Serious Reviewin' Time

So there are some seriously underrated, unknown (and well known) products out there that need some loving. I'm actually a little surprised more people don't know about these babies, because, lemme tell ya, they put that Maybelline Great Lash crap to shame.

1. Dior DIORSHOW ICONIC Mascara. This is not your standard Diorshow. No to the standard packaging. No to the crazy-insane, big as your eyeball brush. Not even the same freakin' formula. No no, my friends, this is a one of a kind find. Not only does this mascara give you the biggest, fullest, dramatically long eyelashes with incredible definition, you pretty much can't get a clump in unless it's dried out. I don't know if it's like a silicone based formula or what, but you can layer this stuff for hours and just look like you've got these incredible lashes, no big deal. The more you layer it, the more false lash-ey your lashes become. Fantastic for going out. I turned my mom onto it, and she's crazy about it because she has those short, stick-straight lashes that don't hold a curl and need serious lengthening. This mascara is her holy grail.

2. Urban Decay Big Fatty Mascara in Flipside and Indigo. Probably the best colored mascaras I've ever used. I also have it in Purple Haze. The pigmentation is absolutely flawless. Literally true to the colors on the tubes. Incredible turquoise. I get so many compliments when I wear these. The brushes are small so they're fantastic for a lovely little pop of color on the bottom lashes if you're not into the full on crazy color look. (Interestingly, I'm not a huge fan of the regular black Big Fatty Mascara....slightly different formula, I think.)

3. Benefit Cupid's Bow duo lip pencil. I'll admit, when I first got this pencil it was more to just say I had it than anything else. I didn't really use it at all, and I didn't really see what made it necessary. That being said, it is the perfect nudey-pinkey lip color with the ideal pink shimmery highlight. (Pencil version of High Beam, anyone?) This pencil is great, it's two or three products stuck into one lovely pencil. Highlighter, lip liner, lip stain...all around great. And totally easy to use.

4. Dior Bronze Matte Sunshine SPF 20 in Honey Matte. This is the lightest shade, (I am, admittedly, pale as a ghost, without SERIOUS sun-loving) and it is perfect for me not just as a bronzer but also as a face powder in the summers, when I am a little more tan. (Especially when used in conjunction with Benefit's Porefessional.) Not dark enough to be a contour, but absolutely perfect as a hit of color on your cheeks and forehead. Really the ideal sun-kissed, matte bronzer. Fabulous. Literally fabulous. And I've never heard anyone talk about this product.

5. Benefit's Porefessional. Honestly the best pore smoothing, skin perfecting primer I have ever used. Slightly tinted, so it's not just a clear gel you're throwing on your face, it makes your skin look satiny, not too matte, not too dewy, perfect. I love it. I hate putting "stuff" on my face. I hate most liquid foundations and, honestly, I don't particularly like moisturizers, creams, zit treatments or other face care products. I don't like putting things on my skin, as much improvement as I've seen since I've been using the regimen I'm using, I'm somewhat subconsciously convinced it's all kind of the reason I have problems with my skin. Such a conspiracy theorist. Regardless, this stuff is magic. Try it. It's worth the pushy sales' girls, and remember, they are on commission at the boutiques.

6. MAC Cosmetics Powder Blush in Blushbaby. A fantastic, neutral, dusty rose shade that nicely mimics a natural flush. Great on fair skins, but too light for darker tones. Lovely on the cheeks, and a nice changed from Well Dressed.

7. Korres Lip Butter. I think I have six or seven of these. I have Pomegranate, Quince, Guava and four or five of the Jasmine. (Clearly I have a favorite.) I use the Jasmine every night before bed, and it is one of the nicest bases underneath almost any lipstick or lipgloss, although I will say that it sheers out the lip color quite a bit if you're using a lipstick. I love this stuff. I love, love, love it.

8. NARS Dolce Vita Lipstick. The perfect "my lips but better" shade, so easy to wear, you don't need a mirror to apply it, and it makes you look instantly more put together.

9. Sugar Plum Lip Balm. Don't be afraid of the dark color. This is the sheerest, prettiest, most lovely slightly stained lip balm I've ever seen. And it feels so good on your lips, slick instead of sticky, with a semi-glossy finish. Perfection.

10. Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencils in any color BUT Zero. I hate black eye liner. I know, blasphemy. But the truth must be told. It makes my eyes look itty bitty bitty and doesn't do a thing as far as enhancing my eye color. However, the other colors, there's like 14 of them, are fantastic. Utterly pigmented and silky to put on, they literally DO NOT BUDGE! It's incredible. Water line or eye lid these little buddies stay where they're put. I particularly love Stash and Underground. Incredible. Baked is fabulous, too. I think I have 7 total. Again, I have no idea why these aren't talked about more.

Alright, kids. That's all for tonight. There you have it, 10 of my all time favorites, some well known and well loved, and some have just been flying under the radar as far as I know. Try 'em out. If you can only try one, go for the Diorshow Iconic. Honestly. Best ever.

Peace. Love. Beauty.

Skin Care...Skin Care...Skin Care!!!

So, my biggest beauty issue is by FAR skin care. Until college, I had pretty good skin, but it is arguable that I had an awesome skin care routine through middle and high school and this may have had something to do with that. (Thank you, Neutrogena for discontinuing the overnight acne spot treatment that I LOVED!!) Ever since college started four years ago, I have been searching and searching for a decent skin care routine. Last fall I discovered Dr. Murad's Acne treatment line and sort of liked it, but I still had bumps and blackheads. Mostly I loved the face wash, which I have re-purchased a few times since, it makes my skin feel so soft and leaves it really clean. The only other really worthwhile product in the line is the clarifying mask. So great for deep cleaning. It says to use it only once a week but I've used it a few times a week on several occasions and it doesn't over-dry my skin or make me break out when I do. Other than those two, the other products I've tried from this particular line didn't really help my skin. As we know, the Juice Beauty products I've used I didn't like too much. Although the facial cleansing gel was quite nice, as was the oil-free moisturizer. I don't know if I would re-purchase either though.

Right now, I'm experimenting with some Ole Henrickson skin products as well as some old tried and true "old faithfuls". On a recent Sephora excursion, I picked up the Roll-On Blemish Attack and the Blemish Attack Daily Defense Gel. The roll-on liquid has benzoyl peroxide in it, I believe it is a 5.0% solution and the daily defense gel has a 1.5% salicylic acid solution. So far, I'm liking them, I think, I've only had them since Saturday. My "old faithfuls" are the Dr. Murad acne face wash and clarifying mask and my Aveeno Clear Complexion moisturizer, which has salicylic acid in it to help treat break outs.

I'm really wanting to try the Ole Henrickson Aloe Vera deep cleanser and some of the other products from his oily skin care line. I just want to see if these acne treatments I bought work, sort of seeing if the line is really worth the money I dished out for it. I really like how it's packaged in glass rather than plastic for most of the products. I also really want to try the Clinique Acne Solutions skin care regimen. I always hear great things about Clinique for skin care but I've never really tried any of it. Perhaps this will be a good opportunity to do so. I suppose I need to use up the skin care stuff I've just recently bought. No need to waste.

Anyone have anything they would recommend for oily-acne prone skin??

I've heard that changing up your skin care products too often can contribute to break outs because you don't give your skin enough time to get used to the product, but if it's making you break out at all, isn't that a bad thing? I'm always looking for that magic combination. I do sort of think that in some cases less is more, and I sometimes go back to the Neutrogena Oil Free Face wash but, without the overnight spot treatment it just isn't the same. (although, nothing gets my skin quite as squeaky clean.) I will never understand why they discontinued that! It seriously got rid of pimples over night!!! Basically, I am always searching for the perfect combination of skin care products that will leave my skin clear and glowy. Is that too much to ask? I feel like it might be like searching for the holy grail. My friends all have things that work for them, so why can't I find something that continues to work for me? I'm going to keep searching.

SKINCARE -
How many times do you wash your face daily?
Two times, in the AM when I wake up and in the PM before I get into bed. ALWAYS! Even if I'm exhausted, my skin gets soo mad at me if I don't.

What skin type do you have? (dry,oily,combo)
Combination: oily on forehead, nose and chin, dry on cheeks. (especially in winter)

What is your current facial wash?
Alternating between Juice Beauty Cleansing Gel at the sink and Olay Dual Action Cleanser + Pore Scrub in the shower... both are to treat acne prone skin. When my skin is really acting up I use Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash at night and at least once a week I use Dr. Murad's Clarifying Face Mask to treat.

Do you exfoliate?
Yes. Crucial to clear my skin! Dead skin can clog pores. No bueno!

What brand do you use?
Right now Olay Dual Action Cleanser + Pore Scrub and Benefit Honey, Snap Out of It! Scrub (honey and almond, mmmm!)

What moisturizer do you use?
Juice Beauty Oil Free Moisturizer, super nice and soft

Do you have freckles?
Mmm-hmmm and the more tan I get or the more sun I get, the more they show.

Do you use eye cream?
Yes, Benefit Eye-Con.

Do you or did you have acne prone skin?
Yes, I do! It sucks.

Did you ever have to use Pro-activ?
No. I use over the counter stuff, mostly stuff you can find at the drug store.


MAKE-UP
What foundation do you use?
Bare Minerals Matte Foundation in Fair or Make Up Forever Professional HD Mat Velvet+ foundation in 20 or 25...

How about concealer?
I have a whole bunch, but right now I'm loving Amazing Cosmetics Concealer and the Make Up Forever Professional Camouflage Palette in No. 1.

Do you know your undertone color?
I'm pretty sure it's warm... I look really good in gold, bronzey colors? Weird that I'm so into make up and don't know this... how do you find out?

What do you think of fake eyelashes?
I've never really tried them before, but I LOVE having long eye lashes and would LOVE to play around.

Did you know that you are supposed to change your mascara every 3 months?
Yes'm. However, I have so many mascaras and don't use any of them every single day so I tend to hold on them until they really start to dry out. Which, depending on how you store them can be longer than 3 months.

What brand of mascara do you use?
haha Oh man! Right now I'm loving Urban Decay Big Fatty Colored Mascara in Flipside, Diorshow Extase Mascara in 090 Noir, YSL Volum Effet (?) Mascara in Grey, Diorshow Iconic and... jeez there's probably four or five more that I'm in love with... Oh! Covergirl LashBlast in Emerald?

Sephora or MAC?
Oh mann... Sephora has a huge selection of stuff and I get a lot of things there, like mascaras, foundations, fun eyeliners etc. MAC is GREAT for eyeshadows, seriously. Sephora definitely for trying new things and experimenting and foundation and stuff. MAC for eyeshadows... and brushes. Both?

Do you have a MAC Pro-card?
No, and I WANT ONE!

What makeup tools do you use in make up application?
Brushes, sponges, q-tips.

Do you use make-up base/primer for the eyes?
If I'm using a cream eyeshadow I use primer, right now I'm loving Benefit Stay! Don't stray! Eye primer. Otherwise, not so much. Usually just concealer if I'm doing powder shadows.

For the face?
Right now, I'm playing with the Bare Escentuals/Bare Minerals Primer. I got it in my starter kit. I'm definitely looking to try more. I have enlarged pores on my chin and nose and love the smooth look I get.

What is your favorite eyeshadow (color or shade)?
Oh man... Birthday Suit, Stiletto, Skinny Jeans, Samba-dy Loves me, Fancy Pansy & Mermaid from Benefit. Smoke & Diamonds, Sumptuous Olive, Gorgeous Gold, Humid, Tempting & Fashion Groupie from MAC... at least those are the fun shades.

Do you use pencil or liquid eyeliner?
Pencil or cream. Liquid is harder for me to use.

How often do you poke your eyes with an eyeliner pencil?
Pretty much never.

What do you think of pigment eyeshadows?

I like them. Not too experienced with them, though.

Do you use mineral makeup?
For now, yes. I just started using Bare Minerals.

What is your favorite lipstick?
I don't really wear lipstick, but Benefit Silky Finish Lipstick in My Treat is pretty amazing. I also just bought my first red: Kat Von D in Hellbent.

How about lipgloss?
hmm Benefit's Corsage, Streakin', Kiss Me... MAC StarNova (omg LOVE!)

What is your favorite blush to use?
MAC Blushbaby.

Do you buy your makeup on ebay?
Nosir.

Do you like drugstore makeup?
Yes and no. Drugstore make up is cheap because it is made cheaply. Sometimes you find great stuff. Drugstore Mascaras are often as good as the "real" thing. Sometimes they're even better! And skin care sometimes just kicks ass when it's from a drugstore...

Do you go to CCO's? (cosmetic company outlets)
never been... would love to try.

Did you ever consider taking make-up classes?
Yess! I sort of already have, I did a costuming and make up "internship" at a local theater company in high school and worked on stage make up and learned a lot. No official training though.

Are you clumsy in putting on makeup?
Nopers.

Name a makeup crime that you hate?
Ugh overly pale pink frosty lipstick/gloss. Over lined lips. Overplucked eyebrows..

Do you like colorful shades of makeup (lipstick,eyeshadow) or neutral ones?
Both, depending. Right now I LOVE my UD Big Fatty Colored Mascara in Flipside which is a gorgeous intense turquoise.

Which celebrity always has great make up?
Penelope Cruz.... Kat Von D, although her look is not for me, Angelina Jolie and Jennifer Aniston are always flawless.. there's tons more.

If you could leave the house using just ONE make up item, what would you use?

Mascara! duh.

Could you ever leave the house without any makeup on?
Yep. Quite frequently, if you don't love the way you look, why accentuate it???

Do you think you look good even without any makeup on?
I look okay as long as my skin is clear...

In your opinion, what is the BEST makeup line?
hahaha... oh man. I don't even think I can answer that. There are too many that I love, but definitely Benefit and MAC are up there!

What do you think of Makeup??
Make up is a way to accentuate what you already have, but it isn't necessary to be "beautiful." Beauty is only what you believe it to be. It's as much about your attitude, confidence and self-respect levels as it is about what you put on your face.

Sephora and (mini) Benefit Haul

So I know my last blog was about a Sephora Haul, but I went again and cashed in Major! I bought a bunch of make up, both necessities and fun things, and a new skin care regimen.

I guess I should start with the serious stuff, the skin care and such, so here goes. I happened to go on a day when Juice Beauty was doing a sort of promotional event for their skin care line. Juice Beauty is a totally organic company that does a few different skin care regimens. I bought the 30-day trial kit for acne prone skin. It came with a bottle of the Cleansing Gel, Blemish Clearing Solution, Oil-Free Moisturizer, and a small tub of their Green Apple Peel for Sensitive Skin. So far I've used everything but the Green Apple Peel, and I've seen a difference in my skin. I think at first it started pulling deep-seated bacteria to the surface so I broke out a little bit, but then it really started to get rid of the acne. I have to admit, at night, I still use my Neutrogena On The Spot Acne Treatment cream with salicylic acid on major problem areas. Overall though, I'm pretty pleased with the whole skin care regime. Juice Beauty also makes skin care regimens for aging skin, redness, sensitive skin, etc.

On to the more fun stuff.

I bought some really cool stuff that so far I am absolutely loving. I bought a few concealers: Amazing Cosmetics Amazing Concealer in Fair (Ultra Light) and Make Up Forever Professional 5 Camouflage Cream Palette in No. 1. I love the Amazing Concealer because it's super opaque (I'm going to try using it on my tattoos to see if it will conceal them), and the Make Up Forever palette is great because you can mix your perfect shade. Then I continued my new obsession with Urban Decay Big Fatty Mascaras and bought the original black one and another colored mascara in Indigo, which is a gorgeous true violet-y color. I also got another Urban Decay 24/6 Glide On eye liner pencil in Mildew, which is stunning. I bought a Kat Von D lipstick in Hellbent, which is a true red and a NARS lip liner in Jungle Red to go with it. Finally, I bought a Sephora brand liquid glitter eyeliner in Turquoise, which looks so fun and I can't wait to use when I'm going out soon. In the not-so-exciting category, I bought two brushes, both of which are Sephora brand: an angled foundation brush and a lip brush. Good buys, so far.

At Benefit I got two really great eye shadows and a beautiful lipstick. The two eye shadows are fairly new, Mermaid and Fancy Pansy. Mermaid is a beautiful blue-green-aqua color shot through with some gold shimmer. It goes on sheer but is definitely buildable so you can make it much more intense if you'd like. It looks great with my Urban Decay Big Fatty Mascara in Flipside. Fancy Pansy is a violet color with a shimmery-blue sheen to it. It's really pretty as an eyeliner or accent. You can use water to make it more intense (and last longer) as an eyeliner. Then I bought one of their sheer finish lipsticks in My Treat, which is sort of a true pink-magenta-y color. It's pretty flattering on most colorings, I know it looks great on me and my friend Allie and I have dark brown hair and fair skin and she's blonde and tan.

So, that's all for now, I'm sure I'll have more to update soon. Have a great week and stay beautiful!

A few of my favorite things...

My name is Emily, I'm 22 years old and, as my mother would put it, I was "born with the Estee Lauder gene." I love all things make up, jewelry, fashion and girly. I've always loved make up especially, and all my friends are always asking me to do their make up for a night out or something special or even just for fun. I've become sort of the go-to gal in my circle. And there the idea for a Beauty Blog was born...

So this is my first post on my Beauty Blog. I plan on using this space to talk about my favorite beauty, skin and hair care products, as well as fashion, fragrances and other little things that I'm loving.

Right now I'm absolutely in love with Dolce & Gabbana's L'Imperatrice perfume from their tarot card-inspired series. It's a soft, very floral, feminine scent and is utterly gorgeous, as well as relaxing. I also just went shopping at Sephora and brought in a pretty decent haul of products; some eye shadows, eye liners, mascaras and the Bare Minerals Starter Kit. I have slightly oily skin so I'm always looking for make up that provides good coverage and won't make my skin freak out. So far, I'm loving it. I also picked up the new Dior mascara, Dior Show Extase, which I absolutely love. It's amazing, it's not as stiff as the Dior Show Iconic, and it literally makes you look like you're wearing the most feathery, long falsies. Incredible! Let's see, I picked up a limited edition eye shadow palette from Kat Von D, Memento Mori, for Dia de los Muertos. It's got stunning turquoise-y greens and tequila- or champagne-y golds and pinks and some lovely purples. I also snagged some Urban Decay goodies. I picked up their Big Fatty Colored Mascara in Flipside and two of their 24/7 Glide on pencils in Flipside and Ransom. All are gorgeous, the mascara makes your lashes look so full and feathery and is very true to its color. The eyeliners go on super smooth and are intense and don't budge! Overall, pretty good start to a new year of beauty love.

More posts to come as I figure out how to use this.

Cheers!