Add a Little Shimmer: Maybelline Master Strobing Liquid Review and Swatch

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A super concentrated liquid highlighter isn't really new, in fact L'Oreal, Maybelline's parent company, makes a very similar product, the True Match Lumi in this favorite Highlighters post. And while it looks very shimmery, I assure you this is a highlighter that can work for absolutely everyone!

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The Best Highlighting and Contouring Makeup

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While I keep saying that contouring is "out", the truth is that most of us do a little contouring every now and then! Today for Makeup Wars, my beauty blogging friends and I are sharing our favorite highlighters and contours! In theory we're sharing our favorite creams, but I don't really use just creams, I also have liquids and powders.

Highlighters

When using highlighters, I have a couple of different tactics I take.

First, if I feel like my skin is a bit lackluster, I might add a little highlighter into my moisturizer, foundation, or BB Cream. Usually I use the Armani for this as it is more subtle, so better for all over shimmer, but a little bit of the L'Oreal also works really well. You don't want to turn into a disco ball, but just a very small amount can make a big difference!

Second, I like to use a highlighter in very directed areas to catch a little light but without being really shimmery. On my cheekbone, a little on the bow of my lip (which does help my small lips look fuller), the inner corner of my eye, and my brow bone. I like a light shimmer in all of those places except for my brow bone, which I prefer is just lighter than surrounding areas, I like a matte or satin finish there.

1. L'Oreal Lumi Liquid Glow Illuminator (at Amazon or ULTA): This is the most shimmery option here, if you're going to apply it all over use a very light hand and mix it into something. I think it works best for more targeted areas like the brow bone.

2. Giorgio Armani Fluid Sheer in No. 7(at Nordstrom, Sephora or Armani): This is the highlighter I use most frequently, I mix it into my BB Cream (YSL Top Secret All in One BB Cream) or my foundation (Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation). It has just the right amount of shimmer to make my skin look luminous but not shiny.

3. RMS Beauty Living Luminizer (at Nordstrom): Apparently this is Giselle's favorite. It is great to dip a finger in and tap it along your cheek bone or inner eye. I've had the same jar for almost 2 years, it lasts forever!

4. Anastasia Highlighting Duo Pencil (at Anastasia, Sephora or Nordstrom): I'm actually using a very similar Too Faced pencil right now, but it's been discontinued. I have this Duo from Anastasia also, and I love how it has 2 ends. I use the matte end on my brow bone, just draw it under the brow and then blend with a fingertip! I draw the shimmer end into my inner eye and then tap with my finger to blend a bit.

Both Highlight and Contour

5. NYX Wonder Stick (at Amazon or ULTA): This is very easy to use, they are matte creams and you just draw where you want to highlight or contour and then blend. I use this for travel sometimes because it is so compact.

Contouring

6. Maskcara Contour in Walnut (at Maskcara): I don't contour my nose very often, but when I do I reach for this cream from Maskcara. It's the perfect shade, easy to blend and it stays put on my oily nose.

7. NARS Contour Blush in Olympia (at Sephora or NARS)
Bobbi Brown Bronzing Powder (at Nordstrom, Sephora or Bobbi Brown)
Too Faced Soleil Matte Bronzer in Milk Chocolate (at Too Faced, ULTA or Sephora)

Usually when I'm "contouring" I'm just using a little matte bronzer underneath my blush. It does add a lot of definition and is subtle, I blend it out a bit when applying powder afterwards. At home, I use the Too Faced powder a lot, but Bobbi Brown also works great and comes in a wider range of shades. Finally, I do have the NARS Contour Blush as well, and the shade is similar but the pigmentation level is definitely higher! I need to use a much lighter hand when I use this blush. I have it in my NARS Pro Palette that I take with me when I travel. It comes with a highlighter shade, but it is basically the same color as my skin, so I only use the contour.



What are your favorite highlighting and contour products?

An InLinkz Link-up

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The L'Oreal Liquid Lumi, and Too Faced Bronzer have been sent to me previously by PR, but I've repurchased both with my own money as well.

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Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit - Surreal Light Review and Swatches

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I've heard the hype for a long time. Those Hourglass Ambient Highlighters... amazing! My friends (mostly beauty bloggers) have been raving about them, snapping them up as soon as new ones are released, discussing in Facebook groups when the next version will be released... it goes on and on. And I've been over here in the corner going... really? Is it really that special? And refusing to buy. Because really, those shimmer powders seem expensive, and they're always sold out so...

But, yes, they're always sold out. Is there maybe a reason?

So, when this new palette was released on Sephora's website recently, I snapped it up. I was finally going to try this stuff out, and this palette had enough different types of the Ambient Lighting powders, that I kind of felt like I was getting an ok deal.

Read on to see what I thought!

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My Favorite Highlighters and Illuminators

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Today for Makeup Wars we're sharing our favorite highlighters and illuminators. I have a big collection of these products, and I've found great products at all price points!

I love to add just a bit of highlighter at certain places on my face to really highlight those areas. This is called strobing (check out my 5 tips for strobing the right way post), and you can think of it as the more flattering and easier cousin to contouring. While the Kardashians might be out there contouring their faces like crazy to change how they look, it can be hard to pull off in person. Somehow that contour that looks great in a selfie looks like a dirt smudge in real life.

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My Favorite (Recent) Beauty Splurge: Winter Foundation Overhaul with Giorgio Armani

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Today for Makeup Wars, we're sharing our favorite recent beauty splurges. I alluded to this over in my recent post on The Best Luxe Beauty Products, but I recently spent a couple of hours hanging out with a few good friends at the Neiman Marcus Giorgio Armani counter at Somerset.

In those few hours we got our makeup done, something I definitely had not been planning on. I've been hearing about the Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation for years, especially from my friend Nancy at Beauty 411. Nancy is my go-to resource for all things super luxe in the makeup world. If it is out there, she's tried it! And I trust her opinion. She'll flat out tell me if something isn't worth the money. And for her to say for years that this is her favorite foundation and that everyone must try it? Well, let's just say that I wasn't exactly hard to convince to sit down in the makeup chair!

When it was all over, I had perfect skin, that looked like I had almost no makeup on, and it looked amazing!

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My Drugstore Strobing Favorite: L'Oreal Lumi Liquid Illuminator

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Have you been strobing? It's basically just highlighting. Just like we all did "back in the day" before Kim K took over social media by transforming her face with her 3 hours of contouring makeup just to run errands. And it was all the rage until sanity seemed to finally take over and we all realized that it is hard to get the contouring to look right in real life. It really is. So, the next big thing is strobing, which is just the highlighting we all used to do (check out the 5 things you need to know about strobing).

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Get It Right: 5 Things That You Need to Know About Strobing

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IMAXtree

So, contouring has been around for a few years now. You can blame it on Kim K and her contouring (she even shared a peek at it on Instagram pre-blending), but it really does have the ability to change how your face looks. But, it has a steep learning curve and while it looks great in pictures, that under cheek contour can really look strange in person if not done correctly.

I do sometimes contour my nose a bit, but due to time and pure laziness, I admit that I rarely contour. What I do is highlight, and apparently that has a fancy new name. Strobing. Which apparently is something many of us, me included, have been doing for years.

When done correctly, strobing can look amazing! It makes you look lit from within, accentuating areas of your face and it just works. In pictures, in real life, and you won't have people telling you that you have a smudge of dirt on your face. I promise!

1. Best with great skin

This isn't a look that works with heavy, full coverage foundation. To really pull this off you need to really be paying attention to your skin care routine (no sleeping in your makeup!) and keep your skin well hydrated. Dewy shimmer doesn't work well with parched and flaky skin!

My tips:

1) Wash your makeup off every night! Check out my favorite eye makeup removers and follow those up with a gentle cleanser.
Try:
Cetaphil Skin Cleanser (at Amazon or ULTA)
Lancôme Bi-Facil Makeup Remover (at Lancôme, Sephora or Macy's)

2) Keep up with exfoliation. It will increase cell turnover, which is great for skin tone and texture. It also cleans out your pores! The goal with exfoliation is to keep your skin smooth and clear. Don't over do it into the red and irritated realm. Using a Clarisonic when you wash your face a few times a week, an at home peel or a gently scrubbing with a washcloth will do the trick.
Try:
Clarisonic Mia (at Clarisonic, Nordstrom or Sephora)
Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta Peel (at Sephora and Nordstrom)

3) I like a light moisturizer in the am and something heavier at night. But, listen to your skin! If it feels dry, you need to add extra moisture and use a hydrating treatment. Just a few drops of one of these facial oils under your moisturizer at night is all you need to add some much needed hydration to your face.
Try:
Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate (from Kiehl's or Nordstrom)
L'Oreal Age Perfect Cell Renewal Facial Oil (from ULTA)

2. Lighter coverage foundation

Now that you've done the hard work of getting your skin to look great, don't cover it up! Instead of using a heavier foundation, go for a BB/CC Cream or one of the new serum foundations. You want coverage that perfects your skin without hiding it.
Try:
Lancôme Miracle Cushion Foundation (my Miracle Cushion review, get it from Lancôme, Bloomingdale's or Sephora)
It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream (from ULTA or It Cosmetics)
Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream (from ULTA, Target or Amazon)

3. Keep other shimmer to a minimum

The idea behind strobing is that you're catching the light and putting the emphasis on those areas. So, it won't work if your whole face is full of dewy and shimmery makeup. Go for light and natural foundation (a slightly dewy finish is fine), think satin instead of shimmer for your shadows, and stay away from shimmery blushes and overly glossy lips. Let the strobing take center stage.
Try:
Too Faced Love Flush Blush (from Too Faced or Sephora)
It Cosmetics Naturally Pretty Shadow Palette (from It Cosmetics or ULTA)

4. Use the right shade of highlighter

Not all shades of highlighter work for everyone. While MAC Strobe Cream works for pretty much anyone, you should go lighter for lighter skin tones, darker for darker skin tones. You can strobe with powder products, but the effect is best with liquid and cream highlighters.
Try these shades that work for everyone:
MAC Strobe Cream (from MAC or Nordstrom)
RMS Beauty Living Luminizer (at Birchbox or Anthropologie)
Maskcara Pearl Illuminator (from Maskcara)

5. You want to apply to areas that light hits naturally to accentuate them

This is the easy part–apply to areas that the light hits! The tops of your cheekbones, your brow bone, down the center of your nose, your cupid's bow and the center of your chin and forehead. While you're at it, make your eyes pop! I add a little to the inner corner of my eye and if my shadow is light, I'll add a bit to the center of my eyelid. Blend it out with a fingertip.






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Today's Special Value: It Cosmetics 4 Piece Customer Favorites

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In case you haven't noticed, I'm a pretty big fan of all things It Cosmetics (here's a peek at my favorite products from It Cosmetics, though I should update that list to include a few additional items). You can pick up It Cosmetics at ULTA, or from the It Cosmetics website.

But one of my favorite ways to try out their products, usually at a great discount, is over on QVC! It Cosmetics is featured at the Today's Special Value every few months, and the collections are always a steal (and usually they include a new product or two!)

The worldwide launch of the latest set will only be available for 24 hours as a TSV, starting at 12:01 AM EST on Monday, June 8th. So, in a few hours. Get ready to shop! They haven't announced the price in press materials, but it will be under $60, and it is an incredible deal because the products are worth over $150.



The products included in this kit aren't flashy, but they're some of It Cosmetics' best products!

Bye Bye Under Eye Concealer: You can take a peek at my original Bye Bye Under Eye Concealer Review, but this concealer has been featured on the blog so many times that I've lost count. It's also featured in my Favorite Concealers post. This is a very, very pigmented concealer that has been formulated to be crease resistant (though it will crease if you add enough layers. No one should need that many layers). I like to apply a little to the back of my hand to warm it up, then tap it over the area that needs to be concealed.

Heavenly Luxe Complexion Perfection Brush: This is an amazing brush! I have 2 of them already and I was pretty happy to have a 3rd. I have 1 in my office (yes, I sometimes apply makeup in there for blog pics), 1 in my bathroom and this one will be kept in my travel kit. One end is a smallish domed brush that is perfect for foundation or blending of face products. The other end is small enough to help apply concealer around your nose and under the eyes.

And a few new products (which are slight variations on previous favorites)
Naturally Pretty Face Palette: This palette is perfect for keeping some great face products you need in one place. Included in this palette are Hello Light Creme highlighter, Vitality Matte Bronzer, Bye Bye Pores Pressed Powder and Bye Bye Pores Pressed Blush (new in this palette). It's great for taking with you or just streamlining your makeup application in the morning!

Celebration Foundation SPF50: This foundation is a medium coverage powder, and I've heard about it's amazingness from my friends for years. I do think it is easy to apply, and you can use it as a powder or a foundation. The compact comes with a sponge in the storage area, that will give you a fuller coverage than if you buff on some of the powder with the brush. This formulation is new because it now includes sunscreen, an SPF 50! I wouldn't count on this to be your only sunscreen, chances are you aren't applying enough product to your entire face. However, it's a great "bonus" SPF for the summer!








Note that my set was in Fair, which is a good match for my skin. It is the lightest color available.

To find the set, head over to QVC's site and then click on Today's Special Value at the top. It's available for 24 hours starting at 12:01 AM EST!

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ELF Shimmering Facial Whip: The Best $1 Highlighter Out There!

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Recently, I seem to be using a highlighter every day. I think it must be the weather, I've been cooped up inside for months on end, going outside means that the air usually is painful for my skin, I just need to be a little glowy! So, I've been applying a small amount of highlighter to my upper cheek bone.

One of the highlighters that I've been reaching for most frequently cost a whopping $1. Yes, that's right! This is the Shimmering Facial Whip from ELF, a light, creamy highlighter. It is a bit champagne, a bit pink.... I dot 2-3 small dots on my upper cheek bone (this is the very last step in my makeup), and then blend with a fingertip.

This is just the right amount of light catching shimmer that doesn't look like glitter or too obvious. It lasts all day, and I'm pretty sure this $1 tube is going to last for just about forever.

(Also, I included this in my Best Products of ELF post!)

e.l.f. Essential Shimmering Facial Whip

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15 Amazing Drugstore Highlighters Under $15

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Sometimes you just need a little extra shimmer! No matter what your age, you really should be using a highlighter in certain areas, just enough to catch a little light. Not obvious sparkle, just a little extra... something. Until the last few years there were very few options for a reasonable price. Suddenly, there are a ton of options!

1. Milani Illuminating Face Powder

2. e.l.f. Essential Shimmering Facial Whip

3. e.l.f. Studio Shimmer Palette


4. e.l.f. Studio Baked Highlighter

5. Bonne Bell Glimmer Bronze Highlighting Dust, Gold'n Glitz

6. Boots No7 Skin Illuminator

7. Physicians Formula Bronze Brightener


8. L'Oreal Magic Lumi Highlighter

9. Almay Wake Up Eyeliner and Highlighter

10. NYX Born To Glow Liquid Illuminator

11. Kardashian Beauty Intimate Spotlight


12. Revlon PhotoReady Skinlights Face Illuminator

13. Revlon Highlighting Palette

14. Essence Mosaic Compact Powder

15. CoverGirl Bombshell Shineshadow

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