Showing posts with label elf. Show all posts
Showing posts with label elf. Show all posts

Review | Maybelline Color Whisper vs. Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter

 
      In my last post, I mentioned both of these products. They are pretty similar in packaging and formula and I thought a comparison post would do nicely for them. Maybelline advertises this product as a gel with pigments for see-through color. The Revlon Lip Butter claims to be a gel-like butter that gives a sheer color to the lips. I was actually kind of confused because I didn't really think of these products as gels.
     I own two of the Maybelline Color Whisper Lip Colors; Made-it Mauve and Berry Ready. I absolutely love Made-it Mauve. It is a perfect nude color for me. It's not super light and doesn't have a lot of brown tones, so it doesn't make my skin look muddy. The formula of this is really nice. I don't feel like I need a lip balm under it like I do with matte lipsticks (or lipsticks in general). That being said, I do use my ELF Lip Lock Pencil to help with staying power. I've noticed that with using that, it stays on for about an hour and half.
    The Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter is just as moisturizing as the Color Whisper Lip Colors. I will say that the color on these is a lot more sheer. The Maybelline lip colors are extremely pigmented, so if you are wanting a vivid shade but something pretty sheer, I would go for the Revlon product. I use the ELF Lip Lock Pencil with this product as well and it has about the same lasting power.




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5 Under $5


Sometimees I feel like I neglect the name of the blog. A lot of products that I talk about are far from budget friendly. I have nothing against drugstore products, I just get extremely caught up in the packaging and the hype of higher end products. I thought in this post I would show some love for the products that are budget friendly and that don't skip on quality.

ELF | Lip Lock Pencil ($3.00)
In all honesty, this is my absolute favorite ELF product. I have been using this for as long as I have been interested in makeup. It keeps your lipstick from feathering or moving around and definitely helps the staying power of anything you are wearing. That leads to less touch-ups and overall frustration that sometimes goes along with the whole shindig.

NYX | Jumbo Eye Pencil ($4.49)
I own two of these. I own Iced Mocha and Milk. I love using Iced Mocha as a base color and Milk as a brow highlighter or in my waterline. I typically use a primer under Iced Mocha just to ensure that it doesn't crease or smudge. These blend in easily and I love the consistency of the product.

Revlon | Colorstay Nail Enamel ($4.99)
You guys should know by now that Revlon is probably my favorite drugstore brand. I think I say that about every time I mention it,  oops. They're nail polishes are no exception, they are a nice quality without the price of Essie or ahem Deborah Lippmann (although I would own all her polishes if I could). I have never had an issue with any nail polish I have purchased by this brand and they usually have a really nice color range as well.

Maybelline | Color Whisper Lipcolor ($4.74)
For a little bit cheaper than the Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter, the Color Whisper Lipcolor offers a nice range of colors. I actually think I like them better than the Revlon Colorburst (I'm sensing a comparison post coming your way). These are extremely pigmented for a drugstore lip color. I own Made-It Mauve and Berry Ready and would reccommend them both.

Revlon | Colorstay Blemish Concealer ($4.28)
I have had a love/ hate relationship with concealers. I love the idea of concealer but have yet to find one that I am massively obsessed with. That being said, this concealer is the best one I have found and for a pretty good price. I don't really use it as a blemish concealer though. I usually just pat this in with my Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge and it tones down any redness I may have.

What are your favorite budget friendly products?
xx Tori

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This Week's Favorites #2



To wrap up this week, I thought I would share some products that I've been loving this week. I was practically dying of a sinus infection and bronchitis since last Saturday. I finally went to the doctor and am now on three different medications and I have Tylenol with codeine (party in the USA, wuuttt). I kid, I kid, that shit is nasty. Anywho, on to the post...

Revlon | Nearly Naked in 120 Vanilla
     This has been a godsend this week. I haven't felt like my skin has taken to foundation very well since I was sick. Nearly Naked probably worked the best, it won over my BB Cream. It was the perfect amount of coverage and was buildable where my nose was super red. I noticed it also gave my skin a healthy looking glow, my skin wasn't dewy by any means, but it actually looked healthy. So, go you, Revlon.

ELF | Candid Coral
     I talked about this in my most recent video (which was awhile ago, I know). I bought this because I will never get over coral. It was a nice alternative to all of the pink blushes that are in my drawer. This has been nice with the warmer weather we have been having lately. I had kind of neglected it because I had been using my Naked 3 so I had been using rosier blushes. That being said, I kind of catered my makeup this week so I could use Candid Coral.

Naked 1 Palette
     Since I purchased Naked 3 and my Lorac Pro Palette, I have completely neglected my Naked 1 Palette. My makeup this week was super simple and Naked 1 was the perfect thing for it. I typically just used virgin on my brow bone, sin or buck on my lid, and toasted on my crease.

ELF | Volume Plumping Mascara
     I'm not sure if I'm allergic to my Revlon mascaras or if they are just reaching their 4 month mark, but they have been really irritating my eyes lately. My eyes were really watery this week and so I found this mascara and thought I would give it a go. I don't own any waterproof mascaras, so if anything, I thought if my eyes water and this mascara runs off, I would rather it be a cheaper mascara. I was pleasantly surprised at how well this stayed on and it gave just enough definition for my work makeup.

Chapstick | Hydration Lock
     I got this in a Birchbox awhile back, probably December? I had already used the tube I was given and am almost through a second. This stuff is amazing. I don't feel like it stays on/ hydrates for the whole 8 hours as advertised, but oh man, this stuff is good. I find myself going to this over my Burts Bees, and I feel like I have never appreciated it more than this week. 
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Tuesday Talk | Favorite Drugstore Brushes

rachel
     Out of pure practicality, and to spare you from another mention of Real Techniques, I selected perhaps my most relied upon brush. This actually came in the Essential Tools Hi Def Deluxe Duo Eye Set. I've only spotted these at WalMart but if you can pick them up I'd highly recommend you do. I can use this particular brush for grooming and filling in brows, liner, and combing through lashes. Still, I get heavy use out of the other duos as well. They're all synthetic bristles and are thus suitable for either cream or powder and wash extremely well. The double-ended feature is also space saving and travel friendly. My only qualm is the ferrule can loosen from the handle, but that's easily fixed with super glue. In sum, these are solid brushes - especially for the price.

tessa
    I'm not much of a brush lover by any means, though the ever-growing collection in my bathroom would tell you otherwise. I much prefer to use my fingers as much as possible, or my Real Techniques Sponge, so sitting down to do this post proved to be quite the task. I ended up going with my Eco Tools blush brush. They sell these on their own but I picked mine up in the Starter Set. The reason I chose this one is because I pick it up on the daily and use it to set my foundation and concealer with my Rimmel Stay Matte powder. I find that the tapered shape serves itself well for the areas that I typically set (t-zone and under eyes). If you've never tried out Eco Tools I highly recommend them. They're a little pricier for a drugstore option, but the quality is on par with some higher end brands I've tried out.


tori
     I had quite the opposite problem from Tessa. I have way too many brushes that I absolutely adore. Since Rachel used an eye brush and Tessa a blush brush I figured I would go with my beloved ELF Complexion Brush. I have a couple of ELF brushes, including their blush brush which I rather like. I chose this brush because I love how big the brush is. It is absolutely perfect for setting your foundation and it feels so nice. This brush is actually a really nice quality at just $3, I've washed it countless times and it still feels new.

jenny
     I'm not a huge brush fiend like my other broke girls but I do appreciate a quality brush. I only have a couple higher end brushes so the majority of my brushes are drugstore! My favorite right now is the Sonia Kashuk Blush Brush from the Couture Set. It seems to be so difficult to find a blush brush that has the perfect bristle density. You want a blush brush that isn't too fluffy but you always don't want it to deposit all of your product on one part of your face. This brush is the happy medium and I never, ever want it to break (especially since it's limited edition).
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2 Brows, 4 Ways

**Firstly, let me apologize for being absolutely shit at blogging. We just got our new puppy Auggie this past week and it's been a lil' hectic. But I am back, talking about something very important. So read on.


     As you should well know, we here at FBG pride ourselves on our brows. Lily Collins is my personal idol. The fuller the better, I say. I’ve never been one for over-plucking both as a result of laziness and simple preference. I was graced by the brow gods a fairly full set and I keep grooming to a minimum. Still, I’d go from modern female to cavewoman in about two weeks sans my beloved Tweezermans. I won’t lecture you on achieving a nice arch or the perfect shape for your face – because I’d fail you. Regardless of my laissez faire attitude when it comes to grooming, I’ve begun to love enhancing my brows. I rotate between the four following methods and am always open to new suggestions so comment below!

No. 1 |  POWDER
     I’d always had a slight aversion to a powdered brow. I thought it gave an odd soft-focus, borderline unnatural look. Yet after dyeing my hair I needed a bit more correction than normal. So I turned to this matte, neutral Sonia Kashuk eye palette. The light terra cotta color mixed with a slightly deeper brown better match my new hair color. Used with a thin angled brush and a clear setting gel (to increase longevity and add some texture) this is my go-to when I want a more full-on brow.

No. 2 | PENCIL
     This was my first foray into the world of brow products, and I loved it for quite a while. The Anastasia Brow Wiz has garnered a lot of attention in particular but there’s several of its kind in existence. If you’re looking for precise application a thin pencil like this will serve you well. Though this shade is slightly ashy for my current brows the product itself is long-lasting and easy to use, with a natural pay off.

No. 3 | PEN
     Newest to my repertoire and arguably the easiest is a Stila felt-tipped pen. Much like liquid eyeliner this is for those gals in it for the long haul. It won’t budge, even without a setting gel. Using quick, feathery strokes you’ll add some fairly natural volume to the brow. Though slightly lacking in the shade range (only 3 – light, medium, and dark) this is what I turn to for lighter days.

No. 4 | AU NATUREL
     Lastly, is almost the complete lack of a brow routine. Since my eyebrows are fairly thick on their own I sometimes opt for the mere taming option. e.l.f’s Wetgloss keeps things in place and plays up the brows in a subtly way – perfect for more dramatic eye looks.
   

     That's it for me, I'm off to go snuggle with Mr. Augustus. JUST LOOK HOW CUTE HE IS. Ignore me. Anyhow, I'll speak to you guys very soon. In fact expect a sort-of haul video up in the next couple of days to make up for my absence. Until then.

xx
Rachel

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Muscle Memory Makeup

From looking at upcoming posts, it looks like a couple of us had a crazy week and still another one to come. I, for sure, am not an exception. It never fails that when I am crazo-nutzo (as my coworker would explain things) I rely on muscle memory to do my makeup. Even though my makeup organization is in the process of being revamped, I somehow always find myself with these products in hand. I know it's only Tuesday, but I haven't changed my routine for at least a week.

When things are crazy, I tend to make sure that my base is on point. I could not care less about anything else but a good base is the key to making sure you don't look like a zombie. Let's face it, that's important. As i'm typing this I've realized that I didn't photograph a couple of products (why didn't I make a list...) so I'll just go ahead and include those anywho. After moisturizing, I have been applying the Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer. Even though I have dry skin, I love this primer because I feel like it just adds a bit more moisture and does actually set my base unlike some products I've used (i'm lookin' at you, POREfessional). Then for foundation. This is probably my favorite part of doing my makeup since I got the Real Technique brushes. I've been using the YSL Le Teint Touche Eclait, but since I got the sample of the LancĂ´me Teint Idole foundation I have a new found love. I thought I would never find anything to top the YSL, but oh man. I'm buying the full size product whenever I have a spare moment. It keeps my face looking fresh and even all day. I had this foundation on for 15 hours and just washed it off and it looked as good as it did when I first applied it.  After this, I use the Revlon Photo Concealer under my eyes.

I then use the ELF High Definition Powder to set my foundation. MAC's Harmony is then used as a contour and I've really been loving Rimmel's blush in Pink Sorbet. It's just a beautiful peach color that looks nice with my skin tone and balances out whatever I wear with it. Another important step for completing my base is the Benefit Watts Up highlighter; it seriously works miracles. I'm not going to even explain my love for Gimme Brow by Benefit one more time, but it's used after blush. When I'm in a rush, I will typically only use one eyeshadow after I've used the Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion. The two picks lately have been Club and Woodwinked from MAC. They both really suit my eye color and woodwinked is just a really nice natural color with a bit of shimmer to wake up my eyes. Plus they both have wonderful color pay off and stay on all day. I always feel a bit awkward just using one shadow and so I will blend a bit of the contour shade in the crease line. After I've applied my eyeshadow I'll just go ahead and blend some of the NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk to highlight my brow. No, this does not look ridiculous because I'm the shade of Casper. As always, I curl my lashes and apply my most loved Revlon mascara. All in all, my makeup takes me less than 10 minutes in the morning. And when I have to walk the pups at 4:30 in the morning before work, I've already expended all effort for the day.

What products do you guys grab in a hurry?

xx Tori



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October Favorites | Tori



I've returned to YouTube! Still as awkward as ever. I filmed a little ramble on some beauty favorites as well as two nonbeauty favorites. My goal this month is to better about filming. If I don't film a video at least every other week, Rachel has permission to punch me until I do. I know she'll be stoked. She punches hard. Watch the video here!

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Tutorial | Cat

Hello all! Happy Halloween! Today is hands down my favorite holiday in existence. I was a little short on time this week because I am starting a job at a salon/spa and they have me training like crazy! I did however have time to show a quick "cat look" for any feline costumes on this fine day/weekend!

It's a short video but I hope it helps and gives any ideas!






Kayson xo
FBG
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