Beauty Product Reviews | Page 2
Amazing primer!
I chose a deluxe sample (.17 fl oz / 5ml) of the Youngblood Mineral Primer in my last Beauty Army kit, and for the past month or so I have been using this primer after my morning moisturizer and underneath my face makeup (tinted moisturizer or foundation). It feels smooth and spreads really evenly, which means a little goes a very long way. This deluxe sample size has lasted me so long and I literally only use one pump which turns out to be a tiny pea-sized amount, and that covers my entire face. It doesn't have much of a scent, but it smells exactly like my ELF Mineral Infused Primer (click HERE for that review). In comparison, the Youngblood Mineral Primer ($41.00) feels, looks and performs very similar to the ELF Mineral Infused Primer ($6.00) and the Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer ($36.00). As much as I love owning Youngblood products (because I'm head over heels for them this year!) I just cannot see myself spending $40+ on a primer that is so similar to a $6 primer that I can easily pick up at Target.
Love it, simple, sturdy and easy to use
About a month ago, I received a Unii palette to review. I was so excited to try this out since it's one of the All Stars of the YouTub beauty community. Then I started looking at my makeup collection, what makeup was I willing to destroy to depot the makeup pans and transfer them into my empty Unii palette? Moving on to my destruction project performed yesterday. As I was tidying up my "work" area, I kept moving my Urban Decay Book of Shadows IV around like it was junk and constantly in my way. I had won this palette early in the year from Beautylish, and even though I was super excited, it sat, unopened, untouched and forgotten up until yesterday. If I never use this palette because of its over sized, unnecessarily bulky packaging then it is the perfect victim for a depotting project to fill my Unii palette! There was no dainty way of depotting this palette, I pretty much just tore it up, all while being gentle so as not to disturb the eyeshadow pans. Took me about an hour to rip it all up and get the shadows out. I also took some time to grab my sticky labels, measure them to the eyeshadow pans, label all the shadows and then placed them into my Unii palette (in alphabetical order). The Unii palette has a magnetized base so the metal pans sat in there securely, but if your pans are not metal the Unii palette comes with a magnetic sheet the same size of the interior of the palette so you can measure and cut out your own sticky magnets for your makeup. Overall I LOVE my Unii palette and I love how easy it is to access these beautiful Urban Decay eyeshadows now!
Hydrating, Pigmented, Long Lasting
I like the black, sleek packaging, the secure closure, the YB logo on top of the cap and the absence of labels and lettering on the outside. I love the smooth texture when applying (tugging is never comfortable), and mostly I LOVE the hydration! It's incredible! I have been wearing this every day, all day long and into the night. I have been wearing this without prepping my lips with a chap stick or balm beforehand, and I have not experienced any dryness, chapping or flaking. The only time the lipstick fades is after I eat, in a full day I only need to reapply about three times. On its own, the lipstick lasts four hours or until my next meal. The Youngblood lipsticks are $19.00 each, a pretty penny, but completely worth it! I know I'm not alone when I complain that I've wasted a lot of money on MAC lipsticks just to hate their texture or have to smother them with glosses so my lips don't crack into pieces. I'd be shocked if this lipstick lasts me through the Winter, I just can't stop wearing it!
Smells delicious, gives you silky, smooth skin!
I received a sample size of Indie Lee The Body Scrub in my February Beauty Army kit and I finally let myself use up the last bit of it, which I was hiding from BF because I was being soft-skin-greedy. I had never used a body scrub before getting this sample, and now I cannot imagine my shower routine without a body scrub. Aside from it smelling SO delicious (enough to eat, but, yes, I held back) it makes your skin feel like silk - like brand new baby skin! It's unbelievable how good this makes me feel. I don't even feel the need to use a body lotion after I get out of the shower. The only down side, for me personally, is the price - nearly $40 for 12 oz. I just know I would only use it on "special occasions".
Very versatile, multi-use, long-lasting!
This large pencil has two ends, one is a pinky nude matte shade and the other side is a shimmery champagne shade. I've been playing around with this duo for about a week now and I've found myself reusing these shades in specific ways. On days when I'm sporting my no-makeup look, I like to use the pinky matte shade on my brow bone, waterline and outer corners of my eyes to brighten up my eye areas without looking like I have makeup on. The matte shade makes it so easy to pull off that natural, healthy glow. On days when I have more time to wear foundation, blush, lippies, etc., I like to use the champagne-y shimmer shade on my inner corners, inner half of my lower lash line, waterline, and on the outer corners of my eyes. The shimmer is so subtle and so beautiful, I find it flows with any colors I'm wearing and never looks heavy or "too much". Because these shades are so creamy and easy to blend, I have also used them as a base for my favorite neutral shadows. I've used the matte as a base for my beloved MAC Brule, and the shimmer as a base for my go to shimmer shadow, MAC Retrospeck. If used without a primer, these will crease because they are so smooth and creamy. I've used a few different primers with this pencil, and it lasts all day without creasing. Overall, I think this is a fantastic product! You get .10oz/3g of product for $22.00, two shades - a matte and a shimmer, you can use it as a highlighter only or as a shadow base, and it has amazing ingredients in it that will actually benefit your skin while you're wearing it! I'm quickly becoming a fan of mineral makeup, especially when these mineral cosmetic companies are producing more than just loose shadows and pigments. Using mineral makeup in solid form makes it so much easier to incorporate in my everyday routines and beauty habits. Initially I thought $22.00 was too much for a pencil, but after using this and seeing how versatile it is and how little you need to use, it's definitely worth the splurge, ladies!
Smooth, Hydrating, Long-Lasting, Impressive!
When I saw the press release for these NEW Mighty Shiny Lip Gels (coming in 7 shades), I was so excited to try them out! I was lucky enough to receive two of them from PR, lucky because I wasn't expecting two and they are $25 each so I was already fence riding about getting just one. I'm already a fan of Youngblood's lip glosses, and these are so different than those, in a great way. The packaging is super cute, I love how they look in my gloss drawer. I have found you need to squeeze out the lip gel onto your lips and use the slanted tip to spread it out. If you try to squeeze and spread simultaneously (like you would with any other lip product with the same type of packaging), the tip will actually suck in your lip - like a vacuum effect. So, be a little more conscious when applying so you don't suck all the gel back into the tube. The lip gels have a smooth feel, they glide on and smooth out your lips and keep them hydrated the entire time you are wearing the gels, even when they begin to fade away you're still left with soft lips. The formula is a tiny bit sticky, but the longer you wear them the less sticky they feel - it could be from the warmth of your skin. They don't really have a flavor or a scent, which is great for me because I can easily say no to a gloss if it has weird fruity or floral scents. I received two shades, Confessed and Revealed, so lets get into their individual reviews.
Confessed is described as "a juicy watermelon-red". This comes out very sheer on my lips, but with a slight tint of red. In person, you would think I have on clear gloss, but since I know what my lips look like nude, I can see that tiny tint. I have been using this on its own or on top of lipsticks that I feel look too light on me.
Revealed is described as "a sheer peach-pink with gold shimmer". This wears like a clear gloss on my lips. In person, you cannot see the shimmer at all. But when I look in my compact mirror, out in the sun, I can see the shimmer... indoors, not so much. I've been wearing this on top of a darker lip color, like Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Blushing Nude 637 (my favorite lipstick!), and with a darker background the shimmer stands out much more, but again it still looks clear.
Smooth without that sticky-gloss feel
I'll be honest, when I first received this gloss I was not exactly excited to try it out. It looks frosted and not a shade I would personally choose. It sat for a month and when I had my makeup all packed up during my move in the beginning of the year I had this one unpacked and in my purse so I would start using it. Well, I feel pretty silly for letting it sit for so long, my assumptions were so incorrect. This gloss is so nice!
The packaging is slim, in a clear tube and has a doe foot applicator - I prefer these applicators because I just like how soft they feel on my lips. The gloss has a medium-like consistency, it's not heavy and sticky at all, or thin and slippery. It has a smoothing feel and it doesn't migrate while talking, drinking and eating. I have the shade Champagne Ice which is described as "iridescent salmon-pink", which looks nude and frosty in the tube, but it applies shimmery and sheer on me.
I love this gloss, a lot! Any gloss that can last for hours, hydrate the lips and doesn't have the typical sticky/tacky feel is A+ for me. This is a pricey gloss, at $23 it is definitely a splurge item, but the quality you get pays for itself. I currently have Promiscuous (bright rose) and Guava (juicy pink-red) on my wishlist.
Perfect everyday liner!
I've secretly been searching for a lip pencil to match my natural lip color, mainly to wear underneath any lipstick or gloss to ensure my lip color lasts longer. Hunting for a lip liner isn't something I talk about with people, especially over the internet, because people will always suggest products and then I'll go buy them to try out and they end up being too light or too brown. So, it's been a secret for years - and now I'm ready to share the good news! The Youngblood Lip Liner Pencil in the shade Pout is the PERFECT shade for my lips! This lip liner is described as "reflective golden pink", which I would never think twice about getting - well, I have been so wrong. This shade matches my true lip color so much that I currently have a couple of these in my online cart waiting to be purchased. Unlike the drugstore lip liners I used to buy and then giveaway or toss out over the years, the Youngblood lip liners are so soft and creamy and they do not dry out my lips! Can you believe it?! I know! I'm still in shock too! I have even worn this lip liner on its own with some clear gloss when I just go out to run errands. I love that it doesn't dry my lips or create those flaky bits that everyone hates. $14 seems like a lot for a lip liner, but one that doesn't dry you out and lasts all day is worth every penny in my eyes.
Smooth, Blendable, Buildable, Muilti-tasking-makeup!
So, I finally started using this creme blush a couple weeks ago. I first used it with my fingers, applied with one finger, then blended it out with another finger - the application was simple and easy to smooth into my skin. It took a couple good minutes to apply and build up the color as much as I wanted so I switched to a brush (Crown Brush C404 - Small Duo Fiber Face). Oh yes! Using a brush is much more mmomy-friendly. I just swirled it in the pot and picked up as much product as I liked. I began with small circular (light handed pressure - let the bristles do the work) motions on the apples of my cheek where I wanted majority of the color to be, then I started making bigger circular motions while blending the color out towards the back of my cheekbone near my hair line. This is my favorite way to apply this blush now. The creme blush gives a beautiful sheen on the skin, no sparkles or glitters or "oily" shine - it looks natural and healthy. The color of course can be applied sheer or heavily, which ever makes you happy. I have come to love wearing this creme blush on my no-makeup days. I just wear my Origin's Vitazing moisturizer and this creme blush, curl my lashes and through on a tinted lip color and I'm good to go! On going-out nights, I have been layering MAC's powder blush in On A Mission which is a plumy mauve. Oh, and if you were worried that the price point was high, Youngblood is a mineral makeup company, so their ingredients are safe and good for your skin PLUS you can also use this on your lips for some lip color, which I have been doing a lot lately. Just make sure you apply a blam prior so the color will stay creamy - I sometimes put a heavy clear gloss on top if I'm going out in public.
Smoothing, Soft, Gentle, Effective!
Will you ever get tired of hearing me say I love facial masks? ;) The past few months I have been using the Skinceuticals Clarifying Clay Masque 1-2 times a week after my nighttime skincare routine and before my night moisturizer. I always look forward to using this mask, it smells clean and fresh, it feels smooth and spreads easily with no tugging or patchy application, and best of all it doesn't dry out into the typical matte and cracking mess that most masks do. It stays moist and keeps your skin hydrated, smooth and relaxed. I appreciate that it's not a tingling or burning mask, those always tend to damage my skin. This clarifying clay mask is very gentle! So gentle that I am obsessed with using it, I never miss mask night - honestly I only need to use it once a week, but I sneak in another mask night because I just can't say no. Cutting to the chase, yes, I will definitely repurchase this and I recommend it to everyone! It's not easy to find a mask that doesn't irritate, burn or dry out my skin. I cannot imagine going back to a drugstore mask after using this one. As far as the price point goes, it sounds expensive, but the quality and results justify the price.