May 2014 Beauty Favorites!

Hi everyone,

Today's post is all about the beauty items I most favored during the month of May. I have a disgusting obsession with makeup and I'm always looking for new products to try. Now while there are some items in my collection that have and will always be staples, I feel life is too short to not try new things. Do you like my "fake deepness" there? Lol. Kidding. Now, let's get on to the stars of the show.

First up: Face products

Rimmel Stay Matte Primer & Tarte 12 Hour Full Coverage Foundation in Tan-Deep Sand.

The Rimmel primer is an oil free, thicker lotion type primer. It doesn't have the silicone feel that majority of primers contain. It keeps me oil free for about 4 hours (and then my oils start to peak through just a little). I'll blot once and then I'm good to go for the rest of the day. This primer fills in pores and provides a nice smooth canvas to which you can apply makeup.

Tarte's 12 Hour Full Coverage Foundation is a cross of a mousse and liquid, which combines to have a nice whipped consistency even though it is a thicker foundation. I like applying it with a sponge or a less dense flat top brush for an airbrush like finish. I have combination oily skin and this foundation doesn't feel too heavy nor does it leave my skin feeling greasy. It drys to a nice semi matte finish, which is perfect for that "skin" like look. I don't know about 12 hour wear but I easily get 9 hours out of this foundation. And as far as it being full coverage, I would say that it is medium to full and definitely build-able. This foundation will probably work best for those with normal-oily skin.

Now on to the eyes:

Pacifica Mineral Eyeshadow Duo #1 (Celestial & Opal), NYX Infinite Eyeshadow Stick in Rose Gold, Urban Decay Naked 3 palette

I received this Pacifica Mineral e/s Duo in my May Ipsy bag. Celestial is a beautiful duo-chrome cream with rose gold undertones. Opal is a nice neutral light gold perfect for all over the lid or in the crease for just a bit of definition. I see myself grabbing this duo a lot this summer.

NYX Infinite Shadowsticks are a newer product from this high quality inexpensive brand. I picked up the color Rose Gold because I tend to have more red undertones in the summer. It is a true rose gold and there is no glitter in this product, just strictly sheen. These aren't as creamy as the jumbo pencils which I think helps keep it from creasing. (I still use an eye primer because I have oily, hooded lids.) These will be great as liners, all over the lid colors or bases to make like shadows pop. Oh and make sure to quickly blend these out right after you apply them as they will set quickly and not budge.

Urban Decay released it's 3rd installment of Naked palettes months ago and I'm one of the last people to pick it up. Haha. I hesitated to purchase this palette when it first came out because of the strong pink undertones everyone discussed. However, I think it will be my go to palette this summer since I pull more red with a tan. 

L-R NYX Rose Gold, Pacifica Celestial & Opal

UD Naked 3 swatches (I'm sure you've seen these 42387 times)

Lastly, lip products (My fav!)

NYX Lip Primer in Deep Nude, Wet N Wild Fergie l/s in Bebot Love, Revlon Colorstay Moisture Stain in Cannes Crush, Wet N Wild Vicious Varnish in Street Queen and Throwing Shade

NYX's Lip Primer in Deep Nude is great for those with lots of fine lines in their lips, like myself. I like to use this under dryer, matte lip colors to provide a smooth canvas for application. We always prime our lids and faces, so why not our lips? 

I love the Wet N Wild lipstick line and I picked up Bebot Love from the Fergie line. This is the darker nude in the Fergie line. On me it is a darker nude with pink undertones. It's a nice "my lips but better color". These are slightly more expensive and more creamy than the Megalast line. The staying power isn't quite as long as the Megalast line but the pigmentation is just the same. I would suggest these if you feel the regular line is too drying.

Normally I run in the opposite direction of ANY Revlon Colorstay Lip Products. I've tried both the Colorstay lipsticks and liquid lipsticks and they are the most drying things EVER. I'm talking powdered doughnut drying. But these new Moisture Stains are AMAZING! Cannes Crush is a cream coral orange. The formula is incredibly smooth and different from many other stains. With this one you don't have to wait until it drys to press your lips together, and you can apply several layers without it getting patchy. Lastly, when the shine wears away you're left with a stain, not a patchy hot mess. They're pretty expensive, IMO, at most drugstores ($9.99) but at my local Target they were $7.49 so I would suggest picking up one since they'll be perfect for summer.

The Wet N Wild Vicious Varnish Lip Stains are very similar in texture to the Revlon Moisture Stain. I picked up Street Queen (a cool pink with purple undertones) and Throwing Shade (a mid-toned purple). Both of these colors are cream finishes with high shine and no stickiness. I just love the names and the pricepoint is such plus when it comes to WnW.

Stila Stay All Day products are definitely some of my favorites. The concealer and foundation are some of my top favorites and I already own a liquid lip color is Beso (a true red). Stila's Stay All Day Liquid Lip Color in Corina is a beautiful Orange with red undertones. Blood oranges are my most favorite lip color EVER! I love the color and mousse texture and the staying power is incredible. You must make sure you exfoliate your lips and moisturize them properly before applying this product or you'll be sooooooooorrrrry.

L-R: Revlon Colorstay Moisture Stain in Cannes Crush, WnW Street Queen, WnW Throwing Shade, WnW Bebot Love, Stila Corina.

What were some of your favorites from May?

XOXO,

Kellee

MAC Haul ft. Glambot.com

Hello Lov-ies!

I have been neglecting my blog for faaaar too long but I've returned with a haul. Who doesn't love a haul? I surely do. Any-who, I was contacted by the website Glambot to review a few items and I've included swatches below. Glambot works with people to resale any high end makeup products that are no longer wanted.  I like to think of it as a third party blog sale. The website carries several high end makeup lines including MAC, Urban Decay, Nars, etc.

 I selected two blushes and four eye-shadows to review. Everything came individually packaged in bubble wrap and the entire package was bubble wrapped as well. Below is an overview of the items I selected.

The blushes I selected were Pinch Me and Plum Du Bois. Pinch Me, a sheertone blush, is part of the permanent line at MAC and is described as a medium dirty rose coral. It is very pigmented to be a "sheertone" blush and it is completely matte. Plum Du Bois, a frost blush, was originally released in 2008 with the Cult of Cherry collection. It is described as brownish plum with hints of gold. This blush is much less pigmented than Pinch Me so it will be great to layer over other blushes or if you want a more natural flush to the cheeks.

 Pinch me (left), Plum Du Bois (right)

The eye-shadows I selected were Rule, Ricepaper, Patina and Satin Taupe. Luckily all of these colors are part of the permanent line at MAC. Rule, a matte shade, is described as a vivid orange. This color is gorgeous as a transition color and could also be used as a blush because it is so highly pigmented. Ricepaper, a frost, is described as a peachy gold with shimmer. I typically shy away from non-matte highlight colors but because Ricepaper has yellow undertones it doesn't look overwhelming on my brow bone. Patina, a frost, is described as a taupe brown with golden pearl. This color isn't discussed much (IMO) and it doesn't look like much in the pot but it is a gorgeous lid/crease color that is perfect all year long. Lastly, Satin Taupe (a frost, surprise surprise) is described as a taupe with silver shimmer. This is a color that will work with any look, any skintone and any season. I think it is a must have in one's collection.

 From left to right: Rule, Ricepaper, Patina, Satin Taupe

Also, Glambot has provided a coupon code for 10% off your purchase. Just use the code www.glambot.com/JUSTKELLEE for an additional saving.

xoxo,

Kellee

Sedona Lace 28 Blush Palette

Blush is hands down my favorite part of my makeup routine. On an everyday basis I don't wear a lot of eye makeup or lip colors but I ALWAYS wear blush. It is the perfect pick me up. I was contacted by Sedona Lace and asked if I would like to review an item from their line. I chose to review the 28 blush palette. 28 blushes? Yes, please! There was a great color range and well as a nice range of textures. This palette even included two highlight shades. Some of the colors can be a tad sheer when applied to the face, but they easily build up for a more intense payoff without looking chalky. I would highly recommend this palette if you're just starting out with makeup or if you're a blush fiend, like myself. Also Sedona Lace was kind enough to include a discount code. Enter Justkellee101 for $4 off your purchase.
Swatches to follow:

 An overview with flash:

 An overview without flash:

Without flash:

With flash:

Without flash:

With flash:

 With flash:

Without flash:

Super cute packaging!

Must Have Brushes

Brushes are often the least talked about in the makeup world, and I feel they may be the most important. Well, second, behind skin care. ^_^ So, I went through my unnecessarily large brush collection and picked my favorites. I have a variety of brands to let you know there are some great options available. Start with the very basics, brushes that are multipurpose, and add on a few honorable mentions I've selected. 

First up, face tools. 

From left to right:

Sonia Kashuk blending sponge: I know it's not a brush but its a must have for liquids and creams. Use it wet, to apply foundation or concealer, for a natural skin look.

Elf powder brush: Perfect if you want more coverage. Gives an airbrushed finish. Plus this brush is only $3!

Mac 130: Another multipurpose brush that is great and applying cream or liquid foundation, concealer, blush or bronzer. Provides lighter coverage that still achieves an airbrushed natural look. 

Real Techniques powder brush: These brushes are the softest ones I own. They never shed and they pick up just enough product so you don't have that cake face look. 

Sonia Kashuk blush brush: This is one of my oldest brushes. Sonia Kashuk is one of the best drugstore brands for brushes. This brush picks up just enough product but can easily build upon it, for more intense color. 

Real Techniques blush brush: I love using this brush for very pigmented blushes/bronzers, so I don't end up looking like a clown. It's very soft and blends powders like a dream.

Honorable mentions:

Sephora Professional #50 brush: This brush is extremely soft and can be used for mineral foundation, powder, blush, and bronzer. Sephora brushes can be pricey but I've had this brush for about 6 years and it has not once shed.

Crown kabuki fan brush: Fan brushes are perfect for highlighting and contouring. They pick up just the right amount of product and diffuse it evenly across the highest points of your face. 

Now lets move on to eyes!

From left to right:

Crown pro blending fluff brush: If you only own one brush, make sure it's a tapered blending crease brush. You could do an entire eye look using this brush. It's sides are flat so you can pack your lids or brow bones. And the fluffy top makes it easy to apply crease colors and blend them out. 

Sonia Kashuk blending brush: The number 1 rule in makeup is blend! You can never have too many blending brushes. They can be used to diffuse color across the lid so you get a light wash, to blend color into the crease and to blend out harsh lines. 

Crown dual ended flat angle and spoolie brush: This brush is a must for brows! Use the flat angle side to fill in your brows and the spoolie end to brush them out. Plus the flat angle side can be used to apply eyeliner. 

Honorable mentions:

Mac 239: This was the first Mac brush I purchased. I love it but everyone makes a good classic flat shader brush, so there are lots of alternatives. This brush is great at packing color. 

Tarte flat synthetic brush: I love using this brush to apply cream bases or concealers. It's also awesome at packing loose eyeshadows, pigments and glitter, when used wet. 

Sonia Kashuk angle eyeliner brush: Angled eyeliner brushes allow you to get closer to your eye without having to twist your arm into a pretzel. 

Sigma pencil brush: Pencil brushes are great for applying color to the inner corners and in the crease/outer v for a more intense look. 

Whew. Sorry for the novel. But thank you so much for reading. And don't forget to follow!

~Kellee

 

 

Face of the Day: Bronze Smokey Eyes

I was playing around with my Naked palette the other day and decided to do a bronze smokey eye. I almost never wear darker colors on my lids during the day so this was something new for me. I like the way it turned out and I think it's still "light" enough for the daytime. If anyone would like to see a tutorial on my youtube channel, then just let me know.

Inner corner: Half Baked, Lid: Smog, Crease: Naked & Buck, Outer corner: Darkhorse

Cheeks: Tarte Park Ave Princess Bronzer, Milani Luminoso

Lips: Covergirl Delish & Revlon Bronze Shimmer Colorburst lipgloss

Top: American Eagle

Earrings: Tobi

Nail of the Day: China Glaze Flip Flop Fantasy

China Glaze's Flip Flop Fantasy is one of my favorite nail colors. It is described as a neon coral pink. This polish dries with a matte finish, so I always make sure finish with my shiniest top coat. If I could wear neon colors on my nails 365 days of the year I would.  I'm about half way finished with the bottle I have, but thankfully this polish has been added to China Glaze's permanent line.

Updated Curly Hair Routine: Finger Coil Method

I don't change up my hair care routine too often. I'm also pretty loyal to my wash and go's. Recently, however, I was getting bored with my routine and so I decided to try something new. Finger coiling is a method of just twisting smaller sections of your hair tightly around itself. This smoothes the hair in one direction, making it less frizzy, more defined and it also stretches the curl out. I also decided to revisit a few products I had mixed reviews on. I co washed using Curls Creamy Cleanser, detangled with Tresemme Natural Moisture Conditioner, moisturized with Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie, styled with Shea Moisture Curling Soufflé & sealed with unrefined virgin coconut oil. Whew. That seems like a mountain of products. I am loving the results I've been getting. Also I've been getting 6 day hair from this method. 6 days! That is unheard of for me. Let me know what are your go to hair care products?