The "New" Liquid Lipsticks

You see them everywhere you turn now -- your Twitter, Instagram, and every YouTube video you watch are filled with us crazy beauty bloggers gushing about them. Liquid Lipsticks are HUGE right now and they are here to stay.

I, for one, gladly welcome the reign of the lipstick jungle. I have long-loved the idea of a lipstick that not only doesn't bleed or easily fade throughout the day, but that lasts no matter how much food I shove in my face (which can often be a lot, just ask my boyfriend) or how much I talk (you can ask him about this too, but he'll just shake his head and sigh).

I cannot even keep up with every brand that is coming out with new liquid lipsticks -- frankly, I'm expecting some more brands to join in on the action sooner rather than later (I'm looking at you, Urban decay!). I still have so many that I look forward to trying and so many colors I want to add to my collections from certain brands (oh, Anastasia Beverly Hills).

 Dose of Colors Liquid Lipsticks (from left to right: Purple Rain, Merlot, Pinky Promise, Berry Me, Kiss of Fire)

 Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipsticks (from top to bottom: Carina, Pure Hollywood, Sadgirl, Sweet Talker)

 (from left to right: Sleek Cosmetics pout paint in Mink; OCC lip tars in Nylon, Black Dahlia and Hush; Sleek Cosmetics pout paint in Pinkini

 (from top to bottom: Too Faced melted liquid lipstick in Nude; Stila liquid lipstick in Beso)

There are SO MANY brands and formulas to choose from. My current two favorites are the new Anastasia Beverly Hills liquid lipsticks and the Dose of Colors liquid lipsticks. Both are super creamy and not at ALL drying! They both last through talking, eating, and singing along to my Amazon Prime playlists (possibly off-key) all day long. I don't even need to touch them up after eating, unless I eat something greasy (this can break-up the product).

Dose of Colors is amazing. First of all, they smell like freaking chocolate. They are wickedly pigmented. They are smooth as butter and dry incredibly quickly. They come in adorable frosted glass packaging. They are beyond worth it!

Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipsticks are just stunning. They have no scent so they aren't offensive. They give perfect pigmentation on the first swipe and dry almost instantly. The elegant silver and gold details on the packaging are just beautiful with the iconic ABH logo.

I LOVE Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics (OCC) Lip Tars -- they are minty, smooth, and last FOREVER (seriously -- a dab'll do ya, and thus no one will ever finish a tube unless they work New York Fashion Week every week for life).

Sleek Makeup makes their magical pout paints, which are not unlike lip tars but a little thicker and without the magical minty flavor. They are super-affordable and beautifully pigmented. Absolutely worth a try -- my hands-down favorite thing from this brand!

I would like to try out some more of the Too Faced Melted line which was recently expanded to include some more neutrals and additional bright shades. I love how easy these are to apply and that they are not even a little drying. Any shade suggestions, readers?!

Admittedly, I do not love the Stila liquid lipsticks -- I found Beso to be incredibly drying, which then shows very visible lines on your lips which have been sucked-dry of every last drop of moisture. I did not keep it on long enough to see how it would hold up against intensive eating, talking and general merriment because it became painfully dry pretty quickly. I did keep it on for approximately two hours and it did survive the little bit that I ate and drank in that time as well as a moderate amount of talking. But each movement of my lips made it drier still (which I didn't think was possible). This shade range was so beautiful that I definitely want to give another shade a try and see if I have the same experience before completely writing off this line from Stila.

I'm looking forward to trying some additional brands and more shades from the Anastasia Beverly Hills line (there are 20 gorgeous shades in all -- I only have 20% of the gorgeous!). I am getting ready to try some of the L'Oreal Infallible 2-Step Lip Color and Maybelline Color Elixir Lip Color (I always drag my feet on the drugstore brands because I never find the color ranges they offer very appealing) as well as some of the new Laura Mercier Paint Wash Liquid Lip Colors and Make Up For Ever Aqua Rouge.



So naturally, I wanted to show you how some of these beauties wear and give you some pro tips on how to wear liquid lipsticks!

 First thing's first: EXFOLIATE THEM LIPS! But seriously -- there is nothing cute about dry, cracked, chapped lips, no matter how gorgeous your lip color is.

Once my lips are nice and exfoliated I apply a healthy slathering of lip balm (any lip balm you like will do). I let it sit for a few minutes (up to five, as my lips are prone to dryness) before blotting gently with a tissue. This way my lips are nice and hydrated before I apply a lipstick.

If you like, you can line your lips or put on a lip primer before you apply the lipstick. Too Faced, MAC, NYX and plenty of other brands make lip primers -- feel free to give one a try!

Here are some pictures of applications so you can see how smooth these great products are!:

 Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipstick in Sweet Talker

 Dose of Colors Matte Liquid Lipstick in Purple Rain

Too Faced Melted Liquid Lipstick in Nude

And possibly most importantly this stuff is NOT always easy to get off! My recommendation would be to use coconut or olive oil to remove your favorite liquid lipsticks, or a makeup remover meant for all-over (try Clinique Take the Day Off Makeup Remover).

What are your favorite liquid lipsticks? Do you prefer bright colors, daring colors, neutrals? I'd love to hear your thoughts -- especially any new product recommendations you have for me!

xo,

M

Apply Mascara, Take Over the World

If you've read any of my previous posts (or even just the name of my blog) then you probably know by now that I am a bit of a makeup junkie. However, my obsession is often most-heavily fixated on one of the most contentious products on the market: mascara.

I think it would suffice to say that everyone has their own feelings when it comes to what makes the "perfect" mascara. We all have different lash goals and we certainly all have different lashes to work with.
 

For more than a decade I have scoured makeup counters, drug stores, beauty stores of all shapes and sizes, trying on every mascara that I could find. Some were very affordable, some broke the bank. Some were everywhere I looked, some were nearly impossible to find and get my hands on. The quest is unending -- I am constantly on the hunt for the newest and the best mascara, and I have found some winners (and a very very long line of losers) along the way.

Here is a small (seriously...) sampling of my current mascara collection:

I could spend hours bashing all of the mascaras that I DON'T like, but I don't really want to write that and I'm assuming you don't really want to read that. We all have our opinions about what's great and what's not so great and that's fine -- different strokes for different folks!

The truth is whether you can spend $5 or $50 on your mascara, I'm sure that you can find a mascara that you love. I have favorites that I can get at any local store that sells makeup and I have others that I have to go out of my way to get (and I am always more than willing to for a great mascara)!

My suggestion? If you are willing to splurge to try a new high-end mascara, buy it from a store like Sephora or Nordstrom -- that way if it doesn't win you over, you can return it for a full refund, no questions asked.

To help you understand my lashes and my mascara goals I will say that I have naturally long and curled lashes that are so light they are nearly invisible some days. I want a false-lash effect that looks like I am wearing a nice (not overly-dramatic) set of false lashes (think Velour Lashes Whispie Sweet Nothings). I want them to be long, voluminous, curled and separated just-so. I am uber-neurotic about how my lashes/mascara look and I have a small collection of Sonia Kashuk lash combs (seriously the greatest $5 you will ever spend) hiding in various places to ensure that they are never looking anything less than amazing.

But I will go ahead and share some of my all-time favorite mascaras and how they made the short list.

1. Yves Saint Laurent Volume Effet Faux Cils. This has, for at least 5 years now, been my absolute "holy grail" mascara. I would sing this from mountaintops given the chance. But what makes it so great to me? Well, where do I even begin... first of all, this mascara will absolutely give you a false-lash effect, which has been the goal of many a beauty blogger for quite some time. Maybe others have the time and inclination to put on actual false lashes every day, but I do not. I don't even want to put them on for special occasions -- so I don't! I don't need them with this mascara. I regularly get asked what false lashes I am wearing when I wear this mascara. ALL. THE. TIME. It is creamy, it comes in several gorgeous shades (I also have the purple and burgundy shades as well as both of the black shades), it is long-wearing, and it does everything a great mascara should: it volumizes, lengthens, separates (does not clump), and curls. The mascara itself is a little on the drier side which I personally am a fan of -- I don't like mascaras that are gloopy and wet -- I find them near impossible to work with as they naturally want to clump together. I love the densely-bristled brush that allows every single lash to get wrapped in deep black drama. The only potential drawbacks of this mascara are that there can be minimal flaking (because it is a drier mascara) and it is quite pricy because it is from the ever-fabulous YSL.From the gold tube to the mascara goldmine inside there is nothing that doesn't scream "luxurious" about this product. I also love their Babydoll (rubber-bristled brush) and Shocking (a twisted-bristle brush) mascaras. Babydoll focuses on building beautiful length while Shocking focuses on building intense volume.

 YSL can do no wrong when they make a mascara. I love them all.

2. Armani Eyes to Kill Excess Volume. From the slightly hourglass-shaped brush to the immensely sexy black embossed packaging this mascara screams "I"m a sexy goddess." This mascara gives me a similar false-lash effect to the YSL mascara, but it's a little less intensely lengthening and volumizing. That is by no means to say that it will not blow you away -- it absolutely will. You will get length, volume, separation and some curl from this fantastic mascara, but you may also get a little flaking as it is also a drier formula. I love the brush that allows me to coat my lashes quickly and effectively while keeping them separated. It gives you a beautiful "fan" of lashes without looking spidery or clumpy.

3. Marc Jacobs O!Mega Lash. This is a newer mascara and I have to hand it to Marc -- I was almost unwilling to try another one of his mascaras after I tried his "Genius Gel" which I thought was horrible, to put it gently (another story for another day). Mr. Jacobs has 150% redeemed himself with O!Mega Lash. This beautiful mascara comes with a somewhat-typical looking brush which is, suprisingly, exactly what I think a lot of mascaras seem to be forgetting. A densely-bristled brush is precisely what allows you to pack on volume and build length and most importantly, keep lashes separated while building that length and volume. It seems so simple, yet so many companies seem to screw it up. This formula is smooth and creamy and a little wetter than both the YSL and Armani. I get more-than-average length, volume and curl from this mascara but to me it is a slightly more "natural" effect. I love to use this for an everyday look where I don't want to seem overly-glamorous (yes -- that is a potentially real problem that fabulous people like me have).

4. L'Oreal Voluminous Power Volume. Fun fact of the day, for those of you who do not already know, L'Oreal is basically the Queen of the makeup world. But seriously -- they own both YSL and Armani along with other brands like Urban Decay and Maybelline. They are a beauty powerhouse. So if you ever wondered why there are so many "drugstore dupes" and why their packaging and products often seem identical, well, that's because they are made in the same factory since it's all really one big makeup family! But onto this mascara: it is basically the drugstore version of my beloved Armani Eyes to Kill Excess Volume! It gives a little less length and a little less drama (the formula is a bit less magical), but essentially, they are the same. So if you want Armani Eyes for L'Oreal prices, this one's your girl.

5. Essence I Love Extreme Volume Mascara. To be honest, the first time I saw this brand at Ulta my immediate thought was, "Oh, that's sweet -- they have a whole little end-cap of tween makeup." But I have since learned that regardless of whom Essence gears their marketing towards these people know what's up when it comes to mascara (at a GREAT price!). For those of you who want to spend $5 on your mascara -- this one is for you! I LOVE this mascara (AND it's sister, I Love Extreme Crazy Volume Mascara, which has a rubber-bristle brush instead) -- it has an enormous densely-bristled brush and a super-creamy formula that swipes on instant length and pretty great volume. For $5 I could not imagine let alone ask for more from a mascara. This is literally better than half of the high-end brands that I have paid 4x the amount for. If you are thinking of getting a mascara like the Perversion mascara from Urban Decay STOP and BUY THIS INSTEAD! It gives you the same feel (super smooth like whipped butter) with a better result and less clumps.

5. Maybelline The Falsies Mascara. I'd be lying if I said I get excited when Maybelline comes out with a new mascara. In fact my response is quite the opposite -- I usually moan and then begrudgingly go try it out, feeling it is my beauty-blogger duty to be able to speak knowledgeably on all things beauty. But there are exceptions to my annoyance with so many of their mascaras and the main one is The Falsies. I LOVE the spoon-shaped brush that makes it so easy to coat all of my lashes in one motion instead of two, because the brush is perfectly contoured to the shape lashes naturally go in -- an arc. The formula itself is creamy, pigmented and doesn't make a hassle out of getting quick length and volume. If you need a great drugstore standby, give this one a go (though I recommend that you stick with the original -- there seem to be numerous spin offs of this very mascara from Maybelline and I don't know why: they made it right the first time).

6. Maybelline The Colossal. This was the first Maybelline mascara that I made an exception for. Something about it's bright yellow tube and purple metallic lettering made me amused enough to give it an honest go, despite how many times other Maybelline mascaras had not lived up to their hype or my expectations. I think that because they were the first brand to create a mascara back in the early 1900's that they somehow feel obligated to keep trying to dominate the mascara world. Personally, I think destroying "Great Lash" would be a good first step, but obviously that's just me. But I digress: I gave The Colossal a try and was pleased to find that the somewhat-wet formula did a great job at delivering clump-free volume. If you want a very volumizing mascara that doesn't add a lot of length, this is a great choice.

7. Eyeko Black Magic Mascara. This fun little gem comes in some unique packaging -- a squeezable tube designed to allow you to get the most product out of it with minimal waste. I love the curved brush that allows you to quickly build length and volume on all of your lashes simultaneously. The formula is a bit wetter than most of my other favorite mascaras but dries very quickly on the lashes and does not smudge like wet formulas tend to do. The brush also separates as it coats leaving your lashes looking perfectly pretty without needing to comb through them a lot when you're done applying as many coats as you wish. Like the Marc Jacobs mascara this gives more of what I consider to be an "everyday" look and not a ton of magical lash drama. The different sides of the brush actually have different shapes -- one is flatter -- that allow you to build length or volume, respectively. This probably works nicely for people who use the same hand to apply mascara to both eyes, but being my weird ambidextrous self I apply mascara to my right eye with my right hand and to my left eye with my left hand. Thus, the only drawback to this mascara (for me) is that my lashes don't look equally amazing when I do this since I am using the flat side of the brush on one eye and the rounded side on the other! It would also suggest that people who are right-handed and left-handed with experience this mascara very differently, because based on how you hold the wand you will alter the overall outcome of how the mascara looks on your lashes (for anyone who doesn't believe the wand makes half the difference in mascara, try this mascara).

8. Chanel Inimitable Intense Mascara. This is one of very few rubber-bristled brushes that I actually love. Not unlike the Marc Jacobs I find that this mascara does all of the things I want a mascara to do (volume, length, curl, separate), it just doesn't do it so intensely that I feel like I should be wearing stilettos and couture with it (funny, since it is Chanel). From the sleek packaging (if you wonder why I mention packaging sporadically it's because when you're buying a high-end mascara, packaging is a portion of the price -- it's luxury, so it needs to look like it!) to the creamy formula this product is coveted by rich housewives everywhere (or so I imagine). Like my beloved YSL line, the Chanel line also offers some fun, beautiful colors in this mascara that look great on all eye colors. If you want a glamorous high-end mascara but over-the-top drama isn't your style, try this mascara.

9. Buxom Lash Mascara. This is the other instance in which I fell in love with a rubber-bristled brush. The super-creamy formula and the perfectly-shaped hourglass brush build beautiful volume and length and separate perfectly. They used to make a blue-black shade, too, but it seems to have disappeared, sadly -- it was GORGEOUS. If you are looking for a great rubber-bristled mascara that won't be over-the-top and are looking to get closer to the high-end without really splurging, then I recommend giving this beautiful mascara a try. The formula flakes a bit once it begins to dry (after a week or two of use), but it's not noticeable to most (I laser-focus on small details). This mascara is just great to put on -- I can't say that about all mascaras that I love, but something about this brush and formula just feels nice putting it on!


Aaaaand that's all! I could have made a 10th but technically it is a discontinued so it wouldn't be very helpful to anyone for me to gush about how much I love it (it would also further depress me that it was discontinued).

What are some of your favorite mascaras? What price range do you consider "splurging?"

I'd love to hear about what mascaras you enjoy and why, or even which ones you don't and why!


xo,
M

Skincare when you have Oily, Acne-Prone Skin

If you have oily skin I imagine you share in my knowledge of how awesomely frustrating it can be. While everyone else is gushing about how fabulous and dewy this foundation and that moisturizer make them look, we sit back and think, "I wonder if my face can solve the oil crisis?"

Let me tell you a little bit about my skin and my skin-journey. I have a very oily T-Zone and acne-prone skin. But not just any acne, cystic acne. And not just one here and one there, but severe cystic acne. It started around the time I began high school. While everyone else got the bumpy red patches of acne on their cheeks I got these deep, painful cysts that would pop up everywhere. Some of my friends had the same, but they would have one or two on their skin at a time, max. I, on the other hand, had anywhere between 5-25 on my skin at a given time. All over my chin, around my nose and on my forehead. It was horrendous. No amount of washing my face, no special TV product gimmick, no amount of swearing or praying made it better. I had tried every face wash at every store I could find, I had tried Proactiv, I had tried Neutrogena Skin ID, I had paid for expensive scrubs, masks, treatments, and gels from higher-end skincare lines and still nothing worked.

Eventually, around the time I turned 18, I finally went to see my mom's dermatologist, who changed my life forever. I was very lucky that she was able to get me on the right track on the first try -- it was such a relief after years of failed tries. I had to take a pill every day and use a topical ointment on my face a few times a week (which is incredibly drying and makes you even more sun-sensitive, as did the pill, so sunscreen became even more important!). As she promised, with my diligent following of the instructions provided to me, I began to see results even sooner than expected. Usually, they say wait 8-12 weeks to see improvements -- I was lucky enough to see huge improvements in just 6 weeks. To this day, some 12 years after my acne first began, I still suffer with my oily, acne-prone skin. My skin never stopped being sensitive or acne-prone and that can be really frustrating at times when I just wish I could have nice skin like everyone else. However, more times than I can now count, I have been told how amazing my skin looks. Friends, family and complete strangers remark on it often. When it's good, it is great. I truly am lucky and I try to keep that in mind when it DOES act up.

Some important take-aways from my experience: everyone's skin is unique. What works for me may not work for someone else and what works for them may not work for me. That is OKAY! I cannot let that frustrate me. Trial and error can be time-consuming, frustrating and very expensive, but once you find what works for you, it feels so good to have great skin (though it will act up at times -- it is still your same skin, it is just "under control").

I had to take pills for my skin for years. They made me even more susceptible to sun-damage (scary when you have close family members who have had cancerous spots on their skin that had to be removed), and because they are basically anti-biotics, its just not great to constantly pump those into your body for years. You also become immune to them after awhile (DO NOT abuse medications, it will come back to haunt you. If you do not trust your doctor, find one that you do trust -- it is vital to your overall health!), and they can cause other health problems by killing off the healthy bacteria in your body. This is ultimately what led me to stop taking the pills (my doctor agreed that I needed to start tapering them off sooner of later -- always do this with your doctor's supervision and follow their instructions carefully).

Using one product may cause a new problem to form -- this has been my experience with the topical ointment I use on my skin still to this day. I try not to use it more than once or twice a week in dryer months and no more than 3-4 times a week in warmer and more-humid months as it causes my skin to become quite dry and irritated, leaving me with a horrible combination of dry, flaky patches, gross oily patches, and of course, the occasional acne cysts (usually on my chin -- chin acne is typically thought of as being caused by hormones).

To this end I had to begin a new hunt -- for exfoliators and moisturizers that would help my cranky skin behave while not adding to the problems I already had (acne and oiliness).

If you have oily skin, you've probably learned, like I did, that you can't just put any old moisturizer on your skin. In fact, you may avoid it all together like I did for many years before I realized that oily skin is really just dry skin that is throwing a tantrum.

I spent hundreds of dollars on products that did not work for me in the quest for products that did. Being able to enjoy stores like Sephora, who have an amazing return policy, made it a little easier. Though, personally, I hate being harassed by the employees who want to suggest this product and that -- no offense, but when you know you have particular skin, hearing from someone who DOESN'T have that kind of skin is NOT helpful. No one knows your skin better than you!

Some things I have learned about my oily and acne-prone skin:

1. Under no circumstances do I put any kind of "heavy duty" cream or lotion moisturizer on my face ever for any reason. No matter how nice and luxurious it may look or how many other beauty bloggers rave about it, it is not worth the money or the cost to my skin when it causes a breakout!
2. My skin NEEDS moisture, and the best way to get it is to use a hydrating SERUM, which sinks INTO my skin instead of sits ON TOP of my skin. Any good dermatologist or esthetician will tell you the same!
3. Eating a lot of junk or processed food will make my skin worse, even if my acne is considered "hormonal"
4. Drinking lots of water each and every day does help to keep my skin clear and glowing, which is just what I want!
5. Washing my face each and every day is not enough to keep the acne or oil at bay -- that's life, that's okay. You just learn what works for you, and stick to a regimen. Consistency is key!
6. Scrubbing your face with harsh scrubs, peels or masks can cause more damage and dryness. Be gentle with your skin, it is delicate! I limit mine to once a week for special skin treatments like these.
7. ALWAYS wash your makeup off. I am the queen of laziness sometimes. But at the end of the day, if my skin breaks out because I am not taking care of it, I have no one to blame but myself. I but jumbo-boxes of makeup wipes from Costco so that I have no excuse not to get the makeup off and then give my face the good wash it deserves.
8. Wash your washcloths after each use! Ever wonder why they come in such big packs of 8-12 washcloths? That's because after just ONE use they are full of dead skin cells, dirt and other grimy bacteria. Throw that dirty thing in the wash and get out a clean one!
9. YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL even when your skin misbehaves. Don't forget it! :)
10. It can be hard to find the solution that works for your skin. It took me almost 5 years to find my solution and here more than 7 years later I am still using a system that works for me, even though it has been tweaked as I get older. Your skin ages and changes, be ready to change with it -- it's the only skin you'll ever have, so love it well!


And finally, here are some products that have worked for me and that I benefit from, outside of my prescription ointment:

1. Mario Badescu! I love his moisturizers because they actually absorb into my skin instead of sit on top of it. My favorites are his herbal hydrating serum and his aloe moisturizer with SPF 17.
2. Kate Somerville makes lots of great products for acne-prone skin! I love her ExfoliKate Gentle and her Sulfur treatment.
3. Murad also makes some great sulfur products: I love their sulfur mask and their sulfur treatment
4. GlamGlow clearing mud -- expensive as heck but really helps clear blackheads!
5. Neutrogena acne face wash (I like the grapefruit and the redness reducing ones -- they smell good and are great standbys!)

The type of products that work best for my oily, acne-prone skin are salicylic acid face wash, benzoyl peroxide treatment gel, and sulfur spot-treatments.


What are your favorite skin products to use with your oily skin? What has worked for you and what hasn't? I'd love to hear your skincare story, too!



xo,
M



PS:

PLEASE remember that I AM NOT a doctor nor an esthetician -- if you have questions or concerns about your skin please ask a professional who can help you find a solution.

Minimal Makeup Monday!

Some days (especially snowy Mondays!) it's just not worth it (for me) to put on a ton of makeup. It is cold and windy, which is a recipe for me sniffling, and my eyes watering (maybe I'm allergic to wind?!) :)

Watery eyes do not let pretty makeup stay put. It may be waterproof, but nothing is salt-water proof!

So what's a girl to do to still look put together and glowing on a miserable weather day?

Not to worry! I have some staple bad-weather standbys to the rescue!

The cold weather wrecks havoc on anyone's skin -- it is drying and damaging, even to those of us with oily skin (like me)!


I will write a follow-up blog with a more-detailed skin routine for those of you who are interested, but my first step for weather-ready skin is moisturizer (recently I've been using the Mario Badescu Herbal Hydrating Serum).

PRIMER:
Next is a good primer: my new favorite go-to in bad weather? Too Faced Hangover RX, which has some great moisturizing ingredients to really help my skin fend off the wind and the cold. Want a more affordable option? Try a NYX skin elixer (Q10 and Tea Tree are both great options), which deliver a similar benefit that is easier on your budget.

Dark Circles, Disappear!:
My next step may or may not be necessary for some, but I have some intense and offensive under eye circles, and those bad-boys gotta go! I usually go right for my Garnier dark-circle concealing eye roller, which is a great budget-friendly option! NYX also makes some great concealers (including one specifically for under the eyes) that are also great less-expensive items and I think both IT Cosmetics and Bobbi Brown make some great more-expensive under-eye corrector options. (If you are wearing other makeup with the concealer then using a salmon or peach colored corrector -- read NOT concealer!!! -- is the best way to cover dark circles, but would look very apparent if you have otherwise bare skin)

Pout Perfection:
A quick swipe of a light pink balm or gloss for a small pop of color. Some of my favorite higher-end options that give just the right amount of color are the Dior Lip Maximizer (it smells like vanilla mint -- good luck not trying to lick it off!) and the new Yves Saint Laurent (YSL) Tint-in-Oil lip tint in the shade I Rose You (#4). Some more affordable options would be the L'Oreal Colour Riche balms -- I LOVE Rose Elixir or the Sleek Makeup (this is a UK brand I buy online) Pout Polish (this smells like coconut and comes in a wide, flat jar) -- I love Powder Pink.

Brow-za!:
And of course, my sparse brows need a little love, too -- I give these a quick fill in with any angled brow brush (I prefer my short, stiff and with somewhat dense natural bristles -- I have a non-descript double-ended Sephora brush that was part of an old set I really love) using my Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade in Blonde. A great more-affordable option is the NYX Tame and Frame Brow Pomade. EVERYONE has great brow products these days! My favorite pencils are the Hourglass Arch in Blonde (high-end option) and the Milani Easy Brow Mechanical Pencil (affordable option).

Lash Domination:
Last but certainly not least is my favorite thing of all: a quick coat of mascara. I am a mascara junkie. Whether I am wearing minimal makeup or going all-out for some sort of event my mascara needs to speak for itself. I live for people asking me what false lashes I am wearing so that I can proudly tell them it's just my natural lashes (coated in amazing mascara). My newest favorite is the Marc Jacobs O!Mega lash. My holy grail mascaras are the YSL Volume Effet Faux Cils (I have most of the colors because they are all incredible, but Noir Radical is my go-to) and the Armani Eyes to Kill Excess Volume. Of course, we can't all/always afford high-end mascaras, so I have some great affordable choices, too! L'Oreal Voluminous Power Volume mascara in black and Maybelline's The Colossal and The Falsies are also great options that are budget-friendly.

Set and Go:
If you're really looking to weather-proof your look, consider adding some waterproofing products before you head out the door! Some of my favorites are the new L'Oreal Infallible Makeup Extender Setting Spray or the Urban Decay Chill Makeup Setting Spray. Want a seriously rough-and-tumble setting spray? Try Mehron Barrier Spray (Mehron makes theatre makeup which is designed to hold-up under super-hot lighting and hours on stage), which is more affordable than both the L'Oreal and Urban Decay options (I get mine on Amazon or Camera Ready Cosmetics). Waterproof lashes with NYX Proof It! Waterproof Mascara Top Coat (affordable) or Anastasia Beverly Hills Lash Genius Waterproof Top Coat (high end).


Extras, If you Want!:
Once I apply mascara that's plenty for me to go about my day with, but if I had plans to be somewhere I would probably want to be a bit more polished. If you want to add some more color or even a dab of sparkle to this look try adding an inner-corner highlight, a fun eyeliner or some blush! Some of my favorite "I woke up like this" options are here:

Cheeks: NYX Rouge Cream Blush (affordable) or BECCA Beach Tint Shimmer Souffle (high-end)

Eye highlight: NYX Infinite Shadow Stick or Wonder Pencil to brighten up your inner corner and waterline (affordable) or Josie Maran Coconut Watercolor Eyeshadow (high-end)

Eyeliner: NYX slide-on pencil (I love the shade golden bronze for when I want a subtler look) or Urban Decay Glide On 24/7 Eye Pencil in Hustle (high end)

I hope this helps give you some ideas for quick and weather-proof makeup for those days when you just don't want to fight with mother nature.

What are some of your favorite quick-and-easy, foolproof products?

xo,
M

Makeup, Skin and Hair Favorite Brands! Affordable and High End Options

I go out of my way to try out tons of new products all the time so that I am always up-to-date on the latest products and can give an honest review of them to friends when they ask for my input. So I wanted to share some of my personal favorite brands for makeup, skincare and hair care that have not only worked well for me, but for my friends and family. Its important to me to try products in a wide budget range so that I always have options to offer.

While I have TONS of favorite brands for each category (makeup, skin and hair), I'll limit the below favorites to two for each category, one higher-end and one more affordable option.

Makeup Favorites:

Yves Saint Laurent (YSL) -- their mascara is THE BEST! My original "holy grail," but they keep coming up with great products! I love their new lip product, "tint in oil."

L'Oreal -- did you know that L'Oreal owns a ton of other brands? They do! Some major ones include Maybelline, YSL, Armani and Urban Decay. That's why they often have great "dupes" of hot new products from high-end brands! They are often made in the same factories.


Skincare Favorites:

Mario Badescu -- I have horrendously oily skin, as I am sure I will mention no less than 392 more times in future posts (advanced apologies). Mario's line has so many great products for my oily and acne-prone skin that actually work. Imagine that!

Neutrogena -- This line has great products for both face and body; I love that their skin-care is non-comedogenic (this means it won't clog pores), oil-free AND affordable!


Hair Favorites:

Wella -- This is a French-based brand that, according to my mother, has actually been stateside for decades. Sadly, I only met it about a year ago. But since then we have been inseparable! Their products make my hair not only amazingly soft and shiny (quite the accomplishment given my hair is naturally curly, coarse and frizzy) but smell amazing, too!

Organix -- The Organix line never stops amazing me; they come out with amazing products that smell incredible and work great constantly! How they keep doing it is beyond me. I particularly love their Argan Oil collection, which smells divine!


What are some of your favorite brands? Why do you love them? Which of their products do you use? What types of products do you think are worth splurging on?

I would love to hear your thoughts! And, of course, if you have any questions or want any product recommendations leave me a comment and I will get back to you!


-M

WELCOME to My Blog!

WELCOME to my blog! I'm looking forward to sharing my love of makeup with the world. For years my friends have not only sought out my makeup advice and skills but they have asked me when I was going to take them online and share them with the world. Well, the answer appears to be now!

If you have any beauty questions I want to hear them! Curious about a new product? Not sure what to use with your skin type? Confused how to color match? Anxious about trying a new look? I'm here to help. Consider me your new beauty best friend. Need to know what products will work for your budget? How to achieve a minimal look or a glamorous look for a special occasion? I'm your girl!

Let the musings and world domination commence!

-M