclat D'or Face & Body Highlighter. Gel textured with lots of gold pearl and iridescence. I've had this for a while.. I'm not sure if it is Limited Edition or if it was discontinued. I can't find any information on it.

Benefit High Beam. A pearly light pink liquid highlighter with a nail polish-like wand applicator. Product info here.

Swatches from Left to Right: NARS Albatross Blush. A powder blush that appears white in the pan, but applies as a finely milled golden sheen. Product info here.

ELF Gotta Glow Studio Blush. A dupe for NARS Albatross. The products are pretty identical in color.. but the consistency of the ELF blush is more powdery (lower quality). Product info here.

MAC Vanilla Pigment. A soft white pigment with a golden yellow pearl. It is similar to both NARS Albatross and ELF Gotta Glow.. but it is more intense and the white color is more prominent. Product info here.

Swatches from Left to Right: MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Medium/Natural and Shimmer (LE). A duo powder compact with one side as a setting powder and the other side is a highlighter. The highlighter is a frosty pinky peach.

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish New Vegas (LE). A frosty yellow gold powder with gold shimmer veining. This shade has not been re-launched by MAC since the original launch in 2007.

MAC Honour Powder Blush. A subtle golden peach sheen with slight gold shimmer. I love using this all over my cheeks because it isn't very intense. Makes for a great highlighter, esp for darker/tan skin tones. Product info here.

Swatches from Left to Right: Stila Rose Gold Illuminating Finishing Powder. A sheer, frosty pinkish peach baked powder. I can't find any information on this powder. It may be discontinued? 

Hard Candy Honeymoon Blush Crush Baked Blush. A frosted peachy pink baked powder. Available at Walmart.

MAC Natural Flare Beauty Powder. A frosty peachy pink shimmer powder with fine glittery golden reflects. This was a limited edition product at MAC.. I believe it may be available at MAC Pro. I'm not 100%.

I love all of my highlighters and use them all from time to time. I'm not sure if I can pick out a favorite. I am interested now in purchasing MAC Hush or Shell cream colour bases. 

I hope you found this post helpful! Share in the comments what your favorite highlighters are or the technique you use for applying your highlight!

Wet n Wild Just Peachy Mega Last Matte Lipstick w/ This Too Shall Glass Glassy Gloss! LOVE!

Wet n Wild Mega Matte Lipstick Just Peachy 903C

&

Wet n Wild Glassy Gloss This Too Shall Glass

Wet n Wild Just Peachy 903C is a creamy, warm (yellow toned) peachy/coral pink. It somewhat reminds me of MAC Shygirl.. but Shygirl is slightly more muted. The color itself is very pretty and I think would be flattering on any skin tone. It isn't pale where it will wash you out, nor is it too bold for those who are use to wearing nudes. There is no scent to this lipstick. It applies very smooth, with lots of pigmentation. The finish is a satiny matte.

The only downside is the terrible packaging. As you can tell, there are identations on the lipstick from the tube. For some reason, these lipsticks get so messy in the tube. I only used this twice so far (since I purchased it last night) and there are already lipstick marks inside the cap. The lipstick itself is not very secure in the tube. With my other two lipsticks, each time I use them.. the lipstick bullet (is that what it's really called? I heard someone refer to it as that.) separates. So far, this one seems a little secure.. but I'm sure as the week passes.. it won't be secure anymore. Once it does separate.. it's fine to apply.. no problems.. but the inside of the cap gets so messy.. and being it's clear.. it's not cute. Also, for some reason.. these lipsticks only say the actual name of them on the clear packaging that you throw away once opened. The bottom of the lipstick only reads the number 903C. I would have no idea this lipstick is called "Just Peachy" if I didn't read the label before I threw it away.

Anyway, the product itself makes up for the crappy packaging. And being it's $2.99 a tube.. and I always see it for 50% off at the drugstores.. I can't complain much. But C'mon Wet n Wild.. I hope you get enough letters to change the packaging!

As for the gloss.. It's very nice. It's a sheer pink with a golden sheen. The color itself is very sheer.. I wish it was more opaque to be worn alone.. but i'll be pairing this up with any of my nude lipsticks. I love the formula. It's not sticky or thick.. watery or runny. It's the perfect smooth consistency..

Top: Just Peachy on my bare lips Bottom: Just Peachy with This Too Shall Glass on top

Do you own this lipstick or gloss? Love them? Hate them? Post in the comments below! :)

Small Drugstore Haul!

1) Maybelline Color Sensational Lipsticks in the shades "Pink Please 025" and "Born with It 015". These are Buy 1 Get 1 50% Off at Walgreens till the 15th. I haven't tried them yet.. Pink Please was a color that was recommended to me by one of my lovely readers. I was hesitant at first.. but I decided to try it out. Both shades are light/med toned pinks.

2) Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear Nail Color in the shade "Grey Area 330". Grey Area is a deep Grey that looks darker on the nails than it does in the bottle. In the bottle it looks very similar to Rimmel Steel Grey, but Grey Area is deeper and almost looks navy in certain lighting.

3) Wet n Wild Mega Matte Lipstick in the shade "Just Peachy 903C". A mid toned coral-pink shade. This is the third mega matte lipstick to my addition.. and I love them all! The lipsticks are creamy, very pigmented and no yucky scent! All Wet n Wild is 50% off at Walgreen's till the 15th.

4) Wet n Wild Fast Dry Nail Color in the shade "Gray's Anatomy 237C". The Fast Dry formula is new to Wet n Wild in 2011. There were several different shades that caught my eye.. like a pretty baby pink, a bright blue, a bright coral-red.. but for some reason I picked this one. It's a silvery grey with a purple/blue/green pearl. I'm still deciding if I like it or not.. LOL but I guess we'll have to see once I apply it to my nails & post a NOTD!

5) Wet n Wild Glassy Gloss Lip Gel in the shade "This Too Shall Glass 310A". Cute name.. sounds like a shade of OPI nail polish? Lol This is also a new product for 2011. I really like the formula of this. It's not sticky at all and feels very smooth on the lips. This color in particular is a sheer pink with a golden pearl.

6) LASplash Nail Art Glitter in the shade "Onyx". A very pretty dark glitter.. with a mixture of fine and chunky glitter. The glitter is multi colored.. but mostly appears to be a deep blue/purple/green? I thought it would look very pretty paired with the polishes I bought. Can't wait to share with you a NOTD!

Swatches are yet to come!

Review: Revlon Colorstay Makeup with Softflex SPF 6 for Combination/Oily! + FOTD!

Revlon Colorstay Makeup with Softflex SPF 6 for Combination/Oily in Warm Golden

Hey guys! I purchased Revlon Colorstay Foundation last month while it was on sale at my local drugstore for 40% along with L'Oreal True Match Foundation. This is actually the third or fourth time I have purchased this foundation. Each time I have purchased a different color and wasn't happy with any of the shades. So basically, I gave up on Colorstay due to the color selection. But, I was determined to find a decent match.. which is why I decided to yet again give it a try. It has great ratings and I've seen so many gorgeous faces in the makeup community use this foundation and love it. Many claim that it's the best drugstore foundation. With such positive feedback.. I was very eager to try it for myself.

I did a little research, and found that for MAC NC35-37, "Golden Beige 300" and "Warm Golden 310" were the best matches. One up, "True Beige 320" is too pink and is better suited for NW30.. and the next up from True Beige is "Natural Tan 330" and is best for NC40.

I did a few hand swatches and liked the way "Warm Golden" looked the best.. so that's what I purchased.

I did a few swatches of "Warm Golden" next to MAC Studio Fix Fluid in NC30 and NC40. Unfortunately, I didn't have NC35 or NC37 on hand. You can very visibly see that the MAC foundations are much more golden.. where Revlon is slightly more neutral/beige. It may be difficult to distinguish because the undertones don't match.. but Warm Golden is darker than NC30 and would fall in the NC35-37 range.

When I really like a foundation, I know right away. And usually, I'll review it fairly quick. This foundation took a while to grow on me. I applied it in several different ways. I applied it to a dry face, moisturized/primed face.. with a standard foundation brush, duo-fiber brush, fluffy synthetic brush and with my fingers. And I found that the best way for me to apply this foundation for the best result is, by first moisturizing my face prior to application and using my MAC 131 (smaller version of the 187 skunk brush), dampened with water to stipple it all over my face until blended. Applied to a dry face, this foundation looked terrible on me. But, this foundation is meant for combination to oily skin.. so it should be perfect for those with oily skin. I have pretty normal skin.. but I would also call it combination.. because I tend to get an oily t-zone (but not overly oily).. so thats why it applies better with some moisture on my face. 

The foundation itself is creamy.. but a little heavy. If you find it to be too thick, heavy or cakey.. I recommend mixing it with a couple drops of your facial moisturizer or a tinted moisturizer. I tried this with MAC Face & Body and had great results (But my F&B is a little dark for me right now.. so I didn't post a photo).

Even though the undertone doesn't have that much yellow - it works perfectly fine for me right now since my coloring is a bit lighter than usual.

The coverage is pretty good. It's a medium coverage that is buildable for a heavier coverage. I prefer the way it looks when it is sheered out a bit with a moisturizer or thinner foundation. I find myself using this pretty often in conjunction with lighter foundations to over areas that need extra coverage.

It claims to last for 16 hours, which I think is a bit of a stretch. MAC Studio Fix Fluid definitely lasts longer on my skin than this foundation. This foundation can probably get me through a full work day.. but I don't agree that it will look flawless until I take it off at night. For me, after some hours (maybe 6?) it starts to fade and areas that were once concealed aren't very well concealed any more. What I really like is that it keeps my face matte.. and I have no signs of oil on my forehead or nose. So, again.. a great foundation for those with oily/combination skin. 

I prefer setting it with a setting powder, as it made my face feel a little wet? tacky? after application. 

Overall, I do think it's a nice foundation and in terms of coverage.. probably has the most out of any drugstore foundation I've used. Also, I love the fact that it keeps my skin matte. My only complaints are that I'm not really fond of the chemical smell (yuck), there is no pump (my bottle is looking a little messy), I don't like the way it fades after hours and I wish there were more golden/yellow shades.

Here's me wearing it... (excuse my pjs)

FACE:

MAC Pro Longwear Concealer NW25

Maybelline FIT ME Concealer #20

Revlon Colorstay Foundation #310 Warm Golden

Rimmel Stay Matte Transparent Powder (to set the foundation)

NARS Madly Blush

Benfit Hoola Bronzer (just a tiny bit in the hollows of my cheeks)

MAC New Vegas Mineralized Skinfinish (LE) (highlight the top of my cheek bones)

BROWS:

Ardell Medium Brown Brow Powder

MAC Girl Boy Brow Set

EYES:

MAC Point Black Liquidlast Liner

MAC Gilt By Association Mineralized Eyeshadow (LE) (smudged under eyes)

Covergirl Lash Blast Mascara

LIPS:

MAC Stripdown Lip Liner

MAC Pink Fish Lip Conditioner (LE)

OCC Cha Cha Lip Tar (tiny bit)

Revlon Life's a Peach Lipgloss (LE)

*(LE) = Limited Edition shade.