Top 10 Drugstore Makeup Products

Hi Friends!

I posted a video on YouTube on my current favorites from the drugstore! Please click on the link below to check it out :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgNbbP3pDTo

xo Kayla

2014 Beauty Favorites: Face - Part 1

Happy December, loves! I absolutely love Christmas and it truly is the most wonderful time of the year :) I love everything about the Christmas spirit and only wish it could last longer!

I mentioned in my last post that I would only be doing one post a week in December. I also said that I would be sharing my 2014 Beauty Favorites with a different category each week. This week: FACE! Since there are so many sub-categories that apply to the face, I am going to be doing Part 1 - Foundations, Concealers, Powders and Brushes - this week. Next week I will do Part 2 - Blushes, Bronzers and Highlighters! 

I have a ton of favorites in each sub-category, but I am going to try my best to pick my top 3 for each. (I don't know how I am only going to pick 3 blushes - my obsession!) 

I want to share all of these favorites with you because they are all AMAZING PRODUCTS! If I had to downsize my collection, these would be my top picks that I would want to save because I don't know what I would do without them! If you are on the hunt for something new, you will be able to find out what my recommendations would be for everything makeup-related over the next few weeks!

FOUNDATION:

     If you have been following my blog for a while, you have seen me mention that I have been struggling with acne for about a year (you can read my story here). Thankfully, I haven't had a breakout in well over a month and I am so, so grateful! These foundations are amazing at covering acne as they provide medium-full coverage. But as I am continuing to have clearer skin, I am still loving them as I can apply a more sheer, lighter application! So whether you have acne-prone skin or normal skin, I am sure you will love these foundations as well.

• Double Wear Foundation by Estee Lauder - This is the best foundation of life and I absolutely love it. It is seriously amazing! It provides the best coverage! It is so flawless and lasts all day long. For real, it will not smudge or wear away for 12+ hours! I also think the price tag of $37 is amazing compared to how many higher end foundation can cost you $60+. You are getting a great deal for a high quality foundation. I always recommend this foundation to girls. If you have never tried it, go to Sephora or Estee Lauder counter and ask for a sample. You will be hooked as well!

Double Wear Foundation by Estee Lauder

• HD Foundation by Make Up For Ever - This is a close second for me. It also provides a flawless finish and lasts all day as well. This is slightly less full coverage than the Double Wear - this is more medium coverage. This foundation is specifically created with film and camera in mind. This is a foundation that will look flawless if you are going to have an event where you will be taking lots of pictures!

HD Foundation by Make Up For Ever

• ColorStay Foundation by Revlon - If you are looking for something more affordable but still have a foundation that will last and look great, this is it! This is the foundation that I wear on an average day. Since my other foundations are more expensive, I hate wasting them on days where I am just going to be running to the store or getting groceries. But I still think that this foundation provides a flawless finish just like my other two favorites. The only con I have with it is that it does not last nearly as long as the others. I would say it will definitely last you a good 6-8 hours before it starts to break up in places (at least that is what I have experienced and definitely not the "24 hours" it claims). But for a drugstore foundation, this is a true winner and it is by far the best drugstore foundation I have tried!

ColorStay Foundation by Revlon

CONCEALER:

     These three are the only concealers I own and continue to repurchase. I have tried others in the past, but nothing works as great as these! 

• Pro LongWear by MAC - I mentioned in my last post that this is the concealer that I wear when I want to do a full on makeup look. It doesn't crease on me and creates the most perfect highlighting and concealing effect (since I use a lighter color than my skin tone). It blends so easily into the skin and it always blows me away at how perfect it looks. I just love this concealer!

Pro LongWear by MAC

• Age Rewind by Maybelline - I also adore this concealer. It is so affordable and it also creates an amazing highlighting effect when using a lighter shade. I think the MAC concealer creates a little bit more of a brightening effect, but this still does a great job at highlighting and concealing. I also don't notice any creasing when wearing this concealer and have gone through countless tubes of this bad boy!

Age Rewind by Maybelline

• Boo-Boo Cover-Up - This has been such a little blessing to me! Now that I am getting over acne, I have a lot of discoloration, spots, scars etc. This concealer blows me away at how incredible it is. It covers up any scarring that I have so effortlessly. The product is a little bit on the thicker side but it blends out to perfectly to cover any flaws. It never looks cakey and I can't even tell where it begins and ends on my skin when it is blended out. After applying it in my problematic areas, you can't even tell I ever had blemishes! It also has ingredients in it to lighten your scarring and heal. It is truly amazing and if you have any scarring or flaws you want to cover up, I HIGHLY recommend trying this out! 

Boo-Boo Cover-Up

POWDER:

     I have been using these powders consistently for several months now. I haven't tried any new ones recently because I have been so happy with these!

• Banana by Anastasia Beverly Hills - OH the infamous Banana! I had to try the hype out and I am loving it. I use this to set my under eye concealer and it works like a charm. I am impressed with the formulas of the concealers that I use, but I am always setting it with Banana and feel like it really just gives you an extra hand at the longevity of under eye concealer. 

Banana by Anastasia Beverly Hills

• Light Reflecting Pressed Powder in Translucent Crystal by NARS - I love how this powder feels so light when applying it. It barely feels like you are putting anything on your face. It is so sheer and you will never feel cakey with this powder! It is super silky and sets my makeup perfectly. It is mattifying yet creates a soft, luminious glow. SO pretty! This is definitely my go-to setting powder (as you can see below how much use it has gotten!) and I absolutely love it!

Light Reflecting Pressed Powder by NARS

• Mineral Veil by Bare Minerals - I also like to use the Mineral Veil to set my makeup. I just tend to reach for my NARS powder because it is pressed and the Mineral Veil is loose powder. It tends to get messy and I am finding myself some days not even wanting to deal with it. I do still think it is a wonderful powder to set your makeup. It just melts into you skin and creates a luminious glow as well. I wouldn't say the NARS one is any better, I just use this one on days when I have more patience :)

Mineral Veil by Bare Minerals

BRUSHES/SPONGES:

     I know I cant complete a full makeup look with only these three brushes, but these are the top three that I would recommend spending the money on and investing in. There are a lot of affordable brushes that work amazing, but in my eyes, nothing compares to these three and totally worth every penny.

• Beauty Blender - This obviously isn't a brush but it is something that I think any girl interested in beauty and makeup needs! The pointed side is perfect for blending out concealer and the bottom is great for foundation. It can be used wet or dry and gives you a flawless finish. I definitely recommend spending the extra $15 on the Beauty Blender over the Real Techniques sponge. In my personal experience, the Real Techniques sponge did not compare to the Beauty Blender!

Beauty Blender

• F80 Flat Top Kabuki by Sigma - Although I think the Beauty Blender is great for foundation, the F80 is ten times better! This brush is going to make your foundation look perfect and flawless. You don't have to worry about looking cakey or having any streaks with this brush! When I heard all the great reviews about it, I thought it was too good to be true. But it truly is that amazing! If you want to look flawless, you need this brush in your life!

F80 Flat Kabuki by Sigma

• E40 Blending Brush by Sigma - I just love this brush. I love doing my eye makeup and I honestly think part of it is because of this little guy! It is so perfect for blending out colors in your crease. In my opinion, crease work is what gives so much depth and definition to the eye. This brush disperses the shadow evenly and beautifully. I know that I will never have any harsh lines when using this brush because it just blends out the shadows so easily. You must try out the F80 and E40 from Sigma, ladies!

E25 Blending by Sigma

You might be thinking "What about primers?" Honestly, I don't remember the last time I bought a full size primer. Probably well over a year ago! I have just been using samples ever since. The reason I haven't purchased a full size primer in so long and not including any in my favorites is because I really don't have any. I will use some that I "like", but I haven't found a face primer that has truly blown me a way. I just use samples that I get and it does the job. Maybe next year I will found that I can't live without :)

Have a wonderful weekend and I will be back next week with Part 2!

xoxo Kayla

Friday Five: 11/28/14

Happy Friday, babes! Hope you all had a fantastic Turkey Day! How many of you burned off those extra calories by Black Friday Shopping?? I have to give it to you if you did. Even if I were home in the States, you wouldn't see me anywhere near any stores today! I tried going one year for about 30 minutes and I couldn't handle the intense craziness of some people! So if you can handle being around all those crazy shoppers, you are more woman than me ;)

Let's get on to my favorites of the week!:

1. In the Light palette by Stila
     You might have seen me post on Instagram that we received a care package from Tyler's mom this past week. It was so exciting! Having a box full of little goodies from home seriously makes my heart so happy! We receieved food items that we can't get over here, Christmas items and little, fun presents. When Sephora was having their friends and family sale in the States, I placed a small order and knew I would be receiving it in this package. This palette was one of the items I purchased and couldn't wait to get my hands on it! I have been wanting to get it for months and so happy to finally have it! It is such a pretty palette and I have been using it every day since receiving it! The infamous "Kitten" shadow is the most gorgeous shimmery silvery-pink. The shadows blend so easily and effortlessly. And I typically prefer gel eyeliners, but I am really liking this blackish-brown eyeliner pencil that came with it! 

In the Light palette by Stila

In the Light palette by Stila

2. Audacious Lipstick in Anita by NARS
     This is the other item I purchased from the F&F sale. I had to see what all the hype was about! Everyone has been raving about the Audacious Lipsticks from NARS so I had to get one. And with the steep price tag of $32, I felt a little bit better about purchasing it at a 20% discount. I chose "Anita" because it looked like that perfect "Kylie Jenner" lip color. I really hate to refer to it as that because I am a little sick of hearing about it! But it is that perfect dusty rose color that everyone is crazy about! And the pigmentation in this lipstick is out of this world! The swatch below is only one quick swipe! It lasts so long and looks like I just applied it even after wearing it for hours! It is super creamy and the formula in general is just incredible. I knew I was going to love this lipstick even before receiving it so I then ordered two more during the VIB sale - I'm not even ashamed to admit it ;) So I have "Raquel" (a nude) and "Olivia" (a red) waiting for me to be sent from my mom in our next care package! (The makeup addiction is real, girls!)

Audacious Lipstick in Anita by NARS

Swatch of Anita by NARS

3. Hypnose Drama mascara by Lancome
     I have some points built up on my Sephora account so I decided to trade in 100 of them for this sample of mascara. I have never tried out a Lancome mascara but have been wanting to because I have heard great things. I really have been loving this mascara because the formula is perfect! It is not thick and clumpy and messy, it just coats your lashes perfectly! I have rather short, fine lashes and this mascara makes them look so long! I am so impressed! I can't wait to keep using this!

Hypnose Drama by Lancome

4. Scandaleyes waterproof eyeliner in Nude by Rimmel
     I think nude eyeliner is great for the waterline to really open up your eyes. But I honestly rarely ever do it. I have extremely watery eyes and can never find anything that will stay put, even if it is waterproof. I purchased this eyeliner this summer and used it a few times but haven't used it in several months. I decided to use it a few days ago thinking that even if it only lasted an hour, it would be no big deal. I went about my day and didn't even really pay attention to see how it was holding up and when I went to wash my face at night, I could still see it there! It was a little worn away but definitely still noticeable! I was amazed. Clearly I wasn't paying any type of attention to it the other times I wore it this past summer! If you have watery eyes, you need to check this out! I am telling you, my eyes water like a fountain! I rarely even ever wear winged eyeliner because my watery eyes will just wash it away! It's a little sad, but I have some positive hope with this little guy - if it works for me, I think it would work for anyone!

Scandaleyes eyeliner by Rimmel

5. Pro Longwear concealer by MAC (in NC15)
     If I want to go the whole nine yards with my makeup, I am, without a doubt, using this concealer. This concealer doesn't crease, doesn't wear away and just blends and melts into your skin perfectly. I chose NC15 because it is much lighter than my skin so it really creates an amazing highlighting effect. I have had this bottle since around March and I still have a good amount left! Now I am not using it every day, but I am using it frequently! A little bit of product goes a long way so it is definitely worth the $20! If you haven't checked out this concealer, you really need to!!

Pro Longwear concealer by MAC

On a side note: For December, I will only be doing one post a week. December is always a busy month with the holidays and even though I only blog twice a week, I want to have a little extra time to do some Christmas shopping, skype with family and friends, and spend more time with my husband when he has a little time off. But my weekly posts are probably going to be a little bit longer as I am going to share my 2014 Favorites! Each week I will do a different category - eyes, lips, etc - so stay tuned to find out what my absolute, holy grail items are from this year! I can't believe a new year is just around the corner! Time goes way too fast!

Have a lovely weekend!

xoxo Kayla


Find the products I mentioned here:

In the Light palette

Anita Audacious Lipstick

Hypnose Drama mascara

Scandaleyes eyeliner

Pro Longwear concealer

Friday Five: 11/7/14

Happy Friday! Typing out "11" for November felt crazy! I can't believe it is November! Where does the time go?!

Here are my favorites for this first week in November!

1. Pore Minimizing Primer by Smashbox
     I got this as a sample with a Sephora order a while back and I have been really loving it! It is hard for me to find a primer that I truly love. And I never use Smashbox products. So I have been pleasantly surprised by this one. It is oil-free, oil-absorbing, minimizes pores, claims to last for 8 hours, mattifies the skin and sweat/humidity resistant. I would have to agree all of those claims are true. I love how it mattifies the skin and minimizes the appearance of my pores. Also, I have been wearing this primer on nights my husband has games and it really does resist against any humidity caused by being around thousands of people. It also lasts all night long. Since I have been liking it so much, I really want to purchase a full size. But it is $39! I think that is outrageous for 1oz of primer! I know primers last forever since you only use a little bit at time, but I just think that's a steep price tag! I am going to take advantage of the 20% off sale Sephora is having in the States to have some new makeup goodies sent out in a care package, so maybe I will splurge and get the primer with the discount. We will see!

Pore Minimizing Primer by Smashbox

2. Sweetheart Flush Blush in Candy Glow by Too Faced
     I had this as a favorite this past summer and I have been loving it again this week! First of all, the packaging is just way too cute. That might be the main reason I splurged on this blush! I love unique and pretty packaging :) But the product is definitely amazing as well! I love Candy Glow because it is such a pretty color. It gives you the most natural looking flush of color to the cheeks and it really does have a glow to it. I have very few blushes with sparkles in my collection because I personally don't like sparkly blushes. But with this one, I don't mind it at all! The sparkles are so subtle and really do give an extra "UMPH!" I think every girl should splurge on one of these Too Faced Sweetheart blushes :)

Sweetheart Flush Blush in Candy Glow by Too Faced

3. Infallible Eye Shadow in Iced Latte by L'Oreal
This is another favorite I have previously mentioned. I have been using it a lot this week (and even last week). It looks so pretty on the lid and just brings so much light to the eyes. It really opens your eyes up as well as bringing such a pretty shimmer to your eye look. Since it is a champagne color, you can pretty much use this with any other eyeshadows you want and it is going to go together great! I love that with this product you can use it wet or dry. By getting your brush wet, it gives it a little more of a metallic look! I really need to get more of these Infallible Eye Shadows in my life! They are so beautiful and affordable!

Infallible Eye Shadow in Iced Latte by L'Oreal

4. Lipstick in Dark Wine by Wet n Wild
     I have been trying to step out of my comfort zone (nude lips) and go for a bolder lip. I have been loving Dark Wine by Wet N Wild. I posted a picture on Insta with Dark Wine mixed with Wet N Wild's Cherry Bomb and have gotten so many compliments on it! Honestly, Dark Wine and Cherry Bomb are SO similar in color that you really don't need both of them (will show swatches below). I just lined my lips with Cherry Bomb and then filled them in with Dark Wine and the colors just blended in together. The reason I like Dark Wine better is because it is a creamier formula. Cherry Bomb can get very drying on the lips so I have just been sticking with Dark Wine! I think both of these lipsticks are only like 99 cents in the States! Maybe $1.99? Either way, super affordable and as you can see, HIGHLY pigmented!

Dark Wine by Wet N Wild

Top: Dark Wine
Bottom: Cherry Bomb

Picture I was referring to from Instagram!

5. Boo-Boo Cover-Up Concealer (in Medium)
     I am about to rave on this product here! If you have acne scars, you need this in your life! I received a full sized tube of this in my Ipsy bag several months ago and it is something I can't live without now! (and I just found out it is $20! awesome product to receive from Ipsy!) Boo-Boo Cover-Up is a Canada-based company and they have made an incredible product. This product completely covers up all my post-acne scarring. It is thicker than a normal concealer, but it blends out so amazingly that you wouldn't even think that it could have been so thick! What is even more amazing about it is that it has natural ingredients in it to help heal your skin - Aloe Vera, Vitamin E, Chamomile, Green Tea and Tea Tree Oil. I honestly don't know why I haven't mentioned this product before! I am always so amazed at how much it evens out my skintone when I cover up my acne scars. It really does hide everything! I just love this stuff! If you are looking to cover up any imperfections on your face, check out this product! I am probably about half way through my tube so it really does last a long time.

Boo-Boo Cover-Up Concealer

Have a fantastic weekend, loves!

xoxo Kayla
     


Find the products I mentioned here:

Pore Minimizing Primer by Smashbox

Sweetheart Flush Blush in Candy Glow by Too Faced

Infallible Eye Shadow in Iced Latte by L'Oreal

Lipstick in Dark Wine by Wet n Wild

Boo-Boo Cover-Up Concealer

Makeup Tag!

Hi loves! Hope you all had a fabulous 4th!!

So...Is it ok to do a makeup tag if someone doesn't technically tag you?? Hahaha! Well, I am going to do it anyways! I saw these questions and I decided I should fill them out so you all can get to know me just a little bit more!

20 Makeup Facts About Me!!

What foundation do you use?

My current favorites are (drugstore) Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 foundation and (high-end) Tarte Amazonian Clay 12 Hour foundation

How about concealer?

Drugstore - Maybelline Age Rewind

High-end - MAC Pro Longwear 

What do you think of fake eyelashes?

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE! Even the most natural looking ones can change the look of your makeup dramatically!

What brand of mascara do you use?

I am always looking for a good mascara!! My current favorites are YSL Babydoll and Dior Diorshow

Sephora or MAC?

Both! Duh :)

What makeup tools do you use in makeup application?

Beauty blender, eyelash curler, and brushes... Mostly Sigma... AMAZING BRUSHES!

Do you use makeup base/primer for the eyes?

Of course! 95 percent of the time I use Too Faced Shadow Insurance. All time fave!

For the face?

Right now I am loving Rimmel's Stay Matte primer

What is your favorite eyeshadow (color or shade)?

This is a toughy because I am an eyeshadow palette hoarder! If I had to pick just one color, it would be Salted Caramel from the Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette. Soooo pretty as a transition color!

Do you use pencil or liquid eyeliner?

I use both! Just depends on what I am feeling for the day!

What is your favorite lipstick?

MAC Creme Cup. I'm in love!

How about lipgloss?

I would have to go with any of the NYX Butter Glosses!

What is your favorite blush to use?

Oh boy. Another toughy. I am obsessed with blush as well. Kat Von D Bellissima is a beautiful peachy-coral color. NARS Orgasm is a must have! And don't even get me started on MAC blushes...best blushes ever!

Do you like drugstore makeup?

Yes! The drugstore has great products!

Did you ever consider taking make-up classes?

I would really love to! But right now everything I know is from me doing my own makeup and getting tips from other beauty lovers!

Are you clumsy in putting on makeup?

I am TERRIBLE at winged eyeliner! I can't master it for the life of me! If I attempt it, I have to go extremely slow and I always feel like it looks a little off!

Do you like colorful shades of makeup (lipstick,eyeshadow) or neutral ones?

I do like both but I am definitely more of a neutral girl!

If you had to choose just ONE makeup item, what would it be?

Yeah right! That is impossible to answer! Don't ever ask a beauty lover that ;)

In your opinion, what is the BEST makeup line?

I love so many products from so many different lines! I would have to say though that I am partial to Too Faced and MAC! And NOTHING beats Anastasia Beverly Hills brow products. Do not know what I would do without my brow wiz!!

What do you think of Makeup??

Obviously I love it! I love trying new products and learning new things about makeup! It's so much fun and I love sharing the love with you all :)

Share with me some of your makeup facts!!

xoxo Kayla

Top 5 Beauty Steals

Hi Beauties!

 I thought for my first "real" post, I would share my "Top 5 Beauty Steals". There is nothing better than awesome products at an inexpensive price!!! These are my current top 5 favorite items that are super cheap but super amazing!

1. NYX Butter Glosses
     If you don't own a NYX Butter Gloss, you need to head to Target and get one (or several) in your life... now! These are hands down my favorite drugstore lip glosses and it will be hard to find something to beat it! The formula is amazing - not sticky at all and super creamy. The color pay off is incredible. I love wearing it alone or layering it over my favorite lipstick! At $4.99 each, this gloss has everything going for it!

2. Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 Foundation
     I just started using this foundation a couple of months ago and it quickly became one of my favorites. It is a foundation, primer, and concealer all in one. Super convenient on those mornings when you are rushing and don't have time to apply product after product on your face! I also love it because it has an SPF 20 in it. With it being summer, it is very important to me to have a foundation with an SPF in it! This foundation has great coverage for a drugstore foundation and covers up my imperfections.  I will never feel bad repurchasing this product over and over at only $6.89!

3. Maybelline Age Rewind Concealer
     One of my favorite things to do when I am applying my makeup is highlighting and contouring! I like to buy this concealer in the very lightest shade (Fair) and use it for highlighting. The small sponge on the top makes applying the product SO EASY! I never notice any creasing with this concealer which why I love it so much! $7.99 is definitely a reasonable price for such a great concealer!

4. Maybelline Color Tattoo Eyeshadow
     I only own one Color Tattoo at the moment, but I must get more! I own the color "Barely Branded" and it is a pretty champagne color. I like to apply this after I put my eyeshadow primer on. Putting this on before my eyeshadow really helps the eyeshadow to pop and the color looks so rich! I also think that it helps my eyeshadow to last longer. I purchased this about 2 months ago and it doesn't even look like I have made a dent into it after using it dozens of times! $5.99 isn't a bad investment for something that will last you months!

5. Covergirl Classic Color Blush in Soft Mink
     I love, love, LOVE blush! I don't know what it is about it, but I can't get enough of pretty blushes! I kid you not, I have been using this blush, in this same color, for 10 years!! I started using this blush in high school and I've never stopped. It is a beautiful, soft pink color with a little bit of shimmer in it. This will always be a holy grail item of mine and it is only $4.99!

What are some of your favorite beauty steals?? I would love to check out some of your favorites!


xoxo Kayla