October Favorites

So in October I've really been toning down my makeup, going down the more natural route. I've been sticking to matte or at least satin shadows on my eyes, light pink cheeks, and browny-pink lips. I was kinda digging it while this little natural kick lasted, but now I'm so incredibly ready to bust out the glittery eyes and red lips for the holidays!

NYC Smooth Skin Bronzing Face Powder in Sunny: Review, Photos, & Swatches

Let a little sunshine into your life for cheap, with NYC New York Color Smooth Skin Bronzing Powder. It glides on easily for a sheer bronze glow that looks like you just stepped off the beach. It is easy to use everywhere and is perfect for quick touch-ups throughout the day. 

Benefits

Sun-kissed yet natural look year round without the damaging effects of the sun

Glides easily for sheer effect

Adds a tanned look in seconds

Can be worn alone or over makeup

Dermatologist tested 

Key Ingredients

A blend of micronized pigments and silica for smooth application

Kaolin to minimize pores and lines

Natural mineral powders

 

Where to Buy: CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid, Walmart, Target, $2.99

The NYC Smooth Skin Bronzing Face Powder in Sunny ($2.99 for 0.33 oz.) is a matte warm brown shade that works particularly well for contouring. In the pan Sunny looks like it has a tad bit of orange to it, but comes across as a light choclaty brown on the skin. This is a product that I've raves about for years now but never really gave it any thought because NYC hasn't really been known for their quality, but I'm pleasantly surprised by how much I like this bronzer (especially for the winter)!

August Favorites

August is always that one month that I cannot wait to end. I LOVE the start of September, its always represented the start of new things since its been when I've gone back to school for the past 12 years. But this year is a little bittersweet since I've decided not to attend University right away, so I kind of feel like I'm missing out while all my friends are posting their photos online with their new college buddies.

I'm trying to look at the bright side, I want to really further my blog and create new opportunities for myself in this time off from school! I've invested in my new Nikon D3100 and I hope you've been noticing how much better and clearer the photos have been, I'm obsessed with just snapping pictures all around my room! But enough rambling, on to the makeup I've loved throughout August!

February Favorites

 February was a pretty minimal month in terms of makeup, I was really focusing more on my skin and venturing into contouring/highlighting!

Revlon ColorStay for Combination/Oily Skin in 180 Sand Beige

Ahh, my trusty foundation that I've been using since September! I actually ran out of this in early January and tried using Almay Truly Lasting Color Liquid Makeup in Buff, which was the absolute perfect color match for me, but its such crap. It claims to last 16 hours, but no, it slid off my face in 2. So I hurried my butt back to the drugstore and grabbed what I initially should've gotten in the first place! You know when you use something for a really long time and you just itch to try something else? I think that's what happened with my Revlon ColorStay, but it really made me appreciate how good this actually is. The coverage is great (very buildable without being cake-y) and most importantly is really lasts on my super oily skin, I only need to blot once or twice throughout the day. The only downsides are the color selection (they really need more yellow shades!) and the fact that THERE IS NO FREAKIN' PUMP! Like come on, I don't even mind paying more for the foundation just GIVE ME A PUMP REVLON!

Maybelline Dream Matte Powder in Medium Sand

My beloved MAC Blot Powder in Medium has recently died (sad blog post on that soon!) so I needed something to replace it and picked out an old favorite. I used to think this powder was the bee's knees until I tried the MAC one, now its just hard to use anything else but I'm not quite ready to shell out another $23 for it. Compared to eachother, this isn't as good but gets the job done. The Maybelline Dream Matte is much more cake-y so I have to be careful when putting it on, but it does keep the oil at bay for a good 2 or 3 hours. Not too sure why Maybelline decided to put shimmers in this powder, they don't transfer on your face, but still, I would prefer my face makeup to be completely shimmer free unless I'm deliberately highlighting! all in all, this is a great drugstore alternative to the more expensive oil controlling powders.

theBalm Bahama Mama Bronzer

Now if you know me, I'm not a bronzer person at all. But recently I've been wanting to venture into the world of contouring so I ventured to find the perfect matte bronzer. Initially I didn't like theBalm Bahama Mama because I thought it came across quite muddy in swatches, but when its on your face its a different story! It really works well with my skin tone to just create that "shadowed" look under my cheekbones so I look like I actually have them. It is quite pigmented though, so I have to fight that urge to just swirl my brush in it!

Physicians Formula Powder Palette Mineral Glow Pearls in "Beige Pearl"

 I love when the weather starts getting warmer because that's when I like my skin to look nice and glowy! I'm usually not one for highlighting just because I have acne and my skin gets a lot of shine throughout the day so its just best not to bring attention to that, but I make an exception in the spring and summer. I've tried other liquid type highlighters and they just really don't work for me because I find them harder to control (I end up getting shimmer everywhere...) so having a powder is just so much easier! This one isn't so much glittery, it just gives a really nice sheen to your skin without being like oh did you cruise the glitter section of a craft store? Plus, this compact looks stunning sitting on my vanity ;)

Apothica Goodies

 

Ahh, there's nothing like that feeling of getting a nice new package in the mail!

A while ago Apothica sent me a giftcard to their website, so I decided to pick out some products I wouldn't normally go for.

Stila

Holiday '11 Daydream Eyeshadow Palette

$14.00

I've never really been drawn to trying Stila's powder eyeshadows, I have a Smudge Pot in Kitten from them (which I LOVE) but eh, this palette was on sale and I thought what the heck, $14.00 for 22 eyeshadows that are mostly wearable is a bargain! I swatched some of these and the pigmentation is pretty lacking, but this palette is just so freaking gorgeous looking I can't help but love it. I figure it'll be good for those natural days. The only thing I really don't like about this Stila Palette is its size, its HUGE, and will never fit in my makeup drawers!

Convertible Color in Gladiola
$24.80

I swear I don't know what's wrong with me lately, I just cannot stop buying orange things! Something about that color has been calling my name over and over again. Everyone really raves about these Convertible Colors, they're supposed to be good for your cheeks and lips. I don't actually own any other cream blushes (which is what I intend on using this for) because I worry about them on my oily skin, but I'll let you know how this works out for me. I did swatch this, and its really not as intense as it looks, you can really sheer it out to your desired color!

theBalm

Bahama Mama
$19.00

Now just so you know, I'm totally the girl who's anti-bronzer, I've never bought one before this as I just really don't care if I look tan. But recently I've been wanting to add some shape to my face and try contouring, so on a whim, I thought I'd try this out even though I've heard amazing things about the $2.99 N.Y.C. Smooth Skin Bronzer in Sunny! I've tried this out on my face, and I don't really like how it looks? It turned out kinda muddy, but it was my first attempt at contouring so maybe it just needs some practice! On a side note, I thought this bronzer was going to be much bigger, does anyone else get that size disappointment when they get stuff in the mail?!

Shady Lady Shadow in Luscious Lani
$8.00 (its actually not on sale anymore, sorry! $16.00)


Not that I actually needed anymore shadows after the huge Stila palette, but these were on sale so of course I wanted to try them! This color is a shimmery, almost pink color? Depending on your undertones it could lean more pink or more peach. I like this, it was pretty buttery when swatched and would work well as a highlight or a lid color, so it'll get some use!

Shady Lady Shadow in Shameless Shana

$8.00 (its actually not on sale anymore, sorry! so $16.00)


Again, it was a sale, I had to! This shade is much darker than Luscious Lani, its like a nice bronze. I figure this will make a good crease color, or even a liner. It had a nice texture when I swatched it, nothing too special in terms of color or formula, just kind of another eyeshadow!

June Favorites!

MAC Studio Fix Powder in "N5"

I love to just dust this on my face when its too hot out to be bothered with any liquid products (which seems to be every day now)! It helps control my oily skin and give me a matte finish so I can go longer without pulling out blot paper.

Physicians Formula Powder Palette Mineral Glow Pearls in "Beige Pearl"

Since I need to keep my face extra matte in the summer, I use this powder to give me a little bit of a glow on top of my cheek bones and down my nose!

Rimmel Lasting Finish Intense Wear Lipstick in "Crush"

I don't usually like to wear heavy lip products in the hotter months, but I'm in love with this color as it just screams "summer" to me! It's a coral-y pink color that's easily built up so you can make it as sheer or opaque as you want, and it's one of the more wearable bright lipsticks I've seen from the drugstore.

Bath & Body Works Pomegranate Citrus Trial Body Lotion

If you didn't already know, Bath & Body Works is coming out with their full Signature Citrus line on July 5th, and I'm sure you can still grab these little trial sizes at your local store or online. I absolutely love love love this one since it's sweet, tangy, and a little bit musky all at the same time! Some of Bath & Body Work's scents can get a little repetitive, but I can't say I've ever smelt anything like this from them before!

Wet N Wild Color Icon Blusher in "Berry Shimmer"

This color is perfect for going out at night in the summer, it looks fantastic with a tan and gives your cheeks a stunning glow! The color always looks so gorgeous in the pan that I end up putting too much on every time, gotta work on that!

Sephora Collection Super Shimmer Lip Gloss in "Desert Gold"

This gloss makes my lips look gold and shimmery, perfect on its own or over any other lipsticks! It gives me a more tanned look and smells like candy, win win!

Physicians Formula Les Botaniques Botanical Bronzer in "Sunny Buddy"

How adorable is this little sunflower bronzer? I can't help but smile when I dust this all over my face to give me a little more shimmer, as it doesn't really have enough pigmentation to really be a bronzer, but gives a lovely glow to the skin!

COVERGIRL Eye Enhancers 3-Kit Shadows in "Cafe Au Lait"

I really can't be bothered to spend more than two minutes on my eye makeup when I'd rather be out in the sun, so this trio is amazing since it contains your highlight, lid, and crease color all in one! The shadows aren't very pigmented, but I like that since I don't need to blend them very well.

Bath & Body Works Peach Citrus Trial Body Lotion

Again I think this is one of Bath & Body Work's most unique scents, you get a lovely tangy/sweet combo that is really refreshing after a cool shower. Another plus is that these new fragrances seem to last longer on my skin than some of the other new releases, I can still smell it hours later!

 Swatches:

Left to Right: MAC Studio Fix Powder in "N5", Physicians Formula Powder Palette Mineral Glow Pearls in "Beige Pearl", Sephora Collection Super Shimmer Lip Gloss in "Desert Gold"

Left to Right: Rimmel Lasting Finish Intense Wear Lipstick in "Crush", Physicians Formula Les Botaniques Botanical Bronzer in "Sunny Buddy", Wet N Wild Color Icon Blusher in "Berry Shimmer", COVERGIRL Eye Enhancers 3-Kit Shadows in "Cafe Au Lait"

Wet N Wild Color Icon Blusher in "Berry Shimmer", COVERGIRL Eye Enhancers 3-Kit Shadows in "Cafe Au Lait"

Physicians Formula For $3 And Under?!

I found such a good drugstore deal this week that I couldn't resist sharing it! Anyone who's ever browsed the drugstore makeup isle knows that Physicians Formula is one of the most expensive brands. I always pass it up because let's face it, who wants to pay up to $14.99 for something at the drugstore, I mean that's more than a MAC eyeshadow!

But I have the solution: get all your heart desires of Physicians Formula for $3.00 and under!

CVS is currently having an in-store sale from 5/15-5/21 that gives anyone with a CVS card $6 off of any Physicians Formula foundation, powder, bronzer, blush, or concealer.

Now that's an in-store deal, so you can combine it with this darling coupon, which gives you $5.00 off any Physicians Formula product, and the limit is one coupon per item purchased, so you can use one on every Physicians Formula item you buy!

If you've done the math, that's $11.00 off any foundation, powder, bronzer, blush, or concealer! Most of Physicians Formula's blushes and powders are only $11.99, so how much are you paying? Only $1.00! And their concealers are only up to $8.00, so you will get those for free!

Here's my Physicians Formula haul (so far, I'm going to back to get more!) from CVS and the price I paid for each item!

Please excuse the poor picture quality!

• Physicians Formula Powder Palette Multi-Colored Blush in "Blushing Berry"

Price: $1.00

• Physicians Formula Mineral Wear Blush in "Rosy Glow"

Price: $1.00

• Physicians Formula Powder Palette Mineral Glow Pearls in "Beige Pearl"

Price: $3.00

• Physicians Formula Powder Palette Multi-Colored Blush in "Blushing Rose"

Price: $1.00

• Physicians Formula Les Botaniques Botanical Bronzer in "Sunny Buddy"

Price: $1.00

• Physicians Formula Mineral Wear Correcting Concealer in "Green/Light/Pink Trio"

Price: Free

• Physicians Formula Mineral Wear Correcting Concealer in "Yellow/Light/Pink Trio"

Price: Free