Maybelline FIT Me Concealer Review

Maybelline FIT Me Concealer Review

From the Brand:
Blends seamlessly to cover under-eye circles and imperfections. Matches natural tone, never blotches, never cakes.

Retails for:  $6.99


Where to Buy:  Anywhere drugstore makeup is sold, such as Ulta stores and Ulta.com, Walgreens.com, CVS.com, Target, Walmart, and grocery stores


My Thoughts:  I bought this with a bunch of excitement, because I'd seen it everywhere compared to the NARS concealer.  I certainly hope that for the price of the NARS one it lasts longer than this one does.  I loved that it was easy to find a perfect match for my skin.  That's definitely a huge bonus for this concealer, but that's about where the praise ends.  It didn't last at all on my skin.  It settles into the fine lines under my eyes and makes me look tired and old after about two hours- even setting it with powder.  It doesn't stay at all on my breakouts, just slips off and settles around the edges.  It's much to creamy for a breakout, and the doe foot applicator will just mean I'm transferring bacteria into the tube if I use it directly on the zit.



Final Verdict:  I wasn't expecting too much from a drugstore concealer honestly, so I wasn't too disappointed to find that while the color is perfect the formula isn't.

**Disclaimer: As with all my product reviews, I was not paid by the cosmetic company to provide feedback or review/promote their products. This article contains some affiliate links provided through Viglink.com. All the opinions expressed in this article are my own. These items were purchased with my own money. For more information on my policies, please view my Let's Chat page.

Maybelline Baby Skin Review

Maybelline Baby Skin Review

From the Brand:
Poreless Smooth Skin Perfection! One second to smooth, poreless skin. Get mistake- proof, poreless smooth skin with Maybelline New York Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser Primer.

• Poreless Smooth Skin Perfection!
• One Second To Smooth, Poreless Skin
• Visibly Pore Blurring Smooth Skin

Retails for:  $6.99


Where to Buy:  You know the drill, anywhere drugstore brand makeup is found, but just in case, here's a few of my favorite places to shop:  Walgreens.com, Ulta.com, Drugstore.com


My Thoughts: I purchased this foundation primer to see how it would hold up on clients in the photo studio as a cheaper alternative to higher end silicone primers like the Smashbox Photo Finish Primer.  I'd seen some people on YouTube talking about how much they liked it, and for only $6.99 decided to give it a go.  I can't use anything with dimethicone (a form of silicone commonly found in primers) on my skin, since I'm allergic, but I tested it out on several clients under my silicone Face Atelier foundations to see how it did on a variety of different skin types.

I wasn't very impressed with this primer, much as I'm usually not too impressed with silicone primers.  I really like to buff the foundation over the surface of the skin when I'm working with a liquid and brush, and I never seem to get the perfect finish I want when I'm doing this over a silicone primer.  I find that unless you really work it over the surface of the skin and use just the tiniest bit they tend to roll up on the skin and not sit in place when buffing the foundation over.  They work great when I'm airbrushing foundation over the surface, as I'm not touching the primer once it's laid down.  When applying makeup to someone else, it's kind of weird to sit there and rub their face.  But that's just how I am.  I prefer a thin primer with an almost serum-like consistency that sinks down into the skin to hydrate and lightly "plump" the skin rather than something that sits over the surface.

That all being said, if you do use just a tiny bit of this and really work it over the surface of the skin, it's a good primer to fill in the pores and create a more even surface for foundation.  Just don't try to buff the skin with a flat kabuki style foundation brush.  I can make it work with my Face Atelier by using a small dual fiber brush to stipple and then smooth out the foundation lightly without disturbing the primer underneath or even better with a blender sponge.  The best option is just to airbrush, but I don't bring that to the photo studio.

I'm not able to comment on how well it works at adding longevity to the makeup, since most of our clients take their makeup off before they leave the studio.  (It's boudoir, so 1. It's a heavier look to wear just around town, and 2. It's usually a surprise.)  It seems to dull shine just a bit, even under the lights or on warm days.  On really oily skins though it's not heavy duty enough to mattify the skin, and I need to powder and use a mattifying spray on top of the makeup.



Final Verdict:  It's a decent silicone style primer to have on hand if you can't afford the more expensive prestige brands, but it doesn't live up to my favorites like the Too Faced Primed and Poreless or Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer.

**Disclaimer: As with all my product reviews, I was not paid by the cosmetic company to provide feedback or review/promote their products. This article contains some affiliate links provided through Viglink.com. All the opinions expressed in this article are my own. These items were purchased with my own money. For more information on my policies, please view my Let's Chat page.

Product Review- Maybelline Full N Soft Waterproof Mascara

Maybelline Full N Soft Mascara Review

 

Maybelline Full N Soft Mascara Review 

 

From the Brand:   

• Builds full, healthy-looking lashes without the brittle feel
• Prevents loss of lashes with Quick Dissolve System that allows easy mascara removal
• Advanced thickening formula with Vitamin E helps to soften and nourish lashes
• No clumps, no globs
• Contact lens safe and hypoallergenic

Retails for:   $7.49

Where to Buy:    Ulta Stores, Ulta.com, Walgreens, CVS, Grocery Stores, Walmart, Target, Wherever Drugstore brands are sold.

My Thoughts:   This is a nice waterproof formula for people with sensitive eyes.  It gives natural looking definition to the lashes without clumping, and it dries to a soft flexible finish.  I hate it when mascaras dry end leave my lashes feeling stiff and brittle.

The color has a good pigmentation with the very black color, and the consistency is neither too thick nor too thin.  The wand head is very similar to a standard disposable mascara wand, so it's nothing really to special but gets the job done better than some with unique shapes trying to be the "next big thing" in mascaras.

If you like a more dramatic look to your mascara/lashes, I'd either recommend putting on a pair of natural style false lashes and then using this mascara to blend the lashes together or layering the Maybelline Full N Soft Waterproof Mascara on top of another formula that gives you more of the look you want.  The waterproof attributes of the Maybelline Full N Soft will glide on over the top without clumping up or ruining the effect of the bottom mascara, and it will help give it an added layer of moisture and humidity protection without giving you stiff uncomfortable lashes.

Final Verdict:  Great for a natural looking waterproof mascara look, but it's not going to give you a long or full lash look for those who want a more dramatic mascara effect.

 

 

**Disclaimer: As with all my product reviews, I was not paid by the cosmetic company to provide feedback or review/promote their products. All the opinions expressed in this article are my own. These items were purchased with my own money. For more information on my policies, please view my Let's Chat page.

Product Review- Maybelliner MasterPrecise by Eyestudio Liquid Eyeliner

Maybelline Master Precise Liquid Eyeliner Review

 

Maybelline Master Precise Liquid Eyeliner Review 

 

From the Brand:    Exclusive felt tip. Never dries. Never drips. Master the redefined line. The next generation of liquid liner is here. Master Precise Ink Pen Liner's exclusive, ultra-thin 0.4mm brush tip supplies continuous flow for smooth, even perfect lines. No drying or skipping. No mess or excess. Ink technology keeps pigments super-saturated. Ophthalmologist tested. Safe for sensitive eyes. Contact lens safe.

Retails for:   $7.99

Where to Buy:    Ulta Stores, Ulta.com, Walgreens, CVS, Grocery Stores, Walmart, Target, Wherever Drugstore brands are sold.

My Thoughts:   This is a really fantastic felt tip liner!  It's tapered to be thicker at the bottoms so you can adjust the width of your line by how you lay it against the skin, which I think is fantastic.  We all know how it can go sometimes, when you start with a thin line and think you'll just add another swipe to build up the width and suddenly it's either too thick or the sides don't match so you have to go back and forth.... until you look like a raccoon.  It's ok.  Even us pros have those days.  It takes a little getting used to, but you can adjust how you lay this against the skin (the more flush/parallel to the eyelid the thicker the line) to get a different thickness for different looks with one swipe.

It can get a bit bogged down with eyeshadow (a definite drawback of using felt tips to begin with), so make sure that you wipe it off on a tissue or paper towel between eyes so that you're getting the most liquid into the tip and onto the skin for a clean densely pigmented line.  I also hold it with the tip pointing down for a few seconds in between swipes so that gravity can help pull the liquid into the tip evenly.

The one downside I have with this eyeliner is that it doesn't wear as long as some others I've used.  Don't get me wrong, you aren't going to be looking in the mirror an hour from now and wonder where the heck your eyeliner went, but I personally have pretty stringent guidelines on how long I like to have lasting power to my products before they require a touch up.  I guess it's from working primarily in the bridal industry for the past five years, where I needed the makeup I applied to clients to literally last 18 hours through sweat and tears or on myself for 12+  hours with absolutely no time to grab a bite of food let alone worry about how my makeup looked.  (It's amazing how many photos you end up in the background of when you're a makeup artist on the wedding day.  When representing as a pro makeup artist, you need to always looks perfectly pulled together, even if you're starting at 6 am two hours from home and going until 6 pm on wedding number three!)

Final Verdict:  Great liner for short(er) periods of time, like an average work day.  You'll need to touch it up if you want to last past dinner though.

 

 

**Disclaimer: As with all my product reviews, I was not paid by the cosmetic company to provide feedback or review/promote their products. All the opinions expressed in this article are my own. These items were purchased with my own money. For more information on my policies, please view my Let's Chat page.

Massive Makeup Haul- Target, Ulta, Sephora, and MAC

This past weekend I went on a massive makeup shopping spree to Ulta, Sephora, MAC, and Target, and I got a ton of products to review for upcoming articles here on the blog.  I want to put together some awesome Top 10 lists on categories like foundations, mascaras, lip products and more, so I knew I needed to have a comprehensive knowledge of the many options out there available.

I'm not going to go into reviews of all of the products that I purchased, as this would be the never-ending blog post if I were to do that.  As it stands, I had to film four different haul videos to get everything up on my YouTube channel!  I'm uploading the first one as I type this, and of course it's super late in the evening because we lost internet for about 3 hours earlier right when I was getting ready to post today's blog.  I probably should have typed this up this morning before starting filming, but I was enjoying my day to sleep in while hubby-wonderful took the boys to school.  (He's seriously just the BEST.)

But here's a rough breakdown of what I got at each place accompanied by photos!  Yay photos!  Make sure you leave me lots of comments below on what products you want to see featured here on the blog or in a video, and of course your recommendations for products I should try before putting together my Top 10 lists at the end of the month.  And of course, when it's done uploading you should check out my first video on my items from Target!  (I'll update this post with links to the other videos as I upload them over the next two days, too.)

Target:
Sally Hansen Lustre Shine- Lava
Sally Hansen Lustre Shine- Copperhead
Wet-n-Wild Fast Dry- Gray's Anatomy
Wet-n-Wild Wild Shine- Caribbean Frost
NYC Precious Peacock
NYC Highline Green
Sally Hansen Hard As Nails- Mint Sorbet
Sally Hansen Hard As Nails- Crushed
Sally Hansen Insta-Dry- Quick Sand
Sally Hansen Crackle- Wave Break (over Mint Sorbet)
Sally Hansen Diamond Strength- Aisle Be There (also swatched over Essie Cascade Cool)
NYX Full Coverage Concealer in Porcelain
NYX Glam Lipgloss Aqua Luxe in Velvet Rope
NYX Glam Lipgloss Aqua Luxe in Glitter Dreams
NYX Glam Liner Aqua Luxe  in Glam Golden
Milani Lipstick in Dulce Caramelo
Milani Lipstick in Nude Creme
Milani Baked Blush in Coralina
L'Oreal True Match Super-Blendable Crayon Concealers in W1-2-3 Fair/Light and N6-7-8 Medium/Deep
e.l.f. Studio Makeup Mist & Set
e.l.f. Studio Lip Balm SPF 15  in Pink
e.l.f. Studio Volume Plumping Mascara
e.l.f. Studio Lip Definer & Shaper
Maybelline  Eye Studio Color Tattoo Eyeshadow in Tenacious Teal

Sephora:

FREEBIES- 500 Point Perk set from Benefit and birthday gift along with a Living Proof hair mask sample
Eyeliner Trio by Eyeko
Too Faced Shadow Insurance Glitter Glue Eye Shadow Primer
Tweezerman Lash Curler
Sephora Liquid Eyeliner in Black
Sephora Flashy Liner Waterproof in Flashy Blue
Too Faced Loves Sephora Set
Charlotte Ronson On-The-Glow Kit

MAC:

I only purchased four things from MAC, but compared with everything else I got I didn't need much!

Products:
MAC Prolongwear Foundation in NC25
MAC Fix+
MAC Pigment in Tan
MAC Select Moisture Cover in NC20

Ulta:

Products:
L'Oreal Infallible Makeup SPF 18 Foundation in 602 Soft Ivory
Revlon Photo Ready Makeup SPF 20 Foundation in 002 Vanilla
Revlon ColorStay Makeup for Normal/Dry Skin SPF 15 Foundation in 180 Sand Beige
L'Oreal Revitalift Miracle Blur Instant Skin Smoother
L'Oreal True Match Super Blendable Concealer in W1-2-3
Revlon Photo Ready Concealer in 001 Fair
L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow in Endless Sea and Endless Pearl
Ulta Super Blender Sponge
Nivea Lip Butter Caramel Cream Kiss and Lip Butter Vanilla & Macadamia Kiss
Nivea Natural Volume Lip Care
Maybelline Eye Studio Master Precise Ink Pen Eyeliner in Black
Essence Super Fine Eyeliner Pen in Black
Maybelline
Eye Studio Master Shape Brow Pencil in Soft Brown
L'Oreal Color Caress Wet Shine Stain in Pink Rebellion
Maybelline Color Sensational Color Whisper Lipcolor in Cherry on Top
Revlon ColorBurst Lipgloss in Hot Pink Rose and Crystal Water
Revlon Color Stay Overtime Length Waterproof Mascara
Cover Girl Professional Super Thick Lash Mascara
L'Oreal Double Extend Lash Boosting Mascara
Maybelline Full & Soft Thick & Healthy Waterproof Mascara
Covergirl LashBlast Fusion Mascara
Revlon Lash Potion by Grow Luscious Mascara

As you can see by recurring brand names, L'Oreal, Maybelline, Revlon, and Covergirl had buy one get one half off on a lot of their items, or else that'd be way more money I'd have spent.  Thankfully, I plan when I shop to take advantage of their awesome sales and use my accumulated points for dollars off my total!

Phew!  That was a lot to type up!  Now I'm off to bed before doing a wedding in the afternoon.  Hopefully I've learned my lesson and will type up tomorrow's blog when I get up instead of trying to hope the internet doesn't fail in the evening when I get back from DC.

Don't forget to leave me some feedback on what products you want to see featured and products you think I need to try before I make my Top 10 Lists!

Product Review: Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser

I'm not a fan of drugstore foundations or concealers.  Let me just put that out there.  Typically, I'm not a fan of blush or eyeshadow by drugstore brands either, but over the years a few have won me over.  There are some brands I know I can run to a Target and pick up something in an emergency or on vacation and get great results, and there are brands that you will NEVER find in my makeup bag or professional kit.  But every once and a while, I'll see something on so many YouTube videos that I figure that many people can't be wrong.  This is one of those times.

Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circle Treatment Concealer

I watched a few videos where the artist used the concealer straight from the application to highlight in a triangle shape under the eyes, and I thought "Hmmm, not a bad idea, but that sponge must be full of germs now!"  Then I looked more into the product, and it is supposedly treated with something to inhibit the growth of bacteria on the applicator.  I decided to give it a try and have really liked the results.

I used the color "Light", and since I'm already so fair it didn't do much to lighten and brighten that area like the other YouTubers got, but it did cover my circles.  I don't think I use it on a regular enough basis to see any treatment benefits from it, but it's not a horrible buy.  My first impression was total love, but I've been using other concealers in my repertoire for videos and remembered why I love the higher end brands to begin with.  But for babes on a budget, I give it a two thumbs up!

Bonus: It's convenient to toss into my purse for touch ups later in the day, but the fact that I feel I need to touch it up is a downside.

Disclaimer: As with all my product reviews, I was not paid by the cosmetic company to provide feedback or review/promote their products.  All the opinions expressed in this article are my own.