Product Review- e.l.f. Eyeshadow Primer

e.l.f. Essential Eyelid Primer Review


From the Brand: Preps your eyelid for smoother, longer-lasting and crease-proof eyeshadow. The lightweight liquid formula quickly absorbs into the skin for comfortable wear and increases eye color longevity.

Retails for:  $1.00



Where to Buy:  eyeslipsface.com, select Target stores


My Thoughts:  For only one tiny measly dollar, this eyeshadow primer sure packs a punch!  I wouldn't put it up on the same tier as the Too Faced or Urban Decay versions, but this is more than sufficient for people on a budget who want their eyeshadow to last longer than on bare lids alone.

It's easy to apply with the wand, although I caution against using it on the lid directly if you'll be applying it to multiple people.  Even when using it on myself, I still put some on the back of my hand then work it in an even layer over my ring fingertip for the most even and sanitary application.  Since this has no color to it, it's great for any skin tone, but if you have discoloration on your lid that you'd like to hide, be sure to add some concealer or foundation over your eyelids first before applying the eyeshadow primer.


Final Verdict:  Don't let the price tag deter you!  This eyeshadow primer really works!

 

**Disclaimer:  This article contains affiliate links.  As with all my articles, the opinions expressed herein are fully my own.  For more information on my policies, please view my Let's Chat page.

Product Review- Too Faced Beauty Blogger Darlings

Too Faced Beauty Blogger Darlings Review


From the Brand:

Chocolate Soleil Bronzer- 

What It Is:
Bronzing has never been so delicious. Our chocolate-scented, shimmer-free, matte bronzer is perfect for contouring and creating an all-over deep tan using real antioxidant-rich cocoa powder. It’s all the tan without the twinkle.

More To Love:
Infused with antioxidant-rich cocoa powder and signature bronzing pigments to create a unique matte bronzer that neutralizes red and evens skin tone.
100% cruelty-free product.


*Vegan friendly
**Paraben-free

Shadow Insurance Eyeshadow Primer-  

What It Is:
Your full coverage insurance policy against all fading, creasing and smudging. Our skin-soothing formula evens out skin tone and smoothes fine lines to create a perfect canvas for shadows. Color is intensified and locked down until you take it off.

More To Love:
Unique Binders: Volatiles lock down eye shadow pigments for amazingly long wear.
Versatility: Use with powder or cream eye shadow products.
Fights Fading: Anti-creasing formula holds eye products in place by securing a barrier between the oils of your skin and your makeup.
Concentrated: The size of a rain drop covers the entire lid.

**Paraben-free

Primed and Poreless Face Primer- 

What It Is:
Our one-of-a-kind makeup primer was scientifically formulated to wear under bronzers and foundation powders or alone to achieve the look of flawless skin without makeup. Vitamins A & C, Mulberry Extract and a powerful dose of Retinol virtually banish pores while tired skin is left hydrated, firmer, and detoxified. Primed & Poreless creates the perfect canvas to allow powders, bronzers and foundations to airbrush onto the skin seamlessly and perfectly blended. Skin appears brighter, fresher and younger. Color stays true and in place all day.

More To Love:
Erase Pores and Imperfections: Virtually erases pores, softens lines and perfects your complexion leaving skin ready for bronzer, powder, makeup or nothing at all.
Customized Formula: Provides an airbrushed canvas as it preps skin for bronzers, powder products and liquid foundations. Bronzers glide on without grabbing or looking heavy. Powders float above imperfections. Makeup applies like magic onto skin. Color stays true and in place all day.
Mulberry Extract and Arctostaphylos UVA URSI: Protect, brighten and lighten skin for a renewed freshness and soothing effect.
Retinyl Palmitate and Cyclodextrin with CAVAMAX Retinol: Restores moisture, elasticity and suppleness with a powerful combination of anti-wrinkle, youth enhancing, skincare ingredients.
Camellia Oil and Vitamin A: Essence of the white tea plant and the free radical fighting vitamins are nature’s most powerful antioxidants. Skin looks firmer, brighter and more resilient, even up close.
Colorless: Great on any skin color! The nude tone becomes invisible once applied.

*Vegan-friendly
**Paraben-free

Better Than Sex Mascara-

What It Is:
The Better Than Sex Mascara Hourglass-Shaped Brush was designed after discovering the bust-waist-hip ratio of an iconic silver screen Blonde Bombshell held the secret to the perfect brush silhouette that separates, coats and curls each lash to voluptuous perfection. One coat of the carbon black, collagen-fueled mascara formula and lashes are full, defined and stretched to unbelievable lengths. Two coats and lashes are even more luscious, curled and dramatic. Three coats and achieve the most intense black, oversized, multidimensional lashes possible! A mascara so amazing…it’s Better Than Sex!

More To Love:
Better Than Sex mascara includes:

• Film-forming Polymer for smudge-proof, all day wear
• Acacia Senegal Tree Extract to nourish, thicken and lock curl in place
• Unique Peptides for the deepest, intense black possible

• 1,944% more volume*
• 100% saw longer lashes**
• 100% saw dramatic volume**
• 93% saw base-to-tip curl**
• 8 out of 10 say it’s the best mascara they’ve ever used**

*results observed in a clinical study.
**results observed in a consumer study.


Retails for:  $20.00


Where to Buy:  TooFaced.com, Ulta.com and Ulta stores


My Thoughts:


Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzing Powder-  If you've ever watched any of my makeup tutorials on my YouTube channel, you know I'm totally addicted to this stuff.  It's used every time I do my makeup to give my cheeks the perfect matte sculpted look.  And it smells like real chocolate!  I have a few small travel sizes of it, so it's with me wherever I go and one in my makeup kit.  Clients love the way it looks and smells, too, and it's dark enough for even the more tanned skin tones.


Shadow Insurance Anti-Crease Eye Shadow Primer-  A MUST every time I do eye makeup.  Again, I have the trial sizes from various kits plus a few full sizes I've picked up along the way, so I have these stashed everywhere.  I absolutely adore when Too Faced comes out with these sets so that I can stock up on this stuff.  It's clear, hydrating, and locks shadows in place like nobody's business.


Primed and Poreless Skin-Smoothing Face Primer-  I waffle back and forth with this face primer between loving it and just not using it often enough.  It comes and goes in spurts where I use it every time I do my makeup and getting pushed to the back of the bin when I discover something new to obsess over.  (The bane of being a beauty blogger I suppose!)  But I always come back to it.  It's my old faithful.  Since my skin is more of the super dry variety the majority of the time, I do tend to skip this more than I should.  But during the summer when I need more pores smoothed and evened out, or if I have photos that are going to be taken of me and need a flawless finish to my face, this is what I know I can depend on.

Better Than Sex Mascara-  This is Too Faced's newest mascara, and honestly it's the reason I bought this kit.  I figured it was an inexpensive way to get travel sizes of my three most-used Too Faced products and also get to try out this mascara at the same time! I've got a  nice in-depth review on this mascara coming soon, so I won't go into too much detail, but it was definitely a good buy on my part with getting this kit!  Check back on the 19th for more info on this mascara!


Final Verdict:  For only $20, you can't go wrong with this set!  There's a reason beauty bloggers love these products- They rock!  Even if there's something in here you aren't a huge fan of, the rest of them in convenient travel sizes make it totally worth it, and it's the perfect introduction to the brand if you've never used Too Faced before.

 

**Disclaimer:  This article contains affiliate links.  As with all my articles, the opinions expressed herein are fully my own.  For more information on my policies, please view my Let's Chat page.

 

Makeup Tip #2!

***Here is the second post that should have gone live yesterday!  Today's post coming later this afternoon!***

Today's makeup tip can also be applied to doing your nails, too!  Whenever you want your color to pop and be really vibrant, start with a white base.

For eye makeup:  Use a white cream color on your eyelid and then pat the brighter color over the top for the most impact.  This works especially well for loose pigments, as the cream give the loose powder color something to stick to, and the white eliminates any skin color that could dull down the vibrancy.  You can use a cream color in a jar or pot or a convenient stick, like the NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk.

For nails:  If you're doing a bright color, especially a neon (which is so in for spring!), coat your nails with a white nailpolish first.  Once that's dry, put on two coats of your favorite color and watch how bright it appears!  Revlon even sells dual ended nail polish duos that have a white base color and a neon color in the same container for your convenience- Nail Art Neon.

Makeup Tips #1!

Copyright Urban Decay Cosmetics

I'm starting a new series here on the blog- Makeup Tips!  Quick little posts with some of my favorite tips for making your makeup look amazing.

Tip #1:  Use an eye primer before putting on your eye color

Using an eye primer will allow your eyeshadow to cling to the eyelid better and last all day.  I hear from women all the time that they get frustrated when their eyeshadow fades or settles into the creases of their eyelids.  Yet when I ask them if they use an eye primer first, they look at me like I have two heads.

Not only will it help your eye color last longer through the day (especially important if you have oily lids or lots of fine lines), it will also keep the color truer.  Ever put an eye shadow on your lid only to  have it look completely different from how it did in the pan?  Eye primers counteract this problem!

And if that wasn't enough, many eye primers now come with a multitude of skincare benefits, from hydrating to firming.  How awesome is that?!

Do you have a favorite eye primer?  Here are mine:

1. Tarte 360 degree Creaseless Eye Primer.  It's silky smooth and very hydrating.  And I love that Tarte doesn't test on animals and uses natural ingredients in a lot of their products.
2. Benefit Stay Don't Stray.  This is best for fair skinned women, as it's got a built in concealer that completely blocks out discoloration on the lid.  Perfect for those days when you don't really want to wear shadow, but you want your lids to look fresh.  Goes under your undereye concealer as well to keep it in place!
3. Too Faced Shadow Insurance.  Available in a variety of shades to give your eyes exactly what they need.  Comes in clear, lemony yellow, candlelight (shimmery golden), champagne, and glitter glue- perfect if you wear glittery shadows or loose pigments!
4. Urban Decay Primer Potion.  Also available in a variety of colors.  Eden (a nude), Original (clear), Sin (shimmering champagne- gorgeous on its own!), and Greed (shimmering golden).