Brows On Point: e.l.f. Beautifully Bare Sheer Tint Brow Gel

Brow game strong. Isn't that what we all want to hear? I was fortunate to resist the overplucking phase in my younger years, so I have naturally thick eyebrows, but my black brows always seem a bit ashy and shaggy after makeup application. Brows have been the "it" trend for several years now, but I've never found anything that could help my dark, bushy brows. Now I've finally found a product that not only matches my hair color, but tames and darkens them. Sheer Tint Brow Gel from e.l.f. has quickly become a necessary part of my daily makeup routine to finish off my look.

e.l.f. Beautifully Bare Sheer Tint Brow Gel comes in four colors: clear, light, medium, and dark. I love that it has a dark shade, as my eyebrows are black and it's rare to find a brow product that matches. Usually, the deepest color is still way too brown and makes me look like I have multicolored brows (not attractive!). I was a bit concerned at first that the dark would still not be dark enough, but for $5 I was happy to give it a shot. The clear option did not interest me because my experience with clear gels is that they usually end up looking too shiny.

This brow gel features a long, thin brush with fine bristles. It can sometimes be a little too long to get the outer edges of the brows with precision, but with a light hand it is manageable. It promises a "soft hold for perfect everyday wear," and in general it fulfills that promise. If you put too much on, it can feel a bit crunchy, but I love how easy it is to apply, and create a defined and natural look without much effort. The gel lasts all day and does not flake off (I'm a photographer, so a camera is against my face for most of the day and it has yet to wear off or transfer).

Most importantly, it does exactly what I've been searching for a brow product to do: darken my eyebrows after makeup application, and even them out without adding bulk to my already thick brows. Most brow products on the market are meant to add volume to thin brows or fill in sparse spots, but I definitely don't need that. After applying my foundation and powders, my eyebrows pick up a lot of product and they look ashy and gray. Spoolies don't really get the excess product off, and I don't want to use makeup remover because that may ruin the makeup around my eyebrows. Enter the Sheer Tint Brow Gel! A couple swipes through each brow and each guy looks fresh, clean, and defined. The gel dries quickly, keeps my dark hair dark, and tames these wild beasties of eyebrows.

For $5, e.l.f. Beautifully Bare Sheer Tint Brow Gel is worth its weight in gold. Nothing frames a face quite like well-done eyebrows, and this brow gel helps to finish off my makeup like the period to this sentence. What is your favorite brow product? Comment below!

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Spring 2015 Haul Part 2: Eye Products

Get ready for the second installment of my huge Spring 2015 haul, featuring eye products! The spring months are the busiest time for me at work, to the point where there is barely a moment when I am not living and breathing work. In order to keep my sanity, I frequently turned to retail therapy in the past few months, causing me to amass quite a haul of beauty items. Here's all my new eye makeup goodies!

I love eye makeup. I have so much eyeshadow and so many different eyeliners it's borderline hoarding. The irony is that in my everyday routine I usually only have time to slap some mascara on my lashes! But that doesn't stop me from buying and dreaming of the weekends where I have more time. 

Stranded in Target! A Spontaneous elf Haul

Recently, I was driving home after visiting with friends and meeting their sweet little baby. Unfortunately, my journey was westbound during a March sunset, where the sun was so low and bright that it felt like I was driving directly into the center of the sun. I made it as far as I could, but about halfway through, I had to pull over and wait until the darn thing finally set. Luckily, there was a wonderful Target that I could take shelter in, and really, who doesn't love a good wander through Target? I didn't intend to buy anything, but of course I found myself in the beauty section and got some awesome deals on clearance elf products, plus a few I've been wanting to try!

Impulse Buy Monday: Physicians Formula Super BB Cheek & Lip

Happy Monday, lovelies! Sometimes I hit the jackpot at the CVS kiosk that prints out Extracare coupons. Yesterday, I received a coupon for $3 off any Physicians Formula purchase, so I immediately headed over to scope out what I could buy. I've been wanting to try so much from their new releases, but nothing was on sale and I wanted to get the most out of the $3 coupon. I looked for the cheapest item out of the new lines, and I found something that I was really excited to get: Physicians Formula Super BB All-in-1 Beauty Balm Cheek & Lip in the shade Natural Peach.

Impulse Buy Monday: elf Studio 3 in 1 Mascara

Happy Monday, lovelies! Monday can only mean one thing: time to share with you yet another beauty impulse buy! Today's post features the elf Studio 3-in-1 Mascara: Lengthen, Define & Volumize.

I was recently on my way to a friend's house after work, and I stopped to beef up my makeup. Unfortunately I realized that my purse makeup bag didn't have mascara in it, and I wasn't wearing any! Instead of just going with the flow and not wearing any, I ducked into Target and headed straight for the cosmetics. Since I already have a ton of mascaras at home, I didn't want to spend much money getting a new one. At $3, this mascara seemed like the perfect choice to get me out of the pickle I was in.

The Best Beauty Time of the Year

It's beginning to look a lot like.... a beauty lover's holiday! Happy Holiday Season, everyone!! I went back and forth a lot about the theme of this post. Originally I wanted this to be my holiday wish list, as the timing seemed appropriate with Black Friday and Cyber Monday. But guess what, I've bought many of my most wanted sets already! However as I perused all the new deals available this year, it made me think back to a few years ago at Christmas, when I really started to notice all the different brands and options of makeup in the world. It was at that time when I was struggling with my acne, searching for the right cosmetics without any idea of what I needed and overwhelmed with the choices and the prices. That's when I first saw that the bareMinerals Get Started Kit was on sale for the holidays, and my whole life changed. With the convenience of a value set, I was able to try a wide range of products from a single line and decide what I liked without extreme investment.

It's in that spirit that I write this post.

Impulse Buy Monday: Physicians Formula Mineral Wear Airbrushing Blush

Happy Monday, my friends! It's that time of week again, where I share with you my latest impulse buy that I've been trying out. Today is another piece of my awesome Rite Aid clearance haul (read about it here), the Physicians Formula Mineral Wear Airbrushing Blush in Rose.

$2.99, can you believe it?! The original price was $11.95. Such a great deal, and I can't resist a clearance item!

This is a mineral formula, that's talc-free and even includes SPF 30. I've rarely seen blush with SPF, so that's pretty impressive. With my fair skin, any SPF I can get is fantastic since I burn practically the second I walk out the door! This blush also promises a "Smoothing, Firming, Lifting Effect."

This is a very pink shade, on the darker end of the spectrum, but still very very pink. It's not 100% matte, but it's very close (the shimmer is incredibly difficult to see, and when applied I do not notice any sparkle at all).

I have to be honest, the packaging completely flummoxed me at first, I couldn't figure out how to open it! And then when I did, the middle pan with the actual product in it kept flipping up to reveal the brush storage, even when I didn't want it to! I soon got the hang of it though. And as for the brush, just throw it away, it is a real joke.

I've been using this blush off and on for about two weeks now, and I have to say I do like it. It is incredibly pigmented, so be very careful not to swirl your brush of choice in it and instead just tap it into the product. I use my elf Studio Blush Brush, and I use one side to lightly dab into the blush about three times, then tap off the excess, and apply to the cheek. I then use the clean side to blend and then repeat for the other side. I'm very happy with the resulting flush of pink, it looks very natural. Paired with the Cashmere Bronzer I reviewed last week (check it out here), I get a nice healthy glow along with pretty good contouring. 

The Mineral Wear Airbrushing Blush also has very good stamina. The package promises it will last 16 hours, which is a pretty big claim, but I notice that it's still in tact by the end of my workday and that is all I really need.

As for the smoothing and lifting, I'm thinking this is just a ploy to get you to buy it as I haven't noticed any such effect. I do appreciate that the formula is hypoallergenic and dermatologist recommended since I have problem skin, but other than that it's just another pretty blush.

Impulse Buy Verdict: Although I only spent $2.99 on it, I would probably spend the full retail price. I think it's a fantastic drugstore option for blush, and the fact that there's very little shimmer is a plus (I find it hard to find matte drugstore shades). I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a well-pigmented, sensitive skin friendly blush.

My Travel Essentials

Last weekend I had the opportunity to get away for the weekend. My dear friend had an extra ticket to the Dave Matthews Band concert in Connecticut and asked me along. As I was packing for the trip, I thought it might be fun to do a travel essentials post.

It is tough whittling down a giant makeup collection to just the bare bones! I like to travel very light, so I have to figure out exactly what makeup I'm going to actually use, and leave all the rest of my little friends behind. Nothing extraneous, just the few items I am going to need most often. So basically four categories: skincare, tools, foundation, and frosting (eyeshadow, mascara, lip gloss, etc).

In my search for the perfect makeup storage system to replace my current one (a giant tupperware bucket just doesn't cut it anymore!), I purchased Joy Mangano's Better Beauty Case Deluxe Set from HSN. It comes with an extra large roll-up case that I think will be perfect for storing my makeup, but also comes with a medium size case that fits perfectly in my duffel bag, and even fits in a large purse. I was excited that I would be able to use it for the weekend, and the four sections of the case fit my organization needs.

Each little triangle section is a different category. From right to left, I have my skincare, then tools, then foundation, then frosting. The bonus is that each little triangle is actually removable, so I could have stuck any particular section in my purse at a moment's notice. I loved this little case and was so glad I decided to pick it up off HSN.

So what's inside it, what did I deem worthy enough to travel with me? Quite a bit actually!

Skincare:

-bareMinerals Purifying Facial Cleanser (travel size): I don't like it as much as the Foaming Cleanser, but I love that it's a travel size

-bareMinerals Purely Nourishing Moisturizer for Combination Skin (travel size): smells delicious and does a great job

-Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Hydrating (travel size): not my favorite primer ever, but the small size is excellent for travel and it does a decent job

-Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion: the only eyeshadow primer that actually works for me, I would not leave home without it

Tools:

-bareMinerals Flawless Application Face Brush: perfect for applying bareMinerals Mineral Veil, Warmth and Rose Radiance

-bareMinerals Full Flawless Face Brush: for bareMinerals Original Foundation

-bareMinerals Maximum Coverage Concealer Brush: for bareMinerals SPF 20 Concealer

-e.l.f. Studio Blush Brush: good for blending

-e.l.f. Studio Eyeshadow "C" Brush: great basic eyeshadow brush

-e.l.f. Essential Smudge Brush: haven't used this one much since I just got it, but it's a great brush for bringing eyeshadow under the eye

-e.l.f. Essential Blending Eye Brush: this is a fantastic brush for smoothing out harsh lines and contouring in the crease

Foundation:

-bareMinerals Original Foundation in Fairly Light: my favorite everyday foundation

-bareMinerals SPF 20 Concealer in Bisque: fantastic concealer, covers everything

-bareMinerals Warmth All-Over Face Color: a subtle bronzer that adds a hint of color

-bareMinerals Rose Radiance All-Over Face Color: I use this as my everyday blush

Frosting:

-Benefit They're Real Mascara (travel size): not usually my everyday mascara, but definitely one of my favorites. Love the travel size option.

-L'Oreal Infallible Gel Lacquer Liner 24 Hour in Blackest Black: got this in my last ULTA haul and I absolutely love it. It came with a great applicator brush, and it glides on the lid effortlessly. This is a definite staple.

-NYC IndividualEyes Custom Compact in Midtown Mauve: this is a little palette that has four really wearable colors. Including a primer and highlighter, this palette can be worn so many different ways, making it the perfect travel companion (I did not use the primer as I had my Urban Decay primer)

-NYX Cosmetics Butter Gloss in Eclair: another standout from my last ULTA haul, I am so glad I took the advice of other bloggers and tried this. It is a fantastic lip gloss and I love this color

Wow, looking back that is a long list of "essentials"! Everything I brought easily transferred from day to night looks, was easily transportable, and allowed me to keep with my beauty routine even on the road. The case was perfect for travel and I look forward to using it again in the future.

PS The Dave Matthews Band concert was awesome! I had never seen them live before, and I am so grateful to my friend for letting me tag along! We had such an amazing time. Thanks, Jen!

Fail: elf Waterproof Eyeliner Pen

I guess the old adage still stands: you get what you pay for. When you spend $2.00 on an eyeliner pen, don't expect the world. I have a deep love/hate relationship with elf products. Some of their items have been awesome and a great value, and others I wish I hadn't wasted my time or money. This particular item falls into the latter category. 

I had high hopes for the Waterproof Eyeliner Pen. Some great reviews on YouTube put the idea of it into my head, and it gets about 4 out of 5 stars on the elf website. It's billed as a waterproof and smudge-free liner, which is important when much of the time I am looking through a camera and my eyeliner smears all over the place. I chose the shade Midnight because it looked more navy than black, and I have more than enough black eyeliners. And a felt tipped eyeliner pen seemed perfect for me, a person who is terrible at applying eyeliner and has had pretty good luck with the liquid pen type in the past. So I took a shot and ordered it, along with a haul of other things (and thanks to retailmenot.com, free shipping!).

I was so excited to rip open the package and try it, but the second I took a look at the tip, I knew this was a no-go. The tip looked so dry! The little fibers sticking out of the point didn't have an ounce of liquid on them. When I tried to swatch it on my hand, the tip was indeed dry, barely eking out a bit of color. Plus the pen was so stiff it almost scratched my skin! Thank goodness I didn't go right for the eyelid. Hoping that the liquid might just have been blocked from the tip during shipping, I recapped it to put it tip down to get the juices flowing. The back of the package states "Best stored tip down for ultimate color saturation," but the cap end is rounded and will not stand up on its own! Why suggest storing it tip down, but then make the packaging incapable of standing tip down by itself? So two strikes so far.

Notice the curvature of the cap, that's not going to stand up!

I left it alone for a while, propped tip down between two bottles of lotion, and hoped that when I reopened the cap that the tip would look a bit more saturated. But alas, this was not the case. I decided to play with the eyeliner anyway, and attempted to gently swipe it across my lid. OUCH. The tip was outrageously stiff and it actually hurt! One pleasant surprise was that it left a much more pigmented line than I had anticipated. Until, that is, I went to repeat the process on my other eye and it was a faded, pale line. I had to draw over the line about three times to match the darkness of the first side (and thus three more times of painful swiping). Strikes three and four. In a ballgame, this guy would have been benched already.

My one last hope for this product was the waterproof, smudge-resistant, long-lasting power promised by elf. I let the eyeliner dry, and waited about twenty minutes before testing it out, more than enough time for it to set in my opinion. I went to the mirror and slightly touched my finger to my lid, and... smudgy mess! The tiniest touch took my nice thin line to an ashy, thick line that honestly looked like a big bruise. Smudge-free, I think not. Deep down I knew that if it was this easy to smudge, it was impossible for it to be waterproof, but I didn't want to leave any stone unturned. I put a bit of water on my fingertip and touched my unsmudged eye, and as I thought, the second the water hit my skin the eyeliner ran like it was being chased. Strikes five and six, this guy shouldn't even be playing the game.

So this is going straight into the fail bin. If I had spent more than a couple bucks on it, I'd be making a much bigger stink with elf customer service. But as I said, you get what you pay for. Skip this one, ladies!