Tag: too faced

Review: Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliner

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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 copySince 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

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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:

  1. 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.
  2. it Cosmetics Concealer Brush. When I don’t have my beauty blender (or sponge) handy, this concealer brush will suffice.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 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

Simple Makeup

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During the winter months it’s hard for me to get up early enough to apply full makeup. By full make up I mean adding the glittery eyeshadow and a great lip color. My skin needs constant hydration and applying full makeup every day then taking it off with makeup remover each night dries out my skin. My solution is a simple winter makeup routine. Here’s my routine:

Night before:

I am obsessed with the Butter Drench Restorative Rich Cream by bareMinerals. After a shower or washing my face I apply this generously on my face and neck before bed and let it sink into my pores while sleeping. I wake up without dry skin. I can’t forget to mention that it smells wonderful.

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Morning:

While I moisturize with a butter/oil based moisturizer, I tend to wash with an oil-free face wash because my face will remain oily otherwise. I use Clean & Clear Morning Burst facial cleanser. It really does wake my skin up. Here are my next steps for my simple makeup routine:

  1. Urban Decay’s B6 Vitamin-Infused Complexion Prep Spray
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  2. Urban Decay’s Pore Perfecting Primer
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  3. Too Faced Born This Way foundation in warm nude
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  4. Urban Decay 24/7 Black Velvet eyeliner
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  5. Benefit’s They’re Real mascara
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And there you have it. My simple makeup routine! It takes me about 10 minutes to apply which is great when I’m running late in the morning.

Did I miss one of your favorite products? Let me know!

xoxo,

Leigh

Winter Skin and Makeup Routine

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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