Make up for ever

Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Invisible Cover Stick Foundation Review

Welcome back, my loves! Today I will be reviewing the Make Up For Ever Ultra Hd Stick Foundation. I’m going to make this short and sweet because I LOVE this foundation. I received this product in my very first VoxBox from Influenster and I’m sooooooooooo glad I did! You can purchase this guy at Sephora for $43 and with 15 shades available, you are bound to find your shade.

Packaging:

The packaging is very simple. The lid snaps on and off easily and it has a little tab to keep the foundation fresh. All you have to do is twist up and apply! It’s great for traveling. You don’t have to worry about your foundation leaking.

Pros:

I have struggled to find the perfect full coverage foundation for a while. A lot of foundations claim to be full coverage but they’re not. This is not the case. This foundation can totally be built to FULL COVERAGE. Usually the more coverage foundations have the more matte or cakey they are. I love this because it leaves a very natural dewy flawless finish. It does not get cakey at all. My skin is extremely dry at the moment from the weather transitioning to Fall. This does not cling on to my dry patches as much as others do, so for me that sealed the deal. I’d say this is more of a winter foundation rather than a summer. It’s also great for any special occasion where photos will be taken.

Don’t be afraid of the full coverage. This can also be used as a light everyday foundation.

Cons:

I think the price of $43 is a little hefty, especially since you only get 0.44oz. The average size of a foundation is around 1oz. The biggest negative about this foundation is that it really sinks into your pores. Like bad…. And I don’t really even have big pores! To fix this problem I use a primer. The MUFE Smoothing Primer does the trick. I would not recommend this to very oily skin. You could probably get away with it if you have combo to oily, but you would definitely have to set it with powder.

How I apply:

For a lighter coverage, I apply a couple swipes on my cheeks, one on forehead and chin, and sometimes I’ll add a little bit more around my nose. Then, I’ll add a few sprays of Fix Plus to a buffing brush. The blending process is fairly easy after that. Setting powder isn’t necessary for me when I do this.

Lighter coverage

I like to use my beauty blender for a full coverage look. I prefer to apply the foundation in layers. Apply, blend, apply, blend, etc.. etc.. I lightly apply my Kat Von D loose setting powder (review here) all over my face after I set my concealer.

full coverage

There’s not much of a difference in both photos. That shows you just how good this foundation photographs!

A huge thank you to Make Up For Ever for allowing me to try this amazing product! I hope you enjoyed!

XO, Diana

Favorite Face Brushes

Hello my beauties! Today I wanted to go over my favorite face brushes. These are all my go-to brushes I can’t live without.

Tarte Airbrush Finish Foundation Brush ($34)

This is the brush I recommend the most. This brush is perfect for everyday use or full coverage. I mainly use this brush for everyday light foundation application. It’s super soft yet very dense. I love how big it is so it makes the application process super fast and easy. I normally apply the foundation on my face first. I dab a little bit on my forehead, cheeks, chin, and nose. Then, I lightly buff the foundation in with brush using gentle circular motions. I don’t like to apply the foundation directly on the brush because I feel like it wastes too much product. This brush is on the pricier side, but it’s worth every penny in my opinion. Morphe brushes has a very similar brush. I haven’t tried their brushes so I can’t say anything as far as the quality goes, but if you are on a budget, you may wanna check it out.

Beauty Blender ($20)

This may not be brush but it is the best tool to achieve a flawless look. It blends foundation and concealer perfectly. The only downfall is how long it takes to blend in. Not ideal for on the go. To save time I blend the foundation with a brush first and then I go in with the sponge. I also have the Real Techniques version. I think it’s a great dupe.

Bobbi Full Coverage Face Brush ($44)

This is my go-to when I’m too lazy to use my beauty blender. This brush is perfect for traveling purposes because of the short handle. Its not as dense or big as the Tarte but it still applies a flawless application. This brush is great, but I’d recommend the two others above first.

Real Techniques Sculpting Brush ($10)

I think all Real Techniques brushes are amazing. They are super affordable! I’d say this one is my favorite. I use this brush to set my concealer. It works great with loose powder or the Kat Von D Shade & Light Palette (yellow shade). I press the powder under my eye with the brush. I do not blend or buff it, I just press it onto the skin. This is what gives the flawless application. You need this brush!

Real Techniques Contour Brush (set $18)

I use this brush to apply my concealer. Works great. It’s the perfect size to blend concealer. And because it’s tapered, it’s easy to get in the inner corner. I later go in with my beauty blender if I want more coverage. Be sure to wash these often. It tends to carry a lot of product so if you don’t wash it, it doesn’t blend as good. This brush is included in the Core Collection set. It’s a great set to start off with.

Real Techniques Setting Brush ($8)

This brush is great to set your concealer as well. I mainly use this for everyday purposes. I also like to use this brush to set my eye primer. Be sure to check out Ulta for these brushes. They often have them BOGO 50% off. Don’t forget the $3.50 off $10 coupon!

MUFE Large Powder Fan Brush ($48)

I’ve mentioned this brush a couple times now. I can’t say enough good things about it! It is PERFECT for contouring and applying bronzer. It’s even great to apply brush and highlight. Morphe brushes has various similar brushes as well. Check them out here. I’d say the Deluxe Fan or the the Jumbo Badger Fan are the closest. I know this one is pretty pricey.

If you haven’t checked out my post on my flawless foundation routine then check it out here. Stayed tuned for a post on my favorite eye brushes.

I hope this was helpful! Thanks for reading.

XO, Diana

My Bronzer Collection

Summer can only mean one thing… Bronzed dewy skin. I am a sucker for bronzers (and highlights) in the summer time! I’ve had several people ask for a bronzer recommendation. Bronzers can be very pricey but I personally think it’s a product worth investing in. I was only going to mention my favorite bronzers but I figured it would be a good idea to show you my full collection and tell you all about them.

I’ll start off with my current favorite, Hourglass Ambient Bronzer in Radiant Bronze Light ($50). This is the ultimate bronzer for summer. It gives such a beautiful glow. It’s the perfect balance of orange and brown. It has tiny tiny shimmers when you look closely. I am wearing it in the picture to the right. I also love this bronzer because a little goes a long way. It is very finely milled yet very pigmented.

Tarte Park Avenue Princess ($30) is another one of my favorites. It gives a beautiful natural glow. This one is a little more pigmented than the Hourglass. And it is has more of a golden glow as opposed to micro shimmers. It’s a little more brown as well. I’ve gone through two travel sizes. I should have just bought the full size a long time ago!

Too Faced Chocolate Soleil ($30) is my favorite matte bronzer. It has a warm brown tone. I like it because I can use it to bronze my face or even contour. I prefer to contour with cooler tones but this guy gets the job done too. I own a couple travel sizes of this as well.

Soleil Tan De Chanel Bronzer ($48) is the only cream bronzer product I own. I mentioned this product in my March Favorites and you can check it out here. It’s easy to get intimidated by looking at this product because it looks very orange. Once buffed into the cheeks, it looks very pretty and natural.

Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze & Glow ($68) is another favorite. The shade of the bronzer reminds me of Chocolate Soleil except its a little lighter. The bronzer is very subtle and gives a natural glow to the face. I’m surprised at how natural the glow is because it’s more of a taupe shade. The highlight in this palette is also very nice.

NARS Casino Bronzing Powder ($39) used to be a favorite of mine but then I discovered the previous ones mentioned. This is the very first bronzer I owned and I used it for years. This is the second one I own (full size). This product looks very dark on the pan but it’s a lot lighter once on the skin. It’s describe as a “dark brown with golden shimmers.” There really isn’t anything wrong with this item. I’d say its in between the Hourglass and Tarte bronzers. I prefer the other two because they are a bit easier to blend.

Last but not least is the Make Up For Ever Pro Sculpting Duo #2 ($39). I’ve talked about this item a couple times. I last mentioned it in this post here. This bronzer is more on the orange side. It’s not my favorite but it’s still wearable. This compact is worth purchasing just for the highlight alone so I do not regret buying it!

I am a NC35 in MAC for reference.

All pictures taken in sunlight.

I also own MAC Cosmetics Sun Dipped Pro Longwear Bronzer. This product came out in a couple of limited edition collections. I wish they would come out with this again because it is a very beautiful bronzer! I had a travel size of the Too Faced Sun Bunny Bronzer at one point and I really loved it.

What is your favorite bronzer? Do you have any recommendations? I was thinking about trying Make Up For Ever’s new Pro Bronze Fusion.

Hope you all are having a wonderful weekend so far!

Makeup of the Month- May 2015

I can’t believe it’s almost been a month since I have posted! A lot of things have been going on and I have been traveling like crazy but I’m glad to be back. I decided instead of doing monthly favorites, I’m just going to show the makeup I’ve worn for the month. I usually try to change my makeup routine every month anyways. Some of the makeup will be repetitive but hey, that just means I really like it!

Nars Blush in Madly– I mentioned this blush last month and I am still using it.

Tarte Bamboo Foundation Brush– I seriously LOVE this brush! Its so big and soft. It makes applying foundation so effortless and creates an airbrush finish.

Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer– I really have been enjoying this concealer, maybe even a bit more than the NARS Creamy Concealer. I like this concealer because I don’t have to set it with powder. It does a great job setting itself without creasing. It’s not as full coverage as my MAC Pro Longwear so it’s perfect for everyday use.

Rimmel ScandalEyes Waterproof Kohl Liner– This continues to be my everyday liner for the waterline. Love it!

Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz– Favorite brow product for the last couple of months. I have the color Medium Brown.

Dior Nude Air Serum Foundation– I love this foundation. It’s very lightweight yet it gives a good medium coverage. I have normal skin with a few dry patches. This one doesn’t cling on my dry patches like other serum foundations I have tried. It has a semi powdery/velvet finish so I don’t have to apply setting powder. Because it is a serum I’m not sure it would be good for oily skin. I’d recommend setting it with powder to keep it from sliding off your face. I have the shade 030 Medium Beige.

Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara– This little guy is amazing. I can wear any mascara on my top lashes and this mascara will keep me from having raccoon eyes at the end of the day.

Maybelline Falsies Mascara– This mascara gives my top lashes great volume.

Make Up For Ever Pro Sculpting Duo in No. 2– I also mentioned this product last month. It was only for the highlight but I have actually been using the bronzer side this month. It can be a bit too orange so to keep me from looking like an Oompa Loompa, I lightly buff it into my cheeks. I would definitely repurchase just for the highlight.

Marc Jacobs Precision Pen Waterproof Eyeliner– I received this in a Marc Jacobs 500 point perk. It works just as good as the KVD Tattoo Liner ($19) and the Stila Stay All Day Liner ($20). This item is $30 for a full size. Since the other two work just as good (or even better) I won’t be purchasing this.

Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in L.U.V.– I purchased this a couple of weeks ago and I’ve worn it twice. It’s described as a “rich violet” and I totally agree. I didn’t take any pictures the days I wore this so I’m thinking about doing a Shade of the Day featuring it. I was very intimidated by this color for the longest time because I thought it would be too bright. I’m glad I finally made the purchase because I really like it.

Check out my favorites from last month. I’ve been in Texas for the last 10 days and I fly back to Seattle tomorrow night. I’m actually looking forward to the weather in Seattle because it’s been raining like CRAZY in Texas!

Happy Friday!

April 2015 Favorites

It feels so good to be back in the blogging world! I am finally back from Cancun and getting back into the groove of things. I decided to show you some of my favorites from April. I have been using most of these products everyday especially while in Cancun!

Hourglass Ambient Bronzer in Radiant Bronze Light– I am a sucker for bronzers and this guy is one of my favorites! It’s the perfect bronze color and gives a beautiful glow. I also love it because it is very finely milled and super easy to blend.

Make Up For Ever Pro Sculpting Duo in 2 Golden-I have been using this only for the highlight. The bronzer is a little too orange for me. You can check out the swatch here. This product and the Hourglass bronzer are the perfect pair.

NARS Blush in Madly-I’m not that much of a blush person and I tend to go towards more neutral ones. This one is a neutral peachy pink.

Anastasia Brow Wiz in Medium Brown– I gave up on finding a cheaper alternative and decided to go back to the Brow Wiz. I used to purchase the Dark Brown but since I’m more into a natural brow, I purchased Medium Brown.

Dose of Colors Kiss of Fire– I mentioned this in my favorite lipsticks for spring post. You can check it out here. When I first purchased these lipsticks I wasn’t a very big fan, but that changed after a few uses.

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream– I have calluses on my hands from weightlifting and this is the best lotion to moisturize my hands.

Stay tuned for my next post. It will include OOTD’s and MOTD’s from my trip in Cancun! All of these products will be included.

-Diana

Favorite Lipsticks for Spring- 2015

L to R: Kat Von D- Bauhau5, MAC- Impassioned, Dose of Colors-Kiss of Fire, MUFE- 39, Sephora Collection- African Violet

After digging through my lipsticks I have compiled a handful I think would be perfect for spring. Don’t get me wrong I am a firm believer of wearing whatever I want whenever I want, but these are just colors I tend to go for this time of the year.

Kat Von D- Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Bauhau5 ($20)

This color is described as a “deep raspberry.” It’s very bright so it’s a perfect winter to spring transition color. I would recommend wearing a liner for an even application.

MAC Cosmetics- Impassioned ($16)

This is a perfect pinky-coral color!

worst swatch ever -__-

Dose of Colors- Kiss of Fire ($18)

I love this color because of how bright it is. My favorite red lipsticks are ones with a pink tint to them.

Make Up For Ever- Rouge Artist Intense in # 39 ($20)

This is my favorite peach lipstick. I also have MAC’s Ravishing but I prefer this one.

Sephora Collection- Cream Lip Stain in African Violet

I LOVE this color. It’s perfect. You need it. Go get it! You can check out my post on it here.

There are a lot more lipsticks I could have chosen but I wanted to pick basic colors you would wear for spring, coral, peach, violet, etc. Like I said before you can wear these colors anytime of the year. I just wanted to give you some ideas for new lipsticks. I hope this helped!

Happy Friday! I will be heading to Cancun for a much needed vacation. 🙂

-Diana

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Kat Von D- Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Bauhau5 ($20)

MAC Cosmetics- Impassioned ($16)

Dose of Colors- Kiss of Fire ($18)

Make Up For Ever- Rouge Artist Intense in # 39 ($20)

Sephora Collection- Cream Lip Stain in African Violet

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