My Foundation Brush of Choice: Real Techniques

(All products mentioned in this post were purchased by me; I have no affiliation with any of the brands mentioned.)

I've been using Real Techniques brushes for well over a year now and I can't get enough of them.  All of the Real Techniques brushes that I own are top quality (I have every brush except four of them) and they are extremely affordable as well which makes them an even better buy.  One brush that I'm particularly in love with is the Expert Face brush which I've had since around July of last year.  This brush is soft but dense, enabling it to buff foundation in without scratching or irritating my facial skin.   I find that I'm able to use it with a wide array of foundations, both thick and creamy and thin and watery, which makes this brush indispensable in my humble opinion.  It's also perfect to smooth out tinted moisturizers and bb creams; in these cases I apply my TM or BB Cream with my hands and then buff and smooth out the edges with the Expert Face brush, and voilà, perfection!!!

Review: Drybar Products

(All products mentioned in this post were purchased by me; I have no affiliation with any of the brands mentioned.)

I love the thought of being able to do my own blowout; luscious, volumized locks, all smooth and shiny but sadly I've never been able to reproduce anything close to a salon blowout on my own.  I've never been to a drybar but I was extremely intrigued when I saw some of their offerings being sold on the Sephora site.  I'm pretty picky when it comes to hair products so I thought it a safer bet to purchase some of their other offerings to try out first, in this case it was their Morning After Shower Cap and their Hold Me Hair Clips.

The Perfect Red Lip

A red lip is both beautiful and classic but many women forgo the shade altogether and opt for more muted or nude colors instead.  To be honest, I've never been drawn to the lip color choice myself until this past year which is saying a lot since I've been wearing makeup regularly for more than a decade.  Anyhow, below I have four red lip color choices that I feel will flatter basically any skin tone.  I think the shades are quite neutral so your skin tone being cool or warm makes little difference.

Mirenesse Lip Bomb in 2:  A medium toned, neutral red liquid lipstick with a glossy, opaque finish.  The texture of the lipstick is smooth and not sticky.

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Amsterdam:  A medium toned, pinkish red with a matte finish that doesn't feel overly drying on the lips.

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Red Velvet:  A sheer but buildable, slightly brownish red shade with a glossy finish. This is a safe bet color for those that may be a bit hesitant to give a red lip a try because of the sheerer quality of the formula.

Rimmel Lasting Finish By Kate in 01:  A midtoned, neutral red with a soft satin finish.  This particular color and formula catapulted my love for a classy red lip!

Perfect Autumn Eyes: Wet n Wild Comfort Zone Palette

This is my absolute favorite time of year for so many reasons but one of those reasons is that I love rich, dark earth tones and this Wet n Wild palette is a great example of that.  I find myself reaching for this palette often since the season has changed because of its versatility; I can do beautiful bright eyes as well as dark smokey ones or even colorful bright ones!  The pigmentation of these shadows is amazing, the texture is buttery soft and easy to blend!

In Rotation: Current Foundation Favorites

 As I get older I find myself slowly getting more and more obsessive about complexion products;  I do have tried and true products (Estee Lauder Double Wear Liquid Foundation) but that definitely doesn't stop me from looking elsewhere for my foundation fix.  These products last all day on me, which is a requirement for all my complexion products, as I put my makeup on before 7am and don't remove it until around 10pm. I never reapply foundation or concealer, I only touch up my powder if I'm looking a bit shiny.The following foundations/BB creams are what I'm enjoying right now and are in my current rotation!

NOTD: Nail of the Day, Sally Hansen Diamond Strength in Save the Date

Review: Haus of Gloi Vice Pumpkin Butter

Over the past year or so I've been very drawn to indie brands for body care items as well as for home fragrances.  There's just something about the thought and care put into these products that appeals to me, most fragrances are truly one of a kind scents which adds to the excitement.  Purchasing products online without trying them out in person is a hit or miss situation but I've been fortunate enough to enjoy most of the products I've purchased blindly.

Over the last month or so I've placed three orders with Haus of Gloi and have been quite pleased with my purchases.  Today we will be looking at one of their Pumpkin Butters called Vice.  From the Haus of Gloi site here is their description of their Pumpkin Butter formula:

" Made with shea butter and unrefined pumpkin seed oil this moisturizer is rich without being too greasy.  Each batch is made from scratch, paraben free and vegan."