L'Oreal Infallible Pro-Glow Foundation Review and Swatches

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I am asked a lot about foundation recommendations, and while I wear foundation, because I'm such a strange in between pale shade (I'm N25 in Cover FX, 3.75 in Giorgio Armani), I'm pretty difficult to match. And typically, drugstore shades don't match me. I have to mix 2 together to have a foundation that is close, and previously I haven't found a product that I liked enough to do that.

Until now.

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My Favorite Concealers: The Best Drugstore, Super Pigmented and Multi-Use Concealers Out There

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I have a confession. I have a concealer problem. I own quite a few, but I seem to keep buying them. I probably have at least 20 in my "face" makeup drawer.

As many as I've tried, there are some that I seem to go back to over and over. I repurchase them, they hang out on my vanity because they don't make it back in to the drawer, and they get mixed into other products.

Read on to see my favorites.

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Splurge vs Steal: How to Get Your Hair To Curl

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A few days ago I was at work, talking to my friend Christine (yes, we have the same name, it can get confusing). She has an amazing teenage daughter, D, who is beautiful. And I mean beautiful. This girl is smart, athletic, very sweet and somehow has managed to not get wrapped up in tons of teenage drama, on top of just being a stunner. I really like D., she's been over to my house even to come and get freebie beauty products.

Christine and I were talking because D. is having a hair styling issue. Her hair is quite a bit like mine, straight and silky, and it doesn't want to hold a curl at all. Christine hasn't been able to help much, mainly because Christine has that amazing curly hair that can air dry and look just perfect (I know, I hate her too). Just like me, D. wants to curl her hair, but she's been having issues keeping those curls in place for more than a few hours. They were planning an outing to the store that night to look at products to help, so Christine and I had a big hair product pow wow. I shared my favorites to add volume and keep curls, but I thought explaining everything in a blog post would be helpful for others as well.

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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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The Best Drugstore Mascaras According to Beauty Bloggers

Mascara is mascara? Right? Well, not so much. There are good, bad and great mascaras. And while there are some makeup items that you should pretty much always splurge on (foundation, concealer...) Mascara is not one of them! Many of the best mascaras out there are found for under $10 at your local drugstore.

I asked some of my favorite makeup obsessed beauty blogging friends about their favorite mascaras, and their answers were amazing! Here are 13 drugstore mascaras that you should try out if you haven't already! Note that if the bloggers have posted about the mascara, I've linked to their post as well!

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The Best of Spring/Summer Drugstore Beauty

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I've been slowly trying out new drugstore products, but haven't had a chance to fully write up posts yet (full time job... 2 little kiddos...) Here are my favorites, hopefully they'll each get their own posts in the future!

1. CoverGirl The Super Sizer Mascara: This is the new "it" mascara from CoverGirl, and it is a good one! It has a molded plastic brush, but is prone to clumps. I swipe with a tissue first, and then the brush is perfect for keeping lashes separated and it reaches down right next to the lash line. I had to buy mine in store, I can't find it on-line.

2. Burt's Bees Renewal Firming Day Lotion w/SPF 30: Are you tired of me talking about this lotion yet? It's a nice, lightweight option for every day. It has full UV spectrum SPF 30 as well. You can read my Renewal Firming Day Lotion review for more details, or buy it from ULTA, Target, or Amazon.

3. L'Oreal Brow Stylist Plumper: It's amazing what a difference a good brow can make! One swipe of this mascara-like wand and my brows are instantly filled in, they stay put and look natural, not Instagrammy. (And yes, this is a dupe for a much more expensive product by Benefit.) Buy it at ULTA, Amazon, or Target.

4. NYX Color Correcting Cream: I'm a big fan of color correction for my rosacea associated redness (here's more info about how to color correct makeup), so green is my favorite tint. What's great about this color corrector is that the lotion is lightweight, works well under my other makeup and is invisible on my skin. Each tone also comes in 2 different intensities. Buy it at ULTA or NYX.

5. L'Oreal Advanced Hairstyle BLOW DRY IT Quick Dry Primer Spray: Yes, it does just what it says. It is so lightweight you can't feel it in your hair, and it even protects against heat damage. Buy it from Amazon, Target, or ULTA.

6. Almay Smart Shade Butter Kiss: I know, those tinted moisturizing lippies really aren't anything new, but these ones are different! They have Almay's shade changing technology. So, you pick your skin tone (light, light/medium or medium) and then there are 3 options for youin berry, pink, nude or red. The shade will automatically adjust to look perfect on you! Now we just need to convince Almay that women come in shades darker than "medium".

7. L'Oreal Infallible Pro-Spray & Set Makeup Extender Setting Spray: At $16 this is a bit expensive for L'Oreal, but it really is worth it. I received 2 bottles of it (one from L'Oreal and one from CVS), and gave the 2nd to a friend whose teenage daughter competes almost every weekend in dancing. She's reported that the spray works even for the intense dance competitions, dramatically cutting down on how often they need to reapply makeup. You can buy it from Amazon, Target, or ULTA.

8. Flower Beauty Transforming Touch: This is a really pretty powder to cream blush. It lasts for hours and creates a very pretty glow. Only available in person at Walmart currently, it's worth the trip!

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A Little Extra Color From A Tinted Balm: L'Oreal Pop Balm Swatch and Review

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I've professed my love for L'Oreal's tinted lip balms many, many times on this blog. I love that they're hydrating, they aren't sticky, they give me just the right hint of color and best of all, they're easy to keep in my jean pocket so I always. always. always. can have one with me.

But....

Sometimes a girl wants a little bit more color. I try using lipsticks, but I fully admit that I'm still just not a lipstick girl. My lips are a tad too dry, so I need to do quite a bit of prep work to get lipsticks to really work well for me, they're not something you can just swipe on while running around!



L'Oreal just released their Pop Balms this fall, they're like their normal Color Riche Balms, but they definitely have more color pay off. I've been reaching for them more often as the temperatures have finally dipped down below 70 on occasion here in Ann Arbor. The pinks are my current favorite, but Fiery Red is going to be my winter go-to red, I can already tell!

Like the Color Riche balms, these are hydrating, not sticky, and I can take them with me everywhere. Check them out if you're a bit anti-lipstick like I usually am!




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L'Oreal Infallible Silkissime Eyeliner Review: Super Pigmented All Day Wear

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Have you seen these liners at a store near you? They came out with them a while ago, though L'Oreal recently sent them to me to try out with some of their new fall items. I'm pretty much in love. The colors are so, so, beautiful!



The pencils are soft and very well pigmented. They applied very easily to my lash line, and once you've blended them (you only have about 60 seconds to do this), they stay put all day long. And these swatches don't really do the liners justice, I definitely will be buying a second Green Ivy, that color is absolutely amazing if you blend it out a little.

There is a problem with these pencils however, and that is that they are pretty hard to sharpen correctly. They really will break very easily, making you resharpen them over and over. It is enough to make you wonder why you bought the pencil in the first place (look at the swatch of Green Ivy again, you'll remember!)

I found that to get these liners to sharpen there are a few tricks. First, you really do need to use a L'Oreal sharpener. I think it must be something with getting the closest size fit possible, but my Urban Decay sharpener (which is pretty new and works great with my other liners) seems to be a smidge too big, the liner wobbles a little, then it breaks. Go for the L'Oreal one. Second, you need to be sure that your liner is cold. On days that it is a bit warm and humid, try putting the liner in your freezer for a few minutes first. So much easier! And finally, you need to go. slow. Taking your time with these liners makes a big difference!

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Red, Red, Go Away? L'Oreal BB Magic Anti-Redness Review

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Yes, that really is a green BB cream. And I tried it. And kind of liked it.

The whole idea behind this product is color correction. Yes, using green (and yellow, though that doesn't work as well as green) on your face will "cancel" any redness. (Read more about color correction makeup.)

I do have some redness, I have rosacea and I have good days and bad days. I'm hesitant to seek anything "more" for my rosacea since I'm about 30 weeks pregnant, and when I'm not pregnant I'm under great control. Instead, I'm going to suck it up and see what happens after I deliver. So, I'm all about color correction!

The great thing about color correcting is that it cancels out your problem color, and in return you get to use a lot less traditional coverage product, whether that is concealer, foundation or regular BB Cream. It's great! However, you really should only color correct in the problem areas. It's pretty easy to turn your whole face green!



The interesting thing about this color corrector is that the light lotion comes out of the tube green, but as you rub it in, it turns into a more skin tone color (yes, it is much too dark to be a good color match for me). However, it still color corrects! It is magic.

So, I put a small pump of this green lotion on the back of my hand, then lightly dot it where I have redness. I rub it around and it becomes more skin toned, and my redness goes away. Because it is a bit darker than my skin, I cover it up with something else (usually foundation or concealer, but whatever I'm using that day works). My redness is gone for the rest of the day. It's pretty good for larger areas that need to be corrected, I would stick with a thicker correcting concealer for smaller problem areas.

L'Oreal
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1

10 Best Natural Foundations

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With the advances being made in makeup, it is getting easier and easier to get perfect, flawless and natural looking skin, no matter how what your skin issue. I've pulled together some of my favorite foundations, they range from super light to full coverage, they come at almost every price point, but they all blend out to look very natural.

1. Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Ultra Definition Liquid Makeup (review): This foundation blends very easily, and you can layer it to go from a light/medium coverage up to full.

2. Neutrogena Healthy Skin Enhancer (review): This is the lightest coverage of the bunch, it is super light. This is just enough coverage to even out my skin in the summer time, many of my friends use it when they're tan.

3. L'Oreal True Match Super Blendable Makeup: This foundation comes in a great variety of shades and it seems to work for almost everyone. It is a medium coverage but layers to increase the coverage easily.

4. Yves Saint Laurent Le Teint Touche Eclat Illuminating Foundation (review): This foundation is a light medium coverage, there's a bit of shimmer to make it more radiant.

5. Too Faced Cocoa Powder Foundation: I just started using this, and it is super easy to vary the amount of coverage with this foundation! Just use a smaller or bigger brush.

6. Cover FX Total Cover Cream Foundation (review): A medium to full coverage foundation, the coverage can be varied with wetting down the sponge you're applying with.

7. Make Up For Ever HD Invisible Cover Foundation (review): Similar to the Urban Decay, but I think a little lighter coverage.

8. Revlon Colorstay Foundation: This is every makeup artist's drugstore pick, at least from the interviews I conduct! It's definitely a great one to try out is you have combination or oily skin.

9. L'Oreal Magic Nude Liquid Powder (review): This is great in the summer, it is super lightweight and when you apply the liquid turns into a very light layer of powder.

10. CoverGirl TruBlend Liquid Makeup (review): This is my favorite drugstore foundation. It blends very easily for medium coverage.


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Top 10 Tuesday: The Best Drugstore Beauty Products

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You may have noticed that I post about a lot of drugstore beauty products. While I definitely make a lot more money than I did as a teen (being a doctor definitely pays better than babysitting!), at heart I'm still that 16 year old wandering the aisles, looking at $6 mascaras and $4 lip balms. I use a lot of drugstore products every day, and with improvements in technology, I swear the quality of drugstore brands has dramatically improved since I started this blog about 7 1/2 years ago.

In the past I've shared a lot of my drugstore favorites! From my favorite drugstore makeup finds, 15 drugstore highlighters, and a few weeks ago, the best drugstore skincare. I had a hard time bringing down the list to 10 of my favorite products, but I went for the products that I've repurchased the most often. Really, I should rename this list The Drugstore Beauty Products I've Bought Over and Over!



1. POND'S Luminous Finish BB+ Cream (review): Are you tired of me continually recommending this BB Cream and mentioning that I use it? No? I use it. Almost every day. It is magical.

2. CoverGirl Outlast Stay Brilliant Nail Gloss (in Leading Lady): These CoverGirl nail polishes are pretty amazing! They come in some amazing shades and finishes, many of them only need 1 coat for full coverage. Also, did I mention the part where these polishes still look perfect on day 7? And they come out with tiny $3 bottles seasonally?

3. CoverGirl Bombshell Volume Mascara: I like to layer my mascaras for added length and volume, and this has 2 mascaras in one, taking the guesswork out of whether 2 mascaras will work well together. There's also a curling version of this mascara, I don't see a big difference between the two. They're both great!

4. CoverGirl Bombshell Intense Eye Liner: One of my favorite liquid liners, this one is really well pigmented and the felt tip pen is great at depositing the liner. It's right up there with much more expensive liquid liners.

5. L'Oreal Paris Colour Riche Le Balm (in Nourishing Nude): I frequently have at least 2 of these lightly tinted (and super hydrating) balms in my purse.

6. Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush in Pink Plum: This is one of those love it or hate it products, and I admit that I really love it! I apply with a small brush, it gives me a great glowy look and lasts all day. It reminds me a lot of Stila's Convertible Color.

7. L'Oreal Colour Caresse Wet Shine Stain (in Lilac Ever After): I love that this is a gloss and a stain, Lilac Ever After is really a pretty neutral mauve/nude color just a bit darker than my lips. I think I'm on my 4th tube of the same shade.

8. Mark Hill MiracOILicious Argan Oil: A little bit of this oil goes a long way toward making my hair frizz free and shiny. It has a big margin of error, so it takes a TON to turn yourself into a grease ball. Love that!

9. Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Moist Deeeeep Conditioner: I keep this in my shower at all times. It is super hydrating, smells good and only takes 3 minutes! The $3.99 price tag is a fraction of other similar deep conditioners.

10. Olay Ultra Moisture Body Wash: I stock up on this body wash like you wouldn't believe! I usually have 3 or 4 back up bottles, I buy them at Sam's Club. It is very hydrating, has a great lather and won't leave my skin irritated.

An InLinkz Link-up

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12

L'Oreal Visible Lift Blur Foundation and Concealer Review and Swatches

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You've probably seen the displays popping up at drugstores and big box stores near you. For Fall 2014, L'Oreal is launching a new foundation and concealer duo, Visible Lift Blur. The products contain "blurring" technology, very similar to what you'll find in the currently popular blurring products like L'Oreals Miracle Blur. Here, some of that same technology has been incorporated into the foundation, saving you a step!


The foundation comes in 12 shades, unfortunately the darkest shade is Classic Tan, which is somewhere in the mid-tone range when you compare this foundation to the L'Oreal True Match Foundation range of 33 shades. I was sent 4 shades (3 from L'Oreal and 1 from CVS), and the Honey Beige on the far right is the 2nd darkest shade. I'm hopeful that if this formulation is around for a while that L'Oreal will add darker shades.

Classic Ivory is usually the best match for me in L'Oreal foundations, but this shade seems a bit pinker than my other Classic Ivory foundations. Luckily with blending it does blend in to my skin, but I would prefer a closer match.

The foundation is pretty sheer in coverage, the formula is a bit more liquidy than other foundations, and while some online have described it as oily, I didn't really think it was oily. It just seemed more watery than I had expected, and when I applied it, the formula sat a little more on the top of my skin. After a minute or so I was able to blend it in to my skin, I think this was all due to the blurring effect.

The coverage from this foundation is pretty sheer, and due to the consistency of the foundation, I think that it isn't really able to be layered for more coverage. I have combination skin, and I do think that this foundation would be better suited for drier skin, which is usually what more mature women have. I noticed that it did help cover up some skin imperfections more than I thought it would. Meaning, my pores were less noticeable than they should have been with such sheer coverage. The foundation did last most of the day, and I think on someone with drier skin it likely would have lasted longer.

If you have drier skin, want sheer to light coverage and have a few skin imperfections that you'd like to cover up, this foundation is a good pick for you. Personally, it didn't last quite as long as I had hoped due to my combination skin, and I think a different shade than my normal Classic Ivory (maybe Nude Beige, #203?) would have been a better match for my skin. The tubes are clear, so you're seeing the foundation through the packaging. It is probably worth picking up the 2 shades you think will be best, rather than just one!


I tend to use very, very pigmented concealers, in large part because I have a visible blood vessel under one eye to cover up, and I like to mix concealer into other products (foundation, BB Cream) to increase their coverage. However, super pigmented concealers can be a big mistake if you have any problem areas around your eyes, they tend to be drier and settle very easily into fine lines, pores and other imperfections.

The Blur Concealer is mid-range in terms of coverage. It definitely has more coverage than a few other drugstore concealers that I've tried, but it is less pigmented than my usual Amazing Cosmetics Concealer. I did find that the concealer is able to be built up for more coverage, which is great for that blood vessel I already mentioned.

This concealer did seem to be a bit more liquid than concealers that I'm used to, but this was probably because I've been using mostly those highly pigmented concealers that I mentioned. It blended in really easily with just pats of my fingertip, and yes, it did seem to do a little bit of that blurring as well.

I think that this is a great mid-range pigmentation concealer that is better suited for those with anything for more pigmented concealers to highlight. So, if you have anything in the undereye area for concealer to settle into (**cough, cough** like a few little lines?) then this is a much better option for you than the more pigmented concealers that I've been using.

The only bad thing about this concealer is that it only comes in three shades, fair, light and medium. Hopefully L'Oreal will come out with more shades when this concealer starts selling out!


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2

L'oreal Colour Riche Dual Effects Eye Shadow Quads: Review and Swatches

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As much as I consider myself a drugstore makeup girl, I've always been a bit (or... maybe more than a bit?) snobby about my eye shadows. I've found a few shades and formulations here and there that have worked well for me, but in large part I've ignored drugstore eye shadows simply because they haven't worked as well for me as more expensive brands.

L'Oreal is working really hard to change my ways!

Have you seen these new Colour Riche Dual Effects Eye Shadow Quads in stores? About 10 days ago I saw them at my local Target and wanted to buy out the whole display, they are so pretty! And I probably have done so, except L'Oreal had told me that morning a box was coming my way. And I pretty much was in awe of all the pretty quads the moment I opened the box!



The collections of shades within the quads are meant to work together to create a subtle, smoky or bold look. They contain what L'Oreal is calling a "Color Boost Technology" to make the colors more vibrant while the shadow itself is creamy and very blendable.

I've swatched all of the shadows, and I was really impressed with them during that process. I've only had time to use a few of the quads for looks over the last week or so, but they really do have much more intense color, apply easily and are much more blendable than other drugstore shadows. (Yes, including ones I've used from L'Oreal in the past.) The shadows also lasted just as long as my higher end shadows. I think they're definitely great shadows, and if any of the colors grab your eye you should snap up a quad!










All of the quads were swatched on to a dry arm (no primer), so their vibrancy is pretty amazing! The only shadow I was a bit disappointed in was the highlight from 290 Emerald Conquest, which is pretty glittery/powdery. With a glitter primer (I have great glitter primers from both Too Faced and ELF) the highlight is really very pretty and stays put. It just needs to have a glitter primer underneath.

While I've been using the more neutral quads already for day looks, Perpetual Nude and Absolute Taupe, I know that I'll be using Unforgettable Lilac and Eternal Blue a lot this fall. (Am I the only one craving purple and navy accents in my eye looks?)

Which of these quads have you snagged already? Have any of them caught your eye?

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4

L'Oreal Blur Cream Blushes Review and Swatch: Super Glowy and Pretty!

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I'm a pretty big fan of cream blushes. I don't usually apply them with my fingers, instead I apply with my regular blush brush, it tends to give a very pretty, glowy look. I also love how long cream blushes usually last, I get a pretty flush all day with a cream blush, that doesn't always happen with a powder blush.

So, while I have great love for cream blushes, I admit that I haven't really broken out of the mold and tried many of them. I tend to stick with my favorites, from Maybelline and Stila. And I haven't tried a blush that comes in a tube. So, I was excited to try out the new Blur blushes from L'Oreal. Now my list of favorite cream blushes has grown to 3. That's huge people!


There are currently three shades of this blush:
501: Soft Peach
502: Soft Pink
503: Soft Berry

They come out of the tube looking pretty intense. The texture is a bit like a thick mousse, and not at all sticky. I really recommend applying it out of the tube to the back of your hand, spreading it out a little and dipping a brush in the blush. I then dot the blush on to my cheek and blend out the blush.

The blush is really very pretty and glowy. I apply it directly over my foundation/concealer, then set with my powder. This makes the blush about half the intensity it was before, so either apply too much to begin with or you can add a little more blush over the powder. I've found that the setting with powder step is very important. Without the powder, the blush fades by late afternoon, but if I've set it then my blush is still perfect when I wash my face at night!


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1

The Best Drugstore Skin Savers

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Yesterday I posted about my favorite skin saving products for Makeup Wars. Except, I had a problem. There were a lot of skin issues I wanted to cover, and I had a lot of products that I've loved over the years for those issues! I split the post into high end (yesterday) and drugstore (today). These are products that I've tried and had great results with, and recommend to friends, family and people who email me with questions!

Pimples

1. Neutrogena Clear Pore Cleanser/Mask: I love that this is both a cleanser and a mask. It pulls some stuff out of your pores, feels cooling, exfoliates... It's a great multi-tasker and I've had a few dermatologists recommend it to me recently for Babble posts.

2. Clean & Clear Persa-Gel 10: Persa-Gel is what I was taught to recommend as a spot treatment in all of my peds training. Yes, general pediatricians treat a lot of acne. And it turns out there's a reason they recommend this stuff, it really does get in there and work. You need to use it with caution, it will bleach fabrics (hello, new duvet cover!) and it can dry out your face and make it more sensitive to the sun.

Clogged Pores

3. Alba Botanica Hawaiian Facial Mask, Pore-fecting Papaya Enzyme: Another fun mask. It has a lot of fruit extracts and really clears stuff out of pores while exfoliating your skin. Definitely the answer to dull, clogged up skin.

4. Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque: When I want to really suck things out of my pores, this is what I reach for. It can feel a bit tight/hurt when it dries, so use in moderation.

Dry Skin

5. L'Oreal Paris Age Perfect Hydra-Nutrition Glow Renewal Facial Oil: This is the L'Oreal dupe of the Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate. The oils are different, but they work the same way, except this one feels a little bit heavier on my skin. Super glowy results!

6. Boots No7 Beautiful Skin Hydration Mask: This is a great mask for when you want to pamper your skin and include a hydrating mask in your at home facial. It does really hydrate and plump up the skin, but it doesn't seem to be "too much" resulting in shine or blemishes.

Chapped Lips

7. Aquaphor Lip Repair Ointment: This is super hydrating and gentle on lips that are already irritated. I like to use it in the morning when I apply my moisturizer, it helps prep my lips for lippies later on.

Irritated Skin

8. Derma-e Soothing Facial Treatment Oil (see my review of Derma-e Facial Oils): This hydrates but also calms down irritate skin. I actually use it pretty frequently on my hands for eczema flares. My eczema doesn't like the anti-bacterial foam we use in my ICU, so after a few days at work I can start to get rashy. If I apply a few drops of this at night to the back of my hands, then all is well with the world.

Dark Spots

9. Aveeno Positively Radiant Tone Corrector: Rather than working with hydroquinone, this targeted treatment uses Soy and increases cell turnover with a retinoid (not pregnancy safe).

Puffy Eyes

10. Garnier Nutritioniste Skin Renew Anti-Puff Eye Roller: This is somehow the only eye product that I've ever used and really seen an immediate difference in my puffy eyes. I use it when I'm having allergy issues (again, not pregnancy safe).

Wrinkles

11. RoC Retinol Correxion Sensitive Eye Cream and 12. RoC Retinol Correxion Sensitive Night Cream are both retinoid creams, but they've altered the release of the retinoid, so it is slower. You'll get more results and less irritation that way. Did you notice I didn't have a high end retinoid product to recommend yesterday? That's because these ones are much better than any I've used that are more expensive. Buy the RoC. (Again, not pregnancy safe.)


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3

Makeup Wars: My Favorite Nude Lippies

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I've previously shared great nude lippies, but today for Makeup Wars we're sharing our favorites! I went through my pockets, purses and the top of my vanity to find the products, and shades, that I'm reaching for most often. Because my skin is so fair, I've found that I need to be really careful with light nude shades. Too light or too nude and I look ill. I usually need to add in a little bit of pink to give me a bit of color.

I'm often a drugstore makeup girl, but lately I've splurged a bit at Sephora. What nude lippies are you reaching for lately?

1. YSL Glossy Stain in 106 Beige Anarchist: The YSL Glossy Stains are a great formula and sometime in the last year or so they came out with beige-nude tones. I recommend picking out one that looks darker than your lip shade, they're pretty translucent.

2. NARS Lip Gloss in Belize: Super pretty mauve-pink-nude color, it should work for a lot of skin tones.

3. L'Oreal Paris Colour Riche Caresse Wet Shine Stain, Lilac Ever After 185 : I know this is often described as a purple, but it really isn't. I've repurchased this shade 3 times now I think? It is a bit mauve, a bit nude, and just deep enough to look like I have some color but not take over.

4. Maybelline Color Sensation Lipcolor Buffs, Nude Lust: These Maybelline lippies are really hard to find in stock, so I ordered this one on-line. I really like it, and I'm trying to ignore my urge to buy a few more shades.

5. L'Oreal Paris Colour Riche Le Balm, Caramel Comfort: Perfect for keeping in your pocket all the time!

6. YSL Rougé Volupte Shine in 10 Chocolate Instyle: It looks darker, but this is pretty translucent and comes across as just the perfect slightly darker than nude shade on my lips.

7. Maybelline ColorSensational Color Elixir Lip Color, Nude Illusion: The Maybelline liquid lips are a bit more pigmented than their L'Oreal cousins, I also like Caramel Infused.








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14

My Favorite Multi-tasking Beauty Products

I can't be the only one that needs to save time in the morning! I love being able to skip steps in my beauty routine completely, because one products has done the work of two (or more) and saved me time and money. These multi-taskers are also amazing for travel, especially when you're already fighting to fit everything into your 3-1-1 bag for carry-on only.

Here's a peek at a few of my favorite multi-tasking beauty products, you'll find more over in my Amazing Multi-tasking Beauty Products collection on eBay.

1. L'Oreal Advanced Hair Care Color Vibrancy Dual Protect Spray: Love this spray! I think I've gone through 3 bottles already. A few spritz on wet hair and it helps calm frizzies, adds shine, protects from both UV and heat damage and I swear it makes drying my hair faster.

2. Pantene’s Pro-V Ultimate 10 BB Creme: Yes, BB Cream for your hair! It does a ton of things like hydrate, repair damage, calm frizz, add shine and make hair easier to style. I like to use a little on already dry hair as well, just a pea sized amount on the ends of my hair.

3. Pond's Luminous Finish BB+ Cream SPF 15: Are you tired of me talking about this product yet? I know that I mention the Pond's Luminous Finish BB Cream all the time! I love that this product contains just enough hydration for my combination skin, has light coverage and even offers a bit of sunscreen all in one step.

4. Derma-e Skin Hair & Nail Oil: This is a multi-tasking dry skin saver! This is a lightweight oil formulated to work great on pretty much any part of your body. It is just enough hydration for your super dry cuticles but won't overpower your face. It's great for adding shine and smoothing your hair, but if you add a little too much it won't turn you into a greaseball.

5. Orly Cutique: This is a product that every manicure girl should keep around the house! Even if you're religious about wearing base coat under your polish, there are some dark colors than can leach through and still stain your nails. Apply a little Cutique on your nail, rub it in and wait about 30 seconds. When you wash it off, your nails will no longer be stained!

These are just some of the multi-tasking beauty products that I use over and over, you'll find more over in my Amazing Multi-tasking Beauty Products collection on eBay. What are your favorite multi-taskers?

Be sure to check out my collections on eBay and follow me! I'll add more multi-tasking products to the collection, let me know yours!

My eBay Collections were curated as part of my collaboration with eBay #followitfindit and Style Coalition.

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Ask Away: Everyday Products and Using Them Up

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Ok, this is sort of stupid...but....I have so much makeup and I am always stumped what to keep in my daily get ready bag (not a bag that you take in your purse). I try to switch it up by the week but honestly at this rate I will never use anything up! Does anyone else have this issue?
-Danielle

So, there's no way I'm every going to use everything up. I could stop buying now and still have eyeshadow well into old age (and I'm going to live a long time, my grandma is 105!), if you need proof, go look at my beauty storage post. Warning: do not look if you are a minimalist. I have a lot of stuff, and yes, most of it is organized in drawers, but apparently having things out on a counter makes some people twitchy.

The truth is that I rarely finish a product unless it is a true every day product. I thought I'd share the products (well, makeup and skin care) that I tend to finish and repurchase over and over! Some of these probably look very familiar!



1. Kiehl's Ultra Facial Moisturizer SPF 15 (buy it here): You're probably tired of me talking about this lotion, but it's my go-to for in between other product testings.

2. Kiehl's Midnight Recovery (buy it here): Amazing for when my skin is dry or irritated.

3. Hard Candy Take It Off Eye Makeup Remover: I stock up on this at Walmart! It takes everything off with basically no work. Love that!

4. Pond's Luminous Finish BB Cream: I swear, I will write a full review some day! I'm using this pretty much every day instead of foundation, and I have a few friends and my mom hooked on it as well. I got an emergency phone call from my mom last week about it, she was at ULTA with my sister looking for it! She thought it would be perfect for her on an upcoming vacation.

5. Amazing Cosmetics Concealer (buy it here): Well pigmented, it lasts all day and comes in a lot of different shades. I use it alone or mixed with primer, BB Cream, highlighter, you name it! I'm light golden.

6. Cream Blushes: I use cream blush almost every day, and I tend to use either Stila's Convertible Color in Lillium (which I listed as one of my 9 Best Products From Stila, buy it here) or Maybelline Bouncy Blush.

7. Mascara: I'm a big mascara girl, but I rarely buy the same one twice (in the interest of "research" for the blog, but I admit that I've always been this way). Two that I have repurchased (multiple times) are Too Faced Better than Sex Mascara and CoverGirl Clump Crusher (which was one of my 5 Favorite CoverGirl Products.

8. IT Cosmetics Your Brows But Better (buy it here): This is my favorite brow pencil. I have others that I'll use, but this pencil is skinny and automatic, so it is like you just sharpened it. I featured it in my how to groom your eyebrows and fill them in post.

9. NYX Wonder Pencil: I've been using this pencil in multiple shades and have just repurchased them. The light is great for over and under my brows for a bit of added definition and I use the dark on either side of my nose for a bit of contouring. I recently featured the Wonder Pencil in my best concealers post.

10. Eye Liners: I've previously established that I am an eye liner girl (check out my eyeliner drawer on Instagram), but even though I have a pretty big selection at home, I fully admit that I have a few formula favorites and I like to keep them stocked up in the basic shades of brown and black. There are some days that I just want the Smoky Liner from Elizabeth Arden, or when nothing else but the Perversion Liner from Urban Decay will make me happy.
• Stila Smudge Liner (buy it here): Damsel is a super dark brown that I love
• Stila Stay All Day Liquid Liner (buy it here): I keep this around in black
• Elizabeth Arden Smoky Liner (buy it here): This one I have in black, brown and midnight, which is a very dark navy. I'm out of black and brown, and forgot to repurchase the other day when I went to 2 (!) ULTAs on the same day. Obviously next time I'm bringing a list!
• Smashbox Always Sharp Waterproof Kôhl Liner (buy it here): I bought this in Penny Lane over the summer when one of their Makeup Artists convinced me it was amazing. And O. M. G. she was right! It is just soft enough, smudges beautifully and stays all day. You twist the cap on and it advances the liner automatically and sharpens it. So cool! I use Penny Lane as more of an accent on my lower lash line since it isn't a dark color, but I just bought black a few days ago and I know this formula is one I'll be collecting for now on.
• Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil (buy it here): Pictured is Perversion, which is a deep matte black. This is definitely one of my go-to black colors. However, I think this is probably my favorite overall eye liner formulation, and if I want a "fun" color, then I always check Urban Decay first! The colors are always rich and true and I would much rather have that purple in the 24/7 formula than anything else! Grab the Ocho Loco2 Eye Liner Set while it's out there, this thing is a steal!

11. Eye Primers: I never skip this step! Eye primers make my shadow look much more professional, not to mention making it last all day and covering up any visible blood vessels (I'm super pale, so I have a lot). I use the NYX every day, it is basically like a concealer with primer capabilities. For days that I need to grab on to a little more powdery shadows, I'll add a light layer of Too Faced Shadow Insurance on top, and if I'm going really glittery I'll add ELF Glitter Primer (not pictured because I haven't repurchased, though I did buy 3!)

12. Wet N Wild Nutty: This is my go to taupe shadow! I love to use it in my crease, it pairs up great with pretty much everything. It's a near dupe for MAC Satin Taupe, though the lower level of pigmentation makes it work a tad better for me.

13. Lippies: I have a lot of lip products, and usually have around 20 in my purse at any given time. Yes, I have issues. The ones that I repurchase are usually these 2, the L'Oreal Caresse lip gloss stain (Lilac Ever After is a great pinky-nude) or the CoverGirl Smoochies, hydrating tinted balms. I haven't used any up, but I want to collect more of the Urban Decay Super-Saturated lip gloss pencils and Too Faced Lip Injection Color Bombs. So, I'm buying new colors!

Do you have a beauty questions you want to see on 15 Minute Beauty?


Product Sent for Review Affiliate Links , many of these items were sent initially by PR but have been repurchased by me, over and over!

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L'Oreal Magic Nude Liquid Powder Review: Super Lightweight Coverage to Love!

Product Sent for Review (and I bought it!)


I had been eyeing this new L'Oreal foundation for a while on store shelves when their PR agency sent me one to try out. It was way too dark, but after playing with the formula a bit I wanted to really try it, so I picked up a fresh shade on my next Target run.

There's been a lot of talk about how L'Oreal has "duped" (or not duped at all, depending on who you ask and how reluctant they are to use a drugstore product) the Armani Maestro Foundation (note, Armani's beauty division is part of L'Oreal) and Hourglass Immaculate Liquid Powder Foundation (which I own and haven't reviewed yet). I'm reviewing this as its own separate, stand alone product. I haven't tried the Armani so I can't compare them, and I'm very confused by how this could be a dupe of the Hourglass, which seems like a normal foundation to me. The Magic Nude is very different in formulation.


The first thing you'll notice about this formula is the bottle. It comes in a glass bottle, and unfortunately it isn't sealed at all. This does make it easy to glance at the color while you're in the store, but it also made it easy for others to do that as well in the store. I'm not really a fan of that idea. Notice that in the bottle it definitely looks a bit pinker than it comes out on the skin. I recommend either just going with your "usual" shade in a L'Oreal foundation (which is what I did) or look for the correct depth of tone, ignore that pink!


I've been wearing Classic Ivory #312, and it seems to be just like other Classic Ivory L'Oreal shades to me, so I think it runs pretty true to shade. The product is very liquidy, it feels like water. I shake the bottle very well before use, and to apply they recommend using your fingers. I put my fingers over the bottle, shake a little to get my fingers wet and just start dotting the product onto my face. The liquid will evaporate off fairly quickly so I spread it around right away, but don't worry about trying to get a perfect finish at this point. With the liquid you just want to get the product evenly distributed over your coverage area.

After a minute or two the liquid will all be evaporated leaving behind a very uniform and light coverage of product. If you need to do any blending this is the time to do it, I've just dabbed my Beauty Blended sponge on to my face or blended with my fingers. For some reason using a traditional foundation brush has not worked well for me at this point, though some people have said it works well for them with this product. If you need more coverage you can dab a little more on at this point, though I don't think I have ever needed more than 2 light layers.

The coverage is light to medium and I think it gives a pretty flawless finish. I applied this over a light moisturizer, without primer. I had no issues with it settling into pores or dry areas, and I did use this quite a bit during my recent issues with dry skin. I have combination skin, and I did notice that in the later afternoon I looked a tad shiny on my nose, but the coverage was still present. Note that I do apply concealer over the Liquid Powder, but no powder except to set my blush. It seems silly to apply more powder, right?

Overall, the best part of this product is definitely the super lightweight feel. Once it has dried you really can not feel anything on your skin, which I love! The finish makes my skin look fantastic, which is another great bonus. I'll keep using this throughout the fall for sure. I just would love it if L'Oreal sealed these bottles for the store!

L'Oreal Paris
Product Sent for Review (and I bought it!)

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The Favorite Eye Shadow Shades of Makeup Artists: Emma White

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I love using MAC’s Vanilla as a full base color with multiple combinations like two of Urban Decay colors Snatch blended softly into MAC Vanilla, with heavy liner, paired with a dramatic lash and Carbon Black Mascara. I also enjoy the look using MAC Vanilla as the base coat then on the inner lid and lash line use the light metallic pink from Two-Faced’s Thief of Hearts duo, on the middle of the lid and outer lid use the burgundy plum color then to finish use MAC Carbon on the outer crease and blend into outer lash line with black liner on the water line.

Dior Nude Luminescence, Dior Brown Fever, Urban Decay Naked 2 (I love using the Naked 2 palette often; there are countless combinations I use from it!), and MAC Vanilla are all colors that I use frequently for highlighting or contouring.

Emma White is a Special Effects, Glamour Make-up Artist & Master Cosmetologist, with a passion for positively changing people’s lives. After nine years doing special effects make-up at Sloss “Fright” Furnace in Birmingham, she worked for two years at M.A.C Cosmetics doing on-set make-up design for photo shoots, runway, & hair shows throughout the Southeast. As a 2009 CON*tourage group stylist, Emma became a personal stylist to many "characters" for www.RockEgos.com including, Dr. Rockzo, Axl Rose & Prince. Emma's eclectic career includes A Little Bit of Heaven, Green Lantern, After, and The Vampire Diaries.
In 2012, Emma started a pin-up, glamour-styling & photography company called, Divine Hysteria & is currently working on publishing her first book of artistic works. The Divine Hysteria website launches in September 2013.

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