Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Best of Beauty: Drugstore & High-End Products of 2014

As we welcome the new year, it's great to take a look back at 2014 and see what beauty products made it on our list of most used and loved! We are covering drugstore and high-end splurges for our 2014 ultimate favorites. These are our must-have products:

1) Diorshow Maximizer Lash Plumping Serum:  What it is best used for is before applying your favorite mascara. It lengthens, supplies volume, and conditions your lashes. It doesn't matter what mascara you use, this lash plumping primer will transform your lashes for a fuller and longer effect. This lash serum can also be used on it's own. It contains active ingredients such as soy protein which promotes lash growth and strength in long terms.






2) Dose of Color Matte Lipsticks: Dose of Colors had a very successful year in 2014 launching 3 highlighters and the amazing matte liquid lipsticks.  Dose of Colors has become a permanent favorite in our beauty bags. Their matte lipsticks come in a liquid form and dry to a matte, but not too drying finish. The color that stole our hearts and many other makeup lovers is "Berry Me." You can get a more descriptive look at this product and other Dose of Color products in our previous "Dose of Color Review" post.
A similar drugstore find is the NYX Cosmetics Soft Matte Lip Cream. They have a wide range of colors and have a lasting and hydrating effect as well (did we mention that it's only $6).










3) MAC Prep + Prime Highlighter: This pen-style highlighter works wonders to highlighting the under-eye area. We suggest concealing before using this highlighter since it tends to be sheer on its own. But you can also use it under your concealer if you don't want such a bright highlight. The product comes out quite sheer but can definitely be thicker if more product is used. The MAC Prep + Prime Highlighter comes in four colors, but our favorite is "Light Boost." It is a yellow based color which is perfect for providing a brightening effect. You can use this product in many other places to highlight as well the cupids bow, the highest points of your cheeks, your brow bone, down the bridge of the nose, on the forehead, and on the chin. It can even be used at the inner corner of your eyes! This highlighter gives you a lot of control on where on the face you want to brighten up. It is a very versatile product that delivers major brightness.




4) Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation: We simply cannot say enough about this foundation! Having a bunch of make up is a great thing, but having a great foundation is a basic necessity that provides a clean slate to work on. This foundation feels silky and leaves a slightly dewey finish. This doesn't mean that an oily person can't use it, rather after applying this foundation they should set the parts of their face that tend to get oily with powder. It also looks amazing when photographed and gives an airbrushed look. Although many people recommend using this during night time we definitely also wear it during the day by using slightly less product. This foundation looks and feels amazing!




5) Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz: A look is not complete without polished brows. One of the best part about Anastasia's Brow Wiz is the spooly brush on the other side of the product. Brushing your brows with a spooly allows you to see where your natural brow lining is and to get a more precise image of wear your brow needs enhancing and filling. The small, retractable tip is perfect for mimicking brow hairs and making a more natural filled brow. Unlike most brow pencils, this brow wiz stays put all day long. Filling in your brows after doing make up might not seem that important, but trust us it makes a huge difference. By lightly filling in your brows and brushing it out with the spooly brush, you get to form the perfect brow shape that looks best on you.




6) Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer: This is not a surprise pick for our favorite primer since we have done a previous review under our "Holiday Beauty Must-Haves." The Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer blurs out any fine line and smooths the skin for a flawless makeup application. The best part of this product is that it is an oil-free product. That prevents the oil from breaking through the skin and moving your foundation around. Absolutely in love! Since this product can tend to be on the pricey side, our top drugstore pick for primer is the NYX Cosmetics Angel Veil Skin Perfecting Primer. This product has a more satin finish compared to the Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer. It also creates a smooth complexion which helps making your makeup stay in tack for any event.



7) Eyeko Brow Gel: If you're looking for a great brow gel, the Eyeko Brow Gel is a must. Unlike most brow gels, the wand's size is very small and not the size of a typical mascara wand which gives maximum control to any user. You can create a bushy or polished look with this product. It comes in a universal color which will assure to match any color brow you may have. It does not flake after many hours of use and truly defines each brow hair to ensure a fuller effect. This brow gel also contains ingredients such as keratin and other blends of vitamins to gradually promote brow growth!



We cannot wait to see what's in store for new products in 2015! We hope to add more makeup staples to our list! 


XO,
RLS



Saturday, January 10, 2015

Sigma lovin'

When it comes to make up brushes the options are endless! There are hundreds of brands out there that sell make up brushes that range from high quality and expensive to low quality and cheap. But that's not always the case! Some brands out there provide affordable brushes that are amazing quality. One brand that's been on the rise and is being compared to MAC Cosmetics is Sigma Beauty! Sigma has been around since 2009 so it's fairly new but is definitely building up a good and solid reputation (and Youtube's Jaclyn Hill is one of the main reasons!). Jaclyn is quite an experienced make up artist and always raves about Sigma brushes on her Youtube channel (she's also our favorite of all time). She used to work at MAC but always recommended for her clients to get Sigma brushes instead. So on that note here are two brushes that Jaclyn has recommended and made us OBSESSED with.

The brush on the left is the Sigma F35 which is considered a Tapered Highlighter brush. Sigma recommends using it with a highlighter to brighten up certain parts of the face. But what we use it for is slightly different. We use it to set under eye concealer and other areas of the face that tend to get oily, with setting powder. After I apply my concealer under my eye (with either a beauty blender or my finger tips), I have the F35 dipped in my setting powder and ready to go. This way I ensure that my concealer has no time to crease. The F35 gives a smooth application when used with powders and is so so fluffy! Since it is tapered and pointy it makes it easy to apply powder under the eye without getting it all over the eye in the wrong places. When I first saw Jaclyn using this in her Youtube videos it looked so damn fluffy and it truly is!

The brush on the right is the one and only Sigma F80 which has been literally everywhere on the internet. So what's it used for? It can be used for blending out liquid or cream products on the face, and let me tell you it does that BEAUTIFULLY. The brush is dense and flat and is synthetic. As a result, when you apply any liquid product onto the brush, it doesn't suck up the product. It simply picks up the product and applies it onto the face. It obviously sucks up some product but definitely less than what brushes that are made out of real hair pick up. Brushes that are made out of real hair, such as horse hair tend to pick up much more product which wastes the product. I use the F80 for every liquid foundation that I apply onto my face. I either put the foundation onto the brush or directly onto my face and start to buff out the product. This brush literally provides an air brushed look and I can confidently say has NEVER left and streaks on my face. So what more can I want from a foundation brush!?

Although Sigma has a good reputation there are people out there that say that their brushes are a hoax. They say that Youtuber's that rave about these brushes are probably paid to talk about them and get better quality brushes than what everyone else receives. But that is DEFINITELY not the case for us. We purchased these products with our own money and have absolutely loved them so we're providing an honest review.

You can purchase either brush on the Sigma beauty website since they don't have too many physical locations where they can be purchased:

Purchase Sigma F80 here for $24
Purchase Sigma F35 here for $24

Friday, January 2, 2015

7 Beauty Dupes: Splurge or Save?

Before jumping into this week's blog post, we would like to welcome the new year with open arms and wish all of our readers a Happy New Year!

Finding out your favorite high-end brand product has a dupe for a much smaller price tag is one of the best beauty finds and pleasures! Here are 7 dupes we found that can help out any beauty savvy:

Dupe: Maybelline "Born with It"

Splurge: MAC "Angel"
1) Maybelline's Color Sensational Lipstick "Born With It" vs MAC "Angel" 
Maybelline: $7.49
MAC: $16

MAC is known for having a large variety of lipsticks with lasting and pigmented colors! Maybelline is catching up to the brand offering a very similar color to MAC's famous "Angel" lipstick. "Born With It" by Maybelline is a great dupe costing less than half of MAC's retailing price!


2) Wet n Wild MegaLast Lip Color "Sugar Plum Fairy" vs MAC "Rebel"
Wet n Wild: $1.49
MAC: $16
Dupe: Wet n Wild "Sugar Plum Fairy"
Splurge: MAC "Rebel"














A bold, deep plum is perfect for the winter season and we have found a great dupe for MAC's "Rebel." Wet n Wild's "Sugar Plum Fairy" costs only $1.49, but gives a major color payoff similar to "Rebel."

3) Benefit Cosmetics "The POREfessional" vs Maybelline "Baby Skin"
Benefit Cosmetics: $31
Maybelline: $6.99

Dupe: Maybelline "Baby Skin"
Splurge: Benefit Cosmetics "the POREfessional"
Primers are key to making your makeup last all day, but enlarged pores can be an issue to a non-seamless application. The POREfessional by Benefit Cosmetics has become a staple for many makeup lovers, but Maybelline's "Baby Skin" is not so far from instantly erasing large pores!



4) NYX Liquid Crystal Liner: "Silver" vs Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter Liner: "Gunmetal"
NYX: $4.49
Urban Decay: $19
Dupe: NYX "Silver"

Splurge: Urban Decay "Gunmetal"














What is a party look without glitter?! Adding a pop of glitter can spice up any holiday or party look! NYX Liquid Crystal Liner in "Silver" is a great dupe for Urban Decay's "Silver Glitter." Both have a similar applicator and offer major glittery goodness!

5) e.l.f. Matte Lip Color: "Nearly Nude" vs Lorac Cosmetics PRO Matte Lip Color: "Nude"
e.l.f.: $3
Lorac Cosmetics: $16

Dupe: e.l.f. "Nearly Nude"
Matte lips were a major trend in 2014 and will sure continue through 2015! Both e.l.f. and Lorac offer great matte lip colors with similar easy-to-use applicators and colors, but one major difference is the price!
Splurge: LORAC PRO "Nude"















6) Essie: "Mink Muffs" vs Chanel "Particuliere" 
Essie: $8.50
Chanel: $27

Dupe: Essie "Mink Muffs" 
Rocking a rouge, taupe mani is ideal for the fall and winter seasons. Essie's "Mink Muffs" nail polish is the doppelgänger of Chanel's "Particuliere!" Who doesn't love a great dupe of a Chanel product?!
Splurge: Chanel "Particuliere"















7) Anastasia Beverly Hills "Brow Powder Duo" vs e.l.f. "Studio Eyebrow Kit"
e.l.f.: $3
Anastasia Beverly Hills: $23
Splurge: Anastasia Beverly Hills "Brow Powder Duo"
Dupe: e.l.f. "Studio Eyebrow Kit"














Anastasia Beverly Hills is known as the "Brow Queen" and has created some amazing products in the makeup industry. Her "Brow Powder Duo" is one of her many brow products which comes with two shades of colors in each package. E.l.f.'s "Studio Eyebrow Kit" not only has a powder, but also a gel color as well as a brush!


Share with us with some of your dupe finds! 


XO,
RLS