Monday, June 22, 2015

Summer Dreams Eye Make Up Tutorial

Helloooo!!~


It's officially summer! What I have here is a very late spring/summer inspired eye makeup tutorial that I actually did a while back except I had the pictures saved on my laptop so I couldn't create the post! :(

Anyway, here's the final look, I hope you like it!


Saturday, June 20, 2015

Bold and Bright Eye Make Up Tutorial

Hello there!

I'm starting this weekend with this bold and bright eye make up tutorial as we transition from spring to summer. The star of this eye look is the SugarPill Eyeshadow Palette in Burning Heart, but as always, you don't have to use the same products I'm using. Use whatever works best for you!
I hope you love it!


Here's the finish look.

Friday, June 19, 2015

Products Worth the Investment Review | elf Contour Palette | Review and Swatches

Hello there!

I know I've been gone for a while, but I promise to make it up to you all!
Today's Products Worth The Investment Review is on the newly released elf Contour Palette that I am sooo excited about! elf has definitely stepped up their game!



Thursday, June 4, 2015

May Collective Haul

Helloooo!

Sorry I missed a post last week. I've been extremely busy, but here's another monthly collective haul for you all. 
**This is why I need to go on a no-buy!! 

OK first of all, I want to apologize if the format of this post is weird, I created it all through my phone because my laptop is being crazy...which is another reason I haven't been able to create any posts. I hope you don't mind! 
Now that that's out of the way, let's get on to this! 

I planned on doing another no-buy for June but I already know I'm going to fail because there are some new products launching from my favorite brands this month! And it's just impossible for me to make it through this "no-buy"! 

The following products have been purchased by me throughout the month of May with mainly the purpose of replacing my non cruelty free makeup that I've already gotten rid of so yes, all the following are cruelty free! 



Let's get started!


Starting with the face products...

I got the elf HD Mattifying Cream Foundation in the shade Buff. It's a great light weight and oil free foundation that has build able coverage which is great for my sensitive, combo-to-oily, acne prone skin, the only problem is is that the shade is too dark. 
So second to that I got the elf Flawless Finish Foundation in the shade Sand because the shade Buff was way too dark and orange for me, however, Sand was the right shade but it has way too much pink undertones in it! So sad! If you find a good shade match, these foundations are great! 
I got the Jordana Forever Flawless Pressed Powder in the shade Golden Beige which turned out to be too orange on me...I know, I have such bad shade choices, but this works quite well to set my foundation and add a bit of warmth to my cool toned foundations. 
OK, let's move on to the good stuff. The elf Studio blush (which is actually a highlighter) is soooo pretty!! It looks white on the pan but once applied, it has a golden glow running through it, it's so pretty if you have yellow undertones!
The Jordana blushes are a new love for me, the elf blushes used to be my drugstore favorites and I find that these ones are just as great! I have the shades Tawny Beige, Coral Sandy Beach, and Terra Cotta. 
Lastly, I got the new and LE WetnWild ColorIcon Blush & Glow Trio in Sun Set Junction which is the most muted/neutral from the line. The bronzer in this is very orange which I actually like for giving a light, natural bronze look to my skin. The highlight and the blush is just so gorgeous and natural looking! Overall, I love this trio. 



Moving on to eye products...

I finally finally picked up the Jordana Best Lash Extreme Mascara! Yes! I've been waiting so long to try this! I haven't opened it yet because I'm trying to finish a couple mascaras so none of them dry out on me. 
Along with that, I got the Jordana Fabuliner in black. I also haven't tried this yet so I'll hold off a review on those two. 
Oh my gosh! I also got the Milani eyeshadow primer! The one by elf works great on me really but I just wanted to try this out. 
From Wet n Wild I got the ColorIcon Eyehsadow singles in Nutty and Brûlée which are the two most highly recommended shadows to try so I did give them a try (finally) and yup! They definitely are a must try for only 97¢! I use Nutty as a stand alone shadow while I use Brûlée all over the lid to set my primer. 
They had a sale at cvs so I took advantage of it and tried the WetnWild IdolEyes cream shadow pencil in Pixie. It's a great to use as a base under shimmery shadows or as an inner corner highlight. 



Phew. OK we're getting there...

Moving on to lippies, I got three WetnWild Mega Last Liquid Lipsticks in the shades I Can Bare It, Red My Mond, and Iris I was Rich. I'm still finding a way to make the super sticky formula of this work, I'll update you all on that!
I also got the LE Dolci lipgloss from their Dolci Bronze collection. Gaaah! This smells sooo delicious! It smells just like cupcakes! 
I also got the Jordana lipgloss in Sunset kiss which has a light weight, non sticky feel. 
More from Jordana, I got three of the Modern Matte lipsticks and I have to let you guys know, if you haven't tried this yet, you need to! These are so great, I can wear them all day and they don't dry out my lips like most lipsticks do. They're very long lasting, pigmented, and comfortable. 
I wanted to try theBurts Vees lip balm so I got that. I still haven't tried it yet. 
I got two WetnWild silk finish lipsticks in Breeze and Ready to Swoon. I already own and love Dark Pink Frost from the same line and was looking forward to these. I like Ready to Swoon for a natural pink blush and Breeze for adding a glossy silver sheen over matte lipsticks. 
Finally I added the WetnWild Megalast lipstick in Cinnamon to my collection. I love the rich brown color, it's great for the fall (even if it's barely summer!).



Finally I picked up some tools...

I got two of the new(ish) WetnWild brushes, the powder brush and the eye brush. I really like the eye brush to use for applying eyeshadow all over my lid. It blends very well and it's super soft. I'm not so fond of the powder brush because it sheds like crazy even after 3-4 washes. Every now and then I still notice occasional shedding and I've had this and washed it multiple times. 
I got the angled blush brush from elf which I strictly use to get a natural looking contoured cheek bone. I find that this is just way too pinched in the sides to effectively use as a blush brush. 
Also from elf, I got the professional eye brush which I use to pack on eyeshadows and pigments on my lids. 
I got two RT brushes, the expert face brush and the contour brush (from their core collection I believe). I use the expert face brush to flawlessly buff in my liquid foundations. I find that this does not leave streak marks and it doesn't absorb my foundation like crazy so no product gets wasted. The contour brush actually could be used with many purposes. I use this mainly to contour my cheekbones, but I find it great to use for setting the under eyes and applying highlighter as well. By the way, if you're wondering, I got the contour brush from a blog sale. 





Phew. OK. 
That seemed like a really long post. If you've stuck around to read that whole post, Thank you for reading!!


-Mary

Sunday, May 24, 2015

Products Worth the Investment | elf HD Lifting Concealer | Review + Swatches

Hello there!

Today's Products Worth the Investment review is on the e.l.f. HD Lifting Concealers which are from their Studio Line collection and is one of e.l.f.'s best selling makeup products. If you've been around for a while, you probably know that I've been trying to finish these up through my pan project and it's not necessarily because they're bad, but because I've had them for so long. 



This concealer claims to be a high definition concealer that hides imperfections while it firms and regenerates the skin for added radiance. According to the product description on the elf website, this concealer also claims to minimize the appearance of fine lines while it evens the skin tone for a youthful look. This concealer is infused with key infredients such as Vitamine C, Green Tea, and Mulberry for lifting and soothing benefits. 


I have light to medium skin with yellow undertones and the shades I have are in 'Fair' and 'Light'. I bought the fair with the intention of using it as a cream highlight while I bought the shade 'Light' for actual concealing purposes. I find that on me, the 'Fair' runs a little white since it has a pink undertone, casting a dry/ashy effect on my skin while the 'Light' is a bit orange on me, but I take advantage of that and use it on my dark under-eye circles to slightly brighten them up.

This has a doe foot applicator, which in my opinion is the best applicator for concealers. I also find that this works best when you blend it in with your fingers with a patting motion. 


Swatches of the e.l.f. HD Lifting Concealers.
Right swatch: 'Light'   Left swatch: 'Fair'


Blended swatches of the e.l.f. HD Lifting Concealers.
Right swatch: 'Light'   Left swatch: 'Fair'
(You can see how the concealers have such great coverage by how the shade 'Light' covered my mole that was visible in the previous picture)


Retail Value: $3


Overall, I really like these concealers and although I have to mix the shades to match my skin tone, I would still recommend this product because although the shades did not work perfectly for me, it might work for you! I find that these concealers are very buildable without making you look cakey, besides I don't think you will even have to build up these concealers, they have such great coverage! The only downside to this product is that the color range runs pretty dark and like with their foundations, the difference between each shade is quite drastic so keep that in mind when purchasing these concealers!


I hope you found this quick review helpful!!

Thanks for reading!


-Mary

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

e.l.f. Studio Makeup Mist & Set Spray Review + Best Ways to Use

Hello!! 

One of the products I've been trying to use up is the e.l.f. Studio Makeup Mist & Set Spray, which is a great, affordable, and cruelty free dupe for MAC's FixPlus.


e.l.f. Makeup Mist & Set - with Aloe, Green Tea, Cucumber, and Vitamins A, C& E
2.02 fl oz/60 ml


About a year ago, I purchased the e.l.f. Studio Makeup Mist & Set at their online site with the intention of using it to increase the longevity of my makeup. Now that I've been using it for quite some time, and will be purchasing my second bottle soon, I wanted to do a review and share some of the best ways I've come up with to use the e.l.f. Studio Makeup Mist & Set. 


Price Comparison:

  • e.l.f. Studio Makeup Mist & Set $3 for 2.2fl.oz
  • MAC FixPlus $33 for 1.7fl.oz.


Product Ingredients: (Which are very similar)

  • e.l.f. Studio Makeup Mist & Set: Water (Aqua), AMP-acrylates/Allyl Methacrylate Copolymer, Propylene Glycol, Tocopheryl Acetate (Ve), Retinyl Palmitate (Va) Ascorbyl Palmitate (Vc), Green Tea Extract,Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Aloe Arborescens Leaf Extract, Methylparaben,Ethylparaben, Propylparaben, Isobutylparaben, Butylparaben, Phenoxyethanol
  • MAC FixPlus: Water, glycerin, butylene glycol, Cucumis Sativus (cucumber) fruit extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) extract, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf extract, tocopheryl acetatea, caffeine, panthenol, arginine, ethylhexylglycerin, PEG-40 hydrogenated castor oil, Ppg-26-Buteth-26, fragrance, disodium Edta, dehydroacetic acid, phenoxyethanol, benzoic acid



Best Uses
My main use for this product is for giving my skin a natural, dewy, airbrushed finish especially after using powder foundation. Once all my makeup is applied, I mist this lightly all over my face, I find that doing this makes my mineral powder foundation melt into my skin, giving my skin a natural looking glow...if you have oily skin, I wouldn't recommend spraying this heavily as it may make your face look more oily throughout the day.

On those days where I accidentally put on too much powder foundation or during the winter where my dry skin seems to be highlighted by powder foundations, I just give my face a couple spritz all over to make my makeup look less heavy and cakey...just make sure to immediately fan down and dry any large drop so your foundation won't run down your face! I really like using this technique because I feel like it does such an amazing job at making especially powder products look skin-like. 

Another way I put this product to use is by spritzing a couple sprays directly on my brush just before using it with some eyeshadows, whether its a pressed eyeshadow, a glittery eyeshadow, or a loose pigment, doing this makes the eyeshadows look very vibrant and sometime look foiled.
Sometimes instead of spraying this directly on my brush, I spray a couple sprays in the cap and I dip my brush into the cap instead...it works just as great. I find that using this technique makes even the least vibrant eyeshadows more vibrant and reduces the fallout on even the chalkiest eyeshadows.

Another way I like to use this is to lightly mist it directly on any cream product (cream/gel eyeliner, cream blush, cream eyeshadow, etc) to moisten it and make it easier to work with. This makes a product that might be on the drier side (or a product that has gotten dry) creamier and easier to work with. 

You can also make your own custom eyeliner by spritzing a couple sprays on a palette, then dip your eyeliner brush into any eyeshadow and then mix the eyeshadow from the brush into the area where you sprayed the e.l.f. Mist & Set, and then use it to line your eyes with. 

Lastly, this product is absolutely great to use for spot cleaning your brushes. I just spray two or three sprays directly on a brush and swirl it around on a tissue or dry cloth. The Mist & Set Spray removes any excess product from your brushes while swirling it on a tissue or cloth dries the brush making it ready to use between different products.



Review
Overall, I really really like this product and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a cruelty free dupe or alternative to the MAC FixPlus. The actual product is absolutely great and I will definitely be repurchasing. I've heard people comment about this product having a foul scent, but to me, it smells just like mineral makeup and I actually like its scent! It smells very natural and fresh and once it sets on your face, you really cant smell it. The only downside I have about this is the packaging...the sprayer shoots out product instead of lightly misting it and can sometimes leave whole beads of product on your face! Also, I find that I really have to leave this bottle standing upright, otherwise it will leak out from the top of the nozzle. 


I hope you found this review helpful!
Stay tuned for more!
-Mary 

Sunday, May 10, 2015

Products Worth the Investment | Wet n Wild Mega Eyes Liquid Eyeliner Pen | Review + Swatches

Hello, hello there!

I hope you all are having a lovely day today!

I was actually debating on whether or not I should even bother doing a review on this product and decided that I should save any of you from possibly wasting your time and a couple bucks because every buck counts ya know? Well, today I'll share my experience and review of the Wet n Wild Mega Eyes Liquid Eyeliner Pen which I had quite high expectations for but I was equally disappointed with.

Don't get me wrong, I personally think Wet n Wild is one of the greatest, super affordable, cruelty free companies out there, but just like other companies they have products that are absolute fails and this is one of them.

A while back I was in search for an affordable black liquid eyeliner to use for quick touch ups on the go and for covering up any excess lash glue. The Wet n Wild Mega Eyes Liquid Eyeliner Pen was one of the top eyeliners recommended to me so I was really looking forward to checking it out.


The felt tip applicator is very user friendly and can be used to create both fine and bold lines.
My only complaint on the applicator is that the tip is not too precise...its not bad though, its perfectly usable.
Swatches of the Wet n Wild Black Liquid Eyeliner.

As they're swatched on my arm, the eyeliner is visibly seen slowly fading from an opaque black at the top to a streaky black at the bottom.

The very first time I used this eyeliner, I was really impressed with how opaque and richly pigmented the initial application was on my right eye, but when I did my left eye it started drying out and fading! It was like I used two different liners! I found that putting the cap back on and waiting for five or so minutes helps bring more moisture and product to the applicator, but seriously, I don't want to have to wait for five minutes to do my other eye every time I use this eyeliner!

Even if I store this upside down with the applicator down, the pen still dries out by the time I do my other eye. I gave this eyeliner about three tries and gave up on it. It just wasn't worth all the fuss.


So there you have it, a quick and straight forward review of the Wet n Wild Mega Eyes Liquid Eyeliner Pen. 


Got any requests? Leave them in the comments below!


-Mary

Thursday, May 7, 2015

Project Pan | Second Update | May 2015

Hellowwww~~

I'm super excited because I surprisingly feel more accomplished this month compared to the first two months of this challenge. Its surprising to me because I've been sporting a bare face almost all month long and yet I manage to use up some products when I do wear some makeup!

If you're interested in reading my first post click here to see that. Almost a month ago I did my first update on my Pan Project click here if you're interested and here's my second update!


These aren't all the products in my original post, these are just the products that I've successfully made some progress on.

Monday, May 4, 2015

April Collective Haul

Hello there!

OK, so as you all probably know, I went on a no-buy March. Right?
But then on April, I bought a ton of makeup compared to the usual 3-5 products I buy in any given month. So I decided why not do a collective haul?

Some products I purchased because I needed some therapy shopping, others have been on my wishlist for the longest time, and some I just wanted to treat myself with.
So lets get on to it!


Sunday, April 26, 2015

Purple Glitter Cut Crease | Prom Makeup Tutorial

Hello there! 

Here's my third and final look for my series of prom makeup tutorials. 

This look is a simple purple cut crease with a touch of glitter.

Here's the completed look.

Ocean View Smokey Eye | Prom Makeup Tutorial

Hello hello!

For the second look for this prom makeup series, I decided to do a dark blue smokey eye which is the total opposite of the neutral look I did last weekend. This look is more suitable for the daring gals out there who can pull off a dark smokey eye without a problem.

Lets get right into it!



The Infinity Dreams Award | First Nomination




I am very honored and thankful to present to you another blog nomination by the very supportive and wonderful DramaBeautyPop! 
She nominated me for three other blog awards this year, the Liebster Award back in January, and the Sisterhood Award and the Creative Blogger Award in February!
I highly recommend for you to go check her out! She is very entertaining and super dedicated with what she does!




The rules...
1. Thank and follow the blog that nominated you. 
2. You must answer the 11 questions given to you by the person who nominated you. 
3. You must list 11 random/fun facts about yourself. 
4. You must nominate 11 other bloggers, ask them 11 questions, and notify them that they have been nominated. 



DramaBeautyPop's Questions and my answers...

1. Which ONE person inspires you the most in life? Why and how do they inspire you? 

Sunday, April 12, 2015

One Lovely Blog Award | First Nomination

Hello!

How is everyone doing this Sunday?

I've been trying to make up for my lack of posts towards the beginning of the month.
On top of school, I'm trying to create prom makeup tutorials, trying to do reviews or features of products I've been loving, and trying to keep up with tags.

So I've been, once again, tagged by the lovely Drama Beauty Pop to share more facts about me for the One Lovely Blog Award. If you haven't yet, I highly suggest for you to go check out her lovely blog where she unites three of her passions in one!

Thank you so much Dian for nominating me for this award and for always being very supportive of what I do. I truly appreciate it!! 💕💕




The Rules:

-Share seven facts about yourself
-Nominate up to 15 bloggers




Seven (hopefully interesting enough) facts about me...

Saturday, April 11, 2015

Neutral Glam Cut Crease | Prom Makeup Tutorial

Hello there!

Prom is around the corner!
So I'm starting a new series of prom makeup tutorials of looks I'd wear with certain dress colors. I'm a true lover of my neutrals, so I'm starting this series with a neutral look that could be toned up or down to match any dress.

Here's the completed look.

Here's a close up of the final eye makeup look.

Friday, April 10, 2015

Project Pan | First Update | April 2015

Hello there!

Here's a quick update on a few products from my Pan Project, if you haven't seen my first post and you're interested to check it out, click here! :)
I'm only showing a few products on this update as these are the ones I've actually made noticeable progress on.



 Starting with the lippies like last time...

The Bigelow Mentha Lip Tint this is taking me longer than I expected to finish. I've noticed that when its first applied, it feels really nice and jelly like on the lips but over a view hours of wearing it, it could get sticky like most glosses do. Deadline is still end of April.


I finally finished the Bigelow My Favorite Lipbalm which I set the deadline for the end of March!



EOS Lip Balm I actually set the original deadline for this at the end of March but I still use my finger to pick up the product at the bottom...I really don't like wasting product. I'm hoping to be able to finish this by the end of April.





Moving on to some eye products...

I made some progress with the elf Clear Brow and Lash Gel and now I switched to using the other end of the tube. Deadline for this is end of June.

I originally set the deadline for the Smashbox Full Exposure Mascara at the end of March but as I've stated in my review for this mascara, this is my favorite mascara so I was able to finish this trial size without a problem and I've already opened a full sized one! Yay! 


And finally the face products...

elf Mist & Set Spray I've been trying to use this up and I've made some bit of progress as of the end of March. Deadline for this is end of June. 

elf HD Lifting Concealers as I've mentioned, these actually aren't the best concealers but I enjoy using them as a concealer-foundation hybrid and I've been using them quite often in tutorials and for day to day wear for a really natural look. Deadline for this is end of July even if I might have to extend it because they're still over 3/4 full!

Smashbox Photoset pressed Powder I've been making noticeable progress since mid February and I've been marking my progress on the pan with a pin. I'll try to have my deadline for this be at the end of July even if I will surely have to extend it.

Close up of the Smashbox Photo Set Pressed Powder in Dark.
I marked the pan with a pin around the second week of February so this is my progress 8 weeks later.


I'll have another update on here at the end of every month, but I may be showing updates on my Instagram as well (@wndr14lnds).


Stay tuned for more reviews and tutorials!

- Mary

Thursday, April 9, 2015

Soft Pastel Eyes | Makeup Tutorial

Helloooo!

I meant to post this before Easter Sunday but the Internet wasn't working so this post is soo late! Ugh. Anyway, this soft pastel eye look reminds me so much of the traditional cute pastel Easter eggs, but if you don't celebrate Easter, this look will be great for any spring or summer day.

Here's the final look.

With a buffing brush, I started by taking a cream colored shadow and buffed this all over my lid and up ti the brow bone to set the primer. Doing this not only sets the primer and gives us a nice, even base to work with, but it also makes blending easier.


Using a fluffy blending brush, I took a taupe shadow and blended this all over the crease and blended this up and out to the brow bone and outer V areas.


With a flat shader brush, I took a matte light pink shade and patted this all over the mobile lid.
Then with a clean blending brush, I blended all the shades smoothly together.


With a duo fiber blending brush, I took a pink champagne highlighter and highlighted my brow bone and inner corners.


Then with a small detailed brush, I took a medium toned brown and used this to define my lower lash line.

Using a pastel blue pencil eyeliner, I lined my eyes and winged it out at the end. I then brought that medium toned brown shade and lined the bottom of the wing. This will further define the wings to make them stand out.

I finished the eye look with some mascara on the top and bottom lashes.

To complete this look I used: elf Mineral Face Primer, L'Oreal True Match Concealer in W4-5, elf HD Lifting Concealers in Light and Fair, elf eye primer in sheer nude, Rimmel Stay Matte Setting Powder in Transparent, Smashbox Photo Set Pressed Powder in Dark, Benefit Hoola Bronzer, Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Natural beauty, elf Baked Blush in Pinktastic, elf Cream Eyeliner in Black, Lorac PRO Palette, Sephora Outrageous Volume Mascara, Jordana Pencil Eyeliner in Baby Blue, elf clear mascara and brow gel, NYX Hot Red Lip Liner, Kat Von D Foiled Love Lipstick in Adora.


I hope you liked this little tutorial as much as I do.
Stay tuned for more tutorials and reviews!

-Mary

Project Pan | March 2015

Hello there!

Here's another reason on why I went on a No-Buy March... I wanted to finish up some older products in my collection before they expire on me! So to speed up the process, I decided to participate on the project pan which I don't know the complete rules to but since I'm doing this for myself, I decided to set my own rules.

Some of these products I plan on just trying to finish up at no designated deadline while other products I'm trying to finish up in a couple weeks or so.

The following pictures were actually taken at the beginning of March so I've definitely made some progress since. I'll be doing a couple updates on my process on IG and on here.



Starting with the lip products...

The Bigelow Mentha Lip Tint that I've had for years just needs to go, but I can't get myself to just throw it out because its such a good product and its not even expired! This product has actually been repackaged into a clear squeezy tube in case any of you want to pick it up! Deadline is end of April.

The Bigelow My Favorite Lipbalm is to be completely honest, not "my favorite lipbalm" I prefer using this as a deep lip moisturizer at night or as a clear gloss over matte lippies. And I actually have gone through about 1/4 of this since I've taken a picture of this so deadline for this is end of March.

EOS Lip Balm I actually use this lip balm before any lip product I decide to wear at any given day and is actually flat to the point where I have to use my fingers to apply it so deadline for this is end of March.

Milani Lipgloss I actually threw this in my purse so I could use it more often but I lost it!



Moving on to eye products...
elf Clear Brow and Lash Gel I mainly use this on my brows and I'm actually not a big fan of this clear brow gel so I just want to get rid of it ASAP but I won't be giving myself a dead line for this just because I can rarely ever get myself to use it.

Maybelline BrowDrama just like the elf brow gel, I'm not a fan of this brow gel. Ever since I trimmed the brush to make it straight I find that I use it more often so deadline for this is end of June just because it will take me a while to use it all up.

NYX Eyeshadow Base in White I never use this on the eyes because it creases very badly on me so I just use this for face makeup/paint. I rarely do face makeup so deadline is end of June.

LORAC Behind the Scenes Eye Primer I actually like this eyeshadow primer but I just want to try to use it more often so it doesn't dry up on me. Deadline is end of June.

Smashbox Full Exposure Mascara as I've previously stated in my review for this mascara, this is my favorite mascara and I actually have a full size back up for this so I'm trying to finish this so my back up won't expire on me! Tip: don't get a backup unless you know you go through a product very quickly! Deadline is end of March. 

NYX Eyeliner in Gray this is one of my very first makeup products ever. I've had this eyeliner for over three years and I just want to use it I'll up. Deadline for this is end of June.

elf Eye Primer this is actually almost gone so I just want to use up every bit of it before I open my back up. Love this primer! Deadline is end of May.


Sorry for the blurry shot! I didn't realize it until I made this post...
Moving on to face products...
elf Mist & Set I really like this product except the actual spray applicator! Deadline for this is end of June. 

elf HD Lifting Concealers these a  these actually aren't the best concealers but I enjoy using these as a concealer-foundation hybrid and just setting them with powder on days I want a really natural look. Deadline for this is end of July.

Smashbox Photoset pressed Powder I've actually already hit pan on this and made quite noticeable progress since I took a picture of this (I know I wish I took a picture of the actual product so I could keep track of my progress). I know I go through this pretty quickly compared to my other bronzers so I'll try to have my deadline for this be at the end of July.

I wish I took a picture of the actual products so you can see my progress. I'll remember to do so on my update!!

'Til then, Mary ~

Sunday, March 15, 2015

Products Worth the Investment | Artistry Automatic Eyebrow Pencil Review


This week's Products Worth the Investment review is on the Artistry Automatic Eyebrow Pencil which has been sent to me by the company to review.
Just to make it clear, this is my first time working with a company to review products for them, meaning I purchased all the products that I've previously reviewed/featured with my own money and even if this product and the mascara on my previous post has been sent to me to review, the following is my own honest opinions on the product.

Alright now that I made that clear, lets get on with the review!

Close up of the product. I got the shade Soft Black.
This brow pencil comes in three neutral shades in Taupe, Brown, and Soft Black and retails for $13.55 for the actual refill (0.15g/0.005oz) and $15.05 for the refill holder (has a brow brush on the opposite end) at aogoods.com.

My bare brows.
My brows filled in with just the pencil and blended with a bare brow brush (no brow gel to set).
I tend to do a more natural brow look and I find that this pencil allows me to easily do so as it provides a beautiful soft-focused look on the brows.

Pros:
-Beginner/user friendly
-Looks very natural
-No sharpening needed

Cons:
-Doesn't provide any hold to the brows, requires an additional step of setting with a brow gel
-Lightly pigmented (could also be a pro because it gives a very natural look to the brows)
-Pricey...definitely a debate on whether its worth the investment or not


Over the three weeks of testing this brow pencil, I found that this works best for giving natural looking fuller brows. With this brow pencil, you really can't go wrong, its very user friendly and quick to apply. The only downside is that you have to buy the refill and the refill holder separately which are both pretty pricey alone and will total to $28.30! Overall, I think the Artistry Automatic Brow Pencil is not worth the investment. There are tons of other brow products out in the market that are far more affordable and will give better, if not equal, results.


Any brow product recommendation? Leave them in the comments below!


-Mary