Benefit Primers: Review!

While at Ulta, I began to observe the check out stands, and saw a mini set of Benefit's two most popular face primers. As someone who has never really used face primer, I was curious to see if it actually made a difference. So before shelling out $30 for one of the full sizes when I wasn't sure I was going to love the product, I said to myself, "For twelve bucks, I'll get the sample set."

The set included two deluxe samples of the POREfessional and That Gal face primers. I have been eyeing POREfessional for a while now, as I suffer from large pores on my nose, and hoped that this would help cover that up. That Gal is supposed to brighten, so I thought that it would be nice to use on one of those days where my skin just looks sallow and dull.

I will say that I find my base makeup to last longer with one of these on. POREfessional covers my pores a little, but it's nothing that produces such a miracle look that I would run out and buy it again. That Gal brightens without looking unnatural--it just adds a subtle glow under foundation. I like both!

Right- POREfessional
Left- That Gal

POREfessional is flesh-toned and That Gal is a light, salmon pink that blends into the skin to brighten. POREfessional is thicker, which the aspect that's supposed to fill the pores, but I like how That Gal applies better. 

I believe that both of these retail for around $30 each and are available wherever Benefit is sold (Sephora, Ulta, select department stores). If you're an avid user of face primers, I would recommend these! I know that Benefit just came out with another one (the Stay Flawless, I believe) that I'm looking to try. 

Do you use face primer every day?

xoxo

Alyssa

Not Your Mother's Beach Babe Texturizing Sea Salt Spray

I'm so lazy when it comes to my hair. I've gotten into a routine of not doing anything special with it on a regular basis because, well, I just have never found creating elaborate styles every morning before school worth loosing sleep time. My hair is naturally straight and leans more on the thicker side, so I don't have to bust out my straightener every time I wash for it to look decent. So when I started hearing about Sea Salt Sprays, I was intrigued.

Not Your Mother's has been worming it's way into the top of the drugstore hair care realm this Summer, and I heard some hype around the Beach Babe Texturizing Sea Salt Spray. I picked it up before a vacation, wanting something that would make my hair look cute and add some texture and style with only a minute or two of effort.

The packaging of this is completely user and travel friendly, with a spray top (think the Tressame Heat Tamer Spray) and a little tab to lock the handle so nothing spills out when you don't want it to.

I like to wash my hair and when it's almost dry, tie it into two braids and sleep that to create waves, then add the salt spray when I wake up. However, this creates almost an identical effect when used on dry hair. I love this stuff. I've been using it almost every morning to do my hair since I bought it over a month ago, and the bottle still feels almost full. Plus, the smell is outrageous. Think beachy-coconut and sweetness. Yum.

The photo above is what my hair looked like after I used this on second day, not-styled-previously hair. The right is what it looks like if you really scrunch it up, and the left is what it looks like if you spray it in once or twice and let it do it's thing. My hair is very straight normally, so this kind of style with that kind of work makes me swoon.

You can get this spray at Target and Ulta definitely for somewhere between $5-6 dollars--a bargain, I think. I'm not sure where else carries this brand, but I haven't heard anything but good things about any of their products.

Do you curl or straighten your hair every day?
xoxo
Alyssa

Tarte Lip Surgence Matte Lip Tint in Lucky: Review and Swatches

Jumbo lip pencils have been making a splash in the beauty world in the past year or so, and it seemed like every brand came out with their own version. The product that can be traced back to starting the trend? The Tarte Lip Surgence. Available in a variety of finishes and colors and being sold in a huge set around Christmas time for the price of about one and a half, makeup lovers everywhere gave them a shot.

I received this little guy in my Teen Vogue Birchbox last year and it's needless to say that I was excited. The color is called Lucky and it's a cool-toned, matte light pink that is wearable and fun. Sometimes Birchbox gives lip products in the most unappealing, unflattering colors, but that's not the case here!

The packaging is like any other standard jumbo pencil and it's a twist up, so no sharpening here! I personally like that for lip pencils. I don't like having to sharpen lip pencils, as I don't like using the same sharpener for my lip and eye products. I don't really know why, it just feels funny to me.

This product has a really nice, fresh, minty scent to it and the formulation is lovely. It's smooth and glides on with a lot of color payoff. The swatch above is one coat! 

The final verdict? I really love this, but for $24 a pop, I would skip it and try a drugstore version instead. The Revlon Kissable Balm Stains and the COVERGIRL Jumbo Gloss Balms are both great. However, if you can snag a set of these around Christmastime, I would! Tarte comes out with fantastic holiday sets that are a phenominal value, so if you're interested, keep your eyes open for that. 

Drugstore or High End lip products?

xoxo

Alyssa

Transitioning: Summer to Fall!

I find the transitioning period (the time smack in between seasons) the hardest to figure out in terms of...well, everything actually. Clothes, makeup, nail polish. I never know whether to lean more on the side of the cooler seasons or the warmer seasons. So today I'm back to share with you some of my favorite cosmetic products that can bring you from the light, airiness of Summer to the deeper, golden tones of Fall.

First up, eye products. The Naked Palette by Urban Decay is something a ton of people already own, and I think it's great all year round. You can use the lighter colors in the warmer months and use the darker ones for the colder ones. For Fall specifically, I would use Sin all over the lid/as a highlight, Half Baked a bit on the center of the eye, and darken things up with Smog or Hustle in the very out corner or in the crease. Then I would finish off with Toasted on the lower lashline, and BAM! An easy look for the between-season. For a cream base underneath, try Maybelline's Color Tattoos in Bad to the Bronze (a cool toned, shimmery bronze) or Bold Gold (a shimmery, antiqued gold). Also from Maybelline, the Lasting Drama Gel Liner in Eggplant is great. It's a deep purple, so it brings in some Summer color while being deep enough to be appropriate for the Fall time.

Next, face. Personally, I like looking a bit bronzed as much as I can, but  too-dark complexion just looks unnatural. The Rimmel Natural Bronzer in Sun Bronze adds a nice touch of color without being too noticeable. For blush, I've been OBSESSED with the NYX Powder Blush in Mocha. It's a lovely, natural matte pink with a slight berry-brown undertone, so it's right on trend for Fall. Top your cheekbones with a light, champagne-bronze highlighter (my recommendation? The Elf Golden Bronzer!) to complete then look. 

As for lips, berry-tones and deep reds are always a hit when Fall rolls around, but it's not a hit to jump right into the burgundy lipstick. I like to make the transgression with berry-pinks, a browny nude, and a few dabs of red blended out. I have three Revlon Lip Butters here, Berry Smoothie, Creme Brulle, and Cherry Tart, that are perfect. And for gloss? A peachy, golden color works on top of almost anything. The Avon Glazewear Sparkle in Mirage is one of my all time favorite glosses, and perfect for the Fall. 

Do you like Summer, Fall, Winter or Spring trends the best?

xoxo

Alyssa 

In-Brand Throw Down: Burt's Bees

It's no secret that I'm obsessed with a fan of moisturizing lip products and that I love the drugstore options. Surprisingly, I had never tried the brand that everyone and their cat seemed to rave about: Burt's Bees. With the reputation of being the best lip balms available for the drugstore price, I finally decided to give them a try. But my issue? There were different formulations, so over the course of the past week and a half or so, I've accumulated three different ones, and now I'm back to tell you my thoughts.

The three I have are the Replenishing Lip Balm with Essential Oils (mine is in Pomegranate), the Hibiscus Tinted Lip Balm and the Lip Shimmer in Cherry. 

Clockwise from top left: Replenishing with
Pomegranate Oil, Hibiscus Tinted, and Lip Shimmer
in Cherry

First off, the Replenishing Lip Balm. These are made with different essential oils, depending on which one from the line you pick out. I picked out pomegranate, as I tend to like products with it on the ingredient list. This is slightly, slightly tinted a reddish coral. It smells like Carmex, which surprised me. I would have thought it would smell fruity, but nope! In terms of moisture, this is nice, but not as good as other lip balms I've tried. I'd give it a 5/10. Retailing for $3-4, it's average on price point. 

Next up, the Hibiscus Tinted Lip Balm. These are the most popular from the brand, and I picked Hibiscus as it's one of my favorite flowers, plus I've heard nice things about the color. I can't really detect a scent, but if anything it's a little sweet. In terms of pigmentation, I would classify this in the same category as the Maybelline Baby Lips. It's definitely more moisturizing than the replenishing one, and I'd give it a 7.5/10. It would have gotten a solid 8 or even higher, but priced at $6.99, it's pretty hefty for a low end lip balm. 

Lastly is the Lip Shimmer in Cherry. It smells very minty and feels a teensy bit tingly on the lips, which isn't my favorite but doesn't bother me either. It reminds me very much of the Revlon Lip Butter in Cherry Tart. It gives a good color pay off and really tints the lips. It's not too  moisturizing though, and the texture is a bit chunky due to the shimmer. I give it a 4/10. I don't think I'd purchase any more of these, even at $3 each.

Left to Right: Replenishing, Hibiscus Tinted, Cherry
Lip Shimmery

The winner? The Hibiscus Tinted Lip Balm. I would buy more of these, although I don't think Burt's Bees is the best brand for lip balms in the drugstore (Nivea still holds that title for me!). I do however, love their skin products (especially the cuticle cream!).

Are you a lover of Burt's Bees?
xoxo
Alyssa

Elf Translucent Mattifying Powder: Review

I've grown to rely on translucent powders, as they don't require a color match and fit my complexion all year round. While I still like powders that give a bit of color and a bit of coverage, in the past few months, I've been reaching instead for my translucent options.

Unfortunately, my trusty Rimmel Stay Matte is easily the most inconvenient pressed powder for the handbag. With no mirror, no applicator and a screw on lid, it's just not practical. That being said, I had heard some hype on the Elf Mattifying version, so for $3, I thought "why the heck not?" 

If you're familiar with the Elf Studio line, this packing is, like the rest, nothing special. Black and plastic, with a full-lid mirror and a compartment for a sponge, it seemed like something good for my makeup bag. I'm not necessarily against sponges for powder application, so I brought this along in my bag as is. 

Upon first swatch, this would seem like it would show up on the skin, but I don't really find that to be a problem! It's smooth, invisible, and actually does produce a nice and subtle matte finish. However, I don't have oily skin, so I'm not sure how this would work for someone who has a problem with excess oil. I have read that this is a good product for that too, but for someone with dry skin, a little bit of this applied with the sponge it comes with and I find that it doesn't make me too matte, but helps my face makeup from budging over the course of the day.

The overall rating: okay. I like this, but its not as good as other powders I've tried. Rimmel Stay Matte is my favorite, but I also LOVE the Maybelline Dream Matte and the Arbonne Sheer Pressed Powder. You can find the Elf version at Target or Kmart for $3. 

What kind or coverage do you like with powders? 

xoxo

Alyssa

St. Ives Fresh Skin Apricot Scrub

I use a gentle exfoliating cleanser twice a day (my Neutregena Pink Grapefruit Foaming Scrub) so I never felt like I needed a heavy duty exfoliate to use on a weekly basis. Boy, was I wrong! After reading up on some skincare blogs, I realized that everyone needs a rough exfoliation at least once a week. And so I set out on my quest to find a good product for this purpose.

While shopping for a vacation back in July, I landed upon this little guy and decided for a dollar and change, it was worth a try. I find deluxe sample/travel sized items are the best for testing out something new, as they are generally the perfect amount of product to try before settling on an opinion.

This scrub is made with 100% natural exfoliants that "deep clean, instantly leaving skin smooth and glowing." It's also sulfate and paraben free, which is a major plus in my book. The texture of this isn't the roughest exfoliate that I've seen, but it certainly isn't the most gentle and I find it the perfect consistency to use once or twice a week for a deep scrub to get off all the dead skin. For someone like me who's complexion is more on the dry side, it's great!

And lastly? The smell! This stuff smells amazing: a little fresh, a little fruity, and a lot delicious. I'm all for yummy-smelling products (but really, who isn't?) so that feature is right up my alley.

St. Ives is available at most drugstores, and you'll find this scrub (which is also one of their best sellers) with the rest of the line in the skincare department. This retails for $4.99 for 6oz (which is the size I plan on purchasing after I squeeze out the last use of my mini) or the travel sized 1oz for $1.50. Obviously the full-sized is a much better deal, but I didn't want to risk not liking this so I would be stuck with a big bottle of something I disliked.

How often do you exfoliate?
xoxo
Alyssa


PS: Sorry for lack of posts lately. My schedule has been so hectic, but I promise consistent posting is on its way! :)