Mario Badescu Spring Essentials

We can go on and on about reviewing and rating makeup products, but we decided to do a different review today featuring Mario Badescu Skin Care products. We all know that makeup can transform an individuals face, whether it means enhancing your features with contouring techniques or giving yourself a fuller brow effect with brow pomades, but one thing that creates the perfect canvas is your skin! Beautiful, clear, and glowing-from-within skin is a trend that will never fade. 

Mario Badescu began to work in the skin care industry in 1967. Since then, him and his team have created astounding products that remain to be essentials in both a man and a woman's bathroom cabinets. Mario has had the chance to work with plenty of A-list celebrities including Martha Stewart, Cher, Charlize Theron, Jennifer Aniston, Oprah Winfrey, Owen Wilson, P. Diddy, and Eva Longoria just to name a few! His vision continues to thrive with great products by him and his team. Here are some skin products we have fallen in love with by Mario Badescu. 

1) Special Healing Powder: Sometimes we can't help, but poke on those irritating blemishes! It is until later that we regret ever touching it. Here is where Mario Badescu's Special Healing Powder comes into play. This sulfur based powder absorbs excess oils and significantly reduces redness. It also disinfects blemishes, which is great since infections begun by open wounds can cause the blemish to scar and become even more irritated than it already is. It is suggested to use sparingly since this product does contain sulfur. Perfect spot treatment and great results!

2) Drying Lotion: If you have acne-prone skin, say hello to your new best friend. This drying lotion works wonders overnight! Instead of messing around with unsightly whiteheads and blemishes, dab one drop of the pink sediment onto each problematic area using a cotton swab. Let the solution dry and sleep! Sounds pretty easy and hassle-free right?! By morning, your blemish will be significantly reduced in size and redness.

3) Seaweed Night Cream: At night is when your skin repairs and recovers. Your cells have a major turnover and regeneration during your night sleep. That is why investing and dedicating your night time regimen to a night creme is extremely important. The Seaweed Night Cream is super nourishing and hydrating, yet light on the skin. For anyone who has oily skin and tries to avoid lush cremes, no worries, this night cream is oil-free! It contains collagen, hyaluronic acid, and seaweed extract to provide supple and plump skin. A very versatile product reaching out to all skin types especially dehydrated and mature skin.

4) Facial Spray with Aloe, Herbs, and Rosewater: A facial mist is a must all-year round! If you are looking for an instant hydrating pick-me-upper, the Aloe, Herbs, and Rosewater facial spray is the one to check out. It works on dry skin, dull skin, and all kind of skin types! You can also use it as a setting spray for a more dewy effect or on dry hair day and night. This is a great product to have in your purse at all times for any beauty emergency.

We know that not everyone will react or have the same results as we have with these products. So please take precautions if you are allergic to any of the substances mentioned in these products.

We hope you found something new to try and add to your skin care regimen!

Until next time,

XO, RLS

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

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

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

For The Love of Purses

There are a few fashion staples every girl needs in their wardrobe and a basic black purse is one of them. Now, there definitely are purses that are lower in price that look amazing, but we think splurging a little on a purse will be worth it. Having at least one plain black purse that matches with every outfit saves you a whole lot of time. Some people (like me) don't really like changing their purse that often because it's simply just a hassle! You have to move everything out of one purse into the other...then you realize your wallet doesn't match so you have to change that too...and before you know it you're late to the event. A good quality purse may be a bit expensive but it will last you years. With all of that being said here are a few black purses that we think would go great with any outfit. They range from $300 to $1700 and can be held with a casual outfit or even dressed up!

Here are the details:

Top left: Stella McCartney Falabella Shaggy Deer Cross Body Bag

Top right: Givenchy Small Pandora Messenger

Bottom left: 3.1 Phillip Lim Pashli Medium Satchel

Bottom right: Marc by Marc Jacobs Third Rail Cross Body Bag

PS. This is mostly likely our last post of the year, so HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone. We're very excited for the coming year and everything it holds. May 2015 be an amazing year for every one of our followers! 

Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit Review

Image Credit: Anastasia Beverly Hills

Contouring and highlighting has been all the craze in the makeup industry lately. It is a makeup artist's secret that has been revealed and mobilized for the convenience of any makeup lover! There have been many contour kits out there that provide colors and easy steps to contour and highlight your features. Before jumping into today's review, let's quickly discuss the functions and purposes of contouring and highlighting. Contouring is great for providing depth and warmth. It creates the illusion of hallowed cheekbones, a chiseled jawline, more narrowed nose, and a more minimized forehead. Highlighting does just the opposite of contouring. The typical areas that are highlighted include parts of the face where sun/light would hit naturally. This includes the highest points of the cheekbones, down the bridge of your nose, on your cupid's bow, and your brow bone. You can highlight anywhere you would want to make your features more visible and catching.

There have been many contour and highlighting palettes released in the past few months, but our top pick is the Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit. Anastasia is known for her high-quality brow products, contour shades, and more recently eyeshadows. Her Contour Kit has gained major hype with the help of her makeup artist friends and Instagram. We have tested out this palette on not only ourselves, but our family and friends. To test a product out to it's fullest potential, it is important for it to be versatile and convenient for all consumers. 

As shown in the image to the left, the Anastasia Contour Kit comes in six different shades. The bottom three shades include Java, Fawn, and Havana. All colors are brown and feature warm undertones. You have the perfect deep brown to chisel and bronze to blend with. The top row includes 3 highlighting color: Vanilla, Banana and Sand. Vanilla and Banana are great to set your liquid highlight. Sand is a subtle highlighter that gives a subdued yet, appealing glow to your skin. 

This prefixed, original Contour Kit is sold for $40 at many retailing stores including Sephora, Ulta, & Nordstrom. The powders are not pasty or gritty at all. They blend beautifully and have a great color payoff. Our favorite colors include Fawn to contour and Banana to set our under-eye concealer. 

Anastasia has expanded to providing up to 27 contour and highlight refills. You can get the chance to experiment and get creative with your inner makeup artist with these beautiful colors to find your favorites and perfect matches! Today is convieniently the creator of Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit birthday and we would like to wish Anastasia many more years of growing and expanding her makeup career with her talented daughter, Norvina. Thank you for providing stellar products that makes makeup look easy. 

If there is any other review you would like to see, let us know! 

Until next time...

XO,

RLS

Dose of Colors Review

We all know that there are certain products that are extremely hyped up on social media and Dose of Colors "Berry Me" happens to be one of them, but "Berry Me" is definitely worth all the hype! The creator of Dose of Colors is Anna Petrosian who is better known as @makeupbyanna on Instagram. Over the past few months Dose of Colors products have become a must have for every makeup lover.  They're known for their amazing pigmentation and "Berry Me" is yet another amazing creation on behalf of the company. "Berry Me" is a matte liquid lipstick that goes on wet and dries to a matte finish. The color is also very rich, beautiful, and is true to the color that is shown on the Dose of Colors website. The color is a deep purple and looks slightly pink on certain skin tones when photographed. The consistency is pretty amazing, glides on softly, and stays put for hours.  It also smells good and doesn't settle into lines even though I used it without exfoliating beforehand. You also don't necessarily have to wear a lip liner with it, it stays nice and clean on its own. If I had to critique the product the only thing I would say is that the applicator tip is a bit flimsy and weak, but I'm not sure if that'll be a problem in the future.

Overall, "Berry Me" is AMAZING.

The swatch on the left is without flash, and the one on the right is with flash (no filters were used). If you love matte lipsticks you should definitely try out Dose of Colors matte lipsticks because they're great quality. These retail for $18.00 and can be bought here! 

Here are all of the colors that are available:

Before the infamous Matte Liquid Lipsticks became a beauty staple, Dose of Colors was known for their creamy and ultra pigmented lipsticks and lip glosses. 

With a total of 10 lipstick colors and 9 classic glosses, Petrosian has provided velvety, flattering, and super-pigmented lip products. In the image above are swatches of some of her many gorgeous nude colors. On top is the classic nude gloss called "Undressed." In the middle is the "Angelic" lipstick and below is the "Sorbet" lipstick. All lip products compliment every skin tone and are very opaque. You are getting serious color when applying these babies. 

Dose of Colors is rapidly expanding and becoming comparable to long established makeup brands, including M.A.C. and Make Up Forever. They now carry three different illuminators and a bundle of 100% human hair fluttery lashes! You can also find Dose of Colors at Naimie's & Rickey's NYC stores.

As much as we love Petrosian's adoring products, we also appreciate the brand's dedication to providing vegan, cruelty free, gluten free, AND paraben free merchandise. Be sure to stay on the look out of this growing brand. You won't be disappointed! 

If you want us to review any products be sure to let us know in the comments below!

PS: We've also had the honor of Anna glamming us up for a few special occasions in the past few years before Dose of Colors existed! She not only does a flawless job, but is beyond sweet.

XO,

RLS