What I've been loving: Becca Mineral Blush in 'Flowerchild'

I am utterly drawn to BECCA's line of powder products. From their highlighters to their blushes, I think they KILL it with their powder game. During these warm summer months I've been wearing nothing but my blushes in Snapdragon and Tigerlily, and though those are both beautiful, they are both decently bright colors. I decided to snatch up an additional blush from BECCA in a slightly more muted tone.

BECCA's mineral blush in 'Flowerchild' is a pale pink color that is described as a 'peachy pink with golden highlights.' Peaches are my kryptonite so it is no wonder this bad boy made its way into my collection.

One of my favorite thing about BECCA is their packaging. The packaging is sturdy and looks like a petite UFO. Brown rubber makes up most of the compact with a sturdy metallic top. A tiny mirror is inside for application on the go.

The blush is soft to the touch almost to a fault- a simple tap of your brush will give you the perfect amount of color to sweep on your cheeks. These blushes blend beautifully as well with a powder blush or beauty blender.

bottom L: Flowerchild, Center top: Tigerlily, Bottom Right: Snapdragon

 Here is this Mineral Blush compared to my luminous flush mineral blushes from Becca.

L to R: Flowerchild, Tigerlily, Snapdragon

This blush is actually quite similar to Snapdragon--a tad less bright with a bit more peach to it rather than coral. I don't think owning both is necessary and I think I will be reaching toward Flowerchild more than I will reach for Snapdragon. Tigerlily reigns supreme as my favorite of the bunch, though.

You can purchase this product from Sephora HERE!
$32 for 5.6g of product.

xxSJ

Check out my reviews of other Becca products:
BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector Luminous Blush in Tigerlily and Snapdragon
BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Highlighter in 'Rose Gold'

My Picks: MAC Buy 2 Get 1 Free Lipsticks- Barbeque, Coral Bliss, and Mehr

L to R: Barbeque, Coral Bliss, Mehr

 MAC giving away product for free?? Must be dreamin' amiright? No need to pinch yourself, ladies and gents. MAC recently ran a superb special where you could buy any 2 lip products and get a third lippie free. I took advantage of this deal and got three lipsticks I have had my eye on for a bit.

 I chose 'Coral Bliss,' a pinkier leaning cremesheen formula, 'Barbecue,' a matte red with bright orange undertones, and 'Mehr,' a matte mauve a la Kylie Jenner lip craze.

All of these colors have quickly moved into my summertime rotation with Coral Bliss being my go to for an easy and bright lip look that goes with any outfit or makeup. Thanks to my friend from PT school Virginia for drawing my attention to this shade! Mehr will transition with ease into the cooler months and Barbeque will be reserved for when I want that stand out pout.

xxSJ

Urban Decay Naked Skin Color Correcting Fluid: Peach and Green Review

I got this great little sample of Urban Decay's Color Correcting Fluid and I was so excited to try these! Using color theory, these correctors aim to cancel out common skin imperfections.

I got the peach corrector meant for masking circles and spots and the green corrector for reducing redness. I have a lot of pink and red in my skin (and unfortunately quite a few blemishes currently) so I was especially excited about the green.

L: no makeup; Center: green applied to blemishes on chin, tip of nose, cheeks and forehead, Peach applied to undereyes; R: blended and foundation applied.

I think these color correctors did an amazing job at covering up my redness and my undereyes. I especially love the green for disguising my blemishes!

Full face of makeup applied

I would really like to try some of the other correctors in this line, but I really like the green one. With my foundation applied on top, there is no trace of the green and my redness is pretty well covered up. I'd definitely be interested in purchasing these correctors in the future when I have some more disposable income (so probably never...). I'd also be interested in the pink color for my under eyes for extra brightening. These correcting concealers sell for $28 for 0.05 oz. 

Check out the color correcting fluids on Sephora's web site HERE!

xxSJ

Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in 'Double Dare' and 'Lovesick'

 The liquid lipstick trend has hit the beauty world hard and I don't think its going anywhere any time soon. I decided to hop on this trend after thorough research on what I thought the best liquid lipstick formula would be for my dry, depraved lips. I settled on trying out Kat Von D's Everlasting Liquid Lipsticks due to their reputation of having a long-lasting and very comfortable formulation.  I settled on picking two neutral colors to try this trend out.

R: Lovesick, L: Double Dare

 I picked out 'Lovesick,' a mauve pinky nude, and 'Double Dare,' a dusty rose mauve. The products come housed in a slender plastic tube with ornate black designs on it. I like the sleek packaging a lot, and the slimness may make it seem like you get less product, you actually get 0.22oz of liquid lipstick which is double what you get in an Anastasia Beverly Hills liquid lipstick. The applicator is a standard doefoot applicator which I found very easy to use to get a relatively perfect application.

Top: Double Dare, Bottom: Lovesick

I love this product a lot.  I am someone who LOVES lipstick to death but can't be bothered to reapply it through out the day when it fades. I also have a profession that doesn't allow me to look in mirrors often or take frequent restroom breaks for touch ups so I tend to avoid putting on lip products at risk of fading or smearing in an unflattering way. I think this product solves this issue for me as I get a full 8 hours of wear time out of this lipstick with no touch ups needed. This stuff lasts through eating and drinking and best of all, it doesn't make my lips feel uncomfortable. I definitely wouldn't say that this lipstick makes my lips feel moisturized while I wear it, but I'm certainly not bothered by it.

As an added bonus, I noticed in the morning following wearing this product my lips always looked and felt very refreshed. After some light investigating I discovered this product is infused with Vitamin E and sunflower seeds which my lips apparently respond really well to!

I'm in love with these lipsticks and will surely pick up more shades in the future. It's a beautiful product that works and costs the fair price of $20 per tube. Its not cheap, but its not going to break the bank if I hold off on my normal Starbucks purchases for the week!

Find these liquid lipsticks HERE!

xxSJ

MAC Goodies: Flamingo Park collection

MAC has recently done some out of character things for the brand such as lowering their eyeshadow pan cost to a meager $6 as well as starting a loyalty program AND providing free shipping, no minimum. After a recent browsing sesh on their website, I noticed that MAC now has a 'sale' section online! MAC and 'sale' are two words I never thought I would see in the same sentence, but I suppose they are attempting to move some old stock out of inventory.  The MAC Flamingo Park collection was a collection full of deliciously gorgeous pinks that I completely drooled over. I repeatedly added products into my shopping cart only to have them sit there for days, unable to pull the trigger (being that I am a grad student with low funds for my makeup hoarding!).  After seeing some of the Flamingo Park collection on sale for 30% off, I finally felt like I could pull the trigger!

I purchased a lipstick and a blush. The lipstick is in the color 'Flocking Fabulous' and is a hot coral color.

The blush is the color 'Spring Flock' and is a bright peachy coral in the pan but shows up a bit more subdued when swatched.

Wearing Spring Flock blush and Flocking Fabulous lipstick

MAC blushes wear for about 6-8 hours on my skin and this shade of lipstick lasted about 4 hours through light drinking. This creamy shade needs to be reapplied after meals though!

I recommend stalking MAC's website for the random sale you may stumble across! You never know what goodies you might find...I think these two products were awesome items to add to my collection that I'll get plenty of wear out of.

xxSJ

Bite Luminous Creme Lipstick Duo: 'Pepper/Cafe'

Bite Beauty is a brand with an interesting take on makeup. They formulate their lipsticks with all edible ingredients to ensure that what you're putting on your lips is safe enough to get into your mouth! Bite Beauty comes out with lipstick duos from time to time which are mini versions of their famous Luminous Creme lipsticks on a double-ended retractable container. I got the mini 'Pepper/Cafe.'

Pepper is a dusty rose.

Cafe is a muted peachy pink. 

 The lipsticks glide effortlessly onto the skin and are quite pigmented given their neutral hues.

Here are the colors compared to my other Bite Beauty lipsticks. I have quite a few neutrals but I think this duo really rounds out my collection nicely as far as nudes are concerned. 

L: Pepper, R: Cafe

These lipsticks glide on easily and since they are teeny, they are very easy to apply straight out of the tube. I think they last for quite some time on the lips given how moisturizing they are, and they don't emphasize dryness or fine lines. 

Look how tiny these guys are! I love these because they are so small and fit in my pocket, purse, backpack... where ever I need them to go! The neutral hues make them work appropriate with out the need for constant checking in mirrors or touch-ups to ensure your makeup hasn't gone haywire.

These tiny lippies sell for $14 each on Sephora. Get em while they last because rumor has it, Bite Beauty is phasing out their luminous creme lipstick line!

Check out my review of the Musk/Lychee duo HERE!
Check out my review of the Fig/Date duo HERE!
Check out my review of Fig lipstick HERE!

xxSJ

Lorac 'Unzipped' Palette

My boyfriend surprised me this Christmas by giving me the Lorac 'Unzipped' palette. I have never mentioned this palette to him (and my long term lusting after it), but he said after much research, he decided this palette was the most 'Steph.' So sweet :) The guy has got a point though! The Lorac Unzipped palette is a no-fuss palette filled with rosey and warm pinks, browns, and burgundies.

The packaging is sturdy cardboard which closes with magnets. The palette is super thin and includes the 10 shades with no wasted space for a brush I'll never use. My one gripe is I think the mirror inside the palette could be a bit bigger! 

Undercover is a matte white with pinky tones to it. It is really pigmented and easy to place all over the lid and as a brow highlight. 

Unbelievable is a deep satin rose gold with purple smoke to it.

Undiscovered is a pure pale gold that shows up great on the lid for some sparkle.

Unreal is a gorgeous shimmery pink.

Unattainable is a satin mauve color with a taupey hue to it.
Unconditional is a mauve matte color that I've been using mostly as my transition in the crease.
Uncensored is a satin brown color which is warmer on the skin than it looks in the pan.
Unspoken is a matte brown color, nice for deepening up the crease.

Unbridled is the superstar of the palette in my opinion. It is a deep matte burgundy with crazy pigmentation. 

Untamed is a satiny brown with purple undertones and lots of sparkle.

Swatched on my arm above are the colors from left to right, top row first, then bottom row. The colors all are buttery soft with excellent color payoff. 

Here's a look I did using only shadows from this palette.  This is a more dramatic eye with thick black eyeliner, but I also used this palette to create softer eyes and pushed 'Unbridled' into my lash line for some soft smokey liner.

This palette is so gorgeous and great for anyone looking for a pink-hued neutrals palette. I think it is similar to the Naked 3 palette but I find more inspiration when looking at this palette than I do at the Naked 3. This palette is $42 for 10 very wearable eye shadows and can be purchased on Amazon, at Kohl's, Ulta, or loraccosmetics.com.

Check it out on Amazon Here!!

xxSJ

Bite Beauty Luminous Creme Lipstick in 'Fig'

After falling in love with Bite Beauty's lipstick formula from using their dual ended mini lipsticks, I decided to get my hands on one of their full-sized lipsticks!

The packaging is sleek and modern. The design is seamless using a matte, rubbery gray material with the Bite logo printed on the bottom of the tube.  The lipsticks come in 4 different styles of cap which are supposed to look like the different ways lipsticks can get worn down! The style of cap on each lipstick is dependent on color family--reds, neutrals, pinks, and berries.  The brand sets itself apart by only using edible ingredients in their lipsticks and also includes an ingredient called resveratrol, a super antioxidant. Each tube contains as much resveratrol as 5 glasses of wine!

The color I chose is 'Fig,' a gorgeous nude rose.  

Fig is a super warm pink that has peach undertones making it very wearable for my complexion. I like that the color is a bit punchy and more noticeable then a nude lip but still a neutral and professional color. 

The lipsticks are very moisturizing and last quite a while on the lips. They do transfer while eating and drinking but I find they don't smear and instead fade naturally and evenly away. 

Bite Beauty lipsticks cost $24 for 0.15oz of product. To compare with some popular brands, MAC lipsticks are $17 for 0.1oz of product, Kat Von D lipsticks are $21 for 0.1oz of product, and Urban Decay Revolution lipsticks are $22 for 0.1oz of product.

I really like the way this product feels and wears on my lips. Given that I have such a huge problem with dryness and the appearance of my lips, I will probably be repurchasing from this brand in the future. 

Check it out on Sephora's website Here!

xxSJ
Review on the duo Fig/Date
Review on the duo Musk/Lychee

NARS Audacious Lipstick in 'Juliette'

audacious: adjective; showing a willingness to take surprisingly bold risks. 

NARS recently came out with their 'Audacious' line of lipsticks-- a line promising to be a 'modern lipstick that dresses up lips with bold coverage and ultrasoft texture.' With such high claims, I had to try this lippie out for myself! The color I tried is 'Juliette,' a  pinky coral color:

The bright lippie is housed in a super modern and sleek rectangular package. The NARS logo is both printed on the outside of the container in a matte black as well as lasered into the lipstick. The cap closes with a magnetic closure. The seal is strong so you won't have to worry about the cap slipping off in your purse.  This lipstick feels super weighty in your hands which I personally love. This lipstick is $32, so at such a high price point there better be some luxurious packaging!

The lipstick is a matte formula that is quite creamy on the skin. The color doesn't skip at all or apply patchily. On my hand, Juliette swatched as a warm coral with a lot of pink in it. On my lips, however, the color is very vibrant orange: 

natural lighting

This is why we try colors on in the store, people! This color was not what I was expecting it to look like (particularly because my sister wears this shade and it looks stunning on her!). The color certainly packs a punch and I found the wear time to be solid.  The matte formula was surprisingly comfortable (not moisturizing!) and the color was as NARS promised: bold! 

I do enjoy this lipstick and would like to pick out another color. I found it to be comfortable to wear and easy to work with, not to mention the packaging is so sleek and elegant!
The NARS Audacious lipsticks are $32 for 0.14oz of product and are an Allure best of beauty winner.

Check these lippies out at Sephora here!

xxSJ

Review: NARS 'Dragon Girl' Velvet Matte Lip Pencil

"Heels and red lipstick will put the fear of God into people." - Dita Von Teese

The perfect red lip is something that I think every woman should have in her makeup arsenal. Nothing makes you feel quite as fiery, spunky, and powerful as this bold lip color.  I have a beloved red lip in my beauty tool belt that is a deep brick tone (MAC Chili), but I've been on hot pursuit of a brighter cherry red that will work on my fair, pink-toned complexion.  Inspired by Taylor Swift's new music video for 'Blank Space,' (no, I'm not kidding...she looks fierce as hell in that video), I researched to figure out what shade she was sporting and I found her go-to red to be the NARS velvet matte lip pencil in the shade 'Dragon Girl.'

The NARS velvet matte lip pencils are a lip product in crayon type packaging with NARS' iconic rubberized black casing and the brand boldly emblazoned in white on the side. As the name suggests, the product is a true matte lip product.  This pencil was $25 for .086oz of product.

 This pencil is not a twist up so will require sharpening. I know this gets on a lot of people's nerves when brands do this because it seems to waste a lot of product when you're sharpening but I found this stuff will probably work for 5-6 wears before having to sharpen it. This'll last for a while so I'm not concerned about losing a bit of product! I also love the pencil lip product because it makes for a lip liner and lipstick all in one.

'Dragon Girl' is described as a 'vivid siren red' by NARS and vivid it sure is. I love this red because it has hot pink undertones to it and is definitely more blue leaning rather than orangey.  I love this because lipsticks with blue undertones will make your teeth appear whiter which is a HUGE factor to consider when selecting the perfect red for you. Also can we talk about the name for a sec? 'Dragon Girl' is the sassiest, fiestiest sounding name and I think is perfect for this lippie. Did I just make up the word fiestiest? Yup, sure did...but it suits the lipstick so we're gonna go with it.

As I have mentioned before, this product is a matte product which can be tough in the drier winter seasons when lips are chapped and peeling. Putting on a matte lip product can sometimes feel like you're dragging a dried out glue stick across your lips... lovely, right? This stuff has a really smooth texture, however, that is really comfortable to wear and easy to apply. It was so smooth and comfy that I was concerned with it smearing and transferring through out the evening but it stayed put for a solid 6 hours!  As with all bright colors, I recommend stowing this pencil in your purse for touch ups regardless of the phenomenal wear time. 

So there you have it, folks. If you're looking for an iconic red lip, this one might be worth a shot. If you don't think 'Dragon Girl' will work for you then check out the Velvet Matte lip pencil line!  NARS has 19 shades to choose from so you're sure to find one that tickles your fancy.

Check them out HERE!

xxSJ