May 2013 Favorites

May Favorites

MUFE Mat Velvet +: Now that I finally have a bit more color to my face I was able to start using my Mat Velvet + foundation. This is probably my favorite foundation ever. It covers like a dream, leaves my face looking matte but not dry, and stays all day. Plus, if I do want to retouch it I can add some more at the end of the day and it never looks cakey. I'm not too keen on the higher price tag, but I really do think it's worth it if you have combination or oily skin. 

Covergirl Outlast Foundation: I feel like this a drugstore sorta dupe for the Mat Velvet +. It provides buildable coverage, leaves your face with a matte finish, and stays on almost all day long. However, if you have any dry spots on the face you will probably want to skip this. Whenever I have acne healing I almost always get dry patches. They look horrible when I used this foundation over them. I also find this foundation applies better when I skip a primer and heavy moisturizer. If I use either of them then I feel like the foundation never really sets unless I powder afterwards. Overall, even with its flaws, this is a great drugstore foundation.

Excuse the dirty containers...I picked them straight out of my makeup bag.

Real Techniques Duo Fiber Face Brush: This brush belongs to the limited edition kit I reviewed here. I've been using it to apply my bronzer, cream blush, and powder blush. I wish they sold it separately so I could buy a few extra.

EcoTools Blush Brush (Alicia Silverstone collection): This brush is pretty flat and slightly tapered at the end. I love using it to apply my Hourglass Ambient Powder mentioned towards the end of this post. It can also be used for blush of course, contouring with bronzer, and undereye powder. I've had it for a few years with zero shedding!

MAC Something Special: I picked up this cream blush at a CCO a while back. I normally wouldn't choose a blush that leans this pink, but it applies pretty sheer and adds the perfect amount of flush to my cheeks without making me look like I have a mild case of rosacea. I love MAC's cremeblend blushes because they apply a bit thicker than some other cream blushes and neither stay dewy or dry to a powder finish. It's like they sink into your skin and stay.

MAC Modern Mandarin: This blush was released in a limited edition collection sometime last year. However, I have seen it at a CCO so it wouldn't hurt to look if you want to check it out. In person it looks pretty intense in the pan but when applied looks like a natural flush. The photographs below pick up on it's true finish. I hate using pink blushes, so I tend to gravitate towards red based or orange based shades. I also like to use this as an eyeshadow crease color to warm up overly cool eyeshadows.


Too Faced Chocolate Bronzer: Sephora's Sun Kit provided a mini version of this famous chocolate scented bronzer. It really does smell like chocolate!!! It's completely matte and has no orange undertones. I've been using it to lightly contour and bronze up my face. I will definitely repurchase this in the full-size whenever I actually use up the sample.

Buxom Lash+Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes: After having to throw out so many mascaras that didn't work for me I started thinking that something was wrong with my lashes. Thankfully, I tried this combo and fell in love. Sephora currently has a kit called Lash Stash To Go for $25 that includes five mini mascaras and a voucher for a full-sized mascara chosen from the five. I think that is an great deal! 

Back to the mascaras--the Buxom one has a rubber bristle brush that separates and lengthens my lashes. The Tarte mascara has a smaller natural bristle brush that thickens, volumizes, and lengthens my lashes. When you combine the two--BOOM--dramatic, dark lashes. 

L-Buxom, R-Tarte

Maybelline Color Tattoo Bad to the Bronze: This is my go-to primer or stand alone eyeshadow. It's creamy consistency dries quickly and rarely creases on me. When using it as an eyeshadow I like to apply it with my finger all over the lid, into the upper crease, and then smudge on the lower lashline. 

Urban Decay liner in Zero: This amazing pencil is almost gone. I like to use it to line my waterline or smudge on the lash line. I've also been drawing a thick line with the pencil on the back of my hand, running a synthetic crease brush over the product, then buffing it into my crease to smoke out Bad to the Bronze. It takes about one minute to do both eyes using only those two products!

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Dim Light: My husband let me splurge on my birthday and I couldn't resist picking up one of the infamous lighting powders from Hourglass. 

According to Sephora's website, the powder in Dim Light is "A neutral soft beige that provides a perfect balance of warm and cool tones to blur imperfections." I use an EcoTools powder brush to sweep the powder over my finished foundation, concentrating on my T-Zone and cheeks. I think the powder gives my skin a blurred effect--less pronounced pores, smoother foundation, and a softer finish.

 Do I think it's a miracle powder? No. Do I think it's worth trying if you have the extra money? Yes. I can achieve a similar look by applying Benefit's Porefessional primer OVER my foundation then layering with powder. However, the Hourglass powder keeps my face matte during the day and is so easy to use. 

I think Dim Light might be a bit too dark for anyone with very pale skin. It's does add a bit of color to the face. I think the next one I pick up will be Diffused Light or Radiant Light.

How cute is my little helper? He waited patiently while I took all the photos haha.

What were your favorite beauty products this month? Please leave me your favorites post link if you have one!