One Girl's Thoughts: February 2014

I am by no means a makeup pro or anything but here are the products that I like and I think work for me. I always like to see what other people use because sometimes I think it is something I might be interested in trying. It's hard to try on makeup before buying it, especially if it's from a drugstore, so reading reviews and watching videos is research to help me find the right products. So here's what I've been loving. Not everything is makeup but it's closely related.

P.S. Sorry that the pics don't always fit in the frames!

P.S.S. I bought most of this makeup with a sale of some kind. Either a buy one, get one free deal, good coupon, or if Ulta or Sephora has a special gift with purchase (then I get lots of samples).

Face

Bare Minerals Trial Kit. I love it! I will def buy a larger size of the original foundation. I may also buy the mineral veil and a different color concealer. My color is medium beige, I will probably need a darker color in the summer. I think this stuff is very light yet covers well. I'm not a big fan of the brushes in this kit though and the jars are messy. I hear the larger ones close though so they aren't messy.

Brushes. These brushes are great and were pretty inexpensive. The top is a kabuki brush from E.L.F. I think it was $6. It is super soft, I like to use it with powder foundation. The next two we're from Walmart, I don't think you can get them anymore, at least not in my Walmart. I think they were only around $4. I use the angled one for blush and the fluffy one for bronzer. The bottom two are from Real Techniques. They came in a kit of 4 and I don't remember the price but I got them from Ulta. They are super soft too. I would def buy more Real Techniques brushes. I use the small one for setting my under eye and the fluffier one for highlighter. I may start using it for blush because I don't highlight my face that often.

Loreal True Match Foundation. I think this is a great liquid foundation. I don't like to use liquid foundation a lot but this one doesn't feel as cakey as others I've tried. I'm in the shade Natural Beige which is W4. There are a ton of shades and it's kind of confusing. I think this is like the 3rd one I tried. It was worth the search though.

CK One 3-in-1 face makeup. I got a few of these samples from Ulta and I really like this product. I'll be sad when I run out. I would consider purchasing it. The only thing holding me back is the cost. I don't wear liquid foundation a lot though so it may last me a long time. It is a foundation, serum, and primer. I really like how it feels, it makes my skin feel soft and silky. My shade is 300 sand. At first I thought it would be too light for me but it was the perfect match. I think this is $32.

Alba Towelettes. This makeup wipes are awesome! One side has little bumps on it for exfoliating and the other side is smooth for toning. I'm not sure if it takes makeup off better than other wipes but it feels better and the smell is refreshing and makes my face feel clean after. I got mine by the makeup in Target in the naturals section and I saw them today at Walmart on the opposite side of aisle from where the other face wipes are.

Equate Eye Makeup Remover. I don't like this necessarily because of the product itself but the concept of the product. I use to just use my makeup wipes to take off my eye makeup. I wont do that again. This is so much easier on my eyes and doesn't make me look like a raccoon in the morning! I may try other brands, I just got this one because it was the cheapest I saw.

Ulta Hydra Quench Foaming Oil Cleanser. I'm not sure why I like this facewash so much. There's just something about it I really enjoy. It comes out as an oil but lathers on your face. It has an oily smell but it's not too bad. It lasts a long time.

Garnier Moisture Rescue. I love how this stuff feels! It's a gel and is just really refreshing. I like that you only need a little bit and it spreads really far. I feel like my skin is actually soaking it up. I've noticed that my dry patches have gotten better by using this. I think I'll be buying another jar when I run out.

Loreal True Match Crayon Concealer. I definitely think stick concealers are the best for covering up spots. I had an Ulta one that I liked a lot but just a couple days ago I bought this one and it is much creamier so it got to be in the favorites. This one may actually be a little too dark so I might try a lighter shade. The consistency is good though. I believe this shade is light/medium n 4-5 or something like that.

Maybelline Fit Me Concealer. I've been using this concealer for under my eyes. I like it but I'm still on the search for something better to cover my dark circles. In the mean time I will continue to purchase this. I heard that you are supposed to get a salmon color concealer to cover dark circles and that doesn't really match my skin tone so I may even keep buying this to match my skin tone better. I got the shade 20 sand sable. For under eye concealers I try to go at least a shade lighter.

Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess. This bronzer is AWESOME!! Sadly, they don't make it anymore :( They may have one similar though, I've been to bitter to go to the counter and try the others out. It's matte but not dull. It's not too orangy. Just gives that perfect bronzed, warm look to your face. It's easy to apply and you don't have to worry about looking like a burnt oompa loompa. It was around $30 I think but it was SO worth it.

NYX Cream Blush. This blush is my current favorite blush. The shade is natural and at first I was like "how is this natural," but once I put it on it all made sense. It looks like the natural pinkness my cheeks have before I put foundation of any kind on. It has a really nice texture too. I think it was $6.99 and there were a few other colors. I will probably buy another because I'm obsessed with blush.

Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush. I like the colors of these blushes and the ease of putting them on but there's something I don't like about the consistency. They just look gross after a while. I do love this shade though, it's coffee cake. There's a good chance I'd buy it again.

NYX Blush. This is a great go-to color! I will definitely be buying it again. The shade is terracotta. It has less shimmer than it looks. The price was around $4.99. Ulta often has NYX products buy one get one free.

Eyes

NYX Nude Matte Shadow. I'm really into nude matte eyeshadows. This is a good color when I want to wear eyeshadow but still want to keep it natural. I think it's a nice color on me. I believe it's called Tryst or something weird like that.

Bare Minerals Lash Domination. I got this mascara as a sample. I fell in love the first time I used it. It gives a really great natural look. It makes my lashes look full but not clumpy. I will probably buy a regular sized tube when this runs out. Not sure how much it costs though, I should really look that up.

Tarte Lights, Camera, Flashes. I like this mascara but I haven't made up my mind if I would buy it. It was a part of a mascara set I bought. It's my favorite out of my current mascaras for when I need a little oompf. I may try the "Lights, Camera, Lashes" instead. It's a good mascara don't get me wrong, I just don't know if I really need to spend my money on it.

Lips

I've been on a lip product kick lately. Here are some that I have really been loving. Hence, why I have bought different colors of the same product.

Maybelline Color Whispers. I LOVE these! They are a lipstick/balm. Sheer but you can build them up. Perfect for me! There is a nice range of colors too. Here are the ones I have.

Some Like it Taupe--A brownish nude.

Mocha Muse--A pinkish nude.

Orange Attitude--It looks shimmery but it's matte. Used lightly it's peachy, keep applying for the bright orange.

Made it Mauve--A really pretty mauve color. To me it has hints of pink, red, and gold.

Nude Night Out--Pinky Orange color with gold glitter. More glitter than I would like but it will be pretty every now and then. This is a LIMITED EDITION color.

Covergirl Jumbo Beauty Balm. These are awesome. Super easy to use! Also sheer but buildable. Leaves a little bit of a stain behind so when it wears off your lips aren't completely colorless.

Coral Twist--Bright pink

Apricot Twist--To me this is more of a coral color

Scarlett Twist--Pretty reddish orange color. Perfect if you think red is too bold.

NYX Mega Shine Lip Gloss. I only have one of these but I may get more. Even though it says mega shine I don't think it is super glossy and I like that. It's not sticky either. This is a great nude pinky peach color.

Maybelline Baby Lips. These are AMAZING! Love love love them. They feel really nice and smooth, smell good, and look pretty! Good for days when you don't really want to wear a lip stick or gloss but want a little something extra.

I don't have a pic of my favorite but it's the clear one that comes in the blue packaging. I always have one with me! (I also like the Nivea kiss of olive oil and lemon a lot!)