NYC Skin Matching Foundation in Fair

I bought this foundation a few months ago at Rite-Aid. It was a new product for NYC at the time so in figured for only $3.50 i should give it a try!!

I've had a chance to give this foundation a fair try over summer so below are my PROS and CONS for you. Please keep in mind i have combination-oily skin and i am acne prone.

PROS
squeeze tube
super cheap
comes in 4-5 shades w/ blend to match skintone
medium coverage
gives skin a healthy glow
not sticky or heavy

50/50
blends okay, but not great

CONS
Can get cakey if you accidentally apply too much
Makes dry areas look worse

Apart from the con's i actuallt like this foundation alot and when applied super sheer it almost works as a nice tinted moisturizer which was perfect for Summer. It's only $3.50 so it's worth a try and if you're looking for a new foundation give it a try! :)

WnW Cool As A Cucumber Trio

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Back in June i purchased this trio from Rite-Aid (along with I'm Getting Sunburned trio) in a Buy One Get On 50% off deal.

This trio comes with:
forest green sheen
purple sheen
light cucumber-green sheen

None of these shades have shimmer, they're more of a sheen or satin finish. They were pretty pigmented but not quite as pigmented as some other WnW trio's..... but they were not super sheer, so dont worry. As you can see from the swatches they have nice color payoff.

I've never been disappointed with a WnW eyeshadow trio and I own 7 all together now which i use more foten than my high-end brand eyeshadow!

Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Gel Eyeliner Trio for Hazel Eyes

I gave into the pressure and finally bought a set of these gel liners. I have the stick form for Green Eyes, and these are the gel form for Hazel Eyes. I really loved the taupe shade so that made it easier on me when it came time to decide which set i would buy. These were $11.99 at CVS and So far i love them!!

Shades
Taupe
Black w/ pink shimmer
Pink

PROS
VERY creamy and smooth
Super pigmented (those swatches are one swipe!!)
Comes in 12 shades (3 for each eye color)
Affordable - if you tried to buy 3 other drugstore brand gel liners, which are sometimes $8-$10 each, they would be a lot more expensive than only $11.99 for all three.
Customized to your eye color to enhance your eyes
You need the tiniest amount for a full application
Packaging is super cute
Once they dry they definitely stay put for a looong time
No wearing off or flaking

50/50
The brush is O.K. but not amazing. If you want a super thin precision line, don't use this one. Try an angled liner brush instead.

CONS
none!

I seriously cant think of any real CON's to this gel liner trio! I was absolutely amazed when i swatched these so i used them in my EOTD earlier today and i am still very impressed! They have not worn off, flaked, or smudged at all! I really love the black because of the tiny pink shimmer in it (you can sorta see it in the swatch) and the taupe will get a lot of frequent use from me. The "pink", which is more lilac if you ask me, wont be used a ton but im sure i can find some sort of use for it!

Have you tried these? What did you think, and what eye color did you get them for?

Photos are mine, do not use. Please comment and follow!

Wet N Wild Ultimate Match SPF 15 Foundation in Porcelaine

Unfortunately i am NOT in love with this foundation! As you can see from the photo i got it for 50% off at CVS which made it only $2.50 per bottle but it still wasnt worth it.

PROS

cheap

easily available in drugstores

formula wasnt too runny or too thick

felt light on my face 

CONS

shade was the lightest in "porcelain" but was still too dark for me

made my face and hand oily when i swatched/applied it

way too pink toned for someone who needs a "porcelain" shade

only comes in 4 shades (at least thats the only ones my CVS sells)

I totally wasted my money by buying this because it was so wrong i cant get any use out of it, unfortunately. It wasnt the worst foundation ive ever used but it wasnt great. I definitely will not re-purchase.

Revlon Eyeliner in Brushed Pewter

This is another item i got at CVS for 75% off, which made it ridiculously cheap! It comes with an eyeliner stick in brushed pewter (soft charcoal grey) and a smudger on the other end.

PROS

very soft 

applies smoothly

easy to create a smokey effect w/ smudger

lasts long

love the brushed pewter shade

it was super cheap thanks to the sale

b/c its a pencil liner you get tons of product

doesnt break when i sharpen it

CONS

needs to come in more shades, i only saw brushed pewter, black, and brown

expensive if you dont have a coupon or its not on sale

Overall i like this alot and i have used it quite a few times since purchasing. Because it's a pencil liner i was surprised at how soft it applied and the fact that it never breaks or cracks when sharpening. These are great but they def. need to be cheaper and come in more shades!

Physicians Formula Conceal Rx Concealers

These are the BEST full coverage concealers i have ever used!! If you need an awesome concealer please check out these Physicians Formula Conceal Rx concealers! They come in three shades; i chose soft green and light (skin tone).

PROS

full coverage

dries quickly

doesnt budge at all once it's dry

a little goes a VERY long way

not too pricey at $9 each

soft green concealer covers any and all redness or blemishes

light skin tone concealer is great for everything else

doesnt wear off easily

long lasting

tubes are pretty large

CONS

needs to come in more shades like yellow and/or lilac for under eyes

I am in love with these! Its seriously the best concealer ever, especially if you have acne or acne scarring that you want to cover. They both work amazingly well and i wish i would have bought them sooner!

L'Oreal Brow Stylist in Medium/Dark

I got this L'Oreal Brow Stylist tool at CVS for 75% off a couple months ago, i payed roughly $2 which is a pretty good deal! It comes with: brow pencil in medium/dark, tweezers, and brow comb.

PROS

pigmented

love the 3-in1 combo

very travel friendly

tweezers work well

brush is great for shaping and filling it brows after you use the pencil

pencil is soft and easy to use

color medium/dark fits me great

i got it super cheap

comes in other various shades

CONS

because there are tweezers in the bottom it leaves less room for the pencil so the pencil part is sorta short, therefore i will need to repurchase it soon.

Overall im pleased with this and i should've bought more while they had the 75% off sale! I have been using it everyday since i purchased it and i like it alot. It fills in my brows without making it look fake or too dark. You cant even tell i filled them in!

Physicians Formula Solar Powder SPF 20

At the beginning of Summer i was in need of a light bronzer so when i did a CVS haul i checked out Physicians Formula first because they have a wide range of blush and bronzer available. What i came across was an overwhelming number of selections but finally settled on this because it's the lightest one i found.

PROS

has SPF 20 for added protection

light enough for pale skin tones

doesnt look fake

when applied with a duo fibre brush its super sheer and pretty

when applied with a condensed blush brush its more opaque

buildable and blendable coverage

i had a coupon for $5 which made it roughly $9

comes w/ it's own brush and mirror

very travel friendly

zero shimmer, its totally matte

CONS

P.F. products can be super pricey

Overall i am super pleased with my purchase and im glad this is the bronzer i chose. It's completely matte which i love because with pale skin tones too much shimmer in face products can be a disaster - especially bronzer! 

Revlon Just Bitten Lip Stain in Flame

A couple months ago i purchased this lip stain at CVS during a haul. I had been curious about them for quite some time and since i already owned a Maybelline ColorSensational Stain in In The Buff that i love i wanted to give these a shot!

PROS

marker tip is soft

easy to apply

very pigmented

very long lasting

balm is smoothing and soft

looks better than a lipstick or gloss

doesnt transfer, smear, or wear off

not too pricey

CONS

the swatch in the store made this look like a bright apricot or peach shade, its NOT

definitely need to come in more shades, all of them are dark or bright, no nudes

Overall i like this about as much as my Maybelline lip stain, except this one doesnt have a yummy fruity scent like the other one does, sadly. I will DEFINITELY be buying more lip stains! I love them so much compared to a lipstick or gloss.

Revlon Custom Creations Foundation in Fair/Light

I bought this foundation a few weeks ago at CVS. It's originally $14.79 but thanks to extra bucks and a coupon for this i got it for $8.79.

Fair/Light is the lightest foundation shade in the Custom Creations line, but you can actually dial-up 5 different shade combinations with this which i think is great. I always have a hard time getting a foundation that matches my skin because they're typically too pink for my light skin w/ olive undertones. This foundation, however, takes the guesswork out of shade matching!

I have my Revlon Custom Creations foundation dialed on #2. It's obviously just one step darker than Ivory but its about right for me ATM. Im sure once Summer is over and im a tad more tan i may be up to #3 or #4.

PROS
5 different shade combinations from one foundation
pump bottle
bottle mixes shades for you, obviously
even though you get 5 shade combos per bottle, their are still a few different bottles to choose from which gives you ALOT of shades
matte finish
not greasy at all
feels super light
medium coverage

50/50
$14.79 is a bit steep for a drugstore foundation but worth it b/c u get five shades. Buying 5 other foundations shades alone would be alot more expensive.

CONS
I would not recommend this for someone with dry skin, as the foundation has a matte powdery finish and may make you look even drier. (to fix this you could mix a squirt w. a bit of your favorite moisturizer)
Needs to have more product in it. I have only used this roughly 5x and there's only 3/4 of the product left already.

Overall i am loving this! Which is alot for me to say because i have so many issues with foundation. I have at least 6 in my makeup collection right now that i cant even use b/c the shade or formula is so wrong for me. If you have combination-oily skin & you like matte finishes this foundation would be GREAT for you!

● Tips For Applying Foundation:
If you have acne scarring, active pimples, or red spots/blemishes try mixing a pea-sized amount of your favorite foundation w/ a pea-sized amount of your favorite moisturizer and apply it to face like a tinted moisturizer.
Once it's on apply a green concealer to reduce redness, then a regular concealer - pat around edges once it's dry to blend into skin.
Next, apply your foundation as usual (i.e. with a brush, sponge, etc). Doing this gives me extra coverage when i have a hormonal breakout and zaps any redness.

EOTD + Review: I Got Good Jeans

 

I bought this trio a few weeks or so ago in a Rite-Aid haul and while blues arent really my thing i found it easy to make an eye look suitable for me using this trio anyways! :)

Tutorial:

1. Apply a primer like UDPP to lids.
2. Shade the dark blue shadow into creases and blend out.
3. Sweep the light blue shadow all over lids.
4. Line top lashline with the dark lue shadow.
5. Line bottom lashline & highlight browbone with the gold shadow.
6. Using a med-large fluff brush pick up some of the gold shadow on your brush and gently swirl all over lids & crease to soften and diffuse blue. This will also give it a light hint of shimmery gold.
7. Apply your favorite black liner to waterlines and black mascara to lashes!

Review:
Surprisingly i liked this trio alot even though blues dont suit me well (on my eyes). As always with Wet N Wild eyeshadows this trio was super pigmented and soft, which you can see from the swatches. Plus theyre affordable at only $2.99 each. Im so excited that the new ones came out! I havent seen them yet though :(

Not sure how often I will use this trio but im sure it will come in handy sometimes! Thanks for reading :)

L'Oreal Studio Secrets Magic Perfecting Base

I bought this primer 2-3 months ago at CVS for upwards of $14 (i cant remember the exact price). It comes in a nice glass jar with a wide mouth so its easy to get fingers in there. I have a love/hate relationship with this base, i'll explain below.

PROS
high quality packaging
definitely absorbs all oil and shininess from skin
doesnt make dry areas look drier
makes makeup last longer
makes skin feel very soft like silk
a little goes a long way, so one jar should last a while
packaging ensures you'll get 100% of it out, unlike tubes where some can be left behind.

50/50
Price is steep for a drugstore product but since it lasts so long its worth buying this rather than getting a high end one instead.

CONS
alot thicker than a gel face primer
a little hard to blend all over face
feels heavy on my face sometimes - but not super heavy, just a little
clogged my pores first time i used it and i did have a small breakout, but i havent had one since

You can see from the last two photos it is quite pigmented before blending (photo #3), and after blending it is completely invisible (photo #4).

To Use: When i apply this to my face i put a tiny dab on my finger tip and apply to small areas at a time then repeat the process until my face is done. I do not take a big glob and attempt to blend all over my face at once - it wont work this way for me. If i do that the product tends to stick to certain areas and it becomes hard to blend out.

The first time i tried this was in Walgreens, they had a tester out so i swiped a little on the top of my hand and i thought "OMG this is amazing!<" but i still held off on buying because i really liked my Revlon gel face primer (still do). This stuff definitely makes a nice matte soft base for foundation and will help them last longer w/o any 'melting' or wearing off but it does have its downsides. Im still not sure if i love it, or just like it a little but im going to continue to use it until its gone so i dont waste my money.

Before & After: Sally Hansen Simple Spa At-Home Waxer

I have been wanting to try this new portable at home waxer for face & body from Sally Hansen ever since i saw some TV ads about it a few weeks ago. I received a coupon for $3 off in my email, and coincidentally i also received $4 in Extra Bucks, and $5 in Beauty Rewards from CVS around the same time so i knew i had to go pick this up!

This retails for $20.99 which is a great price in my opinion (with or without coupons). You get a lot of wax, wood sticks, and complete instructions. The waxer itself is small and compact and very travel friendly - the cord winds up into the bottom for easier storage/travel. I needed a tiny amount of wax for my eyebrows, which is the only area i plan to use this on, so the tin of wax included in this will last me a VERY long time!

[PROS]
Portable, small so its easy to store
Comes with almost* everything you need
No cotton strips needed, just pull wax off
Wax has no smell
Works amazingly well (a few hairs were left but even that happens at the salon)
Easy to find - most drugstores already carry it
Cheaper than salon quality waxers
Great for at home
Can be used on face AND body
Wax tin that is included is more than enough!
Wax tin fits tightly into heater
Outside of heater doesnt get super hot

[CONS]
Took almost 40 minutes to heat up (instructions say it takes 25)
Smallest wood sticks aren't small enough for eyebrows, they need to be thinner
*Doesn't come with a soothing oil for post-waxing (i used my AVON bottle). I think this is def. necessary for soothing irritation and minimizing redness.

As you can see from the photos my eyebrows were out of control, LOL. It had been 3-4 weeks since i had them waxed at a salon. Also - these photos were taken before i tweezed and filled-in my brows so you could see exactly what it looks like after waxing. I am not a professional so obviously it will take practice because this is the FIRST time i have ever done this at home. However i think they turned out nice - my brows naturally need to be filled in so thats the gaps you see.

Overall i am soooo glad i purchased this! I have been wanting an at-home waxer for a long time but the ones sold at Sally's Beauty were too big and i would never need something like that just for one person. However, i may go there and buy some sticks and other supplies for waxing. If you're tired of paying for waxing at salons you need to go pick this up! It can be used on face and body and you have control over everything! Definitely something i would recommend.