Best Foundation for Oily Skin - Revlon Colorstay, Covergirl Stay Fabulous, MAC Pro Longwear, L'Oreal Pro-Matte

I have been using MAC Pro Longwear liquid foundation for the past 5 years. It had been the only liquid foundation I had ever tried that could keep my oily face looking good all day. Recently, I moved to a more humid state and have been having trouble staying matte throughout the workday. I did some research and decided to give 3 drugstore foundations a go since they have had such great reviews from other oily gals:

1. Revlon Colorstay for Oily Skin (Golden Caramel)

2. Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous (Classic Tan)

3. MAC Pro Longwear (NC37)

4. L'Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte (Caramel Beige)

Finding the right shade was a challenge. What I usually do is take my MAC Pro Longwear foundation to the drugstore and hold it up to the bottles to try and find a close match. MAC NC37 is a perfect match for me. As you can see below, shades vary but most of them still look good on the skin after contour, highlight and setting powder.

I will be judging the overall performance of the four foundations by looking at these categories:

1. Coverage

2. Ability to blend

3. Hours of wear (oil control)

I will be using the Prep + Prime Skin Visage by MAC to prime my face and the Studio Fix Powder by MAC in C4 to set. I will not be judging the products based on their price points, but for reference here are the prices for all three drugstore items at Target:

Revlon Colorstay: $9.99; Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous: $8.59; L'Oreal Pro-Matte: $10.59;

MAC Pro Longwear retails for: $34.00

Revlon Colorstay Review:
Coverage: Medium - Full
Ability to Blend: Excellent - had no issues although the formula feels thick it blended very nicely
Hours of Wear: Of all the foundations, this had the best staying power. Stayed oil-free for 7 hours. An amazing product. Also, this color is a dead match for NC37 in MAC. I looked online and they suggested other colors but this was the best match.

Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous:
Coverage: Medium - Full
Ability to Blend: Good - a little bit watery formula which made it apply a bit streaky.
Hours of Wear: 5 hours before the oil began to show through. I think this would be better for normal skin types.

MAC Pro Longwear:
Coverage: Medium - Full
Ability to Blend: A little thicker than the other foundations but still blends out well enough.
Hours of Wear: 5 hours shine-free. A great foundation for oily skin but Revlon Colorstay is slightly better.

L'Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte:
Coverage: Light-Medium
Ability to Blend: This blends beautifully and works well with a kabuki style brush or a beauty blender.
Hours of Wear:4 hours shine-free. Although this is better than a normal foundation, for oily skin it really isn't the best.

Lilly Lashes Review - Mykonos Mink Lashes 2015

After seeing gorgeous photos of the ladies on Instagram sporting their Lilly Ghalichi Glam Lashes, I had to buy a pair. I was recently in my friend's wedding and thought it would be the perfect occasion. I ordered the Lashes and they arrived 2 days after they were shipped. Amazing customer service. But I would expect nothing less from our girl Lilly Ghalichi. I ordered the style Mykonos which are from the Mink line. I wasn't sure if they would be different from say Ardell lashes or Kiss brand lashes. They are superior in every way. The lashes themselves are so luxurious, packaging included.

Everything including the fast shipping, gorgeous packaging and lashes was five stars. Highly recommend!!!

PURCHASE HERE!

My Favorite Red Lipsticks for Brown Skin

Finding good red lipsticks for my skin tone has been a challenge. I just wanted to share some of my personal favorites. Four are drugstore and one is MAC.

From left to right: Revlon Black Cherry, Wet n Wild Stoplight Red, Wet n Wild Cherry Picking, Revlon Cherries in the Snow, MAC Diva

A brief description of each:
1. Revlon Black Cherry: deep burgundy color that is perfect for fall or a formal evening out. Not a true red - but in the red family and looks beautiful on tan skin. Purchase HERE!
2. Wet n Wild Stoplight Red: The PERFECT classic red lip for tan skin. Best part - I paid around $2 for this! Purchase HERE!
3. Wet n Wild Cherry Picking: This is a gorgeous red with a HINT of pink. Gorgeous and affordable. Purchase HERE!
4. Revlon Cherries in the Snow: Almost an exact DUPE for the Wet n Wild Cherry Picking but this formula is MUCH BETTER. Cherry Picking is very drying whereas this one is a bit more shiny and is super moisturizing. If I had to choose one, Cherries in the Snow for sure. Purchase HERE!
5. MAC Diva: The best Bond-Girl gorgeous deep deep red. This is a little bit drying but it looks so chic and formal, I absolutely love it. Purchase HERE!

See below Cherries in the Snow vs. Cherry Picking - total dupe!

Basin White Review & Haul Cruelty Free, Paraben Free, Made in USA

I have lately been on the lookout for some bath bombs, bath salts and luxury bath products in general. Baths relieve stress so they are my best friend. A friend of mine recommended Basin White. First question I asked was "Are they cruelty free and paraben free?" YES. I was very happy to know that they do not test any of their products on animals and that all products are paraben free. Their website states: "Basin White products have no parabens, alcohol, or mineral oils and are not tested on animals. All Basin White products are made in the USA. We are committed to using the best ingredients for your skin."

My first trip to the store was a pleasant experience. All of the sales associates are helpful and they have sinks along the side of the store where you can try all of their products. They even use clear glass bowls and fill them with the bath milks so you can dip your hands in and feel how soft they leave the skin. A great selling technique if you ask me - don't take my word for it, i'll just show you how the products are and you can see for yourself. I saw for myself - beautiful and wonderful smelling products. I should mention there are only two stores in the USA. Las Vegas in the Venetian Grand Canal Shoppes and in Orlando at Disney World. They have an online shop but the shipping is ~$12. Here are some pictures of the shop. Nice clean design.

My latest haul includes:

I have also heard rave reviews about the shampoo and conditioning bars although I have never tried them before. Here are some photos. I imagine that they would be great for traveling:

PRICES & PRODUCT REVIEWS:
1. $30.00 Almond Coconut Milk Bath: By far the most gorgeous scent I have ever smelled. Makes a lovely milk bath that leaves your skin so silky smooth. HIGHLY recommend. Packaging is high quality (glass jar).
2. $35.00 Satsuma Shea Salt Scrub: If you have any sort of dryness or dead skin, I would give this a try. I was really skeptical but once I tried it in the store on my hands I was sold. It smells citrusy and amazing. I imagine it will last me a year or so to finish the entire jar. Packaging is also a nice glass (feels luxurious and high quality).
3. $20.00 for 7 bath bombs. I got: almond coconut, oatmeal honey, japanese cherry blossom and several others but I do not remember the names. Smell them for yourself if you have a chance. Or else, just buy some they are fantastic.
**UPDATE ON THE BATH BOMBS: The almond coconut smells amazing but it leaves huge gobs of coconut oil in the tub (do not recommend that one!); my favorites are: the blue one (turns the tub a gorgeous deep blue and smells really fresh) and the OATMEAL HONEY WAS AMAZING! If you can only buy one - get the Oatmeal Honey!

L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow Review: Amber Rush, Golden Emerald, Glistening Garnet

I have never really found any drugstore eyeshadows that I love - until now. I was at Ulta and I picked up the L'Oreal Infallible eyeshadow in Golden Emerald. When I came home and swatched it I was blown away. It was more beautiful than most of my high end shadows. Highly pigmented, shimmery and soft to the touch. I ordered two more online: Glistening Garnet and Amber Rush.

Amber Rush is a beautiful rose gold shade. Very metallic and great for all over the lid.

Golden Emerald is the most gorgeous color of them all. A deep emerald green with golden glitz.

Glistening Garnet is a nice cranberry that is much less metallic/shimmery than the others. It is not matte, but it is a more neutral shade.

Some swatches:

My thoughts: For $7.99 a piece, you cannot go wrong with these. They are better than most MAC, Dior and Tom Ford eyeshadows I have. Purchase HERE!

Ebay Lashes Review

I recently purchased some lashes on eBay and wanted to share my thoughts. A little background: I wear false lashes on the rare occasion that I am going out to a bar or club. Typically, I would buy the single pairs from CVS for about $7.99 (Ardell) and re-use them (maybe get three uses out of each pair). These lashes cost a total of $6.38 for TWENTY PAIRS OF LASHES! Style 216 was $1.99 and style 156 was $4.39. Shipping was free and it only took 7 business days to arrive from Hong Kong. Talk about a steal. Below are some photos of the lashes. The styles I ordered were: 156 and 216. Purchase Style 216 from eBay.com! Purchase Style 156 from eBay.com!

Style 156:

Sytle 216:

Overall, I give these lashes a thumbs up! I will be purchasing more soon!

My Favorite Drugstore Nude Lipsticks for Tan Skin Tones

Whenever I tried buying nude lipsticks at the drugstore, they would always look too light against my tan skin. I recently found a few beautiful nude lipsticks that are inexpensive and thought I might share! For reference, I am a MAC NC40/NC37.

Swatches from left to right: Covergirl Lip Perfection Lipstick Delish 255, Maybelline Colorsensational Lipstick Totally Toffee 215, Maybelline Colorsensational Lipstick Nearly There 205, Maybelline Colorsensational Pearls Lipstick Luminous Lilac 715

Here are the lipstick swatches on my lips:

Covergirl Lip Perfection Lipstick Delish 255:

Maybelline Colorsensational Lipstick Totally Toffee 215:

Maybelline Colorsensational Lipstick Nearly There 205:

Maybelline Colorsensational Pearls Lipstick Luminous Lilac 715:

My Thoughts:

Covergirl Lip Perfection Lipstick Delish 255
This is a gorgeous peachy color that works so well with tan skin tones. I purchased this from Amazon.com for $2.97 with free shipping! What a great price for such an amazing color.

Maybelline Colorsensational Lipstick Totally Toffee 215
Another great nude with a subtle pink undertone. I love the Maybelline Colorsensational lipsticks because their formula is so long lasting. This is one of the more creamy shades with minimal shimmer. Purchase it from Amazon.com!

Maybelline Colorsensational Lipstick Nearly There 205
Nearly There is the perfect everyday lip color in my opinion. It is subtle but the golden shimmer in it gives a very elegant look. Purchase it from Amazon.com!

Maybelline Colorsensational Pearls Lipstick Luminous Lilac 715
As you can see in my above photo, I use this lipstick quite often. I wear this lipstick when I have a dramatic eye or for everyday wear. It is a pink toned nude and really compliments tan skin tones. The shimmer gives the appearance of bigger lips. Purchase it from Amazon.com!

What are your favorite nude lipsticks? Please comment below, I would love to know :) xoxo

The Best MAC Foundation Routine for Oily Skin

I have been on the search for a foundation routine that reduces shine for us oily skin girls. I have tried drugstore and high end products. Because I really liked the few MAC products I had (paint pot, lipstick and sheer pressed powder) I decided to try a foundation routine using MAC products only. I have heard great things about MAC studio fix fluid foundation, but many beauty bloggers/gurus mentioned that it isn't great for oily skin. The makeup artist at MAC suggested the Pro Longwear foundation with the Prep + Prime primer. I had recently run out of my Sheer Pressed Powder (NC40) and was planning to re-purchase, but the makeup artist suggested I try Studio Fix powder for a little more coverage.

I tried this foundation routine and my face was matte all day. I was amazed! I would highly recommend these products to those of you with very oily skin. Not only do the products work to keep the shine away, but they also make my skin look flawless and airbrushed.

Prices were as follows:

1. MAC Prep + Prime: $30.00
Buy It From Nordstrom

2. MAC Pro Longwear Foundation: $31.00
Buy It From Nordstrom

3. MAC Studio Fix Powder: $27.00
Buy It From Nordstrom

For shade references:

L'Oreal True Match Foundation: W5
Neutrogena Skin Clearing Foundation: Warm Beige
Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse: Sandy Beige
MAC Sheer Pressed Powder: NC40

The MAC Foundation Shades I Purchased:

I tried both the NC40 and NC37 at the MAC counter. The NC40 wasn't a bad match, but the NC37 matched perfectly with my medium skin tone (yellow undertones). See swatch below:

NC stands for "Neutral Cool" and C stands for "Cool". The NC shades are supposed to be for those with a slightly golden undertone to their skin and the C shades are for more olive skin tones.

My Favorite Drugstore Pink/Berry Lipsticks for Tan Skin Tones

I am always on the hunt for affordable lipsticks that suit my medium skin tone (for reference I am a MAC NC40 / NC37). These are my favorites in no particular order:

From left to right: 1. NYX Round Lipstick - Strawberry Milk, 2. Maybelline 410 - Blissful Berry, 3. Maybelline 430 - Magnificent Mauve, 4. Maybelline 715 - Luminous Lilac, 5. Maybelline 135 - Make Me Pink, 6. Covergirl Queen Collection Q440 - Penelope Pink

My thoughts:

NYX Round Lipstick - Strawberry Milk
This is a very light baby pink shade. NYX round lipsticks are extremely moisturizing and creamy, which makes them comfortable to wear but not very long lasting. If you have a similar skin tone to me, I would recommend pairing this with a gloss for a more wearable look. If you really like light baby pink (barbie) lipsticks, this will be a perfect one to add to your collection.
Buy It From Cherry Culture

Maybelline 410 - Blissful Berry
I have yet to find the perfect red lip that suits my skin tone, so I tend to lean more towards these berry shades. This is a really nice raspberry lipstick that compliments medium or tan skin tones. The formula is much more dry than the NYX round lipsticks and I actually prefer it. The lasting power for these Maybelline Color Sensational lipsticks is great, and they are perfect for a night out or long work day.
Buy It From Amazon

Maybelline 430 - Magnificent Mauve
A gorgeous holiday mauve that has a bit of shimmer to it. Paired with a lavender lipgloss this one is a real showstopper.
Buy It From Amazon

Maybelline 715 - Luminous Lilac
This is my most worn lipstick and is great for everyday. It is a very shimmery neutral pink. I wouldn't recommend this if you prefer a matte lip because this is a frosty finish. I usually pair it with MAC's Nymphette lipgloss and the combination is a golden light pink. The formula is a little more moisturizing than the other Maybelline Color Sensational lipsticks but still has great lasting power.
Buy It From Amazon

Maybelline 135 - Make Me Pink
This is a more purple toned pink shade that looks much brighter in the tube than it shows on the lips. This one has a dry formula and a matte finish.
Buy It From Amazon

Covergirl Queen Collection Q440 - Penelope Pink
If you have been looking for a fabulous baby pink lipstick to wear out and you have medium / tan skin - this is the WINNER! I always searched for a baby pink lipstick in the drugstore and the ones I found were WAY too light for my skin. I tried the most popular baby pink at MAC (Snob) and it looked horrible on me. This is a beautiful doll-like baby pink that I always wear on a night out. This Queen Latifah by Covergirl line has been discontinued, but you can still find it online. This is my most highly recommended product by far.
Buy It From Amazon