Makeup and Beauty Blog | Makeup Reviews, Swatches and How-To Makeup
A beauty blog blooming with fresh makeup reviews, swatches and beauty tips from your friendly neighborhood beauty addict
Twenty-one powders for $28. You get 16 eye shades, three cheek powders, a highlighter and a bronzer in the Pixi Perfection Palette in Lit-Up Lovely.
Just some quick pics and swatches here on my NC42 skin…
It’s available now at Target stores and online.
“Made with luxurious teddy bear hair!”
Every time I see that phrase on my Too Faced Shadow Brush Set tube, I see a sad teddy bear with long, luscious ’80s rocker hair, like Bret Michaels had back in his hair heyday before he stormed the reality TV show circuit with a weave.
(No judgement, Bret! It’s all good!)
When I mentioned these brushes last week, I got some requests to review the set, so here goes… 🙂
First, it’s darling, isn’t it? $39, comes with three eye brushes, a cute carrying tube, and it’s in the permanent line.
I like this set, a lot, mostly because of the epic Crease/Blender brush. I mean, none of the brushes are slouches, but that one takes the cake.
The bristles are made from synthetic fibers, otherwise known as “luxurious teddy bear hair,” and yup — there’s Bret Michaels again in my mind’s eye…
It includes:
For me, the Crease/Blender Brush headlines this show. That brush — I kid you not — I use practically every day.
It’s shaped like the MAC 224, only thinner, and that makes it perfect for placing eyeshadow right where I want it.
Very handy, particularly in smokey eye looks, or any looks with precise placement in the upper and/or lower crease.
Of course, it’s also OK for blending, but I think its forte is placing product, and not buffing. For blending, I like fluffier brushes, like the MAC 224, with bristles that fan out to spread product over a wider area.
Weird and cool.
The powder I use to set my concealer (MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Natural in Medium) popped out of its pan a few days ago. I’m not sure how or why it happened. I’m just happy it popped out in one piece, to be honest.
I’ve used it almost daily for the past four years!
A little dab ‘ll do ya. I use a small amount under my eyes to keep my concealer from scooting, and it works great. Never looks like cake frosting and doesn’t settle into my fine lines.
When I picked up the powder, after my heart resumed beating, I turned it over and found some writing on the bottom.
It says “Made Since 1982” in a typeface that kind of reminds me of The Terminator movies.
I wonder if this is embossed on every MSF pan…
I never would’ve guessed that one of the truest ways to test the longevity of my makeup would be during a massage, as drool slowly works it way down the side my chin, and my cheeks and face are smushed into that toilet seat-shaped contraption thing at the end of the massage table.
You know, that thing they have you put your head into when you lie down on your tummy so they can work on your back. It’s very strange… I always close my eyes to block out the weirdness.
Anywho, after my last deep-tissue massage, when I left the room and met up with my friend Jen in the ladies’ lounge, Jen looked really surprised.
Jen: Wow, how was your massage?
Me: Good! She tenderized me like Rocky on a side of beef.
Jen: I can’t believe your makeup stayed put.
Me: It did? Cool.
Jen: You must have tricks.
Me: Not really, but there are a bunch of different things you can do. It just depends on how much time you want to invest in the process.
Perfect for low-maintenance ladies, a makeup setting spray is one of the quickest, easiest ways to help your makeup last longer. My favorite one — like, literally, I’m almost never without it — is Urban Decay’s $29 All Nighter.
Basically, it sets your makeup so it lasts longer and won’t scoot around throughout the day.
It’s just a spray, so there’s not much to it. Hold the bottle about an arm’s length away from your face and spritz. I use it after I finish my makeup but before mascara.
I mean, you could use it after your mascara, and I’ve seen girls do that, but I always do mine before, thanks to the advice of a Sephora makeup artist buddy of mine named Chelsea. That way, you don’t risk your mascara running due to having wet lashes.
Starting with a face primer also helps boost your wear time. Just apply it before your foundation and concealer.
It doesn’t take much. I use a bit all over my face, let it sink in for a minute or two, then take a tissue and dab it lightly to remove any excess. Then I continue with my regular routine.
I wear primer, oh, every day, mainly because I really think it makes my skin look smoother in pics, but it also has the side effect of making other products last longer. I use this one form MAC that I love called Prep + Prime Natural Radiance, which is so good for dry skin, and it doesn’t give me breakouts!
But there are plenty of other good ones out there.
If you can’t decide, or you want to do some research, stop by a Sephora, Nordstrom or any beauty counter that gives samples. That way, you can try some first to see which ones work best for you and your skin and makeup routines. You want something that will layer well with the products you’re currently using.
“The eyes are the nipples of the face.”
Yes, truer words were never spoken. 🙂
Ha! OK, let me explain. I was watching My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding the other day (whatever, don’t judge!), and that’s what one of the girls (14 years old, wearing booty shorts with pink rhinestone hearts) said while she was doing her makeup for a matchmaking party her parents arranged to help her find a husband.
FUN FACT OF THE DAY: The quote is originally from The House Bunny, starring Anna Farris.
So that’s what I kept thinking this morning while I was applying my eyeliner, Bobbi Brown’s new Smokey Eye Kajal Liner in Black Coffee.
Face nipples. I’m lining the nipples…OF MY FACE.
The liner’s new and comes in six colors, including the Black Coffee shade I’m wearing here. Their big selling point: that they’re super soft, smooth and won’t tug at your skin. They’re also very, very pigmented (also known as uber-pigmented) and easy to smudge. Better for messy rocker chick looks with soft diffused liner than looks with sharp lines.
The fancy formula stays creamy, so you can buff it out and play with it throughout the day, but it still lasts 5-7 hours along my lash lines.
Which is cool.
Of course, that wear time doesn’t extend to my water lines, where it gives up the ghost in 1-2 hours. If you’re looking for a long-wearing liner that will set and last there, Smokey Eye Crayon Kajal probably isn’t ideal.
Something like Bobbi’s Long-Wearing Gel Eyeliner might be better. Twelve hours on lash and water lines. Jet, the basic black, used to be my jam. I wore it all the time until my water lines started acting up (no idea why). Now I use Urban Decay’s 24/7 Glide on Eye Pencil in Perversion.
Now, even with that limited water line wear time, Bobbi never billed these as long-wearing, so there’s that. They’re designed first and foremost for smokey eyes.
The $24 Topshop Smokey Eye Palette in Constellation, available now at Topshop stores and topshop.com.
By the way, what’s your sign? 🙂
A little light reading…
I was wondering what is your favorite foundation to wear when you are taking pictures?
–Jeannie Tran
Hey Jeannie,
Wow! I’ve actually been getting asked this a lot lately (YAY!), so it must have something to do with the changes I’ve made to my foundation routine.
The whole shebang’s kind of involved so, uh, maybe the best way to handle this is to just go step-by-step.
My first step — the product I use as a primer all over my skin — has been a staple of my makeup bag for a really long time. I never, ever skip this step when I’m going to be taking pics and have any say in the matter because I sincerely see a difference between when I do and I don’t.
It just makes whatever foundation I’m wearing look…better, and more natural, and mellows out my pores.
There are so many different face primers out there. I’ve tried a bunch, but one’s my favorite. I think I’m on my third of fourth bottle now. I love it that much.
I love how the formula feels — like a face lotion, and not like a regular primer just sitting on top of the skin, like the kind that have a lot of silicone. It’s also moisturizing, but it doesn’t give me breakouts, which is great, especially this time of year when my skin gets dry.
LOVE! I’ve written a few posts about MAC Face and Body Foundation (I use shade C5) because I absolutely love it. Long story short: it’s lightweight, more like a tinted moisturizer than anything else, but you can layer it to build up the coverage. I love that it doesn’t look obvious or heavy in pics (you see it used on a lot on movie sets), once it dries, it won’t budge.
Seriously, I’ve worn this out and about on 16-hour days, and it’s never caked, streaked or gotten funky.
It does have a dewy, slightly shiny finish, which I actually like for everyday wear, but for pics, which is what we’re talking about here, I set it with a powder to tone down the shine.
This is one of the more recent adjustments I’ve made to my routine. I had been using Bobbi Brown Stick Foundation wherever I needed more coverage, but I ran out a while back and grabbed NARS Pure Radiant Concealer on a whim.
I wear the shade “Biscuit.” I dab a little on the areas where I want more coverage — usually my cheeks, around my nose, around my mouth and along my jaw line. Then I buff it into the Face & Body with a skunk brush.
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