{Review}: Buxom Show Some Skin Weightless Foundation

Buxom 

Show Some Skin Weightless Foundation

{Sephora, $34}

This foundation is the bomb.com {#isthatsayingoutyet? #istillsayitalot}!  I have been trying and trying to find a foundation that covers my discoloration/redness while still giving the appearance of bare skin or at least eliminating the caked-on look.  I received this foundation as a sample when I purchased a new Anastasia Brow Wiz pencil at Sephora about a month ago.  The sample alone was super fab – it came in a booklet style package that opened up and provided four different shades of samples.  The sample alone lasted me a whole work week {5 days}.  After the last day of use, I was almost going through withdrawals when I had to go back to my L’Oreal, {sorry, I still love you} due to my Sephora being out of stock of the shade I needed when I went to purchase.  

I ordered it from Sephora.com and it came fairly quickly.  The shade I chose is “Dim the Light”.  First of all, I was surprised I needed this shade when testing the samples.  It is the second to lightest shade they offer, and although it is the end of winter, AKA the time I get no sun, I am still usually fairly olive year round.  I don’t know if this reason is because my skin is changing with age, or if their shades are versatile enough to accommodate a wide range of skin tones; either way, if you’re very fair skinned, I would suggest trying to swatch it in store before purchasing just to be sure the color matches.  

I love this foundation because a little goes a long way, it provides light to medium coverage, it is buildable and it long lasting {at least eight hours of wear}.  I also struggle with oxidation issues with a lot of foundations, and I don’t find this one to oxidize.  I will say that the area around my nostrils is the reddest area of my face, and the redness in that area does peek through after a few hours of wear, but this is something I’m willing to live with considering the flawless all over look I get from the foundation.  This foundation also packs a whopping 30 SPF which I find to be quite high for a light coverage foundation.  I will definitely be purchasing a darker shade once the summer settles in and my tan develops, because I truly love this formula.

How I wear this foundation:

Cleanse with Cetaphil cleanser, tone with Aloette Senstitive Skin Toner, moisturize with Clinique Moisture Surger Skin Fortifying Hydrator, apply Benefit POREfessional, apply Benefit “That Gal” Brightening Face Primer, apply foundation with a damp Beauty Blender

I hope this review twisted your arm to go right now and grab yourself some Buxom, if so, I hope you love it, too!

{Review}: NYC City Proof Twistable Intense Lip Color

As much as I’d like to think up a million excuses for why I’ve been MIA on this blog, I’ll just be honest and say I’ve been EXTREMELY busy with my personal side business.  My apologies!!  However, I had to blog about two new products with which I’ve fallen IN LOVE!! 

NYC City Proof Twistable Intense Lip Color

It seems that NYC Cosmetics is really stepping up their game by quickly following suit behind Revlon with their twistable lip colors.  I find these to be most like the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm stains.  I have a few of the Revlon ones – I purchased three at once, applied the shade I favored most in the CVS parking lot immediately after purchasing, wore it for about thirty minutes, and wiped it off.  Ever since, they have sat in my lip product bin in my vanity.  I cannot pinpoint the exact reason why I disliked them, other than the fact that for many of the shades, the color in the tube looks different on the lips.  For instance shade 035 Charm looks like it would be a soft peachy color, even swatched on the hand it has a pretty tone and shine; however, on the lips it looks much more orange and chalky.  The shade 030 Smitten is the opposite.  It looks like it would be a very bold raspberry, but on the lips it is only a hint of color.  They do stain, but the texture wasn’t right for me.  I am actually surprised I decided to purchase one of the NYC colors, as I very much despised the payoff of the Revlon balms.  I had a CVS coupon and needed to spend a few more dollars with my purchase in order to use it, so I grabbed one on impulse.  Man, am I glad I did!  I love them!  My favorite everyday shade is Riverside Rose.  It is just a hint darker than my own lip color and adds shine.  They aren’t sticky, and they don’t stain.  I also think they have pretty good staying power for a balm-like lip color.   THESE ARE AMAZING and the best part is, they are $3.99!!!!

I purchased three colors and I am in love.  The colors I picked up are Riverside Rose, Roosevelt Island Red, and Gramercy Park Plum.  Check out the swatch below for the colors up close.  

I love that the colors are muted, but still the same shade I expect from the color in the tube.  Roosevelt Island Red is a perfect red for those gals {like me} who are a little afraid to go full-on red.  It’s muted, but still adds a pop.  Gramercy Park Plum is a perfect plum shade and I think it could still be worn in spring and summer as an evening shade.  If you haven’t tried these yet, and like lip colors but you’re not in love with lipstick, these balms are for you!

Have a pretty day!

{My Faves}: October 2013

October Favorites!

Well, apparently I'm just going to be consistently late posting favorites at the end of each month, so I will go ahead and apologize ONCE AGAIN!

MAKE-UP

MAC Lipstick in Rebel {MAC}

I know that is by no means a new product, but I only recently decided to pick it up.  I love the color.  Every time I wear it, several people ask me what kind it is.  The only downfall of the lipstick is that it bleeds a bit and it’s not overly long lasting.  It does stain the lips, so if it has worn off, you will still have some color, but I recommend using a lip liner to keep it in place. 

HAIR

Ion Repair Solutions Reconstructor Conditioner (red lettering on bottle) {Sally Beauty}

I LOVE this conditioner.  I started buying it in the deluxe sample packets for my monthly glaze that I add to my hair.  It is not a conditioner for daily use, but if you try to skip a few days between washing your hair, it is good to use it a few times a week.  It is similar to a mask – you wash your hair with shampoo, and then leave it in for 2-5 minutes after washing.  It adds a lot of shine and repairs split ends and the “dead” parts of my hair towards the ends.  The longer my hair gets, the sadder that part of my hair seems to look.  This conditioner brings me back to life every time I use it.  After purchasing the small packets for a while, I decided to purchase the larger size which has a pump.  It is a great price {around $8 at Sally Beauty} and is worth every penny.  It also smells nice, too.

COSMETICS

Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser {drugstores}

I switched to this product after I finished a bottle of my Aloette cream cleanser.  I got lazy and forgot to order another and was in need of a cleanser that same day.  I was also starting to get breakouts in the form of small groups of tiny bumps on my forehead and temple areas due to excessive sweating in this southern summer heat.  Although it is cooling down now, I’ve really seen a difference in my skin since switching to this and I actually repurchased a larger sized bottle this week.  It is for normal to oily skin and claims to not over dry and it really does a great job – I don’t feel dry/tight after washing my face. It also does a great job at removing excess makeup leftover from my cleansing wipes that I use prior to washing my face. 

Clinique Moisture Surge Moisturizer {Clinique, department stores}                        

I’ve had this product for quite a while and I only use it when I’m overly dry, which happens a lot during the winter months.  I have a super oily T-zone, but I also have a lot of dryness on my nose.  This moisturizer is perfect for spot treating dry areas.  I wouldn’t recommend it for anyone who is consistently oily, as it does add a lot of moisture.  

'Til next time, Pretties!