Week of Reviews Day 7: Real Techniques Stippling Brush

     For my last review for my week of reviews I decided to basically review Real Techniques customer service and their stippling brush. One of the 1st posts I ever did on this blog was a review of the stippling brush, you can click here to read it.
     My opinion on the brush has changed over time. I rarely use it anymore because I just don't love the results. It's great for blending along the jawline & stuff like that, but it just makes my foundation (which is light coverage) look so caked on! Anyway, about 2 weeks after I purchased the brush (under 10 uses, had not washed the brush yet), this happened....

A huge chunk of the brush literally fell out. Based on what I've read online, others have also had the same problem. Here are some of the things I've read online of people having similar experiences with the stippling brush:

From Facebook:

From Ulta.com, WalMart.com, or RealTechniques.com:

As soon as my brush started to fall apart I sent an email to Real Techniques. The replied within 24 hours, saying that if I gave them my address they would send me a new brush. I emailed them back, didn't get the brush. Emailed them again and the brush came 3 weeks later. It took me a total of 6 weeks to get the brush. Honestly, I don't think it was worth it and would have rather just got a different Real Techniques brush or my money back. However, I do realize I am part of a minority. I read hundreds of reviews to find the ones posted above. Don't get me wrong, this is a great brush. It doesn't work with every product I've tried, but it works well with most and it's affordable. I was just very disappointed with its quality. 

Since it seems to be a very small amount of people who have had the same experience as me, I would recommend purchasing it. For a $10 brush, it's great. I like it better than any other drugstore brush I've used. Despite everything I had to go through with this brush, I think the majority of you would enjoy this brush and hopefully won't have to go through the same experience I did. 

Tip: This brush may not work well with liquid foundation, but try using it to apply your undereye concealer or cream blush!

Affordable Pencil Eyeliners

I'm going to do a mini review on all the pencil eyeliners I have tried (don't worry, I'm somewhat new to the eyeliner world, so there aren't a ton)! I decided to do this post for girls who are still trying to find a great pencil eyeliner :)

1. Ulta Collection Gel Eyeliner Pencil: These were the first eyeliners I ever tried and I have them in the colors Peacock, Majesty, Black/Brown, and Black Out. At first I really loved them, but now that I have experimented with other pencil eyeliners and gel eyeliner, I think they're pretty dry compared to the eyeliner I mention for #5. Don't get me wrong, I still love them, but they are definitely not the best out there. I don't think I would ever repurchase the Black/Brown and Black Out ones, but I would definitely repurchase Peacock and Majesty (yes, I do love colored eyeliner). Peacock is such a fun color to wear in the summer and Majesty is a fun purple. They also come in many other beautiful colors! $8.00 each at Ulta
2. Bonne Bell Eye Define in Espresso: I really like this eyeliner and it was very affordable- it retails around $2.50. The color is easily the best brown color I have ever tried- it's a beautiful dark brown with hint of plum (don't get me wrong, this is not a purple eyeliner, it's definitely brown). It's very creamy and easy to apply, great for a beginner!
3. Maybelline Line Express Eyeliner in Ebony Black: I honestly didn't like this eyeliner. The color is great and it's easy to apply, but it kind of ends up looking waxy, like a crayon. I also didn't like the smudger; it's more like an eraser. $4.97 at WalMart
4. Ulta Collection Automatic Eyeliner in Raisin: This eyeliner was great at first, but it started drying out after about a month. The color is gorgeous- it's a very wearable plum color that is very subtle. It's a little harder to apply and hard to get a thin line. Also, I'm not a huge fan of the "automatic tip", especially for beginners. $8.00 at Ulta
5. Ulta Collection Design A Line 12 piece eyeliner collection: My grandma gave me this for my birthday and at first I thought I was never going to use it- there was 1 black and 1 brown and the rest were crazy colors (like gold and orange). I'm really sad that Ulta no longer sells this because they are my favorite eyeliners now! They're extremely creamy and go on very easily and look absolutely flawless. They are so creamy that sometimes I blend them out and use them as eyeshadow. By far the best pencil eyeliners I've tried. Plus, who else has awesome, festive eyeliners for almost every holiday? Yes, I am wearing green eyeliner on today. 

Rank (1=Best, 5=Worst)

1. Ulta Collection Design A Line

2. Bonne Bell Eye Define

3. Ulta Collection Gel Eyeliner Pencil

4. Ulta Collection Automatic Eyeliner

5. Maybelline Line Express Eyeliner

Review: CoverGirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3 in 1 Foundation

CoverGirl's Outlast Stay Fabulous 3 in 1 Foundation is meant to be a primer, concealer, and foundation in just 1 simple step.

I wanted to purchase this foundation after hearing about it from Ingrid (missglamorazzi), who always mentions it in her videos....then I saw that it was nearly $10. My holy grail drugstore foundation (also by CoverGirl) is only about $5, so $10 didn't make this foundation very appealing. One day went to WalMart and they were out of my color (Creamy Natural) and any color close to it. I ended up purchasing Classic Ivory and planned to mix it with the foundation I use when I get a tan (CoverGirl Clean in Medium Light). 

CONs: Since I do mix it with a light coverage foundation, I do not get the full coverage results I would get if I used it alone. I have used it alone and it did give me great coverage, but I still needed to use concealer on some pimples. It can look patchy very easily and it doesn't look very natural like it claims to. I have also found that it's more difficult to set than other foundations I have tried. More than anything, the thing that disappointed me the most about this foundation is that it didn't last all day. I wear it from 5am-10pm (yes, I realize it's probably not meant to last that long) and there's very little left on my face by the end of the day when compared to the CoverGirl Clean foundation.

PROs: It mixes well with my other foundation and it does a great job at covering any redness I have and it doesn't break me out. I really like the packaging and the pump works well. I also like that it has SPF in it. For the most part, I do like how it looks and you can pretty much make it any finish you want, depending on what you use to apply it and what you use to set it. I personally like to apply it with a sponge and I did not like how it looked when I applied it with my Real Techniques Stippling Brush because it looked very cakey (btw- there will be a post about my Stipping Brush in the near future). 

Bottom Line: I would probably repurchase this in the right color, but I don't think it will ever be my go-to, holy grail foundation. I do think a lot of you will like it and I do recommend it, especially because so many people love it and it has great reviews.

...and that concludes this insanely long review!

Review: NYC High Definition Liquid Eyeliner

Confession: The 1st time I EVER wore eyeliner was last summer.

I seriously wore makeup for years and never even touched eyeliner! After "mastering" the art of pencil eyeliner (I will review some of the pencil eyeliners I've tried in another post), I decided it was time for me to try liquid eyeliner. 

I wanted to start with a felt tip eyeliner and I wanted it to be pretty cheap because I was learning. Alli (MakeupByAlli) mentioned that one of her favorite liquid eyeliners was from NYC, which I knew was an affordable brand & I loved all of their products I'd tried, so I decided to go check it out. When I went to purchase the liquid eyeliner Alli talked about (which wasn't felt tip), I saw that NYC also sold a felt tip liquid liner, so I purchased that instead.

It's such a great eyeliner! For me, a beginner, it's super quick & easy to use! I can do it faster and make it look better than I ever could with any of my pencil liners. The tip is great and I can get a thin line or a thick line with it. It has never smudged for me and lasts all day--even when I have naps. If I mess up while applying it, it is easy to fix. It also works great when it is set with a shadow (I do this to make it matte). 

After reading some other reviews on this product I found out that a lot of people do not like this eyeliner, so this eyeliner is not for everyone. I do not have oily eyelids or anything like that, so I don't know if it will work for people who do.

I would mainly recommend this for anyone else who's learning how to use eyeliner. It's not too dark, so it won't look super harsh, and it's easy to use.

For under $4, this is a great product to try because it's not a huge waste of money if you don't like it. It's very affordable, possibly one of the cheapest liquid liners sold. 

PS- I decided not to do my Favorite YouTubers of February. I was way too behind to choose my favorites and it's already the middle of March.

Must Watch YouTube Video!

A few months ago Lauren Curtis uploaded an amazing video to YouTube. I felt like sharing it with you ladies tonight. I personally found this super helpful and informational. Enjoy!

Review: Covergirl Clean Normal Skin Pressed Powder

Since I love the Covergirl Clean foundation, I decided to try the Covergirl Clean powder. I really wish I had gotten the oily skin formula, rather than the normal skin formula, because it would probably work better- and I don't even have oily skin. I've heard that you can either use this powder as a powder foundation or a setting powder, but I don't know if that's true. I've been using it as a setting powder & here are the things I've noticed-

• You need a lot to make your makeup feel like it's been set.
• It makes my foundation and face makeup last longer...nearly all day.
• I don't like the smell...it smells like old lady perfume.
• It looks very natural and smooth.                                                                        
• I like it better than the Covergirl Smoothers pressed powder.

Overall, I don't hate it because it actually works, but I do wish I had gotten the oily skin formula because it would probably set my foundation better. I do recommend it and I will probably repurchase it, but I am still looking for a really good drugstore setting powder. Any recommendations?

$5.94 at Walmart

Ulta Cheek Color: Infatuation

My current favorite blush is Infatuation, which is a blush from Ulta's collection. It's perfect for fall & winter and I have to say I've been loving it more than I love my Nyx blushes. It's super wearable, easy to work with, and silky. The only things I don't like about it are the packaging and that it doesn't last all day (but that's not a huge problem). Yes, the packaging is awesome for traveling & such because of the size, but it's not super durable. Regardless, it's such a gorgeous blush and I highly recommend you pick it up! It's only $7.00 at Ulta and right now they're buy one get one free! 

PS- In this picture it looks darker than it actually is. This picture makes it look like a dark berry color, but it's really a more natural berry color!

12 Days of Christmas Gift Ideas: Day 3 {DIY Makeup Brush Holders}

Ingrid (missglamorazzi) did a video for DIY December that was a makeup brush holder tutorial. She also did a similar tutorial in June 2012 that I like a little bit better. I actually made one of these to give to my mom for Christmas! My mom loves rose gold, so I copied Ingrid & did mine rose gold too :) I think this is an awesome gift idea for anyone who wears makeup! It cost me about $10 to make, so it is pretty affordable. Enjoy!

If I Had a $20 Makeup Budget.....

If I had $20 to spend on makeup & the makeup I bought with that $20 was all I was allowed to wear, here's what I would buy.....

Foundation: Rimmel Match Perfection...............$4.49 

Concealer: e.l.f. Tone Correcting Concealer...............$1.00

Powder: Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder...............$3.59

Blush: e.l.f. Essential All Over Color Stick...............$1.00

Eyeshadow: Bonne Bell Eye Style Eye Shadow Box (Cafe Classics)...............$3.74

Mascara: Maybelline Volum' Express Mega Plush Mascara...............$5.94

Total: $19.76! Barely made it!

What would you buy if you had a $20 budget to buy your makeup? Have you ever tried any of these products? Did you like them or dislike them? I would love to know!

**Disclaimer: I have not tried the foundation, concealer, powder, or blush I listed. I have, however, tried both the eyeshadow and the mascara and I love them both!**

3 Ways to Accentuate Freckles

1. Use a medium or light coverage foundation. My favorite is the Clean foundation by Covergirl. Using a light/medium coverage foundation will allow your freckles to be visible, but it will also even out your skin tone.
2. Use translucent powder. Starting at the top of your nose, swipe your favorite translucent powder (my favorite is Smoothers by Covergirl) across your cheeks. Swiping will disguise your pores and make your skin look almost airbrushed.
3. Wear blush. Blush is probably the easiest way to accentuate freckles. A beautiful peach toned blush will bring out the darker pigment of your freckles, making them more noticeable.

There are so many ways to accentuate your natural features, rather than try to cover them up. Let me know if you want to know how to use makeup to accentuate another specific feature. :)

Favorites & Hate-Its: Makeup Wipes

• Equate Facial Cleansing Towelettes (retail at $3.97): These are my typical go-to makeup wipes. There's nothing too special about them. I usually have to pre-wet them because they're pretty dry at first. That's really the only thing I don't like about them. They remove makeup pretty well and they're cheap. Favorite or hate-it? They're not my favorite, but I don't dislike them in any way--so favorite. 4/5
• Cleansing/Removes Makeup: Yes
• Gentle: Yes
• Moist: No
• Smells Good: Yes
• Moisturizing: Yes
  
• Philosophy Purity Made Simple One-Step Facial Cleansing Cloths (retail at $15): I got these after reading so many great reviews, but I honestly didn't see what everyone was talking about. Yes, they cleaned my face well & got all of my makeup off, but I wasn't a fan of them. I really hated how they smell and they made my face really red and burned my eyes (& I didn't get them in my eyes, it was just the smell of them that made my eyes burn). Favorite or hate-it? I'm neutral on this one. If it weren't for the smell, it would be a favorite. 3/5
• Cleansing/Removes Makeup: Yes
• Gentle: No
• Moist: Yes
• Smells Good: No
• Moisturizing: Yes
  
• Equate Wet Cleansing Towelettes (retail at $4.67): I love these. I love that they're exfoliating- it really helps get all the makeup off, especially mascara and foundation. They're really gentle, too. Only problem is they can be dry, so you might have to pre-wet them. Favorite or hate-it? Favorite. 4/5
• Cleansing/Removes Makeup: Yes
• Gentle: Yes
• Moist: No
• Smells Good: Yes
• Moisturizing: Yes
  
• Simple Kind to Skin Facial Wipes (retail at $5.99): I'm sure you've all seen YouTube beauty gurus talk about these before. I got them expecting them to be amazing, but they really weren't. They did a horrible job at removing my makeup and I had to pre-wet them. Favorite or hate-it? Hate-it. 2/5
• Cleansing/Removes Makeup: No
• Gentle: Yes
• Moist: No
• Smells Good: Yes
• Moisturizing: No
  
• Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes (retail at $4.97): These are almost the same as the first wipes I talked about in this post. They just smell different and don't need to be pre-wet. Favorite or hate-it? Favorite. 5/5
• Cleansing/Removes Makeup: Yes
• Gentle: Yes
• Moist: Yes
• Smells Good: Yes
• Moisturizing: Yes
  
• Yes to Cucumbers Hypoallergenic Facial Towelettes (retail at $5.97): I absolutely hated these wipes. I had to pre-wet them and they didn't take my makeup off. I wear a good amount of makeup (foundation, eyeshadow, mascara, etc.), but I don't wear waterproof mascara, so usually my makeup comes off pretty easily. I kept checking the wipe and nothing was coming off! It drove me insane. Favorite or hate-it? Hate-it. 2/5
• Cleansing/Removes Makeup: No
• Gentle: Yes
• Moist: No
• Smells Good: Yes
• Moisturizing: No
  
• Equate Beauty Night-Time Soothing Makeup Remover Towelettes (retail at ?): These are my new favorite makeup wipes! The wipes are pretty big, so sometimes I can get away with just using 1/2 of the wipe. They smell great & the smell is definitely "soothing". They remove my makeup super easily. I barely have to rub my eyes to get my eye makeup to come off! & I don't have to pre-wet them, which is a huge bonus! Favorite or hate-it? Favorite! 5/5
• Cleansing/Removes Makeup: Yes
• Gentle: Yes
• Moist: Yes
• Smells Good: Yes
• Moisturizing: Yes
  

My Birthday Wish List

My birthday is on October 1st, so my mom wanted me to send her an email of things I'd like for my birthday. Since the list is basically all the makeup items I'd like to try, I decided to share my list with you. If you have any of the items on the list, please let me know what you think of it! It would be so helpful :)

1. Too Yacht To Handle by China Glaze- retails at $5.36
   
2. Basically anything from Hempz Treats. If you have not tried Hempz Treats, you HAVE to! It's the best stuff ever! They smell good enough to eat & they're really creamy and great for dry, sensitive skin!
   
3. Sephora Collection Artist Color Box Makeup Palette- retails at $20.00
   
4. FratBoy blush by the Balm- retails at $21.00
   
5. Nude 'Tude eyeshadow palette by the Balm- retails at $36.00
   
6. Real Techniques Travel Essentials kit- retails at $17.99
   
7. Real Techniques Foundation Brush- retails at $7.99
   
8. bareMinerals Angled Face Brush- retails at $20.00
   
9. bareMinerals READY Blush in The Aphrodisiac- retails at $22.00 (I have talked about this blush before on this blog- I occasionally borrow my sister's)
   
10. Gel Eyeliner Pencils by Ulta (in Peacock, Plum, and Olive Oil)- retail at $8.00 $4.00! This is the best eyeliner ever. I already have 4 of them....including Peacock. I just love it so much I asked for another one ;) The one pictured is a color called "Majesty". It's a beautiful deep purple. I already have this one, too :)
    
11. Sephora Collection Primal Instincts Eyeshadow Palette- retails at $28.00
    
12. Lorac Pro Palette- retails at $42.00
    
    

How I Store My Makeup

I'm not going to lie- I'm pretty much in love with my Tabletop Spinning Cosmetic Organizer by Lori Greiner. It's just the best thing ever. 

I got mine on QVC for about $30.00. Click here for more information :)

**This is not a sponsored post.**

Makeup Starter Kit

A new school year has just started, which means a lot of girls are starting to wear makeup for the first time. I decided to do a post about what I recommend for a makeup starter kit. All products mentioned will be drugstore products (with one exception). :)

Let's start with foundation. When I started wearing makeup, I didn't wear foundation- & I don't feel like this is necessary for a beginner. However, some girls might want to wear foundation to even out their skin tone. If you are new to makeup, liquid foundation might be a little tricky, so I recommend starting with a powder foundation. It may not have the coverage of a liquid foundation, but it is definitely easier and faster to apply. My favorite powder foundation is the freshMinerals Mineral Powder Foundation. It's a light coverage foundation, which is perfect for a beginner! I apply it with the puff it comes with & it works great! It retails at $24.64 and I get mine on Amazon.

Now for powder. Powder is also one of those products that a beginner does not need (in most cases). If you want to reduce shininess or have a little more oil control, a little powder won't hurt. I personally only use powder to set my foundation (including powder foundation). My favorite powder is the CoverGirl Smoothers Pressed Powder. It retails around $5 and I get mine at Walmart.

Blush. Blush is a great piece for a starter kit. I recommend starting out with a pretty natural blush. My favorite blush is the NYC Color Wheel Mosaic Face Powder in Rose Glow. It retails at $4.99 and I get mine at Target.

Eyelid primer is another one of those optional products. It will help your eyeshadow stay on longer and help it stay in place. My favorite eyelid primer (believe it or not) is the E.L.F. eyelid primer! I get mine at Target and it retails at $1.00!

Now for eyeshadow. Eyeshadow is my favorite! I like a lot of different eyeshadows & palettes, but if I had to choose one eyeshadow product to be the only eyeshadow I used for the rest of my life (dead serious), it would hands down be the Bonne Bell Eyeshadow Box  in Cafe Classics. It was my first eyeshadow & I have used it almost everyday since I started wearing makeup. It has 4 beautiful colors that are great for a beginner (tip: if you are new to makeup, try to stay away from brightly colored eyeshadow & stick with the more neutral colors). They are amazing quality- very creamy, pigmented, and easy to apply. I have completely hit pan multiple times- & 1 will easily last me a year if I use it everyday, so that's saying a lot. I actually prefer them over any of my high end eyeshadows. Buying this product can be tricky. I used to buy mine at Walmart, but the drugstores in my area have recently stopped carrying them. :( I currently purchase mine online at drugstore.com. They retail at $3.37 in stores and around $10 online (including shipping).

Lastly, mascara. I love mascara almost as much as I love eyeshadow. I'm really picky when it comes to mascara & I will not wear waterproof mascara. I understand that mascara is a personal thing, so not everyone is going to like the mascaras I recommend. I like my lashes to look like falsies and have length and volume. I naturally have very full eyelashes, and I really like to make them pop. That being said, I am not going to recommend the cliche Maybelline Great Lash mascara because I'm not a huge fan of it. If you want to try it, go ahead. I have 4 other mascaras I will recommend to beginners because I love them!

1. My holy grail mascara is The Colossal by Maybelline. At first, it is a very wet mascara and it's a little hard to work with. After a couple uses, it dries up a bit & works like a gem. I get the 9x in any color. I'm not too picky about color. Seriously though- try it!! & it's great for beginners because it will come off easily if they mess up, but it won't smudge throughout the day. Retails at $5.94 and I get mine at Walmart.
2. Maybelline MegaPlush mascara. This is probably the easiest, quickest mascara to apply. I use it on days where I wear a small amount of makeup. It makes my lashes look very natural & it adds a good amount of volume and a lot of length. You don't have to build this mascara up a ton, which is nice. The only con to this mascara is it is a pain to get off if you mess up (& I'm talking about the non-waterproof formula!), so beginners might find it difficult to work with. Retails at $5.54 and I get mine at Walmart.
3. CoverGirl LashBlash Volume. This mascara is your typical mascara. Easy to apply, great brush, etc. Great for beginners! Retails at $5.06 and I get mine at Target.
4. CoverGirl LashBlast Length. This is very similar to the LashBlast Volume, except it adds length except volume. They both do a great job at separating my lashes and doing what they say they do. Nothing too special, but great for beginners. Retails at $6.94 and I get mine at Target.

*Target and Walmart will sometimes sell the mascaras I mentioned in 2 packs for like $7 or something like that. It's a great deal, so look for it the next time you're at Target or Walmart :)*

Finish your look off with your favorite lip balm or Lip Smacker & you're done!!

Let me know if you'd like a tutorial for beginners using the products I mentioned in this post!


***This is not a sponsored post.***