November 2012 Beauty Favorites

I figure the first post back should be a favorites. It has been a while, but I have really been using a lot of the same products since the colder weather has hit my area and doesn't seem to want to quit. :)

Revlon Colorstay Whipped Cream Foundation- I discovered this when I was looking for a good, inexpensive alternative to my Laura Mercier Silk Cream Foundation. I love the coverage of it and it feels very lightweight. It also blends beautifully into the skin. I find it to be quite buildable which is good for the redness in my cheeks and the acne that has developed on my chin and mouth area.

Maybelline Mega Plush Mascara- This mascara is a great mascara for every day. It is very natural looking which is good for work or school. I've never had a problem with it smudging and it makes me look like I have so many lashes. I adore it.

Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Exposed- I am obsessed with this blush. I have worn it almost every day for two months now. Since it is getting warmer I have been wearing more of a dark lip and because of it I like the toned down eyes a cheeks. This is perfect and if I don't want to use a separate contour this works beautifully for that on me as well.

theBalm Mary LouManizer Highlighter- I love, love, love this highlighter. It is a bit glittery so you have to be extremely careful with applying it, but it gives the most beautiful glow. My skin is dry but gets exceptionally dry in the colder months so this gives me the look of wonderfully hydrated skin.

Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm- Again, since my skin gets really dry in the colder months so do my lips. I love this lip balm. It is extremely hydrating and I feel like it really helps the health of my lips. It does have an SPF of 25 too so that is an added bonus.

Revlon Lip Butter in Raspberry Pie- I can't exactly pull off red lips well, or at least I don't think I do, but this is a great deep purplish pink that can come off red. I love the way it looks and it has been my go-to for a bold lip.

Urban Decay Naked Pallet- I am a big fan of both of the Naked Pallets, but I usually grab the Naked2 more frequently. Lately I have been loving a look from the original Naked pallet for every day. I have been wearing Half Baked all over the lid and I put Buck in the crease. If I want a little more drama I will also use Darkhorse to deepen the crease or outer v area of my eye.


What is your staple makeup product for the winter time?
xoxo Colleen

June Beauty Favorites

So this month I didn't really wear a lot of makeup at all. I stuck to mainly tinted moisturizer, eye liner, mascara, and some sort of cream shadow. I am all about ease since it has been super hot and humid where I live.

• Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer- I have been wearing this with some translucent powder to set it and it is working pretty well for me. I usually want some more coverage, but I have been liking the tinted moisturizer on its own.
• Make Up Forever Aqua Eyes- I am in love with these eyeliners. I love the texture, pigmentation and, most of all, the fact that they are waterproof. I am loving wearing the purple or the blue around my eyes and some mascara. It is fun for summer and so easy to do. 

• Maybelline Mega Plush Mascara- I fell in love with the original formula of this when it first came out so I picked up the waterproof version. I love that is makes my lashes look really full, but they also stay soft. It looks really natural and I like that for during the day.
• MAC MSF in Soft and Gentle- I love this to add a great glow to my skin. I have been loving it so much in conjunction with my tinted moisturizer. It makes me look more alive and glowy.

My favorite drugstore mascaras!

I love mascara. It is the one thing I always have to wear no matter what. I have extremely light lashes, but they are very long so I love volumizing black mascaras. I just feel that they make my eyes pop.

 This is the newest addition to my collection and my newest obsession. It has a huge brush so it coats all my lashes so well. I absolutely love how long a curl lasts with this and how the mascara wears throughout the day.

Maybelline is one of my favorite brands and this mascara is a big reason why. I love the curved brush and the bristles get into ever corner of my eyes to give great coverage on my lashes. It lasts all day and is the blackest mascara I have ever used.

This is my all time favorite mascara. The brush is big but super simple. The base of my lashes looks super thick when I use this mascara. It is waterproof too so it holds a curl really well and lasts the whole day. I absolutely love this mascara more than any other one.

Spring Must Haves 2012

I am totally in love with spring. It is one of my favorite times of the year and have been waiting for it for months. These are the products I will be using throughout the spring and into the beginning of the summer:

• Physicians Formula shimmer strips bronzer in Las Vegas Strip- I am obsessed with all things Las Vegas since I am going there in May, but this is an amazing bronzer to add a little shimmer to your face. I will sometimes use the lighter colors for a highlight too. 
• Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Dollface- I love the pink color for the spring time. It is just light and will last forever which is good with the warmer weather
• NYC Bronzer in Sunny- this is the best bronzer I have to contour with. I love the look it gives me
• Urban Decay shadow in Naked- This is my best friend shade and I like to wear it alone to define the crease and make my eyes look a little bit bigger.
• MUFE HD Foundation in 120- this is my new shade for the spring. I am a bit darker and although most people don't like to wear foundation in warmer weather I prefer the full coverage look.
• Urban Decay All Nighter Spray- This is a staple all year. This makes my makeup last so long.
• MAC MSF in Soft and Gentle- wonderful highlight to add a wonderful glow. It makes my skin look so dewy. 
• Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow in RSVP- I love this. It makes my eye look so quick and effortless. I just love these
• Colored Eyeliner- the combination of this on the lower lash line and RSVP on my lid is beautiful. Great for a pop of color.
• NYX Mega Shine Lip Gloss in Golden Pink- Again I love pink for spring. This is a great shade of pink. It is bright with a bit of simmer that really makes your lips shine.
• MAC Lip Stick in Ravishing- I bought this a few weeks ago and I am in love. This is a wonderful coral color that works so well with my skin tone. 
• Maybelline Instant Age Rewind concealer in Light- This is a wonderful lightweight concealer that is perfect for the undereye area. 
• L'Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black- Best mascara ever. It makes my lashes look full and dark, but not fake. 
• MAC Lip Stick in Vegas Volt- Another Las Vegas product that I adore. It is super bright and a little overwhelming, but if I blot and layer gloss over it, it is perfect.
• Buxom Lip Gloss in Debbie- This is the perfect gloss to dull down Vegas Volt. It is my favorite spring time lip combo. 

These are my go to products for the spring and I adore each of them. There may be more with the new collections to come out. 

Product Face Off--Tarte Lights Camera Lashes & L'Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black

This is my first product face off because I recently realized that L'Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black is a fantastic dupe for Tarte Lights Camera Lashes.

Lights Camera Lashes has been my holy grail mascara for years, but the price of it was getting kind of out of control for my budget. I started wearing it back in college because it made my lashes look so full and long. I stopped wearing it because of the price tag, but I went back to it when I saw it in a set of Tarte products.

L'Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black is a new discovery for me. I never really gravitated towards L'Oreal products, but then I saw a bunch of YouTube videos about it and decided to give it a try. I instantly fell in love. It is an amazing mascara that does everything I want; lengthens, makes my lashes look super full and doesn't wear off or flake throughout the day.

Left: Tarte Lights Camera Lashes, Right: L'Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black

As you can see the packaging is very similar. Here the Tarte mascara is without the usual snake skin wrapping around it. Either way they look so similar with the packaging. 

Top: Tarte Lights Camera Lashes, Bottom: L'Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black

The wand is slightly longer on the Tarte mascara, but I like the shorter wand because I feel like there is more control over the wand and how the mascara applies to my lashes. It helps to maneuver the wand to separate the lashes if they begin to clump. 

Top: Tarte Lights Camera Lashes, Bottom: L'Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black

The brush on the mascaras is also very close in size. The L'Oreal brush is a little longer and thicker than the Tarte. I have smaller eyes so the brush on the Lights Camera Lashes is great, but there isn't much difference between it and the Voluminous Carbon Black. They both provide excellent coverage to your lashes as you apply and quickly because of the size of the brush.

All in all I love both of these mascaras but if you are looking for a less expensive alternative to Lights Camera Lashes I think the Voluminous Carbon Black is the perfect mascara for you. It lasts forever, has great pigmentation, has little to no clumping and is definitely my new holy grail mascara.

<3 Greens