Maybelline (liquid) Fit Me Foundation Review

Wow it has been so long since I've written a review! Today's review will be on Maybelline's Fit Me Foundation (if you couldn't already tell!) I've been on a foundation "kick" lately and I never actually had any intentions of trying this until I decided to see what people were saying on makeupalley(.com).

Well, apparently a lot of people were really loving this, enough to go as far as saying this was their "holy grail" product, which of course, you know what that means!! I've been trying this out for over a week now using different techniques, and now I'm ready to share my thoughts/opinions with you!

(Lightest shade in 110 Porcelain)

From Maybelline's Website:

Price:

$7.99

Product Details:

Flawless. Fresh, breathing, natural skin.

Shade-true gel-liquid foundation. SPF 18*. New shades formuladed for woman of color, with 5D Pigment Technology.

Why you'll Love it:

It’s face makeup that fits you.

-No oils, no waxes, no nonsense

-Natural, Light to medium coverage that leaves skin the way it was meant to be. Fresh, breathing, flawless.

-Exclusive transluscent base and lightweight pigments allow skin’s natural highs and lows to show through.

-New shades formulated specifically for women of color contain revolutionary 5-D pigment technology to balance your skin’s authentic tones and highlights.

-Available in 18 Breathable Shades. SPF 18*

The Packaging:

Maybelline's Fit Me Foundation is a liquid formula withen a glass bottle, that unfortunately does not include a pump. I wish everyone would just make the pump a habbit already. But none the less, a part from that, the packaging is pretty. Just remember, it is glass and it will break if you drop it!

The consistency of this formla is runny but not so bad that it's going to slight right off your hand. Be careful when pouring however for it does come out of the bottle a tad too fast. The rim alwaaays gets messy. If only there were a pump :/ 

This is what the foundation looks like spread out a bit. It definitely has shine to it and dries with shine. I have very oily skin myself, so right away I thought I wasn't going to like this. Yet, I bit my tongue and tried a few different ways of wearing it and so far my favorite is using a matte primer.

Using a matte primer helped to keep the shine at bay a bit but not completely. I felt this helped the foundation last longer on my skin throughout the day, without breaking down withen a few hours. After several hours though, my face started to feel pretty cakey as more shine was breaking through. Using a regular primer, I was an oily mess after just a couple of hours. 

 

Since the side view is so small, I provied a larger picture so you can see the difference better. The first picture is with no primer while the bottom picture is with the Rimmel Stay Matte Primer. The shine is still there but not nearly as much as it was. I highly recommend staying away from this one during the summet months.

My favorite tool to use for application is the beauty blender! (Now that I finally gave it a chance(; ) I can't say for brushes since I have not tried one yet, but I'm there is one that does a beautiful job.

My Overall Thoughts/Opinions

- I feel this foundation would be better suited for those with dry skin. Maybe combination as well.

- But you can definitely make this work if you use some kind of matte primer!

- It doesn't last very long and after a few hours it starts to feel really heavy and cakey.

- You have to be careful about touching your face because this does transfer very easily.

- It's inexpensive and has many shades to choose from!

- It matched my skin pretty good.

- I don't love this but I don't hate it either. I really haven't decided if I will repurchase or not.

Well that's it for today's review, I hope everyone has a fun and safe weekend!

Have you tried this foundation yet?

 Will you?

November E.l.f Beauty Bundle!

Hello everyone! I apologize I haven't been blogging on a regular basis lately. After moving, I really just had no motivation. I hadn't blogged in so long (or so it feels), I forgot how much I enjoyed it. Also, my *new phone is a cheaper alternative to my galaxy, which in terms, means it's much slower ::sigh::. I promise, after the holidays I will have internet on and I will be posting on the regular again! 

Now that I got that long intro out of the way, let's get to the fun stuff!

**I still have yet to find a place to take pictures, so the scene in the next few posts may change. For now, I'm using my vanity. Also, the lighting is poor, until I find the right bulbs!

This month ia a holiday theme, of ocourse! 

Have a Happy Holidy Glow! 

"Happy holidays elfettes! Sparkle at any celebration with our Essential Glitter Nail Polish and Mineral Glow. Indulge in the rich shades of our Studio Matte Lip Color and our Studio Blush Palette that features four winter-perfect shades! It's time to celebrate the end of another beautiful year, and a beautiful one to come!"

First in this months bundle is the Studio Prism Eyeshado in Smoke. This palette retails for $10, almost half the price of the box! I forgot to take pictures of swatches, but the pigmentation is so gorgeous! 

The next thing I received was the Shimmer Eyeliner Pencil in Black Bandit. Although the color says black, in person I couldn't help but think that it looks brown. Oh well, I'm not complaining! 

The last product I got was the Cream Eyeliner Black. So far this was the only product I've tried and let me say, this is true to it's name. Sooo creamy and soo black! 

This is the second time I recieved false lashes in my bundle. I don't wear false lashes and I don't have any friends or family that do, so unfortunetly these will be tossed. These are the Essential Dramatic Lash kit and even though they only retail for $1, I still would have preferred something else. But I guess they do fit the theme. 

The Glitter Nail Polish is another dud for me. I don't wear nail polish, hardly ever and when I do, I typically stray away from anything with chunky glitter. Thankfully though, I have a sister who loves it! 

For lippies, these were definitely a hit for me! I've been wanting to try their Matte Lip Color, especially the one in Rich Red, which is what I got! However though, when I swatched it on my hand, the color was more pink than red. But still beautiful none the less! 

The other lip product is the Studio Lip Stain. I found these to be interesting because as you can see, it has two ends. The first being shown, the lip stain and the other side being the gloss. Be warned though, these do not smell good. At all. But on the plus side, the smell does go away after being applied. 

One thing I really love from e.l.f are their Studio Brushes. They are not the greatest quality, but for someone just starting with either makeup or getting a feel for brushes, these are a great start. This one here is the Studio Complextion brush. The bristles are sooo soft on the skin and very easy to use.

The powder is from e.l.f's Mineral line, featuring their Mineral Glow powder in Shimmer. This powder is sheer and lightly pigmented that is supposed to leave your skin healthy and radiant. I definitely can't wait to try this out! 

The last product I recieved in this months beauty bundle is the Blush Palette in Dark. I actually already own this and the light, but considering the fact I love them so much, I am completely okay with a back up! I tried getting a good view in the first picture but the colors were off. The second picture is more true to what the colors actually are. The cool part about these palettes though, each individual square pops out so you can interchange them between this and the light. I hope they come out with more palettes for this reason! 

All in all, I was very pleased with this months bundle. I did have plans on cancelling my subscription after this month, but I think I may actually wait! Thank you guys so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed! 

Have you tried anything from e.l.f?

What are your favorite products? !

Mine Haul!

Hey everyone! I feel like it's been for ever since I did one of these, or even bought anything. LOL. But today I wanted to share with you a few things I purchased while I was out and about today!

I told you it was a very small haul. And I have to say, I'm pretty happy with myself! I literally have not bought any beauty related products in a month, which was not easy let me tell you! But I feel like I did pretty darn good. 

I've had my eye on the Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3 in 1 Foundation for so long know. It's funny though, Covergirl was the very first brand I had ever tried when I first started wearing makeup. Thanks to my mother (that was the only brand she ever used). And since then, I haven't worn anything of Covergirl, though I'm not really sure why? 

I've heard and read sooo many great reviews on this foundation. Some even going as far to say this is their holy grail. Which, you know when you hear that you automatically HAVE to try it. For me at least anyway.

I wasn't sure which shade to get. I was torn between Ivory and Classis Ivory. Which, Classic Ivory is the one I decided to go with.Thankfully, if it doesn't match well, I can always return it!(:

This is actually the second L'Oreal mascara I've bought. I usually go for Rimmel, because that's my favorite brand, but when I saw *False Fiber Lash*, I was instantly pulled in! I never knew drugstore brands made fiber mascaras. So of course I had to get it! I definitely plan on doing a review on this, so keep a look out!

So these babys are the whole reason I went out in the first place. First off, these are so not easy to find. I had no idea where to look, and tried everyplace I could think of. The only place that never did come to mind were health food stores. Which of course was the very last place I looked and found them! As you can see, I bought 100% Pure Sweet Almond Oil and Jojoba Oil. 

The reason why I wanted these so bad, is because one day browsing Pinterest, I came across something called the Oil Cleansing Method. I'm not going to go into too much detail, but basically, it's when you wash your face with oil versus your normal typical everyday cleansers. I know, weird and super scary, but I do plan on making a whole post about it!

But these two particular oils are supposed to be very good for those with oily and acne prone skin. And I've been going through a horrible acne breakout the past few months, I'm willing to try anything at this point. So far nothing has worked for me, but I do promise to write a more indepth post on this later!

That is all for now, I hope everyone has a fun and safe weekend!

Have you heard/tried the Oil Cleansing Method?

If so, what was your experience?

I would love to hear about them!(:

Late Halloween Pictures, Update + Mini Home Tour?!

I haven't posted anything about Halloween yet, and now that we are in November, I figured better late than never! 

This is our second Halloween together (Sunshine's third!), and we really wanted to make a tradition of family costumes. I just find them so cute and fun, and a great excuse to take pictures!(;

Last year we went as the Flintstones! My mom was sweet and made our costumes for us. Awesome right? The only thing we fogot, was the big fluffy pillow for Fred Flintstones belly! Oh well, we still rocked the part, and my Sunshine made an awesome Pebbles!

Look how big my baby is now! Can you believe this is just a year difference?

This year we weren't able to spend Halloween together since my boyfriend had to work. However, Sunshine still got dressed up and ready for trick-or-treating. Mini Mouse style ofcourse! I wish I could have fixed her hair and ears better, but as you can see in the third picture, she was gaurding her head from me lol.

Last year she was still too young to understand the concept of Halloween but after going to three or four houses and she realized she was recieving candy, she started running to them all! She had such a blast, and as much as I may miss my wittle itty bitty baby, I love watching her learn and grow. Gah, I just love her so much!

Update

So, as many of you know, my family and I had found a new home and were supposed to move on the 1st of November. 

Well, unfortunately that didn't happen. 

There was still too much to be done, and so our move in date was moved to the 8th instead. Which would have been this Saturday. BUT, when we talked to them Monday, they said our new place was still not ready. 

And so our move in date got changed again. To the 15th, which is next weekend. We're hoping and praying this will be the final date so that we can finally move. Everything is packed. Literally, right down to the t.

 It has been a frustrating soon to be month and a half, but God only knows this wait is going to be SOOOO worth it! And Pinterest has given me an unhealthy amount of ideas I can't wait to put into action and share with you all!

Mini Home Tour + DIY Projects?!

When we went to check out our new home over the weekend I decided to take some pictures. Actually, some is an understatement. I took A LOT of pictures. I was thinking about going a head and making a mini home tour post, but I wanted to know if you guys would even like to see that? 

Also, since I have so many diy's on my project board on Pinterest, we have a few in mind we are definitely going to do. Most of which won't start until the Spring time so I won't freeze my butt off painting. Would you guys like to see some of our DIY Projects on here? If so let me know to both questions in the comments below!

Well, that is it for my update. I hope you all had a fun and safe Halloween and enjoyed all that free candy!(;

What were you dressed up as for Halloween?

Don't forget to let me know about a home tour

and Diy Project posts!

E.l.f Review: Contouring Blush & Bronzing Cream + Quick tutorial.

A few weeks ago I went on an E.l.f splurge and got some really great products. I haven't tried them all, but the few I have will definitely be a repurchase for me. So expect many more reviews to come!

I have to say though, for being such a cheap makeup brand, E.L.F has some pretty dang good hg products. Of course they have their "misses", as does every brand. But their Studio Contouring Blush & Bronzing Cream is most definitely a new hg for me! 

Now, let's get on to the review!

(E.l.f Contouring Blush & Bronzing Cream in St. Lucia)

From E.l.f's Site:

Details: 

$3

"Ideal for all skin types, this dual cream bronzer and blush creates a sheer, natural wash of color on the skin. The lightweight cream-to-powder formula provides extended wear and allows you to layer for desired intensity. Sculpt eyes, cheeks, lips, body and anywhere you wish to highlight and contour with the rich cream formula."

How to:

"Apply a small amount of the Bronzer with fingers or a sponge to the hollows of the cheeks for definition and around the face line to create a healthy glow. Blush on the apples of the cheeks to create a subtle healthy glow. Blend and build coverage for ideal color."

E.l.f packaging is very similar to Nars. Expect with hard plastic versus a soft matte feel. Does that make sence? I like it though, I feel it adds a classy touch. Not like childs play makeup, considering the price. It's lightweight, without feeling cheap, and perfect for travel. Especially with a mirror as big as the compact!

Also, accoding to some others from the beauty community, the powder version of this, also in St. lucia, is said to be a dupe for Nar's Blush and Bronzing duo in Laguna & Orgasm. Since I don't own any Nars products, I can't say for myself. But from seeing online comparisons, I would believe so. Nars being more pigmented though, ofcourse.

Swatches:

As you can see, they are most certainly very VERY creamy! It feels so lovely to touch. And the colors are gorgeous!

I was really impressed with how true to color these were to what's in the pan. Don't be scared though! The bronzer blends out very beautifuly, into a nice sheer finish. And it is build-able. I know by looking at how pigmented they are, you probably think I'm crazy. But you will see what I am talking about, so stay with me!

The blush is a very pretty peachy-pink color. While the bronzer is a nice bronzy brown? Color. I'm not good at dicifering undertones, so correct me if I'm wrong. But I feel like there are no red or organgy undertones, so you won't have to worry about this making you look orange or even muddy for this with fair complexions.

Another plus, no shimmer! However, E.l.f claims this is a cream-to-powder finish, but I wouldn't say that that's entirely true. When it dries, it does SEEM matte, but in my opinion and on my skin (remember we all have different skin type, so your experience with this may or may not be different from mine), it seems more of a velvety satin finish. But still a lovely duo none the less! 

Wearability:

As you know, I have super oily skin. So depending on your skin type, that may affect how long you are able to wear this before it fades. I was able to get about 5 1/2 hours on it's own, and about 6 1/2 - 7 hours with a setting powder. For being super oily, that's really not that bad. And cream bluses do tend to last longer then pressed or powder.

Tutorial:

I decided to add a quick tutorial so you can see the full effect in action! Now, I literally only did my makeup for this, so I have no mascara or anything. So don't mind my makeup makeup-less face!

To start, I don't like to dip a brush in this product because it is cream, and I tend to always have a gaping chunch missing. Nice. So I just use my (clean) finger, and dot around my face where I would like to contour, or draw attention "away from".

I typically like to contour around my temples, forhead, the hollows of my cheeks and the sides of my nose to make it appear smaller. And whatever is left on my finger I will lightly dot the sides of my jaw line. 

To blend out the bronzer, I used my Real Techniques Contour Brush. 

 

After it's all blended, you can see that it's really not thay scary, and definitely build-able! I don't like a lot of color, so layering isn't necessary for me. In the first picture, you can better see the shadow it creates on the side of my nose.

For the blush, I do the same thing and apply with my fingers, and blend with a brush. 

⚫

And this is what the finished (or somewhat finished) face looks like!

My Overall Thoughs/Opinions:

⚫ I loved the packaging. Very classy, and sturdy. 

⚫ Great for travel, good sized mirror.

⚫ Both the blush and bronzer are rich in pigmentation, yet applies sheer enough allowing you to build up to the amount you want.

⚫ Super creamy. Seriously blends like a dream!

⚫ Last several hours on my super oily skin!

⚫ No shimmers, but (for me) does not dry to a matte finish like E.l.f claims.

⚫ I definitely would recommend to everyone to try it at least once. For $3, what can it hurt?(;

That's it for todays review, thank you for reading!

Have you tried any of the Blush & Bronzer

Duos by E.l.f? If so, which one 

and how did you like it?!

EOTN: Too Faced Chocolate Bar

About a month ago I got my hands on the Too Faced Chocolate Bar since I had a 20% off coupon. Knowing how expensive they are, I did my research to find a good palette I wouldn't regret. Even though I had a coupon, it would still be expensive compared to what I'm used to paying, so I really took my time reading through every bit I could find on it. The Chocolate Bar had soo many great reviews, I knew this was it. This was going to be my first Too Faced purchase! So I was really excited to see that it was still in stock.  

I've played around with this a few times, but so far I came up with one look I really liked. Over the weekend my boyfriend, daughter, and I went to UNO's in Providence, so I wanted something nice and classic, but a bit sultry at the same time. 

This really is such a gorgeous palette, I wish this phone took as good of pictures as my old one (I'm sorry you guys :( ). I promise these colors are so much prettier in person, this picture does them no justice. But they smell amazing! These shadows are made with 100% cocoa, and they seriously smell of just that!

And this is the look I came up! 

How I got this look:

⚫ I used E.l.f smudge pot in Back to Basics as my base.

Top Row:

⚫ I used the 1st Star (White Chocolate) all over my lid up to my brow bone, and in the corners of my eyes and the inner part of my lower lash line.

Middle Row:

⚫ I used the 1st Star (Salted Caramel) in my crease.

⚫ I used the 2nd Star (Marzipan) all over my lid.

⚫ I used the 3rd Star (Amaretto) on my upper lash line (to complete the look once the rest of the eye was done).

Bottom Row:

⚫ I used the 1st Star (Hazelnut) and blended it out in my crease and up and the outer part of my lower lash line.

⚫ I used the 2nd Star (Creme Brulee) and tapped it lightly on my lid over Marzipan.

For my lashes I had used my L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes Excess. 

So that's it for today's post, I hope you all enjoyed and thank you for reading!(:

Have you tried the Chocolate Bar yet?

If so, tell me how you liked it,

I would love to know!

Big News + EOTD!

If you have read my second post, then you would know my family and I have been going through a hard time. I didn't give specific details, and I don't plan to now, more so because it is a very personal matter. However, just when I thought this horrid thunderstorm would never come to an end, sunshine had finally shed it's light!

About a week ago we were at my daughters aunt's house, and she was telling us about a home her family was looking at. Her family is a bit larger than ours, now that they have a newborn, so it turned out to not be very ideal for them. 

As I'm listening to her go on in great detail, I couldn't help but think how perfect it sounded. Since she had said they weren't taking it, I asked if she would mind giving us the number to call and check it out for ourselves. Well, once we left, I called and was told we could come right down. So of course we headed right to it, and my goodness it was beautiful and so spacious! Plus it had an extra bedroom, which is perfect for when we finally decide to have another baby. 

Well, a week later (today) we put down a down payment. And guys, WE MOVE IN THREE WEEKS!

Now that I got to share my good news with you, here is my EOTD!

Don't mind the lil mess from my mascara, and the fact I accidentally went a tad far in my crease, and that annoying hair... Other than that, here's the look I created today using the Maybelline's NUDES Palette. 

How I got this look:

*Note: I used E.l.f's smudge pot in Back to Basics all over my lid up to my brow bone.

Bottom row:

⚫ I used the 3rd X(Fifth color in) all over my lid up to my brow bone.

⚫ I used the 1st X in my crease and blended it out.

⚫ I used the 2nd X(Forth color in) I used in the outer corner and blended slightly in my crease and out.

Top row:

⚫ I used the 1stX(Forth color in) I used in my inner crease and blended 2/3 on the lid.

This was just a quick* post, but I hope you all enjoyed this look! I'm loving this palette more than I thought I would!

Have a fun and safe weekend everyone!

E.L.F Beauty Bundle September 2014

E.L.F has a subscription service for a bi-monthly (every 8weeks) beauty bundle box. You pay $20 a month for $40+ worth of full sized products, awesom right? This is my second box I had received, and each month has a theme. My first beauty bundle theme was e.l.f's 10th Birthday. This month is Back to School! And although e.l.f is known for it's wicked cheap makeup, there definitely some misses but even those holy grail hits that are often times dupe for heck of a lot less! If you want a box full of goodies every other month, you can subscribe here.

Each bundle comes in a cute little (big) box that greets you with "Hello Beautiful!", while your goodies are wrapped away withen pretty pink tissue paper. Immediately you see a card that describes the months theme as well as a list of everything that's inside and what each item retails for. 

Back to Beauty School! 

"Head back to school this fall - back to e.l.f. Beauty School that is! Here's your full set of supplies for Makeup 101 - including everything you need for a full eyes, lips, and face look! From shiny new tools, like our Essential Profession Complete Set of 12 Brushes, to our all-new Beauty School Face & Lip Palette, you'll be prepared with all the beauty basics!"

I will list all the products at the end with the price each one retails for!

And this baby is where all the true fun begins! Inside this cute little bag is all your goodies for the month, and I really like that they use this bag versus plastic so you can actually re-use it for something else.

Now, on to what's inside!

I actually already have this mascara from a haul I was going to post, but I accidentally deleted it. This is the E.l.f Volume Plumping Mascara. For me personally, I'm not very picky with mascaras, but I didn't really care for this. This was definitely a miss. I felt like the way it applied was that of those childrens play mascaras, with the matching wand. Also, the formula was way too wet for me, as I like mine on the dryer side.

I found the E.l.f Eye Primer & Liner really interesting. I've never seen anyrhing like it before, although I'm sure more exisits amongst other brands. The stick part is the primer to prime your lids (obviously) then the fine point is what you use to seal your eyeliners. I haven't used liners since my highschool days, but I'm pretty tempted now just to test this baby out!

First is the HD Undereye Setting Powder:

"This light-diffusing powder camouflages fine lines, dark circles and imperfections, perfect for on camera or everyday wear." 

Some of these items I plan on doing separate reviews on and this is definitely one of them. This is a setting powder, so I'm really curious to see how well this works for setting concealers.

Next is the Smudge pot. Again, I need to start wearing eyeshadow more. This beaut can be useed as a long-lasting eyeshadow or a liner!

I've been wanting to try some lipsticks from e.l.f so I was really happy to see one from their Mineral line. The shade is in Barely Bitten, which I thought was a clever name since Halloween is right around the corner. The color is beautiful too, a deep coppery red with brown undertones. Nothing like what my camera captured, dang lighting. 

I found the Professional Complete Set of 12 Brushes fom the Essentials line to be a nice touch. However, I have a few brushes from that line that I found to be too scratchy and uncomfortable on my skin. I don't see these getting much use, but I will give them a try!

First lets talk about the 3Pc Eyeliner set. This set incudes a liquid black and brown liner as well as a glitter liner with a built in sharpener withen the cap. Now to test out that liner sealer(; 

And lastly, my favorite piece of all.. The brand new 13pc Face and Lip Palette! I remember recieving an email about this and wanting to try it out. Well I certainly didn't expect to it to be in this months bundle! I love blushes if you haven't found out that earlier. They are my favorite piece of makeup. I have not opened this yet (or any other item in this box), but from the look of the packaging there seems to be two blushes, two bronzers, and ofcourse the rest lip products. I will be doing a separate review on this in the future, do keep a look out!

The very last item I did not show (but was in the first picture above) were the powder puffs. I honesly forgot to snap a picture on it's own. But then I thought oh well, they're not that exciting anyways lol

So that was everything I received in this months Beauty Bundle, below will be a list of everything and it's retail price, along with a total tally. I love E.l.f because if you're on a budget like myself, you can try multiple items without breaking the bank! Granted you have a select amount of hits or misses, but so does every brand. 

Beauty Bundle/Product Price 

⚫ Eye Primer & Liner Sealer $3

⚫ HD Undereye Setting Powder $3

⚫ 3 Piece Eyeliner Set $3

⚫ Smudge Pot $3

⚫ Volume Plumping Mascara $3

⚫ Mineral Lipstick $5

⚫ 13 Piece Face & Lip Palette $8

⚫ Powder Puffs Set of 4 $1

⚫ Professional Complete Set of 12 Brushes $12

Total= $41

I do have to say that I was more impressed with my first Beauty Bundle, but none the less am still pleased.

That's it for today, I hope you enjoyed and thank you for reading!

Have you subscribed to E.l.f's Beauty Bundle?