My first favorite that I'd like to share is the Becca Ever Matter Poreless Priming Perfector.
OMG, I love this stuff and this post about it will probably be extremely long!
I'd like to start off by saying that I was never a girl that believed in, purchased, or used primers. I've tried a few in the past and those few turned me off of primers for what I thought would be forever. However, one day while in Sephora, I kept coming back to this primer. (You know when you circle around the store a few times picking up and putting back the same product over and over again...That was me). Then, deciding I needed to see if this would cure my face of its greasiness, I finally caved and put myself out $36.00. Although the price of this product is absolutely heinous, I quickly fell in love with its interesting and unusual texture and its amazing mattifying powers. No ladies, this is not your typical silicone primer. This is an absolute dream.
The directions on this product instruct users to warm the primer between the fingers and then gently massage into the skin. So, when I first used it, I followed these rules and to this day I think this method works extremely well. When squeezed out of the tube, this product is rather stiff and hard to spread, but when worked between the fingers first, it spreads nicely over all of your oily areas of concern. When this mattifier comes in contact with the skin, it almost gives a tightening, sticky feel. This interesting sensation at first scared me, but now I think it is the genius behind this stuff! Also, this tightening feel quickly subsides and leaves your face oil-free and ready for makeup!
I find this extends the wear of my makeup and prevents me from needing a touch-up for quite a while! It makes a huge difference and is a total game changer that I'm so glad I discovered this past month.
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| http://www.sephora.com/ever-matte-poreless-priming-perfector-P378017?skuId=1495209 |
Okay, now that my rave about that product is over, let's talk about some new spring 2014 collection Nars goodies...
The contour blush in the shade Olympia is an absolute must-have in my book. This duo features a light, cream-colored, matte highlighting shade and a matte, rosy-brown colored contouring powder.
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| ^Can you tell I hit the contour powder with my nail!? :( Sigh.... |
First of all, these powders are sooooo creamy, pigmented, and easy to blend on the skin. I feel that any shade option from this range, not just Olympia, would have these same features as I swatched all of them during my trip to my local Nars counter. I also love the shade range because it allows anyone of any skin tone to find a really nice contouring shade. Olympia, being the lightest, is absolutely perfect for my light-medium, NC20-NC25 skin tone (MAC reference). Although I was put off at first by the contour's rosy tone, I think it looks completely neutral and natural on the skin.
The highlight powder is also awesome for setting under-eye concealer, subtly highlighting the cheek bones, or brightening up any area of the face.
Absolutely love!! (Oh, and did I mention they're permanent?! Yay, NARS!)
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| Nars Olympia-$42.00 USD http://www.sephora.com/contour-blush-P386664?skuId=1614049 |
How about some lippies, next?
MAC Sweet & Sour lipstick is my absolute obsession right now!
This shade, a previous limited edition color (from the 2013 All About Orange Collection) made permanent by MAC this season as part of their "We're Back" collection of lipsticks, is a beautiful light peach with a slight hint of peach. It's one of MAC's Cremesheen lipsticks (which is one of my favorite formulas) which pretty much means its super creamy and gives a nice subtle shine to the lips! Snatch this one up!!
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| Mac Sweet & Sour- $16.00 http://www.m maccosmetics.com/product/shaded/168/310/Lipstick/index.tmpl |
Next up, we have the Maybelline Define-a-Brow in Medium Brown.
I love this pencil on days when I really want a strong brow, well-defined brow. The formula on this product is really nice and smooth and doesn't disappear throughout the day like a powder brow-filling product might! The only thing about this product that is a downfall is that it doesn't come in a wide variety of shades! :(
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| Maybelline Define-A-Brow: $4-8 depending on where you purchase http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=192934&catid=183536&aid=338666&aparam=192934&kpid=192934 |
Now, some skincare....
The Freeman Charcoal and Black Sugar Facial Polishing Mask made my face feel like a baby's bottom...ultra smooth!
I absolutely love this mask because it exfoliates the skin and leaves it looking fresh and clear. In fact, it's actually more like a scrub!It isn't a clay mask so it won't extract dirt and oil from your pores, but I do find that it makes a noticeable difference in the appearance of black heads and the size of my naturally ginormous pores. It is cheap, removes dead skin, and leaves me feeling confident enough to take on the world without any makeup on!
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| Freeman Charcoal and Black Sugar-$3.99 http://www.drugstore.com/freeman-feeling-beautiful-facial-polishing-mask-charcoal-and-black-sugar/qxp476621 |
