How I Use: NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in 'Milk'

I love talking about the inexpensive secret weapons I keep in my makeup arsenal! One that I've kept in my stash for a long time is the NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in 'Milk.'

This eye pencil is a super pigmented white and is very creamy making it easy to blend and use.  I like to use it for a couple purposes, mainly for eye makeup.  It is great to use as a foundation for your highlight. I like to put some of this on my inner corner and browbone:

I blend it out and then add my shadow. The milk pencil underneath makes it pop that much more! This is a super helpful trick for those sleepy mornings that you need an extra pick-me-up.  The other use for this pencil is to swipe it all over the eye before putting on a particularly glittery or chunky eyeshadow.  This creaminess of this pencil mixes with the shadow and changes the texture to more of a satiny finish instead of glittery and also makes the color pop a bit more since it's layered over white:

On the left is Smashbox's 'Flirt' eyeshadow on my skin and on the right is the same shadow layered over 'Milk' eye pencil.  It makes the color so much more vibrant and smooth!

The last use for this pencil that I have is for costume purposes! A thick, white, pigmented liner is so useful for different looks. I did a comic book character look recently and the white pencil came in handy for the cartoon lips:

This eye pencil is not good for certain things such as being an eyeliner since it is such a thick pencil and it is creamy, but for all your other white makeup needs it does the trick!

NYX Jumbo Eye Pencils cost about $3 each and can be found at Ulta and where ever NYX is sold!

xxSJ

Highlighters! My faves, swatches, and how-to

To buddy up with my bronzing post, here's a post about bronzers best friend: the highlighter!!!
Highlighting is the perfect way to give yourself that dewy look. I love highlighters because I find that sometimes my face looks a little too matte (since I have dry skin patches...sad day). Here are some of my favorite highlighting products:

Let's start this journey with Benefit's High Beam:

$26 for .45 fl oz.
This is a pinky toned highlighter with a nail polish type applicator. You are supposed to dot this along the top of your cheekbones and lightly blend in. I also use this for down the center of my nose. This works great to add some light catching glow to your skin and a little bit goes a loooooooooooong way.
NARS illuminator in 'Copacabana'

$30 for 1.1 fl oz (this is a .32oz sample size)
This is a 'glistening pearl' and comes in a squeezy tube.  You use it the same way as the benefit highlighter as it is the exact same consistency. This product has less pink undertone and is more silver/gold. You need the tiniest tiniest amount to highlight your cheekbones, cupid's bow, and nose. I like this one a little bit better than benefit's High Beam because it applies more evenly.
NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencil in 'Milk':

~$4 for 5g
This is a completely matte white eyeshadow pencil that is perfect for using in the inner corner to highlight your eyes. That's all I would recommend this product for because it is so matte (and almost chalky) that it would not look natural on your face or as pretty as the dewy highlighters. It was worth a mention though for its inner corner dominance!
Maybelline's 'Champagne Fizz'

$3 for 2.6g
This product has an entire blog post dedicated to it if you want to check it out! This product is great for just dipping your finger in and patting onto the top of your cheekbones. It is also great as a brow bone highlight.
Urban Decay's 'Virgin'

$18 for 1.5g
This guy is my FAVORITE brow bone highlighter. It is a pearly white with beigy undertones. The shimmer is barely noticeable at all and the shadow is so so so velvetty it's amazing! This color also works great as an inner corner highlighter. I like it better than the Maybelline shadow because that shadow can be a bit gritty while this one is so smooth.
MAC cream color base in 'Hush':

 $18.50 for 3.2g
This highlighter stands out as my only truly peach highlighter and it is my go to highlighter for the summer when paired with a bit of a tan and some bronzer. I love the creamy consistency and it keeps my face from getting 'cakey' from too much powder. This is my current favorite highlighter! I use it for my cupid's bow, the top of my cheekbones, and down the center of my nose.

From left: High Beam, Copacabana, Milk, Champagne Fizz, Virgin, Hush

So here is the final swatch! As you can see, the colors are all just a tad different and have different finishes.  The liquid ones on the left are nice for fall and winter as they look a little more silvery and 'icy'....weird? I don't know. But the colors on the right are nice because they have a nice peach undertone which I love for my skin tone.
Honestly, a highlighter is a highlighter. If you dont have one yet, I would get one of the cheaper ones to learn how to use it first and then as you get samples and kits, you can start plugging in and adding to your collection.  For the most part, highlighters will all do the same thing no matter the cost!

What are your favorite highlighters????

xxSJ

July Favorites!

These are my favorites for the month of July! These products were the things I couldn't stop grabbing over and over!

1. EOS Lip Balm: makes my lips so silky smooth and such cute packaging!
2. Mrs Smith's Rosebud Salve: I love this stuff to moisturize my lips and cuticles and it smells like roses!
3. MAC Lipglass in Nymphette: Beautiful color for the summer. A peachy pink with gold shimmer
4. Revlon Colorstay Liquid Liner: Blackest black liner for a defined line that lasts ALL day
5. NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencil in Milk: Perfect for my inner eye corner and only about $4
6. MAC blush in Fleur Power: beautiful peachy pink rose that brightens up my cheeks.
7. Divergent by Veronica Roth: I LOVED THIS BOOK! I whizzed through it like no other!
8. Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation: flawless finish, full coverage, light and soft. Nuff said.
9. Stila eyeshadow in Kitten: beautiful peachy gold color. Amazing pigmentation! Mine broke but it still works perfectly fine!
10. Urban Decay Eyeshadow in X: shimmery peachy color with gold and pink reflects. Mind boggling!
11. MAC lipstick in Angel: Rediscovered this baby this month. Such a beautiful pinky nude!

Those were my favorites for the month! Let me know if you would like more in depth reviews on any of the products I mentioned (because I know my descriptions were a little short!) and also make sure to let me know YOUR July favorites :)
xxSJ