Thursday, June 24, 2010

The Balm TimeBalm Concealer


thebalm concealer swatches

Concealer has never been part of my makeup routine but I've been starting to notice some under-eye circles and then the usual redness from blemishes. My friend works at Sephora and she had let my sister know that The Balm has a great concealer. I read the reviews on Sephora and loved what I saw. I purchased this along with my $10 Stila e/s It girl palette. FYI I got the concealer in the Light/Medium shade.

When I received it, I was a bit bummed that the packaging was really plain. It comes in a simple clear pot with a sponge. Hopefully they revamp their packaging for this product because then it would be perfect! Another thing I don't like very much is the smell. It's not awful by any means, but it has a bit of that "makeup smell" to it. The smell is noticeable initially, but goes away after a couple of minutes.

Anyway, I swirled my ring finger into the pot and was surprised it wasn't creamy as others have described. I thought it would be similar to Benefit's Boing concealer, as in super creamy. The consistency feels more like a MAC paint pot. I guess it really depends on where you place your makeup products though. I find that placing it out on my bathroom countertop when I'm in the shower helps soften it to the consistency I prefer. As far as coverage go, I really dig it! It covers up my problem areas and blends into my skin pretty well. This stuff lasts all day long for me too, even after a good run during my lunch break. What I like about this concealer is that it helps even out my skin tone as well. I like to put a little bit on the corners of my nose to cover up the redness and then a little bit over the area above my lip to help even out some of the darkness/shadow.

Time Balm sells for $18 a pop. While this is a bit steep in price, I say it's worth it. There is a good amount of product and a little goes a long way so I'm sure this will last me over a year.

Friday, June 11, 2010

Clarisonic Skin Care Brush


From the creators of the Sonicare® toothbrush comes the Clarisonic® Skincare Brush. Sonic technology first changed the way we clean our teeth, it's now changing how we cleanse our skin. The sonic frequency moves Clarisonic's soft, gentle brush back and forth at more than 300 times per second, thoroughly clearing pores and skin surface.

Here are some of the benefits this revolutionary skincare tool delivers:
- Removes makeup six times better than traditional methods.
- Clears pores and reduces the appearance of pore size.
- Cleanses so thoroughly that skincare products absorb better.
- Creates noticeably healthier looking skin.

I wanted to buy this about a year ago, but not having a job really prevented me from doing so. I had to put my money on far more important things such as student loans. Now that I have a full-time job, it has allowed me to buy things that I thought were out of reach for me. The Clarisonic comes with a hefty price after all. A $195 price tag. I have kept my eye on it for a really long time and have read reviews from several places so it was definitely something worth buying in my opinion.So far it has been working really well for me. I like that it's easy to use because it has a built in timer that beeps. Once you turn it on, the entire cleansing process takes 60 seconds. 20 for the forehead; 20 for the nose; and, 10 for each cheek. My skin feels so fresh and clean after using it, but without that tight feeling. It just makes your skin glow and soft!

The main reason why I bought it was because I wanted a really deep clean. I have a bad case of clogged pores and blackheads (on my nose). My pores never seem to want to unclog so regular cleansers have never fixed this issue. Although I thought my pores would be completely unclogged after using the Clarisonic for a week, it hasn't happened. I'm sure most of us want the results to happen right away, but it is going to take a bit more time for me to be 100% satisfied. I am sure with constant long-term use that it will prove more effective, so I'm going to be patient and be happy with the results I have seen so far.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

I will be reviewing some items that I just received in the mail. Stay tuned for:
-Clarisonic
-The Balm TimeBalm Concealer
-Stila It Girl Palette (with swatches of course!)

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Stila It Girl Palette for $10 at Sephora

If you want to get a hold of some Stila eyeshadows for a really good price, I suggest you go to sephora.com right now and buy the trio palette that has the award winning Kitten in it! I couldn't resist because I so badly want to have Kitten and it's way cheaper than getting it on its own for $18.

Here is a little breakdown:

The Palette: 3 eyeshadows x 0.107 oz=$10

One Eyeshadow Pan: 0.09 oz=$18

Grab yours before it's gone!


Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Clarisonic: To buy or Not to buy

Really debating on if I should purchase the Clarisonic or not. There are such great reviews on it on the web, whether it's from Makeupalley, Sephora, or QVC. I have always wanted it but I just never got to purchasing it because it is so expensive! I just want to see if it lives up to its hype and helps out my skin. I'm leaning more towards getting it but I do have a guilty purchase conscience. Any of you have it and care to share your story?

Friday, May 7, 2010

MAC Mineralize Blush

I had my day off today and decided to go to the Carlsbad Premium Outlets to check out a few things I was eyeing for awhile. I did some damage! I got some Kenneth Cole peep toe pumps for work, the new Reebok Easytone shoes, and a MAC mineralize blush from the Cosmetics Company Outlet (CCO). The CCO pretty much carries a bunch of lines such as MAC, Estee Lauder, Bobbi Brown, Prescriptives, etc. for less expensive. At MAC stores and Nordstrom's, the mineralize blush goes for $21 but I just bought mine for $15.75. It's relatively cheaper and I love it because you can find a lot of limited edition products there too. Check out this link to see if there is one near you.

The mineralize blush I got is called Earth to Earth from the Grand Duo Collection. The pan is a duo with one half a pretty bronzy peach color and the other half has purple swirls/veins. I thought it looked really dark in the packaging but I fell in love when I swatched it. It's such a perfect shade for the summer because it really gives that sunkissed glow. I believe this product is multi-purpose too and I could definitely use it as an eyeshadow.







Friday, April 16, 2010

Breaking Out

Any of you allergic to specific makeup items? I just bought a Jane blush from the drugstore because the color was pretty and it was inexpensive. I have been using it for almost a week now and I just recently noticed that my face has broken out with little red bumps. I haven't had this happen to me in such a long time but I'm pretty sure it's the blush. The last time I had this reaction was with a NYX and Revlon blush. I guess I'm done with drugstore brand blushes. I'm a bit bummed because I love saving money :(

I'll stick with my Everyday Minerals (even though it turns orange by the end of the day) and my Flirt! Cosmetics blush.

What makeup has made you break out? Share your story in the comment box.