e.l.f. Under Eye Concealer and Highlighter- 2 products for 3 bucks and a "meh"!

$3.00 USD for 0.34oz/10g

As many of my other posts on e.l.f. products have shown, I'm not sure whether I rate and review products differently all together because of its price/brand. Knowing that eyeslipsface products are meant to be held to the 'higher standard' (or the standard of a higher price range) but cost a lower price, I can imagine, that while not entirely without bias, I am giving a pretty accurate description of how well the product works and what it is worth to me.

I mention all this because e.l.f. Under Eye Concealer & Highlighter is one of those products that I want to describe correctly to show it's real worth. Does this product work? Yes, in many ways it does, but does it work better or as good as more expensive alternatives? No, I don't really think so.

First, the formula of both of these products is a little thinner than I expected. If you haven't noticed, a good rule of thumb with concealers are two things need to be present: thickness and pigment. Even if a formula is really pigmented, too thin of a consistency will mean that blending moves coverage away from areas you want; if a concealer is thick but lacks pigment, you have to layer and layer to get coverage and end up with patches of your face or body looking like you slapped a wax sticker on them. This concealer/highlighter is the former: it has decent and tone-correct pigment but too thin a consistency to concentrate the coverage. If I put this concealer all over my face, I would call it a good foundation, but this whole tube would only cover my face twice before being empty.

e.l.f. Under Eye Concealer & Highlighter; Concealer above, Highlighter below

A Double Whammy From Britain--Rimmel Max Volume Flash and Soft Kohl

$7.49 for 0.29 oz mascara and 0.04 oz pencil

Since I've finished school and been on the hunt for a job, I've definitely been pinching my product purchasing pennies, so when I found a 'free gift' package on the Rimmel display, I grabbed it fast! I don't know that I needed or even wanted the two products included (well, I was looking for a new mascara), but man, am I glad I stopped to try them out.

Rimmel The MAX Volume Flash Waterproof Mascara had me a little worried upon first try; my lashes looked like absolutely nothing had been done to them which is not a good sign :-/ Then I took a moment to swish the wand around quite a bit around the sides of the tube, and presto! Beautiful volume!!! I'm excited by this mascara because it isn't overdone, i.e. it gives volume but not "I'm wearing fake lashes" volume. That always makes me feel like I'm trying too hard...or at least that I look like I'm trying too hard. Also, even though it is waterproof, it is not that hard to remove and doesn't seem to be as harsh on my lashes or in smell (because sometimes the smell will sting my eyes upon application).

Wearing Rimmel Soft Kohl Jet Black and Volume Flash The Max Waterproof on eyes, and Burberry Lip Glow in Nude Beige on lips

I Spy an Ad I Like...So Is It the Real Deal?

This morning I really needed some inspiration to get my engine on Sunday going. I've needed extra sleep to let my muscles heal after mani/pedis all week and thus slept too long for my brain to wake back up after my muscles relaxed! While browsing some makeup blogs, I saw an ad for 5-step flawless makeup from CoverGirl. Out of curiosity as much as amusement, I clicked to find out at least what 5-steps need to be taken....or so they claim.

Mascara, lipcolor, foundation, eyeshadow, and eyeliner is apparently all it takes to have a very pieced together look from CG, which I do actually agree with; I just need to inform you that 5 is no magic number. Most people, including men, can get by wearing lip balm and only lip balm on their lips since the biggest no-no in lips is distracting the person looking at you with cracked, dry-looking, and flaky skin--period. THIS drives me nuts!

Other than the lipcolor, the 4-step program is a very good base, but could be reduced one more step to ensure you are not wasting valuable minutes in the morning for a basic beauty routine. Eyeshadow is a beauty basic but, in terms of a beginner or super-simple program, not necessary. Your eyelids have a natural gradient that should work just fine in your favor, and one of the other steps solves the biggest eye "problem" of most women (and men), foundation will help with under-eye circles or darkness. Some people don't think foundation is a good option for this, and indeed, I am writing this under the assumption that you can choose to wear foundation OR concealer to even out skin tone or hide imperfections. To my basic-beauty knowledge, these two are interchangeable and can easily replace one another. Certainly, concealer can hide under-eye darkness and brighten your whole eye area without using eyeshadow to low-light or contour.

So, as we are down to 3 steps, I have another bone to pick with the 5-step lineup--is eyeliner absolutely necessary? Mascara, foundation/concealer, and eyeliner; that is indeed a decent, and super-simple regimen for the morning, so why bother with anything different? Well, I will have to separate the 3-step makeup process into two categories: normal skin and oily skin. For normal skin, go ahead and do mascara, foundation/concealer, and eyeliner.  But for oily skin, I have to at least suggest using mascara, foundation/concealer, and powder.

For the oily-skinned among us, there is nothing more personally distracting than when you feel like you need to wash your face even though you just did or you shouldn't have to yet. To get through a whole day feeling like your makeup isn't failing you, powder is a good matte start to the day and blotting or reapplying a touch of powder is the maintenance. For some, the foundation/concealer step is a powder, and of course, if this works for you, feel free to add on eyeliner or anything you like. However, a lot of the best coverage concealers are not powder formulas and should be set in place with a dusting of powder.

All in all, I'm not saying I disagree with CoverGirl's choice of 5-step makeup, I just think it needed an elaboration on how normal folk who don't want to buy 5 new products may need to think about what their skin and features need in order to be fool-proof and fabulous in about 5 minutes...because, ya know, we need the other 20 minutes in the morning for our hair...right?

Lotus Lip Stick in Rosebud

$15.00 for 4.5g/0.16oz

Alright, as some of you may remember when I got this, I need to explain that this review has been delayed because I lost this lipstick. I found it during my spring cleaning of late, but I have had to retest the product for review. It's a tough job, you know, putting on lipstick and just watching it fade during the day, but someone's got to do it!

Lotus Lipstick is certified organic and comes in several different shades. I tested out the Citizen Kane color Rosebud (hope I didn't just ruin that movie for anyone) and am really excited to where this religiously come fall. The formula is super thick and creamy, so exfoliating the lips the night before wearing is seriously advised otherwise you will have a flaky looking lip when in reality it's just dry. As some of you might find this to be a turn-off, let me remind you of something: women wore lipstick like this for decades before sheer, balmy formulas were around, and it looked just fine if not amazing! You could also wear a balm underneath to thin it out and keep some moisture on you lips for the day.

Kirkland Signature by Borghese Mineral Foundation, Blush, and Lip Shimmer

$15.99 for 0.32oz/9g of foundation, 0.10oz/3g of blush, 0.09oz/2.8g of lip gloss

Mineral Powder Foundation SPF 20 in Fair/Light may have sheer coverage at best, but if I want a finishing powder with sun protection, which I really do for quick summer-time application, I can think of no better product. It is a bit of a shame that I would have to build up a bit of summer color with a bronzer in order to not look extremely pale wearing only this foundation, but I still love the lightweight feel of the formula. Recently, when I've pulled out my BareMinerals, I've felt it went on a bit heavy, and even using a light hand, started to look cakey. So far, no indication that this Kirkland Mineral Foundation will do that, and I also feel like it is pulling less moisture from my skin over the course of the day while still controlling oil for about 5 hours (really the best any one product can do for me in the summer).

From left to right: Lip Shimmer in Simply Radiant, Blush in Simply Blushing, and Foundation in Fair/Light

Mineral Loose Blush in Simply Blushing is one of the most universal shades I've seen in a long time. It's a beauty cross between pink, peach, apricot, and a touch of plum, and as you can almost see from the photo, starts to melt into skin more naturally than the foundation. I'm just stunned at how flattering this is. The mineral sifter container keeps me on my toes about applying in super thin layers, but the color can go on extremely sheer or bold and poppin'!

Mood Boost: Dior '5 Couleurs' Eyeshadow Palette in Incongnito

$58.00 for 0.21oz/6g

There is really nothing like an *amazing* designer palette to put even the most frustrated makeup junkie in a good mood. Seriously, there is something about Incognito that just speaks to the simple beauty we crave and the bombshell within! As this palette shows, however, it will end up being a bit out of the range for darker skin, i.e. the colors are light enough to be super natural only on--you guessed it!--lighter skin. That may be a look you particularly enjoy; it may not.

Dior Incognito is my ultimate "goof-proof" palette because all of the colors blend together so smoothly, flawlessly, and just flat-out naturally no matter which combination of shape I put them down in. All five, even the warm, medium brown on the bottom left, brighten up my eyes and lighten my face, so I feel rested and as if I look relaxed (even when I'm not).

Shadows from left to right: (pan position)Bottom right, bottom left, center, top left, top right

The warm beige, light pink, and brown really flatter the natural color of most light to medium skinned eyelids, making this a versatile combination. There is also a special place in my heart for the cooler combo of shimmering white and an utterly drool-worthy grey (almost taupey) purple. I almost want to call it a lavender color, but I would rather describe it as a muted purple because I think of a brighter pop of color when I think of lavender.

Z-Palettes and My Organization Project

Anyone remember a while back when I made some organizational promises to myself (and I believe I said I would do it within that month, lies!)? Well, I think I actually accomplished both! Shortly after my birthday in June, I graduated from Aveda, having sold over $1,000 in retail products and completing over $3,000 worth of services. I'd say that's above average and really marketable, wouldn't you? For a program I completed within 4 months (minus one day), um...yeah, let's go with decent. 

And to top that off, I feel far more comfortable saying I can, in reality, do someone else's makeup and get paid for it. That bit is mainly due to the fashion show from May, where I designed and completed 7 models' makeup (5 without any assistance from the other team member). Oh, and those Z-Palettes are here and getting pretty full! Here's what they look like right now: