NYX Cosmetics Eyebrow Gel Review

Lately I've been into experimenting with different products and methods. I've been into make up for about a year now and my collection has grown immensely and is only continuing to grow! I am absolutely loving trying out new products and ways to apply those products. For example, during the earlier parts of 2014, I was using a brow pencil, then I saw someone on Insta say they use a brown eye liner for their brows, and then I saw that NYX released a new brow product. I was very excited because 1) NYX is awesome and probably my favorite brand and 2) it was a new product/method for me to try. Unfortunately, it took foreverrrr for this product to arrive in my Ulta. Literally, months guys. My Ulta sucks. Feel free to throw a pity party for me, because I do it nearly every time I go there. #firstworldproblems

NYX offers this brow gel in 5 shades -- I purchased the color chocolate. I had very high expectations for this product, because helllloooo, NYX is fabulous. Before we get into my review, here's the claims for the product made on the website:

"Keep your misbehaving brows in place with our discreet and easy-to-use brow gel! The lightweight, waterproof formula creates thicker, fuller, natural-looking brows and comes in five versatile shades. "

 I think this gel lived up to its claims. All except for one, that is: "easy to use". This product, unfortunately, is very difficult to use because of how darn quickly it dries. Like, seriously, by the time I've filled in the tail of my brow and am ready to spooly the front, it's dry. And this product dries hard. I like that it dries hard, because it keeps my hairs tamed and eliminates the need for a brow mascara, but it just happens so quickly. It makes it nearly impossible to blend seamlessly. I figured I would get better with the product as I used it more, but I just can't race my brows. My brows are a hot mess as it is, and trying to speed up the process was not doing them any favors.

Other than that, I really like the product. It stays a lot better than many of the other brow products I've used and even though it dries hard it doesn't dry crunchy. However, it claims to create "thicker, fuller" brows, but that is completely up to the artist, as there are no fibers or fillers in this product.

Over all, I'll be keeping and using the product sparingly, but will not be repurchasing.

Have you tried this product?

Do you have any tips for working with the NYX brow gel?

How did you like this product?

Rimmel Lasting Finish 25 Hour Foundation With Comfort Serum Review

Are you ready to have your mind blown?! You better be, because this foundation is gonna do it! I purchased this foundation from Target on a whim, having never even heard of it before. I figured it wasn't much of a risk because it's super cheap and I like my Stay Matte foundation by Rimmel. The risk involved was low.

But the reward was extremely high! First off, I like the consistency of this foundation. It's not too thick so that you're sitting there forever waiting for it to come out of the bottle, but it's not too thin that it runs all over the back of my hand either. This foundation also applies beautifully! I blend it out using my Real Techniques Expert Face Brush and am blown away nearly every time. No joke. The coverage is awesome too. It evens out my skin tone and covers any redness I have. This foundation also lasts a very long time on the skin. I generally apply this foundation before 6am and take it off just before 6pm, but I also wear it longer than that on occasion. This foundation has a demi-matte finish (not super dewy, not super matte), so either side can be played up. I like to set it with a powder and make it completely matte. One thing I especially like about this foundation is that my oily skin does not break it up. At the end of the day, it looks just as great as when I first applied it, albeit a bit oily. It also does not transfer onto other surfaces. Saving my husband's shirts here! This foundation also has not broken me out in the last two weeks I've been wearing it, which is very important.

Over all, I'd say this foundation is creeping up on my Revlon Colorstay. Colorstay has been my holy grail foundation for a few years now but I am enjoying this Rimmel foundation immensely!

Quick Overview
Pros: long lasting, good coverage, reasonably priced
Cons: transfers

DIY Teeth Whitening

I've always had decently white teeth. I don't smoke or drink coffee, I brush/floss regularly, and my smile has just always maintained its brightness. However, about six or so months ago, I began noticing that it just didn't look as bright. Upon closer inspection, I noticed that I also had some surface stains. This was something I wanted to remedy quickly, so I did what any decent beauty blogger does: I YouTube'd it. There were tons of reviews for Whitening Lightning kits, but let's be honest: that's esspensive (as Kathleen Lights would say). And honestly, the reviews of WL weren't very consistent either and a ton of people complained about pains and sensitivity with that system. So instead, I looked up videos for DIY teeth whitening. DIY is great because it's often much cheaper and because you're the one making it, you are in complete control of every single ingredient. You know every single thing that is going into the recipe, so can be completely comfortable with applying it to your teeth.

I came across a video that had like, ten or so different DIY teeth whitening methods. A few of them seemed mediocre, ya know? I didn't feel I wouldn't get the results I wanted by rubbing a banana peel on my teeth. One of the methods she talked about later in the video perked my interest though. The recipe called for baking soda, peroxide, toothpaste, and water. These ingredients actually sounded like they would yield some results, and I had all of them already!

Bonus points if you know where that jar is from!

I have had great results with this recipe! One thing I love is that the baking soda provides immediate removal of surface stains. Baking soda is a wonderful exfoliant, so it provides those instant results we all like so much. Peroxide is a bleaching agent, so over time it whitens your teeth. The toothpaste provides that minty freshness and also lends itself to a thicker texture. All of these ingredients combined make a wonderful teeth whitening solution that I would recommend to anyone who wants to regain the brightness of their smile for suuuuper cheap. To use it, I put some on my toothbrush and brush like normal.

A few warnings (I use that word very lightly) about this solution. Unfortunately, I don't have a recipe for you to follow. I found one on Pinterest, but the consistency was weird, so I just sort of winged it. To be honest, a recipe isn't needed. However, if you are one of those people that needs a recipe, you can find tons on Pinterest. Because this paste has baking soda in it, I only recommend using it once a week, and once you get your desired results, about once every other week. Baking soda is very abrasive and using it too often on your teeth can destroy the enamel. While the tooth paste does help, this recipe still isn't super refreshing. Like, your breath will not be minty fresh (unless you use a ton of toothpaste). I have only made this recipe using the toothpaste pictured,  so I can't speak for other brands, but do not be surprised if your whitening paste has a chemical reaction. Mine starts blue, and by the next day it's white.

I hope you found this helpful. I have had really good results with this recipe and love how clean my mouth feels after using it. I keep this solution constantly stocked and use it as needed.

Did you make/use this recipe? Did you get good results?

What other methods do you use to whiten your teeth?

Review of the Maybelline Dream Wonder Fluid-Touch Foundation

Oh my gosh, I can't believe I finally have this foundation! The first thing that intrigued me about this product was its packaging - it's beautiful! To learn more information about the product, I turned to YouTube -- as all makeup lovers do. I watched Michelle's video and desperately wanted the foundation. I went to go purchase it several weeks ago, but ended up putting it back down (I'm not sure why!) and I've been dreaming of it ever since. Ulta is currently having a BOGO 50% off Maybelline products sale. I also hunted down a $4 off Dream Wonder product. And I used Ulta's $3.50 off $10 coupons. I purchased this foundation along with the Fit Me concealer and paid $3.39 for the foundation. #boom

I'll be honest, I had very high expectations for this foundation. I had watched many YouTube videos and was very excited to finally have it.

This foundation is verrryyy liquidy. It is easiest the least viscous (that's a chemistry term) foundation I have ever owned. However, the consistency makes for a very soft and blendable application. The bottle instructs you to use your fingers, and that's exactly what I did. Because this is not a full coverage foundation, I made sure to cover my blemishes with a little bit of Colorstay before hand (just a thin layer with my RT complexion sponge). I paid extra attention as I buffed it in that I was not leaving any streaks. I was honestly surprised with how beautiful this foundation made my skin look. It also worked well with all of my powders/blushes/bronzers. This foundation also has SPF in it, which is a plus because I live in Arizona, but I hear that's not good for flash photography.

I'd say this foundation held up well through out the day. After 12 hours of wear (call me crazy!), it's still holding up relatively well. My t-zone and forehead are oily, but nothing crazy or unacceptable. I will say though, that this foundation is not for dry skin. NOT AT ALL. I was recently sick and spent like, 48 hours blowing my nose, so all around my nose and close to my top lip is just destroyed and it does not look good. Basically looks like my face is falling off.

I think my favorite thing about this foundation is that it looks like skin. It does a great job of evening out my skin tone, but because it is a light-medium foundation, my imperfections show through. Call me crazy, but I am loving that type of natural finish. My skin looks like skin -- not a mask.

All in all, I plan to repurchase this foundation.

Quick Overview
Pros: affordable, natural finish, SPF, buildable, easy and quick application.
Cons: not good for dry skin, 10mls less than usual

Have you tried this foundation?

What did you think of it?

Wet N Wild Mega Last Lipsticks -- review and swatches

So my last blog post was nearly two weeks ago! Sorry for the lack of posts, but I've just been feeling so uninspired lately and I haven't really been purchasing any new makeup either. But, I am back and ready to roll! I recently purchased 5 MUG shadows, 12 Morphe shadows, 3 NYX blushes, and another ELF haul. So there will be plenty of blog posts to come! I've also been recovering from a head cold. On Monday it started with a sore throat and it's basically turned into a ton of congestion and coughing. It's been miserable, but I have been feeling better lately.

Anyways, onto the important stuff!

I hardly ever purchase makeup from Wal-Greens, simply because they're makeup is often a few dollars more than at Target. But I found myself at a Wal-Greens clinic yesterday and while waiting for my prescription I wandered over into the cosmetic aisles (big shocker there!). I noticed that their Wet N Wild merch was on sale and took a look at some of the Mega Last Lipsticks. I ended up purchasing three: Just Peachy, Mauve Outta Here, and Bare It All. I was going to deeper shades for fall time, but think I missed that mark a bit. See what happens when you're too afraid to commit?! UGH! Anyways, I love these shades regardless!

 Just Peachy is a wonderful nude peach shade - basically exactly what the name says!

Mauve Outta Here is a great muted pinky mauve.

Bare It All is a wonderful nude shade for me! I was hesitant to purchase it, but am so glad I did.

The lipsticks apply as a creamy sheen, but dry into a more matte, better long-wearing finish. I have noticed, however, that Just Peachy is easier (more creamy) to apply than the rest, so that makes me think that maybe the consistency in the line just isn't there. The packaging is cheap, that's for sure! But you can't expect a Gerard Cosmetics gold bullet when you're paying under $2 a pop. The packaging does it's job. It has a very slight smell to it. I don't find it pleasant or unpleasant - I'm indifferent on the smell.

At the Wal-Greens I was at, the color selection was very limited. A lot of the lipsticks were already sold out or I already had similar colors of what was available. However, on the Wet N Wild website, a much larger selection is available.

I think the Wet N Wild Mega Last lipsticks would be a great line to purchase those experimental colors. You know, when you really wanna try that orangey lipstick, but aren't sure if it's going to look good? It's not too much of a loss when it was $2.

Overall, I'm impressed with the Mega Last lipsticks and plan on purchasing more!

Do you own any Mega Last lipsticks?

What's your favorite color?

Mary Kay review

So I recently ran into a Mary Kay consultant, Kristy, in the cosmetics aisle at Target. She approached me, asking what foundation I used because I had such an even skin tone, and a 5 minute conversation ensued. She was super nice, super friendly, and gave me her card. We set up a time for me to have a small Mary Kay party and it was a blast! She is such an amazing consultant and really made sure that the party was relaxing and refreshing.

Before the party, Kristy asked me what I was sort of looking to do. I told her I wanted to look at products to pamper my skin. I have plenty of products to clean my skin, but I really wanted some products to treat my skin to a luxurious experience. I ended up purchasing two products that do just that!

Before the party began, we, of course, had to remove our make up and to do that we used the Mary Kay oil-free eye makeup remover. And let me tell you, it was love at first use! This makeup remover is the most amazing remover I have ever used, hands down. Before this remover, I was just going to Ross and purchasing whatever wipes they happened to have that day. Buying makeup remover wipes from Ross is a toss up - sometimes they have a great selection and other times not. I never really found any wipes that I liked and they were always so harsh on my eyes. Lots of tugging and pulling and stinging my eyes. So using this Mary Kay eye makeup remover was like a dream! It so easily removed and absorbed all of my makeup. When I removed the cotton pad, I didn't have raccoon eyes from smearing mascara everywhere! HALLELUJAH! I was sold right then and there. I have used this eye makeup remover every day since then and have only fallen more in love with it.

The second product I purchased is the Mary Kay TimeWise 3-In-1 Cleanser (for combo/oily skin). I told Kristy I wanted to pamper my skin and this product does just that. I use it twice a day, followed with a moisturizer, and it hasn't dried out my face in the slightest. My face feels impossibly clean after using it, but not stripped. You know how sometimes your face is so stripped of oil that it literally squeaks when you run a finger across it? Yeah, this product doesn't do that, but my face is still so fresh. Over the last few weeks, this cleanser has dramatically improved my skin. I hardly have any acne bumps on my skin.

Overall, I was very pleased with my Mary Kay experience. Kristy is an amazing rep and really made sure we had a lot of fun. I plan on repurchasing both of the products when the time comes. At the end of the party, we also got to try a sample of one of their foundations (I'm not sure which, so I'll have to ask Kristy) and it made my skin feel so soft and luxurious! I'm looking forward to purchasing more Mary Kay products - and possibly becoming a consultant in the near future!