makeup in minutes

Anybody else feeling the effects of Daylight Saving Time? Now that it's completely dark outside when I wake up, my body's instant reaction is snooze... snooze.. snooze. Maybe I'll become a morning person one of these days. But that day is not today. Because of my limited time, I'm depending a lot on fast makeup application. If I'm running crazy late, I reach for products I can apply very quickly or take with me if absolutely necessary. I'd say I don't spend more than 5 minutes when I use just these products...

Smashbox BB Cream
This is a matte finish BB cream that I can trust to keep my skin oil-free all day. More on it here. I apply this with a disposable makeup sponge for quick application. 

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Dark Spot Concealer
Since BB cream doesn't completely cover the issues my skin is having as of this week, this concealer does the trick to conceal any blemishes. I love that all I have to do is twist the cap, dab a little on each spot, and blend it in with my sponge. I am blessed to not have dark circles, but if I did, I would easily double up and use this as my under eye concealer as well. 

Rimmel Stay Matte Powder
This takes me just a few seconds to set my BB cream and concealer to lock it in place all day long. 

MAC Mineralize Skin Finish in Medium Dark
I'm quite pale right now and this gives my face some color. If I was a little more tan, I would most likely skip this step. 

ELF Blush in Pink Passion
The bright pink blush looks intimidating in the package, but a light application of this is a perfect flush of pink to perk up my face. 

Maybelline MasterDrama Eyeliner
I usually only apply eyeliner if I skip eye shadow. Lasts all day and it's a retractable eyeliner that doesn't require sharpening. 

Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze
I've raved about this product before. Just swipe a little of this using my ring finger on to my eye lids and it looks likes I actually spent time to do my makeup. 

Maybelline The Falsies Flared Mascara
I like using this mascara on days when I'm in a rush because it dries so fast. It's also the one that I can use on both my top and bottom lashes without the fear of it ever smudging throughout the day. 

If I had to shorten it down even more, I would just use BB Cream, concealer, blush, and mascara. Sometimes I like the challenge of seeing how fast I can apply my makeup. If only I was more into challenging myself to see how fast I could run... 

What makeup products do you depend on for quick makeup? 

xo, Mal

October Favorites

Happy Halloween! 

During October I really didn't venture out of my normal, routine makeup. I started using some new stuff toward the end of the month, but haven't used it enough to include it as a "favorite." So, maybe November will feature some more things. 

But for now, here's what I've loved throughout October! 

Wet n Wild - Ebony Hates Chris

This is my first Wet n Wild fast dry polish and it's my favorite of these favorites! 

If you're looking for a GOOD black polish that applies perfectly opaque in just one coat... this is it! The thing I hate about most black polishes, and polishes in general, is when the brush has so much polish on it when you first apply, and then it starts to run all over the sides of your fingers. This one does not do that. It only applies where you put the brush. Did I mention this is only $1.99... yeah. Get you some of that! 

Essie- Power Clutch

On the the topic of nail polish, I purchased this Essie one at my local TJ Maxx for $3.99. I had actually been wanting Power Clutch, and when I browsed through the beauty section, I came across a whole shelf of Essie polishes. So check out your TJ Maxx or Marshall's for Essie polish.. you might find some!

This is a dark gray polish with a small hint of dark green (depending on the light). This one is also perfectly opaque in just one coat. 

NYX Blush in Pinched

This is an oldie but a goodie. I L.O.V.E this blush and it's been my go-to all month long. Pinched is a peachy pink with some golden shimmer in it. All of NYX's blushes are great. So if you're in an Ulta soon, check them out! 

Maybelline The Falsies (flared) Mascara

 I'm normally a "stay don't, don't stray" kind of girl when it comes to mascara. Most will disappoint me because they don't live up to my L'oreal Voluminous Carbon Black. On the recommendation of my friend Erin, I decided to check this one out. And I really do like it! Does it beat my L'oreal mascara? No, but it is definitely a favorite now! What I like about this mascara better than my L'oreal is that I can wear this on my lower lashes too, and it won't smudge. I usually wear a waterproof mascara on my lower lashes when I wear the L'oreal. So if you're looking for a great mascara that doesn't smudge, I definitely recommend this one! 

Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bold Gold

It's no secret that I love the color tattoos. Here's a more in-depth review of that. But basically this has been my most-used color for all over my eye lid. I like using it with the Maybelline Olive Martini Quad. The dark brown shade in that quad is the perfect crease color with this color. The combination of the two feels like Fall! 

I'm sorry this was a short favorites! 

I'm working on some new posts for November that include my favorite brushes, how I take care of my brushes, and much more! So, stay tuned. :)

What have you been loving this month? 

Can you believe tomorrow is November?!

august 2012 favorites

Another month down, another favorites post.
This month I re-discovered some old favorites and fell in love with some recent finds.
Here are my standout products for August 2012...

Skin 

Simple Hydrating Moisturizer

The Simple brand is new to the US this year, but has been very popular in the UK for quite some time. I’ve been looking for a daytime moisturizer that is very light since I have oily skin. I use just a little bit daily, and I think my skin has loved it. No breakouts so far!

Hair

Aveda Volumizing Tonic

An oldie but a goodie. I’m a loyal fan of Aveda products, but have been keeping this buried in the back. Started re-using it and I am now on a mission to finish this. I spray my roots with this when my hair is wet, put it in a pony while I do my makeup, and then blow dry. Instant volume and it smells amazing.

Nail polish

Orly - Rage

You can read my recent blog post here about why I love this polish.
Great polish for the fall!

Urban Outfitters - After Hours

I bought this glitter polish because it reminded me of OPI Teenage Dream from the Katy Perry collection. Except this one looked like it had finer glitter that would be easy to work with. Loved the way this applied and it stayed on for over a week as an accent nail.
Makes me want to try more UO polishes.

Essie - Lady Like

Such a classic. When I bought After Hours by UO, I had no clue what I would try pairing it with first. As soon as I saw this one in my drawer, it was a no-brainer.
I feel like these two polishes were made for each other.
To see how I wore Lady Like and After Hours together—here is my Instagram photo.

Tools

Real Techniques Brushes: Buffing and Shader

Bought these brushes recently at Ulta. I like using the buffing brush for contouring with bronzer; and the shader brush is perfect for applying eye shadow. I have a hard time finding the perfect eye shadow brushes because my eyes are small, and most shader brushes are too big for me. This one is perfect.

Tarte Eyelash Curler

My trusty Revlon eyelash curler finally got kicked to the curb. I needed to upgrade to something that was gentler and had better grip. This one by Tarte does not disappoint. And it came with a sample size of my favorite Lights, Camera, Lashes mascara. That may have swayed my decision just a little bit.

Makeup

Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bold Gold and Bad to the Bronze
Don’t want to beat a dead horse since I just blogged about these. But holy moly—these are seriously amazing. Bad to the Bronze has been with me since these first came out, but of course I had to pull it out after buying some new colors. I’ve been wearing Bold Gold literally every day. I went tailgating in 100 degree weather, went to the LSU football game, and went out afterward with friends-- and this did not budge at all by the end of the night. I highly recommend that you check these out if you haven’t already!

Wet N Wild Blush in Pearlescent Pink

Wet n Wild does a lot of things right that many people still don’t know about. Nail polish, eyeshadow-- and definitely blush. Their blushes are SO pigmented and they last all day. This one is a gorgeous pink with a slight golden shimmer.
These retail for $2.99—a freaking steal.

Fresh Sugar Lip Balm
Got this as the Sephora birthday gift. Good thing it was free because I would not spend $22 on a lip balm. But this is so moisturizing and I can totally see why the price tag is so high. It feels like butter on your lips and it is one of the best lip balms I have ever used.

Have you been reaching for any of these same products?

What else have you been loving lately?