The Loch Ness Monster Likes Makeup Too

I'm a big fan of e.l.f. complexion products, so, when I was placing a big order from their website a few months ago, I decided to check out this product: the Beautifully Bare Foundation Serum. I've used it quite a few times since the order arrived, and I have to say that the name is accurate. It does make your face look beautifully bare. It's almost invisible on the skin; it's like a light veil that downplays imperfections. It really is a "your skin but better" look. E.l.f. describes it as a "weightless silky formula melts into skin for a radiant and youthful-looking glow. The luminous, dewy finish helps boost suppleness and minimize the appearance of pores and fine lines," and I think that's a good description. The product basically illuminates and blurs your skin with a minimal amount of coverage. E.l.f. notes that this product has flawless coverage, but I think it's important to note that this product has very little coverage. It m...

I don't know what Clinque's Even Better Foundation is supposed to be even better than, but, I gotta tell you, it's even better than almost every other foundation I own. I picked up this foundation from Ulta on a whim a few months ago. I didn't expect to be totally blown away by it, but I was. In fact, this might be my new favorite foundation. I mean, this is a beautiful foundation. It just looks so natural on the skin. It's not too matte and not too dewey; it's somewhere in between, and it's perfect! It has medium coverage, which is my personal favorite. It's not too heavy on the skin, but it has enough coverage to hide your imperfections. Plus, most importantly to me, it doesn't crease ! To put it in perspective, almost every foundation creases around my chin. To find a foundation that doesn't crease is basically a miracle to me! Plus, I think $29.50 is a pretty fair price, especially considering the fact that Clinique is a high end bra...

I don't normally use lash primer, but recently I've heard good things about the Violet One lash primer by Milani, so I decided to try it out. I've now been using it for about a month, and I have some thoughts to share. First of all, I should say that this primer DEFINITELY makes a difference. Sometimes, I feel like primers in general are just an extra step, but every now and then you stumble upon one that is really good. This primer really does lengthen and volumize your lashes. In fact, when used properly, it almost gives a false lash effect. Milani calls it a "next-level lash primer with a better than falsies formula that really does it all," and I think that's pretty accurate. When layered with regular mascara, the primer gives you longer and fuller lashes. However, this product does have some problems. First of all, it clumps like CRAZY. You have to be very careful when applying this primer, otherwise you end up with major spider lashes. That loo...

I've been wanting to try a Zoeva product ever since I heard KathleenLights mention the brand in a video at least four years ago, so, when I saw that Zoeva was coming to Ulta, I got really excited. In case you don't know, Zoeva is a European brand based in Germany. Therefore, it was somewhat difficult to get it in the US before Ulta started carrying it. Anyway, soon after Ulta started selling Zoeva products, I decided to pick up their Authentik Skin Foundation (mostly because I'm obsessed with complexion products and their spelling of authentic intrigued me). I've been using this foundation for a while now, and I have to say that it is a FANTASTIC product. Well, I should say that this is a fantastic product if you like dewy foundations . As the name of this product suggests, this is a very luminous foundation . It gives your skin a beautiful, natural glow that is very flattering on the skin. It has medium to full coverage, and it builds up nicely if you...

SO. I think I have a new favorite neutral palette (and that's really saying something considering I have approximately one million neutral palettes; but hey, you can always use more, right?) Seriously though, I recently picked up the  Going Coconuts Palette by ColourPop , and I've been LOVING IT lately. Before, I dive into the review I want to let you know that this palette retails for $12, includes 9 pans, and is available on ColourPop's website . It comes in ColourPop's hard plastic packaging, which isn't my favorite, but I can live with it. In terms of price, I think the cost is very reasonable considering the quality of these shadows. I've observed that ColourPop always does a good job at delivering bang for your buck. If you're familiar with ColourPop eyeshadows, you probably know that they have an excellent formula, especially for the price point. Their matte shadows are super creamy and easy to blend (although they aren't the most p...

If you want to GLOW, boy do I ever have a foundation for you. I've been testing out CoverGirl's new foundation for a few weeks now, and, let me tell you, it is a DEWY foundation. Personally, I'm all about that GLOW, so I've been absolutely loving this foundation. CoverGirl describes it as "a glowing, dewy finish that lasts all day long, blurring imperfections and creating a more even skin tone," and I think that's pretty accurate. Like I said, this is an incredibly dewy foundation; it gives your skin a very fresh, luminous look that I think is very attractive. I would describe the coverage as medium, although you can build this up to something that's more full coverage. I will say however that this feels pretty light and comfortable on the skin. My only complaint about the formula is that it is not an "all day long" foundation. This will crease and start to wear away after a few hours, so I highly recommend either a) mixing it with an...

I LOVE trying out mascaras. In fact, I usually have three or four open tubes at all times. I recently picked up Catrice Cosmetic's Pret a Volume Mascara to test it out because, ya know, who doesn't like volume? I've now been trying out this mascara for about a month, and I have some thoughts to share. Catrice claims that this mascara "provides ultra-volume in just a few seconds," and I think that's pretty accurate. It definitely volumizies your lashes, although it's by no means the most volumizing mascara I've ever used . However, it's only $7 , so I think that's fair. My only complaints about this mascara are 1) that it provides almost no extra length and 2) the formula is on the dry side, so it's a little tricky to apply. To get around these problems, I usually layer this product with other mascaras. So, if you're looking for a mascara that performs by itself with one swipe, I don't think this is the product you'...

My willingness to try new mascaras is ENDLESS. Which is why I decided to pick up  L'Oréal's new Bambi Eyes mascara. L'Oréal claims that this mascara delivers "volumized, elongated lashes for a doe-eyed effect," which sounds absolutely perfect for me, so I decided to try it out. I've now been using it for about a month, and I have some THOUGHTS to share. First of all, I'm not seeing the elongating element in this mascara. It gives my lashes a little bit of length, but I think the effect is minimal. Every mascara gives some length, but this was nothing exceptional. However, this mascara does deliver nice volume, so I enjoy that . So, does this mascara give a bambi eye effect? I would say the answer is kind of. It definitely makes your lashes look full and dense, but I don't think it gives you the length that I associate with "doe-eyes." Also, I should note that this mascara retails for $11, which I think is reasonable for a L'O...

So, I've been testing out products by Fourth Ray Beauty for a while now, and I've had pretty good luck with all their products so far (in case you don't know, Fourth Ray Beauty is ColourPop's sister brand; it produces skin care products). So, when I saw them come out with face milks, I added them to my list of things to test out. However, for one reason or another, I didn't end up testing out ColourPop's face milks until just a little while ago. The first one that I picked up was Fourth Ray's Turmeric Face Milk. I've had it for a few weeks now, and I've had a lot of chances to test it out, so I'm ready to share my thoughts with you. First of all, I should emphasis that this product is marketed as a skin care item, not a primer or something like that. ColourPop says that it is " a subtle, illuminating moisture booster for radiant skin ." I think this is accurate, but the effects are very short lived. When you're using a skin ca...

Guys. I think I may have found my new favorite foundation! And, it's come from an unlikely source: Maybelline. No hate to Maybelline, but, usually, I find that their products are just okay for me. However, I have to hand it to them, they really stepped it up for their new Dream Radiant Liquid Foundation.  It is truly great. First of all, I should that this foundation costs $13 dollars and comes in 14 shades . Personally, I think $13 is a bit expensive for a drugstore foundation, but I can live with it. Also, I hope Maybelline comes out with more shades later on. I don't think 14 is enough, but—in fairness—it's better than other brands.  In terms of formula, I think this is a fantastic complexion product. It's marketed as a " natural looking " foundation with " medium, radiant coverage ," and I think that's pretty accurate. This foundation looks very natural on the skin, but it isn't a no-makeup makeup sort of product. It has...

I hate to say it, but I don't think this foundation is going to be for me. I was initially interested in this foundation because Milani claims that it can help block blue light from screens, which is apparently bad for your skin. I have a coating on my eyeglasses that it supposed to filter out blue light, and it really does make a difference. So, I thought this product might be really great for my skin. However, I just think this foundation is not compatible with my skin. First of all, Milani says this is light to medium coverage, but it's really not. It's LIGHT . Very light. It's also not buildable at all . It's one of those foundations that starts to come off when you layer more on. I'm just not about that life. It also doesn't cover very well. On me, it just looks patchy . It is, however, a perfectly good mixing foundation, so it has that going for it. Milani also says that this foundation has a natural, skin-like finish. I'm here to tell you ...

 So, if you've been reading this blog for a while, you probably know that I am on a relentless quest to GLOW. Like, I'm drawn to every illuminating foundation, primer, powder, and setting spray on the market. I just can't help it! I just want to GLOW! Anyway, I recently saw that NYX released their new High Glass line, which is supposed to give you "healthy, glowy, hydrated-looking, complexion, "glass skin"...that looks translucent, smooth and reflective-just like a pane of glass." This immediately appealed to me because—as I said—I just want to GLOW. There are a couple of different products in this line, but I decided to pick up the  High Glass Finishing Powder because the idea of a reflective, finishing powder intrigues me. I've been using this powder for a few weeks now, and I have some THOUGHTS about this powder. First of all, I have to say that this costs $12, which seems a little much for a NYX product . I'm not hating on NYX, but I ...

So, I think I've found my new favorite concealer. If you've been reading this blog for a while, you probably know that I've been in love with Tarte's Shape Tape concealer for years , which is unfortunate because (in the words of KathleenLights) * das esspensive .* Fortunately, I think I've found my new favorite concealer: ColourPop's Hyaluronic Pretty Fresh Concealer. Now, I'm a little late to the review party with this product, but I wanted to test it well before I discussed it on this blog. I purchased this concealer about a month ago, and I've now had plenty of time to test it out and formulate my thoughts. So, I'm here to tell you that if you like Shape Tape, you'll love this concealer. Obviously it's not for everyone, but I think the Pretty Fresh Concealer is almost perfect as a product: it has a good shade range, it has full coverage , it doesn't crease very much (come on, every concealer creases a *little* bit), and i...

I usually do my best to resist buying holiday makeup releases. Often, holiday products have a different formula and aren't as good as other products carried by the brand. However, sometimes holiday releases are just too good to miss. I recently grabbed one of Tarte's holiday releases, the 9 Ways To Shine Cheek Wardrobe. As the name suggests, this is basically a face collection with nine shades of blush, highlight, and bronzer. I was primarily interested in it because 1) I like Tarte blushes and 2) the packaging was SO CUTE .  The shades come in three stacks that slide open and fold up as needed. Recently, I've been obsessed with things that come in this fun, folding packaging, so I'm really glad that Tarte released this product. I just think that this is such a good idea for travel and all that jazz. And, obviously, these little folding compacts are very easy to store, which is a positive change for Tarte considering their holiday releases are usually super...

If you know me, you know I love to GLOW. I'm here for glowy makeup. I'm here for glowy foundation. I'm here for highlight. I love it all. So, when I saw that Fourth Ray Beauty was releasing their Glisten Up Vitamin C Mist , I knew I had to pick it up.  (In case you don't know, Fourth Ray Beauty is ColourPop's sister brand. They focus on skin care, and they're owned by the same people who own ColourPop. You can buy their stuff on the ColourPop website.) This product retails for $12 , and Fourth Ray claims it hydrates your skin and gives you a "radiant complexion." In essence, it's a glowy setting spray , although I think you could use it as a primer as well. The spray is infused with "micro fine shimmer" and Fourth Ray says it "delivers a subtle glow." I've had this mist for  a couple of weeks now, and I've had plenty of time to test this product out, so I can say with total certainty that this is one situatio...

If you've been in the makeup-verse at all recently, you've heard about e.l.f.'s Poreless Putty Primer. Everyone on the internet has been saying fantastic things about it, so I decided to pick it up and test it out. I've been using it for a couple of months, and I have some thoughts to share. First of all, I should say that I've heard that this is a dupe for the Tatcha Silk Canvas Primer . I've never tried the Tatcha primer, but I have to say that I'm really enjoying this primer. It does a great job of filling your pores, extending the wear time of your makeup, and providing a tacky base for your makeup to stick to. I don't think this primer is going to change your life or make you look like a movie star or anything like that, but it does make a noticeable difference in your makeup. I should note that I don't really have any problems with pores, so you might notice a bigger difference if that's something you struggle with.  Overall, I think ...

So, I've been looking for a dupe for MAC's Fix + setting spray for a long time, and I think I've finally found one. Dewy Setting Coconut Mist by e.l.f. is a FANTASTIC setting spray. I've been using it for a few months, and I'm in LOVE. It's dewy, moisturizing, and an overall great product. It really makes your makeup melt into your skin in a really flattering, beautiful way. It gives you face a bit of an illuminating glow, and it feels very refreshing on the skin. Plus, it smells like coconut, which is always a good thing in my book. In terms of how it makes my makeup look and how it extends the wear time of my makeup, I think this product is virtually identical to MAC's Fix +. The only difference is this product is $8 and Fix + is about $28 a bottle. Long story short, I'll be buying the Dewy Setting Coconut Mist by e.l.f. from now on. If you're looking for a dewy setting spray, this is the product to grab. Final rating: 5/5

So, I recently picked up the Retrograde Highlighter by Ofra Cosmetics during the Ulta 21 Days of Beauty sale, and I've been testing it out, so I thought I'd pop on and give you a quick review of this product. First of all, I should say that this highlight is $29, which is a LOT of money. I know that it's not the most expensive highlight out there by a long shot, but I probably wouldn't have bought it at full price. I got it for 50% during the Ulta sale, and I think that's a more appropriate price. However, you do get 0.35 oz of product for your money, so you are getting a significant amount of product per dollar. The Retrograde Highlighter is made exclusively for Ulta and includes two Ofra shades: Star Island (warm ivory) and Neptune (icy lavender). I think both of these shades are very flattering on my skin, either alone or mixed together. Now, I am pretty pale in terms of complexion, and I think people with medium to deep skin tones might struggle to use the...

So, a couple of weeks ago, KathleenLights collaborated with ColourPop to release a line of blushes, and I just about lost my mind. I've been eyeing ColourPop's powder blushes for a long time, but none of the colors ever really appealed to me. Then, Kathleen -- one of my personal makeup heroes -- came along and dropped a blush bomb of amazing-ness on everyone. How could I not be over the moon? In their new launch, Kathleen and ColourPop released four new powder blushes and re-released the shadows from her Zodiac Palette as single shadows. Now, I love the Zodiac Palette, but, since I already have it, and I'm not running low on any of the shadows in the palette, I won't be picking up any of the single shadows. I did, however, pick up, two of the blushes. I grabbed the shades Lunar Has It and I Need Space. Lunar Has It is a warm toned, peachy blush, and I need Space is a nuetral pink with a touch of brown and a subtle shimmer (KathleenLights described it as the blush ...

This MAC collection -- the Boom, Boom, Bloom Collection -- came out a while ago, but a lot of the products are still for sale (in fact, some items are discounted now), so I thought I would give you a review of the collection (or, at least, the parts that I bought). I picked up several items from this collection as soon as they were released, so I've had plenty of time to test them out (I'm really behind on my reviews). First of all, I should say that I've had my eye on this collection for a long time. I believe it was released in May, but it was announced in March or April, and I immediately knew that I was going to have to pick up at least one thing from the collection; the packaging was just too pretty to pass up! As you can probably tell, the Boom, Boom, Bloom Collection was inspired by cherry blossoms. Everything is super pretty and pink, and the packaging is decorated with pink petals on a white background infused with pink glitter. That sort of vibe is right up...