End of Week Wrap Up! Haul time =D

Recently, I've been wearing my headbands this way, with the details of the headband just barely peeking through my hair. This one in particular is from F21 (Forever 21 outlet). I have it in two colors, light brown and pink and if I'm not mistaken the band is adorned with swarovski crystals.

I found this blending sponge by Cynthia Rowley at Marshall's the other day and it was about $5. It works rather well. I no longer have my beauty blender sponge because it got too dirty. I love how this one is way cheaper but pretty much accomplishes the same thing as the beauty blender sponge.

I wash this after every use because I find that if I don't wash the foundation off of it right away it tends to discolor the sponge and make it look...well...icky!

This is how it looks prior to the being wet. It's a small and dense little peach colored sponge.

Then after it is washed, the water is absorbed and it sucks it all up. I wring it out of course and dry it really well in paper towel.

Here's my latest haul from yesterday at Ulta. I love Ulta! I initially came there without a mission or a plan as to what I wanted to purchase but I ended grabbing a few things.

I know I am fairly late in this, but I wanted to try UD's Naked Skin foundation as I've heard many good things about this foundation. I also went ahead and purchased the Naked Flushed blush trio.

Here's how the foundation looked without flash. At first I thought it was too dark (got it at 4.0) but it seems to oddly match my skin. When I first swatched it on my wrist it was matched perfectly then oxidized after about 10 minutes, so I got a little worried about that.

What can I say about this product? Well it's a true liquid foundation but it's not runny. It feels very light weight but I would say that this is more of a light to medium foundation. It takes a few layers for this to be medium to full coverage but it is attainable. Even with a few layers (2 to 3) it doesn't feel cakey or heavy nor does it emphasize pores, fine lines, or dry skin. It's quite hydrating actually, which another reason why this is a must have.

The UD Flushed blush trio is encased in a palette that comes with a mirror. The colors look straightforward in that they look exactly the same on the pan as when applied on the skin. The pink blush color is highly pigmented, just as the bronzer and the highlighter.

The highlighter is gorgeous, my favorite out of this trio. It gives a very subtle kiss of highlight to the skin (when applied well). The bronzer is OKAY, not bad but not out of the ordinary either, just a typical bronzer sans glitter.

I bought this lace burgundy shirt and a couple pairs of earrings from Forever 21. Lace is in so I thought why not?

Some Valentine's Day pictures I'd like to share...I'm so lucky to not only have a love of a man but also the love of a beautiful, kind hearted daughter.

From hubby, red roses, a balloon...

 

and yummy cake from our favorite Korean bakery. 

That's it for today's blog post. Have a great weekend!

Product Review: Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup

I have been using Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup foundation since I came across it at one of the Cosmetic Company outlets here in VA. When I started working as a nurse, I noticed that at the end of my shift my face makeup would literally be melted off or rubbed off and with a busy schedule I had no time to touch up. I went on a search for the real deal type of foundation that will truly last me all day and this is it.

Estee Lauder is like the mother of many other cosmetic sub companies like MAC, Clinique, Bobbi Brown, and Smashbox, but I always thought that it was more for mature women, however the young lady at the CCO recommended this to me and she herself actually uses it. I don't know if it was the glow in her face as she mentioned the product or the excitement in her tone of voice while she raved to me about it, but I was willing to try. it With an open mind to all things makeup related, I used this foundation and I have never looked back since! I simply love it and here are the reasons why....

1 - It is truly a long lasting foundation, minus the heavy, caked-on feeling. It doesn't even feel like I'm wearing foundation when I have this on despite the fact that this is a full coverage foundation.

2 - My pores disappear like magic, just like my acne scars and hyper pigmentation spots gets covered. It also works wonders on dry skin, in that it doesn't make it appear dryer or emphasize it even more.

3 - It's not only OIL-FREE but it's Oil-controlling too! My skin usually gets oily at the end of my work shift, but I found that this foundation does a great job at preventing my face from getting shiny and oily.

(Wearing Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Foundation Without Flash and With Flash)

4 - It's fragrance free, which is another plus on my book because it works well with my super sensitive skin type. I have never broken out with this foundation and mind you, this is my second bottle!

5 - It dries to a semi-matte finish, not too matte that it looks dry or UN-natural. The finish is well..natural looking!

CONS: The only things I don't like about this foundation is the price is on the steep side $36 for 1 fl oz, it no longer has SPF (use to have SPF 10 in it), and it doesn't have a pump.

 The foundation is of true liquid consistency but not too watery that it runs loosely when applied, which means you have time to spread it evenly all over your face. I've had issues back then with foundations drying too quickly and unevenly.

This is how my forearm looked after I spread the small amount of the foundation, you can see that with just one layer, the coverage is excellent.

 After setting for a bit, this is how it looks. This is the only foundation, I have ever used that hasn't oxidized on me (changed to orange or darker color due to facial oils).

Some of my pictures, wearing the foundation after coming home from work.

So that's it for today, will blog again soon!

UPDATED Review on CG Outlast Stay Fabulous 3 in 1 foundation

Have you ever tried a product and when you first apply it, you're like "Ugh! well that's not very pretty...or maybe some choice words instead?" Anyways...that's how I felt today when I first applied Covergirl Outlast Stay fabulous 3 in 1 foundation. I rarely ever counter my own review or re-review anything, but this is one of those products where I will have to make an exception.

CLICK HERE FOR MY PREVIOUS REVIEW ON THIS PRODUCT

(Here's swatch of CG 3 in 1 Outlast Stay Fabulous foundation in shade Soft Honey)

At first, I thought "Okay, Julie you've tried many drugstore foundations and none were ever worthy or worth double taking, so what's the biggie with this one?" Sure the packaging is hygienic, the price is a little steep, contains SPF, and the formula promises what seems to be too good to be true..Lasting power of PRIMER, coverage of a CONCEALER, and blendability of FOUNDATION in ONE...and shine-free to boot!

In my first review, I admit I was too quick to judge this foundation. After I finished typing up my initial review of this product, I realized that the foundation was actually AMAZING, the best drugstore foundation I have ever used to date! Despite having chosen the wrong color, one with a pink undertone, I actually liked that it looked soooooo natural. It had a powdery finish to it. I now have it in Soft Honey instead of Medium Beige.

My skin felt smooth and I could actually touch my face without the foundation transferring over my fingers or smearing. Even though I had to do a couple layers of this foundation, I didn't need to use powder to set it. It's been 6 hrs and my face is not at all oily/itchy/shiny/sticky and I know that it's good when even the usually quiet hubby tells me that it looks great on me.

I also bought the L'Oreal Paris True Match Super Blendable Crayon Concealer (will review this one soon!)

I hope this review helps any of you who are interested in trying out this foundation. I will update you guys if I have any skin reactions or breakouts.

I haven't purchased any drugstore makeup in a while, but have you guys noticed the high prices??? Almost everything is above $5!!!

Product Review: NEW CoverGirl 3in1 Foundation

Price: $11.99

Qty: 30 mL

Packaging: Glass container with an acrylic cap and blue colored twist-to-lock pump

What it promises: "All-day flawless coverage...Lasting power of primer, coverage of a concealer, and blendability of a foundation in one. Shine-free."

 The consistency is thick but easily blendable. 

I think I got the wrong foundation color (Med Beige) because as you can see in this picture the pink undertone contrasts with the olive/yellow undertone of my skin.

Here's a picture with only my left side (your right) covered with the foundation.

As you can see, I have acne scars from years ago and this foundation did a pretty good job at covering them, however this is after putting about two layers of the product. It covers redness and diminishes pores.

I'm not going to lie to you, but I first heard of this product from Judy (youtube guru) and she raved so much about it that I just had to give it a try, especially since it's an stay all day kinda product which is right up my alley of preference.

My final thoughts? I think that this is a decent foundation, however I would skip on this if you have dry skin because it emphasizes dryness or if you have acne. Also, the coverage is light to medium, but CAN be full coverage if you do 2 to 3 layers...which is a TON of makeup and a waste of product if you ask me. Overall I'm not impress and will definitely be getting my money back.