Like any good makeup addict, I wear different eye shadows, mascaras, blushes, lipsticks, etc. on a daily basis. I always switch it up. I mourn over the fact that my much-loved lipsticks look practically unused, because as much as I love them, I can't commit.
(Don't worry, habibi. This attitude only pertains to shopping.)
But I came to a crossroads a few years ago. I was spending money on purchasing different foundations, different types of powder. Loose, pressed, translucent -- you name it, I had it. And it took forever to get through any of my facial products. My sister even went through my makeup bag and told me, "You have all of these unused foundations and powders in here. Why?"
Why indeed?
At that point, I stopped looking for the best and found what was good enough. Perhaps there are better foundations, better powders out there. But I was going to deplete my wallet and waste money if I didn't stop looking. Aside from the occasional swatching parties at Sephora,* I'm content with what I have for the moment. And with some of these products -- I've been faithful to them for a year or more!
And you know what? It's great to stick to my routine. More money for perfume and eyeshadow palettes I probably don't need.
Right now, I'm using...
(from left to right)
NYX High Definition Eye Shadow Base: Let me tell you the truth, here. Once upon a time, I had Urban Decay's Primer Potion. And once upon a time, my it made my eye shadows crease like hell. My already oily eyelids were perfectly shiny. I stopped using primer for a long time.
Just last year, I finally had the courage to throw away the virtually unused bottle of UDPP.
I cried the entire time.
For under $10, this does an amazing job. After moving furniture for 12 hours, yeah, you're going to get some creasing. But I work in my home office, and even with the occasional bank, post office run, my eye shadow looks pretty good at the end of the day.
Tread lightly, though. I learned to apply as little product as possible across my lids for minimal creasing. Wait for a few minutes before applying any shadow or liner.
Maybelline Mineral Powder Natural Perfecting Powder Foundation: Okay, I know it's no Bare Minerals. But with a good brush, it evens out my skin tone quite well. The coverage is quite sheer, which I wanted.
After age 20 or so, I decided to stop applying thick foundation every day and let my natural skin texture show through a bit. I'll use the Cover Girl Nature Luxe foundation for work and other outings, but I generally just use this powder foundation on a daily basis.
I started using it on my wedding day and I'm still on the same container. If you're looking for a high-end powder and you're unwilling to pay a little more, consider it. I paid about $6 for this and it is still going strong after a year of daily use. What's $30 for a product that will take you a year to finish? Good cost-per-use, if you ask me.
I use the (3) Natural Ivory shade. I've always had a problem of choosing foundation that was too white for my skin, but this is just right. Thank God my neck and face match in pictures now!
EcoTools Powder Brush: I always used to walk the aisles of Target and look on in envy at the EcoTools brush set. For the longest time, I haven't been able to bring myself to invest in brushes, so I didn't want to pay around $10 for a single brush (which I know is actually ridiculously cheap. You will learn how cheap I am as I write more about my sale finds).
But one day, there it was in all its glory, the powder brush with a clearance sticker. $1.56! Victory was mine.
I was previously using the powder brush that came with the Maybelline foundation, which was pretty scratchy. I think I actually cooed when I started using this lovely, soft brush. I haven't gone back to the other powder brush since.
I think it's high time I purchased the other ones, don't you?
Maybelline Baby Lips lip balm: In (05) Quenched. I received this and other samples from BzzAgent as a part of Maybelline's latest campaign.**
I am a hard sell when it comes to lip balms. I had been using one from Dylan's Candy Bar for about a year or so, but I wasn't too happy with it. I also wasn't willing to acquire 20 lip balms in order to find The One. I stuck with my pot of delicious Strawberry Licorice.
But I received this package and tore it open like it was Christmas morning and I was 8 years old again.
I honestly wasn't anticipating loving the lip balm, but I did. Unlike other balms, it doesn't apply as a thick layer that awkwardly rests on the top of your lips. It's not heavy at all, but it's not too light as to be useless. With a light layer, I can apply lipstick on top of it.
I'm a sucker for tinted lip balms, so I'll review the other ones in a later post. I even purchased a few of my own, if that will convince you that I'm not simply shilling the product because I received it for free!
I'm not gifted in the area of describing a particular product's scent, but I'm determined that this particular shade smells like Fruity Pebbles. Go ahead. Get your tube of Quenched if you have it. Smell it. Am I right?
I never talk about how lip balms taste because I think it's crass to eat your beauty products.
L'Occitane Facecolour Powder: If there is one company j'adore, it's L'Occitane. I fell in love with the place even before I became a beauty product fanatic. One year, I was flying first class to Europe, and the stewardess brought us airline pouches filled with hygiene products, and best of all, L'Occitane products. The lip balm and hand cream were simply amazing.
I regularly shop there and get perfumes and the smaller sized bottles of face products. When I heard that they were going to be entering the makeup realm, I squealed with joy. On my anniversary trip, I finally picked up a few items, which I will review later.
But I've been using the "Facecolour Powder" in Helene on a daily basis. Bye bye, High Beam. I sweep it across the tops of my cheekbones and use it in other places as a highlighter.
Cover Girl NatureLuxe Foundation: "Luxury touched by nature!" Whatever. They added a little cucumber water and now it's touched by nature.
I do have to admit, it is lovely and light. And it smells great. So, Cover Girl, you got me.
This foundation's formula also includes an SPF 10 sunscreen and jojoba extract. The coverage is sheer, which again, is what I'm currently looking for in foundation.
I received this from BzzAgent as a part of Cover Girl's NatureLuxe campaign.** The shade, 310, is a tad light on me, but not bad at all. It's difficult to find the perfect shade for my skin. Nevertheless, it replaced my Maybelline Mousse Foundation, which was quite good but a bit on the heavier side. Both products work quite well for my skin, though.
I don't wear cream foundation very often, so there's still plenty of product left in the tube.
And that is my daily routine!
*Any time I go into Sephora, it's a party.
**I received these products for free with no other monetary compensation. You can sign up as well and spread the word about the products you receive. Visit BzzAgent.com.
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