A Couple Product "Don'ts"

For me it's rare to find a product that I dislike enough to tell people that I wouldn't recommend buying it. Usually I can find something I like about it enough to at least say, "Eh... it's worth a try." Today, however, I'm bringing you reviews on 2 products that I will never consider purchasing again and I cannot recommend them at all. 

The first product, is the Marbella Permanent Eyeliner Pen. I received this product in my June bag from My Glam and had high hopes for this product. I am always looking for another great eyeliner and more specifically I have been looking for an eyeliner that will give me the look of a liquid liner but something that's easier to apply and will stay put on your eye. 

 I guess the word "permanent" is what convinced me this pen was going to be a success. Unfortunately, this eyeliner is hardly permanent. When you rub the line you've created, you have a slight amount of product rubbing off but this isn't the biggest problem. If you introduce any moisture to this product, you have a big mess. Any tears or sweat will cause this eyeliner to immediately smudge and run all over the place. I used the product once on a day where moisture wasn't an issue and aside from the fact that I had to go over my lines several times to make it a true black, I was fairly pleased with the wear. So, I decided to give it a try again. I wore it to the fireworks. God bless the kindness of the people around me because when I looked in the mirror I saw a raccoon before me! A hint of this product's epic failure should have been that it states on the pen to not use it at all if you wear contact lenses. I do not wear lenses, but I still think that should have been a clue. Shame on me... never again will I use this product. 

The next product I'd like to talk about is Revlon Photoready Airbrush Makeup. If you follow my other posts about foundation, you'll note that I purchased this the same time as my other Revlon Colorstay foundation. The colorstay has been working really well for me for the most part, but I figured I would give the airbrush foundation a try since I already purchased and swatched it. There is nothing I like about this foundation from the packaging to the application to the coverage. 

 To start off with, the pump for me is very difficult to push down while having any kind of control as to how much product comes out. If you have any kind of arthritis, shaking or pain in your hands, this pump is very difficult to use with any kind of accuracy. 

Next comes the application of the product. As with the other Revlon foundation I use, I used the Sonya Kashuk blending sponge to apply this foundation. Not only was the product very difficult to blend and not look splotchy but the coverage wasn't very good at all. It seemed like the more I applied to try to increase coverage, there was no difference in actual coverage at all. It just looked more splotchy!

The next thing that is kind of annoying about this foundation is that there is a shimmer to it which is borderline
"glittery". I say this because some places even seem to have pieces of glitter as opposed to a shimmer. This is personal preference, but I believe any shimmer or glitter should be left to other products as opposed to being directly in your foundation. 

So, that's my take on these 2 products. I hope at least someone has had a better experience than I have!

-Yours - Jessica - 

My New Foundation Routine: Initial Feelings

Hi friends! I know I was supposed to update you all the next day after the big foundation test (the summer outdoor children's party in Alabama heat) but I believe I still may be recovering from that! LOL I have continued basically the same foundation routine the remainder of the week and today I was not planning on going anywhere so I have slapped on my Philosophy "Take A Deep Breath" and am using this opportunity to clean my brushes and sponge.

So here's my thoughts about the different products I have used this week each day:

1.  Philosophy "Take A Deep Breath" (sample received as part of my $10 June Glam Bag Subscription) : I am very pleased with this product. It doesn't seem to really help with any redness I have (Although I've seen they do have a moisturizer to help with that and will probably try that next.) however, this gel-like moisturizer has a lovely cooling feel when you apply it and does not feel greasy at all to me. The little sample sized tube has been wonderful and with using I would say a double pea-size amount each time has lasted me about 10 uses and maybe has 1 or 2 left in there. I will give my final review and decision to repurchase when it's completely empty!

2. Hard Candy Sheer Envy Primer: Ultra Light Formula ($8 - Walmart): This is another product I am very pleased with so far! I will start by saying the one thing I would change about this product is that it feels EXTREMELY greasy when it goes on and frankly I was really worried about that making me break out (which is not normal for me) or increasing my redness. I wish they could change this initial feeling because I think it could scare some people off but when the product dries it leaves your skin as silky and smooth as a newborn baby's bottom!! LOL There is no feeling of greasiness when it dries at all and it really does make a nice smooth layer for you to apply your color cosmetics on top of. This product is white in color and is clear when you spread it so this product would not be used to help conceal anything, just help make a smooth surface. I had hoped that whatever primer I chose would help to conceal my redness without having to use an actual concealer so again, this is another product that I have not decided yet if I will repurchase and will give a final review and decision to repurchase when it's completely empty. 

3. Revlon Colorstay Makeup in #250 Fresh Beige for Oily/Combination skin ($9.99 - Target): This product has lived up to ALL expectations to me thus far AND lived up to it's name for me. I already have serious issues with facial sweating when it's not 100 degrees out in Alabama, but now that it is actually that, I have an even greater need for a long-wearing foundation through the heat and sweating. When I bought it I was not sure about the color and I also didn't realize I had picked up the one for Oily/Combination skin and I have dry skin. I have been very pleased with the color choice for me, I usually have to pick the lightest shade of foundation as I am fair skin and I tend to avoid the sun as much as possible during summer months but this color, a couple shades away from the lightest, seems to suit me well and looks natural when blending down the neck. Also, I was afraid the Oily/Combination product would be bad with my dry skin and hasn't been too bad thus far. My dry patches haven't gotten worse, but that being said, I do not think this type of foundation is helping to make those patches less dry either. My plan is to go ahead and work on finishing out this bottle and to keep an eye out for Revlon sales and my Revlon coupons and see if I can't pick up one pretty cheap for dry skin. As far as coverage, I would say this is a medium to heavy coverage foundation. When using a blending sponge to apply (thoughts on that coming next) you really do have the option to control the coverage more than say using your fingers or brushes (in my experience) to apply. I consistently went over each area and then would go back again to my reddest of areas. I found that 95% of the time my redness was well covered. As posted in #2, I will probably be on the search for a concealer in the next week  or so that is light and can be of help to me just during days I really need it. 

4. Sonya Kashuk Blending Sponge ($10.49 - Target): This product has been fabulous for me. In my opinion, this product, blends well, holds well in the hand while applying, is able to be used on all areas of the face thanks to the different sized ends, helps you control your coverage and rinses out well daily. I had previously seen several reviews where the reviewers had trouble rinsing our their sponge, but I have not encountered that. I am about to do a full washing with some foaming face wash so will let you know next review how well that works out. I have used the same process every day with this sponge to get the results I've had. I get the sponge wet under the faucet and I squeeze out really well until you can't really tell if it's wet or dry. I then put a dime size amount of foundation on the back of my hand, I dab the sponge in the foundation and then I use a light stippling motion all over my face. I truly feel like this product helps me to achieve an even application and airbrush-like finish. This will be my LAST review on this product until it comes time to replace it to let you all know how long it lasted for me. As stated in my last blog, I currently have no intention of trying the Beauty Blender (the pink, egg-shaped one). FABULOUS PRODUCT!!!

5. Mary Kay Loose Powder in Ivory #1 ($14.00  - Local Mary Kay Rep): This will be my last thoughts on this product until the winter months as I have made the decision to put this product away until the weather gets cooler. When I wore this product the other day out in the heat, once I did start sweating quite a bit, the powder did start to clump up again (not pretty). I spent 90% of the time at the party blotting my face. Since that day I have chosen to go without the powder and I have not experienced that again. As I stated before, I did really enjoy the powder when I wasn't sweating so bad, so I will give it another go when it gets cooler out. 

And that's it folks! I have been pretty pleased as well with the wear of my eye makeup, but I do think I will go back to using the Tarte Eyelid Primer that I was using when the True Blood palette came out. It really helped with any creasing and the over all look and wear of eye products. As usual, the STAR of all my face products HAS to be the Tarte Eyelash Primer and Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes mascara! I will never go back to anything else! I am a very emotional person and that mascara has held up though everything... Tears, Sweating, and even unintentionally rubbing my eyes after a long day. FABULOUS PRODUCT TARTE!!!

If anyone has any questions, let me know! :)

ISO: A New Foundation Routine

For a while now I have been in search of a new foundation routine. Before it started to get really hot I was enjoying the light Tinted Moisturizer from Mary Kay and if I wanted a little extra coverage, I would top it with the loose powder from Mary Kay. Then I started noticing that the warmer it was getting outside, the more I began to break out. In addition to that, I always have issues with facial sweating but in the Alabama heat, it's about 100 times worse than in the winter months. One Sunday I was HORRIFIED. I applied my tinted moisturizer and powder as normal and went off to church. There was an issue that day with the A/C coming on in the room that I lead children's worship in but I just did the best I could with it. After worship, I went into the bathroom and the moisturizer was literally STREAKS running down my face and the powder was all clumping up and I thought at that moment I could not continue to go on like that throughout the summer months, especially singing and dancing around with kids each week!

So, I set out on a hunt for something new. I am not one for immediately jumping to high end products without trying more affordable ones first, especially ones I know I can get coupons for! I began watching videos and reading blogs from other people who have tried and reviewed different primers, foundations and powders. I also sat down and watched some people's foundation routines on You Tube just to see what others are doing and why they are doing it. I figured I might be able to come across someone who has some of the same concerns that I do! I then made some notes about ones I might want to try and set out to the makeup section in Target the last time I was there. 

I decided to start with a Sonya Kashuk Blending Sponge and the Revlon Colorstay Foundation (I also purchased Revlon Airbrush foundation but have not tried it on my face. I was not really turned on by the one swatch I did, so I haven't gone there yet.) I couldn't, however, find any primer that I was interested in trying. I did see several rave reviews about Elf's primer but since I haven't had luck with any other Elf products I've tried, I figured that wasn't a good place to start for me. I ended up purchasing a Hard Candy primer the next day when I went to Walmart. 

*One point I want to make about my decision to purchase the Sonya Kashuk blending sponge is that I was rather humored by the reviews I found on beauty blenders on You Tube. Now, for those of you that are familiar with the different beauty blenders you know that they are special sponges, varying in shape and size, that are used damp to apply your face products for a more "air brushed" finish. Also, if you don't already know, you need to know that the Sonya Kashuk sponge is $10 LESS than the pink, egg-shaped, beauty blender. Here is where the humor comes in: I would find several reviews from people RAVING about the SK sponge. They would give an awesome review, show proof of the product with before and after pictures, and go on about how they wouldn't go back now that they had it. Then, you would find a later video where they would state that they keep seeing videos from other people about this pink TWENTY DOLLAR (YIKES!) sponge and they just HAVE to try it. <Blank stare inserted here.> Are people so desperate for perfection that the things they once thought were perfect aren't perfect enough any more?? Anyway, they would buy the pink ones, fall in love and never go back to the SK one. <Rant completed. Sorry.>*

Unless my SK sponge causes me some kind of mental agony... I officially have NO intention of purchasing a beauty blender (A $20 sponge.) with my own hard-earned money. 

Today I decided to give all 3 products a try. I am very very pleased with the coverage, wear and ease of application of ALL products I used this morning! This is the first time EVER that I have ZERO complaints! I am on my way headed out to an outside-in-alabama-heat birthday party and am looking forward to seeing how it holds up chasing the kids around in this nonsense we call weather here! LOL So here is my face of the day along with all the products I used. I will be letting you all know tomorrow how it held up outside and I intend on giving a final opinion review in a couple weeks!!

Moisturizer: Philosophy "Take A Deep Breath" (sample received as part of my $10 June Glam Bag Subscription)

Primer: Hard Candy Sheer Envy Primer: Ultra Light Formula ($8 - Walmart)

Foundation: Revlon Colorstay Makeup in #250 Fresh Beige for Oily/Combination skin ($9.99 - Target) applied with Sonya Kashuk Blending Sponge ($10.49 - Target)

Powder: Mary Kay Loose Powder in Ivory #1 ($14.00  - Local Mary Kay Rep)

Eyes: NYX Jumbo Pencil in Milk ($4.49 - Ulta), Physician's Formula Shimmer Strips in Illuminating Black (From the Trio for Hazel Eyes - $9.49 - Walmart), Covergirl Eye Enhancers in #710 Champagne- $3.39 at CVS), Mary Kay Mineral Eye colors in Espresso and Lavender Fog ($6.49 each - Local Mary Kay Rep), Tarte Lights Camera Lashes Mascara (Part of the realEYES Natural Smokey Eye set from Ulta for $32 - $19.99 separately at Ulta), Tarte multiplEYE Lash Primer (Part of the realEYES Natural Smokey Eye set from Ulta for $32 - $22.00 separately at Ulta)

Lips: Mary Kay Lipstick in Raisinberry (My ABSOLUTE fav lipstick ever!!) ($13.00 - Local Mary Kay Rep)

*All products were purchased on my own unless otherwise noted. Some products, such as the Cover Girl Eye Shadow, were free or highly discounted due to couponing efforts on my part. If you would like any information on how I use coupons in my purchase of makeup, please let me know in the comments and I will be happy to post about that!*


*Please remember all opinions expressed above are my own and of my own experiences.*