Bare Minerals Mineral Veil Touch Up Review

I picked this up a few months ago at Ulta where they have a really large selection of Bare Minerals products. I actually found this near the register (gets me every time) on my way out. I have tried mineral veil before and it's a product I always go back to. For me, it would be the perfect product if I could change one thing. I hate loose powders! They're so messy, especially if you want to keep one in your handbag. The powder gets everywhere and when you open the lid you end up dusting it all over yourself. I decided to try this because it's in a compact and it has a mirror. It comes with the standard pad/sponge inside but it also comes with a mini brush, which is nice for traveling. This is perfect to throw in your makeup bag or take it to-go in your handbag. I also like the idea that it adds a little glow. 

Let's be honest - the packaging is what made me buy this. It's super cute and seemed to be very handy for on-the-go situations. I really like Bare Minerals brushes, too, so I was happy that this came with a travel-sized powder brush. I've mentioned before that since I'm very dry, I don't usually powder my face. However, on really hot days, oily days, or days that I know I'm going to be wearing makeup for an extended period of time, I like to at least set my under-eye concealer. Lately, I have been using this under my eyes and in my t-zone to set everything and keep it matte (but not flat) on long days out. This never looks cakey, it sets everything really well, and illuminates without being sparkly or shiny. I have been using it so much, I may pick up a full-size illuminating mineral veil to set my makeup, and keep this in my handbag for touch ups. They also have a pressed translucent touch up powder (full size) if you're not into loose powders. 

I've been really happy with the brush, too. It's soft and the perfect size to set under eye concealer and touch up smaller areas on the face (like the t-zone). I've been using this for my t-zone and anywhere else I tend to get oily after a long day, and this Real Techniques setting brush for under my eyes. I'm not usually a fan of powder mineral foundations, but Bare Minerals has so many other products to offer. They have expanded so much and they really seem to have something for everyone. Some other products I love include their bronzer and sometimes their loose powder mineral foundation to set my liquid foundation and add a bit of extra coverage. 

What are your favorite Bare Mineral products? What products do you use to set under eye concealer and/or ward off an oily t-zone? I'd love to hear from you!

Until next time... xoxo

MAC bronzing powder & Sigma F05 Brush Reviews

MAC Bronzing Powder in "Golden" & Sigma Small Contour F05 Brush

Bronzer can be really tricky when you have fair skin. It takes a lot of trial and error to find the perfect one, and when you do - you tend to stick to it. I have been using this bronzing powder by MAC for years, and I always come back to it. It is probably my holy-grail bronzer. As always, the quality is very good and it's just formulated really nicely. I don't use a lot of bronzers, but this has always been a staple in my makeup drawer. It's not matte, but it isn't shimmery either. It has a glow to it, but it's subtle enough that this can still be used as a contour shade. I use this not only as a cheek bone contour  but all over my face, too. Golden is the lightest shade, and it's the perfect color for my skin tone. I struggle to find a good bronzer because they're always much too dark and I have to dip my brush in very lightly, be sure to dust off most of the product, and then blend like crazy to make sure it doesn't look scary. I also struggle with finding bronzers that don't show up orange. In my opinion, an orange face is one of the biggest makeup faux pas. This is light, but buildable. I start off with just a little, and if I wanted a more intense contour, or to add more color to my face, I can build up the color to be pretty dark. I definitely see myself continuing to repurchase this - even if I try out other products, it's nice to have this as a trusted back-up. On darker skin tones, this would give a really nice glow all over the skin, perfect in the summer. 

I recently placed an order with Sigma specifically for a small counter brush. I found the F05 small contour brush and knew it would be perfect. I'm a big fan of Sigma brushes - I always check their website before I look anywhere else. They are really high quality brushes - right up there with MAC brushes, but they're a fraction of the price. Literally, they are half the price of MAC brushes. This small contour brush is $21 which, in my mind, is still a lot to spend on one makeup brush. The MAC version of this particular brush is a whopping $35. I still think the $21 was a splurge, but I had really been wanting a small brush with this exact shape just for contouring, which is something I do quite a lot, so I felt it would be worth it. As usual, I was not let down! I love this brush - it's perfect for contouring. It gets right into the hollow space under my cheekbone for a really precise application. As with all Sigma brushes, it's super soft and never sheds. Another perk about shopping with Sigma is that they always have a promotion or sale going on. Free shipping? Yes, please!

These two products are a match made in heaven. I have been using them together daily and have a feeling they will be making their way into my January favorites! What are your favorite bronzers? I would love to try out a good drugstore bronzing powder. Let me know in the comments!

Until next time... xoxo



PS - Don't forget to check out my "52 Books in 52 Weeks" book giveaway! 

Review: Sephora Collection Perfecting Ultra-Smoothing Primer

I don't usually use primers (other than the L'Oreal Magic Lumi Light Infusing Primer when I need an added glow), but I picked this up before a big event because I wanted my makeup to look good in photographs and really achieve that flawless face look. This Sephora Collection primer creates a perfectly smooth surface by smoothing over fine lines, wrinkles, etc. to allow your foundation to glide over skin and sit nicely on skin, rather than settling into any fine lines. This really does make my foundation look ultra-smooth and perfect. I don't feel like this is a product I need daily, as I don't usually wear makeup for prolonged periods and since I'm not oily, my foundation doesn't typically slide around on my face. However, this is really handy for an event or special occasion or any time when you need your foundation to stay in place and look flawless and silky all day and night. I paid around $15 for this half ounce bottle and it will definitely last me a while. I use about half of a pea-sized amount for my entire face. 

Again, I don't typically reach for primers unless there's something specific that I'm looking to achieve. For day-to-day foundation wear, I wouldn't use a primer, but this is affordable and effective enough to be used daily if that's something you need in your makeup routine. It's a really nice silky, velvety consistency, blends easily into the skin and does all that it claims to. There are a few other varieties that Sephora offers for anti-shine and other issues, but this seems to be the standard option. It's packaged nicely in a sleek bottle with an airless pump and secure lid so it won't leak. It's paraben free and can be used all over the face, including eyelids, so it can double as an eyeshadow primer. 

I would definitely recommend this if you're in the market for an everyday or all-purpose primer that's affordable and really works! I have tried several Sephora Collection products and I've been happy with them all so far. 

What's your favorite primer? Do you use a primer daily or only on certain occasions? Let me know in the comments!

Until next time! xoxo

Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-hour Blush

Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in Fearless

When I'm shopping for a blush, I usually pick up a natural pink with a shimmer or highlight. This is really different from what I would usually go for, but I love it. I settled on the shade "fearless" - it's a matte coral with pink tones. I like the idea of it having 12-hour staying power. I hate looking washed out at the end of the day because my blush has faded. The Amazonian clay blushes are baked, and infused with clay from the Amazon River. 

How cute is the detail of the imprint on the pressed powder? I also really love the packaging. It's sleek and compact - perfect for traveling or throwing in your makeup bag and it has a great mirror under the lid. This blush is bright and very pigmented - I just barely dip my brush into the powder and get major color payoff. 

You can see in the swatch how pigmented this blush is. When a light dusting is applied to the cheeks it gives a really beautiful, natural look. You can pair a highlight shade with this, or leave it matte for fall & winter. Tarte claims that this blush is good for every skin type - dry, combination, & oily. I have dry skin and this always applies flawlessly without clinging to dry patches. 

As a bonus, Tarte creates this blush without the use of parabens, sulfates, phthalates, petrochemicals, synthetic fragrances, GMOs and triclosan. They offer a wide range of shades with matte and shimmery options. 

I picked mine up at Sephora, but you can find these online and at Ulta for $26. I would love to try more Tarte Amazonian Clay blushes - I think next time I'll try Dollface and Flush.

Tarte Lights, Camera, Flashes Statement Mascara Review

LOVING this mascara! This was the first Tarte product I ever tried and to be honest, it didn't wow me at first. I bought this at the same time I bought the Benefit They're Real mascara and I ended up using the Benefit right away and didn't use the Tarte mascara for several weeks. Now I'm addicted. I have blonde lashes so it can take several coats for me to make sure all my lashes have been coated and darkened, but this mascara is SO black and because of the brush design, just a few sweeps and all my lashes are fully coated.

I initially purchased this based on a video by Fleur DeForce - she gave it a rave review and I decided I would give it a try. I really wanted to like it but wasn't all that impressed at first. I've discovered the secret - I have to curl my lashes first (I admit I'm not a consistent lash curler) and I have to use both sides of the brush. When you apply it to curled lashes it looks amazing! It holds the curl, it's super black and manages to coat each and every lash. It also adds volume and length. I started wearing this mascara to my hot yoga classes because although I don't wear any face makeup - I usually swipe on a bit of waterproof mascara since my lashes are blonde. This mascara does NOT budge. I've been wearing this everywhere for a couple of weeks now and I love it.

Tarte also claims that it's enriched with vitamins and minerals so that it ends up being healthy for your lashes. That's just an added bonus because the truly black formula and the brush design are really great and I will definitely be repurchasing this. The brush has two sides to it - a short, dense, side that helps coat the lashes and add volume, and a longer, firmer side that combs through to avoid clumps and lengthen. I love it so much I may just have to try the Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes mascara as well.

I purchased mine at Sephora but you can also find it at Ulta and Tarte online

PS - How cute is the packaging?!

Benefit 'They're Real!' Review (Mascara & Liner)

     This summer, Benefit launched their "They're Real!" range. It includes a mascara, push-up liner, and eye makeup remover. I purchased the mascara and liner from Sephora in August and I wanted to share my review of them with you. These products have received tons of reviews and most of them seem to be positive. If you haven't jumped on the bandwagon yet, read my review and you can decide for yourself.

Benefit 'They're Real!' Mascara - I have really loved this mascara. I'm usually not a fan of plastic brushes, but this mascara has changed my mind. It's not only a plastic brush, but it has some bristles on the tip of the brush so that you can use the wand vertically as well. This is great for outer lashes and the inner corner. I love the formulation of this mascara, too. It's a thin consistency and it separates lashes, but mostly, it adds serious length. It really gives the appearance that you're wearing false lashes. One coat of this is plenty, and I even like it for bottom lashes since it's waterproof. It's priced perfectly at $23; I will definitely repurchase when it's used up! 

Benefit 'They're Real!' Push-Up Liner - I'm sorry to say I hated this product so much I returned it immediately. The concept has potential... I like the idea of the flexible chisel tip, but the consistency of the liner was way too thick. It was really difficult to apply and I wasn't able to ever get the wing right. The liner was too thick so it was difficult to apply accurately and ended up being clumpy and all over the place. It seems like you have to push some liner out and then wipe it on the back of your hand to get rid of the excess product. When I tried to clean up my mistakes, I could not get it off. I had to dig around for all different kinds of eye makeup remover until I found one that could remove this and even then I had to scrub. I don't like anything that's too difficult to take off my eyes because the skin around the eyes is so sensitive and delicate I hate to agitate it. I put this liner back into its box and returned it the next day. I have read reviews saying it took some time to get used to, but I just couldn't handle the consistency long enough to get better at application. Maybe I was too impatient but this was a very disappointing product. If you DO end up purchasing, I would definitely try out the makeup remover also, because it's impossible to get off otherwise. The liner goes for $24 at Sephora.