I like big brows and I cannot lie.

I admit it...I judge people when it comes to their eyebrows. I don't care if you are a man or woman, I still do it. It drives me NUTS when my husband lets his brows grow into unibrow territory. It drives me even nuttier when women pluck pluck pluck until they have no brows at all or the brow shape resembles a tadpole.

Filled in, well groomed brows make your face look put together even if you aren't wearing any other makeup. Taking a few extra minutes a day to work on them makes you look awake and alert. 

I used to think filling in my eyebrows was a science I would never learn.  After much trial and error I have found four products that work for me. 

My brows are pretty sparse at the innermost corners so I concentrate most of my brow product there. I also wear glasses with large Ray Ban frames every day, so my brows look better when they are filled in pretty heavily. I like to use products that can be applied quickly and still look great even when applied a bit messy.

I start and end my brow routine the same every time. I first brush through my brows with my Sonia Kashuk spoolie. I then apply the brow product I decide to reach for that day. Then I run the spoolie through my brows one more time.

My favorite brow products from least expensive to most expensive:

NYC Brow/Eye Liner Pencil in Taupe (.99): This pencil is perfect for busy mornings or when I want a very natural brow look. I simply use short strokes to fill in any sparse areas and am done. The pencil is soft enough to glide on my brows but stiff enough that it doesn't smudge. The color is very neutral when I swatch it on my hand and when applied over my brow hair but leaves a red tint on my skin were the hairs are sparse.

ELF Studio Eyebrow Kit in Medium ($3.00): I only use the dark gel part of this gel/powder duo because it's pigmented enough to hide any sparse areas and the consistency mimics a brush-on brow gel. The color is completely neutral which I really like. However, the brow powder in the duo leans a bit red on my skin just like the taupe pencil.

MAKE UP FOR EVER Aqua Brow in #15 Blonde ($20): This product is a waterproof gel that refuses to budge until you remove it with a makeup remover or cleanser. I dispense a very small dot on the back of my hand and use a stiff angled liner brush to apply to my brows. The shade is very neutral on my brows and is a bit darker than the WnW pencil and ELF kit. I love using this because it gives the end of my brows a very natural look--not like they are drawn on. I can't see myself running out of this anytime soon either.

Too Faced Natural Eye Palette ($36): This palette is perfect for traveling because not only do you have nine eyeshadows to choose from but there are also two cool matte shadows that can double as brow powders. I like to mix Velvet Revolver and Sexpresso together before applying the powders with a stiff angled liner brush. These colors combined are darker than any of the other brow products I use. Even though they are darker they still look pretty natural after running the spoolie through them.

For today's daily laugh--

What are your favorite brow products?

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.

MAC Viva Glam Cyndi Dupe

I am kicking myself over and over again for not buying at least one backup of MAC's Viva Glam Cyndi lipstick. The coral red shade is a lustre finish which normally applies a bit sheer, but this shade packs lot of shine and color on the lips. I love it for day or night 

but tend to only use it sparingly because I love it so much.

One day I decided to search possible dupes and stumbled upon a couple of posts that said Wet n Wild's  Natural Blend Lip Shimmer in Spice #106 is a close contender. After searching my local CVS, Walgreens, and Wal Mart, I finally found it at the latter.

Here are closeups of the two products. Viva Glam Cyndi is discontinued but sold for either $14.50 or $15.00 (however much MAC lipsticks were running or run these days) and the Wet n Wild was around $1.99-$3.00 (I can't remember the exact price).

Review & Collection: Wet n Wild Megalast Lipsticks

If you have never used Wet n Wild products before let us please have a moment of silence.  **MOMENT OF SILENCE** You are missing out on some of the best drugstore cosmetics that are so inexpensive! I love their eyeshadows, new Coverall foundation, eyeliner pencil in taupe, and now their lipsticks!

Their Megalast lipstick line is made up of all matte lipsticks that cost a whopping $1.99 at your local Wal Mart, CVS, Rite Aid, Walgreens, or anywhere else that carries the brand.

I currently own five colors which range from a deeper nude to a plum color.

2012 Beauty Favorites

2012 has been a crazy year for me. I got married, started graduate school, and celebrated my 1 year anniversary at my big girl job! 2012 has also been a crazy year in the beauty world. So many new products have surfaced during the past 12 months which meant lots of money and time were spent searching for products. Here are my favorites that I discovered or kept using during the past year. 

Drugstore= any product that can be found at Wal-Mart, Target, CVS, Walgreens, etc. 

High end= any product that can be found at the high end section of Ulta, Sephora, or department store counters.