Review: Cover Girl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3 in 1 Foundation

     About my skin: I have somewhat oily skin so I am prone to shine. My skin is acne prone, but not severe and I do not have any kind of scarring or hyper pigmentation (dark spots).

     It seems this somewhat new foundation has been the talk of the town this year. I've seen mostly good reviews on it, so I went against my promise to myself of not buying any more foundation when I picked this one up for about $10.00. I've already got more foundation than I need, but this one looked very promising. My first thoughts when I applied it with my Real Techniques Buffing Brush is that it is much thinner than I imagined it would be. I was expecting a thick and sort of heavy foundation due to its claim to be long-wearing, but was pleasantly surprised. This foundation goes on light, feels like nothing is there, and sets very quickly. I recommend applying it with a damp makeup sponge like the Beauty Blender, or simply doing one section of your face at a time in order to blend it well before it sets. It sets to a very natural-looking finish and isn't super matte or overly dewy. It never looks cakey, even after touching up with powder. As for lasting power, this foundation really does "stay fabulous". I wear it when I know I'm going somewhere special, or when I've got a long day ahead of me. It claims to be "3 in 1" meaning it's like a primer, foundation, and concealer in one. I notice that it does have shine control, but I do still wear a primer underneath and set it with powder as I do with all my other foundations. With the primer and powder its lasts for about 4-6 hours without getting shiny. It has flawless coverage, but I do still use concealer under my eyes and as needed on any stubborn blemishes. Overall, I absolutely love this foundation and would definitely repurchase it.

What's the difference?: The Body Shop Body Butter vs. Boots Body Butter

I wanna start off by saying that this post isn't specific to the exact scents I currently own and included in the photo. It's just sort of an overall comparison. (The Body Shop Body Butter on the right, Boots on the left)

     As a lover of all things coconut I picked up The Body Shop Coconut Body Butter awhile back and loved it! It was very creamy (or should I say buttery?), smelled absolutely amazing, and hydrated my skin like no other. I have very dry skin on my body- probably due to long showers :/- and I wanted something that was going to give my skin lots of moisture and keep it moisturized. This body butter did just that.

     The only downfall for The Body Shop Body Butter in my opinion was the price. They sell for $19.00 and you get 6.7 oz of product. I loved it, so when I saw the Boots Body Butter at Target for $9.99 I got a little excited. You get the same amount of product for about half the price so it seemed like a good buy. However, the scent was the first thing I noticed and I don't think it smells as good as The Body Shop. It is very creamy and moisturizing, but again, not as good as The Body Shop .I think The Body Shop Body Butter has more natural ingredients and not as many chemicals, which is something I look for in a beauty product. It is an okay body butter for the price, but overall I think The Body Shop Body Butter takes the cake.

*Also a little side note: The Body Shop Vineyard Peach Body Butter (pictured above on the left) is amazing! It smells exactly like peach rings and is soo hydrating. I'm obsessed.

What's the difference?: Rimmel London Scandal Eyes Waterproof Kohl Eyeliner vs. Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil

So I'm actually doing "What's the Difference?" Wednesday on the right day this week. Yay me haha. This week's comparison is between two very popular and well-loved eyeliners: Rimmel London's Scandal Eyes Waterproof Kohl Eyeliner in Black, and Urban Decay's 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Zero. Both are black in color and both claim to give the same effects: waterproof, long-lasting, smudge-proof, creamy. I have owned and used both of these liners for a substantial amount of time so I can give you my honest feedback.

Both liners come with the same amount if product (1.2 g). The Rimmel liner costs around $4.49 while the Urban Decay costs $19.00. So you get the same amount of product for nearly 1/4 of the price.

Here are both of the liners swatched on my hand. The darker swatches show Rimmel on the left, UD on the right. These swatches were done with a heavier hand and show the potential darkness of each of the liners. The lighter swatches feature UD on the left and Rimmel on the right. These swatches were done to demonstrate how the colors show up with a very light amount of pressure.

These products are both very good quality liners, however I would not say they are dupes for one another. The Rimmel liner is a lot more creamy, highly pigmented, and easier to blend out if you're going for that smoky/smudgy eyeliner look. That being said, I find that the UD liner does a better job at staying put and not smudging, for this reason I find it most useful for tightlining since it doesn't transfer to the bottom waterline. The Rimmel liner does transfer because it is so soft and creamy. I like to use it to line my upper inner rim and then close my eyes for a few seconds to allow it to transfer to my bottom waterline. This creates a softer look than if you were to apply it straight onto your waterline, which I love. All in all, I love both of these liners and do not regret purchasing either one. However I do prefer the Rimmel one not only because of the lower price but because I feel like it suits my preference a little more than the UD. I do not think I would repurchase the UD one again when I have a much cheaper alternative.

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What's the difference?: NYX Matte Finish Setting Spray vs Urban Decay De Slick Oil-Control Makeup Setting Spray

So, I know I'm way late on posting this, but better late than never right? This is a comparison between two products that claim to do the same thing: keep your face looking matte. As someone with oily skin, I'm always on the lookout for a product that will reduce shine on my face. Here are my thoughts on the NYX Matte Finish Setting Spray and the Urban Decay De Slick Setting Spray:

What they look like:

As you can see, there is quite a big difference in the amount of product you get. NYX gives you 2.03 fl oz (60 mL). UD gives you 4 fl oz (118 mL). What you can't see in the picture is the big difference in price. The NYX setting spray retails for $7.99 on ulta.com, while the UD setting spray goes for $29.00. So, you get about half the product for way less than half the price.

I bought the NYX setting spray a few weeks ago, in the hope that it would be a dupe for the UD. This stuff has a fine, even mist, and you only need about three sprays. It smells really good and feels amazing on the skin. It does take a while to dry though, and the directions say to dab off the excess(which I don't). You spray this product on after makeup, but before powder. I did find that I didn't have to blot my face as much throughout the day, and when I did, there wasn't as much shine as usual. Overall, this product was a win for me.

I've had the UD for a while now. I bought the mini size initially just to see if I liked the product. Evidently I liked it so I bought the full size (this was a while ago, which is why the packaging looks different). You spray this on before AND after makeup. First as a base, then to seal the makeup. That part puts me off a bit because, not only are you using more product, but it takes time for the product to dry and sometimes I forget to do the second spray. So, if you are somewhat in a rush, this could cause an inconvenience for you. Also, I don't find that this makes a huge difference in the amount of shine on my face. I used it a lot in the summer because I would sweat more, and it felt very refreshing on the skin, but so far, I prefer the NYX setting spray over the UD. 

Weekly Posts

I have some ideas for weekly posts that I want to start doing.
I'm thinking "Manicure Monday," which is obviously just going to be my nail color or design for the week. Nothing too special.This one will probably just go on instagram.

"Tip Tuesday" will be a beauty tip posted on here and instagram as well. Just a quick tip once a week. 

"What's the Difference? Wednesday." This one I'm kind of excited about because I came up with the name on my own ^.^ It will be a comparison between somewhat expensive products and their cheaper alternatives.

Let the blogging begin! 

Milani Face Powder and Maybelline The Falsies Flared Review

Just a further description/review of some new products I recently purchased:

The first is the Milani Multitasker Face Powder. I am the shade 04 Light Tan. First off, here is what the product/packaging looks like. 

This face powder is super mattifying and, in my opinion, great for oily or combination skin. I used it to both set my makeup and touch it up later in the day. It lasts a long time and gives more coverage that a translucent powder. It could be worn on its own as a powder foundation as well, but I prefer to wear it over something light like a tinted moisturizer or BB cream for a little extra coverage and shine control since I do have oily skin.

Another Product I purchased for the first time is the Maybelline the Falsies Volum' Express Flared. Well that's not a mouthful at all lol. I got the waterproof version because I have straight lashes and I find that wetter mascaras make them go straight again after I've curled them. The waterproof formulas seem to hold a curl better. This mascara did just that. It held a curl like no other and gave my lashes a ton of volume. My sister actually thought I was wearing false lashes! That's proof enough for me right there that this mascara does what it promises. I've never been a huge fan of Maybelline mascaras but I really liked this one. Here is a picture of the wand and the packaging.

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Yay my first blog post! How exciting lol. I've seriously been saying I wanted to start one forever and now I'm finally doing it. *Pats self on back* Anywho... I love pretty much everything beauty related. Makeup, nail polish, and of course all the lotions and potions that claim to solve every beauty issue. I enjoy both sharing my own opinions and hearing what others have to say as well. So, here I am, ready to share my thoughts with the world. I hope my posts will be both interesting and helpful to you. Enjoy :)