Current Makeup Collection!

As promised months back, here is my current makeup collection! There are a few other products that couldn't fit into that drawer but these are pretty much my essentials. I'm still in the works of getting more! This in no way is intended for me to brag about what I have. I have payed for almost all of it myself.

This is temporary storage for my makeup because I'm still seeking a more efficient and organized way to keep it all. I used to store everything makeup-wise in my bathroom drawers however, the humidity from the shower isn't good as far as preserving makeup goes. Note to self: NEVER STORE MAKEUP IN YOUR BATHROOM!!

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! 

My Foundation Routine!

My foundation is something that is really important to me and it's what I invest most in. Flawless skin is an essential when it comes to boosting your confidence. When my skin is clear I feel so much better about myself and It helps me reach an overall happiness. Therefore, I don't feel guilty at all spending a little more money to achieve this. Here's what I do!

***(Keep in mind, I shower at night, remove all my makeup, and wash my face at this time. Then, I wake up with a fresh clean face and do not wash it a second time before applying my makeup)

Step 1: Firstly, I apply Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer with an SPF of 30 all over my entire face. I then let that set so I can continue with my routine.

Step 2: Now I take my MAC Studio Sculpt Concealer and apply it to my problem areas using a fine tip brush where it can easily provide good coverage to all of my blemishes. This step is KEY to reaching pretttty skin! Sometimes, if I have under-eye circles I will apply some concealer to them as well, just to make sure that I don't look like a zombie!

Step 3: Once my face has been moisturized and my blemishes have been concealed, I take a medium sized brush and apply my bareMinerals MATTE SPF 15 powder foundation to my entire face. I then go in with a larger, fluffier brush and do the same thing, adding a little more product, but mainly blending everything together.

Step 4: The basics of my foundation have now been completed. I then add a highlight, Benefit's Highbeam to my upper cheek bones for a bit of shine and dimension. This easy and subtle step truly makes a huge difference.

Step 5: I then go ahead and apply my Faux Tan All-Over Face Color (Bronzer to contour my cheekbones) by bareMinerals.

Step 6: The last thing I do for my foundation routine is apply some blush to spice things up and add some necessary color to my complexion! I don't wear blush on a daily basis because I like keeping things simple however, when I do I almost always go for my Benefit Benetint (which is a lip and cheek stain).

Thats it! Those 5 and sometimes 6 steps and I'm all ready to start my day off with "made up" skin!

Gotta Get...

Lip butters are probably one of my favorite types of lip products. They are extremely hydrating and really great when it comes to fixing those cracks. They also help to smooth out and protect you from that winter "chill". I love it when I can find a really effective lip butter that doesn't feel too greasy but still feels 100% hydrating. I've done some research and have come across this lip butter by Korres, which I would like to hopefully purchase soon in the color "jasmine". From the several reviews I have gone over, it is said to do just as I was hoping for. This product may be purchased here. After I have used this product regularly and feel like I have used this product enough, I'll leave you guys a review, so stay updated!

Glitter POLISH!

Okay, so glitter nail polish which is definitely a trend now, can often be messy and undesirable to some people. I actually don't have that problem but I hope that this post will help the some of you that do :)

Sometimes the polish may be translucent, therefore forcing you to apply TONS of coats to the nail enamel, which then leaves you with a gooey finish. Ew! Who wants that!

So..... This leads me to my next point! I was reading a beauty guru's blog (TiffanyD) and she had a recent post relating to this exactly. I'll copy and paste it and this will be my version of re blogging here on blogspot.

SOLID GLITTER Glittery Accent Nails

11:04 PM Posted by TiffanyD 

Chanel Particuliere nail polish/ MAC Glitter in Reflects Antiqued Gold

So I've decided to officially jump on the one-glitter-nail bandwagon. Problem with this for me in the past is that if I wanted an "accent" glittered nail, I wanted it to be mega, super, ridiculously glittery. If you've ever searched for a nail polish to do that with, you feel my frustration. To get that solid, super ridic glitter effect from a glitter nail polish, you might need a few coats. Resulting in what normally turns out for me to be a super thick, messy, lumpy, (still not glittery enough) nail. So I have found a perfect way to get a super pretty, solid-glitter, perfect accent nail...using.....actual glitter. You can get super fine or chunky glitter at the craft store which can be an affordable option that works perfectly, or you can do what I did and use those MAC glitters that you bought because they were super pretty but they've ended up in the back of your drawer because you never use them. Sounds messy, but I swear it's not. And it's easier and faster than using tons of coats of glitter nail polish. And did I mention the results are insane??

Here's what to do:
1. Paint all of your nails a normal non-glittery color.
2. Pick an "accent" nail for the glitter (Or go crazy and do all of them...your call.)
3. Use a thick top coat like Seche Vite and paint that over the nail to be glittered.
4. Working over a paper plate or bowl, gently dip the nail into the glitter or sprinkle the glitter directly over the nail (like I did in this case because the container was too small for dipping action).
5. Let the glitter "set" for a minute or two, giving the Seche Vite or whatever you've chosen time to dry.
6. Rinse the nail under cold water to get any excess glitter off the nail. Don't worry, if it's cold water, it won't mess anything up.
7. Paint another coat of the Seche Vite or topcoat of your choice over the glitter.

The process seriously takes as little as a couple minutes. It's my new favorite trick! Here's another tip though... If you're planning on doing this a lot, invest in another bottle of Seche Vite or whatever type of topcoat you like that will be designated just for glitter. Occasionally, a fleck of glitter can find it's way into the bottle of topcoat and will most likely end up back on your nails when you don't necessarily want that random glitter flecked look. It'll be worth it, trust me. :)
Hope you guys try this out! It's so fun!

-Tiffany

Here's the link to check out the original blogpost, if you wish :)

http://makeupbytiffanyd.blogspot.com/2010/10/solid-glitter-glittery-accent-nails.html