Mascara Review

Mascara is one of those things I just can't leave the house without. It's to me the ultimate beauty essential. I've been testing out a few new ones recently that I wanted to share. Mascara is kind of a person to person thing and depends on individual eye shape but I can share my overall impressions and what worked for me.

Clinique High Impact Mascara/Bottom Lash Mascara: I got this as part of a gift package from Clinique. I'm not usually a huge fan of Clinique makeup products but I was quite impressed with the top lash mascara. It has a non plastic brush that really coats every lash without clumping. It gives some serious length and shapes the lash nicely but not so much volume which is more of my concern. It looks great for every day though and is a quality mascara. I have mixed feelings about the bottom lash mascara. I really wanted to love it because I know so many bloggers have raved about it but I just couldn't get the point of it. If anything I felt like it defined my lower lash too much...It's probably just my eye shape but I wasn't into it. 

No. 7 Exquisite Curl: I picked this up at Target after watching a video of Zoella, a favorite vlogger/blogger of mine rave about it. I've been loving this for everyday. I never really bother with curling my lashes because it just feels like an extra step in the morning I don't want to deal with. This mascara really does give the lashes a great curl. The wand is also nice and small which makes for easy and precise application. I only wish the color I had picked up was a blacker black. I accidentally purchased black/brown which isn't as dramatic as I would like. All in all I'm really pleased with this though. 

Maybelline Waterproof Define-a-lash: I once had this gorgeous camp counselor who recommended this mascara to me. She had a very minimalist approach to makeup and only wore this and a light moisturizer every day and she just looked amazing. I find that this mascara looks really good on days where I don't go crazy with shadows or just want to keep my makeup super minimal. It gives a really natural lengthening effect but it doesn't give enough umph to really stand up to a full eye look. Its got a thin flexible plastic wand which makes application easy and the waterproof formula is great for sweaty summer days. 

Benefit Badgal Lash Mascara: This mascara is just gorgeous on. It gives great length, the bristle brush is super defining and clump free, and it gives nice volume while still looking natural. This would be my perfect go to mascara if it weren't for one thing. The brush is ENORMOUS. I have fairly small eyes and I cannot for the life of me maneuver this thing around my lashes without getting mascara on my face. This bothers me to no end because its such a great mascara so for those of you who like giant brushes this stuff is amazing but I just can't work with it. 

Benefit They're Real Mascara: This stuff is the holy grail of mascaras. I cannot live without it. Its the trifecta: defining, lengthening, and volumizing all in one! I know people who hate plastic brushes and love this. Its great for evening and a dramatic daytime look, the brush is firm so it combs through the lashes without creating any clumps, and it has a spiky sort of tip to go back through the lashes and define more. This is sort of the be all end all of high end mascaras. I love it. You will love it. The end. 

Tell me about mascaras that you use! I love getting product recommendations!

xoxo, 

Shan

Favorite Sheer Foundations

I wanted to do a post showing you guys my favorite foundations of the moment, one drug store brand and one high end.

I don't like putting too much makeup on my face so I normally go for sheer foundations that give a dewy finish without making me shiny.

Nars Sheer Glow Foundation has become kind of a cult favorite ever since its release. Its got a nice buildable coverage and a nice range of colors. I wear Santa Fe which suits me quite nicely. It gives a nice dewiness without going overboard and with a bit of primer lasts all day. It doesn't dry me out or break me out which is nice because I have serious combination skin which can be problematic. Its all in all a fantastic buy and I'll definitely be repurchasing. My only problem with it is that it comes with a screw cap instead of a pump which is annoying but I can deal with it. I believe they sell pumps at nars stores so I'll probably pick one up at some point. Overall its a fantastic foundation.

Revlon Nearly Naked Foundation is a newer foundation for Revlon. I bought this for the summer to match my tanned skin and I love it. I'm generally not a fan of drug store foundations because they tend to cake on me but this stuff is fabulous. Its sheer and dewey, melts into the skin, and gives a gorgeous natural finish. It also has SPF 20 which is great for summer. I wear the shade 150 Nude which suits me quite well. I find that it isn't quite a buildable as Nars and isn't as long wearing but it looks slightly more natural on the skin. For only $7.99 its a great bargain buy if you're looking to spend a bit less on a foundation. It also comes with a screw on top but I guess you can't have everything... Again its a product I'll definitely be repurchasing in the future.

So far I've been using Nars for evenings out and fancier occasions because of the slightly better coverage and the lack of SPF for photos and the Revlon for day to day. I'm super happy with both of them especially for the warm summer months.

What are your favorite foundations for summer?

xoxo,
Shan

Holy Grail #1: Seche Vite

You know that feeling when you've just found a holy grail product that you will use and repurchase until the end of time? That's what happened the first time I used Seche Vite Topcoat.

I used to be incapable of painting my own nails. I get really restless and always would end up ruining them and becoming too frustrated to repaint them. I ended up spending loads of money on manicures or just leaving them bare which I'm just not too fond of. I ended up hearing about Seche Vite from a couple of beauty bloggers who were just raving about it so I thought I'd give it a go.

This topcoat basically changed my life. It's got this thick glossy formula that dries nails in seconds. I have tried TONS of topcoats that have promised to dry my nails faster and none of them have worked. Seche Vite is the only one that dried my nails in basically seconds and gave a nice shine to my nails and a long wearing effect. This stuff works.

I bought mine at Sally's Beauty Supply because I don't think you can find it at drugstores but you can get it online, I'm sure.

This stuff is a godsend and a must have for nail polish enthusiasts! Trust me, if you aren't someone who does their own nails this stuff will change you!

What are some of your holy grail beauty products?

xoxo,

Shan

Drugstore Starter Kit

This post is intended for the beauty beginner who is looking for a few basic products at reasonable prices that are easy to apply and easy to wear. The world of beauty can be really daunting and confusing for most who are starting out. These are my recommendations for easy products for an easy natural everyday look.

Revlon Nearly Naked Foundation: If you've read my post on my favorite foundations where I compared this to Nars sheer glow, you'll know how much I love this stuff. Its sheer but buildable and goes on the skin really nicely. Its easy to blend in with your fingers so you don't need to invest in a brush and just gives a nice natural clean look.

Revlon Photoready Cream Blush in Pinched: I love cream blushes because they are so easy to apply with your fingers and they give a really natural dewy flush that lasts and feels so nice on the skin. This shade is great for a natural flush and has a subtly shimmer that gives a glow to the cheeks.

Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze: I seriously cannot live without this stuff. Its a shadow base or cream shadow that has insane staying power. The great this about it is that if you just apply a small amount with fingers onto the lids it looks light and shimmer on the center of the lid and darker in the crease on its own so it looks like you spent the time putting together a whole shadow look with none of the effort.

No. 7 Exquisite Curl Mascara: This is my favorite drugstore mascara at the moment. Its gives a nice curl and is great for day to day. The brush is small and easy to maneuver for beginners.

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Honey: I wanted to give two lip options, a natural color and a bright for evenings and special days. These balms come in the form of a hydrating crayon that moisturizes but lasts without constant touch ups. The color Honey is universally flattering and perfectly subtle for natural looks.

Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Lipstick 12: This is the bold lip look I included. I am loving the Kate Moss lipstick line that Rimmel has released. They are highly pigmented and really easy to wear. This shade is sort of a tomato red. It isn't as intense and a true red and not quite as neon as most oranges. Its a really flattering shade for most skin tones.

Top to Bottom: Maybelline Color Tattoo, Revlon Cream Blush, Revlon Lip Butter, Rimmel Lipstick

This whole set totals to about $47.00 depending on where you shop which is about the price of two high end products.

What are your drugstore essentials?

xoxo,
Shan

Essie Nail Polishes #1

I will admit that I am really picky when it comes to buying nail polish. I feel like you have to be though because you're making a commitment really to a whole lot of nail polish! Plus I am the kind of person who if I see a tiny chip on my nails I will proceed to peel off every last bit of polish with my fingers like a obsessive maniac until I can get my hands on nail polish remover which is very often far too late. So I have to make sure the polishes I buy are of a certain quality that won't chip easily but wont cost me a fortune like the much loved Chanel and Butter London...etc. Thus I have become something of an Essie fanatic. They have a great range of colors, the quality is outstanding, and they have pretty recently changed their brushes to be wider and easier to handle. Basically, I'm obsessed. Here are some of my favorites at the moment!

Lilacism: I have never used a single polish so often in my life. This super flattering perriwinkle is perfect year round and looks great on all skin tones.

Chinchilly: I'm having issues finding words to describe this color...Its a brown-gray-purple-mauve? I'm not sure..but its lovely. Its my go to in autumn and winter.

Eternal Optimist: I bought this because I wanted a nude nail color that wasn't sheer and still had a little something special to it. This color is a beautiful sort of fleshy pink color that looks lovely on. I'm an aspiring opera singer when I'm not blogging and this is my go to performance/audition color because its so elegant and classy.

Tart Deco: I have been LOVING this color for summer. Its a light orange and its kind of a cross between a neon and a pastel...if that makes any sense at all. Its not a neon orange because its quite pale but it has that sort of glow effect. It looks great with a tan and its one of my favorites.

Mademoiselle: This is a great color for those of you who do french manicures. Its a very sheer baby pink. I wear it when I want to go bare nails without actually having no polish on.

My Better Half: I bought this color in the mini size to test it out because this isn't a color I would normally go for because its a cooler purple toned pink and I tend to gravitate towards warm colors. I actually have become quite a fan. I love that its kind of unexpected and has a really beautiful subtle shimmer. 

Lacy Not Racy: Another great shade for the colder months. I love dark nail polishes but so far I haven't found many that really flatter me. This one is a deep raspberry shade and because the base is still a red it somehow works with my skin tone.

Red Nouveau: This is just your standard bright summery coral red. Its bold, classic, and you can't really go wrong with red nail polish!

What are your favorite nail polish brands and colors?

xoxo, 

       Shan

Revlon Lip Butters

The  Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters  were the first lipsticks I've tried that I have absolutely loved. Every time I'm at Rite Aid or Target I feel this urge to just buy every single one of them. They are sheer enough for every day but can build up to a nice pigmentation, they feel like a hydrating balm on the lips, and the colors are nothing short of perfect. Theyre comparable to the L'oreal Colour Riche Colour Caresse line but tend to be a bit more shimmery and seem to have a bit more pigmentation.

I have "Red Velvet", a deep brownish red, "Peach Parfait", a shimmering nude, "Berry Smoothie" a sheer neutral pink, and "Juicy Papaya" a lighter sherberty orange.

Left to Right: Red Velvet, Peach Parfait, Berry Smoothie, Juicy Papaya

• Red Velvet: This was my go to lip color all through the colder months last year. It was my first foray into bold lips and I am completely obsessed. It looks great on medium skin tones and is really pigmented but still light on the lips unlike most other deep lipsticks I've tried. 
• Peach Parfait: I bought this during I time that I was invited to a lot of Black Tie kind of events where I wanted a sort of elegant nude lip. I usually stay away from any kinds of glitter but I love this. Nude lip colors tend to scare me but this isn't a traditional flesh toned nude. It has more of a pink tone and the shimmer is subtle and just gorgeous. 
• Berry Smoothie: This is a great neutral color for year round. I find pinks to be not so flattering on me. I have kind of a yellowish medium skin tone and naturally darker lips and anything that is lighter than my lip color washes me out and brings out the yellow. The berry shade in this is universally flattering and gives a lovely subdued your-lips-but-better look. 
• Juicy Papaya: I don't know if its just me but I find this color to just look kind of sexy on the lips. It's perfect for summer and spring and love it for nights out. It gives the effect of a gloss without the stickiness and the added layer and kind of glows. I think it would look particularly gorgeous on medium to dark skin tones. 

Basically, I love every one of these and I'll definitely be adding more to my collection! Let me know what you think and what your favorite colors are!!

Also, this is my first post and I would love some feedback on what you'd like to see on this blog. I love beauty blogs and thought I would give it a try. I'm a little out of my comfort zone and trying to find my footing so any and all suggestions would help!

xoxo, 

      Shan