This is going to feel like I'm going all over with this post but I promise, if you look @ the picture above ^^^ there is a rhyme and reason behind my chaotic-ness ;) If you look from left to right, I tried to do the order I use the products - face, cheeks, eyes, lashes, etc
Clinique has been a recent love of mine but it started with Moisture Surge! This summer was horrible for my skin :( I have oily skin but in the summer it just gets worse and for some reason I had almost like heat breakouts - not acne, or even blemishes but sweat/heat bumps. My mom had a small jar of this stuff and after dipping my finger in it once, I was hooked. It's a moisturizer but a mixture of a cream and gel - it's light enough that it doesn't feel heavy and like a mask how some moisturizers can be yet it gets the job done even in this dry South Dakota winter. I have already emptied one jar (my mom's) and bought the biggest size I could find! When I went to the Clinique counter to repurchase Moisture Surge I ended up buying a set that came with Moisture Surge as a spray and will definitely repurchase. I've been using the spray after washing my face @ night because sometimes after using Proactiv it can feel a bit tight.
December was the month I finally bit the bullet and bought a Clarisonic Mia!!! I haven't even had her 2 wks yet but she has definitely claimed her spot on 2010 favorite discoveries and that should sum it all up for you! My facial cleanser routine has been been the following:
- using a makeup towel to wipe off makeup
- wetting my face and using Neutrogena Wave Duo (I'll get to that in a sec.)
- finishing my cleasning routine with Proactiv's 3 step system
Now I've replaced Neutrogena Wave Duo with Clarisonic's Mia and I couldn't be happier! It goes without saying that there is a huge difference between the 2 - price-wise and with the results. I had been searching for the Neutrogena Wave Refill Pads for quite some time, couple months without success. I knew something was up & and I contacted the company and got a response to the fact that they are always looking to better their products, blah, blah, blah! If they can't give their customers a direct answer as to whether they are discontinuing a product then SCREW NEUTROGENA!
My skin feels amazingly soft after using Mia and makeup residue is nonexistent - if there are any traces after using Mia I blame it on me missing a spot, lol. I ended up getting it off QVC for 4 months of easypay and shipping was free ... with tax it's just over $31 each month. I know it's still a lot of money but when you break it down it's so much easier to do in small payments - it's like layway - saving your money but even easier lol.
Too Faced Primed & Poreless is the only face primer that I have ever loved. I have tried several others but they either made me breakout or just didn't feel like they did a darn thing! This stuff makes your face feel so silky smooth - I have several lil' sample size tubes of it and have used up one completely and just bought a fullsized tube that is waiting in my makeup cabinet until the small tubes are used up.
Laura Geller's Real Deal Concealer had been sitting in my makeup stash for probably a good year before I really started using it. I believe I paid somewhere around $30 for this tube when I was on my Laura Geller kick - had I never watched QVC I probably still would have never heard of Laura Geller, lol. I remember being like, what the heck?! That is such a tiny tube! But just like the tube says it is 'Serious Coverage' & boy does it deliver! 2010 has been the year of the concealer, this was the year I branched out and EVEN TRIED concealer. I really can't say that I've hated any of the concealers that I have tried but there is something about this one that has given itself a front row spot in my face drawer. It's a thicker formulation so just the littlest of squeezes gives you enough to cover up undereye circles, blemishes and any redness you may want to cover up before foundation application.
It was either December of 2009 or January of 2010 that I decided to really try out liquid foundation. I have oily skin but during the winter it gets a bit dry - still oily but now we have added dry to it. Liquid just seems to lock in the moisture that I so desperately need during the colder months. My first trial was with Maybelline's SuperStay 24hr foundation - I'm not sure who keeps it on 24hrs and then takes it off just to put it on again but I guess it's good to know that it can last that long, lol. I love this stuff! I also joined the bandwagon on Revlon's ColorStay. Both provide buildable coverage and a matte look. They wear all day long and come in a range of shades.
I've always applied foundation with a brush - I use to use powder/mineral and would use a brush so that was what I naturally grabbed for when I started using liquid. I had a terrible time getting the foundation out of my face brush though when it came time to wash brushes. I also couldn't stand the brush strokes that were left on my face after application and I didn't like dirtying another brush to make it look flawless. So I went to wedge sponges and I LOVE THEM! I just pat it on and I love how it's very easy to control the coverage that you want.
For the majority of the year, my foundation would look cakey - eww! I knew it did but didn't know really what to do. I like more of a matte face and then add any dewyness later with highlighter or shimmer so I would use an Estee Lauder Double Wear powder on top of my foundation. Finally I decided to give Make Up For Ever HD Powder. THIS HAS BEEN A GIFT FROM HEAVEN! I was really worried it would make my face breakout - Bare Minerals has scared me for life :( but I have been using it for a good month to set my foundation and take away shine. It doesn't leave a white-cast either. Very natural :) PERFECT!
I use my ELF Blush Brush to apply MUFE HD Powder and to apply blush. I want to get another one because these have been my go-to blush brush. The size of the brush is perfect, not too big and not too small!
I have been dipping into Too Faced Mocha Mi Amore ever since I ordered it off from Too Faced's Vintage Sale back in August. It's a brown with a hint of plum and although I didn't like it @ first, this is the first blush you can actually start to see a dent in! It gives a nice, healthy natural glow - better and more believeable than NARS Orgasm. I would recommend it to anyone. I even will use it to contour when I use a different blush or to give me a sunkissed look without the shimmer.
A while ago I heard just lil' comments here and there about Maybelline's FIT Me line but never really got excited or even read more into it. I stumbled upon it while @ Walmart one night and picked up several items from the line. The blush I picked up is called Medium Nude and I was so excited. The color doesn't show up here well, it almost comes across too dark. It's a dirty rose almost - eh, I'm not the best @ describing things, lol. As soon as I swatched it I was pissed. When swatched you see absolutely NOTHING! I tried it on my cheeks - swept my brush across the blush and then across my cheeks and NOTHING AGAIN! I was so mad and frustrated - then I took my brush in a maddened state and swirled it around in the blush and patted it on my cheeks - WALA! You definitely have to build this blush and apply it like mentioned several times but it is worth it - a blushing glow - like you just got done with a jog or came in from the chilled outdoors. While I'm not sure I would recommend this to anyone, I have not only made it work for me but grab for it almost everyday.
I'm not quite sure how late I am on this one - Cover Girl's Shimmering Sands! I have heard so many people talk about this shadow trio but snubbed it off repeatedly - so much so that I never even looked at it while @ Walgreens or Walmart. I finally decided to try it out after hearing LolaMarie7 repeat daily in her OOTD that she was wearing it on her eyes. I LOVE IT! I would recommend it to EVERYONE - even people who only use highend makeup. These are the only shadows that show any love and I have used it so much - I will use it the entire wk with the exception of one day when I decide to try a little color. Looking @ the palette is deceiving because you're just kinda like, whatever. It's when you apply and blend that it looks amazizng - I finish my eyes with black eyeliner and smudge it and it's gorgeous for day & night.
Mascaras - I have so many open right now, I'm definitely not a follower of the 6month rule. Again, late on the following - Maybelline's Falsies Volume Express. I would definitely compare it to MUFE Smokey Lash but @ a much better price tag. Recently I've seen Falsies for as low @ $5 while Smokey Lash is $22 a pop! I love how Falsies looks, you can bulid it up for more dramatic lashes. It really lenghtens and adds volume without getting clumpy. I also love Too Faced LashGasm - I received 3 of these from swaps and contests and although, I thought I wouldn't be a fan after just looking @ the brush I hope to run into more of these :) It really lenghtens your lashes! The brush makes the application very easy.
I was first introduced to Benefit HighBeam and fell in love with it. It has a pinky/silver tone to it and is used to highlight. I have since discovered MoonBeam - same concept, also from Benefit but it has a golden/apricot sheen to it. I like this better with my skintone and feel it's more subtle. I apply it to my cheekbones, inner corner of my eyes, bridge of my nose, cupid's bow, and brown bone ... if I could think of more places to put it I probably would, lol.
I have never really been a huge perfume gal - I have a lot but I just never really had one where I was like, 'ahh that is mine and I will love it forever!' Not until I came across Viktor and Rolf's Flowerbomb ;) This stuff is expensive but I was able to get a couple of the Travel Sets via Sephora. I believe 1oz is around $70 while you get .75oz for $30!!! STEAL! I've mentioned I'm not one to describe things and scents is for sure not one of my specialties. It's floral without being overpowering. A little goes a LONG way! Several people have complained about the vials in the Travel Set not being sprays or rollerballs but I tend to like just an open container because it allows for more control.
I have really been into nail polishes this year. Unfortunately, one of my jobs does not allow me as much freedom in the polish world as I would like but I have found some great polishes. I love Relvon Lasting Finish Pro. The formulation is amazing - it goes on smoothly, the brush is big and easy to get your entire nail done in 2 or 3 strokes. It dries with out streaking and chips aren't a problem. I have 4 or so shades and look forward to getting more. I also have finally caved and purchased Seche Vite! I swear, I just like to be different and NOT FOLLOW trends, lol. Stubborn I guess! Anway, this clearcoat topcoat makes your nails dry super fast and almost makes them cushiony - I know that makes no sense but it looks like patent leather when applied to any polish.
Lastly - Sorry this is sooo long! Lip products :) A fave of mine - been loving them since grade school, lol. I have been pairing lipsticks with lipglosses - nothing special but I've never been a lipstick person and I think I just add lipgloss on top because I like the wet/glossy look. I also am in love with Nivea Kiss of Smoothness. I can literally apply this every 5mins if people wouldn't look @ me weird, lol. It feels wet/moisturizing long after you have applied. I even got 2 more for Christmas which just makes me wanna go through my tube even faster.
So that's the list of new products from 2010 that I have continued to grab for throughout the year and I know I will still be using these into 2011 :)
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