{Favorites} May 2013

Hey there! Been a while since I've done a favorites post, but I figured I'd get back into the swing of things. This past month I've been relying on a few oldies but goodies as well as a couple of new products :)


Eyes:

For the yes I've been using my Shimmer Cubes Plette in 07 from The Body Shop. I bought this during their Black Friday 3 for $30 sale, so I got it for $10, a steal given that the original price was $22. I've been using it daily but as you can tell, except for the brown shade they don't even look dented. You're getting 4g of each shade, so a lot of product that I am never going to finish lol.

For me, this palette is incredibly versatile. I can use it dry for a natural look or wet for a more intense look (though it does mess with the shadows consistency as you can see in the pan). I use the light silvery shade as a highlight for not only my eyes but my entire face. The pink looks beautiful as a shadow or a blush/highlight. I've especially been loving the combo of the pink and the brown. It really brings out my blue eyes. I keep this in my makeup bag because paired with mascara and liner I can do anything from a simple day look to a dark smokey look in minutes just using my fingers. I highly recommend this palette and if you can get it on sale even better!

A word of caution with these, however: they do crease on their own. I always wear them with a primer, especially in the summer.

When you apply them dry they look very natural.

Applied wet they are more intense, both more pigmented and shimmery.

Face:

For the face I've been relying on a couple of oldies but goodies.

I found the Physicians Formula Health Wear Tinted Moisturizer in the shade Ivory to Fair at an Ocean State Job Lot last year for $4 (not the $12-14 I see it for at CVS!) and have since purchased my second tube. This stuff works great for me. It's got a bit more coverage than the average tinted moisturizer, but still feels light. It also seems to dry down after application, so when paired with a powder (lately my Rimmel Stay Matte) it lasts fairly well on my. I'm also loving that it has SPF 50. I don't know if you can still purchase these in regular drugstores but I still see them at Ocean State Job Lot if you're interested. The only downside to this product is that like many other drugstore tinted moisturizers the shade selection is lacking.

I've also been loving Benefit's Highbeam. I bought the smaller size that comes in a travel friendly tube with a doe foot applicator for $10. Honestly, I'm never going to finish this thing. You just need the tiniest little bit of it for dramatic effect. I'm loving how multipurpose it is as well. I use it to highlight my face, as an eyeshadow, I mix it with a cream blush or my tinted moisturizer, sometimes with my lotion. It just gives a beautiful glow.

And a tip: for a bit of an understated highlight put it on your skin first and then apply your base on top of it. That's how I've been wearing it with my tinted moisturizer. I have oily skin so doing the opposite can sometimes be a bit much.

Lips:

For the lips, I've acquired a few new goodies :)

First, Ive been absolutely loving any sheer tinted balms. The Skinnygirl Tinted Lip Balm in Bright Red has been a favorite this past month. Don't let the shade of the balm scare you--it is very sheer. It gives that nice just-been-kissed kind of red lip. Very understated, very moisturizing, and very chic. And best of all? I got it for $2 at Five Below.

Next up is the Jemma Kidd Red Carpet Lip/Cheek Stain and Gloss in Dress Up. It retails for $18, but I got it on clearance for $4 at Target. I'm loving it! It's a purply pink shade that I've been using mostly on my lips. The gloss on the other side is clear and not sticky at all. They pair beautifully and last very well! They have a red shade as well called Glam Up, but they didn't have it on clearance and I didn't want to pay full price.

My only complaint about the stain is the applicator. The stain side has a roller ball and it makes getting a precise application tricky. It can also look patchy if you go over one area too many times trying to get right up the the edge of the lip. I wish it was just another doe foot like the gloss side. My solution has been to use a lip brush or to put it on with a roller ball and then quickly pat it with my finger to blend it out. 

My go to gloss on days I didn't feel like making much effort has been the Victorias Secret Beauty Rush gloss in Melongrageous. It looks pink in the tube it applies clear. This stuff smells DELICIOUS!!! My roommate introduced me to this and I've been in love ever since. I can't even explain it--very sweet and fruity. My favorite scented gloss. Using it always puts me in a better mood. It's a bit stickier than I like, but it lasts well so I can't really complain. 

Finally, I've got the Korres Lip Butter in Pomegranate. It's a nice peachy pink lip balm that is multitasking. I use it as a lip balm, a sheer lipstick, and in a pinch as a blush. I love it. It leaves my lips feeling very soft and it the color is so pretty--what's not to like? Well, actually one thing: it's in a pot. I've been such a germaphobe lately and have detested sticking my finger into the pot. I don't know if you can tell, but I've been using a lip brush to apply it (though I used my finger to do the swatch :/ ).

Top to bottom: Korres Lip Butter in Pomegranate, Victorias Secret Beauty Rush Lip Gloss in Melongrageous, Jemma Kidd Red Carpet Lip/Cheek Stain in Dress Up, and Skinnygirl Tinted Lip Balm in Bright Red.

And here's how well the Jemma Kidd stain lasts--this picture was taken after about a minute of rubbing with a makeup removing wipe! Pretty good I'd say :)

I hope you enjoyed this post! What have you been relying on this past month? Let me know in comments!

xoxo
Natalie

{Review} Korres Pomegranate Lip Butter

Hey there! This is a review for another one of those products that I've had forever but never got around to reviewing. I know that the Korres Lip Butters are some of the most popular products from the brand and I purchased the Pomegranate one a while back. I used to never wear stuff on my lips (outside of clear balms) because to me it was just such a hassle to have to reapply so often. The past couple of years I've been experimenting with lip products because I wear contacts and it feels better to go easier on the eyes and heavier on the lips. These butters are a nice alternative to lipsticks because they give some color to the lips, but also look more natural and leave the lips feeling soft and moisturized.

I got the shade Pomegranate. It looks like a nice midtoned pink in the jar, but it applies more like a sheer pinky red.

As you can see in the swatch, the texture of these balms is very nice. It applies with a glossy finish, and the shade is sheer. Honestly, if I could go back in time I would have picked another shade. This one is so close to my natural lip color that it really doesn't look like I'm wearing much at all. I would have gone with a deeper shade or the baby pink one. For some reason Pomegranate looks odd on me.

The formula of this balm, however, is phenomenal. It's thinner than The Body Shops lip butters, which surprised me, but it's just as moisturizing. These feel very nice on the lips--never too heavy or greasy. The pigemntation is great too--not too much, but also not too sheer. Other tinted balms, like the Burt's Bees ones then to be so pigmented that they are more like lipsticks in my opinion. The Korres ones are perfectly in between. They don't wear too long, but they do leave some color on the lips after the balm has sunken in. Another thing I like is how they smell--kinda fruity. For the price you really can't go wrong with this balm. Give it a try the next time you're on the hunt for a new lip balm! And these are also a great choice if you are trying to go more natural!


Info:

Price: $12

Ingredients: Polybutene, Trimethylolpropane Triisostearate, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Polyethylene, Hydroxystearic Acid, Stearalkonium Hectorite, Propylene Carbonate, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Sucrose Tetrastearate Triacetate, Dicalcium Phosphate, Tocopherol, Flavor (Aroma), Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Wax, Punica Granatum Extract, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter Extract. May Contain: Titanium Dioxide, Red 7 Lake, Red 6, Iron Oxides.

Review: Korres Eyeshadow in Silver

I got this eyeshadow primarily because it was on sale for $7 at Sephora. Not that Korres products are that expensive (compared with other high end brands), but other than their lip butters I hadn't tried any of their products and was a bit disappointed by some of the color choices. They just seemed so ordinary compared to other brands like Nars or Urban Decay. But when I saw this baby on sale I had to get it cause I don't own any shade of eyeshadow even remotely close to this one! I'm really really glad I got it!


The shade I got it in is silver, but it is a greenish silver, almost like a very light seafoam color. I ind that if you want a little bit of color during the day this shade works very well.

The actual shadow:

As you can see, I've already tested mine out a couple of times. I love the formula of this shadow. It's very smooth and velvety. I don't even have to rub my brush across to pick up a good amount of product. I just press my brush down and am ready to go. A little goes a very long way. Even though the packaging seems kind of small, you get a good amount of product inside. I actually really like how compact the container is.

And a swatch:

It looks a bit more green in real life, but just as shimmery. Fair warning: if you don't like shimmer you won't like this eyeshadow. It is uber shimmery. Except for my Jemma Kidd eyeshadow in Vintage, it's just about the shimmeriest I own. I like shimmer, though, so it's not a problem. I've been wearing this shadow with a blue liner from CoverGirl and the effect is gorgeous. It makes my eyes seem sooooo blue it's amazing. I would highly recommend this to anyone with blue or grey eyes. The green tones really go well with my blue eyes. The staying power is about the same as other eyeshadows even though they claim to be long wearing, so wear a primer. Other than that, the only negative I can say about this eyeshadow is that I don't like how the container doesn't have a mirror. I know, it's tiny to begin with, but it actually does come in handy in a hurry. I've got other singles that come with a mirror, like the ones from YSL or Nars. I think what bothers me is that it doesn't have a clear top. I opened it and kind of expected that it'd have a small mirror just because it didn't have the clear top, and then was disappointed when it didn't. It's not that big a deal though. It is an awesome shadow! I also like how Korres is an eco-conscious brand. They shy away from harmful, unnatural ingredients, which is an added plus for anyone looking for more eco-friendly makeup. I don't know if Sephora's still got these cause I didn't see them on the website, but on the Korres website they are also on sale for $7.

Info:

Price: $16 (I got it on sale at Sephora for $7.)

Ingredients: Ingredients for shades 12, 18, 22, 24, 34, 42, 44, 46, 54, 74, 64, & 82: Talc, Nylon-12, Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate, Isononyl Isononanoate, Dimethicone, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, PTFE, Zinc Stearate, Synthetic Beeswax, Zeolite, Sorbic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Zea Mays (Corn) Oil, Hexylene Glycol, Centella Asiatica Extract, Aesculus Hippocastanum (Horse Chestnut) Seed Extract, [+/- (may contain) Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides, Manganese Violet, Ultramarines, Ferric Ferrocyanide, Bismuth Oxychloride, Carmine, Chromium Oxide Greens, Chromium Hydroxide Green, Blue 1 Lake, Yellow 5 Lake]. Ingredients for shades 10, 27, 51, 77, & 84: Talc, Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate, Zinc Stearate, Gluconolactone, Sodium Benzoate, Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Oil, Sunflower Seed Oil Glycerides, Calcium Gluconate, [+/- (May Contain) Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides, Manganese Violet, Ultramarines, Ferric Ammonium Ferrocyanide, Ferric Ferrocyanide, Carmine, Chromium Oxide Greens, Chromium Hydroxide Green, Yellow 5 Lake, Blue 1 Lake].

Disclosure: The product featured in this post was bought by me for the purpose of my personal use. If you have any further questions about disclosure, don't hesitate to ask in the comments.