BalmShelter Tinted Moisturizer

I bought this tinted moisturizer about a month ago and I really have been enjoying it. It’s by the Balm and costs $25. It comes in Light and Light/Medium and has an SPF of 18. I purchased mine online from Sephora. This gives your skin light coverage and provides some moisture for your skin. It of course isn’t going to cover blemishes and severe discoloration, but it does cover redness on my face. It is not overly oily and does not leave your skin with a super dewy finish. I like that it feels lightweight on my skin and leaves me with a natural satin finish. It doesn’t leave my skin looking shiny even when I don’t set it with powder. That is one of my pet peeves with tinted moisturizer. That being said, it is not too “foundationy” (yes, I make up my own words from time to time). I hate tinted moisturizers that feel thick and goopy, so this is perfect for me. I should say that I would not use this in place of a moisturizer, but I wouldn’t do that with any tinted moisturizer. To me they are just lightweight foundations. I purchased this in Light and it has become my go to face product. I have also mixed it with my Revlon Colorstay a few times to lighten it up just a little bit (in texture, not color).

without flash
blended out on the right

The picture I took ended up more yellow toned than I wanted because of the lighting in the room. It was nighttime, so I only had soft light bulbs overhead and the flash overexposed the photo so that you couldn't see it at all. Sorry. 

The color for me is perfect. It is neutral toned, which is what I need since my skin has a neutral undertone. So many foundations I find are either too pink or too yellow. I tend to opt for the yellow undertones because no one needs more red tones added to their skin in my humble opinion. I really can’t say enough good things about this product. If it sounds good from my review go ahead and give it a try. You might find your new favorite tinted moisturizer like I did (although you could hate it too). Beauty products are all about personal opinion after all.

Meagan

Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment

Hey Guys! I wanted to share one of my favorite lip treatments with you all. I love the Fresh Sugar line. These balms provide your lips with intense hydration. The balms are not as waxy as chapstick, but they have enough wax to stay on your lips. I like how they feel on my lips because the formula is not too shiny and slippery. They all have SPF 15 (except the advanced treatment) and a citrus scent, which I enjoy but it is pretty strong so not everyone will like it. The different colors available are Sugar (clear), Coral, Honey, Passion, Plum and Rose. They also now have an Advanced Therapy Lip Treatment. Each regular lip balm costs $22.50 and the advanced is $25. Yes the price is insane but I am willing to pay it because I have had chapped lips since I was little and this is the first time in my life my lips have been in good shape. The packaging is really nice. The tube feels nice and heavy in your hand and the lid twists into place, so it won’t ever come undone in your purse (although I have never had that happen anyways).

Sorry for the blurriness

I photographed the Sugar and Advanced Therapy for you all because I love these. I own the plum color, but I don’t like it as much as the tone is just not quite right with my skin (and if I’m being totally honest I forgot I owned it when I photographed these the other night).  The two clear balms are quite similar. The advanced treatment is a little creamier and leaves more product on your lips. I like to use it at night because of this (also it doesn’t contain SPF). I do feel like it helps to hydrate the lips a little better than the regular balm, but the difference is not that huge. Of course to keep your lips in their best shape regular exfoliation is important. My favorite way to exfoliate my lips is with plain white sugar and olive oil. I just mix some up in a shot glass and rub it over my lips then wipe it off. You could technically lick it off, but it wouldn’t taste that great and you would be eating the dead skin you just exfoliated off your lips, so I wouldn’t suggest it.

Hope you liked this post. If you have used this product let me know how you liked it. Or if you use something else that you adore tell me what it is.

Meagan

Viva Glam Nicki

lipstick with flash

I purchased this lipstick a little while after it came out. I had to purchase it online because I could not find it in stores (I tried three different stores before giving up). When the lipstick came I was so excited. I think this color is gorgeous. It is a bright (almost neon) coral/pink. I do not usually wear bright lip colors, but I just couldn’t resist this color. It is definitely on trend for this spring and summer. Hopefully I will get more used to wearing bright colors on my lips, so that this lipstick will get some use. The good thing about Viva Glam lipsticks is that all of the proceeds go to HIV/AIDS charities, so even if I don’t wear it often I won’t feel like I have wasted money. The lipstick costs $14.50 and is a satin finish. This allows you to have a more creamy matte finish or a glossy finish if you put a lip-gloss over it. Go take a look at the lipstick in person if you are interested to see how it will look with your skin tone. Here are some pictures for your enjoyment (all without flash). 

Meagan

Shoe Haul

Hello Everyone!

I went to Nordstrom about a week ago and picked up two pairs of shoes. They are both spring/summer shoes to kick off the season.

 

I found these adorable sandals first. They are the Naughty Monkey 'Spidey' Sandals in Silver and they cost $59.95. I purchased a size 7, which is my typical size. Now, I do think that's a little expensive for a sandal, but last summer I wore another "expensive" pair all summer long and they held up beautifully whereas the cheap ones broke quickly. I think with shoes you really do get what you pay for (most of the time). I think these are great shoes that can be worn day or night, as they are dressier than a typical flip-flop.

I completely stepped out of my comfort zone with the next pair. For some reason I was just drawn to them. I don't even know if I have anything to wear with these, but if I don't I will just use it as another excuse to buy more clothes. They are the Hinge 'Asher' T-Strap Sandals in Ivory. They cost $99.95. As you can see they are quite tall at 5 1/2", but the platform is 1" so that helps a little. I still feel a little silly about this purchase if I'm being honest since they aren't my usual taste, but I love them too much to return them. I should also mention the sizing of these shoes. I had to get a full size smaller than typical in these (so a 6).

I will be back with more posts this week.

Meagan 

Naked 2 Review

Yes I know…everyone has done a review of this product, but I figured why not. I purchased the Naked 2 pretty early after it was released. Since then I have worn it quite a lot. It is a really nice palette to have especially if you like cooler tones. The first Naked palette has mostly warm shades, so that is the main difference between the two.

with flash

without flash

In general the Naked 2 palette has more light shades than the first one, but it can definitely still make some nice smoky looks. Personally I find that I like the Naked palette for a super natural daytime look because of two shades, Naked and Buck. If they were incorporated into the second palette it would win hands down for me, but I don’t like the fact that tease is the only light matte shade in the palette to use for a similar purpose. Technically Foxy is also matte, but it doesn’t show up on me at all and is basically wasted space in my opinion. Other than that fact, I think I like this palette a little more than the first. I still use the other one, but I do reach for this one more. If you don’t own either palette, check them out in the store and decide which colors go better with your skin tone and get that one. Owning both is not necessary as ultimately they are going to give you similar looks (as most neutral palettes will).

foxy, half baked, bootycall, chopper, tease, snakebite, suspect, pistol, verve, ydk, busted, blackout

same as above with flash

without flash: foxy, half baked, bootycall, chopper, tease, snakebite

without flash: suspect, pistol, verve, ydk, busted, blackout

As far as packaging goes, I like the packaging of the first palette better since it opens and closes so easily. The Naked 2 case clicks into place, which makes it more of a pain to open and close. That being said, packaging does not make that much difference to me if the product is good. The palette comes with a double-sided brush which is a good quality brush with synthetic bristles. I use the fluffy edge to blend out shades sometimes, but other than that I don't reach for it often.