Sweat Proof • Summer Makeup

When I have an event to go to outdoors in the summer the last thing that I want to worry about is my makeup sliding around my greasy face. I don’t have time for that and neither do you. I know that in this situation I need to break out the products that aren’t going to fail me.

Eyes: Priming the eyelids is key to making sure that the shadows won’t budge. My favorite primer is by Lorac that comes complimentary with my Lorac PRO and Unzipped Gold palettes. Featured for this post is the 35W palette by Morphe Brushes. I love this palette because it’s so versatile and inexpensive – and has a nice mix of shimmer, matte, and satin shades! For liner, the Maybelline Master Precise has been my go-to for quite some time. I love that it’s in pen form with a felt tip, it’s a fool-proof way to create a simple line or a dramatic cat eye. To finish off my eyes, I’ll use my holy grail mascara which is the L’oreal Voluminous Carbon Black. This mascara is buildable, separates the lashes, and has extreme volume.Base: Priming my face is key to making sure that my makeup will not budge. My favorite high-end primer is the Hourglass Mineral Veil. This primer leaves my skin so smooth and silky, it fills in all my pores and gives an airbrushed finish to the skin. For foundation, I’m going to bust out my Sephora Perfection Mist Airbrush Foundation. If you haven’t heard about this little gem then you’re missing out. This has been referred to as a dupe for the Dior Airflash Spray Foundation which retails at a whopping $62. I love this foundation, because it lasts all day and gives my skin a nice satin to matte finish on it’s own. The can says:

Quick and easy professional airbrush results at home! Instablend pigment technology helps color blend seamlessly, creating a smooth, even and flawless matte satin finish. *Oil-free, 10 hour wear, waterproof, non-comedogenic, france-free, dermatologically tested, no parabens, and no mineral oil.

Once this spray foundation has set, I’ll dust a light power over top for extra oil control. I will continue with my bronzer and blush as normal and set my face with the Urban Decay De–Slick.

Lips: To be sure that my lipstick will stay, I first like to line my lips. Lately, I’ve been obsessing over the Essence Cosmetics liners, because they’re so inexpensive and pigmented! You can purchase these babies at Ulta for around $1.50 and they’re worth every penny. I do have a full review on these liners with swatches that you can read here. For lipstick, I will definitely reach for my favorite nude by Milani Cosmetics from their Moisture Matte collection in the shade Matte Naked. For my darker skin, this color is the perfect “my lips but better” shade. I’ve done a more in depth review on a few shades in the collection + swatches that can be read here. A gloss at this point is optional.

Have you tried any of the products listed? If so, what are your thoughts? What are some of your go-to products to create a long lasting makeup look?

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XOXO, Bee

Make Up Forever Step 1 • Mattifying Primer

  Happy Friday everyone! I hope you’re all having a great start to your Memorial Day weekend! I was trolling through my newsfeed and saw a review by Always,Bree for the CoverFX Matiffying primer which is a primer I was interested in, and at the end she asked if anyone tried the Make Up Forever Step 1 before. It reminded me that I had this review that I’ve been meaning to post for some time and what better time than now? So thank you for the reminder Bree!

Let’s get into the review shall we? 

 
Pictured here is the Make Up Forever Step 1 Mattifying Primer. This product has been extremely hyped up by beauty bloggers and bloggers everywhere. I have extremely oily skin, so I was looking forward to this becoming my new holy grail!

The product comes in a beautiful matte black squeeze tube with a precision point tip. The amount of product you receive is the standard 1 fl oz. I purchased mine from Sephora for $36.

Sephora’s website states that it “assists with balancing the skin’s texture and tone for smoother, more even, and longer-lasting makeup wear. Mattifying primer reduces shine.”

The smell of this primer was subtle and pleasant, it had a slight citrus scent in my opinion. The texture was thicker, but not as thick as the Rimmel Stay Matte or as fluid as the Hourglass Mineral Veil. It was a happy medium. I do feel this primer helped to fill in my larger pores. 

I have no other positives to say about this primer. It gave my face a strange texture and prevented my foundation from looking smooth over top. 

I did two tests to see if it was my mind playing tricks on me or if this raved about primer was really just a dud. Test 1: I layered this on top of my Rimmel Stay Matte to see if it worked better with another product. Result: NO NO NO, CAKE CITY. Just no. Test 2: I used Rimmel Stay Matte on one half of my face and the MUFE Mattifying Primer on the other. Result: I did not notice any difference in the longevity of my foundation. I still needed to blot around 3-4 hours. Honestly my Rimmel side held up better! The fact that my drugstore $6 primer held up better than this $36 high-end one, you better believe this was returned to Sephora. Sorry to those that love this product but it wasn’t for me and did not do anything phenomenal for my skin.

Have you tried the MUFE Step 1 primer line? If so, what were your thoughts? What are you holy grail foundation primers?

Thanks for reading!

Follow me on Instagram: IAMBEAUTYBEEXO 

XOXO, Bee

 

Spring Lips with Essence Liner

A few weeks ago I posted a review on the Loreal Colour Riche Lipgloss in the shade coral encore, which can be read here. In that review, I stated that I didn’t use a lipstick or liner underneath because I wanted the true color in the gloss to shine through. A week ago I went on a bit of a shopping spree at Sephora and Ulta and ended up purchasing a few lip liners from the brand Essence. I’ve never tried anything from them up until this weekend. I wanted to do a fun springtime look featuring a neutral eye and defined brow (of course) and I thought the lip liner I purchased in the shade cute pink would be perfect for this look!

 

Here is the finished result! I would like to mention that with my 20% off Ulta coupon this lip liner was purchased for $1.19! That is insane! I will repurchase more of their liners as they are extremely pigmented and created a great base. They’re very creamy and do not leave the lips feeling dry at all. Thank you Essence, for creating great quality products and an insanely affordable price!

To show the difference the lip liner made underneath the gloss, here is a side by side. On the left is the Loreal Colour Riche on its own, and on the right I have the Essence lip liner as a base.

Have you ever tried these lip liners or anything from the brand Essence? What are your favorite springtime lip looks?

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XOXO, Bee

Spring Lips & Coral Cheeks

Spring is officially here and has me in the best mood since I live in the Midwest and our grass is getting green again! I wanted to pull a few things from my collection that really scream spring is here! 

  

On the lips:

• I have been OBSESSED with the Vaseline Lip Therapy in rosy lips which retails around $3. This little lip balm is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen because of it’s miniature packaging. The top comes off very easily and the smell of the balm is phenomenal – roses. This little guy is extremely moisturizing and gives lips just a touch of a pink tone. I wear this every day, all day long.

 

• If I’m wanting slightly more of a wash of color to my lips and I want to add some serious shine, I always reach for my FAVORITE gloss which is the NYX Buttergloss in Strawberry Parfait! This baby retails at ULTA for about $5 and lasts an extremely long time. My absolute favorite thing about the Buttergloss line is that none of the glosses give you that disgusting sticky feeling – they really are like butter! Not to mention the pigmentation is unreal.

  

• If a gloss just isn’t going to get it done for the amount of color I’m looking for, then I’m going to reach for my BH Cosmetics Creme Luxe Lipstick in the shade Pop Cultured. These lipsticks retail for only around $5 as well. The pigmentation of these lipsticks by BH Cosmetics are fabulous and they’re extremely creamy, rich, and even moisturizing on the lips. 

On the cheeks:

 

• This is one of my favorite blushes that I own and the only blush that I currently own from Tarte. The shade I have is called Tipsy and it’s the PERFECT coral pop of color for the cheeks. This blush retails for around $26 at Sephora – which seems a little pricey, but I’ve used this blush I don’t know how many times and the pan never seems to shallow out! This blush might expire before I ever hit pan, so it’s definitely worth the money. Not to mention the extreme pigmentation of ALL of Tarte’s blushes mean you use a lot less product than just a drugstore brand.

Have you tried any of the products mentioned? What are your go-to spring looks? 

XOXO, Bee

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Soap & Glory Super Sale!

  

Today I splurged on lots of products at Sephora and ULTA – yes, there will be reviews soon. Just wanted to post quickly to let you all know that Sephora is discontinuing Soap & Glory in their store so all of the merchandise is 35% off or more! I’ve never tried anything from them, but I have been wanting to so I picked up the Rich & Famous Body Wash and Hand Food moisturizer for under $15. I’m really excited to try these out and they both smell amazing!

Have you tried anything from their line?

Follo me on Instagram: iambeautybeexo 

XOXO, Bee