Colorful Makeup : New Video on My Beauty Channel

I just uploaded a fun makeup look on my beauty channel if you're interested.
I've been really into fun, colorful looks lately. They totally take me back to my early days in makeup when I was super passionate about it and never gave a crap if somebody thought my eyeshadow was too dramatic. Haha. Enjoy!

Products Used:
Pacifica Alight Multi Mineral BB Cream
Urban Decay All Nighter Foundation 2.0
Flower Beauty Daily Brightener Concealer DB1
Loreal True Match Powder N2
NYX Tame & Frame Espresso
Anastasia Beverly Hills Clear Brow Gel
Makeup Geek Contour Powder Break Up Cool Porcelain
Honest Beauty Luminizing Powder Dusk Reflection
Flower Beauty Flower Pot Blush Warm Hibiscus
Pony Effect Eye Primer
Jordana 12 Hr Made to Last Pencil Eternal White
Sleek Makeup iDevine Ultra Mattes V1
Loreal La Palette Nude 1
Wet N Wild Single Shadow Creme Brule
Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance Palette
NYX Wonder Pencil Light
Kat Von D Tattoo Liner Trooper
Urban Decay Perversion Mascara
Flower Beauty Miracle Matte Lip Rosewood

Watch the video here!

Love,
Alaina

18 in 2018 : Project Pan : Using Up Makeup I Already Have

If you saw my previous post, you might have seen this one coming too. 

I've created myself a little list of 18 makeup products that I want to use up in this next year. They are items I have forgotten about, products that I've owned way too long, things I use all the time, or stuff I love so much that I try to save them for special occasions. 

The special occasion items are the ones I really need to work on. They are products I cherish so much that I hardly get enough use out of them to make them worth the price tag! They'll go bad before I even get to enjoy the whole thing. And what a waste that is! 

Special Occasion 

MAC Prolongwear Concealer

Collection Concealers

The forgotten items seem to make up a big bulk of my collection these days. When I go to declutter and throw things out, these are ones I just can't seem to get rid of, yet haven't been using enough.

Forgotten Stuff

Kat Von D Lock It Foundation Medium

Benefit Boing Concealer

Kat Von D Setting Spray

Kat Von D Autograph Pencil

Maybelline Master Fix Loose Powder

Loreal True Match Powder

Flower Beauty Stick Foundation

EM Bronze Kiss Eyeliner

Pacifica Alight BB Cream

These are items I love. I want to be able to say I've used it up. I want to be able to say yes, I loved it, and I got my money's worth by using every last bit of it. 

Stuff I Love

UD All Nighter Foundation

CosRx Make Me Lovely Cream 

Pony Effect Eye Primer

Colourpop Cry Baby Eyeliner 

Flower Concealer

Maybelline Concealer 

Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick Lolita 

I hope this inspires you to take a second look at your collections, whether it's makeup or something else. This year I want to focus on using what I have and not buying new stuff. 

Watch the video here for more details.

Thanks for reading.

Love,

Alaina

No Buy 2018 : Buying Zero Makeup

If you follow this blog regularly and have been for years, you just might have read the title of this post and said "wtf?" to yourself. Or you saw this coming. You have seen my makeup reviews dwindle since becoming a mother over a year and a half ago anyway. My priorities have simply changed. In 2017, I believe I spent the least amount of money on makeup that I have since before 2012 when I first started to really build my collection.

I moved my makeup collection/YouTube studio into my bedroom in May 2017. Ever since then, I've been slowly decluttering and purging makeup I don't use. I've been reducing my stash and realizing it's all just stuff. A couple years ago, it broke my heart to throw something out, but I have come to see that there are way too many things in my collection that I literally don't use. Reading and watching stuff on minimalism has had an effect. Not that I plan to be a real minimalist one day, I just find the lifestyle very inspiring and useful for everyday life. Just the whole world view that minimalists have makes me start to see the error in our super-consumerism society.

So how did I get here?

Step 1:
I had been watching Project Pan-ing videos and came across a "makeup no buy year" video that got my interest. The concept seemed impossible when I first opened that video up.
Lauren Mae's 18 in 2018 Project Pan Video
Too Much Tash's Not Buying Makeup for 1 Year Completed Video

(sorry for the sloppy handwriting)

Step 2:
After watching it, I sat down and did some makeup basics inventory. I counted how many concealers, mascaras, powders, etc. I have and I realized, if I ever wanted to completely use these things up, I would need to avoid new makeup at all costs for at least a year. I saw that I had enough of the basics to go an entire year without buying anything new. Even if I wore a full face of makeup every single day, I probably still wouldn't get through all of these items.

Step 3:
Then I wondered how much money I spent in the last year on makeup. My husband and I have been sticking to a very good budget since May 2017. We use an app to track our purchases in different categories, so I had at least eight months of makeup purchases recorded. I added all that up, used it to calculate what I probably spent Jan.-April and discovered that I probably only spent about $200 last year anyway. And I told myself I could totally save that money and use up the stuff I already have in 2018. That $200 both sounded like a big and very small number at the same time. I know there are people who spend that every month and I know there are people who've probably only spent that in their lifetime on makeup. But for me, it's a serious reduction from what I had spent in years prior.

Step 4:
So I figured I would talk about it. I'd put it out there on social media to motivate myself and hold myself accountable.

The whole thing that got me started on this blog was makeup, so it's a little strange to be saying I'm not buying any for a whole year. This blog now covers a variety of topics. It has changed and grown like I have. This is a weird challenge that I'm setting myself up for, but I think it's necessary to challenge ourselves sometimes. I hope you understand.

Thank you for reading!
Love,
Alaina

Flower Beauty Reviews : Lipstick, Blush, Foundation, Brows

I picked up a few new items from Flower Beauty recently. Some of these are old favorites and some are brand new products that I've been dying to try! Enjoy. 

Miracle Matte Liquid Lip Color

Cooling effect

Whipped texture

Opaque

Super lightweight

Long-wearing without looking dry and yucky

No feathering 

Transfer resistant - I wouldn't call them totally transfer-proof because I do get a slight residue on my water bottle, for example

Yet easy to remove - the bold shade does leave a bit of a stain, but overall they aren't a big pain to remove like other liquid lipsticks where you need to pull out an oil to get that color off

Melon Pop, direct window light

Overall, they are awesome, affordable liquid lipsticks. I just wish they had more colors, especially bright, unique shades, maybe some purples? I also feel like their online shades aren't super true to color, I definitely had to look up a swatch video on YouTube in order to figure out which ones I wanted to try.

Rosewood, indoor office lighting

Brow Master Mascara

The shade is a little red-brown for my liking. I prefer a cool toned brown. Opaque, can totally work all on its own. It doesn't really have any hold though, it's pretty much just color. The wand is a little large. 

Probably won't repurchase this one. I really like the NYX Tinted Brow Mascara in Espresso. 

Petal Pout Lip Liner

I have enjoyed these liners in the past and this color in particular is my very favorite natural, deeper, "my lips but better" kind of lip color. However, I feel like these newer liners are more creamy than the formula I first tried from Flower. I actually preferred the older, dry ones. Although the new one glides on the lips like butter, it doesn't help things stay put, which is kind of an important part of a lip liner. Still a pretty color but I swear the formula is different. 

About Face Foundation
I love this as an everyday foundation. It's light coverage and doesn't look intense or cakey. It's very comfortable and doesn't get oily or heavy throughout the day, even with my super oily pregnancy skin. It's just overall a really nice foundation and I'll continue repurchasing it.

The only downside is that it can be frustrating to use with a sponge. Sponges are my favorite method of foundation application, but because this is already such a light formula, it seems to get soaked up into the sponge a lot and it feels like you're wasting product, you end up using a lot more than if you were to apply with your fingers.

Petal Pout Lip Color
I picked up the lightest of the matte shades, Naked Blush. I love a matte lipstick. This is creamy, pigmented, and feels super comfy on the lips. The lid is clear plastic and gave me the first impression that it would be cheapy, but it's actually pretty sturdy and feels a lot nicer than it looks, if that makes sense. And the formula totally makes up for any bad first impressions based on packaging.

Flower Pots Powder Blush
I've been eyeing these blushes for awhile. I mean just look at it, it's adorable! I picked up Warm Hibiscus, a rosey blush with a sheen. Which is totally not what I normally go for. I am usually all about matte blush, I don't want anything to make my skin look oilier than it truly is. But holy crap, I am sooo glad I chose this one. It is so gorgeous.

You don't need to wear any highlighter to get the most perfect sunkissed glow with this baby. It's just beautiful on the skin, I love it. 

I hope you enjoyed this informal review of some new stuff from Flower Beauty. I'm so glad I was able to pick up a few items because it feels like I haven't bought makeup in forever! #momlife 

Thanks for reading!
Love,
Alaina

Makeup of the Day : #glossierpink : Feminine Everyday Pink

I've heard other bloggers and YouTubers mention the brand Glossier before. They're a company that creates beauty products with the idea of enhancing our natural beauty and really putting our skin first. They're putting together a Pinterest board for #glossierpink, which is similar to this year's Pantone Color of the Year. I decided to incorporate this beautiful baby pink color into my makeup. You can see this color on my cheeks, lips, and if you look really close, there's just a hint in my eyeshadow as well. I hope you enjoy this look!

Products Used:

Face Base:
It's Skin Baby Face One Step Base - Green
NYX Full Coverage Concealer - CJ12 Green
Flower Beauty EE Erase Everything Ultimate Foundation - UF2
Revlon ColorStay Combination/Oily Foundation - 180 Sand Beige
Maybelline SuperStay Better Skin Concealer - 10 Ivory
It's Skin Baby Face Pore Powder

Face Color:
Maybelline Master Contour Palette - Light/Medium (Bronzer & Highlight)
Makeup Geek Blush - Head Over Heels

Brows:
Flower Beauty Brow Pencil - Dark Brown
NYX Tinted Brow Mascara - Espresso

Eyes:
ELF Smudge Pot - Pearls of Wisdom
Lorac Pro Eyeshadow Palette - White in inner corner, Nude on lid, Mauve in crease and lower lash line
Maybelline Master Contour Bronzer in outer v
Makeup Geek Blush - Head Over Heels in crease
Kat Von D Tattoo Liner - Trooper on upper lash line
J Cat False Lashes - EL213
Innisfree Skinny Waterproof Microcara Mascara on lower lashes
Revlon Ultimate All in One Mascara on upper lashes

Lips:
Flower Beauty Color Proof Longwear Lip Creme - CP2 I'm Blushing

Thanks so much for reading!
Love,
Alaina

Makeup of the Day : Loving Coral!

I can't stop thinking about this bright, fun, springtime coral color! I wanna wear it everywhere. On my lips, my cheeks, my eyes! I love the winter, don't get me wrong guys, but I'm ready for spring pretty soon here too! :) So here's my makeup of the day. I hope you enjoy.

Face:
Flower Beauty Erase Everything Foundation - 1
Maybelline Dream Velvet Foundation - Warm Porcelain
It's Skin Babyface Pore Powder
Benefit Hoola Bronzer
Benefit Dandelion Blush

Brows:
Flower Beauty Brow Pencil - Dark Brown
NYX Tinted Brow Mascara - Espresso

Eyes:
Wet n Wild Fergie Eye Primer
Sleek Makeup Ultra Mattes V2 Eyeshadow Palette
ColourPop Super Shock Shadow - Animal
Revlon Ultimate All in One Mascara
Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara
Rimmel ScandalEyes Pencil - Nude

Lips:
Jordana Sweet Cream Matte Lipstick - Tiramisu

Thanks for reading!
Love,
Alaina

Makeup of the Day : Bronze Eye & Nude Lips : Monday at Work

I actually woke up at a decent time this morning and was able to do a full face of makeup. I didn't touch my hair, so don't judge. I just had to sacrifice my hair to use more than one eyeshadow on my lids. Haha. I'm sure you know how it goes...

So here's what's on my face today:

Face:
Maybelline Dream Matte Foundation - Warm Porcelain
Maybelline Super Stay Better Skin Concealer - Ivory
It's Skin Babyface Pore Powder
Benefit Hoola Bronzer
Benefit Coralista Blush
Flower Beauty Brow Pencil - Dark Brown
NYX Brow Mascara Gel - Espresso

Eyes:
Maybelline Color Tattoo Crayon - Gold Rush - as an eye base
Loreal La Palette Nude 1 - matte browns for transition & outer v
ColourPop Super Shock Shadow - Game Face - on the lid
Revlon Ultimate All in One Mascara - upper lashes only
Rimmel ScandalEyes Pencil - Nude - waterline

Lips:
Jordana Sweet Cream Matte Liquid Lipstick - Creme Brulee

Since I actually spent time doing my eye makeup, I left the lips very neutral so not to attract too much attention. I am obsessed with the new Jordana Sweet Cream Matte Liquid Lipsticks! I've worn them every day since my lovely husband Justin helped me find them on Friday night. I have a swatch post here if you want to see the other colors available at Walgreens. I'll have a full review up soon enough!

I hope you enjoyed this little post!
Thanks for reading!
Love,
Alaina

Jordana Sweet Cream Matte Liquid Lipsticks Lip Swatches & Pictures

My sweet husband helped me find these lipsticks! He had been on the hunt for a couple days checking the Walgreens stores around his work with no luck. Then finally we stopped by a couple together and finally we found these! I just had to get them all. A full review will come shortly, probably on my YouTube channel, but for now I hope these lip swatches are helpful for you!

Love,
Alaina

Lipsticks of the Week : 2/15-19 : Matte Liquid Lipsticks

As a continuation of the post last week (maybe we can make this a thing?), let me show and tell you guys about the lip products I wore this week. And now we have pictures of the products on my lips too!

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Monday:
Milani Amore Matte Lip Creme - Gorgeous
I thought this looked more like a deep purple/pink fuchsia color in store, but it's actually pretty much a deep red with a berry tinge to it. Still a pretty color, just not what I was expecting. I hate how lighting can do this!

Tuesday:
ColourPop Ultra Matte Lip - Koala
Still keeping with the matte liquid lipstick trend, I wanted to wear something I hadn't worn in awhile (or ever worn to work lol). Not exactly the best work appropriate color, but my job isn't really a very formal situation anyway. I find that this is one of those colors that isn't going to look flattering on everyone. When I wear this with little makeup, it looks crazy, but paired with some concealer and winged liner, it balances out better.

Wednesday:
MeMeBox I'm Lip Crayon - Natasha
This is the first time I wore this lipstick. I got it in the mail from MeMeBox Tuesday night. As soon as I put this color on, it really reminded me of MAC Ruby Woo. I love the finish of it and it still has a little bit of tackiness to it to make it more comfortable on the lips. It does transfer, unlike MAC Ruby Woo which has so very little transfer. I really like this lip color.

Thursday:
MeMeBox I'm Lip Crayon - Greta
This one seems to be a little more dry than yesterday's Natasha, but still a beautiful color and finish. It's a super easy, wearable, everyday color. The only issue is when I opened this guy up the product fell out, it was broken at the base, so now I have to be careful with it.

Friday:
MeMeBox I'm Lip Crayon - Vanessa
The packaging makes this color look like it will have more purple in it, but it's really just a dark red, in my opinion. The dryness level seems to be right in between Natasha and Greta.

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I hope you enjoyed another week of my lipsticks. 

Thanks for reading!

Love,

Alaina

Lipsticks of the Week : Feb. 8-12 : Matte & Colorful

This week I kept fighting the urge to buy new lip products. I tell myself, "Alaina, you have a ton of colorful lipsticks that you don't wear enough! Don't buy new products, just "shop your stash" (as Emily Noel would say." So that's what I've done this week.

Also this week I've remembered just how much lipstick livens you up. Even if I just did my brows and slapped on some mascara, by adding a colorful lip it automatically looks like I actually put in some effort. Haha.

So let's take a look at what I've been wearing this week.

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Monday : Maybelline Vivid Matte Liquid - Nude Thrill (my full review here)
This is a good Monday color. On Mondays I tend to be particularly lazy with my makeup. I always sleep in too much and just can't get into it. But I do love this formula. So comfy on the lips, easy to reapply, doesn't last the longest, but that's okay. This is the color I chose when I didn't want to stare at my lipsticks for five minutes decided what color to go with.

Tuesday : LA Girl Matte Flat Finish Pigment Gloss - Obsess (my full review here)
Super long-wearing, no fuss lipstick to last all day, except at lunchtime it can be a pain to remove without some oil. I actually like to put a chapstick on top, rub my lips together, then scrub it off with a tissue. I just find with these long wearing super matte liquid lipsticks, it's easier to just remove it all before a meal and reapply it completely once you're finished eating.

Wednesday : Milani Color Statement Matte Lipstick - Matte Orchid (my review on a shade that I didn't really like here)
I wanted to wear a hot pink lipstick this day but I thought, I'm gonna tone it down a bit and not do something so neon, and so this is the color I settled on. Plus I couldn't think of a good hot pink matte lipstick that morning, all I have are cream finishes (I think...).

Thursday : Limited Edition Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick - Snow Peach (1956) (review here)
I love the two limited edition lipsticks I got from this collection. You can still find them on eBay too. It's such an easy lipstick formula. It has a glossy finish and just feels comfy on the lips. This color in particular is fun and colorful without being overboard in any way.

Friday : ColourPop Ultra Matte - Trap (review here)
This is my favorite "Friday lipstick." I reserve my favorites for Fridays, I don't know why. I usually for some reason care more about my makeup on Fridays. I will do a full face compared to my usual very minimal makeup (if I'm feeling it and I get up before my first three alarms). It's a little edgy and I just think Fridays are good days for it.

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As you can probably tell by now, matte is my thing. I love a good matte lip (and pretty much all matte makeup). It's just easier to take care of throughout the day. They don't fade or transfer as bad as glossy stuff, and they don't tend to bleed either. Although some formulas can be less than comfy, matte lips are the way to go if you want something easy and long-wearing for the workday.

So I hope you guys enjoyed this little tid-bit of my makeup for the week. Let me know if you enjoyed this and perhaps we can make it a thing and do it more often.

Thanks so much for reading!
Love,
Alaina

Review : #YSLcolorperfection YSL Touche Eclat Neutralizer - Bisque

I received this product from Influenster for free to review. However, my opinion is 100% my own and honest.

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I find that this product helps to conceal my undereye circles.

I always have to top it with a skin tone concealer to cover its intense pigmentation.

The product isn't too liquid or stiff, it's a great consistency.

The product color is brightening, it seems to have some great light reflecting properties that make the skin appear luminous and still natural and pretty.

I love the click packaging! So easy to use and unique.

However, it isn't the best for my fair skin. It would be better for those with more medium to darker skin tones. With darker skin tones, you wouldn't have to go in and cover it with another concealer, making the undereye area unnecessarily heavy.

Thanks for reading!
Love,
Alaina

NEW Maybelline Master Fix by Face Studio Setting + Perfecting Loose Powder

$9.99 at Ulta for 6 grams or .21 ounces (less than most of my pressed powders at around 9 grams).

It is a super finely milled powder and it totally disappears after simply rubbing it in your fingers for a second.

The packaging description says this powder "sets, mattifies, blurs, and smooths," so let's see how I think it lives up to those claims.

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It sets makeup even with the slightest dusting of powder with a large fluffy brush.

It mattifies.

It does blur and smooths things out. I definitely noticed a difference in my usually-on-the-larger-size pores around my nose. I find that the smoothing and blurring properties are similar though. It seriously does make a big difference in my pores though. This powder paired with the New Maybelline Dream Velvet foundation that I just reviewed make my pores disappear.

I like how the powder can only come out of the little holes on one side of the packaging, instead of all over. This packaging allows a great amount of product to come through, not too much, not too little. 

Overall, it does what it needs to do, with the bonus of real pore perfecting action, and I would recommend it.

Thanks so much for reading!

Love,

Alaina

NEW Maybelline Master Contour Palette Light/Medium Review & Swatches

$10-$13 depending on where you pick it up.

I really enjoy this palette and think it's a great deal. It would be perfect for travel. It's basic enough to work for a lot of people but it has some unique qualities too that make it stand out.

If I have one gripe about the palette, it's that the powders can kick up a little bit of product because they are so soft. I find this to be especially true of the contour and blush, not so much the highlight shade though.

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Contour - This is a very unique shade if you ask me. I really don't think I have anything else in my collection like it. It has both warm and cool undertones. It comes off on my face as a cool/neutral tone, but when you look at it in the pan, it seems to be a tad warmer. It definitely has a rosiness to it that I personally find flattering. I can even see it being used as a blush really well. It can be a tad patchy, but it's nothing I can't work with.

Blush - This is a neutral pink shade. It doesn't pull too cool on me. I prefer warmer, more peachy toned blushes typically. With that being said, I still like this blush. It is quite pigmented so you have to be careful if you have fair skin like me. Just a little dab will do. It looks like it has a little sheen to it in the pan, but on the skin I don't think it's bad.

Highlight - A shimmery champagne, this little guy is beautiful! I think it's perfect for light skin. Not too intense, but definitely gives some life to the cheeks. Even out in direct sunlight, it's not too much. I think it's just a great amount of highlight. 

Thanks so much for reading!

Love,

Alaina

NEW Maybelline Color Tattoo Concentrated Crayon Review & Swatches

Now, I love Maybelline Color Tattoos. They are the best thing to happen to drugstore makeup pretty much ever, if you ask me. Ha. I just adore them. These little pencils are giving the originals a run for their money though.

These crayons contain 2.2 grams of product (regular Color Tattoos are 4 grams). They are the same price at Ulta at $6.99 each. 

This difference in amount of product for the same price doesn't bother me because you're getting it in more convenient packaging. Less product for better packaging is okay in my book. Not like you're ever going to use up an entire pot of the original Color Tattoos anyway (At least I know I'm not going to).

Okay, so let me tell you the best thing about them...

They won't crease even when you don't blend them in! 

You can just scribble it all over your eyelid and go. No blending required. You don't have to get your fingers all messy getting ready in the morning. And better yet, if you have long nails, you don't have to worry about that fiasco dipping into a pot of color with your finger, like you do with the original Color Tattoos. 

Of course, if you don't like a stark line of eyeshadow on your lid, you'll need to at least blend out the edges. But if you're putting other shadows on top, it's not even necessary to blend out the edges. I don't know how it works but the look just comes together perfectly without that extra step. You don't get any weird transitional space between the lid with a base and the upper eye area without a base.

Now here are the shades that I personally picked up. My only gripe is that there aren't any mattes in this color selection! Why?!

Gold Rush is just your typical golden color. It builds up nicely to get the color you see swatched. If you sheer it out with your finger or try to blend it in any way, it loses too much color, so I wouldn't recommend blending too much. It's an awesome base for anything from light champagnes to intense golden browns.

Charcoal Chrome has a really cool depth to it. You can see almost a deep brown-ish undertone to it that gives it a little something special and I am a big fan. It's not too metallic but gives matte powder shadows a little bit of something special when you use it as a base.

Overall, go find these! They are awesome.

And thanks for reading!

Love,

Alaina