PRESSED MINERAL POWDER -FEMME COUTURE-POTW

Cost:$12.99 or BOGO

STORE: Sally's Beauty Supply

PROS:

Use as setting powder

Use as a foundation(perfect for summer)

Inexpensive

Comes in a pressed powder-not messy

CONS:

You have to swatch the colors are not true to the name

It's a soft powder & a little fragile

I love this mineral powder. I swatched it at Sally's & was in love with how smooth & soft it was. I have tried it as a setting powder with a fluffy brush & a foundation with a Kabuki brush, & both have lasting power . The powder doesn't oxidize. It leave a really pretty sheen, not glitter, on the face, like the Mac Natural Skinfinish does.

I haven't had any breakouts. The powder doesn't bother my eyes or have any smell to it. My face doesn't itch either. I know all are pretty common with mineral powder.
The smoothness of this powder reminds me of the Smashbox Halo. It doesn't have the hydrating power Smashbox does, but it leaves the skin just as flawless & smooth & doesn't settle in the lines.

I think it's a great product for a low price, & something to try out without spending a lot. Sally's always has a BOGO on this too.

Have you tried this or anything from this brand? What other products are great at Sally's?

MAYBELLINE DREAM MOUSSE BLUSH & EYESHADOW

COST:$7 Blush

STORE: Drugstore, Walmart, Target

This is a product I put away a while ago, & just found again. I'm using them almost daily. I use them as a blush alone, or under the blush like a primer, or on top for more staying power. I Love #60 right now with my 187 brush as a bronzer all over my face.

I love that even though there is a glitter it isn't shiny or chunky. They look really pretty on the apple. The #60 has a gold glitter in it.

I found these for 50% off. #10 makes a good highlighter or base. The #20 is a good all over lid or base too. They're easy to use, just with your finger.

They are a great product for drugstore brand makeup. The only con is that they are in the jar & it can be hard to get to. If you don't close the lid, they'll dry out like a paint pot.

What's your favorite Mabelline product? Have you tried anything from this line?

WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE BIRTHDAY CAKE?

This did say Happy Birthday underneath, before the girls covered it up. This was my daughters cake that she & her friends decorated.

My older daughter hates cake. I buy donuts & pile them high for her cake.

My hubby either doesn't want a cake or he likes flan.

I love Entemann's chocolate fudge a la mode.

I was looking for a Birthday cake today & realized what a personal choice it really is. It's your day to do what you want, a day your celebrated, where you can eat whatever you want. A no diet day! It's an important choice!!

What is your favorite Birthday cake? What is your indulgence that day?

MAC PAINT POTS-COLLECTION/REVIEW +swatches

COST:$16.50

STORE: MAC, maccosmetics.com

PROS:

Great eye primer

It can be used alone as an eyeshadow or highlighter

Helps brighten an eyeshadow

Easy to apply

Stays put all day

a little product goes a long way

CONS:

expensive

will dry out if the lid is not on super tight

I love paint pots. I have tried UDPP & Shadow Insurance, and they were fine, but these are the best. I love any product that has duel purpose. I use them as a primer + eyeshadow. For everyday or fast makeup I just put it on with/without liner. It gives you a pretty look & you can use your finger. No brush required.

L-R Dark Influence, Painterly,Constructivist, Soft Ochre, Indianwood

L- R Dark Influence, Indianwood, Constructivist

L-R Painterly, Soft Ochre
I use the top 3 for dark or smokey eye. I put it on first to make the color come out more, & you use less e/s. They can also be used on there own as eye color.

The bottom 2 I use everyday. They are my main eye primers. They even out your lid & hide the imperfections. I even use soft Ochre as a brow highlight. Both these colors are matte.

If you could only get 1 paintpot, I would get soft Ochre because it does it all, evens lid color, highlight, & primer.

What is your favorite primer? Do you like paint pots? Which do you recommend?

MAKEUP WIPES CHEAP-HUGGIES PRODUCT/WEEK

COST:$2/40 OR $8/184

STORE: Anywhere baby products are sold

I thought of these wipes because it was the only thing that wouldn't irritate my daughters skin when she was little. I bought the small pack to try & now buy in bulk.

They have different formulations for skin types. I bought natural care, hypoallergenic. I need 1 wipe for my whole face. It's the cheapest makeup remover & doesn't break me out. I have oily skin & it gets the dirt off without leaving it greasy. It also removes waterproof makeup.

The only downfall is it will sting if you get it in your eyes, but I them closed anyways.

What's your favorite makeup remover? Your favorite cheap find?

REVLON NAILS-REVIEW

COST: $7

STORE: Drugstores, Ulta, Target, Walmart

PROS:

Revlon products are a favorite

Easy to use

Wide range of designs,lengths,colors

Affordable

Easy to find

CONS:

The French tip shows glue underneath if you look closely

Glue needs to be stronger

I received the Revlon Artificial Nails and was excited to try them out. I have had fake nails for too many years. I say to many because my nails are so thin that the filing down would hurt every time I got them done. So, I stopped for many years now. I missed how nice all my rings looked with the nails, usually French tips. When I saw these I was excited.

I put them on before a recent trip to Vegas to give them a go. I used my own glue because I wanted to make sure it would hold. They lasted almost a week. I have to tell you that they may have lasted longer, but I am always washing my hands & the glue gave way.

I think these nails are perfect for a special occasion, because you can do them yourself. I wish the glue was a little stronger, but I think after a few days any glue would come loose. (I carried the glue in my purse). If your looking for them to be as strong as acrylic nails, no nail will be without using acrylic. This is not for you.

For the money, how easy it is to put on, & they're already designed, it's a good product. I don't want acrylic nails, so for me it's the next best thing.

MY MINI NARS COLLECTION

This is my ity-bitty Nars collection. I do love it, but unless I'm soooooo in love I won't get it.

Nars has beautiful colors, but they can be very glittery, pricey.

BLUSH: L-R: Sin/Casino Orgasm/Laguna Madly

The e/s colors are pretty, but they sometimes make my eyes itchy. I have really bad allergies, so I haven't splurged on them. They are very pigmented & easy to blend though.

EYESHADOWS L-R Holiday Palette 9947, Cordura, NightBreed

Cordura Duo swatch. This is a great color because either color can be worn 2gether or alone for a beautiful eye.
Madly Swatch. This can be used as a bronzer/blush. It's not orange or brown. A sheer color to brighten the face.
What do you think of Nars? What's your fave Nars product?

MAC GRAPHIC GARDENS & LOOK IN A BOX +swatches- HAUL

I was at Nordies today battling my way up to the Mac counter. They were all out of both pink/nude lippes, a brush set, & I got the last Sweet Tease look in a box. This was the first time I was ever fearful for my life at a Mac counter. I was being pushed & actually waited in line to swatch the shadows.

Getting the look in a box was a complete shock to me. I didn't even look at them. I was looking at Love Nectar Lusterglass & the girl asked if I saw it in the Look in a box. She brought everything over & I also noticed I didn't have Gleam or Mulch that was inside. The zoom lash is going to be for my mom. And I fell in love with the Beauty Powder because it's a pretty highlight w/out the glitter. I'm not a fan of the 181se brush because I had one & killed the bristles, but I'll take it. Sold!

This is this is the box with a face chart:

(L)Gleam (R) Mulch Love Nectar lusterglass

Top-Bottom Swatches Gleam, Mulch, Love Nectar

Shell Pearl Beauty Powder
I the bought Fresh Cut Palette. Surprisingly, all these colors are pretty & smooth.


I think you could do a lot of everyday looks w/these colors. These are all pretty for the lid. The darkest color is perfect for smokey eye. It's not black or brown.

I may go in search of the lippies. They said they may get the Nudes in at Southcoast.

I like all of the colors, love the packaging. I wish I could have swatched everything, but that was way too hard with so many people.

What did you get? What do you think of Look in a Box? What's your favorite piece?

MAC CCO HAUL

I have really had some luck at the CCO lately. These are the newest finds.

Mac Flirt & Tease Blush which is a permanent color. It is a really pretty mauvish/pink. Light handed it is pink, heavy handed it is mauve. It always looks great on, not shimmery or frosty.

If you can get your hands on Starflash do it. It is the best formulation Mac did. I have been buying them whenever I can. They smooth & creamy & pigmented.
Top: Bold & Brazen Bottom: Go
I have been using Bold & Brazen as a crease color & it looks beautiful. It's perfect for summer.

Starflash is a collection that I should have gotten, but that was before my addiction started.

What other colors should I look for in Starflash?

RANDOM THOUGHTS

This post is about random thoughts from the last couple of weeks.

Blogging: I've been thinking about the kinds of post I want to put up, but sometimes I just feel blah! Do you ever feel just feel bored with your stuff? What do you want to see more of?

Shopping: I was at Sephora last week & I feel like I'm looking at the same stuff all the time. I got a MUFE foundation sample to try. I saw online they had a mini Dior Show & Gloss pack for $28. I'd like to try both, but nits online only. Any suggestions for Sephora? I have a gift card from there. I'm heading to Nordi's on Friday for the Graphic Gardens. I heard the lippies are sold out online. I love the packaging.

Going Out: I went to L.A. on Saturday. Started at El Carmen, which is known for their tequila & margarita's. Then headed to Chateau Marmont for dinner. If you're ever in L.A., you have to go here for at least a drink. It has a very well known history of celebrities, rock & roll, & famous residents. The Bar is part of the Chateau. If you stay for dinner, they have a great burger!

Celebrity Gossip: I saw Josh Groban at valet on Saturday. He's the young guy who sings classical. He was pretty cute with messed up hair & plain clothes.

The Michael Jackson memorial was well organized & fitting. His little girl just broke my heart. I think it was the only time ever I thought of him as an ordinary person & father.

John + Kate: He's out of control. Just wait until the kids google him now & see pics w/his new GAL. If she did have someone, it's not documented w/pics. The girl is Kate's plastic surgeon's daughter. Wow that was a high price to pay for free surgery.

What's going on with your randomness?

FOREVER21- HAUL

I love Forever 21. It's always stylish & affordable & fun. I was going for drinks with the hubby & needed something cute & flirty. This was the winner.

Strappy orange tuxedo top. ($18)
I wore this bracelet($4.80) Earrings($2.80)
Sorry I forgot to turn this pic around. This style/print is everywhere now. The feathers, peacock, & jungle prints. Too cute.($17)
The summer sales have started to make room for fall clothes. Time to hit up the sales!!

Where do you love shopping? Online?

MAC COLOUR CRAFT HAUL

These 2 are my lonesome purchases. Fad-Dabulous (L) & Smooth Merge(R)
The blushes were all really pretty, but I have similar. This is a swatch of Fad-Dabulous. It's more of a peach & the glitter isn't chunky. It turns out a pretty gold.

This is my MSF in Smooth merge. This is very shiny & glittery. Also very pretty. The strips could be worn separately.
Or they could be swirled together & you get a blush from it.
The whole collection is very pretty, but dupable. The e/s were great, but I can't wear mineral e/s, so that was out. In all I think I got what I'll wear. The other MSF's & blushes were like past collections, same colors again. The MSF"s were too shiny. My pores look huge, & it isn't so pretty on the cheeks. I think the prices went up too; $27MSF, & $21 Blush. Did they?
What are your thoughts? What else is worth looking at?

MAC COO + FASHION HAUL

I made a small trip to the CCO & I found a couple of things from the Ungaro collection. I really like a lot of the collection. It's another collection I passed over of course.

E/S in Mineral & L/S Freckletone. I was excited about the l/s because I wanted that color. It's a really pretty deep nude/brown.
These shoes are by Chinese Laundry. The are very high & very comfortable.I love the color. They look great with everything.
I love this dress. The color is pretty & details are pretty.
This is my favorite. It can be worn as a dress or with leggings. The top is beaded & I love the colors. My shoes look pretty with it too.
I love summer clothes & shoes. What's your favorite summer shoe or dress? What's your favorite season?

10 HONEST THINGS ABOUT YOU - TAG

I was tagged by the very beautiful & interesting Su-pah from Treasure Trove of Makeup.

Tell your readers 10 things about you that they may or may not know, but are true. Tag ten people with the award, and be sure to let them know they've been tagged (a quick comment on their blog will do). Don't forget to link back to the blogger who tagged you.

1. In the last 8 years I have moved 4 times & out of state 1 time. I never though I would leave my family, friends & home. I know people want to, but I was happy. It was very hard when you land in a place w/2 small kids & you know don't know anyone.

2. I have 2 girls & 2 dogs(pug & boxer) who are all my babies!

3. The first lipstick I bought was named Ice Blue Pink. It was a very white, frosty baby pink. It looked great with my braces.

4. I became interested in makeup about 2 years ago. I felt like I wore the same product or lip color or eye color. I got tired of looking the same so I started watching YT. I began blogging because I was excited about the things I discovered, & wanted to talk about the things I didn't.

5. My family has owned restaurant businesses my whole life. My grandparents owned a restaurant in Europe & a bakery before coming to the U.S. I worked there since I learned how to give change back, & stopped when I became pregnant. I planned on opening something on my own, but it's tough with such tough economic times.

6. I got married when I was young. I had known my hubby a long time, but we never really had much to say. I hadn't seen him in years. I bumped into him & I swear it was love at first sight. Marriage is great, but it's also a hard job that you have to work at.

7. No matter what I do in my life, my children will be my greatest accomplishment. I want to teach them to be the best human beings & have them make the best life for themselves. I want to teach them to care about others.

8. My hubby is an artist. He does have a 9 to 5 in this field, but he could really work with anything to create something beautiful.

9. I am an honest person. I don't like to lie or be lied to. But what I figured out is that people don't want to hear or know the truth. They would rather you lie to them. I used to be more expressive, but have learned to scale back.

10. I am glad I started blogging because I think it is outlet from life & situations. I have met great people, & kind people. I wish people were so open in the real world, not just the cyber one.

I'm sorry if it's a long response. I tag all of you. Please tell me if you do the tag. I would love to know more about you.

Thanks xo

MAC 109 DUPE + FOUNDATION BRUSH COMPARISON

This is a review/comparison of my foundation brushes.

Both under $8 This is where I got my brushes, but many sites offer the same brushes.

(L)-Deluxe Buffer(Coastal scents) (R)-Kabuki on a Stick(Crown Brushes)- Mac 109 Dupe

I reviewed the buffer brush the other day, & I have been using the Kabuki on a Stick for a week, & I love both. They both give you the flawless air-brush look.

There are the main differences:
Deluxe Buffer: Kabuki on a Stick

1. Uses more product 1. Only need 1-2 drops foundation

2. Gives Med.-Full coverage 2. Med. coverage

3. Heavy handle 3. Light weight

4. Doesn't shed 4. Sheds more

5. Great for powder foundation 5. Good for setting foundation or bronzer

I use both everyday. You could find them both at Crown brushes or Coastalscents.

I wanted to include this Deluxe Oval Shadow Brush also, if your going to be brush hauling. It picks up & packs on color like crazy! I'm loving it & it $2.39.
Which is you favorite brush & who's it from?

AVEENO MOISTURIZING LOTION & SUNLESS TANNER- PRODUCT OF THE WEEK

COST:$10@drugstores,Walmart,Target

COLORS: Light/Medium/Dark skin tone

This is the best self tanner because it doubles as a 24 HR. moisturizer. This is really more of a moisturizer with a hint of self tanner. The best part is that the color it gives you is a brown tan, not an orange. My skin feels baby soft. I use it after I shower & I have healthy looking & feeling skin.
I love all the Aveeno products. All their products are dermatologist recommended. I haven't broken out, but I only use it on my face 2x's a week.

What I 'm really excited about trying is this moisturizer in the new customized dial color. You move the dial according to how dark you want to be.

Do you have a good self tanner to recommend?

BATISTE DRY SHAMPOO-REVIEW

COST:$8 @ Sally's Beauty Supply

This is a dry shampoo that you spray on your roots or through your hair to give a clean look. After you spray it, massage through your hair then brush out.

This smells really good & is easy to use. I think it's the best dry shampoo I've tried so far.

I have dark hair, so I have to use this sparingly or my hair will have a gray/white color. Not good. If you have light brown to blonde hair, this is the best product. My hubby even uses it, & he doesn't use hair products. my daughter uses this all the time. They both need to wash their hair everyday, & this lets them skip a day.

I have repurchased many times already. Just be careful how much you use with dark hair would my only negative.

What's your feeling on dry shampoos?