Cranberry-Mauve Look using NEW Drugstore Makeup! (+ Mini Reviews!)

New at the Drugstore!

Hi everyone! I'm back with a bunch of new drugstore products and some mini reviews! I tried out all the products you see above and I'm super excited to share my thoughts. In the midst of trying them I came up with this cranberry-mauve look and I really like how it turned out. Without delay lets get into the mini reviews, shall we? :-)

*Maybelline Dream Cushion Fresh Face Liquid Foundation in 30 Warm Nude($16)- I really like this foundation! I completely agree with the "fresh face" claim, it's luminous but not too much. I personally prefer matte foundations but now that Spring is coming along and the weather is warming up it tends to be too heavy for me. This is perfect because it's lightweight but still provides great coverage leaving your skin looking youthful! It does come with a sponge applicator which I didn't end up liking, I felt like it made the foundation sit on my face and didn't blend it in. I use my Beauty Blender instead and it gets the job done beautifully.

*CoverGirl Outlast All Day Soft Touch Concealer in 830 light/medium($12)-  This concealer is great for everyday but not my favorite for a full face of makeup. CoverGirl claims that this concealer instantly erases your dark circles which I disagree with. I end up having to layer this concealer because the coverage is pretty light. I don't mind lighter coverage for work or for running errands but for a full face of makeup I wouldn't reach for this one. I really like the sponge applicator, it's perfect for such a sensitive area so kudos to that!

*CoverGirl Outlast Matte Finishing Powder in 830 light to medium($13)- This is a great powder! I really love it for touch ups because it instantly makes my face matte and we all know I love a matte face haha. The foundation doesn't need to be set but out of habit I did it anyway (just my t-zone) and I loved it. I would highly stay away from using it alone as CoverGirl suggest because it made my skin feel so dry! But over foundation and for touch ups it was awesome.

*ULTA Matte Neutrals Eyeshadow Palette($20)- I purchased this palette on a great deal and it was totally worth it! The shadows are buttery, smooth and beautiful colors. They are powdery but they blend so well so I'm OK with that. After comparing it to another higher end all matte palette I found that they have very similar colors so stay tuned for a possible dupe post very soon! ;-)

*Maybelline Color Sensational Inti-Matte Nudes Lipstick in Brown Blush($8)- Maybelline makes my favorite drugstore lipsticks and this new collection is...so good! The collection is the same formula as their creamy mattes, just warmer nudes that are made for different skintones. The lipstick is super comfy, pigmented and smooth and on top of that it's a mauve-brown... need I say anymore?! Definitely check out this collection if your a fan of Maybelline lipsticks!

Alright, that's all I have for you today! I hope these mini reviews were helpful and stay tuned for some more posts in the near future! :-)

Dupe Alert: Urban Decay Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer VS ULTA Full Coverage Concealer!

Super Similar!

The Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer (wow, what a name!) is one of my favorite concealers, definetely top 3 status! But... that $28 price tag not so much. I came across the ULTA Full Coverage Concealer and instantly noticed some similarities, for example: I own both in the same shade name, Light Warm. That got me thinking... could this be a dupe? Let's get into that! :-)

Price:

Urban Decay is $28 for 0.16 fl oz and ULTA is $9 for 0.08 fl oz. So two of the Ulta concealers would still be less than one Urban Decay.

Shade Range:

Urban Decay has 11 shades to choose from and ULTA has eight shades. They both divide their shades in cool and warm (UD also has neutral) to make picking out a shade more fitting and easier. Even though ULTA has less colors I feel like both cater to different skintones which is awesome!

Finish and coverage:

Urban Decay is a demi-matte finish with very full coverage and ULTA is a matte finish with full coverage. I always set my concealer so once I do that I feel like the finish is the same.

Applicator:

They both have a flat double sided applicator that gets the job done.

Formula:

Urban Decay is a silky smooth formula that blends into the skin beautifully! It has the best coverage and a little product goes a long way. It never creases and settle into fine lines and the lasting power is awesome, up to 8 hours for me. Just like the name says it feels weightless!

Ulta is just a hair thicker in formula and also blends amazingly! It's waterproof which I found to be true after wearing it in the pool in the summertime. It has really great ingredients (aloe vera, chamomile green tea and tea tree oil) that help reduce redness so this concealer would be great for blemishes. It also last really well, about 6 hours.

Bottom line: On the face you wouldn't be able to tell a difference between these two concealers! They are both full coverage and last nearly an entire workday. The best part about ULTA is that they have tons of sales on their ULTA Collection products plus you can always use that $3.50 off $10 or $15 coupon to save even more. Even though I love my Urban Decay one I will probably be repurchasing the Ulta to save me some money! :-)

Review: Sephora Collection Bright Future Gel Serum Concealer!

Awesome Formula!

If you're looking for lightweight concealer that still covers those pesky dark circles this will be you're new best friend! I've been testing this concealer for a while and I'm so happy to report that it's amazing! When I saw the words "Gel Serum" in the product name I was very curious to try it. It's so different in consistency from anything else I've tried. I can't stop using it! :-)

I love and appreciate the doe foot applicator because it makes application so simple. There's tons of shades available, suitable for any skintone which is also a HUGE plus! It claims to have brightening properties which I definitely agree with! It's so lightweight that you wouldn't assume it would brighten but it does a fantastic job at making you look awake. It's so silky feeling and just blends without losing coverage. I'm so impressed with this concealer and it's only $14 which is great deal!

Here's what it looks like on. I'm wearing the shade Madeleine (Medium) and it's a perfect match. You do need to set it with powder. If not I noticed that it does settle into fine lines. I used a yellow toned powder to set it and it stays put all day long! 

Bottom line: Give it a try! I've been running on no sleep between moving and work but this concealer makes me look awake and alive haha. The formula is lovely and just blends with ease. I love to use the E.L.F Flawless Concealer Brush to blend it, it's like they were meant to be! I highly recommend it! :-)

Dupe Alert: Drugstore Dupe of Mac Pro Longwear Concealer!

Drugstore Gem!

I think I found a holy grail concealer and... it's from the drugstore!! I've been wearing this NEW Maybelline Master Conceal Camouflaging Concealer in the shade 30 Light/Medium and I'm loving it! It retails for about $8 at your local drugstore but totally worth it. It claims to be a full coverage concealer that camouflage imperfections and dark circles. I don't tend to use concealer on my face so can't attest to that but under my eyes it's so good!

This concealer reminds me so much of my Mac Pro Longwear Concealer for pretty much half the price. I actually like this one better because the packaging is more user friendly haha. Everytime I use my Mac Pro Longwear I pump out way too much and that's just money going down the drain. With the Maybelline one you can control how much you use, plus a little bit goes a long way. The texture isn't thick but it's ridiculously opaque! It covered my dark circles instantly! 

I do want to emphasize the fact that you must set it. If you don't it's going to crease like no other. I use my Rimmel Stay Matte Powder to set it and it doesn't budge one bit for the rest of the day. It's without a doubt full coverage and gets the job done!

You can tell that it has really great coverage from the swatch! I've tried applying it with a brush but it looked streaky. I've used it with my fingers and honestly that's the best way! 

Bottom line: This is a must have concealer from the drugstore! If you've been eyeing the Mac Pro Longwear you can skip it now because this one is the way to go! I saw a few shades on the display when I purchased so you're bound to find your color match. :-)

Review: L'Oreal Visible Lift Blur Foundation & Concealer!

New From L'Oreal!

So let me start off by saying that recently I looked in the mirror and noticed a gray hair...I freaked out! haha. My whole mentality has changed ( just a bit) and I've been looking for makeup with some anti-aging qualities. It's never too early to take preventive measures and that gray hair was a wake up call, haha. I purchased the L'Oreal Visible Lift Blur Foundation about a month back, close to the time I purchased the new Maybelline Dream Wonder Fluid-Touch Foundation (which is amazing btw!). I then purchased the concealer about 2 weeks ago and here are my thoughts!

The packaging for both the foundation and concealer is the same squeeze tube style. The foundation comes in many different colors which is awesome! But, there wasn't any testers so picked the one that seemed to match, 206 Natural Beige, but it turned out to be a tad too dark. I made it work with a lighter powder ;-) L'Oreal claims that the foundation instantly blurs lines and uneven texture for younger looking skin in seconds, which is pretty accurate! It goes on so smooth and has a medium yet natural coverage so you don't get the "cakey" look. My skin looked silky smooth and felt smooth too! It has kinda like a silicone feeling to it but isn't slippery on the skin like other foundations. I do recommend to set it with powder for longer lasting power.

The formula is great! Now the price tag is a bit scary, $14.99... good thing I had a coupon at the time haha. It has a SPF of 18 which is a plus. I noticed the foundation continued to look amazing for about 4-5 hours. Even in the hot weather it held up pretty well but I do have to say it wasn't the best at oil control. I had to touch up my t-zone many times throughout the day which was a bummer. The rest of my face looked great but my t-zone was a big problem area, maybe a better primer can fix it.

Now onto the concealer! This retails for $12.99... again pretty pricey for a drugstore product. It comes in three shades, I purchased 302 Light. One of my favorite concealers is the Mac Pro Longwear but I tend to push it aside because you have no control over how much you pump out. I thought this concealer would be the perfect solution because of the squeeze tube but boy was I wrong! No matter how lightly you squeeze the product just gushes out. The concealer itself is OK, not the best coverage and I think its due to its consistency. It's so creamy that it creases like crazy, so you definitely need to set it with powder.

This is what the squeeze tubes look like.

 

Bottom line: I feel like both the products are way too pricey! I don't recommend the foundation for oily skin girls, other than that its a great foundation! So if you're willing to pay the price I would recommend it, but I really believe the Maybelline Dream Wonder Fluid-Touch Foundation is a better formula if you're looking for a flawless finish but also something that keeps you matte throughout the day. Plus, it's under $10! As far as the concealer, I wasn't a fan because it easily creased. I was hoping to really love both of these products but it just didn't work out. Have you given either the foundation or concealer a try? If you have leave your thoughts down below! :-)

Must Haves: Top 5 Concealers!

Cover Up Dark Circles & Blemishes!

Concealer is one of the products that I MUST have, once I run out I rush to my nearest drugstore to get more. I suffer from really dark under eye circles so concealer is my best friend. I wouldn't mind leaving the house with a bare face unless I wear a bit of concealer. Now that we've established how important this product is to me (haha!) I wanted to share my Top 5 Concealers that have helped me a lot throughout the years. Whether its dark circles or blemishes taking over my face these have performed so well at covering my imperfections. It's the best way to get that boost of confidence to face the world! :-)

Mac Pro Longwear Concealer in NW20-  This is the best concealer to cover your dark circles! I tried so many concealers before but nothing compares to this one. And... it makes me twitch just saying it because it's pretty pricey, $19 each but totally worth it! Its a lightweight formula with full coverage which is why I love it. It covers you dark circles completely with looking like too much. I use my Beauty Blender sponge to apply it for a more natural look. They have a bunch of shades and undertones to choose from so you'll definitely find the right shade for you. It has a pump which is a HUGE plus but beware; lightly push down on the pump to get just enough concealer. If not, too much will come out and you'll end up wasting product.

NYX Concealer Wand in Light- This concealer is great for someone on a budget. It's medium to full coverage so it's the perfect formula for under eye circles. It's about $5 at your local drugstore and they also have a nice range of shades. It has a doe foot applicator so application is a breeze. It's not thick at all so you don't have to worry about it looking too obvious.

E.L.F Studio HD Lifting Concealer in Brightening- So here's a concealer that I use everyday! I recommend this one in a heartbeat! It's only $3(50% with a coupon code!) on eyeslipsface.com and it's the perfect concealer to make your under eyes looks bright. It's a creamy opaque yellow based concealer that counteracts dark spots/dark circles. I wouldn't recommend to use it alone because it doesn't provide enough coverage but it's the perfect topper to your daily concealer. I apply it on the area that's closest to the higher points of my cheeks and it works perfectly! It's a key point to my makeup routine!

CoverGirl truBLEND Concealer in Light 5 6 7- This is the perfect concealer to cover up redness! On days that I just want to use a powder foundation for a more natural look I use this concealer to cover up the redness around my nose. It also works for spot concealing any blemishes! It lasts all day too! I don't like to use it under my eyes because even though it's a creamy formula, it's on the drier side so it makes my eye area look like it needs some moisture. This one will cost you about $6-8 at your local drugstore.

L.A. Girl Pro Concealer in Natural-  L.A Girl is a very affordable brand so it never really crossed my mind to try their products before. Normally we associate cheap with bad but this concealer is really amazing! Its about $2-$3 at your local beauty supply store and has dozens of shades to choose from. It has a brush tip application which is perfect for control. You just squeeze out the right amount each time without having to worry about wasting product. It's also a light weight formula providing more of a medium coverage. It's the most creamy out of all the ones I mentioned and covers really well. It's comparable to a higher end concealer from Makeup Forever so definitely give this one a try!

So these are my Top 5 Concealers! If you have any other recommendations feel free to leave a comment down below!

Review: L.A Girl Pro Conceal HD Concealer!

Hide Those Dark Circles ;-)

Sleep... what is that!? Haha, if you're like me you spend most of your nights (and early mornings) catching up on your favorite show on Netflix. Without my beauty sleep I look like a zombie. So I was in the market for a great concealer to take care of those dark under eye circles and I found it! The L.A Girl Pro HD Concealer is amazing! On the company's site they claim that it's crease-resistant with opaque coverage in a creamy yet lightweight texture. The long-wearing formula camouflages darkness under the eyes, redness and skin imperfections. Provides complete, natural-looking coverage, evens skin tone, covers dark circles and minimizes fine lines around the eyes. I definitely agree with the claims. This concealer is super creamy and works great to cover up those dark circles. It's actually compared to a more higher end concealer, the Make Up For Ever Full Coverage Concealer which is $32. The LA Girl concealer is $5 on their website but you can find for only $2.50 on Beautyjoint.com.

I love the packaging too, it has a brush tip applicator which makes it super easy to apply around your nose to cover redness, under your eyes and even around your eyes to clean up any mistakes. The line offers 18 shades ranging from light to deep so its universal. I do have to say that it's a bit tough to determine your shade from the online swatches. I ordered two, natural and creamy beige just to be safe and natural was the one! So I would recommend to do the same when ordering just to ensure you're getting your perfect match. For the price you have nothing to lose. You only need the smallest bit to cover your under eye circles but if you feel like you need more you can build it up. It's definitely a medium coverage off the bat. I always apply powder to make sure it last all day. A great thing about it is that even if you apply powder it never looks cakey.

 

Bottom line: This concealer is my favorite at the moment, I use it everyday! I love the consistency and coverage. Before I used the Covergirl and Olay concealer in a pot ( with the swirls!) because it was so moisturizing but it got discontinued. I was desperately looking for something to replace it and I think I'm gonna stick with this one! Go ahead and try it out. :-)