Tinted Moisturizers 101! Laura Mercier vs. Clinique

As requested by a viewer, I will be laying out all the facts you need to know when it comes to tinted moisturizers. I used to simply use bare mineral's loose powder foundation, however I now use a concealer then a tinted moisturizer, then a pressed powder to set the tinted moisturizer. I highly suggest applying your foundation this way because it looks much more natural and the products last longer!

So for those of you who are new to the world of tinted moisturizers like I was around 5 months ago, you are probably wondering what exactly a tinted moisturizer is. Think of a tinted moisturizer as a "low-fat version of foundation". It's like a foundation that provides less coverage. Some tinted moisturizers contain an SPF, which is definitely a pro. You always want to apply some sort of SPF to your face before leaving your house at all times and I find it brilliant that you can knock off this step by just applying your daily foundation. I also use aveeno's positively radiant moisturizer before applying anything to my skin which contains an SPF of 15. It's like double protection!

I do have oily skin so the very first tinted moisturizer that I purchased was the Laura Mercier Oil-Free Tinted Moisturizer. It's $42, very pricey. Laura Mercier's tinted moisturizer is very lightweight and not greasy. After making use of this product for around 2-3 months (AN EXTREMELY LONG TIME!!) I decided to not repurchase it. I figured there had to be something better and less expensive. I then bought Clinique's Even Better Makeup SPF 15. This product is categorized as a foundation but I feel that it is more of a tinted moisturizer. It costs $24.50. I love it even better than the Laura Mercier one!! (LOL, did you notice the play on words....get it? the name of the product..) The Clinique moisturizer, or foundation as they call it, had a bit more coverage and a cleaner pay off. One of the reasons I never settle for a product that is just "okay" is for this exact reason. I always seek products that are of higher quality and less costly.

Lastly, I just wanted to add in the fact that my skin runs on the sensitive side and neither one of these tinted moisturizers broke my skin out or irritated it so that's always something to keep in mind. And to sum things up......If you have oily skin DO use an oil-free tinted moisturizer.

If any of you have any questions that you would like to ask me privately, don't hesitate to email me at this address: beautyblog101@hotmail.com

May Favsss

Before I get started with my favorites for this month, I want to share with you guys this really helpful trick that I've been doing quite often. Halfway through the day my face starts to get a bit oily so here's what you need to do if you don't have oil blotting sheets! (which are a good investment btw)

*Tear a square of toilet paper in half and take the thinner part and use that to blot oil. This actually works amazingly!

Now... onto the products!!

-Sephora Collection Flashy Waterproof Eyeliner (Deep Black) $8
Doesn't smudge. Easy to take off at night. Vivid color. Well priced for a department store quality eyeliner.

-Lush Rock Star Soap (Price will vary depending on what size you purchase)
Lingering smell. Leaves your skin feeling silky and moisturized.

-R&B Hair Treatment $18.95
Great for protecting hair before using heat. Eliminates frizz. Camouflages and prevents split ends. Leaves hair feeling smooth and detangles.

-Buxom Lash: Mascara $18
Gives the appearances of false eyelashes. Doesn't clump or flake. Amazing color pay-off.

-OPI "I Pink I Love You" $8.50
Sleek classy everyday color. Very feminine.

Enjoy! <3

Makeup Can Expire!?!?!

Yep. You saw that right! There ARE expiration dates on makeup and it's very important for you to always pay attention to how long you keep a product because as you continue to use the specific product, bacteria builds up which can cause breakouts. eeeeek!! no one wants unnecessary breakouts that can EASILY be avoiding by simply throwing out your makeup that is no longer safe to use.

I'm going to start off with a tip that most people don't know. The second you open a new product, that's when your "expiration countdown" starts. I don't know if that makes sense, but basically you shouldn't open up a new product unless you need it. For example, let's say you are running out of concealer and you have 2-3 uses of it left and you purchase a new one at this time. You go home and reaaaallyyyy want to try it out..... don't......!!!! Wait until you are completely done with the other concealer first! I understand if that is really hard for you to do because I'm always so excited to try out new products!

Here are some basic makeup expiration guidelines:

Oil-free foundation: 1 year
Cream or compact foundation: 18 months
Concealer: 12-18 months
Powder: 2 years
Blush and bronzer: 2 years
Cream blush: 12-18 months
Powder eyeshadow: 2 years
Cream eyeshadow: 12-18 months
Eyeliner: 2 years
Liquid eyeliner: 3-6 months
Mascara: 3 months
Lipstick: 2 years
Lip liner: 2 years
Lip gloss: 18-24 months
Nail color: 1 year
Fragrance: 2-5 years

(Found on http://www.makeupandbeautyblog.com/just-for-fun/how-closely-do-you-follow-makeup-expiration-guidelines/)

The products that you need to especially focus on replacing consist of MASCARA and LIQUID EYELINER!