BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed in 'Opal'

I recently received Becca's Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed in the color 'Opal' and have been trying it out with the most skeptical of eyes thinking to myself, can this product really be THAT good? Well, yes, ladies and gentleman. It can be.

Becca's line of highlighters exploded in the past couple of years made famous mostly by Jaclyn Hill on Youtube. These highlighter powders are somehow creamy to the touch and go on your skin effortlessly giving you a luminous and lustrous glow I thought only to be achievable by professional makeup artists on photo shoots. 

The sleek little compact is made of a brown rubberized plastic with a brushed metal top and Becca tastefully stamped into the design. Closed, it looks like a little UFO! Open, it looks like heaven. The compact comes with a large, high quality mirror on one side and is filled with 8g of beautiful product on the other. 

The color Opal is described as a 'golden opal pearl' and I find it has quite a bit of a purpley peach tone to it.  Here is the compact compared to my other powder highlights, Becca's Rose Gold and Mary Lou-manizer by The Balm: 

Top left: Opal, Top Right: Rose Gold, Bottom: Mary Lou-manizer

As you can see, Opal nestles right in between the super light gold champagne color of Mary Lou-manizer and the more vibrant Rose Gold. All three powders are ultra soft and give fantastic color payoff with just a light dusting, but I think Becca's powders take the cake as far as being creamy smooth to the touch. They also last all day on my skin.

L to R: Opal, Mary Lou-manizer, Rise Gold

I recommend this product if you're looking for an amazing highlighter. I think these highlighters are mature skin friendly as long as you have a delicate touch. They will breathe life into dry skin as well as accent dewy skin beautifully.  These highlighters are $38 for 8g of product which is definitely steep, however, keep your eyes on websites such as Hautelook and Overstock.com for when you can find these products heavily discounted!

Check out this product on Sephora's website HERE!

xxSJ

My Top Picks: Springtime Blushes!

Spring is here! Spring is here! Spring is here! Spring is one of my favorite seasons and I thought I'd share my favorite blushes for the Springtime:

I picked blushes from a few different brands. No need to discriminate!

NARS Orgasm is a cult favorite, world-famous blush and is known for its coral color with golden shimmer running through it. There's a reason this is famous! It's phenomenal!
Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in 'Dollface' is a 12-hour long-wearing pretty pink. This blush is the perfect pink shade. Read my full review here: Dollface Blush Review!
The Balm 'Frat Boy' is a pure peach. This blush is the easiest way to wear peach on your cheeks as it is so muted and completely matte. Read my full review here: Frat Boy Review here!

Bobbi Brown 'Apricot' is the prettiest, nearly fuschia, bright coral. It looks terrifying in the pan but trust me that it looks amazing when applied with a light hand. Read my full review here: Apricot blush review!
MAC 'Fleur Power' is a tinge lighter than the Bobbi Brown blush but still packs a punch on the cheeks. It is a coral with quite a bit of red in it! This pigmented blush gives you the perfect flushed look.
MAC 'Launch Away!' from the Hey Sailor collection is a muted pastel peachy pink. It kind of looks like nothing in the pan but shows up as a beautiful light pink on the skin. Perfect for those muted kind of days :)

L to R: Orgasm, Dollface, Frat Boy, Launch Away!, Fleur Power, Apricot

So there you have it! 6 blushes that are super different in color but all have one thing in common... they scream SPRING!!!

Stay tuned for some of my other Spring beauty picks :)

xxSJ

Shades of Orange

I am so excited for the warmer months coming up and its time to bust out the brighter makeup products! Inspired by the warmer times ahead I thought I'd share my favorite Orange-toned makeup products with you!

1. MAC blush in 'Peaches' $21: As you can see I've loved this blush to death. I've hit pan on it! This is the first MAC blush I ever owned and I love it now just as much as I did when I first bought it. This blush is the silkiest, smoothest blush ever which makes it so easy to wear and blend in. The orange tone looks so good for girls with the same complexion as me (fair with pink undertones and freckles!) and I think it would look gorgeous on olive-toned and darker skinned girls.

2. The Balm blush in 'Frat Boy' $20: This blush may not be as scary looking as Peaches since it has a little more pink in it but this blush is still pigmented! I did a full review on this blush here: http://sjspins.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-balm-blush-in-frat-boy.html

3. Urban Decay Eyeshadow in 'Freelove' $19: Brave enough to rock orange on your lid? Try this red-orange peach shade out! This shadow has a satiny and shimmery finish and can be really pretty on its own in the lid and crease with a highlight in the inner corner and brow bone. It's a favorite of mine in Summer as a way to rock some color in a bit of an unexpected way.

L to R: Peaches blush, Frat Boy blush, Freelove eyeshadow

4. MAC lipstick in 'Ravishing' $15: Looking for a bright coral to wear this Spring and Summer? THIS IS IT!! This is the prettiest coral color I have found that I am brave enough to wear! It has great vibrancy and still is super soft and comfortable to wear on the lips since it is a cremesheen formula. Try this color on the next time you go to a MAC counter or store. You may be surprised how universally flattering coral can be on so many skin tones!

5. MAC Cremesheen Glass in 'Richer, Lusher' $15: If you're hesitant to wear a bright coral lipstick, pop some orange-tinted lipgloss on over some nude or light pink lipstick to bump yourself in the coral direction. Cremesheens are so great because they feel soft on the lips and are less sticky than a standard lipgloss. Like all MAC lip products, the light vanilla scent is to die for making this gloss a Summer staple.

6. Revlon Lip Butter in 'Juicy Papaya' $6: A cheaper and even more comfortable way to wear an orange hue is by going for Revlon Lip Butters. These have plenty of pigment yet are so comfy to wear because of their hydrating, balm-like formula. Do yourself and your lips a favor and pick up some of these next time you're at the drugstore!  http://sjspins.blogspot.com/2014/04/revlon-lip-butters-wild-watermelon-and.html

L to R: Ravishing lipstick, Richer Lusher lipgloss, Juicy Papaya lip butter

6. Essie 'Tart Deco' nail polish $8: My favorite orange nail polish. This polish has a creamy formula that  makes this color so soft on the nails and pleasant to look at. Wear this for a beachy mani or if you're going to a Giants baseball game! Go Giants! Full review here: http://sjspins.blogspot.com/2014/04/notd-essie-tart-deco.html

What are your favorite orange shades to wear???
xxSJ

The Balm blush in 'Frat Boy'

I have never had a product from The Balm before but I have always adored and admired their products from afar... does that make me a stalker? Maybe....do I care? Nope. The Balm is known for having the most adorable packaging and names for their products and I finally decided to get my hands on a blush I thought would suit me well: 'Frat Boy:'

Are you understanding what I'm tossin' out at you about the adorable packaging? The blush comes in a cardboard container about the size of my palm and includes a magnetic closure. Some people may think the cardboard looks cheap but I think it adds to the cuteness of the product. Also if you drop the blush, the cardboard will absorb much of the impact and avoid cracking!

Inside the compact there is a small mirror outlined by a football field design. Adorbs!!! 

And as I mentioned earlier, the compact shuts tight with magnets located within the cardboard. It's a satisfying snap shut and this blush will not open on its own if you have any concern about that... if you remain worried, you can keep the thin sleeve the product comes in to keep it shut.

Now onto the actual color and product after I've gotten my obsession with the packaging out of the way...the color is a peachy pink that I always lust after as it suits my complexion so well. This blush is fairly matte with only slight hints of shimmer in certain light...this shimmer does not translate to the skin. I liken this color to NARS Orgasm but with out all of the gold reflect. 

This blush is pigmented like crazy so using a light hand when applying this is key. Don't use a brush that will pick up and deposit boat loads of color... you might regret that as you will look a tad clownish!

Here is the blush on my cheek...it's so pretty and gives the perfect flushed look to my cheeks for Spring. 

This product retails for $21.00 (though you can find it for cheaper on Amazon...shhhhh!) and can be found at some Nordstrom's, on The Balm's website (www.thebalm.com), and sometimes for a steal on dailylook.com.  

$21 may seem like a lot but did you see on the first picture I took how much product you get? 8.5g! That's a ton! For reference, MAC blushes hold 6g of product and retail for $21 and NARS blushes hold 4.8g of product and retail for $30. 

All in all, this product is far more than adorable packaging. It houses a gorgeous blush that I think may be a go to for the Spring and Summer months (and it'll last for that long as well given the sheer amount of product in the container!).

xxSJ