MAC Groundwork Paint Pot Review

Greetings!

MAC paint pots are the best primers on the market right now in my opinion.  Not only can they be used as a primer but you can also use them as bases, cream eyeshadows, and concealer for those that are able to find a good match. I usually use use mine as primer and  cream eyeshadow.  How as an eyeshadow?  Simply apply the product on the lid of the eye, use a blending color in the crease, add a highlight to the brow bone, and you're good to go.  Simple, just how I like it.

Paint pots are intended to prime your eye canvas for eyeshadow application so that your eyeshadow does not crease throughout the day.  The greatest part of paint pots is their inability to move, once you blend that product it won't budge once you give it time to dry which a good thing, no one wants roof shingle like eyeshadow by the noon hour!

Here are a few pics to show you the goodness!

Groundwork paint pot was actually my first paint pot and since then I have acquired Soft Ochre which is now my fave.  I have a few others but I don't reach for them as much because......well, I don't know, LOL!  I will now though!  There is no scent and there is enough product in this little jar to last you a while, I've had this one for about two and a half years now.

Do you own any paint pots?  Do you like them?  If not, what's your favorite eye primer?

Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm Review

Greetings!

I go through A LOT of lip balms and the only reason I do is because I haven't really found one that works the way I need it to.  Well, that was before I was introduced to Jack Black and his minty goodness.  This stuff is amazing and that's coming from a self proclaimed lip balm professional. 

There's really nothing special about the packaging, it's your normal squeeze tube you are accustomed to with lip products, although this type of packaging is typical with lip gloss rather than lip balm.  The actual product is clear and thick and once applied to the lips you will feel that your lips are smoother and after a few seconds you'll feel a minty sensation.  It's like a subdued version of swishing Listerine in your mouth but on your lips instead.  Too much isn't necessary as I find that they more you put the more likely you'll get that despised white ring on the corners of your mouth so tread lightly, a little is fine.  It dries to a matte finish that is really moisturizing and comfortable on the lips.  There is a minty bubblegum scent to this kind of like Wrigley's spearmint gum. 

Apparently, there are more flavors that I wasn't aware of until about earlier this morning but I never seem to find them, it's always this minty one stocked at my local Ulta.  *shrugs*  Either way I think this is a wonderful product especially if you suffer from dry lips.

Have you ever tried this product?  Do you like it?  Tell me in the comments!

Illamasqua and that Good Good Tweak

Greetings!

I love a good blush!  There I said it, in case you didn't know I'm a blush hoarder and you can thank Danielle from The Style and Beauty Doctor.  LOL  When I first started in makeup I never wore blush but after reading a few posts from her blog I was hooked and till this day I go gaga for a well pigmented blush.  One of my favorite brands for blush is Illamasqua, a brand that is based out of London but can also be found inside Sephora here in America.  There are a plethora of products that they are known for but I think their blushes are their bread and butter. 

My first blush from Illamasqua was Tweak, a watermelon pink shade that is beautiful on all shades of skin tones, whether you dust a little or alot is totally up to you but either way it will still come out looking gorgeous!  I've been wearing this particular shade for the past two weeks and with good reason, I was neglecting it back home and decided to take it with me on a trip.  I did not miss any of my other blushes!  That's shocking, especially if you know how many blushes I own, lol.

If you're in the market for a wonderful blush take a look at this:

Illamasqua-Tweak

I really adore the packaging of these blushes because the square packaging doesn't allow it the opportunity to roll over at any given moment when on my counter top.  It can also be a gripe for others because they feel that it is too bulky for the makeup bag.  This is 4.5 grams of goodness that I really don't mind being bulky since it is such a great product.  These blushes retail  for $24 so for those of you on a budget it may not be your best bet but if I were you I'd splurge, just one time, you'll thank yourself later, I promise.

Illamasqua-Tweak

Left: Swatched  Right:Blended

 How do you like?  Do you own this color?  Tell me in the comments!

Back to the Fuchsia!

Greetings!

Recently I took a trip to a place that shall remain unnamed until further notice, lol, and I was stuck in between a rock and a hard place because my nails from a previous manicure were chipping and you all know that I detest chipped nail polish.  Unfortunately, I did not bring ANY nail polish remover or nail polish with me, needless to say I was distraught.  :(  But thankfully for me I had a man friend in the city that was able to help me in this situation.  I told him to pick any color that he thought I would like.  Of course he chose a pink color....womp-womp!  I mean I do like pink but it's so typical, lol, then again he is a guy and I appreciate his efforts.  ;)  Enough of that, let's get to the nail polish.

Surprisingly, he purchased from the Sally Hansen Salon Manicure line, I could've sworn that I've seen this color before here but let's roll with it.  This pink does not have shimmer like the other one and I was intrigued.

Take a look...

Sally Hansen-Back to the Fuchsia

Sally Hansen-Back to the Fuchsia

Sally Hansen-Back to the Fuchsia

Do you like?  I do, no shimmer, it is a cream finish, I used two coats to get this opacity.  Keep in mind that I did not use a top coat or a base coat and the color remained fresh for a week!  THIS is why I love Sally Hansen!

Black Radiance Complexion Perfection Shine Control Primer Review

Greetings!

It's Monday and we're only a couple of days away from the official start of summer, are you ready?!  For the most part it's been in summer weather temperatures in Miami year round and it is only getting hotter.  If you live on the opposite side of the planet you should be very happy that you aren't experiencing 100 degree temps in June!  HA!  Around this time of year in order to make sure that my makeup stays on my face and not on my clothing I've made the extra attempt to find a face primer that not only keeps my face in tact but also to keep it matte or semi matte.  As you all already know by now foundation primer in crucial to making sure you don't end up with the dreaded "cake face."  You know what I mean, the face that practically looks like it's melting off because the heat and the oils from your face are working together to make sure you look a fool!

Well, I've found something that is sure to keep you looking matte and by the end of the day looking dewy, take note that I typed dewy and not oily.  I know that some primers may promise a matte face in the early morning hours but when that clock hits 12 it's a mayday for your skin to react and before you know it your face is a greasy mess by 5pm.  Here is where I enter Black Radiance Complexion Perfection Shine Control Primer, at only 5 bucks this little squeeze tube packs a punch!  Once applied and left to absorb into the skin for a good 15 seconds or so your face will look matte.  Add that already matte canvas with a few brush strokes with your foundation and you will look heavenly!

Black Radiance Complexion Perfection-Front View

Black Radiance Complexion Perfection-Front View

Black Radiance Complexion Perfection-Back View

The packaging is conveniently a squeeze tube that is perfect for releasing just the right amount of product, not too much and not too little.  I typically use about a dime size and apply it on my face like I would moisturizer or any other face lotion.  The instructions on the packaging suggest you dot it in the areas you need it but for those of us that have really oily skin we know wassup and that dotting business will not be enough.  So go for it and apply what you need to your entire face, don't be scurred!

Just a quick squeeze of this 1 ounce tube and product will be released, just make sure you aren't too lackadaisical in this as you may end up releasing more than you actually need.  The product is pretty lightweight and doesn't leave a white caste on your face once dried.  There was no scent detected nor did it leave my face feeling tight, PERFECT!
 

Since it is only getting hotter I highly recommend this product for those of you that have a serious case of oily skin like I do.  I was able to purchase mine at my local WalMart and I have also seen it while perusing in Walgreens and CVS.  When you try it and love it you'll have me to thank, so don't worry, I'll wait.......

Have you tried this before?  Did you love it or hate it?  In the market for face primers?  Check out my other post for another wonderful face primer by Revlon here.

Tell Me How You Feel....Part 7

Greetings!

I know it's happened before and as much as we hate to admit it, sometimes we can go overboard with the amount of makeup that we think we "need" and end up spending a little more than we had anticipated.  I've done it more frequently than I'd like to admit in public and quite frankly I understand that you have too, no need to lie, we're all friends here, right? 

Here's a scenario:  You go to the mall one day, you stop at the MAC counter and to your surprise MAC has released ANOTHER collection, of course you're overjoyed and start perusing the lipsticks and eyeshadows.  Still with me?  Ok.  After a few minutes of gazing at the new items we realize that you only have $10 in your pocket and you don't get paid two weeks from now.  Panic mode sets in.  What do you do when you clearly are interested in the products set before you and the girl at the counter feels pretty confident that she's going to make a sale out of you?  You start sweating bullets and then you remember, you have that credit card in handy, no big deal, you'll pay it back as soon as your statement comes in.  Cool.  The only thing is you buy damn near everything in sight because of this.  You figure since you don't have to "pay" for it now you'll do so in time.  Still here?

Okay, so now that you have the whole collection with you back at home finding petty joy in doing swatches you get a text from a bill collector reminding you of balance due that you have yet to pay.  Surprise, surprise, it's the credit card company and no, you cannot pay your credit card balance with your credit card, lol.  You only have $10 and that's for lunch for the next week since you are a broke college student.  Now you are STUNNED!  You have all this makeup and you don't know where your next meal is coming from nor do you have enough funds to pay off a balance.  What do you do?  Call somebody, anybody, just don't call me!  LOL

Have you ever been in a situation such as this?  What did you do?  How did you overcome it and has it taught you to do better with finances?  Tell me in the comments!

Come Here and be My Lavenbaby

Greetings!

I hope all is well with you all and that your week was spent being somewhat productive and that you're a step closer to whatever it is you're trying to get to.  All I can say is TGIF!  lol  For the most part one of the highlights of my week was this nail color, yeah, exciting, right?  What can I say?  I live a pretty mundane life.  J/K but not really. 

As of late I have really been into the pastel color trend when it comes to my polishes and this color is no different, in fact you may recall a similar lilac shade from this post, ok, now keep up, these colors are NOT the same, sure, they may look it but they really aren't, stay focused while I school you. 

See, the purple from the first post is a straight lilac shade, no interruptions in shade, just a light purple mixed with a white shade to form a lilac baby.  THIS particular lavender color by Kleancolor is a little more nuanced than your average and trust me, we all know I love a double themed color around these parts.  What's interesting about this color is that in some lighting it reflects a very faint blue color but that's only in person and I was not able to get it to translate on camera, however, the color is still gorgeous and I'm pretty sure you purple lovers will enjoy this shade just as much as I do.  :)  Enjoy! 

no flash

with flash

room light turned off and no flash

room light turned off with flash

Kleancolor-Lavenbaby

What do you all think?  Another hit?  I think so!  Kleancolor offers a wide variety of colors at very affordable prices, I think the most I've seen them are $2 on the internet.  You can find this brand at BeautyJoint at around that price.