Fall Makeup Experiment: Product Review

 Here's the low down on the  products I've been experimenting with this fall. 

Lips.

Maybelline Baby Lips Dr. Rescue

I love it!!! Good color,bright but not overpowering, sheer. I have it in the shade "Pink Me Up". It feels great on super chapped lips, and offers long lasting color and moisture. An off-duty pharmacist recommended it to me last week  because my lips were super chapped and bleeding and plain Baby Lips wasn't doing the trick. Baby Lips Dr. Rescue sure did! 

Eyes.

Maybelline Lash Stiletto Mascara (non-waterproof)

In my last makeup review post I told y'all about the waterproof version. This month when I needed yet another bottle of mascara (I  go through a bottle a month...). So I decided to get the regular version since it's gotten to chilly to go tubing or swimming or  other water activities I enjoy. Plus waterproof mascara dries out your lashes even more so than normal mascara and causes more lash-loss when removing makeup. Definitely something I don't want to use when I don't need it.
The plain Lash Stiletto works amazingly well on it's own. It absolutely adds vivacious length and volume and doesn't clump at all. That's saying a lot because I have relatively short lashes, without much volume of their own. It works even better if you curl your lashes for 30seconds before applying, it'll give your eyes a more open and awake, thus larger and longer look. That'll  bring out the best in any mascara. Average price.

L'oreal Lineur Intense 

Easy to apply (with practice). Long wearing but easy to remove. Quality brush tip applicator. Bottle lasts forever. There are so many options with liquid eyeliner. I cannot stress how much I love it compared to pencil. I only use pencil liner for tightlining. 

This liquid liner is comparable to Double Wear Zero-Smudge Liquid Eyeliner, for a third of the price (approx. $7)

I wear it in Black. 

Face 

Neurtogena Shine Control Primer 

This is the first shine control primer I've ever tried. Which surprises even me, considering I've always dealt with oily skin. So for $9 I decided to try this since I'm  sick of being picked on for being an oil slick. I can't say that its the miracle product I had hoped for, but I guess it helps with oil control a little bit. Better with than without. I'm definitely going to hunt around and try other matte-ifyers. On the bright side, it does minimize the appearance of larger pores. But really it just depends on the condition of my skin and the weather (i.e. humidity levels and wind) as to just how oily my skin is that day and whether or not this product helps. Oil is rather annoying. Be very thankful if you were blessed with not having oily skin! The only bonus to it is that we oil slicks won't suffer from wrinkles as much as our normal  skinned peers... Not much of a bonus, is it? Ha!

Almay Smart Shade CC Cream 

I was so excited to see that CC creams (color corrector creams) are no longer limited to bands such as Chanel and Dior and Clinique! I've been wanting to try one for a very long time, because I don't want to wear anything heavy unless I'm having a really bad breakout and really need to have it covered up. So I bought this. I like it, but as more drugstore CC creams become available I'll be giving them a try as well. So far my store only carries it in 3 shades, Light, Light/Medium, and Medium. I have mine in Light, and I bought it for my mom in Light/Medium. I mix the two for me and that gives the right color. I like to put concealer on scars/zits first, then place little dots of the CC cream around my entire face, focusing on red areas and then I blend it with my fingers first and then if I need more coverage I apply a tad more with a flat topped foundation brush. It's fairly lightweight, heavier than a BB cream but lighter than foundation. It's like a thicker tinted moisturizer. The finish is slightly dewy and soft, so definitely use a bit of setting powder. If you're having a really bad breakout and really need it covered, use this under foundation; otherwise this product offers enough coverage to hide minor abnormalities while still letting your natural glow shine through. It even works for my mom, who suffers from terrible later-stage rosacea. I paid $6 something for it and love it! 

  

Maybelline FIT ME shine-free Foundation Stick

When I first started wearing makeup several years ago, my friend's mom taught me how to do it (she had worked for Estee Lauder for years). She had a ton of sample products left over in tons of colors, so she gave me a stick foundation. I loved it. It was easy to apply, offered great coverage (I had the worst cystic acne imaginable for someone who was only 12...thankfully my face is sooooo much better now!), and was the perfect color. Sadly, Estee Lauder no longer makes a stick foundation. In any brand they are very hard to find, so I was VERY excited to see that Maybelline now makes one that's not only in stick form, but matte as well!  I hope they don't discontinue it! I really like it. Light - heavy build-able coverage, matte, long lasting, and affordable! It dosn't come in a wide variety of color options though. So far I only have it in the lightest shade offered but I'm considering also purchasing the next shade up and either switching to that one or blending the two. I normally wear it with a bit of finishing powder just to make sure it lasts and stays matte, but have tried it all by itself and it does just fine. Make sure to put moisturizer on before applying, as it's a drier foundation than some and can show off dry patches. It costs approx. $6.

Maybelline DREAM MATTE Powder

I'm always looking to try new setting powders. I really like this one. Lots of shade options, and really smooth! Pat it on with a powder puff all over face then do a second coat on the T-zone and onto areas where you applied extra foundation. Provides a matte finish for hours. Touch up as needed. I think I paid around $5?? Not sure on the exact amount.

elf  Essential Blush in Glow 
 

I bought this blush because it's the highly rated dupe for this high-end blush that I've been wanting for a really long time. Finally got around to getting myself to a Target (the only place that sells elf, and I don't have one near me). The color is gorgeous, and would work on any skin tone. Even without me going through the entire contour process (yes, that is part of my makeup process if I have time and have somewhere nice to go), when applied across the top of my cheek bones this blush really defines them and gives a nice glow, without being bright and obvious. that I'm wearing it. The best part? It's only $2.00!

elf Shimmering Facial Whip in Lilac Petal

I love how highlighter looks on other people, and have been wanting to try it on myself. You may say, "But you already have oily, shiny skin, why would you want to highlight!?!?". Because highlighter looks wayyy different than oil. I believe that if you have oily skin you should wear matte foundation to help with oil control. But what does your face look like after you're gone through the mattifying process? Dull, flat, fake...like a dead persons. So therefore, you should use highlighter (sparingly) to add add life and shape to your face. Put a tiny dot on the bridge of you nose, on the outer half of your brow bones just below your eye brows, above the center of your upper lip (on the lip line), the inner corners of your eyes, and on the center top of your cheek bones. The key is to apply it sparingly and blend, blend, blend! I really like this product, it does a great job and is totally affordable to boot! This is claimed to be the best dupe for Benefit High Beam and is actually claimed to be better! I don't plan on ever switching to Highbeam after reading on so many beauty blogs and talking to gurus about their opinions on differences between the two. Why bother paying $26 when you can get a better product for $1!

Physicians Formula Powder Palette Mineral  Glow Pearls 

in Translucent Pearl 

This was my first time trying a shimmer face powder. Its kinda expensive for what it is in my opinion, but oh well, Physicians Formula does put out good quality products that supposedly are better for you skin than other makeups. The brush it comes in works nicely. Honestly this particular color does add pink tint even though it claims to be translucent, so I don't use it as a real highlighter, I just simply blend in some of this to my matte blush to give it some bounce when I want to, so basically just for special occasions. Definitely not worth $14. 

That's all for now folks :)

Feel free to comment with questions, requests, tips, etc...!