My skincare routine

My skin has been relatively clear for the past 2-ish years.  However, very recently, I've been getting a few minor breakouts, which has kind of freaked me out.  I do not want my skin to regress to what it was like in middle school and early high school, so I'm doing what I can to fix it and prevent worse breakouts.

In the morning I use Neutrogina Oil-Free Acne Wash Pink Grapefruit Foaming Scrub in the shower most days of the week, and St. Ives Apricot Scrub once or twice a week, followed by Origins Starting Over Age-erasing moisturizer with Mimosa (which I got for free at Sephora for bringing an empty makeup container), and Bliss Fabulous every day eye cream.  Both the moisturizer and the eye cream feel really amazing on my skin.

At night, I take my eye makeup off with Neutrogena oil-free eye makeup remover.  After that, I wash my face with the new Sephora Supreme cleansing foam all in one cleanser, which works really well to take my face makeup off, and my face always feels really clean afterwards.  It's a really nice cleanser for $7.  I follow that with Neutrogena Alcohol-Free Toner, which I couldn't live without.

After those three steps, I use the same moisturizer and eye cream, and go to bed.  When I have a bad pimple, I have found that every spot treatment I have ever tried has not worked as well as toothpaste.  Yup, toothpaste!  It dries out the pimple easily, and it's already right there in the bathroom.  However, I did like the tea-tree oil from The Body Shop when I had it a few years ago.

Here's yesterday's look

I was wearing a turquoise dress, and this is the eyeshadow I wore to go along with it:

I used Urban Decay eyeshadows, and some colors from my Coastal Scents 88 palette, along with  my usual liner, mascara and face makeup.  On my lips, I used Mac's Ravishing lipstick, with a little bit of the Revlon Coloruburst Lip Butter in Creamsicle on top.  

Look of today!

Today I had work, where I wear all black, so I really played up my eyeshadow.  Here's the result.

(Ignore the weird face in the last one :P)

Today, I used:

Eyeshadows: Inglot #371 is the bright blue on the lid, with a little bit of Urban Decay Peace on top for shimmer.  In the crease and blended upward is Last Call, Toasted, Hustle, and Foxy, all by Urban Decay.  

Liner: MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack and Urban Decay 24/7 Pencil in Perversion, with Urban Decay Hustle and Inglot #371 on the lower lash line

Mascara: Tarte Lights, Cameras, Lashes and Maybelline The Falsies

Skin: Stilla Natural Finish Foundation in A, Cover FX Foundation as concealer, Cover FX Translucent powder, and Tarina Tarantino Charm Dollskin Cheek Blush (although it didn't show up well in the photos)

Lips: MAC Myth Lipstick

My favorite drugstore/inexpensive products

Although I am known to spend an extremely large sum of money on mid to high end beauty products fairly consistently, I do have some favorites in the $1 - $10 range that are truly impressive. I have various products from NYX (which can be purchased at ULTA), ELF, Maybelline, and Revlon that are at least equal, and potentially superior to their high-end counterparts.

NYX products:

Soft Matte Lip Creams: Like the company claims, these go on soft and velvety, but dry like a worn lipstick or stain.  They last for hours and do leave a stain on the lips.  I own this product in Tokyo and Addis Ababa. These are cruelty free and hypoallergenic. 

Lipliner Pencil: I own it in 813 Plush Red.  It goes on evenly, somewhat stains the lips, and isn't too dry.  It isn't quiet as creamy as Makeup Forever or Urban Decay's lip liners, but it's a great alternative at only $3.50.

Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk: I always grab this product when I want an eyeshadow to really pop!  I think this creamy white color is the perfect first step to achieving a bold eye look.  It is easy to blend, too.

Elf Products:

Mineral Eyeshadow Primer: I absolutely love this and use it everyday.  It is literally ONE DOLLAR, and I can find no fault with it.  I know many people worship the Urban Decay Primer Potion and the Too Faced primer, but this, in my opinion is better, and exceedingly less expensive.  My eyes and my wallet love this primer.  

(Left Urban Decay Primer Potion, Right Elf Mineral Eyeshadow Primer)

The Urban Decay primer looks watery next to the Elf primer.   

Shimmering Facial Whip: I have this in the white color and love it as a highlighter.  Although I'm not wearing a highlighter everyday anymore, this is the one I go to when I want one.  It smells a bit like  lemon, which I think is nice and fresh, although some people might mind.  It is $1.

Maybelline Products:

Color Tattoo By Eyestudio 24 hour eyeshadow: Although I haven't tested to see if these truly last 24 hours, they definitely lasted at least 8, with and without a powder shadow on top.  I have it in Edgy Emerald and Bold Gold.  They both perform amazingly and glide on smoothly, without any patchiness, which is really great, considering they're around $7.  I have no interest in purchasing similar products from Smashbox or MAC, because I am completely content with these as a base or alone.  

As you can see in my swatches, the Gold shade is shimmery while the green only has a slight sheen.  When swatched here, the green looks like there is a little to be desired, but these swatches were done without a primer, and keep in mind, my eyelid is less crease ridden than the skin near my wrist.  

Also, the pots look almost brand new, like maybe they've only been used for swatching purposes.  I've actually used both of these products three times, so a little goes a long way, and a pot will last a long while.  

The Falsies Mascara: This mascara has amazing lengthening power.  If you are really looking for added volume, this might not be the best route, but this mascara paired with another that adds major thickening is stunning.  I never used to get compliments on my eyelashes, but since I started wearing this along with Tarte's Lights, Cameras, Lashes, I've been getting compliments left and right.  

The Falsies is definitely worth a try.  

Revlon products:

Colorburst Lip Butters:  I literally cannot contain my love for these!  They are just as moisturizing as a lip balm, with almost opaque color.  I usually use them over a lipstick, but they are just fine on their own.  I've purchased 5 shades, but lost one of my favorites, Creme Brule, a nice nude shade.  As of right now, I have Peach Parfait, a shimmery color, Creamsicle, a pale peach without shimmer, Lollipop, which is a plum-y color, and Strawberry Shortcake, a blue-based pink.  

I love them all, and cannot wait to re-purchase Creme Brule even though I'm sad I lost it.  I literally take these with me everywhere now.  Before I was able to buy any, I saw every beauty blogger raving, and I was uncertain of how amazing they were, but I was totally convinced after I tried one for the first time.  I keep seeing similar high-end products, but I have no interest in them, because these are just so wonderful!  

Since I only own four, here's a photo of another bloggers swatches of some of my favorite shades:

I haven't tried any other Revlon products recently, but I'm definitely interested in giving other products in the Colorburst line a chance.

I'm trying decide what my next makeup purchase will be

I'm choosing between a Sugarpill haul, because for some crazy reason, I haven't purchased anything from Sugarpill yet, which is driving me INSANE, and the new Sephora and Pantone Universe palette.

If I go with Sugarpill, I'm going to order all 3 palettes and probably a pigment or two.

Help me decide?

How I do my eyebrows

I use 2 products and a brush to fill in my brows

• Makeup Forever Eyebrow Pencil in Brown 3:  This is the first brow pencil I have ever used.  I've tried creams, but never liked them.  I used powders until I bought this product, which has changed my mind about penciling my brows.

• Urban Decay eyeshadow in Naked and Buck (I mix the two with a slanted precision brush): I used to use these shades on their own before I bought the pencil, but now I find that they even out the color the pencil gives me.  The combo of pencil and powder makes my eyebrows look more natural.

(Photos from Temptalia.com)

The result: 

What three products would you choose if you could only have...well, three?

Not that this situation is likely.  If you're stranded on a deserted island, I doubt it would be very easy to apply makeup, although I could see myself trying it.  And I'm sure I'd have tons of makeup packed for travel if I found myself in that situation anyway.  So I suppose this is more of a makeup version of the "guilt-free three."

My picks are:

Stila Natural Finish Oil-Free Foundation in Color A - This foundation has a great match for my skin, isnt' too sheer or too heavy, and makes me feel great.

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Peach Parfait - These lip butters are super moisturizing, which is great because I have a lip balm addiction, and look really nice!  I'll be sure to do a review of these soon

Tarte Lights, Cameras, Lashes Mascara - It adds length and volume :)

Choosing was extremely difficult, because I'd also love to pick Mac gel liner in Blacktrack, as well as a blush (I'll be doing a post about my favorite blushes soon), but I thought it would be better to keep this to three. 

What do I carry in my makeup bag on the daily basis?

The contents aren't exactly the same everyday (the lip products change all the time) but here's what I had for today:

• 3 Mini Kat Von D Lipsticks (in Celebutard, Vestalula, and Backstage Bambi) - I usually keep these three in there because they're so tiny, and they're great lipsticks
• Mac Girl About Town
• Inglot lipstick #106 - a very pretty light coral shade
• Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Peach Parfait
• Urban Decay Naked lipgloss mini
• Tarte Lights, Cameras, Lashes
• Maybelline The Falsies (Which I use after the Tarte mascara and on the lower lashes)
• Benefit's Bad Gal Lash - This one is mostly dried up, but I use it to separate my lashes after mascara
• A Tarte Lipsurgence in Glitzy
• Cover FX Concealer
• Cover FX Cream Foundation
• Cover FX Translucent Powder
• Beauty Blending Sponge
• Eyelash Curler
• Tweezers
• Urban Decay 24/7 Pencils in Perversion and Zero
• ELF Eyeshadow Primer
• A Mac Lipliner
• An ELF highligher

Seems like a lot after it's typed out!  Which reminds me, today at work, some lady complimented my skin and asked if I had anything on it, to which I replied, "Yes, everything." 

If anyone has any questions or suggestions for future posts, I'd really appreciate it if you'd leave it in the comments!

Past looks

Here are various looks that I've done over the past month or few months.  Just a random compilation :)

If it isn't already obvious, I love playing with colorful eyeshadow.  In the future, I'll make sure to list the products used, but for these, I don't completely remember everything, because some were a  while ago.  It definitely won't be a trend.