March 2017 ipsy Glam Bag

March 17, 2017March 17, 20172 Comments

Finally! My March ipsy glam bag has arrived and I am absolutely LOVING what’s inside. Let’s backtrack for a second. I’ve written about ipsy glam bags before – when I first subscribed to them. Well, I’m quite the skeptic so the fact that I’ve continued my subscription this long is amazing!

When I learned that the March theme seemed to be more along the neutral side, I was excited. While I love to play with crazy colors, my day-to-day look is pretty neutral and muted. Let’s dive right in to what I received today.

First off, the card that came with this ipsy glam bag is super cute. The front says “you are beautiful” while the back of the card says “Pretty is as pretty does. Share this card with someone who could use a little love.” Oh how I love ipsy.

Starting from left to right, I received the City Color Photo Chic Dark Spot Correct, a mini tartiest lip paint in the color ‘delish’ (a deep brown rust color, swatched below), dls (dirty little secret) blush in the color kitty pink (a very muted baby pink), Milk-to-Foam Coconut Milk pure mild cleanser, and last but not least, an Elizabeth Mott blending brush.

Here is the blush and lip paint swatched:

As you can see, the blush is a really muted baby pink. I might be a little too dark for it to show up properly, but it’s worth giving a try.

The reason why I’ve been an avid ipsy subscriber for almost a year is because it allows me the luxury of testing products before purchasing the full size. Upon signing up, you’ll fill out a personal makeup style survey and tell ipsy which brands you’d like to try. Then for $11 per month, you get a cute little makeup bag (that you get to keep!) and customized samples based on your survey.

I cannot say enough great things about ipsy! Click here to give them a try.

Do you already receive ipsy glam bags? I’d love to know what you received in yours this month!

xoxo,

Leigh

Review: Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliner

April 21, 2016Leave a comment

When it comes to eye makeup that eyeliner on your eyelid makes the rest of your look pop; apply a little mascara and you’re set. For me, applying eyeliner on my lid is a hassle. I used to use the same pencil on my waterline on my lid and it looked faded and grey (I was using a black pencil). Then I switched to liquid eyeliner, and while I used MAC’s Liquidlast Liner, it was still difficult for me to apply, even with the tiny brush at the end.

Then Veronica recommended I try Smashbox’s Limitless Liquid Eyeliner pen and that worked better than the liquidlast liner. However, I was still having trouble. One eye would have thicker eyeliner than the other or I’d mess up one eye and have to start over again.

Screen Shot 2016-04-21 at 12.47.09 PM copy Since I want to practice my cat eyeliner technique, I wanted to use a product that was really forgiving. After watching countless reviews on YouTube, the common denominator amongst most of them was the Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner. So I headed to Sephora.com and placed my order for the gel eyeliner and the appropriate brush to apply it with.

I have to say, I am really digging how this eyeliner looks. It is highly pigmented (a little goes a long way) and with the brush, I feel like I have way more control over the application than I did with the Smashbox liner. I haven’t tried the cat eye yet, but I will be this weekend, for sure. The wonderful thing about gel eyeliner is that if you mess up, a damp q-tip goes fixes the mistake. I haven’t had to remove my eye makeup and redo everything to get that perfect shape. Tip: if you’re new to gel eyeliner, create a line of dots close to your lash line and connect them for that flawless look. If you mess up, that’s okay. Just “erase” with a q-tip.

Here’s a photo my look today. If you like my video, be sure to follow me on Snapchat (leighleigh915) to see the video of this look and more makeup (and every day life) stuff.

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My look today:

Foundation: Too Faced Born this Way in warm nude.

Concealer: it Cosmetics Bye Bye Undereye

Eyes:

• Urban Decay 24/7 black eyeliner pencil (on waterline)

• Bobbi Brown gel eyeliner in black ink on lid

• No eyeshadow

• Benefit They’re Real mascara

Lips:

• Too Faced Perfect Lips Liner in pink/neutral pink

• Too Faced La Matte lipstick in Sorry, Not Sorry

Do you have a favorite gel eyeliner? I’d love to know which brand you use. Comment below.

xoxo,

Leigh

Beauty Haul from Ulta

March 24, 2016March 24, 20161 Comment

It’s that time of year again. Going through my current makeup caboodle and seeing what’s old enough to toss and what I should keep. After doing just that, I realized that I need to stock up on a few things. So, I told my wonderful husband and he agreed to pay for my next beauty haul, because he’s just that amazing.

Lately, I have been obsessed with Too Faced products (specifically their Born This Way foundation) and instead of purchasing online, I googled to see which beauty store, Sephora or Ulta, had the most of their products. While it was about even, I ended up going to Ulta to purchase my latest beauty products.

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From left to right:

it Cosmetics Cheek Blush Brush. The MAC blush brush that I was using was about 10 years old, so it was definitely time for a new one.
it Cosmetics Concealer Brush. When I don’t have my beauty blender (or sponge) handy, this concealer brush will suffice.
Too Faced Primed, Powerless, Pure (oil free). I always love a good primer and since I moisturize my face prior to putting on my primer, I needed one that’s oil free. Also, it’s good for sensitive skin, which I have, as well. I haven’t used this one yet, but I’m excited to.
Too Faced Born This Way Foundation in Warm Nude. Need I say more? I love this foundation. It goes on light and still gives full coverage.
Too Faced Natural Eyes eyeshadow palette. I’m really excited to try this palette. While I do have more drastic eyeshadows at home, I do love an au natural palette to play with.
Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge. Ulta doesn’t carry the Beauty Blender, but this does the same thing. This morning, I put on my foundation flawlessly. The pointed tip allows for easy coverage on those hard-to-cover creases near your nose and laugh lines. Once I applied my concealer, I again used the complexion sponge to mix everything together and it works wonderfully. Easy to clean, too.
Too Faced LA Matte Lipstick in Bachelorette. My normal lip routine consists of a non-matte lipstick, followed by a gloss of a similar color, so when Too Faced announced this matte lipstick, I had to give it a try. I bought my first color in bachelorette, which is a subtle watermelon pink, perfect for spring. So far, I have no complaints (I’m wearing it today) and it seems to be keeping my lips hydrated which is always a plus in my book.
it Cosmetics Eyelift in a Tube (concealer and brightener in light/medium). I normally go for the bareMinerals powder concealer, but I decided to give this a try since I use a liquid foundation. Today was my first day using it and I have to say I love it! The coverage is great and it really eliminates the under eye puffiness that comes from lack of sleep or stress. I haven’t tried the brightener, but I’m excited to put that near my eyes, forehead, nose and chin to really give my face a little extra highlight.

Okay, I do have to say that I’m obsessed with Too Faced’s packaging… Am I right?

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What are your favorite products to get at Sephora or Ulta? Have you tried these yet? Let me know in the comments.

xoxo,

Leigh

Ipsy Glam Bag

March 8, 2016Leave a comment

courtesy of ipsy.com

I am always in search of new makeup, especially eyeshadows, lipsticks and glosses, blushes, mascara and the occasional liquid eyeliner. Being the Virgo that I am, I do extensive research before forking over a substantial amount of cash for a new makeup product by a top notch cosmetic line. If I had it my way, every product would be available in sample form and I could try things out and see if they work for me.

That being said, last Friday night, an old colleague of mine from my retail branch banking days told me about the San Mateo-based company, Ipsy. I had never heard of Ipsy, but she said that it’s similar to Birchbox, and you get to keep these cute little makeup bags along with your samples, for only $11 per month ($10 for the samples/bag and $1 for tax). Before even paying for your first glam bag, you go through a whole questionnaire about your skin tone, eye color and complexion, along with what brands you like and products you may use and other important makeup and beauty questions.

courtesy of ipsy.com

I’ve looked through past glam bags and they’re all fabulous. Each bag is catered to your specific profile, so no one bag is the same. I haven’t received my first bag yet, but I will be sure to review the products once I get it (should be around mid-April). You can earn points to redeem more products and enter giveaways, as well.

You can learn more about Ipsy and sign up here.

Do you subscribe to a different glam box? Let me know in the comments.

xoxo,

Leigh

M•A•C Select Rewards Program

February 4, 2016February 4, 2016Leave a comment

Courtesy of MAC Cosmetics

I have been using and wearing makeup since I was 12. My go-to at the time? The Wet ‘n’ Wild collection from my local Rite Aid. Once I turned 16, I got a job, and while I didn’t have any bills to pay, all the money I earned went straight impulse buys. That’s when I really started experimenting with pigments, shadows and blushes with none other than M∙A∙C Cosmetics.

For a long time their “rewards” program was exchanging six empty bottles (foundation, primer, eyeshadows, lip glosses, etc.) for a new lipstick of your choice. So when I was perusing the beauty section of PopSugar yesterday and came upon the M∙A∙C Select Rewards Program, my eyes lit up. A lot of beauty stores provide a rewards service already (think Sephora or Ulta), so it’s nice to see a cosmetic line that isn’t necessarily carried in those beauty stores providing a rewards program for their loyal clientele.

Here are the basics:

There are three tiers: Seduced, Devoted, Obsessed and each provide a certain amount of perks. You start out in the seduced category and the more you spend with M∙A∙C, the quicker you climb up to the obsessed status.

Perks:

Seduced

Exclusive limited-edition products
Annual gift just for M∙A∙C Seduced members
Back-to-M∙A∙C tracker Expanded
Convenient Back-to-M∙A∙C tracker
Product samples at checkout
Complimentary standard shipping

Devoted (spend $150 [on qualifying purchases] to become Devoted)

Exclusive limited-edition products
Exclusive anniversary gift for Devoted members
Early access on selected collections
Enhanced product samples online
Back-to-M∙A∙C expanded
Convenient Back-to-M∙A∙C tracker
Complimentary express makeup application
Complimentary 2-Day shipping (with $50 purchase)

Obsessed (spend $500 [on qualifying purchases] to become Obsessed)

Exclusive limited-edition products
Deluxe anniversary gift for Obsessed members
Be the first to shop selected collections
Enhanced product samples online
Complimentary 2-Day shipping (with $50 purchase)
Access new products before anyone else
Back-to-M∙A∙C expanded
Convenient Back-to-M∙A∙C tracker
Two complimentary makeup applications

I can’t wait to replenish and add more M∙A∙C eyeshadow palettes, glosses and blushes to my collection to reap these benefits.

Will you be signing up for the select rewards program?

xoxo,

Leigh

Winter Skin and Makeup Routine

January 5, 2016January 5, 20169 Comments

I hope you all had a fabulous New Year. It has been pretty chilly here in the North Bay the last few weeks and it just keeps getting colder. With all this cold weather and rain, I’ve noticed my skin getting dry and rough. That being said, prior to heading up to Oregon for Christmas (which is about 18-20 degrees during the day and night) I purchased some things to help keep my skin hydrated and my face looking [almost] flawless.

I mentioned this product in my holiday gift guide and I just can’t say enough good things about it. Renewed Hope in a Jar by Philosophy ($16–$47) has done wonders to my dry skin. I usually apply after washing my face or jumping out of the shower and let the cream hydrate my skin. I apply twice per day.

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After applying my moisturizer (and letting it absorb into my skin and dry completely) I spray my face with Urban Decay’s B6 Complexion Prep Spray ($33). This product has worked wonders on my skin since purchase. Before applying my foundation primer, I spray this all over my face and it minimizes pores, absorbs excess oils and reduces redness. I don’t know how I ever lived without it.

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Once the complexion spray dries, I follow my usual routine of applying primer (I use the Urban Decay Pore Perfecting Primer) then foundation. Prior to Oregon I switched my foundation. I was using the bareMinerals BareSkin foundation and was finding, even after my moisturizing routine, my skin would look cakey and too powdery. After watching numerous makeup videos on YouTube (my go to: NikkieTutorials), I thought I would try Too Faced Born This Way foundation in warm nude (I have a golden undertone to my skin). It has rave reviews on Ulta and Sephora (and its own website, too) and provides medium-full coverage that looks so natural.

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I have to say that I am in love with this foundation and will never go back. Either apply with a beauty blender or your foundation brush.

Finishing off my makeup routine is the usual eyeliner, eyeshadow (if I feel like it) and a rose colored blush. Powder is an “if I feel like it” kind of thing, but it does set the foundation in place if you use a little bit.

Side note: If you’re looking for a hand cream that won’t leave your hands feeling oily, then check out Soap & Glory’s Hand Food (found at Ulta or online in regular or travel sizes).

That’s my winter skin and makeup routine. What’s yours?

xoxo,

Leigh

Star Wars: CoverGirl Makeup Collection

December 14, 201512 Comments

It’s almost here…the premiere of Star Wars: The Force Awakens (opening in theaters this Thursday). Leigh and I both share a mutual love of the movies, and decided to pay homage this week by transforming the look of our blog and writing about all things Star Wars! First up, I’m talking about Star Wars inspired makeup.

CoverGirl recently released a limited-edition collection of makeup inspired by Star Wars. The collection includes 6 lipsticks, 3 nail polishes, and 2 mascaras (waterproof and regular in Very Black). The lipstick shades are a little out there for my personal taste, but I could see myself wearing the Nude 70 (last one, below) and maybe the Red 30 (3rd one, below).

All three nail polish shades are very wearable and perfect for this time of year in the colors (left to right): Speed of Light 200, Red Revenge 180, and Nemesis 195.

For a little inspiration, Iconic makeup artist and CoverGirl Global Creative Design Director Pat McGrath has created seven intergalactic beauty looks to go with the collection. See all of the looks and the face maps explaining the colors and techniques used for each below. I love the soft neutral palette for the Jedi look – definitely the most wearable of the bunch. But a less theatrical take on the “Droid” or the “Chrome Captain” looks could be fun for New Year’s Eve!