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

if i only had one eye brush

If all of my makeup brushes were gone and I needed to start over, the one brush I would have to pick up ASAP would be the ELF $1.00 Essential Eye Shadow Brush. This brush is made for packing eye shadow onto the eye lid. However, I believe you could do a whole eye look with just this brush if you had to. I have smaller eyes/lids than most, and the average shadow brush is just too big for me.

 There are many mornings when I grab just this brush and use it many different ways.  If you're not using black or super dark browns, all you need to do is wipe off the excess shadow after each shade you apply to get it clean. So, now that I've explained all of that, let's get into all the things I like using this brush for.

I usually start off using it for it's intended purpose by applying my base color all over my lid. The tapered tip of the brush also makes it easy to use to apply color to the crease. Next, I'll just wipe it clean, flip the brush over, and use the clean side to blend the crease shadow to reduce any harsh lines. And lastly, I think this brush is just fine to use to apply a light highlight shade to the brow bone.

Aside from eye looks, I think you could also use this for other areas if you're in a bind and forgot your other face brushes at home, such as contouring the sides of your nose, applying a cheek highlighter, and blending under eye concealer. 

Almost all of your brushes could be used for more than their intended use. I just find this one so great because of the quality for just $1.00. You can find elf at Target, some Walmart stores, and eyeslipsface.com. And hey, if you end  up not liking it as much as me, you only spent a dollar! 

What's your go-to eye brush? 

xo, Mal

february favorites

LORAC PRO Palette 

I'm just in love with this palette. The matte eye shadow options seem endless to me and that's what I love about it. I've reached for it almost every day. See my full review and swatches here! 

L'oreal Telescopic Shocking Extensions Mascara

Holy mascara. L'oreal seems to have done it again for me. Since January I've been on a "try new mascaras kick" and this is the only that really stands out to me. It lengthens, volumizes and separates my lashes like none other. Even better, the formula is completely clump free. This mascara means business and I'm loving it. 

Maybelline Color Whisper in Lust for Blush
I talked about these here, but didn't have this color yet. This color takes the cake for "your lips but better." It's my go-to lipstick for everyday. 

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Concealer + Dark Spot Corrector

Since I love the Instant Age Rewind concealer for dark circles, I knew I had to try the dark spot corrector. It claims to treat the discoloration while you wear it. I have dark spots pretty much all over my cheeks thanks to acne scarring. I think this does at concealing my dark spots and evening everything out. 

NYX Blush in Pinched

I'm a big fan of NYX powder blushes. This one reminds me of NARS Orgasm. Peachy pink with some golden shimmer. It's so pretty an inexpensive. 

Elf Powder Brush

I don't know why I've never bought an ELF face brush before. One of my all-time favorite eye brushes is from ELF (more on that soon).  I guess because it's only $3.00, I would always think "hmmm, 3 dollars probably means hard bristles that could be rough my face." I couldn't have been more wrong. This brush is super soft. It applies and blends my powder, blush, bronzer, whatever I'm in the mood for, perfectly. Really glad I finally spent the whopping $3.00. 

What did you love in February?
xo, Mal

products that didn't work for me

Sometimes it's just as important to hear about products that don't work just as much as the ones that do. These are just my personal opinions and experiences with products that I didn't have any luck with. Maybe if you've had luck with any of these, you can tell me what I'm doing wrong! :)
 

Burt's Bee's Citrus Facial Scrub

I purchased this Citrus Facial Scrub expecting something way different. I was hoping to get a good exfoliation out of this, but absolutely no luck! The product seemed very dry, and not even water helped to get a better consistency. I didn't feel like it cleaned my face at all. I love Burt's Bees, but this did not seem worth the money. 

Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush in Candy Coral 
My biggest issue with this blush is its texture. The blush is neatly packaged. However, after only a few uses, the product gets everywhere. The texture is more like "play-doh" than "bouncy" as it claims to be. Some of the lighter colors in this line, such as Candy Coral, take a lot of effort to get color on your cheeks. 



 If you want just a sheer wash of color, then you might like these blushes. But be prepared to spend a few extra minutes to get some kind of color. To me, there are just way better blush options for even better prices, such as the ones from Wet n Wild or ELF. 

L'oreal HiP Cream Eyeliner
I bought this liner to see if it could replace my MAC Fluid Line in Blacktrack. At first, I really liked this product. But I found over time that it started to smudge easily. The product in the pot also dried out much quicker than the MAC liner. I do like other drugstore gel liners, but this one just did not work. The best gel liner I've found at the drugstore is from Physician's Formula. 

ELF Studio Lip Stain in Fashionista
 I haven't really found an ELF product I don't like... until this one. I think I was drawn to the color more than the fact that it claimed to be a "stain." I applied the pink color to my lips, then waited about two minutes, and then applied the gloss. I think I've come across lip balms that last longer than this. The color settles into any lines or cracks in your lips. (ew!) And it doesn't ever fully dry so it will rub off on anything that hits your lips. Don't expect this one to last longer than your average lipstick! Luckily, this one only set me back about 3 dollars. 

However, I do highly recommend checking out other ELF products such as the blushes, powders, and brushes at your local Target! 

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream
This was one of those I-don't-own-anything-like-this-so-I-feel-like-I-should moments in Ulta. Anyone else have those? Just me? :) This matte lip cream is definitely matte. However, it made me look very sick... or that I was about to die. It just didn't do anything for me. Maybe it was the wrong color. But the texture seems a little off too. And I don't think adding a gloss could have helped it out. I'm just going to stick with my comfort zone of lipsticks and lip balms! I tried :)

Covergirl Lashblast 24 Hour Mascara

I know I'll probably get a few "how can you not love this mascara?" thoughts on this one. I know this is loved by many people. I once tried the original Lashblast and it didn't do any amazing things for me. But, I decided to try the 24 hour just to see if this version would work better for me. Unfortunately there were major smudging problems with this. It also didn't do anything to volumize my lashes. So, unfortunately this one didn't work in round two.
Sorry Lashblast lovers! 

 HealthySexyHair Soy Moisture Shampoo & Conditioner

This was an impulse buy at Ulta. I was in a rush and I needed a new shampoo. They didn't have what I was looking for, so I picked up this HealthySexyHair shampoo/conditioner with Soy, Coconut, and Argain Oil because it was on sale. And I really like this line so I decided to give it a try. Unfortunately, I thought it was pretty terrible. I needed a lot of the shampoo to get a good lather. And the conditioner was very thin and watery. None of the ingredients they highlight on the packaging did more for my hair.  For $20, I definitely expected more. 

The bottles are also made very poorly. Much of the shampoo built up inside and around the cap causing it to run down the sides. I literally had to wash these bottles before taking a photo of them. You shouldn't have to clean your bottles! 
Moral of the story: if you see these on sale at Ulta... look the other way!

Have you had any luck with these products? 

What are some of your unfortunate experiences with makeup or beauty products that you initially thought you'd like? 

favorite bronzers

Now that my summer tan is fading fast, I'm relying on my bronzers to add some color to my pale face and perk it up a little bit. I like using deep bronzers to contour the hollows of my cheeks, and softer shades for all over my face for subtle color. 

NYC Smooth Skin Bronzer in Sunny

This is your basic matte bronzer that I feel could work on any skin tone. I have only ever used this for contouring. I like using this for "day time" looks because it has a more natural finish. It's a very wearable bronzer for everyday. You can find this bronzer for around $2.50 in any drugstore or Target. 

ELF Contouring Bronzing Powder

This is my go-to bronzer when I want a perfectly "Kim K." contoured face.  

If I know I'll be taking more pictures, going to a dark venue, etc. that's when I like using this bronzer. It's a very deep tan color, but still very blendable. I only use this for contouring because it is way too dark on my skin for every day.  The best part about this bronzer is that it's $3.00 AND it comes with a blush.  You can find ELF products at Target or eyeslipsface.com. 

MAC Mineralize SkinFinish Natural in Medium Dark

I really really really like MAC Mineralize Skin Finish. It's the perfect finishing powder that doesn't look "cakey." I wear this every single day to set my foundation. My shade is Medium Dark, but there are 10 shades to choose from which means you can get one that matches your skin tone or one a few shades darker to make it your bronzer and add some subtle color like I do. 

MAC MSF costs $29.00 and is sold at any MAC store and online. 

Tarte Park Ave Princess (matte waterproof)

I feel like there is nothing Tarte can do wrong! This is a matte waterproof bronzer, which is what kind of sets it apart from many other bronzers for me. I don't always need waterpoof during the winter, but it can come in handy during the summer months. This bronzer adds some color  and has a very smooth finish. You can find Tarte online or at Sephora or Ulta. 

Here are some swatches. I apologize for the MAC swatch. It blends in pretty well with my skin so it hardly shows up! You can see the darker shades, especially ELF, are really deep colors compared to the Tarte and MAC options.

What is contouring? 

And, in case you were wondering about what contouring is, it's actually very simple. You should apply bronzer on the hollows of your cheeks, the outline of your forehead, the sides of your nose, and under the chin/neck area. It's all in how the light hits your face "naturally." By contouring, you're making certain parts of your face more defined and making it appear slimmer. Who doesn't love that?

  

What are your favorite bronzers? 

xo

july favorites

Face:

MAC Mineralized Skin Finish (MSF) in Medium Dark

This has completely replaced my Laura Mercier translucent powder for setting my foundation every day. This provides a slight hint of color, which help match my face to the rest of my body since I'm a little more tan now. My favorite brush to use is the Crown Brush C405, perfect for applying this MAC MSF.

ELF Contouring Blush and Bronzing Duo

This is one of my favorite ELF products, but I forget how much I like it until I start using it again. I like this bronzer for the summer because it’s one of my darker ones, that I can only get away with when I have a tan. This duo is a close dupe for the NARS “laguna/orgasm” blush and bronzer duo, except this only retails for $3 at Target.

NARS Orgasm Blush

Speaking of NARS, I only have one their blushes, and it’s their best-seller, Orgasm. One of my favorite summer-time blushes. It looks pretty intense in the pan, but it goes on as a subtle coral-pink with a hint of golden shimmer. I’ve been reaching for it everyday these past few weeks.

The Balm Mary-Lou Manizer Highlight

I definitely don’t use highlighter on my cheekbones everyday, but when I do it’s always this one by The Balm. I got mine for half off on a Hautelook sale. Many times I’m turned off by highlighters because they are too white, or just way too “sparkly.” This one has a natural finish with some shimmer. My favorite brush for applying is the ELF fan brush.

Eyes:

Tease from the Naked 2 Palette

It isn’t often that I prefer a matte eye shadow over one with shimmer. This one, “tease”, is in the Urban Decay Naked 2 palette. I probably wear this on my crease 6 days out of 7. You can apply it lightly for an everyday look, or build up the color for a more dramatic smokey eye. My favorite shadow out of both of the Naked Palettes. I like applying it with the Sigma E25 Blending brush.

Maybelline MasterDrama Eyeliner

I’m usually biased to the Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliner pencil, but decided to give this Maybelline eyeliner in Midnight Master a chance after hearing good reviews. It’s a very opaque midnight black, long-lasting, doesn't need sharpening, and is inexpensive.

Lips:

Tarte Maracuja Oil Lip gloss in Peaceful

I received this gloss in a Tarte set. I put it to the side for a couple of months because I couldn’t figure out, for the life of me, how to get the product to actually come out. After seeing it in a magazine as a favorite, I busted it out and didn’t stop clicking the tube until I  finally saw some product come through the brush. I’m still not sure why it’s so difficult, (I’m sure it’s user error!) but it’s been one of my favorite lip glosses this month nonetheless. It’s not sticky, and is a perfect sheer pink for summer.

Skin:

Clarisonic Mia

I finally got a Clarisonic! (Thanks mom!) And like the rest of the world, I love it! After getting off of Accutane in 2009, my skin has been near-perfect (minus the scars). But recently I’ve noticed more frequent breakouts around my chin. It’s not enough of a problem to go back on Accutane, and quite honestly I would dread doing that. And since topical gels never did anything for me, I’m hoping the Clarisonic can help prevent any breakouts in my problem areas. We’ll see, but so far so good. My favorite gentle face wash to use with it is the Neutrogena Naturals face wash.

What have you been loving in July?