Makeup Talk // Beauty Counter Review

Hi friends! Happy 2017! I am not sure how weather in your state has been, but in Ohio, we've had 68 degree weather one day and 20 degree the next (literally). If I didn't have a job to venture out to I would probably just stay inside and hibernate for the rest of the "winter". Choosing clothes daily has definitely been a back and forth unwanted guessing game. Anyway, at least my makeup isn't changing drastically like the weather each day! Today I wanted to show you my "everyday" makeup look (I do tend to switch one product for another some days, but the basic look is the same). I also will be reviewing three products from the Beauty Counter line and showing how I include them in my daily routine. Side note-since I work as an RN, sometimes even this amount of makeup is just too much (especially if I am running late). On those days, I stick to moisturizer, a primer, concealer under my eyes, a translucent powder and mascara.

Beauty Counter has a goal to make safer beauty products accessible to whoever may be interested. Why does this matter? According to BC's website,

"Over the past two decades, the European Union has banned more than 1,300 chemicals in the product formulas of personal care products and restricted the levels of over 250 more in such products. The United States has only partially banned 30 to date".

In order to provide a product that does not include many of these chemicals that are not banned, BC made the decision to ban over 1,500 of the questionable and/or harmful ingredients in the use of their products. To me, that is a step in the right direction. I hope that more companies transition to this mindset so more products that the public has more access and more choices when it comes to "safer" products. Another great thing about BC is that their website does have an ingredient glossary, as well as the "Never List" which are some of the ingredients that you won't see in their products.

Products pictured (clockwise): Flower Beauty Glow Baby Glow Blush/Bronzer Duo // Flower Beauty Daily Brightening Under Eye Cream (shade DB2) // Tarte SmolderEYES Amazonian Clay Waterproof Liner, shade "brown" // Beauty Counter Lengthening Mascara "soft black" // Tint Skin Foundation (2 shades shown; swatches and shades listed later in post) // Lip Sheer "Rose" //

Tint Skin Foundation 
This product claims to be "lightweight and creamy", with sodium hyaluronate, which helps to retain moisture, promote smoother looking skin and reduces appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. The coverage can be sheer to medium per the website, depending on how you apply it.
For me, I tend to use it on the days that I want a "no makeup" look.  I would say the coverage is definitely buildable. I honestly wear it to run errands or when I am going to work-I have not tried to get more coverage than in between sheer/medium. I did find that it wears well, about 6 hours before I start to notice the coverage is fading. I think this product would be amazing for someone with normal to combination skin. A primer or a great moisturizer is necessary (from my experience) to get a smooth application. I do have combination oily skin, and found that the foundation flaked up around my smile lines and nose. From the four shades I received to test out, I could easily go between two of the shades (linen and sand) depending on if I self tan or not. Since this product is pretty sheer, the shades are very forgiving. While testing this out, I did have a breakout; after switching a few products around, I realized it was actually a moisturizer I was using and not this foundation, so it has not caused any breakouts (win!) As you can see in the following pictures, it gives a satin/natural finish, but I always end up setting with a translucent powder due to my skin type.

Retail price: $41 USD

Shades from top to bottom: Porcelain, Linen, Sand, and Honey.

I used Linen without a self tan, and Sand with a tan.

No makeup. My camera for blogging is currently out of commission. The iphone 7 puts a slight filter on the skin with pictures (I haven't figured out how to turn it off). My skin isn't bad-just slightly red, with noticeable pores. 

 Coverage with the Tint Skin Foundation, shade linen. Even though the picture has the slight filter (sorry), you can see the coverage and finish it provides. 
Dry patches around mouth.

Lengthening Mascara  
This mascara was made to create a daytime or dramatic look, while also hydrating the lashes and defining the eyes. The product states that the brush provides "clean application without smudging, clumping, or flaking. My take? I would agree with most of this! It has not smudged or flaked-nor has it clumped. I found that the brush really does help to define and separate the lashes. I have slightly long lashes naturally, so this mascara is perfect for helping to really make them stand out. I did find that my mascara was dry; I spoke with the consultant and she confirmed what I had noticed from most of the reviews: the product is usually really creamy and completely opposite of dry! Since I couldn't just give up on this new (to me!) product, I decided to put some contact solution into the container/barrel? I think I may have received a dud, because with a little extra moisture, the mascara was performing as it said it would. I will say, if you are looking for volume, I didn't really find it in this product. The name states it is lengthening, which is what you will get! I received the color black; I think this is the only shade. 

Retail price: $29 USD 

Finished look (mainly showing the mascara here!)

Again, finished look (including the Lip Sheer). Pre-gym and errand running!

Lip Sheer

This product is meant to be a lightweight, moisturizing and safe formula to give a sheer wash of color. There are no synthetic fragrances-just pure vanilla planifolia. It promises to condition lips without feeling oily or waxy. It is gluten free, vegan, nut free, and soy free. This product states that it could also double as a cream blush (have not tried that yet!) To cut to the chase, I will just say I absolutely love this product. The packaging of the full size product is beautiful, and I really adore how the product applies and wears. It's one of those items that you want to keep using but you also don't want it to run out. I have a few more shades on my list to purchase full size. It is listed as a Best Seller on the site, and I totally know why. If I could just shell out all the cash for the whole collection I would! 

Retail Price: $30 USD

If you have any questions regarding these products, or are interested, I highly recommend reaching out to the consultant that I worked with, Jenny Pittman. Her Beauty Counter link directly is www.beautycounter.com/jennypittman; her instagram page can be found by searching "jennypittman, her Facebook page is located at www.facebook.com/groups/BeautycounterwithJenny. She also has an email, beautycounterbyjenny@gmail.com. She has been super helpful with these products and I am so glad I got to work with her for this post!

Thanks for reading!

XO, Kelsey

Connect with me: twitter here // instagram here// pinterest here // 

*I was not paid for this review. I did however receive the Beauty Counter Samples for review.
**Primer used under Tint Skin Foundation was Pacifica Jasmine Iris Oil Control Primer (a primer that deserves its own review!)

Makeup Talk // Review of Cowgirl Dirt Makeup

Hey beauties! Today I am bringing you a review of Cowgirl Dirt Makeup, a natural and organic brand based out of Texas. According to their website, the brand stands for "the best of Western Tradition". If you check out their website, you'll learn a bit more about the brand and see the fun western-inspired makeup names. When it comes to reviewing the products, I always test them out for 2-3 weeks at least before giving my opinion-I hope this review can be found helpful for anyone curious about a great natural and organic brand!

 Wearing most of the products I was sent! The blush, bronzer, 3 eyeshadows, highlighting concealer, and foundation. 

From L to R: Under Eye Highlight Concealer, Eye Firming Cream, Mineral Powder Foundation in shade "Grullo 4", Wild West Blush in the shade "Rawhide", Mineral Powder Foundation in shade "Grullo 5", and the Dusty Bronzer in shade "Arena". 

Top picture: natural lighting. Bottom picture: with flash. From L to R: Under Eye Highlight Concealer, Mineral Powder Foundation in shade "Grullo 4" and then "Grullo 5", Dusty Bronzer in shade "Arena" and the Wild West Blush in shade "Rawhide" heavily swatched and then lightly swatched. 

The first product I used was the Eye Firming Cream, which is said to firm and tone the under eye area. I do not think I have had enough time nor sample to really confirm the benefits, but so far I do know that it leaves my eye area feeling soft and moisturized.

Next, I used the Under Eye Highlight Concealer. This is a peachy toned cream concealer that helps to brighten the under eye area. For a girl like me (with hereditary dark circles, products like these are a must.

As you can see, the right under eye is a ton brighter than the left after using this product. I believe I tapped on a bit of the product, let it set for about 30 seconds, and then tapped on a bit more to get more of a brightening effect. If you are someone with only minor dark circles, I think this product could be a huge help to your beauty routine! Since mine drive me so nuts, I add a bit of concealer on top of this to really get the coverage I want.

After priming my face with my usual moisturizer and primer, I applied the Mineral Powder Foundation in shade "Grullo 5" to half my face. I find that this powder foundation gives a sheer to medium coverage (buildable) and leaves a natural finish. This foundation wears amazingingly (not a word but oh well). I have worn it to work-sweating and running around-and it still holds up. The same goes for the Pressed Powder Foundation, which wears just as well, with more of a medium to semi-full coverage (buildable). Something I love about both these foundations are their ability to photograph well. Not only do they look great in person, but they also look awesome with flash photography, which is hard to come by when you have mineral makeup products.If you look at the picture below, you can see how airbrushed the makeup looks-I didn't edit my skin at all. The shade "Grullo 4" is a tad too light for the summer months for me, but it would probably be a go-to for the winter! As for my skin type, I have combination-oily skin and I was impressed with how the foundations did not cause any extra oil, and it was helpful in keeping excess oil from breaking through.

As you can see, the pressed foundation gives a bit more coverage. I think the pressed foundation is a tad bit darker than the loose foundation (even though they are the same shades), but maybe that has to do with the coverage they offer. 

Matte/Semi-Matte Eyeshadows in shades "Mud", "Arena Sand" and "Rodeo Rose".

 Swatches of the same shades with flash photography (top) and natural lighting (bottom). 

 A light application of all 3 shades.

 The last items I used/received are the Matte (and semi-matte) Eyeshadows. The colors are pretty and definitely pigmented, and were easy to blend. I didn't have any issues with fallout or the product smudging throughout the day, but I also tend to use concealer as a base on my eyelids, which acts as a primer. 

  Another shot with all the products! This is a picture with natural lighting-you can see how smooth the foundation still looks. It is almost like a "your skin but better" finish!

Well, if you made it through this super detailed post, thank you! I always try to be as detailed as possible, in the the hopes that my opinions could be helpful for someone trying to decide if they should try a product or not. I honestly have nothing bad to say about any of the products; I have spoken up before about products I was not happy with, but that is not the case here! All in all, I would 100% recommend and back up in product that I have spoke about on this post. I actually am interested in a few more of Cowgirl Dirt's products (such as the cream foundation, organic facial serum, and lipsticks) because I was so impressed with the products I already have. I could definitely see myself buying Cowgirl Dirt products and using them for a majority of my makeup needs-they are amazing! Give them a try if you are on the fence, I dont think you will regret it!

Thank you for reading!

XO, Kelsey

 

Connect with me on twitter here // connect with me on instagram here// pinterest here //

**These products were sent to me free of charge. As always, nothing has influenced my opinion other than the products performance itself.

Makeup Talk // Mineral Fusion Concealer Duo Review

Hey lovelies! Today I have another beauty review for you-this time, featuring just one product, from Mineral Fusion Mineral Makeup! A few weeks ago I was browsing Health Foods Unlimited (they have everything-food, beauty and skincare, household items, etc) and found the beauty section (shocker, I know). I decided to purchase the Mineral Fusion Concealer Duo in the shade "warm". Since trying to clean up my skincare and beauty products, I have yet to find a concealer that even comes close to covering my dark under eye circles. In the past, I have written about how I cover my circles, but the products are in no way non-toxic or natural. You can find that post here.

This concealer duo comes with one light and one dark shade. I sometimes use the lighter shade for a brightening effect, and then layer the darker shade over it. Or I mix the two and apply at the same time.

Natural lighting.

  With flash.

•  Shade selection: There are 4 shades of duos to choose from; cool, neutral, warm, and deep. I have the shade "warm" and find the lighter shade in the duo to be too light/bright for wearing alone. As stated before, I do not wear it alone, so this is not an issue for me. According to the website, you are supposed to use the duo to create your perfect, custom shade. I would give the selection of shades a 8/10. I feel most people could customize the shade to work for them!
• Coverage: This is a medium to high/full coverage concealer. Most days, I just use this alone. Some days, I do use another concealer on top of it (liquid, and unfortunately made with toxic ingredients-I can't find a replacement for it!) Even though this is great coverage, I like using the other concealer to "set it" so to speak. It's probably not necessary! 9/10 coverage wise!
• Application: This goes on sooo smoothly. It does get a bit melted if it gets too warm, but when at room temperature, it is perfect. It feels just like any other cream product. 10/10 on application!
• Wear time: This wears amazingly! Lately I have worked so much; always sweating, working long hours, and rubbing at my sensitive eyes. I give the wear time a 9/10. It looks good when I put it on, and when I get home it still looks awesome after 6+ hours.
• Overall product: 9/10. Great for someone with dark under eye circles and perfect for covering up blemishes. Not sure I will find another natural concealer I love more than this! However, I would love your suggestions if you have any!

See the difference?!

I hope you find this post helpful! Check out Mineral Fusion's Website to look into more of their products here! If you want to learn more about them, go here!

Thank you for reading,

XO, Kelsey

*This product was purchased by me with my own dolla dolla bills ya'll. Mineral Fusion did not encourage me to post anything regarding this product, nor do they know this blog even exists (probably, but it would be cool if they did!) All opinions are 100% mine and honest! 

Connect with me on twitter here // connect with me on instagram here// pinterest here //

Bright Eyes // Three Favorites For Waking Up Tired Eyes

Hey lovelies! Today I wanted to let you in on a few of my current favorites for not only my everyday makeup routine, but for waking up dark, tired eyes in general. Dark under-eye circles tend to run in my family, so I am constantly trying to come up with ways to brighten the area. Pair that with some seasonal allergies causing redness in my waterline and we are just a hot mess in the morning! This post will feature the Rimmel Volume Accelerator Mascara, the Rimmel Scandaleyes Nude Eyeliner, and the IT Cosmetics Bye Bye  Under Eye Brightening Concealer. A few posts ago I wrote about my favorite combination for concealing my under-eyes, and I still LOVE that combo; I will never take it out of my beauty routine probably! However, this concealer I would like to review packs in the same brightening and long-wearing properties without having to mix two different concealers!

No makeup...scary!

In those photos, I am makeup free and bearing my dark circles in all their glory, as well as my reddish/pink waterline. In the next picture below, I have applied the Rimmel Scandaleyes Nude Eyeliner. 

Taking this one step already makes such a difference! The lighting is a bit off throughout these photos, but hopefully you get an idea of how just a few steps can wake up your look!

Mini Review: This nude liner is the perfect shade for brightening your waterline, without looking like you tried really hard. It has the best creamy consistency and glides on with no problems, sort of setting itself in less than a minute so it doesn't come off. I would say it lasts 6 hours or so before needing to be touched up, although most of the time I don't worry about that! Price: Less than $5 at most drugstores.

The next product I use is the IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Undereye Brightening Concealer. This stuff will pretty much wow you if you ever decide to try it!

Review: The color I use is "Neutral Medium". This product has a pretty thick consistency; when I say that, I don't mean it feels cakey on your skin (although if you use too much, that very well could happen) but it almost has a thick whipped texture to it. When applied, it is noticeable how pigmented it is, which is why you need to use so little. It is long wearing, which will be awesome when I have to work 12 hour shifts at the hospital (I start today!) I don't have a dry undereye area, but I do find this concealer to feel a bit moisturizing, so I am sure those who look for that in a concealer would appreciate that characteristic of this product! I haven't had any issues with it irritating my skin or causing breakouts, which is always a plus. Speaking of breakouts, sometimes I use this for just that; I think it does a really nice job of getting rid of the redness and concealing the pimple or redness. I always set my under eye area (or any are on my face for that matter) with a setting powder. I think that this is a foolproof way to add extra wear time to almost any makeup. Price: $24.

My application technique.

So much brighter! Concealer will always be one of my favorite beauty products-ever!

Review: The last product that really opens and brightens the eyes in the morning is mascara. Trust me, you can see a huge difference just by swiping on one coat of your favorite mascara. My current (and maybe all-time?) favorite mascara is the Rimmel Volume Accelerator Mascara. I'm not going to lie-I didn't love it at first. It was quite "wet" in consistency, which made me think it wouldn't do anything for my lashes. Because of this, I left the cap partially unscrewed one day during classes, which made it dry out a bit, thickening up. Now I am 150% in love with it! It doesn't clump up or  flake, but it does add length and volume. Trust me when I say I used to be the girl with 6+ mascaras on rotation, using a different one each day. I only reach for this one now. Price: One of the best parts about this is that I believe it performs like a high-end product, yet it is less than $10 at most drugstores.

One coat...I don't like to layer on mascara!

Awesome length from the mascara! :)

I hope this post is helpful in some way to someone out there! It is amazing how certain products can awaken your whole face! 

Since this post just needed a few more photos...haha.

What are your tips for brightening up your eyes in the morning?

Thanks for reading!

XO, Kelsey

**The IT cosmetics concealer was sent to me for free for consideration of review. I am in no way influenced by a company when I am sent a product; all opinions are my own and formed after using a product for longer than a few weeks!

Things I'm Loving and Random Rambles!

Happy Monday everyone! I hope wherever you are right now, the weather is treating you right! It was such a nice weekend; although today has been nothing but what feels like torrential downpour!  Anyways, I wanted to share a few things I am currently loving lately...I feel like this is so much easier than doing full blown reviews on products-unless you want more details on something, then of course I would love to share all my thoughts with you!

One-Yes To Tomatoes Clear Skin Daily Balancing Moisturizer
This stuff is soooo good for my oily skin! I feel like it really has helped in balancing out all the excess oils, while also keeping my skin hydrated enough that I am not over-producing oil! It also seems to help with taking away some of the redness in my skin. I am almost out of this, so I will definitely be repurchasing it!

Two-My concealer combo for concealing dark circles
A few posts ago I shared my favorite way for hiding my pesky, dark undereye circles. Putting together Maybelline  Instant Age Rewind Eraser Darkspot Treatment Corrector + Maybelline Superstay 24 Hour Concealer was the best thing I could do for my beauty routine-so mych so that I had to blog about it! You can find that post HERE. I think these two products work together so well...it seems like both sort of play off each other, so I don't tend to use them alone very often. I have even got a few friends hooked on this combo, so I won't be straying for this favorite anytime soon!

Three-The end of the semester!
YAYAYAY is all I have to say...oh, and I am a senior in college now. More YAY's ensuing!

Four-Spring and Summer trends
I don't even know where to begin. Basically, if it is involved with either season, I probably love it. I can't wait to have a little extra cash for non-necessities so I can buy some new staples for my wardrobe! If you want to find everything adorable and fabulous in one place, I would suggest checking out Monica's Closet Essentials! Monica is a blogger that I have mentioned many times, and I've loved her blog for basically ever. She doesn't know that I am mentioning her boutique in this post, and I don't know if she will even see this, but trust me-her shop is so worth checking out. Here are a few pieces I love:

Drawstring Dress 

 Blush Belted Maxi Skirt

 Flirty Cut-Out Swing Dress

So cute! I always have my eyes on items from J.Crew, Madewell, and Express too!

Five-The little things
Today, I called my stepmom to catch up, but my five year old brother answered her cell phone because they were at the store. Sammy, my brother, is ridiculously smart, witty, sarcastic, and adorable for his age. So anyways, I never know what to expect from him. He told me that he was getting the "music for the Frozen movie", aka the soundtrack. Me: "Oh really?! That is so cool Sam! We will have to watch the movie together and sing the so-" Sam: "I'm going to sing you a song from the CD, okay?!" He then proceeded to sing the whole Let It Go song to me...I wish I could have recorded it. It was the most precious thing ever, and he didn't miss a word. I couldn't stop smiling! It's the little things guys!

I am pretty sure I could list a few more things I am loving, but I will just keep the list to a minimum since this post is already getting a little wordy! Besides all that, lately I have been looking forward to starting my co-op job at a local hospital (let's be real here, I am SO nervous too!) It should be an interesting and educating experience, so I am excited to see how it goes. On another note, I have randomly been thinking about putting my nose ring back in. I know, I know, some people hate it and some people love it...I always wore a super tiny stud that was barely noticeable, like ones from the Fresh Trends site; most people didn't even know I had my nose pierced, but I loved having it!

 (Super old picture-but you can see that I liked the tiny diamond studs!)

What do you think? If I do put it back in, I will just have to put in a clear plastic retainer when I am at work. Decisions, decisions! Could this post get anymore random? I am definitely rambling at this point, but I have so much to say! I'll just cut the post short here, so I can relax for the rest of my night! I hope everyone had an amazing weekend and a good start to the week...and-don't forget, cherish the little things!

Thanks for reading!
XO, Kelsey

Makeup Talk: My Favorite Concealer Combo For Concealing Dark Circles

Oh hey! Today I want to tell you all about my little concealer concoction that works wonders for my under eye circles. I promise, mine are so stinkin' dark. I have a friend that has said, "wow, you look so different before you conceal them"...It's something that has bugged me for years, but they are really common in my family. I have tried so many different concealers, yet this combo is one of the only things that seems to work for me. I don't want this post to be too terribly long, instead, more of a quick tip post! So, moving on to the products!

Maybelline  Instant Age Rewind Eraser Darkspot Treatment Corrector (longest name ever) in the shade "cream" and Maybelline Superstay 24 Hour Concealer in the shade "light".

Swatches of the two concealers. 

First off, I am just throwing a random question out there-is anyone having issues with Blogger seemingly altering the photos you upload? When I view this collage as I am writing this, the whole thing looks airbrushed and soft focused, which happened in the last post too. When I open this picture up from my desktop, you can see it is really high quality resolution and can see each and every pore on my face, meaning it by no means looks airbrushed. So odd, Blogger!

Anyways, 

1) the first picture is no concealer-on camera, they don't look horrible, but in real life guys...I look like I lost a fight. 

2) The second picture is how I apply the two concealers; first, I swipe the Age Rewind Concealer under my whole under eye area. Next, I put 2-3 dots of the Superstay concealer right on top of the other concealer, on about the inner third of my under eye. I then blend the two of them by gently patting (not tugging) the under eye with either my ring finger or this brush. Using the Superstay allows a little extra wear time for the concealers, and it also offers more coverage than the Age Rewind. I don't typically use these concealers on their own unless I am in a big hurry!

3) Outcome of the two-yay!

What is your tip for covering under eye circles?

Thanks for reading!

XO, Kelsey