My New Favorite Face!

Recently, I decided to truly dive into the world of highlighting and contouring.  This is tricky business.  After watching countless YouTube tutorials and trying multiple products to achieve my look, I have come across some favorites.  A few of them I have been using for a while and just changed up how I used them.

Why contour and highlight?  To emphasize or create a flattering bone structure!  Be CAREFUL-and don't try this for this first time before going out in public.  It takes practice and it is easy to overdo and look dirty or unnatural.

I linked my favorite tutorial below!

Old favorites, new methodology:

1. Hoola Bronzer, Benefit Cosmetics-  To me, this is the most perfect bronzer.  It's not too dark, not too light, not orange-and works perfectly for contouring my face.  Blends beautifully. HUGE fan of this product.  I haven't found a bronzer I like this much in a long time.

2. Banana Powder, Ben Nye-  I use this to set my highlight and as a light dusting over my foundation (a must for me who is so oily).  This product is AH-MAZE-ING.  No better oil control powder out there. Period.  (I've tried a ton!)

New favorites:

1. Instant Age Rewind Dark Circle Treatment Concealer in "Neutralizer", Maybelline New York- I use this as my highlighting concealer and it really helps brighten the areas of my face that should stand out!

2. Baked Split Highlighter Duo with Double-Ended Applicator, Laura Gellar Beauty- Beware, it's pricey-but you barely use any of it when contouring so it will last forever...I can already tell! Beautiful on my cheekbones and the bridge of my nose.

3. Deep Throat Blush, Nars- love the color, kinda grossed out by the name.  Glides on smoothly and evenly, placed right above the contour line.  Nars has the best blush out there-hands down.  Love this shade! 

A lot of highlight/contour tutorials use a dark concealer or foundation as a contour as well as a dark eyeshadow or bronzer.  I do NOT like this method.  It does not work for me at all.  It is too much for my oily skin!  My favorite hightlight/contour tutorial is by BeautyBox1211 and can be found here: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAQRO5iGo5A.  She even uses a brush like the one found in Hoola bronzer! :)

Good luck!

beautiful. sophia

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Stepping Outside the Mascara Box

Do you ever have a hard time trusting that a new or different type of product will give you what you need?  I was that way with mascara for a long time, specifically-with mascara wands.

Here is the type of mascara wand I was hopelessly devoted to:

Look familiar? I have literally used this type of wand since I was 12? 13? Now that's commitment!  I was never even a big fan of a brush with any sort of a curve, because-why fix something that's not broken?  WELL.  I'm not sure what made me step outside of the closed-minded-mascara-wand-box, but I did.   Within the last few months I've stumbled upon two new mascaras that are my favorite of all time, and they have brushes I never thought I'd like!

 1. They're Real, Benefit Cosmetics, $23

Check out that wand! In my opinion, you cannot beat this design when it comes to separating, lengthening, and knocking out every. single. lash.  The ball tip resembles a sea urchin and reaches out to get to the very inside corner and outside edges of your lash line.  It also grabs and gets rid of clumps (which there are very few of when if comes to this mascara).

Apparently, this wand has 326 alternating micro bristles?! get out of town.  They are shorter and stiffer than a traditional mascara wand and...they work.  Lashes get a good amount of volume, go on for miles, and LITERALLY will have people asking you: are those real?!  Very little clumping, flaking, or dragging.  High quality mascara.

The one downfall of this mascara is that it is a little pricey if you like to coat your lashes quite a few times each application like I do.  Sometimes I will use another mascara first and finish off with this guy to make the product last!

2.  Rocket Volume, Maybelline New York, $7-8

This mascara also has tons of micro bristles on a wand that performs similar to They're Real.  Just like the name boasts, a ton of volume is to be expected!   Lashes will also be lengthy and gorgeous.  A little more clumping than They're Real, but that is to be expected sometimes with more volume.  (Plus I can't even tell you how many coats I use on a daily basis).  You cannot beat the lashes you get for the price of this product.  Occasional flaking, but not much.  Is it just me or has Maybelline been making some kick-butt mascara forEVER?!  Remember Great Lash, bright pink and green packaging? Still around, and still amazing, with a 5 dollar price tag!

My favorite lash combo is to start with Rocket Volume and finish with They're Real.  Gorgeous lashes!

Great lashes have such a way of making your eyes appear bright and beautiful!

Combo of They're Real and Rocket Volume! :)

What are your favorite mascaras?!

beautiful.sophia

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NYX Butter Gloss Review

So I'm not going to lie to you... I've become a kind of "makeup snob" over the last few years.  Once I try a more expensive product I have a hard time turning back to my drug store finds.  However-there is just no denying a good product no matter what the price!  This weekend I popped into my local ULTA Beauty to try the NYX Butter Gloss, because I've heard multiple people rave about this product.

BOOM. I'm sold.  The glosses are unbeatable considering they have a FIVE DOLLAR price tag! The color is more concentrated than you can typically find in a gloss, and they have a soft, yes, buttery (imagine that) consistency.  If you're not rubbing your lips together, drinking, or eating-they also wear for a decent amount of time considering that's just not something glosses are known for.  My roommate even said to me Saturday night, "Your lipgloss is poppin'!" She was right.

Here are the colors I tried: (left to right, top to bottom)

      1."Creme Brulee"                  
      2."Eclair"           
      3."Peaches and Cream"      
      4."Strawberry Parfait"   
                                      

      

      

My favorite is the Peaches and Cream! Two coats and it is a gorgeous bright pink :)

I think these are perfect to go over lip stains.  I am already planning to wear Strawberry Parfait over my Tarte Lip Stain in "Fiery!"  I'll let you know how that goes ;)

These rival some pretty expensive glosses so I give them two thumbs up!!

beautiful.sophia

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Link to Butter Gloss